In the spirit of NaBloPoMo, I thought I'd try to post more frequently this month. (All the coolkids are doing it, after all.) Perhaps, instead of writing one or two obnoxiously long posts per week, I'll write posts of a more manageable length. We shall see.
So, I am on a retreat this week, which has been quite a blessing. Georgetown Law's Office of Campus Ministry puts on a semi-annual Prayer in Daily Life Retreat, in which we meet with a spiritual director every day and are guided to pray with and reflect upon scripture. The retreat is coming at a good point in the semester, because it allows me to address the struggles that I've encountered spiritually so far in law school, while also preparing myself spiritually for finals, which start in a scant four-and-a-half weeks.
I have been deeply challenged by the lack of accountability here. Gone are the days of living in a community of Christian women, praying with Cindy and Carla, et al., each morning, attending two to three Bible studies each week, and spending more time at Newman than in my own house on some days. I miss it so deeply, and yet--not to frighten those of you in Berkeley, but--this is not how the rest of the world functions, I'm afraid to say. I am learning that, as much as I can seek out groups of Catholics my age for fellowship, I must find other ways to hold myself accountable to God's desire for faith, hope, and love.
As most of you know, I am something of a word nerd, and one manifestation of that is to compulsively look up words in dictionaries and thesauri. (I cannot begin to describe how much joy my Mac's dictionary/thesaurus widget has brought me.) Incidentally, as I was writing the previous paragraph, I looked up synonyms for "frighten," because I didn't like how the sentence read with "afraid" at the end. One of the synonyms listed is "put the fear of God into," and that makes me reconsider the context of the sentence. I take it back--I hope I do frighten you! Knowing that other synonyms for that phrase are to "be in awe of," "venerate," and "respect" God, I hope that you are in awe of the gifts that God has given you, and cherish the communities that you have. One often doesn't fully appreciate something until one feels its absence, and this is very true of my profound relationships with the Beta chapter of Alpha Delta Chi, and the campus ministry of Newman Hall Holy Spirit Parish. You guys realize that I think about you literally every Monday and Tuesday, respectively, right? You're in my prayers.
However, do not think that feeling the absence of these fellowships leads me to despair. No, I simply must learn other ways to work on my relationship with God. And, I have never turned away from an opportunity to learn. In the words of the seal of the University of California, and of Genesis 1:3, "Let there be light."
As I looked from face to face, the joy was universal. Perfect strangers grinned widely at me, and I grinned right back at them. Choruses of "O-BA-MA!" and "YES, WE CAN!" rang out along H Street, echoing off of the tall buildings that surrounded us. No one seemed to mind the steady drizzle of rain--nothing could dampen our spirits on this night.
The streets were packed with bands of people walking every which way, pouring in and out of bars and apartments, taxis and subways. Each red traffic light was an invitation to dance in the street, and dance we did to the rhythm of the chants, barely noticing the lines demarcating the crosswalks.
I clapped. I shouted. I debated universal health insurance. I laughed. I high-fived. I hugged. I stood in a bar, surrounded by students and professionals, men and women, blacks and whites (and everything in between), and I did not stand alone.
We stood and we watched the speech. The inspiration. The reassurance. The potential. We smiled at the thought of the Obama daughters' new puppy. We clapped for David Plouffe, and we admitted sheepishly that we were happy he would stop emailing us, now. We looked at the faces in the Chicago crowds, and we were moved, and maybe even shed a tear ourselves.
I walked home. My apartment was dark, quiet, calm. I breathed a sigh of relief as I snuggled into my bed, and prayed a little prayer of thanksgiving. I closed my eyes, and looked forward to tomorrow's dawn.
There are very few countries that live up to their creed, that live up to the documents of their founding, that all men are created equal. And, tonight, America has proven itself on a world stage as a show country, not a tell country. They have shown that we have lived up to our creed. That we are what we say we are. And there's not a lot of countries [...] that can say that. [...] America, tonight, lives up to its promise.
In tribute to SNL's parody of Keith Olbermann, I welcome you to The Countdown with Amanda Stempson. (N.B. Diction borrowed liberally from both the parody and from Olbermann himself.)
