Source: https://www.facebook.com/wongfuproductions

By Jennifer Rui Xuan

On March 25^th, students from both UW and Laurier attended the event, “Wat A Night” which was hosted by the Chinese Culture Society (CCS), a WLU club on campus, in collaboration with a few clubs from UW. It was set up as a night market with food venues selling various types of cuisine, games stations, and merchandise tables. Although there were many interesting elements, the biggest attraction of the night was the YouTube sensation, Wong Fu Productions.

Wong Fu Productions is comprised of Philip Wang, Wesley Chan, and Ted Fu who met at the University of California in 2004. They produced a number of music videos and short films which were released on YouTube before establishing a professional media company, Sketchbook Media, after their graduation.  Their works have been featured in several national and international film festivals, including Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, San Diego Asian Film Festival, and the Cannes Film Festival. They have also worked with multiplatinum Taiwanese pop singer Wang Leehom in directing his music video, “Still in Love With You.” Wong Fu Productions was initially known for its independent music videos featuring contemporary songs, but it was the release of their first major short film, Yellow Fever, in Janury 2006 that brought them recognition among students. As of August 2011, Wong Fu Productions’ YouTube channel had over 1,000,000 subscribers with more than 18 million channel views and over 100 million upload views. They are the 18^th most subscribed directors on YouTube, 53^rd most subscribed YouTube partners, and the 55^th most subscribed of all time.

VIPs at the event got the chance to meet Philip Wang and Wesley Chan in person, as well as get an item signed by them along with a photo.  Their merchandise was gone within minutes and the PAC, the venue for the night, was filled with fans waiting to see the show.  The two hosts did not disappoint as they start off talking about their claim to fame and the beginning of their journey. They also showed a couple videos of their past and current works. Their motto is, “If at the end of the day there’s someone out there who has a better day because of us, then we’ve succeeded.” Overall, fans enjoyed a fantastic show, filled with surprises, jokes and antics. They were given a special treat when Wong Fu showed the Canadian and worldwide previews of two of their videos not yet released. Everyone that went enjoyed it immensely, especially because of the atmosphere of the night market in addition to the show, and most cannot wait for Wong Fu Productions to come back to Waterloo again! “Wat a night” it was

Be sure to check out the official Wong Fu Productions website @ http://www.wongfuproductions.com/.

Source: J. Paxon Reyes' Flickr Stream

As a second year BBA student, I find that very few of our core courses emphasize the development of business writing skills, meaning many of us do not concern ourselves with improving our writing proficiency. The fact is, employers seek potential employees who are competent in effectively articulating themselves both verbally and non-verbally, making one’s writing ability a key skill for every job candidate.

Communication skills are imperative in the business world because many fields such as research and development, human resources, finance, and marketing require the ability to clearly express ideas and concepts. For example, in the advertising industry, companies must be able to communicate to consumers through advertisement copy that will entice and influence them to purchase the company’s goods or services. Another illustration is in the case of a Human Resources manager who should be able to clearly and specifically state the requirements for a job in order to attract qualified candidates.

Although the types of communication needed in certain job positions differ, they each require competence in effective writing. Everyday tasks such as report  writing and e-mailing require the ability to write in an informative, succinct, and comprehensible manner.

For that reason, business-writing skills are crucial to students. They are also necessary when trying to capture the interest of employers. A resume demonstrates one’s writing capabilities by being error-free and understandable; one must be able to articulate accomplishments clearly and concisely to prevent employers from losing interest and moving on to the next resume.

Due to the significance of effective business-writing for everyday tasks, employers value this skill in current employees and seek it in job candidates. It is important for students to continuously enhance their writing skills since it could increase their employability and contribute to an improvement in their overall job performance.

Source: Karly Nunez's Flickr stream

Whether you are 12 or 22 – and whether or not you’re willing to admit it – you have a soft spot for the Harry Potter series. There’s no denying that through the books or movies, Harry and his friends had a place in your childhood, and now that the series has come to an end, you’ve been left with nothing to fill that Potter-less void. Or at least this is what I thought before I came upon tickets to see “Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience.”

The show promised a satirical summation of all 7 books in just 70 minutes, performed only by a male duo from England. The show had received wildly positive reviews since its debut; yet, I was still skeptical that it would be as funny as critics claimed without actually insulting the story.

As soon as the show began I knew I was in for a pleasant surprise. The first actor, Jeff, plays an expert in all things Potter and the character of Harry himself. Dan manages to play all the other characters in the series, while continuously – and amusingly – confusing Potter’s world of witchcraft and wizardry with the wardrobes of Narnia, and hobbits of Middle-Earth. Jeff’s Potter expertise contrasts superbly with Dan’s lack thereof, which made for a number of funny arguments between the two and added an air of improvisation to the show. Props, sets and costumes were minimal, which helped keep the focus on the actors’ dialogue. They brought memorable scenes from the series to life, exaggerating the characters behavior to twist each scene into a hilarious parody. For example, the audience participates in a classic game of wizard Quidditch, a game whose usual objective is to catch the tiny golden snitch. However, their version features Jeff dressed as a life-size version, in which audience members selected to play the seekers must physically take him down to win the match!

