Seattle University Class of 2012 Forum

[Marmot]

So, I'm coming up for the visit weekend. I'll be staying down by Pike's Place Market. I figure I'll spend Friday and Monday up by the campus. Any local suggestions for what to do over the weekend? I'm a sucker for a good pizza. Any suggestions?

There are some decent pizza places in Seattle - Zeek's (local chain with multiple locations) is pretty good and A New York Pizza Place (Greenlake/Maple Leaf neighborhood) is better.

Places you really ought to hit up for food, though, include:
- Paseo Caribbean in Fremont for lunch. Get the Midnight Cuban Press and find a nice place to sit if the small dining area is full. Come back here and thank me for introducing you to the best sandwich you've ever had.
- Skillet Street Food (moves around, Google it) is outstanding for lunch or early dinner.
- Coastal Kitchen in Capitol Hill is a great seafood place with a rotating menu.
- Crow is perhaps the city's best restaurant. Around $20-25 a plate and not too tough to get a reservation. Menu rotates.
- Sushi Ko in Belltown is good, but (somewhat pricier) Chiso in Fremont is outstanding. The various Blue C Sushi places aren't as good as these but have nice happy hour deals and conveyor-belt fun.
- Beecher's in Pike Market has the best grilled cheese sandwich you can buy.
- Brouwer's in Fremont is a pub with an outstanding beer selection and very good food.
- My friends in town say that Cafe Presse, right near the SU campus, is quite good.

Man, I can't wait to get back.

[clara]

So, I'm coming up for the visit weekend. I'll be staying down by Pike's Place Market. I figure I'll spend Friday and Monday up by the campus. Any local suggestions for what to do over the weekend? I'm a sucker for a good pizza. Any suggestions?

The pizza scene in this town kinda blows. Something has to keep us humble. The best pizza is ironically in Ballard; there's a few decent pie joints but i like Snoose Junction. If you're at the Market, you can take the 15 or 18 if you wanna check out Ballard; it's not what it used t be but it's still fun. Madame K's Pizza Bistro (Google it before you go...) is also pretty cool. In the market, don't miss Mee Sum Pastry or Emmet Watson's Oyster Bar. Be warned that Pike Place Market is significantly spendier than the city itself. Seattle is not cheap, but it's nowhere near as expensive as the Market; Watson's is a bit cheaper. Get your tourist on and ride the ferry to Bainbridge Island. Good cheap fun. With few exceptions, every taco truck you find will be epic, and that's how one eats good and dirt cheap in this town. If you have time, skip the Space Needle and hit the Smith Tower Observation Deck instead. See --LinkRemoved-- for more delightful info.

Let's see. I'd walk around the Hill on one of those days and get to know the area. Not far from the SU campus at 13 Ave and Pike is the Elysian Brewing Company, a good beer place with tasty sandwiches. It's kind of the default hang-out space for a lot of folks I know. There's lots of cute shops and coffee joints on 15 and 19 Aves. and I strongly suggest a walk down Broadway. After all, our school gets name-checked in a Sir Mix-A-Lot song about Broadway itself... As a culture shock warning, Seattle kind of is weak with the chain restaurants and stores. You're going to have a bear of a time finding a Blockbuster Video, but there's good local options. The McDonalds are few, but we have Dick's. It's a little weird if you're not used to life here, but I assure you it's entirely survivable.

If you're wondering "how do i get there", there's lots of parking and it will all cost you your firstborn if it's in a lot or, if you're lucky, bag a street parking space. Street parking in Seattle is cheap. I ride the bus most of the time, and if that's how you're getting around, see http://tripplanner.metrokc.gov for more info. If you're coming from the airport, take the 194 and not the 174. It's way faster and far less "unsavory." The 174 goes through the neighborhoods I live in and it's generally just fine but I've seen it scare noobs off transit.

[cmaho9qy]

150K is a lot to pay for a 25% chance at a job paying 50K.

The thing I heard from Seattle U that puzzled me was the emphasis on "Social Justice". If you want to do social justice, join the Peace Corps or Americorps, it's a lot cheaper. Or volunteer after work.

Wow. You're an elitist asshole who can't see outside their own narrow view of the world, aren't you? Why don't you fuck off? Kthx, bye.

Why the defensiveness? My "narrow world view" has been gathered by talking to working attorneys who attended Seattle U as well as other schools and internet sources about the legal job market. I don't think most students going to Tier 2 schools know the realities of the job market. Have you noticed that there are large layoffs in the legal industry?

http://lawshucks.com/layoff-tracker/

4,500 attorney jobs lost since January 1, 2008. Plus the current crop of 2009, 2010, and 2011 Tier 1 students who will be looking for jobs. Law is a prestige-based profession, and those students who went to better schools will be given the opportunities before lesser schools.

