The Duke MMS Student Blog

A View of Ninth Street

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Suejin Ahn

Ninth Street is a main attraction in Durham. It’s a strip that has a variety of different restaurants, coffee shops, and eclectic stores. Located close to Duke’s East Campus, I find myself frequenting the area pretty often. It’s got a bit of a hipster vibe, and you’ll definitely be able to find some unique things there. Here are some of the businesses that are located on Ninth Street (in no particular order):

Bean Traders

I’m actually writing this blog post from one of my favorite coffee shops on Ninth Street: Bean Traders. I consider myself a coffee enthusiast, and I would say hands down that Bean Traders has the best coffee in Durham. Not only do I come here for coffee, but I’ll often come here to stud. It’s a good option if you ever get tired of going to the Ford Library to stud. If you end up stopping by here, I recommend the mocha — it’s delicious.

Francesca’s Dessert Cafe

Bean Traders is not your only option for coffee on Ninth Street. There’s also Francesca’s, which also has good coffee and offers gelato and fancy desserts. I definitely recommend coming here if you have a sweet tooth craving. They also offer booth seating which lets you get pretty comfortable.

Gelato and other desserts at Francesca's.

The Duck Shop

Duck Shop? Do you mean the Duke Shop? Nope, it’s called the Duck Shop I’m not sure exactly why, but this store is your go-to place, other than the on-campus Duke University Store, if you want to get any type of Duke paraphernalia. They have a wide range of shirts, hats, decorations … you name it, so you can treat yourself, friends or family.

The Regulator Bookshop

If you’re interested in supporting your local bookstore, The Regulator is the spot for you. They have a whole section of books by local authors as well as a variety of books about Duke, Durham, and the surrounding area. It’s a pretty quaint store, but conveniently located on Ninth Street.

The Regulator Bookshop is ideal for bookworms.

Dain’s Place

Dain’s is a local pub, which seems to attract the bikers in the town. But don’t let that intimidate you at all. The people are very friendly and the food is good, too. If you’re down to grab a burger and a microbrew, this is a convenient spot to come to with a couple of friends. It’s even been ranked number 10 on a list of 50 Best College Bars in America.

Vaguely Reminiscent

Vaguely Reminiscent is a very interesting, out-of-the-ordinary, store that sells a variety of things ranging from little trinkets to gag gifts and clothing. You’ll never know what you can find here, but that’s what makes it such a great place to visit. I’ve come here to grab a unique gift for a friend. You’ll have to come here for yourself to experience what I mean when I say out-of-the-ordinary.

Vaguely Reminiscent carries an eclectic assortment of gifts, trinkets, and clothing.

Wavelengths Salon

Wavelengths is a popular local hair salon that offers haircuts and styling. They also carry a variety of products from Aveda, Bumble and Bumble, etc. So, if you had to move away from your trusted hair stylist, and you need a new one in the Durham area, give them a try. Their location is conveniently close to campus.

Metro 8 Steakhouse

Metro 8 is a restaurant that’s also a nice event venue. They serve classic American cuisine and you can come here for a nice steak entrée. At the same time, the establishment allows groups to hold events such as fundraisers, formals, and more. We even held our MMS winter formal at Metro 8.

Ox and Rabbit Soda and Sundries

When first walking into this place, you might take it as an ordinary stationary store, but don’t be fooled. The Ox and Rabbit is not only a stationary store, but an ice cream soda shop as well. You can get all kinds of homemade milkshakes and cream sodas here. Not too many people know about this place, so spread the word!

Blue Corn Cafe

In the mood for some Latin food? Then Blue Corn Cafe is your place. Serving fajitas to enchiladas and anything in between, they have some delicious dishes. Their fusion style is unique. I’ve also heard that the margaritas are pretty good, so you’ll just have to see for yourself.

A True Cultural & Educational Exchange

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Courtney Starzer

It’s hard to believe that just 9 months ago I hadn’t even met any of my classmates, yet now they’re some of my closest friends. But what’s most interesting to me is how some of these friendships even started in the first place.

A couple of terms ago, I knew Capital Markets was going to be a challenge for me, so I reached out to Kevin Hoch, the Associate Director of the MMS program, to find out if he could recommend anyone as a peer tutor. He connected me with a girl I knew of, but had never talked to for more than just a “hey” in the hallway.

My peer tutoring sessions with Nancy Yu led to a great friendship.

And that’s how I got to know Nancy Yu. Even though I had never really spoken to her before and didn’t know how I felt about having someone my age go over class material with me, Nancy and I clicked right off the bat. Not only did I start to understand the course material better, but I gained so much more.

