Integrated New Media student pushed the start of the Investment Club By Kate Luce
Integrated New Media Studies students are working with business students, to invest real money in ever-changing stocks through the newly formed campus Investment Club. Students with an interest in investing, learning about stock dividends, and 401K benefits are welcome to join the club. No money is necessary. Hanah Gerencer, BFA ’20 Integrated New Media Studies, is serving as club president, and started the Investment Club. Gerencer and some business students developed an interest in starting the club after a class with retired business professor, Mark Bradford. Gerencer has ties to the world of business, as she originally was a business major before she switched to an Integrated New Media Studies degree. She decided that the club was needed on campus. Bradford, the club’s advisor divided the members into groups. He then gave real
money to each group. The groups then invested the money into many different businesses. It was up to the students to make investment decisions. Currently, students have put their money in a variety of companies from Walt Disney to Tesla to Chipotle.
The Investment Club wants students to learn how to invest in the stock market. The club invests Bradford’s money to help understand the market, and to help students gain the necessary skills to pursue their personal investment goals.
“At a typical meeting, the club will break up into our respective groups and discuss the stocks we are currently holding in our portfolios. For example, many teams hold around five different stocks at a time in which they can buy or sell at our weekly meetings. After learning the best practices of performing stock research, students can successfully research and choose the stock they are interested in,” Gerencer says.
“There is not another club like this on campus that gives students the ability to invest real money in real time. Risktaking is part of the fun of this club as it allows students to experience real-life investing before trying it out [with their own money],” Gerencer says.
At the end of the Spring 2020 semester, the club expected to examine the portfolios and donate the money to a campus charity. In early spring, the team had a gain of $1,013 but the stocks are ever-changing.
The Investment Club typically has meetings in EA 1015 every Wednesday, starting at 5:30 p.m. Most meetings last less than an hour. You can check out Titan Atlas for more information on the club once school resumes this fall.
Although the club started in Fall 2019, they are open to collaborating with other clubs and having guest speakers.
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