Martha and Spencer Love School of Business

Business Fellows News

First-year Business Fellows travel to the Yucatan Peninsula

An overview (continued)

During the three-night stay in Merida the students spent most of their time touring the city, visiting local business enterprises, and absorbing Mexican culture. The first tour of the trip was to the foremost newspaper in the Yucatan, El Diario de Yucatan, where the students were given a presentation discussing the history as well as the plans and transition of the paper for the future accompanied later by a tour of the production facilities.

Students at El Diario de Yucatan during the tour of the production facilities

The students then visited ASERCA, a service group focused on providing local farmers with sustainable farming practices. ASERCA has made tremendous strides over the last decade and a half towards rebuilding and strengthening the local village economies through their agricultural enterprises. Lastly the students toured the Coca-Cola bottling plant with an impressive bottling line that yields tens of thousands of soft drinks per day.

During this stay in Merida the students also visited the Mayan ruins at Dzibichaltun and they swam in a cenote, a natural large open water pool that connects to subterranean bodies of water. The students also ventured to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, home to the impressive Temple of Quetzalcoatl, otherwise known as El Castillo, the Great Ballcourt, the Sacred Cenote and other impressive landmarks. The ruins at Chichen Itza are an archeological, architectural, and scientific wonder.

Yucatan, El Diario de Yucatan, where the students were given a presentation discussing the history as well as the plans and transition of the paper for the future accompanied later by a tour of the production facilities.

Business Fellows in front of “El Castillo” (the castle). On the Spring and Autumn equinox, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the structure casts a shadow in the shape of a plumed serpent - or Quetzalcoatl - along the west side of the north staircase.

Following the departure from the ruins at Chichen Itza the students traveled to Tinum where they came across one of the most memorable experiences of the trip (see the related story below).

Finally the students returned to Cancun and completed their journey in the Yucatan. Returning from the trip the students shared experiences rich in extensive knowledge of business, culture, and themselves.

--Conor Danielson, Business Fellow class of 2012. Photos by Ally Norrell, Business Fellow class of 2012.

The Milpa

One of the main focuses of the trip was the ancient Mayan culture, and how it revolved around corn. We read about a society of people who worked in their family’s milpa, a large corn field, just outside the village. We read about men and young boys tending to the field, while women and young girls did chores around the house. (I am using the term house rather loosely, as these houses are more like huts, with thatched roofs.) However, this “stereotypical” Mayan village was erased from my mind as soon as our Greyhound bus pulled into Tinum, the small Mayan village in which we would be staying. We passed small stores with Coca-Cola signs out front, and a portable bull-fighting arena. This was not the village I had read about.

When we got off the bus, we found ourselves at a small thatched-roof hut, similar to those described in our readings; however, a step inside revealed porcelain sinks and running water. This house belonged to Lisa, the woman who made our experience of the Mayan culture possible. That afternoon, we visited a milpa. It had very few plants in it, something that startled me, as this was supposed to be the primary source of food for the family. We then heard the tragic story of this past year’s milpa. The corn seeds, which had been so carefully planted by hand, had begun to grow and thrive, until a drought hit, killing nearly every plant. The small amount of corn that was harvested could not be eaten, but rather dried out so the kernels could be planted next year. The milpa’s success is crucial to the success of the Mayan culture. This year’s harvest portended hardship for the coming year.

Tinum farmer walking through a barren milpa

That night, each of us slept in the home of a Tinum family, whose occupations ranged from baker to hunter, from nurse to traditional medicine man. We helped our host families prepare dinner, and learned to make tortillas from scratch. We enjoyed the most authentic Mexican food we had ever tasted, and it was delicious.

Fresh-made Tinum tortillas

Some students were offered cans of Coke with their dinner, a surprising offer that was greatly appreciated after the hot afternoon in the milpa. That night, we slept in hammocks, hung from the rafters and ceilings of the huts. We went to sleep around 8 o’clock, a great feat for any college student, and were rocked all night long by the softly blowing wind. We were awakened in the morning by a rooster, and greeted by the smell of fresh eggs cooking on an open fire.

After breakfast, it was time for us to leave and continue our Mayan studies elsewhere. We said our roughly-translated goodbyes to our host families and boarded the bus. The trip to Tinum was educational, enlightening, and very eye-opening to the culture we’d only read about. I think it’s safe to say that the Mayans are not the only people we discovered in Tinum, but we found a piece of ourselves in the tranquil, embracing village.

--Madeline Benn, Business Fellow class of 2012. Photos by Ally Norrell, Business Fellow class of 2012.

Senior Business Fellows Take on the Big Apple

Every fall, Elon provides the Business Fellows the opportunity to go to New York City for a whirlwind weekend of first hand business education. In years past the trip has been limited to the senior class, but in this year of transition the juniors and seniors went together, marking the transition of the trip to junior year. This evolution reinforces the growing importance of internships and will hopefully aid the juniors in finding employment with top notch businesses looking for the best talent possible.

This year our annual trip fell square in the middle of one of the most important times in U.S. financial history. The turmoil on Wall Street had a direct impact on the Business Fellows: Until the week of our departure we had visits scheduled at both Lehman Brothers and the Federal Reserve. Those visits were cancelled – Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, and the Fed was working on its bailout of AIG. These cancelled visits had to be replaced by other companies and opportunities. A last minute scramble for companies to visit truly illustrated the power of networking and the importance of maintaining relationships between Elon and Elon Alumni. Many of the companies that agreed to host us, even on such short notice, were made possible by the kindness and generosity of Elon alumni and parents and we are all truly grateful.

