A Quick Update

First of all, I can’t believe that my last post was November 11th.  So many things have happened since then that I haven’t filled you in on, yet it seems like it was just yesterday.  Time is really flying by!  While I would love to give you a play-by-play of the last month or so, that would be pretty boring for you.  So, here are some of the highlights of what I’ve been up to and what’s coming up soon.

Law School

I’m still going strong in law school.  I’m halfway done!  Last semester ended and the grades have all finally come in.  I’m pretty happy with where I currently stand, so no complaints there.  I literally went into hiding during exams last semester, I think it was my hardest set of exams yet.  I’ve decided that, despite popular opinion, your second year doesn’t get easier.  Believe it or not, you are supposed to remember and apply the basic concepts you learned in your first year classes, like the elements of negligence, interpretations of the Constitution, and how to form a contract. There is  a reason they make you take these classes in the beginning; everything uses them in some way or another!  It was nice to take classes that I was specifically interested in.  I had Evidence, Professional Responsibility, Immigration, Education Law and Mock Trial.

Mock trial was awesome.  My partner and I made it to the Final round and lost by just a few points.  Mock trial (called Student Trial Advocacy Program at Wayne) is a program where students compete against each other in “real” trials. We get a problem and have to argue the case for a given side in one trial, then switch to argue the other side in the next trial.  We use the Federal Rules of Evidence to argue for whether we should be able to admit or not admit certain testimony or exhibits.  We have volunteer witnesses that play the characters in the problem, who we prep as best we can so they can support our case. I thought the Wayne team did a great job of making it as realistic as possible.  During the “in-house” competition, where Wayne students in the program compete against each other, we even had a few of our trials in actual courtrooms.  We have witnesses and judges volunteer to preside as a judge over each case. They rule on any legal decisions and also score us as we go.  It is a lot of fun.  I took evidence at the same time I was in Mock Trial, so I was learning new rules and applying them to the problem at the same time.  I thought this was extremely beneficial for me, not only in my Mock Trial case but in my evidence class, the rules seemed more real to me because I had a way to use them. Of course, it’s ideal if you have already taken evidence before Mock Trial.

After the in-house competition ended, I tried out for and made one of the national competition teams.  We send teams to two national competitions, AAJ and TYLA.  I won’t say which one I got onto, since the teams are highly competitive and we are in the middle of preparing for competition.  However, it was very exciting to be invited to join one of these prestigious teams.  We will have the chance to compete against teams from other schools in a regional competition, with the winners going on to compete at a National competition. My team has put in a ton of time already, practicing two to three times a week.

Immigration Law Clinic

I was also accepted into the Immigration Law Clinic at Wayne State.

What is “The Call” Really About?

I heard a commercial for The Call on my way home a few days ago.  I wasn’t paying attention but I caught the end of it and wasn’t really sure what was going on, only that it was some call to prayer.  Over the last few days, I have heard much more about this event and decided to look into it a bit further to figure out what is really going on.  So, here’s a little background.  It takes place in Detroit at Ford Field today, 11/11 and is a 24-hour event.  The oft-cited purpose for the event is a 24-hour prayer to lift Detroit out of its darkness and that people will “gather to this city that has become a microcosm of our national crisis — economic collapse, racial tension, the rising tide of the Islamic movement, and the shedding of innocent blood of our children in the streets and our unborn.”

Obviously, the “rising tide of Islamic movement” part has put many Muslims in Michigan on alert (since removed from their website). However, the leaders of the event claim that it is open to all religions and is not anti-Islamic. Instead, it is anti-extremist and anti-terrorist.  The Dearborn Patch did a great article about this and one of the comments included multiple links to places so that people can decide for themselves what the real intention of this event is.  I have read through these links and wanted to share with you what I have found.

First of all, regardless of what you may think their position is on Islam, the website boasts an “anti-abortion” (I say anti-choice) agenda and seems to claim some pride in George W. Bush being elected president after they held a similar prayer event surrounding the 2000 election. That should pretty much inform you on my reaction as I began reading more. In addition, the way they define Detroit has put me on a bit of the defensive.  They claim it is the “place where they say there is no hope” and that through this event God will ” forgive our national guilt.” It’s as if they are blaming Detroit and Michigan for the nation’s ills, and will ride in on their white horse of prayer to save the day.  I don’t really buy it.

