HHIH student do business in a virtual world

Hilton Head Island High School seniors Joe Hickey, Oliver Gillette and D.J. Townsend want to open a business that caters to sports extremists in the real world.

But right now, their goals only can be achieved in a virtual one.

Fortunately, the would-be entrepreneurs have a guide.

Teacher Brooke Nyland offers a class called Virtual Enterprise, which lets students experience, in a simulated business environment, all facets of working for and running a firm. It's the first time the class has been offered locally.

Earlier this school year, small groups brainstormed business ideas and the class voted on the venture developed by Hickey, Gillette and Townsend called "Xtreem Cheddar."

It would offer skydiving, deep sea sport fishing, surfing and other extreme sports on Hilton Head. Italso would serve as a referral service or travel agency for customers craving adventurous vacations or extreme sports unavailable here such as snowboarding.

The group developed the "Xtreem Cheddar" name from a scene in the movie "Harold & Kumar go to White Castle," in which actors lift a kayaker above their heads as he paddles through a convenience store, knocking cheddar-

flavored chips to the floor.

"We came up with this as a joke, but I guess everybody liked it," Hickey said.

Since the business is now a class project, the name and its services could change, Nyland said. Students will create a business plan, get a virtual loan, pay their employees with virtual money and create a Web site for marketing. The class will compete with 44 other schools across the state in the Virtual Enterprise Network. Classes are required to make two virtual purchases a week from other virtual businesses,.

In December, the top two state finalists will have the chance to compete nationally in New York.

On Wednesday, Nyland began the employee interview process, which will continue next week. Students selected three positions they would like to hold and were interviewed by a three-person panel.

Many were shooting for the top two CEO positions, each earning $70,000 a year.

In his interview for CEO, Hickey told the panel he's qualified because he's a leader in almost every class he takes.

But he also wants the job to make his family proud.

"I have three little brothers, so as far as leadership, I am their role model," he said. "So it's huge to me to be the best I can be. ... My father always told me school is the most important thing because it leads you to where you want to go in life. If you don't do well in school, you don't do well anywhere else."