Motley Blog

I'd been putting this off all Fall, but today seemed to be my chance. I was thinking it was just before Finals week and with another item on my Seattle agenda this made the trip worthwhile. Finals were this week, not next, but my explorations were even more fruitful than anticipated.

Curiously, access to the upper floors of the Law School Building, including the reception desk, is restricted to Students, Faculty and Staff with card access required in the elevator. The building is distinctive, so I figured I'd take a few minutes to get some pictures.

Just as I was taking this picture in the public lobby I was challenged by a distinctive looking gentleman telling me that I could not take pictures. The man was F. William Thornton, business director for the Law School. He was nice, and we did chat for a bit, including about the faculty member in question. I asked about the lack of access to the upper floors to the public and his response was not consistent with his demeanor -"We do that so we can arrest anyone we want for Trespassing". Presumably that would mean that they have consistent problems with former students.

I'll try again next quarter, but I'll definitely have to bone up on the law of taking photos in the public areas of government buildings. Hopefully I'll get the chance to talk with Mr. Thornton again and he won't be upset with my persistence.

With still a bit of time I had the opportunity to grab some shots of the new Nickelsville 'organized' homeless camp location, across the street from Campus at 45th Avenue NE and 15th.

In the background is the Law School, on the left - on the right, Downtown Seattle.

P.S. - another curious observation at the entrance area to the UW Law School. There are restrooms, right next to the elevator, signed for both male and female with the international symbol - stick figures wearing pants and a skirt, respectively. However although they have a regular women's restroom there isn't a men's - just a unisex wheelchair, single occupant kind of a thing. Now, I understand there is a long history of restroom oppression against the female gender, but those days are over, aren't they? So why burden the younger male students with such blatant, symbolic 'restroom harrassment' - is this supposed to compensate for the less enlightened of Mr. Gates and his generation?