To help students make strong and direct connections with the real world’s economy, business and government, the Stock Market Game is used in classrooms from the fourth grade through college.

The game program, run by the Securities Industries and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), is a live trading simulation in which students strive to create a high-performing portfolio based off the real marketplace. The students use internet research and real news updates to learn core academic concepts and skills that can help them succeed in the classroom and in life.

A recent study by Learning Points Associates has shown that students who have participated in the Stock Market Game perform better in mathematics and financial literacy than students who haven’t. The study also asked teachers about how they implemented the game to fit their class room, and how the positive results were achieved regardless of how the game was played, either basic or advanced. This result suggests the game is easy to implement using standard teaching practices.

“We’re hoping the results of the survey spark an interest for using the game among more math teachers,” said Ken Martin, the program director for the Stock Market Game Program for the state New Mexico and professor of finance at New Mexico State University’s College of Business.

During the 2008-2009 academic year 94 teachers in New Mexico used the game in 74 schools with a total of 4,224 students participating, Martin said. The game is also used at NMSU as a personal finance course.

“The game benefits the students by getting them to think about their financial future in a world of high marketing,” Martin said. “It shows them to save and invest but also that the stock market is risky, and they must take precautions such as diversifying their investments. In New Mexico, success in the game is determined, not just by financial return, but also how much risk was involved in a portfolio.”

For more information, contact Martin at (575) 646-1236.

A panel of speakers compared President Obama to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a forum Thursday at NMSU, focusing specifically on the new stimulus plan and relating it to Roosevelt’s historical New Deal.

The panel, consisting of NMSU history, government and economics departments, discussed comparisons and differences between FDR and Obama, such as the focus on national parks and the stock market.

“It is important to discuss these issues now because the current economic crisis is very severe,” said Jim Peach, professor in the economics and international business department. “‘Crisis’ is not the wrong word. The world financial system is in chaos. Jobs are being lost in nearly every major industry in almost all nations. There is hardly anyone, anywhere, who has not or will not be affected by the crisis.”

The panel made comparisons on the economic state in 1933 compared to today, as well as social climate, states of war and personal character.

“Both are seen as strong and articulate speakers,” Nancy Baker, NMSU government professor and department head, said. “Both focused on the restoration of hope.”

NMSU history professor Jamie Bronstein began the discussion with the crash of the stock market issues that led to Oct. 29, 1929, the beginning of the Great Depression.

“Today’s economical crisis is now being referred to as The Great Repression,” Bronstein said.

The panelists also discussed how the two leaders used “new media” to make a connection to the general public, with FDR’s fireside chats on the radio and Obama’s blog.

“They both were in difficult political places,” Baker said. “Both men had to act quickly but not alienate the other party’s followers.”

The new $787 billion stimulus plan was greatly compared to FDR’s New Deal, which history professor Jon Hunner said was broken into three parts.

“You’ll see that Obama’s plan is part relief, part recovery, part reform,” Hunner said, adding that the relief efforts are “eerily similar” to today’s stimulus, particularly in bank relief and lower interest rates under the Home Owners’ Loan Act.

“But unlike Hoover, Obama began taking action right away,” Hunner continued.

Peach summed up his feelings on the stimulus package in one statement: “It is not big enough.”

“Personal savings is up 5 percent,” Peach said. “We need the spending. We need the money.”

When asked about the debt of the nation, Peach said the comparison of national debt to personal debt is not a fair relation.

“We’ve been in debt since 1779,” Peach said. “People want to compare national debt to the debt of an individual and that is silly.”

When stepping away from the comparison between FDR and Obama, Peach added that we can learn a lot from the past.

“FDR taught us how to save our economy,” Peach said. “It is still early in Obama’s term.”

Are we entering another Great Depression? How is President Barack Obama — his policies, his personal style — similar to Franklin Delano Roosevelt? New Mexico State University is hosting a forum to address these and other questions at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5, in the auditorium at Gerald Thomas Hall.

A panel of professors from the NMSU history, government and economics departments will initiate discussion at the forum and take questions from the public. History associate professor Andrea Orzoff organized the program, which will include history professors Jamie Bronstein, Jon Hunner, and Dwight Pitcaithley. Regents Professors Nancy Baker, who heads the government department and Jim Peach, from the economics and international business department, will round out the panel.

“It is important to discuss these issues now because the current economic crisis is very severe,” Peach said. “ Crisis is not the wrong word. The world financial system is in chaos. Jobs are being lost in nearly every major industry in almost all nations. There is hardly anyone, anywhere who has not or will not be affected by the crisis.”

Orzoff explained that she formed the panel after Obama’s inauguration, when many commentators compared the new president to Roosevelt. “It’s a catchy comparison, but there are a lot of differences between then and now, and I thought it’d be interesting to have a campus- and community-wide discussion about it.” History never repeats itself, Orzoff said, but without understanding the past, it can be harder to make sense out of the present.

For more information about the forum, call (575) 646-4612.

The Stock Market Game™ (SMG) Program, administrated by New Mexico State University’s College of Business, offers New Mexico students a fun way to learn about the American economy and how to invest in the stock market.

Students in grades fourth through 12th around the country can participate in teams of one to five on-line. The game is funded by the Foundation for Investor Education. By using the Internet, participants can research stocks and use other educational materials.

SMG is used to improve study skills by placing students in decision-making roles that require research, analysis and judgment. By working in teams, students can develop their interpersonal and cooperation skills and also the team’s investing strategy.

SMG begins by giving each team a hypothetical $100,000 and during a 10-week period each semester the competitors make transactions with real stocks and mutual funds traded on the three major U.S. stock exchanges for which they are given actual closing prices. More information about specific rules is available at http://www.stockmarketgame.org.

SMG consists of four competitions – Portfolio Competition is based on the portfolio’s final value; InvestWrite Competition is based on a national writing competition that adds a critical thinking component to reinforce the concepts learned; Strategy Summary Competition has participating teams submit a written essay answering questions on the InvestWrite site; and the FirstLight Federal Credit Union-Dona Ana County Competition recognizes local school teams based on their portfolio value and the winners are awarded a $50 savings account.

The top state and regional winners for each semester are presented with plaques, T-shirts and certificates, and every participating teacher’s top team member receives certificates.

College students and adults also can play and learn from the SMG, but prizes are only awarded to student teams. Adults benefit by learning about securities trading and terminology in a fun, no-risk way.

All participants learn how to understand stock market quotes, how world events affect investments, how investments affect the economy, how to protect themselves against investment fraud and encourages awareness of the world of business and finance.

The ultimate goal of SMG is to provide investors and future investors with the knowledge to allow them to effectively participate in the American economic system by being more informed to make investment decisions.

Before the game each semester, training workshops are offered, during which game rules, research techniques, classroom uses of the program, and general investing information are provided. Anyone interested in participating can call (505) 646-3690 or log onto the main Web site and learn more about the program.

This event is part of NMSU’s continuing outreach efforts to help educate and improve the lives of citizens of our community and state.

Attached to this release is a list of New Mexico’s first place student winners for the 2007-2008 academic year.

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The first place winners for the Stock Market Game 2007-2008 academic year include:

Fall 2007 Portfolio Competition
State Champions – Deming High School, teacher Jorge Avalos, student team Austin Hilton and Dexter Polley, Portfolio Final Value $122,776.32.
Northern Region High – Farmington High School, teacher David Sronce, Portfolio Final Value $107,813.39.
Central Region High – Cibola High School, teacher Tim Lewis, team Andrew Dazsi and Gabriel Sanchez, Portfolio Final Value $117,297.95.
Northern Region Middle – Heights Jr. High School, teacher Jan Baldridge, team Alisa Bealessio and Autumn Riea, Portfolio Final Value $106,393.92.
Southern Region High – Deming High School, teacher Jorge Avalos, student team Austin Hilton and Dexter Polley, Portfolio Final Value $122,776.32.
Southern Region Middle – La Plata Middle School, teacher Kristina Limardo, team Tanner Ellison, Portfolio Final Value $121,919.47.
Elementary School – Military Heights Elementary, teacher Karen Storey, team Alex Olesinski, Kaytlin Hannan and Lexi Hernandez, Portfolio Final Value $112,653.21.

