YUSO was founded in January 2013 by Xiyu Wang BK ‘15 and Nick Billmyer DC ‘16, who are both graduates of Fayetteville-Manlius HS in upstate New York. The two reached out to the Connecticut state director to ask about volunteering and helping out at the CT state tournaments. Ike Lee ES ‘15 joined the founding of the group as a key coordinator of the volunteer effort, recruiting Yale students and officially registering the group with the University. Ultimately, 24 Yalies volunteered at two events in the first year of the group’s conception. Ike and Nick even served as event supervisors at the C Division state competition hosted by the University of Connecticut at Storrs. Though relatively young, the YUSO’s membership already boasts dozens of SO alumni from the Yale community and is ambitious in its goals. At a group meeting before C states, a freshman posed a thought-provoking question: “Besides helping out at other competitions, have we ever thought about hosting one?” Within two weeks, meetings were held with Yale administrators regarding logistics and securing approval for the tournament. With news propagating through New York, Connecticut, and national directors, the invitational tournament was officially held on Saturday January 18, 2014.
