PUHI — Kaua‘i Community College’s business and marketing class recently hosted their “Student Pitch Competition” in the fine arts auditorium. It was co-sponsored by the Associated Students of KCC, the campus student government.
The event was planned, created and executed by students in the class, who invited other students on campus to pitch ideas to help with student recruitment, retainment and environmental sustainability issues.
“We are asking the student body specifically how to improve student recruitment and retainment, or how to make the campus more green as Kaua‘i moves forward with 100% renewable energy,” student Kamanakai Lee said.
Business instructor Dirk Soma greeted students at the door and spoke on the importance of this event for his students.
“For the students it’s an important opportunity for them to actually create an event, market an event, and then implement it and then evaluate it,” he said.
There were a few students who spoke on their ideas and pitched them during the competition.
“My pitch is to have each of the majors do a recycle challenge. The major class with the most recycled items at the end of the year would get funding for their major’s program,” student Janezka Esposo said.
Esposo’s idea helped with keeping the campus green and helping with environmental sustainably. Another student, Eseneiaso Tarin, had a different idea.
“My pitch is to add dorm rooms to make it a work trade environment. A community for the students to build as well to learn trades for carpentry, electronics and etc. This will help kids to attend here, and it will provide an affordable place to live for the students,” Tarin said.
Fellow student Josh Cavruros, from Moloka‘i, pitched his idea on how to reach the youth.
“My idea is to have more outreach programs for students who don’t know there are resources for them to apply for. There are some high-school students who feel they can’t go to college because they don’t have money,” Cavruros said.
“I work in the library. I understand student involvement. Students don’t want to sit and watch a 15-minute presentation on why they should go to college. We need to engage the students or offer them resources that will refer them to college,” he said.
Jennifer Escobedo, an international student from Peru, said she thought the event was a good way to “move the class into real life.”
“Personally, I am happy because I am a designer here,” she said. “I record the interviews and I will edit the videos. We were divided into two marketing groups, one inside and one outside. My job was to help recruit more people to the event.”
Another business and marketing student, Kalia Boiser-Gomes, said the point of the event is to get students talking to each other and vetting ideas.
“I think letting the students express their ideas on how to make our campus more green or more environmental sustainable is very important,” she said. “All students, they get to speak up and voice their opinions.”
Soma’s students will review the interviews, and the winner’s idea will be discussed among them and the faculty. One student’s idea could be implemented.
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Stephanie Shinno, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0424 or sshinno@thegardenisland.com.
