Here's the punchline of this post: first quarter of Year 2 blows. There's no other way to say it.
The problem -- and in fairness, it's a high-quality problem -- is that there are too many things that come up in the first quarter. Because 1/3 of my 2011 classmates are abroad, and none of the first years are bidding for electives, it's the perfect quarter to take any of the professors or courses that you are eager to take. Plus, most of us still here in Westwood started our field study projects (the acronym here is AMR, for Applied Management Research). On top of that, most people are now involved in some sort of club leadership. So yeah, it gets to be a busy quarter. I'm happy to see the back of it!
I'll confess that I overdid it. AMR takes up a lot of time. I also took Real Estate with Professor Sussman, as well as Business Plan Development. Both classes were rewarding - Sussman is one of what I call the five rockstar professors here at UCLA Anderson, the others being Alderton, Cockrum, Osbourne, and Sood, in no particular order. It's not just that they were a LOT of work, it's that I wanted to gain a lot from each of them. In hindsight, I wouldn't suggest over-doing it. Do as I say, not as I do!
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Not at all happy with this past week for the Capitals. To me, there are two glaring problems right now.
One, the power play. It's not just that it needs to score, it's that the power play should generate momentum for the Capitals. At the moment it's lifeless. I've never liked Ovechkin at the point on the power play, he's better suited down low or on the half-boards. It took until the Colorado game for Coach Boudreau to put more grinders on the ice during the power play.
Two, we need an offensive zone system change - or at least, a Plan B. Too many teams are collapsing four guys into the crease and letting the Caps play around on the perimeter. So of course shots and passes are getting blocked, and when they are getting through, they aren't difficult stops for the goaltender. Colorado did this to near-perfection on Saturday night. The Caps lost, 3-2, not because Craig Anderson was a terrific goaltender (he played well enough to win but wasn't stellar), but because the Avalanche stopped 42 shots from getting to the target. Backstrom seems to be the only Capital to have figured out what other teams are doing, because now he stutter-steps off the boards before making a play to try to create more space.
Yes, I know that had nothing to do with UCLA Anderson. So what? It's Winter Break!
-- Sreesha