Nancy and I grew up in two completely different places, she grew up in China and I grew up in upstate New York, and our differences (and sometimes surprising similarities) have provided both of us with unique learning experiences.

For example, in the summer I planned a trip to a Durham Bulls game, where Nancy got to experience an American baseball game for the first time, with an American beer and a hot dog in hand. And then we went to a Chinese New Year celebration where I learned how to make dumplings. Nancy’s enthusiasm for Duke is infectious, and she’s encouraged me to get involved in all sorts of MMS activities and fun events. In addition, Nancy told me that the tutoring sessions have helped her to improve her English — a big plus in her opinion.

Neither one of us expected to become good friends. And our study sessions have surprisingly expanded to include other classmates. Last term, we had 8 of our friends join us to discuss the final case for our accounting class. At this point, we’ve studied for 3 different courses together, and this term will be no exception. We both agree that it’s encouraging to have someone there to push you to work harder and to learn everything that you can.

Sometimes, during our tutoring sessions, we get off track talking about the most random things, but unlike the formulas for finance that I may have already forgotten, our discussions about the differences and similarities in our childhood, educational, and life experiences are not something I’ll forget anytime soon.

For the Kids

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Candace Buford

One day while messing around on Facebook during lunch, I noticed that my friend, Kourtney Kellin, had added an acronym to her name on her profile. It read “FTK” in bold letters. Scrunching up my nose I turned to her and asked about its meaning. The fork full of her “delicious” vegan delight froze midway to her mouth as she gaped at me.

Wait, did I say something wrong?

One massive eye roll and a plate of tofu later, she explained that FTK stands for “For the Kids.” It is a term employed to describe the philosophy of Dance Marathon, a massive benefit to fund the causes of the Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit that pumps much needed funds into children’s hospitals. The local CMN hospital is our very own Duke Children’s, but there was no student fundraising effort for it, so Kourtney decided to start one.

Kourtney puts up posters to advertise the Dance Marathon.

Kicking Off Duke’s Dance Marathon

The Duke Dance Marathon has been a year-long effort that culminates in a 12-hour fundraising event starting the evening of this Friday, March 23, and goes until the wee hours of Saturday. During the final event, participants dance in shifts, so that people are dancing almost non-stop for the full 12 hours, standing up for the children who are too sick to stand for themselves. Throughout the year, students raised funds and awareness for the local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. As a recent Penn State graduate, I am familiar with the efforts of Dance Marathon. At Penn State it’s called THON, and it is quite possibly the biggest event of the year, and the excitement surrounding it rivals that of the football games. It is already ambitious to participate in the marathon, but to build one from scratch is … just wow!

Kourtney has spent most of her free time devoted to organizing events to fortify Duke Dance Marathon. Absorbed with instilling its importance in every local business and student organization, she tirelessly worked toward making the fundraiser a success. And it seems to be paying off — there is a buzz around campus about the event. This heightened awareness encourages more people every day to gear up to dance for the cause. Everyone now seems to know what FTK stands for. And why does Kourtney spend so much of her time organizing and supporting such an impressive event? She looks at me incredulously with wide eyes, as if the answer is self-evident. For the kids, obviously.

Kourtney with miracle child, Alison.

Between her sister, Kaitlyn, her best friend, Elyse, and her little hero, Alison, she has a lot of personal reasons that fuel her enthusiasm for Dance Marathon. Every Miracle Network child she has had the blessing of meeting motivates her even more to make an impact on the lives of these miracle kids. They have experienced troubles and persevered through struggles that she could never even imagine. “Through all the pain, these kids have a hope that is inspiring. It’s hard not to fall in love with the cause and become passionate about making a difference when you meet them,” Kourtney told me. Simply put, the children and their families’ stories, strength, and determination are what Dance Marathon is all about.

It Really is All for the Kids

I would like to stress the fact that every penny raised goes straight to the kids — no gimmicks and no catches. No one is making any money off of this event, because every scent goes toward saving more lives. Kourtney and her team members are still collecting donations online for this great fundraiser.

Participants in the marathon are in for a treat. All of the students I’ve spoken to who have participated in similar events have nothing but good things to say about it. During the Duke Dance Marathon “participants will be entertained by various DJs, comedians, and dance troupes, fed by local sponsors, will do a 7 minute Dance Marathon line dance every hour, hear stories from Duke Children’s Miracle families, have fun during our 2 hour black light party, and stand and stay awake for those who can’t,” Kourtney states excitedly, practically jumping from her seat.

