DANIEL WONG (left to to right) Judy Chang,
William Fang and Paul Zapatka gather around the keg at one
of the weekly Beer Busts hosted by The Anderson School at UCLA.
By Marjorie Hernandez
Daily Bruin Contributor
The image of beer-guzzling students in an all-night party
lasting through the wee hours of the morning is the usual picture
of the traditional college kegger.
But when more than 250 graduate students at The Anderson School
at UCLA hold their weekly Beer Busts, the average college kegger
turns into business happy hour.
On average, about 5,000 students all over the country vie for
one of the 329 spots in The Anderson School’s intense
two-year program.
“We have a very group-based way of working,” said
Richard Colback, a second-year student and external vice president
of the Anderson Student Association. “We work incredibly
hard. It’s really a high-pressure course in the first
year.”
The Beer Busts allow first- and second-year Anderson students to
come together for some recreation and relaxation.
Although the Beer Busts are meant to relieve stress accumulated
from the week, students still find it hard to stray from business
issues in their conversations.
“If you were to walk around and listen to the
conversations going on, we’re really not that cool,”
said Rick Sliter, president of the Anderson Student Association.
“You hear a lot of statistics going on in
economics.”
“But a lot of the learning in the business school takes
place outside the classroom,” he continued. “And this
is one area that I’d say where a lot of that
happens.”
Participants enjoy free beer from seven kegs and 90 boxes of
pizzas at Anderson Plaza, which is blocked off during the event.
Talk of future capital ventures, investments and dot-coms mixed
with music last week, during the first Beer Bust of the year.
“It’s my first Beer Bust and I already met quite a
few people,” said first-year graduate student Deena
Williams.
The weekly Beer Busts aren’t limited to Anderson, but are
a nationwide business school tradition, according to Adam Trinacty,
second-year student and public relations chair for the Anderson
Student Association.
At many business schools around the country, students have
Fridays off ““ which led to the tradition. Other professional
schools, such as UCLA’s School of Law, have similar
activities.
“It’s integral to the Anderson culture,”
Trinacty said. “It’s a good way to unwind after the end
of the week.”
Corporate sponsorships, where students and recruiters talk
one-on-one in a more informal setting, have also become a
tradition, according to Chris Brandt, General Mills recruiter and
1998 Anderson alumnus.
General Mills, one of the largest food companies in the country,
was on hand to kick off the first Beer Bust this year, where
students asked questions about internship opportunities and
full-time employment at General Mills.
Other sponsors included business companies such as Salomon Smith
Barney, J.P. Morgan and Merrill Lynch.
“The Anderson School is a great addition to UCLA and
we’re happy to recruit people,” Brandt said. “The
people who we recruit that come from Anderson and have gone to
General Mills have been very successful. We hope to continue that
tradition.”
General Mills also provided activities such the one-dollar
golf-putting challenge for charity. Raffles were also held that
included a prize for a Nascar training course worth $750, where the
winner will have a chance to drive 18 laps at speeds up to 165
miles per hour.
Proceeds for the mini-putt challenge and the raffle totaled
about $400, which will go to Challenge for Charity, a Special
Olympics organization.
Since alcohol is distributed on campus at the Beer Busts,
members from the Anderson Student Association provide designated
drivers during the events as well as taxi phone numbers for
students who need them.
But organizers point out that the Beer Bust events do not
revolve around alcohol.
“It’s a pretty solid network of people here who know
to watch out for their buddies to make sure that everybody’s
doing the right thing,” said Trinacty. “We
haven’t had any major problems in the past.”
The average cost of each Beer Bust runs up to $2,000, which is
provided by the corporate sponsor and organized by the ASA.
“Call it your typical Friday afternoon business happy
hour, but change it to Thursdays and make it for business
school,” Sliter said.