By By Jenn Tardibuono

The stock tickers of Wall Street have arrived at the University’s Frank G. Zarb School of Business, offering students a “real world” trading room experience.

The University installed 34 Bloomberg Terminals in the business school, creating a pseudo-Wall Street for the school’s 3,000 students.

According to the Web site for Ohio State University, “Bloomberg L.P. Terminals can be installed in university locations to facilitate faculty and student access to the same news, data and analysis used by street firms, institutional investors and major corporations.”

The University added these machines to campus in January and in the spring semester students were able to imitate a day-in-the-life of a stock broker. Approximately 12 classes will be held in this simulated trading room beginning in the fall.

Students will be able to gain a hands-on experience by working on the same machines as the professionals in their desired careers.

“The students no longer have to go to CNBC to see what’s going on and to do their research,” Ahmet Karagozoglu, co-director of the University’s trading room floor, told Long Island Business News. “They can look for themselves, just the way the financial professionals do and analyze the numbers.”

One of the classes that are being developed to take advantage of this new technology is “Market Microstructure,” where students will have an opportunity to participate in a mock Wall Street trading. Professors will control the market and observe as students handle the situation, according to Long Island Business News. Students will be assigned to take on the role of a trader, seller or speculator and complete assignments based on the market that day.

In addition to the terminals, the University plans to install a stock ticker and multiple television stations tuned to CNBC, Bloomberg TV and other business-related stations.

Business students have praised the unique teaching practices the terminals have brought, along with Bloomberg certification. They said they expect to reap the benefits of the skills they learn at the University that will distinguish them from students at other colleges.

“[I look forward] to the end results of the program when I’ll be able to graduate and move on to better things, to ensure that I am able to lead a lifestyle for myself and my family one day that I am used to living,” Justin Jones, a junior business major, said.

Senior undergraduates, hidden under umbrellas and covered in ponchos, bid farewell to the University amid the spouts of rain and clouds that welcomed them to the next stage of their lives.

Though the ceremony on May 22 was cut short due to the heavy rains, the graduates did not seem to mind as they posed for pictures and waved to their families from the football field.

“I think [Stuart] Rabinowitz made the right decision to cut the speeches and allow us to walk,” Mayo Hussad, who received a bachelor’s in philosophy, said. “Despite the weather, I think it was a fair, smooth one [graduation].”

The new graduates were urged by the CEO of HBO to use the knowledge and talents they acquired at the University to better society and pave their road to success.

Chris Albrecht, graduate of the University, quoted the commencement speech made by Art Buckley at American University: “My generation has given you a perfect world, please don’t screw it up.”

He told the seniors to harness their talents to help contribute to the bigger cause. Going into a society plagued with environmental and health care problems that are just as big as terrorism, it is the graduates’ role to “nudge the world” and help fix these injustices.

“You are now full citizens, so lead the way,” he said.

Albrecht received his bachelor’s in dramatic literature from the University. Before joining HBO in 1985 as senior vice president, Albrecht worked five years for International Creative Management (ICM), where he was instrumental in signing such talent as Jim Carrey, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg.

From l975 to l980, he was co-owner of The Improvisation Nightclub in New York City. During those years, he also served as a new talent management consultant for ABC in New York City.

At HBO, Albrecht is largely responsible for series hits like “The Sopranos,” “Six Feet Under” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” all of which have helped to make HBO tremendously profitable.

He said shows like “Sex in the City,” are more than just four women’s sexual encounters with the city, the stories are actually more universal and about something bigger in the world.

As the rain intensified, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who traditionally speaks at commencement, ripped up his speech.

“Congratulations,” he said. “You have a great degree. You’re great young men and women.”

While some soaked students were grateful with the concise ceremony, other graduates were disappointed with the long-awaited conmencement.

“I think it was poorly organized,” Lauren LaCapra, who graduated with a degree in print journalism, said. “I’d rather have heard someone who had interesting and useful things to say–like Chuck Schumer or another important figure–rather than have Hofstra give HBO a plug in hopes that Chris Albrecht will give bigger donations.”