Law School Chronicles

Spirit (and) Us ! - In Appreciation.

2011-09-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

Hadow Lockers,

Long Time, No Sea.
Any holiday plans yet ? Try the beach this time. The vacs are less than a month away, cheer up :) ! Anyways, some important stuff now.

For three days, I wanted something to go wrong. Not that I hate the normal order of thing, it was only so that I could blog about it. But then nothing ever screwed up. No fights, no cat-fights and no junkies trying to streak through the soccer field in their birthday suits. No gossip. But then, I think the Show must go On :) !

So I will just be nice and appreciate your hard work. For a change.

Nothing went wrong because you people were so intent on keeping it perfect. At least you tried to. Yes there was the occasional missing goal-post,but then anything that goes wrong is none of our business, is it ? Everywhere I went (which due to my being a lazy bum) were restricted to a numbered few, I could see sleep-deprived volunteers trying to keep things going. And keep things going they did !

Here We Go :)

Setting up tents, lifting chairs, chucking mattresses from hostel tops and all that random labour. - 'Infra' and other guys.

The ultimate practice in patience. All that food to sit and stare at, with eyes glued on the clock and the arm that slowly moves to closing time. As Rajni would say - Its tough, Mind It !- F n' B

Shooting smiles at total strangers and then (supposedly) bitching behind their backs. - Hospi !

Taking them around town, with evident dedication that could give the Transport Companies a run for their money. Or maybe their conductors :P - no hard feelings dudes. - Who ? The Transport People, duh !

The dedication service for bringing smiles to many faces and other Informal stuff - your Aarti system was awesome :). And the flowers were cool too.

The R n' R gals : This was where work never ended. With tonnes of paperwork to handle in not the most poshest of rooms - they made things happen too.

All the Event Volunteers (in effect - all of us) :
You see - it takes patience to sit through hours of a particular sport and not understand a single bit of it. It also takes hard work to clean up courts, dry them and ensure playable situations. I know it is tough to be there and do things you might not always want to do. It gets worse when you are sleepy and hungry - and very very worse (GRAMMAR ALERT !) when you are sleepy n' hungry simultaneously.
And still you did it .
Hats off :) !

Lock Speaks.

I did not work much. But whenever I did, it was you people who inspired me. Seeing you turn up all happy, leaving your cribbing behind in your sleeping clothes - it made me not crib too! The Class of 2016 worked as a Class , and this is what holds utmost importance :).

The Spiritus Spirit - Sports Com ?

Everyone worked. But some worked more than others.
Sports Committee Co-Opts - Agreed that you went around shouting your bottoms off, but we totally understand. You see, we are so used to work on orders that we just can't get ourselves out of our blankets :D. Sorry for being such troublemakers. But yeah, if Spiritus owes itself to the First Years, the first Years owe this to you people :) !

And...

Ever heard of the "unsung heroes" : These are folks who don't speak much. They go around doing what they know best - working diligently, with minimal objections. These are the very people who were everywhere at the same time. Keeping score, serving food, watching lines, cleaning courts and then turning up to cheer the College Teams too. And landing with a thud on their beds at the end of the day, all happy for what they did. Nice people they are. I can never be such, but yeah I can always get inspired ! It is these people who made Spiritus what it was . Respect ! :)

The End

Even this will end. The crowds shall leave. People will shift to stalking their College Top Fives again, with memories of all those minor infatuations they had ! It will be easier to get food at Chetta's, but the Nizaam's stall will vanish. Project Submissions will come rushing in, and the mood will alter.

Till then,
Enjoy till it lasts.

They said "This Spiritus is yours. Make it good."
I think we just did.

Have Fun.
Lock.

P.S. : As long as they give me cakes, I keep working !

Of the Idiot Box and other ramblings.

2011-08-16T02:32:00.000-07:00

Hadow Lockers.

The blog is still here. So, they do not trash the 'non-fuctional' blogs out here, do they ? Seems they don't. And thus my license to stay shut when I want to (and spam your walls when I wish to !!) totally works.

So, how has life been ?