As fun as Quidditch was, my favourite scene was their reenactment of the final duel between Harry and Voldemort. Jeff comes out dressed as an authentic Harry Potter, shouting out spells one would recognize from the books. Dan on the other hand, sports a shirt with painted-on abs and devil horns, wowing the audience with simple magic and card tricks. This scene smoothly transitions into the grand finale – a spontaneous musical duet between Harry and Voldemort sung to the tune of Gloria Gaynor’s, “I Will Survive.” The combination of original lyrics, choreographed dancing and a disco ball had the audience on their feet and dancing along – the perfect ending to such a lively show.

Every element of the show combined to form a comedy unlike anything I’d ever seen. Both actors possess a comedic timing that appeals to every potential audience member – young or old, Potter expert or newbie. Thus, when the curtains closed I found myself massaging my cheek muscles, sore from smiling for an entire 70 minutes. You’ve probably guessed I highly recommend the show; however, it’s only in Toronto until the end of the month! So quickly swallow any “I’m too old for this” attitude, buy a pint of butterbeer (this sickly sweet, but alcohol infused drink they sell at concessions) and enjoy the Unauthorized Harry Experience!

Guest Speaker Event hosted by SIFE Laurier

The Business of Music has certainly proven itself to be one of the most powerful and influential industries in the media. This week, Canadian rapper Shad, who took home the 2011 Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year for his album ‘TSOL’, and his manager Gourav returned to Laurier to speak to students about their experience in the Music industry. The motto is that a good balance between music prodigy and trusted management is the equivalent of ideas and strategy execution in relatively any industry.

As a business graduate from Laurier, Shad recalled his time in university as the period that marked the start of his career, in addition to learning strategic approaches to situational thinking in the business program. Music and freestyling had been merely a hobby until his key interest and talent in rap won him first place in a contest for unsigned artists with 91.5 The Beat. He received eighteen thousand dollars directed towards recording ‘When This Is Over”, his first album which he worked on during his last year at Laurier in 2005. His pursuit of music as a passion and career grew as he became involved with a new record label and played at concert openings for artists including his own favourite rapper, Common. As much as Shad’s talent opened doors for new opportunities, he appointed much of his growth in the business of music towards Gourav, his manager and right hand man, whom he brought with him upon graduating Laurier. In 2007, Shad released his second album, ‘The Old Prince’, an underground hip-hop album, nominated for a Juno Award that ultimately served as a platform for his next album. Three years later, Shad released ‘TSOL’, his award winning third album that opened opportunities to expand internationally.

The importance of management and involvement of various business partners became evident in Shad’s second and third album. With virtually untapped raw talent and a manager who genuinely believed in the product, both Shad and Gourav needed insight on the music industry. After securing Black Box Records as their label, Gourav became the buffer between Shad and the business functions that supported the growth of his music. He stressed the importance of trust in their partners, whether it was between their record label, booking agent, publicist, and licensing companies. It was important for every partner to strive in the same direction, one that kept the integrity of the brand representing Shad as an artist. In turn, strengthening the foundation of each relationship opened more doors for Shad to use as platforms to study the craft of songwriting, reaching out to producers or other musicians who execute visions for his songs closer to how he imagines, and diversifying song arrangements in the recording studio. Shad also focused on the importance of balance in an industry where business is both the supporting backbone to music and the potential reason for the downfall of an artist. An artist’s work that is vividly controlled by business functions will lose its creativity and its connection with the consumer. As Shad mentions, “Let the art lead. Good art is good business and business must follow strong.”

Source: The Toronto Star

by Maria Mustinair

Imagine you are shopping in downtown Toronto and pass by a billboard that scans your face with a built-in camera. It then goes on to display ads based on your age and gender. Cool or creepy? Advertisements tailored to fit each individual seem oddly futuristic but in London, England it might just be the present. Plan UK, an international charity that helps children around the globe, has a billboard that includes face recognition software, which determines the gender and age of an on-looker with 90% accuracy. The goal of the ad is to grab people’s attention in an unconventional way and generate interest in Plan’s campaign of empowering women in developing countries. Once the on-looker is identified as being a female, they are allowed to view a 40 second ad made by Plan. “We are truly committed to working with men and boys, and women and girls, but on this occasion we do not show the same content for the very important reason women are being denied choices,” says Naomi Williams, Plan UK’s Campaigns Manager. The billboard aims to create awareness about the many decisions women are denied regarding education, marriage and other life choices. While men cannot watch the ad, they are shown various statistics about women in developing countries. It is a provocative and impactful way of showing the inequality present in the world today. Since the launch of the billboard, Plan has doubled its twitter followers and generated much international interest in the cause. In my eyes, this deems as success.

