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One of my classmates equated the multiple week lead up to the official start of classes to the slow, regulated ascent to the highest point of a roller coaster. All the build up, the mounting anticipation, without really knowing what the downhill experience will be like. Pre-MBA Stats. Tick. Pre-MBA Accounting. Tick. CORE. Tick. LEAD. Tick. Industry Immersion. Tick. Tick. Wait for it. And, what’s that? The sensation of my heart in my throat? I guess we’ve finally gone over the edge.
As of today, I have had a full week’s worth of classes and class work. In grad school? You have to read the syllabus before the first class because there is reading. And homework. Before you even get there. I know. Grad school? Is not here to be easy.
So far, I have done nothing but read, read, and read. One week and I already need a new highlighter. For stats, we cover 2 chapters a week. Same with accounting. For Microeconomics (which, due to the way the course is taught by this particular professor, is shaping up to be the toughest class on my schedule), we have 2 chapters of textbook reading, assigned background reading (this week, WSJ articles highlighting various examples of the influence of changes in supply or demand on the price of wheat futures, copper, gasoline), AND a case. Grading for the course is highly weighted toward participation, and not just your garden variety, “I did some of the reading and can parrot back the facts of the case” kind of participation. No. Not only are we expected to complete all of the reading and the problem sets in the textbook, IN ADDITION TO the case analysis, which for Monday must be completed within our study group, we are ALSO expected to perform additional research on the case, readings, etc. so that we might contribute something additional to the discussion. Yesterday’s reading was on Voluntary Restraint Agreements between Japanese and European automakers. It was also dated 1989. So the night before, I spent several hours researching VRA’s in Europe and the US and tried to construct a meaningful timeline of the impact such agreements had on international trade from the early 1980’s to the present. My “substantive comment” was to answer a classmate’s question of “what was the outcome of the VRA in Europe” with current marketshare stats for international automakers. This, I hope, made up for the fact that most of the “lecture” (if you can apply that label to 20 minutes of fast-paced white board scribbling) was completely over my head.
Last class is a case course called Network Structures of Effective Management, which is a study in social capital management and uses. Also? Interpretting network maps like the one below. I love the GSB. They’ve even found a way to make “soft” subjects quantitative and analytical. Our professor calls it the “Chicago approach” to social network management. Anyway, for that class, we have ~100 pages of reading per week, including a case for which we are provided discussion questions. The grading for this course is also heavily weighted to class participation, so my preparation usually involves taking extensive notes on the readings and then organizing into discussion points.
Finally, there is LEAD. If Network Structures is semi-soft, then LEAD is the runniest camenbert of the bunch. LEAD meets once a week for team building exercises and discussion on topics like “IMPACT Feedback” and “PROCESS Listening.” (Yes. Nearly the entire course is taught in useless acronyms.) Nevertheless, I am enjoying the opportunity to reflect on my “opportunities for growth” in a less competitive setting. And believe me. There are plenty of them. But more to the point, I have HOMEWORK in this class too, as each week we practice our IMPACT feedback and PROCESS listening by acting out cases that have been delivered to us beforehand. This? Is generally the highlight of the class for me, but it does require a certain level of preparation.
And let us not forget the reason we are all here. (No, it is not to party round the clock.) TO FIND JOBS AFTER SCHOOL. Yes, that’s right. I’ve been a student for exactly 7 days and already, I’ve been forced to make decisions that will have an impact on my career trajectory. For in the midst of all this reading and case prep and study group, et al, we are also attending industry immersion events, 2nd year panels, and student group meetings. And trust me. It is impossible to attend them all. So you have to decide. Do I want to pursue management consulting? Am I really interested in entering a management training program at a mega corporation like GE or Xerox? What about marketing management? Is consumer packaged goods an arena I am even remotely interested in? Here’s the problem. Each of these tracks has a very clearly defined set of steps you must go through to participate in recruiting, and a very clearly defined outcome – join the [insert career track here] group, attend lunch and learn’s realted to [same] at the exclusion of other topics, natch, meet with a 2nd-year “career coach,” attend company presentations, hope to make “closed” lists for interviews, intern at top [management consulting/mega-corp/CPG] company next summer, accept same firm’s offer of entry to the business full time at the conclusion of the internship (and when we say “entry” we mean “entry level”), pray for signing bonus, and coast through second year.
