Last modified: Monday, April 7, 2008
IU SIFE team wins at regional competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 7, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University Bloomington Students In Free Enterprise team has won the SIFE USA Regional Championship and advances to the next competition.
The IU Bloomington SIFE team won the regional championship after a select group of seven SIFE students presented a report of eight community outreach projects to a panel of business leaders. The event, held on March 28 in Cincinnati, is the third consecutive regional championship for the Bloomington chapter. With this victory, the team advances to the national SIFE competition, which will be held at the SIFE USA National Exposition, May 13-15, in Chicago.
IU Bloomington SIFE presentation team members include (left to right) Alison Fox of Sarasota, Fla.; Elana Borchers of Monroe, NY; Nicole Gump of Ft. Wayne, Ind.; Calvin Craig of Greenwood, Ind.; Annie Cornett of Gallipolis, Ohio and Eric Nelson of Munster, Ind.
SIFE is an international non-profit organization active on more than 1,400 university campuses in 48 countries. SIFE teams create economic opportunities in their communities by organizing outreach projects that focus on market economics, entrepreneurship, personal financial success skills and business ethics.
Mary Embry, a lecturer in the Indiana University Department of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design (AMID) and the SIFE faculty advisor, said: "I'm always anxious about the challenge of competition at the regional level and winning is never a sure thing. It takes considerable confidence and preparation for presenters to convey in 24 minutes the impact of over 3,300 hours of community service."
During the current academic year, the SIFE team organized eight Bloomington-area projects, including an entrepreneurship initiative in which IU apparel merchandising students worked to incorporate the non-profit Fair Trade Bloomington. The projects consist of fair trade sales on campus and partnering with other community organizations to hold fundraisers that will support the opening of a Bloomington fair trade retail outlet.
"I have had such a unique opportunity to get real experience forming a corporation while also contributing to poverty relief in my work with SIFE," said Leela Summers, an IU apparel merchandising senior and marketing chairperson. "My involvement with SIFE has truly contributed to me having tangible experiences along with a globalized view of the world."
About SIFE Indiana University Bloomington
SIFE at Indiana University Bloomington is a student group advocating service-based learning in the principles of free enterprise. The organization works on projects that improve financial literacy, business ethics, entrepreneurship, market economics and success skills locally and globally. The Department of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design (AMID) in the College of Arts and Sciences supports SIFE financially and with faculty advisors who facilitate student projects. Faculty guidance is lead by Professor Mary Embry, a Sam Walton Fellow and faculty member in AMID's Retail Studies Program.
