K-State at Salina's students in free enterprise team repeats as regional champ

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News release prepared by: Katie Mayes, 785-826-2642, kmayes@salina.k-state.edu

Monday, April 16, 2007

K-STATE AT SALINA'S STUDENTS IN FREE ENTERPRISE TEAM REPEATS AS REGIONAL CHAMP

SALINA -- Kansas State University at Salina's chapter of Students in Free Enterprise has captured its second consecutive regional championship.

This year's regional competition was in Dallas, Texas. The K-State at Salina team will now compete in the Students in Free Enterprise USA National Exposition, May 6-8, also in Dallas.

It's the latest victory for the K-State at Salina team, which has won most of the competitions it has entered since the chapter was established in 2004. The team was named "Rookie of the Year" in 2004, and won regional champion status in 2006.

To win this year's regional competition, members of the K-State at Salina team presented a report to a panel of business leaders on community outreach projects the team had been involved with during the year. The projects included a dining etiquette seminar that drew 95 students; teaching sixth-graders in Solomon about business and entrepreneurship; and sponsoring an entrepreneurship lecture. Team members also made a trip to France over spring break to study agricultural subsidies and create a classroom module.

"The key to the Students in Free Enterprise club's success is simply how well members get along with each other as friends and as colleagues," said Robert Graham, a freshman in electronic and computer technology, Salina, and club president. "The club is a second family to everyone, and the support that everyone gives each other is a strong source of motivation and dedication."

The K-State at Salina club is made up of students from all three academic departments on the campus.

Students in Free Enterprise is an international organization with teams from 1,600 college and university campuses in 40 countries. The organization works to foster leadership, teamwork and communication skills through learning, practicing and teaching the principles of free enterprise. Teams work on topics that include market economics, entrepreneurship, personal and financial success, and business ethics.

In addition to Graham, K-State at Salina team members participating in the regional competition included:

Stacey Lee, senior in professional pilot and technology management, Dwight; Brandon Nemechek, senior in technology management and applied business, Goodland; Drew Tuttle, senior in mechanical engineering and technology management, Quinter.

From Salina: Floyd Abang, senior in professional pilot and technology management; Jen Augustine, senior in technology management; and Matthew Autrey, sophomore in professional pilot.

From out-of state: Brian Gigax, senior in professional pilot, Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Janelle Baron, junior in professional pilot, Monument, Colo.