Priya Linson

Break out the backpacks...

The summer is finally done and Pittsburgh is full again!  Hordes of freshman are wandering the streets of Oakland and the Tepper students are back for another busy year.

For those of you partners that were separated from your students...I know you're as happy as I am that the summer is over.  Surprisingly, the summer went fast, thanks to weekly dinners and weekend outings--we kept each other company and now having the students busy in school doesn't seem as tough as being completely separated.

We had the first Partners Club meeting of the year with great energy and a commitment to having regular activities.  The first is tomorrow--happy hour at Alto Lounge around 5:30--so come out and join us.  Looking forward to continuing to meet new partners!

Oh, and we're planning to finally make Tepper Partners Club t-shirts.  If you have a fun design, let me know.

...only 9 months until graduation!

"Americans get an "F" in Religion"

Someone sent me this link regarding my post about religion and going to the temple...thought it was interesting enough to share:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-03-07-teaching-religion-cover_N.htm?csp=34http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-03-07-teaching-religion-cover_N.htm?csp=34

Summer and Student-less in Pittsburgh

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone...and there was a mass exodus from Pittsburgh to internship-land.

Josh, like many, started his internship today.  We spent the weekend driving up to Boston, stopping at friends' houses along the way.  And yesterday afternoon, he dropped me off at Boston Logan, and I got on a plane back to Pittsburgh, with an empty apartment and a stack of mail waiting for me.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to the partners who gathered last night to make the transition back easier for all of us...it won't be as hard if we stick together :)

Two Weeks on the Job and All's Well

Since lots of people have been asking about my new job, I wanted to post an update.  Everyone moving here is concerned about finding the right place to work for two years, but it is possible to find something great and to have fun at the same time!

Today was Day 10 at my new job.  I am the new Director of a small alternative school in the Pittsburgh area, and it has been ten days of intense challenge and learning!  I have known for a long time that I'd move from teaching into school administration, but (like everything in life), being a principal is harder than it sounds.  I guess it is a matter of convenience that new principals think about being an instructional leader more than they think about being a manager.  Thank goodness for my management classes at the Heinz School.

But despite the challenge (or actually because of it), I'm having a great time on the new job.  I like having my hands in all aspects of the school, and am enjoying getting to know the kids in a very different way.  I can honestly say that my courses at Heinz give me tools that I use every single day.  So if any of you prospective partners might want to be a student at the Heinz School while you're partner is at Tepper...please come talk to me! 

So...more updates soon, but right now I'm sitting back, enjoying the weather and the crazy events of each school day (note: Boston Public, if you used to watch it, was definitely NOT overly dramatic.  Lots of weird stuff happens at schools every day, particularly inner city schools), and waiting for summer to officially start.  Enjoy the rest of May and get ready for summer fun!

Almost Summer at Tepper

The sun is finally shining and we've had a full week of beautiful late spring weather.  The heat is on at Tepper, too, where my student has spent the majority of the past five days and nights getting ready for finals.  But he'll be done on Wednesday and then we'll actually have a few Tepper-free weeks to spend together, hang out with friends, and get ready for the Summer Separation.  That sounds horrible, but with the Partners Club happy hours, barbecues, and girls nights out, how can we complain?

On a completely different note, we had our first fundraiser of the year, a food sale for the first day of finals.  It was a great success, and almost every student recommended that we continue to plan them during finals next year.  We sold homemade muffins, quiches, cookies, pepperoni rolls, nachos, and vegetarian chili to hungry students just out of their first final.  The big seller that day?  Coffee, of course!  A big thanks to everyone who helped out and we're looking forward to repeating it for Mini 1 finals this fall.

Also, I started my new job last week!  Since I'm only a week in, I don't have a lot to report, other than that I love it so far and I hope to have more stories to tell in the weeks to come.

Easter Sunday...at the Temple

When I announced I was moving to Pittsburgh, my parents and their friends were so excited.  Carnegie Mellon, of course, is known all over the world as a center for technology, so Indians all over the world know about the university.  But the city is also known to be sort of a birthplace of American Hinduism, as it was the first city in America to build a Hindu temple.

The temple is in Monroeville, about 15-20 minutes away from Pittsburgh.  Its an easy drive on the highway, but once you get off, you have to take a few twists and turns which seems to be taking you out in the middle of nowhere.  If you go to the temple on a Sunday, you'll find hordes of Indians both worshiping and socializing.

When I've been to temples on a Sunday, I'm by myself or with a small group, but I see families meeting their friends, eating in the small cafeteria (note: temple food is the BEST, and here its $2 per container) and having a good time.  Religious houses to these families are a third space--like a local pub or barbershop in other neighborhoods, this is a place where you can stop by and know you'll have someone to talk to.

