A Maxwell Friendsgiving

November 16, 2015 • by Anna Swanson

Why is it that Thanksgiving has the ability to bring out the crazy in everyone? When you distill the holiday to its essence, it’s just an excuse to stuff our bellies with as much food as possible; but for most people, this is no ordinary dinner party—this is family you’re trying to impress. We, the cohort, have been at Maxwell for about five months now (whoa.) At this point, we’re each other’s family having seen everyone at their highest of highs and lowest of lows. Below, I have itemized how to successfully orchestrate a Maxwell friendsgiving and have attempted to answer some of your burning friendsgiving questions.

What is friendsgiving? It is a joyous occasion where friends sit around a table and eat food together. If one of said friend’s just so happens to be named Monica, she may or may not be obliged to walk around the dinner table with a turkey on her head.

Do I have to worry about being “that guy/gal” at thanksgiving? You mean the one that believes everyone and anyone cares about your political opinions? We’re at Maxwell because we are hoping to become conscientious public servants, so you probably have an opinion or two that directly clashes with Aunt Beatrice. If Aunt Beatrice says something that just doesn’t jive with you, look to this handy resource in an effort to learn how to peacefully articulate your differences.

Indeed, the inevitability of political debates around the dinner table looms for just about every family. That’s the beauty of friendsgiving, however… this year at least, it was devoid of ideological clashes and mashed potato throwing.

What if I am a veg head/vegan/paleo? At Maxwell Friendsigiving, there were lots of non-meat options; whether it was roasted Brussels sprouts, cranberry chutney, roasted sweet potatoes, corn mush, stuffing, green bean casserole, or pasta shells, anyone should be able to enjoy themselves. Sides are the best part after all.

Speaking of paleo, can I be paleo and enjoy pumpkin pie too? Honestly, no. If the caveman knew just how good pumpkin pie was, trust me, they would eat it. Either you eat pumpkin pie or suffer without it.

Pumpkin pie counts as a vegetable, right? It’s a root vegetable after all… to health!

Is there such a thing as too much gravy? What a dumb question.

Is loving someone really a necessity during the holidays? No, but if you have the opportunity to and (for whatever reason) are on the fence about loving someone, or a group of people in this instance, do it. You’ll feel good. You’ll learn quickly just how thankful you are for your cohort, and how much love and compassion they too have for you.

“If You’re Not in New York, You’re Camping Out”

October 19, 2015 • by Anna Swanson

Thomas Dewey, the 47th Governor of New York is responsible for the title of this blog post. This weekend however, some Syracuse NY residents tried their hand at camping. The state of New York is home to a number of amazing natural attractions. Of course, you have the Finger Lakes, but you also have amazing state parks including Green Lakes, Chimney Bluffs, Watkins Glen, the Adirondacks, and Letchworth State Park, the latter of which is where a few Maxwellians ventured to this weekend.

11940900_10153230490847106_1473129528_n — Tent pitching

Midterms are now over and we have a small window of time to relax before getting back to the grind. What I like about camping is that whether you intend to or not, you’re going to get really dirty. Sometimes you’re alone and don’t have to worry about the watchful gaze of others, but most of the time, you’re with good company, they’re just as dirty as you’re, and as a result could not care less (even after being packed together for two nights in an 8 person tent.) I tend to prefer the latter setting. I enjoy the Maxwell program, but I love my cohort because of their likeminded passion for adventure.

We arrived to the campsite Friday afternoon. The first order of business was to set up camp. Thankfully, tent technology has advanced over the years, expediting the tent setting up process and allowing us to take cover from the rain faster than you can say Politics-Administration dichotomy.

The rain eased up after about an hour and we made dinner soon after (over a campfire of course.) That night we managed to both reminisce about classes, family, 80s music, ~~study for Economics and Statistics~~, and also plan for the next day’s adventure.

The following morning we wined and dined on bacon, eggs, and instant coffee. We then proceeded to emulate Frederick Taylor and put our scientific management skills to the test; we divveyed up sandwich making, map routing, and cleaning obligations accordingly with much success.