But what’s a conscientious, socially responsible lass with boat loads of experience to do? Join her 23 year-old colleages in the Marketing Group (most of whom were working for management consultanting firms prior to the GSB, by the way) in the pursuit of a brand management internship at Kraft? What? So I can develop the go-to-market strategy for Lunchables? Should I join the large numbers of classmates down the Management Consulting track? It sounds good in theory. Interesting assignments, fast-paced work environment, fast-track to the C suite. The opportunity to prove one’s mettle (it’s uber competitive and most consultants I’ve encountered, much like investment bankers, operate under the assumption that anyone smart enough to be doing what they’re doing would be doing it, and if you’re not… then you’re probably not). I’ve discarded the latter, because frankly I need to follow my gut here, and my gut is screaming NO. Also? I hate the fact that you can’t pick your assignments. So though they are short-lived and this is part of the allure, they could also be for companies or industries engaged in business or business practices to which I am philosophically opposed (strip mining, defense contracting, baby seal farming). I’ve just gotten a REALLY strong gut feeling over the last week or so that this is not the path for me, so from now on I am going to do my best to tune out the static all around me to focus on what will ultimately be the most fulfilling. (When I figure that out, I’ll let you know.)
Moral of the story? If you feel it. Don’t fight it. Or so says REO Speedagon.
This weekend, I’ll try to set aside some time to give you a timeline for a day in the life of Teresa. Ciao for now!
p.s. In what was (to me at least) a surprise upset, I did not win my cohort election. I was pretty crushed at first (guess I had a lot more emotionally invested in it than I thought) but as a classmate of mine anticipated, the passing of a week has alleviated (nearly) all of my pain. Thank you time! You magic healer! Also? Now I have more time for school work, which is good.
So, the first round of DAS is over and it looks like I finally *drumroll plz* have a full schedule! I’ll be taking Microeconomics and Business Statistics Monday and Wednesday afternoons, LEAD and Accounting Tuesday, and Network Structures of Effective Management Friday afternoons. Overall it’s a great schedule (no morning classes, which means I can capitalize on my early-rising uber-productive a.m. time for course work and preparation) and I only spent 209 of my 8,000 points. Yipee! Downside? I will have to put off taking Marketing Strategy (a prereq for all other marketing courses) until Winter term. But this isn’t really such a bad thing as I’m not sure I need to take a gazillion marketing classes in order to go through recruiting in that field. (Ten years of experience hopefully speaks for itself!)
This morning we did our first role play in LEAD. I was assigned the role of the hard-nosed marketing AVP who didn’t like not being included in the development of the strategy my teammates needed me to buy into. Apt, eh? Next time, they should assign me a role where I have to roll over. That? Would be a stretch.
Cohort Board Platforms were emailed to the class today (attached). I’m running for president, along with 6 of my classmates. Thursday, all candidates will participate in a facilitated panel during our regular cohort meeting. Then we vote. There are several good candidates, so I’m not too concerned about the outcome. I just I threw my hat in the ring, because I’d been asked to do so by some of my classmates, and also because I felt it was my responsibility to volunteer for the role. Although, a classmate who is also running for pres and rep (you can run for more than one position) and I did enact a bit of strategery today by announcing a cohort social outing at the end of class. Actually, she announced the plan and I confirmed that the class was a) ammenable to the idea and b) okay with the logistics. Then, in a bit of delegatory genius, enlisted the unopposed social chair candidate slate to spearhead the project. They were thinking of (yet another) happy hour, but after I suggested that some of the international students (some of the Asian nationals in particular) were feeling a little dis-included by all of the bar outings, changed the event to bowling at an upscale lounge downtown. My work here is done.
Other news? The school hosted a semi-formal event for first years Saturday night at the Shedd aquarium. Afterward, we piled into the lower level lounge at Narcisse in River North. It was really fun to see everyone spiff up. Also? Rode in a limo from the event to the club, which was (I think) my first limo ride ever. Wild.
Tomorrow is Industry Immersion Day, hosted by Career Services. I’ll be attending several panel discussions with alumni on various career tracks: Corporate Strategy, Consulting, Marketing, General Management. I still only have the vaguest idea of what these labels actually mean in practice, so I’m hoping the day will be informative. Afterward, I plan to hit the bookstore to buy books and coursepacks.