If you are interested in participating in the event, you can find more information on the main event website, the fundraising site, Facebook page, and Twitter. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment for me or you contact the source herself through one of the listed sites, and she will provide you with a wealth of information. Kourtney is a great example of the type of compassionate, driven, and well-rounded students that comprise the MMS class, so don’t forget to show her that Team Fuqua is behind her. FTK all the way!

Finance Internship — A Gift that Keeps Giving

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Chike Ohayia

Climbing the corporate ladder requires one to gain a lot of experience, not only to get started, but also to obtain promotions. The former is often the greatest struggle for recent graduates at all levels (from high school to graduate school programs). Although I was very active in extracurricular activities, during my undergrad and even now at graduate school, I struggled with the obstacle of lacking the experience required to attain certain job opportunities. This cycle persists for many due to the dwindling availability of comprehensive training programs in the workforce, coupled with a greater emphasis on skills gained from work experience.

As Lily wrote in a previous post, Winternships have remedied the aforesaid vicious cycle by giving students the ability to generate valuable experiences within the workforce and apply the skills that they gained through the MMS coursework.

Learning the Ropes in New York

During my winter recess, I had the privilege of working for Owen May (Daytime MBA ’83), founder of MD Global Partners, LLC in New York. I’d previously heard great reviews about this specific Winternship experience, from both current and former MMS students. I wanted to gain experience in investment banking, specifically mergers and acquisitions, due to my previous engagements on the wealth management side of finance. I wanted to see how one experience compares to the other, while also gaining a perspective of business development from a banker’s vantage point.

Owen was very gracious over the course of the month that I worked in his office. He instilled confidence and humility within the fellow winter analysts and myself by imploring excellence in our daily tasks. Harmoniously, Owen offered teachable moments, both in regards to the technical and practical facets of investment banking. It was the perfect complement to our recently completed courses in capital markets and corporate finance, as it gave us the opportunity to experience the linkage of financial theory and practice. Also, as I had hoped, I ended the Winternship with a new perspective on business development, by learning the technical and presentation skills needed to initiate and facilitate acquistions.

Despite the fact that my last day in the office was in January, Owen has still been very present in my development and understanding of finance, specifically facets pertaining to mergers and acquisitions, and the venture capital industry. He regularly sends me emails/texts on topics to research within the framework of the VC industry, most of which are relative to my interest in sustainability and information technology. As a result of the internship, I realized that my fundamental practical and technical understandings of business strategy afforded me a knowledge base that can be applied to a myriad of industries.

The internship was the Christmas gift that kept giving, and I would highly recommend it to anyone that has a strong interest in finance.

MMS Throws Hat into MBA Games Ring

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Candace Buford

Every year MBA students organize fundraising events for the Duke MBA Games, a charity benefiting the Special Olympics of North Carolina. Students are registered via an online platform, teams are assembled, and fundraisers are planned. I have to give the MBAs some credit, for the past 25 years they have hosted all the events, including the finale — the MBA Games Weekend — and run one well-oiled fundraising machine.

And I’d be willing to bet that the MMS class can, too.

MMS Dream Team

MMS Student Life Chair, Josh Connor, who truly has a heart for community service and charitable endeavors, was tasked with forming a team of 12-15 MMSers to participate in the MBA Games. As team captain, Josh assembled a diverse group of students to spearhead the fundraising efforts of our class and to represent a Special Olympics team during the weekend event. The final, capstone fundraising event, the MBA Games Weekend, will be on April 12 – 13, and attracts teams from across Duke, and other top B-Schools. Each team is paired with a Special Olympics’ athlete, and compete in various games.

There’s just one itsy bitsy problem: most of us don’t have a clue where to begin championing such a mammoth cause. This year, Fuqua has pledged to raise a whopping total of $50,000. Our class has pledged to raise $3,000 of that total donation. Some students have been stellar at motivating people to give to the cause. Others … are having a bit more difficulty getting their fledgling fundraising sites off the ground. Check out the MMS team’s fundraising site, and the site for all of the MBA Games’ teams. I believe that I was in last place in our efforts, and had only raised $10 for a while, but I’m now focusing on doing more. Here’s my fundraising page. If you’re interested, please consider supporting this great effort — any donations will be really appreciated.

