Ross Partners Blog

A Typical WinterA term

Spending the winter break in Seattle turned out to be an excellent decision. Not only were we able to maneuver away from the cold weather in Michigan, we were also able to find a few sunny days in Seattle. The weather turned out perfectly for our treks and outdoor activities. I was optimistically hoping that 2012 would start on a relatively relaxed note. Little did I know that our lives would zoom at 150 miles/hour the moment we set foot back in Ann Arbor. The next one and a half months saw us balance academics, internship interviews, social events and exams.

For a good part of January, my husband, Mohit, was gripped in the uncertainty of which MAP project he would be assigned to. Indeed he got assigned to a project that was among his top choices. It really pepped up his enthusiasm and alleviated his anxiety towards MAP. Since then, he and his team have met several times to kick-start their project even before the official MAP kick-off in March. It was very interesting for me to know that a MAP team has a faculty-coach to guide the team through the MAP project and help the MAP team work more efficiently towards achieving the project goal. I was further surprised to know that each MAP team is also assigned a communication consultant to help the team set up business communication protocols. Also, having a domestic MAP project will enable Mohit to be at Ann Arbor for most of the Winter B term, while having to travel twice to the company’s office in Boston for a week’s duration each. Since there are no classes along with MAP, working on the MAP project from home presents an opportunity for greater interaction time between Mohit and me, a slight change from the Winter A and Fall terms. I am really excited about it and eagerly await the onset of March.

In early February, I attended several get-togethers for Mohit’s section, Section 3. We had an amazing time while bowling at Colonial Lanes – joking and laughing the entire evening. I, in fact, scored my highest score ever in bowling, which I celebrated with a chocolate brownie there. At these events, I was also able to interact with so many more partners who attended these section get-togethers. I believe such events not only act as stress busters for  students, but also help partners to develop strong bonds. With exams now over, everyone has travel plans for the spring break, but I am optimistic that come March, we will have more such section get-togethers and have loads of fun.

 

Living in A2 with Kids - Part 1

Coming to Ann Arbor with kids in tow can be really overwhelming; if you have a job you need to find childcare options, you aren't familiar with what is available to entertain your kids, and what do you do when it starts to get so cold outside? Stay inside and get cabin fever? NO! This blog entry is my gift to all the partners of MBA students who will be living in A2 with kids. It's more of a bullet-style survival guide to get you off to a great start to keeping your kids happily entertained (and your sanity in check) when moving to unfamiliar territory. I've only listed activities or destinations that are tried and true by myself and many other MBA families. 

First of all, sign up for the Ross Partners Club. By doing this, you will automatically be part of the Ross Partners MBA Kids Club. They also have a MBA Kids Facebook Group which is a must join so you can keep up with all the last minute coffee dates, playground playdates and movie nights! Even though the Ross Partners Club will keep your happy hour mugs filled with delicious microbrews and the Ross MBA Kids Club will fill your calender weeks or months in advance with kid-centered outings, if you're like me you will want more! Ann Abor has so much to offer in the family-friendly category.

Rule #1 to keep you sanity with kids at home during the winter: Don't let the cold weather or rain keep you home!

Rule #2: If you are pulling your hair out wondering why you want to climb the walls of your house, read Rule #1 again.

A2 Indoor Activities to do with Kids

1. Storytime at one of the many Ann Arbor Public Libraries, options for all ages.
2. Briarwood Mall (in Ann Arbor) has an indoor play area that's fun for young kids. They also open the mall early for exercise hungry moms who want to walk the mall without maneuvering strollers through shoppers. In addtion, UMove, Zumba and Stroller Strides fitness groups meet here several days a week. Who needs a gym when you have the mall?
3. Indoor Playground Facilities: The Chelsea Treehouse, My Urban Toddler, Jump City, Xtreme Bounce Zone, Gym America. Most of these places have food and drinks and a place for the moms and dads to sit down together and drink a sip or two of coffee while not racing after their kids!
4. Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum (I love this place!) I think the Hands-on museum is just as entertaining for the parents as the kids!
5. Go Shopping! Kid-friendly stores that moms (and kids) love: The Little Seedling, Children's Orchard, Grow With Me,  
6. Join the Y! When we first moved to A2, I wasn't working and didn't have any childcare for my son. Joining the YMCA was like hitting the jackpot for me. I got to work out and get a small (but much needed) break from my son. With a family membership you get 2 hours of free child care every day! The Y offers financial scholarships depending on your income (or lack thereof!) so it can be a real option for families on a student budget. My son has so much fun there he asks to go the "the gym". 