Fall 2007 FirstLight Federal Credit Union-Dona Anna County Competition
High School – Mayfield High School, teacher Juan Armijo, team Daniel Dietz, Jonathan Allen and Sean Sauceda, Portfolio Final Value $105,940.91.
Middle School – Sierra Middle School, teacher Reben Nanez, team Jared Lemelin and Ronnie Sedillo, Portfolio Final Value 113,068.55.
Elementary School – Hillrise Elementary, teacher Dennis Woodward, team Diana Garcia, Brenden Harris, Joee Bencomo and Tezcatilpoca Soto, Portfolio Final Value $103,831.26.

Fall 2007 Strategy Summary Competition
Central Region High – Cibola High School, teacher Tim Lewis, team Jeremiah Fuertes and Gilbert Trujillo.
Southern Region Middle – Sierra Middle School, teacher Ruben Nanez, team Poosha Sudebi, Samantha Galvan and Yasmin Dominguez.

Fall 2007 InvestWrite Competition
Mayfield High School, teacher Brenda McNamara, student Alexandru Boje.

Spring 2008 Portfolio Competition
State Champions- Springer High School, teacher John Vlaun, team Christina Ortiz and Jordan Kear, Portfolio Final Value $126,080.66.
Northern Region High – Springer High School, teacher John Vlaun, team Christina Ortiz and Jordan Kear, Portfolio Final Value $126,080.66.
Northern Region Middle – 21st Century Public Academy Charter School, teacher Linda Wilson, team Jim Cella, Portfolio Final Value $117,777.22.
Southern Region High – Silva High School, teacher Renee Upton, team Britney Robles and John Stanley, Portfolio Final Value $120,949.02.
Southern Region Middle – P.R. Leyva Middle School, teacher Jeff Drybread, team AlexLee Moreno, Amber Cota, Jackie Perkins and Nico Chavez, Portfolio Final Value $112,350.04.
Elementary School – Hillrise Elementary School, teacher Dennis Woodard, team Bryce Rewalti, Brenden Harris, Ciara Luevano, Gabe Castillo and Stephan Chapman, Portfolio Final Value $102,285.72.

Spring 2008 Portfolio Challenge Rules
State Champions – La Cueva High School, teacher Flora Silva, team Eric Camp, Elena Lopez, Margareta Carter and Sarah Szurek, Portfolio Final Value $102,544.72.

Spring 2008 FirstLight Federal Credit Union-Dona Ana County Competition
High School – Las Cruces High School, teacher Philip Daly, team Carmen Duran, Kendra Garcia and Marlene Flores, Portfolio Final Value $108,882.95
Middle School – Sierra Middle School, teacher Ruben Nanez, team Christina Luevano and Andy Gutierrez, Portfolio Final Value $108,972.15
Elementary School – Hillrise Elementary School, teacher Dennis Woodward, team Bryce Rewalti, Brenden Harris, Ciara Luevano, Gabe Castillo and Stephan Chapman, Portfolio Final Value $102,285.72.

Investwrite Competition
Los Alamos Middle School, teacher Cindy Kindinger, team Maura Kathryn Taylor.

2008/03/25: NMSU business professor Ken Martin poses in front of the financial ticker located inside the Business Complex building. (photo by Darren Phillips)

Business students at New Mexico State University can now check the financial markets while walking the halls between classes. The NMSU College of Business recently installed a large financial ticker and two large television monitors outside the G. Carl and Andrea Everett Financial Markets Trading Room.

The ticker is nearly 30 feet long with two separate levels. The upper display provides current stock prices while the lower level provides financial news. The two television screens display stock prices and charts, financial news and even the weather.

“This certainly raises the visibility of our college,” said Business Dean Garrey Carruthers. He noted that students have been very interested in the ticker, often stopping to see how the financial world is doing for the day.

“This brings the business world front and center to the students,” said Ken Martin, a finance professor at NMSU. “When you walk in the door, you immediately see what’s happening in the business world.”

The G. Carl and Andrea Everett Financial Markets Trading Room is home to the Finance 435 and 535 classes, where students study the market while using financial tools to determine a stock’s true value. With the knowledge they gain, the students are then able to trade actual stocks. They currently manage $5 million in investment funds from the State Investment Council and $80,000 in the Wetherbe Fund, donated by Business College alumnus James C. Wetherbe.

“It’s more than just throwing darts at the stock pages,” Martin said. “We teach the fundamentals of stock valuation.”

The television monitors outside the classroom highlight stocks traded by students. The monitors were donated by Merrill Lynch financial services company.

The ticker was a gift from Carl Everett, a 1973 graduate of NMSU. Everett is a former senior vice president for both Intel Corp. and Dell Computers. He oversaw the marketing and introduction of Intel’s Pentium processor and the marketing and development of Dell’s Dimension desktop computers. Everett received the NMSU Distinguished Alumni Award in 1992 and in 1997 he was inducted into the university’s College of Business Hall of Fame. He and his wife received honorary doctorates from NMSU in 2005.

Students from Silver City and Cimarron, N.M., have taken top honors in the spring 2007 Stock Market Game sponsored by the New Mexico State University College of Business, the New Mexico Securities Division and Cabrera Capital Markets Inc.

The state championship in the portfolio competition was snagged by the team of Elias Montoya and Eric Jauriqui from Silver High School. Both participated under the direction of teacher Renee Upton.

The state champion team in strategy summary writing consisted of Carrie Anderson, Haley Porter and Angela Villa, students at Cimarron High School, with teacher Holly Searer.

The portfolio competition is based on the total value of the team’s equity in its portfolio, while the writing competition requires teams to discuss the strategy they employed, followed by what strategy they learned would be most effective in real life using real money with an unlimited period of time. In addition to the state championships, first place in each of five regions in the state were also awarded in both categories.

In a separate Doña Ana County competition the top teams were awarded a $50 savings account by FirstLight Federal Credit Union. The top high school team in the county consisted of Oñate High School students Matt Griffin and Kristin Cleveland, under teacher Virginia Kluess. First place in middle school was taken by Katy De La Isla and Ariana Garcia, students at Sierra Middle School supervised by teacher Ruben Nañez. First place in elementary was won by Brandy Main, a student at Main School, advised by teacher Jeanette Main.

The Stock Market Game program is a computer-simulated competition played this spring by almost 2,100 New Mexico participants, 300 more than last semester.

Dorothy Hughes, Stock Market Game Coordinator at NMSU, said, “The stock market was relatively calm this spring, but there were some reactions to various international news stories that were very educational for the students. Once again, the students with winning portfolios had several little known stocks, demonstrating how important the research component of the program has become. In the strategy summaries submitted, the students showed an excellent understanding of the difference between the strategy needed to succeed in our ten-week program versus what will work best in real life with no time limit and real money.”

SMG teams begin with an imaginary $100,000 and during a 10-week period each semester the competitors make transactions with real stocks and mutual funds traded on the three major U.S. stock exchanges for which they are given actual closing prices. More information about specific rules is available at: http://www.stockmarketgame.org.

The Stock Market Game is the only stock market simulation-based educational program endorsed nationally by both the industry (the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association) and the regulators of the industry (the Securities and Exchange Commission). Teams conduct all of their transactions and perform much of their research online. They are aided by a number of other educational resources and Web sites, many of which are available only to registered SMG teachers and students.

