From the Assistant Dean for Admissions: April Foolery Means Fun, Games, and Giving Back
Bruce DelMonico offers an inside view on Yale SOM’s month-long celebration and what it says about the school’s unique community.
April Foolery, a month-long celebration of the Yale SOM community, is in full swing. Evans Hall has already transformed into everything from the Wild Wild West to Augusta National Golf Course. Students from our Media & Entertainment Club have hosted a Super Smash Brothers tournament, and our joint-degree MBA/master’s of environmental management students hosted “lumberjack lessons” in the School of Management courtyard.
Although the title might suggest that SOM is one big party throughout April, our students are also hard at work hosting some of our large-scale student conferences such as the 19th annual Private Equity and Venture Capital Symposium and the 15th annual Yale Healthcare Conference.
Just as students are engaging with their fellow members of the SOM community this month, they’re also reaching out to the broader New Haven community. As I write, students are preparing for SOM Serves, a week-long initiative that allows them to get involved with, volunteer in, and give back to the Greater New Haven community. Last year 600 staff, students, and faculty participated in more than 50 events, including cleanups and food and clothing drives.
Below are some thoughts on April Foolery from students Courtney Miller ’20 and Irene Koo ’20.
“A definite highlight of April Foolery was Wear Your Onesie to School Day. It was the event that kicked off April Foolery, and it was on April 1, so you can imagine my suspicion that it was an elaborate prank (turns out it wasn't a joke—just highly suspect timing). But countless brave individuals wore their onesies anyway, so we all got to experience things like a discussion about inclusive financial services in China...with classmates dressed up like unicorns, zebras, and living tie-dye wheels.” —Courtney Miller
“We loved seeing our classmates, partners, and faculty at the Internship Fund’s annual Live Auction! Students came out to bid for unique experiences, including karaoke with the economics faculty and a private concert by SOM band The Employees, to support our classmates pursuing internships in the nonprofit, social, and public sectors.” —Irene Koo
“If there’s anything SOM loves more than business and society, it’s a themed event, and Watts Wild Wild West did not disappoint. Country music blared in the courtyard, BBQ was on offer from Charley’s Place, everybody got a free cowboy hat, and you could even practice your lassoing skills (on inflatable unicorns). The weather was perfect that day and it was so nice to see everyone out relaxing and enjoying each other and the sunshine (and cornbread).” —Courtney Miller