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IU Kokomo SIFE places among top 60 teams nationally
May 26, 2005 | |||||
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KOKOMO, Ind.—Indiana University Kokomo Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) team members were named second runners-up in first round competition at the SIFE USA National Exposition May 22–24 in Kansas City, Mo. Some 164 teams representing four-year colleges competed at the event. IU Kokomo's finish “puts us in the top 60 teams in the country,” said faculty advisor Kathy Parkison. IU Kokomo qualified to compete at the national exposition by winning its fifth consecutive regional title in April. In SIFE competitions, teams present printed and audio-visual reports of community outreach projects completed in the previous academic year; projects aim at promoting and teaching principles of free enterprise. Top business leaders serve as judges. IU Kokomo student presenters at both nationals and regional competitions were Brian van Camp of Bunker Hill, Nate Stout of Tipton, and Kokomo residents Jessica Arnold, Andy Earl, and Sabina Kedhi. Margaret Sasser of Kokomo was media technician, and Brooke Mills of Burlington, Brittany Clark of Galveston, and Danielle Silvey of Tipton offered behind-the-scenes support in Kansas City. The team had 24 minutes to present its case, followed by 7 minutes of questions from the judges. Parkison said that she and co-advisor Joan Hoch “really drilled the presenters to be ready for those questions, so our students were able to think on their feet in their responses.” IU Kokomo's team competed well against the nine other colleges in their round, mostly larger schools with more financial resources devoted to SIFE operations, Parkison added. Companies sponsoring the SIFE USA National Exposition invited several IU Kokomo students to job interviews at the conference site, Parkison said. “These companies give preference to and commit themselves to hiring SIFE participants,” she said. “IU Kokomo has always had one or two students placed in jobs from exposure at nationals.” The IU Kokomo SIFE also enjoys a good reputation among its competitors. Parkison said some 3,800 college students attended the national exposition, and several struck up conversations with the IU Kokomo contestants after noticing the latter's ID badges. “They'd tell our students, 'Our coach told us to come talk to you, that you have a great annual report,' ” Parkison said. SIFE is an international non-profit organization active on more than 1,800 university campuses in 40-plus countries. Open to all majors, SIFE is offered at IU Kokomo as both a student activity and as a course within the School of Business. For more information on business courses or SIFE, contact (765) 455-9462.
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