New Space Deathmatch: Clubs v. Journals

The fourth in my series examining winners and losers of the Boalt Hall space reconfiguration. Today, we're back in the trenches--er, basement, with a comparison between club and journal office space.

Winners: Clubs
Ha! You all thought that journals would win in a landslide. After all, club offices are half the size. And they're shared. By the time you account for the lockers, there's not much space left.

Here's the thing. The "heavy lifting" of club participation takes place in classrooms, not offices. Journal offices are stuffed with computers and printers. They also need to store source collections, article submissions, author correspondences, and the other detritus of academic publishing. Clubs, on the other hand, store the nachos left over from karaoke night. Granted, there are large clubs--but who hangs out in their offices, apart from the five most active members?

The result is a cozy, nicely furnished room for the enjoyment of a few select people. No dusty, non-functioning Dell computers. No piles of photocopies. No obsolete 12 year-old torts casebook. Just a stylish sofa and a few comfortable seats. Maybe even a window. I’m going to hang out there all the time.

Losers: Um...can’t we all just get along?
Jeez, you can’t write a few paragraphs about office space without being called the worst person in the world. I will only say that some responses rely on a massive "straw man" argument--and don't distinguish a tease from a tirade. But I can’t fight such righteous indignation. I give up! Nobody loses. Everyone’s a winner at UC Berk-e-ley!

Anyway, if any Boalt group wants to bulk up their membership, they should do it the BTLJ way: free vodka and a superbly stocked snack cupboard.

Note to all Boalties: we're not alone.