FMA Student Chapter visits NYC (March 2008)
Contributed by Alyssa Price, FMA President
On March 26 at 4:45 a.m. 43 students from the business school along with Dr. Dustin Chambers and Dr. Danny Ervin boarded a bus heading for New York City. Planned by Rebekah Maclean-Blevins, the students were privileged to visit three amazing sites during the two-night stay in the Big Apple.
The first visit was to the Museum of American Finance where we were able to see the newest exhibit, a wall-length graph detailing the cause and effect events of the recent financial crisis. The second visit allowed 30 lucky students to go five stories below NYC inside the vault in the Federal Reserve Bank where approximately $170 billion dollars in gold bars are held. Also, at the Federal Reserve, there is an exhibit documenting the change of money throughout time and in center display was the rare 1933 Double Eagle coin worth over $7 million dollars.
The final visit was to Société Générale where John Fitzgerald, Class of 1995, showed us the ins and outs of the French banking firm he is now employed at in the Human Resources Department. After listening to several speakers from various divisions within the company, we were given a tour of the trading floors and saw many crowded desks with anywhere from two to nine computer screens stacked on top of each other.
During free time in between the three site visits students were given a chance to roam the streets of NYC attending shows, shopping and having a good time. All 43 exhausted students and two teachers returned safely on Saturday evening. The trip was organized by the Financial Management Association (FMA).
FMA Student Chapter visits NYC (March 2007)
The group departed the Guerrieri University Center parking lot aboard a chartered bus at about 6:30 AM on Thursday, March 29, 2007. All students expected to be on the trip were present. The group consisted of approximately 36 students (two of whom drove to NYC because of an early, sports related, commitment on Saturday) and two faculty members (Drs. Shetty and Claggett); all of the PSB. We arrived at the Holiday Inn SoHo Hotel - Manhattan at Lafayette Avenue and Howard street at about 12:00 noon. After checking into several rooms and changing into more appropriate dress, a group of approximately 25 students (plus Drs. Shetty and Claggett) departed and walked to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). At about 2:00 PM, we entered the security process and proceeded to enter the building at about 3:00 PM. We were met and hosted by Mr. Murray Teitelbaum (212-656-2017), the NYSE Director of Education, once inside the NYSE . He led us to one of the many conference rooms within the NYSE. He proceeded to give us a very insightful discussion about the history of the NYSE and most notably, the recent events leading up to the purchase and subsequent “for profit” status of the NYSE. Then we were able to view stock trading from the balcony.
On Friday morning (at 6:30 AM), our group (approximately 25 students plus Drs. Shetty and Claggett) traveled to the New York Board of Trade (NYBOT) via the NYC subway system. After proceeding through security, we entered the building and were greeted by our host. She explained many of the functions and purposes of the NYBOT. While there, students were allowed to actually go onto the trading floor in small groups and talk to traders as they were conducting trading business. Coffee and other agricultural markets were particularly active.
Later that same morning (approximately 10:15 AM), another group of students plus Drs. Shetty and Claggett walked to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Again, after completing a rather lengthy security check, we were greeted by several guides. The group was lead to a classroom and given a 45 minute overview of the FED’s role and purpose plus a video of the currency operations at the nearby East Rockford Operations Center (EROC). Finally, students were shown the gold vault (after a lecture about the vault’s features) which is in the basement of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Marina Rivilis was one of our hosts and her phone number is: (212) 656-3356.
Friday afternoon and Saturday were free time with respect to sight visits. Students did some shopping, visited museums and saw the sights. At 2:00 PM, our group departed the hotel and returned to SU’s Guerrieri University Center parking lot about 7:30 PM.
FMA Student Chapter visits NYC (March 2006)
The group consisting of 40 students and three faculty members (Drs. Manakyan, Ervin and Claggett) departed the Guerrieri University Center parking lot aboard a chartered bus at about 6:00 AM on Thursday, March 30, 2006. We arrived at the Sheraton Hotel - Manhattan at about 12:00 noon. After checking into several rooms and changing into more appropriate dress, a group of 25 students (plus Dr. Claggett) visited the Bank of America Securities Office of New York. The visit included a 45 minute open discussion with three relatively new Bank of America employees about what it takes to get a corporate job and then to be successful at Bank of America, followed by a tour of the trading floors within the building. The tour guide explained the Bank trades for large clients (such as pension funds, etc.) as well as its separate accounts.
On Friday morning (at 8:00
AM), a group of 25 students plus Drs. Ervin and Claggett traveled
to the New York Board of Trade (NYBOT) via the NYC subway system. At the same
time, a second group of 15 students traveled (also
via subway) with Dr. Manakyan to attend the Investments Symposium at St.
John’s University’s Manhattan campus. The symposium was held all day and
consisted of many well respected speakers that addressed the students from
many schools and universities besides SU. 
While at the NYBOT, students were allowed to actually go onto the trading floor in small groups and talk to traders as they were conducting trading business. Oil and other energy markets as well as several precious metals markets were particularly active as prices were increasing strongly during our visit.
After visiting NYBOT, the same group of students plus Dr. Claggett visited the New York Stock Exchange. After getting through rather tight security measures, we were able to enter the Board room and meet with the NYSE Director of Education, Mr. Murray Teitelbaum. He proceeded to give us a very insightful discussion about the history of the NYSE and most notably, the recent events leading up to the purchase and subsequent “for profit” status of the NYSE. Then we were able to view stock trading from the balcony. Again, we had a very good host, Ms. Florrie Matesic, and she provided significant insight into NYSE recent history and current activities.
Saturday was a free day with respect to site visits. Students did some shopping, visited museums and saw the sights. At 5:00 PM, our group departed the hotel and returned to SU’s Guerrieri University Center parking lot about 10:20 PM.