By Jillian Hammell
Assistant Features Editor
During St. Bonaventure’s basketball season, the Reilly Center has a designated spot for its roaring student section known as the Wolf Pack. The group’s arrival to the arena ignites an all-out enthusiastic yelling session that is anything but subtle. The Wolf Pack is now in the running for the 2013 Naismith Student Section of the Year Award. Both the prize and title give Bonnies another reason to roar.
Jason MacBain, sports information director, said he encourages students and other supporters to stand behind the Wolf Pack.
“The winning school’s student section will receive $10,000 in donations toward its general scholarship fund,” MacBain said. “The top school in the Atlantic 10 will receive a $250 donation toward general scholarships. The title also represents a school with passion for their athletics and fellow peers.”
The Naismith Student Section of the Year Award is open to colleges across the nation with impressive fan sections. Any school can submit its fan following; however, only the most devout and faithful fan bases survive. According to MacBain, the voting process for the Student Section of the Year is of utmost importance during the chase for the title.
“Bonaventure nominated the WolfPack,” he said. “Now we need the students to support their own group and vote.”
It is simple for anyone to vote, MacBain mentioned.
“The Department of Athletics, the university’s communication team and the alumni office have all participated in advertising to gain students’ attention to vote,” MacBain said. “Through forms of social media and email, the voting process is presented after a simple click.”
MacBain encourages the Bonnies to take part in voting which concludes Feb. 6. The results will narrow to the top 16 sections, then to the top eight. After the polls are closed, the Department of Athletics and the university communication team will submit videos and pictures to show the Naismith Awards just how great the WolfPack is.
Current and former members of the WolfPack say they are confident they have best student section in the nation.
Riley Archer, a senior psychology major, now lives off-campus. Although Archer may not attend as many games as she used to, she has her own Wolf Pack memories to reminisce on.
“When I lived on-campus, the games were extremely convenient,” Archer said. “I went to every one. It was hard not to be part of the WolfPack.”
Archer also mentioned the costumes seen in the Wolf Pack crowd. In fact, she said she had her days of embracing the unconventional clothing at games.
“My roommate and I wore Indian headdresses to the games,” she said. “It is a historical tradition to pay tribute to our old name ‘The Brown Indians.’”
Daquashia Walker, a senior journalism and mass communication major, used to attend the basketball games. As an RA on second Robinson, she observes the behavior of the excited freshmen.
“If I am back at the dorm and a basketball game is going on, it is silent,” she said. “There is no one in Robinson. However, you can tell when people are coming back from the game when they wear their Bona shirts or simply lack clothing. People get rowdy.”
Josh Martin, a freshman sports studies major, said the energy given off in the Reilly Center is overwhelming.
“The place goes crazy,” Martin said. “We take over the Reilly Center and try to get in the other team’s coaches and players’ heads.”
To show your support for the WolfPack and the university, vote for the beloved Bonnies before polls close Feb. 6. Rules to vote can be found on the Bonaventure Facebook and gobonnies.com.
Mike Fazio, a sophomore accounting major, says he is proud to be part of the WolfPack.
“We have the strongest student section by far,” Fazio said. “We make sure the other team hears us. We are a loud and packed house.”
