the caveat lector | vol. 16, issue 2 the vol. 16, issue 2 ...al principles of classroom behaviour....

The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2

The One Where Everybody’s Freaking Out

“Some days I just feel like crying. Some days I don’t feel like trying.”

- The Raconteurs

Vol. 16, Issue 2

The

Caveat Lector

The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 2

Managing Editors

Darin Gette

Erik Heuck

Editorial Board

Mady Chauvet

Shane Gallop

Dali Holloway

Graham McKellar

Jessica Quan

Matthew Scott

Tina Shaygan

Mackenzie Stewart

Jesse Van Eaton

Maryssa Wilde

Mission Statement

The Caveat Lector exists to be re-

dundant. It also exists to publish and

make available information and cre-

ative works from law students for

law students, all while maintaining a

standard of journalistic integrity.

Well, maybe not integrity, but some-

thing close.

Disclaimer

The Editors of The Caveat Lector, in

their infinite wisdom, do not neces-

sarily endorse or condone the opin-

ions included herein. The articles

reflect the views of your peers. Take

it up with them.

Email

Articles can be submitted to

[email protected]

Address

The Caveat Lector

c/o College of Law

15 Campus Drive

Table of Contents

Thoughts from the Editors………………………………………..……………….3

The Stank Has Eyes: A True Crime Story………………………………………4

Talking Points: The Road to Alexandria, or Prometheus’ Fern Gallery……4-5

Strange But True Facts I Made Up..............................................................5-6

The Once and Future Angst………………………………………………………6

Get to Know The Dissent……………………………...………………………….7

Dissent Night: A Photo Journal.…………….…………….…………..……….8-9

How to (Br)exit Your Way out of 3LOL in SK …………………………………10

Who Wore it Better: Erik v Your Mom…………………..……………………...11

Black Coffee: A Betrayal…………………………………..…………………….12

The Memedalorian……………………………………….……………..……12-13

Exchange by Dummies……………………...............................................13-14

An Ode to Reading Week…………..…………………………………………...15

Cover Photo

An angry mob of villagers from the movie Shrek try telling The Dissent that

“you can’t park here”. The Dissent responds by telling the villagers to “get

out me swamp”. Realizing a bunch of cool instruments were just, like, lying

around, The Dissent decides they could maybe just jam one down? The Dis-

sent say, “stop, wait!” to the villagers. Everyone has a nice time.

The Caveat

Lector |

Vol. 16,

Issue 2.


Above: Caveat Managing Editors Erik Heuck and Darin Gette

when you put their faces into the face mash app.

In This Issue

pp. 8-9

DJ Swamp Matt remained coherent long

enough to shoot approximately six thousand

photos at Dissent Night. He used a fancy cam-

era to really capture “the essence of Travis”.

Some upper years talk about how skipping

school is cool if you do it for the culture and

shit.

Photos: Con-

nor Ferguson

and his dad,

Mark Roney,

trying to

make Connor

insta-relevant

again.

pp.

13-

14

• 1Ls, congratulations—on finishing your memos, yes, but mostly on how many of you sang karaoke. That was cool;

• Mustafa, stop bothering literally everyone in class all the time;

• Gabe Simons’ moustache is for real. We hope it’s here to stay;

• Matteo, none of the upper years are going to let you buy them beers. Stop being such a sweetheart;

• The decorations in the Lawberry are lovely;

• Who let Evan Best back into the building?;

• Manuel, alias “Happy Pablo”, we love you, buddy;

• If anybody sees a Starbucks for “Karen”, it’s probably Karim’s.

A couple of good boys.

Thoughts from the Editors:


By Mackenzie Stewart (3L)

I shall never forget that fateful day,

a blustery winter's afternoon in late

October. It was the day the stank

arrived. Creeping through the col-

lege like a fungus on a four-day old

potato salad left on the counter to

rot, the stank descended upon our

unwitting souls. At first, we thought,

maybe Eric just spent too much

time in the men’s bathroom, but the

stank did not stop. It engulfed the

college in a haze so grotesque it

seemed cruel.

“Why us?” We proclaimed! “Do we

not already toil in sheer misery? Is

law school not punishment in itself?

Cease cruel gods, before we de-

stroy ourselves in pain!”

