Mental health awareness basketball tournament unites campus communities

by Sumaia Wegner, Staff Writer • April 13, 2022

News

The first annual Noah Hytken Memorial Basketball Tournament will take place on April 18.

Viejas Arena will host the first annual Noah Hytken Memorial Basketball Tournament on Monday, April 18.

Last semester, seniors Ofek Suchard, Chris Abbott, junior Philip Bury and sophomore Samantha Ruderman started the Noah Hytken Memorial Fund to honor and cherish the legacy of their late friend Noah Hytken who passed away on October 14, 2020.

Hytken was a student at San Diego State studying Business Finance and Political Science. He was an active member of SDSU as he was a part of the club lacrosse team, a brother of Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, TAMID, and a leader in the San Diego Jewish community.

The NHMF was created to raise awareness for mental health and to give back to the community that Hytken so dearly loved. This organization has provided SDSU students with resources and handouts on where they can get help if they need it. They have held seminars as well as yoga sessions to help reduce stress and anxiety before finals. Since then, they have grown to a group of 22 directors alongside an executive board.

A two-day basketball tournament will take place on April 17 in Sol City and April 18 at SDSU’s Viejas Arena. The tournament will include 16 teams composed of various fraternities, clubs, and other organizations on campus, as well as SDSU alumni.

The goal of the tournament is to bring the SDSU community together in support of mental health awareness and in memory of Noah. There will be tabling from different mental health organizations at this tournament, as well as raffling baskets.

One of the main purposes of this tournament is to continue to raise $50,000 for the Noah Hytken Memorial Scholarship Endowment. This scholarship will be awarded to a student who shows their passion for mental health and well-being of both themselves and their peers. Once created, this scholarship will continue every year. A total of $8,000 has already been raised. Those who wish to donate to this fund can do so at the memorial fund’s website. Students who wish to reserve a ticket for the upcoming game can do so on the website as well.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. on April 18 with the final championship game starting at 9 p.m.

About the Contributor

Sumaia Wegner, '23-24 Managing Editor

Originally from Santa Clarita, California, Sumaia Wegner is a is a double major, studying Journalism and Communication. She started as a staff writer for The Daily Aztec, then became Arts and Culture Editor, and is now the current Managing Editor. Aside from her leadership role, Sumaia is also a reporter for the men's basketball team. Last year she covered the Mountain West Championship as well as the NCAA Championship. Sumaia is the president of the Asian American Journalists Association (SDSU Chapter) as well as the vice president of Culture and Diversity for SDSU's College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts. She started her career as a journalist while she was traveling abroad in Bangladesh, where she was a writer for The Independent newspaper. She wrote for the “Youth and Independent” section focusing on narratives that evaluated eastern and western cultures. Sumaia has received the following awards for The Daily Aztec: "The Inspirer," "Quest for Excellence," and "Best Section."