The MBA Student Voice

Caps' Struggles Begin at the Top

Lots to talk about so let's get right to it.

* For all of the controversy surrounding Wayne Rooney earlier this season, he seems to have settled back into life at Carrington.  He's been relatively out of the spotlight, with United piling on points and Berbatov and Chicharito handling the bulk of the goal scoring.  And then he struck this masterpiece against City, giving United the badly-needeed three points.  Beautiful. 

* United and Chelsea were off from Champions League duty this week, but Arsenal and Tottenham represented England very well. I loved that Tottenham played their usual, aggressive, attacking style even though they were in the San Siro.  They needed Gomes to make some big stops especially in the 2nd half, but were rewarded with Crouch's late winner from Aaron Lennon - that's two English players that bring home a 1-0 Tottenham win in Mlan.

* Given how well Barcelona has played this year, a 1-0 defeat for the Gunners would have been respectable. But full marks to Arsenal for bunking that logic and going for the draw, and then the win, in the final 12 minutes.  Makes me wonder about Barcelona: La Liga has been almost too easy for them this year, with just a modest Real Madrid challenge to contend with; switching to the more intense Champions League is really difficult.

* This summer might be the end of the line for both Bruce Boudreau and George McPhee.  It is clear that the Caps players are no longer responding to their coach: the power play continues to be dreadful, there are too many lifeless performances such as home against Los Angeles and San Jose, then in Phoenix. As of this morning, the Caps have lost four out of five and 14 out of 25.  How long can we call this a "slump"?

* I question whethere McPhee has made the transition from "building for the future" to "time to win now".  He might be saying the right things, but look at all of the trades that have been made in the past couple of weeks by other playoff teams: Tampa acquires Brewer for a marginal prospect and a 2nd round pick, Boston gets Kaberle for nothing, Philly gets Versteeg for nothing - even Nashville picked up Fisher for very little. It's not that we needed any of those guys (except Fisher); it's that trades seem to be happening at reasonable levels and yet McPhee can't get anything done.

* Which begs the question: do other NHL GMs really respect McPhee?  This is a people business ultimately.  All of McPhee's trades over the past few years have been with Columbus, Carolina, and one with Colorado. Is it possible that people aren't picking up the phone when McPhee calls because of something else he's done in his past?

* The fact is, the Caps' top six forwards are not playoff-worthy, much less Cup worthy.  We have one great pairing (8 and 19), one fantastic but streaky commodity (28), a 40-year-old (22), and we're trying to fill in the remaining pieces with youngsters (85, 90, 26) or asking other veterans to play above and beyond their capabilities (21, 25, sometimes 10).  The trigger has to be pulled for 1-2 more top-six forwards.

* I could buy that the D will be fine once Green and Poti are healthy.  I'm ok with not getting a goaltender either, because (a) Neuvirth and Varlamov have played well this season and deserve the chance to play in the playoffs, and (b) look at the past few Cup winners / finalists: only one of them really is a top-five goaltender (Fleury) - and he developed into a top-five goaltender after winning the Cup.  Niemi, Leighton, Khabibulin, Osgood, Ward, Giguere - no one that really sticks out as incredible.  They all played well, but none were show-stopping.

Hopefully we'll see some changes on their way!

Week of Andersonian Puckheads' Dreams

Happy New Year! 

This is week 2 of three great weeks for us Andersonian puckheads.  The Winter Classic -- where my beloved Capitals defeated the Penguins, 3-1 -- was fantastic, and the HBO 24/7 series featuring the two teams was captivating.  Tomorrow is the final installment of the series, which no doubt will focus on Eric Fehr scoring two goals for my Capitals en route to the 3-1 win.

But nothing will beat Monday late morning, when Brian Burke, president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will be on campus here at UCLA Anderson!  We at the Sports Business Association are very excited at the chance to hear insights from one of the most accomplished executives in sports. 