Fundraising Push

At a recent team meeting, MMS Associate Director Kevin Hoch handed us the reins to come up with a more effective fundraising plan. Since it was a working lunch, pizza was provided, and initially, the room was silent except for the hungry gulps of cheesy bread. Then we sat staring awkwardly at each other. I thought I would bring a lot of knowledge about fundraising to the table, having served as my sorority’s philanthropy chair in college, but I was drawing a blank. I had never taken on such a big cause.

Thank goodness for seasoned fundraiser, Kourtney Kellin, who threw out the idea of a possible yogurt night at one of the local eateries. Hmmm, we all grunted with full stomachs. Everybody likes yogurt. Then another person piped up, and I took to the board with a red dry-erase marker to document the genius ideas that were flowing from our dream team, and pretty soon the board was filled. The MMS master plan for fundraising domination was complete! (Insert evil laugh.) Here are the events we are hosting to raise money for the Special Olympics — some events are open to the public:

MMS Fundraising Events

March Madness Brackets — We are accepting brackets from MMSers on the NCAA Basketball Tournament.
‘80s Party — Get your leg warmers, brick phones, leotards, punk gear, and fanny packs ready, because this Friday, March 22, there will be an ‘80s themed costume party at The Republic. We joined forces with the MMS Association to rent out the entire bar. Donations at the door will go directly to our Special Olympics team.
LOYO Day — If you buy yogurt at Local Yogurt on Erwin Road on Tuesday, March 26, our team will receive 10% of the profits!
Trivia Night — We’ll be at Fullsteam Brewery on Thursday, April 4, at 9 p.m. A portion of the proceeds will go toward the MMS team.
Dodge Ball Tournament — TBA

If these crazy events aren’t enough to entice you to support the cause, I have one more juicy tidbit that will definitely change your mind. At the opening ceremonies of the MBA Games Weekend, on April 12, starting at 7:30 p.m., each team must perform in a dance competition. This might be an issue for some of us, because I have seen most of my teammates cutting a rug on the Shooters dance floor, and it is a hilarious sight to behold. And although in my head I truly believe I could give all of the contestants on So You Think You Can Dance a run for their money, I’ve been told that I definitely don’t have moves like Jagger. You know you’re dying to see this!

What our team may lack in synchronized dancing skills, we make up in tenacity and spirit. And although the games are in good fun and for a great cause, the competition could get pretty heated, especially in my favorite event called the Hash Run, in which people dress up in costumes and run a race with several rest stops along the course. At each rest stop you must drink a beer. Then when you finish the race, breathless and bloated, it’s tradition for people to tell funny stories about you and come up with nicknames for the Hash Run veterans. It’s a tough job … but I’m willing to bite the bullet and do it!

So in the spirit of the Special Olympics and healthy competition, let the games begin, good luck to all the participating teams, and to invoke the words of Effie Trinket, “May the odds be ever in your favor.”

Overcoming Stage Fright

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Courtney Starzer

When I was little, I had severe stage fright. We’re talking SEVERE. For example, when I was just 3 years old, I marched up to my dance instructor, an intimidating former Rockette, and informed her that I wouldn’t be performing at our very first mini-recital. Just like that, my career ended, just two weeks after it began. And from then on, my parents made a rule that I always had to finish what I started, which meant FULL seasons of cheerleading, basketball, volleyball, etc.

Modeling some African clothing styles.

While I’ve grown up and changed over the last 21 years, being at Fuqua has stretched and tested me in many new ways. While I’m not afraid of being in front of crowds of people anymore, in our Business Communication II class, we learned how to give presentations without the comfort of using notes AT ALL. At first, I was afraid I was going to be the next YouTube sensation and that I’d butcher my speech, but by the end of the class, I felt extremely comfortable speaking in front of people and I got a lot of great feedback about sounding ‘natural’ and ‘conversational.’

A couple of weeks ago, I stepped out of my comfort zone in a new way. A classmate asked me if I wanted to help out with a fashion show as a model. Modeling?! I really don’t mind standing up in front of people if I have something to say, but this was just walking. And having people watch my every move. Yikes!

The event, Kuumba: An Evening of Black Expression, was for the MMS Black and Latino Business Association and the Black Law Students Association. In between awesome performances by poets, dance groups (including a great performance by a group of my MMS classmates!), and other performers, we modeled 3 lines: African clothing, Caribbean clothing, and business casual.

Needless to say, I survived. I got to wear a couple of gorgeous outfits, made some new friends, and had a great time doing something that a younger version of me would’ve gone running from. I think the best experiences are the ones that intimidate you the most, you grow from, and at the end they make you think, “what was I afraid of, again?” Experiences like this are challenges that Fuqua offers me every day.