Well I finally did it – I wrote the LSAT. After weeks of preparation, the fate of my entire academic future rests on that one day. Scary thought, right? For anyone about to embark on a similar journey, the following breakdown may help to alleviate some of that pressure.

Naturally, one would think that a Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) would test your knowledge of the law; however, this is not the case. The LSAT is actually a standardized test designed to measure your logic, analytic, reading comprehension and writing skills. The test consists of five 35-minute multiple-choice sections: logical reasoning, analytical reasoning, reading comprehension, and two additional sections from any of the above categories. The final section is a 35-minute writing sample, where you pick one of two alternatives and argue that it is the best choice given certain criteria. These topics are random – for example, you may have to choose which region is better for a recording artist to tour in, while considering that he/she wishes to maintain a certain proximity to their fans and aspires to hold a platinum record. Enough information is provided for you to make a decision, but there is no correct answer. The strength of your writing sample rests on your persuasive writing skills – the ability to transfer your thoughts to paper in a clear and stylistic manner.

Upon completion, the test will be sent to LSAC– the Law School Admissions Council – for scoring. The number of correct answers in four of the five multiple choice sections are added up and considered your “raw score”, which is then converted to the LSAT score on a scale of 140 – 180. One of the first five sections will not be included in your numerical score, but is instead a ‘test’ section, created to try new questions and determine content for future LSAT exams. Similarly, the writing sample section is not counted when calculating your overall score; however, it is sent with each law school application you submit. Some schools will weight the writing sample more heavily than others, but it is generally used to differentiate skill level between applicants with similar academic backgrounds. The competitive value of your score will vary depending on the schools you are considering, so I encourage preliminary research.

Due to the nature of the test you can easily imagine the simultaneous feelings of stress and exhaustion that follow. Thus, I leave you with a few parting tips in order to make the most of your experience:

1) Review your weakest areas during the week leading up to the test, to keep confidence at a peak.

2) Get a good night’s sleep.  With only 35 minutes per section you can’t afford to be dozing off!

3) Bring snacks – it’s a long day and you will get hungry! With only a 20-minute bathroom break between sections 3 and 4, there isn’t enough time to buy something.

4) Arrive early. Being late can leave you feeling flustered – not a tone you want to begin your day with.

As most students have by now realized, the cost of receiving a post-secondary education is considerable. Those considering taking their Masters in Business Administration will likely find the cost of tuition staggering, with some programs such as the Ivey School of Business charging 73,500 dollars in tuition alone. Fortunately for those who wish to acquire the education but cannot afford the hefty fees, there is hope. Aswath Damodaran, a Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University, operates a website that gives users access to all of the content offered in his valuation and corporate finance MBA programs free of charge. The content includes: recorded lectures, slides, notes, projects, and spreadsheets that can be used for more complex calculations. I have been following his MBA valuation class and find the caliber of the lectures exceptional. Professor Damodaran approaches the material with a unique energy and sense of humor, bringing life into the at times dull field of finance. For those with no previous experience in finance some of the content may be too sophisticated and I would recommend familiarizing yourself with some basic concepts before pursuing the course. As previously mentioned the site includes quizzes and projects in order to assess your progress, as well as access to the projects of other students currently enrolled. The course is fantastic and I recommend it to anyone entering into finance or those simply interested in the topic.

In case you have been living under a rock these past few days, here is an overview of one of the hot topics in the U.S. politics and business world that you’ve probably heard your profs or peers chattering about:

Keystone XL

If you haven’t heard of it, give this a read through and you’ll be a bit more up-to-date on one of the bigger current events unfolding in the business world you are hoping to enter upon graduation! Keystone XL is a 1,661-mile pipeline proposed by TransCanada Corp., designed to transport crude oil from the Alberta tar sands down to refineries in Texas’ Gulf Coast in the U.S.

What’s the point?

Well, this would mean that the US can secure majority of its oil supply from North American sources rather than the Middle East, and thus, reducing the risks of cut oil supply resulting from the seemingly constant conflicts and threats. In addition, the cheap crude oil provides one attractive export opportunity for the U.S. as the Gulf’s location offers an expansive refining complex and a major oil-exporting hub. And of course the projected creation of $100,000 jobs (re-affirmed by House Speaker John Boehner) is hard to ignore in a U.S. economy where unemployment is the biggest concern. But with all of these positives comes the constant threat of a spill. With the effects of the BP incident still fresh in the minds of environmentalists, the mass protesting of the pipeline is understandable. However, many of us may be wondering why Obama has stalled on giving the go-ahead for the project until after the 2012 Presidential Election just because of some environmental protests. Because at the end of the day, does stimulation of a stalled and flailing US economy not outweigh the environmental risks? Would job creation not earn him some election votes?