Then on Tuesday morning, we've been invited by our colleagues at USC to a breakfast hosted by Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the National Hockey League.  He surely must be thrilled at the runaway success of the sport in 2010, as well as this year's Winter Classic. 

Hockey''s resurgence has given us cause to put a greater emphasis on the sport in our programming for the SBA, which is exciting for me both professionally and personally!

* * * * * *

There are two myths about the Penguins that I hope are finally being exposed, either by HBO in 24/7 or by NBC in its own Winter Classic coverage. 

Myth 1: The Penguins are an offensive team. This couldn't be farther from the truth.  When they have the lead, the Penguins play the same 1-4 neutral zone trap that former -- and current! -- Devils coach Jacques Lemaire used pre-lockout en route to three Stanley Cups.  When the Penguins are ahead or at the start of games, it's chip and charge -- never carrying the puck over the blueline unless they have an odd-man rush -- and two forecheckers attacking the other team's defensemen.  Classic Lemaire!

(Saying that, while HBO has made Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau into an internet sensation with his cursing, I actually have gained an immense appreciation for the way Penguins coach Dan Byslma goes about his business.  He really has his pulse on the games, makes timely adjustments, and has great control over his dressing room.  Watching Bylsma has been a revelation for me during the series).

Myth 2: Sidney Crosby is always cool as a cucumber.  There's no denying Crosby's talent, especially this season, but on the ice, he can be angry, foul-mouthed, arrogant, whiny, and agitated, all on one shift.  And frankly he's a better player for it - hockey is an emotional game, players typically play best when their emotions are running high (so long as they don't cross the line and take penalties - or worse).  He might always say the right things off the ice, but on the ice, he's an intense competitor.  It's what sets the best players (like Crosby, Ovechkin, Stamkos, and Toews) from other great players (like Malkin and Semin).

Time to set up the DVR for the week!

-- Sreesha

Diversity - in many ways

When we think of "diversity", we typically think of what I would call demographic diversity: race, age, gender, nationality, religion, etc.  However, during my summer internship at Harrah's, I had the chance to be a part of a diversity training program, where I learned that there are over 50 ways to measure diversity.

(Yes, I know I said this last year.  But last year I just wanted an excuse to make fun of my fellow blogeteers John Park and Matt Kerbel being fans of the Toronto Major Laughs Maple Leafs.  This time I actually have more to say.)

Applying that logic, here are a few different ways that you could measure the diversity here at UCLA Anderson:

* Career Aspirations: One of the reasons I decided to come to UCLA was that while there are healthy contingents of people looking for careers in finance or consulting, these two fields represent a much smaller portion of the total UCLA Anderson population than they do in other schools.  Nothing during my time here has dissuaded me of this opinion.  There are many other career aspirations on campus, including sports, entertainment, healthcare, non-profit, and education. 

* Entrepreneurship. I had heard a lot about UCLA Anderson's commitment to entrepreneurship, but I never appreciated that until i came here.  Many of my classmates are actively looking to start new businesses after graduation, and the school encourages and actively supports these endeavors -- as evidenced by the projects that came to fruition during the summer and in our second year. 

For example, one of my classmates has been working on edilex, a company offering professional grade business contract templates to legal professionals and business people over the web -- check it out at www.edilex.com.

* Previous work history: in my section last year, there were many different career backgrounds.  The usual pre-MBA careers of finance and consulting were present, but so were military (not just US), entertainment (including a feature film producer!), non-profit, healthcare, and energy, plus two Mormon missionaries and a published author.  And that was just within my 72-person section.

* Sport Activities: My regular readers will be forgiven for thinking that all we do here is drink, watch sports, play poker, and get into political debates.  I can't imagine a sport that isn't represented from both the fan and the spectator perspective.  And from those in the 1st year class I've met so far, that now includes cricket!

