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Virginia Law Weekly
“Freedom of religion, freedom of the press;
freedom of persons under the protection of the
habeas corpus; and trial by juries impartially
selected, — these principles form the bright
constellation which has gone before us, and
guided our steps through an age of revelation
and reformation.”
THOMAS JEFFERSON
Around
North Grounds
This Saturday marks the Sixth
Annual Super Saturday. SBA encourages
ALL law students to assist
in the effort to build bridges
between the Law School and the
greater Charlottesville community.
If you are interested in participating,
you can sign up today in
Hunton & Williams Hall. Super
Saturday will kick off with bagels,
doughnuts and coffee at the Law
School. After the projects are finished,
SBA will host a beer and
pizza party for the volunteers.
•••
Feb Club kicks off this Saturday
night at Alderman Road. Will
you be the one who has what it
takes to make an appearance at
every party this year
•••
Be sure to purchase your tickets
to Barrister’s Ball, which will
be held Saturday, February 6. Tickets
will be sold in Hunton & Williams
Hall through Tuesday. Save
yourself some bucks and buy them
in advance.
•••
Need a little break Members of
the Law Christian Fellowship are
once again volunteering their
babysitting services for law students
with children who have plans for
Valentine’s Day evening. If you are
interested, please drop a note in
Amy Ashton’s mailbox or e-mail her
at aca9w. Please respond by
Wednesday, February 10.
•••
Lawyer joke of the week: What
do you get when you cross a bad
politician with a crooked lawyer
Chelsea Clinton.
•••
Thumbs down to
one member of the
Law School Administration.
The Law
Weekly was disappointed
that while reporting this
week’s story on scheduling, officials
at Stanford and Chicago Law
Schools as well as the U.Va.
Provost’s and Dean Scott’s office
spoke with us, but this administrator
was too busy to speak with us on
short notice. ANG does not see how
the administration of this Law
School can expect to communicate
with the students if the administrators
will not answer questions from
the student newspaper. We urge all
members of the Law School faculty
and staff to take our calls when we
have questions. We know you’re
busy but the students want to know
what’s going on.
•••
The Dillard Fellow tryout can be
completed during any consecutive
three-day period between Friday,
February 5 and Monday, March 1.
The tryout packet may be picked up
from Phyllis Harris in WB 348a.
The tryout is open to first-year and
second-year students.
•••
Christmas in April needs your
help! CiA is a volunteer organiza-
see ANG page 5
Bet You Don't Know
...why we have classes on
Martin Luther King’s
birthday.
For details, see page 3.
The Newspaper of the University of Virginia School of Law Since 1948
Vol. 51, No. 14. Friday, January 29, 1999 Subscriptions Available
Law School Set for Super Saturday
by Don Cole ’00
With the anticipation of the fast
approaching Feb Club season, many
U.Va. Law students will spend tomorrow
giving something back to
the Charlottesville community before
immersing themselves in the
shameless excesses of partying.
file photo by J. Todd White
Over 130 law students participated in last
year’s Super Saturday.
Tomorrow is the annual Super
Saturday event, otherwise known
as the American Bar Association’s
“work-a-day” program. This is the
sixth year that U.Va. has participated
on the Saturday before the
Super Bowl.
Second-year event organizers
Students
Debut
New CD
by Doug Mintz ’99
Many students often ask themselves
“What Am I” during their
three years at the Law School. When
third-years Alex Ritchie, Ben
Hadley, Vijay Shanker, second-year
Scott Dangler and Keith Berets —
the husband of Lenora Reynolds ‘98
— asked themselves that question,
they decided they were, in part, rock
musicians.
“The album title [What Am I] has
nothing to do with Law School,” said
Ritchie. “It’s the name of the first
song, which is a song I wrote about
relationships and what women
want.”
Nonetheless, over Winter Break,
Momma Shanks released their selfproduced
and self-published album.
The group performed last night before
a crowd of law students at “The
Bomb Shelter,” a local bar.
The law students in the band
released the album at an unusual
time: just a semester before they
join the work force as attorneys.
“We all had a bunch of songs we
wanted to put together. And when
we got together to play, the songs
sounded good,” said Ritchie.
The band expects the CD to serve
more as a memory. “Assuming nothing
happens with getting signed, I
just look at it as…” started Ritchie
before Shanker interrupted.
“Something that will last forever,”
said Shanker.
Ritchie agreed, noting, “[It’s] more
to have something to show our kids,
than to become rock stars.”
Yet law school scheduling could
interfere with any chance of hitting
it big over the next several months.
see MOMMA SHANKS page 3
Andy Wright and Mike Kalata expect
Virginia to continue to have
one of the highest rates of participation
in the country. According to
Wright, about 150 students are expected
to participate this year, exceeding
last year’s total of 130.
Kalata was encouraged by these
figures. “We’d like to see
U.Va. continue to be
among the leaders in participation
and it appears
that it is going to happen,”
he said.
The day kicks off with
bagels, doughnuts and coffee
in the Withers-Brown
coffee lounge at 8 a.m. and
concludes with a beer and
pizza party in Ivy Gardens
at 5 p.m. after the
projects have been completed.
This year’s projects provide
students with a wide
range of community service
choices. “We have everything
from a Habitat
for Humanity home
project to pet therapy with
the elderly,” said Kalata.
Many of the agencies
students will serve this
year have participated in the past.
Wright believes that this reflects
positively on the impression the
law students have left behind. “The
groups have been excited about
having us back,” he said.
The projects also serve many
different groups in need. “We’ve
tried to create an array of projects
that deal with people ranging from
the elderly to children to women’s
issues,” said Wright.
The agencies are not the only
ones happy to see Super Saturday
return. “I participated last year and
had a great time. I am looking forward
to [tomorrow],” said second
year Ken Strachan.
Student enthusiasm for the day’s
events seems high. “It’s a great
opportunity to get out and help the
community,” said second-year Julie
MacLaren.
“It gives you a chance to work
with people from the law school
that you might not otherwise get to
meet,” added second-year Todd
Ellinwood.
Most of the volunteers are simply
looking for an opportunity to do
something in the community. “It’s
something we should do more often,”
said first-year McKenzie
Webster, project coordinator for the
Riverdale Seniors Center.
“We spend a lot of time studying
and worrying about grades. It’s
nice to spend a few hours doing
something else,” she added.
Other volunteers have a continuing
interest in the organizations.
First-year Amy Meyer volunteers
with the International Refugee
Committee (IRC), which recently
opened a branch in Charlottesville.
She will serve as the project coordinator
for the Focus Women’s Resource
Center project. The Center
operates a flea market that supplies
clothing to refugees in the area.
“I’m encouraging all of the people
by Sarah Ostergaard ’01
It provides 40 percent of the Law
School’s budget and currently controls
over $100 million dollars intended
for use around the Law
School. It is the Law School Foundation,
tucked away up on the third
floor of Slaughter Hall, and it affects
almost every corner of the
Law School and all of its activities.
Nearly all of the funds raised by
the Foundation go to activities
that touch the lives of
law students every day. For
instance, according to Executive
Director of the Law
School Foundation David
Ibbeken, the Foundation
funds many professorships
and scholarships in addition
to supporting the law
library.
The most prominent recent
expenditure of the
Foundation was the renovation
of the Law School,
for which the Foundation
raised approximately $30
million.
“We have paid all the bills
[for the renovation], and we
still have pledges coming
in,” said Ibbeken.
John Corse, Senior Director
of Development for
the Foundation noted the
many special programs
funded by the Foundation, including
the Mary Parsons Ethical Values
Seminars, the Oceans Law and
Policy course, the Appellate Judges
program, and the Public Service
Center. Many of the newer Law
School programs are the result of
directed donations from alumni.
The Foundation has two major
sources of income: donations from
alumni and their friends and earnings
from the Foundation’s endowment.
Corse, Ibbeken and many of the
primary fundraisers for the Law
School are graduates of the school
themselves. These alums act as eager
advocates for their alma mater’s
various activities as they travel
around the country to meet with
other alumni.
This extensive financial support
of the Law School has not always
on my project to donate clothes to
the flea market,” said Meyer.
Wright hopes that tomorrow’s
events will serve as a springboard
to greater law student involvement
within the Charlottesville community.
“There are many needs in the
Charlottesville community beyond
Super Saturday,” said Wright. “We
hope to use Super Saturday as a
means to get students involved in
more activities sponsored by the
SBA Pro Bono Committee throughout
the year.”
Super Saturday represents the
culmination of weeks of effort on
the part of Wright and Kalata.
“Andy and Mike have done a
fantastic job organizing Super Saturday,”
said second-year Virginia
Quale.
While most of the projects have
been fully staffed by volunteers,
there is space for some last-minute
additions. “Many of the outdoor
events such as the one at the park
are expandable. If someone shows
up looking to help, we can find something
for them to do,” said Wright.
In addition to those mentioned
by Wright and Kalata, students will
also be volunteering at these and
other locations:
• Ronald McDonald House: preparing
a meal for the residents and
repairing an old phone booth.
• Shelter for Help and Emergency:
cleaning rooms and playing
with guest children.
• Venable Elementary School:
beautification and improvement of
school park.
They Show Us The Money: The
Law School Foundation
courtesy of the Law School
David Ibbeken
been the province of the Foundation.
Ibbeken explained the changes
he has seen in the 20 years since he
came to the Foundation.
“When I came in 1979, we were
providing roughly 5% of the budget,
said Ibbeken. “Now, with all of the
private resources, we provide about
40% of the budget. What we are able
to provide is no longer what Hardy
Dillard called ‘the margin of excellence;’
it is lifeblood support for the
Law School.”