Well perhaps the risks aren’t so small… critics of the pipeline aren’t just opposing its creation, but specifically the route it will take to reach the Gulf. Keystone XL will pass through Oklahoma, Nebraska, crossing the Ogallala Aquifer.  The significance: this aquifer provides irrigation to 27% of the U.S.’s farmland. If you damage or pollute this aquifer, the ripple affect on the U.S.’s ability to feed itself and export crops is downright frightening. That’s close to a third of U.S farmland output that can be depleted by one spill and that’s an economic hit the U.S. cannot afford to bear. So as TransCanada Corp. prepares to re-apply for a permit to build the pipeline, possibly with an alternate pipeline route to the Gulf, it is no wonder Obama is aiming to “de-politicize” the decision to approve the pipeline. Because if he approves it now, and if the aquifer is damaged, he’ll always be remembered as the President who sent the U.S. economy to hell in a hand-basket when it was already down.

Here’s what I learned recently: the insurance industry, like many others, will be suffering a major personnel shortage within the next three years, as 25% of industry professionals will be eligible for retirement by 2017. This means that 9,000 jobs will be opening up in Ontario very soon.

This past Wednesday, I attended an SBESS BUNCH (that’s business + lunch) to hear a little bit more about the insurance industry. I am pretty unfamiliar with this field in general, and I suppose that was one of the main reasons I had never considered it as a potential career path. This BUNCH gave me some great insight into a field with exponential possibilities, and of course, a free lunch!

The four guest speakers in attendance each shared their stories from the industry. One speaker was a younger woman, who originally had no idea what career path she wanted and ended up switching from a career in cooking to a career in insurance. Another speaker was a younger man who found his way into insurance and now loves going to work every day. The final two were both mature professionals in the industry; one a VP of Operations and the other an HR professional, after working in auditing for a while. Their stories were all quite different and demonstrated just how many interests and concentrations can be part of a career in insurance. Every insurance company needs finance, marketing and HR people, as well as brokers, underwriters, actuaries and investigators.

Lisa Powel spoke about how she loves her career because she got the chance to step out of the office for a few years while she had children. She says she enjoys the flexibility within the insurance industry and is thankful that she was able to leave and come back. Insurance is a stable career that is easy to enter and exit without too much difficulty.

It’s also no secret that people in insurance get paid more than most, despite having a seemingly boring job. What I learned at the BUNCH, however, is that although you may have to pay your dues and work a boring brokerage job at the beginning, later on there are ways to incorporate your interests into your work. You can work with homes, people or other interesting objects such as David Beckham’s legs (seriously, Google it), rather than just cars or auto insurance.

Overall, this was an incredibly informative BUNCH event and I am already looking forward to the next one!

For info on the next SBESS BUNCH, check out http://www.sbess.ca/bunch.php.

For more information on careers in insurance visit http://www.career-connections.info/

by Rochelle Heinrichs

When it comes to the social shoe company, TOMS, I will admit that I’m a very enthusiastic fan. Not only do I love the shoes and what they represent, but from a business standpoint I am fascinated by the model that founder Blake Mycoskie has created. Not only has he found a simple yet effective way to incorporate a social purpose into a for-profit business, he has spawned an entire movement of young people interested in seeing the world change. It’s kind of like Free the Children in the for-profit world.

Naturally, of course, when I heard that Mycoskie recently wrote a book called “Start Something That Matters” (Random House) I was excited, and lucky for me, I also had an excuse to read it. For my Leadership class this semester we are required to write a review of a “leadership” book. You guessed it – I chose this one.

Now, I’m not just saying this as a fan, but this is probably one of the most inspirational books I’ve read in quite a while. Although it is an easier read, filled with stories and examples of other successful organizations, it is not to be passed up. As a business student interested in making a social impact, I was eager to find out what advice Mycoskie would give. In the book’s eight chapters, Mycoskie explains how you must first have a story with which to build a vision, and that being authentic and building trust among your supporters and partners can be the difference between failure and success. Not surprisingly, much of what he describes runs parallel to the characteristics of a leader, concepts that we have covered in my Leadership class. The book is filled with not only practical advice but inspiration and encouragement, urging readers to “let those ideas move from the back to the front of your mind,” because “you owe it to the world to act.” How about that for motivation?

As it is a fairly short book I won’t go into too much detail and risk spoiling it, but I will say that if you are interested in making a difference and want to be inspired by someone who has found success, this would be a great start! Also, the stories he tells are pretty funny. Like the one about the TOMS wedges…