Each semester the top state and regional winners in both competitions in New Mexico are presented with plaques, t-shirts, and certificates and every participating teacher’s top team members receive certificates. More than 200 awards were presented this spring. In addition, winners from both semesters are invited to attend one of the annual awards luncheons held the first week of May in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. All state and regional winners from the spring 2007 SMG are listed on the NMSU Stock Market Game home page under Recent Winners: http://business.nmsu.edu/nmsusmg.

Before the game each semester, Hughes offers training workshops, during which game rules, research techniques, classroom uses of the program, and general investing information are provided. Anyone interested in participating can call Hughes at (505) 646-3690, e-mail her at dhughes@nmsu.edu or log onto the main Web site and learn more about the program.

This event is part of NMSU’s continuing outreach efforts to help educate and improve the lives of citizens of our community and state.

Students from Thoreau and Albuquerque, N.M., have taken top honors in the fall 2006 Stock Market Game sponsored by the New Mexico State University College of Business, the New Mexico Securities Division and Cabrera Capital Markets Inc.

The State Championship in the Portfolio competition was snagged by a team from Thoreau High School and consisted of Fetisha Martinez (captain), Jamaal Anderson, Denny Charley, Dereck Smith, and Breana Yazzie, under the direction of teacher Bruce Lewis. The State Champion in the Strategy Summary writing competition was Kristin Marquardt, a student at the Career Enrichment Center in Albuquerque, who was advised by teacher Ed Lucero.

The Portfolio competition is based on the total value of the team’s equity in its portfolio. The new writing competition began a year ago. It requires teams to discuss the strategy they employed, followed by what strategy they learned would be most effective in real life using real money with an unlimited period of time. First place in each of four regions of New Mexico were also awarded in both categories.

A separate Doña Ana County competition also took place in which the top teams in different grade levels were recognized by the FirstLight Federal Credit Union. Each team member was awarded a $50 savings account for their efforts in the Portfolio competition. The top Doña Ana County high school team consisted of Alexandra Calaunan, Mariam Sanogo and Miguel Ruiz, students under teacher Philip C. Daly at Las Cruces High School. First place at the elementary level were Joshua Rhodes, Christopher Serna, Graham Waller and Roman Dennis, students at Hillrise Elementary, advised by teacher Dennis Woodard.

The Stock Market Game program is a computer-simulated competition played this past semester by almost 1,800 New Mexico participants.

Dorothy Hughes, Stock Market Game coordinator at NMSU, said, “The stock market had its usual share of ups and downs, but we felt students were especially interested to watch how the economy reacted to the national elections that took place in November. The top teams in the portfolio competition held several little-known stocks, demonstrating how important the research component of the program has become. In the strategy summaries submitted, the students showed an excellent understanding of the difference between the strategies needed to succeed in our 10-week program versus those which will work best in real life.”

SMG teams begin with an imaginary $100,000 and during a 10-week period each semester the competitors make transactions with real stocks and mutual funds traded on the three major U.S. stock exchanges for which they are given actual closing prices. Players may buy, sell, short sell, and short cover. All transactions are charged a 2 percent broker fee. Teams may buy on margin and are charged 7 percent interest. Teams receive 5 percent interest on cash balances and receive dividends paid on stocks in their portfolios during the game. The goal is to increase the value of the portfolio as much as possible in 10 weeks. The portfolios and ranking reports are updated daily.

The Stock Market Game is the only stock market simulation-based educational program endorsed nationally by both the industry (the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association) and the regulators of the industry (the Securities and Exchange Commission). Teams conduct all of their transactions and perform much of their research online. They are aided by a number of other educational resources and Web sites, many of which are available only to registered SMG teachers and students.

Teachers can view their teams’ portfolios, take an online tutorial, plan lessons, and access the Learning Resource Center where many lesson plans and exercises are available. Teachers can also now order a customized 12-week lesson plan, based on the grade level and subject they teach. More information is available at: http://www.stockmarketgame.org.

Each semester the top state and regional winners in both competitions in New Mexico are presented with plaques, T-shirts and certificates, and every participating teacher’s top team members receive certificates. Almost 200 awards were presented this fall. In addition, all winners from both semesters will be invited to attend one of the annual awards luncheons held the first week of May in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. All state and regional winners from the fall 2006 SMG are listed on the NMSU Stock Market Game home page under Recent Winners: http://business.nmsu.edu/nmsusmg.

Before the game each semester, Hughes offers training workshops, during which game rules, research techniques, classroom uses of the program, and general investing information are provided. Anyone interested in participating can call Hughes at (505) 646-3690, e-mail her at dhughes@nmsu.edu or log onto the main Web site and learn more about the program.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: The top teams will be recognized at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, at the Bernice Fite Willis Lobby in the Business Complex at New Mexico State University.

For the first time in its 22-year history, the New Mexico State University Stock Market Game program was able to award cash prizes: $50 savings accounts for each winning team member.

A separate Doña Ana County competition of NMSU’s Stock Market Game took place and the top teams in three grade levels will be recognized by FirstLight Federal Credit Union at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, in the Bernice Fite Willis Lobby in the Business Complex on campus.

The top Doña Ana County high school team consisted of students under teacher Philip C. Daly of Las Cruces High School; the top middle school winners were students at Sierra Middle School under the guidance of teacher Charles Galt; and first place in the elementary division was taken by students at Hillrise Elementary, advised by teacher Dennis Woodard. The State Championship was nabbed by a single student “team” from Rehoboth Christian School, one mile east of Gallup, N.M. The sole team member was Earvin Cadman, who participated under the guidance of his high school teacher, Brian Kruis.

An innovative method for teaching a wide variety of subjects, the SMG program is a computer-simulated competition played this fall by almost 2,200 New Mexico participants.

“The stock market stayed fairly level this fall, but many of the winning teams made gains on tech stocks for a change, such as Google and Apple,” said Dorothy Hughes, Stock Market Game coordinator at NMSU. “Several winning portfolios showed a great deal of diversity.”

Hughes said that through a new writing requirement students were successful at distinguishing between the sorts of strategy needed for the short-term program (10 weeks), versus what might work best in real life.

“Many felt that seeking the advice of a professional would be a wise way to begin,” Hughes said. “These are the lessons we intend for students to learn from our program and it is reassuring to know that teachers are communicating this valuable information to their students.”

SMG teams begin with an imaginary $100,000 and, during a 10-week period each semester, make transactions with real stocks and mutual funds traded on the three major U.S. stock exchanges for which they are given actual closing prices. Players may buy, sell, short sell and short cover, and all transactions are charged a 2 percent broker fee. Teams may buy on margin and are charged 7 percent interest. Teams receive 5 percent interest on cash balances and receive dividends that are paid on stocks in their portfolios during the game. The goal is to increase the value of the portfolio as much as possible in 10 weeks.

The Stock Market Game™ is the only stock market simulation-based educational program endorsed nationally by both the industry (the Securities Industry Association) and the regulators of the industry (the Securities and Exchange Commission). Played on the Internet, teams conduct all their transactions and perform much of their research online. They are aided by a number of educational resources and Web sites, many of which are only available to registered SMG teachers and students. Teachers are issued an ID for a Teacher Support Center where they can view their teams’ portfolios, take online tutorials, plan lessons and access the Learning Resource Center where many lesson plans and exercises are available. More information can be obtained by visiting the SMG Web site at: http://www.stockmarketgame.org.

Each semester the top state, regional, essay contest and strategy summary winners in New Mexico are presented with plaques, T-shirts and certificates, and every participating teacher’s top team members receive certificates. In addition, winners from both semesters are invited to attend an awards luncheon held in May.

Before the game each semester, Hughes offers training workshops, during which game rules, research techniques, classroom uses of the program and general investing information are provided. Anyone interested in participating can call Dorothy Hughes at (505) 646-3690; e-mail her at dhughes@nmsu.edu or log onto the main Web site to more about the program.

