b.Line Magazine Spring 2009

8/14/2019 b.Line Magazine Spring 2009

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Vol. 32009

Straight to the Bizz

Whats Inside?

Financial Crisis of 2008Major PerspectivesUW AthleticsEmbarrassing Internship Stories

BUSINESS MAGAZINE


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T O C

TA B L

E O F

C O N T E N T S

S t u d e n t O r g

H i g h l i g h t : B a

d g e r B u s i n e s

s B u d d i e s

H e l p ! I N e e d

A C a r e e r I d e

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P o w e r f u l E

d u c a t i o n T u r

n e d... P o w e r e

d G r e e n

S t u d y A b r o a

d : A S u m m e r i n P

a r i s

E m b a r r a s s i n

g I n t e r n s h i p

S t o r i e s

Q u e r i e s n T

h e o r i e s

L a y i n g t h e F o

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2 0 Y e a r s : T h

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L e a r n i n g C e n

t e r C e l e b r a t

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T u r n e d S t y l i s

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T h e G o o d, t h e

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S t a f f S p o t l i g h t : L o r

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M e e t t h e b. L

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1CONTACT US AT [email protected]

A brand new admissions process to the Wisconsin School of Business bringsabout many admission questions from undergraduates, especially freshmen.Many students wonder about the new process and requirements that need tobe met to apply to the School of Business. Other students are unsure of studentorganizations, tutoring programs or study areas within Grainger Hall. BadgerBusiness Buddies, an organization that branched off from the Students in FreeEnterprise (SIFE) organization, is a program designed to help inquisitive pre-business students obtain answers to questions regarding the Wisconsin Schoolof Business.

Badger Business Buddies strive to match pre-business students withupperclassmen to establish a long-term mentoring relationship. Theorganization is headed by an executive board of 10-12 School of Businessstudents. The executive board is responsible for matching the mentors and

mentees based on major and interests. The mentors and mentees build theirrelationship by getting to know one another through meetings and discussingvarious topics such as school, admissions and campus life. Any undergraduatestudent interested in business as a major is welcome to become a mentee.

Mentors in the program share their experiences in the School of Business andgive advice to underclassmen in an attempt to better prepare pre-businessstudents for the rigors of the School of Business. Mentors also feel it isimportant for underclassmen to be aware of how to sequence classes. Forexample, an experienced business student can advise his/her mentee about the

work load of particular classes to help them create a successful schedule. Also,a mentor can help his/her mentee with questions regarding classes, professorsand resources in Grainger Hall such as the Business Learning Center. Buddiesget together as often as they would like and are encouraged to attend specialevents hosted by Badger Business Buddies.

Badger Business Buddies strive to matchpre-business students with upperclassmen toestablish a long-term mentoring relationship.Badger Business Buddies holds bene cial events for underclassmen. Lastfall, the organization teamed with the Undergraduate Academic Service (UAS),Business Career Center (BCC), and Accenture Leadership Center (ALC) to designa scavenger hunt throughout Grainger Hall during Wisconsin Welcome Week.For the hunt, underclassmen had to nd key locations within Grainger Hall.The scavenger hunt led students to places such as the BLC and the ALC, wheretreats awaited the hunters upon arrival. The scavenger hunt concluded with icecream and rewards for participants.

Badger Business Buddies also holds a seminar series on the rst Wednesdayof every month. Some seminar topics include meeting mentors and pickingclasses. During the class seminar, buddies can discuss courses and compareprofessors. Also, students have the opportunity to pick the brains of Schoolof Business faculty members during one of the seminars. Badger BusinessBuddies hopes to expand events and continue to grow as an organization in thefuture.

Any admitted business student with interest in giving back to the WisconsinSchool of Business community can be a mentor for Badger Business Buddies.Mentoring is a perfect opportunity for business students with busy schedules.Mentoring allows a exible time commitment and requires easy tasks. KyleOiness, a member of Badger Business Buddies executive board, highlightsa major bene t to being a mentor. As a mentor, nding answers and givingdirection is very easy. Mentors already know where to go and who to seewithin the business school. Also, any student interested in taking more of aleadership role can join Badger Business Buddies executive board. The boardmeets every Wednesday at 8 p.m. Current projects the executive board isworking on include seeking corporate sponsorships and creating new eventsfor the organization.

Mentoring is a perfect opportunity forbusiness students with busy schedules.Joining Badger Business Buddies is rewarding for all involved, from theexecutive board to the mentors and mentees. The executive board and mentorsare able to assist mentees and the School of Business by strengthening thepotential of prospective students and exposing useful resources in GraingerHall. Mentees bene t from having a centralized resource and a mentoris always merely an e-mail or phone call away. Worries involving classenrollment, exams and Madison in general are just a few issues that can bepromptly addressed for involved mentees. When the spring semester sneaksup, underclassmen will be more than prepared to take on new classes andsubmit applications to the Wisconsin School of Business thanks to BadgerBusiness Buddies.

Badger Business BuddiesSTUDENT ORGANI ZATI ON HI GHLI GHT:

by: Lauren Tellock


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2

I know what youre thinking. Its already second semester, I havent found a job or an internship yet, and the economy is shedding jobs like dead skin cellsafter a really bad sunburn. Time to panic? Yes! No, just kidding. Even though

nding a job right now may be much harder than in the go-go years of the late90s, there are still plenty of options to consider. If youre like many of yourundergrad peers who are still looking for an idea for what to do with yourselfafter graduation, then keep reading. If youre one of the lucky ones who havefound a job, stop gloating, the rest of us are jealous.

The b.Line sat down with Jake Martin, a recent Wisconsin School of Businessgrad, to see what he is up to in these days of economic turmoil.

b.Line: Now that youre out of school, where are you working and how did youend up there?

Jake: Im currently working for a Habitat for Humanity af liate in a northernChicago suburb as a full-time AmeriCorps Volunteer.

b.Line: What exactly is AmeriCorps?

Jake: The best way to describe AmeriCorps is that it is like a domestic PeaceCorps program. AmeriCorps members work with non-pro t organizationsacross the U.S. in every eld imaginable. AmeriCorps members are given aliving stipend to help defray living expenses so that you can focus all of yourtime on being a full-time volunteer. Plus, you receive an education award ofabout $4,000 at the end of your service that can be put toward current studentloans or future student loans. One nice aspect of AmeriCorps versus PeaceCorps is that it is only an 11-month commitment (instead of 28 months in PeaceCorps) so if youre looking for a fun, meaningful gap year between undergradand your career or grad school this is a really great option.

b.Line: Why did you choose to work for Habitat for Humanity?

Jake: To be honest, I knew very little about Habitat for Humanity, or aboutbuilding houses for that matter, before I started working for them. However, thispast summer while I was job hunting, I had some extra time on my hands, so Idecided to start volunteering. Fortunately, there is a Habitat af liate right herein Madison, so I started volunteering with them two to three times per week.The Habitat employees started to recognize me after a few days and mentionedto me that I could help build houses full time if I signed on as an AmeriCorpsmember. Ultimately, I chose Habitat because I liked the work and I loved themission of the company.

b.Line: How exactly does Habitat for Humanity work?

Jake: One of the biggest misconceptions about Habitat for Humanity is that

it is a give-away program. Its not. The goal of Habitat is to get people outof crowded or unsafe living conditions while also helping to create some

nancial stability through home equity. Habitat homeowners actually buy theirhouses. However, Habitat helps to make it as affordable as possible by utilizingvolunteer labor and providing a 30-year loan at 0 percent interest. Habitatis able to nance this loan because the house is typically paid upfront bycorporate sponsors and individual donors. One interesting fact is that Habitathas just completed its 300,000 th house globally and is shooting for 1 million.

b.Line: What is your role as an AmeriCorps volunteer for Habitat for Humanity?

Jake: I am a volunteer crew leader. My job is to teach and lead groups ofvolunteers. I demonstrate how to carry out the task at hand and supervisethe volunteers to make sure that the work is being done safely and properly.

I work year round and help to take about 10 homes from groundbreaking tocompletion.

b.Line: What would you suggest to a current undergrad that is looking forsomething to do this coming year?

Jake: If youre confused about which direction your life is headed, or you justwant to take a year before you jump into corporate life or more schooling, thenrelax. Take a year to gure out what you want and do something meaningful inthe process. Whether that means AmeriCorps, Teach for America, Peace Corpsor any other full-time volunteer program, go for it. I cant tell you how manyvolunteers have come up to me at the end of the day and said how much theywished they had done something like this before they had started their career,their family and the rest of their life. Right now you have the bene t of youth.

Use it while you still can.

To nd out more about AmeriCorp and Habitat for Humanity, contact Jake at: [email protected].

HELP!I N e e d a Ca r e e r I d e a ! b y: b. L ine S ta f f


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Its that network of entrepreneurs helping eachother out that makes this an amazing experience.