Alas, the scent continued. It was as

if a diaper barge had exploded and

the remains were strewn across the

Law Building. Theories began to

arise as to how the scent had

come. Maybe the SNAILs had final-

ly triumphed in their quest to de-

stroy our bathrooms. Maybe an

Engineering or an Edward's student

had perished in the bowels of the

Law Stacks, or maybe it was some-

thing, much, much more sinister.

It began to dawn on us, the poor

and slightly self-entitled law stu-

dents. A truth we knew in our

hearts but feared nonetheless. A

truth so terrifying it shook us to our

very core. The stank was coming

from us, it reflected the true nature

of our putrid, festering souls, it was

our blackest most disgusting open

wound coming to haunt us just in

time for Halloween. And as we

gagged on the stench of our own

sin, we finally grasped the true and

terrible meaning of who we had

become.

Or maybe it was a coolant leak, idk.

The Stank Has Eyes: A True Crime Story

Talking Points: The Road to Alexandria, or Prometheus’ Fern Gallery

By Graham McKellar (3L) & Shane Gallop (probably just

auditing the classes)

Call me Ishmael…

Law school can be tough, so here are some helpful tips

to help you navigate the labyrinth of classroom etiquette.

1. Law school is expensive. So, it is important to get as

much as you can out of every second of class time. That

means that in the last 3-5 minutes of class you should

bring out your most obscure questions. This might be

met with the obligatory moan and groan from fellow stu-

dents, but this is simply part of the unwritten constitution-

al principles of classroom behaviour. If you aren’t asking

a question, really lean into the whole passive aggressive

thing because we need to make sure the professor

doesn’t catch on that we are trying to get bonus class

time.

2. Calling all white males! If a topic is sensitive, particu-

larly gendered or racial then make sure to step in with

your opinion! The key is to keep people informed. Let

them hear your voice of authority.

3. Stand at attention when speaking to the class. This

one is key to really show your prowess to prospective

(class)mates.

4. No matter how much you disagree with the opinion of

a classmate or professor, don’t be condescending (that

means when you talk down to someone). (Continued on

next page…)

This is where Shane buried a guy so you should listen to him.

This is not Mackenzie Stewart.


Bake for 45 minutes at 350 de-

grees - leave plastic on.

5. It’s trite law that we are going to

need clients. So make sure every-

one is fully informed about any is-

sues your extended family has,

whether legal or not. Also, make

sure to explain exactly how you are

connected to them - that really

helps us understand the law.

6. The best approach is to start

talking before you have thought

about what you want to say (or why

you are saying it). Dead air is the

enemy! Fill space with “ah”, “um”,

or if you are feeling particularly

saucy, try out the siren scream from

the hit children’s film that’s sweep-

ing the nation, “The Lighthouse”.

7. Denique, potissimum vicis vos

can vitare usura Latine: sed noli

timere experior. Hail Caesar.

TLDR: Wensleydale is a style of

cheese originally produced in

Wensleydale.

Serves 12.

A family favourite of: G.R.B McKel-

lar & S.A.M Gallop

By Corbin Golding (1L)

As American President and pow-

dered wig enthusiast John Adams

once said, “facts are stubborn

things”. But John Adams only

served a single term, defended the

British soldiers responsible for the

Boston Massacre, and once swal-

lowed whole an entire smoked ham

on a dare from the Marquis Du-

quesne, so what the hell does he

know.

Now, one of those prior statements

is a lie, but what is ol’ “stubborn

facts” John Adams going to do

about it? Rise from the grave and

strangle me with the robot arm he

definitely had? The stubborn fact is,

we’re living in a post-truth age,

when truth may be stranger than

fiction but nowhere near as strange

as straight-up lies that you can post

on reddit with no citations required.

Allow me to prove it:

• At the first modern Olympic

Games in 1896 the hundred-

meter dash was completed in

32 minutes 3 seconds.

• Smiling after 10PM in Moose

Jaw is considered “lewd public

behaviour”.

• At the end of his Second Inau-

gural Address, Abraham Lin-

coln stepped slightly back from

the podium and burped the en-

tire alphabet. Most historians

agree, it was awesome. On the

Watergate Tapes Richard Nix-

on can be heard practicing ex-

tensively to do the same, but

when he attempted to do it dur-

ing his resignation press con-

ference he puked after ‘L’ and

Spiro Agnew had to finish the

rest for him. Most historians

agree: a colossal disappoint-

ment.

Continued on next page…

Shane telling

his mom to

“stay back”

because a

bear was, like,

literally right

there.