However, I try to keep an open mind.  It’s entirely possible for people to have this as their agenda to put that aside and truly create a space where others can freely worship, in their own style, and discuss their opinions freely – even disagree. And, maybe some good will come out of people gathering to focus on how to help in Detroit.

This took me into further research on the person behind this organization and event, Lou Engle.

Anti-Bullying Law in Michigan *Wink**Wink*

This semester, I have been taking Education Law at Wayne Law. I had never really considered much about education law before this class, but I recognized my lack of knowledge of how our education system works and wanted to find out what the law behind it is. This class has been fantastic and has opened my eyes to the complexities that surround the fundamental element of educating our children and ourselves. It has also showed me that, currently, Michigan is far behind in recognizing the rights of students throughout their education.

Recently, we talked about bullying and acts of hate, related to the schools ability to step in and stop it.  I have seen the video from Jamey Rodemeyer, the student who recently contributed his voice to the “It Gets Better” campaign, then was found by his sister because the bullying he was subjected to was too much to handle.  We have read cases about how bullying gets worse and worse as technology changes, and how most states have taken active steps toward developing Anti-Bullying legislation and programs to stop bullying and help the victims.  I learned Michigan is one of the few states who had no state-wide legislation.  Without such legislation, the students have a much harder time recognizing a right and a recourse against the actions of the bullies and even perhaps a school system that might encourage it.

Then, I saw the articles about the “Anti-Bullying” bill going through the state legislature this week. I say “anti-bullying” with the greatest amount of sarcasm, because the language in this bill actually provides a shelter for bullies if they make a statement of “a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction of a school employee, school volunteer, pupil, or a pupil’s parent or guardian.” This bill is actually creating a means through which people can legally and legitimately bully others.  It’s sickening.  I’m sure it will be subject to legal challenge if passed.  It has already been through the ringer in regards to criticism for how it worked and what it says.  Did I mention the father of the child who this bill is named after, Matt Epling (the child), has loudly spoken out against this bill for exactly the language quoted above?

Another Book Review: The Black Banners by Ali Soufan

A few weeks ago, I was at a BRIDGES meeting and the FBI agent recommended a new book called The Black Banners as a great insight to the efforts against terrorism and what happened post 9/11.  I wrote down the title but, as law school doesn’t lend much time for reading for pleasure, I forgot about it.  When I was in the airport last weekend, I stopped at the bookstore to find something to read on my long flight.  The Black Banners was in the recently released section and I immediately bought it.

The very beginning of the book places you in an interrogation room in Yemen with Ali Soufan (the author and former FBI Agent) and Abu Jandal (a senior al-Qaeda operative) just days after 9/11.  As you read, Soufan tracks back in his life to even before he joined the FBI. Soufan expertly writes about the violence that filled his youth in Lebanon during times of strife, the bet he accepted in college that brought him to the FBI, his own personal interest in Osama bin Laden based on shocking stories in newspapers from home, and the path that he walked as this hobby became his expertise, and his life.  From the very beginning of this book, it is clear that Ali Soufan is extremely knowledgeable about not only terrorism and al-Qaeda, but the Arab culture and the inconsistencies found between two.

However, it’s not a dry book about the history of al-Qaeda and the victories of the US.  While it can get overwhelming at points when many names are thrown around, especially when they are accompanied by one or more aliases, this book reveals the personal struggles Soufan dealt with when faced with the death of his mentor in the Twin Towers and his consistent criticism against Enhanced Interrogation Techniques. Soufan humbly and matter-of-factly details his successes in major wins from difficult and well-prepped interrogations that revealed information about the attack on the USS Cole, masterminds behind other potential plots, and the intricate workings of the organization we had known very little about before he came on board.

Throughout the book, you get a very clear understanding of who this man is, and what he would do or not do in the name of the United States. He believed that you have to outwit the person you are interrogating.  The only way to do that was to know as much as you could about the ideology of the organization, as well as the actual person you have in front of you.  In one instance, Soufan was able to convince an al-Qaeda operative to cooperate by calling him a nickname his mother gave him when he was young.  The operative thought that if Soufan knew about that, then he must know about everything else, and therefore would not be telling him anything new. 

