A Day at the Beach

When you think of the Netherlands, you naturally think of ... beaches.

Okay, me neither. But it turns out they have them, and they're lovely, although admittedly not consistently warm.

Yesterday, the other Americans and most of our hosts headed up to the island of Schmiermannikoog (sp?), one of several islands belonging to the Netherlands. There is no bridge. You have to take a ferry across, and no cars are allowed except to permanent residents. (Sort of like Mackinaw Island, if you're familiar with that.) We landed and rented bicycles, and then took off, first through a little village (permanent population around 800). But most of the island is farmland, nature preserves, and beaches.

It's about 1 km, our hosts estimated, across the beach from here to that thin sliver of North Sea you can see in the distance. 

It was nice to have a day to just spend biking, relaxing, and lying on a beach. It's been an exhausting couple of weeks, and the constant presence of crowds of people has sort of been eating at me, so this came in just the nick of time. 

And now I can say I've been to the North Sea.

These little piggies went to the North Sea.

Wednesday: Refugees in the Netherlands

Yes, yes, I've fallen behind on my blog posts, but I'm back now.

Wednesday we met with the director of Bed Bad Brood (Bed, Bath, Bread), a privately funded refugee resettlement center. Private charities, or not-for-profits don't seem to be as common in the Netherlands (just my impression here--no data), probably because government services tend to be more all-encompassing than ours. But a Christian group formed BBB in reaction to what it believed to be inappropriate or ineffective methods used by the government to deal with refugees.

It was very interesting to hear someone in the Netherlands criticize the government for not being helpful. As a general rule here, it appears that government benefits are generous and--as far as the locals are concerned--administered pretty fairly. But the government's approach to refugees, as described by BBB, can be harsh. For example, refugees who have not been granted asylum or permanent residence may not earn any money.

I didn't say they couldn't get a job. They can't, of course. But they may not engage in even the most basic entrepreneurship. We toured a refugee center complete with a parking lot for bikes. The bikes weren't as nice as the ones many natives ride, but still. The director pointed out with pride that the police periodically sweep their parking lot in a search for stolen bikes, and so far have only found one. (In that case, the refugee was found to have unwittingly purchased a stolen bike, but had not stolen it himself.) Some refugees repair discarded bikes to make them usable again. I asked whether a refugee could sell a bike that he/she had repaired. The answer was no: they may not earn any money.

BBB provides new refugees with a small allowance (30 Euros per week), and a room in the shelter. It also offers classes in Dutch language and culture, as well as some basic job training. Residents are assigned chores in the shelter "so they get in the habit of working."

The shelter for newly arrived refugees who had no status was basic. It was a repurposed roadside motel. Three to four singles share a room, and families will have a room to themselves. There is a shared kitchen, shared bathrooms, and a shared laundry room.

Refugees who are farther along in the Dutch system--who have passed background checks and whatnot--are entitled to a small stipend from the Dutch government (but still may not earn money beyond that). BBB has a separate shelter for them--in a repurposed river cruise ship. That was actually pretty nice, albeit a little cramped. Same deal--shared facilities. The refugees there cooked us a delicious Moroccan lunch. It felt sort of wrong, having them provide me with food, but the director explained that it is a point of pride for many of them. Also, they would be insulted if we didn't have seconds, so we did. (Twist my arm.)

Refugees who have been granted permanent resident status are housed at BBB's repurposed flight school. (They certainly are creative when it comes to finding living spaces.) These refugees may work for money if they can find jobs. They stay at the former flight school until they can find and afford other housing. The director said that was actually the toughest group to work with because they tended to be impatient to be out on their own. This group provided us with an afternoon snack.

I was very impressed with all three shelters, as well as the group's overall philosophy. Apparently they have been featured by Reuters, the European news group, for their good work. (The official name of the group is INLIA, in case you're interested in reading more about it.)

What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?

Yesterday my compatriots and I were treated to a tour of the School of Maritime and Energy. Students at this school are either learning about solar panels and electrical systems (Energy) or about sailing ships. Big ships, not sailboats.

