Res Gestae: Thanks for taking some time to talk with us. I want to start with the question that I know is on everyone’s mind: Is there going to be bingo?

Ted Whalen: Of course.

RG: How old do you have to be to play?

Maili Shaffer: We started the group with people who are 30, or who will turn 30 before they graduate, in mind. But the group and its activities are open to everyone, and we hope that the law school’s younger members will come out as well. Just because you’ve never had a real job and you’re still being supported by your parents doesn’t mean that you don’t love bingo.

RG: Exactly. In addition to the lack of organized bingo opportunities, what do you think are the biggest problems confronting old people at the law school?

TW: Most students at the law school face the same challenges –making friends, doing well in class, getting along with professors– but every type of student brings different issues to the table. It can be difficult, especially at first, for older students to feel that they are a part of the social fabric of the school. Older students aren’t always into doing the same things in the same ways as younger students, and older students also have other commitments like families and long term partners to deal with. Also, we don’t all live at the law school like many of our younger counterparts.

RG: Are you saying that there aren’t ample opportunities for old people to meet each other? What’s about bar night at Rick’s?

MS: We expect that SQUALSA will continue to be well-represented at bar night, and the youngsters will be disappointed if they think that the formation of SQUALSA means that us older students are going to stop grinding the hell out of our classmates to really, really bad music at Rick’s. But we are also planning to hold social events that appeal to an older crowd – events where people can have conversations and where kids and spouses can come without getting beer spilled on them.

RG: I see. What’s up with that name, SQUALSA, anyway?

MS: It could have been a lot worse. It’s an homage to the Constitution because of the 30 year old age requirement for Senate members. It’s kind of tongue in cheek though –we don’t actually take ourselves very seriously.

RG: But it isn’t completely a joke?

TW: No not completely. We had a great turn out at the first meeting –about 40 students– so the interest is definitely out there. Most of the people who came to the meeting were 1Ls, so we’re hoping that more 2 and 3Ls will get involved and help us out. We may be old, but unlike the youngsters, we don’t know everything.

Interested in SQUALSA? Send an email to Ted at tewhalen@umich.edu or Maili at mkshaff@umich.edu.