rJJusiness organizations enhance student leanui1g BUSINESS TEAM SIMULATES REAL WORLD ENVIRONMENT One of the many opportunities availal:rle to business students is the chance to be on Harding's business team. This year's team consisted of four seniors: Nick Kennedy, Danny Hardman, Neil Arnold and Susan Reiss. The group was advised by Mike Emerson, an assistant professor of accounting. The objective of the team was to "run a fi'ctional corporation," team president Kennedy said. "We started a company from the very beginning and we had to make decisions in marketing, sales, salaries and such." After running the business for a semester, the students flew to San Jose, Calif., in April to present their work. There, they competed internationally with more than 30 schools. "The winner is determined by the quantitative and qualitative scores," Kennedy said. "Harding usually does a very good job as far as the competition," said Kennedy, who was on last year's team which won first place over all. There are several possible reasons for Harding's success. Perhaps it was the intelligence of the students, the devotion they had to the task or the time and energy they spent. However, "the only thing that stays the same year after year [within the business team] is Mike Emerson," Kennedy said. Emerson definitely played a role in the success of the team. "Mike has been doing this for years. He can't help us with our decisions, but he acts as an advisor and helps out with any computer problems," Kennedy said. Participating on the team provided experience that would prove invaluable in the future for the students. "The decisions we made in competition are some of the same we will make in our future jobs," Hardman said. "It gives us good real-world experience that is really practical ," Arnold said. Notonlydid the students grow in their experiences, but they also enjoyed what they were doing. "It was an opportunity to work with some of the School of Busines~; best," Hardman said. "It's justa lotoffun," Kennedy said. Besides, "you get a free trip out to California," Arnold said. The students were optimistic in their efforts. "I knew the team members verywell , but 1had never worked with them in a team situation. It seemed thatweworked very hard, yet had a lot of fun along the way, " Hardman said. "I think the most meaningful thing about this team is the chance to work closely with these people and get to know them, " Reiss said. ''We all have different personalities and backgrounds and we are learning how to get along in a team environment. Life 's about workingwith other people and this gives us that experience." - Diane Grubbs I • Photo by Salomon Pin&da Mike Emerson observes Justin Lawson and Gary Bull as they review for a test. The Accounting Society helped students learn from and network with working professionals. Carlos Stadthagen andMichelle Sasso plan a marketing campaign. The American Marketing Association provided chances for students to experiment with real world situations. • 260 O RGANIZATIONS
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