The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 The One Where Everybody’s Freaking Out “Some days I just feel like crying. Some days I don’t feel like trying.” - The Raconteurs Vol. 16, Issue 2 The Caveat Lector
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2
The One Where Everybody’s Freaking Out
“Some days I just feel like crying. Some days I don’t feel like trying.”
- The Raconteurs
Vol. 16, Issue 2
The
Caveat Lector
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 2
Managing Editors
Darin Gette
Erik Heuck
Editorial Board
Mady Chauvet
Shane Gallop
Dali Holloway
Graham McKellar
Jessica Quan
Matthew Scott
Tina Shaygan
Mackenzie Stewart
Jesse Van Eaton
Maryssa Wilde
Mission Statement
The Caveat Lector exists to be re-
dundant. It also exists to publish and
make available information and cre-
ative works from law students for
law students, all while maintaining a
standard of journalistic integrity.
Well, maybe not integrity, but some-
thing close.
Disclaimer
The Editors of The Caveat Lector, in
their infinite wisdom, do not neces-
sarily endorse or condone the opin-
ions included herein. The articles
reflect the views of your peers. Take
it up with them.
Articles can be submitted to
Address
The Caveat Lector
c/o College of Law
15 Campus Drive
Table of Contents
Thoughts from the Editors………………………………………..……………….3
The Stank Has Eyes: A True Crime Story………………………………………4
Talking Points: The Road to Alexandria, or Prometheus’ Fern Gallery……4-5
Strange But True Facts I Made Up..............................................................5-6
The Once and Future Angst………………………………………………………6
Get to Know The Dissent……………………………...………………………….7
Dissent Night: A Photo Journal.…………….…………….…………..……….8-9
How to (Br)exit Your Way out of 3LOL in SK …………………………………10
Who Wore it Better: Erik v Your Mom…………………..……………………...11
Black Coffee: A Betrayal…………………………………..…………………….12
The Memedalorian……………………………………….……………..……12-13
Exchange by Dummies……………………...............................................13-14
An Ode to Reading Week…………..…………………………………………...15
Cover Photo
An angry mob of villagers from the movie Shrek try telling The Dissent that
“you can’t park here”. The Dissent responds by telling the villagers to “get
out me swamp”. Realizing a bunch of cool instruments were just, like, lying
around, The Dissent decides they could maybe just jam one down? The Dis-
sent say, “stop, wait!” to the villagers. Everyone has a nice time.
The Caveat
Lector |
Vol. 16,
Issue 2.
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 3
Above: Caveat Managing Editors Erik Heuck and Darin Gette
when you put their faces into the face mash app.
In This Issue
pp. 8-9
DJ Swamp Matt remained coherent long
enough to shoot approximately six thousand
photos at Dissent Night. He used a fancy cam-
era to really capture “the essence of Travis”.
Some upper years talk about how skipping
school is cool if you do it for the culture and
shit.
Photos: Con-
nor Ferguson
and his dad,
Mark Roney,
trying to
make Connor
insta-relevant
again.
pp.
13-
14
• 1Ls, congratulations—on finishing your memos, yes, but mostly on how many of you sang karaoke. That was cool;
• Mustafa, stop bothering literally everyone in class all the time;
• Gabe Simons’ moustache is for real. We hope it’s here to stay;
• Matteo, none of the upper years are going to let you buy them beers. Stop being such a sweetheart;
• The decorations in the Lawberry are lovely;
• Who let Evan Best back into the building?;
• Manuel, alias “Happy Pablo”, we love you, buddy;
• If anybody sees a Starbucks for “Karen”, it’s probably Karim’s.
A couple of good boys.
Thoughts from the Editors:
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 4
By Mackenzie Stewart (3L)
I shall never forget that fateful day,
a blustery winter's afternoon in late
October. It was the day the stank
arrived. Creeping through the col-
lege like a fungus on a four-day old
potato salad left on the counter to
rot, the stank descended upon our
unwitting souls. At first, we thought,
maybe Eric just spent too much
time in the men’s bathroom, but the
stank did not stop. It engulfed the
college in a haze so grotesque it
seemed cruel.
“Why us?” We proclaimed! “Do we
not already toil in sheer misery? Is
law school not punishment in itself?
Cease cruel gods, before we de-
stroy ourselves in pain!”