Powering Their Future

It has always been about the energy and makingthe largest impact possible. It is our goal to provide

as much renewable energy that would be equivalentto powering a community of 6,000 homes in the

rst year.

Laptops are just the Beginning

Our initiative also works nicely with largecorporations efforts towards investing inrenewable energy. We are currently in talks withseveral companies who are interested in EnergySeals for their companys laptops.

We see our efforts with large companies asimportant as the individual sponsorships. Thelarger the company, the more wind energy they

are sponsoring and having overall a greater effect.In the end, these large companies are going to bea major driving force in this transition to cleanerenergy sources.

The Bucky Advantage

It wasnt until I took my rst entrepreneurialclass with Phil Kim in MHR 422 that I realizedstarting a business right after college was a viableopportunity. I was immediately hooked on this ideaof becoming an entrepreneur, and Phil Kim openedmy eyes to the opportunities out there besidesaccepting a corporate job out of school.

The entrepreneurship program is truly amazingbecause it really gives you a look into what it takesto develop an idea into an actual business. In class,they bring in entrepreneurs from around the areaand allow them to share their stories. I was hooked.

Taking this leap after college is actually feasiblebecause of those experiences in class thatprovide you with the tools to be successful, alongwith being able to surround yourself with localentrepreneurs. If it werent for Phil Kims classesand guidance over the last year, Powered Greenwould be a completely different story. Get involved.Be proactive. Utilize all resources within theWisconsin School of Business to power your future.

Two Badgers, Ted Durkee and Brandon Gador,united with a green vision that is the basisfor their new business, Powered Green. PoweredGreen is a Madison-based company that providesindividual wind energy sponsorships for $16. Eachsponsorship pays for new wind turbines to generatethe amount of energy a typical laptop computeruses in its lifetime. This initiative directly supportsnew wind turbine projects, prevents millions ofpounds of carbon dioxide emissions and helps

to reduce our dependence on polluting energysources. Included with each sponsorship is arecycled aluminum emblem called an Energy Sealthat can be placed on the outside of a laptop thatrepresents the sponsorship and allows individualsto show their support for renewable energy.

Durkee is currently completing his fth year atUW-Madison, majoring in mechanical engineering.His partner Gador is a rst-year alumnus whograduated from the Wisconsin School of Businesswith a degree in marketing. The guidance andopportunities these small business owners receivedwhile studying at the University of Wisconsin-

Madison assisted them in pioneering their businessand is now the catalyst powering their success.

Brandon Gador:

On recent success and whatpowers the future

Powered Green: The Idea, the Reality

It all started with an idea Ted had to install small-scale wind turbines on telecommunication towers.The approach was an attempt to eliminate a lotof the upfront costs of installing the turbinesto generate electricity. Ted ran the structural

feasibility through the engineering department atUW-Madison, and I ran the nancial feasibility in aventure creation class that the School of Businessoffers. We both concluded that the idea was notfeasible, but it laid the seeds for what is todayPowered Green.

We were then stuck on this notion of providing a

visible representation for something intangiblewithin the green movement.

A lot of students on campus have laptops that areout in public in coffeehouses, libraries, etc. andpeople already put stickers on their computersto identify themselves. We instantly saw the

connection in offering students an opportunity tomake a difference on an individual level throughtheir laptop. In this way, students can make adifference with something they already have.

How UW-Madison Powered their Success

There is no book or one resource out there thatis full of answers on how to start a company.Thankfully, being involved in entrepreneurship oncampus I had been exposed to a lot of the issuesin dealing with forming a company. Through myclasses, I had met and talked to many differententrepreneurs in the area, and they becameamazing resources over the last year.

We contacted many of the guests in my classesfor an assortment of advice as we were gettingstarted, and their guidance was instrumental inhelping us get going. When they were starting theirbusinesses someone helped them, and returningthe favor by helping another is just a major part ofentrepreneurship I feel.

If you are interested, visit Powered Greens Web site at www.poweredgreen.com .

Powerful Education turned...by: Kimm VanDen Heuvel


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4

This time last year Sara, an accounting and English

major; Whitney, an international business and

marketing major; and Jessy, an actuarial science

major, were complete strangers. However, after six

weeks together in Paris last summer, the trio had

many stories to tell and much to laugh about when

I met with them recently.

Why a summer program?

The girls chose to participate in a summer study abroad program forvarious reasons. The principle reasons behind their decision were theirdesire to not miss an entire semester of classes, which would postponetheir graduation, and the reduced cost. As a huge Badger fan, Whitneycouldnt bear the thought of missing football games at Camp Randall orbasketball games at the Kohl Center!

Why Paris?

Sara and Whitney had both visited Paris before and enjoyed their time inthe city. They both speak French and wanted an opportunity to improvetheir language skills while still having the option to revert back to Englishwhen necessary (many of the people they met recognized they wereAmerican and wanted to practice English with the girls.)

Was there a language barrier?

The class, Negotiations, the three took was taught in English, so therewas not a problem with their schoolwork. However, a lot of their fellowstudents were not native English speakers so some phrases we casuallyuse were misinterpreted.

Outside the classroom the trio encountered a few more problems. For

example, when they went to the store to purchase a phone card, theywere given a pack of cigarettes. It also took a few tries to get stamps thatwould get letters across the ocean.

What about cultural differences?

In general, everyone was very laid-back. There was no rush to beanywhere on time (including class) and long lunches were an everydayoccurrence. Different stores, such as the grocery store, were closed onSundays (and occasionally Mondays), which created a problem in thebeginning. The passion for soccer was also very evident. Being in Europeduring the Euro Cup, the girls saw an outpouring of support for eachcountrys soccer team. Everyone was engrossed in the Cup and matchescould be seen during class time. People were always decked out in theirrespective countrys colors and the bars were crowded with screamingfans.

How were classes?

As previously mentioned, the three of them took Negotiations, a MHR classthat was taught in English. It only met twice a week so there was plentyof time to travel. The material was not dif cult (the girls knew this beforearriving in Paris because of the course reviews that are available in theStudy Abroad Of ce.) In general, the class work consisted of simulationsof negotiations. The students had to role play and stand in the shoes of

Study Abroad:

A Summer inParis

by: Jenna Lenz


7/28


people from different parts of the world. Additionally, Whitney and Jessy choseto take MHR 300 online while traveling.

What about the housing situation?

The girls stayed in student housing with other U.S. students for six weeks. Thedorm rooms did include a kitchenette and a private bathroom so there werentmany complaints! Unfortunately, they were not very close to the campus butthe public transportation was easy, clean and affordable to get to class.

What are your favorite memories?

Interestingly, their most memorable experiences were not the big sightseeingtrips other travelers cherish. Instead, they loved sitting by the Eiffel Tower withraspberry Champagne and chocolate one afternoon and strolling down by theriver on beautiful days. Jessy, a big Chopin fan, gushed about the private tourshe received of his museum. They also have fond memories of, what else, foodespecially ower-shaped gelato and fruit crepes.

What did you miss from home?

They missed American food McDonalds (its not the same in Paris) andOreos. Not surprisingly, they also felt lost without a cell phone. Their phoneswere locked once they left the U.S., so the three had to rely on pay phones tocall family or arrange outings with friends.

Where else were you able to go?

Even with a short summer program, the girls still managed to travel a lot. Therewere trips to London, Amsterdam and Germany. Whitney also took a coupleof weeks after the program had ended to do the traditional backpacking triparound Europe. She visited many places, including Berlin, Munich, Venice, Romeand Madrid.

How has this trip changed you?

Before traveling, Sara and Whitney were under the impression a lot of the worldhad a negative attitude toward Americans. However, they quickly learned ifthey were willing to reach out to people, they received a friendly response.After seeing many historical sites, they had a new appreciation for many of thethings they had been taught in history classes over the years.

Finally, what advice can you give to other students?

Go out and explore. The worst thing you can do is sit in your room. All threegirls struggled in the beginning as they tried to adjust to the new environment.Only after getting out of their rooms and discovering what Paris had to offer didthey start to feel more comfortable and have fun together.

Make friends. This goes hand in hand with the rst piece of advice. You cantbe afraid to talk to people, whether its someone in your class, the waiter orthe person living next to you. Jessy even made a friend, and eventual travelcompanion, while meandering through the cemetery!

Dont be afraid to spend money, but do it wisely. Chances are its going to be along time before you get to experience a foreign city again. Dont get so caughtup in the prices, just enjoy yourself while you can. However, be smart aboutwhat you do and how you spend your money. If you go out every night, you willsoon nd yourself broke (drinks were very expensive, roughly $10 each).


