Candidates vie for 'Associate' position

Tuesday night, eight business students exchanged nervous smiles while they waited for Towson's replica of "The Apprentice" to finally begin.
"Does anyone have heart medicine?" one of the candidates asked. "This is nerve-wracking."
The candidates, chosen by the College of Business and Economics after an application process, are all senior business majors set to graduate in May. For the next eight weeks, they will vie to become The Associate.
At a kickoff event in the Administration Building, the candidates met their new boss and prepped for next week's first firing.
The four female candidates are Amanda Knott (marketing), Brianna Lindner (finance), Megan Olmert (marketing), and Reanna Tarleton (international business and Spanish). The four male candidates are Matthew Leebel (business administration), Truong Doan (finance), Steve Kruskamp, Jr. (marketing/business administration), and Jerry Jones (Spanish literature, computer informational systems, and business administration). The structure of the weekly event will be similar to the popular NBC reality show. The student candidates will compete against each other for a job at 1st Mariner Bank in Baltimore.
Taking Donald Trump's position will be Ed Hale, a prominent local businessman and entrepreneur. A Baltimore native, Hale chairs the bank board and owns the Baltimore Blast soccer team.
He was selected for his achievements as a businessman, including being named Entrepreneur and Businessman of the Year. Laleh Malek, a marketing and E-business professor, said Hale's experience will be helpful for the students.
"We thought it would be a great idea for the students to see somebody who has gone through what he has gone through and reached the place that he has reached," she said. "It's a lot for him to take on...we're honored he's accepted."
Hale was introduced to the candidates as each one gave a speech describing what they have accomplished and what the business world holds for them in the future. Participants took a different approach to stand out and show Hale that he or she was the rightful Associate. Jones explained the 10 important requirements for business. He included communication, effective use of technology, and social engineering as some of his more important examples.
Olmert took the opportunity to introduce herself to Hale by explaining her active participation and experiences throughout college.
"I'm excited to be here and work with Mr. Hale," she said. "And I want to beat out my job-seeking competitors."
Kruskamp, on the other hand, explained his knowledge in business and how he is a good candidate but ended his speech by expressing the importance of teamwork. "We are all contenders, but not one of us will win if we do not remain connected as business associates and as friends at the end," he said.
Once each candidate finished their speech, Hale addressed the group and eased their nerves by telling them that, although the structure will be similar to "The Apprentice" television show, his actions will not be very Trump-like.
"I'm not going to be like Donald Trump because I don't even like the guy," Hale joked. "I want to encourage, not discourage, in this experience."
Hale wants the game to be less of a reality show and more of a learning and career building experience. He told the group he was proud of them for standing up in front of cameras and people they had just met to address him in a speech.
"I don't think I could have done this," Hale said. "I think I was about 42 when I stopped getting butterflies."
President Robert Caret and Dennis Finnegan, who works on the retail side of Hale's bank, will help Hale with the "firings."
"[We] are the right and left arm for Hale," Caret said. "We'll share our insights." Finnegan explained the judge's excitement is carried on several levels. First, they see The Associate as an opportunity to meet and work with the "next generation of business talent."
Also, the judges think Towson will be strengthened in a business sense through this experience. Caret said not only will the students be benefited, but also the University through its partnership with corporate offices during this project. Caret hopes the businesses involved will see this event as a creative and favorable idea for students. Finally, since the five projects the groups will work on will be with local businesses, Finnegan hopes to "train the students with Baltimoreans and keep the wonderful talent here."
The meeting Tuesday was just an introduction to the tasks at hand. The candidates were separated into two groups: Bank Shot and Dynasty. Bank Shot includes Leebel, Doan, Knott, and Tarleton. Dynasty is made up of the remaining four candidates, Lindner, Olmert, Kruskamp, and Jones.
At a meeting the following day, the first case to each group was distributed. Malek explained each Wednesday the groups will be assigned a new case and have Thursday and Friday to meet with their clients.
On Saturdays the groups will be put in separate rooms to discuss their ideas for the case and prepare to present their results to the company on Sundays. One group will win and be rewarded a prize similar to the show.
The winning students will be invited out to dinner with a prominent business worker from the community, or "something in that caliber," according to Malek.
The group that does not win the case will meet in the boardroom and one person will be fired. "Firings" will take place on Tuesdays.
While Hale might have intimidated the candidates in the beginning, he too was not sure what to think about the whole event and the people involved.
"I didn't know quite what to expect," he said. "The students were prepared, poised, and mostly really impressive."
The overall message Hale wants students to capture from this opportunity was written on a timeline poster of his life propped up on a counter in the boardroom: "In all aspects of business and life: care, be passionate, and be enthusiastic."

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