The school, which is in the nearby town of Delfzijl, is right on the harbor.

The school of maritime (above) and Delfzijl Harbor.

We spent most of our time in the maritime side, as that was something the Americans (from Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, and Fresno, CA) were totally unfamiliar with.

Students in maritime study welding and metal working, since if something breaks on a ship at sea, you can't just run out to the nearest Menard's. They have a variety of engines in one room that they practice taking apart and putting back together to become proficient in engine repairs. Here's one of them:

The school also has several ship simulators that allow students to practice various real-life scenarios. Most are just 2-3 large screens above a panel of controls, but they have one with 360-degree screens that feels very real. We stood in that one as some students tried to bring their ship in to Sydney harbor.

Greetings from Sydney!

The students were doing quite well until the instructor suddenly changed the size of the ship and kicked up a storm. (The storm seemed fair, since that can happen, but ships do not just change size randomly--correct me if I'm wrong, Dave--so that just seemed like a dirty trick.) Ultimately we crashed into that bridge next to the opera house. Bummer, but it was easily the most exciting boat ride I've ever had.

Students in maritime, like all students (as far as I can tell), must do internships. One student told us that he was to spend 5 months on a freighter for his internship, but due to a series of misfortunes, the ship ended up being at sea for 6 months. Also, while at sea, students have to complete papers and other projects and submit them online. And they must be proficient in English, since everything on a ship is labelled in English and that is the language used internationally to communicate with harbors and other ships. The curriculum includes swimming, rowing, and water rescue as well. The maritime students we met were the most enthusiastic about their chosen school/profession, and it was easy to see why.

I have seen sheep used in place of lawn mowers at several businesses here. Here are a couple of harbor sheep taking a break to watch us walk out to the water rescue platform.

The View from the Martini Hotel

A/K/A Hafid Rashidi

They actually put me to work today!

As I said earlier, everyone in the Netherlands must get a diploma or certificate of some sort after high school. So today I worked with the secretarial program at Noorderpoort. Secretaries must be able to speak and understand English. Today, as part of their final exams, each secretarial student was required to take a phone call from someone speaking English and write an accurate note about it. Speaking to someone on a phone is difficult; speaking to a stranger speaking another language is very difficult. There is no body language to assist in communication.

I was given a script and a list of names and phone numbers, and, working with an adjunct instructor named Joop ("Yoop"), we called students. They were all in the middle of another test when their phones rang. They were required to answer using the company name, and ask us to hold. This was done in Dutch, so Joop would tell me whether it had been done right. Then they had to leave the room where the other test was being administered, and listen to me tell them that my name was Hafid Rashidi, and I was calling in sick. Could they please cancel an appointment I had later that day, and fill in the paperwork for my sick day?

You could tell they were nervous, especially at the start of each call. But all of them rose to the occasion, and we all had fun with it.

I moved to new digs today. I am now residing at the Martini Hotel--named for the saint, not the drink. It's very nice and I'm on the top floor in the center of the city. I took pictures of my view, but they're not loading. I'll add them when they do.

Until tomorrow--

More touristy stuff

I had no plans today, by design. It seemed like a good day to just recharge. I did get in another run, just to really, really prove that all things are possible. (Sorry. Bit of an inside joke.)

Anyway, I went back to the cathedral for church again--and this time I got there early enough to find a decent seat and meet someone else in the congregation. The woman who sat next to me teaches at the medical school at the U of Groningen. She was pleasant and fascinating, and after the service, she took me for a grand tour of the church--and grand is definitely the word.

Here, for example, is the organ:

The organ was built by some famous European organ-builder and the church hosts an international organ competition in August, with competitors from France, Russia, Japan, and elsewhere.

The "old part" of the church dates from somewhere around the year 1000. It was built as a Catholic church, and sometime in the 1500s, when the Netherlands became Protestant, the church did as well. The old part of the church is much smaller. Most of what I saw today was built in the 1400s or 1500s, as I understand it. In any event, at some point in history, people were occasionally buried under churches. If you look closely at the floor of the medium-old part of the church, you can see bumps, where the outline of the grave is and the epitaph is chisled into the floor. Most of the epitaphs are unreadable.