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6

It was my second day at my internship thissummer at a New York marketing rm. Wehad a meeting in a conference room to discuss the rst project we were going to be working on. There were six other interns, two project managers and the main boss of the company sitting around a table. I was the last person to walk in the room and it was completely silent. I rushedinto the room, set my notebook on the table and bent down to sit in my chair. As soon as I started to bend down, I broke wind extremely loudly.There was a moment of dumbfounded silence before the boss broke out in laughter. I tried to laugh along but I turned all red and used the HappyGilmore line, Im just easing the tension baby, just easing the tension. The rest of the summer everyone lovingly called me wind. -Anonymous

It was a typical night out on the town in Chicago with my internship coworkers. We were outwith a few of our bosses and we decided to go to a karaoke bar. One of my friends decided itwould be funny if we sang Ill Make Love to You by Boyz II Men to our boss. So we enteredour names, and when it was our turn I looked around for my friend, but she was nowhere to befound. I gured I had nothing to lose, so I sang it by myself. Im de nitely not a singer, and itwas awful! Yeah, they wouldnt let me do karaoke for the rest of the summer!- AJ Stoll

I was working for acage-free egg com-pany, but I was underthe impression thatmy sales internshipmeant I would be doingof ce work with sales.Instead, they sent meto their productionfacilities for two weeksin Indiana, and the rstnight I learned how toload and unload chickenoff a semi-truck for

This summer I interned for a production company in Hollywood, CA.One week the assistant there went on vacation and I was responsiblefor all of his duties. Before I had nished work, I left quickly to run anerrand and when I returned, I realized I had accidentally locked myselfout. My briefcase was inside that contained my cell phone, keys and

wallet! All of the computers were still running and I hadnt nisheda couple of end-of-the-day tasks! Panic set in. I desperately lookedaround for a solution, refusing to lose face by getting the lots securityto contact my boss. I began to pace outside of the of ce when sud -denly I looked up and noticed the small window to the of ce bathroomwas cracked open, but it was too high up to reach! Being resourceful,I looked around for something to boost me up. Bike. Too unstable.Potted plant. Too short. Suddenly, I spotted a trash can across theparking lot and when it looked clear, I ran over and grabbed it. Ibrought it back, ipped it over and hoisted myself up- barely reachingthe ledge. I then mustered every muscle in my upper body to do a pullup, un-crank the window further and lift my body through. My legswere ailing for a few seconds, and I prayed the lots security wasntmaking its rounds. As I crashed head rst to the oor, barely missingthe toilet, I burst out laughing and tears streamed down my face. Iquickly ran outside, ipped the trash can back over and kicked thetrash back in. After nishing up my duties, I locked up the of ce andcoolly walked away. No one from the of ce knows of that afternoonsevents and when the assistant returned and asked if everything wentsmoothly, I couldnt help but smirk as I said, yeah, no problems what-soever... Nicole Belisle

It was the rst week of a nance

internship I had this summer inMadison. The dress at this com-pany was business casual and I waswearing a short/medium length skirt(it was smoldering hot outside andthe companys air conditioning was

nicky at best, cut me some slack.)There was a long glass window thatseparated the nance side of the of cefrom the accounting department. Ithought this window was tinted, andI was the only one on my side of thewindow. I was extremely sore froman intense workout the day before so

I decided to do some quick stretchingexercises. I didnt think anything of ituntil I walked past the break room onmy way to the bathroom and overheardtwo men, one of whom was my boss,talking about how much they enjoyedthe scandalous free show I had justgiven the accounting department. Ap-parently the view through that windowwas crystal clear. - Anonymous

I interned this summer at a magazine in Chicago. I did writing and marketingrelated activities almost exclusively, but one day the person who normally handledthe front desk and answered the phones was sick and my boss asked me to ll in.I didnt have a very good handle on all the different administrative tasks and de -nitely didnt understand all the buttons for the phone and door. The CEO stopped bythe front desk and told me that if anyone called for him, tell them he wasnt thereand to email him or leave a message. So, not ve minutes later somebody calledasking for the CEO and I said, hes not here right now but he said you can justemail him or leave a message. The person on the other end of the line respondedwith, Well, how in the world would you know that if he isnt there? Ill just callhis cell. It turned out to be an important business partner and needless to say Iwasnt asked to answer the phones again. Jake Fowler

nternship storiesembarrassing

eight hours! To top it off we couldnt do this duringthe day because it was too hot for the chickens, sowe had to unload them during the night from 9 p.m.-5a.m. We had to wheel all of the chickens off the truckand then pull them from their cages and throw themover a fence into a pen. There would be some of themthat were dead because they got trampled by theother chickens. So you had to pick up the dead chick-ens and throw them to the side. Not quite what I hadenvisioned for my rst day of work. Anonymous


9/28


Q

Queries n Theories A section designed for you! Instead of reading what your authors think is important, you have the opportunity to read what you want to hear.Do you have a question about the Wisconsin School of Business, classes, involvement, campus life, the real world, etc? If so, please emailyour queries to [email protected] and our staff will give their theories about your questions.

Q

Q

Q

QIts actually quite simple. There is a form on the Undergraduate AcademicServices website (www.bus.wisc.edu/undergrad). On the left hand side thereis a link called FORMS. On this page you will nd a form called BusinessMajor Declaration Form. Fill out that form and submit it to the UAS of ce (3150

Grainger).

What do the X and O really mean in the front of Grainger??

The letters are solar powered and were designed by artist R. Stuart Keelerthrough the Wisconsin Arts Board. They actively scroll money marketinformation from the NYSE, NASDAQ and up to 23 global money markets inlanguages of business and commerce, also serving as a time zone clock.

No, the X and O are not symbols for hugs and kisses, they are intended torepresent neverending forms that radiate information and power, according toKeeler. The use of the circle goes back in history and its whole, cyclical formserves to symbolize the continuity of information and sharing in the worldtoday. The X references the architecture of the building as well as charts,graphs, and data collected in a business context. The work is alive and inmotion the same as the X and O forms which conceptually are never ending.

How much did the new addition to the Wisconsin School ofBusiness cost?

The new addition cost a grand total of $40.5 million. The funding was madeup of 75 percent gifts/grants and 25 percent state funds. A $20 million gift,one of the largest in the history of the university, was given by The GraingerFoundation. In addition to the $20 million Grainger gift, $10.5 million in giftfunds and $10 million in general fund-supported borrowing will complete theproject budget.

How do I change my major?

If Im not a business student yet,how can I get a business advisor?

If you have an assigned advisor outside of the Wisconsin School of Business,go to the Undergraduate Academic Services of ce (3150 Grainger) to arrange ameeting and get assigned a business advisor.

How often should I meet with my advisor?

It is recommended you meet with your advisor at least once per semester. Toschedule an academic advising appointment, call (608) 262-0471 or stop intothe Undergraduate Academic Services (UAS) of ce on the 3 rd oor of Grainger(3150). Advisors do not schedule appointments via email.

As you can imagine, there are certain times during the semester when thereis a high demand for business advising. During some of the busiest days lastsemester, the advising of ce was helping 75+ students during their 4-hourwalk-in advising. The rst peak time that the UAS of ce becomes very busy isduring the beginning of the semester. The rst few weeks of the semester manystudents have questions about class enrollment and scheduling. There is alsoa high demand for academic advising the weeks before and during enrollmentfor the following semester. This is a time when you may want some guidance asto your course sequencing. Try to plan ahead and schedule an appointment formid-semester because time slots ll up quickly!

by: b.Line Staff


10/28

8

Initiatives are routinely taken in the business world with the intent to improveupon something, such as ef ciency or consumer relations. The BusinessLearning Center (BLC) received an initiative 20 years ago and has sinceexpanded and ourished into something the Wisconsin School of Business canbe proud of today.

The Wisconsin School of Business founded the BLC in 1988 as part of theMadison Plan, former Chancellor Donna Shalalas campus-wide initiativeto increase the diversity at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It was theresponsibility of the BLC to increase the number of minority students in the

School of Business.

James Hickman, the dean at that time, wanted students to have support incollege quantitative courses, especially for those who came from a high schoolwith a weak mathematics program. Hickman determined quantitative courses

Laying the Foundation for 20 Years: The Business Learning Center Celebrates

Its 20th Anniversary by: George Ryansuch as accounting, economics, business statistics, and nance were barriersto students admittance, and eventual success, in the School of Business.

The BLC began working with students in the fall semester of 1988 under thedirection of Brenda Pfaehler. With a staff of only four, the BLC started with 202undergraduate and graduate students in several different courses. The BLCof ce hid on the top oor of Bascom Hall down a long hallway in the rear of thebuilding.

At that time, the School of Business outgrew its space in the Commerce

Building (now Ingraham Hall). The over ow from the Commerce Building-including some business professors of ces, the secretarial of ce and theBusiness Library-were placed in Bascom Hall.

