Quiplash - Uncontrollable Laughter

During these boring times, my roommates and I have struggled to find things to do in our free time. We have played various card games, watched Netflix shows, and spent time in our backyard playing games. However, a recent roommate favorite has been the game "Quiplash".

Quiplash is a game that simply requires a computer and everyone to use their phones. It is similar to Kahoot, but it asks funny prompts for the player to fill-out. For example, each round you answer two fill-in-the blank questions. You are given 90 seconds to fill-out your answers and submit them on your phone. After the round is over, the rest of the players pick their favorite answers to each fill-in the blank answer.

This game allows for a lot of creativity and quite frankly, it can get out of control. Answers range from cute and adorable to perverse and distasteful. Below are some of the answers that led to some fits of uncontrollable laughter:


1. The best thing about going to prison:

Answer: They have toilet paper.


2. The best way to catch a leprechaun:

Answer: Mouse Traps


3. "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" _________.

Answer: Just me. I wish I had friends.


This game has provided a great source of laughter and happiness during social distancing. If you are looking for a fun way to interact with friends during quarantine, you can set up this game whether you are in-person or not! I would highly recommend it!

https://www.jackboxgames.com/quiplash/

5 Things I've Learned this Semester - Laughter

As the semester comes to a close, it is always nice to remember some of the key takeaways from your courses. Below are five of the biggest takeaways I had from this course:

1. Laughter is contagious
2. Laughter can be an effective way to win people over and make them like you. (Chancellor Boschini)
3. Comedy is truth and pain. (The Comic Toolbox)
4. Laughter is the best medicine
5. Tickling becomes less relevant the older you get (Robert Provine)

Why am I a double major? - FR III Learning Experience

When I came into college, I was planning on majoring in accounting. Both of my parents are were accountants in their careers and witnessed the success in their careers. I believe that accounting is logical, but not exciting. I do not necessarily wake up every day and hope that I can do journal entries or solve an accounting problem. I ended up deciding to add a finance major to my education because I had room in my class schedule and I wanted to explore other areas of business that interested me.

I ended up pursuing finance internships throughout my TCU experience and will be pursuing finance after I graduate. However, I ended up keeping my accounting major. One of the upper-division accounting classes is Financial Reporting III. Financial Reporting III is the hardest course I have taken in my entire life. We are presented a difficult case regarding a company and have to find Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) that justifies the logic for applying certain accounting standards to the scenario.

Accounting code is incredibly difficult to understand and apply. I have spent around 20-30 hours a week on this class for the past 4 weeks. The workload is almost unbearable. The teacher is incredibly difficult and gives out quite harsh grades. However, I think that I have learned the most from the course and it has dramatically improved my critical thinking ability.

Unlike other courses, our grade is a result of our ability to apply information and not memorize information. Although I may never remember what ASC 842-10-25-2 says, I have learned to critically think about how businesses operate and how to properly apply accounting code. I believe that these critical thinking skills will play a pivotal role in the future of my career, even though my career is not headed in the accounting direction. I believe that the countless hours spent in this class have been worth it as I have been pushed academically, improved my writing, and refined my critical thinking skills.

Senior Sendoff - Self-Reflective Learning Experience

At the end of every year, my fraternity has a ritual of doing “Senior Sendoffs.” These sendoffs are an opportunity for seniors to talk in front of the entire chapter about their Beta experience, TCU experience, or any life lessons that they think are worth sharing with the chapter. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has prevented these senior sendoffs from occurring. Instead of doing a Zoom meeting with 180 college guys, the president decided to do video sendoffs. Although the platform is not the same, it still allows the seniors to address the chapter.

Some seniors take this as an opportunity to reminisce on their best experiences. In contrast, others make it a little bit more seriously by providing advice or giving insight to the younger members of the chapter. I took the second approach as I feel like it is essential to invest in the younger members of the fraternity. Furthermore, I always took a lot away from the seniors that provided insight during their senior sendoff.

I enjoyed the exercise of thinking about the best advice I could provide to younger members of the fraternity. I believe I learned a lot about myself and realized that the college experience went by quickly, but I do think that I learned a lot over the years. Below is the transcript of my senior sendoff that I recorded in a video to be presented to my fraternity.