There are a number of reasons
for the Foundation’s growing significance
to the Law School budget.
“Part is the declining funding from
the state, and part is that our alumni
have been very receptive,” said
Ibbeken.
The Foundation targets gifts over
$100,000 and other such “leadership
gifts” from alumni and institutional
donors such as large law
firms blessed with a strong representation
of U.Va. alumni among
their numbers.
As the Law Weekly previously
reported, on September 4 the
Foundation officially reached the
$100 million mark in funds under
management, joining only four
other law schools in the country
in controlling that much money.
The original goal of $50 million
was passed very early in the Capital
Campaign, which will continue
through December 2000, Corse
explained.
In 1952 the Law School Foundation
was created to receive a
$24,000 gift, and by 1968 the
Foundation had over $2 million
under management. When
Ibbeken came in 1979, over $5
million was under the
Foundation’s management.
With such a successful record
of continuously increasing
fundraising, the Foundation’s hope
to raise between $125 and $150
million by the end of the Capital
Campaign appears to be realistic.
The Foundation is also receptive
to the opinions of current students.
“It is important that the students
understand what we’re here for,
what we’re trying to achieve, and
what we do,” said Foundation Treasurer
Elizabeth Wharton.
Printed on
recycled paper

2 Editorials
Virginia Law Weekly Friday, January 29, 1999
Super Saturday: It’s Fantastic
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that this weekend
is Super Bowl weekend.
You might not know that it’s also Super Saturday weekend.
Super Saturday, to the uninitiated, is the Law School’s day of service
— a day when law students fan out into the greater Charlottesville area
to give back to our host community.
A number of different projects are planned, including: recording
projects for the blind and dyslexic, meal cooking at the Ronald McDonald
House, and the traditional Habitat for Humanity event.
It’s one of the few times that law students get together to do
something for others, especially those outside of our close-knit grounds.
UVa has traditionally had one of the highest participation rates for
events of this kind among U.S. law schools, and judging by the sign-up
sheets in Hunton & Williams Hall, this year’s extravaganza promises to
be no exception.
The day is, justifiably, a source of pride for the Law School and one
of the more meaningful events on the annual calendar.
What’s disappointing, though, is that for too many law students, their
service to others begins and ends on Super Saturday.
Everyone already knows that we as law students tend to isolate
ourselves from the rest of the University.
We’re our own little world up here, and we don’t even see Darden
students all that much (not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, of
course).
However, we also tend to ignore Charlottesville itself, unless it’s to
complain — about the traffic, the small size, the lack of social options,
etc.
It’s telling that an event like Super Saturday receives so much
attention every January. The reason that it does so is that we don’t really
do much the other 364 days of the year.
To be sure, there are some notable activities in which law students
are involved that strive to reach out to our neighbors, but these are few
and far between.
The overall level of true service to others is strikingly low.
This isn’t to knock Super Saturday. But it is a chance for all of us to
get more involved in this little town we call home for the better part of
three years.
At the risk of sounding too much like a cheesy holiday greeting card,
the spirit of Super Saturday should remain strong throughout the entire
academic year.
Everyone should feel encouraged to get involved tomorrow; there’s a
tremendous satisfaction that comes from helping others in need. There
are many worthy projects that could use our talents, creativity and
sheer manual labor. And it doesn’t even have to be for the entire day or
morning: several projects have very manageable time slots.
The point, however, is that the helping shouldn’t stop there. U.Va.
students should also use tomorrow as a springboard into other activities
and into getting involved with the “rest” of Charlottesville itself.
After all, if we want the town and county to think of us as a welcome
presence and a good neighbor, we really should do our part to earn their
admiration and respect.
Editorial Policy
The Virginia Law Weekly publishes letters and columns of interest to the Law School and the legal
community at large. Views expressed in such submissions are those of the author(s) and not necessarily
those of the Law Weekly or the Editorial Board. Letters from organizations must bear the name, signature,
and title of the person authorizing the submission. All letters and columns must bear a handwritten
signature and be submitted by 5 pm on the Monday before publication, in hardcopy and on disk, in
accordance with the submission guidelines posted on the door to the Law Weekly office in Rooms SL277
& SL279. Letters over 500 words and columns over 750 words may not be accepted. The Editorial Board
reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, and clarity. Although every effort is made
to publish all materials meeting our guidelines, we regret that not all submissions received can be published.
Staff
Virginia Law Weekly
Editorial Board
Ben Fox
Executive Editor
Kristina Dell
News Editor
Marc Cohn
Photography Editor
Associate Editors
Ben Block
Associate News Editor
Amy Collins
Associate News Editor
Andy Lippstone
Associate Features Editor
Doug Mintz
Editor-in-Chief
Mandeep Dhillon
Managing Editor
Sarah Shalf
Production Editor
Leah Warnick
Associate Production Editor
Jennifer Leong
Features Editor
Erica Bachmann
Columns Editor
Ryan Farney
Copy Editor
Harrison Clay
Associate Columns Editor for Reviews
Ryan Coonerty
Associate Features Editor
Tina Sismanis
Associate Production Editor
CONTRIBUTORS: Don Cole
COLUMNISTS: Ryan Farney, Don Cole, Amy Todd (SBA Notebook), VANGUARD.
REVIWERS: Harrison Clay, Bart Epstein, David Stuckey, Doug Mintz, Priya Sopori, Kirk Susong,
Scott Matthews, Andrew Oliver, Billy Palmer, Jami Wyatt.
Published weekly on Friday except during holiday and examination periods and serving the Law School community
at the University of Virginia, the Virginia Law Weekly (ISSN 0042-661X) is not an official publication of the
University and does not necessarily express the views of the University.
Any article appearing herein may be reproduced provided that credit is given to both the Virginia Law Weekly
and the author of the article, excepting DICTA articles, for which advanced written permission is required. Advanced
written permission of the Virginia Law Weekly is also required for reproduction of any cartoon or illustration.
Entered as second class matter at the Post Office at Charlottesville, Virginia. One year subscriptions are available
for $25.00. Subscriptions are automatically renewed unless cancelled. Address all business communications to the
Managing Editor. Subscribers are requested to inform the Managing Editor of change of address at least three weeks
in advance to insure prompt delivery.
Mailing Address: Virginia Law Weekly, 580 Massie Rd., University of Virginia School of Law,
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903-1789
Phone: (804) 924-3070 Fax: (804) 924-7536
Internet E-mail Address: Va-Law-Weekly@Virginia.edu
Printed on recycled paper by theVirginia Law Weekly and the University of Virginia Printing Office.
© 1999 Virginia Law Weekly
Save The Planet: Recycling in the Law School
I know you are busy — we
all are. But please, take two
minutes to read this article.
Recycling is an easy way to
protect the environment, and in
this article, I tell you just
how simple it is to do
your part. I am a 3L, and
this year I am the
recycling coordinator for
the Environmental Law
Forum (ELF). This letter
will describe some of the
recycling opportunities at
the Law School
Cans & Bottles: The
blue recycling bins around
the Law School collect
cans and bottles. You may
place aluminum, steel, or
tin cans in the cans bins,
as well as aluminum foil.
In the bottles bins, you may place
any color glass bottles or jars, but
no pyrex or plate glass. You may
also deposit numbers one or two
recyclable plastic — look for the
triangle on the plastic for the
number. Please remove all lids
before recycling plastic or glass
bottles.
Please don’t put garbage in
these bins — someone will
eventually have to fish out every
piece of trash you deposit. Finally,
please place only EMPTY cans
and bottles in these bins —
leftover soda makes a huge mess.
Paper: The easiest way to
recycle paper is to place it in one
of the four “mixed paper” bins
near the student mailboxes in
Hunton & Williams Hall. Note
that these bins are now “mixed
paper” and thus can accept almost
any kind of paper. However,
please don’t put paper ream
wrappers, paper towels, plastic, or
garbage in these bins.
The other big paper recycling
program is especially important
Welcome back to the New Year!
Your SBA hit the ground running
in 1999 with the following projects
Amy Todd, a thirdyear
law student, is
SBA President.
and initiatives:
Sixth Annual Super Saturday:
Pro Bono Chairs Mike Kalata
and Andy Wright have gone above
and beyond the call of duty working
to organize this event. Tomorrow,
January 30, known nationally
as the American Bar
Association’s “work-a-day” program,
is a day of service given by
the students of Virginia Law to the
Charlottesville community. Student
volunteers traditionally perform
projects for charitable and
community service organizations
on the Saturday of Super Bowl
weekend.
Some of this year’s projects include
pet therapy for residents of
Jefferson Eldercare, painting facilities
at Hilltop Child Care Center,
working with kids through
Charlottesville parks and recreation,
preparing a meal at the
Ronald McDonald house, working
on low income housing construction
with Habitat for Humanity,
and cleaning facilities and visiting
with residents of the Shelter for
Help in Emergency.
This is the Sixth Annual Super
Saturday, and for the past five
years, Virginia Law has had one of
Letter to the Editor
for law school staff and student
organizations. Certain rooms
around the Law School, like SL
126 and 263, have been
photo by Marc Cohn
Law students can help save the
environment by recycling.
designated recycling rooms.
These rooms have shelves with
small specially marked boxes on
them.
Please fill these boxes with
paper and put them on the shelves.
University Recycling empties
them weekly. There are two
boxes, one for revenue paper and
one for non-revenue paper. The
labels on the boxes explain what
may be recycled in each.
I highly recommend this
program to every student
organization at the Law School,
especially the journals. Keep
recycling boxes in your office and
put them in the recycling rooms
when they are full.