Nationally, SMG has been in operation for 29 years in all 50 states and has served more than nine million students during this time. It is administered by the Foundation for Investor Education, the non-profit branch of the Securities Industry Association, and receives financial support and donated teaching materials from many major corporations, brokerage firms and the three stock exchanges.

Earlier this year, 2,242 students in grades 9-12 took an economics survey in the form of a quiz. The result: Six in 10 high school students did not make the grade.

On average, the students scored a 53 (F), reported Harris Interactive Inc., which conducted “The Standards in Economics Survey” on behalf of the National Council on Economic Education (NCEE).

The national survey covered concepts such as scarcity, allocation of goods and services, role of competition, role of money, and specialization and trade.

The findings don’t surprise Benjamin N. Matta, a New Mexico State University economist. He said high school students’ exposure to economics is limited. Matta first realized this when his own children received homework assignments and textbooks that were supposed to be teaching economics. “Well, they were not,” he said.

“I began to survey my own freshmen students and asked them about their experience (with economics),” Matta said. “For a lot of them, the extent of their knowledge of economics and personal finance was that they knew there was a stock market.”

But to get to the students, you first have to get to the teachers.

Hoping to bridge the gap between what students need to know about economics and what they are being taught in school, NMSU’s College of Business created the Center for Economics and Personal Finance Education (CEPFE).

The only such program in the state, CEPFE conducts workshops where high school teachers receive new ideas on how to teach economics and personal finance to their students. Participants are given a review of economic concepts, and receive a stipend and several materials. In addition, the college will supply year-round support to participants.

The College of Business received funding from the State Legislature to develop these workshops through CEPFE, which was awarded a three-year affiliation with the NCEE in May 2005.

“It’s been a great refresher, and I think it’s wonderful that the business college has come up with this (program),” said Hanna Phillips, a social studies teacher from Mayfield High School in Las Cruces. “As a high school teacher, one of my main goals is to prepare students for college so I think it’s great that they are opening up the lines of communication in order to provide us with (material) so we can better prepare kids.”

Harry Hellmuth, an advanced-placement European history teacher at Oñate High School in Las Cruces, said the key to the workshops he attended was Michael Ellis’ emphasis on presenting economic concepts in a way that is more relevant to the age of his students.

“He presented a lot of economic theory in regard to NASCAR racing,” Hellmuth said. “Economics can be pretty abstract, very heavy stuff, but Dr. Ellis has the most interesting way of presenting these dry theories.”

Ellis, head of the economics and international business department at NMSU, was one of three faculty members who taught the first week of the three-week program in July. Other workshop professors include Ken Martin, a professor of finance, and Randy McFerrin, an assistant professor of economics.

Matta, director of CEPFE, said the program serves as a resource for high school teachers who are inundated not only with daily work but also with federal requirements such as the No Child Left Behind Act.

“It makes their job a little more difficult and what we have to do is find ways to accommodate those requirements,” he said. “One way to help teachers is to advise them on how to integrate economics in areas that are being tested like math and writing. This way we serve both goals – helping students prepare for the test as well as achieve economic literacy.”

For the future, CEPFE plans to include workshops for primary and middle school grades, provide literacy programs for adult populations, partner with local financial institutions and with the economic education program of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The center also intends to have workshops for school districts in the northern part of the state.

“In the end, I hope New Mexico kids have a stronger knowledge of economics and personal finance so they can make better decisions,” Matta said. “If in four or five years test scores are up in those two areas, I will be very happy.”

The quiz also revealed the following:
•Fewer women than men show a good understanding of economics.
•Black and Hispanic participants are less likely than their Anglo counterparts to get an “A” or “B.”
•On average, adults received a grade of 70 (C) for their knowledge of economics.

For more information on CEPFE, contact Matta at (505) 646-4085 or bmatta@nmsu.edu.

In addition to CEPFE, Matta also has worked with NMSU’s College of Education to revise its business education curriculum for current teacher candidates who want to teach business in the future.

“Although the state of New Mexico has not modified its business teaching endorsement since the mid 1980s, the college decided that it was time to take the curriculum from more of a vocational focus to a professional one,” said Michael Morehead, associate dean in the College of Education. “All other secondary endorsements have been modified more recently so the college worked with Dr. Matta and the College of Business to update the program to meet the needs of today’s business teacher candidates.”

Morehead said the new program allows future teachers to understand the most up-to-date business models.

“High school teachers have the ability to enhance the preparedness of students moving into business programs at universities. In the past they have been seen as preparing students for clerical positions, but that has changed and we need to change how we are preparing our business teachers,” Morehead said. “Because of Dr. Matta’s work we have really been able to create a spirit of collaboration between the colleges of business and education.”

Teacher candidates who pursue the new business education curriculum designed by Matta will now meet all of the requirements needed to later pursue an MBA in the College of Business.

“The new curriculum opens a lot of doors for our students,” Morehead said.

Students from Thoreau, Navajo, Deming and Artesia have taken top honors in the spring 2005 Stock Market Game sponsored by New Mexico State University’s College of Business Administration and Economics and the New Mexico Securities Division.

For the second semester in a row, the State Championship was captured by Thoreau High School students. This spring the winning team consisted of Eldora Thompson (captain), Lashonda Jones and Michelle Henio, students of teacher Bruce Lewis. The team began the program in early February with $100,000 and finished 10 weeks later with $111,216.

In second place was a team of eighth grade students from Navajo Middle School. Jasfert Peshtony (captain), Derek Lee, Quintana Nez and Shana Roanhorse were advised by teacher Bill Church. Third place in the statewide competition was snagged by students from Deming High. Flor Najera (captain), Alejandra Parra and Joanna Valdez were guided by teacher Jorge Avalos.

First place in the Bull Division (grades 9-12) of the Essay Contest went to Chelsea Silverthorne of Deming High School (teacher Noel Nuñez) and the top essay in the Bear Division (grades 4-8) was submitted by Kelli Richards of Yeso Elementary (teacher Sarah Eulenbach) in Artesia.

An innovative method for teaching a wide variety of subjects, SMG is a computer simulated competition played this spring by almost 3,400 New Mexico participants.

“The stock market was fairly lackluster this spring, but students were able to find some good stocks on the move and several made gains on the Sears-KMart merger,” said Dorothy Hughes, SMG coordinator at NMSU. “It was apparent the students were challenged by the market conditions and gained a great deal from participating in our program. Teachers were especially receptive to our new booklets correlating SMG lessons to the New Mexico educational standards in several disciplines, which will also help with testing.”

SMG teams begin with an imaginary $100,000 and during a 10-week period each semester make transactions with real stocks and mutual funds traded on the three major U.S. stock exchanges for which they are given actual closing prices. Players may buy, sell, short sell, and short cover, and all transactions are charged a 2 percent broker fee. Teams may buy on margin and are charged 7 percent interest. Teams receive 5 percent interest on cash balances and receive dividends that are paid on stocks in their portfolios during the game. The goal is to increase the value of the portfolio as much as possible in 10 weeks. The portfolios and ranking reports are updated daily.

SMG is the only stock market simulation-based educational program endorsed nationally by both the industry (the Securities Industry Association) and the regulators of the industry (the Securities and Exchange Commission). Teams conduct all their transactions and perform much of their research online, aided by a number of other educational resources and Web sites, many of which are only available to registered SMG teachers and students.

Teachers are issued an ID for a Teacher Support Center where they can view their teams’ portfolios, take online tutorials, plan lessons and access the Learning Resource Center where many downloadable lesson plans and exercises are available.

Each semester the top state, regional, and essay contest winners in New Mexico are presented plaques, T-shirts and certificates, and every participating teacher’s top team members are also awarded certificates. Hughes said more than 320 awards were presented this spring. In addition, winners from both semesters are invited to attend an awards luncheon in May.