Edit: To see/hear an audio version of this blog, check out the YouTube video that I created:
5: Comedy or Commentary?
We turn now to our fifth story on The Countdown: the brilliant portrayal of Keith Olbermann by Ben Affleck on the Nov. 1 edition of Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey's parody of Sarah Palin notwithstanding. The in-character Affleck said, quote,
It is a fear, sir, and a tyranny up with which we dare no longer put.
This sketch is long overdue and is, by far, one of the best SNL pieces to come out of this season. Affleck's pompous verbosity, rapid enunciation, and gratuitous outrage were simply superb! I was particularly delighted by his refusal to end a sentence with a preposition, even when resulting in absurd sentence constructions (such as the above quote).
I find Olbermann's show entertaining, if uninformative, mostly because he is so ostentatious. So, to see a grandiloquent parody of The Countdown made my day. Should not, indeed, Stephen Colbert consider the hiring of a co-anchor to aid him in the Report's pursuit of truthiness?
4: Truants for Change
Number four on the Countdown tonight, the supportive efforts of Georgetown Law to enable students to be involved with the 2008 presidential election. The Student Bar Association, the student government of the law school, passed a resolution requesting that professors either cancel class on Nov. 4, or provide an audio recording of the class. The purpose? To allow students to more fully participate in the plethora of voter protection projects happening in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
As of last week, I discovered that my own classes for Election Day will be canceled. Although my availability was last-minute, I was able to sign up for homeless voter protection at a nearby polling place. My job will be to help homeless people who are denied their right to vote. I will do that all morning, and then walk to the Obama campaign headquarters to do some "last call for change" phone banking. I highly encourage anyone who has any spare time on Election Day to work for non-partisan voter protection or for the Obama campaign directly. And, for the love of America, VOTE!
3: Viva la Vida
Our number three story: Coldplay was in D.C. on Halloween night, playing to a sold-out Verizon Center. I had the good fortune of attending said concert with Donna, and was much impressed by Coldplay's high-energy performance, resplendent with over-the-top light effects.
Chris Martin, lead singer for the band, played the piano in a manner that one can only describe as the seeming efforts of a tortured genius. (That is not to say that Mr. Martin is a tortured genius, but rather that he is capable of portraying one on stage.)
I attended the concert technically dressed as a punk poseur. My initial thought was to attend the concert dressed as a punk, but, acknowledging that I wouldn't necessarily be able to pull this off authentically, I amended my costume conceptually. Some of my classmates argued that this was somewhat esoteric, and I concede that they had a point. Fortunately, Donna later helped me to improve my costume by rolling up my pant legs, applying copious amounts of eyeliner, and coaching me in facial expressions and attitudes that were categorically emo, to great effect.
2: World's Worst
And now, Countdown's Worst Person in the World! To: Michael Powell, New York Times reporter. Mr. Powell recently wrote an article that ostensibly jinxes the entirety of the Obama campaign and its supporters. Entitled "Obama Is Up, and Fans Fear That Jinxes It," Mr. Powell maintains that, quote
To talk with left-leaning Democrats in New Hope, San Francisco or Miami Beach, to drill deep into their id, is to stand at the intersection of Liberal and High Anxiety.
Well, Mr. Powell, if the Dems weren't thinking this before you wrote your pessimistic malediction, they certainly are now! Mr. Powell, you of all people must know of the enormous influence that the New York Times has on liberal thought. To write such inane blather, and then make this claim, is circular logic, indeed! This piece is little more than a self-fulfilling prophecy based on a cruel tautology that may cost Mr. Obama the election!
Mr. Powell, sir, if you yet retain any trace of honor, you must at once resign from the New York Times. Indeed, sir, justice and dignity demand you so to do!
1: ADR & HSM
Turning, now, to our number one story tonight: Disney's High School Musical has infiltrated the hallowed halls of Georgetown Law. In Civil Procedure on Friday, in a discussion of alternative dispute resolution, my professor was explaining the cooperative efforts of resolution as related to sociologist Talcott Parsons' four elements of therapy. Specifically, dispute resolution plays out as a sort of psychotherapy for all parties involved. My professor's way of succinctly encapsulating this point? Quote,
We're all in this together.