Strange but True Facts I Made Up

Graham McKellar

(taken while on a field

trip to Motherwell

Homestead, 2004)


...Continued from previous page

• Scientists have recently discovered that a bird in the

hand is worth 1.873 birds in the bush.

• The last recorded pope to shit in the woods was Greg-

ory XIV.

• Dr. Phil mails himself to and from the studio each day.

Once, the package containing him was stolen from his

front porch and wasn’t returned for several months,

during which time Bobby Moynihan, wearing a bald

cap and false moustache, filled in for him and gave

surprisingly cogent psychiatric advice. Dr. Phil has no

memory of where he was.

• By U.N regulation, everyone who completes a mara-

thon is obligated to bring it up at least 3 times a day for

6 months under penalty of forced toenail removal

(loophole: marathon runners have no toenails).

• Dante Alighieri never really ventured to the depths of

Hell, but did once spend a summer in Monkton, Ontar-

io.

• By strange coincidence, for two weeks in 1972 all baby

girls born in Newfoundland were named Eudora.

• Michelangelo travelled to heaven on two separate oc-

casions and insisted that the nudity in his paintings

were an accurate depiction.

• Big Foot has been out of hiding for several years and

is currently a washing machine salesman in Gillette,

Wyoming.

• TV parental locks are also effective against short

adults.

• The tentative motto for the University of Saskatchewan

was “Eat My Shorts”.

Caenate bracas meas everyone!

Corbin doesn’t believe in vehicular transport, but he will allow him-

self one semi-bionic leg to help decrease travel times.

The Once and Future Angst

By Erik Heuck (3L)

We have twenty-one-year-olds in this College. That’s (a) insane, and (b) very neat. Many of our youngest students have their lives

“together”. At that age, many of we older folk were on journeys of self discovery. Matt Scott was writing papers in French on multicul-

turalism in the Ottoman Empire. I sat in my room and wrote poems. Which of us had it “figured out”? Who’s to say? (But remember,

he chose to live with me.) Anyways, here are two I wrote while trying to figure out what the hell was going on. The first one is about

Christmas lights in the summer. The second I wrote in a cab on the way to Disneyland. Let’s just say the boy wasn’t feeling it.

Christmas lights: Praise for Consumer Days Half-hanging—well hang me in spirit of the holy day spirit. Consumer, hark, don’t fear it—another fat lamb rolling. If he had a beard I’d shear it. But I’d kick a snowball’s man off if I wasn’t so hot. Some kid usually comes by with a bike by now—buy some lemonade but don’t be bitter.

Lord of the Flies We’re martians and we’re mellow and we're nothing more than flies. And if we're sticking with the insect theme I'd say the bee hive's gone and left us all behind. We could crawl like caterpillars but we won't. We've got not rigour. We've got no vigour, we just keep getting bigger and if you say we aren't then you're telling yourself lies. Forget those dreams little crawler, you’ll never be a butterfly. Wave goodbye to the sky but don't worry: you don't really care. If it's about the rat race we're not the tortoise or the hare. You don't like it? Do something to give us relief from the grief and despair. Give us a wing or a paw or a claw, give us something. Any experience from which you can draw? Too much animal imagery? I left out the most important one of all. I will say this: don't make like a human. We're not free on this wall. No wings, we flap gums. Talked right through summer's sun. Heartbreakers, we're a step from the fall.


Thursday November 21st was Dis-

sent Night at The Capitol, where

the College of Law’s student music

group, The Dissent, played a rous-

ing show. The Dissent is one of the

longest standing clubs at the Col-

lege, and we are proud to keep the

tradition alive! Despite the chal-

lenge of having to rebuild the band

every year, I have never been more

confident in the level of talent en-

trenched in this year’s group. Who

are the members of this fun-loving

group? Let’s meet them!

Leah Bykowy – Vocals / Key-

board (2L)

Go meet Leah. Just do it. Don’t

keep reading this. She’s the one

that’s obsessed with the Patriots.

So, when Tom Brady makes it to

the Super Bowl again this year for

the 100th time, you will find her cel-

ebrating on campus in her Patriots

gear. Incredible personality, voice

of an angel, and is the only person

in Saskatoon with high quality

Polish Bimber. She also likes to

take the scenic route to practice,

which is just great.

Tito Kurc – Keyboard / Cowbell

(3L)

Plays the cowbell like a legend and

is not humble about it at all. Histori-

cally refuses to learn any of the 30+

songs until the week of Dissent

Night, but he’s in check this year.

