Instead of hosting a forum or a speaker, the UF Interfraternity Council is celebrating Black History Month with a basketball game.
The inaugural Steve Williams Basketball Tournament will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on Feb. 14 at the Broward Outdoor Recreational Complex in honor of Steve Williams, UF’s first black basketball player.
Tristan Ahlquist, director of public relations for the IFC, said anyone can sign up for the tournament, regardless of affiliation with the council.
“We saw an opportunity to show diversity within the IFC chapters as well as the University of Florida, and we wanted to offer a program that happens annually that really heightens those things and brings the community together,” Ahlquist said.
Ahlquist said a scholarship fund will be created and awarded to a chapter-nominated black member of one of the IFC fraternities to fund academic pursuits. The registration fee is $25 per team. The scholarship winner will be announced in the weeks following the tournament.
The scholarship amount is currently unknown and will depend on how many teams register and how much money comes in from sponsors.
Each team must have at least three players and two alternates. Interested participants can sign up at the IFC’s table today as well as Feb. 12 and 13 on Turlington Plaza, or by emailing Ahlquist at ahlquistt@ufl.edu.
James Predelus, the first vice president of the Gator chapter of the NAACP and a UF marketing junior, said he thinks the tournament is an innovative and active way to get students involved in Black History Month.
“The majority of events are usually forums or discussions,” Predelus, 21, said, “so a basketball game or a tournament is a cool way to get people active and aware about what’s going on.”
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 2/6/2015 under the headline “IFC hosts basketball tournament for Black History Month"]