My professor acknowledged that he has a 12-year-old daughter, and has thus seen High School Musical on multiple occasions. He even went on to make sardonic comments about Sharpay. Quite simply, sir, it was one of the most surprising moments of your class to date.
And that's the Countdown for this: the six-hundred thirty-second day since Barack Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
Last night, I was in the Situation Room! Well, sort of. I was in Hart Auditorium here on the Georgetown Law campus, but Wolf Blitzer declared that we were all in the Situation Room, implying, for all intents and purposes, that the Situation Room is wherever Blitzer happens to be at the time. I attended a symposium called "Decision 2008: November 4th and Beyond," which was moderated by Blitzer. So cool! The panelists were E.J. Dionne (Washington Post columnist, Georgetown Public Policy Institute professor), Charles Krauthammer (Pulitzer Prize winner, conservative syndicated columnist), Celinda Lake (pollster, Democratic political strategist), Clarence Page (Chicago Tribune syndicated columnist), and Byron York (National Review White House correspondent). It was a pretty interesting panel discussion, because of the diversity of opinions on issues such as whether McCain still has a chance, whether the Bradley effect exists, the effect of Sarah Palin, how negative campaigning affects credibility, and the ways in which the economy has impacted campaign messages. This is one of those events that reminds me of the awesome opportunities I have by being in D.C., and specifically by being at Georgetown Law.
Unfortunately, the symposium was scheduled at the same time as my small group Bible study, which crushed our attendance (i.e., no one came). Mike and I waited for fifteen minutes, and then decided to attend the symposium ourselves. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? Hopefully we'll have better attendance next week when we aren't competing with a popular head anchor of a major news network.
It's crazy to think that this election is finally coming to a close. I can remember when I first took notice of then-Senate-hopeful Obama during his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, and got goosebumps from his vision for a unified America. I remember when I first considered Obama as a viable presidential candidate, upon reading a Time magazine cover story in 2006 on why he could be the next president. I wondered to myself whether the United States would even be willing to elect an African-American as president, yet I found within myself a burgeoning hope that America had reached that point. I have followed Obama's campaign for nearly 22 months with ever-increasing attentiveness since he declared his candidacy in February of 2007. I fell in love with Obama's rhetoric and charisma when I attended a huge rally for him in Oakland with Cindy on St. Patrick's Day last year, delighting in green t-shirts supporting "O'Bama." I have watched the debates, I have followed the controversies, I have read dozens upon dozens of articles about the campaign. Quite frankly, Obama has been an integral part of my fascination with politics for years, and I wonder how things will be on November 5. Hold onto your seats, folks.
I received in the mail today my District of Columbia Voter's Guide, which was exciting. I absolutely adore the graphic that the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics put on the front cover of the guide:
It is so delightfully saccharine. "You complete us." I love it.
I've been sick all week. What started out as a terrible cold quickly progressed into a sinus infection. I have never experienced a sinus infection, so the fever, headache, nausea and difficulty sleeping bewildered me. I described my ailments to my mom, and she diagnosed me from 3,000 miles away, urging me to go to the doctor. Reluctantly, I made an appointment, and the doctor confirmed that I had a sinus infection. What is it about moms that gives them the ability to be right about stuff like this? Crazy.
Wednesday evening was when I could no longer stay in denial as to how sick I was. I came home from class around 3:30 pm, and had plans of taking care of a few things and baking some cookies for my Small Group Bible study, which was scheduled to meet at 7:30 pm. Well, I woke up at 7:50 pm, twenty minutes into my Bible study, as Mike tried to call me on my cell phone. Panicking, I grabbed my Bible and papers, attempted to sprint up two flights of stairs, and apologized profusely for my tardiness (and lack of cookies). Argh! Showing up late to things is one of my worst fears... I've seriously had nightmares about being late to important events. Regardless, the small group went very well. People came, we had a lively and honest conversation about several passages (Mark 2:1-12, Luke 19:1-10, and Luke 24:13-32), and I have hopes that even more people will be coming next week. I'm excited to see what this semester will bring for this group.
