Francesca E. Veres can trace her roots at Case Western Reserve University all the way back to the 1940s when her grandfather was a student at Case Institute of Technology. When Veres was a child, he encouraged her to attend Case Western Reserve University, advice she ended up taking when she enrolled at the School of Law after completing her undergraduate education at Vassar College.
Now a member of the Black Law Student Association, Lambda Law Student Association and Law and Political Economy Society, Veres is taking on a new challenge this year as the president of the Graduate Student Council (GSC).
In her role as GSC president, Veres hopes to increase communication across graduate programs and collaborate with university administration to the benefit of all graduate students in terms of inclusion, student health and professional opportunities.
“I’m honored to serve the graduate student body in this capacity and look forward to the year!” Veres said.
Learn more about Veres in this week’s five questions.
1. What’s your favorite restaurant in Cleveland?
Le Petit Triangle in Ohio City. I’ve been going there since I was a kid. [They have] great escargot and crepes. I have always been a big escargot fan, and can remember a time when Hecks restaurant down the street used to have it on the menu. My mom likes to tell me that I used to drive my pink Barbie car down the sidewalk, park it out front and order a Shirley Temple and escargot and wait for her to pick me up. I was definitely way cooler as a kid than I am as an adult.
2. If you could go back in time and give your childhood self advice, what would you say?
Keep your Pokémon cards! I had almost all the original 150 and a few of them were first editions.I am not particularly good at the game, but I used to collect them and loved to look at my Dragonite card. I have a lot of TY beanie babies somewhere in my mom’s basement though. My favorite was Fuzz the Bear.
I would also tell myself to stop reading my Calvin and Hobbes anthologies in the dark. Turn on the light! You only have two eyeballs. Save the need for prescription specs for law school.
3. What’s the best way to unwind after a long day?
Playing video games while chatting with friends on Discord. I mostly play League of Legends. And I play with one of my best friends, who I’ve known since undergrad, and a few friends of his who I’m acquainted with through gaming.
4. Where would you like to go on your next vacation?
Actually, I’d love to have a stay-cation (to play video games and chat with friends on Discord.) Or else San Francisco (to visit those friends and eat lots of delicious food.)
5. What’s your favorite thing about Case Western Reserve?
The people! It is a bit of a broad answer, but I think that’s the point: I knew about [CWRU] because of my grandfather, but I came here because I wanted to learn from the professors at the law school. Now that I’m here, I’ve had the opportunity to meet fantastic people: other thought-provoking professors who help me develop as a law student and aspiring lawyer, colleagues who help me keep chugging along and staff who are also delightful to chat with every day.
I had the honor of participating in convocation this year and was blown away by the author-in-residence, Ruha Benjamin. I also read that Kiese Laymon is coming to campus later on in the year; I took a class with him years ago at Vassar, and am looking forward to hearing Professor Laymon speak again. It’s pretty funny who you meet here, and who you meet again. So, like I said, the people are my favorite thing about Case Western Reserve!