One of the aspects of Booth that I absolutely love is the fun rivalry we have with that other MBA program to the North, Kellogg. It was something I did not expect coming into Booth at all (I assumed rivalries ended with college football!) but also something that I find myself getting super excited and competitive about every time. Almost twice a quarter there is some Booth v. Kellogg event, from case competitions to conferences, to soccer, rugby, and flag football, all the way to my personal favorite, BATTLE OF THE BANDS!
Every spring, our AudioBooth club organizes an epic battle between the incredibly talented musicians of both MBA programs. I love the event because the music and energy is incredible, but also because I get to see my student peers show how talented they are beyond the classroom. This year was unbelievable- the bands left it all out on the stage and I was blown away by the talent of the musicians.
We’re down to our final week of life at Booth, which means days are spent hastily trying to sell old furniture, cobble together final papers, and say yes to every event invitation that comes our way. While two years is really the perfect amount of time to be in business school, it doesn’t take away from the sadness we collectively feel about having to leave this community and most importantly this lifestyle.
I probably speak for most of my class in saying that it’s been a transformational period of time. We learned a great deal, engaged in new experiences, and made memories that’ll last a lifetime. But aside from all the facets of school you’ve read about all year, let’s talk about the social aspect at Booth, and what makes it so much fun to be a part of when classes and recruiting take a back seat on occasion (or potentially more often than that).
This past Saturday, the Graduate Business Council (GBC) hosted Spring Fling, a 400-person, all you can eat dinner cruise around Lake Michigan! Last year’s theme was tropical beach party, but we decided to class it up this year with a masquerade party! Here are some of our favorite photos! 🎭⛵🌅
On April 29, the fifth annual Booth Emerging Markets Summit (EMS) went off (seemingly) without a hitch. Like a proud mama, I watched the entire conference unfold and basked in the enthusiasm and comments of attendees.
In the six months leading up to that day, I’d spent countless hours along with four other Boothies planning the details of the conference. I wrote hundreds of emails, made maybe half that many calls, and called in favors I was saving for life-or-death situations. But it wasn’t all grueling. Looking back today from the vantage point of knowing the event was a huge success, I would say that planning the EMS was a good way to see the changes that the past year and half has brought me, as well as effecting some of those final transformations.
Basketball is not just my favorite sport or form of exercise. It’s my favorite… everything. If I have a chance to watch TV, I’m finding whichever NBA game is on. If I’m listening to a podcast, it better be one analyzing the previous night’s games that I watched. And if I’m surfing the internet, my browser history is littered with ESPN, HoopsHype, Basketball Reference, and any other site you haven’t heard of.
I remember as I was preparing for my interview at Booth in November 2014 (wow that was a while ago…), I was reading through the classes and clubs offered, making mental notes of which ones to excitedly bring up. Sure, there was Quantitative Investment (didn’t take it) and the Analytics Club (didn’t join it), but when I read up a little more about the Booth Basketball Club, I was captivated.