Alas, the scent continued. It was as
if a diaper barge had exploded and
the remains were strewn across the
Law Building. Theories began to
arise as to how the scent had
come. Maybe the SNAILs had final-
ly triumphed in their quest to de-
stroy our bathrooms. Maybe an
Engineering or an Edward's student
had perished in the bowels of the
Law Stacks, or maybe it was some-
thing, much, much more sinister.
It began to dawn on us, the poor
and slightly self-entitled law stu-
dents. A truth we knew in our
hearts but feared nonetheless. A
truth so terrifying it shook us to our
very core. The stank was coming
from us, it reflected the true nature
of our putrid, festering souls, it was
our blackest most disgusting open
wound coming to haunt us just in
time for Halloween. And as we
gagged on the stench of our own
sin, we finally grasped the true and
terrible meaning of who we had
become.
Or maybe it was a coolant leak, idk.
The Stank Has Eyes: A True Crime Story
Talking Points: The Road to Alexandria, or Prometheus’ Fern Gallery
By Graham McKellar (3L) & Shane Gallop (probably just
auditing the classes)
Call me Ishmael…
Law school can be tough, so here are some helpful tips
to help you navigate the labyrinth of classroom etiquette.
1. Law school is expensive. So, it is important to get as
much as you can out of every second of class time. That
means that in the last 3-5 minutes of class you should
bring out your most obscure questions. This might be
met with the obligatory moan and groan from fellow stu-
dents, but this is simply part of the unwritten constitution-
al principles of classroom behaviour. If you aren’t asking
a question, really lean into the whole passive aggressive
thing because we need to make sure the professor
doesn’t catch on that we are trying to get bonus class
time.
2. Calling all white males! If a topic is sensitive, particu-
larly gendered or racial then make sure to step in with
your opinion! The key is to keep people informed. Let
them hear your voice of authority.
3. Stand at attention when speaking to the class. This
one is key to really show your prowess to prospective
(class)mates.
4. No matter how much you disagree with the opinion of
a classmate or professor, don’t be condescending (that
means when you talk down to someone). (Continued on
next page…)
This is where Shane buried a guy so you should listen to him.
This is not Mackenzie Stewart.
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 5
Bake for 45 minutes at 350 de-
grees - leave plastic on.
5. It’s trite law that we are going to
need clients. So make sure every-
one is fully informed about any is-
sues your extended family has,
whether legal or not. Also, make
sure to explain exactly how you are
connected to them - that really
helps us understand the law.
6. The best approach is to start
talking before you have thought
about what you want to say (or why
you are saying it). Dead air is the
enemy! Fill space with “ah”, “um”,
or if you are feeling particularly
saucy, try out the siren scream from
the hit children’s film that’s sweep-
ing the nation, “The Lighthouse”.
7. Denique, potissimum vicis vos
can vitare usura Latine: sed noli
timere experior. Hail Caesar.
TLDR: Wensleydale is a style of
cheese originally produced in
Wensleydale.
Serves 12.
A family favourite of: G.R.B McKel-
lar & S.A.M Gallop
By Corbin Golding (1L)
As American President and pow-
dered wig enthusiast John Adams
once said, “facts are stubborn
things”. But John Adams only
served a single term, defended the
British soldiers responsible for the
Boston Massacre, and once swal-
lowed whole an entire smoked ham
on a dare from the Marquis Du-
quesne, so what the hell does he
know.
Now, one of those prior statements
is a lie, but what is ol’ “stubborn
facts” John Adams going to do
about it? Rise from the grave and
strangle me with the robot arm he
definitely had? The stubborn fact is,
we’re living in a post-truth age,
when truth may be stranger than
fiction but nowhere near as strange
as straight-up lies that you can post
on reddit with no citations required.
Allow me to prove it:
• At the first modern Olympic
Games in 1896 the hundred-
meter dash was completed in
32 minutes 3 seconds.
• Smiling after 10PM in Moose
Jaw is considered “lewd public
behaviour”.
• At the end of his Second Inau-
gural Address, Abraham Lin-
coln stepped slightly back from
the podium and burped the en-
tire alphabet. Most historians
agree, it was awesome. On the
Watergate Tapes Richard Nix-
on can be heard practicing ex-
tensively to do the same, but
when he attempted to do it dur-
ing his resignation press con-
ference he puked after ‘L’ and
Spiro Agnew had to finish the
rest for him. Most historians
agree: a colossal disappoint-
ment.
Continued on next page…
Shane telling
his mom to
“stay back”
because a
bear was, like,
literally right
there.