The RBS delivered my schedule this evening. The results of the bidding? I’ve been charged zero points. And I have no classes on my schedule. Let’s hope I can make it up in the drop/add period. *erg*
So I am sitting here at my dining table, enjoying a leisurely cup of joe on my day off. This week I’ve been on campus every day for LEAD programming: diversity module, time-mgt seminar, faculty presentations, guest speakers, etc. Yesterday I participated in a team dynamics exercise with the other members of my cohort squad. We were given an assignment (determine the sequence of a list of tasks by reaching consensus as a team). The kicker? We were being videotaped during our team discussion and then given an opportunity to view the video and self-assess our role in the team dynamic. THEN, each of us met one-on-one with a facilitator who offered her own observations on our interactions with the team. Nothing she had to offer me was too surprising. As she described it, team aptitude generally falls into one of three categories – task, process or people. Entering b-school, most students are at the point in their career where they have task mastery but perhaps less in the way of process or people orientation. According to Carrie, I am strongest in process, but might use the coming 8 weeks to expand upon my leadership role within the team (according to her, there is already buzz among the facilitators of our cohort regarding the way I “emerged as a natural leader” during team exercises at LOE) by cultivating and coaching the same within the other members of my cohort. For example, not necessarily jumping in to facilitate when a need for structure arises, but coaching someone else on their facilitation skills in order that they might learn something about process management. The people management part of the dynamic. I don’t disagree that this is an area in which I have room to stretch. I also felt in some ways that she was giving me permission to take a stronger leadership role within my squad and the cohort. Also (and this was most gratifying to me), two of my colleagues shared with me after their own one-on-ones that they thought I was a good facilitator and that they could learn by watching me. Which is really cool because I think they both have a lot to offer the group. Could this be my first coaching assignment? 
Enjoying the morning cup of coffee as I research venues for a sans apostrophe outing after this Saturday’s semi-formal event and look up tapas recipes online in preparation for tonight’s meeting of the GSB Supper Club at my flat. Tonight, another GSB-er and I have planned a tapas tasting menu. Kostja is bringing 2 kinds of ceviche and I have a few other dishes planned (tortilla, mussels a lima, queso de cabra, pan con tomate, ensalada villafranca, pate). I am also looking at the Origen 99.9 menu online to see if I can add something a little more upscale and/or inventive to the offerings. Expecting a party of 8 including myself, of which 4 will be coupled (man/woman + man/man), 4 will be international (Croatia, Singapore, U.K, Canada) and all are self-described foodies. The Brit has promised a chocolate cream cake for dessert. After dinner, we are planning a little reading party. Am looking forward to that nearly as much as the food.
But back to the title of this post. Sitting here facing the city scape beyond my windows. The blinds are angled to accept the morning light and the window pulled open to allow the clean, cool breezes blowing off the blue, blue sky into my apartment – and upon that breeze issues the smell of donuts freshly baked from the Dunkin’ Donuts franchise on the street beneath my building. Soon I will hike over to the Whole Foods for dinner provisions. Will I be able to resist the siren call of the chocolate glazed as I pass the nexus of this seductive aroma? One can only hope. 
So… one of the things that makes the Chicago GSB unique is the class bidding system, which on its surface seems relatively straightforward, but in actuality is a uniquely demoralizing hazing ritual in which first-years, left largely to their own devices, without guidance from the school beyond “you can read the instructions on the website” (published below for your amusement), are swindled out of our collective bid points by unscrupulous second years who buy out popular first quarter foundations requirements that they have no intention of taking in order to drive the prices up, only to sell them back to desperate first years in the drop/add period.
This? Is the only thing anyone on campus can talk about at the moment. This and the relative merits of taking 3 vs. 4 courses in Autumn, pushing Accounting to Winter in order to fit in a case course this term. Is it a reflection on my “fit” with the school that the below was too complicated to even bother reading? *sigh* I am screwed.
Note – Below appears excerpts from an article published about The ChicagoGSB Registration Bidding System, titled “An Auction Method for Course Registration”. This article was written by Robert L. Graves, Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago; Linus Schrage, Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago; and Jayaram Sankaran, Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Science. The article appeared in Interfaces we:5 September-October 1993 (pp. 81-92).
[As outlined in the ORB instructions] The current system includes the following features. First, it captures the preferences of students for course sections. Second, it enables students to express contingency constraints on the course sections for which they register. Third, it allows students whose preferences or needs change to rebid in a sequence of auctions before and after the term begins. Fourth, it is designed for a large problem.
