Volunteer applications open for JDC West business competition 2019

SFU students celebrate success at the JDC West business competition

During September and October 2018, applications will open for 300 student volunteer positions at JDC West, the biggest and most prestigious business competition in Western Canada. SFU will host the next competition in January 2019.

JDC West is a major event, often referred to as the Olympic Games of the business school world, and will attract 1,300 attendees to SFU. This includes 600 undergraduate delegates from 12 of the leading post-secondary institutions across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

For many students, participating in JDC West is a highlight of their university life, and competition for team selection is intense. The 300 student volunteer positions needed to run the event offer an opportunity for SFU students from any faculty who are not competing to be a part of this unique competition.

Each school will compete in events across four categories – academics, debate, athletics and social – meaning there are volunteer roles that will suit everyone’s strengths and interests.

“We are not looking for any specific skill set from volunteers, it’s more of an attitude,” says Bethany Chan, Co-Chair of the JDC West 2019 Organizing Committee. “You’ll be welcoming people, thinking on your feet, responding to challenges – we need high-energy people who can get into that spirit.”

Two waves of applications for volunteers will open through the JDC West website in the coming months, with a wide range of positions available and training provided where necessary. The dates applications will be open and the categories are:

• September 11-25 – Team Ambassadors, Tech Support, Athletics Timekeepers, Athletics Referees, and Scorekeepers
• October 1-14 – Check-In, Runners, Wayfinders, Academic/Debate Timekeepers, Social Referees, Presentation Facilitator, Event Ushers, and Observer Pass Sales Volunteers

Each year the host school selects the sports at which the athletics competition will be contested, often choosing unusual and unfamiliar sports, to foreground the importance of teamwork and learning together. For 2019, the Organizing Committee has chosen the sports of Tsegball, a non-contact ball game emphasizing cooperative play, and D-Hoops, which combines elements of ultimate Frisbee and basketball.

“Being involved in a JDC West hosted at your own school is, realistically, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any student,” says Organizing Committee Co-Chair Mavis Lum. “As well as being an unforgettable experience, this is also a chance to learn first-hand about planning and executing a large-scale event. JDC West 2019 is going to be the highlight of your undergraduate career.”