The second annual Florida Classic Symposium November 15-16 at the International Plaza Resort and Spa in Orlando will examine the impact of society on the black athlete.

NCAA Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Charlotte Westerhaus, Olympian John Carlos, and Black Coaches and Administrators Executive Director Floyd Keith will discuss topics such as the recruitment and retention of minority coaches, student-athletes and administrators, and the future prognosis for minority student-athletes. Other topics include the impact of the NCAA?s Academic Progress Rate on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the influence of societal norms and traditions on minority student-athletes.

Organizers plan to launch a think tank to address issues identified at the symposium. They also will issue a call for research papers to study and report on many of the issues discussed.

The event is sponsored by Bethune-Cookman University, Florida A&M University, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Minority Opportunity Athletic Association. General registration is $150 ($50 for students). Pre-registration is available at http://flclassicsymposium.eventbrite.com.
McNeese athletes run late for a good cause

Some McNeese State University football players had a good excuse for running late to practice one day last month when they stopped to help children escape from an overturned school bus.
Senior defensive tackle Kenneth Lundy was driving to practice October 17 with three teammates when they happened upon the accident. Newspaper accounts say the bus carrying 13 children was knocked on its side over a water-filled ditch after being struck by a vehicle that had run a red light.

Others at the scene managed to get the emergency door open by the time Lundy, Detrick Taylor, LaDarius Key and John Hamilton arrived moments after the accident. They, along with other Cowboys student-athletes also heading to practice, helped get the children out of the bus.
The children were transported to nearby Burton Coliseum on the McNeese State campus to wait for medical assistance. None was seriously injured.

The driver of the bus was pinned inside the vehicle for 45 minutes while emergency crews cut through the roof to free her, but she suffered no life-threatening injuries. The driver of the vehicle that struck the bus sustained minor injuries.

Fund-raising effort bolsters Pride

The Hofstra University men?s lacrosse squad ended fall competition by starting a tradition that raised thousands for cancer research.

The Pride participated in the inaugural HEADstrong Foundation Nick Colleluori Memorial Classic October 7 at Ridley (Pennsylvania) High School.

The six-team tournament honored Colleluori, a 2004 Ridley graduate who was a member of the Pride lacrosse squad before losing a 14-month battle to non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma in November 2006. Colleluori established the HEADstrong Foundation in the final months of his life to raise awareness and money for blood cancer research and treatment.

A crowd of more than 3,000 turned out for the tournament that raised about $75,000 and featured teams from University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Bucknell University; Saint Joseph?s University; Cabrini University; and Haverford College.

The Pride played in lime-green uniforms with Colleluori?s No. 27 on the back. They also wore white and lime-green helmets and used lacrosse sticks with lime-green heads. The color scheme was taken from the color given to the disease, which also is incorporated in the foundation?s logo.
The Hofstra squad generated nearly $15,000 through shirt sales and uniform and stick auctions. Pride corporate sponsorships with STX, Cascade, LAX World and Lacrosse Unlimited bolstered the fund-raising effort. Each participating team also sold 300 T-shirts.

?We are honored to be part of this special event and look forward to helping it grow for years to come,? said Hofstra coach Seth Tierney. ?This is an ongoing quest, and we hope the great lacrosse community will continue to contribute any way they can to help achieve Nick?s dream.?
Plans are underway for a second tournament in 2008. For more information on Nick Colleluori and the HEADstrong Foundation, visit www.HEADstrongfoundation.org.