“It’s a great way to celebrate the beginning of things.” So goes a line (as well as I can remember it) from one of my favorite movies, “A Thousand Clowns.” Murray and Sandra are throwing confetti to pretend friends on an ocean liner (shouting “Bon Voyage, Charlie, have a wonderful time”) to celebrate their new romance, a romance that (among other things) will eventually lead Murray to re-enter the 9-5 world he loathes. (“You’ve got to live in the real world,” says another character to Murray. His response? “I’ll only go as a tourist.”)

While beginnings seem to belong more to the crisp days of fall than the swelter of mid-summer, there are exceptions to the rule. Many fiscal years begin tomorrow; medical residencies, too. And here at Georgetown Law, where I edit the alumni magazine, we meet our new dean today. So this is a beginning, pure and true. But even if it wasn’t, it could be a day to celebrate. I take beginnings wherever I can find them.