SNAILs on Cell Phones
Our school has quite an awful library. It's large and cement, and often cold. We got new chairs, but the tables are too high, and the only windows are way above eye-level, making it feel like you are working in a bunker. Everyone complains about the library. But strangely, we are fiercely protective about it too. Many students from other faculties like to come here and study, yet we have a sort of hate-on for anyone outside of law using it. We can recognise them, flipping through their flimsy coursepacks and writing in notebooks instead of looking at bright red leatherbound texts and fat casebooks. We call them SNAILS. I can't remember what it stands for, but might be something about student not ... in law school? I don't recall the A. Anyway, I get into it too. Just told a young undergrad to stop whispering on her cell phone. "You're not allowed to use them in here..." I said. The moment it vibrated, all heads turned to stare at her, glaring and huffing. But I wonder why... after all, we break the rules too, sipping tea out of non-regulation cups and congregating too loudly. What are we so territorial about? I guess misery only loves company when it thinks they are going through the same degree of misery.