Strange but True Facts I Made Up
Graham McKellar
(taken while on a field
trip to Motherwell
Homestead, 2004)
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 6
...Continued from previous page
• Scientists have recently discovered that a bird in the
hand is worth 1.873 birds in the bush.
• The last recorded pope to shit in the woods was Greg-
ory XIV.
• Dr. Phil mails himself to and from the studio each day.
Once, the package containing him was stolen from his
front porch and wasn’t returned for several months,
during which time Bobby Moynihan, wearing a bald
cap and false moustache, filled in for him and gave
surprisingly cogent psychiatric advice. Dr. Phil has no
memory of where he was.
• By U.N regulation, everyone who completes a mara-
thon is obligated to bring it up at least 3 times a day for
6 months under penalty of forced toenail removal
(loophole: marathon runners have no toenails).
• Dante Alighieri never really ventured to the depths of
Hell, but did once spend a summer in Monkton, Ontar-
io.
• By strange coincidence, for two weeks in 1972 all baby
girls born in Newfoundland were named Eudora.
• Michelangelo travelled to heaven on two separate oc-
casions and insisted that the nudity in his paintings
were an accurate depiction.
• Big Foot has been out of hiding for several years and
is currently a washing machine salesman in Gillette,
Wyoming.
• TV parental locks are also effective against short
adults.
• The tentative motto for the University of Saskatchewan
was “Eat My Shorts”.
Caenate bracas meas everyone!
Corbin doesn’t believe in vehicular transport, but he will allow him-
self one semi-bionic leg to help decrease travel times.
The Once and Future Angst
By Erik Heuck (3L)
We have twenty-one-year-olds in this College. That’s (a) insane, and (b) very neat. Many of our youngest students have their lives
“together”. At that age, many of we older folk were on journeys of self discovery. Matt Scott was writing papers in French on multicul-
turalism in the Ottoman Empire. I sat in my room and wrote poems. Which of us had it “figured out”? Who’s to say? (But remember,
he chose to live with me.) Anyways, here are two I wrote while trying to figure out what the hell was going on. The first one is about
Christmas lights in the summer. The second I wrote in a cab on the way to Disneyland. Let’s just say the boy wasn’t feeling it.
Christmas lights: Praise for Consumer Days Half-hanging—well hang me in spirit of the holy day spirit. Consumer, hark, don’t fear it—another fat lamb rolling. If he had a beard I’d shear it. But I’d kick a snowball’s man off if I wasn’t so hot. Some kid usually comes by with a bike by now—buy some lemonade but don’t be bitter.
Lord of the Flies We’re martians and we’re mellow and we're nothing more than flies. And if we're sticking with the insect theme I'd say the bee hive's gone and left us all behind. We could crawl like caterpillars but we won't. We've got not rigour. We've got no vigour, we just keep getting bigger and if you say we aren't then you're telling yourself lies. Forget those dreams little crawler, you’ll never be a butterfly. Wave goodbye to the sky but don't worry: you don't really care. If it's about the rat race we're not the tortoise or the hare. You don't like it? Do something to give us relief from the grief and despair. Give us a wing or a paw or a claw, give us something. Any experience from which you can draw? Too much animal imagery? I left out the most important one of all. I will say this: don't make like a human. We're not free on this wall. No wings, we flap gums. Talked right through summer's sun. Heartbreakers, we're a step from the fall.
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 7
Thursday November 21st was Dis-
sent Night at The Capitol, where
the College of Law’s student music
group, The Dissent, played a rous-
ing show. The Dissent is one of the
longest standing clubs at the Col-
lege, and we are proud to keep the
tradition alive! Despite the chal-
lenge of having to rebuild the band
every year, I have never been more
confident in the level of talent en-
trenched in this year’s group. Who
are the members of this fun-loving
group? Let’s meet them!
Leah Bykowy – Vocals / Key-
board (2L)
Go meet Leah. Just do it. Don’t
keep reading this. She’s the one
that’s obsessed with the Patriots.
So, when Tom Brady makes it to
the Super Bowl again this year for
the 100th time, you will find her cel-
ebrating on campus in her Patriots
gear. Incredible personality, voice
of an angel, and is the only person
in Saskatoon with high quality
Polish Bimber. She also likes to
take the scenic route to practice,
which is just great.
Tito Kurc – Keyboard / Cowbell
(3L)
Plays the cowbell like a legend and
is not humble about it at all. Histori-
cally refuses to learn any of the 30+
songs until the week of Dissent
Night, but he’s in check this year.
