Students compete in stock market game
Chadron State College students have been in competition riding bulls and wrestling bears this spring.
No, this isn’t the rodeo club. The CSC Stock Market Game is part of a worldwide online competition in which students make virtual investments based on the actual stock market.
A total of 52 teams comprised of 169 students competed at Chadron State this spring. Sixty-nine teams with 199 students participated last fall. The game is open to all CSC students.
Matt Ritterbush of Chadron, Gugulami Jamela of Matabeland, Zimbabwe, Brandon Dorenbach of Alliance, and Brandon McRae of Mitchell finished first among Chadron State teams in the contest this spring. They gained $8,891 in the semester from their $100,000 investment.
The second-place team of Chris Diemoz of Kimball, Lariann Smith of Philip, S.D., Ashley Pullen of Lusk, Wyo., and Bethany McNare of Merriman finished with a $6,000 profit.
The game’s Web site features links to investor research, performance data and news about stocks. From the Web site, the teams buy and sell their way to virtual wealth, or the virtual poor house, depending on their choices.
Dr. Ron Burke, CSC professor of business and economics, is the project’s coordinator and supervisor at Chadron State. He conducts a workshop at various times at the beginning of each semester to get the teams started.
Burke said the game is an outstanding way to teach students about the stock market and the economy.
“This game teaches students the ins and outs of the market without them having to risk real money,” Burke said. “Students are able to witness the effect of economic and political factors on the stock market. From that information, students must make their decisions.”
The game, which is presented at CSC in conjunction with the Center for Economic Education at Omaha, can be played with minimal requirements by classes of various ages worldwide, but Dr. Thomas Swanke, CSC assistant professor of business and economics, said students enrolled in his courses are required to take it seriously.
In his finance and investments courses, Swanke requires the students to build portfolios for each stock they want to purchase to predict maximum return with minimal risk.
Category: Business, Campus News