A Different Kind of Rodeo

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Suejin Ahn

Come one, come all to the Food Truck Rodeo! What exactly is a food truck rodeo? It’s an event that occurs a couple times a year, and all the food trucks in the Triangle area convene in Durham Central Park. Durham has quite a lively food truck scene, with a variety of different cuisines.

I enjoyed some Girl Scout Mint ice cream with hot fudge from The Parlour truck.

At last, the weather was beautiful and it finally felt like spring on Sunday. It was the perfect day for the food truck rodeo, and since I was still in town for spring break, I stopped by the rodeo with a couple of friends to check out the scene. I had a great time, enjoying the nice weather, some delicious food, and good company. There was even a live band. It was definitely a popular event as the street was packed with tons of people and pets.

Some of the options that we had to choose from were American Meltdown Gourmet Melts (gourmet grilled cheeses), Parlez-Vous Crepe (French crepes), Daisy Cakes (cupcakes), and much more! Check out the event site to see what other food trucks attended, if you’re interested.

Trucks lined up for the "rodeo."

Personally, I started off with a coffee from bikeCOFFEE. It’s exactly what it sounds like: coffee from a bike. It’s got a sort of rustic vibe, but it was definitely good coffee and the people were really friendly. Every beverage is individually made so you can get a custom drink. I also stopped by The Parlour, which is a specialty ice cream truck. They had some unusual flavors like salted butter caramel and chocolate earl grey. After contemplating which flavor to get, I ultimately went with the Girl Scout Mint with hot fudge. Yum! It tasted just like the thin mint Girl Scout cookies. I definitely recommend it!

Overall, the Food Truck Rodeo was a fantastic event to showcase the fabulous food in the triangle area. I definitely plan on coming back to the next one and recommend anyone around to go as well. If you ever want to dine food truck style in Durham, check out this site for updates on some of the trucks and their locations.

It’s Flunch Time

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Courtney Starzer

Every term we have lunches called “flunches,” which are lunches with faculty members, sponsored by the MMSA (the MMS Association). These lunches serve as a unique opportunity to get to know our new professors outside of the classroom. Any 5 students can sign up for each flunch, which means it’s also a great time to interact with a mix of classmates who are interested in the same classes as you. And with just 5 people, everyone has a chance to talk in these small group settings.

Flunch with Professor Mary Frances Luce.

I recently had the opportunity to have lunch with Mary Frances Luce, our Marketing Intelligence professor, and a few of my classmates who are especially interested in marketing. (Learn more about our classes.) Not only did we have a great time talking about the field of marketing, but I learned more about my classmates and my professor, too. I heard about how one classmate landed a great position with a CPG company in L.A., and I heard about why my professor is so passionate about the field she’s in. In addition, the flunches are always held in the Thomas Center (the R. David Thomas Executive Conference Center, which is named after THE Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s International, Inc.), which means that we have the opportunity to have a great tasting, complimentary lunch, too!

MMS = Master of Many Sports?

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Ben Checketts

Duke University is world renowned for two things — its bright, young scholars and the highly successful basketball program. You might imagine that the two worlds of educational pursuits and athletic endeavors operate on different spheres and never collide, but that is where you would be mistaken. For many of the young minds who tirelessly toil in the classroom or relentlessly do research in the library, there is one option, ferociously compete on the fields of battle known to many as intramurals.

Lifeng Wang -- one of our best players!

Depending on your personality and competitive nature, or lack thereof, Duke’s intramural league is the single best way to meet new people or instantly make enemies — it is up to you! Students can enlist a group of friends or classmates and participate in a myriad of sports like soccer, flag football, basketball, volleyball and others. Interestingly enough, there are several different leagues within every sport, so you can choose the skill level of your opponents and subsequently size up your team. Every game feels like the real deal as you play under the lights, while real officials run up and down the field and each team vies for an all-valuable playoff spot with a shot at the championship game.

MMS soccer team huddles for a pep talk.

Each week the brightest minds of our university square off in fierce competition, risking life and limb all for that one glorious moment when they can proudly wave the T-shirt given to the last team standing. But for me it was never about the T-shirt or the millions offered by pro scouts, I did it to be part of the team. There are few better ways to form bonds with your classmates than to participate in intramurals. It is a truly unifying experience. It can be particularly helpful if you are playing against a different school or major, as this breeds a lot of chest puffing and inevitable temper flaring. Overall, intramural sports are a great way to see your classmates in a different context and appreciate other skills that they may not be able to display during the week. Said one MMS student of intramurals, “It is weird to see you guys being athletic.” Though not the most glowing endorsement, I promise what she meant was that watching or participating with your teammates is an immensely rewarding experience, and will create many lasting memories.