When the School of Business moved to Grainger Hall in the 1990s, the BLCreceived a prime location in room 2240 on the second oor by the BusinessLibrary. This visibility made more students aware of the resources provided bythe BLC and the number of students participating in the BLC program grew overthe 20 years since its conception.

While underrepresented students were the targeted population, the BLC is opento all students on a space-available basis. Any student who is interested inutilizing the service of the BLC is admitted.

Currently under the direction of Judy Cary, the BLC mentors roughly 800students per semester in courses such as Accounting 100, Economics 101and 102, Finance 300, Business Statistics 303 and Finite Mathematics 210, aswell as several others. By providing Cary with their schedules, she is able toaccommodate most students schedules and place them in small groups thatmeet twice a week throughout the semester.

These groups, taught by a TA, are directly related to the speci c coursesthe students are enrolled in and are completely free to all students. Caryemphasizes students should regularly attend classes to ensure a strongfoundation. This basic framework allows them to understand more complexproblems and will allow them to be successful in higher-level business courses.Additionally, the BLC TAs hold of ce hours to provide individual support to thosewho desire it. These of ce hours are held in 2240 Grainger.

The candidates for TA positions in the BLC are evaluated by Cary andmust display not only course skills, education and experience, but also acompassionate, professional demeanor. Those chosen as TAs by Cary maintaina comfortable, yet effective environment to best facilitate learning for thestudents. Also, the TAs use several strategies to cater to the different learningstyles and abilities the members.

Chris Luckmann, who used the BLC as a student in Accounting 100, is nowone of the TAs for the Accounting 100 study groups in the BLC. When I used

...completely free to all stud


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the Business Learning Center as an undergrad, the sessions gave me moreexposure to the material from a different point of view. Now, as a TA in thelearning center, it is a great opportunity to give the students the same bene ts Ireceived as an undergrad.

The BLC TAs work closely with the professors and teaching assistants for theindividual courses the BLC supports. This interaction develops an excellentchannel of communication that gives the students the most ef cient andcomprehensive support and best allows them to succeed. Professors forcourses supported by the BLC are strong advocates of the learning centerand especially want their students to excel. In the BLCs early years, manyprofessors even asked for the BLC to be expanded to accommodate more oftheir students, because they saw the students partaking in the study groupswere doing better in class.

Even though athletes have their own study center, several athletes who werebusiness majors have used the BLC to their advantage to be successful in theirbusiness classes. For instance, Ebba Gebisa, the former UW womens basketballteams top free-throw shooter (2002-2004), attended BLC group sessions.

Additionally, the former UW mens hockey teams goaltender Graham Melanson(aka Golden Graham, 1999-2001) was a BBA Finance major and used the BLCfor several of his courses in the School of Business.

In addition to providing students with study groups throughout the year, theBusiness Learning Center has also conducted another retention activity duringits existence: the Math Review (or as the students called it: Math Camp). The

BLC initiated this so-called Math Camp in 1993 and coordinated the MathReview for incoming MBA students from 1993 to 2004. This week long, 9 a.m.to 4 p.m. program reviewed mathematics concepts to prepare students forgraduate, quantitative-based business courses. One student found this courseso bene cial that he postponed his honeymoon until after the Math Review

session. Talk about dedication to the pursuit of an education.

Furthermore, the business academic component of the PEOPLE Programhas operated out of the Business Learning Center since 2003. This programintroduces accounting, management, marketing, economics and nanceconcepts to 20-30 high school students from Wisconsin who attend classesin the morning and participate in internships in the afternoon at Madisonbusinesses.

The BLC is a resource dedicated to helping students succeed in their academicendeavors. The mission of the BLC has not changed since day one. Itspurpose is to help students excel by providing ancillary academic support inquantitative-based, business-related courses.

On behalf of the b.Line staff, I would like to congratulate the Business LearningCenter and those involved for being so successful over the past 20 years. Wehope this success continues into the future.

Professors for courses supported by the BLC are strong advocates of the learning center...

For further information, stop by the BLC of ce in 2240 Grainger or visit the BLCsWeb site at http://www.bus.wisc.edu/blc/ .


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10

The Effects of Grainger Artworkby: Michael Sambar


13/28


Show me the money! Tom Cruise says this in hisclassic movie, Jerry Maguire, and some peoplemight think this movie portrays everything that

is sports business. But in reality, there is moreto sports business than Hollywood reveals. Righthere on our campus, UW Athletics works tirelesslyevery day to carry on the storied tradition ofWisconsin sports. There is a lot of work that goeson behind the scenes many diehard Badger fansnever consider when screaming their lungs out atthe games. Such activities include: selling tickets,marketing, promotions and taking care of theplayers. Adam Ahearn, the Assistant Director ofMarketing and Promotions, and his team work justas hard as the athletes on the eld to make sureeverything runs smoothly. [The thing I like mostabout my job is] getting to work in a high-pro le

and fast-paced environment, Ahearn said.

The UW Athletics of ce is located in Kellner Hall,the administrative building attached to CampRandall, and this is where the magic of Badgergame day begins to take shape. One of the maintasks taken on by the UW Athletics of ce is ticketsales. Different types of ticket packages are offeredincluding individual tickets, season tickets andgroup tickets, and each package has its own uniquemarketing plan. Season tickets are sold over longerperiods of time and have a more structured plan.This is done mainly by e-mails, direct mail or otherforms of internet-based efforts. Individual ticket

sales are not as consistent as season ticket salesand are marketed mostly on uwbadgers.com.

Promotional events are important to growing a fanbase and keeping existing fans coming back formore. One initiative in particular Ahearn works onis called Generation Next. This program aims atyoung kids to try and create the next generation ofBadger fans. They have events such as Kids Dayat the Kohl Center, which allows kids to enjoy aday at the arena and meet some of the mens andwomens basketball players. Events like these arealso a great way to get families to come to UWAthletic events.

Another successful promotion UW Athleticsconducted last year was for the womens hockeyteam called, Fill the Bowl. The goal of thepromotion was to ll the lower 100 seating levelat the Kohl Center and break an NCAA attendancerecord for womens hockey. Second Harvest FoodBank sponsored the event and donated $1 for eachperson in attendance. Along with this generousdonation, fans were encouraged to bring a fooditem to donate. UW Athletics met their goal of

lling the bowl while se tting an NCAA attendancerecord of 5,377, donating nearly $6,000 to charityand collecting eight barrels of food. It was a

tremendous success, Ahearn said.

Many smaller, more intricate details need to beplanned and organized by UW Athletics to makeBadger sporting events such special occasions.Every song that plays over the loudspeakers, everypicture that comes up on the jumbo screen, and

all other miscellaneous aspects of game day aretediously thought out by UW Athletics staff. Whatwould football games be without the studentsection race or basketball games without the kisscam?

U W A t h l e t i c s G e t D o w n t o B u s i n e s sby: Scott Schoenwaelder

UW Athletics met their goal ofsetting a NCAA record of 5,377

fans in attendance, donating nearly$6,000 to charity, and collecting

8 barrels of food.

UW Athletics wants games to be as fun and safefor students as possible. One of their main goals isto create customer satisfaction. Student footballticketholders are sent emails after every gameand asked questions about what they liked/disliked about their experience. These surveysare taken seriously, although there is usuallyonly a 10 percent response rate. The surveys arereviewed after every home game and presentedat a football operations meeting. Any changes arethen discussed and implemented. For example, theseating policy at football games was changed backto the old policy this year after students complained

and it was clear the new seating procedure wasntef cient.

Every successful business needs to take care ofits employees, and if you think of UW athleteslike employees, UW Athletics does exactly that.They offer the athletes the Champs (Challenging

Athletes Minds for Personal Success) Life Skillsprogram. The ve components of this program arecommitment to academic excellence, commitmentto athletic excellence, commitment to personaldevelopment, commitment to career developmentand commitment to community service. The UWAthletic Department deems it crucial for athletesto excel in other areas beyond sports and to thinkabout life after sports. Athletes also receive specialacademic services, like tutoring programs, to helpthem balance school and athletics.

Making Badger game day so unique is obviouslya lot of work, but the reward is de nitely worth

it. Seeing a sold out arena or venue with a lotof Badger fans having a good time [is the mostrewarding part], Ahearn said. It isnt all fun andgames working for the Badgers, however. UWAthletics runs like any other business and needsdedicated business professionals to operateeffectively. Ticket sales, promotions, advertisingand human resources are all integral parts of thebusiness that sometimes get overlooked. So nexttime youre singing Sweet Caroline with yourfriends in the student section at a football gamebe grateful for the people behind the scenes, andremember: when it comes to UW Athletics, Buckymeans business.


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12

GRAINGER HAS THREE VERY USEFUL RESOURCES TO HELP YOU LIGHTEN YOUR HEAVY LOAD.

