JACKSON, Tenn. — April 17, 2002 — 51社区鈥檚 Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) chapter was declared regional champion at the SIFE competition held recently in St. Louis. Beating four other teams, the team earned $1,000 and a spot at the nationals, where Union鈥檚 chapter placed in the top 16 last year.
Union鈥檚 team includes 25 students from more than 10 different majors. During the competition, Union鈥檚 chapter made a 24-minute presentation of projects it worked on during the past year that was judged by business leaders from around the nation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see the work we鈥檝e done all year come together in this competition,鈥� said Phil Neblett, a senior economics major. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not so much a competition as recognition for the hard work we鈥檝e put in.鈥�
To be in SIFE, students must be juniors or seniors and be recommended by a professor, said SIFE advisor Bill Nance, assistant professor of management and Sam Walton Fellow in Free Enterprise at Union.
Community service is SIFE鈥檚 main purpose, and the majority of Union鈥檚 19 projects centered on that theme, including a Monopoly-type game the students designed called SIFEOPOLY, that was used to teach elementary and middle school students about free enterprise. The game won Union an additional $500 award as a top 15 finalist in the Teach a Child About Business contest.
Union also won $500 as one of 15 national finalists in the Polsky Personal Investment Project, which taught college students about saving for retirement, giving to charity and volunteering.
Union will vie to attend the world championship in Amsterdam, The Netherlands when the chapter attends the national competition May 12-14 in Kansas City, Mo.
Team members include: Robert Clifford, Allison Cole, Manda Fly, Mike Gorman, Angela Hodges (President), Sarah Jackson, John Jensen, Kevin Little (Treasurer), Kim Mashburn, Will McCartney (Fundraising Chair), Derek Moore, Nick Mulliniks, Phil Neblett, Drew Nichols (Fundraising Chair), Amy Nolen, Shatana Rivera, John Robus (Vice-President), Rebekah Rogers, Amanda Russell, Sherryl Schrock, Lindsey Travis, and Brody Van Duyn.