We even made our way up a really dark, narrow, steep spiral staircase so we could get a view of the church from up high.

The only other thing I photographed today was the BarBQ Boat. As you can see, this is essentially a giant inner tube with a motor and a grill located in the center. I have not been on this, but it seems like a great way to tour the canals.

Being a tourist, generally

I am the first person to complain about people who travel to another country and then seek out things from home. Traveling should be about experiencing another culture. Yes.

But sometimes, when you're feeling a little bit overwhelmed, it helps to seek out a little piece of home.

So yes, this morning I headed for the local Starbucks. I wanted to eat breakfast outside of the house, and--in all fairness--the Starbucks was the only thing open at that hour. But also, let's take a look inside a Dutch Starbucks:

So, it wasn't a totally American experience, either.

After breakfast, the other Americans and our hosts headed to Boulange, an old fortified village on the Dutch side of the German border. This is the second historical village I've been to here. When we think of a historical village, we think of one preserved or recreated, with employees going about their historical-period-correct business in costume. Not so here. People are living in Boulange (and the other village). The locals are allowed to drive their cars on the streets. It's an odd mash-up.

Here's a look across the rooftops from the village wall.

And here's a look towards Germany (20 km away) from the same wall.

After lunch in Boulange, we headed for Germany. What with the EU "one big, happy Europe" philosophy, crossing the German border is as exciting as driving into Illinois. But we did notice that there were some subtle changes in architecture immediately upon reaching the German side. In the Netherlands, everything is made from bricks, except very modern steel-and-glass sorts of things. This corner of Germany also favors brick, certainly, but mixes in a little variety--plaster (I guess), for example.

A picture from the German town of Leer will give you a good idea of what I mean:

So what is there to do in a small German town on a Saturday afternoon? Sure, you can walk along the waterfront

but why not enjoy some good German kuchen (cake)? Leer seems to be full of bakeries. I had the rhabarberkuchen (rhubarb cake). And tea. Because that was what the locals do. (See how I brought it back to my original topic?)

Crime and Punishment, Dutch Style

Today I got a close-up look at the Dutch penal system. No pictures today. I spent the day in restricted areas, and phones were not allowed.

First, what we would call a hospital for the criminally insane. This sounded, um, unpleasant. I couldn't have been more wrong. It's a very clean, modern facility. We were guided around by one of the psychologists--a native of South Carolina! Almost everyone in the Netherlands speaks English, but the conversation goes smoother if I'm speaking to a native English speaker, and I had a lot of questions.

Not guilty by reason of insanity is not an option here. Either you did it, or you didn't do it. But if you did it, and your crime was attributable at least in part to mental illness, and if your crime was violent and punishable by at least 4 years in prison, you might wind up at that hospital. If a criminal is sentenced to the hospital, the sentence is, technically, indefinite. There is a review after 2 years to see if he/she (at this hospital, he) is a danger to society, and every 1-2 years thereafter. The average stay had crept up to 9 years several years ago, but under pressure from the government, they had brought it down to around 6 or 7.

Patients are segregated by diagnosis. Initially, they're kept from the other prisoners until they're diagnosed and stabilized. Then they're gradually socialized with other members of their ward.

Patients have a range of activities to choose from. Music, art, and sport therapy are available, as well as psychotherapy. Patient artwork hangs on the halls. Patient-tended gardens and small animals fill one of the yards. There's a wood shop where patients can learn woodworking skills, and a metal shop where they do some impressive work. People can order custom made wooden or metal objects--picnic tables, barbecue grills, wall hangings.

On the whole, they're miles ahead of us when it comes to addressing mental illness humanely. And effectively, quite often.