Books: When you have
books to recycle, like old text
books you can’t resell, use the
boxes in the recycling rooms
mentioned above. Place softcover
books in any of the boxes with
non-revenue paper labels. For a
hardcover book, rip the covers off
and throw them in the garbage,
then put the rest of the book in
any of the boxes with non-revenue
SBA Notebook
the highest participation rates in
the country. We hope to continue
the tradition this year, but to do so
we need YOUR help! We sincerely
encourage all of you to assist in
this tremendous effort to build
bridges between the Law School
and greater Charlottesville communities.
The event will occur tomorrow
and will likely span a significant
portion of the day, with various
projects beginning and ending at
different times. We will kick off the
day with bagels, doughnuts and
coffee at the Law School. After the
projects are finished, the SBA will
host a beer and pizza party for the
volunteers. If you are interested in
participating and did not sign up
on the posted lists, please call Andy
Wright or Mike Kalata at 979-6285.
We hope to see you out there! (Many
thanks to Andy Wright and Mike
Kalata for contributing this section
of the SBA Notebook this
week.)
SBA / BLSA Book Exchange:
The Black Law Students Association
provided the resources to run
the book exchange for students this
semester. Thanks to Dana Williams,
Carlos Brown, and Melanie
Hart, among many others, for your
long hours and hard work providing
a service that saves students a
substantial amount of money.
Barrister’s Ball: Co-Chairs
second-year Hillary Cherry and
third-year Carine Saddy are pulling
together yet another rip-roaring
law school prom, planned for
the night of February 6 at the Omni
labels.
Beyond these specific tips, be
conscious of what you use and
how you use it. Reduce the
amount of garbage you generate
by purchasing products with
minimal packaging. Also, please
avoid plastic or styrofoam
products that are neither reusable
nor recyclable.
Your efforts can make a
difference. In 1997, U.Va.
students recycled over 31 tons of
aluminum and steel, 2.6 tons of
plastic, 52 tons of glass, and
almost 1000 tons of paper. One
ton of recycled paper saves 3,700
pounds of lumber and 24,000
gallons of water. Recycling cuts
down on landfill, as well.
Lastly, I wish to make three
specific recommendations. First,
volunteer next year to help
monitor and empty the recycling
bins at the law school. One hour
for the entire year is all it takes.
Second, this spring ELF will
be looking for someone to be
recycling coordinator for next
year. This job is really pretty easy.
Call me at (804) 556-6628 or
email me at rwh7s@virginia.edu if
you are interested.
Third, if you have any
recycling questions or suggestions,
please call me or email me at the
number or address above, or
contact the University’s Office of
Recycling and Environmental
Information at 982-5033.
Finally, thank you to the
almost this 50 volunteers who
signed up this year to help monitor
and empty the blue recycling bins
around the law school.
Sincerely,
Bob Hughes
ELF Recycling Chair
Hotel. If you haven’t bought your
tickets yet, be on the look-out for
more ticket sales in Hunton-Williams
Hall today and this coming
Monday and Tuesday.
Yearbooks, Yearbooks, Yearbooks!
Yearbook Co-Chairs Ronit
“Can’t Beat Ronit” Gechter and
Jim “Woody” Woodward have been
distributing the 1998 Yearbooks
during the past week.
If you have pictures that you
would like to see in the 1999 Yearbook,
be sure to place them in the
cardboard box in Hunton-Williams
Hall! Ronit and Woody are also
looking for your suggestions on
making a new and improved,
memorable yearbook this year, so
if you have any ideas, be sure to let
them know.
Thanks to Cortland Kelly
and the Students Records Staff:
Returning to law school for the
semester can often be a traumatic
experience, especially in light of
the need to return our bright fluorescent
form to the Student Records
office before 5 P.M. or risk being
dropped from our classes.
Dean Gillette and the records
staff, along with the help of Good
Samaritan Cortland Kelly, made
every effort to get in touch with
students who were running close
to the deadline, including making
phone calls and circling the Law
School building in search of tardy
students. Due in large part to their
efforts, less than five students were
dropped from their classes this semester
– thanks for looking out for
us!

MOMMA SHANKS
continued from page 1
At a lunch meeting, Shanker and
Hadley determined they each had
class on the “B” weekend schedule,
while Dangler has class on the “A”
schedule. As a result, a member
has class on every Friday and Saturday
of the semester.
“We’ll have to go to class tired,”
said Shanker.
Playing in a band while attending
Law School has created some
other unusual moments for the
band.
Dangler recalled working on his
journal tryout while waiting for a
show to begin last spring. “I was
doing the journal tryout backstage
at Trax [a local club],” Dangler said.
“They set up the equipment on the
stage while I was trying to read all
those cases.”
Hadley feels that the band members’
status as future lawyers hurts
their reputation as musicians. One
band for whom Momma Shanks
opened a show last year “gave off a
weird vibe” when they found out the
members were law students. However,
Ritchie said the band told him
Momma Shanks was the best band
they played with on the tour.
Nonetheless, the band members
agreed with Hadley’s assessment
that “the fewer people [outside the
Law School] that know we’re law
students, the better.
Law school, however, has provided
inspiration for at least one of
the songs on the album. Ritchie
wrote “Waste Away” after taking
Professor Ken Abraham’s first-year
Torts exam. “The song comes off as
a cynicism of higher education in
general,” said Ritchie.
Some of the lyrics from “Waste
Away”: “Waste away, sleeping night
and day; teacher says your future’s
bright; loans and loans I hope they’re
right; get it out — your money.”
Despite the rigors of coordinating
law school and a band schedule,
the members hold hope of achieving
some success this semester.
Hadley has
worked to distribute the
CD throughout the region.
“We’re trying to
get our CDs to college
[radio] stations anywhere
in the mid-Atlantic,”
said Hadley.
“We’re sending them as
far west as Tennessee
and as far north as
Ohio.”
Hadley jokingly
added, “We’re huge in
Belgium,” before noting
the band has also attempted
to send the CD
to an “independent label
in [Washington,]
D.C.” Hadley has also
distributed the disc to
university fraternities, which has
“required us learning a whole new
group of [cover] songs.”
Finally, Hadley said his sister
“used to work as a publicist for Spin
magazine in New York,” and that
she is helping with the band’s publicity.
The band hopes to play more
dates after last night’s show. “We’d
be willing to travel anywhere in the
SEC [Southeastern Conference]
area,” said Hadley.
Despite all of Hadley’s work to
promote the band, the members
recognize the limitations that their
future careers place on any potential
success. “It’s hard to set longterm
goals when we only have one
semester left,” said Ritchie. “It’s
kind of like, ‘how lucky can we get in
one semester’”
Despite the narrow window for
success, if the band hits paydirt this
semester, at least one member who
did not want to be named said he’d
“quit [his law firm job] in a second.”
The other members were not so
certain they would give up their
careers so quickly.
News
Virginia Law Weekly Friday, January 29, 1999 3
From top left, clockwise: 2L Scott Dangler,
3L Alex Ritchie, Keith Berets, 3L Vijay
Shanker, 3L Ben Hadley are Momma
Shanks
Dangler, who will not graduate
until 2000, has other plans for next
year. “I’m going to start a ’70s funk
band.”
Those who have seen Momma
Shanks play at their local performances
will recognize the band’s
unique sound. However, the members
did not want to identify any
particular influences on the band.
“We don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves,”
said Shanker.
“It’s much better for the listener
to tell us what they think it sounds
like,” said Hadley.
Ritchie believes the band can’t
be pigeonholed because each of the
band members brings a different
sound to the mix. “Keith brought in
one song and [Vijay] added a drum
part and [Scott] added a U2-guitar
part,” said Ritchie.
“It’s a compilation of different
sources,” said Dangler of the band’s
sound.
Law students may purchase the
CD directly from the members of
the band or from Courts and Commerce
in the Law School for $10.00.
Holidays and the J.D.
by Amy Collins ’01
Martin Luther King Day, Labor
Day, Veterans Day, Columbus Day,
Presidents’ Day: what do these holidays
have in common
They are all public holidays the
U.Va. School of Law busily ignores.
This semester began on Lee-Jackson-King
Day, in a refusal to hold
out just one more day in honor of
Lee, Jackson, and King.
The office of Law School Dean
Robert E. Scott said the University
has created the policy of keeping
the school open on holidays.
The University remains open
on holidays so that it can comply
with guidelines set by academic
certification bodies. “We are the
same as most of our sister schools
in the region,” said Associate Provost
for Academic Support Shirley
Menaker.
Menaker said that if the
Univeristy closed for a holiday it
would require ending each semester
later or starting each semester
earlier.
“It’s like the snow days for the
kids in elementary school,” said
Menaker.
However, research shows that
U.Va. is one of few comparable law
schools with an academic calendar
scheduled without regard for these
public holidays. The University of
Michigan, Stanford Law School and
Harvard Law School all observe
Martin Luther King Day.
George Mason School of Law
(also in Virginia) does have school
on Lee-Jackson-King day, but honors
Labor Day, Columbus Day, and
Memorial and Independence days
during their summer session.
Law schools vary greatly in the
number of holidays and the selection
of holidays observed.
According to the Stanford Law
School’s Registrar’s office, the only
holiday Stanford observes in addition
to Martin Luther King Day is
Presidents’ Day, and Harvard
WIN A TRIP TO WINTERGREEN!
boasts a unique holiday approach,
granting Columbus Day and Veterans
Day holidays only for first-years.
However, the entire school is closed
on Martin Luther King Day.
