Promises, Promises, Promises and More Promises
Evanston, IL: Professor Brian Uzzi once again fulfilled his own wish of the being the “Lord of the Rings” when he presided over yet another EMP Ring of Reciprocity. During this year’s activity, EMP61 students were encouraged to request exotic (in some cases incoherent) wishes which would attempt to be fulfilled by others in the EMP61 class. Those students who were able to fulfill a wish were provided with a coveted “golden sticky dot” to adhere to their clothing, marking their achievement (or their ability to lie about it).

EMPers asked for assistance from classmates for a wish fulfillment ranging from playing golf at Augusta

National, to vacationing in Hawaii, to starting a restaurant, to meeting world, business, or sports celebrities. A theme of achieving these goals while playing golf quickly emerged when Mukesh Jain sought a business-related wish and added that he’d like to do so while golfing.

Frequent cries of “I’ve got ya covered, baby!” were heard from (a slightly inebriated?) Todd Reding. A man about campus at Grinnell College, Reding appeared to have connections and contacts that would be the envy of the Hollywood elite. At the conclusion of the event, Reding’s clothing was so dotted it looked like it had some rare subtropical disease. However, in the end, Vannessa Borchers was crowned the class super-connector as her multi-continental network of acquaintances edged out Reding’s largely domestic base.

As has become custom at after-hours EMP61 events, the spirits were flowing freely. And as the EMPers became ever more sotted, their wish fulfillment requirements became even more wild and fantasy-like. Two German prospects agreed to join in the fun, and later, when they indicated they could assist EMPer Sharon Grove with a wish to attend soccer’s World Cup in Germany, wild whoops and applause erupted from the crowd. A few EMPers were heard to say, “We should do this every weekend”.

(January 24, 2004)