And the Winner Is.....

Last year when Halloween rolled around, I didn't have any great ideas about what to be for Halloween. I tried to come up with a last minute costume so I Googled costume ideas. One of my favorite suggestions that came up was to have a group of people be beauty pageant contestants ( me and my obsession with beauty pageants, it know), but instead of the typical Miss Texas, Miss New Jersey, etc. you use words that start with mis - Miss Informed, Miss Taken, Miss Fortune, etc. I couldn't use the idea last year, but it worked out perfectly this year. I told my roommates about it and we decided that we should invite all of the other single 1st year girls to be a part of the fun. In all we had 12 or 13 girls arrive at the party to join in.

To help with the festivities, we had a "Sash Making Party" on Friday night. It was a much needed social release after one of the WORST weeks on record as far as school goes. It was SO much fun. Probably my favorite day since I started the MBA program. It was nice to forget about homework for a weekend and just be social. It was FANTASTIC!!! I really like the girls in the MBA program. They are all pretty hilarious and so much fun to hang around. Apparently the overachiever in Elisa, Julina and I came out. We had hors d'oeuvrers (chips, salsa, dips & a veggie tray) followed by dinner (dinner in a pumpkin - you basically back a casserole inside a pumpkin - strange, but very tasty! and homemade rolls- some of the best rolls I have ever tasted) and topped off with dessert (chocolate caramel brownies & apple crisp).

After we ate, then we began making our sashes. Julina made sure that they were all the appropriate length while I sewed the front and the back together. Marissa then did the calligraphy (She used to work for a scrap booking company and taught all kinds of classes, "complete with the Brittney Spears' microphone.") We then sent the girls outside to add the glitter in an effort to keep it outside. There are a few glimmering specs throughout our house still, but it was kept to a minimum. I did have to sew while sitting on the floor (All the food had taken over the counter and table.) It is a lot harder than it looks is all I have to say.

Saturday night was a success - some of the girls were less dressed up than others and I wish I could have gotten some more closeups with most of the girls. Unfortunately most of the girls left after the costume judging. My roommates and I and a couple of others stayed to help with the carnival (I am SO glad that I am not a parent and didn't have to chase small children hopped up on TONS of sugar around the whole place. I even said so very loudly - much louder than I had anticipated - while sitting at a table eating with lots of parents around - WHOOPS!) Below are some pictures from the event.

(Again I thought I numbered these, but I am obviously challenged with that aspect of Picasa)

1. The beginnings of big pageant hair - Pageant hair takes a lot of work.

2. Julina (my roommate) learning to backcomb her hair - She was big hair illiterate, but I tried to impart my wisdom.

3. My roommates and me in the fall evening glow (l to r) Elisa, me & Julina

4. Elisa (aka Miss Chief)'s head shot. We are going to see if the MBA office will let us swap out the pictures they took of us on the 1st day of orientation with these.

5. Julina wanted a picture of my "fabulous eyelashes" so here is my tribute to "loose women" everywhere (if you don't get the reference ask my brother Abe - this one is for you!)

6. Jessica's head shot (Miss Fit).

7. My head shot (Miss Informed)

8. Julina(Miss Fortune)'s full body shot - doesn't she look fantastic?

9. The final product - My legs have never looked better - those shoes do great things for my ankles - Thanks Ted!

10. Julina's new MBA Class of 2010 directory photo.

11. Kate (Miss Interpreted) helping me fluff my hair - I am pretty sure I was saying "It takes a lot of work to look this good!"

12. Kate sitting pretty while she waits to help the next group of children into their gunnysacks.

13. All of the winners of the "Most Original Costume" (back row l to r) Jessica Sorenson (Miss Fit), Marissa Dorny ( Miss Construed), Thamina Christensen (Miss Cellaneous), Chloe Anderson (Miss Aligned), Me (Miss Informed), Julina Manning (Miss Fortune), Emily H's friend.I don't remember her name (Miss Directed), Emily Hart (Miss Match). Middle row (l to r) Michelle Blood (Miss Demeanor), Kate Lindsay (Miss Interpreted), Allison Clements (Miss Taken); front row (l to r): Emily Tanner (Miss Hap) and Elisa Clements ( Miss Chief)

Until next time....