According to Jennie Pavesic at
the University of Chicago’s
Registrar’s office, the law school
there does not observe any holidays
besides Thanksgiving.
The standards put forth by the
American Bar Association shed
some light on the situation. According
to Standard 304(a) of the American
Bar Association, each law student
must take not fewer than 1,120
class hours to receive a J.D.
Like Stanford, U.Va. requires 86
credits for graduation, and each
semester is 14 weeks long. Therefore,
the graduating U.Va. law student
has taken 1204 hours, exceeding
the requirement by 84 hours.
However, ABA Standard 304(b)
requires that a school year be no
less than 140 days (not counting the
exam period). If the law school closed
for a holiday, it would have to schedule
an additional day for classes,
even though the minimum hour
requirement would still have been
met.
Further, students are reluctant
to relinquish the lengthy winter
break, which is longer than comparable
breaks at Michigan, Stanford,
Harvard, and the University of
Chicago.
“It would be nice to have some of
the national holidays off, but if it
means cutting short the winter
break I would rather leave the schedule
the way it is,” said first-year
Christy Noneman.
“I really enjoyed the winter break;
it was much longer than the breaks
I had as an undergrad,” said firstyear
Catherine Morgen.
Some students, however, would
prefer a slightly abbreviated winter
break and a couple of shorter weeks
during the semester.
JUST FILL OUT YOUR BALLOT FOR THE BEST OF CHARLOTTESVILLE AND RETURN IT
TO THE LAW WEEKLY’S MAILBOX BY FEBRUARY 3, 1999 TO ENTER.
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Phone ____________________________
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Best Law School Bathroom:

4 Features
Virginia Law Weekly Friday, January 29, 1999
Gearing Up for Super Sunday
Predicting What Could Be the Best Super Bowl in Years
by Brian Wise ’00
Unfortunately, the Law Weekly
wouldn’t pay for me to fly to Miami
and cover the Super Bowl for the
Law School. Instead, like the rest of
you, I will watch what could be the
best Super Bowl in years on Fox.
The Falcons How could this
team be in the Super Bowl Most
memories of the Falcons involve
Jerry Glanville, a run-and-shoot
offense, and a team that just stunk.
Atlanta was respectable last year,
mostly because of a strong defense,
but few picked them to go to the
playoffs this year and most assumed
that they would have a forgettable
7-9 or 8-8 season.
Instead, Atlanta finished 14-2 in
the regular season and subjected us
to the “Dirty Bird.” Dan Reeves’s
quiet leadership, a great defense,
and a lot of Jamal Anderson have
propelled the Falcons to the verge of
a world championship.
By contrast, almost all the preseason
pundits picked the Denver
Broncos to return to the Super Bowl.
Terrell Davis rushed for 2,000 yards
(only the fourth player ever to reach
that plateau). John Elway was John
Elway. Those two and an opportunistic
defense propelled the Broncos
to a 14-2 finish.
Now, this team could be the first
back-to-back champion since the
Dallas Cowboys of 1991-92. Coach
Mike Shanahan guided the team in
pursuit of a perfect season until flat
performances against the Giants
and the Dolphins forced the team to
forget about history and concentrate
on returning to the Super Bowl.
The Broncos are seven-point favorites
in Vegas, and many predict
an AFC blowout. Below are three
reasons why this won’t be the case.
A Good Falcons Defense
The Falcons have shown all year
that they can stop the run. They
have accomplished this, not with a
big, physical defense but a quick
one that relies on good linebackers
and overachieving defensive tackles.
The secondary is on the old side,
but they have a lot of experience
which helped shut down Randy
Moss and company in the NFC
championship game.
However, they will have their
hands full with Terrell Davis and
the receiving corps of the Broncos
(especially Shannon Sharpe). Nonetheless,
the defense should keep the
game close.
Jamal Anderson
The big back of the Falcons has
proven all year that he can take the
hits and eight-man fronts that defenses
have thrown at him and still
get the job done for the Falcons. In
the regular season,
he rushed for
1,300 yards and
was selected to the
Pro Bowl team.
If Anderson
finds success in
the game, he will
be accomplishing
two important
goals for the Falcons.
First, his
runs have keyed
the Atlanta offense
and made
Chris Chandler
much more effective
at quarterback. Second, he will
also keep off the field the potent
Denver offense.
A Very Average Broncos
Defense
Unless the Broncos score several
times very quickly, their defense
can be exploited. Much of their success
this year has come when the
Denver offense put up a lot of points
and forced other teams to pass a lot.
Free from the threat of a running
game, Denver then blitzed to protect
their vulnerable secondary.
When games were close this year,
Denver tended to give up more
points and found themselves susceptible
to runs up the middle and
passes in the middle of their zone.
Chris Chandler, if given time, can
exploit such a defense as long as
Denver is not up by 14 points or
hitting his injury-prone body.
Prediction
The Falcons score early and prevent
the Broncos from controlling
the clock and blitzing fragile Chris
Chandler. Still, both sides are able
to score points and the game will be
tight heading into the fourth quarter,
24-24.
Then the game will turn to the
kickers. Denver’s Jason Elam or
Don’t miss the big game Sunday
from Miami
Atlanta’s Morten Andersen Elam
booted a 63 yarder this season and
Andersen won the NFC championship
game with his 38-yard overtime
kick. I’ll go with experience
and Andersen. Dan Reeves gets his
first Super Bowl win 27-24 with a
collection of mostly unknown players.
Let’s all hope that he and Mike
Shanahan can shake hands afterwards
no matter who wins.
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Looking back, I should have realized
that it would never last. At the
end, it is clear ours was a relationship
doomed from the start. But
back then in August, well, it all
seemed so right…
It started innocently enough. At
the time, I was sort of seeing this
Ben Block, a firstyear
law student, is
a Law Weekly
columnist.
girl Ally, usually on Mondays. She
was a lawyer and I think she had
eating issues, but for the most part
I was content. I met my new love on
a Sunday, but really didn’t think
much of it. I’d call this stage the
preseason. Yet, even though I
wasn’t that attracted at first, we
kept seeing one another.
By Labor Day, things had heated
up. We spent that whole weekend
together, lounging on my sofa, eating
doritos and swilling Mountain
Dew. I had never felt so comfortable;
I could spend the entire day in
my pajamas with nary a complaint.
Unfortunately, I was too giddy
about my new companion to realize
that I could wind up getting hurt.
School had started, and at first
it threatened to drive a wedge between
us. Friends warned me I
didn’t have time for a committed
relationship, but I ignored their wellintentioned
advice. We were growing
closer and closer.
The demands for my attention
became greater; we went from
spending just Sundays to whole
weekends, then Thursdays and
Mondays. I stopped seeing Ally. I
stopped watching the news. I
stopped bathing, and didn’t care
(though people next to me did).
We went everywhere together:
watching the Moon in Seattle, running
barefoot with Moss in Minnesota,
and dancing the “Dirty Bird”
in Atlanta.
We saw a Snake in Arizona and
rode with Cowboys in Dallas. We
talked of going to Cleveland, but
decided to wait until next year.
We watched our friend Peyton
struggle in Indy while the Leaf blew
in San Diego. We saw toothless
Bengals, Lions and Panthers (oh
my!) get destroyed by fearsome Jaguars.
School work was neglected in
lieu of fantasy (statistics) and overtime
ecstasy.
My parents threatened to write
me out of the will if I didn’t get a
grip, but I convinced them of the
true extent of my love by explaining
to them how the zone blitz works.
We slowed down not at all through
finals. Breathless talk of the playoffs
was much more interesting to
me than any criminal law or tort
lecture would ever be. We agreed to
spend the entire break together.
I was definitely in love. I made
plans. I bought a satellite dish. We
would always have each other, football
and me.
Yes, I was so happy that I never
thought it would end. And then,
shortly after New Year’s, I realized
that our days were numbered.
Our meetings grew less frequent,
though more intense. After Sunday
in Miami, it will all be over. I know
that I should just walk away now,
but I am too far gone.
I’ll spend the whole day with my
beloved remote, waiting for that last
kickoff. When the final gun sounds,
someone will have lost a game, but
I will have lost much more.
I can write this now without breaking
down, but rest assured that it still
hurts. It feels as if my whole life has
just been ripped away. But, I know
that there is nothing I can do except
wait until next fall. In the meantime,
maybe I’ll start seeing Ally again…

Virginia Law Weekly Friday, January 29, 1999 Columns 5
Penguin Dreams and Stranger Things
I was watching Teen Idols Week
on VH1 the other day (“Tonight:
The Don Cole Story”) when it struck
me that a lot of things in this world
are only around for a very short
time.
This wasn’t a particularly earthshattering
realization, mind you,
but it got me thinking about a lot of
other things that (more or less) have
some sort of relevance to us here at
U.Va.:
Ryan Farney, a
second-year law
student, is a Law
Weekly columnist.
Any chance of getting an IHOP
where Shoney’s used to be…
I miss doughnuts at the Dean’s
Tuesday coffee…
STRESSED Release it…
’80s music: Overrated— “Take
On Me” (A-ha). Underrated— “And
We Danced” (The Hooters)…
Grade of... no grade assigned…
“You will be logged off shortly…”
Do all oldies radio stations have
the slogan, “Good times and great
oldies”…
Summer birthdays really get the
shaft…
What will they call it if Notre
Dame becomes the 12th member of
the Big Ten…
Why are there “quiet zones” in
the library Isn’t the whole library,
technically, a quiet zone…
Of course, there are some
libriarians who don’t observe any
quiet zones, but that’s another
story…
BMG: Tempting, but there’s that
annoying catch of actually having
to buy one CD…
Anne Geddes prints: Does anyone
else find pictures of babies
dressed up as vegetables disturbing…
“You will be logged off shortly…”
Whatever happened to the
American Gladiators…
Farmer Jack: The light that
burns brightest, burns briefest, and
yours shone oh so bright…
I miss the Withers-Brown map…
On that note, what’s up with all
the new artwork in the library…
ISIS: It’s an automated system.