Watson gets me news that it is not all rosy. What with all those project submissions, negotiations and then the tests crammed into one silly week. One primary reason you escaped my rhath, shilly peepal ! You see, life has been busy. Some sleepless nights, drowsy afternoons, ASPs .. when will this end ? Never. We have forced ourelves into the Machine, and now there is no escape. So much like those sci-fi movies that characterise Star Movies. Oh did I just say Star Movies?

Idiot Box - not so Idiotic.
Don't you miss that TV back home, dudes and dudettes ? Inside each one of you was a couch potato, albeit latent in some. And now all you have is "torrented videos' of shows of long ago. And as a consolation, you take pride in calling each other : "First Name" FAVOURITE TV SHOW "Last Name" - how koool. Law Skool does these things to you - an identity out of downloaded episodes and an aaidenteetty out of krooked spellings.

You see, I am more the stereotypical kind. I like it with the remote in my hand. No pun intended ! I miss the advertisements .. those five minute breaks you could take for some snacks, and make a mini-adventure out of it due to the time constraints. But now, you can pause it until eternity .. and if the battery survives and you forget about it [Ohkay Ohkay, I know it is silly, as always] , your cubie-kid might resume it an year later. What fun ! I liked surfing channels, watching two shows at once, switching between what mom wanted and what I wanted, changing channels when she wasn't looking. Also having forced dad to switch to newspapers, as watching news was in no ways possible with me around. Maybe he did though, but after I slept. Oh c'mon, how am I supposed to know that ? This is what that flickering screen meant to me. I miss it. I miss home.

Random Frustration.

I miss home even more now. Because am losing friends. They say I don't have the time for them. Law School has changed me. I am begining to forget them, they say.
Holy Shit ! I don't have time for myself here. Does that mean am forgetting myself ? Or slipping into some amnesiac existence?
No. Then why such deductions.
So I hate this place. I hate it for robbing my life. I hate it for making my special ones hate me. Sometimes I love it too, when I am working. Or blogging. Or am at Chettas with those close few. Maybe in the barbs. Maybe in the hostels. Maybe on the terrace. But then, ghosts of the other world come haunting by and everything turns grey.

And maybe, only a Law Schoolite can understand a Law Schoolite.
And the people outside will never do.

And I know you people relate to this.

Take Care,
Truly Yours
Lock.

P.S. Write answers that ellicit a better response that "Interesting" in tomorrows LM paper.
No need to dress up provocatively for the Torts paper. Its blind checking. Eyes and sights won't matter.
Best o' Luck.

Also, this is not a newspaper you pay for. So kindly stop pointing out typos. You can, but do not be mean.

Projects - My top Eleven :).

2011-08-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

Hadow Lockers.

Here are the eleven awesome'est' things to do in connection with your projects.
Source : Mother of all sources : The Internet.
Also, the lame ones might as well be mine.

Happy Reading :) .

1. Support your thesis with quotes from the latest Film Society movie you watched. - My Cousin Vinny , perhaps ? For Torts, cite Basic Instincts. Or American Pie, maybe.

2. On the day the LM Paper is due, skip into class, waving your essay and screaming, "I have a paper! I have a paper!". Run around the class a few times, then joyfully throw it out the window. Laugh and yell, "There's my paper!", then run outside to get it. Repeat this all through the period, or until she throws you out. Or says "Interesting".

If she makes you sit down, Question if it is 'parentalism' or 'Legal Moralism'. FTW :D

3. If assigned a 2000-word essay, draw two pictures of what the paper was supposed to be about. After all, a picture is worth 1000 words, right?

You know exactly what to draw in "Da Roving Eye's" papah . Do not eww ?

4. Type every word of your essay in a different font. Alternate really big fonts with really small fonts. That is some creativity doood, hats off !

5. If assigned a project in Sociology, explain that you can't do the paper because you''re not sure if the class really exists, or if it and the professor are just illusions created by your subconscious. If you do end up writing the paper, write about whether or not the paper actually exists.

6. Tell Eco Prof that you need an extension because one of your primary sources is an old wise werewolf in Tibet and he won't see you until the next full moon.