Recall that the highest successful bid for each bidder is awarded and subsequent bids for this bidder are ignored. Both successful bids and all unsuccessful bids are retained as activities in the linear program used for determining prices. Here are the definitions of the parameters and decision variables:
Bij= bid of student i for schedule j,
Aijk = 1 if schedule j includes course k, and else 0,
Ck = capacity of course k, and
Xij = fraction of schedule j assigned to student i.
The essential elements are captured in the following linear program
Max ∑i∑jbijXij : total utility
Subject to
1)∑i∑jaijkXij≤Ck
:section k capacity (m rows)
2)∑jXij≤1
:student i capacity (n rows)
we require a solution in which each Xij is 0
The most natural “true” solution is to solve this problem as an integer program with all schedules considered and with the relations1) and 2) exactly as stated. We do not consider all schedules submitted by the students, but only the subset that are successful or unsuccessful. Next we modify the relations replacing each inequality in 2) by an equality for each student who received a schedule in the queuing process. This modified linear program ensures that each schedule selected in the queuing process is part of a primal feasible solution. Specifically, the Xij associated with awarded schedules are set to 1; the Xij associated with rejected schedules are set to 0. The primal solution is integral, unique, and perforce must be optimal. (The primal basis is not necessarily unique.) The linear program is not used to obtain the primal solution (which is available from the queuing process) but rather to obtain the dual solution which gives prices for the closed course sections.
An example with the following objective (as row 1 of an LP) illustrates the main ideas:
Max = 40A1 + 36A2 + 32A3 + 28A4 + 25A5 + 20A6 + 32B1 + 38B2 + 27B3+ 33B4 + 24B5 + 20B6 + 33C1 + 33C2 + 36C3 + 29C4 + 14C5 +14C6 + 28D1 + 26D2 + 35D3 + 34D4 + 14D5 + 10D6 + 25E1 + 35E2 + 11E3 + 10E4 + 33E5 + 32E6 + 32F1 + 31F2 + 26F3 + 15F4 + 14F5 + 13F6.
Six students (A, B, C, D, E, F) each wish to register for a schedule of two courses from a total of four courses (2, 3, 4, 5). The course labels correspond to rows 2 through 5 whose RHS – 3, 2, 3, 3 – are the capacities of corresponding courses. This means that a course schedule is one of the six pairs: (2,3), (2,4), (2,5), (3,4), (3,5), or (4,5). These schedules are designated by the numbers 1,2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. In the LP, A1 = the fraction of schedule 1 awarded to A and F6 = the fraction of schedule 6 awarded to F. we require a solution in which each variable is either 0 or 1.
The coefficients in the objective function are the amounts each student is willing to pay for the corresponding schedule. For example, A is willing to pay (at most) 40 for schedule 1 but is willing to pay at most 20 for schedule 6. Since the total number of sears is 11, it is clear that not all six students can get a schedule because 12 seats would be required. The RHS for constraints 6 through 11 ensures that the total of the (possibly) fractional schedules awarded to each student does not exceed 1.
One might try to solve the “true” problem by rounding LP solutions or by using IP. When RBS was developed, there was little prospect that either of these approaches would be practical in routine use. The results of Sankarn (1989) suggest that this may be changing. Our approach yields these activities for the LP.
Feasible – A1, B2, C3, D4, E6
Infeasible – D3, E2, E5, F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6
The optimal objective of solution to the original (continuous) LP which contains all 36 schedules in 187. The solution contains fractional values for several of the variables. The value of the objective for the substitute problem is 180. Part of the loss occurs because the integer solution requires that one space be left empty in course 5.
EACH YEAR, IT ASSIGNS 18,000 SEATS IN ABOUT 475 COURSE SECTIONS.
The values of the dual prices are determined by the objective coefficients (bids) of the primal basic variables; in any LP the dual prices of the resources are determined by market prices through the technological choices that maximize total return. Here the rules are bent by eliminating some of the choices eliminated are the schedules less preferred than the schedule actually awarded and the slack variables of those bidders who do get a schedule. Course prices are actually determined by the basic schedules that have a value of 0. These correspond to rejected schedules that are almost awarded and are analogous
to the highest unsuccessful bid in an auction for one type of item, a so-called Vickrey auction (1961).