Won’t stop talking about Calgary,

his fiancée, tax law, or being

Polish, but he will sing you a song if

you’re having a bad day. Was

once assaulted by many bra-like

projectiles while singing John

Legend’s “All of Me” at Legal Fol-

lies. Traumatic.

Joel Seaman – Guitar / All Instru-

ments (3L)

Easily the Michael Jordan of music.

His presence is so essential that we

cancelled practice once because

he called in sick. In addition to his

stone-cold skill that trumps even

expert mode on Guitar Hero, his

warm and friendly demeanor cures

the home-sickness you might have

if you’re new to Saskatchewan. Is

also probably secretly better at the

piano than Tito.

Ryley Dalshaug – Drummer (3L)

Everyone’s drinking buddy. If you

want to go out but everyone else

wants to stay in and pretend to

read Administrative Law, Ryley is

your guy. He’s not just our drum-

mer, he’s our hype man. With the

ability to crush 100,000 beats per

minute, he makes your drum loop in

Garage Band look like Dunsmuir.

Go ahead, challenge him. Going

toe-to-toe with him in a drum-off

would be like challenging Eminem

to a rap battle.

Travis Sentes – Bass (3L)

The band’s secret weapon. Starts

on the bass, and then… BAM! Har-

monica. Originally auditioned last

year as a guitar player, but picked

up the bass to save the band. He

has been shredding it ever since.

Aside from that, he plays hockey

like a legend and has the mous-

tache to prove it. As a nice added

touch, he is as humble as he is

kind. He won’t tell you how awe-

some he really is, but if you meet

him it will become quite obvious.

Mark Hagen – All Guitars (2L)

Another Calgary boy! But this one

always downplays his skills and

then surprises you. Basketball:

“Yeah, I played sometimes with my

friends, but nothing formal” – leads

the College’s rec basketball team

last year in defensive turnovers.

Music: “I just want to low-key jam, I

can kind of play the guitar” – learns

a song quickly on the guitar, bass,

piano, vocals, etc. What is less

subtle is his grizzly-like beard…

how do you do it?

Dan Parr – Guitar (2L)

All the way from England, this prop-

er gentleman is just happy that

we’ve all heard of the Red Hot Chili

Peppers. With his hair pushed up,

he looks like a proper agent in his

Majesty’s secret services; but, with

his hair down, he resembles Ringo

Starr from The Beatles. In addition

to adding his own European flare to

the band, Dan (not Don) also ad-

mits that Football and Hockey are

way more entertaining than Soccer.

Jenna Bragg – Vocals (1L)

Despite being the only 1L in the

band, Jenna blends right in and

brings her enthusiasm with her. As

one of the Dissent’s main vocalists,

her ability to lead and harmonize

with Leah makes her an invaluable

member of the band. Growing up

in Newfoundland and Labrador, she

brings with her the renown happy,

social, and energetic personality of

the East Coast. We are all cheer-

ing for you during 1L memo sea-

son!

If you by chance missed the leg-

endary performance at The Capitol,

you can catch The Dissent at Legal

Follies next semester!

(Flip to next page for collectible The

Dissent Photo Journal…)

No, Not That Angry Judge: Get To Know The Dissent

By Tito Kurc (3L)


Alexa, Play “I Miss You” by Blink-182: A Dissent Night Photo Journal

By Matthew Scott (3L)

Here are some photos of the ground!


How to (Br)exit Your Way out of 3LOL in Saskatchewan

By Rebecca Burnand (3L) & Courtney Davies (3L)

You alright? [hey, how's it going], we are currently sitting

in our flat [apartment] having a cuppa [cup of tea] and

some chippy [fish and fries]. Has this British lingo made

us sound cooler and more interesting yet? In case it isn’t

self-explanatory why an exchange across the pond is the

best decision you will ever make, here are a few rea-

sons:

1. Law is an undergrad degree in the UK;

2. We are taking four modules [classes] with the only

requirement being a 3,000-word essay for each;

3. Affordable travel: You name it, you can get there for

less than 50 quid [dollars] round trip. Our personal list of

destinations includes: Eindhoven, London, Colchester,

Frinton, Paris, Dublin, Birmingham, Brussels, Rome, and

Athens;

4. G&T’s;

5. You will be the smartest person in every class. Is

there anything more a law student could want?;

6. So far, snow does not exist in Her Majesty’s domin-

ion;

7. We repeat, law is an undergraduate degree here...

There are exactly zero reasons why ex-

change is a bad idea.

