"Team Amalgam, you're outta here!"
These were the words that roared through the ears of the first team to be tossed to the lions at this week's "Lion's Apprentice." On a more pleasing note, Team Theta Phi Alpha took home the victory and proved to its opponents that it has what it takes to wow the judges and leave the room in smiles.
Each team was asked to prepare a 20-minute presentation with a proposal for a promotional activity to help attract more families to Kids' MusicRound (KMR). KMR is a small company that provides music and movement for children through age four and their parents. With five presentations to judge, which took about three hours, the competition became fierce. In the end, Team Theta Phi Alpha triumphed over all.
"This was all very exciting," Barbara Lysenko, director and co-founder of Kids' MusicRound, said. "I enjoyed having these students come and see what the class is all about, and get excited about it!"
Lysenko was not the only one excited. Carley Garofalo, senior international business major, and Holly Geronimo, senior finance major, represented Team Theta Phi Alpha and developed a very persuasive presentation.
"We were pleasantly surprised, especially after seeing the other presentations," Geronimo said. "We can't wait for next week."
When talking with all of the teams, the consensus was that this week's challenge was significantly harder than the previous one.
"Everyone can relate to a meal, but this week it was very hard to get in touch with people," Matt Cheetham, sophomore mechanical engineering major and member of Team Amalgam, said. "It was time-consuming and our team had to be more innovative."
The loss was rough on the losing team, which showed when the entire team, which had just formed as a result of last week's judging, walked out of the "Lion's Den" upon hearing that it had been eliminated.
"Our transitions were rough during the presentations, but we had solid info," Cheetham said.
In the end, it all came down to teamwork.
"What we learn through this is definitely teamwork," Cheonette Petion, junior accounting major and member of The Consultants, said. "We all dedicate a lot of our time and effort to deliver a strong project and hopefully toward the end it will be perfect. We love each other! This is my family!"
This is not just a game to these five groups, but a way to better their understanding of working together in the real world.
"These are real-world experiences that a textbook can't teach," Marcus A. White, junior business management major and member of The Consultants, said. "This game also provides inspiration, encouragement and motivation. When I see my peers developing ideas, I say to myself, 'I can do that too.' People with so many different majors such as accounting, finance or even graphic arts can gain so much through something like this."
Emmanuel Osagie, dean of the School of Business, was thrilled about the improvement in the teams and their ability to display such amazing work.
"This is the first year of 'Lion's Apprentice' and I believe they are realizing that learning cannot be contained only within the two covers of a textbook," Osagie said.
Members of Team Theta Phi Alpha, The Consultants, Team P.B.L. and Team Trump were given rules and information concerning the next challenge.
Each team will have to use its creative side as its members purchase items and become interior decorators for four lucky freshman dorm rooms.
Each team received $100 on a Visa card and is expected to use that, plus a little "Cinderella-style" magic, to transform the room from dull to dazzling. The winning room will be a stopping point for students on Accepted Students' Day.
The transformations will be revealed on Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. in the Business Building Main Lounge.