Halloween FHE fun

Despite the craziness of last week and all of the tests, etc that we had I decided to actually attend FHE. Our FHE is held a few doors down and I figured I could spare 30 minutes for a lesson and a break from homework. I ended up staying for the activity as well. We made haunted graham cracker houses. Mine actually was a coffin, and a sad one at that, but I had a good time and it was a nice break from studying. I think I may try and make it a habit.

(I could have swore I numbered the pictures on Picasa, but apparently I forgot to save or something. Sorry!)

1. Julina's haunted house
2. One of my FHE brothers ( I sadly do not remember his name right now...)
3. Me and my graham cracker coffin
4. Kim (my neighbor 2 doors down) and Isacc (FHE dad).
5. (l to r) Isacc, Karen & Julina
6. (l to r) Isacc, Karen & Julina again
7. More FHE brother's, Bryan and the other guy :)
8. Me, Erin (FHE mom) and Kim. Please pay particular attention to what my hair "normally" looks like. It will be a great reference point needed for future pictures.
9. Erin, Kim and Issac - hard at work on their creations.

I have to go to bed now, but coming soon.... pictures of the MBASA Halloween extravaganza. They are awesome!

46% = B? The Curve Associated with Business School

I have just finished one of the MOST miserable weeks in recent years. It was the first week of midterms and finals (the block, aka 1/2 semester, just finished.) This week began with a mid-term in Finance on Monday and then our accounting final in the testing center (Don't EVEN get me started on the lameness that is testing centers - all kinds of germs and smells associated with 500 students taking tests at the same time, cramped quarters, UGH!)on Wednesday & Thursday. Add to the midterm madness all of the pressure associated with "the NAC" dinner and mentoring sessions and it was ONE stressful week.

I went into the mid-term on Monday really confident. I had a practice test on Saturday morning and it went really well. I had my 1 page help sheet ready and I was prepared (thanks in a large part to a 2nd year student who has been tutoring a few of us girls). I was going to ace this test. Unfortunately the one item I failed to write down on my study guide was of course the one thing that I totally blanked on Monday afternoon during the midterm and was worth 1/3 of the test - OUCH!!

I was pretty bitter, but mostly just MAD at myself. I know this material, yet somehow when it comes to taking the test I just blanked. I was made that it seems like no matter how much I study, I am still failing. It is not a feeling I am used to, but I am beginning to embrace it. I started to wonder what the point was in studying, etc as it seemed like those with 80% and 40% got the same grade - a B.

I didn't have time to take my accounting final on Thursday due to the NAC dinner (I am still not 100% sure what the NAC does - as far as I know they are a bunch of people who donate A LOT of money to the Marriott school , end of story.), so I had to take the test on Wednesday. I studied for several hours and then went to take the test which accounted for over 60% of my grade for the class.

Apparently I studied ALL of the wrong things. I spent hours studying the formulas that are used for various financial ratios (current ratios, # days purchases in inventory, etc). Turns out that was some SERIOUS wasted time. Our professor gave us the formulas on the test. LAME!!! The actual final was about 50 times harder than the practice final too. I was not happy. After 3 hours working on the test, I decided I had had enough. I felt like I did okay, but not great. Then I got my score.....46% - YIKES!! Our professor told us that the average was 70% historically. WHATEVER! I as not thrilled with my performance, but I was SO relieved the class that sucked up 50% of my studying time each week was finally over that I didn't even care.

After talking with my classmates, I wasn't anywhere near the class low, nor was I anywhere near the top (some people actually got 100% - LAME!), but I managed to pull out a B in the class and my motto is "B's get degrees!" and I was right - why have a miserable existence reaching for an 80% when a 40% will get you the same grade?

Everything I need to know about dating I learned in business school?

A second year MBA student (or maybe it is a couple of them) decided to start a blog on how business strategy and theory can be applied to the dating world. I got wind of said blog from the MBA weekly newsletter. It is highly entertaining (if you can look past all of the business mumbo-jumbo). I especially loved the article that explains the "Eligible Bachelor paradox: How economics and game theory explain the shortage of available, appealing men." The rest of the stuff is neither here nor there. I am guessing I may find it more entertaining in the weeks and months to come.