* * * * * * * * *

* Yeah, I'm a little annoyed at my Steelers, who managed to terrify Tampa Bay, 38-13 last week. See, I'm annoyed because we have so many holes to fill - offensive line being the most glaring - that we need a year off, get a high spot in the draft, and rebuild.  This year seemed like a good year to do that -- no Ben, no Santonio, difficult off-season.  Instead, after beating three teams we should have beaten, we're talking about making the playoffs and I can just see that 7-9 train wreck coming.  Of course if we make the playoffs, then I'll be happy to admit I was wrong.

* Great move by the NHL to get HBO involved in the Winter Classic with its behind-the-scenes documentary of the Capitals and Penguins up to the Winter Classic.  The best part is that the NHL series is being covered by broader entertainment media, such as the Hollywood Reporter - this shows that the NHL can build on the momentum of last season, arguably the best NHL season since 1994 (the Capitals' own demise against Montreal notwithstanding).

* I've seen Chicharito's goal in Valencia several times now.  What a brilliant strike!  But I still don't understand why Macheda didn't just have a shot himself!  Macheda has a lethal strike himself, surely he would have put that in.  I complain only because of United's woeful finishing this season and last.  Macheda has either lost his shooting instinct, or has gained an unworldly sense of vision. 

-- Sreesha

 

 

 

1000 Homes Case Competition Housing Tour

So this past weekend, while about half of our school went to Stanford to compete in the annual C4C (Challenge 4 Charity) event with several other business schools, I stuck around LA and took a tour of some local permanent supportive housing.

This tour was a part of the education process in getting up to speed on our 1000 Homes Case Competition.  I got a chance to tour 2 Permanent Supportive Housing Developments towards the Downtown LA area.  The project for our team is to work with the Veteran's Affairs office in LA to find supportive housing solutions for homeless veterans in the area. 

The tour was a great experience and opened my eyes to what Permanent Supportive Housing can be if done right.  A local organization "A Community of Friends" showed us 2 of their developments that have been up and running for a couple of years.  Permanent Supportive Housing houses formerly homeless individuals who have either a mental illness, substance abuse problems, or physical disabilities that prevent them from leading normal lives and who, without help, would otherwise be homeless.

Permanent Supportive Housing offers them a place to call home, usually in the form of a studio apartment, where they pay a portion of their monthly income for rent (the rest is subsidized).  They are able to receive help from supportive services that ensure they remain on the right path and lead normal lives.

I have to admit, I had some preconceived notions as to what I expected these apartments to look like (slightly dilapidated, someone rundown, and potentially seedy).  Upon actually visiting them though, if you hadn't told me it was Permanent Supportive Housing, I never would have known.  These apartment developments were VERY nice!  One was built from the ground up while the other was a renovated building.  While they have a community room and some small offices for residents to meet with case managers, they were otherwise regular apartments.  A Community of Friends (ACOF) goes to great lengths to ensure that their developments fit in with the community.  The support services really help to develop a sense of mutual respect and community for all the residents. 

My misconceptions were definitely the reason this case competition is important.  My misgivings probably echo those of a typical nearby resident who hears that a supportive housing development is going up in their neighborhood.  The NIMBYism (Not in my backyard) element is based on fear of the crime and drugs entering a neighborhood and the eventual drop in someone's property value.  We're just at the start of this competition (it's supposed to last the entire spring quarter), but I hope that at the very least, we can raise awareness of what Permanent Supportive Housing can be when done right. 

-Ulric

Dinner with the Dean

So in the craziness of the first week of this Spring quarter, I got a chance to attend a dinner with the Dean of our school, Judy Olian.

Another first year, Maggie Sandoval, won a dinner for 10 with the Dean at one of our charity fund raising events last quarter.  While our Dean holds regular office hours for us to sit down and chat with her about any school related issues on our mind, this event gave us all a chance to get to know her in a different setting. 

The final dinner party consisted of 8 first years and 2 second years.  We all met at the Dean's house which is just a few miles off of Anderson's campus.  At the dinner, I got a chance to meet her husband and to also talk to Dean Olian in an informal setting. 

