Kyle Campbell Competes For Mr. McCombs Title In Style

Kyle Campbell with escort Jemma Miller

Kyle Campbell with escort Jemma Miller

Written by Kyle Campbell

On Friday, Jan. 31 I had the amazing opportunity of representing HBA in the Mr. McCombs Pageant. This fundraiser, organized by the org reps of the Undergraduate Business Council, pits representatives from other McCombs organizations against each other in a fight for the title of “Mr. McCombs.” The winner also gets to choose which charity the proceeds go to.

This experience was grueling, competitive and exhilarating all at once.  The other contestants and I spent at least a month practicing the choreography for our opening dance, and trust me it took a LOT of practice until we were ready for the big stage.  Every week we would show up to rehearsal, and our choreographer, Tenci, would ask if we wanted to run through the whole thing to see what we remembered.  After stumbling through the few twists and fist pumps we could recall, we would share embarrassed looks, pat each other on the back, apologize to Tenci, and start learning the dance all over again.  The coolest thing is that after suffering through a dance none of us had any business attempting we became friends.  We added our own moves, started to learn about each other, and we were no longer competitors, but just 10 guys trying to get through a performance without embarrassing themselves because a few of our cheekier friends tricked us into agreeing to compete (Natalie Parma if you’re reading this I’m talking about you.)

Students that heart Kyle, showing their support at the pagaent

Students that heart Kyle, showing their support at the pageant

Finally the night of the competition came.  We all had to somehow make it through a choreographed dance, Q&A period, swimsuit competition and talent portion without falling or fainting from the pressure of performing in front of hundreds of UT students. As the opening notes of “I’m Too Sexy For My Shirt” started to play I wiped the sweat off my palms, ran out on the stage, chest bumped Archie Agarwal, the UBC Representative, and began maybe the most exciting hour and a half of my college career.  While being escorted by the lovely Jemma Miller and wearing a batman onesie, I talked about how if I could have lunch with anyone it would have to be Dr. Seuss. I showed off what I would wear to the beach.  But the highlight of the night definitely came out of the talent portion.  I began by playing Chopin’s “Revolutionary Etude” on my piano, but after about half a page I ripped the sheet music off and broke into what I hope was an extremely moving and powerful rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball.”

In the end I lost the crown, but I came away from the experience with nine new friends, and memories that will probably stay with me for a very long time.  The Mr. McCombs pageant was an incredibly fun and fulfilling way to raise $2,158.81 for a great cause, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have been a part of it.

Student Profile: Elise Loney – HBA President

BHP junior, Elise Loney, found her niche in the Honors Business Association (HBA) during her first year at UT. She has taken on numerous leadership roles within the organization, all leading up to her current title as President.

Why did you choose to come to UT?

Growing up in Lawrence, Kansas, I had always imagined I’d leave home for college. I applied to UT because of McCombs and its reputation as one of the best undergraduate business programs in the nation, and I was accepted into the BHP. I actually never thought I’d end up in Texas, but when my mom and I came down for Discover BHP, it only took five minutes of walking around campus before I turned to her and said, “This is where I belong.” I knew I had to be a Longhorn. I joke that it broke my dad’s heart I wasn’t going to be a KU Jayhawk, but in all actuality, my entire family has been incredibly supportive of my leaving the Sunflower State for the Lone Star State.

What is HBA?

The Honors Business Association is a student organization to which all BHP students belong. It provides opportunities for students to get together in a more social atmosphere and builds a real community base for the BHP. In addition to social events, students are given the chance to interact with professors in a setting that isn’t the classroom, and meet with a variety of company sponsors. McCombs students are told to join one professional group, one social group and one academic group during their time at UT; HBA is really all three in one.

How did you become involved in HBA?

I fell for HBA hard and fast. I heard a lot about it at Leadership Kickoff my freshman year, and all it took was one General Meeting for me to become hooked. I applied and was accepted onto the Communications Committee early in the semester, and completely threw myself into the responsibilities. It wasn’t long before I was known as the girl who stuck a camera in your face at every HBA event, and I couldn’t have been happier with the experiences I was having as an active member of the organization.