But what about jail? First, they don't have jails for short-term stays and prisons for long-term stays like we do. They just have jail. Or prison. Since if does both jobs, they use the terms interchangeably. It holds people who are there for 2 days and people who are there for life (which, the administrator told me, means until you die in the Netherlands. This was a "normal" security jail, which meant that everyone was let out of their cells at some hour--8 a.m.?--and expected back in their cells at a set time in the evening. In between they had work detail, recreation time and a range of organized or open activities. Again, lovely gardens and yards. Rec rooms with pool tables, ping-pong tables, TVs, tables and chairs. Oh! And each rec room has a kitchen where the inmates can do their own cooking. Someone was cooking something that smelled fantastic in the one we went through.

Cells are small and somewhat cramped, marked by the efficient use of space the Dutch are (or should be) famous for. Most are singles, although they have a few double cells--but right now, the prison population is down, and so only people who wish to be together (brothers, cousins) are put in the doubles.

We looked in the chapel, but (it being Friday) the Muslims were using it, and we didn't want to disturb them. But one of them saw us and waved us in. The imam spoke no English, but one member of the group was happy to translate. Their prayers were done, and now they were enjoying a cup of coffee and discussing life a little. The chapel is used by all religious groups, and leaders of various religions are available to meet with any inmate upon request. (The chapel had a pipe organ in one corner. You know I'm going to love that.)

The chief administrator of the jail, who served as our guide, knew all of the inmates (about 250) by sight, and most of them by name. They addressed her fondly when we came by. We (she and I) discussed how much could be accomplished by teaching this particular population social skills and job skills, and addressing their mental illness issues.

Again, a very humane system. I'd be interested in seeing their recidivism rates, and how they compare to ours.

Getting to Know Groningen Better

I started today with a tour of the Groningen government services building. The contrast between our two countries is very interesting when it comes to the government. We are a federal system with multiple layers of government. Passports? That's a federal service. Driver's licenses? That would be a state service. How about if you want to challenge your property tax assessment? That would be a county service.

Not in the Netherlands. There is just the government, a single entity. So today I visited the building where you could get a passport or a driver's license, apply for welfare or unemployment, or challenge your property tax assessment or your parking tickets.

Seriously. Three years of law school, and it never dawned on me to challenge parking tickets.

The building is beautiful. It's made of 100 percent sustainable materials and as energy efficient as they can make it. And since it's Dutch, there are plants and flowers crammed into every conceivable space. Here's the cafeteria:

We're not outside. The roof is all glass. As you can see, so are many of the walls. What's a person to do when surrounded by so much glass? Well, if the person is Dutch, the obvious answer is design a machine to clean the windows.

That's it, lurking behind the plants on the 3rd floor. They run it at night.

After lunch with their college CEO, we were treated to a guided tour of the historical part of the city. Groningen was first mentioned around the year 1100. By the 15- or 1600s, it was a walled city with a moat. The walls are long gone, but the canals remain. So streets within the old walled part are prefaced with the word Oud (old), but once they cross the canal, they are prefaced by Nieuwe (new), even though they're probably 500 years or more in age.

Groningen is home to a university

with a law school. I even met one of the law students. She was running for the student senate and handing out campaign literature as we happened by. Here's the school of law and languages:

By the way, the silvery sculpture in the foreground represents the professors pouring out their knowledge for their students. I noted to one of my fellow visiting professors that most of it appears to be puddling on the ground.

There is also a palace:

It has a shade garden, where genteel ladies of an earlier era could get some fresh air without worrying that the sun might darken their skin:

We capped off our tour with a stop at a local bar for a beer. Prost! (Cheers!)

Sportsdag (Sports Day)

After several days that have been mentally exhausting, but not necessarily physically exhausting, I decided to get up early and go for a jog. (Yes, it turns out that is not impossible after all. 😀) Today was probably not the day to do that, but so it goes.

I went to Estrelita's college, Noordepoort, this morning, but wound up in the teacher's lounge talking about America's political and educational systems with professors as they wandered in. I have learned much about the Dutch political system. Here, when you are 12 years old, you take a test. The results of that test, together with the recommendations of your teachers, determines your educational track from then on. Academically gifted students, level 4 (I believe), take a more academic track through high school and have the option to go to the university or to a junior college like Noordepoort. The law students here are mostly level 4, with some level 3. On the other end of the spectrum are level 1 students, who receive a general education, appropriate to their abilities, in high school, followed by vocational training. (Noordepoort has programs for all 4 levels.) School is comparatively inexpensive, but every program is not open to every student.

