February 4, 2020

The Mayville State University Division of Business hosted its annual Business Activity Day on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. Nearly one hundred high school students from Mayport-CG, Hatton-Northwood, Central Valley, Larimore, and Fertile-Beltrami attended the event held on campus. Business Activity Day is a tradition that has been around for a long time. Participants competed in business-related events ranging from an entrepreneurial “Shark Tank” presentation to job interviews. Business students and DECA members volunteered to judge events and choose winners.

Rhonda Nelson, chair of the Division of Business, said, “Business Activity Day is a way to get kids on campus, and we hope that it helps to prepare them for state FBLA and DECA competitions.” While the Business Activity Day has evolved over the years, Nelson said that the main focus remains intact: improving student learning.

After the morning competitive events, students gathered in the MSU Classroom Building Auditorium to listen to 25-year veteran meteorologist Daryl Ritchison present his topic, “Economic Opportunities in Understanding Weather Patterns.” Ritchison is the director of NDAWN (North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network), and his goal is to make everyone proactive instead of reactive to weather. This is because, as he stated, “Weather is a key player in every single thing we do.”

According to Ritchison, if we could learn the basics to predicting and understanding weather, it would make it easier to get prepared for changes in agriculture, business, and day-to-day life. He works with many different companies throughout North Dakota and Minnesota to help them decide when the best time for harvesting and planting is based on previous and current weather patterns.

While Ritchison used many technical terms throughout the presentation, there was one thing he wanted to make sure that his audience understood. “No matter what you do, there are clues on the table, and like putting a puzzle together, you just need to understand what they are,” he said.

Students were able to participate in a question-answer period after Ritchison’s presentation.

Overall, Business Activity Day was a success. The goal of the MSU Business Division is to see more students participate in Business Activity Day each year, as the event continues to evolve and become an even better learning experience.

Winners for Business Activity Day Events:

Business Ethics: 1st – Larimore; 2nd – Hatton-Northwood; 3rd – Fertile-Beltrami

Business Presentation: 1st – Fertile-Beltrami

Entrepreneurship “Shark Tank”: 1st – Fertile-Beltrami; 2nd – Hatton-Northwood; 3rd – Larimore

International Business: 1st – Fertile-Beltrami

Job Interview: 1st – Fertile-Beltrami; 2nd – May-Port CG; 3rd – Larimore

Microsoft Office Word & Excel Project: 1st – Fertile-Beltrami; 2nd – May-Port-CG; 3rd – Larimore

Sales Presentation: 1st – Central Valley; 2nd – Hatton-Northwood; 3rd – Fertile-Beltrami

Sports Entertainment Management: 1st – Hatton-Northwood; 2nd – May-Port CG; 3rd – Fertile-Beltrami

Team Exam: 1st – Fertile-Beltrami; 2nd – Hatton-Northwood; 3rd – Central Valley