WU Crew now under student leadership
Andrew Whelan
Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: Sports
Winthrop's largest organization, WU Crew, is once again being led by students after a two-year leave, during which all the group's activities were conducted by faculty, new leaders announced earlier this month.
WU Crew's new president and vice president hope to amplify student participation at
all athletic events, even more than in the past. Among the planned improvements are scheduled road trip opportunities to away
games, game day props, pre-game tailgating and free Big South tournament admission.
President Shane Canup and Vice President James Lamberts are leading the way. In order to boost contribution, the club must be under student leadership, they said.
"For the past two years, there was no real sense of leadership," Lamberts said, "and the most flattering thing that an organization can receive is recognition from a school that recognizes how crucial that organization really is to the university."
The new leadership has created an advisory board and a public relations team. These two new committees will meet with students monthly to build better relationships.
"These meetings are crucial to sustaining the organization and will help give members a chance to be heard on how the WU Crew can get involved in every sport," Lamberts said.
Lamberts feels students can become more of a part of the athletic department.
Assistant athletic director Daniel Hopper agrees.
"This gives (the students) more ownership," Hopper said, "This gives them a chance to be creative."
With the leadership changes, Lamberts and Canup want to get back to the roots of the WU Crew.
"The WU Crew was first established as a student-run organization, and we feel that it should be back in the hands of students," Canup said. "Not that the athletic department was doing a bad job with it; we just wanted more control over what the WU Crew does."
The Eagles were dominant in the Big South last year, winning four Big South titles. Canup and Lamberts are prepared to help boost the team even more. They think the club is improving, but it is nowhere near done yet, they said.
"Our goal is 1,000 members, and an increased student presence at all athletic events," Canup said. "We have great athletic teams at Winthrop; we just need to get the students involved as much as possible."
WU Crew's new president and vice president hope to amplify student participation at
all athletic events, even more than in the past. Among the planned improvements are scheduled road trip opportunities to away
games, game day props, pre-game tailgating and free Big South tournament admission.
President Shane Canup and Vice President James Lamberts are leading the way. In order to boost contribution, the club must be under student leadership, they said.
"For the past two years, there was no real sense of leadership," Lamberts said, "and the most flattering thing that an organization can receive is recognition from a school that recognizes how crucial that organization really is to the university."
The new leadership has created an advisory board and a public relations team. These two new committees will meet with students monthly to build better relationships.
"These meetings are crucial to sustaining the organization and will help give members a chance to be heard on how the WU Crew can get involved in every sport," Lamberts said.
Lamberts feels students can become more of a part of the athletic department.
Assistant athletic director Daniel Hopper agrees.
"This gives (the students) more ownership," Hopper said, "This gives them a chance to be creative."
With the leadership changes, Lamberts and Canup want to get back to the roots of the WU Crew.
"The WU Crew was first established as a student-run organization, and we feel that it should be back in the hands of students," Canup said. "Not that the athletic department was doing a bad job with it; we just wanted more control over what the WU Crew does."
The Eagles were dominant in the Big South last year, winning four Big South titles. Canup and Lamberts are prepared to help boost the team even more. They think the club is improving, but it is nowhere near done yet, they said.
"Our goal is 1,000 members, and an increased student presence at all athletic events," Canup said. "We have great athletic teams at Winthrop; we just need to get the students involved as much as possible."
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