Fun and finance came together thanks to first ever Foster Week, five days of business-themed events hosted by student organizations related to the Foster College of Business.
“This is the first ever Foster Week, but we’re hoping it grows and becomes an annual tradition,” Sharon Mozes, president of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council (DSAC), said.
The Foster Week began Monday with a barbecue on Baker Quad arranged by DSAC. The barbecue was free to all business students. On Tuesday, Beta Alpha Psi hosted a game of Business Trivia, while on Wednesday the American Marketing Association held an educational luncheon.
On Thursday, Women in Business and Gamma Iota Sigma hosted “Are You Smarter Than Your Professor,” a game modeled after the show “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader” in which students competed against their professors in trivia.
In addition to these games and events, Foster Week also involved a can drive.
“We call it the ‘Can War,’” Mozes, a senior marketing and management and leadership double major, said. “The different departments within the college competed to collect the most cans for the Peoria Food Bank. Whoever wins gets a trophy.”
Foster Week will conclude today with Phi Chi Theta’s Business Olympics at 2 p.m. on Baker Quad.
“We’ve never done the Business Olympics with people outside of Phi Chi before so this will be an interesting experience,” Phi Chi Theta President Aubrey Smith said. “We usually do it as part of our alumni weekend, which is fun because the alumni get super competitive, but we decided to open it up to the entire Foster College.”
Smith, a junior psychology major, said there will be six games: a three-legged race, a business-suit run, a tug of war, a paperclip tower building competition, a trash can toss, a hula hoop pass and a blindfold game. Snacks will be provided.
Students and faculty will compete in teams of four. Registration is not required, but there is a maximum of eight teams. The winning team will be awarded four $5 gift cards for Starbucks.
“The olympics are really chill and a lot of fun,” Smith said. “It’s more about bonding than about business, and it’s really fun to either compete or cheer on the teams.”
Mozes said the goal of Foster Week was to build a sense of community amongst students.
“There are a lot of people who are very involved in the college of business, but there’s a lot of people who just come to class and leave,” Mozes said. “It’s a lot more rewarding when you feel like you’re part of the college, and when you feel like your college cares about you and you care about it. So, we’re hoping this week will offer students an opportunity to build a relationship with their college.”