Worried about locking down a job? Exchange makes you

seem interesting, add it to your resume. Worried about

missing out on “critical” USask law classes, like Business

Organization? Becca can confirm that talking about your

experiences on exchange is an excellent distraction and

will mask your lack of legal knowledge. Planning a wed-

ding like Courtney? Leave a to-do list for your fiancé be-

cause travelling and enjoying your time abroad is more

important than wedding planning.

Worried that your classmates might forget about you

while you’re abroad? Message your group chat constant-

ly for reassurance that you have not, in fact, been re-

placed (looking at you Shay and Daniel) and blow up

everyone’s social media feeds with amazing photos.

That should be enough to keep you somewhat relevant

until you return to annoy everyone with exchange sto-

ries.

We promise you, whatever your hesitations

might be, missing out on an experience like

exchange will leave you gutted [devastated].

Now that we have thoroughly convinced you to go on

exchange in the UK, here are a few tips to help make the

experience brilliant [amazing]:

1. Don’t be surprised if everyone who hears your ac-

cent thinks you’re an American;

2. When people try to start a conversation with you

about football [soccer], best not to bring up the Roughrid-

ers because they will have absolutely no idea what

you’re talking about;

3. If you can, plan to go out with your mates [friends].

It’s like having your own personal Instagram photogra-

pher at all times to help you to create all of that #content;

4. Given that law is an undergrad program in the UK

(not sure if we have mentioned that), you might want to

bring a cane or a walker to get to class because some of

your fellow classmates won’t even meet the legal drink-

ing age in Saskatchewan;

5. Don’t be surprised when people have no clue where

Saskatchewan and Alberta are located in Canada... We

just tell everyone we are somewhere in between Van-

couver and Toronto and that seems to do the trick.

Most importantly, seize the once in a life-

time opportunity to spend an entire semes-

ter travelling. You’ll have the rest of your

life to work.

Becca and Courtney in front of the Saturn V rocket.


By Alora Arnold (1L)

To set the tone, I must disclose my previous degree was

in Fashion Design. Yes, I am essentially Elle Woods

from the movie Legally Blonde, only without an overly

peppy attitude or an LSAT score warranting a Harvard

acceptance.

This brings us to a new collaborative segment titled Who

Wore it Better: Erik v Your Mom. By collaborative I mean

Erik has agreed to be a Ken doll while I style him in the

most iconic looks. [emphasis added]

This segment was inspired by Erik’s distinct personal

“style”, which the only way I could describe it would be

that of my mom’s during the 80s-early 90s.

Much like the moon and the tides, fashion is cyclical. The

fashion gods say everything comes back around, but we

will let you be the judge. This month’s look is coming

straight out of the glory days of the 80s. When waistlines

where sky high, but somehow young professionals man-

aged to be higher.

Sources: Jeans and belt - Erik’s personal collection. Top

- somehow still sold at Walmart.

True to form, Erik was so fond of this look he requested

to keep the shirt.

Tasting Notes (by Erik)

Mouthfeel of the fabric:

Basic colourblock and neck choke implement reminds

me of the taste of warmish marble cheese and Premium

Pluses eaten while sitting in the kind-of car-shaped

chairs at the Sandra Schmirler Leisure Centre Library (in

Regina, for you more travelled folks). Basically, feels like

it tastes like how books smell.

Feels nothing like how bubblegum tastes. More feels like

blue raspberry Laffy Taffy probably.

The part about posing like some zoo specimen:

Posing for a real-life human woman is a different experi-

ence than asking Matt (who is red sauce-stained robe-

clad) whether or not I should revive the short-sleeves

under long-sleeves under short-sleeves look. Naturally, I

kept calm. Held my breath the entire time.

The result is, I think, a balance: echoes of cool mixed

with almost-falling-asleep-from-not-enough-oxygen-to-

the-brain type of waves. But you decide. I’m merely an

implement. A wheel on the monster truck of renaissance

fashion, if you will.

Who Wore it Better: Erik v Your Mom


By Barbara Baker (1L)

Productive people drink coffee. Not

only that, but they brag about drink-

ing coffee. About coffee shooting

out their nostrils. About drinking cup

after cup until their hands shake

and their eyes bulge out of their

skulls.

People Who Drink Coffee

Get Things Done.