Won’t stop talking about Calgary,
his fiancée, tax law, or being
Polish, but he will sing you a song if
you’re having a bad day. Was
once assaulted by many bra-like
projectiles while singing John
Legend’s “All of Me” at Legal Fol-
lies. Traumatic.
Joel Seaman – Guitar / All Instru-
ments (3L)
Easily the Michael Jordan of music.
His presence is so essential that we
cancelled practice once because
he called in sick. In addition to his
stone-cold skill that trumps even
expert mode on Guitar Hero, his
warm and friendly demeanor cures
the home-sickness you might have
if you’re new to Saskatchewan. Is
also probably secretly better at the
piano than Tito.
Ryley Dalshaug – Drummer (3L)
Everyone’s drinking buddy. If you
want to go out but everyone else
wants to stay in and pretend to
read Administrative Law, Ryley is
your guy. He’s not just our drum-
mer, he’s our hype man. With the
ability to crush 100,000 beats per
minute, he makes your drum loop in
Garage Band look like Dunsmuir.
Go ahead, challenge him. Going
toe-to-toe with him in a drum-off
would be like challenging Eminem
to a rap battle.
Travis Sentes – Bass (3L)
The band’s secret weapon. Starts
on the bass, and then… BAM! Har-
monica. Originally auditioned last
year as a guitar player, but picked
up the bass to save the band. He
has been shredding it ever since.
Aside from that, he plays hockey
like a legend and has the mous-
tache to prove it. As a nice added
touch, he is as humble as he is
kind. He won’t tell you how awe-
some he really is, but if you meet
him it will become quite obvious.
Mark Hagen – All Guitars (2L)
Another Calgary boy! But this one
always downplays his skills and
then surprises you. Basketball:
“Yeah, I played sometimes with my
friends, but nothing formal” – leads
the College’s rec basketball team
last year in defensive turnovers.
Music: “I just want to low-key jam, I
can kind of play the guitar” – learns
a song quickly on the guitar, bass,
piano, vocals, etc. What is less
subtle is his grizzly-like beard…
how do you do it?
Dan Parr – Guitar (2L)
All the way from England, this prop-
er gentleman is just happy that
we’ve all heard of the Red Hot Chili
Peppers. With his hair pushed up,
he looks like a proper agent in his
Majesty’s secret services; but, with
his hair down, he resembles Ringo
Starr from The Beatles. In addition
to adding his own European flare to
the band, Dan (not Don) also ad-
mits that Football and Hockey are
way more entertaining than Soccer.
Jenna Bragg – Vocals (1L)
Despite being the only 1L in the
band, Jenna blends right in and
brings her enthusiasm with her. As
one of the Dissent’s main vocalists,
her ability to lead and harmonize
with Leah makes her an invaluable
member of the band. Growing up
in Newfoundland and Labrador, she
brings with her the renown happy,
social, and energetic personality of
the East Coast. We are all cheer-
ing for you during 1L memo sea-
son!
If you by chance missed the leg-
endary performance at The Capitol,
you can catch The Dissent at Legal
Follies next semester!
(Flip to next page for collectible The
Dissent Photo Journal…)
No, Not That Angry Judge: Get To Know The Dissent
By Tito Kurc (3L)
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 8
Alexa, Play “I Miss You” by Blink-182: A Dissent Night Photo Journal
By Matthew Scott (3L)
Here are some photos of the ground!
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 9
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 10
How to (Br)exit Your Way out of 3LOL in Saskatchewan
By Rebecca Burnand (3L) & Courtney Davies (3L)
You alright? [hey, how's it going], we are currently sitting
in our flat [apartment] having a cuppa [cup of tea] and
some chippy [fish and fries]. Has this British lingo made
us sound cooler and more interesting yet? In case it isn’t
self-explanatory why an exchange across the pond is the
best decision you will ever make, here are a few rea-
sons:
1. Law is an undergrad degree in the UK;
2. We are taking four modules [classes] with the only
requirement being a 3,000-word essay for each;
3. Affordable travel: You name it, you can get there for
less than 50 quid [dollars] round trip. Our personal list of
destinations includes: Eindhoven, London, Colchester,
Frinton, Paris, Dublin, Birmingham, Brussels, Rome, and
Athens;
4. G&T’s;
5. You will be the smartest person in every class. Is
there anything more a law student could want?;
6. So far, snow does not exist in Her Majesty’s domin-
ion;
7. We repeat, law is an undergraduate degree here...
There are exactly zero reasons why ex-
change is a bad idea.
