Bateman Team takes on student credit woes

The Loyola University Bateman Team is taking aim at student credit with their public relations campaign this year.

"Take Charge" first tried to grab students' attention with posters and promo flyers featuring the now-clich "Janet's nipple" photo, but organizers say debt is more serious than any Super Bowl halftime show.

"Most students graduate unprepared to make educated financial decisions regarding loans, mortgages and credit cards," communications junior Meghan Fitzsimmons said.

Fitzsimmons is one of five members of the team, which also includes communications senior and director Joel Mandina, communications junior Tamsin Ayre, and communications seniors Katherine Goetz and Miriam Warren.

The average college student faces $18,000 of bills to pay when they graduate, according to Jan Britt, vice president of education for the Consumer Credit Counseling Services of New Orleans.

"We feel that it is best to educate students before they get into financial trouble," Fitzsimmons said.

The team was selected for this year's campaign in November and began researching debt and finances before they could form an effective strategy to reach students.

"All of the 97 teams participating in the Bateman competition this year are given the same objective - to educate high school and college students about financial literacy and responsible credit use," Fitzsimmons said.

The team then tried to come up with different ways of promoting financial education among the student body and the Loyola campus.

Students at the Study Abroad Fair found the "Take Charge" campaign handing out flyers with spending tips for study and travel.

"We also piggybacked with UPB for their Abita Brewery Tour and held a Money Mixer with two free kegs at Friar Tuck's, where we led students in a discussion about their personal credit experiences," Fitzsimmons said.

"There was such a lack of knowledge before we began this campaign," Ayre said.

"Our response from the participants in our events has been positive, and we are confident that we are truly educating the students."

Joe Rosemeyer can be contacted via e-mail at jrroseme@loyno.edu.

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