Pi Sigma Epsilon, one of the University’s business organizations, hosted a fund-raising basketball tournament on Saturday in the University Recreation Center.
The Above the Rim Basketball Tournament, a 20-team, three-on-three competition, helps the organization raise money for conventions next year.
Jenny Amaraneni, vice president of marketing for PSE, said the organization is a professional business organization open to all majors that focus on marketing, sales and sales projects.
The basketball tournament is one of PSE’s several marketing projects. They also organize the vending of game-day T-shirts on campus before home games, the Rock ‘n’ Wear Fashion Show at Serrano’s during the fall and a volleyball tournament called Pi Sig Dig, which benefits the Parker House for Abused Children.
“We formed a committee and decided to host a three-on-three basketball tournament,” Amaraneni said.
Emily Brown, project manager, said this was the organization’s first sports marketing event.
“This is PSE’s first basketball tournament, and actually it is our first sports marketing project, which is an event that a lot of people in the organization wanted to do,” said Brown, marketing senior.
Amaraneni said organizing the event has been a learning experience for the business club.
“It has been a great experience for the chapter because it is the first marketing project that we’ve tackled and has required a lot of their input,” Amaraneni said.
The organization was able to gain business experience while securing sponsors for the event.
“It shows that we are involved with the LSU student community, and we also give local businesses the opportunity to advertise through us,” said Craig Bordelon, PSE member.
The winning team takes home $225 as well as three gift certificates to Major Video.
Bordelon, mass communication and business sophomore, said the tournament was enjoyable.
“It was fantastic even though we lost, and that says something,” Bordelon said. “It was double elimination, and my team lost the only two games we played in.”
Brown said the organization has many plans for the fall.
“This fall, we are going to have even more events coming because we want to try a lot of new ideas that our members have,” Brown said.
The money the event raises assists the organization in its participation in conventions. In the fall PSE will host a regional convention at the University. Next spring the organization plans to send chapter members to the national convention in Irvine, Calif.
 
Contact Justin Fritscher at [email protected]