Worried about locking down a job? Exchange makes you
seem interesting, add it to your resume. Worried about
missing out on “critical” USask law classes, like Business
Organization? Becca can confirm that talking about your
experiences on exchange is an excellent distraction and
will mask your lack of legal knowledge. Planning a wed-
ding like Courtney? Leave a to-do list for your fiancé be-
cause travelling and enjoying your time abroad is more
important than wedding planning.
Worried that your classmates might forget about you
while you’re abroad? Message your group chat constant-
ly for reassurance that you have not, in fact, been re-
placed (looking at you Shay and Daniel) and blow up
everyone’s social media feeds with amazing photos.
That should be enough to keep you somewhat relevant
until you return to annoy everyone with exchange sto-
ries.
We promise you, whatever your hesitations
might be, missing out on an experience like
exchange will leave you gutted [devastated].
Now that we have thoroughly convinced you to go on
exchange in the UK, here are a few tips to help make the
experience brilliant [amazing]:
1. Don’t be surprised if everyone who hears your ac-
cent thinks you’re an American;
2. When people try to start a conversation with you
about football [soccer], best not to bring up the Roughrid-
ers because they will have absolutely no idea what
you’re talking about;
3. If you can, plan to go out with your mates [friends].
It’s like having your own personal Instagram photogra-
pher at all times to help you to create all of that #content;
4. Given that law is an undergrad program in the UK
(not sure if we have mentioned that), you might want to
bring a cane or a walker to get to class because some of
your fellow classmates won’t even meet the legal drink-
ing age in Saskatchewan;
5. Don’t be surprised when people have no clue where
Saskatchewan and Alberta are located in Canada... We
just tell everyone we are somewhere in between Van-
couver and Toronto and that seems to do the trick.
Most importantly, seize the once in a life-
time opportunity to spend an entire semes-
ter travelling. You’ll have the rest of your
life to work.
Becca and Courtney in front of the Saturn V rocket.
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 11
By Alora Arnold (1L)
To set the tone, I must disclose my previous degree was
in Fashion Design. Yes, I am essentially Elle Woods
from the movie Legally Blonde, only without an overly
peppy attitude or an LSAT score warranting a Harvard
acceptance.
This brings us to a new collaborative segment titled Who
Wore it Better: Erik v Your Mom. By collaborative I mean
Erik has agreed to be a Ken doll while I style him in the
most iconic looks. [emphasis added]
This segment was inspired by Erik’s distinct personal
“style”, which the only way I could describe it would be
that of my mom’s during the 80s-early 90s.
Much like the moon and the tides, fashion is cyclical. The
fashion gods say everything comes back around, but we
will let you be the judge. This month’s look is coming
straight out of the glory days of the 80s. When waistlines
where sky high, but somehow young professionals man-
aged to be higher.
Sources: Jeans and belt - Erik’s personal collection. Top
- somehow still sold at Walmart.
True to form, Erik was so fond of this look he requested
to keep the shirt.
Tasting Notes (by Erik)
Mouthfeel of the fabric:
Basic colourblock and neck choke implement reminds
me of the taste of warmish marble cheese and Premium
Pluses eaten while sitting in the kind-of car-shaped
chairs at the Sandra Schmirler Leisure Centre Library (in
Regina, for you more travelled folks). Basically, feels like
it tastes like how books smell.
Feels nothing like how bubblegum tastes. More feels like
blue raspberry Laffy Taffy probably.
The part about posing like some zoo specimen:
Posing for a real-life human woman is a different experi-
ence than asking Matt (who is red sauce-stained robe-
clad) whether or not I should revive the short-sleeves
under long-sleeves under short-sleeves look. Naturally, I
kept calm. Held my breath the entire time.
The result is, I think, a balance: echoes of cool mixed
with almost-falling-asleep-from-not-enough-oxygen-to-
the-brain type of waves. But you decide. I’m merely an
implement. A wheel on the monster truck of renaissance
fashion, if you will.
Who Wore it Better: Erik v Your Mom
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 12
By Barbara Baker (1L)
Productive people drink coffee. Not
only that, but they brag about drink-
ing coffee. About coffee shooting
out their nostrils. About drinking cup
after cup until their hands shake
and their eyes bulge out of their
skulls.
People Who Drink Coffee
Get Things Done.
