the bang cohort

The group you enter into the MNA program with during your first summer is your cohort. Because of the program structure and flexibility, we may all finish the degree at different times, anywhere from 14 months to 4 years from now. But we're all required to be here for 4 weeks this summer taking the same 5 classes. The cool thing about this structure is that you have the opportunity to form a close bond with about 30 people (or 35 in our case) during your first summer, and even though you may not be together all the time for the remainder of the program, those people still become your immediate network... maybe even your rock, so to speak, while you all finish at your own pace later on.

So let me tell you about my group. First of all, they're nothing short of amazing. I never could have imagined how much I would genuinely enjoy being around all of them. After 3 days of orientation, we already felt like we had known eachother for years, and now that we've finished our first week of class, I think we're all wondering why it took so long for us all to finally meet eachother. I suppose it's all in God's plan to bring the right people into your life at the right time. After only 10 days together, it feels like it's been a lifetime. A really hard, sleep-deprived, yet completely awesome lifetime.

We come from all over the country - California to Maryland, Maine to South Carolina and Georgia, the midwest to Texas. We also have a priest from Africa and 4 students on an exchange program from China. (This is the first group on exchange for a dual degree program with Notre Dame and Renmin University in Beijing. Next year, the program will grow to have a larger Chinese contingent coming in 6 weeks ahead of us for some preparatory work, and then joining the MNA program with the 2014 cohort.) We have an age range of 23 to somewhere around 50 years old, with the bulk of us being in our late 20s or early 30s. (I could do a standard deviation on that, but... well, hell no.) We work in a variety of areas like healthcare, higher education, family foundations, community or volunteer service organizations, human trafficking, and even a golf foundation. You'd think it might be hard to find something in common with everyone, but it's been surprisingly really easy. We all care about what we do, and we all have a huge passion to learn... that alone would actually be enough. But it turns out that we genuinely like eachother and want everyone to succeed, too.

A few years ago, the program started a trend of letting the cohorts give themselves a name rather than identifying with a year. The group from last year was called "Bueno." In honor of being the first cohort with members of the new Chinese exchange program, we really wanted to have a Chinese name. After talking it over, we decided to one-up the class before us (bueno = good) and select the Chinese word for "superior," which is "bang." It's pronounced "bahng" rather than bayng like we would normally say here in America, but we often bastardize it for the sake of humor, because inside we're all still 12-year-olds. :) So that's who we are. The Bang Cohort. (And yes, we're getting t-shirts.)

There are a few times in your life when you get thrown into battle with a group of people... when you're younger, you're just sort of stuck with whomever shows up (like in high school). When you're in college, most of you want to be there, but there still seem to be some folks that just don't fit. But this experience is just totally different. We all really want to be here, and more than that, we're all really excited about learning together. This actually reminds me of my experience at the Governor's Honors Program when I was in high school... Even the person who might annoy you the most from time to time is still a person that you could go to lunch with and have a really awesome conversation. And that annoyance is still pretty low on the scale of 1 to "kill me now." Maybe there's something to be said for suffering through dorm life, incredibly late nights, and tough projects together. It's hard, but the degree will be worth it... certainly, the relationships are worth it.

I'm going to take advantage of my free day for a walk around campus, and then it's time to get started with accounting and HR management homework... and probably some laundry, lest we forget that this isn't just a really hard summer camp vacation.

Next time, I'll tell you more about our schedule and what we're learning. Until then, thank you again for checking in on me, and Go Irish!

an irish orientation

I'm here!!!

I arrived at Notre Dame last Thursday and quickly settled in to my new living quarters - a single dorm room in a traditional residence hall (meaning there are no frills like kitchens and private bathrooms.) And also, this particular building is usually inhabited by 18-22 year old boys. Gross. I'm happy to report that it didn't smell like boys, though I came prepared with a can of disinfectant/deodorizer spray that smells like "fresh linen"or "spring air" or "not like a dirty gross college boy." The room is rather... basic. Bed, desk, chair. Cinder block walls, linoleum tile floors. There is a closet, but it doesn't have a door, so I'm not really sure what you call that. The plus is that the room does come equipped with a sink, vanity, and mirror/medicine cabinet, as well as a trash can and recycle can, both of which seem to be magically emptied for us every few days.