It's all about tradeoffs. Always.

Back to sportsdag. The weather today in Groningen was "incredibly hot," (82 degrees Fahrenheit) and one of Estrelita's neighbors offered to escort me, by bike, to a nearby lake. So I got to ride a bike like a real Dutch person, although not as aggressively, perhaps.

If my calculations are correct, we went about 20 miles. The wonderful thing about Dutch topography is that it's flat--even flatter than Indiana's. Still, the Dutch have no obvious preconceived notions about personal space, and that can be a little nerve-jangling for Americans. We biked along the Nordwillem Canal, saw houseboats (some nicer than others) and rowers, and just enjoyed some scenery. We spoke to the sluice-watcher. This is a job in the Netherlands, although I'm not sure why. The gentleman who does it is friendly enough, but the job seems to involve sitting on a chair in the shade and waiting for boats to come by so that he can open the gates between the canal and the lake. (Why are there gates between the canal and the lake? No one was sure, but they thought it might have something to do with thwarting invasive species.) We talked to him for 15 minutes. No boats came by.

Windmills? Heck, yes, we saw windmills!

Unfortunately, the windmill was closed, so we couldn't go in. But it was a lovely day--and a lovely setting--for a bike ride, and it didn't hurt me at all to get some extra exercise in.

Storks? Yes, we saw storks. The Dutch build stork stands to hold nests.

Why do they build stork stands? "We love storks." They are associated with fertility and they are, apparently, just cool.

Dinner! For dinner, we joined Estrelita's sister-in-law and her husband, and were joined by a Latvian woman who works as the principal of a school for special-needs children, also visiting for 2 weeks. That was an interesting conversation. And wonderful, "genuine Dutch" food. People are the same all over--and yet, very individualistic. Dieta (the sis-in-law) was chock-full of interesting stories of her travels through Russia and eastern Europe, of bribing people with chocolate and nice clothing ("not bribing; making friends!"), of hitching rides on freight ships, and how to negotiate a good price for dinner at restaurants in eastern Europe, including Latvia.

All in all, a good day. See you tomorrow!

History Day

With the rise in anti-Semitism in pre-World War II Germany, German Jews began to emigrate, and many came to the Netherlands. The Netherlands opened a refugee camp called Westerbork in 1939 to house the growing number of Jewish refugees streaming into the country.

In 1942, the Germans invaded the Netherlands, and turned Westerbork into a concentration camp instead. Jews (and a small number of gypsies) were housed there, usually briefly, before being sent to other camps. Anne Frank passed through Westerbork on her way to Auschwitz.

We (the 4 visiting Americans and our hosts) visited Westerbork today. It was, as you can imagine, very moving. It is one thing to read about places like Westerbork, and another entirely to stand on the grounds, to see the rail cars,

to walk through the barracks, and so forth.

The camp was liberated by the Canadians in 1945, and served as a resettlement camp for people displaced by the war. The camp has been returned to its previous use as a refugee camp periodically since then. In the 1950s, people fleeing war in Indonesia were housed there.

At this point, it is primarily a monument. Some of the original structures have been restored, but not the commandant's house. A decision was made to preserve, but not restore that house, and so it is encased in a giant glass cage, as if to contain its evil:

The thing I found most moving, though, is the stone garden. One stone is placed for every prisoner moved through Westerbork by the Germans, and each stone is marked with a Star of David for Jewish victims, or a flame for gypsy ones. Pictures of victims, many of them children, have also been placed among the stones.

The whole day wasn't somber, however. We had lunch in a small nearby village, and then went to a historical village which illustrated life in the 1800s, sort of. (We noted the electric oven in the bakery.) We Americans were particularly taken with the thatched roofs.

Apparently, in the Netherlands, you can go to school to learn to thatch roofs. One of our hosts had had a student who decided to leave the program he was in to become a thatcher, and she had helped him locate the thatching school. I can honestly say none of my students have ever asked to become thatchers instead. 

