As David Reynolds correctly stated in Tuesday’s letter to the editor (“Big K-Ville groups unruly, hard to manage”), certain actions committed prior to the Michigan State game were inappropriate, mainly the unruly behavior accompanying the admittance into Cameron Indoor.
As members of the large group responsible for such actions, we sincerely apologize, and will make every attempt to ensure that such behavior is not repeated. Apologies aside, however, we believe that our group, composed of over 225 passionate basketball fans known as ‘The Goon Squad,’ should not be condemned. We, as the organizers of this initiative, have made a conscious effort, not only to diversify the Cameron Crazies by enticing new portions of the student population to attend games, but also to bring change to the atmosphere currently surrounding Duke Basketball.
In coordination with the line monitors, we are working to promote organized and enjoyable basketball pre-games. Our group has also introduced new enthusiasm and creativity to Cameron Indoor Stadium, evidenced by chants such as “T-shirt Time,” “Teach Me How to Kyrie” and “Dre All Day,” which have been welcomed by fans, coaches and players alike. It is through these efforts that we wish to restore pride in the term “Cameron Crazies:” a pride that stems not from being able to endure the most miserable of weather conditions for the longest duration but from being a member of the Duke student body. This is a great time to be a Blue Devil—let us not spend it complaining about a little unruliness but rather let us support our team by filling Cameron with a student body so impassioned that it galvanizes our team and so hostile that it disrupts our opponents’ focus and play.
We, The Goon Squad, will continue to do our part to realize this goal and we hope the rest of the Duke Community will welcome our efforts. Let us come together in fostering a new, more fanatical culture in Krzyzewskiville and Cameron Indoor. We look forward to spending the rest of the season supporting our Blue Devils—the best in the nation.
Chris Bodner, Trinity ’12
Josh Hirsch, Pratt ’11
James Ivker, Trinity ’13
Michael Rosenthal, Trinity ’11
Patrick Rutter, Trinity ’11
Ben Arnstein, Trinity ’11
Michael Tringali, Trinity ’13
Mike Tooley, Trinity ’11
Nihaal Karnik, Trinity ’11
Andrew Holden, Trinity ’11
Sam Klein, Pratt ’11
Brelan Hillman, Trinity ’11
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