CONVOCATION

I guess I am jaded by events and gatherings and so I didn't think it was important to describe my impressions of the 2007 Law School Convocation at NYU. Anyways, I woke up this morning thinking that it would be a good thing to describe my thoughts as this particular event occurred. Hang on for the ride… It's an easy one today.

Perhaps, it's apt to say that nothing disastrous transpired (disappointingly) at the Convocation. The organization was very good from the get-go. I got to Madison Square Garden, after one of my eternal subway rides, at about 9.15am. I was so sleepy on the train that I was afraid I'd go past 34th St. Penn Station…and maybe wake up at Canal Street!
("Canal St." is my hypothetical subway perdition. When I have an early morning class, I usually get to my proper stop at West 4th Station just a few minutes before the class starts. Waking up at the next station – Canal Street – means that I will certainly be late since I have to ride the train most of the way to the end in order to change trains. Picture this happening when I have an early morning exam…………………… my point exactly!)


Anyways, I walked into The Garden feeling a bit too excited. After all, it is The Garden…Muhammad Ali knocking out Joe Frazier (1971); Hulk Hogan body-slamming Andre the Giant (1983); The NY Rangers winning the Stanley Cup (1994). Turns out we were at some section of MSG other than the arena. No matter, I was glad to be there and that’s all that mattered.

There was the usual hullaballoo. Parents panicking more than their children; picture flashes going off in your face inadvertently; people talking too loudly so you’d not soon forget that they were there (and interfering in your video recordings while they’re at it)… you know…typical convocation brouhaha.


We filed into the main hall according to our specializations, or the lack of it, as our individual situations required. Everyone looked rather resplendent decked out in purple convocation gowns, black hats with gold trimmings, purple ‘hood’ in hand. (I realized later that the ‘hood’ is not really a hood.) The hall was already full of people – parents, tribesmen and women, relatives, sponsors…. There was music playing. The only way I can describe that is that it was the same music “Macho Man” Randy Savage came into the ring with at Wrestlemania IV.

The event proper started with Dean Revesz speaking in his usual staccato, quick-fire manner. He spoke about the feeling of graduating from the “top” (?) Law School in the country and stepping into the light of leadership. He introduced a representative from the University as the second speaker. She spoke about… who remembers what the heck she spoke about!


Then student speakers took the floor. First was a girl. She was something called an Ann Brice Scholar, I think. She was Puerto Rican. She had started a non-profit organization for young, poor kids to apply to the best schools through the LSAT. The organization gave the kids a chance to break their chains by giving them an opportunity to study law at the nation’s top schools. After her, a tag-team of an Israeli and a Lebanese followed. They spoke about the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and how they had been able to synergize their differences. Or, at least, managed to not order hits on the other throughout the academic year. It was touching.

The Keynote speaker was Corey Booker. He is the Mayor of Newark, NJ. He is a “political rising star” (Wall Street Journal). He once went on a 10-day hunger strike to protest open-air drug dealing in his community, and his greatest influence was a little woman called Mrs. Jones who lived on the 5th floor of the Projects and spoke in triads. Knowing that NYU loves their prestige, I was afraid they’d invite someone like Bernanke (in his confused manner where no one ever understands the point of his message) so, I was a bit surprised to see Mr. Booker. Turns out he was the best thing at that event. One thing he said that I remember:
You do not get everything that you pay for, but you must pay for everything that you get.
He got a standing ovation when he was done speaking. Many of us will not live to fight a cause, let alone dying for such a fight. Apparently, we all recognize that inherently. It may explain why we are so much in awe of those who are willing to run the gauntlet, sit beneath the fire, and weather the storm for causes they believe in.

Corey Booker was good for my soul that day.

After the speeches came the individual ‘hooding’. As I said, the ‘hood’ is not a ‘hood’ at all…except in the most imaginative way. But everyone gets has their name called; gets hooded individually, has a handshake with Dean Revesz; and has a picture taken beside the NYU Law flag.


With circa 800 graduands from the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. classes, I didn’t have the stomach for the entire proceedings. I left soon after my hooding. Strolled around Madison Square Garden a bit. Made a long phone call to Nigeria. Then, I hit the subway and made my way home. Later that evening, I had dinner with friends and generally basked in the reprieve from staying up at these ungodly hours for so many nights.

I haven’t looked back at my year. I’m just glad to be over with getting this degree. When I look back at it, I will probably smile, laugh, frown, sign, and shake my head. It took a range of emotions, coming to NYU. From being 3 days away from deportation to sitting with Vice Presidents at the World Bank and being applauded at a Tax Researchers conference, it has been valleys and hills. I’ll have to run through my emotions some other time. Right now, I’m just content to bask….