7. Hand in a letter you wrote to your cousin. When the teacher confronts you about it, say that you must have gotten the letter and the paper mixed up. Say that you''ll turn the paper in as soon as you get it back. By the way, your cousin lives in that Andaman village they showed on NGC yesterday, so it might take a while.

8. When writing an especially long paper, put a recipe for Chocolate Fudge Cake in the middle and see if the professor notices.

9. Make a footprint on the back of one of the pages. When questioned by the professor, act like it''s nothing unusual. After all, he did tell you to include footnotes.

10.Bring candles and incense to class. Before handing in the paper, perform an elaborate ceremony, entreating the gods to bless the paper and correct all your typos.

11. Get a large piece of paper or canvas. Smear paint all over it and hand it in as your paper. Explain that the topic was such an emotional one for you, and that mere words couldn''t possibly express what you had to say.

Truly Yours

Lock.

P.S. As far as I knew only the gubherment cites got hacked, but whoa. I theenk I am the gobhirmint.

The exam that should never have been.

2011-08-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hadow.

In context of the exam that should never have been.

Okay. It is midnight. The 3rd of August. And I think I should kill myself, just in case Economics gets to me before Death does. And dying of a nervous breakdown, sweating and quivering on the floor in a class abounding with the opposite sex is not the most alluring ways to quit life. Nor the most glamourous. Rather, I will prefer something sophisticated. Something that can be published in the newspapers... (the NLS Newsletter perhaps?) Neat and tidy. No witnesses. A mystery that lasts forever.

Stop. Stop. Stop.

Eh.
Wait a second.
Why the hell am I even contemplating suicide :D ?
And if I just vanish, who will carry forward the legacy that is this blog ?
Rather I should stay .
And vent my anger out electronically.

Martyrs die for the greater good while scapegoats die for individual good, not their own. You and me, dear friends.. are scapegoats.
I know, those 90 minutes would be hell. I will be as clueless as an Economics Prof pointing the TV remote at the projector, wondering why on earth isn't it working ? *scratches head*. Does this affect his head's utility or should he be better off shifting to Germany ? - (Opportunity costs ?) .
Maybe he should realise that we are indifferent to whatever he is upto as long as he passes us.

Whatever.

I will draw meaningless graphs, write meaningless answers and ponder if this is the "Law" they say they teach here ?

Does Law include "bending the law" when young first-years are expected to master an entirely alien subject in a month and still fare well - for no fault of their own.

And why is the administration silent ? Is it because the said subject's department is a monopoly - with not many options around ? Maybe yes. As long as there is just one producer (Read Professor) , he can bring all hell to earth and still survive to do it all over again - the next year.

Then when the bell rings, I shall submit the paper and move out. Smiling. Shamelessly. That is what I am.
Maybe next time then.
I would have attempted all the questions, analysed every international food crisis and suggested means to improve growth of multi-national corporations. But seriously,
Do you really expect me to be able to do all that with a month since I was initiated into the puzzle that is Economics ?
Or do you have a point to prove that Economics is something for people with a greater intellect than ours ?

Again, whatever.

In hindsight, maybe its not your fault at all. maybe it is the system's.
This is the best you could have done and you did. Extra classes, Academic Support Programs and an "Open Doors" approach to help. You worked hard, along with us. And I might have sounded harsh to you, undeservedly.

But then please be human.
Remember we are kids just out of school, not scholars headed to Harvard. Or Yale. Again, a matter of preferences.
Mark us, and mark us well.

God Bless. (Us, Not you.)
It is we who need it.
Later when you leave, pray that we are still breathing to fare you well.

Truly Everyone's
Lock.

Minutes of Madness - In memory of a forgotten class.

