Students launch virtual skate biz

Lauren Vane

Travis Hartman, vice president of public relations for Sonical

Skateboards, did his job.

At the company’s grand opening Thursday, Hartman secured the

attendance of City Council member Keith Bohr, representatives from

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s office and members of the media. In

preparation for the company’s kickoff, Hartman did what every PR

specialist aims for: he got the word out.

Hartman is a member of a business enterprise class at Marina High

School, and Sonical Skateboards is the class project. Sonical is a

virtual enterprise company that the students created from the ground

up. Like any real company, Sonical has a sales task force, an

accounting division, and a marketing and PR team.

The students were responsible for revenue and product development.

As in any job, the students had to interview for their respective

positions.

“We try to make it as real as possible,” said business enterprise

teacher Marilyn Cunneen.

Since the project is entirely student-run, Cunneen serves as a

business consultant.

Sonical is one of 160 virtual enterprise companies throughout the

state that conduct business in a cyber world of online transactions.

From a seedling idea to the company launch, students had the

opportunity to see what it takes to make a real business work.

“It helps you to see what the real world’s gonna be like,” said

Sonical CEO Diana Shelton, who delegated tasks and oversaw business

operations with the help of her consulting teacher.

Vice President of Accounting Robert Swain monitored the company’s

funds and discovered a newfound interest in crunching numbers.

“They put a lot of work into it, everyday,” Cunneen said.

The class met for five hours a week to work on the project,

Shelton said.

“We’re always doing something, we’re never just sitting there,”

Shelton said.

The grand opening was held in Sonical’s “main office,” also known

as classroom 234. The company’s vice presidents addressed the public,

gave out merchandise certificates and demonstrated how to navigate

the website and online store.

The business enterprise class is a Regional Occupational Program

course aimed at preparing students for future careers. Taking the

class allows students the opportunity to fulfill a requirement for

state university admission.

Coastline Regional Occupational Program representative Darlene Le

Fort was at the grand opening to witness the class’ business plans

come to life.

“They’re getting hands-on entrepreneurship experience,” Le Fort

said.

However, gaining valuable work experience doesn’t always come

easy. Hartman found out that public relations can be hard work. In

addition to making calls and sending out e-mails, Hartman said he

also put posters around school and advertised the company using

window paint on his car.

“I had to pester a lot of people to get them to call me back,”

Hartman said.