FAMU Chess Club shines at Club Fair!
The FAMU Chess Club participated in the school’s club fair with about 40 other campus organizations. This was the first activity for the chess-playing Rattlers since being officially recognized as a club on January 28th. This is the first time in more than 20 years that there has been an official chess club at FAMU.
Led by club president Caleb Parker, the club has about 60 interested students, exceeding the target of 50. Parker has been the catalyst for restarting chess activity at FAMU and has been able to recruit students to support the initiative. Parker has represented FAMU at two HBCU Chess Classic events, winning the individual title last year.
Caleb Parker posing as the 2024 HBCU Champion.
Photo by Daaim Shabazz/The Chess Drum
At the FAMU club and organization fair, the FAMU Chess Club had a slideshow featuring weekly activities starting on “Set Friday.” The idea was to find a high-visibility area to attract attention to chess. From this effort, the group was able to attract 20 initial members.
Rattler Chess on “The Set”
Photos by Daaim Shabazz/The Chess Drum
A number of chess players walked by, expressed an interest, and completed the sign-up form on Google Docs. There followed GroupMe chats, more Set Fridays, and meetings. Parker, the reigning HBCU champion and Computer Information Systems major, has led the group with the help of his board, Ricardo Stewart (Vice-President, Architecture), James Tinner (Secretary, Computer Information Systems), and Toron Jones (Treasurer, Education). Dr. Daaim Shabazz (School of Business & Industry) serves as Faculty Advisor.
FAMU Chess Club at Club and Organization Fair
FAMU held its Club and organization fair on January 31st, one week after Tallahassee was hit with a snowstorm. The event provided an opportunity for each group to showcase their aims and objectives. The mood was festive as students from around campus presented the best face of their respective organizations.
Caleb Parker (President), Dr. Daaim Shabazz (Advisor), James Tinner (Secretary), Ricardo Stewart (Vice President)
Photo by Ricardo Stewart
Photos by Daaim Shabazz/The Chess Drum
The FAMU Chess Club table received a lot of traffic, and a few students stopped by to show off their chess abilities. Players of all levels are welcome. In addition, FAMU Chess Club is looking for players who have been competitive earlier. They are invited to compete in the qualifying tournament for the HBCU Chess Classic.
The 3rd HBCU Chess Classic will be held at the Atlanta University Center this April, and FAMU will field two teams to challenge North Carolina A&T, Howard, and Hampton, the three top team finishers. While Parker is the reigning individual champion, the Rattlers will look to travel to Atlanta in full force, hoping to win team glory.
The club will have regular meetings during the semester. The interest meeting is scheduled for Friday, February 21st, at 5:15 p.m. in the Commons. You can sign the club interest form or join GroupMe at the QR codes below. For more information, contact Caleb Parker (caleb2.parker@famu.edu, 850-274-6299) or Dr. Daaim Shabazz (daaim.shabazz@famu.edu, 850-629-9699).