It doesn’t require humans. So why
does it become non-operational at
night…
What happened to all those
scarves the law women always
seemed to be wearing last year…
An ad for skin cream created a
sweet new euphemism for wrinkles:
“Fine Lines…”
Are there still “no good men” at
U.Va. law…
Question Presented by Greg Lastowka
Don’t Like What You
Read
Get Involved.
Join the Law Weekly staff
immediately.
Be a writer, an editor, a columnist,
or just help out.
We especially need help from people familiar with
Pagemaker and willing to help just two hours/week.
For more information, contact Doug Mintz or leave a note in the Law
Weekly mailbox.
Or come to our Monday meeting at 6 p.m. in SL 279.
Forget a playoff system. Keep
the college bowl games…
Did anyone else discover that
ABA Visa card with six months of
no interest charges…
You know you’re in the South:
At bagel breakfasts, the last thing
remaining is the lox spread (or
salmon spread as they call it
here)…
Generally, men wear clothes;
women wear outfits…
Can we get a Slurpee machine
in Cafe North…
“You will be logged off
shortly…”
First-Year Job Frenzy
by Mel Keppel ’01
The big question that returning
first-years usually ask classmates —
after the cursory “How was your
break” — is “Have you had any
interviews” or “Did you find a job”
Some people cleverly fashion euphemisms
such as “Do you have plans for
the summer yet”
The first-year job search began
December 1, when many first-years
mail merged and sent their resumes
to numerous law firms hoping to get
a response or two. Others decided to
focus on grades and postponed the
gargantuan task until after exams.
So what do first-years have to say
about their experiences thus far
On the public service side, firstyear
Jason Trujillo has had luck in
receiving employment offers, but has
confronted timing problems. “Some
offices will extend you an offer and
expect a reply before other offices
have even finished accepting resumes.
It puts you in a difficult situation
because you really have to gamble:
am I going to play it safe and take this
job or hope for a better one”
Trujillo recently turned down a
job offer because he is holding out for
an interview with the Manhattan
District Attorney’s Office. “I got an
offer from the Eastern District [of
New York] and they wanted an answer
in five days, and the Manhattan
office probably won’t contact me until
April,” said Trujillo.
First-year Julia Yachmenev had
several law firm interviews in New
Orleans. Yachmenev said that her
biggest lesson learned was “not to put
anything in the ‘Hobby’ section of
your resume that you can’t talk about
for a good ten minutes.”
“I listed Russian literature as an
interest and it was just my luck to
interview with a partner who doubled
as an expert in the subject,” said
Yachmenev. “The interviewer proceeded
to test my knowledge of
Tolstoy’s War and Peace in minute
detail.”
Around North Grounds
(continued from page 1)
tion that rehabilitates the houses
of low-income homeowners, particularly
the elderly and disabled
who are unable to cover the costs of
home repairs. A fundraising drive
will be conducted at the Law School
between February 2 –5. Donations,
can be placed in Howard Bayless’
box.
•••
The Family Law Section of the
American Bar Association is sponsoring
the 1999 Howard Schwab
Memorial Essay Contest. The contest
is open to second- and thirdyear
students. Cash prizes are
awarded: $700 for first prize, $500
for second, and $300 for third.
Deadline for entries is April 2. For
more information, e-mail
familylaw@abanet.org.
•••
An unusual thumbs up to the
new parking meters near D-20, by
the bookstore parking
spaces. Why not
thumbs down
Think about it. The
D-20 spaces sold for
$2.5 million at auction.
Now you can park for a quarter,
albeit for 30 minutes.
Hmmm….
•••
Thumbs up to the first-year class
for an outstanding service idea.
All first-year sections
will be competing
to amass the
most service hours
over this semester.
Prizes will be
awarded for sections and individuals
with the most hours.
•••
Congratulations
to Marissa Marriott
’99 and Lt. M. Heath
Henderson who
were married on
January 2.
Students who have not yet had
interviews but want to hone their
interview skills may join the mock
interview sessions held by Career
Services on February 5.
The Career Services Office initiated
this new program at the request
of the SBA. The program includes
both public and private sector employers.
“We have been incredibly
successful in getting premiere firms
to come down,” said Assitant Dean
for Career Services Steve Hopson
Hopson expressed optimism at the
likelihood of first-years garnering jobs
for the coming summer. Hopson offered
statistics from the Class of 2000
first summer, noting 49% of firstyears
worked in law firms, 23% in
public sector jobs, 19% for professors,
5% for judges and 4% for corporations.
“The first year market is going
along pretty well,” said Hopson of this
summer’s job search. “I am seeing it
in the number of on-grounds interviews
from the private sector.” Hopson
counted more than 40 firms scheduled
to interview here this spring
noting, “This is the first time since the
eighties we have had that many.”
The news is good from the Public
Service Center as well. The Center
will host four other Virginia law
schools at a job fair on February 12.
The job fair will include both interviews
by hiring organizations and
informational sessions by agencies
such as the FBI and Health and Human
Services.
Public Service Career Counselor
Allyson Manson-Davies described the
job fair as “Exactly like the private
sector job search.”
Students sign up on CASE, are
prescreened and chosen for interviews
with various organizations. Manson-
Davies added, “The good news is
employers are extremely interested
in UVa students.”
She speaks from experience.
Manson-Davies spent her first-year
summer working for an organization

6 Features
Virginia Law Weekly Friday, January 29, 1999
Social Events in
February
by Jennifer Leong ’00
Returning to Law School after a
much-needed four-week hiatus has
surely been no easy task. While
getting back into the academic swing
of things may take a little time and
effort, getting back into the social
scene has been made quite easy for
law students this semester.
Two major upcoming events can
help make the transition effortless
by providing a chance for you to
mingle with old friends, make new
ones, and forget that last semester’s
grades are almost in.
Feb Club: Tomorrow marks the
official beginning of the Law School’s
traditional Month of Debauchery,
affectionately known as Feb Club.
Each year, the NGSL organizes Feb
Club in an attempt to provide a
social event for every night of the
month.
This year, third-years Michelle
Sheridan and Andy Johnson are in
charge of making sure Feb Club
gets off to a roaring start. Their
primary job is to gather the names
of those who have volunteered to
host parties and put together a
calendar so everyone knows where
to go, when to go, and what to wear.
“We just set the calendar, and then
it’s up to everyone else. I don’t have
to do anything — except go,” said
Sheridan.
In planning the calendar,
Sheridan says there is some strategy
involved. “Of course first-years
are encouraged to host parties. But
if they live at Ivy Gardens, we try to
give them dates earlier in the week,
due to the size of the apartments,”
said Sheridan. The weekend parties,
which tend to be bigger, are
reserved for those students who are
able to accommodate a large number
of guests.
Traditionally, Feb Club kicks off
by Andy Lippstone ’01
OK, you’re safely back in
Charlottesville. You just navigated
through Greene County’s infamous
Rt. 29 speed traps, tele-wrangled
with ISIS, deposited those loan
checks, and put $400 worth of new
textbooks on the Plastic FunCard.
What to do now that you’re settled
Leave. Hit the road. While purists
and scholars may cringe at the
thought, the simple truth is that
the first weeks of the semester are
the ideal time to rekindle your relationship
with the open road. That’s
right – there’s no better
time than now than to indulge
immaturity and take
a road trip.
True, the ink on the seating
chart is barely dry. But
consider this: the first weeks
of the semester may be the
only time this spring when
law students have both the
time and the money to explore.
“There’s just not that
much work to do right now,”
said second-year Greg Vogel.
“All the loan money is in,
everyone has cash, and no
one has sat down to think
how they’ll make it last through the
semester.”
If that wasn’t enough, consider
the simple matter of aesthetics.
Central Virginia’s breathtaking fall
scenery has long since given way to
something pallid and cheerless — a
perfect backdrop for a Sucrets commercial,
if not for long days holed up
in the library.
So it’s clear — time to move for a
change of venue. But where to go
While Charlottesville isn’t as centrally
located to major cities as those
colleges in the mid-Atlantic, there
are dozens of reachable destinations
on January 31 with
a New Year’s Eve
Party. However, due
to the scheduling of
the Super Bowl, this
year’s inaugural
party will be held tomorrow,
January 30.
In all, there will
be 26 parties, each
with its own distinctive
theme. Each
host will post fliers
with the address and an explanation
of their theme. If the theme
involves wearing certain attire, all
attendants are encouraged to come
in appropriate costume. Although
beer has historically been the beverage
of choice, hosts are encouraged
to come up with creative concoctions
as well. For example, one
of the more popular parties last
year was “Motown Margarita Madness.”
Sheridan says she hopes Feb
Club will bring the law school community
together in a non-academic
setting. “It’s a good way to meet
people, especially for first-years
who spent most of their first semester
with their section,” Sheridan
said. “It’s a chance to run into people
you don’t normally see in class.”
Barrister’s Ball: Mark your
calendars for Saturday, February
6, because it’s time for the SBA’s
annual Barrister’s Ball. Secondyear
Hillary Cherry and third-year
Carine Saddy, event co-chairs, have
been planning Barrister’s Ball since
September. They hope to build on
the success of last year’s Ball, which
had an attendance of more than
800 people.