So you 'heard' you only have a 25% chance to make 50k? So where did you 'hear' this?

Talked to people to went to Seattle U, some who've graduated and some who've dropped out after one year.

This is just a Public Service Announcement for people on the fence. If you're already committed, good luck to you. Besides not everyone here is committed, you've still got until June or August to change your mind.

It's not like we're playing black jack here.

That's actually a really good comparison. Not only that, you are gambling on borrowed money, which distorts the value of it to you. Sure you can work hard and hope you are in the top 25%, but you can't guarantee it, and I've heard most Tier 2 law schools hand out scholarships to the top 50% of the incoming class, so you do the math.

I'm actually one of those people who thinks that not everyone needs to go to college in the first place and they could probably shutter 90% of the T3 and T4 law schools in the country.

I am actually one of those people too. I think it's a shame that our culture doesn't understand that a college education isn't right for everyone. And while I'd like to be able to say that those of us who made it through 4 years of undergrad are equipped with the mental capacity to make informed, logical decisions thereafter, I recognize that this is not necessarily the case. I suppose I can't fault you for wondering whether everyone who has decided to go to law school has made the right decision. Perhaps, though, that belongs in a different thread.

And again, you are assuming that I am gambling with borrowed money, which isn't ENTIRELY not the case, but I'm mostly paying out of pocket (my pocket, not my parents' pockets) and from scholarships. I suppose my point is that your generalization does not apply to those of us who don't fall neatly into your set of assumptions.

Also, SU is not a T2 school.

Of course, there is a lot of gambling going on here, and I'm pretty sure that everyone who has decided to go to a school on par with SU is aware of the fact that they aren't going to Harvard. I know I am. Hopefully it will pay off. Hopefully the economy will bounce back by
the time we're all graduating. I imagine that you could use a little luck at whichever school you've decided to attend too. I'm afraid that success in any venue doesn't generally come with a guarantee, so if you're holding out for one: you might be waiting a long time.

[cmaho9qy]

Aaand I now notice that we've pretty much put an end to the entire jjones thing, so hooray for that!

Ahhh reading all of the food/fun information is getting me so excited to relocate! I absolutely love Seattle and even though I'll miss Boston, I'm psyched to be relocating to another awesome city. On to the next adventure! Also, along the lines of the Elysian, there is a cool brewpub type place called Six Arms on E. Pike Street not terribly far from the Market and not at all far from SU for that matter. And if for some reason you wind up in the Greenlake neighborhood, be sure to get breakfast at the Blue Star Cafe. Huge menu and fresh, fresh fruits and veggies. Yum.

Enjoy the Market, too! It's a crazy busy place... don't plan to move in a straight line at a high rate of speed (not that you would want to with all of the sights to see). And I also second someone else's suggestion to take a ferry to Bainbridge. It's gorgeous, and if you enjoy being on the water, the ride there is really lovely too. As I recall, the historical museum there is pretty neat.

[Rsrcht]

I think I'll go broke eating at all of the interesting places in Seattle.

[cmaho9qy]

I think I'll go broke eating at all of the interesting places in Seattle.

haha, yeah... it's definitely a food town. Hope SU's gym is up to snuff... actually I haven't seen it. Does anyone know? I'm kind of a workoutaholic (not that I anticipate having tons of leftover time in LS) and I'm really liking the idea of not paying (extra) for a gym membership! Memberships in Boston are super expensive, so that will be a nice change. Besides... we'll all be spending enough as it is. Grumble.

[macattaq]

I think I'll go broke eating at all of the interesting places in Seattle.

Maybe we can get reservations at restaurants and form a study group that does dinner and studying?

[Katy Louise]

I think I'll go broke eating at all of the interesting places in Seattle.

haha, yeah... it's definitely a food town. Hope SU's gym is up to snuff... actually I haven't seen it. Does anyone know? I'm kind of a workoutaholic (not that I anticipate having tons of leftover time in LS) and I'm really liking the idea of not paying (extra) for a gym membership! Memberships in Boston are super expensive, so that will be a nice change. Besides... we'll all be spending enough as it is. Grumble.

I saw it when I was there last month. I thought it was pretty nice and well maintained. I did not explore too much though as I was running a little late to my next tour.

