Moms and their families can help Fresno State senior marketing students fight hunger this Mother’s Day weekend while attempting to break a world record for the world’s “Largest Food Mosaic” and the “Largest Cardboard Box Fort.”

These are just two of five Strategic Marketing 188 course projects; each semester, projects for this course find students trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records and over the years has produced many new world records.

On Saturday, May 11, teams will attempt to build the “World’s Largest Food Mosaic” using prepackaged food and the “Largest Cardboard Box Fort” in benefits for the Rescue Mission and Poverello House.

“We invite moms and their families to come out and volunteer Saturday or Sunday to support Fresno State students and help make Mother’s Day special for all families,” said Maribel Arreola, Mosaic team member and herself a mom.

In the next week, student teams will attempt to break records for the “Largest Tea Pot,” and the “Largest Collage of Cut Out Hand Prints.” Additionally, earlier in the semester, students created a video to break the record for the “Most Languages Spoken in One Video,” which will be screened later in the summer.

One student group from Strategic Marketing 188 took their project in a different direction and hosted a business competition, “Smittcamp Biz Games!“ for area high school students, Saturday, May 4. Minarets High School of Oakhurst placed first, CART High School of Clovis placed second, and Avenal High School took third.

Marketing 188 is a capstone marketing class at Fresno State. The class focuses on strategic planning processes and procedures leading to development of marketing plans, including financial analysis and budgeting. Those who attempt to break a world record submit their claim to Guinness in London and typically receive a response 6-8 weeks later.

 

EVENT DETAILS:

The Largest Food Mosaic
Saturday, May 11, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sunday, May 12, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Fresno State South Gym (Barstow east of Cedar, turn right – south – on Campus Drive).

 

This group of five students chose this record to highlight the Central Valley for its great agricultural success and diversity, said team member Bianca Romero.

About 13 student volunteers will help the group break the current record of 67 ft. in width by 101 ft. in length to 70 ft. in width by 115 ft. in length. They will use donated packaged food to create an image depicting the state of California in yellow and the Central Valley in an array of different colors represented by different local product against a red background.

The students have received support from several local businesses: Yoshino Restaurant, La Tapatia, J & E Restaurant Supply, Fowler Packing Company, Pappy’s Fine Foods and Vallarta Supermarkets. The group is still looking for sponsorships to help with providing prepackaged foods for the day of the event.

All the food used to create the mosaic will be donated to the Fresno Rescue Mission to help local families in need. The students will post updates on their Facebook page throughout the weekend.

Facebook may also be used by any sponsors wishing to contribute to the project with monetary donations or prepackaged foods produced in the Central Valley.

For more information, contact Bianca Romero via e-mail or at 831.359.2453.

 

“Largest Cardboard Box Fort”
Saturday May 11, 8 a.m.
O’Neil Park at Fresno State

Four Fresno State Seniors seek to demolish Harvard University’s world record of “Largest Cardboard Box Fort” ever built. 1,500 boxes will need to be collected and constructed during this daylong event to establish a new record.

Supporters are encouraged to help bring the world’s title to Fresno by taking cardboard boxes of any size to the event and observe the project.

All boxes used in the event will be recycled and the proceeds given directly to the Poverello House.  The event’s sole purpose is to show how much cardboard goes to landfills without being recycled and how important it is to raise awareness regarding this matter,   said team member Ryan Meehan.

They currently have about 700 right boxes now and hope to break the record by about 4 p.m. Updates will be posted at the team’s Facebook page.

The event is free and open to the public. Supporters bringing 20 boxes to the event will receive a free T-shirt (first come first serve), said Meehan.

For more information, contact Ryan Meehan at 559.681.5094 or Paul Tatarian at 559.260.1763.

 

World’s Largest Collage of Cut Out Hand Prints
Sunday, May 18
Display available prior to 3:05 p.m. Grizzlies game
Chukchansi Park

This team completed its project, the largest Collage of Cut out Hand Prints, at Vintage Days last month with help from Madera High School students and Fresno State Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority members.

In attempting to break the current record of 30,006 cut outs, they teamed up with the AT&T campaign “It Can Wait” to bring awareness to distracted driving. It will be displayed publicly at the Fresno Grizzlies baseball game in downtown Fresno where viewers will be encouraged to take the AT&T pledge not to text and drive. Their goal is get goal is to come up with 31,880 cut outs – using that specific number to tie into their course, Marketing 188.

Photos and more information are available on the team’s Facebook and web pages.

For more information, contact Taylor Salisbury via e-mail or at 209.224.4686

 

The “World’s Largest Teapot”
DATE: TBD

This team has joined with iLoveToCreate®, a Duncan Enterprises Company,  to create the

“World’s Largest Teapot” and beat the current record, set in China, of five feet tall and four feet wide.

Duncan Ceramics is helping the students create a teapot that will be approximately six feet tall and five feet wide, said team member Heather Bliss.

Once it’s done the students will host a “tea party” at Duncan Ceramics. At the free, public unveiling, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno will paint the blank teapot which will be on permanent display at Duncan Ceramics. The students hope it will become a tourist attraction in Fresno.

For construction, Duncan Ceramics and McCurley & Day Masonry drafted a blueprint for the kiln. When the kiln assembly is completed, Duncan Ceramics will start to create the teapot.

McCurley & Day Masonry will assemble a kiln surrounding the teapot for preparation of firing.

The students have received support through the Craig School of Business and local donors to fund the project.

iLoveToCreate®, a Duncan Enterprises Company, is a privately-held, family-owned, Fresno, California based company that has been a leader in the ceramics arts and crafts industries since 1946.

For more information, contact Heather Bliss via e-mail or at 559.392.4848

 

The Fresno Language Project

The Fresno Language Project set out to change how people think about Fresno through a short video that cites interesting facts in different languages.

Student Estevan Gutierrez said his team collected 50+ language speakers for the video and are near completion. They Plan to release it this summer with two events: a private premier for organizers and participants of project and a public debut, date to be determined

For more information, contact Estevan P Gutierrez at stevg18@mail.fresnostate.edu.

 

Smittcamp BIZ Games (inaugural event)
May 4
Peters Building Fresno State

This new competition provided Central Valley students from 10 participating high schools

an alternative to traveling long distances to compete in nationally recognized business competitions. It was so successful that Professor Rice said it will become an annual event to promote higher education business programs to high school students.

“The opportunity to learn about the skills needed in the business world is often not offered until their college career,” said team members Ryan Meehan. “To be successful professionals, students need to gain the knowledge of being creative, innovative, motivated, and dedicated.

Smittcamp BIZ Games is a chance for high school teens to learn and experience a day in the life of a busy executive.”

At the award ceremony, students received gift cards, school supplies and donated goods from local Central Valley businesses. The top three schools won cash prizes and trophies. Judges for the event were local executives, showcasing diversity and success of companies in the local community.

“Our goal is to put a team of junior executives through a series of business problems to test their creativity, analytical skills, presentation skills, time management skills, financial analysis skills, and strategy skills,” Meehan said.  “Smittcamp BIZ Games long-term goal is to create awareness about Central Valley businesses and business students. Fresno State has one of the best business schools in the state. The high students are given the opportunity to see the importance of higher education and see successful business leaders in their own community.”

For more information visit www.bizgamescsuf.com or contact Sandra Phanourath at 559.260.2320 or Pamela Rodriquez at 559.790.4314.