By SARAH L. OSTLER
The Management Society is sponsoring 'Run With the Bulls,' an activity to simulate interest in the stock market.
'When more people are buying (stocks), it's called a bull market,' said Chad Dinning, co-chair of the Management Society, a second-year student in the Masters in Accounting program from Columbus, Ohio.
Buying will be an essential part of the activity. Participants will be allocated '$1 million' to invest in whatever stocks they choose. Beginning Oct. 13, participants will trade stocks. At 5 p.m., Nov. 7, trading will end. Whoever has the highest dollar amount in their portfolio wins.
For several years, the Investment Challenge has drawn participants, this is the first year it has been accessible through the Internet.
David Carr, a student in his final year of the MBA program, developed the website.
He spoke to colleagues after last year's challenge. They discussed the inefficiency of having specific trading hours and using slips of paper to trade.
'I got an idea. I had a websever and the project excited me,' Carr said.
He began in December 1996 and spent about two months working on it, he said.
'Before, we could only do limited trades,' said Brannen Child, a senior from Quincy, Wash., majoring in accounting. With the Internet site, participants can trade easily and often.
All buying and selling will take place at the non-profit website, http://www.investmentchallenge.com. Participants will be given a username and password to access their portfolio.
All students and faculty are invited to participate. Members of the Management Society can play for free. The cost for all other participants is $10.
Zion's Investment Securities, Inc., who is sponsoring the event, will hold a lecture On Oct. 9 with one of their investment officers.
'We'll talk about wise investments for retirement,' Child said. They will also discuss the fundamentals of the stock market.
The lecture, in 251 TNRB at 11 a.m., is open to all interested. Those who are participating in the Investment Challenge are specifically invited to attend.
Carr developed the website after taking a class in advanced programming. He wanted to help people understand the stock market.
The site has been accessed by students at other universities, professors, and some high schools. It is a risk-free way to experiment with investing, according to the website.
'It's just something I do to keep my skills up-to-date,' Carr said.
The Investment Challenge was first developed to help participants learn to maximize his or her investment abilities.
Contestants may sign up in front of the 4th floor entrance of the N. Eldon Tanner Building or in 490 TNRB until Oct. 10. They will receive their passwords then, as well as a T-shirt.
The top 20 finishers will be awarded prizes from gift certificates to software.
The first place winner will receive more than $200 in stock at Zion's Investment Securities, Inc. This money will be invested in whatever stocks the winner chooses, free of charge.
Any questions regarding the Investment Challenge should be directed to Child 377-2556 or 490 TNRB.