Upwards of fifty people gathered in the lobby of the Hoover Business Center on Saturday, Oct. 15 to celebrate the dedication of the Trostle Finance Laboratory.
The dedication ceremony was part of Elizabethtown College’s Homecoming Weekend. The lab was named after associate professor of pusiness emeritus Dr. Randolph Trostle.
The lab’s goal is to provide students with the skills needed to give them confidence to compete in today’s job market. The business lab cost $160,000. Its features include 21 computers, a trade station and cutting-edge software.
Etown business alumni attended the ceremony and discussed the new lab. At the beginning of the ceremony, business department chair and associate professor of business Dr. Cristina Ciocirlan welcomed the group. She described the lab as a tool that will “improve student skills and develop competitiveness, leadership skills, and opportunity.”
Junior Adam Saubel then took the podium. As a student of Trostle, he shared some of the professor’s anecdotes and quotes, including “There is no such thing as free lunch,” and “Rates are low, get out of college and buy a house.” Trostle has taught at the College for 44 years, even after retiring.
Saubel went on to explain the caring nature Trostle has for his students. He also commented on the new space in Hoover and described how the lab fits a lot of innovation and media into one classroom.
Trostle then stood up to deliver a few words, mentioning “real students, real money, real companies, real returns.” He also explained FactSet, the cutting edge software chosen for the lab.
Finally, President Carl Strikwerda delivered a speech. He commented on how it makes sense to have a laboratory like this one in today’s market because it will help education shape the lives of future business leaders.
Dr. Ciocirlan then led groups into the laboratory to demonstrate the technology. A running stock ticker tape and large screens surround the room, with brand new desktop computers on each table.
The room is a mammoth accomplishment for the College, broadening its horizons and providing new resources in a way that many other schools do not.
The money to build this laboratory was raised through generous donors, including Trostle himself, exhibiting that hard work and passion can produce turnout in the working world.
Etown has prepared for the changing market and emerging technological standards through the opening of the Trostle Finance Laboratory, and the College will reap the benefits.