Unless of course you are one of the

rare contrarians who prides them-

selves on not drinking coffee. Pur-

portedly, your work ethic alone car-

ries you through the all-nighters

and the insufferable chewers in the

library and the guy who smells like

cheese on the bus. Then you spout

how caffeine is a drug. It’s worse

than cocaine. Hell, there is probably

meth in your espresso. But you

granolas are the exception not the

rule, and typically fall into the holier-

than-thou category of cross fitters

and people who run “for fun.” You

are an anomaly, but I digress.

Law students like to be people who

Get Things Done. We especially

like to be people who get more

done than other law students. But it

is considered a faux pas to outright

brag about your productivity. We

are the friendliest law school after

all. Nowadays, it’s all in the art of

subtlety. And one of the most re-

fined moves is that of the black cof-

fee drinker. Black coffee is what

every law student aspires to be –

superior in theory and disgusting in

practice.

With a smug sip of your battery ac-

id, you are no longer a plebian

shackled to the base desires of re-

fined sugar and the artificial suck-

ling of another’s species bosom.

You do gain pretentiousness points

if you constrain your coffee com-

panion to a drop of soy/almond/

coconut/oat milk but I assume this

practice in law school is rare, as

although we love to be pretentious,

veganism requires a level of com-

passion I’m not sure most of us are

capable of.

Perhaps you waft the pure aroma of

your superior blend of coffee

throughout the classroom smirking

at the masses of Tim’s cups as you

pass. You scoff at the mere thought

of uttering the words “double dou-

ble.” People assume you jump out

of bed and do a thousand push-ups

before your breakfast of twelve raw

eggs. You beat your own world-

record solving a Rubik's cube be-

fore heading out the door. You re-

ceive an email from your professor

– you’ve done too well on your ex-

am, everyone else is curved at ze-

ro. Not again. You are discipline

incarnate.

(For the record, I used to drink what

was essentially sugar water, ceas-

ing to pour only once the coffee

was so over-saturated it solidified. I

still got into law school, but I can

confirm since cutting back I now

can complete double the push-ups,

i.e. I can do 2.)

Black Coffee: A Betrayal

The Memedalorian

All wholesome meme-content taken from the archives of one MMS. Continued on next page...


Opinion: memes will one day replace parents.

Exchange for by Dum-

mies

By Allyse Cruise (3L), Courtenay Catlin

(3L), & Claire Stempien (3L)

Greetings fellow law students

We know what you are thinking. Who

ARE these people? Has our precious

Caveat been infiltrated by SNAILs?

Are we truly so desperate for articles

that we would outsource?

Well, the Caveat is letting a dude

called “Hot Eric” write advice articles to

impressionable 1Ls, so clearly these

are desperate times. But don’t stress,

the Caveat is still SNAIL free. We ARE

law students. 1Ls, you don’t know us

because we are on exchange. 2Ls,

you don’t know us because we didn’t

speak to you last year.

What do we want, you ask? To stay

relevant while we are half-way across

the world? No, we (sadly) weren’t rele-

vant to begin with. We are here to fulfill

our 3L DUTY of providing you with

wholly unsolicited advice. We want to

convince YOU to go on exchange!

We’ve polled exactly none of you and

put together a list of top concerns stu-

dents have about going on exchange

(presumably). We’ve also used our

excellent legal education to convince

you each point is irrelevant. You’re

welcome.

1. My GPA is bad – will I be accept-

ed?

Current exchange students include

both Courtneys lol. We know you might

not know these people – but, as their

classmates we can say don’t worry –

your GPA is high enough to fulfil the

“requirements” the exchange office

has.

2. But won’t I miss out on “learning”

and be behind when I start work?

Ok, relax. Stop pretending like law

school prepares you for employment.

You can’t seriously think listening to

Plaxton say things like “turtles on tur-

tles of review” is helpful to your future

big firm Calgary job. Talk to any law-

yer, or articling student, and they will

tell you the same thing: law school

doesn’t do much to prepare you for

working as a lawyer. Does this make

sense? (Continued on next page…)

Right: AC,

Claire, Melis-

sa, and Cour-

tenay at the

Great Invisible

Temple of the

Mountain God

(Albania:

2019)


(...Continued from previous page.) No.

But complain talk to your academic

reps about that. Don’t let “education

concerns” stop you from going on ex-

change. No lawyer at your firm will want

to make lunch conversation about your

take on Flannigan’s take on fiduciary

duties. Every lawyer loves telling travel

stories though, make sure you have

some of your own to swap.

