News and Events

Students Turn in Peak Performance

7 June 2007

Advertising and Marketing Communication students

Students respond to Alan Sugar-style challenge to complete Britain’s gruelling Three Peaks Challenge.

A group of BU students have following the lead of TV’s The Apprentice and completed a testing challenge laid down by their Course Leader.

The 20 students from the Advertising and Marketing Communication degree scrambled up and down 20,000 feet of mountain terrain – that's the equivalent of climbing 20 Empire State Buildings stacked on to of each other – to complete Britain’s Three Peak Challenge.

Their efforts to ascend Mount Snowdon in Wales, Scafell Pike in England’s Lake District and the Scottish mountain Ben Nevis in less than 24 hours have, so far, raised over £2,000 for Julia’s House, the children’s hospice in Corfe Mullen, Dorset.

The 1,000 mile-long expedition followed a challenge made Dr Mark Passera, the students’ Course Leader, who issued an Alan Sugar-style order last October.

“I challenged all the students to make a difference, to give something back to the local community,” he said.

The twist was that the students had to apply the skills they had acquired on the course to do make the challenge effective.

The students responded by combining their studies throughout the year with arduous training sessions to prepare for the challenge. Some students went on mountain climbs to prepare.

“It’s about teamwork, organisation, seeking sponsorship and working out the transportation,” said Dr Passera, who accompanied the students on the climbs, battling the elements, midge attacks, mist and fading light during the challenge.

“These are all things they wouldn’t have had to do before. It was a question of getting the students to operate outside their comfort zone of studies, socialising and part-time work.

“Everyone goes on about how students are cynical, lazy, and preoccupied, but it just isn’t true,” he continued.

“Amid blisters, aching joints and battered soles the team have successfully demonstrated that BU AMC produces peak performers.

Whilst not all the participants managed all three peaks due to injuries and exhaustion, all three of the peaks were tackled by the group, and the whole team set off together for the final assault on Snowdon.

“The team demonstrated phenomenal grit, determination, teamwork and dedication to complete a task none had attempted in the past,” Dr Passera concluded.