Because of the huge success of
last year’s event, Cherry and Saddy
decided not to make any drastic
changes this year. The only major
perfectly suited for a weekend road
trip.
The closest of these are two area
ski resorts, Massanutten and Wintergreen.
Both are in central Virginia,
and less than an hour away.
While “neither is very large as compared
to out west,” conditions are
excellent in the late winter months,
said Donna Havens, a sales manager
at Freestyle, a local ski shop.
“One is about as good as the
other,” says Havens. “They’re very
similar as far as terrain goes.” If
you’re seeking a more challenging
skiing experience, she suggests West
Virginia’s Snowshoe Mountain, a
three-hour drive. “There’s much
more mountain, and a longer season,”
she says.
If cold, soaked, and injured isn’t
you’re cup of cocoa, perhaps an urban
expedition might be the right
escape. To the south, Raleigh is a
four-hour drive; to the north, Philly
and New York can be reached in five
and six-and-a-half hours, respectively.
For a slightly more surreal experience,
Atlantic City — New Jersey’s
garish monument to corporate
change was in booking the band.
Last year’s band, Liquid Pleasure,
was a big hit but unfortunately were
already booked. Cherry promises
this year’s band, Time for Change,
will be just as entertaining. Rest
assured they will belt out some of
your favorite tunes, including
Motown classics and top 40 hits.
The Ball will again be held at the
Omni Hotel, located near the downtown
mall, from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00
a.m.. There will be an open bar
available from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30
a.m. Hospitality Suites will also be
set up this year by different organizations
in hotel rooms. “They’re for
after the ball is over, and you can
get more drinks and snack food,”
Cherry said. Those hospitality suites
are open to everyone.
All law students are encouraged
to attend, and Saddy and Cherry
emphasize that you don’t need a
date to attend the event and have a
good time. “Every year a ton of people
go with a group of friends. There’s
no reason just because you get
dressed up that you need a date,”
Cherry said.
SBA will be selling tickets to
Barrister’s Ball today, Monday,
February 1 and Tuesday, February
2, for $27 each. If you wait to buy
tickets at the door, they will cost
$30 per person.
On the Road Again: Taking a
Trip Far Away
photo by Marc Cohn
Roads Where we’re going, we don’t need
roads.
photo by J. Todd White
Mary Quagliano ’98 and Joy Taylor ’98 enjoy
last year’s Barrister’s Ball
greed, urban inequality, and the
most enjoyable wages of sin – is a
mere five-and-a-half hours away.
Rooms aren’t as cheap as Vegas,
but thank God the drinks are still
free. If you go now, you’ll be less
tempted to walk on the boardwalk,
which is a good thing, because
muggings are considerably more
rare in the lobby of Trump’s Castle.
If you want a change of climate
as well as scenery, you’d better be
willing to really travel. The more
exotic environs of Miami and New
Orleans can indeed be reached on a
long weekend; on the
downside, they’re each
more than 15 hours away.
On the upside, they
have much recommending
them – not the least of
which are spring break and
Mardi Gras, both within
the next two months.
“New Orleans is definitely
doable,” says firstyear
Tyson Gorrie, who’s
expecting to receive his
new Saturn this week.
“Three guys, six-hour
shifts, we could make it.”
If he doesn’t take a trip
to New Orleans, Gorrie, a
native of Manitoba, Canada, would
like to go to the beach. “There are
beaches around here, right” he
asks.
Vogel drove non-stop to Mardi
Gras last year with three other
friends from home, and lived to tell
about it. “I would definitely do it
again,” he says. “It’s tough to do, but
the memory [of the drive] has faded.”
But is anyone up to the challenge
of an 18-hour car ride “Since it’s
the beginning of the semester, I
wouldn’t feel that guilty,” says firstyear
Julie Harter. “It’s definitely
more likely now than later.”
Feb Club: Go the
Distance
February approaches. Will anyone
make it to all the Feb Club
parties this year
Adrienne Johnson,
a second-year law
student, is a Law
Weekly columnist.
I’m not sure why I decided to go
to all the Feb Club parties last
year; I know I assumed that I’d be
one of many who would give it a
shot.
I recall reading in one of those
Guide to Picking the Right Law
School tomes: “At U.Va. the law
students celebrate the shortest
month of the year with a party for
every single night of the month of
February,” and I was intrigued.
Later I learned that NGSL Commissioners
orchestrate Feb Club,
and everyone from the most reclusive
1L to the rowdiest 3L is invited
and encouraged to attend every
party.
Feb Club is a U.Va. Law institution;
it’s been around for decades.
Legend says that in years past, during
crazy economic booms when the
job search was easy as pie, many
students would attend all the parties
— some even going the distance
and attending all the parties all
three years.
Such inspiring revelry faded with
the recession and students’ corresponding
angst about
grades and
jobs. I asked
around last
year, and to
my dismay I
found that no
one had made
it to all the
parties in several
years —
and nobody
even remembered
the last
time someone
did.
Four of us,
all 1Ls at the time, went to
all the Feb Club parties last year.
Starting out as a rag-tag band of
social people, we unified into a Party-
Team, and celebrated the spirit of
Feb Club thirty days in a row, from
the January 31st “New Year’s Eve”
party, through the 28 parties in
February, before indulging in a final
party on March 1st in celebration
of our triumph.
Doing Feb Club wasn’t always
easy, but it was definitely worth it.
I encourage everyone to give it a
shot and strive for that sense of
accomplishment when it’s all over.
For me, the secret to doing Feb
Club was support and organization.
Unless you are one of the heartiest
of partiers, you’ll need support
to be successful in going the distance
with Feb Club.
If you can get a friend to pledge to
do Feb Club with you, then you can
drag each other out if you feel like
giving up. On the other end of the
“support” spectrum – you may need
a friend to carry you down the
stairs from a lofty law student
apartment after an unexpected losing
spree at drinking games.
So get your friends/housemates
together (1Ls, get your sections together)
and make Feb Club a group
effort.
I personally was unable to completely
blow off school for a month.
I wasn’t prepared to give Feb Club
a shot unless I kept up with my
schoolwork.
Although some of the hard core
partiers may question my priorities,
I think a lot of potential Feb-
Clubbers feel the same way.
There really are enough hours in
the day to go to all the parties and
do what you need to do: attending
class, studying, working out, eating,
sleeping, etc.
You have to be disciplined to get
work done in the morning and during
breaks between classes. If you
stay an hour at every party, then it’s
only really taking an hour and a
half out of each day (one hour for
partying and half an hour for getting
ready to go out and travel time).
You are actually doing yourself a
favor by learning to balance social
responsibilities
with hard
work. This is
your chance to
learn in a
structured environment
how to balance
work time with
play time, to
minimize any
potential
“Where did my
social life go”
effects that
come after law
school when
working long
hours for a firm.
The more proficient we become
at balancing work and play, the
happier and more productive we’ll
be.
May I remind you that second
semester rocks Take this opportunity
to go the distance with Feb
Club and show your classmates
what you are made of.
Third-years – it’s your last
chance. Second-years – the job
search is over and it’s time to find
out what happened to your friends.
First-years – you made it through
first semester, so relax and come
out.
February is so early in the semester,
even if you fall behind you’ll
have time to catch up by May.

Good Southern Food,
Slow Southern Service
Dixie has a reputation throughout
the rest of the United States
for having a slower pace of life.
Spanish moss hangs from stately
old oaks, which sit imposingly over
C’ville Dining
in a Nutshell
by Billy Palmer
elegantly dressed men and women
sipping iced tea and mint juleps on
the porch of a white walled mansion.
Meanwhile, in the adjacent
trailer park, Bubba and Lucille
suck back Miller High Life, smoke
Vantage Lights and debate the
age old question of Ricki vs. Sally
Jesse. The South is a land of many
contrasts and, quite appropriately,
so is Charlottesville’s own Southern
Culture.
Walking in the front door at
Southern Culture is like walking
into someone’s house. Screen door
banging behind us, we bypassed
the rather crowded bar area for a
seat in the downstairs dining room.
The décor is upscale, but unmistakably
Southern— pink painted
walls, white trim. The tables are
small but stylish,
all with
candles; one
seating area
downstairs is
actually four
sofas around
a coffee table.
The interior
has a very
comfortable
feel.
We began
our meal with
an order of
Gator Bits
(breaded fried
pieces of gator
meat with
ranch-style
dipping
sauce- $6.95)
and a Crawfish Quesadilla (crawfish
and cheese inside, fresh salsa
and guacamole outside – $5.95).
The gator was interesting — of
course it tasted like chicken, but
was considerably chewier. The
sauce was nothing special; in fact,
it detracted from the dish. The
quesadilla was very good — fresh
and both the salsa and guacamole
were excellent. Both are highly
recommended.
For entrees, we had the Louisi-
“I didn’t mean to kill anybody.
I just shot him in the head. Him
dyin’ was between him and God.”
— R.L. Burnside
These lyrics make it clear that
R.L. Burnside is not the sort of
blues musician that has typically
been successful in the crossover
markets.
Burnside is to B.B. King what
gasoline is to buttermilk. His
blues are born of anger, not despair.
He plays with an intensity
and edge that call to mind the
fables of dark bargains struck at
midnight where some county
road crosses Highway 61.
Most of us have never heard
anything like it. Burnside, in
short, is the real deal — a whiskey
swilling, juke-joint thrashing
practitioner of the rawest
form of Mississippi Delta Blues.
