By Brianna Spause and Ashley Titler
Special Features Editor and Entertainment Editor

Eighth grade students from all three of Neshaminy School District’s middle schools have been given the unique opportunity to compete in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s cooperative learning program, “Takin’ Care of Business.” Supported by the Bucks County Intermediate Unit and with help from the library media specialists, students were presented with a live webcast with hall of fame education coordinator, John Goehrke in order to participate in an interactive financial stimulation.

The simulation illustrated the risk and reward of the business end of Rock & Roll. “Sometimes it will be a wise decision to take a risk,” Goehrke said. Students were assigned a band, and given a plethora of financial options to choose from as they planned their world tour. They faced a series of challenges that focused on the three main parts of business; manufacturing, distribution and consumption.

The first challenge the students were asked to complete dealt with selling merchandise. This challenge focused on determining the appropriate pricing for different merchandise based on supply and demand. The second challenge was all about recording a debut CD and how much they were willing to spend. Finally, the students were asked to choose the bands method of transportation, meal plan and lodging.
Each category had three selections ranging from a lower, more mediocre choice to very expensive but highly desirable choice. The focus of the final challenge was production quality.

Students were asked to vote on each option in a majority rules fashion, and even asked to stand up and defend their choices – making a case to their peers. The act of voicing their own opinions engaged the eighth grade students, and introduced them into the world of entrepreneurship. “It was a practical experience that [these students] can use to possibly start their own businesses someday,” business man and Neshaminy School Board member Mark Shubin said.

For some students, including Maple Point student Corey Barsky, using music as a business venture was a more effective learning opportunity than strict textbook learning. “It’s a different experience. We’re 13, and music is our lives. It’s cool to think that someday we could be this famous and successful,” Barsky said.

The program is a district wide competition, in which the three classes with the most successful outcome at the end of the simulation will be entered into a raffle. The lucky student drawn from the raffle will receive a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame t-shirt. Students will experience how it is in the real world where the winner gets the grand prize.

“Videoconferencing technology leverages the high-speed fiber optic network to expand the number of learning opportunities available to the students and educators for real world collaborations with peers and experts outside of the physical classroom and school building,” Mark Hoffman, Director of Instructional Materials and Technology and the Bucks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU) #22 said.

This is the first year the program has been implemented into Neshaminy School district, through a grant to the BCIU. In order to continue the promising program in the following years, “We’re hoping that we’ll find the opportunity to find funding,” Maple Point Business Computer Information Technology teacher Siri Sammartino said. The funding for this program may be difficult to come across but if the school finds a way to participate in the program in following years it will demonstrate to students the reward of taking financial risks.