Hi guys, this is Ben Warren roll number 261. For those of you who may not know me as well, I served on exec for three terms. I was the secretary, president, and vice president of communications. Beta has meant a lot to me over the years. I have always looked forward to giving my senior sendoff in person, but a video sent to the chapter is a close second. Today, I want to share some of the best lessons I have learned and things I wish I knew when I was younger. None of these concepts are life-changing, but I think they played a massive role in my development over the years.

1. Live a purpose-driven life

Although it may be difficult, finding your purpose and what motivates you will bring so much happiness into your life. You may not be the best at whatever you are doing, but don’t let anyone outwork you. An anonymous quote that I live by is, “If you’re not thinking about it in the shower, you don’t want it bad enough.” Live a life with purpose and do something worth doing.

2. Find a mentor

I have learned so much from people that are older than me. By reaching out to people that are in my career field, I have learned what life is like in the various industries I may try to pursue. As soon as you find someone, ask them outstanding questions, and figure out what makes them tick. I found a mentor at my first internship. I still had a quote from one of my mentor meetings in 2018:
“Some things matter, others don’t Happiness is knowing the difference.”
Although the quote is somewhat simplistic, looking at life through this lens allows you to take a step back and observe what is essential in life.

3. Learn to love the process

Often, we as humans get so caught up on the outcome. It is so much more worthwhile to focus on everything you can do at the current moment. Live in the moment and soak up every second. You will end up where you are supposed to end up. Everything indeed does happen for a reason. Learn to love the grind, whether it be with school, work, friendships, or a relationship. Here are two quotes by Gary V. I like to reference when I think about learning to love the process:
“Nobody has anything to complain about.”
“You can’t complain about something if you don’t put the work in.”

4. Time

College goes by so fast. Everyone will tell you this. You only have so much time before this crazy experience is over. Everybody has time. No matter how busy you are or what you are up to, everyone has time. It truly is just a matter of priorities. If someone says they don’t have time for you, then they just don’t prioritize you. It's not fair to you or fair of them. Do your best to make time for others and to invest in others. One of my favorite quotes by Steve Jobs is this:
“It’s really clear that the most precious resource we have is time.” – Steve Jobs

5. Learn to find peace in the unknown

Sometimes you will not get that internship. Sometimes you will not get into that program. Sometimes you will not get that relationship you want. Life can feel slightly out of your control at times. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but everything does happen for a reason.

Best of luck, everyone. I hope to stay in touch. With that, this is Ben Warren roll number 261 signing off.

Social Distancing - Uncontrollable Laughter

One of my good friends had a birthday this past week, and she wanted to celebrate. Although the CDC has recommended minimizing the gatherings of people, she decided to have a small group of people at her house. We all stayed in her front yard and made sure to maintain appropriate distances from each other.

As the BBQ progressed, we began to discuss the fact that my house is currently fostering a kitten. Our kitten's name is Sprinkles. She is a feisty and somewhat needy kitten. She craves attention and affection. One of the attendees at the party had expressed interest in potentially adopting the kitten we were fostering. She began asking us questions about what kind of cat it was and what gender it was.

I promptly responded, "It's a girl." 

She looked back at me with some hesitation and said: "I've just had a lot of trouble with girls in the past."

With which I promptly replied, "That makes two of us." 

Everyone at the party started laughing uncontrollably. Fortunately, everyone at the barbecue was some of my good friends, and they have some background knowledge of my love life at TCU. To say the least, it has not been the most successful aspect of my TCU career. Although I wouldn't necessarily describe myself as "funny," I was proud of the reaction I caused with this witty comment.

The CDC may not be happy that there was a small gathering of people, but this social interaction made life feel somewhat normal again, even if it was just for a brief moment.

Network = Net Worth

The power of human connection in the business world is unmatched. As simple as a short conversation with one employee at a company can lead to an interview at the firm of your dreams. Networking is one of the most important lessons I have learned over the past week.

Although I attempt to focus on living in the present, my head tends to focus on the future and what it holds. I currently have a job lined up starting in August and often find myself dreaming about the next steps. Where do I want to be in five years? What position do I want to have? Where do I want to live?

As a result of quarantine, I find myself planning out the future. You can't necessarily plan out your future, but you can make put yourself in a position to be the most successful at making those future plans possible.

