KAOS 2005 -- What a way to start!

Kellogg students know how to start the business school experience.. ~10 years ago, Kellogg started a program that has been mimicked by many. How do you start the bonding of 600 Type-A, ambitioius, successful, 28-year old graduate students you might ask?? …you send them off on a 6 day vacation / community service event in some remote location of the world. Kellogg Adventure Outdoor Service was established by the students to create a sense of community and friendship among a few (i.e ~20) incoming classmates. 20-25 KAOS adventures set out at the end of August for a weeklong vacation / community service / b school bonding adventure.

Having never been there, I personally decided to travel to our favorite American territory – Puerto Rico. Traveling with 20 others is quite different than traveling solo in South America, but it was another great adventure that I will never forget. Copied below is a summary of the Puerto Rico KAOS trip that I have written for the Kellogg newspaper:


KAOS Puerto Rico 2005 – What an adventure!

Advertised as “Shake your Bon Bon in Puerto Rico”, many of us eager first-years were expecting some late nights at dance clubs, followed by relaxing days on the beautiful sandy white beaches of our favorite American territory. Instead, our fearless leaders served us up some of the most riveting first-time adventures of our lives! The adventurous ride started first-thing Monday morning at 7 am, and didn’t let up until we arrived in San Juan Friday evening. The list of KAOS Puerto Rico adventures is awe inspiring:

Monday: repelling, body-rafting, spelunking, bat-watching;
Tuesday: horseback-riding, surfing;
Wednesday: sea-kayaking through a mangrove forest, lunch on our own private island, and an unforgettable night swimming with glowing dinoflagellates in the world’s best bioluminescent bay;
Thursday: weeding a fence on behalf of the Puerto Rican Wildlife Department at 6:30 am (it’s never too early for service!), and FINALLY a relaxing day at the beach;
Friday: a 2 hour ride on a catamaran to Flamengo beach (ranked as the 4th most beautiful beach in the world!), followed by snorkeling and a “revealing” swim.

This is not to imply that there was a lack of Puerto Rican-style nightlife! We arrived in San Juan Friday night with our party hats in full form. First stop of the evening? -- a genuine Puerto Rican style Salsa club. Believe us, 20 gringos on a Latin dance floor pulsating to the beat of a foreign rhythm is quite a sight to behold. From Turbo’s (one of many favorite nicknames created on the trip) excessive quick feet to Arturo’s smooth Spanish-style, the salsa club in Old San Juan is an experience we will never forget. While we won’t attempt to compete with the other KAOS trips who claimed to have stayed out to 4-5 am in the morning for 6 consecutive nights, we assure you that we represented KSM in fine fashion.

While we might soon forget being bucked off a horse or some of the white boy salsa dance moves, we will certainly never forget the bond that formed between the 16 1st years and 5 2nd years. What started out as a slightly awkward interaction during the KAOS BBQ, blossomed into a wide array of close friendships that will carry all of us well into our Kellogg careers. The diverse personality mix – e.g. a fraud investigator from Greece (i.e. MAFIA!), a banker from Hong Kong, an assistant CEO from Paris, a good ole down home country boy from Indianapolis – made it all that more special. Each of us now walks around campus with the eager anticipation of catching another glimpse of a fellow member of KAOS Puerto Rico and reliving just one more timeless memory.

Attached above are some pictures from the week in Puerto Rico