Go, Brock Business Team!

Wednesday, January 11, 1995 Volume 33, Issue 1 Go, Brock Business Team! Brock's business students have established a national reputation as a result of their outstanding performance in the first round of the Intercollegiate Business Competition (ICBC). In cumulative standings, Brock finished in the top five--our best showing ever. The ICBC, dubbed the "Stanley Cup of Undergraduate Business Schools," is conducted annually by host institution Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Brock will send four teams to the final round at Queen's later this month. Teams made up of two to three students were slotted into six categories: Marketing (Paul Morris, Mike Russell); Labor Arbitration (Wendy Martin, Bryan Guilfoil); Management Information Systems (Matt Hillier, Edmund Lau); Finance (Barbara Manchester, Darren Griffith); Accounting (Geoff Ostrow, Steve Campbell); and Business Policy (Geoff Colley, Art Janzen, Dan Botari). Twenty-five to 30 teams competed in each of these categories. In the first round of competition held in October, the teams were sent a case study by mail. Length restrictions and a strict deadline placed great demands and pressure on the participants, who were also managing a full course load. Each team submitted a written report of analYSis and recommendations to be judged by a board of professors and prominent business people. The aim of the competition is to provide the opportunity for students across Canada to exchange ideas, develop new skills and promote their respective schools and programs. Barb Manchester, a finance student in her final year at Brock, finds the competition to be a truly challenging experience. "It was very interesting and has taught us a great deal about our business field by presenting us with a real-life situation and asking us what we would do." When results came in after the first round, Brock teams had made their mark with two first-place finishes and one second place finish. Brock will send teams to the finals in Business Policy, Labor Arbitration and Finance. As a member of the Finance Team, Barb is looking forward to the finals. "We will get to meet some very impressive people who are established in the business community, as well as top business students from across Canada." Students were chosen by their business professors to participate in the ICBC. These students are active in their classes and student clubs. Several are working on their second degree and all share ambitious career aspirations. Because of its top-five overall standing, Brock will send a Debate Team to the final round. Paul Morris, a third-year marketing and finance major who originally competed in the Marketing Team, and Karen Sealy, a psychology graduate now working on her business degree, are looking forward continued ... proposed (and partial) build-up of a 600-ship U.S. Navy during the Reagan administration. The navy, he said, is "a lens through which the United States perceives itself as a world power." There are two competing explanations for military strategy, he said, in international relations theory: as a response of the state to external factors, and as a response to domestic interests. Some would argue that it is only in response to domestic or constituent interests. In that case, Mr. Mitchell said, "international relations itself may be a misnomer; it Top Row: Stephen Campbell,jeffOstrow, Dr. Whitehead, Dr. Stillabower, may only be the contingent result of bureaucracies Karen Seal)" Palll Morris, Dan'en Griffith, Mike Russell, Barb Manchester, competing for the internal pie. If strategy is meaning BIJ'an GUilfoil, Wendy Martin Bottom Row: Dr. Austin, Geoff Colley, Dan BOlali, Artjanzen less," he added, "then war itself has no larger purpose behind it." The United States Congress, he argued, is a to taking part in a formal debate and are busy good vehicle for exploring relationships between preparing for the challenge. "We're going to Queen's, domestic and external factors, since "this is where the and we hope to bring home the trophy," cheers money for the military-industrial complex comes Paul. Karen believes she and Paul will make a good from." Congress determines the ability of any military team. "I think it will be a great experience. It will give service to attain its goals. me the opportunity to improve my ability to think on The strategic goal of a 600-ship Navy had my feet." The Debate Team will practise under the existed long before Ronald Reagan's administration, direction of Michael McCullough, a part-time in Mr. Mitchell said. Reagan's people just "latched onto structor at Brock, who is the coach of the University it." In the 1970s, Congress seemed extremely hostile of Toronto Debating Society. to the Navy. There was a general disenchantment The final round of competition will require with the military after the Vietnam War, and a move participants to deliver their analysis in a different to reform all branches of the service. format, an oral