Our generation is constantly faulted for not continuing the beliefs and traditions that our we have grown up with.  And in a lot of cases, it is true.  One fellow Indian said, "My parents would faint if I they heard I went to the temple."  (We were on our way to Udipi for dosas, a South Indian treat...Udipi is around the corner from the temple and a popular post-temple destination.)  The problem is, I care about staying connected, but it can be a real struggle.  It is rare for there to be a strong "twenty- or thirty-something" group that's active, and you can't break into existing groups any more than you can break into the group that regularly hangs out at any neighborhood bar.  There isn't anything making us feel like we truly belong.  So, many of us struggle with what role religion will play in our lives, and in the lives of our children.

Are we being dishonest, or has our high-tech world made us jaded?  I know I won't come to a conclusion.  It is too big of a conversation to solve in one post.  But in the meantime...its always nice to have a friend to go to the temple with...and grab a dosa afterwards!

The Horrifying World of Job Searching

Lauren made a great point that partners coming to PIT next year should start job searching right away.  But I want to share with all of you my good news...I was just offered and just accepted my dream job, as Academy Director of a small alternative school here in Pittsburgh.

I am sharing this with you because I think that Lauren's point was important, but also important is how you go about finding your new job.  My principal at my school in NYC like to say that networking is a tool that connects you with the right people, not the right job.  So you might not know anyone in Pittsburgh, but you do know plenty of other people...who might know someone here.  And once you get a contact here, its ok if the person is not in your industry.  They probably know someone who can help you out.  So networking is a chain of conversations that ultimately gets you the job that you want.  I should have listened to his advice when I first moved here, and maybe I wouldn't have job-hopped as much as I have.

I'm harping on this because I received my new job offer only because I followed up with a chance meeting that I never thought would go anywhere.  It paid off.  Who knows, maybe we'll stay in PIT longer than we imagined...

Also, let us know if you're not able to come to Welcome Weekend.  We're putting together a list of partners and their jobs.  If anyone understands what you're going through, its the current partners.

More Stick Foods...

I have to apologize for the late entry (since TODAY is Something on a Stick Day)...but Josh and I went to Sun Penang (5829 Forbes, between Murray and Shady) the other day and their beef satay was SO GOOD!  (it also arrives on a stick, but in easy to release bite-sized chunks rather than one long piece of beef.)  I highly recommend!

Something on a Stick Day

So...March 28th is "Something on a Stick Day".  Don't ask me how I know this weird stuff.  Anyway, I am including here a list of places where you can get great FOOD ON STICKS in Pittsburgh to enjoy this special day!

Try Bangkok Balcony (5846 Forbes Ave, between Murray and Shady) for very good chicken satay.  I think that Asia must have developed the first food on sticks.  Of course, Bangkok Balcony is the slightly more upscale version, but the satay nevertheless does arrive on a stick.

Mediterranean Grill (5824 Forbes Ave, between Murray and Shady) has awesome kebabs (chicken, lamb, and beef).  Off the top of my head I can't remember if they're actually served on the stick, but they are grilled on a skewer, so I think it counts.  This is also one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh, is super cheap, and byob.  The lunch special rocks.

This is a national chain, but if you like fondue, The Melting Pot is a prime place to eat food from sticks.  The Pittsburgh location is in Station Square.  You can get a whole fondue meal, appetizers all the way to dessert.

I have not yet had a corn dog in Pittsburgh.  However, D's Six Pack & Dogz in Regent Square (1118 South Braddock Ave.) appears to be highly rated.  The corn dog is $2.99.  If you are crazy and don't like hot dogs wrapped up in a fried corn batter, there are a tons of other hot dogs, sandwiches, and sausages.  Again, I haven't been there, but it sounds perfect for Something on a Stick Day.  It was ranked almost as highly as The O in terms of hot dogs--but one thing that is better is their beer selection.

I am sad to report that I have not located ice cream bars at local ice cream shops.  But if you want to call a cone a form of a "stick", you can try Dave & Andy's Homemade Ice Cream (207 Atwood Street) in Oakland.  However, I called to confirm that they do not sell ice cream bars.  I guess you'll have to get those at the grocery store.

That's all I can think of.  Any other good stick food I'm missing? 

Check out this video for more food-on-stick ideas or to relive your Midwest childhood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-5Lr2IhB_o.  HAPPY SOMETHING ON A STICK DAY!

Spring Break at 7 Springs

Josh and I went skiing at 7 Springs Ski Resort for a few days during spring break.  It was so much fun to be with each other and our friends, and to see everyone just relax after Mini 3 (probably the hardest mini on both students and partners).  Happily, all four students that I was with have made decisions about internships and are all set for the summer.  Unfortunately, Josh will be in Boston for the summer, but I am happy for him and am excited for the prospect of potentially moving back there after he's done!

Anyway, we had a great spring break and I hope you all did, too!

P.S. If you're thinking of moving to Pittsburgh and like to ski or ride, 7 Springs is a great place to go.  It isn't as big as mountains out west, but it is only 45 minutes away from PIT and has lots of options for beginner or advanced skiers.  There's also a snowtubing area, and you can do things like rent snowmobiles and take sleigh rides.  They're done for the season, but 7 Springs also has summer activities.  Check out www.7springs.com.  More to come...