2008 Woodie Awards
SIFE to compete in national tourney
By: Nick Lucchesi
Issue date: 4/28/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
A Webster University student group focused on the advancement of business practices is going to a national tournament to compare the business projects they have done in the past year. Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), is a group of 10 Webster students and a faculty adviser who are going to a national tournament from May 22 to 24 in Kansas City.
The group will compete against other SIFE "teams" from around the country. The teams compare various projects they have done over the past year. Some of Webster's projects included going to Ecuador to help set up small businesses in July 2004 and teaching St. Louis public school children business practices.
SIFE reached the national tournament by beating out other schools from Missouri.
Debbie Psihountas, SIFE's faculty adviser, said more than 1,700 colleges and universities have SIFE programs. Psihountas said it is a big step forward considering Webster's SIFE program is only two years old.
"I had never heard of it," Psihountas said. "Dean [Benjamin] Akande of the School of Business asked me two years ago to go to KC to see if we should try and start a chapter here. I came back and said 'I think we should definitely have a chapter here,' and he said, 'good, I want you to do it.'"
SIFE has been active since then, said Luis Blanco, junior international business major and SIFE's president-elect. Blanco said that SIFE is not a club for business majors only.
"One misconception people have is that this is a business club or program," Blanco said. "We need people - maybe an English major to write out statements or someone who is good with computers to create Flash presentations. We need all types of people."
As for the national tournament, Blanco said his team will prepare - sometimes between five and seven hours a day - by going over their presentations. If Webster's SIFE team does well, they will advance to the final tournament, the World Cup in Toronto this year.
Toronto plays host to teams from around the world. The World Cup takes place from October 5 to 7.
The group will compete against other SIFE "teams" from around the country. The teams compare various projects they have done over the past year. Some of Webster's projects included going to Ecuador to help set up small businesses in July 2004 and teaching St. Louis public school children business practices.
SIFE reached the national tournament by beating out other schools from Missouri.
Debbie Psihountas, SIFE's faculty adviser, said more than 1,700 colleges and universities have SIFE programs. Psihountas said it is a big step forward considering Webster's SIFE program is only two years old.
"I had never heard of it," Psihountas said. "Dean [Benjamin] Akande of the School of Business asked me two years ago to go to KC to see if we should try and start a chapter here. I came back and said 'I think we should definitely have a chapter here,' and he said, 'good, I want you to do it.'"
SIFE has been active since then, said Luis Blanco, junior international business major and SIFE's president-elect. Blanco said that SIFE is not a club for business majors only.
"One misconception people have is that this is a business club or program," Blanco said. "We need people - maybe an English major to write out statements or someone who is good with computers to create Flash presentations. We need all types of people."
As for the national tournament, Blanco said his team will prepare - sometimes between five and seven hours a day - by going over their presentations. If Webster's SIFE team does well, they will advance to the final tournament, the World Cup in Toronto this year.
Toronto plays host to teams from around the world. The World Cup takes place from October 5 to 7.