Students in Free Enterprise
Front row: l-r. Lydia Taylor, vice-president, and Susan Szydlowski, secretary. Back row: l-r. James Morgan, treasurer, Dr. Jerry Gehre, advisor, and Scott Meece, president.
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Students in Free Enterprise Front row: l-r. Lydia Taylor, vice-president, and Susan Szydlowski, secretary. Back row: l-r. James Morgan, treasurer, Dr. Jerry Gehre, advisor, and Scott Meece, president.
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An enterprising group of Tusculum College students recently won recognition and a $1,525 award for their presentation at a Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) competition held in Charlotte, NC.
SIFE is a non-profit, national and international student organization which seeks to educate individuals about the free enterprise system. A large part of SIFE's mission involves community outreach and educational projects.
Tusculum College SIFE members Scott Meece, president; Lydia Taylor, vice-president; Susan Szydlowski, secretary; and James Morgan, Treasurer, received the Spring 1998 Jules and Gwen Knapp Charitable Foundation award in the "Halt the Deficit/Reduce the Debt" competition, which included $1,525 and a trophy. The four are part of a twelve-member SIFE team at Tusculum.
In addition, the group won 1st runner-up in the overall regional conference competition. Though many of the competing groups were much larger, according to Meece, it was dedication which helped Tusculum garner the award.
Meece estimated that the twelve member Tusculum group spent over 3,400 hours working on the presentation.
"I was amazed at the commitment the students showed," said Meece, who added that SIFE advisor Dr. Jerry Gehre "has been an incredible asset" in the group's success.
The award-winning presentation included a discussion of projects the group has worked on throughout the year. Meece discussed Tusculum's "Value of Education" Campaign, among other topics, while Taylor presented on business ethics and mock interviews. Morgan's presentations involved the results of an economic literacy survey, as well as games the group has played to educate younger students, including a business strategy game and a simulated management team.
Szydlowski handled the technical side of the competition, balancing video equipment, a sound system, and computerized slide presentation. The overall effect of her efforts contributed to the "very outstanding scores" Tusculum received, according to Dr. Gehre, who said the judges for the competition were "top-notch" business executives from the Charlotte area.
Each of the students commented that their experience with the presentation has given them more confidence in themselves as students and future professionals.
The award money will go toward next year's SIFE outreach projects, the students said.