To prospective students, we cannot say enough how great the MMS program is, but what we can say is that you need to brush the dust off of those old soccer cleats and practice up because there is fierce competition from all sides. To current students: if you would like to participate in a new season of intramural sports, please contact the representatives from the MMS Sports Club (Arian Omid and Charles An) and come out for a few games. You can even check out our Facebook group to find some pictures of students participating in intramural events. To students from other Duke schools (especially the law school — you know who you are), GAME ON!

Taking the Slopes by Storm (Literally!)

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Candace Buford

The MMS Outdoor Adventure Club put together the most fantastic ski trip recently. That’s right … ski trip! My ears perked up, too when I heard about the excursion. My mind immediately went to a warm ski lodge in Colorado, with my friends and I sitting by some massive fireplace donning chic fur-trimmed ski clothes, each holding a bottle of mulled cider …

Enjoying the wintry weather.

Wait a minute. We’re going skiing in the middle of Virginia??

Who would have thought that only 3 hours away from Duke’s campus there’s a ski resort in Virginia called Wintergreen? I certainly never imagined such a place. In fact, I didn’t know the Appalachian Mountains reached high enough to sustain a proper ski course, but seriously, what do I know? As you can deduce from my daydream above, the extent of my skiing abilities is limited to me teetering on my skis long enough to get to the ski lifts at the end of the bunny slopes so that I can ride up to the comfort of the mountain lodge and enjoy a nice drink — sans skis, of course.

Ryan Clark, my savior on the mountain!

So it was settled, a large group of people would make the journey to the mountains to see what these slopes had to offer. Thankfully Ryan Clark agreed to drive a few of us. He’s the MMS class Communications Director, the most reasonable person I know, and the owner of a family friendly vehicle with functioning windows and a TV screen in the backseat. I know the design of this vehicle was intended to cater to small children, but we couldn’t help the strange need to messily eat boiled peanuts and rock candy while watching “I Love You Man” in the backseat. Actually, Ryan, we’re really sorry about the mess. Please send us your cleaning bill …

We arrived in Waynesboro late that evening, and I was already getting antsy about the coming exertions on the mountain. I begged our Social Chair, Mike Cho, to tell everyone to wake up earlier than we had originally planned. I wanted to get to the slopes at 8 am, not 11! But as soon as we settled into our hotel, it was clear that instead of getting a full night’s sleep, we would have to play some Canadian game that involved quarters and empty cans …

Resting at the lodge.

My group was the absolute last one from the MMS class to make it to the mountain. We arrived just in time to miss the 11 o’clock ski class. In the 2 hours between classes we took the slopes by ourselves and by the end of the waiting period, and after several compliments over my form, I decided that I could forgo the ski lessons and take on the other, more difficult side of the mountain. I was soaring … for about 3 minutes until I had the most spectacular fall. My bindings unnecessarily tight, my skis remained in tact, and I laid splayed across the course with my body contorted in the most impossible way. I could tell by looking up at Ryan’s face that my fall had looked really painful. The only words I could muster were “lodge” and “now!”

From the comfort of the mountain lodge, with my ski boots discarded, I enjoyed the slopes immensely. Even when the sun started to set and it began to snow — and I mean clumpy great skiing snow — our group stayed on the slopes. The crowd thinned to a trickle of patrons, and we decided to give the slopes one more shot. The combination of perfect powder, short lift lines, and my silly MMS classmates made this one of the best group trips I’ve ever been on. And even though I am a bit bruised and banged up, I am glad we had a chance to go to Wintergreen Resort, and definitely plan on returning in the future.

Bean Traders

Francesca’s Dessert Cafe

The Duck Shop

The Regulator Bookshop

Dain’s Place

Vaguely Reminiscent

Wavelengths Salon

Metro 8 Steakhouse

Ox and Rabbit Soda and Sundries

Blue Corn Cafe

More posts from Suejin Ahn

More posts from Courtney Starzer

Kicking Off Duke’s Dance Marathon

It Really is All for the Kids

More posts from Candace Buford

Learning the Ropes in New York

More posts from Chike Ohayia

MMS Dream Team

Fundraising Push

MMS Fundraising Events

More posts from Candace Buford

More posts from Courtney Starzer

More posts from Suejin Ahn

More posts from Courtney Starzer

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More posts from Candace Buford

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