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Student competition to boost communities

Apprentice Challenge not just for business majors, winners receive full-tuition scholarship

By James Kruger
jkruger1@mscd.edu

Some students may have thought they spotted Donald Trump at Auraria in the last few weeks. It’s hard to mistake that hair.

But Trump’s would-be double is actually Joshua Anderson, assistant director for Metro’s Alumni Programs and Development, who donned the characteristic hairstyle to promote the college’s Apprentice Challenge.

The challenge is a program designed by the Alumni Association that will select 20 Metro students to engage in four team-based challenges during the ’08 semester. The winner will receive a full-tuition scholarship for the 2008-09 academic year plus a paid internship with one of the sponsors of the program.

Metro’s version of the popular NBC TV show “The Apprentice” is different in several respects.

“Nobody is going to get fired,” said Stephanie Carroll, assistant director of Alumni Programs and Communications, referring to Trump’s tagline on the show. “This is more than a marketing plan. This is about how Metro can make a change in the community and do something positive.”

The Alumni Association is gearing the challenges to be socially conscious — promoting accessible health care, getting out the vote and addressing issues with poverty.

“We’re an urban campus in the middle of downtown. We need to get involved with what’s going on around campus,” Carroll said.

An example of a challenge alumni representatives routinely pitch is a health fair project set in two low-income neighborhoods for which participants would split into teams to promote, advertise, organize and stage the fairs. A local company or nonprofit organization will sponsor each event.

Anderson said any profits from such events will go to whatever organization sponsors it.

The association declined to provide details as to which companies or organizations might be involved with the challenge and added that the sponsors have not yet been finalized.

After the challenges have been completed, Apprentice participants will be judged to determine the overall winner of the scholarship and internship.Sponsor representatives will also determine which team most successfully pulled off each challenge--a designation that comes with its perks.

The winning team may be awarded with a helicopter ride, a VIP invite to a special event or access to a local celebrity, according to the Apprentice Challenge’s website. This is similar to how contestants on the NBC show are awarded for successfully completing challenges.

The association plans to announce the winner of the program in May during its “Boardroom Event,” which will also showcase film highlights of the two teams working on the various projects. After viewing the clips, the audience can participate in voting for the winner.

Despite similarities, the Alumni Association is quick to distance itself from the TV show and the backstabbing competition it is known for.

“Competition is good, but we don’t want to duplicate the negativity,” Carroll said.

The association made sure there were no copyright infringements involving their program and the TV show. But a complete disassociation is proving difficult. Just as the show placed an emphasis on business, many students are associating Metro’s Apprentice Challenge with business as well.

“I don’t think it really applies to me,” said Metro student Heather Broadhead, who considered signing up for the challenge. “I’m a biology major and it seems more business-orientated.”

That the challenge only benefits business majors is a misperception, alumni representatives said.

“The projects that we are developing are going to be broad-based enough so that there is a lot of practical experience regardless of what you’re major is,” Anderson said, adding that the projects will also be designed around the applicants once they are selected.

As of Sept. 24, the association had received only one completed application. But the organizers are not worried. They have extended the application deadline to noon Oct. 1.

“We know that students go by deadlines,” said Janelle Lindsey, director of Metro’s Special Initiatives for Alumni Relations and Enrollment Services, who also serves on the committee in charge of selecting applicants.

Other students are considering signing up and are excited about the challenge’s appeal.

“I’m interested — it’ll pay my tuition,” Metro student Ali Edinger said, “Besides, I love the TV show.”

Applications can be downloaded from the Apprentice Challenge website http://www. mscd.edu/~alumni/apprenticechallenge/ or picked up at the Office of Alumni Relations at 1059 9th St. Park at Auraria. All applications must be submitted to the Office of Alumni Relations and inquires can be made to Janell Lindsey at 303-556-6344 or lindseja@mscd.edu.