How have you continued to stay active in HBA?

My sophomore year, I became Vice President of the Communications Committee. I wanted to make Communications a more prominent part of HBA and to provide ways for members to learn the less obvious facts about each other. The results were fun activities, such as polls in the newsletter asking questions like “What is your most irrational fear?” and a game we call “HBAby,” where we collected baby photos from members and challenged others to guess the BHPerson.

I noticed there wasn’t much BHP apparel available to students. The only thing most students had was the BHP t-shirt that everyone gets after entering the program. I wanted to offer students another way to display their pride in BHP, so I designed a BHP sweatshirt to be sold to anyone in the program. They were a huge success, and all proceeds went right back into HBA.

Now, as a junior, I’m President of HBA. I eat, breathe, and live HBA all of the time, and I love it. As President, I attend a lot of meetings and take on responsibilities required to maintain HBA’s status of a McCombs affiliated organization. I also work with HBA’s Exec VPs, helping where they need it and doing what I can to delegate and make sure things run smoothly. HBA has given me so much during my time here at UT, and all I want is to give back in the best way I can.

What types of events does HBA put on?

For Academics, we have DWAPs (Dinner With a Professor) and PHITs (Professors Have Interests, Too), allowing students and faculty to get to know each other more personally. Financial and Corporate Relations work tirelessly to organize our annual Company Field Trip to an exciting location every year, giving students the opportunity to network with companies and alumni in the area. Philanthropy provides HBA members with ways to give back to the community through things such as Junior Achievement and Urban Roots, and Alumni works to host events that feature BHP alumni who can offer guidance and share real-life experiences with our members. Communications works endlessly to support the sense of community amongst HBAers, and Social is always finding ways for us to simply have fun, whether it be through playing broomball or hosting a formal at the end of each semester.

With no dues involved, everything is free to our member. Students are able to be involved to whatever extent they choose. HBA handles all the logistics, and the only things they have to do is sign up for the event, show up, and have fun.

What have you gained by being part of HBA?

There’s never a dull moment when you’re completely invested in something like HBA. Everything is always exciting and every week there are a variety of opportunities to get involved and have a great time. I definitely can’t imagine what my time would have been like at UT if I weren’t part of HBA.

During the Company Field Trip to Atlanta last year, we visited Coca-Cola and I had the chance to submit my application directly to their University Talent Program. Thanks to that, I got an interview, which lead to an internship, which resulted in a return offer that I accepted for this next summer.

HBA has given me so much. Through this organization, I’ve met some of my closest friends, I get a free meal every other Tuesday night, and I even found a job. I truly don’t know what more I could ask for.

What advice would you offer BHP students?

As HBA President, I can’t help but urge everyone to be as involved as they possibly can with the organization. On a more general note, though, I can only say this: if you try your hardest, it’s all going to work out. Trust me. You may be stressing about a million things, but if you care and your passion is there, just be patient and keep moving forward. In time you’re going to realize that it’s all turned out just fine.

Fun and Games at Professor O’Hara’s HBA DWAP Event

written by Rachel Solomon

On Thursday, April 11, 2013, Accounting Professor William O’Hara and his wife, Beverly, took a group of 80 BHP students to Dave & Busters for a night of food, games, and bonding. After feasting on a delicious (and unlimited!) buffet of salad, chicken, salmon, rice, and an enormous plate of desserts, we rushed over to the arcade and started competing against each other in games of trivia, Dance Dance Revolution, and much more. Professor O’Hara challenged a group of students to a game of trivia and ended the night with a round of Doodle Jump on a giant screen.

As a small thank you to Professor O’Hara, we decided to follow the trend started by last year’s DWAP (Dinner With A Professor) attendees and pool our tickets together to win a giant teddy bear, musical tie, camcorder, and several other prizes for O’Hara.