And Now, a Word from the Dutch Ministry of Public Health

 Today was my first day at Noordepoort, Estrelita's college. These posters were hanging on the wall in one of the classrooms. The students had been assigned to make posters on safe sex. Notice anything odd?

Like I said, the Dutch carry on their lives in an odd blend of Dutch and English. If you were given an assignment of any sort, it would never occur to you to do it in any language other than English. But most of them slip easily between the two languages. Note that the one above starts in Dutch, and then finishes in English (with an odd spelling or two).

My hosts here at Noordepoort have been very hospitable. I got a tour of the campus this morning. The campus is a single building (Noordepoort has some 15 buildings scattered around Groningen--I was in the one that handles law and business), about twice the size of Ivy Hall. Then I was treated to lunch with Estrelita's department. I got to sample a genuine Dutch lunch including soup (vegetable soup with meatballs--please don't ask me the Dutch name), croquettes on bread, and carnemilk, which is sort of like buttermilk.

In the afternoon, I sat in on a couple of classes--a citizenship class and a civil law class. Classes are packed. Everyone in the Netherlands is required to obtain a diploma or certificate of some sort beyond high school. And the students are young--17 or 18. The fact that they're young and attending classes involuntarily showed, especially in the citizenship class. The students were a lot more engaged in the civil law class. Who wouldn't be? They were discussing the concept of contractual consideration--in Dutch, recht en plicht (literally, right and duty.)

Goede nacht! (Like it would kill you to use google translate.)

A First Look at Groningen

Some things I have already learned about the Netherlands:

1. You are never far from water. Forget Venice. This whole country is riddled with canals. Oddly enough, for all the waterways I've seen in the short time I've been here, not one of them has been natural. It's possible that some of the canals are based on natural waterways, but all of them travel in perfectly straight lines.
2. The Dutch are very serious about their flowers. Flowers are big business in the Netherlands, but also a very central part of Dutch culture. And they are everywhere. Also, they're very cheap here. A dozen roses for 5 Euro. (Right now, a Euro is roughly a dollar.) Tulips are 20-50 for 5 Euro. 
3. English and Dutch are used almost interchangeably. Advertisements are just as likely to be in English as they are in Dutch. Same with graffiti, weirdly enough. I went to church in an old cathedral in the center of town today. Everything was in Dutch except the sermon topic: Robot of God. Note that this isn't one of those things where the Dutch words happen to be the same as the English ones, except maybe robot. I was dying to know what the sermon was about, but unfortunately, the title was the only English part. I did learn that robot is pronounced rowboat, so there's that. 
4. Bikes rule, cars drool. Driving, at least on city streets, appears to be virtually impossible. The streets are narrow, and everyone--EVERYONE--has the right of way before cars do. Also, driving directions are literally embedded in the streets themselves. Streets paved with yellow brick are off limits from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Streets with small red bricks have a lower speed limit. Confused? I think they are, too. That's probably why you don't see anyone driving around here.

Flying the Friendly Dutch Skies

As most of you know, I spent yesterday flying from Indianapolis to Amsterdam, by way of Atlanta. Remarkably uneventful.

On the Indy-to-Atlanta leg of my journey, I sat next to a woman who boarded at the last possible moment, set her cell phone to display a Bible verse that began "Be not afraid ..." and meditated on that briefly. As soon as the plane began to taxi, she squeezed her eyes shut as tight as they'd go, and didn't open them until we got to Atlanta, when she bolted off the plane as soon as the captain turned off the "Fasten Seatbelts" sign.

She didn't seem to be much in the mood for conversation, so I left her alone.

But on the much longer Atlanta-to-Amsterdam leg, I was fortunate to be seated by Raj, who currently lives in Atlanta, but grew up in Germany, and may or may not have been born in India. Obviously, Raj was in a chattier mood than my first seatmate. He owns a realty company in Atlanta and runs a not-for-profit children's charity in New Delhi. He was on his way to Germany to visit old friends and relatives, and then on to India to check on his charity (and maybe oversee making a movie--that part was a little confusing). He might cut his time in India short, however, because "it's really hot there." Raj and I exchanged cards, and if I am ever in Atlanta, I am to look him up so we can go out for coffee.

