Friday, September 13, 2013

By Lucianna Ciccocioppo / Photos by Lucianna Ciccocioppo, Brian Nguyen and Ashvin Singh

While most of downtown Toronto was buzzing with Toronto Film Festival crowds last week, “Camelawt” descended at the Faculty of Law to greet about 200 new students, equipped with maps and mobile directions to Victoria University, our transitional space. The Game of Thrones-themed orientation week kicked off their first year of law school.

In between information-packed academic sessions, a public interest lunch, the clubs fair and a mentorship meet-up, the 1Ls got to know their class mates a little better.

“Orientation has been great,” says David St. Bernard, a kinesiology and psychology graduate from York University. “I’ve met a lot of people and everyone’s really nice. The upper years have been really helpful.”

He says he's definitely interested in working on the journals and playing in intramurals. "I'm thinking of basketball, the squash tournament with alumni for sure, and volleyball."

With 35 students clubs, seven clinical programs, five journals and one student newspaper from which to choose, it can be overwhelming at times, says Ainslie Keith, but in a good way.

“I have collected a bunch of handouts and I’m on a variety of mailing lists. These will all be useful after class starts,” says Keith. She’s interested in the Artists’ Legal Advice Services club, given her media background.

A Knight’s Trial had them scavenging for photos, Pub nights were, well, pub nights, and a Jester’s Court was the first coffee klatch. And what’s a medieval-like orientation week without a Quest for the “Lawly” Grail, a Street Festival on Charles St. and the Queen’s ball? A royal and regal ending—but no shocker finale—to the start of class for our newest class.

View our photo gallery.