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THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL NOTA BENE WASHINGTON DC A Forum for News, Features, & Opinions in the Law School Community Thursday, February 17, 2011 Vol. 25, No. 10 GW Law Exam Schedule Conflicts with Passover the restrictions are less stringent, so BY BRITTANY BISNOTT to why this conflict is occurring. of you are not good at math, hence Staff Writer I can tec hnically take part in activities Students like Sheldon Cooper want the law school route, but your three like writing and using my computer." to know why the school cannot shift credit class is worth 2100 minutes!] The dates of Passover and the As a Catholic, Jesus is my homeboy. the school year a week or two later, If this is spaced out over our thirteen days that are absolute holidays pose a No, seriously, I love the guy! Being at ("like EVERY OTHER law school"]. week semester—including spring number of problems. Themost obvious The George Washington University Dean DeVigne explains that the break—coupled with the length of is that students with exams that fall on Law School the past two and a half graduation date—May 15, 2011—is the exam period and the need to abide the same day they are not supposed years has been hard. In 1L year, it set bythe University as a whole, ft is at by the University's graduation date, to engage in certain activities means was the first time in my life where I this time when the undergraduate and we now know why law school started that they cannot take their exams had school on Good Friday and Easter graduate schools host end of the year on January 3rd (much to the dismay that day. If students are like Sheldon Monday (look it up!]. However bad 1 events. University staff work overtime, of students and professors alike]. Cooper and Penny, w ho have exams had thought The George Washington thousands of people come to town to Not only are the Deans subject to the day after the absolute holiday Law School and religion conflicted celebrate, and the law school wants to the rules of the ABA, t hey also have days, they cannot study immediately before, nothing has compared to the assure that students do not miss out on their hands tied due to academic prior to the exam,they cannot contact clash between law school and the the festivities on campus. Thisincludes freedom. Professors reserve the right any friends or study groups, nor can Jewish fa(th as much as this year. anyguestspeakers—firstladyMichelle to gradethings how they want tograde they benefit from two whole days of GW exams occur from April 18 to Obama spokeat GW's Commencement them (how many points come from studying. While exams that fall on April 29 withMay 2 serving as a "Make- last year. Dean DeVigne explains class participation, t he in class exam, the holidays are rescheduled, ones Up Day for Examinations Missed that in t he past, the law school used research paper, etc.]. Additionally, that immediately follow are not. because of Religious Observances" (for to have a commencement date later the Dean's office cannot tell students Pennystatesthatalthoughsheknew any missed examinations that cannot than the university as a whole, but that they are able to take the exam that attending a non-denominational be made up earlier]. However, the the general school community felt any earlier than it is scheduled. At school would pose issues between Jewish holiday of Passover is occurring that students were missing out on the same time, there is a concern academia and her religion, she thought from Tuesday, April 19 and will the festivities; moreover, the law with students taking exams at a later continue for seven days until Monday, that GW would be "more in-tune with school had to handle all of their date, as they may get an advantage or April 25. [Note: In the Jewish calendar, the needs of a diverse student body; end-of-the-year events themselves. the professor might figure out which a holiday begins on the sunset of the Passover is probably one of the least The law school does their best exam belongs to that student. So the previous day, s o observing jews will obscure Jewish holidays." Penny did not, to ensure that on graduation date, Dean's office is working tirelessly to however, "expect the administration to students walking across the stage are try and figure out what professors celebrate on the sunset of Monday, cater to every religious groups' needs handed their actual diploma, not a will do: Write an entirely new exam April 18.] For the first time in fourteen and concerns in making an exam placeholder. One issue with this is that or have students who take the exam years, this conflict is occurring. The schedule," but she thinks that "having the Dean's Office had a difficult time later not get a letter grade. In the end Dean's office has triedto makestud ents finals fall squarely at the same time as tracking every student down to send though. Dean DeVigne wanted to make aware of the conflict since lastOctober Passover could have been avoided." them their diploma. So for students it very clear that students who cannot to help try to make the bestof this issue, Rajesh Koothrappali is in disbelief to get their real diploma on stage, get credit for their class will n ot be but this does not seem to be enough over the scheduling conflict between professors need to get their grades in penalized for taking more than the for a number of Jewish students. exams and Passover. While professors, by Friday, May 6 so that the records limit of seventeen ungraded credits, This means that not only will a student groups, and organizationshave office will have enough time to see what and lLs and 2Ls will b e able to flag number of students not be able to go been accommodating to scheduling students will be graduating,wh at their their transcript to show that the class home and celebrate this important concerns, Koothrappali does not GPA will be, and what academic awards at issueinvolve d special circumstances holiday with their families, some understand why a "tremendous will be given out. Professors will have to help ensure that this issue does students, such as Eric Gablehauser*, amount of hours have been wasted by to grade 3L make-up exams taken on not affect the rest of their law school are currently registered for numerous students attempting to figure May 2 by that Friday. While some may experience nor any job opportunities. "AWFUL" classes so that his exams out hownot tobe disadvantaged by the think it fine to receive a placeholder It seems though that in do not take place during Passover. scheduling difficulties." Koothrappali at graduation (Penny received a nice the end, according to Howard Leonard Hofstadter says, "It is as if GW was told that the exam period must folder at graduation and her diploma Wolowitz, Cooper, and Hofstadter, Law School do es not want Orthodox fall on those days because of a lack of in the mail two weeks later],the school students would have liked it if the Jews to enroll at the school." To funding in comparison to otherschools believes that students will be upset administration—once they realized Hofstadter, he wishes he "would have to have exam proctors available at an that they do not get their diplomas or that this was a problem—had spoken known about these problems before alternate time. This to Koothrappali grades because of religious holidays. with the religious Jewish students [choosing] GW[, because he] would is an excuse that he cannot believe. However, students like before coming up with the policy. To have gone to a different law school." Additionally, to Koothrappali, the Koothrappali wonder why the Wolowitz, "the GW administration One student, Penny, explains that fact that students cannot discuss the school does not try to make an and Dean's Office could do a better job , "Passover falls over an eight-day period, conflict between exams and Passover exception for 1L exams, as they do of communicating and working with bookended by two days on [each] end, with professors (due to blind grading not need to be graded by graduation. students to address their concerns." which are holidays that [are] observe[d] practices], in GW's "quest for fairness" Dean DeVigne explained that the by refraining from certain activities." the school is stifling the possibility for school is subject to the rules set by the *Students in this article were This includes things like writing, an amicable solution to be reached. American Bar Association ("ABA"] in named after characters in the hit using a computer, and more. Penny I spoke to Dean DeVigne, Dean order to be an accredited law school. TV show, The Big Bang Theory goes on to say that "the remaining of .Student Affairs, abo ut the conflict For every credit hour, a class must four days are also a holiday, though and she explained a little bit as meet for 700 minutes.