Ruben R. Perez, Jr.03/16/10
2010
saw the return of the SIAC Basketball Tournament to Atlanta, Georgia for
the first time since 1998. The tournament, which ran from March 2nd
through March 6th, was held at Frank L. Forbes Arena on the campus of
Morehouse College. Over the week more than 10,000 people came out to
this year’s tournament, which featured a host of activities and events
that appealed to the alumni and students of our member institutions as
well as the people of the Atlanta metro area and surrounding states.
The
week got off to a great start on Tuesday with the SIAC College Fair,
which featured representatives from SIAC member schools and other
colleges throughout the South. Students were urged to fill out
applications and turn in transcripts as many of the colleges were
accepting students on the spot and even awarding scholarships. With the
help of Atlanta Public Schools and Clayton County Schools, this year’s
college fair had the highest attendance ever with more than 1,200
students attending throughout the day.The 1st Annual SIAC Sports Business Symposium, also held on Tuesday, featured eight distinguished panelists including sports columnist and author Bill Rhoden, financial manager Dennis
Hinton,
former pro athlete Danny Buggs, NCAA executive Robert Vowels, Olympians
Tommie Smith and Joetta Clark-Diggs, as well as brothers Ryan and Doug
Stewart, who co-host the nationally syndicated radio show Two Live
Stews. Approximately 100 attendees were on hand to listen, learn and
engage in dialogue with the panelists as they provided valuable insight
on how student-athletes can adjust their lifestyle once their playing
career is complete, the importance of academics, making wise career
decisions, and planning, financially, for the present and future. The SIAC Cheerleading and Dance competition took place, on Wednesday, March 5th, with more than 500 people coming out to support the student-athletes participating.
Teams
competed in three different groups: team dance, all-female and co-ed
cheer. Teams from Stillman College won the team dance and co-ed cheer
groups, while the cheerleading squad from Morehouse College won the
all-female group.Championship Weekend saw a welcomed influx of alumni, students, locals and out-of-towners looking for a good time after a long week of work and mid-term exams. More than 7,000 people came out Friday and Saturday night for the semi-final and championship games, where they watched Tuskegee claim the men’s title after upsetting #1 Clark Atlanta and Benedict take home the women’s title after defeating #8 Stillman. Friday night was capped off with an energetic performance by hip-hop group Travis Porter while Saturday night featured V103’s Greg Street broadcasting live from the tournament and DJ Infamous.
Many celebrities and prominent figures took in this year’s tournament including Atlanta businessman Tommy Dortch, former NBA great Bernard King, actress Jasmine Guy (A Different World), and actor Emmanuel Lewis, star of the 80’s hit TV show Webster. Hip-Hop legends Nas and Biz Markie hosted several nightlife events in conjunction with the SIAC Basketball Tournament, including First Friday’s “I Love the 90’s” party at Compound nightclub, where former NBA star Chris Webber and hip-hop icons Salt-n-Pepa were in attendance.