Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Compete in Nationals

While most Saint Anselm College students have packed up their dorm rooms and moved home for summer break, the college's SIFE team is taking in the sights, sounds, and tastes of Philadelphia, Penn. as one of 137 colleges qualified to compete at SIFE's 2009 National Exposition.

I, Jenn Goonan, senior English major and former communications intern, have joined the Saint Anselm group on their trip to Philly to capture all the action as it happens. Check back throughout the next two days to hear all about the group's competition or check out the photos on Flickr.

The team of eight, Thomas Cullen '09, Christine Connolly '09, Nick Rich '09, Meredith Shepard '09, Katie Bruce '10, Nick Provost '10, Will Combes '10, and Michael Conley '10, led by faculty advisor Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick, will be in Philadelphia May 10-12 competing against colleges and universities from around the country.

Arriving Sunday, the team spent the day touring the City of Brotherly Love, checking out Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Eastern State Penitentiary, the Philadelphia Museum of Art's infamous steps (the same steps Sylvester Stallone ran up in boxing movie Rocky), and of course, the group had to indulge in the one and only, Philly cheese-steak.

After touring the city, the team joined thousands of college students at the Philadelphia Convention Center for the annual Rally of Champions. Mike Conley, junior business major from Hopkinton, N.H. represented Saint Anselm by carrying a Saint Anselm College sign across the stage behind the New Hampshire state flag.

During the rally, SIFE also acknowledged the faculty advisors, including Dr. Fitzpatrick.
Various speakers energized the students, including SIFE Alumnus of the Year Mr. Tony Dickinson of Wells Fargo & Co. Dickson encouraged students to network and accept failure as a learning experience. The rally's keynote speaker, the Honorable Edward Rendell, governor of Pennsylvania, opened the exposition, noting the students' accomplishments and wishing them luck.

The trip is about more than sight-seeing and networking though, and the group is presenting Monday at 1 p.m., so Sunday evening was all about preparation and perfecting their presentation.

Although everyone appeared on edge as they worked out the presentation's kinks, adjusting to describe new projects and new results, Provost promised "Tomorrow will be like clockwork."