During my Mergers & Acquisitions night class on Monday night, a guest speaker presented to our class. He is currently a managing partner at a boutique investment bank in Denver. He had an informative presentation and gave some insight into his firm. Since I am starting my career in the fall in investment banking, I decided to send him a follow-up email after the presentation. I mentioned that I was from Colorado and that I am starting my career in investment banking.

He promptly replied, and we began a conversation about all the similarities we shared. He even offered to meet up before I head out to New York in the fall. As a passionate Colorado native, I have aspirations to make my way back to the beautiful state of Colorado. The power of a network enables you to go where you want to go. As I begin to think more about the future, I find myself being grateful for people in the business world that are willing to connect and discuss their experiences. There is so much to learn from mentors in the industry that you want to pursue. A simple email can get you connected with a person at the firm of your dreams.

Your net worth is only as valuable as your network.

Closure

One of the most challenging concepts for humans and me, in general, is this concept of closure. The idea that all things come to an end for a reason and that there are events that take place or conversations that occur to facilitate closure. One thing that I have learned as a result of COVID-19 is that sometimes you don't always get closure. That was a tough pill for me to swallow.

TCU has been the greatest four years of my life. I met incredible people, I have learned, I landed some fun internships, and have some incredible memories. As a classic TCU fanboy, I was beyond excited for the second half of this semester. I was excited about the last goodbyes with classmates, friends, and teachers. I was excited about my final classes and the last ever final exams. I was excited about the senior sendoff events. I was excited about the closure, but that was taken away.

Does closure indeed exist? Is there always a reason that everything happens? To me, I believe that closure does exist and that everything does happen for a reason. Part of this is faith-based, and part of this is my faith in humanity. I think that we all, as humans, desperately seek comfort in times of unknowing. I have struggled to grasp the reality of never returning to TCU, seeing various people again, and being a "normal" TCU student still. The reality of this pandemic has been tough to grasp.

However, I do think that everything happens for a reason. For years, our society has been built on the idea that success only comes from being "busy" constantly. People are always "busy" and are going from one thing to the next. Although I pray for the health and safety of those infected, I believe that this is a unique opportunity in our lives to reflect and slow down.

Am I happy with where my life is? Am I doing what makes me happy? Am I supporting my local community? Am I staying in touch with friends and family? Am I taking things for granted? Am I complaining too much? Should I read more?

I have found myself trying to understand myself better and reflect on my life thus far. I think one of the most profound things I have noticed is that I need to stop complaining about the little things and not take things for granted. After this time of reflection at home, I have learned that I am truly so blessed and grateful. I have a loving family, incredible friends, and a job lined up after graduation. I attended an incredible school with great professors.

I find myself missing the classroom more and more each day. I never truly realized how much I enjoyed going to class, seeing my professors, and seeing my classmates. Although I may never get that closure that I always expected, I have closure knowing that we all need to be grateful for the little things.

No closure, no problem.

Top 5 Tips to be Funny

1. Laugh at Yourself
When you have the confidence to laugh at yourself, you welcome others to be confident to laugh at themselves. Self-depricating humor can be a great way to have others warm up to you.

2. Know your Audience
Certain types of humor may only make select groups of people laugh. Being aware of your audience allows you to best steer humor towards the proper audience to ensure there is the best possible reaction.

3. Watch Comedians
Comedians are professionals that are paid to make people laugh. By studying the timing and delivery of comedians, you may pick up on the most effective way to produce a funny story or a joke.

4. Sarcasm
I think that sarcasm is one of the most simplistic forms of humor. Sarcastic sentences can have as much of a humorous effect as a joke. Sarcasm is easy to apply to most situations, its just important to not overdo it.

5. Smile
Smiling, similar to laughter, can be quite contagious. Implementing a smile when telling a funny joke or story can encourage those listening to also smile, which may facilitate laughter.

Phineas and Ferb - Favorite Childhood Cartoon

My favorite childhood cartoon was Phineas and Ferb. Although I enjoyed it as a child, as an adult today, I would not mind watching an episode. I think my favorite aspect of the show is its humor. The humor is quite witty and lasts throughout the series. For example, Ferb is one of the main characters and is known for rarely talking. However, when he does speak, he speaks in very few words and an English accent. Phineas is also frequently asked, "Aren't you a little too young to be doing that?" He always replies, "Yes, yes, I am." He then continues to do or build whatever he was doing. I think the background of the show is relatable. The idea that two brothers go on these crazy adventures during summer break is just a humorous and enjoyable concept. This show brings a smile to my face, and I think I would smile if I watched an episode of it today.