Lockers: Hundreds of lockers are available each year for undergraduate andgraduate business students on the 1 st and 2 nd oors of Grainger Hall. Theselockers are a great way to give your back a rest and get rid of some of thoseextra books you may not need for the night. If you are interested in getting

assigned a locker, please contact Nancy Thompto at [email protected] .In your locker request, please include your name and desired semester(s) foruse of the locker fall, spring, summer or full academic year.

Laptop Rentals: Maybe you dont feel like bringing your laptop with youto class everyday, or maybe you prefer a portable computer so you can getwork done in the quiet part of the library. If so, you might nd it helpful toknow laptops are available to rent for up to three days at the front desk in theBusiness School Library.

Textbooks on Reserve: If youre tight on money, or simply dont like carryingyour textbooks around, the UW Business School Library may have some of yourbooks on reserve available to checkout for up to two hours! Some books arerequired to stay inside the library, but either way, it is a convenient service and

especially useful when you just have a short homework assignment.

BUSINESS SCHOOL RESOURCES TO HELP YOU IN YOUR CLASSES:

Librarians: Have you ever had trouble researching a speci c topic and youdidnt know where to turn? In the Business School Library, at the referencedesk, there are speci c people dedicated to helping students seek out topicsthey are having trouble nding information on! The librarians can be a greatsource of information by providing you with helpful search techniques andinforming you about all the databases and subscriptions you have privateaccess to as a UW student ! Librarians are available Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m.-10 p.m.

Business Learning Center (BLC) Sessions: The Business Learning Centerprovides students the opportunity to get extra academic support through BLCsessions where lecture concepts are reinforced, homework help is provided andpreparation for exams takes place. These BLC sessions are de nitely worth the50 minutes per session compared to the time it would take you to teach yourselfthe concepts outside of class! Many of the instructors have taught a speci cclass for several years so they really cater the session toward preparing youfor the exams. The BLC is located in room 2240 of Grainger Hall. Stop by andcomplete a short form that will help place you in a session convenient for yourschedule.

HELPFUL BUSINESS SOFTWARE/DATABASES ON LIBRARY COMPUTERS:

There are several programs on select computers in the Business School Librarythat are helpful when writing papers and preparing other class projects. Part ofour tuition money goes toward purchasing these software/database packages,so we should de nitely be utilizing these helpful programs that are right at our

ngertips! Three of the least known and most helpful databases are:

Simmons Market Research Bureau (SMRB): This program is a hugedatabase that allows you to search through data on consumer buying patterns.SMRB is very exible so you are able to search by product type, brand,demographic, form of media and numerous other variables. This programis installed on only one computer in the library and would have made myMarketing 300 project 100 times easier!

RefWorks: Does creating your works cited page take you almost as longas actually doing the research? If this is the case, RefWorks is the perfectprogram for you! This program allows you to format bibliographies andcitations automatically while you research, create and organize a personalresearch database online you can access it from any computer in the library!RefWorks can save you a lot of time and has the ability to instantly format yourcitations into over 400 bibliographic styles!

OneSource: Whether its for a prospective job interview or a class project,OneSource is a great database for doing research on particular industries andon companies expanding across the globe. With information on over 16 millionU.S. and Canadian rms, as well as the top 100,000 international companies,this database can serve as a great resource to you! OneSource also providesinformation on industry trends, analysts reports and information on 18 millionexecutives.

The Buried Treasures Inside Grainger Hall

I f I Onl y Kne w

by: Denise Fesik

Refworks and OneSource can be accessed through the computers in theundergraduate lab and Business School Library, but also from the comfort ofyour own home. To view a list of helpful databases available to UW-Madisonstudents, log on to http://business.library.wisc.edu/resources/databases.html where a brief description of each database is provided.


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THE BUSINESS CAREER CENTER (BCC):

The Business Career Center, located in room 3290 of Grainger Hall, is one of the most helpfulresources contained in the Wisconsin School of Business! This of ce is staffed with knowledgeablepeople who are excited and enthusiastic about helping you nd a job, achieve your career goalsand re ne your interview techniques. The BCC offers several bene cial services that can truly giveyou a competitive advantagewhich is especially important with todays challenging economy andcompetitive workforce. Here are some of the resources available:

BuckyNet: This online system is one of the most ef cient ways to search for full-time, part-timeand internship opportunities! Look at hundreds of position postings across the country, whileposting your resume and allowing employers interested in UW-Madison students to contact youdirectly about position openings! BuckyNet also has other useful features, like the ability to nd outwhen different companies will be interviewing on campus or delivering their information sessions.

Resume and Cover Letter Drop-Off Service: Wouldnt it be nice to have your resume critiquedby a professional in your eld?

The BCC offers a fast, convenient drop-off service for undergraduate and prospective business,Certi cate in Business, Master of Accountancy and Master of Science students. Students candrop off their resume or cover letter at the BCC counter anytime throughout the day and it will be

reviewed and ready for pick up 24 hours later!

Sample Resumes/Cover Letters Guide: Over the years, the BCC has collected School ofBusiness students resumes and cover letters and compiled them into one very helpful collection!The resume sample book is conveniently sorted by major, making it very easy to get ideas frompeers who have had similar experiences. The collection of resumes and cover letters can also befound online at http://www.bus.wisc.edu/career/student/jobsearchprep/.

Spice Up Your Weekly Poker Game: Terri ed of those mind stunting interview questions youcould quite possibly be asked? Pick up a special deck of cards from the BCC and begin enhancingyour interviewing skills! This valuable deck of cards contains strategies for answering todaysmost challenging interview questions, closing questions to ask your interviewer and even tips onhow to make a powerful rst impressionessentially an interview survival kit in one compact carddeck.

Mock Interviews by Major -- Practice Makes Perfect: All the internship experience, excellentgrades and leadership roles mean next to nothing if you cant successfully pass an interview. TheBCC provides students with the opportunity to practice their interviewing skills with businessprofessionals in your major. This is a great opportunity you should not pass up! The tips, strategiesand advice you receive are invaluable!

Business Cards (50 free business cards): Are you looking for a simple, free way to connectwith business professionals and have them remember you? The BCC provides business studentswith the opportunity to print 50 customized business cards each semester! A template is availableonline so you can either print them from your home or from the BCC. Whether attending a careerfair, a professional dinner or even a non-professional event, these cards are a fast and ef cient wayto give out your contact information and leave a professional impression.


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14

#1 Finding your roommates grease-ball boy riend using your hairbrush! Eew!#2 Two words: drunk puking

#3 Thinking they are the exception to all house rules. Hate to burst your bubble, butyou are not the center o the universe only in your moms eyes!#4

I you live with a couple, you will identi y with this one: kitchen groping!

#5 Finding your milk you bought yesterday is completely gone.Are you really a human garbage disposal?

#6 Is a 45-minute shower necessary?You have su ciently drained the entire hot water heater!#7

A mounding pile o dishes in the sink, on the counter, on the kitchen table, cofeetable, etc. le t or so long they become crusted together and emit a terrible odor.AND THEN...your roommates deny the dishes are theirs!

#8 Seriously, are you talking that loudly at 2:00 in the morning? Take it down a ew decibels, por avor!

#9 Even worse: not even bothering to put the roll o toilet paper on the holder. Is itreally that hard to load the roll onto the spring rod? It will take 5 seconds, I promise.

#10 Putting the toilet paper unrolling rom the bottom just a little thing, but super obnoxious!

Ten

Topannoying

roommate habitsmost

by: b.Line Staf


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Etymology: the study of the origin of words and ho w they have changed over time. Lets do a little informal etymologicalinvestigation with the word widget. Although the following analysis is by no means scienti c, just take it for what itsworth. You may have heard of a widget when reading an economics book or in business lingo, but the term has de nitelyevolved over time.

A widget traditionally referred to any type of device, product, machine, etc. that can be used for hypothetical illustrations.Its purpose was to use a theoretical thing to explain a phenomenon instead of having an actual product interfere with anillustration. An economics professor pointing at the chalkboard with a supply and demand chart might say, As the price ofwidget A decreases, the demand for widget A increases.

So, what does a widget actually look like? Well, as you can imagine, every person in the world likely envisions a widgetdifferently. Can a widget ever really have qualities? In the past, youd probably say no, but it seems the term has been givenqualities by Internet and technology users.

Now, with the in ltration of blogs and the Internet, we nd the widget has taken on a more tangible meaning. It can refer toany application you add to an Internet site. For example, it can be any special gadget or link you put on a personal blog thatcan be used to customize a Web site. Even with this explanation, I think many people still nd it dif cult to really grasp theconcept of what a widget is. The truth of the matter is, a widget is a something that is ridiculously hard to de ne.

