Sai Kulkarni '23
Production Editor
This past Saturday, a majority of the Law School student body came together to participate in the years-long tradition of Fauxfield.[1] With no Foxfield this year, it may seem odd to many 1Ls to have this event. Many of them likely have no idea what it even is. To them, the person in the horse costume at the event must have been even more confusing than it was to me.[2] To all of those students who don’t read their SBA emails (you should; they are very informative), Fauxfield is a replacement event for the Foxfield event because one year, Foxfield was on the weekend of fall break. Since Foxfield is a day-drinking event at a race track—where all the people wear pastels and look fancy—Fauxfield is intended to be a day-drinking event where people dress fancy as well. Except the latter event is held at the most distinguished of locations: Crozet Pizza at Buddhist Biker Bar.
Pictured: Cara Capoccitti, Sammy Spindler, & Paige Kennett '23.
Photo Credit: Sai Kulkarni '23.
The 1Ls, despite having no experience with the real event, really took it to heart and showed up dressed to impress. I am proud of all of them for once again being gunners for absolutely no reason at all and showing off in the rain. To embody how much of a slog 2L is, a few members of the Class of 2024 took it upon themselves to make and wear shirts proudly declaring their “Flop Era.” Meanwhile, myself and all of my 3L girlies took it upon ourselves to aim for comfort and beauty wrapped into one, boldly embodying the idea that trying at all during 3L is an actual crime. The rain limited everyone’s ability to show off, but not everyone let that put a damper on their spirits. I mentioned the horse costume, but all of the hats I saw were just as entertaining. There truly was a range of fashion that would be appreciated in Paris this week.
We were all presented with a rapidly disappearing and rapidly replenishing stock of pizza as the misfortunate chefs at Crozet had to keep up with the ravenous appetites of hundreds of drunk law students just trying not to pass out from hunger. The jello shots ran out quickly as everyone tried to speedrun their way to feeling like an undergrad again.[3] But for once, the lines weren’t too long, and we weren’t surrounded by seventeen-year-olds as we all took advantage of the fact that we had the bar for a private event for once. SBA and the bar did a good job with the tents, and people weren’t nearly as soaked as they were at last spring’s 3@3, even though the rain never stopped. People seemed in relatively high spirits throughout the day, despite not being able to enjoy all of the outdoor real estate.
There was a semi-official afterparty at Boylan Heights, as everyone tried to keep the energy going with some football and burgers. Though we took over the entire first floor of that bar, it was clear that the energy had dwindled by the time we got there. Despite our best efforts, it was apparent that no matter how often we went to undergrad bars, we really were starting to get old.
At the end of the day, it was truly an enjoyable day-long event. I don’t like to get sentimental much on this paper,[4] but I really did appreciate the chance to see so many people from the Law School in one place. As attendance at Bar Review begins to dwindle, with 1Ls learning what outlines are, 2Ls becoming hermits in pursuit of clerkships, and 3Ls throwing in the towel, such events are going to get rarer throughout the semester. As a 3L, it’s becoming increasingly clear how close to the end of Law School I am getting. So after every event like this, I want to implore all the 1Ls and 2Ls who didn’t go, to give these things a try. Drinking may not be your thing, and that is totally understandable. But don’t let these events and chances to socialize with your class slip away from you. I truly made some lifelong friends at the Law School, and going to these events really solidified those relationships. Don’t miss out on this in the next year or two years, because I promise, you will regret it. Otherwise, you might be the only person who graduates without hearing or seeing the real blockbuster stories, like a 3L falling off the roof of the bar with everyone watching.
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omk6cg@virginia.edu