2011-07-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

Oh I am a nervous wreck.
Sometimes when I raise my hands, I half-pray she does not choose me. She scares me. And she picks me up everytime. Don't worry, am used to this depreciating luck factor.
Maybe tomorrow she makes me answer even when I don't volunteer. But thats a story for another day.
I stand. She tells me to sit down, and speak that way. Dignity, Respect .. or maybe "Feed the goat well before you kill it."
Why do I need to be the goat, always ? No not the scapegoat, just a goat. The volunteer who never wanted to volunteer. Scapegoats are forced to, I am not. I chose death, in her hands. Guts I have.
The class's scope of vision swivels towards me. Here in the spotlight, all I want is to shrink into a corner where no one could ever find me. I feel light-headed. Now light here is literally light .. as in weightlessness . The few pounds of my brains amiss. Guess that is where the term originated from. grammar police, Check. [Wait did I write grammar with a small "G" . Oh then . Shoot me, again.] Its not that my mind stops working, it just decides to take a walk. Often. Then there I am. Looking at her. Her eyes on her prey. I smile. She doesn't. I blurt out some incoherent stuff, wishing I had made mental notes before I spoke - which I obviously did not. My palms sweat. My knees tremble. My lips refuse to open. Breathing is forgotten. Then she smiles. She smiles and all she says is "Interesting". And moves on to another person. Life returns.
Its then that my brain comes strolling back. And starts functioning, trying to hide the fact of its evident absence through its hyper-activity.

"Was my point so worthless
Did it not even deserve a discussion?
Am I no use at all?
Will I get any marks at all in the much acclaimed "Class-Participation" thing?
Did I appear silly ?
Will they laugh at me ?
And I smile.
I ask my worthless little brain, "Does it matter, dumbwit ?".
And it shuts up for good.
Silly silly mind."

Just then, someone forwards an unsolved sudoku with a pen-tap on my head. And all sins are forgotten. The little dumbwit races into action. HER existence is ignored. I am one with myself now :).

And her ?
Well for one thing, she is one individual I respect.
But she scares me.
Intellect has always scared me.
Intellect is something I have always respected too.
Contradictions ?
Well life is all about contradictions and paradoxes.

Truly yours,
Lock

(*Ex) Workaholic's Confessions.

2011-07-29T07:12:00.000-07:00

I have always felt excessive work makes you feel important. Like, say eh .. you can pick up calls and tell that you are busy, so if the other person could bother to call later. Or maybe bunk a couple of meals, and work ... "uneating and undrinking" , Grammar Police , spare me the trial. Shoot.
Sometimes when friends call , and I tell .. "Am in a class right now. Later, later." Time ? 11 in the night. Super Bliss.

See I am "almost-a-lawyer" now. And this is what lawyers do. Work their bottoms off. And it was all I ever wanted to do. A month ago, perhaps :/ .

That feeling is dying. Work does not thrill me anymore. Law School killed that "John-Grishamesque Lawyer" deep within me. Work now is just another routine. I need people now. Real people - not robots - who I can sit and chat with. People who love coffee not for the caffeine rush, but for its taste. People who go to the library to socialize, and not escape other people. Talking to someone I like feels so much better than 2 hours in an ASP program. Staying up late and not working has its own thrills. You meet new people. On second thought, the same people in a new light. Moonlight maybe. Its easier to fall asleep in the next day's Socio classes if you haven't slept the night before, though it isn't that tough anyways. Work is no more a love. Maybe it is. But the 'honeymoon' phase has gone past. All we have now is a life-long marital alliance. Isn't it obvious ?

But work is something I cannot escape. None can escape. But maybe a more humane approach to jobs. :)
Some movies, some music, some games and then some work too. Not necessarily in that order.
Do not get me wrong. I still like work, but I do not feel good about it. I love my projects. I love seeing the word-count grow. I love researching. But its never like before. It is artificial love. I am forcing myself to fall in love. Maybe you are too. All of us are. Part of the process.
As a senior wrote somewhere ...
"Welcome to the Machine."

Can someone please get me back on tracks ?
Or can you follow me ?
The key to happiness is joblessness :).
The key to posh jobs is a genuine lack of happiness.
I think I am getting disillusioned. Forgive me. Old age does that to you.
But I need my life back.

Truly Yours.
Lock.

Toast to Homesickness !