Anyway, just wanted to share my new find with you all...now is back to accounting and finance exam reviews.

More Adventures in Atlanta

After Friday, I had spoken with all of the companies exhibiting that I was interested in working for as well as several others that I am not interested in working for, so another day at the World Congress Center was not top on my list of things to do. I did switch to my flats (although I think they did as much damage to my feet as my heels) and spent a few hours at the conference Saturday morning. Fortunately many other students felt the same way I did. We decided to cut the conference short and spend Saturday afternoon exploring Atlanta and seeing the sights. After all most of us had booked our flights for late Saturday night as the conference was scheduled to go until 6 pm.

A group of us headed off to the Coca-Cola museum and the Georgia Aquarium (the largest in the US) for a day of sight-seeing. I really enjoyed the Coca-Cola museum and trying all of the different soft drinks they sell around the world. One soda sold in Latin America tasted like a green apple Jolly Rancher and the Pine Nut soda sold in Africa (Tanzinia, I think) was surprisingly tasty. Most of the beverages were at least palatable, in fact most were surprisingly tasty. However DO NOT drink "Beverly" when in Italy! It is SERIOUSLY disgusting. It is made with the "bitters of grapefruit rind" SO NASTY!!!!

In the Coke Museum they show a cartoon documentary of "The Happiness Factory" about what goes into the making of Coca-Cola. It is one of the weirdest things I have ever seen (and a little risque I might add.) They have these creepy creatures kissing the coke bottles. (We later found out that they are "Love Puppies" and we had our picture taken with it so you can see for yourselves). The bottling process was fun to watch (perhaps I can get extra credit for my operations class) and I loved watching all of the old Coke commercials (Marketing extra credit anyone? Coca Cola is the #1 brand in the world after all.)

After the Coke Museum and lunch at the CNN center food court, we headed over to the Aquarium. I have to say that I didn't really love the Aquarium. It may have had something to do with the massive crowds of people or the fact that I just am not that interested in fish and things that live in the water. I do have to admit that the whale sharks were pretty cool and otters are always my favorite (I didn't take any pictures of them however because there were just too many people in the way and I just wanted out of all of the crowds.)


Like I have said, it was great to get away and to not stress out about school or homework for 5 whole days. It was bliss (however sharing a double bed with my roommate Julina, was not.) I was happy to get home late Saturday/early Sunday to sleep in my queen size bed - alone.

Partying the Target Way in Hot-Lanta

Part of the whole NSHMBA experience included parties and functions hosted by the various companies sponsoring the conference. Each company has a different venue and they range from networking events (cocktails and hors doeurves while you stand around making idle chit-chat) al la Johnson & Johnson to full on parties (open bar, dance floor & DJ and lounge style seating.) Target's party was the place to be. It definitely fell into the later category and was SO much fun! (never mind that my feet were KILLING me! 12 plus hours walking around in 3 inch heels and then cutting loose on the dance floor definitely takes its toll on your feet, but you have to look good!) BYU took up at least a quarter of the dance floor and 95% of those dancing are marketing majors (We are so much more fun than everyone else)... I have to admit that it was a little awkward as it was us single girls with the married men. (You have to love graduate degree programs in Provo!) But don't worry, the guys made sure that the girls were all in the middle and they surrounded us, that way it didn't look like the guys were dancing with one another, but at the same time the married guys made sure they weren't dancing with us girls either. It really was a lot of fun and it was a much needed break from the stress of school. Midterms are next week and so it was nice to forget about school for a day or two and play with my friends, well my MBA friends anyway.

National Society for Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA)

Yes, I know I am not Hispanic, but apparently you can be any ethnicity and still be a member of NSHMBA (NA-SHIM-BA). So I am a card carrying member of NSHMBA and I went to their annual conference and career fair this past week in Atlanta, GA. BYU gave us Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off of class in order to attend the conference, of course that meant that I had to miss out on Homecoming and yet another BYU football game, but I guess I will have to manage. I'll take the 78 degrees in Atlanta over the snow in UT any day! Apparently last year's students landed most of their internships as a result of NSHMBA so they thought we should go. Unfortunately this year it wasn't quite as successful (at least as far as I know, but the jury is still out.)

