Beyond Yourself Consumption Function

Beyond Yourself!

That was the rallying cry for a great event we recently held at Haas (and not coincidentally one of the four Haas Defining Principles). One Friday evening each month, different student clubs host a “consumption function” on campus. It’s like a big happy hour with free food and a different theme each time. On March 16, which coincided with the first Days at Haas for admitted students, we wanted to show off all the great social impact work that’s going on at Haas.

More after the jump.

Community Events: EBC Fall Mixer & No Shave November

Just a couple of quick examples of events that have happened in the past few weeks, are already tradition here at Haas, and showcase the openness and values of our community.

The European Business Club recently held its Fall mixer in which students and partners from numerous European countries brought typical local food, drinks and trivia to share with all the other students and faculty. I think I have never seen the Wells Fargo room as full as I saw it during this event, which was a great opportunity to show the richness of Europe, in terms of cultures and flavors, to our non-European friends.

The second event I want to quickly mention is the reason why I have a beard in the picture above: No Shave November! During the whole 30 days, students agree to ignore the razor and we fundraise among friends and family to support Challenge for Charity (C4C),  a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that draws on the talents of MBAs from nine West Coast business schools to support local charities and develop business leaders with a lifelong commitment to community involvement and social responsibility.  On the final day of the month, the rights to be shaved are auctioned and the highest bidder, while donating all the money to C4C, decides how to shave the subject, who commits to stay in whatever facial situation the winner has decided for 24 hours. Yes, that includes going to class the following morning…Pictured below are the auction stage and the shaving area, which was busy until the late hours of the day. The result: 123 MBAs donated the rights to shave their beards/head/chest/legs raising in excess of $12,000!

Going Green: Getting a well rounded education

The first year at any school is a blur. Balancing a wide load of courses, meeting new friends, exploring the city, and making connections for my job switch was more than I could’ve imagined. In my second year, I’ve decided to go deep on things that mattered most to me:

1. Embrace my love for digital media and technology (looking forward to >play this weekend)
2. Take classes in my weak spots (financial modelling, and financial information analysis)
3. Learn how to play golf

With camera present, Mike forgets to keep his eye on the ball.

For me, the second year has been about going deep in what I enjoy most and spending time learning things that I’ve always wanted to do. While it didn’t make it into my application essay, golf has been one of those skills that I’ve always wanted to get at B-school. 

Lucky for Haasies, we’re right next to Tilden, a par-70 18-hole golf course right in our backyard. Utilizing my new negotiation skills, a bunch of my classmates and I were able to get reduced pricing for lessons. That’s experiential learning.

It’s been great over the past couple weeks to work on our farmers tan while learning to hit the ball in a quasi-straight line.  

Samir poses with Chris our instructor while Vincent works on his farmer tan. GO GIANTS!

—Vince

Students actively participate

Here at Haas students actively participate on the shape of the MBA program as well as take charge of many other activities. There are a lot of ways in which you can positively impact the student’s experience in the business school.
The Speaker Series is a good example of students’ involvement. A student organizer works with an instructor professor developing a course that aims to provide an introduction to multiple facets of a determined industry for all students, ranging from those preparing for a career in it or to those simply interested in learning about the industry. Careers in Marketing, Private Equity, Health Care, Alternative Energy, Careers in Consulting and General Management & Strategy are examples of some of the Speaker Series organized this year. You and your classmates will get to interact with top professionals from organizations such companies such as Visa, Dodge & Cox, Delloite, Clorox, P&G, Mozilla, Adobe, Google, Apple and many others.
I am attending to the Career in Marketing series, which has been a great opportunity for interacting with professionals and for getting insights on the skills required to be successful in this career. This Speaker Series also has been very important for me to get know better the culture of the companies, thus helping me focus on my search for an internship over the summer.
There are also several other ways in which you can impact student’s experience in the business school. Organizing the >Play conference, leading a club, preparing tailgates for Cal’s games, being a MBAA leader, supporting admissions on Day at Haas and organizing a trek to your home country are some other examples of the many activities in which you can be involved.

—Ricardo de Paula

—Ricardo de Paula

Hanging out on the couch

I’ve been hanging out in the MBA lounge a lot–low-key atmosphere, light-hearted chit chats, comfortable couches–what better environment in which to do some reading for the next class:

It was on these very couches that, one day last week, a fellow second-year and I spontaneously gave unsolicited advice to a first-year who made a mistake of sitting next to us when we were just hanging out. We found out she received two internship offers.

After giving her the congratulations, we immediately began lecturing about how Offer B was the better choice for her, even though she was leaning towards Offer A. We gave examples from our own experiences; we used metaphors; we tried everything to be persuasive.

At the end of our “session,” she did not seem convinced. “Only you know what’s best for you,” I conceded before she left for class.

Well, what do you know. Yesterday I found out she decided to go with Offer B.

—Helen Ip

A day in the life of a second-year MBA student

What is it like being in business school? It’s different for everyone, but I’ll share my day with you.

5:53am – I woke up before the alarm went off, again. I think I am still jetlagged…

5:57am – Checked my email and Facebook, while scanning through the syllabus for the two classes I had today. Began reading assignments while eating cereal.

7:00am – Turned on TV to watch my favorite show, Good Morning America. More depressing news about the economy.

8:00am – I couldn’t stand it anymore and turned off the TV. I noticed one of my classmates (a close friend) was online and started chatting with him…

me: i feel like i need to stop watching TV. i am sick with worry. the economy is sapping hope from so many.

him: i need to keep watching. lost! scrubs! daily show! office! =D

I love my friends–they know just how to cheer me up!

9:42am – I was two minutes late to class. Professor Ho was already in the middle of talking about yet another interesting Pricing topic. Like many other Haas professors, Teck Ho could easily get a job at Comedy Central. Today’s funniest moment involved the Happiness function (I will not spoil the surprise).

11:00am – Class ended. I headed to the MBA lounge to relax on the couch before lunch. Some first-years were working on their core course assignments; I did not envy them. Second-years were talking about their plans for the upcoming long weekend; many are going to Lake Tahoe for some skiing/snowboarding.

12:00pm – I met a classmate for lunch (we had scheduled it two weeks ago). We went to the Law School cafe and chatted about travel plans, Australia, New York, London, classes, the past, and the future. We agreed to meet up in the city–he lives in San Francisco–next time, for drinks.

1:00pm – Attended the Be Series, which is a student-organized weekly series of talks, each given by a different classmate. Today Pedro shared his life stories, including serving as a cave guide in Brazil, going to law school, becoming a photographer,….

2:00pm – I went back to the lounge to do some reading for my 4pm class.

3:00pm – I talked on the phone with a friend in London. He was worried that he might lose his job. We ended up mostly joking about our wedding-crashing plans: one in UAE and one in Hong Kong.

4:10pm – Time for the Media & Entertainment class. We had a speaker today. I don’t plan to work in the media industry, but the topic is fascinating.

5:55pm – Class was over. I walked home and looked forward to a lazy evening. American Idol awaited!

—Helen Ip