My New Job at the ADC

I have posted earlier about the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and all of the great work is done.  I am lucky enough to say that I am now a (small) part of that work!  I recently began working a few hours a week with the ADC Michigan office in Dearborn.  I am managing different cases that were already active, and taking in new complaints to determine how to move forward.  The ADC takes complaints from people about ways they were discriminated against in any form or fashion.  We get information about the incident(s) and identify what, if anything, we can do. This position is not a legal one for me, but my ability to spot a legal issue can help us make referrals to attorneys who may be able to help.  Sometimes, there could be a legal problem that is being dealt with, but also a civil rights issue that we address at the same time.

I am very excited about the work I am doing.  The ADC not only helps address the individual issue of discrimination with one person, it has the ability to bring a voice to the issue overall and bring about change on a greater level. It is so important for people to have an avenue to walk down and a place to go when they believe they have been mistreated.  ADC is that place for so many people in Southeast Michigan and around the country.  The techniques used and the relationships built through this process help to break down barriers, both individually and culturally, so that, hopefully, the issue before us can be prevented in the future.

I am slowly working down my own path to learning Arabic, a major disadvantage for me as most people who come into our office are bilingual.  I know this opportunity will allow me to grow personally and professionally.  In the end, I am glad to know that I am helping this wonderful organization to truly help people in my community and I can’t wait to see what happens next! To learn more about the ADC, visit their website at www.adcmichigan.org

Run Wild for the Detroit Zoo

6:30 this morning came way too quickly. I was seriously considering not getting up and skipping the race. Honestly, the fact that I had paid $25 to participate was what finally made me get up. Along with the guilt trip I would have given myself later if I hadn’t! The 5k was scheduled to begin at 8am but I needed to pick up my number bib with the tracking system for my time. It also takes me a good 1/2 hour to get to the zoo from my house so I decided to leave by 7am and I thought I would be fine.

As I exited 696, I really thought I might  not make it in time. The zoo is right there and the line of cars to get in was very long, but moving smoothly.  As I drove into the parking lot, there were people everywhere!  Most of them had their numbers on already and everyone looked like they were in a great mood. I’ve never participated in a race this huge and was astonished by how many people there were. I finally made it to the end of the lot where there were a few parking spaces left.  I booked it down to the registration table. I wasn’t sure what they would give us and so didn’t know if I needed to go back to my car to put anything away. I got in line at 7:45 and, though it was long, it moved quickly. The volunteers running the registration were happy and helpful. I got my number “2149″ and my t-shirt. I put the t-shirt on and pinned on my number, then started to make my way toward the start.

The day included a 5k, 10k, 15k, and a family fun walk. The 5k was going first. I had assumed a lot of people were just there early for other races but most of them were moving toward the start line with me! I made my way toward the front but eventually there were so many people not going anywhere that I stopped and waited. I talked for a bit with a woman waiting next to me about how many people there were. She just started running again this summer as well. But, she was running today’s 5k as part of her training for a 10k next month, then a 15k in November. I told her so far, a 5k is good for me!  The gun went off and we laughed about how slowly we all had to move to the starting line. With a quick “good luck” to each other, I started my Endomondo and crossed the start, triggering my number on the timer.

The beginning was almost silly. There were so many people we were running down 10 mile and literally packed the street, with people even running on the sidewalk just to get some space. The pace was a really slow jog and it seemed as if we would never stretch out enough to get a stride. Surprisingly, the first mile went by pretty quickly even amid the craziness.  I think mostly because I was focused on running my normal pace, which meant at times weaving around people who were slower. No one got upset about this, it seemed expected that if you just run straight and don’t get in anyone’s way, those who want to will pass you or you can pass others. We made our first turn and a water table was waiting. I didn’t get one and kept going. One mile down.

Looking Back at the ADC National Convention

My drawn-out pronunciation of the word “lobby” marked me as a Midwesterner. My blond hair and blue eyes said I was a “regular American.” My green volunteer badge meant I was there to help. The kindness and conversations from the people I met told me I was accepted and welcome.

It was the weekend of June 10th and I was at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Annual Convention. Imad Hamad, Director of the ADC Michigan office in Dearborn, invited me to attend with his office and I was ecstatic.