When we first introduced ourselves, Raj assumed that I was from Amsterdam because I "look Dutch." My mother's family did hail from the Netherlands, mostly (a few stray Irishmen in that mix), so that wasn't a surprise. I had to laugh, however, when we (my plane-mates and I) were walking though the Amsterdam airport and one of the employees was apparently in charge of making sure travelers got to their proper destinations. "Do you know where you are going?" he would ask, over and over, in English as people passed by him. As I approached, he took a quick glance at me and asked the exact same question (I assume) in Dutch.

So ... the Netherlands is the place to go if you'd like to hang out with a couple million people who all look vaguely like me.

And Changes at Purdue

Last week, Purdue announced that it had purchased Kaplan University, an online college. It is unclear what that means on many fronts, and the Purdue administration and faculty are still hammering that out. You (probably) already know how I feel about online classes, and Purdue's faculty shares many of my misgivings, so this should be interesting.

Lost in all the local news of the wrangling (and if you haven't been following the local news of the wrangling, you should be!) is the fact that Kaplan has a law school. Yep. A law school. Kaplan's law school is called Concord Law School. Why isn't it called Kaplan Law School? I have no idea. Okay, I have an idea, but I don't know.

So now Purdue owns a law school. Yet another first for Purdue.

Concord Law School, being entirely online, is not accredited. The American Bar Association will not accredit online degrees. I am obviously not the only lawyer suspicious of such things. Nonetheless, one can get a law degree from Concord. However, only one state will allow someone with an unaccredited degree to sit for the bar exam, and it's not Indiana. It's California.

But I'll bet they pass the California bar exam in droves, since they can obviously just focus on that, right? Don't make that bet. Concord's overall bar pass rate is 16 percent. Yes, after you spend an estimated $50,000 for a Concord bar degree, you only stand a 16 percent chance of actually becoming a lawyer. In California. Concord points out that $50,000 is pretty darned inexpensive for a law degree.

Um, it should be.

So Purdue, an Indiana public university, owns a law school which is not accredited and whose graduates are not eligible to sit for the Indiana bar or to, in any way, obtain an Indiana law license. Because, why not?

While you're catching up on the wrangling, be sure to take in how the Indiana legislature passed a special law exempting Purdue/Kaplan/Concord from open records laws.

Does this smell funny to anyone else?

http://abovethelaw.com/2017/05/big-ten-university-purchases-online-law-school-with-abysmal-bar-passage-rates/

Changes at Harvard Law School

Okay, this article is really about how HLS has changed its deferral program. In the past, a certain number of people who had been admitted by Harvard Law could, with HLS's permission, defer their enrollment for a year to pursue other opportunities. HLS is now making the deferral option more widely available, and has expanded it to a 2-year deferment.

Yes, if I put it like that, it sounds kind of dry and boring.

BUT--in the middle of this article is a paragraph about a student-to-be who is using her deferment, and her martial arts skills, to be a Hollywood stunt double, all while supporting herself as a paralegal.

You know I cannot resist an article that contains the words Harvard, paralegal, martial arts, and stunt double, all in the same paragraph.

Talk about living the dream!

Read all about it here.

Your Chance to Live the Dream!

Pam's firm (yes, that Pam!) is looking for a paralegal. No, you wouldn't be working directly with Pam, as the opening is for the firm's Indianapolis office, and Pam works in Milwaukee. But it's pretty darned close! Given the experience requirement, this opportunity would be better suited to one of our illustrious alums (but we know we can always TRY for jobs we don't have ALL the qualifications for, right?). Still, it gives you an idea of where things can lead.