As I tend to do, I brought more stuff than any one person really should need for 4.5 weeks, but I'm glad I did. Never underestimate what it's like to live in a basic dorm room after you've been out of college and living in your own really pretty house or apartment for 10+ years. Sleeping on a twin bed that sags in the middle is really one of those binding human experiences that all college dorm-livers can share for eternity. I feel fortunate that I was able to fix mine with some 1/2 inch MDF boards from the local Home Depot. Thanks to rearranging the furniture and to Target and IKEA for having enough cute, cheap stuff, this room doesn't look completely like a prison cell now.

I spent Thursday afternoon taking care of campus business like dropping some cash at the bookstore (on important things like a Notre Dame lanyard and yet another Notre Dame t-shirt, not books), getting my official student ID made (I hope everyone else looks as bad at that camera angle as I do), purchasing my summer parking pass, and trying to orient myself to things that will be important to my time here... oddly enough, those things are pretty different from what I usually care about (the Dome and the football stadium). I spent a little time at the Grotto and just felt generally happy to be here.

Friday marked the beginning of orientation. We introduced ourselves by actually pairing with another student, interviewing them, and then telling the rest of the group what we learned about that person. I appreciate this approach much more than name games and superficial get-to-know-you activities of my college orientation. We also heard from some of the students in the cohort above us and got to spend a couple of hours asking questions and just getting a sense of what to expect over the next 4 weeks. They took us to dinner at a local Irish pub (hello, this is who we are), and then I took the opportunity for a perfect walk around St. Mary's lake and another trip to the Grotto.

Saturday was orientation day 2. It started with breakfast in the Jordan Hall of Science, where we spent a little more time sharing what we do and why we're here for this program. We got an orientation to the library of the business school, had lunch, and then spent the afternoon with a panel of faculty members who teach the courses in Modules II-IV, which we'll take beginning next summer. I was struck by the level of interest and care shown by each of the faculty. It's easy to forget that you're sitting in the top business school in the country when you have people telling you that they actually want you to learn and succeed and help the world... not the typical cut-throat business school environment. It's immensely comforting to know that our professors support our work and believe in us, though they're not shy about preparing us for the fact that we will not all make A's. If nothing else, this will be a great lesson in managing expectations, as I think we're all overachievers. Note to selves: We might want A's, but B's get degrees, too.

On Sunday, we attended a special mass held for our degree program (all cohorts that are currently on campus) in Dillon Hall. For reference, each residence hall has its own chapel, and most of them have a priest or nun who serves as the hall rector, though some of those positions are held by non-clergy. The rector for Dillon Hall is Rev. Paul Doyle, and he is nothing short of wonderful. He has the most precious old Virginia accent, which is kind of refreshing in a place where everyone sounds just a little like Mike Ditka (which I also love.) After mass, we attended a special lunch held in the Notre Dame football stadium press box. I just said that like it was no big deal. Let me be clear - it.was.a.big.deal. The press box obviously overlooks the stadium, but the backside of it is also full of windows that look out over campus. It was amazing. We heard from the director of the alumni association, and I just felt even more like I can't believe I actually get to go to school here. Notre Dame alums are everywhere, serving in every sector at every level, and there is an incredibly strong bond among them. What an unbelievable network.

Following lunch, we got an amazing surprise of getting to go into the stadium and out onto the field. Having been a rabid football fan for years, it was kind of cool (ie, really cool. okay, like, ridiculously cool.) to actually get to stand on the sideline and in the grass. I've done the tunnel walk before, but you don't actually get to go onto the field then. This experience pretty much blew my mind. (I can't help myself. Bless my heart.) After another walk with a trip to the Grotto, thus ended orientation weekend.

I have to go write a strategy memo now, but I'll be back soon to talk about my new classmates and the first week of class.