CLASS OF 2015 SECTION REFLECTION

HBS CLASS OF 2015 SECTION PRESIDENTS SHARE WHAT MADE THEIR SECTIONS SPECIAL.

Section: BPresident: Bilal Saafir RC classroom: Aldrich 108 Section nickname: Section Bee; Section Baby!; Section Bangalore What’s one thing that happened in your section that you / that you think your section will never forget? Committing our charity auction funds to the Cystic Fibrosis foundation in support of our section mate his wife and their phenomenal new born son. What makes your section special? That we refuse to go out without a fight. And of course Dara. What was the highlight of Bridges for your section? Absolutely demolishing case discussions in classic B fashion. Carl, Duc, Will, Walter, Bill, Joshi and Logan were in vintage form. What’s one thing that will still make everyone laugh in 10 years? Cannolis.

Section: CPresident: Tim Leach What’s one thing that happened in your section that you / that you think your section will never forget? Why? Being amazed by Chris Lumry’s arms.  Have you seen them?  I’m sure a lot of people will also cherish a lot of our section trips and retreats.  It was always just a blast to get everyone together and go somewhere fun.  I think we will also miss the glorious left field comments from Paul and Gandhi’s undying efforts as Tech Rep.  Oh and dominating every dance floor and elevated surface at every HBS party and beyond! What makes your section special? The collection of so many good looking people in one section does admittedly seem unfair but I think being so sec-c is a pretty special quality.  On a more serious note I think we were so fortunate to have such a well-rounded section with such a great mix of energetic, conscientious and relaxed people. What was the highlight of Bridges for your section? Our final section session with freshly ordained “Best RC Professor” Malcolm “Beta” Baker was pretty special.  Professor Baker holds a special place in our hearts for his willingness to share so much of his own story with us and also the undying energy he brings to the unenviable task of teaching Finance to dazed and confused first year MBA’s. How are you going to stay in touch after Commencement? I’m personally hopeful the banter on GroupMe steps up a notch.  Rach Henry has promised to like every single message posted and no doubt rumours about section hook-ups will continue to fly.  We’re also doing a section newsletter and setting up a quarterly call for updates and reciprocity which should be fun.  Zenz has also threatened to set up a fantasy Sec-C Ultimate Frisbee league.  Everyone has also been great at offering up a place to stay “if ever you’re in town” though we’re still trying to figure out exactly what Sandy and Emily meant when they said they got a second room “for a reason”.  Aside from that we actually gave everyone a can of Campbell’s soup and a ball of string at our last class together and once everyone has finished their soup we’re going to make a new tin can telephone network that spans the globe.  Google Hangouts ain’t got nothing on this. What’s one thing that will still make everyone laugh in 10 years? Wow where to start?  De-robing that happened at retreat.  Binders of women.  Pita chips.  Partygarb.  Sunrise committee.  Danika.  Hopefully we’ll make a few more funny memories over the next 10 years too!

Section: DPresident: Derek Geiger RC classroom: Aldrich 110 Section nickname: Ducks What’s one thing that happened in your section that you / that you think your section will never forget? Why? There are so many moments to choose from, one that comes to mind.  After a long night celebrating the game six victory of the 2013 World Series championship by our very own Boston Red Sox, an unnamed section member received a very cold call, frigid if you will, the next morning in LEAD.  With unprecedented bravery this individual paused, uttered “All I have to say is Go Red Sox!”, and promptly dropped the mic.  This moment of vulnerability loosened the tense vibe in Aldrich and brought our section closer together. What makes your section special? The individuals that comprise it and the way that we treat each other.  Keep Section D weird... What was the highlight of Bridges for your section? The opportunity to get back together in Aldrich 110 for a 100% student driven section closure session was the highlight of many great programs in Bridges this year. How are you going to stay in touch after Commencement? Our fearless Senator has volunteered to lead the post-Commencement engagement team to make sure the bonds we formed here extend beyond the HBS campus. What’s one thing that will still make everyone laugh in 10 years? The fake wedding and corresponding fake divorce of two of our most beloved section mates.  What a stupid theme party idea, but we crushed it and had a great time doing it.

