Saskatchewan Polytechnic's Palliser Campus in Moose Jaw hosted their 3rd annual "Business And Beyond" competition for Saskatchewan high school students Wednesday afternoon.

 

Dozens of students from Moose Jaw, Regina and Swift Current (Prince Albert students couldn't make it due to poor highway conditions) crowded Macoun Lounge to pitch business plans to a panel of judges.  The "Dragon's Den"-style competition had the teams present their business idea to the panel (comprised of Sask Poly School of Business instructors), then answer whatever questions were peppered their way from the judges. 

 

"I felt at home, personally," said Vanier Collegiate's Xyrus Smith, whose team finished 2nd in the competition to the group from Swift Current Comprehensive (SCC). "I fed off the crowd."

 

The presentation was a little more stressful for Xyrus' teammate, Ashley Blair, who said it was "definitely nerve-wracking.  I didn't know what questions were coming, so I had to be 'on the ball' at all times."

 

Their team's business idea was for a protein-based "workout pill" that would replace a protein-shake for post-exercise recovery. 

 

Vanier had a successful day at the event, with their teams finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th behind SCC. 

 

The event was created in an effort to attract more students to the Sask PolyTech Business program, and it appears to be working according to Dan MacKay, the Dean of the School of Business. 

 

"We haven't got hard data," said MacKay, "but anecdotally we've done some surveys of our students coming in the last two years, and there's an increasing number of students who have come here largely because of this event."

 

"In addition to just attracting students, (the Business and Beyond event) it provides our existing faculty and staff ( a way) to be engaged in the community," MacKay continued. "And also..our Marketing students are actively engaged as part of their Project Management course as they have to put on this event."

 

As the winning team, Carter Wotton, Errylson Aldean, Gage Haubrich, and Bryce Magkaski from Swift Current Comprehensive won tuition credits and textbooks towards a Saskatchewan Polytechnic School of Business education.

 

Vanier's 2nd place team of Smith, Blair and Isaac Gomez came in second and won Paradigm headphones.

 

Third place was taken by Vanier's Elizabeth Berenik, Alexis Jones, Shelby Robinson, and Morgan Ferraton.

 

Vanier's team that came in fourth consisted of Kendall Bistretzan, Kim Zumsten, and Travis Ludwan.