On March 11, Mepham’s Virtual Enterprise business, VenueFox, hosted a basketball tournament in the South Gym. With a start time of 2:30 p.m., 8 teams consisting of three players competed to win a grand prize of $75. This event attracted a wide variety of spectators, ranging from members of Mepham’s basketball team, to faculty members, to students simply looking for a fun way to spend a Wednesday night.  

Despite the intense and competitive nature of the tournament, lighthearted team names such as “Brain Trust” and “Junior Nuggets” injected levity into the tournament. A host of spectators gathered to ardently cheer on the players on the court.    

In this competition, a basket was worth either one or two points, depending on where the shot was taken. Each game was played until either team scored 16 points. The event was a single elimination bracket, meaning that if a team lost one game, their journey to win the grand prize would come to an abrupt end. 

Team “Junior Nuggets” ultimately dribbled and dunked their way to victory and claimed the grand prize. However, the top team was not the only party to emerge victorious from this event. 

In tandem with a $5 entry fee required to enter the tournament, some of VenueFox’s members were selling snacks and drinks at a concession stand outside of the gym in order to generate a profit for the club. This endeavor was a success for the business, as they were able to sell a prodigious amount of goods to not only spectators, but also students and faculty members who were wandering around the halls surrounding the gym. 

According to Alex Constantino, the Chief Technology Officer of the club, the company generated a $280 profit from the event. Mr. Constantino shared that he would like to give his “thanks to everyone for coming out and supporting the business program.”

Ryan Pittman, the Chief Executive officer of VenueFox, views the event as a key success for VenueFox. He commented that “the event was a major success. We raised a lot of money to replenish the FBLA fund and further support Virtual Enterprise endeavors. Being that VenueFox became a highly profitable corporation in such a short amount of time, we plan on giving back to the Mepham business community by fundraising extra money for next year’s classes and clubs. I hope our legacy will promote future capitalists and entrepreneurs to use strong business practices with integrity and responsibility.”

Due to the impending chaos propagated by the Coronavirus, the tournament was one of the last major events held within Mepham before all Nassau County schools were forced to close and shift to virtual learning. 

For those who attended, this was a fun and fantastic event where people could enjoy themselves and relax while supporting their fellow students’ entrepreneurial ambitions. The event was a success for VenueFox, as they were able to generate a large profit while simultaneously developing a fun event that unified members of the school.  

This tournament appears to have been a slam dunk from a multitude of perspectives.