Now in his mid-sixties, he is
ana Short Stack (crabcake-style
patties with shrimp, crawfish and
fish — $11.95), served with
ratatouille and black-eyed peas,
and Jerk Pork Tenderloin (slices
of pork tenderloin marinated in
jerk seasonings and oven roasted
– $9.95), also served with
ratatouille and greens. The short
stack was delicious — fried up but
not greasy or oily. Each bite was
outstanding; the table next to us
didn’t eat all of theirs and we were
tempted to take it for ourselves.
But cooler heads prevailed.
The accompanying side items
were also excellent. The ratatouille
was very fresh and the black-eyed
peas were clearly not canned. The
pork was good, but not great. It
tasted a little undercooked, but
there was no apparent pinkness
in the meat.
Also, the jerk seasoning was
underapplied. The meat, although
not bad, needed a little pick-me
up. The accompanying greens were
tasty and not oversalted — an often-made
mistake.
Dessert was a piece of Southern
Culture’s pride and joy — Sweet
Potato Pie topped with homemade
vanilla ice cream. No complaints
here – sweet, not too rich and very
flavorful. The ice cream was a fine
accompaniment.
Southern Culture also boasts a
modest wine selection and is one
of the few restaurants in town
where you can get Dixie Beer,
straight from Louisiana. The bar
area is very popular — similar to
Continental Divide — for grabbing
a beer or mint julep and meeting
friends.
Yet, gentle reader, recall the
Virginia Law Weekly Friday, January 29, 1999 Reviews 7
photo by Marc Cohn
one of the last of a dying breed; a
living link to the roots of American
music.
In past years,
Burnside has garnered
significant
notoriety, releasing
two albums, “Ass
Pocket of Whiskey”
and “Mr. Wizard”,
which have cracked
the top ten on the
college music
charts.
The success of
these records, along
with the signing of
other blues greats
such as Junior
Kimbrough, The
Jelly Roll Kings,
and Elmo Williams,
has made
Burnside’s label,
Fat Possum
Records, the most
influential player
in the modern blues scene.
And now, with Burnside’s latest
album, Come On In, both
Burnside and Fat Possum have
Christmas Singles
You Get What You Give: The
New Radicals sound vaguely
like the old band World Party.
Their paean to young rock
dreamers (and all dreamers)
might inspire you to quit law
school and pick up a guitar.
What It’s Like: For those
who don’t know, Everlast is
the old lead singer (or rapper)
from House of Pain (of “Jump
Around” fame). The song is
pretty interesting, but
Everlast’s performance on Saturday
Night Live was disappointing.
One () Hit Wonders
Every Morning : Sugar Ray
proves they are more than one
hit wonders with their followup
to “Fly.” Of course, Men
Without Hats had two hits as
well.
opening paragraph – a restaurant
of contrasts. Despite the general
fine quality of our food, it was
marred by horrible service. We
waited almost 15 minutes between
when we finished eating
dinner and asked
for dessert, and another
20 minutes between
when we finished dessert
and received the
bill (after asking our
waitress for it twice).
She was also slow in
our drink orders and
forgot one of them.
Granted, our server did
have several other
tables to take care of,
but her efforts took
“Slow Southern Style”
to an entirely new level.
But yes, of course, she
still received her 15%.
Overall, a mixed
meal. If the food had
been bad, it would have been a
disastrous two hours. If the service
had been good, it could have
been a wonderful two hours. Before
making your decision to get a
taste of Southern Culture, figure
out which is more important to
you. Y’all come back now, y’here-
I’ll think about it.
Southern Culture is located at
633 West Main Street,
cattycornered from the train station
parking lot.
taken blues in a new direction.
Alec Empire, the techno-whiz
behind Empire Records, and his
cronies step in on several tracks
and transform Burnside’s traditional
music into a sinister mixture
of guitar riffs, sampling and
I went to a see “Shakespeare
in Love” Saturday night with a
woman who knows all the lines
to “Dirty Dancing” by heart and
sometimes watches the movie
while mouthing the lines along
Movie Review
by David Stuckey
with the actors.
Suggesting that this might not
simply be another sign of the
apocalypse, in this movie depicting
the “true story” behind
“Romeo and Juliet,” Viola
(Gwyneth Paltrow) sneaks into
royal audiences of 16 th century
drama, and does the same thing
as my date.
Desperate to be an actor herself,
and frustrated by the prohibition
against women on the
Elizabethan stage, Viola disguises
herself as a man, Sir Thomas
Kent, and manages to gain
an audition.
Little does she know that the
Bard of Avon is sitting in the
pews, and he, startled by her
unusual and emotional reading
of his lines, believes Kent to be
just the actor he needs for his
new play, “Romeo and Ethel, the
Pirate’s Daughter.”
Unfortunately, Shakespeare
himself is at a low point in his
career.
The young writer is creatively
blocked and struggling for money
and inspiration.
In addition, his theater is on
the verge of being closed due to
its outstanding debts, and his
actors are made up of stutterers
and amateurs.
He needs something to jumpstart
his life and his pen, and he
needs to recapture his winning
touch to recapture the public eye
from his more popular rival, the
earnest and humorless Christopher
Marlowe.
“Shakespeare in Love” being a
romantic comedy of sorts,
Shakespeare soon discovers
Kent’s feminine side, and he and
Viola fall in love.
The couple spend their nights
making “the beast with two
backs” (Shakespeare wrote it, so
I can use it) and their days turning
his play from an uninspiring
comedy into a powerful romantic
tragedy.
Soon the threat of an arranged
marriage to an unpleasant and
driving dance beats. Although
these songs provide an interesting
change of pace, the heart of
Burnside’s work is
still the ample
amount of straightahead,
one-man-anda-guitar
blues.
The album opens
with “Been Mistreated,”
an oldschool
blues standard
that has been
sampled only for a
short introductory
minute here.
A live version of the
title track, recorded
at the Rhythm Room
in Phoenix opens the
album in earnest, and
makes it clear that despite
his advancing
age Burnside’s vocal
and guitar virtuosity
are still intact.
“Let My Baby
Ride,” perhaps one of the most
famous Burnside tunes to date,
follows, features R.L.’s son,
Cedric, on drums.
unsympathetic man is hovering
over Viola, and the potential closing
of Shakespeare’s theater is
hanging over him.
Their fates begin to close in on
their happiness, and their
struggle to remain together and
produce the play raises the
movie above the ordinary.
It’s a fine movie, with romance,
humor, passion, swordfights,
sadness, and, as befits a
film attempting to depict the
world’s greatest poet, beauty and
drama.
It also does a wonderful job of
conjuring up the London of 1593,
with its filthy and over-crowded
streets, its contrasting earthiness
and luxury, and the expectations
and obligations of the two
genders in a culture where escaping
the roles assigned to them
is virtually impossible.
At the same time, however,
the film manages to capture the
timeless nature of Shakespeare’s
vision and language, and depicts
the writer and actors as familiar
figures, with similar insecurities
and foibles as their counterparts
today.
Whether this is anachronistic
or accurate is irrelevant; it’s fun.
While the entire cast is to be
commended, two actors stood out.
Joseph Fiennes is a believable
and intense Shakespeare, full of
fire and passion.
Judy Dench, in a smaller role
as Queen Elizabeth, is sharper
and more likable than the imposing
matriarch first appears.
In addition, Ben Affleck plays
Ned Alleyn, the engaging and
charsmatic star of the age who
does the world the great favor of
suggesting the alternate title to
the play.
Gwyneth Paltrow shows that
she deserves some of the great
P.R. she’s been getting lately as
an interesting and independent
Viola.
Movies playing “what if” with
historical figures and facts have
to be really good to succeed, and
“Shakespeare in Love” follows
“Amadeus” in pulling off the
trick.
“Shakespeare in Love” is funnier,
more poetic and heartfelt,
and better written than I expected
it to be.
It’s hard to see how any movie
could be a much better “date
movie.”
After all, would you rather
watch “Dirty Dancing” once
again
Come On In and Hear Mississippi Delta Techno-Blues
Music Review
by Jami Wyatt and
Lawrence Deas
Better Than Dirty
Dancing
On the next three tracks, Empire
and his techno junkies take
the reins by sampling guitar and
harmonica riffs, along with
Burnside’s vocals, and mixing
them over base and drum lines
reminiscent of ’70s vintage Parliament-Funkadelic.
The first song on the album to
reach the national airwaves via
alternative radio stations is a
remix of “Rollin’ Tumblin’,” a
classic Burnside tune which most
effectively brings Burnside’s old
and Empire’s new together.
This track standing alone
proves the blues-techno experiment
successful. The result is a
sound at the same time soulful
and infectious, a musical treat
alone worth the price of the disc.
Fat Possum, based in Oxford,
Miss., gambled that the forced
coupling of these two divergent
genres would produce an offspring
people wanted to hear.
They were right. Diehard fans of
both the blues and techno music
will find this album worth a listen.
Let down your guard, check
your expectations at the door,
and Come On In.

8 Virginia Law Weekly Friday, January 29, 1999
V ANGUARD
O F D E M O C R A C Y
Back In Town Again
VG’s got no time to waste on
mindless introductory paragraphs,
so let’s get to it.
Feb Club Preview
Top Nine Reasons to look forward
to Feb Club ‘99:
9. Barrister’s Date. It’s January
29th, and you’re starting to sweat
the fact that you’re currently sans
escort for the February 6th fiesta.
Don’t dash over to the House of
Theta just yet — you’ve got a whole
week of Feb Club to work your
magic.