From the campsite we drove to the starting point of the park. Letchworth State Park, referred to as the Grand Canyon of the East, is home to a 17-mile-long gorge with breathtaking views and trails overlooking the Genesee River and its three major waterfalls. You can stay on one of the 66 trails or take a small detour in order to avoid the crowds. Whatever you end up doing, know that you’re constantly surrounded by unparalleled beauty, stunning reds, yellows, and oranges wherever you look, and a pleasant omnipresent smell of nature. The weather may have been brisk but that thought was soon quickly forgotten. Seven miles of hiking later, we arrived back at the campsite and noshed on hobo pockets, cheeze-its, and s’mores.

We arrived back to Syracuse Sunday morning. Some of us opted to finish up pending school work, some chose to partake in an intramural soccer game, and others opted instead for a well deserved nap.

Grad school is tough, but odds are good that you’ll get by with the help of your newfound cohort friends. Take solace in the fact that wherever you end up, you can find others that will want to take part in similar extracurricular opportunities whether competing in a Deloitte consulting challenge, white water rafting, knitting, or camping for two nights at the number one ranked state park in the country. Even if the high for both nights is 28 degrees.

*Pictures taken by Kurt Fire, selfie extraordinaire.

Thinking About Coming to Maxwell?

September 17, 2015 • by Anna Swanson

Hey there! I’m glad you’re considering Maxwell as you start your grad school application journey (or if you’re just browsing around, welcome!) My job is to offer you some knowledge and two cents about what to expect/look forward to/dread in the upcoming months (the process is long and tedious but worth it in the end.)

To my knowledge, I am responsible for the first blog post of the year; it would be fitting for me to then delve into GRE test taking or personal statement writing tips, but the advice I’d have to offer is jaded and typical. No, instead my blog post is geared towards a particular faction within the application pool, those that are applying here straight out of undergrad.

I’m 22 years old. It was about this time last year where I had seriously considered applying to graduate school and thus started asking around for advice. Left and right whether professors, my parents, or friends, I was told that it would be in my interest to wait off on going to graduate school; I had no real job experience except for some research projects in undergrad and would not gain as much as a result; I’d be the “baby” of the group and not taken seriously; the financial strains.

Well, I’m here to tell you that they were all wrong.

Of course, graduate school is difficult and by no means the same as undergrad. The content and readings are more dense and time consuming. Professors are big suckers for the hard worker and are no longer impressed by sheer brilliance alone (because in the end, when you do leave your graduate program, not just what you do but how well you do it, is largely a reflection of that graduate program.) And whereas in undergrad many students are just going through the motions, you’re finally surrounded by people that are all motivated and want to be there too.

About 10% of this year’s cohort came straight from undergrad. However, I speak for all of us when I say that our age hasn’t been disadvantageous. We may lack “typical” job experience but are just as eager to learn. If anything, I think it’s many times better to come from undergrad. I am accustomed to reading hundreds of pages a night or writing essay after essay. Many of my peers have been out of school for a handful of years and getting back into the school grind for them can take some time. My older peers are eager to learn from me as much as I am to learn from them. While I learn to avoid mistakes made by them from them, I teach them how to use Snapchat. When push comes to shove, the older peers have treated us (the “babies,”) like family and really do genuinely look out for us.

Lastly (and this one is geared towards the parents of children fresh out of undergrad, where the thought of your child being plagued by debt is consumes your mind) yes, graduate school is an investment. If your child were to postpone for a year or two, surely they could save up a good chunk of change and use that towards their education instead of taking out loans. But here at Maxwell, if you’re persistent, they will deliver. I was extremely fortunate to receive a graduate assistantship and many others both young and old have received similar GAships, merit aid, fellowships, what have you. I cannot overemphasize this last point enough: especially at Maxwell, faculty and staff want you to succeed and be happy, they will find a way to help so long as you ask. It also goes without saying that upon your graduation from any graduate program, for the most part, you’ll have a definite edge (read: better employment and pay prospects,) then your fellow younger applicants.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but for this next chapter in your life, only you have the answer. When push comes to shove, if you want to go to grad school now, then go.