there are others!

so i have not yet seen this, but my trademark class was all abuzz this morning with talk of the "1L buffet." seems that some girl has brought a toaster and a tea kettle or a hot plate or something into the library. and everyone knows about it. here is an email describing the situation:

I understand that it’s finals time and you want to settle down somewhere in the library and get crackin’ on the books. Obviously, you want to be comfortable, whether that’s wearing that pair of sweatpants or bringing a granola bar to snack on. For example, I have put a box of mini candy canes at my carrel and you’re free to stop by anytime for a treat.

But if you have a minute and want to see the most ridiculous library setup I’ve ever seen, go upstairs to the second floor, hang a left at the reference desk, and go all the way to the far windows. The girl sitting a table to the left has enough food to literally stay in the library until the end of exams. Who is this girl? Check it out if you want to procrastinate for a minute.

as you know, my motto is semper paratus. especially during finals. i have always kept plastic forks on hand. and i had candy in my carrel for public consumption all thru finals last year. and there is always a bag of popcorn there (mostly b/c i haven't eaten it in a year) and at least one can of soup in my locker (ditto, two years. probably should have been expunged in the great canned goods expunging of 2006). and during finals there were frequently an apple or pretzels or any number of other snacky-type foodstuffs. and there is a blanket and a space heater. but it gets cold in here! and croquet and bocce. but you need fun things!

and even i am willing to admit that this may border on comical. but i'm still not ready to laugh at her. on the one hand, when you need to heat food to sustain yourself, it might be time to take a break to scott commons, where your SBA has so kindly provided such services for you. i guess my vote on the toaster and the electric kettle depend on if she is willing to let others use them and if she is being careful that they do not burn the library down.

plus, maybe the whole thing is funny to her. my space heater is funny to me, but i am not oblivious to the fact that when people walk by and see a space heater under my carrel, they probably question the freak show that brought it. (ok, i thought i had posted about this, but i can't find it, so now i have to explain--remember the first week of classes when the LS was particularly cold? FREEZING even? and there was some reason like "the chillers are broken." chillers??!!? what?!?! anyways. i decided that a space heater would be great (not quite sure why i thought i would be spending time in the library early my 3L year, and i never did wind up doing so), and i had one sitting around from when i lived in DC and used it to heat my un-heated bathroom before i showered in the morning. anyways, it was just taking up space in a closet at home, so i brought it in. mostly b/c i thought it would be funny. and, of course, i never used it.)

anyways, my point is, to each his own. and it is that time of year where we are all supposed to give one another great deference in our behavior and our moods and to realize that we all just deal with finals differently and that law school finals are completely different than undergrad finals and who never knew that we would would be like this about a test. i mean, i have totally had nights where i didn't think i could take the time to go to scott commons to get something to eat. i've been known to conveniently position myself near restrooms, so as to minimize commute time on my only permissible departures from my table. (of course, that is not right now, as i have just spent an hour and a half wandering around the LS and posting on my blog. crap.)

anyways, feel free to help yourselves to the fun and the heat in my carrel, but make sure to exercise the space heater with caution! and maybe i'll bring candy one of these days.