I'm participating in a triathlon along with a few other Anderson folks and, while I'd known she was going to do the bike relay portion of the race (relay teams have to do a 1.2 mile swim, ~55 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run), I'd never gotten a chance to talk to her about it.  Dean Olian had actually done a little homework on each of us attending (much to my surprise) and knew I was an avid biker.  We were able to swap different routes that we ride in the area and talked about how we were fitting training into our busy schedules. 

The dinner also turned into an informal focus group as we were each able to share our experiences at Anderson and ways that we thought the school could improve.  We discussed our opinions on the faculty and the courseload at Anderson and got a chance to hear the motivations behind how our school came to be structured in its current state.

The Anderson program evolves a little every year in response to both the current economic climate as well as in response to the needs of the student body.  The dinner was a great experience and gave each of us a chance to get to know our Dean better, to voice our opinions regarding the future of Anderson, and also gave our Dean a chance to talk to the students in a non-academic setting.    

The Morning Ride

It's 7:46 and I'm just getting back from a morning hill workout.

Part of being at Anderson is learning how to prioritize your schedule.  Our schedule is full of class, meetings, searching for internships, on-campus events, the list goes on....it can be hard to remember to think about your own well-being.  Working out and staying active often falls by the wayside as the days can tend to be long and demanding. 

I enjoy cycling and during our first quarter here we set up an informal group of road bikers to ensure we stay try to enjoy some of the benefits LA has to offer.  While its not balmy here on the west coast, it was a brisk 50 degrees this morning, plenty warm to get a morning workout in.  I've found that I need to make time to exercise instead of trying to cram it in to a busy schedule.  6:30 workouts it is!

Living in Brentwood, about 3 miles off-campus, I'm close to a lot of other Anderson students and about midway between UCLA and the beach.  There are plenty of biking routes tucked away between here and campus and we've found a great 4 mile hill workout that is pretty much a consistent hill the whole way up.  It's strenuous and admittedly, pretty brutal at times, but totally worth it.  The benefits are hard to quantify, but exercise is a great stress reliever and serves as a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of on-campus activities.  We can't get too far away though, I mean we passed our first quarter Accounting professor on our ride down the hill.  Who knew LA can actually seem like a small town sometimes!

-Ulric

UCLA Anderson competes in Sports Business Case Competition at PETCO Park

Imagine this... 80 degrees, sunny, sitting in a luxury suite overlooking the baseball field at PETCO Park in San Diego. I had the distinct privilege of representing UCLA Anderson at the 4th annual International Sports MBA Case Competition this past Thursday and Friday. Joining me on the team were fellow first year MBA students Julia Cottrell, Dan Haight, and Stefanie Knapp. This years case was particularly special as it focused on the joint efforts of the non-profit organization Malaria No More and the 2010 World Cup in Africa. The 9 teams competing comprised some of the top business schools in the country, including Wharton, Berkeley, NYU, and Columbia. The objective of the case was to put together a business strategy to improve the efforts of the campaign Kick Malaria 2010 to help put an end to Malaria in Africa.

Top industry professionals served as judges for the competition, including representatives from Major League Soccer, Major League Baseball, and the San Diego Padres. Our team worked long and hard to analyze this case and in the end put together a well thought out proposal that hopefully helped Malaria No More and the World Cup in their fight against this tragic disease.

At UCLA Anderson there is ample opportunity to get involved in case competitions that cover a broad spectrum of industries and job functions. While winning is important, the skills that you develop and the bonds that you create with your team are priceless.

-Adam

UCLA Anderson Real Estate Association Career Night

This week has been a little lighter on group work than usual, but there are always other events and activities that keep all of us C-Notes busy.

While Adam and I are in the same study group, we're also members of AREA, the Anderson Real Estate Association (http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/zone/clubs/area/index.htm).  AREA, like the other student run organizations at Anderson serve as a great additional source for internship opportunities.  There are organizations for consulting, marketing, and strategic operations to name a few. 