Unless of course you are one of the
rare contrarians who prides them-
selves on not drinking coffee. Pur-
portedly, your work ethic alone car-
ries you through the all-nighters
and the insufferable chewers in the
library and the guy who smells like
cheese on the bus. Then you spout
how caffeine is a drug. It’s worse
than cocaine. Hell, there is probably
meth in your espresso. But you
granolas are the exception not the
rule, and typically fall into the holier-
than-thou category of cross fitters
and people who run “for fun.” You
are an anomaly, but I digress.
Law students like to be people who
Get Things Done. We especially
like to be people who get more
done than other law students. But it
is considered a faux pas to outright
brag about your productivity. We
are the friendliest law school after
all. Nowadays, it’s all in the art of
subtlety. And one of the most re-
fined moves is that of the black cof-
fee drinker. Black coffee is what
every law student aspires to be –
superior in theory and disgusting in
practice.
With a smug sip of your battery ac-
id, you are no longer a plebian
shackled to the base desires of re-
fined sugar and the artificial suck-
ling of another’s species bosom.
You do gain pretentiousness points
if you constrain your coffee com-
panion to a drop of soy/almond/
coconut/oat milk but I assume this
practice in law school is rare, as
although we love to be pretentious,
veganism requires a level of com-
passion I’m not sure most of us are
capable of.
Perhaps you waft the pure aroma of
your superior blend of coffee
throughout the classroom smirking
at the masses of Tim’s cups as you
pass. You scoff at the mere thought
of uttering the words “double dou-
ble.” People assume you jump out
of bed and do a thousand push-ups
before your breakfast of twelve raw
eggs. You beat your own world-
record solving a Rubik's cube be-
fore heading out the door. You re-
ceive an email from your professor
– you’ve done too well on your ex-
am, everyone else is curved at ze-
ro. Not again. You are discipline
incarnate.
(For the record, I used to drink what
was essentially sugar water, ceas-
ing to pour only once the coffee
was so over-saturated it solidified. I
still got into law school, but I can
confirm since cutting back I now
can complete double the push-ups,
i.e. I can do 2.)
Black Coffee: A Betrayal
The Memedalorian
All wholesome meme-content taken from the archives of one MMS. Continued on next page...
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 13
Opinion: memes will one day replace parents.
Exchange for by Dum-
mies
By Allyse Cruise (3L), Courtenay Catlin
(3L), & Claire Stempien (3L)
Greetings fellow law students
We know what you are thinking. Who
ARE these people? Has our precious
Caveat been infiltrated by SNAILs?
Are we truly so desperate for articles
that we would outsource?
Well, the Caveat is letting a dude
called “Hot Eric” write advice articles to
impressionable 1Ls, so clearly these
are desperate times. But don’t stress,
the Caveat is still SNAIL free. We ARE
law students. 1Ls, you don’t know us
because we are on exchange. 2Ls,
you don’t know us because we didn’t
speak to you last year.
What do we want, you ask? To stay
relevant while we are half-way across
the world? No, we (sadly) weren’t rele-
vant to begin with. We are here to fulfill
our 3L DUTY of providing you with
wholly unsolicited advice. We want to
convince YOU to go on exchange!
We’ve polled exactly none of you and
put together a list of top concerns stu-
dents have about going on exchange
(presumably). We’ve also used our
excellent legal education to convince
you each point is irrelevant. You’re
welcome.
1. My GPA is bad – will I be accept-
ed?
Current exchange students include
both Courtneys lol. We know you might
not know these people – but, as their
classmates we can say don’t worry –
your GPA is high enough to fulfil the
“requirements” the exchange office
has.
2. But won’t I miss out on “learning”
and be behind when I start work?
Ok, relax. Stop pretending like law
school prepares you for employment.
You can’t seriously think listening to
Plaxton say things like “turtles on tur-
tles of review” is helpful to your future
big firm Calgary job. Talk to any law-
yer, or articling student, and they will
tell you the same thing: law school
doesn’t do much to prepare you for
working as a lawyer. Does this make
sense? (Continued on next page…)
Right: AC,
Claire, Melis-
sa, and Cour-
tenay at the
Great Invisible
Temple of the
Mountain God
(Albania:
2019)
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 14
(...Continued from previous page.) No.
But complain talk to your academic
reps about that. Don’t let “education
concerns” stop you from going on ex-
change. No lawyer at your firm will want
to make lunch conversation about your
take on Flannigan’s take on fiduciary
duties. Every lawyer loves telling travel
stories though, make sure you have
some of your own to swap.
3. Isn’t paying the U of S $7000 for
me not to learn anything kind of a
waste of money?