Transportation/Corporate Paralegal A law firm in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, with offices strategically located in major cities throughout the United States, has an opening for a full-time Transportation/Corporate Paralegal. The candidate will work under the supervision of the attorney(s) to whom they are assigned and will provide typical paralegal services. Those services include the preparation of correspondence, legal documents, and routine pleadings; analysis of pleadings, correspondence, and other legal documents; computerized research, including Westlaw, Lexis, and the Internet. The candidate must have the ability to maintain positive contact with clients and other firm personnel and retain confidentiality of client and firm matters. Strong organizational and prioritization skills are also a must. Position responsibilities will require ability to efficiently and accurately operate personal computer utilizing Microsoft Word and Juris timekeeping software. Candidates should be motivated and accountable, with excellent communication skills, good organizational and time management skills, as well as be a team player.

Education and Certification  Formal legal training resulting, at a minimum, in a Certificate of Completion of Paralegal Course of Study from an accredited college or university, or Associate or Bachelor Degree from an accredited college or university;  3-5 years’ experience in a law firm performing paralegal duties;

Duties and primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to  Preparation of correspondence, legal documents and routine pleadings;  Ability to draft routine pleadings with minimal instructions;  Ability to handle complex case management;  Analysis of pleadings, correspondence, and other legal documents;  Computerized research, including Westlaw, Lexis, and the Internet;  Complete daily billing time records in an accurate and timely manner;  Has good familiarity with, or ability to acquire familiarity with, the legal terminology and legal research tools pertinent to the area(s) of law to which assigned;  Produce a quality work product;  Develop and maintain positive working relationships (treats clients, coworkers and visitors with respect; is courteous and helpful in all contacts; maintains professionalism under pressure);  Communicate effectively (able to clearly express ideas/opinions; uses appropriate and effective communication methods; deals with firm employees and clients openly and honestly; is receptive and attentive to communication/feedback from clients);  Demonstrate initiative (contributes new ideas, is self-motivated, obtains/maintains a working knowledge of relevant practice areas/clients);  Demonstrate organizational skills and effective use of time (ability to plan daily work, set priorities and manage time to ensure work is timely and efficiently completed);  Demonstrate flexibility (willing to adjust to changes in job requirements and scheduling);  Exhibit dependability (is present and prepared for work as scheduled, appropriately uses time off policies, schedules lunch and breaks according to team needs);  Adhere to strict confidentiality standards (keeps confidential all information concerning firm matters and clients);  Assist with other duties as appropriate;  Perform other duties, responsibilities and special projects as assigned.

Success Factors Personal characteristics that will contribute to success in this position are a strong work ethic and personal integrity; high degree of attention to detail; ability to effectively work in a team environment; ability to maintain confidential information; creativity and initiative; ability to multi-task and remain calm under pressure; and ability to be flexible. Resumes with previous law firm experience will be considered first. Compensation for this position will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. Send resume and cover letter to hr@scopelitis.com. An Equal Opportunity Employer.

Announcements

1.  Today is the last meeting of the Legal Society for the semester. Officers will be elected, power will be handed off--Oh, the pageantry! Don't miss it! The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. in Ivy 1183.
2. Check your emails. You should have links to your course evaluations. PLEASE fill those out. We faculty members appreciate feedback just as much as you do. Maybe more. Please let us know what we're doing right and where we could improve.
3. Register for summer and fall classes!!!!!

Stress relief for finals

Phi Theta Kappa is sponsoring De-stress Your Life days on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
Tomorrow (Tuesday), there is a meditation video playing in Ivy 1120 from 1-2 p.m., followed by coloring and games until 4 p.m. Drop by and chill out.

On Wednesday, come to Ivy 1120 for more coloring and games from 9 - 11.

After that, you can reduce your stress EVEN MORE by earning engagement points for any and all of the following (all in Ivy 1120):

• 11:30 - 12:30   Help with test anxiety
• 1:00 - 2:00       Yoga (bring your own mat/towel)
• 3:00 - 4:00       Reducing Stress Seminar

International Visitors

Once again, we retain our special bond with France. My son is leaving France sometime within the next 10 days, so if you haven't found him yet, time is running out.

United States	33
France	7
Brazil	1
Spain	1
Netherlands	1
Portugal	1
Romania	1
Ukraine	1