Arbuckle, Lloyd, Keaton, and Chaplin

Considering the period of these scenes, I found myself chuckling from time to time. I believe that the lack of sound influenced the actors as they used extreme facial expressions to display their emotions better. Furthermore, the body movements in the scenes were much more exaggerated than what would occur in real life. I believe that this exaggeration largely contributed to the effectiveness of silent comedy. Arbuckle's scenes were focused on exaggerated facial expressions and body movements.
In contrast, the humor from Harold Lloyd's scenes was humorous due to the bizarre situations. I found myself laughing as a result of Harold being in these odd circumstances. Buster Keaton's scenes were funny because of the unexpected events that occurred in the scene. I enjoyed these scenes as I genuinely never knew what was going to happen next, and the stunts were quite humorous as well. Ultimately, I found that Charlie Chaplin was likely the best actor/comedian of this time. I felt like his scenes were more sophisticated, and the acting was much more impressive than Arbuckle, Lloyd, and Keaton.

Top 5 Comedy Films

My list of the greatest comedy films of all time:

1. Anchorman
2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
3. The 40-Year-Old Virgin
4. Step Brothers
5. Superbad

Social Distancing Selfie

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life."

- Steve Jobs

Would Victorian Society Laugh at Us?

One of the most enjoyable learning experiences I have had form the Laughter class is reading and discussing the play, “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde is an incredible writer, and it was enjoyable to see how his humor can still be enjoyed in the 21st century.

One of the key themes throughout the play was marriage and its nature in society. Jack and Algernon briefly discussed the nature of marriage and whether or not a proposal is a matter of business or pleasure. The continued focus on marriage occurs when Lady Bracknell presents the list she has made of eligible bachelors for her daughter. Victorian society in the 1800s had a strong focus on social classes and marrying into the appropriate social classes. However, the play satirizes the absurdity of these expectations in society. It was enjoyable to notice this sarcasm throughout the play.

The most important and intelligent aspects of the play were Oscar Wilde’s play on the words “Earnest and Ernest”. The term “earnest” relates to the state of being serious or sincere. Wilde focused on this word throughout the play because being serious and honest was such an important, yet trivial aspect of Victorian Society.

The climax of the play occurs when Cecily and Gwendolen realize that Algernon and Jack are not named “Ernest.” For some reason, these women believe that one of the essential pieces of the foundations of their relationships was the fact that their lovers were named “Ernest.”

Ultimately, it is discovered that Miss Prism abandoned Jack as a baby and truly is Algernon’s brother. Ironically, Jack has been found to be indeed named “Ernest” and has been telling the truth about his name all along. The irony comes in the fact that by Jack not being earnest, yet he has, in fact, been “Ernest” all along. The critical piece of this play is the importance of Jack not being earnest.

I enjoyed reading this play and the unique writing style of Oscar Wilde. I am impressed that Wilde had the ability to cleverly satirize society through his writing. Many of the themes and symbols throughout this play are still relevant in today’s society. Sometimes it may be reasonable to take a step back and look at society. Is the society we will live in precisely what we want it to be? What are its flaws?

Modern-day America has changed tremendously since the writing of this play. Many things that were considered a requirement for Victorian Society are quite comical to present-day standards, as I’m sure that people of Victorian Society would find our society amusing as well.

I think that its important to be understanding, but critical of society when necessary. There are many problems in society, and people all have varying opinions of what society should look like. With the upcoming election, it may be essential for people to step back and have a good laugh at ourselves. We are far from living in a perfect country. I’m thankful that we no longer need to worry about social classes when getting married, as well as women no longer drinking arsenic like it’s not poison. We have made considerable strides in society, but many aspects of modern-day society are quite laughable.

Happiness is Knowing the Difference

As a senior at TCU, I can say that your college experience does go by in the blink of an eye. I’ve had people come into my life. I’ve had people leave my life. I’ve been in relationships, and I’ve been single. I decreased my commitment to my faith and, at other times, found myself pushing forward in my commitment. College is one of those experiences that are indescribable as you see yourself, and others go through so much change in such a short period. I think it is a time in your life to mature, to grow, to learn, and to enjoy life. My time at TCU has been nothing short of a fairy-tale. I have been so incredibly lucky with the opportunities and people I have met during my time at TCU. I think one of the most important lessons I have learned, particularly this semester, is this; some things matter, others don’t, and happiness is knowing the difference.