Other New Mexico winners include: Northern High Division – First Place teacher Karina Doyle’s students at St. Michael’s High School (Santa Fe); Second Place teacher Lisa Lucero’s students at Kirtland Central High School; Third Place teacher Keith Neil’s students at Farmington High School. Southern High Division – First Place teacher Michael Jones’ students at Cliff High School; and Second Place teacher Philip Daly’s students at Las Cruces High School. Northern Middle Division – First Place teacher Michael Johnson’s students at Los Alamos Middle School; and Second Place teacher Bill Church’s students from Navajo Middle School. Southern Middle Division – First Place teacher Stephanie Gardner’s students at Berrendo Middle School (Roswell); and Second Place Curtis Crane’s students at Mountain View Middle School (Alamogordo). Elementary Division – First Place teacher Irene Morris’ students at Ramah Elementary School; and Second Place teacher Olen J. Hedges’ students at Santa Rosa Elementary School.

Before the game each semester, Hughes offers training workshops, during which game rules, research techniques, classroom uses of the program and general investing information are provided. For more information or to participate in the program, contact Hughes at (505) 646-3690, dhughes@nmsu.edu or log onto the main Web site, http://www.stockmarketgame.org

Nationally, SMG has been in operation for 29 years in all 50 states and has served more than 9,000,000 students during this time. It is administered by the Foundation for Investor Education, the non-profit branch of the Securities Industry Association, and receives financial support and donated teaching materials from many major corporations, brokerage firms and the three stock exchanges.

Students from Thoreau, Roswell, Mescalero, Deming and Santa Rosa took top honors in the fall 2004 Stock Market Game sponsored by New Mexico State University’s College of Business Administration and Economics and the New Mexico Securities Division.

The state championship was captured by Thoreau High School students ShaMarie Tom (captain), Michelle Smith, Tomasina Mariano and Melinda Garcia under the guidance of teacher Bruce Lewis. The team began with $100,000 and finished 10 weeks later with $212,439. In second place with a $140,139 was a team of sixth grade students from Sierra Middle School in Roswell. Students Cynthia Gonzales (captain), Bethany Vargas, Kimberly Wheeler and Alexandria Ornelas were advised by teacher Michelle Niece. Third place in the statewide competition was snagged by high school students Sierra Shanta (captain) and Thomasina Treas-Wilson of Mescalero Apache Schools. They were guided by teacher John Vlaun.

First place in the Bull Division (grades 9-12) of the Essay Contest went to Sabre Parnell of Deming High School (teacher, Noel Nunez) and the top essay in the Bear Division (grades 4-8) was submitted by Jenner W. Hedges of Santa Rosa Middle School (teacher, Olen J. Hedges).

An innovative method for teaching a wide variety of subjects, the Stock Market Game is a computer simulated competition which was played this fall by almost 3,200 New Mexico participants. “The stock market was very cooperative this fall, especially after the presidential election. This not only made our program more fun for the students, it stimulated their interest in national events and how they affect our country’s economical system,” said Dorothy Hughes, Stock Market Game coordinator at NMSU. Registration fees were eliminated last spring due to funding provided by Cabrera Capital Markets Inc. Hughes said there was a 70 percent increase in student teams over the previous fall and turnout at teacher workshops was excellent.

Stock Market Game teams begin with an imaginary $100,000 and during a 10-week period each semester make transactions with real stocks and mutual funds traded on the three major U.S. stock exchanges on which they are given actual closing prices. Players may buy, sell, short sell and short cover. All transactions are charged a 2 percent broker fee. Teams may buy on margin and are charged 7 percent interest. Teams receive 5 percent interest on cash balances and receive dividends that are paid on stocks in their portfolios during the game. The goal is to increase the value of the portfolio as much as possible in 10 weeks. The portfolios and ranking reports are updated daily.

The Stock Market Game™ is the only stock market simulation-based educational program endorsed nationally by both the industry (the Securities Industry Association) and the regulators of the industry (the Securities & Exchange Commission).

The game is played on the Internet. Teams conduct all their transactions and perform much of their research online, aided by a number of other educational resources and Web sites, many of which are available only to registered SMG teachers and students. A Teacher Support Center is available to view team portfolios, take online tutorials, plan lessons and access the Learning Resource Center where many downloadable lesson plans and exercises are available.

Each semester the top state, regional and essay contest winners in New Mexico are given plaques, T-shirts and certificates, and every participating teacher’s top team members are awarded certificates. More than 300 awards were presented this fall, Hughes said. In addition, winners from both fall and spring semesters are invited to attend an awards luncheon in May.

Other New Mexico winners include: Northern High Division – (First Place) Bruce Lewis’ students at Thoreau High School and (Second Place) Noel Hager’s students at Sandia High School. Southern High Division – (First Place) Dan Kennedy’s students at Clovis High School and (Second Place) Tony Mendoza’s students at Roswell High School. Northern Middle Division – (First and Second Place) Louise Watkins’ students at Thoreau Middle School. Southern Middle Division – (First Place) Curtis Crane’s students at Mountain View Middle School in Alamogordo and (Second Place) Michelle Niece’s students at Sierra Middle School in Roswell. Elementary Division – (First and Second Place) Olen J. Hedges’ students at Santa Rosa Elementary School.

Before the game each semester, Hughes offers training workshops during which game rules, research techniques, classroom uses of the program and general investing information are provided. Anyone interested can contact Hughes at (505) 646-3690 or dhughes@nmsu.edu. More information is available at http://www.stockmarketgame.org.

Students from Deming, Las Cruces and Santa Fe took top honors in the spring 2004 Stock Market Game sponsored by New Mexico State University’s College of Business Administration and Economics and the New Mexico Securities Division.

The State Championship was captured by Deming High School students Ryan Molina (captain), Kaici Branham and Brandon Grelle under the guidance of teacher Claudia Rossman.

The team began the program in February with $100,000 and finished 10 weeks later with $159,744. Just behind them with $140,139 was a team of fifth grade students from Hillrise Elementary in Las Cruces. Students Chris Ericson, Alex Paap and Brett Buffington, who were advised by teacher Christy Mitchell, made up the team.

First place in the Bull Division (grades 9-12) of the Essay Contest was snagged by Deming High School student Adriana Rascon, also a student of Rossman, and the top essay in the Bear Division (grades 4-8) was submitted by Charles Gonzales of Larragoite Elementary School in Santa Fe. Gonzales was under the direction of his teacher Annette Youngren.

An innovative method for teaching a wide variety of subjects, the Stock Market Game is a computer simulated competition which was played this spring by almost 2,500 New Mexico participants. Teams begin with an imaginary $100,000 and during a 10-week period each semester make transactions with real stocks from the three major U.S. stock exchanges. The goal is to increase the value of the portfolio as much as possible in 10 weeks.

“The stock market was rather unpredictable this spring, requiring a bit more research than usual, but somehow the winning teams were able to locate a few stocks on the rise,” said Dorothy Hughes, Stock Market Game coordinator at NMSU. “Because of a new sponsor, Cabrera Capital Markets Inc. of Santa Fe, our registration fees were eliminated, resulting in a 96 percent increase in student teams over the previous spring. What a great way to celebrate our 20th year at NMSU.”

Hughes said she is expecting full houses at their ninth annual awards luncheons in early May in Albuquerque and Las Cruces, which are being sponsored by Thornburg Investment Management of Santa Fe.

The Stock Market Game™ is the only stock market simulation-based educational program endorsed nationally by both the industry (the Securities Industry Association) and the regulators of the industry (the Securities & Exchange Commission). More information can be obtained by visiting the SMG Web site at: http://www.stockmarketgame.org.

