Today, students in Northeastern’s College of Business Administration’s Finance and Investment Club rang the New York Stock Exchange’s opening bell. They also discussed the history of the exchange, the evolution of the stock market and trading techniques with brokers and specialists on the trading floor. Each student received a medallion to commemorate the bell ringing.

Club president Katelyn Pembroke, a senior finance and marketing major, called it a “once in a lifetime experience.” She learned how trades are executed and markets for stocks are made, she said.

The Wall Street visit was organized by Northeastern alumnus Keith Hochstin, director of sales and marketing at Weston Capital Management LLC, which manages a fund of hedge funds. Hochstin said he has organized visits among Northeastern students and New York Stock Exchange specialists and brokers for at least 10 years.

“Students were given a hands-on experience of how specialists trade stocks on the floor of the stock exchange,” Hochstin said. “They learned how specialists conduct business on a daily basis, making markets in listed stocks on the exchange.”

The Finance and Investment Club sponsors frequent career-oriented activities, including talks by faculty members and industry professionals representing companies such as Raytheon, Jet Blue and Wells Fargo, as well as field trips to major investment companies, corporations and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

To watch Northeastern students ring the opening bell, please visit http://www.nyse.com/events/1238148830255.html.