Administration

Communications

Students in Free Enterprise take regional title
Wednesday, April 08, 2009

CANTON, Mo., - The Culver-Stockton College chapter of Students in Free Enterprise, SIFE, recently was named Regional Champion at the SIFE Regional Competition in Rosemont, Ill. The team advances to the National Exposition in Philadelphia, Pa. on May 10-12.

The members of the C-SC SIFE team included Ryan Thoroman, sophomore from Beardstown, Ill.; Barry Matthes, sophomore from Fenton, Mo.; Sarah Frazier, sophomore from Hardin, Ill.; Debbie Bell, senior from Stronghurst, Ill.; Amanda Gibbs, junior from Conrad, Iowa; and Tayler Oldin, junior from Dundee, Ill. Also attending were faculty advisers Jeanne Johnson, assistant professor of management information systems; and Jim Cosgrove, professor of business administration.

The competition among SIFE teams determines which team has had the most impact on improving the quality of life and standard of living for members of its community focusing on the seven SIFE educational topics: market economics, success skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, environmental sustainability, business ethics and program sustainability.

Students compete through a written annual report and a live audio-visual presentation that the teams present to a panel of entrepreneurs and executives serving as judges. Each team has 37 minutes to present – seven minutes to set up, 24 minutes to give the presentation, five minutes to answer questions, and one minute to exit.

The Culver-Stockton team showcased the 10 community projects developed by the student chapter over the past year including volunteer work at the Lewis Street Playhouse; creating financially focused placemats for use in the community; establishing a business ethics board to promote ethical behavior; work with the area’s new recycling initiative; the annual investment portfolio project, which allows students to study the stock market as well as buy stock; organizing the annual visit day to the C-SC Business Division for high school students; renovation of a house in Canton; creating reward cards for Primo’s, a downtown Canton restaurant; conducting the “Duel on the Hill” competition to tests high school students’ ability to come up with creative ways to pay for college; and creation of the Goldman Sachs public service announcement that encourages students to start saving at a young age.