Before the game each semester, Hughes offers training workshops, during which game rules, research techniques, classroom uses of the program, and general investing information are provided. Anyone interested in participating in the program can contact Hughes at (505) 646-3690 or at dhughes@nmsu.edu.

Students from Rio Rancho, Deming and Santa Rosa have taken top honors in the fall 2003 Stock Market Game sponsored by New Mexico State University’s College of Business Administration and Economics and the New Mexico Securities Division.

The State Championship was captured by Rio Rancho Mid-High School students James DeOreo (captain), Frances Doyle, Brendan Bidal and Nicole DeLorenzo, under the guidance of teacher Trisha Dworsky.

In the Essay Contest, first place in the Bull Division (grades 9-12) was taken by Cody Elton Huffmon, from Deming High School, under the guidance of teacher Claudia Rossman. First place in the Bear Division (grades 4-8) was snagged for the second semester in a row by Jenner Wagner Hedges, from Santa Rosa Elementary School, under the direction of teacher Olen J. Hedges.

The Stock Market Game was played this fall by more than 1,800 high school, middle school and elementary students and more than 200 college students in New Mexico.

“The stock market was very cooperative this fall with a few scary drops but mainly a gradual increase. It was an especially good time for students to see how both national and international events affected our economy and the markets,” said Dorothy Hughes, Stock Market Game coordinator at NMSU.”

Game officials are expecting an increase of participation in the spring due to the elimination of team fees for all teachers and students in New Mexico.

“This is possible because our new sponsor, Cabrera Capital Markets, Inc., is providing funding to cover the cost of all team fees and more. As we are celebrating our 20th year at NMSU, we couldn’t ask for a better anniversary present,” she said.

Stock Market Game teams begin with an imaginary $100,000 and during a 10-week period each semester make transactions with real stocks with the daily closing prices from all three stock exchanges. Players may buy, sell, short sell and short cover, and all transactions are charged a 2 percent broker fee. Teams may buy on margin and are charged 7 percent interest. Teams receive 5 percent interest on cash balances and receive dividends that are paid on stocks in their portfolios during the game. The goal is to increase the value of the portfolio as much as possible in the 10 weeks. The portfolios and ranking reports are updated daily.

Teams conduct all their transactions and perform much of their research online, aided by a number of other educational resources and Web sites, many of which are only available to registered SMG teachers and students.

Each semester the top state, regional, and essay contest winners in New Mexico are presented with plaques, T-shirts, and certificates and every participating teacher’s top team members are awarded certificates. Almost 200 awards were presented this fall.

Winners from both semesters are invited to awards luncheons, sponsored by Thornburg Funds, held each year in Albuquerque and Las Cruces in early May.

Other New Mexico winners include: First place in the Northern High Division, teacher Noel Hager and students from Sandia High School; second place in the North High Division, teacher Pamela Rothery and students from Sandia High School; first place in the Southern High Division, teacher Claudia Rossman and students from Deming High School; second place in the Southern High Division, teacher Lance Wilbanks and students from Artesia High School; first, second and third place in the Middle School Division, teacher Trisha Dworsky and students from Rio Rancho Mid-High School; first place in the Elementary School Division, teacher Annette Youngren and students from Larragoite Elementary; and second place in the Elementary School Division, teacher Betsy Ward and students from Animas Public Schools.

Before the game each semester, Hughes offers training workshops, during which game rules and general investing information is provided. Anyone interested in participating in the workshops and/or the Stock Market Game can contact Dorothy Hughes at (505) 646-3690 or at dhughes@nmsu.edu.

More information on the Stock Market Game can be found at: http://www.smgww.org.

Nationally, the Stock Market Game has been in operation for 27 years. More than 800,000 people participated last year in all 50 states. It is sponsored by the Foundation for Investor Education and receives financial support and teaching materials from many major corporations, brokerage firms and the three stock exchanges.

The New Mexico Stock Market Game, sponsored by New Mexico State University’s College of Business Administration and Economics and the New Mexico Securities Division, recently received $20,000 from Martin Cabrera Jr. to increase student participation in New Mexico public schools.

“I know firsthand how important it is to understand personal finance. In fact, if it weren’t for the Stock Market Game, I may not be where I am today,” said Cabrera, president of Cabrera Capital Markets Inc., an investment-banking and institutional brokerage firm. “The program teaches young people how to invest and use their analytical skills. It made a huge difference in my life and I hope it can have the same impact on these kids.”

The gift will be made in two installments over the next two years and will eliminate the basic activity fee required for participation.

“This is an exciting time for the Stock Market Game Program and wonderfully coincides with our 20th anniversary at NMSU,” said Dorothy Hughes, Stock Market Game coordinator at NMSU. “The response to this news from teachers has been very enthusiastic, so we are expecting a big increase in participation this spring, and a fun and vigorous competition for the students as they learn some valuable lessons from our program.”

The Stock Market Game is a computer simulated competition that has been played each fall and spring by more than 65,000 high school, middle school and elementary students throughout New Mexico over two decades.

Each team begins with an imaginary $100,000 to “invest” during a 10-week period each semester, while teachers incorporate the game’s supporting materials into their curriculum.

For more information about the Stock Market Game, visit the national Web site at http://www.smgww.org or contact Dorothy Hughes, the New Mexico SMG coordinator, at (505) 646-3690 or dhughes@nmsu.edu.

Students from Deming have taken top honors in the spring 2003 Stock Market Game (SMG) sponsored by the College of Business Administration and Economics at New Mexico State University and the New Mexico Securities Division.

Deming High School students James Donchess, Octavio Carreon and Jeremy Bowman, under the guidance of their teacher Claudia Rossman, won the state championship. Rachel Bailey, also a student of Rossman, won the essay contest for grades 9-12 and Jenner Wagner Hedges, under the direction of his teacher Olen J. Hedges of Santa Rosa Elementary School, won the essay contest for grades 4-8.

An innovative method for teaching economics to students, the SMG is a computer-simulated competition played this spring by almost 1,200 high school, middle school, and elementary students throughout New Mexico.

“The stock market fluctuated quite a bit this spring – both before and after the war began. Investors seemed very uncertain how the war would affect the economy and stock prices. Students participating in the SMG seemed more certain than the average investors, however, and were able to show excellent profits during the 10-week period that ended on April 17. We feel the participants learned some very valuable lessons this spring that will help them grow into intelligent and educated investors as adults – our primary goal,” said Dorothy Hughes, SMG coordinator at New Mexico State University.

Each team begins with an imaginary $100,000 and during a 10-week period each semester “plays” the market, making transactions based on the daily closing prices from all three stock exchanges. Players may buy, sell, short sell and short cover and all transactions are charged a 2 percent broker fee. Teams may buy on margin and are charged 7 percent interest. Teams receive 5 percent interest on cash balances and receive dividends that are paid on stocks in their portfolios during the game. The goal is to make as much money as possible. The portfolios and ranking reports are updated daily.

The Stock Market Game is the only stock market simulation-based educational program endorsed nationally by both the Security Industry Association and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Teams conduct all transactions and perform much of their research online, aided by a number of other educational resources and Web sites, many of which are only available to registered SMG teachers and students. Teachers have an administrative Web site where they can view their teams’ portfolios and have access to the learning Resource Center where many downloadable lesson plans and exercises are available. More information can be obtained by visiting the SMG Web site at: http://www.smgww.org.

Each semester the top state, regional, and essay contest winners in New Mexico are presented plaques and T-shirts and every participating teacher’s top team members are awarded certificates. Almost 130 awards were presented this spring. Both fall and spring winners are also invited to awards luncheons in Albuquerque and Las Cruces in May, Hughes said.

Other New Mexico winners included: Northern High Division, teacher Noel Hager and students from Sandia High School in Albuquerque; Southern High Division, teacher Pablo Martinez and students from University High School in Roswell; Middle School Division, teacher Tamara Wells-Banar and students from Los Alamos Middle School; and Elementary School Division, teacher Olen J. Hedges and students from Santa Rosa Elementary School.

