WU Crew brings fun, support to Eagles games

By Hannah Schwartz
Special to the Johnsonian

The WU Crew cheering on the Eagles at basketball games is not an unusal sight, but club president Brandon McGinnis wants to make the group even bigger and better this year.

The WU Crew already has over 200 students and it is still growing. McGinnis said 100 plus students signed up at convocation and they weren’t all freshmen.

Several upperclassmen also signed up to help support Winthrop Athletics.
The group shows up to support the Eagles in all athletic events.

They have already gone out to support the volleyball team and the soccer team, and will continue to attend events throughout the year.

“Having fun is the main thing,” McGinnis said. “The athletes do so much and they want our support. The goal of the WU Crew is to help them out as much as possible.”

The WU Crew started in the late 1990s as a student-run organization.

“It was started up by students, student-run, and student-supported until the athletic department stepped in to help,” McGinnis said.

He said the club has grown and changed throughout the years, but the goal is still the same; to get the student body involved and to support the Winthrop Eagles.
This year the membership fee is $10, which includes a t-shirt, reserved seats at basketball games, discounts at local businesses and other perks.

McGinnis hopes the fee will also help provide more benefits than have been available in years past.
Some of the promotions planned for this year are window decals for members and a limited-edition t-shirt. The first 150 people to purchase one will be able to have their names printed on the t-shirt.
McGinnis said he hopes efforts like this will help the club be more exclusive, as the promotions and give-aways will only be available to those who join.

He also hopes to make the club even more involved with Winthrop teams than it already is by planning more events, such as trips to support the Eagles on the road.

“Showing up is huge,” McGinnis said.

His ultimate goal is for other teams to come to Winthrop and be intimidated by the support shown by our student body.

The WU Crew has meetings once a month in addition to the sporting events they attend. Anyone interested in joining the WU Crew can sign up at the Eagle Empire table set up at every sporting event.

Also, interested parties can contact Aimee Kline at klinea@winthrop.edu.