Although I didn’t know the staff of ADC Michigan very well before the trip, soon Lena Mansour, Saira Mussani, and I were chatting like old friends as the plane took us to D.C. We landed just in time for a late dinner. Over pasta at an Italian restaurant we chose at random, we had light dinner conversation that ranged from where we grew up to our deepest thoughts on the inter-relationships between religions and how they are perceived. I was delighted that the trip began with such frank and open conversations and was excited for what else was to come.

As volunteers, we were assigned to a few different tasks and then generally available to help as needed. It was clear from the beginning that the volunteers and ADC employees love their jobs and being a part of the great work of ADC. I was welcomed into the family and pointed in a direction of where I could help.

Each panel contributed a unique perspective to the convention. The Interfaith Panel discussed the intricacies of the major religions and the different efforts each has undertaken to encourage understanding and tolerance. One such effort is a multi-faith annual holiday party in which different religious groups participate to learn about each others’ practices and beliefs. We were told about a religiously segregated and suspicious community where this effort was launched and the change it has brought about.

So…What’s Next?

Of course, the second I finished the Dearborn Duathlon, I was asked what I would do next. I was just glad to complete the Duathlon and had no idea what to say.  Clearly one day has been enough time for me to reflect on this question. I signed up for the Duathlon because I wanted to get in shape and I’m afraid that I will lose my momentum now that it’s over.  Right away, it was easy for me to think about jumping in and signing up for a 10k.  I quickly brought myself back to reality and thought that maybe I should focus on running a 5k but improving on my time and overall performance.  Then, I can work up to a 10k.

I looked around and found a few good resources online. Of course, I plan to do the Wayne Law Ambulance Chase, which is a 2.2 mile run around the Wayne State campus in September.  Since it’s not quite a 5k, I also think I will sign up for the Run Wild for Detroit Zoo 5k on September 18th. It’s just under a month away, a good cause, and a good way to keep this going.  I also found the Troop Trot on November 5, a 5k with the Metropolitan Detroit Veterans Coalition. The money for registration goes toward supporting the group’s efforts in sending care packages to our soldiers overseas.  They will also be collecting donation items the day of the race.  I think this is an awesome cause and a great event.  It will also give me motivation to improve my time and get workouts in as the Fall Semester picks up steam.

I found a good article about improving your 5k time which I think can help me bring my running to the next level.  The person who wrote the article has a website with a great training program that I can start to follow in preparation for the race in September.  It requires cross training along with running so that will keep it interesting.  I can keep swimming until the pool closes and maybe will get into biking or something after that.

We will see what happens as I go but I want to make sure to keep it going.  I’m still not in great shape and I have a few pounds I need to lose.  Most importantly, a semester of law school can be crazy and stressful, this can be a good personal goal and stress reliever, as weird as that sounds. Also, I have made getting up early to run or hitting the gym after work a habit that would be very difficult to start again if I lose it now.  I still don’t really consider myself a runner but maybe now I’m a little more athletic than I was 6 weeks ago!  I’ll make sure to keep you updated on my progress, just maybe not as often as I did for the Duathlon.

The Play by Play

Today was the day! The Dearborn Duathlon was scheduled to begin at 8:30 this morning and I was up at 7:30 trying to envision how this might actually work for me. I got all of my things together and soon my boyfriend, Phil, and I were on our way to Dunworth pool.  I had no idea what to expect and had decided not to eat the banana I got last night for breakfast.  I was too nervous!

When we pulled up a few participants were already there and they were opening the doors for us to sign up.  We signed the waiver, releasing the Ford Center and DMC from any liability in the case of injury or death, then got our numbers. They wrote a “3″ on both of my arms and I was officially registered.  I made my way out to the pool to scope out how this might happen.  As I suspected, the lanes were the length of the pool.  I had never swam 50 meter lengths before, but I was certainly going to have to figure it out quickly! I started talking to some of the other participants. They made me a lot less nervous because they were there just to have fun.  No one seemed to be taking it too seriously and some people said it had been a few months since they had even swam. I told Phil this morning that I was nervous I would look so ridiculous next to everyone else that I would be the absolute last one out of the pool and come in running so far behind that everyone would be gone.  It started to look like I was among friends and that made me feel better.