3. Isn’t paying the U of S $7000 for

me not to learn anything kind of a

waste of money?

We get it. With recent tuition hikes

you’re putting yourself in what is likely

eternal debt to get your law degree

(lolz…but yolo or whatever the kids say

to justify their bad decisions these

days). Paying tuition to not learn Cana-

dian law seems more wasteful than the

LSA funding bro “networking” trips to

Calgary. But hear us out.

It’s pretty hard to be critical of our legal

system without ever learning how oth-

ers function. 1Ls – let me guess, Mac-

Lean has been spending an inordinate

amount of time muttering about surety

of contracts, telling you courts can’t

make things fairer because the whole

system would fall into disarray? Whelp

– in Finland, courts are breaking con-

tracts left and right, telling contractors

they should have known to contract for

the proper material, not the cheap one,

and preaching about “loyalty” to each

other. And tbh – their legal system

seems to be running just fine? Getting

out and learning about how other coun-

tries protect people provides an inter-

esting lens to critique Canadian law

through. Exchange maybe isn’t QUITE

the waste of money you would think.

4. I’m broke, can I afford it?

Three words: line of credit. Just kidding,

we don’t support getting in loads of

debt just to have a good time (or doooo

we??). First – many of the exchange

schools that the U of S partners with

are located in places with much lower

costs of living than Saskatoon. Second

– there are a plethora of exchange

scholarships available. The U of C has

a handy-dandy tool to figure out ap-

proximately how much money you’re

going to need to pay for a month in a

country – check it out. Exchange might

be more affordable than you think. Pro-

tip though? We can confirm the Nordic

countries are most definitely NOT

budget friendly options.

5. Won’t I get really bad FOMO and

miss my friends/family?

Can confirm this will happen. We des-

perately wish we knew what funny

jokes were said at formal and if hot 1L

(now 2L??) finally matched with some-

one on Tinder, or if he’s just keeping

that profile up to tease us. Like actually,

we’re desperate to know, DM us with

gossip.

But – we can also confirm you can

probably swing exchange WITH your

friends/family. You just have to be real-

ly really annoyingly aggressive about it.

JK. The International Student Office is

filled with individuals who genuinely

want to make your exchange as amaz-

ing as possible. Let them know if you

want to go in pairs (or groups of four…

whatever, shoot for the moon). They

will try their hardest to make it happen.

Still not convinced?

Fair. Ask any 3L and they will talk about

the dangers of taking advice from

Claire Stempien – just ask her how to

get a cab in Saskatoon. We respect

your hesitation. We worried that you

might be a little suspicious, so we

reached out to all the other students on

exchange. Surveying these people is

essentially the equivalent of citing Wik-

ipedia in your term paper, but its 3LOL

so that’s probably what we’d actually be

doing anyways:

Maria Shupenia:

Hej hej! I'm a 3L student, currently in

Lund, Sweden with my partner and

three daughters. For me, participating

in an exchange presents a way to have

an immersive, cultural experience, res-

urrecting my long-dormant travel bug

while also continuing and enhancing

my studies. Going on an exchange is a

challenge and we've had to overcome

many logistical and practical hurdles,

but it has also been supremely reward-

ing, academically and personally. Now,

my kid's memories of my time in law

school will include these amazing expe-

riences, travel and our growth as a fam-

ily, not just the long days and nights I

spent with my head in a textbook back

home. I would highly recommend the

experience to anyone!

Maria and her adventurous family.

Tamara Ruzic:

Szia! I’m doing my semester abroad in

Budapest and I honestly cannot recom-

mend it enough—the city is absolutely

beautiful, safe, well positioned for trav-

el, the food is delicious, and best of all,

it’s affordable. I’ve made lots of friends

from all over the world, learned more

about many interesting topics including

international law, and have had plenty

of time to travel (6 countries and count-

ing). I know it seems intimidating, but

this is an incredible opportunity to live

in another country and travel, and I truly

encourage everyone to take advantage

of it. :)

Tamara and Connor lookin’ for a snack

in Hungary (weooo).

Sarah Engen:

Hi! I’m a 3L student in Birmingham, UK.

I concur with my fellow 3Ls opinions on

exchange! I didn’t know what to expect

going on exchange but basically can

sum it up in one sentence: a lot more

travelling and a lot less reading.

Sarah is

the cool-

est person

ever. (In

England

or Moose

Jaw I

think.)