Before the game each semester, Hughes offers training workshops, where the game rules and general investing information is provided. Anyone interested in participating in the workshops or the Stock Market Game can contact Hughes at (505) 646-3690 or at dhughes@nmsu.edu.

Nationally, the Stock Market Game has been in operation for 26 years. More than 700,000 people participated last year in all 50 states. It is sponsored by the Securities Industry Foundation for Economic Education and receives financial support and the donation of teaching materials from many major corporations, brokerage firms and the three stock exchanges.

Students from Artesia and Deming have taken top honors in the Fall 2002 Stock Market Game sponsored by the College of Business Administration and Economics at New Mexico State University and the New Mexico Securities Division.

The New Mexico State Championship was captured by Artesia High School students Robert Flores (captain), Brandon Haldeman, Brandon Salsberry, Brad Lewis and David Collins, under the guidance of teacher Cheto Moreno.

The Essay Contest Bull Division (grades 9-12) was won by Jonathan D. Butz, Deming High School, under the direction of his teacher, Claudia Rossman.

An innovative method for teaching economics to students, the Stock Market Game is a computer simulated competition played this fall by almost 2,400 high school, middle school and elementary students throughout New Mexico and West Texas.

“This fall was a bit more profitable than in the past couple of years because the economy began showing signs of a gradual recovery during the 10-week period of the game,” said Dorothy Hughes, Stock Market Game coordinator at NMSU. “In addition, the markets showed an effect from the elections in November — always an education for the students in how political events affect the nation’s economy. We the participants learned some very valuable lessons toward our ultimate goal of promoting intelligent and educated investors.”

Each team begins with an imaginary $100,000 and during a 10-week period each semester “plays” the market, making transactions based on the daily closing prices from all three stock exchanges. Players may buy, sell, short sell and short cover, and all transactions are charged a 2 percent broker fee. Teams may buy on margin and are charged 7 percent interest. Teams receive 5 percent interest on cash balances and receive dividends that are paid on stocks in their portfolios during the game.

The goal is to make as much money as possible. The portfolios are updated daily, and ranking reports are generated weekly.

The Stock Market Game is the only stock market simulation educational program endorsed nationally by both the industry (the Securities Industry Association) and the regulators of the industry (the Securities and Exchange Commission). Teams conduct all their transactions and perform much of their research online, aided by a number of other educational Web sites, many of which are available only to registered SMG teachers and students.

Teachers have an administrative site where they can view their teams’ portfolios and have access to the Learning Resource Center where many downloadable lesson plans and exercises are available. More information can be obtained by visiting the SMG Web site at http://www.smgww.org.

Each semester the top state, regional and essay contest winners in New Mexico and West Texas are presented plaques and T-shirts and every participating teacher’s top team members are awarded certificates. Hughes said more than 400 awards were presented this fall. Both fall and spring winners are also invited to awards luncheons in Albuquerque and Las Cruces in May.

Other New Mexico winners included: Northern High Division, teacher Pam Rothery and students from Sandia High School in Albuquerque; Southern High Division, teacher Cheto Moreno and students from Artesia High School; Middle School Division, teacher Mary Coburn and students from St. Charles Borromeo School in Albuquerque; and Elementary School Division, teacher Olen Hedges and students from Santa Rosa Elementary School.

Before the game each semester, Hughes offers training workshops, during which game rules and general investing information is provided. Anyone interested in participating in the workshops and/or the Stock Market Game can contact her at (505) 646-3690; write to NMSU Stock Market Game, P.O. Box 5021, UPB; Las Cruces, NM 88003-5021; or e-mail dhughes@nmsu.edu.

Nationally, the Stock Market Game has been in operation for 26 years; more than 700,000 people participated last year in all 50 states. It is sponsored by the Securities Industry Foundation for Economic Education and receives financial support and the donation of teaching materials from many major corporations, brokerage firms, and the three stock exchanges.

G. Carl Everett, an NMSU alumnus who has been a top executive with both Dell Computers and the Intel Corp., will be honored Friday, April 6, in the university’s Business Complex. Everett donated more than $78,000 for a computer room and the room will be named in his honor. (photo courtesy of Everett)

Carl Everett has been senior vice president of the Personal Systems Group of Dell Computers since 1998. So when Everett, who graduated from New Mexico State University in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, began discussing the needs of the university’s business school with the College of Business Administration and Economics Dean Danny Arnold, his thoughts turned naturally to the field he knows so well.

As a result of that conversation in 1999, the college will name a new computer room in NMSU’s Business Complex after Everett, in a ceremony to be held at 3 p.m. Friday, April 6. The room was made possible by Everett’s generous efforts, Arnold said.

According to Arnold, Everett donated $78,133 to remodel a room in the complex into a computer room, then bought and donated 36 computers for the room as well. Everett, in turn, gave some of the credit to students in Assistant Professor of Finance James Cotter’s Zia Fund Course, an NMSU stock portfolio management course in which students learn by selecting and monitoring stocks in an industry they have chosen to follow.

“When we agreed that I would help build the computer room, I opened my stock portfolio to the students. They originally picked $50,000 worth of stocks, but they did such a good job of picking that when the time came to build the stocks had grown in value,” he said.

Everett said he wanted to help the business school upgrade its computer education capabilities, because he believes personal computers have become an “indispensable” tool in everyone’s personal and professional lives.

He added that having the opportunity to attend NMSU made it possible for him to enjoy a productive career. Originally from Artesia, N.M., Everett began college at NMSU’s branch campus in Carlsbad, N.M.. “I’m proud that NMSU provides an education opportunity to everyone,” he said.

“Carl Everett is one of our college’s most successful graduates and we hope his education here helped ‘jump start’ his career,” Arnold said. “Everyone in the college is extremely grateful that Carl decided to give something back to his alma mater. The classroom is a great teaching facility.”

Everett joined Dell in 1998, after a 20-year career with the Intel Corp. He became an Intel vice president in 1989, overseeing North American sales and later all worldwide sales organizations. In 1994, he became a senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s successful Microprocessor Products Group, overseeing sales of Intel’s Pentium processor and the introduction of its P6 technology.

He said recently he will leave the Dell Computer Corp. in April to develop independent investment opportunities.

For more information on the dedication ceremony, contact Julie Smith at (505) 646-3587, or by e-mail at julsmith@nmsu.edu.

Students from Spearman and El Paso, Texas, have taken top honors in the Fall 1999 Stock Market Game Worldwide (SMGWW), sponsored by the New Mexico State University College of Business Administration and Economics. The West Texas Championship was won by Spearman Junior High School teacher Richard Trantham and students Garrett Martin (captain), Jentry Edwards, Nubia Maacharigue and Adan Briseno.

The top winner in the Essay Contest, Bull Division (grades 9-12) was student Erica Aragon of Socorro High School in El Paso, under the guidance of her teacher Mac McCarson. The Bear Division (grades 5-8) winner was student Kevin O’Donnell of Eastwood Knolls School, also in El Paso, under the guidance of his teacher, Patricia Gates. Monahans High School students and teacher Dianne Waggoner won the West Texas High School Division.

An innovative method for teaching economics to students, the NMSU Stock Market Game is a computer-simulated competition played by more than 4,500 high school, middle school and elementary school students throughout New Mexico and West Texas. “The game this fall has been exciting as well as educational due to the continuing increase of stock prices and a high level of press coverage of the U.S. economy,” said Dorothy Hughes, NMSU Stock Market Game coordinator. “Despite a few temporary dips in stock prices, the markets were at record highs at the end of the game.”

