michaelmas [week 10]: end-of-term gala

On December 17th, 243 Oxford MBAs descended toward Ewert House, and sat for our final exam of the Michaelmas term. Decked out wearing 'sub-fusc,' we ripped through the Marketing case study. We had spent the past week sitting for uncomfortably long periods - wearing our tuxedos with academic gown - as we constructed 3x3 matrices to compute the variance of a basket of stocks, then calculated the standard deviation of those stocks within a 95% confidence interval, and finally decided whether or not options on those stocks should be expensed.

The term certainly flew by quickly - just as they said it would. I remember having just arrived in Oxford (for the first time in 10-years) this past September 24th. As an undergraduate, I had studied abroad here under the tutorial system. But now, as an MBA, I would come to know Oxford in a whole different way.

In the short span of 10-weeks I fully immersed myself in Oxford life. I rowed for my Exeter College Novice B team in the Christ Church Regatta. Before coming here, I would have thought that sounded like some obscure religious ritual. And in some ways it was, because Oxford is crazy about their rowing! I also became Treasurer of the Student Government, and completed my lock on finance by becoming Chairman of the Finance-OBN. My schedule has been so full this past term - not to mention the 6 core courses we all took - that attending the end-of-term Gala proved to be the best way to conclude Michaelmas term. Click on the video below to see some photos from our Michaelmas term 2009 Gala.



View the video below for one of the highlights of the Gala dinner:



Lyrics to Bye-Bye Miss American Pie (Oxford Rendition)
(sung at Michaelmas Gala 2009)

Not so much time ago
I can still remember
when Mungo used to make me smile [Managerial Economics]
And when I get my second chance
I’ll still fail econ at a glance
We were all fooled by his boyish cheeky smile,

But Alan didn't make us shiver [Finance I]
with the questions he delivered
Tough but fair with finance
I love those snazzy red pants

Went to Tomo and I cried [Financial Reporting]
What goes on the left hand side?
“Show me double entry!' he replied
Thanks to him, I will survive.

So hear ye when I say that we’re free
We’re the best though the DS really petrified me.
And I might have to do econ in week 10 Hilary
But for now I plan to drink up with glee,
So won’t you raise your glass up with me?

When you sat for strategy
Did you use the growth hierarchy
If the framework tells you so?
Do you believe in Thomas Powell, [Strategy I]
Or did Chris and Richard show you how
To value innovate and reach blue ocean’s flow?

Oh Mungo! We were in love with him
He blew us kisses in the gym,
Can’t believe he had the nerve,
Not to add the marginal revenue curve!

And when I had accounting pain
I would ask for help from Jaypal Jain [Financial Reporting]
While Mark played 2 by 2 Nash games,
Aaron was on my side.

James Taylor started singing, (I’ll tell you what I want…)
My, my Doug the marketing guy, [Marketing]
There’s no doubt you’ll tease it out
And make the customers buy,
But why are the cases from 1975?
Long before the web had started to thrive,
Most of us weren’t even alive.

Derek from careers says we’re on our own [Career Services]
If McKinsey won’t pick up the phone
Even though I sent them my CV.
James and Dolores were the king and queen [Decision Science]
Of deviating from the mean
Too bad I still can’t do decision trees,

SBS Alumni where were you
When we went on our river cruise
It was so very rude
That we didn’t get any food!
Diwali, Maxwell’s, Halloqueen
We tried to keep the photos clean
And tried to keep some things unseen
Like when I kissed another guy…

We started singing,
Bye bye 2009
I may not have a offer but I don’t really mind.
We’re Oxford MBAs –
We’re Saïd MBAs so we’re gonna be fine
So for now let’s drink one more glass of wine,
A toast… the class of 2009!