Our Classes Begin!

Today was the first day of class. My whole suit gathered at 6:45 AM to head down to breakfast. Although I did not sleep much the night before, I slept very well so I was energized for the day ahead! Breakfast was very good and there were a ton of different options. I was actually excited to spend the next three weeks eating breakfast in the dining hall. Since there is such a wide range of food, I am sure that it will take me a long time to become tired of everything.

After breakfast, all 1,400 of the students participating in the Columbia Summer Program headed over to a giant auditorium for the orientation. Yesterday, we had already gone over most of what we did at the orientation today. Still, it was nice to have a refresher so I now feel very confident that I know all of the rules and regulations at Columbia. We also got our class schedules. My building is right next my dorm building and my dorm building is right next to the cafeteria. It seems like a pretty perfect setup to me!

After the orientation, we headed to class. I was super excited to see whom I would be spending the next three weeks with. While I was walking up the stairs on my way to class, I ran into somebody that I know from the Bay Area. It was so surprising and exciting! It also turns out that he is taking the same class as I am! When we walked in, our instructor Luke handed us a course syllabus and another reading book. We then dove right into the material. Luke first asked us some very broad questions about the law. These questions prompted amazing discussions. I was so impressed with my classmates. Everyone is super smart and I know that I will be challenged by my peers but learn a ton. 

When we went out for lunch, a wall of heat hit us. We managed to spend a few minutes in the carnival which was set up in the blazing sun, but after a while we headed down to sit in the shade. Last week the weather was very nice, but now the tables have turned. I am mentally prepared for the heat, but I know that I will be less confortable outside in the weeks to come. I do, however, hope that there are thunderstorms in the weeks ahead. I always love a good thunderstorm!

Our afternoon session consisted of reading the ten amendments and going over law vocabulary. After we crammed to try to learn more than 100 legal terms in 10 minutes, we played a group quiz game. The game very fun, but also very challenging. Ten minutes was definitely not enough time for me to learn all of the words. Before I knew it, class was over and our whole cohort met up with Mrs. L for an afternoon debrief. Everyone seemed to have a great first day!

Simon and I then headed to the library to start on homework. We quickly discovered that our reading material was very dense. We first read two passages from the Federalist Papers. In summary, these passages highlighted the importance separation of powers and the need to keep these powers separate. We then read the court case, Marbury vs. Madison that resulted in the Supreme Court having the power to decide what is constitutional, which is also known as judicial review.

Today was such intellectually stimulating day! I am so excited to learn from my peers as well as my professor. Each day, I feel so grateful to have the privilege to participate in such a fantastic program. Ivy League Connection has enabled me to be a much more confident and curious individual. I am so happy to have the opportunity to experience the next three weeks!