The term has changed drastically from merely a hypothetical thing and now has developed into something we can physicallysee and use. Who knows where this widget concept will evolve to next? Maybe well be using it as a verb in the near future.Ten years ago, if you said, Ill facebook you to someone people would have thought you were crazy. Maybe 10 years fromnow youll be saying Ill widget you and everyone will know what you mean.

Whats a Widget?an etymological study

by: Andrea Webb

Entertainment Page Answers

C R O S S W O R D

H o r i z o n t a l :

1 . T r u m p

2 . P h i l a d e l p h i a

3 . K o d a k

4 . C h i n a

5 . C V

6 . R e a g a n

7 . E l y

8 . K n e t t e r

9 . O r o s

1 0 . K o h l s

V e r t i c a l :

1 . T h i n k

2 . P a u l s o n

3 . C o l l a t e r a l

4 . C o r e C o m p e t e n c y

5 . K r o c

6 . T A R P

7 . F D I C

8 . G o l d

9 . T a r g e t

A N I M A L M A S C O T S

T a c o B e l l : C h i h u a h u a , A a c : D u c k , N a s o n e x : B u m b l e B e e , C h a r m i n : B e a r , T h e o l d W B : F r o g , H o l l i s t e r : S e a g u l l ,

L u n e s t a : B u t t e r y , N B C T V : P e a c o c k , B u d w e i s e r : C l y d e s d a l e , C h e e t o s : C h e e t a h , P a c i c L i f e : W h a l e , T o o t s i e P o p :

O w l , F r u i t L o o p s : T o u c a n , E n e r g i z e r : B u n n y , K e l l o g g s F r o s t e d F l a k e s : T i g e r , G e i c o : G e c k o , L a c o s t e : A l l i g a t o r ,

M G M : L i o n , W a l t D i s n e y : M o u s e , T a r g e t : W h i t e D o g , F r u i t S t r i p e G u m : Z e b r a , T h e H a r t f o r d : D e e r

C R Y P T A T I O N

P e o p l e g r o w t h r o u g h e x p e r i e n c e i f t h e y m e e t l i f e h o n e s t l y a n d c o u r a g e o u s l y . T h i s i s h o w c h a r a c t e r i s b u i l t . E l e a n o r R o o s e v e l t


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16

by: Kimm VanDen HeuvelPhotos Courtesy of NBC Studios

Kimms

As students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we have access to amultitude of resources that will enhance us intellectually and socially. Ourclassroom experiences only account for a portion of our college career as welearn the most valuable life lessons through personal trial and error, ultimatelybringing us greater success in the future. It is important we dont lose sight ofour motivations and dreams and realize our degrees serve a greater purpose: tobe a vehicle to our select nal destinations.

Soifer M.D. Turned Marketing Guru

Gail Soifer is a 2005 School of Business alumnus. As an eager freshman atUW- Madison in 2001, Soifer originally declared biology as her major. However,the summer before her junior year, Soifer retired her microscope and test tubesas she experienced a change of heart. She quickly applied to the School ofBusiness, was accepted, and declared marketing as her new major. Despiteher hasty switch, she was able to graduate in a timely four-year manner whileacquiring a certi cate in religious s tudies along the way.

CrossroadsMarketing Boulevard vs. Cut, Color, Highlight Junction

After earning her degree from UW-Madison, Soifer decided to further hereducation by pursuing her long-time passion for cosmetology. She receivedtop-notch training at an Aveda Institute and later received expert direction fromSebastian professionals in the art of updos, along with TIGI Collection training.

Currently, Soifer is self employed at Salon Lofts in Columbus, Ohio. She worksin the salon as a manager, stylist and make-up artist and her daily undertakingsinclude: managing clientele, placing product orders and working on marketingand promotions.

Gail Scissorhands

In 2007, Soifer went on a business trip to reality TV paradise. A friendconvinced her to drive to Chicago to audition for Bravo TVs reality hit show,Shear Genius. The show features the artistic abilities of twelve talented hairstylists from across the nation. Contestants are immersed in a hair-cuttingbattle eld and judged by an expert panel that eliminates one contestant eachepisode. The victor receives $100,000 from Nexus hair products and theopportunity to style Allure magazines feature fashion spread.

Korner

Soifer was eliminated in episode ve when contestants were dually challenged

to create an easy style for a surfer dude as well as custom-cut fashion wigs forbalding females. Soifer fondly recalls her favorite shear challenge that requiredcontestants to create a glamorous look for their clients to make them red carpetworthy. Her least favorite challenge required contestants to be blindfoldedwhile they cut their clients tresses. I have never been so scared in my life,Soifer said.

To In nity and Beyond

Soifer has high hopes for the future as she returns to her successful salon inColumbus, OH. In 10 years, Gail sees herself running a successful salon. Shealso hopes to be a top educator for a product company she has pioneered andmarketed.

UW Madison Marketing Alum turnedStylist Extraordinaire

I have never been soscared in my life.

Find Your Passion


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Praise to Thee, our Alma Mater

Soifer looks back on her four-year Madison adventure with great nostalgia.

My experiences at UW-Madison helped me to succeed by giving me a verybroad education. I was able to take classes in all sorts of areas ranging frombusiness, religious studies, biology and art. In addition, Soifer praises thetranslation of classroom coursework to real world entrepreneurship. Themarketing classes at UW are awesome. Each day I nd myself using ideastaught to me by professors in daily business activity.

Alumnus Advice for All

So what advice does Soifer have for current UW students? Find something that

you love to do, that makes you fee l goodget outside more, volunteer, or get apart-time job you actually like! FIND YOUR PASSION.

There is no greater time than this moment to follow your passion. Figure outwhat gets your adrenaline pumping, and gure out how to combine career withpassion. If you are able to intertwine the two, success will be on the horizon.And if youre lucky, your passion may soon become a challenge-orientated hitreality show like Shear Genius.

The most valuable life lessons arelearned through trial and error.


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18

The Good, the Bad and thThe nancial crisis of 2008 can be best de ned in one word: volatility. Since the so called credit crisis (see side note) began in August 2007, we have seen theDow Jones industrial average peak at an all-time high of 14,164 points on October 9, 2007 to an intraday low of 7,552 points on Novermber 20, 2008 (yes, that is aloss of nearly 47 percent in one year.) The markets have been so volatile in September and October that the Dow Jones has moved more than 1 percent up or downin a given day 80 percent of the time. These are unprecedented levels of prolonged volatility in 2007, movements greater than 1 percent only happened 22 percentof all trading days. The markets worldwide have been shaken as well with London, Japan and Hong Kong all down at least 25 percent over the past year. The rootsof the nancial crisis are deep and far too confusing to give justice in a two-page article. However, as you are enrolled in the Wisconsin School of Business duringthis unprecedented time in our nations economic history, there are a few events related to this nancial crisis that perhaps you should remember.

August 9, 2007 The day the financial world woke up.

While many can argue how and when the over-lending and over-leveraging began around the world, most people can point to August9, 2007 as the day the street (aka the markets) saw the liquiditycrisis emerge. On this Monday, the Dow Jones fell 2.8 percent. This

rst of billions of dollars in federal aid was injected into the nancialsystems on this day with the European Central Bank and the FederalReserve injecting $90 billion into the markets.

Dow -2.8% Close at 13,271

October 9, 2007 Dow Jones closes at record high

Despite the on-going credit crisis, the Dow Jones closed at14,164 points, an all-time record high. The Dow Jones wouldsee nearly half of this value disappear over the course of thenext year.

Dow +0.86% Close at 14,164

January 21, 2008 Trader single-handedly loses $4.9 billion

Societe General, a major French nancial services company, accusedemployee Jerome Kerviel of making fraudulent trades for the bank. Kervielhad been making unauthorized trades for a while and generated $1.4 billion

in hidden pro ts in 2007 but later lost an estimated $4.9 billion in January2008.

Dow -1.06% Close at 11,969

February 22, 2008 British Northern Rock nationalized

The British bank Northern Rock, one of the top ve mortgage lendersin the United Kingdom, was taken into state ownership by thegovernment, rejecting bids by Virgin Group as well as private equity

rms Cereberus, JC Flowers and Lloyds TBS. At the end of 2007, theoutstanding balance on the British governments loan to Northern

Rock was 26.9 billion.

Dow +0.79% Close at 12,381

March 17, 2008 Bear Stearns takeover

Bear Stearns, one of the largest globalinvestment banks, securities trading andbrokerage rms, was sold to JP Morgan Chasein a last-ditch effort to avoid bankruptcy. Afterweekend meetings brokered by the FederalReserve Bank of New York, Bear Stearns and JPMorgan Chase signed a merger agreement for $2per share, or $236 million. Shareholders wereinfuriated at the price with the stock trading ashigh as $93 one month before, and the price wasincreased one week later to $10 per share, or$1.1 billion.

