Release_1973-1974_1974-525.pdf

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Part of News Release (December 6, 1974) TESC Student Business Owner discusses their business

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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