We get it. With recent tuition hikes
you’re putting yourself in what is likely
eternal debt to get your law degree
(lolz…but yolo or whatever the kids say
to justify their bad decisions these
days). Paying tuition to not learn Cana-
dian law seems more wasteful than the
LSA funding bro “networking” trips to
Calgary. But hear us out.
It’s pretty hard to be critical of our legal
system without ever learning how oth-
ers function. 1Ls – let me guess, Mac-
Lean has been spending an inordinate
amount of time muttering about surety
of contracts, telling you courts can’t
make things fairer because the whole
system would fall into disarray? Whelp
– in Finland, courts are breaking con-
tracts left and right, telling contractors
they should have known to contract for
the proper material, not the cheap one,
and preaching about “loyalty” to each
other. And tbh – their legal system
seems to be running just fine? Getting
out and learning about how other coun-
tries protect people provides an inter-
esting lens to critique Canadian law
through. Exchange maybe isn’t QUITE
the waste of money you would think.
4. I’m broke, can I afford it?
Three words: line of credit. Just kidding,
we don’t support getting in loads of
debt just to have a good time (or doooo
we??). First – many of the exchange
schools that the U of S partners with
are located in places with much lower
costs of living than Saskatoon. Second
– there are a plethora of exchange
scholarships available. The U of C has
a handy-dandy tool to figure out ap-
proximately how much money you’re
going to need to pay for a month in a
country – check it out. Exchange might
be more affordable than you think. Pro-
tip though? We can confirm the Nordic
countries are most definitely NOT
budget friendly options.
5. Won’t I get really bad FOMO and
miss my friends/family?
Can confirm this will happen. We des-
perately wish we knew what funny
jokes were said at formal and if hot 1L
(now 2L??) finally matched with some-
one on Tinder, or if he’s just keeping
that profile up to tease us. Like actually,
we’re desperate to know, DM us with
gossip.
But – we can also confirm you can
probably swing exchange WITH your
friends/family. You just have to be real-
ly really annoyingly aggressive about it.
JK. The International Student Office is
filled with individuals who genuinely
want to make your exchange as amaz-
ing as possible. Let them know if you
want to go in pairs (or groups of four…
whatever, shoot for the moon). They
will try their hardest to make it happen.
Still not convinced?
Fair. Ask any 3L and they will talk about
the dangers of taking advice from
Claire Stempien – just ask her how to
get a cab in Saskatoon. We respect
your hesitation. We worried that you
might be a little suspicious, so we
reached out to all the other students on
exchange. Surveying these people is
essentially the equivalent of citing Wik-
ipedia in your term paper, but its 3LOL
so that’s probably what we’d actually be
doing anyways:
Maria Shupenia:
Hej hej! I'm a 3L student, currently in
Lund, Sweden with my partner and
three daughters. For me, participating
in an exchange presents a way to have
an immersive, cultural experience, res-
urrecting my long-dormant travel bug
while also continuing and enhancing
my studies. Going on an exchange is a
challenge and we've had to overcome
many logistical and practical hurdles,
but it has also been supremely reward-
ing, academically and personally. Now,
my kid's memories of my time in law
school will include these amazing expe-
riences, travel and our growth as a fam-
ily, not just the long days and nights I
spent with my head in a textbook back
home. I would highly recommend the
experience to anyone!
Maria and her adventurous family.
Tamara Ruzic:
Szia! I’m doing my semester abroad in
Budapest and I honestly cannot recom-
mend it enough—the city is absolutely
beautiful, safe, well positioned for trav-
el, the food is delicious, and best of all,
it’s affordable. I’ve made lots of friends
from all over the world, learned more
about many interesting topics including
international law, and have had plenty
of time to travel (6 countries and count-
ing). I know it seems intimidating, but
this is an incredible opportunity to live
in another country and travel, and I truly
encourage everyone to take advantage
of it. :)
Tamara and Connor lookin’ for a snack
in Hungary (weooo).
Sarah Engen:
Hi! I’m a 3L student in Birmingham, UK.
I concur with my fellow 3Ls opinions on
exchange! I didn’t know what to expect
going on exchange but basically can
sum it up in one sentence: a lot more
travelling and a lot less reading.
Sarah is
the cool-
est person
ever. (In
England
or Moose
Jaw I
think.)