I've been living as an invalid for the past few days, albeit still attending class. In my Civil Procedure class, if you're unable to participate in class for an exceptional reason (such as illness), you are supposed to leave a note explaining your situation before class on the professor's desk at the front of the lecture hall. I did this on Thursday, and my professor had the greatest reaction. He arrived right as class is about to start, putting down his books and picking up my note. He read the note silently, and then a look of panic mixed with irritation fell across his face as he dropped the note quickly back onto the desk. He looked up at the class, announcing something to the effect of "If you think you are sick, do not leave a contaminated note for me to try to infect me, too! Write me an email before class!" He then proceeded to use the end of his pen to push the note as far away from himself as physically possible, a look of disgust on his face.
The class laughed, myself included, because it was pretty clear that he was just trying to lighten the atmosphere, as we had taken an intense practice exam last week. I spoke with the professor after class, assuring him that I had washed my hands before writing the note, and he confirmed that he was just kidding around. Actually, he was really nice to me, encouraging me to try to come to class even if I feel terrible, and wishing me a quick recovery. He also told me to sit in the back row the next day in class (as opposed to my assigned seat), so that my classmates would have a lessened chance of being infected. A bunch of my classmates were curious and concerned as to why I was sitting in the back, and a couple of people even walked to the back to "visit" me, which was really nice. (I also had some people thank me for trying to get the professor sick, somewhat to my chagrin.)
Outside of class, I have been spending all of my time confined to my room in pajamas. Being sick is so boring. I don't have enough energy or concentration to work, so I've been watching videos, reading articles, playing Tetris, and sleeping. I cannot believe how much I've been sleeping! I keep taking multiple lengthy naps during the day, and then sleeping for 10 hours at night. It is really strange, considering that I dislike taking naps, and usually subsist on 7 hours of sleep per night (if that).
Hopefully, my energy will come back soon, so that I can be productive. I want to get as much work done this weekend as possible, so that I have time to hang out with Erin while she's in D.C. this week!
I've caught some good sunset views from my window here on the 8th floor of Gewirz, but this is the first decent moonset, if you will. A pleasant reminder that it is indeed October.
The weekend was balanced. On Saturday, I explored Eastern Market with Donna, which was essentially a flea market, a farmer's market, and an arts-and-crafts fair rolled into one. I did some successful negotiating (a.k.a., haggling) at the flea market. We also ventured into Georgetown proper--the area near the university itself (as opposed to the law school) is filled with shops and restaurants. Sunday and Monday were primarily devoted to homework, but at a less grueling pace than a two-day weekend would have allowed (thank you, Columbus Day).
On Sunday, Mike and I were able to chat with Fr. Kevin O'Brien, S.J., the Executive Director of Campus Ministry for Georgetown University, about our endeavors to start a small group Bible study at the law school. He happened to be presiding over the Mass at our little chapel because Fr. Alexei was out of town. Fr. Kevin was very encouraging and offered his support, which I appreciated. We're meeting on Wednesday--keep us in your prayers!
I've been dragging my feet with regards to posting this week, because writing feels a lot like work at the moment. I had a Civil Procedure practice exam this morning, which meant that I spend my week writing an extensive outline covering the cases and lectures from the past five weeks. Plus, I have a draft of my second memo for Legal Research and Writing due Tuesday, so I've been trying to work on that, and I have a practice essay question due next week for my Torts class. Just when you think you've got law school figured out, the pattern shifts.
Taking it from the top: last weekend was action-packed. I traveled to Virginia with Nadia to find an Olive Garden (Endless salad and bread sticks?! How do they do it?), went on a boat cruise (at left) on the Potomac with Donna , and went to church with the Supreme Court. Yes, you read that last item correctly. Have you ever heard of the Red Mass? It's an annual Catholic Mass held for people in the legal profession (e.g., lawyers, judges, professors, students, etc.). There's a world-famous one always held in D.C.--here's what Wikipedia has to say about it:
"One of the better-known Red Masses is the one celebrated each fall at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C. on the Sunday before the first Monday in October (the Supreme Court convenes on the first Monday in October). It is sponsored by the John Carroll Society and attended by Justices of the Supreme Court, members of Congress, the diplomatic corps, the Cabinet and other government departments and sometimes the President of the United States."
