Looking Back: Ups and Downs, Highs and Lows, and One Hell of a Good Time
Dave Reich, 1999-2000 SFC Chair
Issue date: 5/3/00 Section: Viewpoints
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For the past couple of days I have tried to write an article on what my two years at The Johnson School means to me. I haven't been too successful though, because (1) I have the attention span of a chipmunk on crack, and (2) It is so hard to wrap two years of hard work, laughter, frustration, accomplishment, highs and lows into three hundred words.
I have always tried to set goals for myself. For the core I had two goals. First, I wanted to perform on the same level as my peers. I was frightened that I would not measure up. Second, I wanted to go out at least four times a week; at least here I had a core competency. I achieved my goals first semester and in the process I met a number of individuals who I will carry with me through life. We were the first to go through the shortened Core, and like boot camp the experience brought us together. After the Core, the administration wanted to improve the experience so they created a focus group and worked with us to implement changes. First years, you can blame the quizzes on us. After getting beaten up by the midterms, quizzes appeared to be a good solution (hey, we also pushed for a real fall break, so we weren't all that bad). This process is happening again; like most things the students and the lessons are dynamic.
After a winter in Brazil, I returned to the Brand Immersion. As tough as I thought the Core was, the Immersion was tougher. One concept got me through this semester: teamwork. It would take me thousands of words to acknowledge the examples, but they range from Jack Higgins finding people job opportunities to Jen Kath helping everyone in Cost Accounting. In addition to Brand I was now working with the SFC and finding the time requirement more demanding than I had
planned. Again, the examples are endless, but they range from Stacy Lalin doing EVERYTHING to Doug McIntosh stepping up to do the tasks no one else wanted to do.
The SFC experience allowed me to understand the importance the administration and faculty place on student participation and constant improvement. Once again, I can't list them all, but when you see changes like upgraded equipment, a task-force to review the grading policy, and the improvements made to the CSO, know that the driving force behind these is a willingness to improve the student experience here at Cornell.
The second year, the Student Web Interface, my job search (and subsequent indecision), the group projects, and flying back and forth to San Francisco to work with a start-up, kept me busier than I expected. Sometimes I sacrificed depth of knowledge for breadth (and I probably wasn't the best teammate in the school) but where else could a person experience so many different things at once. Two parties a semester, helping Tierney meet girls, and all sorts of idiots at all the different lake houses helped to keep me laughing all the while.
I won't bore you with any more details or preaching, but I will tell you this. When I look back at the two years here, I can honestly say that I took advantage of all the school had to offer. I learned a lot, and I had a hell of a good time. I hope that when you leave here, you will feel the same way.
I have always tried to set goals for myself. For the core I had two goals. First, I wanted to perform on the same level as my peers. I was frightened that I would not measure up. Second, I wanted to go out at least four times a week; at least here I had a core competency. I achieved my goals first semester and in the process I met a number of individuals who I will carry with me through life. We were the first to go through the shortened Core, and like boot camp the experience brought us together. After the Core, the administration wanted to improve the experience so they created a focus group and worked with us to implement changes. First years, you can blame the quizzes on us. After getting beaten up by the midterms, quizzes appeared to be a good solution (hey, we also pushed for a real fall break, so we weren't all that bad). This process is happening again; like most things the students and the lessons are dynamic.
After a winter in Brazil, I returned to the Brand Immersion. As tough as I thought the Core was, the Immersion was tougher. One concept got me through this semester: teamwork. It would take me thousands of words to acknowledge the examples, but they range from Jack Higgins finding people job opportunities to Jen Kath helping everyone in Cost Accounting. In addition to Brand I was now working with the SFC and finding the time requirement more demanding than I had
planned. Again, the examples are endless, but they range from Stacy Lalin doing EVERYTHING to Doug McIntosh stepping up to do the tasks no one else wanted to do.
The SFC experience allowed me to understand the importance the administration and faculty place on student participation and constant improvement. Once again, I can't list them all, but when you see changes like upgraded equipment, a task-force to review the grading policy, and the improvements made to the CSO, know that the driving force behind these is a willingness to improve the student experience here at Cornell.
The second year, the Student Web Interface, my job search (and subsequent indecision), the group projects, and flying back and forth to San Francisco to work with a start-up, kept me busier than I expected. Sometimes I sacrificed depth of knowledge for breadth (and I probably wasn't the best teammate in the school) but where else could a person experience so many different things at once. Two parties a semester, helping Tierney meet girls, and all sorts of idiots at all the different lake houses helped to keep me laughing all the while.
I won't bore you with any more details or preaching, but I will tell you this. When I look back at the two years here, I can honestly say that I took advantage of all the school had to offer. I learned a lot, and I had a hell of a good time. I hope that when you leave here, you will feel the same way.