Dow -0.18% Close at 11,972

D o w J o n e s I n d

u s t r i a l A v e r a g

e

O f t e n r e f e r r e d

t o a s t h e D o

w,

t h e D o w J o n e s

i n d u s t r i a l a v e r

a g e

i s a n i n d e x o f

t h e 3 0 l a r g e s t

a n d

m o s t w i d e l y h e

l d p u b l i c c o m p

a n i e s

i n t h e U n i t e d S

t a t e s. T h e i n d e

x i s

o f t e n l o o k e d a t

t o b e s t g a u g e

t h e

p e r f o r m a n c e

o f t h e o v e r a l l

U n i t e d

S t a t e s m a r k e t.

by: Peter Olesen


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eptember 7, 2008 Federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

The United States Treasury seized control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the twoovernment-sponsored enterprises that own or guarantee nearly one-half of the $12illion mortgage market in the United States. The takeover made the United Statesederal Government responsible for $5.2 trillion in outstanding debt.

Dow +2.58% Close at 11,510

September 14, 2008 Lehman Brothers files for bankruptcy

Lehman Brothers became the largest bankruptcy ling ever with over$639 billion in assets. With nearly 25,000 employees worldwide,thousands faced the threat of unemployment. Barclays has sincepurchased Lehmans core operations for $1.35 billion which includes theMidtown Manhattan headquarters valued at $960 million. The Dow Jonesreacted harshly to the news with the largest single day point drop ever.This record drop would be broken and re-broken within the month.


September 19, 2008 U.S. financial bailout plan announced

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and President Bush announced theirplan for a $700 billion government funded bailout of the nancial servicessector. The original bill, three pages long, called for the government topurchase and insure certain types of troubled assets for the purpose ofproviding stability.

Dow +3.34% Close at 11,394

September 25, 2008 Washington Mutual seized by the U.S. Government

Washington Mutual, the nations largest savings and loan institution, was seized by theFDIC becoming the largest bank failure in U.S. history.

Dow +1.82% Close at 11,143

October 3, 2008 Federal bailout bill passed

After a failed attempt to pass the bill through theHouse of Representatives, the bill was amended,increasing its size to 451 pages and providing muchmore governmental oversight. The bill was passed byboth the House of Representatives and Senate and thensigned into law hours later.

Dow +1.50% Close at 10,325

P o n z i S c h e m e A l s o k n o w n a s a p y r a m i d s c h e m e ,

a P o n z i s c h e m e p a y s r e t u r n s t o i n v e s t o r s b y u s i n g

m o n e y f r o m s u b s e q u e n t n e w i n v e s t o r s . T h e u n d e r l y i n g

b u s i n e s s i s o f t e n o p e r a t i n g a t a l o s s o r i s n o n e x i s t e n t ,

b u t n e w i n v e s t o r s c o n t i n u e t o e n r o l l b a s e d o n t h e

r e p u t e d s o l i d r e t u r n s b e i n g g i v e n t o o t h e r s . A P o n z i

s c h e m e u n r a v e l s w h e n e n o u g h o l d e r i n v e s t o r s s e e k

w i t h d r a w a l s f r o m t h e i r a c c o u n t s i m i l a r t o a b a n k r u n

o r t h e n u m b e r o f n e w i n v e s t o r s i s n o t e n o u g h t o p a y

r e t u r n s t o e x i s t i n g i n v e s t o r s . T h e s c a m i s n a m e d a f t e r

C h a r l e s P o n z i , a n I t a l i a n i m m i g r a n t o f t h e e a r l y 1 9 0 0 s

w h o p r o m i s e d i n v e s t o r s 1 0 0 % r e t u r n s w i t h i n 9 0 d a y s .

Financial Cri$is of 2008


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December 31, 2008 Dow Ends Year Down 33.8%

Markets showed modest gains on the last tradingday of the year, but moods could not be lifted afterthe devastating collapse in the nancial marketsduring 2008. Not since 1931 has the Dow fallen bysuch a great percentage, with the 4,483 point dropthe greatest in history. Commodities also plummetedduring the year, with oil ending at $44.60 a barrel afterreaching $145.29 earlier in the year.

Dow +1.30% Close at 8,776

November 20, 2008 Market Hits Bottom

Both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones IndustrialAverage reached new lows for the year,making this bear market one of the worst inhistory. The Dow is down 43% for the year anddown 47% from its October 2007 highs. TheDow has declined by more than its present

amount only once in history, when it fell 53%in 1931. The market decline is largely due tofears amongst investors that banks still lackthe liquidity they need to operate. Since thenine major banks received capital in October,their shares are down on average 46%.

Dow - 5.56% Close at 7,552

November 25, 2008 Federal Reserve Injects $800 Billion into Credit Markets

With consumers defaulting on mortgages and nding it dif cult to secure loans, the Fedannounced an $800 billion stimulus package aimed at thawing the frozen credit markets.Of the total sum, $500 billion will be used to buy mortgage-backed securities from FannieMae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae, an effort that will help drive down mortgage rates. Anadditional $200 billion will be allotted for credit card loans, auto loans, school loans andsmall business loans. This stimulus is separate from the $700 billion stimulus passed byCongress and brings total government obligations to over $7 trillion.

Dow +0.43% Close at 8,479

October 13, 2008 U.S. Buys Stakes in Nine Largest Banks

Citing a need to restore con dence in the banking system,Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson met with the CEOs of thenine largest U.S. banks in Washington. At the meeting, Paulsonproposed the Treasury invest a total of $125 billion in the banks,effectively nationalizing part of the countrys nancial system.Paulson is said to have requested all sign the agreement with no

negotiations allowed. In anticipation of the deal, the Dow postedits largest single-day point gain in history, jumping 936 points.

Dow +11.08% Close at 9,388

December 1, 2008 Economists Announce Recession Began December of 2007

Af rming what most already believed, the National Bureau of Economic Researchannounced the U.S. has been in a recession for nearly 12 months, beginning in Decemberof 2007. The current downturn is amongst the longest since World War II. In determiningwhen the recession began, the committee noted key economic indicators, includingemployment, real personal income, and industrial production, all peaked at the beginningof 2008 and have steadily declined ever since.


December 11, 2008 Respected Fund Advisor Frauds Investors for Billions

Bernard Madoff, a former NASDAQ Stock Market chairman and founder of BernardL. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, was arrested by federal agents and chargedwith securities fraud. Madoffs rm, long recognized for its consistent returns duringboth bear and bull markets, was actually a giant Ponzi scheme (see aside) operatingat a giant loss. Counting charities, hedge funds, and wealthy individuals as clients,Madoff is said to have divulged to two employees the day before his arrest that

he was nished and had absolutely nothing. Total losses from the fraud areestimated at $50 billion.


December 19, 2008 Facing Bankruptcy, Automakers Get Bailout

A week after Congress blocked a $14 billion stimulus package to helpdistressed automakers, President Bush decided automakers would get$17.4 billion in aid from the Treasurys $700 billion Troubled Asset ReliefProgram (TARP). The move comes as a surprise as the TARP program wasintended for only nancial institutions. The total package is split into twoparts, with $13.4 billion available to Chrysler and GM in December andJanuary.


C r e d i t C r i s i s T h i s t e r m , o f t e n a p p l i e d

t o t h e r e a s o n b e h i n d t h e f n a n c i a l c r i s i s

f a c i n g t h e w o r l d t o d a y , r e f e r s t o t h e

i n a b i l i t y f o r c i t i z e n s , c o r p o r a t i o n s a n d

g o v e r n m e n t s a l i k e t o o b t a i n l o a n s ( c r e d i t )

a t a r e a s o n a b l e r a t e , o r a t a l l . T h i s c a n

h a v e a p r o f o u n d e f f e c t o n t h e o v e r a l l

e c o n o m y a s m u c h o f t o d a y s b u s i n e s s i s

d o n e o n c r e d i t .


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S t a f f S p o t l i g h

t

Back in 1988, Loren was the TA for MHR 300 here in the Wisconsin School ofBusiness. Not only is this where he found his love for teaching, but where hefound the love of his li fe as well. Lavina Harjani-Kuzuhara, Lorens wife, was astudent in MHR 300 while he was the TA. Loren wants to make it clear that shewas NOT in my discussion section but Loren met her because he held the

review sessions for the entire class. After the semester, they met again througha mutual friend and he mustered the courage to ask her out.

loren kuzuhara

Professor Loren Kuzuhara is known by studentsfor a laugh that sets him apart from all otherprofessors. If youve taken MHR 300, Im sure youremember the rst lecture when everyone heardhis laugh for the rst time. It inevitably causesthe entire lecture hall to burst out in laughter. Hehas been sharing his contagious chuckle with theworld for as long as he can remember. Loren sayshe would have laughing attacks in class as a kidand recalls the other kids saying something like,there he goes again

LaughThe

LoveBehind

The

by: Andrea Webb

Pink Carnations Save The Day

Lorens Relationship With His Wife Parallels...The Little Mermaid?