St. Matthew's was very cool, in a cathedral sort of way. As you can see from the photo (at right), it's got a lot going on, aesthetically. I was particularly intrigued by a small squirrel hanging out at the feet of one of the angels in the arch... any thoughts as to the symbolism? I attended the Mass with some other Catholic students from Georgetown Law, and we definitely spotted Justices Roberts, Alito, and Thomas... and I think I saw Scalia, but it was from a distance. I'm something of a nerd, so I created Supreme Court Justice flashcards (with photos) for my iPhone so as to ensure that I could properly identify all of the justices. Don't judge me. (Ha ha... don't judge me... ahem. I'll stop, now.) There were tons of important church leaders there, as well, including several archbishops, Cardinal Foley (he gave the homily), tons of bishops, and the leaders of the John Carroll Society, which is, for all intents and purposes, the who's who of Catholic professionals in D.C. After the Mass, I used my sweet Georgetown connections to get a seat at the John Carroll Society brunch. I sat at a table with a recently retired Georgetown Law professor and his wife, and they were great. I hope I'm that sociable when I'm 79 years old.
This week was primarily consumed by academics, but there were some other things going on as well. I watched the debate on Tuesday, which wasn't nearly as entertaining as the vice presidential debate, obviously, but still had its moments. I was watching with other students in my dorm, which made for a delightful evening of tongue-in-cheek commentary.
A few weeks ago, I had mentioned the Catholic Forum, and the potential formation of a small group Bible study. What I neglected to mention was that, well, I am co-leading that Bible study with a fellow 1L, Mike. At first, I was sort of shocked that there wasn't a Bible study at Georgetown, but then I saw and felt the need for Bible study here, and, after prayerful consideration, I was compelled to answer that call. Mike and I have been meeting and discussing and planning, and last night we had our first small group gathering. To put it frankly: we were the only two people to show up. Drat! I think we need more publicity. I mean, I baked a cake! You'd think that luring people with dessert would be more effective. Regardless, we are not disheartened by this turnout; this is not about us, but about God. All we can do is serve, and see what happens. Please, keep the small group in your prayers.
Today, after my Civil Procedure practice exam, I went for a long walk. I had vague thoughts of going to the National Archives, but the lines were gargantuan (darn you, schoolchildren!), so I walked across the street to the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. So cool! As the name suggests, it is a garden with a myriad of sculptures. I'm glad I discovered it, because it seems like a good place to get lost in thought for a little while. My favorite sculpture was a gigantic spider (at left) by Louise Bourgeois, who, according to the blurb in the garden's pamphlet, has many works featuring spiders that appear as "looming and powerful protectresses, yet are nurturing, delicate, and vulnerable." I found this seemingly contradictory imagery intriguing, since I often associate spiders with my own mother, who has an affinity for the macabre.
After the garden, I meandered up and down the Mall for a while. I probably walked a good five miles, all told. I really miss walking. I realize that sentence sounds absurd, but allow me to elaborate. After four years of walking several miles daily in Berkeley, I truly feel its absence in my life living on-campus at Georgetown Law. The time spent walking was an opportunity to think, to observe, and often to pray. It's a challenge to build that caliber of contemplation and quietude into my day here. I miss walking.
I have high hopes for this weekend. We get Columbus Day (a.k.a., Indigenous Peoples' Day) off, which is lovely. I have high aspirations for productivity, but I'm also a bit worn out from this week, so that extra day will afford me the opportunity to be constructive by recharging as well as working. Peace, guys.
So, I am on a retreat this week, which has been quite a blessing. Georgetown Law's Office of Campus Ministry puts on a semi-annual Prayer in Daily Life Retreat, in which we meet with a spiritual director every day and are guided to pray with and reflect upon scripture. The retreat is coming at a good point in the semester, because it allows me to address the struggles that I've encountered spiritually so far in law school, while also preparing myself spiritually for finals, which start in a scant four-and-a-half weeks.
However, do not think that feeling the absence of these fellowships leads me to despair. No, I simply must learn other ways to work on my relationship with God. And, I have never turned away from an opportunity to learn. In the words of the seal of the University of California, and of Genesis 1:3, "Let there be light."
