CU alums at Morgan Stanley host student investors during NYC trip

By Courtney Potts '06

Members of Cornell's International Ivy Investors Quorum -- better known as Triple IQ -- spent March 4 in New York City learning about the fast-paced world of finance. The trip, which was sponsored by the Alice H. Cook House, included a tour of the Federal Reserve Bank and a visit to Morgan Stanley's world headquarters.

"We had this idea about a year ago," said Adriel Irons '06, co-chair of Triple IQ, a club for undergraduates interested in learning more about finance and investing. "We were having a brainstorming session about things that our organization would want to do, and everybody thought 'Hmm ... New York City is the financial capital of the U.S., if not the world ... it'd be kind of interesting to see where all that happens.'"

Although the club's official mission focuses on "the uplifting and financial empowerment of the underrepresented minority communities through education of financial management," Irons said, "We welcome everyone and anyone who wishes to participate."

The organization maintains a portfolio of different stocks, and students can invest in the club by buying shares (currently around $22-$23 each). Students also can play "The Stock Market Game," where each student is given a hypothetical $20,000 to invest and students compete by following stock prices to see who reaps the biggest returns.

The March trip originally was planned for last year but had to be postponed. "We got hung up on the issue of transportation ... it can be difficult to get funding," Irons explained.

This year, four of the club's members are residents of Alice Cook House, the first of five residential houses to be built on West Campus. Still determined to visit New York, they took their case to Ross Brann, the Milton R. Konvitz Professor of Judeo-Islamic Studies and chair of the Department of Near Eastern Studies, who is also house professor and dean at Cook House.

"He was very enthusiastic about helping us and providing transportation right from the get-go," Irons said. The trip was opened up to the entire Cook House community, and about 15 people attended.

According to Brann, working to "facilitate, guide and support learning opportunities" is part of his responsibility as house professor and dean. "Student-initiated programs, projects and activities, especially those with an educational, cultural or community service mission, are at the heart of the West Campus Residential Initiative," he explained.

On March 4, the group toured the Federal Reserve Bank. The New York Stock Exchange has been closed to tours since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The highlight of the afternoon was a panel discussion and lunch with Cornell alumni at Morgan Stanley. According to Irons, students talked with panel members about their experiences with the firm, the type of work environment, the benefits the company offers and what was expected from them as employees.

"I was especially pleased that Cornell alumni were involved in hosting the students in New York," Brann said. "We have found that connecting alumni with students is among our most popular and rewarding experiences."

For Irons, just seeing the office environment first-hand was informative. "We get used to recruiting sessions and seeing people come here, whereas in this case we were able to actually go where they were and see that type of environment. If you're observant, it really yields a whole different experience," he said. For example, Irons overheard two employees discussing financial concepts while they were washing their hands in the men's bathroom. "You get a different sense of these people ... this is the kind of thing they really enjoy," he explained.