Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Surprise, class starts tonight!

The last day of Teachers College, Columbia University orientation was today and our last event was to meet our cohort of forty students in the Klingenstein Private School Leadership program. After meeting our advisor, Pearl Rock Kane, and going over the year and what it will entail, we begin the arduous process of figuring out what classes we need to take other than our required core courses.
One of my cohorts decided to ask if the law class in our newsletter was a mandatory requirement or an elective since it wasn't too clear. Much to our surprise it was a required course. That made everyone rethink what class they had to take this semester to complete their course load for the fall. When half of us decided to take this semester's law class, Professor Kane informs us that this particular class begins tonight, Tuesday, instead of the first day of class and that we also have required reading to get through before class started at 5pm.

SURPRISE, you start graduate school a day early!

After skimming one and a half articles out of five, I along with my fellow cohortees travelled to the law school to take our first class in law and educational institutions. It is a mixture of law students and educators. The focus of the class is to discuss topics in education where litigation has arisen in elementary and secondary schools as well as discuss areas of authority, religion, free speech and safety. It seems to be a very itneresting course, but what a loop it threw me for this afternoon. I definitely wasn't expecting to start class today, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.

Overall though, my first five days in New York alone has gone really well. I'm slowly adjusting to city life. I've figured out the subway for the most part, at least the red line and the #1 train as that is the only train that runs to Columbia. I've noticed that there is alot of walking that goes on in the city. I mean just to go and grab some dinner, you can end up walking a mile round trip (20 blocks is about a mile and most of the good inexpensive eateries are 5-10 blocks away from the college).

This past Sunday, I was able to go and visit Redeemer Presbyterian Church. It was awesome. For those of you that are wondering if Tim Keller spoke, he didn't. David Bisgrove, the associate pastor spoke and he was remarkable. The church has a heart to change the city of New York much like my home church in Raleigh has a heart to change the city of Raleigh. the opportunities that I will have to volunteer in New York is one that excites me greatly.

So tomorrow will be my second day of class and then I have Thursday off! What a life. I know I'm not complaining. I do know that it only gets harder from here.

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