But Ann Arbor isn't just about hosting amazing indoor recreation. The spring and the fall (I can't speak to the summer) are so beautiful here that you just want to spend every moment possible outdoors. Spring makes you want to start a garden, train for a marathon, or go to the Farmer's Market. And fall inspires you to become a photographer (or at least grab your camera on the way out the door), to take a nap under the gorgeous fall colored leaves, or go pumpkin picking. Take advantage of the good weather!

A2 Outdoor Activities to do with Kids

1. A2 has just about one park per capita! You're bound to be blessed with ample access no matter where you live. Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation. Is one or more of your children furry and likes to wag their tail? No problem! Bring all your kids to the several dog-friendly parks in A2.
2. Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum - It is so beautiful here you will want to take your camera, snacks or lunch and make a day of it!
3. Leave the zoo at home and go to Domino's Petting Farm. Be sure not to leave your child in the goat enclosure ;-)
4. Go apple picking in the fall at Wasem Fruit Farm. Buy enough apples to make apple pie and definitely check out the freshly made donuts and cider! 
5. Grab a coffee while you shop for locally grown foods, plants, handicrafts and prepared food items in the open-air Ann Arbor Kerrytown Farmer's Market. 

As you can see, life in A2 can be as jam-packed with fun activity as you want. And you don't have to explore it by yourself while your partner slaves away in the library studying (yeah, right!)...there is huge group of Rossers, just like you, that will band together and be your instant family! Here are some more Ann Arbor family resources to explore:

ArborWeb.com

AnnArborFamily.com

This is a great list of almost everything a parent would ask when moving to a new city, all related to Ann Arbor.

Stay tuned for Living in A2 with Kids - Part 2: Finding Childcare

Finding More than Books at the Ann Arbor District Library

Last night we attended “Noises Off,” a play within a play by Michael Frayn (of “Copenhagen” and “Democracy” fame) put on by the School of Music, Theater and Dance.  Last Sunday, I went to hear a free concert featuring university faculty and graduate students under the auspices of the University Musical Society.  We are going to see the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and famed jazz great, Wynton Marsalis in concert next Wednesday.  There are so many plays and concerts on campus that it is sometimes hard to remember that the city of Ann Arbor has a lot to offer, too. 

The Ark features folk and roots performers – both up-and-coming and established artists.  The line to buy tickets or gain entry to the venue often wraps around the block.  The Kerrytown Concert House is an intimate space for chamber music, jazz, folk and other small ensembles.     The Blind Pig has played host to a number of famous rock groups before they made it big – including Nirvana, R.E.M., Pearl Jam and the Smashing Pumpkins.  And Ann Arbor native Bob Seger’s “Mainstreet” is about A2.

But Ann Arbor also boasts a number of cultural attractions that are completely free.  One place to look for them is the Ann Arbor District Library (AADL).  I use the library’s traditional offerings quite a bit.  I check out books to read for fun.  I request books for my dissertation research via the library network’s interlibrary loan system.  I check out DVDs from the library’s extensive movie and TV show collections.  And occasionally I use the microfilm, electronic databases and paper back-copies of magazines and newspapers for my research.

But the library also offers a lot beyond books and movie checkouts.  There are lots of activities for kids – everything from crafts, to video game tournaments, to story hours.  And there are even more activities for adults.  We’ve gone to a number of jazz concerts, seen a couple of lectures, and watched a number of movies and documentaries at the library.  I’ve also participated in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads program, in which the library puts on a number of programs to accompany the year’s book selection.  This year’s theme was Language: How We Communicate, and the book was Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet, an autistic savant. 

