News Release (December 6, 1974) TESC Student Business Owner discusses their business
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Identifier
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Release_1973-1974_1974-525
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Title
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News Release (December 6, 1974) TESC Student Business Owner discusses their business
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Date
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6 December 1974
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extracted text
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NEWS
for immediate
December
Olympia. Washington
release
for additional
6, 1974
Studying
to be an entrepreneur
State College.
98505
information
Judy Annis, 866-6128
The expenses,
program,
The Evergreen State College
for instance,
can be an expensive
task, but a profitable
not only include the cost of tuition at The Evergreen
But, in the case of students
in the Minority
Economic
some outlay of private capital to launch their business
The profits,
vary according
one.
just beginning
Development
academic
careers.
to roll in for some of the young business
students,
to the size of the initial outlay and the success of the economic
endeavor
undertaken.
Take, for example,
two students who opened a small store in the college residence
halls to serve their neighbors
the miniature
after hours.
grocery out1et--open
two kinds of hand-scooped
cigarettes---a11
The business
Dubbed the "Synovia House of Pleasure,"
seven days a week from 8 p.m. to midnight--carries
ice cream, plus the usual array of snack items, candy and
at a cost lower than the ever-handy
began operating
early in Fall Quarter.
had to hire two extra hands and seek bigger quarters
demand for their goods.
vending machines.
By January,
By December
to handle
the two "bosses"
a rapidly-increasing
they'll add six more "delicious"
flavors
to their
ice cream menu when they open their new, larger headquarters.
Or, examine the. ore ambitious
apartments
in the Tacoma area.
figures he'll need an additional
and his professor
case of the retired military
man interested
in constructing
In three months he has raised more than $100,000.
He
$200,000 to build the 20-unit complex he's envisioned
has no doubt his student will succeed.
-moreDick
Nichols.
Infor mation
Director
Services
Then there's the Seattlite who wants to market soul food in the gourmet section of
your neighborhood
supermarket's
He's currently
soul food dinners
seeking a
freezer.
$10,000
grant from a federal agency to test market
that will appeal to the sophisticated
Pacific Northwest
frozen
palate.
he's raised the money and tested the market, he'll tackle the task of establishing
"profitable"
minority-owned
for non-whites
and operated business
that creates employment
a
opportunities
in the inner city of Seattle.
Other students have successfully
opened the college's
first night club--complete
with ethnic menus, jazz music and--by State permit--alcoholic
a consignment
overhead
Once
beverages;
they've launched
shop for arts, crafts and clothing which offers high-quality
prices.
and.recreational
Another has established
equipment,
a silk screen business
goods for low
for posters,
while a fourth student has created a "Favorite
teashirts
Foods" wholesale
grocery business.
Tying all these separate ventures
computer
expert who directs Evergreen's
Economic
Development
together is a Hong Kong-born,
Computer
Services and coordinates
more than 20 years of business
experience
States at the age of 14, came to Evergreen
behind him.
he states flatly, ~ not to train students
"I'm interested
the Minority
academic program.
York Wong, who arrived in the United
program,
England-educated
in teaching
He designed
with
the business/economic
to be employees."
them to be entrepreneurs
--- to be owners and managers
of their own enterprises."
Working with 17 non-white
Chicano,
students whose backgrounds
Asian and East Indian, Wong has outlined
vary from Philippino
a program his students
to Black,
describe
as
"tough" and "exciting."
There's no heavy emphasis on textbooks
in successfully
co-creating
consultant
of a restaurant
--- just Wong's years of experience
a New York clothing design and manufacturing
seililsto major chain stores throughout
an economics
for the program
the nation, his expertise
gathered
to former New York City Mayor John Lindsay,
and boutique
in New York where women recently
-more-
company which
from serving as
and his establishment
released
from prison can gain
< •
practical,
professional
skills.
He seeks, he says, to give the students
successful
business.
marketing,
financial
He stresses
analysis,
the academic
the development
organizational
foundation
of applied
necessary
to run a
skills in advertising,
theory, management
techniques
and
economics.
"It's really a condensed
I studied
course.
at
Columbia
version
University,"
It concentrates
he
of the graduate business
"It doesn't get
says.
administration
program
into that kind of depth, of
on giving students what they need to own and operate
their own
bus fmes s es • "
In addition
are finding
to developing
their business
to be highly profitable
entrepreneurs
ventures
--- which most of the students
--- Wong has introduced
to four guest lecturers,
all successful
his predominately
non-white
businessmen.
male
Two Tacoma
men who own and operate
a supper club, a Yakima farmer and the owner of a helicopter
business
logging operations
which services
businesses
and handled
Reputation
academic
organizational
of Wong's
programs
have discussed
and financial
course has attracted
and visitors
how they developed
their
problems.
students
from several
other Evergreen
from Tacoma who have heard of Wong's approach
and sought
his advice on their own operations.
The program will conclude
reluctant
to give it up.. They'll
several will continue working
In the meantime,
Commission,
Computer
the end of Fall Quarter.
continue
Services
in their business
with Wong on independent
responsibilities
--- and his part-time
explorations
businessman.
-30-
ventures
are
and probably
study contracts.
Wong, who also serves as a member
will resume his full-time
But most of the students
of the Tacoma Human Relations
as director
into the world
of Evergceen
of the successful