Hadi's Blog

This past weekend, Jan. 22nd to 24th, Ryerson University hosted the first JDC Central.

The Jeux De Commerce competitions originally started in Eastern Canada and brought together students from most universities in QC and it’s surroundings. The universities of Eastern Canada have created an organization called REFAEC (Regroupement d’Etudiants de Faculte d’administration de l’Est Canada) and have been encouraging universities in Western and Central Canada to create a JDC competition for their universities.

It has also been a tradition that whenever a new JDC is launched, the hosts invite a REFAEC team to show the other students how it works and to promote spirit and sportsmanship. This year for the first JDC Central, I was among the few students from JMSB on the REFAEC team.

My teammates, Briac G and Emil V, and I represented REFAEC for MIS. Not only did we perform very well, but we brought home gold!

The JDC competitions have a different style of preparing and presenting than the competition Emil and I have been prepping for this past semester. Their are two fewer hours to prepare and five extra minute during the presentation! And our last minute team had not really prepared!   Further more, during our presentation we had a tiny mistake in the introduction that forced Emil and I to switch parts and improvise! But no one knew that we actually improvised and apparently the judges were clueless!   Several hours after our presentation and after most of the awards had been given out, it was time for MIS…. third place was not ours… second place wasn’t ours too… Emil and I looked at each other with disappointment… We thought it was the same scenario as the ICBC weekend; But then, as the head judge was announcing First place, he says to the public in broken up french “Where is the only french speaking team?!” and my teammates and I went crazy…. We knew at that point that we won, that our last minute team had impressed the judges! We all ran up to the stage and received our awards and certificates and then chanted our schools song! Oh what a feeling it is to win. Much more intense than what I had imagined.

To be honest, I needed to podium after being disappointed during the first competitions results ceremony. But first place was incredible and a brand new experience!

I owe it to our coaches and delegation for supporting us and allowing us to attend these competitions. My team and I are grateful and will never forget what we have all achieved together.

All in all, I think that the first JDC Central was a success! A few things need to be organized better, but for a first the organizing committee did a great job! Specially the opening party which was held at Dundas Square, Toronto’s “Times Square”! Partying there for 4-5 hours in the middle of the day was awesome! Even the news channels had no idea what was going on!

Although my weekend at JDC was memorable, I cannot deny that my experience at ICBC was much more intense and at the top of my list! Case Competitions in general are a life changing event. Hopefully I will get the chance to keep involved.

Here are some pictures of my JDC Weekend. The pictures from the awards ceremony have not been released yet. I will post them ASAP though.

Enjoy…