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WHS Economics students run with the bulls in 2014-2015 Stock Market Game

Dobesh & Jones crowned State Champions in both Fall/Spring games (out of 698 NE teams) & Robichaud/Syverson/Schleiger take Spring Runners-Up (out 400 teams)!

May 04, 2015

A future on Wall Street? WHS students (from left) Jacob Robichaud, Seth Syverson, Matt Dobesh, Marcus Jones & Caleb Schleiger competed in the Spring 2015 Stock Market Game. Dobesh & Jones were crowned State Champions, defeating 698 other Nebraska teams from the spring and fall games, and Robichaud, Syverson & Schleiger took runner-up in the Spring game, beating out 400 other teams!

Wahoo High School students are bullish on the Stock Market Game!

“Chasing off the bears and running with the bulls” is what WHS junior Jordan Ptacek said the students in Mrs. Shanahan’s Economics classes have been doing for the past 15 weeks.

Four hundred teams from across the state, including 14 teams from WHS, participated in the 15-week spring stock market simulation.

In this biannual competition (every fall and spring), sponsored by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), student teams invest a hypothetical $100,000 in listed stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, all hoping to maximize a high return on their portfolio.

WHS senior Kyle White won this year's Stock Market Game t-shirt design competition.

This year’s Stock Market Game State Champions and 2^nd place winners came from Wahoo High School!

WHS sophomores Matt Dobesh and Marcus Jones placed 1st in the Spring competition, defeating 400 other teams from across Nebraska! They were crowned overall State Champions, with the highest equity position from both games (fall and spring), defeating 698 teams from all divisions.

Over the course of the 15 weeks, they increased their equity position to $126,818.

Placing 2^nd in the spring competition were teammates WHS junior Jacob Robichaud, and WHS sophomore Seth Syverson and Caleb Schleiger, who increased their equity position to $124,390.

Both teams were honored at the April 29 Banquet of Champions, sponsored by the Nebraska Council on Economic Education at the Champions Club in Lincoln.

Winning SMG students were honored at the April 29 Banquet of Champions at the Champions Club in Lincoln.

Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Mike Foley gave the welcome address, and Brian Willet, a financial adviser at Waddell & Reed in Lincoln, gave the Keynote Address. Both emphasized the importance of financial education for our students, and praised the Stock Market Game for giving the students an opportunity to learn in a fun and interactive manner.

Dobesh and Jones also had the opportunity to give a presentation on their winning strategy and their portfolio decisions.

Also honored at the banquet was WHS senior Kyle White, who designed the t-shirt for this year’s Stock Market Game. Everyone attending the banquet received a t-shirt printed with White’s design.

According to the SIFMA website, “The competition uses the curriculum-based Stock Market Game, a program of the SIFMA Foundation, to help students develop a better understanding of the global economy, strengthen their personal financial skills, and improve their knowledge of math, economics, and business.”

Dobesh believes he will someday invest in the stock market, and that this game “introduced me to some of the smaller companies instead of just the major companies.”

Syverson’s response when asked about the SMG was “stocks rock!”

“The Stock Market Game gives students a hands-on experience of investing without having to risk any of their own money. It allows them to have a better understanding of the economy and its effect on the stock market, businesses and the consumer,” commented WHS Business Instructor Barb Shanahan.

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