Having Fun

FSU Law has a great academic reputation, particularly in Florida and the southeastern United States. It is well deserved. As I have said in the past, some of the most intelligent people I have ever met in my life are on the faculty and within the student body here. The students are competitive and work very hard for their success.

I wonder, though, if other law schools also have as much fun as we do...

FSU's arch rival is the University of Florida Gators. There are actually more students here at the law school who earned their bachelors' degrees from UF than from any other school. As such, these student have formed their own organization, the LitiGATORS. In addition to their community service, the LitiGATORS have started the tradition of "Rivalry Week," which culminated yesterday with the second annual powder puff football game and the first annual Mr. FSU Law Pageant last night.

The President of the LitiGATORS, one of the prettiest and nicest girls you will ever meet, decorated the law school lobby last week. She recruited another beautiful and friendly female who graduated from Florida State to help her. Together, they did a wonderful job of transforming the lobby. The railings of two sets of stairs going up three flights were wrapped in the school colors- garnet and gold for FSU and blue and orange for UF. Creative and artful homemade signs displayed slogans and taunts throughout the lobby, and a fancy banner declaring "Rivalry Week" hung high in the air, suspended between the two stair cases. For each day leading up to the game, the girls wore cute little outfits with their school colors.

It really was a good time. At the powder puff football game on the law school green, a student dressed as Chief Osceola rode a white motor scooter that passed for his horse, "Renegade." He threw down a flaming toy spear to get the game started.

A couple of buff guys, one with his entire body painted gold, the other painted garnet, cheered on the teams.

The FSU Cowgirls, a beautiful fixture at real FSU football games, were there yesterday, too. Only these cowgirls were not nearly as pretty. They wore wigs, had considerably more hair on their legs, and also possessed strange shapes on their chests under their shirts.

Last year, the game itself was a blowout in favor of FSU. It was the same story this year, though UF's team had improved considerably. A friend of mine stood along the sidelines with me, cheering on FSU. He told me that he had a bet riding on the point margin by which FSU would win. The bet was a bag of Doritos.

"It's buffalo wing Doritos," he said. "Not the regular nachos. I'm a high roller."

The score eventually got out of hand and we stopped cheering so hard, so as not to rub it in. But to me, the most hilarious part of the game was my friend continuing to pull for the point spread. When FSU finally scored the needed touchdown, there he was, alone and clapping his hands over his head. His voice rang out over the field, "Yeaaaah! Cover that spread!"...

And then last night, we celebrated the Mr. FSU Law Pageant at Clyde and Costello's club in downtown Tallahassee. Six guys participated in the pageant. They were first introduced to the judges in professional attire. Next was a swimsuit competition, and finally a talent contest.

I won't describe everything that went on there, but it was quite a show.

This was the last major law school social before exams. In fact, not many first year law school students attended yesterday. While these 1Ls could probably use the study break, I understand how they must feel. I could not have relaxed enough to enjoy a flag football game or a pageant during my first semester, either. The voice in my head would be yelling at me, "You're risking flunking out of law school to watch a powder puff game and a man pageant?"

Still, it is nice to be at a great school where people also know how to enjoy themselves and have fun.

Until Next Time,

Nathan Marshburn