Krannert Graduate Student Association (KGSA) Update
By John Goodrich, KGSA President

John Goodrich

The Krannert Graduate Student Association (KGSA) had a great start to 2007­–08 and has several key events scheduled throughout the remainder of the school year.

The annual KGSA member drive in September and October led to record membership and has allowed us to sponsor tailgates, an Interclub Case Competition, international breakfasts, and a variety of other activities aimed at networking.

KGSA also supports the student body through regular weekly messages and social hours while supporting the Krannert clubs and managing the day-to-day affairs of student government.

KGSA and the Dean’s Office have created the opportunity for full-time students to interact more with students in Krannert Executive Education Programs (KEEP). In February, full-time students met with executive MBA students for dinner at the Krannert Center, and KGSA hosted an event at a restaurant for international master’s in management students. More events are planned in the future to facilitate networking among full-time and executive students.

To allow students to meet MBA students from other schools, the second annual NBA Mixer was held in February in Indianapolis. Students from the MBA programs at Indiana University and the University of Illinois joined Krannert students at Conseco Fieldhouse to attend a Pacers game and hear an executive in the Pacers organization speak.

In March, KGSA hosted the second annual CultureFest. This event allowed Krannert students to share their cultural experiences with one other. It was an even bigger success than last year with more than 300 students, family members, faculty, and staff members in attendance. The event began with displays and cultural activities around Rawls Hall, continued with an international dinner featuring cuisine from around the world, and concluded with students sharing their culture through performances.

One of the final events of the year will be the second annual Krannert Olympics. Scheduled for late April, the Olympics will allow first- and second-year students to compete against one other in a variety of athletic events. The Krannert Entertainment and Sports Industry Club (KESIC) is organizing the event, which will be followed by an awards ceremony and end-of-the-year picnic.

The outgoing KGSA executive board has been happy to serve the Krannert community this past year and is excited about the incoming board’s enthusiasm and efforts to continue to improve the Krannert graduate student experience.

For more information on the Krannert Graduate Student Association, visit www.krannert.purdue.edu/clubs/kgsa or contact John Goodrich at jgoodric@purdue.edu.

Master’s students enjoy a game of “Baggo“ at the KGSA tailgate party before Purdue’s homecoming game against Northwestern in October.