My name is Ben Carroll and I am a 1L at Roger Williams Law. I'm just a good 'ol southern boy from Knoxville, TN who has made his way to Rhode Island. I've got it all…The Southern accent; the hospitality. I even play the Banjo! I attended Tennessee Wesleyan, a small liberal arts college in Athens...
"HEAR NO EVIL...SEE NO EVIL...SPEAK NO EVIL"
So, here I sit. I've got my first semester under the belt...almost. I still haven't recieved my grades, so a big "?" surrounds my, yet to be determined, opinion of the Fall 2011 semester. In general, I like to think I am someone who can walk away "knowing" what they received on an exam. "I know what I know," so to speak. Law School examinations, however, are a beast of a different color. I walked away from my exams mentally drained; unsure of how I had done because I had only a vague recollection of the 3 hour long mental marathon. One of my personal demons, perfectionism, was all but vanquished by the approach I took to the task each professor laid before me.
I did what I set out to do, but I walked away from every exam exhausted and mindless. Now that I think about it, I can't believe I made it home after each one!
Needless to say, I'm not going to make any conclusions about my grades. That is for my professors to decide. Now, that I have that part out of the way, I think it would be appropriate to not talk about the classes and subject-matter, but, instead, talk about the social aspect of Roger Williams and life in good 'ol Bristol, RI...
The sun has set on my first semester at Roger Williams School of Law. How do I feel?
Accomplished...Satisfied...Dumbfounded...Discombobulated...Happy to have one under the belt! For all intents and purposes, I did it. I proved myself wrong, as well as, a few others. I encountered the same personal demons that have haunted me time and again over the years and handled them reasonably well. A year ago I was an Insurance Salesman/Law Clerk who had just received the LSAT grade he needed to be accepted into Law School. Now, a year later, I'm serving my class as the SBA 1L representative, the 1L blogger for RWU, a BARBRI rep., a "first year" law student, and a boyfriend.
Attending RWU has proven to be one of the best decisions I could have made for myself...
Instead, of explaining it, I'll just show it to you...
SBA'S FALL EVENT
The lovely Caitlyn Krzyston (my girlfriend) of section A and myself at FALL EVENT...Here we come Barrister's Ball!
From left: Cristal Pinnix, Jared Trujillo, Sarah Smalley, and, the man of the hour, Nathaniel Peterson who won best dressed!
"A NIGHT OUT IN PROVIDENCE"
From left: Chloe Davis, Mike Hayes, Nathaniel Peterson, Adam Deitz, Luc Lefebvre, Andrew Rodgers (descendent of Roger Williams himself!) and girlfriend whose name eludes me at the moment...pardon my memory.
What a crew...I believe we were headed to "Waterfire" which is a weekly spectacle that emerged from the deeply artistic culture of Providence. There are a number of tents set up for games, alcoholic beverages, and food. A great way to spend a Saturday night to say the least. And, oh yes, in the water they light fires! It's a great time, and I can't wait till it starts again.
Then, it seems to me like "The View" Lounge became the #1 Destination for having a birthday party. I can think of more than a few birthdays that were celebrated at this "higher-end" nightclub in Providence.
From left: Pat Carmody, Kaitlin Cox, Caitlyn Krzyston, and yours truly at Providence's "The View" Lounge. Birthday celebrations were commonplace and were always a blast. Most importantly, it served as a great break from the insanity and stress of law school.
Everyone in this photo attends Roger Williams. Once again, celebrating a birthday. I am privleged to be apart of such a fun group of people. Although, I can only speak for myself, I like to think a feeling of "we're in this together" permeates the attitudes of everyone. Law school competitiveness? Sure...it's competitive, but it is also something you don't want to try to attempt on your own. The "I can do it myself" mentality will put a person in trouble come examination time. The drive for good grades, strong work ethic, and a bunch of passionate people...that's the group of 194 that make up the Class of 2014. I'm honored to have the privlege of knowing and serving them all...
People with Outgoing personalities + Halloween = Costumes Galore!
HALLOWEEN was a blast and a great representation of the awesome personalities of my classmates!
SBA'S Battle of the Classes: "SAY WHAT? KARAOKE!"
Definately would have preferred something other than "Touch Myself" to open up SBA's "Say What? Karaoke night at "Wood Street Cafe" in Downtown Bristol.
ACADEMICS
"The Mediocre teacher tells. The Good teacher explains. The Superior teacher demonstrates. The Great teacher inspires." - William Arthur Ward -
Class was anything but what I've been so accustomed too throughout the course of my schooling. Socratic method is a stressful, and humbling experience. Public Speaking is often ranked among the biggest things people fear. Combine that with the "let's see how well you know the material" idea behind socratic method, and you have a recipe for a memorable classroom experience. I myself was humbled by it a couple of times after being caught off guard, but, all in all, I did as well as the next person. I love it!
From left: Academic Success Advisor, Professor, and Author Alex Ruskell, the Dean of Students, Lorraine Lalli, and Academic Success Advisor Deborah Johnson. This pic was taken at the end of the "Jump Start" program that I attended to better prepare myself for the rigorous demands of law school. These are the "go to" people that orchestrate and make sure everyone is provided the opportunity for academic success.
Although, my review of all the "goings on" last semester is incomplete, it's a start. Unfortunately, I must stop now and finish first assignments for tomorrow I begin the next leg of the race!
Here we go again!
Till next time!
BNC