Section: FPresident: John Chartier RC Classroom: Aldrich 007 Nickname: (F)amily What makes your section special? The deep, genuine desire to see one another succeed. I've heard from many in the section that this community is unlike any other in that regard. It's rare in life we have the opportunity to have 93 built-in cheerleaders, but that's exactly what Section F wound up being for one another. What was the highlight of Bridges for your section? The highlight for us will always be the opportunity to be back together in the same room...we all agreed how much fun it is to relive the inside jokes, the neighbor side conversations and general shenanigans that only happen in the RC classroom! What’s one thing that will still make everyone laugh in 10 years? The first year was really bookmarked by everyone being scared of "breaking the section". To this day there are still people who come up and ask in hushed tones "what does that mean?!" (eyes widening). I don't think jokes about not breaking each other will ever get old.

Section: HPresident: Lita Tandon RC classroom: Aldrich 009 Nickname: Honeybadgers What makes your section special? Honeybadger tales--"TED talks" where members of the section got up and talked to us about their lives or their passions. What was the highlight of Bridges for your section? Receiving personal letters from two sectionmates about our specific positive qualities and the impact we've had at HBS. How are you going to stay in touch after Commencement? Last summer, we had an amazing email rotation where one Honeybadger emailed out a life update to the section every day. Over the next five years, we're adapting that rotation so that two badgers send out updates a week and everyone sends out five over the five years. What’s one thing that will still make everyone laugh in 10 years? Patrick McGinty screaming the end of our Honeybadger cheer or one of Donnie Benjamin (treasurer, treasurer)'s many amazing Skydeck videos.

Section: IPresident: A.J. Bertone RC Classroom: Aldrich 110 Nickname: iPeeps What’s one thing that happened in your section that you / that you think your section will never forget? Why? There are so many unforgettable memories from the past two years, but our RC fall retreat at Sebasco Harbor in Maine was truly special. Our first getaway together marked the start of many close friendships and relationships that have become incredibly meaningful while at HBS. What makes your section special? This gets back to two of our section norms: respect and inclusion. The way that we treat and value one another really brings the best out of our section. What was the highlight of Bridges for your section? Our final session with Joshua Margolis. Joshua is a remarkable professor, and our discussion was a perfect ending to an amazing experience at HBS. How are you going to stay in touch after Commencement? Update emails, phone calls, section retreats, reunions, and a whole lot of individual effort from iPeeps to stay in touch with each other. What’s one thing that will still make everyone laugh in 10 years? “Michael Ma!"

Section: JPresident: Wyatt Smith RC classroom: Aldrich 011 Section nickname: Jollies What’s one thing that happened in your section that you / that you think your section will never forget? Why? We'll always remember our first section retreat at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Between jumping around Andrew Watt's bouncy castle, bounding into the water for Ollie's late night swim, and sharing positive thoughts about each other on white t-shirts amidst a music-filled party, our memories during this early turning point in our time together lay the foundations for all following. What makes your section special? Jollies love to laugh. We're tight knit, eager to help each other, and benefit from a culture centering on "supporting each other in good times and bad." All sections have different strengths, but our overriding one is the sense of community we've been able to form through people's unique contributions. From Addie's jam tastings to J-Mac's apartment fetes to Camille's cookies and coffee, we benefit from formal and informal leaders across the spectrum. What was the highlight of Bridges for your section? In our section closure, BGIE Professor Meg Rithmire led us through a "hopes and dreams" exercise in which each of us shared an aspiration for individual, collective, and world goals over our careers. By the end, three boards were filled with ambitions ranging from "loving our kids" and "staying hungry" to "achieving gender equality" and "improving rule of law in Mexico." We won't soon forget the power of our final words of wisdom from Invisible Man: "Until life puts you in a straightjacket, the whole world is infinite possibility." How are you going to stay in touch after Commencement? Our session plans routine mini-reunions in cities across the world, including San Francisco, New York, London. We expect to send regular section updates across our listserv, and our leadership team has pulled together shared files on people's career plans and locations in order to stay apprised of movements going forward. Section GroupMe will extend until the next wave of social networking disrupts, and we're counting on Vineet's Snapchats to keep us entertained in the meantime. What’s one thing that will still make everyone laugh in 10 years? It's hard to forget memories of Andrew Watt leading rebellion against Tommy O'Doyle's after being refused entry with Jolly the Lion during RC year. After tying our mascot to his body with rope, Andrew wasn't about to leave Jolly behind when the bouncers showed themselves to be anti-lion. Firmly anti-discrimination, a parade of Jollies marched out of the establishment as a result. Soon thereafter, Tommy O'Doyle's shuttered its doors, no longer able to profit. Coincidence? We think not.