THE TRADER MAIL

by Andrew Crozier, square one (winning team 2009)

As Continental Flight 95 lumbered into the air, eager to break free from the hold of the perpetual Irish summer rain, the reality of the situation was finally beginning to sink in. Scattered around the cabin were the members of square one, the winning team of the 2008/9 ifs Student Investor Challenge, accompanied by teacher Mr. McGouran and Roderick and Vivienne McKee, representing ifs. The national final at the end of April had seemed like a lifetime ago. All of the intrinsic euphoria and disbelief had been quickly dissipated with thoughts of impending AS-levels. Yet there we were, New York-bound and practically airborne with excitement (no doubt the plane helped).

Standing in the shade of the terminal at Newark's Liberty Airport, we waited longingly for any form of transport that would save us from the heat of a New Jersey summer afternoon. In reference to a stretched white limousine, a comment was made, "Wouldn't it be amazing if that was our car?". Minutes later, we were enjoying the luxurious interior of said limousine with the Manhattan skyline drawing ever closer. The tone for the week had been well and truly set.

Getting one's bearings in Manhattan is a far from easy task. Admittedly, it is little more than a grid of intersecting avenues and streets, but the sheer scale makes the task of travelling in this metropolis seem daunting at first. Little effort was spared in giving us an idea of the local geography. Whilst the view from the Empire State Building was a good start, the real learning began with various excursions on open-top buses, subway cars and finally a quick flight around the island in a helicopter empty but for us. Certainly, knowledge of the city streets proved invaluable during our stay, with countless miles being covered as we traversed Manhattan on what seemed like a half-hourly basis.