By Dali Holloway (2L)

Ah reading week, a 9-day break where

your expectations of yourself are high

and your expectations of your friends to

leave you alone are higher. While it’s

bold of our professors to assume we’re

doing anything other than curling up on

the couch with a bag of flaming hot

cheetos, the joke’s on them when they

read our (my) assignments (oil and gas

memo).1

Here is a diary version of how I utilized

the break to its full potential and have

my parents wondering why I go to

uSask Law and not Harvard:

Day 1:

The break is upon us, thank god, made

it to (most) of my classes this week so I

definitely deserve the night off.

(Disregarding the fact that I went to

office hours earlier this day to have my

Professor sit with her head in her hands

mumbling “no no no” at every word that

left my mouth). 2

Highlights of the drive home included

resurfacing my high school love for Mr.

Worldwide and realizing I forgot my

laptop. Well I guess that’s fate, or as

Mr. Sinatra would say, life.

Day 2:

Woke up on a couch in a barn and blew

0.15 on a breathalyzer (didn’t drive-

obviously—I passed first year crim). I

then met up with my parents who lec-

tured me for an hour on the importance

of waiting 8 hours to drive after drink-

ing—but like, the point? I just told you I

didn’t drive? I clearly KNOW. Anyway, I

digress, parents just like to talk, I

guess.

Made a joke about rolling down the

window of my father’s new car to throw

up—wasn’t received well. Got to brunch

and took a minute in the parking lot to

collect my thoughts and pull trig while

my parents stood watching me.3 They

paid for brunch; all was right in the

world.

Day 3:

Day 3 started like a scene from a Hall-

mark Christmas movie. I had gone to

catch up with a friend, so I was driving

home at 5:30am and Canmore was a

winter wonderland. A blanket of fresh

snow covered the sleepy town and

slow, big flakes caught the light of the

streetlamps as they made their way to

the ground. Wow. I am really going to

make some good use of this beautiful

morning I thought—maybe go grab an

americano and get some work done

before my parents wake up... I went

home and passed out till 2. Well, it was

a nice thought.

Day 4:

Facetimed a friend to be rejected and

sent a text saying, “nice, you ruined the

minute of silence for my family” (I swear

I thought the minute of silence was

11:11 not 11:00). Anyway, I then pro-

ceeded to Facetime my roommate and

felt a rush of relief when I saw she was

lying in bed with a beer. I mentioned I

hadn’t done any work and her reply was

“bro it’s a break”, and that was a good

enough response to alleviate myself

from any self-deprecating thoughts re:

school, motivation, alcoholism etc. Mis-

ery might love company, but procrasti-

nation thrives with it.

Day 5:

Met up with my roommate at 9am to

drive back to Saskatoon so we would

have a couple hours in the evening to

immerse ourselves in academia, but we

didn’t leave Calgary until 2. We have a

bad habit of going to malls, finding a

comfortable chair and sitting, coffee in

hand, for a couple hours discussing the

newest breaking news. Today’s discus-

sion was on China’s need for pork. V

neat!

Day 6:

Didn’t wake up in a school mood, and

you really can’t force it. My roommate

and I spent the most we have ever

spent on groceries—$100 each—so we

left Superstore on a high that could not

be tamed. We took the rest of the day

off to watch all of the POC4 movies.

Day 7:

Writing this profound piece of literature,

50-year-old scotch in hand, puffs of

cigar smoke lingering in the air.

Plans for day 8 & 9:

Relish all the food we now have in the

apartment. Perhaps go to the gym (fat

chance). Say “twist my arm” when

someone asks me to go out for the 7th

day in a row.

Whether you got anything done or not,

reading week is a hectic and tender

time, but when a brain break is needed

it’s fine to take it. (*Disclaimer—this is

not legal advice, nor is it medical ad-

vice. Always make sure to talk to your

physician to see if a 9-day break is right

for you).

Taking reading week to do schoolwork

is like showing up to class the day after

evil fish, you could do it, but not very

well. Strap in everybody the last couple

weeks are upon us.

Dali was a child sheriff before the profession

was outlawed (second weooo of the issue

let’s go.)

Footnotes:

1. Sorry Professor Heavin.

2. Ibid.

3. This is when Harvard first crossed their minds.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean are you serious?

damn they really do let anyone into law school

these days.

An Ode to Reading Week


“I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead

yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not

dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m

not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now,

I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right

now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here

right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m

here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet.”

- The Raconteurs (again)

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