2011-07-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hadow Lockers,

Watson brings me news that you people are homesick. Well not 'people' in general, but then quite a few. A lot of pillows stained with tears eh ? Making your roomies sleep, so that you could use some crying ? And then pretending to the world how strong you are. Confessing once or twice, and that is the end of it. You know its your story. And you know its for you :).

"The best thing about homesickness is that it is something that makes you cry, and still gives you reasons to be happy about."
I made it up :D

It shows how dearly you loved your mom's food. And trust me, its ALWAYS the food. :P
It takes you back to those fights with your brother, those ever-stretching silences and then the awkward enforced reunion. And then the fights again !
Memories of your dad leaving for work come rushing back.
Shopping trips full of demands and rejections.
Sleeping until late, a blanket around you and hoping that no one wakes you up or better - that they simply forget !
The leaving for school, the coming back.
Food for which you don't need to sign.
And yeah. Heaven. Breakfast on Bed .Wow.
Coffee, Eating-out, Eating food off the stove as mom tries to cook :D.
Hot bournvita, for heaven's sake !

I just realised that missing home is a lot about missing the food. Gluttons we are. And sometimes the people :P.

C'mon , I did not intend to make you cry. Again. Nah nah. I wanted to make you smile :).

See, staying away from what you love makes you love them even more.
It makes them love you more than they ever did.
And sometimes, it is the distances that show you your real worth. *Awesome Proud Looks* :P.

You are here. The place to be in. Every aspirant's dream. Your dream once upon a time. Don't let this time pass you by. Stay happy, smile a lot and live as if there is no tomorrow. Take things as they come. Do not count days left until October the 1st , instead plan for whats the fun thing you are gonna do tomorrow.

Live Strong.
Rock NLS.

P.S. If it does not appear to be a good place, make it better.

Truly Yours,
Lock.

Also , Whats With Those Pink Curtains ? :D . Literary License maybe. Or maybe not.

Heart to Heart.

2011-07-27T03:33:00.000-07:00

Dear All,

If you ignore the fact that I am the "anonymous" character all of you have come to hate, I don't believe there is reason enough for this hatred. Why can't you treat it as just another blog ?

You say I bitch. Kindly cite.
You say I am making it personal. Where did I ?
Well may be once.
All I do is share what I feel.
And that is what blogging is about.
Besides, my page got 90 hits yesterday. An achievement considering my target audience is 80-ish something :P. If you are not interested, why are you here ?

For once, forget the original mail that was sent out. I began on the wrong foot - wrong choice of words, my bad. Happens.

They say I am a publicity-hungry maniac ! To remind them : Publicity-hungry maniacs don't work from behind shrouded veils, they love the spotlight. A blog with the real me would have been so much better - accolades for my writing skills [Whatever minimal standards they are of], the satisfaction of having a blog I can call my own and knowing that people know. Yet I prefer this anonymity. Why ? For the sake of a candid outlook. Do think about it.

Give it a shot. If you don't like it, ignore it. But kindly cease to initiate "Hate Campaigns" against me , there are better things to hate in this life of yours. In the end, am just someone who writes.

Though I admit its fun listening to you people discuss who Homes is :D. Let that stay a mystery. Curiosity killed the cat, it might just very well kill a blog. :(

Read on,
Trust me.
It shall be good. :)

Lock Homes.

Am Back. Was there a bang ? :0

2011-07-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

Hadow Lockers :) .

Good News First. I am being noticed. Have recieved a couple of emails from equally weird email-ids :D. They will go up as the next post. Pretty interesting they are.

Hope thou shalt bear with me for this post.

A lot of stuff being said about me.
Its a girl.
Its a guy.
Maybe someone pretending to be a girl.
Or maybe a girl who is making it obvious that its a girl, so that no one doubts her or anyone of the girls.
Holy Shit . Is that not weird thinking ?
And I am having loads of fun. :P
But trust me, it does not matter.

Your moderator chucked me out of the group. And trust me, am planning to dedicate one post to him alone. Am I not wicked ?

