Tuesday, 4/29/97 ‘Beer Busts’ let business students, companies
mingle Recruiters, aspiring grad students have opportunity to
interact in a social setting
By Gregory Mena Daily Bruin Contributor Who says you can’t mix
business with pleasure? Graduate students from The Anderson School
at UCLA both hunt for jobs and have a good time every Thursday
night at "Beer Busts" on the business school’s North Lawn. "It is a
chance to remove ourselves from what I call MBA chaos," said
Kathryn Van Ness, associate dean of marketing and public relations.
Each week different companies sponsor the event – formally known as
Thursday recruitment – and provide job opportunities and
refreshments. In the leafy-green backyard of Anderson, students
mingle with about a dozen representatives from accounting,
consulting and banking firms, many of them Fortune 500 companies.
"It is a good way to meet recruitment companies in a non-interview
social setting," said Alex Miller, a student at Anderson. According
to Miles Cortez, one of the social coordinators, Thursday
recruitment is superior to other networking opportunities because
it focuses on only one company at a time. "It is an opportunity for
companies to get exclusive access to the student body," Cortez
said. But there is more to the Beer Bust than job-hunting. Unlike
undergraduates, Anderson students have no classes on Friday. So,
when Anderson students head out to the school’s North Lawn, they
can celebrate the end of their week. "I definitely think that it is
a valuable part of the Anderson experience. It is a way to get to
know classmates outside of the classroom and a way to blow off
steam," Miller said. UCLA policies strictly forbid the consumption
of alcohol on campus, but bend the rules slightly for organized
on-campus events. Alcohol can be consumed on campus at registered
group gatherings if it is "NOT the primary focus of the event,"
according to university policy. If food is served (pretzels, in the
case of Anderson), then the event may escape scrutiny. According to
Anderson students, networking events are a widespread practice at
business schools, and corporations have sponsored Beer Busts at
UCLA for several years. "Business school is about meeting people
that you can use as references forever," added Darryl Tishler, an
MBA student. Very often, faculty and staff show up at the Beer Bust
and learn more about their students. "As an administrator, it is an
opportunity to get to know the students and gain an insight into
the students’ needs," said Van Ness, the associate dean who also
coordinates Career Management for the school. Thursday recruitment
has been so appealing that for a while, students had to wear
wristbands to keep out undergraduate party crashers. Anderson
students always maintain a professional atmosphere at Beer Bust,
according to Van Ness. "The students take a lot of responsibility.
At the Anderson School, we have high standards and expectations,"
Van Ness said. "(Beer Bust) is self-policed. People have not abused
it, that’s why it has gone on for so long," Miller explained.