MAX = 0D2A + 13A5A + 15S42D + 17S45D + 12S52E + 17S53E + 20C2F + 21C3F +
18C4F + 16C5F; Objective function showing student bids
-D2A + S42D+S52E+C2F ≤0.01; Course 2 balance
+S53E + C3F ≤0.001; Course 3 balance
-S42D-S45D+C4F ≤0.0001; Course 4 balance
+A5A + S45D –S52E+ C5F ≤1.00001; Course 5 balance
D2A ≤ 1; Student limits on
A5A ≤ 1; adding or dropping
S42D-S45D≤1; courses
S52E + S53E ≤1;
C2F + C3F ≤ 1;
C4F + C5F ≤ 1;
END
VARIABLE VALUE REDUCED COST
D2A 1.000000 .000000
A5A 1.000000 .000000
S42D .0000000 14.000000
S45D 1.000000 .000000
S52E .9989900 .000000
S53E 0.00100000 .000000
C2F 0.01101001 .000000
C3F .0000000 4.000000
C4F 1.000000 .000000
C5F .0000000 10.000000
The variables which are approximately 1 correspond to successful bids.
ROW SLACK OR SURPLUS DUAL PRICE
1 60.22508 1.00000
2 .0000000 20.00000
3 .0000000 25.00000
4 0.0001000 .00000
5 .0000000 8.00000
6 .0000000 20.00000
7 .0000000 5.00000
8 .0000000 9.00000
4
9 0.00001001 .00000
10 .9889900 .00000
11 .0000000 18.00000
The dual prices of rows 2 through 5 are the prices of the courses.
Table 2: Solution of drop/add/swap example
Denote the dual prices of the course capacity constraints by P 2,…, P5 and the dual prices of the student capacity constraints by PA,…,PF. Then the dual relations associated with the variables shown in parentheses determine the prices of the courses:
P5 =0 (slack course 5),
PF =0 (slack student F)
P4 + P5 + PF =13(F6) 
4 =13,
P4 + P5 + PE =32(E6) E =19,
P3 + P5 + PE =33(E5) 3 =14,
P3 + P4 + PD =34(D4) D =7, and
P2 + P5 + PD =35(D3) 2 =28
The dual prices of the student capacities represent the consumer surplus for each student. For most students, the total actual payment for the schedule is the amount bid less the consumer surplus which equals the total value of the courses in the schedule. An anomalous (but expected) situation arises when the surplus is negative. In actual use of the system, the student pays the smaller of the value of the bid and the total value of the courses. In this example,
A pays min (28 + 14, 40) = 40
:subsidy = 2,
B pays min (28 + 13, 38) = 38
:subsidy = 3,
C pays min (28 + 0, 36) = 28
:subsidy = 0,
D pays min (14 +13, 34) = 27
:subsidy = 0
E pays min (13 + 0, 32) = 13
:subsidy = 0, and
F pays 0 :subsidy = 0.
Subsequent Markets
The RBS market does not guarantee that everyone will receive a schedule; further, a certain amount of shopping for courses occurs so that a follow-on market is necessary. The mechanism of drop-add-swap from the user’s viewpoint has already been described. Here is an example of how allocations and prices are determined simultaneously.
Suppose that the bidders in the example wish to make these changes. The one or two associated variables used in the LP model are shown in parentheses. The bid amounts appear in the objective function of the model.
Student A: Drop course 2 (D2A),
Student A: Add course 5 (A5A),
Student B: No charge
Student C: No charge
Student D: Swap course 4 for either course 2 or course 5 (S42D and S45D),
Student E: Swap course 5 for either course 2 or course 3 (S52E and S53E),
Student F: Add either course 2 or course 3 (C2F and C3F), and
Student F: Add either course 4 or course 5 (C4F and C5F).
Table 2 shows the LP and its solutions. The course capacities are perturbed to show explicitly the marginal basic in this market. The constraints ensure that the variables do not exceed 1. The network structure of this problem guarantees that it always has
(perturbations aside) an integral optimal solution so that the values of the variables are 0 or 1. In DAS, the solution to the LP both assigns bidders to courses and determined the prices of the courses. The price in the DAS market have no necessary relation to the prices determined in the RBS market. As before, prices are determined by almost successful bids at the margin – basic variables with small fractional values in the perturbed problem. The relations are:
P2 = 20 (C2F),
P4 = 0 (slack course 4),
P2 – P5 = 12 (S52E) so that P5 = 8, and
P3 – P5 = 17 (S53E) so that P3 = 25.