In addition to this innovative programming the library also has unusual items that patrons can check out.  One can take home a framed print to hang on the wall for the month, or a “book-club-to-go” kit complete with multiple copies of the book, discussion guides, movies, and anything else one would need to mount a successful book group.  The library also has museum passes for free admission to Detroit area attractions.  In addition, the AADL offers lots of mini-courses – from English, to computers, to publishing, to finding a job.

I’ve lived in a number of places with great public library systems, but Ann Arbor has them beat.  The library may not be the first place you think to go for cultural events, but if you move to Ann Arbor, it should rise to the top of your list!

Finding an Apartment – Part I

At this point in the Ross admissions cycle, some of you may have already decided that you are Ann Arbor-bound.  And some of you may take a little more convincing before taking the plunge.  In future weeks, we’ll include blog posts reaching out to the latter group.  In this post, I’d like to address a key “to-do” item for those who’ve already committed to Ross: finding a place to live.

Ann Arbor is the quintessential Midwestern college town.  This means that there are a lot of cultural resources, lectures, museums and political events.  It also means that there are a lot of undergraduate students.  And those thousands of folks in the 18-22 year old age bracket tend to hover within a one-mile radius of the campus.  The majority of college students at U-M don’t live in dorms, and much of the rental market in Ann Arbor is consumed with serving this population.

This means that it is difficult to find housing that would appeal to graduate students, families or professionals in the immediate vicinity of the campus.  When we decided on Ross, I envisioned paying a small sum – at least in comparison to the New York prices we were used to – to live within a five minute walk of Ross, the graduate library, downtown restaurants, and the movie theater.  Yet when we started to check out apartments that met the proximity test, we found beer pong tables, red cups, blasting music, and ridiculous amounts of dirt.  Ten years removed from our college years, we weren’t prepared to go back.

My husband did the legwork on finding a place to live.  When we came for Go Blue Rendezvous (the admitted student extravaganza hosted by the Admissions Department in April), we hadn’t yet officially decided on Ross, but we were strongly leaning toward Michigan.  As a result, Jeremy decided he’d do some real estate scouting while we were in town.  Ann Arbor real estate tends to operate on an academic calendar, so listings for the fall are available during the previous spring.  A lot of the choice offerings are snapped up in the fall months for the following fall.  But when we came for GBR in April 2010, there were still a lot of possibilities.

Jeremy had spent the past several weeks perusing the apartment listings on Craigslist and arranged a series of meetings with realtors for the day before GBR.  (I had teaching responsibilities that kept me in New York a day later.)  Most of what Jeremy saw wasn’t what we were looking for, but in the process of viewing so many apartments in so many different parts of town, guided by so many brokers, Jeremy got a pretty good lay of the land.  He found a couple of good options.  We were able to see one of the apartments Jeremy had selected on the Sunday before leaving Ann Arbor.  We didn’t take it on the spot, but instead corresponded with the management company and the occupants.  After a month or so, we committed and signed the lease, moving in on August 1, 2010.

The apartment isn’t perfect.  We’d still like to be closer to downtown and to campus, though we are the closest we could be without encountering noise from undergraduates.  We live on the first floor of a house that’s been subdivided into three units.  We’ve lucked out with our neighbors, but there’s little soundproofing between the floors.  We had to pay full rent through the summer months when we were away for Jeremy’s internship (though we were able to recoup some of the cost through a subletting arrangement).  And we pay more in rent than if we were to live in one of Ann Arbor’s many housing developments.  But the prices sure beat New York, and we like the charm of the Old West Side, the neighborhood where we live.

This is just one story of finding housing in Ann Arbor.  Other blog contributors will offer their stories of finding a place to live in the coming months.  In addition, the Office of Student Life offers a housing portion of its transition resources, and the Partners’ Club maintains a discussion board on housing.  Good luck with the hunt!