presentation. Students will be given In the 1980s, however, Congress was very a "cold" case and left on their own in closed quarters supportive of the Navy. President Jimmy Carter was for approximately five and a half hours. An execu trying to cut back the Navy, and Congress was trying tive summaty will be submitted 45 minutes prior to to get the Navy to defy him, going so far as trying to the deadline. Each team will be allotted 20 minutes incite Navy officers to "mutiny." The critical issue was to present its findings and five minutes for rebuttal. the number and size of aircraft carriers. A whole Barb Austin, Associate Professor of Business generation of carriers was about to retire. Carter and Policy, who was the faculty advisor for the Business the military-reform caucus wanted to replace them Policy Team and will accompany the finalists to with smaller, non-nuclear models. They argued that Kingston this month, says "These students are the United States could get "two for the price of one" Brock's best and brightest. They responded to the nuclear carrier, allowing more dispersion and, theo ICBC challenge, and they're right up there with the retically, better protection. The smaller carriers would top students in the rest of the country." also be less vulnerable to missile attacks, they said. Congratulations, ICBC winners, and good luck! Congress countered that they would carry fewer (-by Janet Lee) aircraft, providing less protection. The Navy said it needed a minimum of 12 large carriers. Decline and Fall (?) of the Mr. Mitchell pointed out that Congress added to Carter's "stingy" military budget by some 14 percent, u.s. Navy later cutting Reagan's budget by two or three percent. In a November 29 Politics Brown Bag Seminar, Paul Congress didn't cut the number of ships, but rather Mitchell (Queen's University Centre for Interna the unit allocation. The actual ships were funded by tional Relations) discussed his research on the savings from previous budgets. One motivation for this support, Mr. Mitchell Professor Laurel Reid of the Department of reported, was the decline of American shipyards, Recreation and Leisure Studies chaired the Confer which desperately needed the military business to ence. She officially opened the sessions on Monday stay in business during the 1980s. Because of their morning. Shaw Festival Artistic Director Christopher constituents' involvements with the shipyards, mem Newton was among those welcoming delegates to bers of Congress had a strong interest in keeping Niagara-on-the-Lake. Michael Dietsch, Lord Mayer them going. of the Town, and Blair Stevens, President of TTRA The maritime strategy calling for 600 ships, International, were also part of the opening ceremo including 12 aircraft carriers, was essentially a pub nies. licity campaign for the Navy, Mr. Mitchell argued, Gordon Stewart, Director of Tourism for the "but it didn't need to be sold to the Congress." Atlantic Canadian Opportunities Agency, presented Congress never demanded that the Navy justify the keynote address: "Tourism for the Right Reason." rebuilding. It was explicitly the Navy's advocate. It Known for his entrepreneurial approach and contro defied the president, badgered the Navy's brass and versial style, Mr. Stewalt summarized his views on doctored military budgets. the effectiveness of key tourism players: federal and In the 1990s, however, the picture began to provincial governments as well as travel and tourism change. From a fleet of 15 aircraft carriers during the associations. His report card? All were given passing Reagan administration, Congress cut back to 12. A grades ... but were far from being honor students! recent defense review proposed further reduction to One of Stewart's main conclusions was that the only eight carriers. Why the about-face? industry, and these three groups, need real change The relationship between international and to meet future challenges, not just simply adaptation. domestic interests had fundamentally changed, Mr. The plenary session was an important one for Mitchell said. In the 1970s, the United States was the research community. Key issues of global scope perceived to be falling behind the Soviet Union in included Canada's Tourism Satellite Account, Rede military power. We all know what happened to the fining the Standard Industrial Classification (catego Soviet Union in the 1990s. Keeping America's ship ries for tourism), and the move toward internation yards in business was no longer a strong enough ally-accepted definitions for tourism by the World factor to make up for the lack of a major military Tourism Organization. threat. "The Navy believed it had found the perfect Other sessions included "Tourism's Legacy to vehicle for justifying its budget. In the 1990s, Con Niagara," in which prominent local activists Peter gress simply said, 'You're going to have to find Stokes and Margherita Howe provided perspectives something else.

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