The story goes that Loren planned a special rst date for aSaturday night and was extremely excited. So enthusiastic,in fact, he sent a dozen pink carnations to Lavinas house onthe Friday evening before the date. Loren came to nd outlater Lavina had planned to back out of the date and she hadtold her friends of her plan to cancel, but when the owersarrived, she had no option but to go at least on one date.

From that point forward, the couple continued dating and tothis day, Loren buys Lavina a dozen pink carnations on theanniversary of their rst date.

when the owers arrived,she had no option but to go at least on one date

not only do parallels exist between movies andmanagement, but Loren makes parallels from

movies to his relationship with his wife as well

If theres only one thing you remember about MHR 300, itseither Loren punting the piece of fat he cut off a slab of meatacross the lecture hall or his countless video clips. Yes, notonly do parallels exist between movies and management,but Loren makes parallels from movies to his relationship

with his wife as well. He says the story of their relationship is similar to TheLittle Mermaid. Lavina is Ariel, Loren and American life are Eric and Lavinasfather is King Triton.

Lavina was born and raised in Indonesia and was the rst generation in herfamily to attend college. She was given the opportunity to come to the UnitedStates to study, just as Ariel was allowed to view the world above the sea atage 15. Lavina t in well with American culture and became entranced withher love, Loren. However, this caused problems between Lavina and her father,who was still living in Indonesia. Lavinas father assumed she would returnhome after her education to run the family business. Just as Ariel and her fatherencountered con ict over her desire to be human with Eric, problems arosebetween Lavina and her father as well. There was a point in their relationshipwhen Loren and Lavina had to date secretly. The two remained together andeventually Lavinas father accepted her decision to marry Loren and live in theUnited States. In the end, the relationships were mended and the couple is livinghappily ever after. What a fairy tale ending!


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22

CROSSWORD

ENTERTAINMENTCRYPTATION

Crack the code by guring out the following quote. Each letter represents a different letter ofthe alphabet. Figure out the words by the placement or prevalence of letters and punctuation.Each letter corresponds to only one other letter. If M stands for B, B does NOT necessarily standfor M. For example: HOLPPF LQ WTHNDMHH would be SCHOOL OF BUSINESS. HINT: I = M.

Y B U Y A B R H U E O M H U N R M B C Y B H S B D Q B S J O M

I B B O A S J B M U D B G O A F K D X Q U N H K R B U N G A F

O M S G S G M U E Q M K H K Q O B H S G W N S A O .

- B A B K D U H H U U G B Z B

2

9 5

53

1

6

4

7

8 9

6

4

8

3

10

7


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DO YOU KNOW.. .

S

UDOK

U Kevin Stone [www.brainbashers.com]

8. Precious metal up over 30% since 2007.

1. IBMs motto.

2. U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under George W. Bush.

3. Assets that can be pledged to guarentee a loan.

4. Fundamental knowledge/skill critical to achieving competitive advantage.

5. Founder of McDonalds.

6. Acronym for U.S. Government $700 billion bailout program .

7. U.S. Government program which provides deposit insurance.

9. This Minneapolis-based company sponsors the home of thetimberwolves; _________ Center .

VERTICAL CLUES:

1. The producer of the reality TV show The Apprentice .

HORIZONTAL CLUES:

10. One of the largest corporate donors to the Wisconsin Schoolof Business.

2. The city of Americas rst stock exchange.

3. The company name George Eastman invented in 1888.

4. The rst country to use paper money.

5. A sum of your quali cations.

6. The rst president to visit NYSE.

7. UW professor who founded American Economics Association.

8. Dean of the Wisconsin School of Business.

9. Managing Director of J.C. Flowers & Company, Alum 1971.

what animal mascot corresponds with each product?

Taco Bell __________

A ac __________

Nasonex __________

Charmin __________

The old WB __________

Hollister __________

Lunesta __________NBC TV __________

Budweiser __________

Cheetos __________

Paci c Life __________

Tootsie Pop __________

Fruit Loops __________

Energizer __________

Kelloggs Frosted Flakes __________

Geico __________

Lacoste __________

MGM __________Walt Disney __________

Target __________

Fruit Stripe Gum __________

The Hartford __________

Answers found on p. 15


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Major Perspectives:

He said: One of the major aspects of nance is evaluating any investment youare considering. Just as any nance major would analyze an investment instocks, bonds, or say a company project, he would also analyze any investmenthe could potentially make in a lady. A signi cant part of security analysis isevaluating the amount of risk involved in an investment. Similarly, a nancemajor would assess the amount of risk that comes along with any girl. Thingsto measure risk might include age, interests, major; does she have ex-boyfrienddrama or is she known to invest in a lot of stocks herself?

When looking at the female market, one cannot evaluate on risk alone becausesometimes high risk comes with high reward. It always depends on the risk

preference of the individual. It is also important to value a female just asinvestors value stocks: based on its price, which is re ected by the informationthe rest of the market has about that stock.

The number one rule in nance is to eliminate as much risk as possible throughdiversi cation of assets. This goes along with the popular saying dont putall your eggs in one basket. Applying to ladies, it could be best to have aportfolio of potential women. This way, if one particular industry is creatingtough times, it may be best to look toward another sector of the market.

Talking about being a nance major generally goes two ways. They mightrealize getting into the School of Business requires a lot of hard work and

nance requires being up to date in the social and business atmospheres.Otherwise, due to the recent tumble in the stock market, the conversation heads

south when they begin to ask about the recent buyouts in the nance industryand the need for our stock market to be saved with a huge buyout.

Because of this talk about the down economy I sometimes need to persuadethe ladies about my future earning potential. As all business students havelearned, the market is generally best described as cyclical: the ups come withthe downs, and vice versa. So even though the market is going through sometough times right now, we like to hope there are blue skies ahead. UW-Madisonis well respected as one of the best schools in the nation and known forpreparing its students to get out in the real world and add something to society.Even though the economy is down right now, being a nance major from thisuniversity creates great potential to help move this economy toward the way up.

Oh, and one last thing, ladies: I always beat the market.

Nick WeisnichtMajor: Finance

Everyone knows a degree from the Wisconsin School of Businessequips students with valuable job skills they can utilize in the

employment market. But under the surface of exams and group

projects other useful nuggets of knowledge can also be picked upon. Two well-rounded business students explain how expertise in

their major help them be smooth operators with the opposite sex.

H o w d o e s y o ur m a j o r h e l p

y o u w i t h t he o p p o s i t e s

e x ?

Laura GuentherMajor: Real Estate

She said: First, let me point out that Real Estate is a eld dominated mostlyby males ahem, maybe a reason I chose to add a second major in this eld?But seriously, what Ive learned through studying my major could de nitelybe applied to my [mad] skills with the opposite sex. When dealing withthe acquisition of a new property, for instance, one must assess the risks

and rewards of such a venture what type of nancing, maintenance andmanagement might this involve? Naturally, Im not going to go for just any guyon the street/bar/whatever without weighing my odds rst I mean, Im notTHAT desperate.

The real estate major speci cally leads to, and requires, the ability tounderstand real estate market analysis, site selection, investment analysis,economics relating to land use and professional services that support realestate transactions. Being able to acquire a versatile degree such as this canmean big things in my versatility with the hombres. Lets take market analysis,what I may refer to as scoping out the eld. A de nite must prior to anysort of interaction. Does he meet my standards? Can I see myself getting toknow him? Are there wedding bells in our future (maybe a bit far)? Thenagain, maybe I just want to test the waters, just rent some space for a month or

two and see how it feels, if you know what I mean.

Additionally, while showing and buying houses is only a small aspect of the realestate eld, it can provide some insight on how I might show myself - as aprime piece of real estate, of course.

Purchasing real estate requires a signi cant investment, and each parcel ofland has unique characteristics and lets be honest, most guys Ive met inMadison have shown me a fair set of unique characteristics, including theability to successfully creep the hell out of me post-bar time. Faced with thissituation (i.e. scoping out a hottie after some market and investment analysis maybe he bought me a drink and showed me some gentlemen-like qualities only to nd he is a creeeeeeper in the end.) This is the point when you have tocut your losses and SELL, SELL, SELL.


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b.Line staff would like to thank the following for their support:

Steve Schroeder, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs andDirector of Undergraduate Career Services

Wisconsin School of Business Marketing Services

Faculty Advisors: Loren Kuzuhara and Marty Blalock

Jake Martin

Joe Vruwink

Brad Fedie

b.Line Magazine Spring 2009

Documents

Transcript of b.Line Magazine Spring 2009