The Economics Club is a great opportunity for all students looking to be more involved on campus.
Every Monday in Strong room 303 at 7 p.m., economics majors and non-majors meet to discuss a wide range of topics. It is a great opportunity to socialize in a relaxed environment and learn more about everything from current events and economic climates to history.
Inside a meeting
A typical meeting involves socializing, discussing upcoming social functions, and a country forum. Meetings last between 45 minutes to an hour and average around 15 members.
Every week the Economics Club president James Norman selects a new country of focus. Countries they have covered include Germany, Spain, and Japan.
The forum begins with a background discussion of the country. The discussion encourages dialogue and conversations about the nation’s past, present, and future economy.
It is a great opportunity to learn about other countries and economic situations around the world. The open dialog allows students to freely discuss and explore new ideas.
Future country forums will be decided based on the current interests of members. They hope to expand discussion topics to include micro issues such as The Great Recession. There will also be opportunities for interested members to lead presentations on a topic that interests them.
After the country forum, club members often go out to eat or grab ice cream. It is an opportunity for club members to get to know each other and socialize in a fun environment.
Social Events
Once a week, the club organizes and hosts a social event for members. Events have included attending a Missouri State Football game together and going to Andy B’s for bowling.
Events are decided upon during exec meetings. They look for activities that will be comfortable for everyone, including more introverted members.
To learn more about upcoming social events email Economics Club president James Norman at James218@live.missouristate.edu
Future of the club
The Economics Club works closely with the Economics Department. They are currently working on redesigning the Economics Club logo. The department has been providing funding and is a great resource for attracting new members.
The Economics Club is a great way for students to develop relationships with faculty. Faculty are often getting involved and working alongside the club.
Later in the semester, the Economics Club plans to host a showcase with the Economics Department for classes they are offering in the spring. The club hosted an event with the Federal Reserve in August and hopes to host a similar event with the State Department in the spring.
Student Price Index
The club has been working to update its student price index.
“This is a historical model that shows inflation and the natural prices for what local students in Springfield would buy. It has everything from milk, housing, and beer,” explained Economics Club President James Norman
The purpose of the index is to estimate the change in prices for a group of goods a Missouri State student is likely to buy. You are able to examine price increases and fluctuations.
They have begun updating it monthly due to the current economic environment. The model is currently only viewed by club members, but they aim to publish the index by the end of the semester.
They are also considering making a Student Booze Index. For this model, students would interview and collect data from Missouri State students. They believe this would be a fun project to interact with students on campus.
Get Involved
The economics club meets every Monday in Strong 303 at 7 p.m.
Students are welcome to drop by meetings or email club president James Norman at James218@live.missouristate.edu to receive more information about upcoming events and meetings.