Societies

[Felsen]

I was just browsing the UT site again, and realized something for the first time.  Since the society program started in 2004, it appears they have only done it with entering classes, and not placed the old classes in societies.  Thus the 4 societies they create will be entirely new societies and we will be the first graduating class from those societies (I am assuming they'll end up reusing the names after the classes graduate).

[hornian]

Do we not join a society that those who started in 2004 joined? I assumed that there were just a set number that they added new first years to as they enrolled.

[Felsen]

No, we don't join existing societies.  The societies are the same as our sections for classes.  So they will create 4 new societies for us this year.

[margee]

I think hornian is right.  It's like a fraternity.  Sure, the upperclassmen won't be taking classes with us, but they are still members of the society.

[margee]

The first-year class is divided into four sections of approximately 110 students each. Each section is further broken down into two societies. There are eight societies in all, with approximately 55 first-year students in each society. The societies are named for individuals closely associated with the Law School, such as Gloria Bradford, the first African American female to graduate from UT Law, Carlos Cadena, a 1940 graduate who was a respected judge and civil rights crusader, and Leon Green, a 1915 graduate who was one of the Twentieth Century's most important torts scholars.

Students retain their society membership while they are in law school. Thus, in the second year of the society program, each society has both first- and second-year student members. Next year, each society will have members from all three class years.


https://utdirect.utexas.edu/loadm/flaw.WBX?page=B

[Felsen]

Hmm.  OK, if the web-page says it, I'm wrong.  I had talked to a student and understood her to mean that societies were composed entirely of people for your year.  One of us misunderstood the other.

I prefer it how they describe on the web-page.  We'll get more contact and interaction with people from other years this way.

[Felsen]

OK, I'm making too many mistakes today folks, and I can't even blame it on lack of sleep today.  I"m headed home, and will catch y'all tomorrow if I don't poke in for a bit late tonight.

[hornian]

OK, I'm making too many mistakes today folks, and I can't even blame it on lack of sleep today.  I"m headed home, and will catch y'all tomorrow if I don't poke in for a bit late tonight.

We all have days like that. I'm cutting out early to go see Superman Returns. Don't tell my boss.

[margee]

Now all they need is a good old-fashioned hazing ritual, and things will be just like in undergrad...

*involuntary cringe*

[Felsen]

Problem is, we cant pick who's in our society...

That's a problem?  You'd rather they organize the societies during Orientation?  They could line all 440 of us against a wall and the societies would pick us for teams?  Besides the horrendous time it would take, can you imagine what it'd feel like to get picked last?  I'd rather be labelled a gunner than endure that pain for the rest of my life.