Rumors...why do we find these fictional tales so amusing? It seems gossip exists even more prevalently in law school than it did in undergrad. Ridiculous stories about thong flashing escapades with professors and secret professional stripping careers soar through the quad on a regular basis. "Who's sleeping with who" provides a topic for many conversations, not to mention debates about the sexual preferences of both students and professors. While most of the gossip somehow relates to sex, occasional banter about intelligence levels, job offers or the lack there of, family secrets, and financial means also flutter through the air. Does any of this matter? It's obviously part of human nature...at least in America. After all, supermarket tabloids, filled with fascinating accounts of superstar scandals, line magazine racks. Likewise, even our nation's political realm revolves, in large part, around the personal lives of those who choose to participate. The Clinton/Lewinsky scenario illustrates Americans' obsession with secret sex scandals. These actions aren't categorically condemned. Quite contrarily they conceivably signify hidden desires stifled through vicarious living.
             So why are people innately interested in gossip? Dr. Victoria Calder, a local psychologist suggests tribal nature stemming from historic forms of human habitation. In a tribe, strictly sought norms govern behavior. Joining the tribe requires conformity. Law school constitutes a tribe comprised of students and faculty. Inevitably, an expectation of certain social norms exists. Established members utilize rumors to control nonconformists, manipulating them into "norm"al behavior. Yet, after establishing compliance, the latitude of allowable idiosyncrasies expands; occasional behaviors outside the norm become increasingly acceptable. The maxim regarding human discomfort with differences sums up the gist of ...