2017 ABA Law Student Division Best Newspaper Award-Winner VIRGINIA LAW WEEKLY Wednesday, 24 January 2018 The Newspaper of the University of Virginia School of Law Since 1948 Volume 70, Number 13 Class and around north Intersection- grounds A Puzzlemaster’s On behalf of the ality at the Student Body, the Law Weekly accepts Law School the return of the (broken) RFK bust as a sign and in the Parlance of surrender from the Z Soci- Law ety. Mystically, ANG. Thumbs down Joe Charlet ‘18 to the Super Bowl (he/him/his) match-up. Speaking Guest Columnist of shitholes, ANG can’t believe ANG has to A version of the following choose between rooting for was presented at the Dinner Philadelphia and the literal Table Series on November 15, devils, but here we are. Yawn. 2017 Thumbs down Class fascinates me. Part to new, ‘Good Har- of my fascination stems from vest’ food in ScoCo. the fact that Americans have ANG depended eschewed the explicit strati- on students’ tasteless, dis- fication seen in the British appointed throw-aways to social class system, yet class live. Doesn’t that mean any- has always felt inescapable in thing to anyone? Shame on the United States to me. The the food service department existence of sometimes overt for making this change, and and sometimes subtle distinc- shame on Steven T. Parr for tions in manners, speech, and enabling them. expectations of what life looks like requires people to learn ANG gath- how to do an interpersonal ers from general dance in order to succeed in conversation that a variety of contexts. But with grades have yet class, as with all things, the to be posted. ANG just real- burden of learning the perfor- ized something terrible: we mance—and the consequences all forgot to email Dean Du- of failing to do so—falls dis- Will Shortz ‘77 from his visit to the school in 2008. gas to remind him to post the proportionately on the most Photo courtesy of UVAToday grades. Quick everyone, do economically and socially mar- your duty! Send Dean Dugas ginalized. An Interview with Will Shortz ‘77, an email today! Remember The distinction between the Crossword Puzzle Editor, The New York Times to sign, “best-[your name in economic and social compo- all lowercase].” nents of class is particularly Jenna Goldman ‘18 a “crosswordy-word” or “cross- Even after forty years as a important. To me, economic (she/her/hers) wordese” if you will: “It’s vocab- professional puzzle editor, Mr. All kidding class is something that can be Editor-in-Chief ulary that people know mainly Shortz still makes the rare, albeit aside, ANG doesn’t measured objectively by ana- from crosswords, not from real comical, error that underscores know whose fault lyzing wealth, which makes Ucalegon: [noun] A neighbor life.” the importance of precise lan- the failure to post it distinct from social class, whose house is on fire or has A career writing puzzles was guage. A clue last year:1996 hor- grades is, so ANG will default which is more subjective as it burned down. always the goal for Mr. Shortz. ror movie with four sequels the to blaming the Law School’s is performative and participa- “It’s a ridiculously specific The summer before he began at answer was ‘Scream.’ “The prob- most culpable subject: tory. Economic and social class word and that’s why I love it,” UVa Law, he interned for Penny lem was that there were four thumbs down to President are clearly related because so- said New York Times Crossword Press Puzzle Magazine in Con- Scream films in total, but only Steven Glendon. cial class paradigms are based Puzzle Editor, Will Shortz ‘77. necticut, where he saw how he three sequels. Of course the first on economic class and the per- The Virginia Law Weekly had could have a career in puzzles one wasn’t a sequel.” Thumbs up to formative aspects generally re- the opportunity to interview Mr. “without living in abject pov- Another clue: “Head of state Netflix releasing quire economic outlays, some Shortz about how he contem- erty.” who resigned in 1974” the an- all of these brand greater than others. However, plates words and language, and When he began law school, swer, “Meir, as in Prime Minister new seasons of it is clear to me that the two are how we as budding lawyers can Shortz planned to practice for a Golda Meir.” So what’s the prob- television just in time for the not synonymous, and people learn a thing or two from UVa’s few years then transition to a ca- lem? “In Israel she is the head new semester. ANG needed can