During my freshman year of college, I was incredibly stressed out when it came to school. I worked so hard in my classes and was always stressing about my next test or next assignment. Although my grades have played a significant impact on my future career, I wish that I had sometimes taken the time to spend more time getting to know my fellow classmates and students. What I have learned is that some things don’t matter. Sometimes getting a B on a quiz because you spent the night hanging out with your friends is worth it.

One thing that I have learned that matters are relationships and people. I’m not sure what it is about TCU, but the people at TCU are unlike any other community I have ever been a part of. The people at this school are unique. Money, clothes, cars, etc. have never given me fulfillment in my life. The one thing that brings me consistent joy and satisfaction is through the relationships I have found through this school and its organizations. People will bring you happiness in this lifetime. People will bring you up, encourage you, and push you to be the best version of yourself. I will forever be grateful for the people I have had the opportunity to surround myself with at TCU.

It isn’t easy to know what makes you happy, so instead, I have learned to understand that some things matter, others don’t, and happiness is knowing the difference. Some things in this life don’t matter. People that don’t encourage you shouldn’t matter. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t get that internship. It doesn’t matter that you got a C on one of your tests. Some things don’t matter.

TCU has given me some of the greatest experiences, inside and outside of the classroom, and I look forward to contributing to the TCU community in the future in whatever capacity I can. TCU matters, and TCU has brought me so much happiness.

What makes you happy?

Roommates with the TCU Easter Bunny - Uncontrollable Laughter

It was 7 pm after a rainy day in Fort Worth. Four of my roommates and I are spending time hanging out in our family room/kitchen as we each make ourselves dinner. One of my roommates, Harrison, is 23 years old. He transferred to TCU during his sophomore year after spending 1 year at Belmont. Since his credits did not all transfer, he was forced to take an extra semester here at TCU. He was a Biology major, and he graduated in the Fall of 2019. He was recently accepted into Dental school. We are all proud of what he has accomplished.

Harrison only took 9 credit hours in the Fall and found himself with considerable free-time. The rest of my roommates and myself are all seniors at TCU that are taking a full-load of classes. We gave Harrison a hard time during the Fall, and we're all confused about what we would be doing in the spring while the rest of us are taking classes.

He took it upon himself to get any job that would accept him and ended up being hired to be a swim-instructor for children at Fort Worth swim school. It is quite humorous to see your roommate, a recent college graduate, find such a random job as a swim instructor. After graduating from college, it seems like it would only be fair that he could find a well-paying job in a variety of places. However, a Biology degree is quite specialized, and it is seen as a stair-stepper in the ladder of becoming a doctor of some sort in the future.

While he was still teaching swim lessons, he was pursuing various opportunities. Fortunately, he was able to land a job in the Office of Expansion at TCU. We were all incredibly impressed with this accomplishment. The Office of Expansion at TCU has been an enormous part of TCU's success and was surprised that he could land such a unique role. We later came to find out that he was being paid under the Office of Expansion but truly was working for the Office of Admissions – slightly less impressive but still quite impressive.

As we are conversing on this Tuesday night, I inquired about the day-to-day tasks of his new role in the "Office of Expansion." He began the story by discussing how unique it is to be working under the Office of Expansion and really enjoys the job. Harrison mentioned that the role has been exceptional as he has been performing ad-hoc tasks and working on whatever is necessary. He spoke about arranging materials and supplies for an upcoming event and ensuring that an appropriate schedule was made for the event. My other roommate, Chris, asked, "What event?"

Harrison replied, hesitantly, and said, "The TCU Easter Egg Hunt."

My roommates and I burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. We were caught off-guard by the idea that the only full-time employee in our home was spending each day organizing an Easter Egg hunt. He had hyped up his role so much that it was hysterical to hear that he was just spending every day working on an event put on for the children in Fort Worth.

The future Dentist is currently spending 40-hours a week organizing an Easter Egg hunt. The comedy in the scenario is undeniable. Although we try to be encouraging to each other, we were not at this moment. Harrison, we thank you for the laughs.

