King Hall Community Greets Class of 2017 at Welcome BBQ

King Hall faculty, alumni, students, and staff gathered at the Moss Patio at the UC Davis Buehler Alumni Center on August 17 to meet and greet the incoming Class of 2017 at the annual Welcome BBQ. The event provides new students with an opportunity to mingle with members of the King Hall community in an informal setting prior to the beginning of Intro Week, five days of academic and social activities that take place prior to the beginning of regular fall courses.

The event included remarks from Dean Kevin R. Johnson, Assistant Dean for Admission and Enrollment Kristen Mercado, King Hall Alumni Board President Gage Dungy '03, and Law Students Association President Hayes Hyde '15.

"Congratulations!" Dean Johnson said, greeting students on a typically warm Davis summer evening. "You are now a student at an extraordinary law school.  And, despite any doubts you may have given the heat tonight, the Class of 2017 has chosen the perfect place to study law.  King Hall has a well-earned reputation of diversity, community, and excellence.  If you do not believe me, compare notes with friends at other law schools."

Dean Johnson noted that although many law schools are experiencing declining student applications, King Hall saw a 25 percent increase in applications this year and enrolled a new class that is not only highly qualified but also very diverse. The new class is comprised of 56 percent female students and 46 percent people of color, and includes students from not just California, Texas, New York, West Virginia, Florida, Ohio, and other states, but also China, Taiwan, and Singapore.

Like Dean Johnson, Gage Dungy welcomed the new students and encouraged them to compare the friendly, collaborative atmosphere at King Hall with the experiences of friends who chose other law schools.  Dungy mentioned the experience of one friend who attended another local law school: "On the first day, they said, 'Look at the person sitting to your left and the person to your right: one of you won't be graduating.' At King Hall, we say, 'Look at person on your left and on your right: these are the people you're going to graduate with and become part of our alumni network with.'"

Kristen Mercado, who joined King Hall from the University of Chicago Law School in 2011, said she was initially surprised by the cheerfulness of the students and faculty at UC Davis.  "I wondered if it was a California thing, or maybe a small town thing?" she said. "But I soon learned is that it was a King Hall thing. King Hall is a place where students, faculty, and staff work hard every day, but unlike many other law schools, they are actually happy doing it. They love what they do, and they love doing it at King Hall."

Hayes Hyde also spoke of the King Hall community and the tight bonds the new students can expect to form with each other in the coming years. "But always remember that this community extends far beyond the confines of King Hall," she said. "This family has many generations flung across many states and nations. Wherever you go, you will be carrying with you the King Hall name. You will have a network of alumni to reach out to. You will have a reputation to honor, protect, and cherish, because only so many are lucky enough to be a member of this family."