Posted by Cindy Nations
December 3, 2012 – We have to hand it to Dean Guter and the staff at South Texas College of Law. They really went all out to make the “Dean for a Day” experience both enjoyable and unforgettable. From the moment Mr. Nations arrived at the school, he was met by one surprise after another . . . all perfectly planned and well-executed by the Dean and many employees.
They re-named the school “The Nations Law School” for the day, complete with custom-made banners with a picture of Howard Nations sporting a tuxedo and flashing that infamous smile! The school photographer followed us around all day like paparazzi, capturing everything on film. The former registrar of the school Lylene Pilkenton, now retired, came out of retirement to work once again with her old friend ” Professor Nations.” He was also given the opportunity to lecture to an Aviation Law class, bringing back fond memories of his 25 years as a Law Professor at South Texas.
Following a very nice reception and mingling with students, professors, South Texas alumni, and former students of Howard Nations (some who graduated over 30 years ago) everyone entered the lecture hall to watch the documentary Hot Coffee, presented by “Dean Nations.” There was a popcorn machine on hand — after all what’s a movie without popcorn!
Hot Coffee began with a discussion led by “Dean Nations”, after which we watched the movie, which was followed up with the audience participating in a lively discussion, asking questions, and sharing ideas. Many people had never seen the Hot Coffee movie and left with a much better understanding of what tort reform is really all about. Several people were inspired to take action! That’s exactly what we wanted. Overall, it was a wonderful day. My sincerest thanks to Dean Guter and everyone at South Texas who worked so hard to make this day such a special honor for my dad.
