The UNL golden calf

Law students are funny.... and I bet you didn't even know, they're a little bit superstitious. Or maybe it isn't even superstition, but a desperate desire to do everything and ANYTING they can to get those good grades. Whether it's wearing years of unwashed lucky underwear, offering a sacrifice to the test gods, or performing the sacred test day war dance, the weeks before law finals are filled with these superstitious rituals that are taken--would you believe it--VERY seriously in the law school community. While all of them are somewhat mildly humorous, this one, is my particular favorite.... Meet ROSCOE. I have no idea who ROSCOE is, or what he did or even how he's special to the law school. Nonetheless, there is a statute of ROSCOE sitting front and center in the lobby of our law library. Now, over the years, students (probably desperately thinking of more ways to increase their luck on finals) decided that rubbing ROSCOE's nose was lucky. (Which is why his nose is all shinny in this picture) But the buck didn't stop there... oh no, not by a long shot. See what probably happened, is one or two of these students did fabulous on their finals, after rubbing ROSCOE's nose. They, of course, attributed this good piece of fortune to rubbing ROSCOE's nose, and soon a harmless amount of nose rubbing turned into a full scale Bible idol worshiping. You know, like when Moses went to the mount and came back to find his people worshiping a cow (or calf, whatever). Well ROSCOE is none other than UNL's very own golden cow. Pictured here are the various sacrificial offerings given to ROSCOE in the weeks before finals. You probably can't see it, but one of those folded pieces of papers offers ROSCOE his soul in writing (a binding contract, for all of you law students who know what I mean... unless you count finals as being under duress or undue influence???)

Anyway, as I eagerly await the results of my grueling first year of law school, I can't help but hope that the small amount of ROSCOE nose rubbing (or brown nosing, I suppose you could call it) that I participated in (yes, I participated in the worshiping the UNL golden calf) might have helped pushed me my grades UPWARD in the right direction.

But then again, if it didn't help, I suppose I could always offer my soul next year... heehee.