We visited a wide range on companies in order to gain a glimpse into the many faces of the New York business world. Our visit included trips to:

Bloomberg

Morgan Stanley

Young & Rubicam

Symrise Fragrance House

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Chelsea Piers

Bear Wagner

Pathfire

Meeting with important business leaders of these influential companies was an incredible opportunity to see and hear about industries ranging from advertising to financial services. Experiencing the hi-tech environments of companies like Bloomberg and meeting legends of the business world like Mr. Ney of Young & Rubicam were inspirational and encouraged many of us to look forward to life in the business world and the possibility of living in New York City.

At the alumni event held at Thomson Hall, Business Fellows mingled and networked with alumni living and working in the New York area and heard about their job searches, struggles, and successes. Being able to hear about their experiences and ask questions gave us a real feel for how life in the city would be if we choose to pursue careers that take us there. Knowing that there was such a strong support system of successful professionals was comforting to all, especially as graduation approaches for seniors.

The trip was a huge success and there was fun had by all. Times Square, Broadway shows, festivals in Little Italy, Governors’ Island and an incredible group of companies that were as inspirational as they were generous. The 2008 Business Fellows trip to New York City will be a hard one to top.

-Emily Paradowski, Business Fellow class of 2009

First-year Business Fellows take on the Challenge Course

On Friday, September 19, the first-year Business Fellows completed the Challenge Course together as an Elon 101 class. We started off in a circle, sharing our names and what we used to want to be when we grew up. We were then paired off, based on height, and one person from each group was blindfolded. Each of us had to lead our blindfolded partner up hills and through woods without any physical contact, only words. Then the partner who was blindfolded switched and the other partner had to lead the blindfolded over obstacles, this time only with physical contact, no speaking allowed.

Because we were a large group, we split into two smaller groups to go through further challenges. One activity involved getting everyone, plus a bucket of water, across an area using a single rope hanging in the middle. Another activity was a spider web made of rope hung between two trees. Each member of the group had to get through one of the holes, no one using the same hole twice, without him or her touching the rope at all. Next, with out ankles tied to the ankles of the people next to us, we formed a circle. We had to make it across a path, only stepping inside hula-hoops that were scattered along the path.

We finished up as one group and we each said a single word that summed up our experience. Many of the words that people chose were along the lines of trust, teamwork, and encouragement.

And that is what the Challenge Course was all about. It reinforced supporting everyone in your group, as well as trusting everyone.

-Megan Collins, Business Fellow class of 2012

First Annual Business Fellows Medallion Ceremony

On May 18, 2007, 21 graduating Business Fellows, along with their parents and friends, celebrated the first annual Business Fellows Medallion Ceremony in the LaRose Digital Theatre of the Koury Business Center.

MC’d by graduating students Ashley Corkery and Mark Horsburgh, the ceremony featured an informal address by outgoing Dean John Burbridge who described the importance of the Business Fellows program to the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. “The program grew from a single course for seniors to now a four-year program. The Business Fellows program allows us to pilot new ideas and involve students in professional-level projects. It has blossomed and will continue to grow as new students enter with new innovations.” Dean Burbridge cited the work of Dr. Thomas Tiemann, Jefferson Pilot Professor of Economics, for his efforts to move the program forward.

Graduating Fellow Hilary Corna thanked the faculty for all their mentoring and support. “You cannot know how much your dedication and support have meant to us all,” she said.

As the Business Fellows received their medallion, Dr. Scott Buechler, Associate Dean of the LSB, read a brief description of each student, citing their achievements while in the program and their plans for after graduation: all of the graduates have jobs, strong leads for jobs, or have been accepted to graduate school.

Congratulations graduating Business Fellows!

Business Fellows, Class of 2007

Freshmen Business Fellows Visit Weaver Street Market

On a sunny Monday afternoon this fall, the freshman Business Fellows traveled to Carrboro, North Carolina, to learn firsthand how a cooperative organic grocery business is run. Upon being greeted by the friendly management staff at the Weaver Street Market, we were given a presentation on the ins and outs of running a successful cooperative business. From company policies and business ethics to product storage and financial development, we were able to see how the market formed and has continued to operate successfully for the past 18 years.

The Weaver Street Market in Carrboro is a cooperative business, meaning that it is owned by its customers who buy memberships. These members receive discounts on their purchases as well as a vote on all issues involving major business decisions, giving them a voice in the running of the busienss.

The market prides itself on providing organic, healthy foods as well as a vibrant community experience for all their shoppers. As James Watts the operations manager told us, he wants “the shopping experience to be as good for the customers as the food they are buying.”

Not only did we learn a lot and get delicious cookies during our presentation, we were able to roam the market to get a feel for the community shopping experience. Piling into the vans to return to Elon, we swapped shopping experiences and snacked on the goodies we purchased. Overall, it was an interesting and delicious trip.

Alex Lahey, Business Fellow class of 2010

Freshman Fellows Visit McKinney & Silver

On Friday, November 4^th, the freshman Business Fellows traveled to visit the office of the advertising and marketing firm McKinney & Silver in Durham , North Carolina . Walking through the old tobacco district, we marveled at the scenic layout of the converted brick warehouses. We experienced an even bigger surprise as we walked into the office of McKinney & Silver. It was architecturally structured to create an open environment, nurturing conversations between fellow workers and prospective clients. Ms. Janet Northern led us in a tour of the innovative facility, and we were impressed with the casual yet focused atmosphere throughout the building. We sat in an amphitheater complete with carpeted steps and watched a presentation by Mr. Doug Holroyd . His presentation explained McKinney & Silver's unique advertising approach , which included the use of various advertising mediums to increase consumer involvement with their clients. We left with new ideas about the company, the structure of marketing in the future, and the design of an ideal workplace.

-- Steve Stone Business Fellow class of 2009