Learning to Work in Risky Group Projects

I am currently a double major in finance and accounting in the Neeley School of Business at TCU. I started my time at TCU as an Accounting major with the expectations of staying at TCU for the Masters of Accounting program. After taking both an introductory accounting course and an introductory finance course, I quickly found that I found the science and judgment aspects of finance to be much more interesting than accounting. However, I brought a decent amount of credit hours into TCU. I knew that my parents would make me graduate early if I genuinely did not need to take classes anymore to get a degree. To avoid graduating a semester soon from TCU, I decided to pursue a double major in finance in accounting. Ironically, the accounting courses I have taken as a senior at TCU have been some of the hardest classes I have taken during my time.

I am currently in a class titled “Risk and Controls,” which is an upper-level accounting course that focuses on the internal controls of companies. Although the class is relatively interesting, our teacher has gone out of her way to give us an excessive amount of work – particularly group work. The course has about 20 students, and I know about 10 of them from prior accounting classes. We were assigned a group to work on group projects for the semester, and I found myself with 0 of my friends in my group. Not to complain, but all of my friends ended up in better groups than myself.

Although I am a senior, I still have some motivation to finish my time at TCU strong. I care about my GPA and care about how teachers view me in terms of my effort. My team members that will remain unnamed do not have the same motivation or level of expectation for projects to be submitted. There have already been two separate group projects assigned and submitted.

The most recent project was quite exciting. We were given three excel files from a company that provided comprehensive data on the operations of the company. We were assigned steps to analyze the data and provide answers to questions regarding the company’s services. The final deliverable was to turn-in an Excel workbook that described the actions taken to solve the various problems and making interpretations regarding the company’s operations based on the data.

Fortunately, I have gained considerable exposure to Excel through my various internship experiences and classes. I found the project somewhat tricky, even with my slightly above average (not to brag) Excel skills.

The project was assigned so that each individual in the group would turn-in an original version of the project. Then we would collaborate to create a finalized version to submit as our group version of the project.

Three days before the project is due, I received the following text from one of my group members in our group project text message group: “Ben, do you understand this assignment? I have a hard time finding out what I’m supposed to do and where to start.”

I knew at that moment that I was going to have to pull a lot of weight for this group project. I spent the majority of the next few evenings, always providing instructions for my teammates to complete their own versions of the project. I ultimately finished the project on my own. I sent them my finalized version, suggesting that we submit mine for our group version of the project because I knew that my team members honestly had no idea how to complete the assignment.

After reviewing the project, my teammates responded with the texts “Thanks Ben” and “Thank you, Ben, it looks incredible.” My teammates did not take any responsibility or do anything whatsoever for this project. They will be receiving a grade on this project solely as a result of my efforts on the project. This group project made me learn how important it is to hold yourself to the highest standard. Group projects are risky (pun intended). Even in a group project, you can control your own destiny. Although it is frustrating to put in so much work and others to receive credit for it, it is more important to manage your own destiny in your path to success. You can’t let others lower your expectations and effort levels. I will continue to pursue academic excellence and do the best I can to achieve the outcomes I desire in the classroom.

The Art and Science of Finance

After interning in New York City this past summer, I was fortunate enough to receive a full-time offer to be an investment banking analyst starting in August 2020. The role is focused on mergers and acquisitions in the financial institutions' space (insurance, banks, asset management, etc.). To best prepare myself for the role, I decided to take a class this Spring related to mergers and acquisitions. The course is designed for TCU MBA students, but they allowed several undergraduates to take the class. I thought that surrounding myself with professionals would promote intellectual growth and give me knowledge regarding real-world experiences.

My internship this past summer gave me great insight into the investment banking industry. Although I have heard a lot about the industry as I prepared for my interviews, I never fully grasped the role and responsibilities of an investment banking analyst. It was indeed an experience I had to do myself and could not merely read about it. There are so many nuances in the industry, and it helped me realize that most jobs I have in the future will rely on my ability to learn on the job.

My Mergers & Acquisitions class has proved to be a worthwhile experience thus far. Several of the MBA students have had experiences in valuation services and the private credit space that provide light on many scenarios that I have not had the opportunity to work on yet. Each week we are assigned multiple "cases" to analyze and prepare responses to a given financial transaction. For example, we did a case regarding the potential acquisition of Pixar by Disney. We read the background information regarding the two companies and perform analysis to come to an opinion regarding the possible financial transaction. Each class period is entirely discussion-based and provides tremendous insights into others' points of view regarding the scenario. It is an excellent experience to hear the opinions of many well-informed MBA students regarding various financial transactions and financial structures for the transactions.

