SU SIFE headed for national championship in Philadelphia

Wednesday, April 22, 2009, By News Staff

SU SIFE headed for national championship in PhiladelphiaApril 22, 2009Abby Kasowitz-Scheeraskasowi@syr.edu

Syracuse University’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) will compete in the SIFE National Exposition in Philadelphia May 10-12, after winning the regional championship for the fourth year in a row earlier this month in Tarrytown, N.Y.

In addition to being evaluated on the quality of their overall program, all SIFE teams have the opportunity for recognition in several special topics competitions. This year, the SU SIFE team was recognized as one of 20 finalists across the country in three of these competitions:

  • Waste Management Environmental Sustainability Competition: VACU-GREEN project
  • Discover/Robert Half International Success Skills Competition: Chadwick Residence project
  • Clorox Market Economics Competition: Team Guatemala project

The final results for these topic competitions will be announced at the national exposition.

“Our SIFE team has been really inspirational this year,” says Amanda Nicholson, assistant professor in SU’s Whitman School of Management and SIFE faculty advisor. “They have consistently been champions at various SIFE competitions, but more importantly they are champions in the communities they work with. I can’t wait to see how the team does in Philadelphia.”

During the competition, the teams report the result of their community outreach project to panels of business leaders serving as judges, and the teams are evaluated based on how successful they were at creating economic opportunity for others.

Founded in 1975, SIFE is a global nonprofit organization that helps students develop communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise on their campuses, in their communities and beyond. SIFE also emphasizes teamwork, leadership and community outreach. With more than 1,600 participating colleges and universities in 40 countries and territories, SIFE is one of the largest university-based organizations in the world. The SU SIFE chapter is housed in the Whitman School.

For more information contact Amy Schmitz, director of communications in the Whitman School, at (315) 443-3834 or aemehrin@syr.edu.