You folks had a weekend to catch up on sleep. And the pending Project Works and Submissions. I used that to catch up on some gossip. Not much happening in the rumour mill.
A few of the girls are all lovey-dovey about a few, limited few of the seniors.
A few guys, again poor fellows .. all lovey dovey about their classmates :D. Not many options here.
A few liaisons that were made initially seem to have fallen apart. And hunters are on the watch for more prey. Prey Beware !

Many lost their alcoholic virginity this week. I wonder how many tee-totallers still survive.
For some it was about trying out something new, for others it was about mingling in. Trying to prove that they are part of the crowd. And this again was weird. Pics of them gulping down drinks abound, and don't they look cool ? Duh !!
YOU DON'T NEED TO DRINK TO GEL IN. Note That !

Most of the committees are done with their Co-Opt selections. Some surprised, some turned out to be as expected. Some led to lots of "Behind-the-Back Talking". How could she ? And How did he ? What the Heck. If someone is in, let them be. Its not much fun anyways. Transparency is one issue that needs to be looked into. May be next year then. Or else we can have only charming people running Law School :P. .

I respect them who did not try for any. Awesome people we are. Stick our bottoms to our beds and dream. Dream is what great lives are made of. Provided you act as you dream. The probability of which is as meager as that of SRK loving his wife :D..

For the others who tried and could not get through , there is always Chill Com.
Eat, Drink and Be Merry. :)

Keep an eye open for the "Correspondence" post.

Rock NLS.

Lock Homes. They Knighted me by mistake :D.

A question of Identity !

2011-07-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

I am what you think I am.
I am your alter-ego.
I am the things you always wanted to say but could not.
I am the doer of thing you would never do.
I am above what people think.
I am your ears that overhear gossip.
I am your eyes that check out people.
I am your hands that type hate-mails.
I am your heart that often breaks.
Well, on second thought. I am not :P. I prefer my humble "one-piece" existence.

I am the subdued personality inside each one of you.
The one unaffected by the Law School.
I am what you are.
The real you !

First Impressions.

2011-07-20T03:12:00.000-07:00

As young wanna-be lawyers descended upon the campus, something changed. Or maybe nothing did. Time will tell. All we need to know is that they descended, and THAT IS IT.

Great institutions can overwhelm you by their magnificence. This once certainly could not. And maybe, this humble existence adds to its charm.

As the hours passed and new roads were tread upon, the curious lot discovered that all the state-of-the-art pictures on the website were shots of the same structure from different angles. (Which I must admit ... Is STATE of the ART, and thus the publicity). They realised that the best need not be perfect. The football fields need not always be green to create brilliant players. The mess cannot always serve what you want. The hostels are NOT hotels , and there will always be some cleaning up to do. The faculty is not flawless. The students have their imperfections. Not all of their seniors turn out to be as envisaged - the "imaginary" bespectacled gentle genius with tonnes of books in his/her hand. In fact, a very meager number actually do. And other simple random downsides that bring about an "anti-climax" of sorts.

But still, It is the best.
Cheers :).

The brilliance of this "School" (as they call it) lies not in grand buildings, but in the ethics it endeavours to instill in its students. It is the "taught" who glorify the "tutor" and certainly not the vice versa.
The food might not be awesome, but it will do.
The faculty might not be perfect, but then "Who is?" .
Football fields .. Law School .. eh ? Thank God its even there . Along with a Tennis Court, Basketball Court, even Table Tennis for heaven's sake.
Seniors. Not bespectacled ?
Not enough geeks around?
Well, if the Basketball Stud or the Painter Gal can take you around the library as if it is their second home, who cares ?
Dude, they have parties every week. Is that bad ? Not bad, after you see the week-day work schedule which borders on insanity. !!

A lot of averages make the sum good. And this is good.

For people who really look forward to joining the ranks of Law Schoolites, and (FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY IN) .

Shed your prejudiced notions outside. Its a new world. Its a nice world. Expect the unexpected and you shall love it :) .

Till then, Me and Watson shall explore further . And you shall wait.

- Lock Homes ( I prefer excluding the title, it sounds pretentious).

P.S. This was a happy happy post. Things might get nasty later on. Law School is such a place. Remember, No Prejudices !