Currently, Adam and I are helping to organize AREA's annual real estate career night (you can find more information at the link above).   We are managing the collection of resumes from those students interested in pursuing a real estate track at Anderson.  These resumes are put together and distributed to companies attending the event so that they can review the resumes of students they meet. 

This year's event will be a reception/mixer gathering where we will get to speak to company representatives from American Realty, Colony Capital, CIM Group, Thomas Properties, and more. 
These events give us the opportunity to speak to a variety of different companies in one setting.  We are able to talk to representatives about their current positions and potential internship opportunities they might have. This not only helps us to learn about several internship opportunitites at once, but also helps us to narrow down the companies we are each interested in.  I find that talking to current representatives really allows us to gain an understanding as to the culture, role, and potential summer projects present at each firm.   

And with that, it's time to get back to work on operations homework!

-Ulric

C-Notes! Introduction

Hello! We are the C-Notes.  We are all first years at Anderson, all in Section C, and also all in the same study group this quarter. Below is a little about each member in our group.  Keep an eye out for our future posts, we'll talk a lot about the group work and projects we're all working on, but also a little about what's going on in each of our lives as it relates to our time at Anderson.  See you on the blog-side.

Adam Eng:
Yo! A diggity here. My name is Adam, and here is my introduction: I grew up in the SF Bay Area. I come from a large family of 7. I completed my undergraduate degree in Construction Management at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Prior to arriving at Anderson I spent the past 8 years in the construction industry managing both commercial and residential building projects. I am truly enjoying my time here at UCLA as the student body and faculty share similar enthusiasms and passions as I do. My current career focus is the field of strategy and operations, although I have an intense interest in the sports management arena. When I am not studying or "networking" you can usually find me watching ESPN, playing tennis or softball, or training for next season's American Idol. Keep an eye out for our next post!

Ulric Huang:
Hi, my name is Ulric (pronounced yul-rick).  I'm originally from North Carolina and completed my undergraduate studies in Business Administration at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  I've spent the past 5 years working in Washington DC first in Litigation Consulting and most recently in Commercial Real Estate Valuation.  I wanted to come back to school to shift into a different type of field where I'll be able to see the tangible results of my work.  I'm open to working for any industry as long as the role is in a strategy or operations related field.  In my free time I love to go road biking, rock climbing, and compete in triathlons.  I'm also a huge college basketball fan (go HEELS!).

Charnae Morris
Hi all! My name is Charnae. I am so excited to share a little about me. I grew up in New York with my family. I completed my undergraduate studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and subsequently received a Master degree in International Affairs from Tufts University. Most recently I worked for the US state department as a Foreign Service Officer. Finally I made the long trek out to sunny LA where I am now here at UCLA Anderson. My current career focus is the field of Marketing and Brand Management. In my free time I enjoy dancing, biking, running, and of course keeping up to date on the latest fashion trends.

Jackson Ko

Hi, my name is Jackson. I am originally from Taiwan but I moved to Singapore at age 4. I went to the University of Michigan for my undergraduate degree focusing in finance and accounting. Upon graduation, I worked at Ernst and Young Taiwan as a financial advisor and subsequently as an Investor Relations Officer for Himax Technologies, a Taiwan semiconductor company listed on Nasdaq. I decided to come to Anderson because of the school's strength in Entrepreneurship. The resources at the Anderson Price Center are extremely valuable for students who are interested in this field. Outside the classroom, I enjoy playing basketball and just being outdoors.

Yuedi Fleming

Hi, my name is Yuedi and don’t ask me how to pronounce it. Just kidding ^_^. It’s something like “U-dee”. I grew up in northeast China, educated both in China and the U.S. Prior to Anderson I was a scientist working in Research and Development in biotech/pharmaceutical industry, where I focused my efforts on discovering and developing innovative drugs to treat a variety of diseases. I came to Anderson to broaden my business skill set and transition to business development and strategic planning in the healthcare industry. If I ever find free time in between the group work, classes, and career search, I enjoy running, lindy-hop dancing, and dreaming about publishing my amazing chinese poems.