8. New Year’s Eve Full Moon.
Yes, Mother Nature promises to add
a dash of cosmic nuttiness on January
31st, which means that anything
can happen. If you tend to
suddenly get really hairy and howl
on nights like this you are particularly
encouraged to join the party.
7. Cheap buzz. For the mere price
photo by Marc Cohn
Lovely Rita, Meter Maid.
of showing up (or hosting a party of
your own), you earn yourself an
entire month’s worth of free booze.
Okay, if you’re not a big Natty Light
fan you can always pocket your favorite
microbrews, and it still costs
less than getting drunk at Rapture.
6. Look funny and be cool at the
same time. It’s way cooler to don
theme party attire (pj’s, bellbottoms,
toga...) than to dress normally. Otherwise,
it’s just you, me and Natty
Light — and VG can wait until
March for that.
5. Law students get drunk and
act stupid. Which not only makes
for endless day-after entertainment,
but also makes VG’s job a helluva
lot easier.
4. 40 oz. Jammy Jam. VG sincerely
hopes for a three-peat of this
unbeatable combo. There’s something
about drinking malt liquor in
pajamas that makes VG feel like all
is right with the world ... or at least
the law school.
3. The Profs are forewarned. Don’t
be bashful about stumbling late to
class, or even foregoing class, during
the month of February. They
understand.
2. You know where 3L C.W. will
be hanging out. No need to specu-
January
30 Super Saturday Law School Volunteer
Day. Sign up in Hunton
Williams Hall.
30 RCA Jewish Traveling Band. 8
p.m. The Lawn.
February
1 Feb Club Begins
6 Barrister’s Ball. Omni Hotel, 9
p.m.-2 a.m. Tickets available in
Hunton Williams Hall through
Feb. 2 @ $27 per person. Tickets
available @ $30 per person
at the door.
6 Waitangi Day (New Zealand)
late, or hope, or try to get word
through the grapevine. Just check
the calendar. It’s that simple.
1. The chance to get a little closer.
Feb Club reminds us that, in the
immortal words of former 3L T.T.
— friendship, and maybe more, is
only a Thunderbird away.
Barrister’s Ball:
Each year, VG watches the law
school’s finest and not so fine ponder
the big question: “Should I take
a date” Even though we’d all love
to go to “The Prom” with that perfect
someone, students often mask
their fear of rejection by either (1)
calling the event childish and refusing
to go; (2) fooling themselves
into believing that going stag with
a bunch of other losers is actually
cool; or (3) saying, “The hell with
Barrister’s and the SBA, I’m throwing
my own damn party!” [Insert
3L AR].
This year VG wants things to
be different. While VG doesn’t
believe you have to have a date
to have a good time, an increase
in the number of actual dates is
desired. So to save some the embarrassment
of asking, we’ve decided
to match a few people up.
There are some couples in the
Law School that are together so
much, it makes you wish they’d
hook-up and get it over with.
Wouldn’t you love to see these
lovely couples come strolling
through the doors of the Omni
3L J.K. and 2L M.R.; 3Ls R.G.
and A.P.; 3Ls R.R. and R.E.; 2Ls
K.P. and K.S.; 3Ls J.J. and C.W.;
2L A.S. and 1L A.M.; 3L P.E.
and 1L M.W.; 3Ls S.T. and J.H.;
3Ls M.H. and J.B.
Better yet, VG would love to
see 3Ls giving romance another
chance during the ball. Imagine
the joy of seeing the following
couples from first year coming together
for one last chance at love
as the song “Reunited” plays on.
As the list indicates, some students
will have to alternate between
numerous dance partners.
B.B. and C.K., C.K. and C.M., C.G.
and J.B.; J.B. and B.M.; B.M. and
K.L.; K.L. and J.W.; T.R. and M.W.;
R.R. and N.M.; G.A. and S.J.; M.R.
and J.S.; J.A. and D.R.; T.C. and
K.E.; M.S. and P.E.; and K.H. and
T. “Bushy” S.
Softball:
Lastly, the NGSL would like to
alert you to the 16th Annual NGSL
Softball Tournament on April 10-
11.
If you know law students at any
other schools who want to come get
their ass whipped, uh … we mean
come enjoy friendly competition,
please drop a note in the NGSL
mailbox containing the name and
number of a contact person.
VANGUARD OF DEMOCRACY is an
independent column of the
North Grounds Softball League
and does not necessarily represent
the views of the Editors of
the Virginia Law Weekly.
The Docket
12 Public Interest Job Fair
14 Valentine’s Day
16 Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras)
17 Ash Wednesday
17 Clint Bolick from the Institute
of Justice will speak on “School
Choice & the Future of Education.”
Professors Wax and
Ryan will serve as commentators.
4:15, Location TBA. Sponsored
by the Federalist and
Hayek Societies.
March
12 MPRE Test
13-21 Spring Break
Top Ten Things You
Hate about the First
Week of School
(as submitted by the Sec. Reg.
Posse)
10. “Sign in or die” registration
policy.
9. Rebuilding the stamina to drink
ten beers per night.
8. Laptops.
7. Law students.
6. Chumps who don’t turn in their
cite checks over break and make
their articles editor work the
whole first week.
5. Law professors.
4. Rebuilding the stamina to sit on
your ass five hours a day with
your eyes open.
3. “How was your break”
2. $100 books.
1. Teachers who pass a seating
chart on the first day.
By Ryan Coonerty ‘01
A couple of years ago, J.R.,
owner of a classic pool hall named
Lucky’s, took a moment to “educate”
a group of us Gap-wearing,
light beer drinking, college boys
while we waited for an open table.
My buddies and I had been coming
to Lucky’s almost every night
for about three months, yet J.R.
had barely acknowledged
our existence beyond
grumbling how
much we owed for beer.
The only other meaningful
interaction we
had with J.R. was him
barking at my friend
Dan to stop whistling
or motioning at me to
get out of the way of one
of his regular customers.
The “regulars,”
without exception, had
first rights to the stools
at the bar and the pornographic
magazine
rack, not to mention the
table.
Nevertheless, on this particular
evening, J.R. (either bored or
inspired), explained to us that he
could tell everything you needed
to know about a man’s character
and history by the way he shot
pool. (Women, although welcomed
in Lucky’s, were a subject for another
night.)
We sat mesmerized as he
photo by Marc Cohn
“That Bascom’s Folly sure is a funny horse!”
photo by Marc Cohn
Jena MacLean, Melissa Davis and Elizabeth Gladden and Happy
Action Fun Time at Cafe North
8-Balls and Thai Food, Playing Pool
in Charlottesville
17 St. Patrick’s Day
31 Passover begins at sundown
April
1-3Libel Show
4 Easter
The Docket is the official calendar
for Law School students.
Please include your organization’s
events by submitting entries for
The Docket in either the envelope
on the bulletin board outside the
Law Weekly office or to Jenny
Leong, Features Editor, at the Law
Weekly, by Tuesday at 5 p.m. for
the following Friday’s issue.
Shootin’ Dirty Pool in Charlottesville
worked his way through the patrons.
First, he pointed to the “posers.”
Those who walked too confidently
up to the next shot, only to
miss and demonstrate they didn’t
have the skills to back up their
facade of confidence.
Next he fingered the suckers.
Those guys that didn’t respect the
game but were simply there trying
to look cool for their buddies, a
girlfriend, or an anonymous opponent
who had just offered a game
and maybe a small bet “just to
make it interesting.”
His insights went on and on,
but ever since then pool has been
more to me than merely sinking
the 8-ball first.
Searching for a place like
Lucky’s in Charlottesville has met
with mixed results. Initial quests
turned up nothing but sports bars
such as BW-3 (1935 Arlington
Blvd.) and The Greenskeeper
(1517 University Ave, on the “Corner”),
offering little more than a
chance to shoot stick as strangers
try to slip past you on the way to
the restroom.
Katie’s Country Music Restaurant
(on 29 North across from
Fashion Square Mall) had a few
more tables but very little character.
It appeared to be a Denny’s
decorated with pool tables.
The J.R.s of the world and their
pool halls seemed to have disappeared.
But, after several fruitless
trips up and down 29, we found
two acceptable places, Orbit and
Rapture, both of which are solid
places to play and watch pool.
Rapture (103 E. Main Street),
a new bar/restaurant on the downtown
mall, offers almost everything
a pool player out for an
evening could desire — good beer,
six tables, and a great funky urban
atmosphere.
More upscale than any pool hall
I have been to, it offers
Thai food, wraps and
falafels, as well as many
imported beers and micro-brews
on tap. The
red and purple pool
tables, although a break
from the traditional
green, are popular with
the patrons.
The clientele is surprisingly
diverse, considering
the rather high
prices for beer and pool.
Hippies, locals, and the
super-hip are all abun-
photo by Marc Cohn dant, despite having to
pay $10-12 per hour for
a table and at least another
$9 for meals. However, Rapture
does offer specials such as
half-price pool on Monday nights,
rendering it more studentfriendly.
The retro-decor (particularly
the red leather booths and street
lamps) and good beer make Rapture
an excellent place to ponder
life over the geometric calculus of
a pool shot.
The “Corner” version of Rapture
is Orbit Billiards and Café
(102 14th Street). While considerably
more downscale, both in atmosphere
and menu (which is bare
walls and burgers and fries, respectively),
Orbit has many attractive
features.
The smoky air and lower prices,
which range from $4 to $12 an
hour, depending on the time and
night of the week, add a certain
authenticity to one’s pool experience.
Orbit has an excellent jukebox
with a broad array of music, from
alternative to the blues. However,
Orbit’s best feature may be a number
of couches that offer a particularly
cool place to rest after a
strenuous game.