[BenjaminAlan]

This whole perspective is propagated by people who grew up with the idea that anyone who fails to make 100k a year has 'failed'. White privileged people don't realize how many other people make due with much less.

Not true, if someone could make 60K I think that's decent money, but 60K with 150K loans at age 26 is not great. And what about people who don't even get that? Law schools like Seattle U are designed to to do exactly that.

I'm just reading this stuff out of curiocity I'm not going to seattle U. But one thing to keep in mind is that if you go to medical school, you are often in your mid 30's before you are making money... if you look at a longer view of life, where its not so important what you make your 1st year out, but what you are making 8- 10 years out (not saying that lawyers typically make like dr.s) but, why is it necessary that you be making so much right off? you are poor as a law student and so, fine, maybe a lot of SU grads will be poor for several years after becoming a law student... but with inflation your debt will become smaller and smaller and as your experience grows your income will as well.

I have a lot of friends in med school and I look at them and think, why not consider the 1st years out of law school (assuming you're not making 6 figures, which is what we are discussing here) as sort of like being a resident in med school---you're a dr. in that case/ a lawyer here--- but you haven't yet started getting the financial pay off... you're working the hours but the investment is still just an investment... but that doesn't mean it wont pay off in the end.

just something to consider.

also, if you do become a govt atty there are soem great loan repayment options. both were if you work for the govt for over 10 years and have been paying on your laon and make less than a certian amt the rest of the debt is forgiven. but also where they will allow you to make lower payments than normal.

you gotta think outside the "box." for sure, there will always be peopoel who are getting in over their heads. I think that there are good points being made about the fact that SU, as any other institution, is acting primarily in its self interest---doing whats good for SU. Also, I think that, yea, the lesser the school, the higher the percentage of students going there who are gonna hve it tough and who maybe dont know what they are getting into..

but... I haven't even been attentive to the name of the guy nay-saying SU, but you are clearly making a lot of dumb assumptions, while you are making some decent points.... not making them in good taste, but the reality is there.

thats my two cents.

[cdube85]

I think I'll go broke eating at all of the interesting places in Seattle.

Maybe we can get reservations at restaurants and form a study group that does dinner and studying?

Along that line, is there anything like a dining plan on campus?

[Katy Louise]

Does anyone know if it is true that Dean Kellye Testy is going to be the new UW dean?

[macattaq]

Apparently: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... wdean.html

[Rsrcht]

I think I'll go broke eating at all of the interesting places in Seattle.

haha, yeah... it's definitely a food town. Hope SU's gym is up to snuff... actually I haven't seen it. Does anyone know? I'm kind of a workoutaholic (not that I anticipate having tons of leftover time in LS) and I'm really liking the idea of not paying (extra) for a gym membership! Memberships in Boston are super expensive, so that will be a nice change. Besides... we'll all be spending enough as it is. Grumble.

I saw it when I was there last month. I thought it was pretty nice and well maintained. I did not explore too much though as I was running a little late to my next tour.

Did you notice any free weights like barbells at the gym? I'm on a barbell routine and machines are not part of the plan.

[cmaho9qy]

I think I'll go broke eating at all of the interesting places in Seattle.

haha, yeah... it's definitely a food town. Hope SU's gym is up to snuff... actually I haven't seen it. Does anyone know? I'm kind of a workoutaholic (not that I anticipate having tons of leftover time in LS) and I'm really liking the idea of not paying (extra) for a gym membership! Memberships in Boston are super expensive, so that will be a nice change. Besides... we'll all be spending enough as it is. Grumble.

I saw it when I was there last month. I thought it was pretty nice and well maintained. I did not explore too much though as I was running a little late to my next tour.

Did you notice any free weights like barbells at the gym? I'm on a barbell routine and machines are not part of the plan.

I don't really have a credited response to this as I haven't seen the gym... but I can not imagine that there is any way they don't have free weights. I've never seen a gym without them and they do have sports teams... If I'm wrong, you can borrow mine. But they are purple... and probably below par in terms of actual weight for man muscles.

[Marmot]

Any speculation or inside knowledge as to how Testy's departure affects us and/or who the interim Dean will be?

[macattaq]

I'm trying to find out from a woman I know who is a student right now. She says that many of the students are pissed because Testy specifically stated she wouldn't leave for UW.

[cdube85]

Hmm, the only time I ever met my undergrad dean was when he handed me my diploma. Maybe law school is different...

[cdube85]

So, is everyone ready for summer term?

[Rsrcht]

Good luck to summer term people. I'll see you this fall?