Among the changes in the Ames High academic line-up this year, a new class has been added to the practical arts category. Sports and Entertainment Marketing aims to offer an interesting business class with a new, interactive style of teaching. “We want to offer a class where students who may not have ever taken a business class before can experience a marketing class,” teacher Tim Seifert said. “We’ve got a whole new challenge and opportunities for new and creative things.” At the moment, the Sports and Entertainment Marketing students are working on a project that simulates attracting a professional sports team to central Iowa. Students will handle the naming of the team as well as image building, market research, and promotion logistics. The project will culminate in a presentation to a panel composed of various prominent members of the local business and marketing community. “We like to give the students the opportunity to put their efforts to work in front of real people,” Seifert said. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Sports and Entertainment Marketing class was when the students took a whole day on Thursday the 15th to visit the Barnstormers, Iowa Cubs, and the Iowa Energy. The students toured their facilities and had the opportunity to talk with the marketing and promotional experts for the teams. Many students may take this class to fulfill the graduation requirement of one practical arts credit. It may fall to the ranks of Personal Finance or Typing, just another class that people try to slide through with a passing grade and as little energy output as possible. However, the creation of this new class and the unique opportunities it offers may give rise to the next great Broadway stage manager, or a successful NFL general manager. We’ll just have to wait and see.