One of the academic based clubs at Oratory that does not get a large amount of attention is FED Challenge. FED Challenge is a club where members learn about the Federal Reserve Bank and the economy. They focus on key terms, committees, and economic indicators that would cause a rise or fall in interest rates. The FED Challenge is moderated by Mr. Gaertner who worked in the financial and economic field prior to his time teaching at Oratory. While the club has many members in grades 9-12, only five present at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. This year’s presentation team includes three seniors and two juniors. The three seniors are Ian Moore, Mike Urbinato, and Patrick Heffernan while the two juniors presenting include yours truly and Sean Vowells. The five of us must create a presentation that lasts for about 12 minutes that tells a team of economists why interest rates should be lowered, raised, or remain the same. The team is scheduled to present in the middle of March. During this month of February, we push really hard to create the best presentation possible. It must include facts, charts, and other data to back up whichever claim we take. In addition, our reasons for our forecast must be rock solid as well because, at the conclusion of our presentation, the team of economists will ask multiple questions regarding our position. If our presentation is deemed worthy, we will advance to the next round.

Photo Credit: https://www.newyorkfed.org/press/index.html