While leaving Dave & Buster’s, I overheard many of my friends talking about how much fun it was to just be a kid again. Running around in an arcade and racing cars, throwing basketballs, and beating each other in air hockey was just the escape we needed from the stress of midterms, recruiting, and securing our summer plans. On behalf of everyone who attended the DWAP, we want to thank the O’Hara’s for providing us with the opportunity to relive our childhoods, if only for a couple of hours.

BHP Students Fly to Atlanta for HBA’s Annual Company Field Trip

written by Stephanie Morgan

While boarding the plane at the Austin airport, excitement exuded from the fourteen Business Honors Students about to embark on a four day trip to Atlanta.  Some studied, some slept, and some socialized, but all were looking forward to stepping onto Southeastern ground. Each year the Honors Business Association (HBA) organizes a company field trip to visit large companies in a major metro area, and this year we chose Atlanta.

After arriving, we traveled to Turner Broadcasting System headquarters in the heart of downtown Atlanta.  The people at TBS were incredibly warm as they gave us tours of their facilities.  Highlights included seeing screening rooms where both the east coast and west coast version of every station that TBS owns is airing simultaneously, meeting illustrators for Cartoon Network, and walking on the set of the NBA studios!  (We even got to sit in Charles Barkley’s and Shaquille O’Neal’s chairs, and we got to view a recording on the brand new full-court set!)  The panelists from Cartoon Network and Adult Swim showcased the many opportunities available at Turner while revealing their genuine passions for their jobs.

The next day, we arrived at the 26-story headquarters of Coca-Cola.  There, we received a tour of the facility which not only highlighted the company’s important history and recognizable brand but also revealed its culture of southern charm.  Some of our favorite parts of our visit included seeing the preserved office of Robert Woodruff (Coca-Cola’s CEO from 1923-1954), sitting in the executive board room on the top floor with fantastic views of the Atlanta skyline, and discussing what life is like at Coke with University of Texas alumni.

Afterward, we travelled to The Home Depot Support Center which, coincidentally, just felt like home.  Even though 6,000 people worked in the building, the company still had a small community feel.  Every employee we saw was wearing a Home Depot apron over their business casual—a physical reminder that customers and sales associates always come first.  We really enjoyed the panel discussion (which included a UT alum!) because it was clear how engaged the panelists were with their company and how much passion they had for The Home Depot value system.

After two long but enjoyable days, we were excited to use our free time on Saturday to explore Atlanta.  We visited the World of Coca-Cola where we tried every Coke product being sold around the world, we toured the Georgia Aquarium, the largest aquarium in the world which houses favorites like whale sharks, dolphins, otters, and beluga whales, we strolled through Centennial Olympic Park which was built for the 1996 Summer Olympics, and we watched the Atlanta Hawks battle the San Antonio Spurs at Philips Arena.

While we are all happy to be back in Austin, we all agree that CFT 2013 was an amazing experience. Tommy Pigeon, BHP and MIS junior proclaims, “My career skills were enhanced significantly by listening to the panelists and employees at all three of the companies we visited, and I also was able to develop my friendships with other BHP students whom I had never met before going on this trip.  In essence, CFT reflected the benefits of being active in HBA, reminding me why this organization truly is the most special one on campus.”

Honors Formal Brought UT Honors Programs Together for Night of Fun

This past Saturday, students from honors organizations across campus enjoyed the third annual All-Honors Formal. For the third year in a row, the Honors Business Association (HBA) worked with representatives from Plan II Student Association and Liberal Arts Honors to plan and fund this popular event. With plenty of hors d’oeuvres, great live music, an in-house DJ, and intelligent friends, the event was a great success that drew over 500 students – the largest attendance yet!

“I thought it was a great opportunity to see all of my friends and just have fun together one last time before finals-induced hibernation,” said Rachel Solomon, a sophomore in BHP and Plan II.

We look forward to an even better event next year!