The solution of these equations agrees with that displayed in Table 2. The net payments of the bidders are:
A: -20 + 8 = -12 (Drop 2 and add 5),
D: -0 + 8 = 8 (Drop 4 and add 5),
E: +20 – 8 = 17 (Drop 5 and add 2), and
F: + 0 = 0 (Add 4).
As it was the last weekend before the official start of the term, there were many social events and gatherings. I will try to recp the highlights.
Friday – Last day of pre-MBA accounting closes with a diagnostic exam (self-graded but not recorded). I guess you could say that I did okay. Many of my answers were numerically incorrect (i.e. inexactly calculated) but I at least understood the methodology behind the computations. Glad I’ve laid the framework for the real thing this fall. At least now I have familiarity with the concepts, which are largely intuitive and mathematical, though some of the material is bound to be pure memorization as it is based on arbitrary rules and regulations that have no real rhyme or reason. Reminds me a lot of the Series 7. Came home and did some much needed organizing at home. Let the Roomba run its course a few times (the carpet was dusty!) then met some friends out for drinks at an apostrophe bar in the Lincoln Park/DePaul area. Wore the red shoes, which came in handy when later on we moved the party to a dance club in River North. A friend from school knew the DJ so we had only to say the password (Remix) at the door to be ushered past the throng outside and waived the cover charge. Sweet.
Saturday – Relatively quiet afternoon. Walked down to the Jazz Fest in Grant Park with a few classmates. Sat on a blanket in the grass and listened to some chill music. Then I went home to prepare for the night’s festivities. Started off at the apartment of three classmates for a potluck pre-party. I brought an orzo salad. The food was delish as one of my hostesses was a caterer in a past life. The highlight? Chocolate cupcakes with *real* chocolate buttercream frosting. Heaven. Then we hopped cabs to another classmate’s pad for the first big house party of the year. Nearly half the class showed up to mingle and smash each other’s toes (standing room only). 3 gallons of mojitos. A keg. DJ. Quite the party. But much too crowded for my tastes. After being there a while, a group of us headed off to Bella Lounge in Gold Coast for some dancing and people watching, then met the rest of our fellow defectors for more of the same at Suite Lounge in Old Town. Bonded a bit with a fellow classmate who is currently going through a divorce. I think she found it comforting that I had been through the same experience. I hope that I can be a friend to her this year. I can only imagine what it would be like to go through the stress of such an ordeal while also trying to manage the stress of B-school.
Sunday – Met up with some classmates at the Museum of Contemporary Art in the Mag Mile. Enjoyed puzzling over the more conceptual pieces. Wanted to take photos, though that was strictly verbotten. A few pieces were interactive (the artists’ comment on the sterility of traditional museums). I took off my shoes and climbed into one – a giant clam shell, a “human clam shell shelter.” Inside, if you laid down, you could hear the sounds of the sea. Walked home through Mag Mile, The Loop. Discovered Printer’s Row – every bit as chharming as the guide book claims. Some very nice restaurants and shops. Boutique hotels. Will definitely have to return. Dinner with Evan at a lovely yet unpretentious French bistro. We shared a duck pate and escargot. His duck confit was slightly over-cooked (a travesty!) but my salmon in cabernet reduction was perfectly done. Finished the evening with coffee in Greek Town. Very nice.
Monday (today) – Slept in til eleven. First night of more than six hours sleep. Oh blessed sleep. Grabbed a coffee at Starbucks and provisions at Jewel, then spent the better part of the day at a Brazilian BBQ on the roofdeck of a classmate. From the roof, we could see the skyline and the lake, the blue blue sky. We cooked for hours and I helped quite a bit. Chicken wings, chicken thighs, beef, bread. Under the direction of the chef, I made a simple Brazilian BBQ sauce of tomato, onion, oil, vinegar, salt. When we were sated, we walked up to Northshore Beach to a popular spot overlooking the water called the Castaway. Very beachy. Live band. Am I back in Florida? Then to another classmate’s apartment building to watch Borat in her building’s screening room (very posh), but we couldn’t get the projector to work, so we eventually gave up. The rest of the group moved on to another classmate’s (the host of Saturday’s house party) to watch the movie, but I opted for home instead. And now I am here. And glad for it because tomorrow is a BIG day. The first day of orientation. I am excited. Ready to get started on the most important part of this endeavor. Wednesday they are taking us away to Wisconsin for a leadership training retreat. 3 days at a camp and conference center. We get back Friday evening.
