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Cal-Mum High School’s
Bbc Bulls placed first in the fall Democrat and Chronicle stock
market simulation game, beating out over 250 other high school
teams. Seniors Brenna Osborn, Brandon Goetz and Chris Finley
each received a $500 scholarship from the game sponsors, the
Democrat and Chronicle and Rotenberg and Co., LLC, and were
honored at a ceremony held at the Memorial Art Gallery in
Rochester.
The Bbc Bulls participated
in the simulated stock market game as part of their Senior
economics class. Each team begins with $100,000 and has ten
weeks to make as much money as possible through stock
investments. The Bbc Bulls finished the game with $163,138.82,
clinching the first place finish.
"The team worked
extremely hard, researching corporations and following current
economic events throughout the ten weeks. Their success was very
well deserved," CM Economics Teacher Brian McQuillan
commented.
Finley was the team leader
who daily watched the stocks and did most of the trading for the
team. He used basic concepts he learned in class and applied
them to his simulated trading.
"Low profits equals
lower investor interest. The stock goes down and you short
sell," Finley explained.
Goetz also used a strategy
he learned in class. "Invest in initial public offerings
that are established and predictable, but still small enough to
move 20 percent in one day. In real life investing, research
good mutual funds, IRA’s and growing companies with strong
fundamentals such as Paychex and Goodle," he explained.
Osborn was the team
cheerleader, calming down her teammates when their stocks dipped
and encouraging them to remain confident. The simulation taught
her that investing in the stock market is risky and people that
work in the field experience a lot of stress.
"You can seriously
ruin your life if you invest in the wrong stocks. I’m a pretty
decent risk taker, however, I don’t have the desire or the
drive for this career path," commented Osborn.
Finley says he’ll go for
it. He plans to take what he learned in economics class and
through the simulated stock market game to make real investments
someday.
"I would definitely
invest in stocks. Right now I have a mutual fund and own stock
in a local company. I’m learning more about fundamentals so I
can hopefully make a 30 percent return per year," Finley
said.
The Bbc’s first place
win makes this six straight years in a row that McQuillan’s
economics class has had a first place team in the D&C/Rotenbert
and Co. stock market simulation.
For more information about
the stock market simulation competition, log on to www.democrat-chroniclesms.com/
The Bbc Bulls, first
place team in the D&C/Rotenberg & Co. LLC stock market
simulation, make it six years in a row that Cal-Mum HS has placed
first in the game. L to R: High School Principal Thomas Woodruff,
Seniors Brenna Osborn, Chris Finley and Brandon Goetz, Economics
Teacher Brian MCQuillan.
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