To: The Law School Community
From: Harold Hongju Koh
Re: Changes
Welcome to a new school year! Above are links to important sources of information about the upcoming academic year.
Welcome back to New Haven and our Law School! As you circulate through the building, you will notice a number of changes made this summer in response to suggestions from members of our community.
1. Every classroom is now equipped with an accurate clock.
2. All students will be equipped with name placards that they can use to identify themselves in class if their professors so desire.
3. The entire school now has better wireless access.
4. The left side of the Dining Hall as you enter is now furnished with more comfortable furniture to create a lounge and conversational space.
5. Flowers have been planted in the courtyard, and in due course, outside patio furniture will be placed on the raised portion of the courtyard outside the Dining Room.
6. The old CDO reading room space in the basement of Ruttenberg Hall has now been converted for use by LSO.
7. Many students commented last year about a lack of communal space. The student lounge and Alumni Reading Room were deemed underutilized due to their "quiet space" designation, although many students said they enjoyed having conversations and structured meetings in the Alumni Reading Room. To make better use of this commons area, the outer lounge space will henceforth be treated as "unrestrained lounge space," where anyone can talk freely. We hope in time to add a large television adequate for watching presidential debates, sporting events, and the like. Meanwhile, the inner, Alumni Reading Room will continue to serve as "quiet space," although we will encourage its use for some discussions that have previously been held in classrooms or in the Faculty Lounge.
8. The new and improved facebook should make it easier for you to identify people around the building. An online facebook will also be available shortly. Many thanks to Toni Davis, Jan Conroy and the Office of Public Affairs for these changes.
9. To promote security awareness, we will be scheduling a fire/building evacuation drill early in the fall term. Security issues remain of great concern to everyone and the goal of the drill is to ensure that all occupants of the building (particularly those who are new to the School) know exactly what to do in the event of an emergency. More information on this drill will follow.
10. Finally, you will notice that we have a new Dining Hall manager, Jim Barnett, who returns to us after receiving national fame for his innovative cuisine at Yale's Berkeley College. Jim, Assistant Dining Hall Manager Greg Kader, and their dedicated staff have already written to you about their exciting plans for the Dining Hall. The first Community Picnic of the year is scheduled for Tuesday, September 7 at 6:00 pm (in the event of rain, the picnic will take place at the same time on Thursday, September 9) and the first Happy Hour of the year is scheduled for Friday, September 10th at 5:00 pm. The Dining Hall will be open for lunch on Tuesday, September 7 at 11:30 am. Regular Dining Hall service will begin on Wednesday, September 8 with breakfast at 8:00 am. I encourage you to visit the Dining Hall early and often, and to approach Jim and Greg with your suggestions. I know they would like to hear from you.