DAY AT COMMODITIES MARKET CAN BECOME MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE

"At first glance the floor appeared to be in total chaos."

"It's interesting to see how easily money is made and, or lost."

"The amazing thing is that the system actually works."

Those were some of the observations of members of the futures seminar class at Southeast Missouri State University after they visited Chicago recently and returned with a valuable learning experience.

The trip, funded from the proceeds of an endowment to the university by Margaret Woods Allen of Sikeston, allowed the class to visit the Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and downtown banks.

The highlight was the visit to the Board of Trade.

"At first glance the trading floor seems to be in total chaos," said Zack Turner, a student. "But after watching further, you realize that the open outcry system of trading is very efficient."

Brad Weise was impressed.

"It's interesting to see how easily money is made and lost on the futures market," he said. "It's one thing to sit in a broker's office and make your trades, but it is something quite different to see where the calls come into the trading floor and watch the trade being completed."

"Before this trip, I always assumed the Mercantile Exchange was similar to a stock exchange," said Tee Poh Keong, a student from Malaysia. "I discovered that commodities trading is one of the oldest methods of trading still in practice today where there are people actually screaming their heads off at each other. The amazing thing is that the system actually works totally based on trust between the traders."

Another student, Carl Kinnison, said the trip "transformed a conceptually cloudy understanding of futures trading into a clear, concrete understanding of how the futures market works."

"We had a great trip," said Keith A. Russell, accounting and finance associate professor, instructor of the class and tour guide. "I think the students were fascinated by seeing a marketplace in action, especially the markets dealing with futures."

The class uses real money and works with Boatmen's Investment Services Inc. in buying and selling for an investment portfolio of the class.

"This class is a different learning experience," said Russell. "With real money students become conservative, they monitor the markets, they research the companies, they make decisions on what to buy and when to sell."

Using real dollars to teach students how to manage investment portfolios is gaining popularity at business schools. None of the public universities use public money for investments. Most of the schools allow students to invest in corporate stocks and bonds, and some allow investments in options and futures. In most cases, faculty or administrators have veto power over students' investment decisions, but few exercise that option.

Students the first semester also got a firsthand look at the New York Stock Exchange, again thanks to a gift from Allen, a successful investor and author of "Widow's Might: A Survival Guide to Investing." She has endowed two foundation funds in honor of her late husband, Thomas Allen.

It was an Allen grant that paved the way for the university's real-money investment program. Southeast's investment program started in 1988.

McDonald's Restaurant will open inside Wal-Mart at Cape Girardeau Wednesday.

McDonald's Corp., the king of fast foods, and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the retail giant of merchandise, formed a quasi-partnership early last year. It started in Visalia, Calif., where a McDonald's opened inside a Wal-Mart store, and idea has spread.

Wal-Mart officials Friday confirmed that the new McDonald's restaurant would open inside the store at 3439 William Wednesday morning.

This is the first McDonald's along Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau County. McDonald's restaurants are at 1925 Broadway in Cape Girardeau and 2220 Highway 61 East in Jackson.

A second McDonald's Restaurant is also planned at Sikeston, to be located in front of the Wal-Mart store.

Trans World Express has reported an increase in enplanements for April.

Boardings for April at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport were 510.

"This is the highest month in five years," said Randy Holdman, airport manager. "It tops April of 1993 by 23 percent."

TWE has had 1,648 enplanements for 1994 -- an average of 412 a month -- up 22 percent from the 1,357 through April 1993.

"That's double the national average of a 9 percent increase during the first four months of the year," said Holdman.

"Cable Busters," a new retail service for the sale and installation of television satellite systems, opened recently at 1320 West Cape Rock.

"The new service allows homeowners to receive about 200 television channels free," said Keith Tinker, sales manager. "It also provides access for consumers to obtain cable channels at an additional cost."

The firm utilizes Winegard antennas and Toshiba Electronics.

Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Ron Lunsford is owner of the business.

Wanda Verhines and Donna Dodd have purchased D.J.'s Beauty Mart, 1020 N. Kingshighway.

Verhines and Dodd are experienced cosmetologists who previously worked at the Sikeston Beauty School. Dodd, who will serve as salon coordinator at the full-service salon, said it will have five stylists."

Verhines is one of the stylists. Others are Sheryl DeBrock, Mary Niedbalski, Misti Heiden and Cheri Carlton.

The salon will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

Paul McCartney was in St. Louis last week.

McCartney, a member of the former Beatles group, accompanied his wife Linda to introduce Linda McCartney's Home Style Cooking foods.

St. Louis is one of several Midwestern cities where her foods are being tested.

Linda McCartney reportedly has the number-one line of frozen meatless meals in Britain and is author of the largest-selling vegetarian cookbook there.

During a news conference at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton Linda told a crowd that she was "doing this for the animals and the environment."

She hopes her products will surprise people who think that vegetarian food is bland and something only hippies eat. The foods are produced by Fairmont Foods of Minnesota Inc.

Most of the news conference centered on the new food line, but when someone asked Paul McCartney about recently recording again with former Beatles George Harrison and Ringo Starr, he politely declined to answer, explaining that this was his wife's show.

But he did add that Ringo was a vegetarian.

Bloomin' Balloons has moved to a new location.

The company, which sells balloons and flowers, recently moved to the United Building, 101 N. Kingshighway. Al and JoAnn Farless are owners.

Bommarito Cellular Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems is the latest to move into The Crossroads Office and Shopping Center at Independence and Kingshighway.

Becky Welch is local manager of the business.

Two other businesses opened in the shopping center during March -- Bommarito and Sandy's, a ladies classic sportswear shop, managed by Sandy Howard.

A group of Southern Illinoisans visited the Cape Girardeau and Sikeston areas last week.

Members of the Jackson County Homemakers Extension Association, Murphysboro, visited Old St. Vincent's Church, viewed downtown area murals, toured the Glenn House historic mansion, and had lunch at Port Cape Girardeau.

Following a tour of industrial parks the group visited the Outlet Mall at Sikeston.

The Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau will conduct a Missouri Sunshine complementary VIP City Tour prior to the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event Tuesday.

The tour will start at 3:45 p.m. at the Drury Lodge.

The Business After Hours event will be held at the Drury Lodge at 5 p.m.

Want to show up your buddy on the links?

How about a 400-yard tee shot?

It could happen with a new golf ball manufactured by a small golf company in Connecticut.

The ball's extraordinary distance comes partly from a revolutionary new dimple design that keeps the ball aloft longer. A company spokesman said the new design makes the ball rise faster off the club-head and reduces air drag.

"The result is a ball that gains altitude quickly, then sails like a glider," said the spokesman. "None of the changes is noticeable in the ball itself.

The ball is available from the company's factory. Additional details are available by calling 1-800-285-3900, or by writing National Golf Center, Dept. 2-606, 500 S. Broad St., Meriden, Conn., 06450.