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CBA Students Compete in Tuition Mission Contest on Bus at Nebraska Union

Three University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business Administration students tried their hand at a unique version of ‘Survivor’ last week by competing against other UNL students while living on a big red bus parked outside the Nebraska Union. The first prize winner of the Tuition Mission contest, sponsored by Lincoln radio station KFRX, received tuition and books for one year.
 
The three CBA students included Nick Arrigo, a senior accounting major from Lincoln, Neb., Eric Vejvoda, a freshman business administration and pre law major from Ralston, Neb. and David Coffin, also a freshman business administration and pre law major from Lincoln, Neb.
 
The competitions included such events as creating a radio commercial for the UNL Bookstore, knocking Pepsi cans down by swinging a yoyo from their mouth and learning cheerleading routines with the help of the Husker cheer squad.
 
“It’s been really fun,” Vejvoda said. “I’ve already made friends with everyone on the bus and I’m having a great time.”
 
Vejvoda heard about the competition while he was listening to KFRX on the way to get a new iPhone.
 
“I realized it was my last day to sign up, so when I got home that night I immediately filled out the entry form and luckily got selected for the contest,” Vejvoda said.
 
Tuition Mission

CBA students pose by 'Survivor' bus

Coffin was on a road trip with his friends when they heard about the contest and they told him he definitely had to participate. Upon being selected for the contest, he was immediately faced with voting someone off the bus the very first morning.
 
“My inspiration for voting someone off was to select whoever was the quietest,” Coffin said. “You just kind of have to guess whoever the weak link is on the team. There was a girl who was late the first morning and they told us not to be late. We let her come on the bus, but when we lost that first competition I thought, ‘Why not vote her off?’”
 
For Arrigo, the competition was a way to get involved with fellow students and hopefully win some free tuition. He encourages new students to reach out to others while in college.
 
“Get to know the people in your classes and the teachers as well,” Arrigo said. “That’s the type of thing that I’ve found has helped me be successful in my courses.”
 
Arrigo is entering his fourth year of college and is currently studying to take the CPA exams. His participation in the bus contest is another example of CBA School of Accountancy students that do not always fit the image of a studious introvert.
 
“I definitely picked the right major for me,” Arrigo said, “but it’s fun to come out here and try something like this too.”

Lindsey Nielsen, morning and midday co-host and assistant program director at KFRX, said all the students were great but most of them find the competition is tougher than expected.

"We know it's going to be hard but their morale is really good," Nielsen said. "We tell the kids that maybe you succeed and maybe you fail, but you have to learn to deal with it and in the process it teaches a lot of life lessons."
Published: August 17, 2012