Each team playing the game begins with an imaginary $100,000 to invest in the market during a 10-week period, making transactions based on daily closing prices from all three stock exchanges. Players may buy, sell, short sell and short cover, and all transactions are charged a 2 percent broker fee. Teams also may buy on margin, says Hughes, but are charged interest at 7 percent. The goal is to make as much money as possible during the 10-week period. The Spearman team ended with a West Texas championship-winning $137,032.

There are two versions of the game. In the traditional method, transactions are recorded on scan sheets that are mailed to NMSU, read by an optical scanner, then fed into a computer. Each week the portfolios are updated and mailed, along with a ranking report, to each participating team.An Internet version began three years ago and has been steadily gaining in popularity, now representing 85 percent of registrations in the NMSU SMGWW. Teams are able to conduct their transactions online and receive dividends and interest on cash balances. Portfolios are updated daily and rankings are performed weekly on Friday nights. The Internet address is http://www.smgww.org.

Each semester the top state, regional and essay contest winners in New Mexico and West Texas are presented plaques and T-shirts and every participating teacher’s top team members are awarded certificates. More than 500 awards were presented this fall, Hughes said. All of the year’s winners also are invited to awards luncheons in Albuquerque and Las Cruces in May.

Before the game each semester, Hughes offers training workshops, during which game rules and general investing information is provided. Anyone interested in participating in the workshops or the Stock Market Game can contact Hughes at (505) 646-3690, via e-mail at dhughes@nmsu.edu or by mail at NMSU Stock Market Game, P.O. Box 5021, UPB, Las Cruces, NM 88003-5021.

Nationally, the Stock Market Game has been in operation for 23 years; more than 700,000 people participated last year in all 50 states. It is sponsored by the Securities Industry Foundation for Economic Education and receives financial support and the donation of teaching materials from many major corporations, brokerage firms and the three stock exchanges.

Students from Albuquerque have taken top honors in the Fall 1999 Stock Market Game Worldwide (SMGWW), sponsored by the New Mexico State University College of Business Administration and Economics and the New Mexico Securities Division. The State Championship was won by Rio Grande High School teacher Heather Pillman and 34 third-period students, led by captain Mark Hubchenko.

An innovative method for teaching economics to students, the NMSU Stock Market Game is a computer-simulated competition played by more than 4,500 high school, middle school and elementary school students throughout New Mexico and West Texas. “The game this fall has been exciting as well as educational due to the continuing increase of stock prices and a high level of press coverage of the U.S. economy,” said Dorothy Hughes, NMSU Stock Market Game coordinator. “Despite a few temporary dips in stock prices, the markets were at record highs at the end of the game.”

Each team playing the game begins with an imaginary $100,000 to invest in the market during a 10-week period, making transactions based on daily closing prices from all three stock exchanges. Players may buy, sell, short sell and short cover, and all transactions are charged a 2 percent broker fee. Teams also may buy on margin, said Hughes, but are charged interest at 7 percent. The goal is to make as much money as possible during the 10-week period. The Rio Grande team ended with a state championship-winning $154,609.

There are two versions of the game. In the traditional method, transactions are recorded on scan sheets that are mailed to NMSU, read by an optical scanner, then fed into a computer. Each week the portfolios are updated and mailed, along with a ranking report, to each participating team. An Internet version began three years ago and has been steadily gaining in popularity, now representing 85 percent of registrations in the NMSU SMGWW. Teams are able to conduct their transactions online and receive dividends and interest on cash balances. Portfolios are updated daily and rankings are performed weekly on Friday nights. The Internet address is http://www.smgww.org.

Each semester the top state, regional and essay contest winners in New Mexico and West Texas are presented plaques and T-shirts and every participating teacher’s top team members are awarded certificates. More than 500 awards were presented this fall, Hughes said. All of the year’s winners also are invited to awards luncheons in Albuquerque and Las Cruces in May.

Other New Mexico winners include Estancia High School students and teacher Mildred Pritchett, High School Division, and Maxwell Middle School students and teacher Richard Galli, Middle-Elementary Division.

Before the game each semester, Hughes offers training workshops, during which game rules and general investing information is provided. Anyone interested in participating in the workshops or the Stock Market Game can contact Hughes at (505) 646-3690, via e-mail at dhughes@nmsu.edu or by mail at NMSU Stock Market Game, P.O. Box 5021, UPB, Las Cruces, NM 88003-5021.

Nationally, the Stock Market Game has been in operation for 23 years; more than 700,000 people participated last year in all 50 states. It is sponsored by the Securities Industry Foundation for Economic Education and receives financial support and the donation of teaching materials from many major corporations, brokerage firms and the three stock exchanges.

Students from Albuquerque and Los Lunas, N.M., have taken top honors in the Spring 1999 Stock Market Game and SMG2000, sponsored by the New Mexico State University College of Business Administration and Economics and the New Mexico Securities Division. The State Championship was won by Sandia High School teacher Noel Hager and students Abby Dufay (captain), Nicole Dotson and Louis Cuellar. The top winner in the SMG Essay Contest, Bull Division (grades 9-12), was Los Lunas High School student Josette Arvizu, under the guidance of her teacher, Cynthia Baca.

An innovative method for teaching economics to students, the NMSU Stock Market Game is a computer-simulated competition played by over 4,500 high school, middle school and elementary school students throughout New Mexico and West Texas. According to Dorothy Hughes, NMSU Stock Market Game coordinator, “The game this spring has been exciting as well as educational due to the continuing increase in stock prices, despite a few scary dips. Winning portfolios held many technical and Internet stocks, many of which showed large gains during the course of the game.”

Each team playing the game begins with an imaginary $100,000 to invest in the market during a 10-week period, making transactions based on daily closing prices from all three stock exchanges. Players may buy, sell, short sell and short cover, and all transactions are charged a 2 percent broker fee. Teams also may buy on margin, said Hughes, but are charged interest at 7 percent. The goal is to make as much money as possible during the 10-week period. The Sandia team ended with a state championship- winning $184,514.

There are two versions of the game. In the traditional method, transactions are recorded on scan sheets that are mailed to NMSU, read by an optical scanner, then fed into a computer. Each week the portfolios are updated and mailed, along with a ranking report, to each participating team. An Internet version called SMG2000 began three years ago and has been steadily gaining in popularity, especially because the portfolios are updated daily, Hughes said. Over 65 percent of the teams participating this year were registered in SMG2000, representing a 228 percent increase from last year. Teams are able to conduct their transactions online and receive dividends and interest on cash balances. Rankings still are performed weekly on Friday nights. The Internet address is http://www.smg2000.org.

Each semester the top state, regional and essay contest winners in New Mexico and West Texas are presented plaques and T-shirts and every participating teacher’s top team members are awarded certificates. Over 800 awards were presented this spring, Hughes said. All of the year’s winners also are invited to awards luncheons in Albuquerque and Las Cruces.

Other New Mexico winners included Estancia High School students and teacher Mildred Pritchett, SMG High School Division; Sierra Middle School (Las Cruces) students and teacher Terri Hansen, SMG Middle-Elementary Division; Sandia High School students and teacher Jay Stephenson, SMG2000 grades 9-12; Los Alamos Middle School students and teacher Russ Shinn, SMG2000 grades 5-8; and NMSU student Brad Shipley, SMG2000 College Division.

Before the game each semester Hughes offers several training workshops, during which game rules and general investing information is provided. Anyone interested in participating in the workshops or the Stock Market Game can contact Hughes at (505) 646-3690, via e-mail at dhughes@nmsu.edu or by mail at NMSU Stock Market Game, P.O. Box 5021, UPB, Las Cruces, NM 88003-5021.

Nationally, the Stock Market Game has been in operation for 23 years; over 700,000 people participated last year in all 50 states. It is sponsored by the Securities Industry Foundation for Economic Education and receives financial support and the donation of teaching materials from many major corporations, brokerage firms and the three stock exchanges.