It is like the New York Stock Exchange coming to Charleston, Illinois. Students get the real-life feel of being on the floor of the stock market without having to leave the comfort of Eastern. The Student Investment Society does just that.

SIS provides a simulation of the stock market in New York City, using real money. The only difference is that SIS does not buy stock from any company worth over five billion dollars. SIS specifically focuses on buying and trading stocks from smaller companies.

In the last meeting of SIS, they talked about investing their money in Proto Labs Inc., a digital manufacturer that focuses on selling computer software. SIS did decide to invest some of their money in Proto Labs Inc.

The group’s current president is Jack Ryan, a senior finance major from Evergreen Park. Ryan has been part of SIS for the past two years. He will be graduating in May, and the new president will be Jack Patrick, a senior finance major from Naperville.

SIS has purchased many different companies’ stocks like Buffalo Wild Wings, American Eagle Outfitters along with many more.

SIS is a student-based organization that manages a small portfolio of stocks. In 1993, Paul Ruedi, an Eastern alumnus, donated $10,000 for SIS to start operations.

Besides buying and trading stocks, SIS also gives weekly presentations at their meetings about new companies they might want to invest in. Ryan encourages those interested to attend a meeting. “You’re going to be overwhelmed at first, but just keeping going and see if you’re going to like it,” he said.

Ryan said one of the changes he would like to see in the future is a scholarship fund.

He said that after graduating, “I will miss getting to make a real-life impact.”

But he said his experience in SIS has been valuable. “I have used what I’ve learned in SIS; (it) can applied it to my own life.”

Patrick said he looks forward to the future and hopes they can continue to grow as an organization on campus.

Jack Hockenberry can be reached at 581-2812 or jthockenberry@eiu.edu.