One of the most exciting aspects of finance is that it is both an art and a science. The MBA students have provided great insight into this industry. Although the numbers may show one story, the intangible aspects of a financial transaction may offer more insight into whether the project is or is not a good idea. Often, a financial transaction may be a great idea on paper. Yet, it may not be an excellent idea execution wise. One of the difficulties surrounding the acquisition of Pixar by Disney was the drastic differences in company cultures.

Furthermore, the financials of the transaction described the transaction in a negative light. However, the class concluded that Disney would lose market share without partnering with Disney and made the most sense for Disney to make the acquisition of Pixar. As we know, Disney did, in fact, acquire Pixar in real-life, and it has been one of Disney's most successful partnerships since inception.

The learning experiences I have had in this M&A class in a few short weeks have provided me great insight into the mergers and acquisition space. I have learned from MBAs, and the other undergraduates in this class as people viewed the transaction from a different perspective than my own. By hearing these perspectives, I have been able to recognize my own biases and better analyze cases in the future. I hope to further my knowledge surrounding the M&A (mergers and acquisitions) space to best prepare myself for my future role as an investment banking analyst.

Counter-Stereotypical Hysterics

After spending three years living on campus at TCU, I ventured my way off campus by living with six other guys in a house behind the Bluebonnet circle. Although it is impossible to be productive at home, I have enjoyed the many laughable moments at our home. I would consider the guys living in my house as six of my closest friends. We have spent countless hours together not only this year but also the years before this one.

Chris has become one of my closest friends this year. We share a lot of commonalities in terms of post-grad plans and interests. Living so close to him has helped us grow very close. Many of my favorites memories from college are staying up late and talking to him about life, the future, goals, and relationships.

After getting to know him well, I have learned so much about him as a person. He is full of compassion, yet is incredibly light-hearted. To give some background, he has been very successful at TCU as he was the previous president of NLP and a Mr. TCU finalist. Additionally, he has continued to do long-distance with his girlfriend from high school. He and his girlfriend are from California. She currently attends Stanford University. Chris frequently comments on being waitlisted at Harvard to compensate for his inferiority relative to his girlfriend’s success at attending a more “prestigious” university.

A moment of uncontrollable laughter occurred during one of the weekends that his long-distance girlfriend came to visit. His girlfriend’s name is Lauren, and she recently accepted a job at Bain & Company consulting job in Dallas to be close to Chris post-graduation as he took a job at Goldman Sachs in Dallas as well. Both of these companies are well-regarded in the financial industry. Although to those who know the industry well, Lauren’s position as a consultant relative to Chris’s role of being a private wealth manager is slightly elevated. As close friends of Chris, my roommates and I are aware of his slight insecurity relative to his girlfriend’s success at Stanford and getting an incredible post-grad job (not to mention, she is two inches taller than him).

One night, five of the roommates were hanging out in the living room of our humble abode, enjoying conversation alongside Chris’s girlfriend, Lauren. Chris made a remark, giving his girlfriend for loving him too much to consider moving away to California to Dallas. It was remarkable. Who chooses to leave California for Dallas? The weather alone should be a reason enough to stick around in California. As Chris’s ego was boosted with his girlfriend committing to living near him post-grad, she wittily replied: “Chris, don’t forget that I’m making more money than you.”

Naturally, my roommates and I burst into hysterics. Chris’s taller girlfriend emasculated him in front of his closest friends. It’s stereotypical for the male of the home to be the “breadwinner” of the household, so it was hilarious to hear his girlfriend counterstereotype the situation. Her height and her wittiness brought great joy to the roommates and me. Even Chris himself could not hold back laughs. His girlfriend called him out in front of his friends, which takes a lot of guts. We all appreciated the jest.

Following this incident, we have continued to give Chris grief regarding this situation. Chris himself is very successful, but the witty remark by his girlfriend put him back in his place. Thinking of this situation continues to bring me joy. It is quite humorous for your friend to get called out by his girlfriend, especially regarding such a stereotypically opposite scenario. All of the roommates are thankful for Lauren’s humor and wit.