Erb Partner Perspective

What does it mean to be an Erb Partner or an Erber Partner as some may call us?  First, what is Erb? The Erb Institute works for Global Sustainable Enterprise and constitutes a dual degree in Natural Resources and Environment and Business. When my husband and I visited Ross during GBR, he began to explore the possibility of applying to the Erb program. All I could think was, “Wait, this means we will be in Ann Arbor for three years, not just two??” Yes, you read right – the Erb program is three years in length.  At the time, the idea of my husband being in school for three years was a bit hard to accept. While two years is a big commitment on its own, three years just seemed much harder to grasp. Do not get me wrong, I was excited to start this new adventure of living somewhere different  (we were both born and raised and still living in Chicago) and trying something new – but the unknown can be a bit scary. However, I can very honestly say that I could not be happier with Jimmy’s decision to pursue his degree with the Erb Institute; it has already been a very unique and welcoming experience for the both of us.

While I am sure it is much the same at Ross, my experience with the Erb community has been a very positive one.  It has its own niche, which creates a sense of shared goals, lifestyle and commitment to the program.  At GBR my husband and I spent much more time learning about Erb and we were able to attend a few Erb-specific events. It was at these events that I realized we would be a good fit for the Erb community.  One of the events held during GBR was an Erb Partners’ Brunch.  This allowed us the opportunity to meet with other Erb couples and hear what their experiences were like.  The atmosphere was friendly and warm and I know it made us both feel that we could imagine ourselves as a part of this group. So for any prospective Erbers out there, I would highly recommend attending the Erb events offered during GBR – hopefully you will find it to be a good fit just like we did!

FuturTech

Last week, I attended FuturTech, the largest technology conference at the University of Michigan.  I went to see why my husband had spent so many hours writing emails and organizing meetings over the last six months in his role as coordinator of the conference.  This better be worth it, I thought. 

I’m not what you might call a techie.  Sure, I use a computer regularly, but I’m just not that interested in the inner workings of the machine.  Nor am I particularly fascinated by the latest tech innovations.  Heck, I don’t even own a smart phone.  So I was not optimistic about the conference.  The theme for the day was “Disruption is the New Normal,” which made me a bit uneasy.  I don’t tend to think about disruption as a good thing. 

The conference surprised me.  Even though President Obama gave a speech down the street at the same hour, there were still over 200 people in attendance.  They came from all over – from Ross, from the School of Information, from the Engineering School, from departments in the liberal arts, and from the larger tech community in Michigan and elsewhere.  I spent time chatting with a business student from the University of Chicago, a BBA at Ross, a software developer from Ann Arbor, an IBM executive from Toronto, and a host of others from far and wide.

Everyone at the conference thought about technology in interesting ways.  Some of the panelists spoke in technical terms, but for the most part, the conversation was about society’s relationship to technology – the ethics of different forms of data mining, the possibility of developing ways of anticipating a user’s need before he anticipates it himself, privacy concerns in the use of social media, and how to encourage greater diversity in the tech sector.  Though I didn’t always agree, I found the speakers to be fascinating – from the keynote, Ross alumnus Dave Girouard, Google’s President of Enterprise, to panelists from tech start-ups and established companies like Amazon and IBM. 

In the afternoon, the conference hosted a showcase of over a dozen local tech startups and invited attendees to vote on the “most disruptive” technologies.  It was great fun to ask questions of a founder of a company devoted to helping professors gauge student understanding of lessons in real time.  I don’t think I’d be coordinated enough to use an iPad to analyze questions at the same time as I lectured to my students, but I am sure there are college instructors more adept at using technology than I.  I also enjoyed chatting with the CTO of an organization that pairs farmers’ harvests with local buyers.  What a great solution to the abundance of rutabagas in CSA allotments! 

Because Ross isn’t located near Silicon Valley, I think it’s often assumed that it doesn’t have real credibility in the tech space.  But the vitality of FuturTech – as well as the Ross Technology Club, and the Entrepreneur and Venture Club – shows that that simply isn’t true.  Not only do lots of Ross students – including my husband – enter careers in Silicon Valley after b-school, but there’s a vibrant technology community at Ross, at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, and in the larger southeastern Michigan region.  And, that community is open to all – tech-phobic partners included!