Masks and parks and Zoom, oh my!
On November 1, 2019, I, along with thousands of others, submitted my application to U of T Law. COVID-19 was a future news story another continent away. It was a simpler time when the word “pandemic” was associated more with the Spanish Flu than the 21st century. But the past is history and COVID-19 is here to stay. After a summer of bread baking and TV bingeing, I approached the start of Legal Methods on August 24 with a blend of excitement and paralyzing anxiety. Now that day has come to pass and September is nearing its end, I have had some time to reflect on 1L so far.
You can’t talk about the 1L Pandemic Experience without mentioning the elephant in the room. Or rather, the mask on the face. By now, I’m more acquainted with the intricacies of someone’s rotation of masks than I am with the actual lower half of their head. Does he have a beard? Who knows? But man, that paisley mask sure is a crowd-pleaser. I can even say that I’ve almost gotten used to breathing in my own recycled air for five hours a day. On the bright side, though, I’ve never appreciated the smell of Toronto more than when I step outside and inhale a big lungful of that smoggy air.
One of the selling points of U of T Law is the networking. You’ll meet future CEOs and Presidents! While I’m sure my peers will all go on to lead many successful careers, networking in the midst of a pandemic is a little tough. I think most 1Ls have accepted the fact that we’ll meet, at most, 20 percent of our class this year. Then, hopefully once the Zoomers and in-person attendees are reunited, we’ll become one big happy 2L family. We’ve tried to make it work, though. “Park hang” has become the go-to social event. Small groups take over half of Queen’s Park every Friday or Saturday for physically distanced social gatherings. During these outings, we get the rare treat of seeing the face behind the mask. This is perhaps the most intimate experience two people can have in this pandemic world.
“Are you online or in-person?” Although we are all in this together, we are also a divided 1L separated by that digital realm. The majority of my classes are in-person, so I do not have first-hand experience of what it’s like to attend law school through Zoom. But I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn by saying it’s not the most desirable experience. Is your camera on? Better make sure that pile of dirty laundry is off your bed because even though your professor says he won’t judge, he definitely will. Are you on mute? I think everyone can recall that moment of sheer panic when you start roasting your prof to your roommate and can’t remember if you’re on mute. Perhaps the one benefit of Zoom School is that when you oversleep, you don’t have to rush out the door but instead just roll over and open your laptop.
In all seriousness, this 1L experience has been truly unique. The Class of 2023 has something quite exceptional to share. We are united, whether through Zoom or in-person, as the Class of COVID-19 and nothing, not even a virus or terrible Internet connection, can take that away from us.
