SIFE gives financial guidance to community

A different kind of service group called Students In Free Enterprise is helping members of the community manage their finances. SIFE is a group of business majors who teach the community useful tips about money and the business world. "SIFE is based on four principles," Joseph Cosio, president of SIFE, said. "They are national business ethics, national fiscal fitness, national entrepreneurship and national free market economies. We try to do our projects based on these four principles." One of SIFE's projects for this year is helping establish a corporate governance research center in the college of business. The group's other major projects throughout the year include: Credit Card Education, Laurel High School, Knoxville Paintball and The Reef Relief. SIFE, however, doesn't just do projects based on the four principles. "We have ideas of working with a company called Lighthouse," Cosio said. "We would reach out to women's shelters and help them get their finances straight." SIFE has also been known to teach elementary school students the importance of saving money, and college students the responsible use of credit. In conjunction with National Business Ethics month in October, the group is sponsoring a lecture on business ethics, an important but under-represented aspect of the corporate world. The former dean of the College of Business, Warren Neal, will present the ethics. "He (Neal) will talk about what it entails to be a board member of a business and how they use ethics to govern a corporation," Cosio said. "We want to bring this to students, because it is not often talked about." Doing all these projects does not go unnoticed. Every year, a national competition is held for the organization to present their service projects. The judges are the heads and CEOs of major corporations, such as Wal-mart and BIC. "We (SIFE) are sponsored by over a hundred organizations," Cosio said. "Wal-mart is our biggest sponsor." There are more advantages to being in SIFE than promoting free enterprise and educating the public about business and money management. Employment opportunities often present themselves to members of the group. "The networking is a big plus," Cosio said. "Each semester, SIFE sponsors a recruitment fair. Last fall, we went to Atlanta; there were over 30 companies there. Also, it is not uncommon for companies to recruit on the spot as competition." Another advantage SIFE has to offer is leadership opportunities and flexibility. "SIFE is really good for people who are involved in campus activities," Ruchee Patel, vice president, said. "It is project oriented so you don't have to commit yourself to absolutely everything. "I also like the fact that what I put on my resume is what I did," she continued. "In other service organizations, we're told what to do, but in SIFE we have to figure it out ourselves. Every role in SIFE is a leadership opportunity, because we direct ourselves." Unlike many other business groups on campus, SIFE membership is free and open to all majors. For more information on SIFE, visit http://web.utk.edu/~sife/, e-mail them at SIFE@utk.edu, or drop in on a meeting, held every Monday at 4 p.m. in Glocker 75.