ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 11, 1997 TAG: 9703110084
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE THE ROANOKE TIMES
Blacksburg students learn to analyze foreign countries as well as their own business acumen in one of the first classes of its kind in the state.
In a corner classroom, one group of high school students can tell you more about the death of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping than Dan Rather.
"It's going to be a hard recovery," said Claire Moore, a senior. The Communist chief managed to bring about fundamental economic reforms, she said with authority. It will take a while for anyone to continue the momentum.
Not so, argued senior Brittany Clemmer, "He's been out of power so long, his death won't have any effect. With the [European Union] forming, China can't afford to stop moving forward."
And so it goes in the international business class at Blacksburg High School.
The class is not only new to Blacksburg High School; it's relatively new in the state. Culpeper County High School, between Charlottesville and Northern Virginia, was the first to offer it, and that's where teacher June Wang got her idea.
Wang, originally from China, said the multinational companies located in Blacksburg provided a strong base for study. And besides, "my father worked for the [United Nations]. I figured I know something about the global economy."
About half of the class are distinctly international: their families come from places such as India or Japan. The class even has its own exchange student from Belgium. A few say they want to study business in college, but not everyone.
Vishesh Chachra said he and others signed up for the elective class because whatever career they choose, they will have to understand the economy and political situations around the world. For these students, their back yard reaches as far as China.
The workload was more than some bargained for. Each week, a student must lead the class. Recently, it was Clemmer's turn to ask questions about a chapter on production systems.
"It gives the class more variety," she said, "It helps us understand what it's really like to get up in front of people and teach."
The class focuses on the social aspects on other nations just as much as the economic ones. A few weeks ago, Wang cooked Chinese food and taught the students how to use chop sticks.
The students must complete a whopping research project on a country, with analysis of major industries, population trends, political ideologies, literacy and business customs, to name a few.
They take field trips to international businesses such as Blacksburg's Federal Mogul. Each student must invite a speaker to class; many of the speakers are doctoral candidates at Virginia Tech from other countries.
Probably their biggest task, though, is their fledgling business. The students got as far as naming a company president and vice presidents of marketing and production.
Next, they needed a product. They tried painting bricks to resemble a school house, but the idea fell flat. They tried to sell candy - not much interest there either.
It's a sensitive subject, this struggling business. But some students can laugh about it, and most agree it's been quite a learning experience.
"You don't invest your money in a company that's not stable," said Moore, of their attempts to recruit investors.
The biggest event is still to come. Wednesday night, the class will be host for an International Dinner for at least 300.
Twenty percent of their grade is based on preparing for this event. They must log the hours spent going to businesses to solicit donations such as food, napkins or money. They even have to cook some of the food. Among the cuisines: Indian, Egyptian, Greek, Belgian, Lebanese, German, Mexican.
The food costs will come out of their own pockets. The students are hoping to gather enough money to reimburse themselves, give the president and other officers a salary increase (enough to pay for a burger and fries), and maybe even make a profit.
They are producing T-shirts commemorating the international dinner, an item they think should sell a bit better than bricks.
The Blacksburg High School International Business Class will be host to an International Dinner Wednesday 5-7 p.m. in the school. The cost is $5 per person, which includes dinner and music by jazz and Latino bands, plus entertainment by the Madrigal Singers and The "Soul" of Seoul dancers.
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM/THE ROANOKE TIMES. 1. June Wang teaches herby CNBinternational business class. 2. Tom Dryer, who lived in Belgium for
three years as a marketing manager for GTE, tells students about his
experience working overseas. color.