I got my shoes and transition things ready on a bench and dipped my toe in the water to test it out.  It was warm!  We were told we could jump in and do a quick warmup before the race started.  Right before we did that, we were told there was going to be a mandatory 5 minute transition time and we were assigned a timer to keep track of us as we went.  Phil was ready with the camera, with strict instructions not to take pictures when it looked like I was going to drown/die.  I jumped in and did a quick few strokes down and back.  I felt ready to go.  I didn’t go the full length, so I still had not swam 50 meters at once yet.

They lined us up to call the start of the race. With one last “good luck” we were off! It was very exciting to know that I was in line with 9 other people and we were racing each other in this crazy event.  I knew I had 8 laps and would need to pace myself but I got carried away and took off way too fast. When I got halfway down the pool, where I’m used to turning, I looked ahead and saw the huge amount of space left to the wall.  I pushed ahead and successfully flipped when I hit the other end. On my way back, I got tired, quick. I started to lose my rhythm and I couldn’t breathe. I inhaled a lot of water and the side I started on seemed to be miles away. I was forced to do a breast stroke, or some weird form of it, to try to catch my breath.

My team, Phil and my timer, were cheering me on like I didn’t look like I was drowning as I got to the end. I turned around and couldn’t help but think that I didn’t know how I would get through 7 more laps of this. I tried to do freestyle but kept losing my breath and did some more breast strokes for a bit. On the third lap, I was finally catching on. I understood the length now and what to expect.  While my pace was much slower than normal, it finally evened out and I was swimming like normal again. I even was able to throw in some flip turns at the ends. The laps went by faster and I felt much more in control. On my last lap, I tried to pick up the pace. I looked around and saw that there were other people in the water.  When I hit the wall, the first thing I said was, I’m not the last one!  Phil was standing there with my towel and I caught my breath as I went through my transition, getting ready to run.

I am very glad they required 5 minutes for transition, or I don’t think I would have been ready to run and would have rushed to get out there and probably passed out or something catastrophic.  I was lined up at the start as my timer was counting down until I could go.  Then, I was off again. I always start my run off pretty strong, like I actually know what I’m doing.  I felt good, despite my abysmal showing in the pool just minutes ago.  They had us run the track around Levagood Park. We had to do 5 laps.  As I came in for the first lap, I felt pretty good still and flashed a quick smile to everyone at the starting/finish line.  My first mile was soon down in just 10:05. 

Here We Go!

The Dearborn Duathlon is tomorrow morning.  I was talking to my sister about it last night and realized that I’m actually getting a little nervous about it.  I know I started this just to get in shape and to get through it.  But, I’m anxious about actually being the worst person there, as much as I have joked about that! In my mind I can see people done with their entire race as I’m just getting out of the pool.  It’s not pretty!

In a last ditch effort to make sure I’m ready for tomorrow, I ran this morning and then just got back from swimming this afternoon. I didn’t intend on running but I felt like I needed to. The run went ok, it was just over two miles.  I went through my same old routine asking myself for a good reason why I couldn’t just start walking at any given moment.  The swim today was terrible. It took me about 10 laps to get into my rhythm. My turns were all off and I almost drowned a couple of times when I inhaled water instead of air. I admit, I did not go to the pool enough times during my training. I did a couple extra laps to make myself feel a little better about tomorrow.

As I left, I asked the lifeguard which way the lanes will be lined.  She said it will probably be the length of the pool.  If so, that’s good and bad for me.  I have never gotten to swim a straight 50 meters because either the pools I have swam in aren’t that big or the lanes are across the width and not the length. So, I’m used to 25 meters, then turning.  The good news is my flip turns are a disaster so if the lanes are for the length then that’s fewer turns I have to make.

I looked back over my Endomondo reports and the different swim workouts I did.  While I can’t do an exact distance for swimming because I don’t have the same app, I think the number below is a pretty accurate reflection of my training.

Number of Weeks Training: 6
Number of Miles Ran: 37.01
Number of Miles Swam: 6
Best running mile time: 9:56
Best swimming 1/2 mile time: 16 minutes

I think I’m getting a bit too much into my head so I’m going to try to relax and get a good night’s rest before the race.  The good thing is that I actually completed the distance in full over a week ago.  If I could do it then, I know I can do it tomorrow.  Wish me luck and good luck to everyone else who is participating tomorrow.  Also, thanks to everyone who has asked about my training or given me encouragement along the way! In case you are wondering, the Duathlon will be held tomorrow morning at 8:30am at Dunworth Pool/Levagood Park.