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 15
By Dali Holloway (2L)
Ah reading week, a 9-day break where
your expectations of yourself are high
and your expectations of your friends to
leave you alone are higher. While it’s
bold of our professors to assume we’re
doing anything other than curling up on
the couch with a bag of flaming hot
cheetos, the joke’s on them when they
read our (my) assignments (oil and gas
memo).1
Here is a diary version of how I utilized
the break to its full potential and have
my parents wondering why I go to
uSask Law and not Harvard:
Day 1:
The break is upon us, thank god, made
it to (most) of my classes this week so I
definitely deserve the night off.
(Disregarding the fact that I went to
office hours earlier this day to have my
Professor sit with her head in her hands
mumbling “no no no” at every word that
left my mouth). 2
Highlights of the drive home included
resurfacing my high school love for Mr.
Worldwide and realizing I forgot my
laptop. Well I guess that’s fate, or as
Mr. Sinatra would say, life.
Day 2:
Woke up on a couch in a barn and blew
0.15 on a breathalyzer (didn’t drive-
obviously—I passed first year crim). I
then met up with my parents who lec-
tured me for an hour on the importance
of waiting 8 hours to drive after drink-
ing—but like, the point? I just told you I
didn’t drive? I clearly KNOW. Anyway, I
digress, parents just like to talk, I
guess.
Made a joke about rolling down the
window of my father’s new car to throw
up—wasn’t received well. Got to brunch
and took a minute in the parking lot to
collect my thoughts and pull trig while
my parents stood watching me.3 They
paid for brunch; all was right in the
world.
Day 3:
Day 3 started like a scene from a Hall-
mark Christmas movie. I had gone to
catch up with a friend, so I was driving
home at 5:30am and Canmore was a
winter wonderland. A blanket of fresh
snow covered the sleepy town and
slow, big flakes caught the light of the
streetlamps as they made their way to
the ground. Wow. I am really going to
make some good use of this beautiful
morning I thought—maybe go grab an
americano and get some work done
before my parents wake up... I went
home and passed out till 2. Well, it was
a nice thought.
Day 4:
Facetimed a friend to be rejected and
sent a text saying, “nice, you ruined the
minute of silence for my family” (I swear
I thought the minute of silence was
11:11 not 11:00). Anyway, I then pro-
ceeded to Facetime my roommate and
felt a rush of relief when I saw she was
lying in bed with a beer. I mentioned I
hadn’t done any work and her reply was
“bro it’s a break”, and that was a good
enough response to alleviate myself
from any self-deprecating thoughts re:
school, motivation, alcoholism etc. Mis-
ery might love company, but procrasti-
nation thrives with it.
Day 5:
Met up with my roommate at 9am to
drive back to Saskatoon so we would
have a couple hours in the evening to
immerse ourselves in academia, but we
didn’t leave Calgary until 2. We have a
bad habit of going to malls, finding a
comfortable chair and sitting, coffee in
hand, for a couple hours discussing the
newest breaking news. Today’s discus-
sion was on China’s need for pork. V
neat!
Day 6:
Didn’t wake up in a school mood, and
you really can’t force it. My roommate
and I spent the most we have ever
spent on groceries—$100 each—so we
left Superstore on a high that could not
be tamed. We took the rest of the day
off to watch all of the POC4 movies.
Day 7:
Writing this profound piece of literature,
50-year-old scotch in hand, puffs of
cigar smoke lingering in the air.
Plans for day 8 & 9:
Relish all the food we now have in the
apartment. Perhaps go to the gym (fat
chance). Say “twist my arm” when
someone asks me to go out for the 7th
day in a row.
Whether you got anything done or not,
reading week is a hectic and tender
time, but when a brain break is needed
it’s fine to take it. (*Disclaimer—this is
not legal advice, nor is it medical ad-
vice. Always make sure to talk to your
physician to see if a 9-day break is right
for you).
Taking reading week to do schoolwork
is like showing up to class the day after
evil fish, you could do it, but not very
well. Strap in everybody the last couple
weeks are upon us.
Dali was a child sheriff before the profession
was outlawed (second weooo of the issue
let’s go.)
Footnotes:
1. Sorry Professor Heavin.
2. Ibid.
3. This is when Harvard first crossed their minds.
4. Pirates of the Caribbean are you serious?
damn they really do let anyone into law school
these days.
An Ode to Reading Week
The Caveat Lector | Vol. 16, Issue 2 16
“I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead
yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not
dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m
not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now,
I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right
now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here
right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m
here right now, I’m not dead yet. I’m here right now, I’m not dead yet.”
- The Raconteurs (again)
Logo created by Dieter Heuck