Mid-November is always a stressful time for the students of Green Hall. With less than a month until finals, the realities of test preparation become unavoidable. For first-year students, this is a new kind of test and something that can be difficult to get comfortable with. Second-year students are as busy as they’ve ever been in their academic careers, and third-year students are beginning to reckon with impending BAR prep.
This year, the world outside Green has contributed to the anxiety brewing inside. Law students learn in great detail the impact that political developments have on the legal system, and every day they read cases that demonstrate what kind of real-world impact those legal developments have on the American public. The post-election environment in the building is one of uncertainty, apprehension and anxiety.
However, blossoming within that stressful ecosystem has been a genuinely exciting development. The student organizations, founded and run by busy students nonetheless committed to social and professional development and community, were severely damaged four years ago during the pandemic. For several years, we have been trying to foster the development of new organizations to fill the cultural and social void left by COVID.
In the last two weeks, I have been approached by multiple students looking for advice and guidance on starting new groups. Whether they are action-oriented, politically motivated or just searching for community, the students of Green Hall have responded to the feeling of apprehension with diligence and persistence. What was once a relatively limited group of disparate organizations is growing into a vibrant community of diverse interests and identities. I, like many, am dealing with high stress, both academic and personal, but I have been struck by the response from my fellow students. No matter what the next four years may hold, I am confident that the current generation of Jayhawks will enter the legal world with experience and determination. There are good things yet to come.
– Will Orlowski is a 2L KU Law Student Ambassador from Lawrence, Kansas