{"id":70446,"date":"2021-02-08T11:48:16","date_gmt":"2021-02-08T16:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=70446"},"modified":"2021-02-08T15:55:17","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T20:55:17","slug":"goodman-students-succeed-during-online-competition-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2021\/02\/goodman-students-succeed-during-online-competition-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Goodman students succeed during online competition season"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to competing in academic case competitions, Goodman students excel at presentation delivery.\u00a0They know how to work\u00a0a room, control their body language and\u00a0engage the judges.<\/p>\n

So,\u00a0with this year\u2019s DECA U National and JDC Central\u00a0case\u00a0competitions held online, they prepared for the added challenge of presenting\u00a0to a computer screen.<\/p>\n

Each competition includes several categories, such as parliamentary debate, social challenges and sports tournaments, but the main focus is academic case competitions. Students receive scenarios that mimic real-life business situations in marketing, finance, digital strategy, human resource management and more. They have a limited amount of time to analyze the case, come up with strategic recommendations and an implementation plan, and prepare a visual presentation. Under normal circumstances, teams of one to four students would then present to a room filled with judges and spectators.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodman students are well versed in the theatrics of public speaking,\u201d said Sukhwinder Gill, Goodman DECA President, who also competed in the national championships Jan. 16 and 17. \u201cWe deliver in a way that is fuelled by confidence and wows the judges. It sets us apart from the competition. Presenting in an online environment, however, makes it harder to project energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Goodman\u2019s JDC Central team received ample support from Brock graduates, including a record 23 alumni watching the live case competition presentations.<\/p><\/div>\n

The DECA U team prepared for their online competition through weekly training sessions and a mock competition held over the winter break. Students also practised\u00a0projecting their voices and dreamed\u00a0up ideas for creative visuals that would captivate judges.<\/p>\n

Goodman\u2019s JDCC team prepared for a similar online experience, Jan. 23 to 24, with guidance from faculty advisor Lewis Stevenson and JDCC alumni Tyler Bergey (BBA \u201920) and Manvir Brar (BAcc \u201920), who acted as co-captains. In addition to practising their presentation skills, the team focused on the design and content on their PowerPoint slides.<\/p>\n

\u201cA team\u2019s presentation style \u2014\u00a0their cohesion and presence \u2014 can usually\u00a0cover\u00a0up some of the content flaws\u00a0in their recommendations,\u201d said Bergey. \u201cBut in an online environment, students end up being a tiny icon at the bottom of the screen. This made it important to fine-tune the details of our recommendations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although both Goodman teams had reduced participation this year due to the online nature of the competition, they attracted an increased number of new delegates who had never participated in the competition before.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor some of the DECA U delegates, it was their first time undertaking a case competition at all,\u201d said Gill. \u201cEven so, they worked hard, made their mark and finished with a strong placing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Goodman\u2019s DECA U team was comprised of 50 delegates who collectively won 22 medals, including first place in debate, two academic cases, business-to-business marketing and sports and entertainment marketing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn regard to the ratio of delegates to medals, this was probably the best we\u2019ve ever done,\u201d said Gill. \u201cLast year, we won 24 medals from 60 delegates, so we were very close to breaking Goodman\u2019s medal count record.\u201d<\/p>\n

Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes is proud of the DECA U and JDCC teams for their efforts and successes at the competitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cI applaud the students who competed this year and represented Goodman on the national stage,\u201d he said. \u201cThe past year has been a difficult one for many of us, yet these students showed resilience and courage to compete under unfamiliar and ever-changing circumstances. Their dedication to their personal and professional development is admirable.\u201d<\/p>\n

The accomplishments of the Goodman DECA U team have earned them a spot at the DECA International Career Development Conference taking place in April.<\/p>\n

Goodman’s JDCC team of 30 finished second in both finance and marketing academic case competitions, as well as first in digital sports.<\/p>\n

The team had a lot of support from Goodman JDCC alumni. In addition to Bergey and Brar leading the team as co-captains, a record 23 alumni watched the presentations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just goes to show you how far-reaching JDCC really is,\u201d said Brar. \u201cThere\u2019s alumni who are two or three years removed from school who dedicated their entire day to watch how the new team is developing. It shows the family aspect within JDC.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bergey added, \u201cPeople jump up and down screaming when the team places. It\u2019s incredible to watch someone who has gone through the same experiences as you, who have put in all the same work that you have.\u201d<\/p>\n

DECA U provincials results:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The following teams received medals for their final award standings in their categories:<\/p>\n