UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 35, Page 5
June 22, 1995
Economics center sponsors contest for area students

     The marks in this case were bookmarks, and the race was on, as each
team of four (pictured above) tried to make as many book marks of high
quality as they could in 20 minutes.
     The occasion was the ninth annual Meaningful Economics Competition,
sponsored June 1 by the UD Center for Economic Education and
Entrepreneurship in Purnell Hall for more than 200 4th, 5th and 6th graders
from New Castle and Kent county schools. The students were from classes
that have participated in the center's economic programs.
     According to Bonnie Meszaros, the center's associate director, the
teams participated in several activities during the day, including a
bookmark production exercise.
     The first part of the program was a written test, taken as a team.
     This was followed by an economics problem: A drinking straw company
had the capacity for increasing production, but there was no new demand for
drinking straws. Each group had to develop a new use for straws and an
advertising campaign and to make a presentation before a panel of judges.
There were such inventive uses for straws as disposable eye-droppers,
hamster swings, twist and twirl hair bun holders and ear cleaners.
     The students, who were given T-shirts sporting the motto "WIN for ME,"
designed T-shirts for next year's Meaningful Economics competitors.
     The day concluded with a talk from alumna Sue Odgen, Delaware '78, an
inventor and entrepreneur, who developed the Mommy Doll.
     At awards time, each school was recognized with a ribbon for its
winning ways in different  categories.
                                                        -Sue Swyers Moncure