move through either eco- most famous wordsmith. reer writing and editing puzzles. of government but she’s not the something to watch in the nomic or social classes without In his capacity as puzzle edi- But in the spring semester of his head of state, that’s the Presi- library now that all those moving through the other. tor, Mr. Shortz receives between first year he wrote a letter home dent. We tend to overlook that pesky undergrads have final- I think we intuitively under- 75 and 100 puzzle submissions stating otherwise. “I told my par- distinction in the United States ly cleared of ANG’s favorite stand that people can concur- per week. “The biggest part of ents I would be dropping out of because our President is both pretend-to-do-work tables. rently exist in incongruous the job is actually looking at the UVa at the end of the year and go head of government and head economic and social classes. submissions and deciding which right into puzzles. And you could of state.” Mr. Shortz explained Thumbs down One example is our president, ones are the best.” imagine how that news went that there are 30,000 clues in to NBC executives Donald Trump. While he prob- What are the hallmarks of a over.” the New York Times crossword refusing to tell loy- ably has less money than he great puzzle? “I’m looking for His mother, a writer her- each year, and occasionally mis- al fans how #jack- contends, he is unmistakably fresh, colorful vocabulary that self and an influence on Mr. takes happen. dies in This is Us. ANG hasn’t in the highest economic class. is generally familiar to New Shortz’s love of words, respond- Some are beyond the puzzle cried this much watching a Yet there are a lot of people who York Times readers.” He doesn’t ed thoughtfully about why he master’s control. The clue: The show since Grey’s Anatomy. see President Trump as occu- mean the language should be should remain in school. “I only NFL team to go 0 and 16 for And Game of Thrones. And pying a much lower social class simplistic, “I like an interesting, thought she made good points, a season. “The intended answer Sesame Street. ANG actually because he seemingly lacks the difficult word sometimes but I so I went ahead and got my J.D. was the ‘Lions’ and the puzzle just cries a lot. refined taste many associate want, generally speaking, famil- and then went into puzzles.” was put to bed on December 30 with high social class. The way iar vocabulary.” Though Shortz never prac- for publication on January 7. Thumbs up to in which he tries to ostenta- After receiving a submission, ticed law, he is grateful for his Over that weekend, literally two sharks. Sharks are tiously act out his economic he marks it up on paper (the UVa education and uses it to this days later, the Cleveland Browns ANG’s favorite an- class is precisely the reason he medium by which he requires day. completed their season 0 and imal. Anyone who fails at performing the role re- all puzzles to be submitted), then “I think a legal education is 16. So the clue was correct when doesn’t like sharks is clearly quired by the correspondingly he makes notes on what he likes just a great education for the the puzzle was put to bed, but a person of moral turpitude. high social class. He seems to and doesn’t like. “Everyone gets world. It teaches you to handle by the time the puzzle appeared No, ANG doesn’t have any- fail to understand the nuances a response: yes or no.” complex problems, divide them in print it was wrong. Of course one specifically in mind, why of social performance that his He likes words like “errata into their constituent parts, and a lot of people follow NFL so I do you ask? peers and “social superiors” page” and “trashmouth” and deal with each part individually.” heard a lot about that.” expect, but he also seems to “clam juice.” Words he doesn’t The author of over 500 puzzle As our faithful readers know, Thumbs down to consciously choose to rebel like: “‘Heme’ as in a deep red books has never used an agent or the Law Weekly has toyed with the Kardashians. pigment, the color of blood.” a lawyer. “I look at and analyze ANG hasn’t been CLASS page 2 That type of word is what he calls my own contracts.” SHORTZ page 3 keeping up. 2 Features VIRGINIA LAW WEEKLY Wednesday, 24 January 2018 CLASS intersectional vantage point. year at Yale, I was in D.C. work- who could directly approach lighten what was previously continued from page 1 After all, a huge barrier to the ing for my senator.