“Pride is a personal commitment. It is an attitude that separates excellence from mediocrity.” ~UnknownThis spring, amid all the rankings-rancor, a Facebook group popped up called Proud to be a UB Law Student! Today it has 146 members. In the midst of a situation that many used as an excuse to gripe in public forum (they bit off their noses to spite their faces, you know), these 146 stood up and spoke for all that is great and wonderful about our school. Bravo to them!
I don't understand those people who decided to use the WSJ blog to air all their pent up law school frustration! If you find good things to say to the world about UB Law, you make yourself look better, too. I’m not trying to be Big Brother, saying that people can’t voice opinions and give criticism. Our Ideas Day was a fantastic outlet for all kinds of feedback, positive, negative and innovative. Everyone complains about stuff in school, especially in a discipline that trains you to think critically. I wish everyone would also just think critically about their audience, and the impression they’re giving...that they would find sensible outlets for all their comments. Don’t you think that being at a school with really amazing Vault-survey student comments is going to be better than being at a school with snarky ones?
Since this is a career blog, let me tie this all in with interviewing and networking. In the real world, it boils down to this. Browse the Law School website—look at all the great stuff that goes on here. Make that part of your interview and networking material. Want an example of how to do that? Our own Vice Dean Alan Carrel recently addressed a reunion luncheon. I’m not a fan of rankings, but Dean Carrel would rank #1 if we measured pride among UB Law Alumni. Here is a link to his speech. I hope you will take the time to read it, not only for its content, but also because it is an ideal example of how a proud alumnus talks about UB Law.
So here’s my takeaway. Join the UB Believers. Be proud. Be proud as heck. Not just of your law school, but of your college, your high school, or any other group that you may represent. They had a part in getting you to where you are today. But remember that the relationship is symbiotic. A school only looks as good as the person representing it at that moment. The reputation of any school lives and dies by the actions and character of its students and graduates. You are our ambassador forever. You have the power to move the school forward, or hold it back, just by how you perform, behave, speak. If you excel in your summer job, your employer will come back to hire students again. If you burn bridges, you have potentially burned them for years of students to follow you. You, yes YOU. One person can make a difference.
2 comments:
You're right about many of the WSJ comments being counter-productive. Please note that MANY of those "snarky" comments came from alumni, not current students. Amongst those comments though was a common opinion that UB, being New York's only public law school, should be competitive with schools like Univ of Maryland. UMaass, etc and not only in terms of rankings. Even with the negativity found on the WSJ blog, there's a proactive message coming from students, alumni, and other attorneys.
Also, my personal frustration with UB is that I often get the impression that administration thinks it's more important that UB "looks good" to the outside world rather than taking student concerns seriously to improve the school (this comment is not directed at all administration, but enough key players to warrant mentioning). Example: when we are asked to participate in Vault and Princeton Review surveys we're sent reminder emails to only say nice things about the school.
Before Idea Day students didn't have a real outlet to voice their concerns and ideas at all, so hopefully with that program implemented there will be a generally more positive morale. In sum, my UB pride will grow exponentially as my student concerns are taken more seriously.
Points well taken. I am heartened to see that you feel strongly enough about this to reply--thanks for your comment!! Just a couple of clarifications:
1. The audience for this blog is intended to include alumni, and certainly the tenor of my admonition was that whether the "snarks" were current students or alumni doesn't really matter. It's still a reflection on the school that they are affiliated with.
2. Ideas Day was a great step in the right direction in getting feeback from students and giving them an outlet. I am confident it will continue. However, feedback and more importantly, participation, in solutions is not a once-a-year thing. I hope that anyone who has constructive ideas and energy and talent to bring to the solutions will come forward at any time!
3. Reminders to students to say nice things on Vault and other surveys are sent to remind students that public "snarking" is only tarnishing your own degree. If prospective students are turned off by griping on Vault, we won't continue to attract the candidates that keep our school competitive. No one's saying that griping isn't allowed (we all do it!), it's just supremely counterproductive in that forum.
The administration must necessarily be concerned with how we look to the world as well as what we're doing internally. Please be assured that work is being done continuously on both fronts! But always feel free to voice your suggestions, and get involved!
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