The Registrar’s Office receives several subpoenas a week but rarely are we asked to actually show up in court and testify. On Tuesday Rochelle Watson (TRS) and I had the dubious honor of appearing in court as witnesses to a student’s attendance in class on a specific day in February. It’s not too often that I escape from my office and get to go on an adventure with a faculty member. If everyone is as much fun as Rochelle then I need to get out more often, maybe attend department meetings, hang out in your offices, visit your classrooms.
We were supposed to be called to testify at 9:30. The lawyers asked us to be there by 9:00 so they could brief us. We sat and waited…and waited…and waited. We observed that the typeface used for the numbering of courtroom 203 and 205 was different from the type face for court 204. We pondered that for awhile. We learned that you can make a chocolate cake with sweet potato filling. It was mid morning and that sounded especially good. We discovered that if you use mindful meditation when you walk you can lose more weight. Did you know Avon sells clothes now? We learned that too.
A trio of policemen, whose time was apparently more valuable than ours, were called in before us. While waiting for the last policeman to testify they regaled us with stories of how the court would break at noon for a two hour lunch. What?! I told them I couldn’t be there in the afternoon because I had a dentist appointment. One policeman warned me that I if I left for the appointment he would have to track me down and drag me back to court. I bet no one ever got dragged out of a dentist’s office to be taken to someplace even less desirable. They departed about 11:00 with well wishes. Rochelle and I waited…
While we continue to wait outside the court room, let me tell you how incredibly important it is to have thorough and accurate attendance data. Rochelle had to swear in court that a student was in her class on a specific day last February. And she had to back it up with records. Not only did she have daily attendance recorded for each day her class met in the spring, she also had a sign in sheet to back it up. Lawyers love records. They get really excited about signatures. If you had to testify whether a student was in your class on a specific day, could you do it? I hope so. Rochelle didn’t like my idea that the Registrar’s Office herd any potential defendants into her classes.
Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice, Rochelle and I worried about whether we would know which chair to sit in when we went into the court room. Should we look at the jury or ignore them; was that rude or professional? Should we greet the judge? Should Rochelle acknowledge the defendant? What if we got confused and raised our left hands instead of our right hands when we were sworn in? Are people in the court room allowed to laugh at you if you make a fool of yourself?
Rochelle was finally called in about 11:40. She was brilliant. I was called in at 11:50. I discovered that, yes, people ARE allowed to laugh at you if you make a fool of yourself. Rochelle bought me a diet coke. The court took a two hour lunch break. Mission accomplished.
Deborah Benjamin
Registration and Records
09/24/2009 |