I did have a second interview with General Mills in their consumer insights group. It went okay, but it was definitely not by best performance. If nothing else, it was good practice. It never hurts to get practice interviewing and polishing skills that will hopefully land me an internship. I did have my picture taken with the Pillsbury Doughboy (Pillsbury is owned by General Mills). Too bad I look a lot like the Pillsbury Doughboy in the picture :( I guess I need to work on my modeling poses and need to hit the gym a little more regularly.

I did find out that BYU is now one of the 3 schools that L'Oreal recruits from for Marketing MBA students, which is super exciting. A cosmetics company would be awesome!!! Plus they own "The Body Shop" one of my favorite stores ever. It would be fantastic to work for them in London.

Nothing Says 'Welcome' Quite Like Giant Ants on the Ceiling?

I don't know about you, but should I ever be the person decorating an airport, I am not sure that I would decide to put jumbo ants on the ceiling. What kind of logic is involved in deciding to put ants on the ceiling of an airport? How did that conversation go?

Hey, do you know what I think would just really say "welcome" when tourists come to Atlanta, a bunch of gigantic ants on the ceilingg!

Brilliant idea! We will win all sorts of decorating awards for that design.

Ants are so homey and friendly, especially really big fire ants.
This is the best idea we have ever had.

Welcome to Atlanta!

Hot Air Balloon Ride - Sort of

A few weeks ago we went on a hot air balloon "ride" for FHE. Apparently a girl in our ward has an uncle who owns a hot air balloon business and he agreed to take us up in his balloon. I was going to pass on the whole experience, given my all consuming homework/class schedule and my paralyzing fear of heights. However I decided that I was going to suck up my fear of heights and give riding in a hot air balloon a whirl. The hot air balloon adventure turned out to be less of a ride and more of a vertical rise up to just above the treetops and back down. We were tethered to the ground the whole time so I was totally fine. I felt safe in the hot air balloon too. I would definitely do it again. Julina had the unfortunate position of being down wind from the controller's arm pit. The whole experience was a little less enjoyable for her.
Here are some pics of this adventure

1. Filling the balloon

2. Still more filling the balloon

3. Julina and I before we jumped in the hot air balloon

4. Sunset as we were in the balloon

5. Julina and I in the balloon - please excuse the double chin, I have yet to master the skill of taking self-portraits without it looking like I have a double chin... better luck next time I guess.
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Hooray for Vacation!

This is going to be a really quick post, but since I get really annoyed when other people don't update their blogs, I guess it is only fair that I update mine on occasion....

This past weekend Asa (my little brother) and I decided to skip school on Friday and make the 10 hour drive home to Richland, WA to watch Joe play some football. For the last 3 years I have gone home for the "Richland-Hanford" football game. Richland and Hanford are the two high schools in Richland are rivals, so it makes for a fun game. I wasn't going to go this year as I am once again a poor starving student and the MBA program takes up ALL of my life. But Asa convinced me to go. He really wanted to go, doesn't have a car, and frankly I needed a break. Especially since I had a mini breakdown this past week. (More on that another day...)

Anyway I had a great time watching Joe, although sitting in the pouring rain was not as much fun (Big thanks goes out to my roommate, Julina, for lending me her umbrella!) the 20-21 loss was kind of sad and the announcer was so annoying and biased that I honestly considered writing a letter to the editor about how annoying he was (As an aside you know you are old when you consider writing a letter to the editor. I am SO lame. :) ) It was great to relax and blow off homework for the entire weekend (I guess I did crack open my operations homework, and did my finance homework in the car.) It was definitely just what I needed.

Thanks Mom, Dad, Joe, Lauren & Arina for good times and for just letting me sit and chill for the weekend.

ASA you are the best for convincing me to go. It was great chatting with you for hours and hours in the car. Sorry I was really kind of grouchy toward the end. Also Rhonda, Kelsey, Sam and Jared it was great to see you too. I love hanging with you and your adorable kids.

I have to get some sleep now, but look forward to my posts on hot air balloon rides, my trip to Atlanta and the joys of a 2 day school week. Oh yeah, and hopefully I will remember to take pictures with my camera and not just take my camera with me. (I do have hot air balloon pictures though.)

Until next time...