It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good, or so we are told. Two storm systems collided over the Eastern seaboard last week bringing us a bunch of snow, but failing to shake the iron resolve of the HBS faculty and administration. While second-years were happily slashing through sweltering Amazonian rain forests or building affordable beach housing on Tahiti, the class of 2002 learned anew that it takes a lot more than a so-called “Storm of the Century” to score a holiday around here. Of course it turned out not to be the storm of the century (and barely the storm of the year) but it nevertheless draped a foot of snow over Boston, and threw the HBS-Stanford choice into stark relief for at least one visiting double-admit.
The Negotiations faculty did not blink, however, serving up the September cohort’s first fully-online Final exam. While the predictable 8:30 a.m. rush for the course platform did mean that some people got started five or ten minutes late, the exercise went as smoothly as could be expected. At least one considerate professor e-mailed the exam to his entire section. At the other end of the common decency spectrum, one student reported doing the entire exam in his underwear, which likely should be a community standards violation.
The January cohort got off a little easier, but not much. The MBA Program Office declared a “Modified Class Schedule,” which essentially allows students to skip class if traveling “poses health or safety risks.” Many braved the tunnels and showed up for class anyway, although late reports indicated that raw nerves led to a bitter lunchtime snowball fight outside Spangler.
All of which proves that there’s nothing like a snowstorm in March to put one in the mood for a tropical Spring Break. With apologies to Januaries and just-returned second-years, we wish the September cohort Sunny Days, wherever this week may find them.
