Brown fans rise up to join BrowNation
Peter Cipparone
Issue date: 9/14/07 Section: Sports
Few would ever confuse a crowd at the Pizzitola Center with the student sports enthusiasts you might find at Duke University, home of the notorious Cameron Crazies. But this fall, a group of students is trying to change that.
The new school year marks the debut of a recently created a student fan group known as BrowNation. Founded and led by Moses Riner '08, BrowNation will promote attendance at athletic events by offering incentives according to the number of games fans attend.
Riner, who transferred to Brown after attending Duke for his first two years of college, said the idea came from his former school.
"I initially got the idea from Duke who has a student group called 'The Inferno,' " Riner said. "I knew one of the guys who helped start the group (at Duke), and I talked to him and said 'Hey, I'll do it here.' He kind of coached me through the steps of starting up a group like this."
Riner first started promoting the idea during his campaign for president of the Undergraduate Council of Students in the spring, and said he "went all over campus so it was easy to get the word out."
Riner knew that the group, then under the name of 'The Blaze,' would be popular among athletes. But what surprised him was the high level of support expressed by non-athletes.
"Everyone was like 'If I knew I could get free stuff, I'd definitely go to the games,' " Riner said. "I guess all Brown students need is a little bit of incentive."
After filling out a form and paying a $20 entrance fee to join BrowNation, members will receive one point for each game attended. The group will have a table set up at each game where members can check in to receive credit for attendance. There are currently 12 games listed on the September schedule, all of which can be found at the group's Web site, hosted at brownbears.com.
At the end of the semester, each member will receive Brown sports apparel based on the number of points accumulated. Students receive two points for each event they attend with their face or body painted, and another point for participating in a halftime show.
The new school year marks the debut of a recently created a student fan group known as BrowNation. Founded and led by Moses Riner '08, BrowNation will promote attendance at athletic events by offering incentives according to the number of games fans attend.
Riner, who transferred to Brown after attending Duke for his first two years of college, said the idea came from his former school.
"I initially got the idea from Duke who has a student group called 'The Inferno,' " Riner said. "I knew one of the guys who helped start the group (at Duke), and I talked to him and said 'Hey, I'll do it here.' He kind of coached me through the steps of starting up a group like this."
Riner first started promoting the idea during his campaign for president of the Undergraduate Council of Students in the spring, and said he "went all over campus so it was easy to get the word out."
Riner knew that the group, then under the name of 'The Blaze,' would be popular among athletes. But what surprised him was the high level of support expressed by non-athletes.
"Everyone was like 'If I knew I could get free stuff, I'd definitely go to the games,' " Riner said. "I guess all Brown students need is a little bit of incentive."
After filling out a form and paying a $20 entrance fee to join BrowNation, members will receive one point for each game attended. The group will have a table set up at each game where members can check in to receive credit for attendance. There are currently 12 games listed on the September schedule, all of which can be found at the group's Web site, hosted at brownbears.com.
At the end of the semester, each member will receive Brown sports apparel based on the number of points accumulated. Students receive two points for each event they attend with their face or body painted, and another point for participating in a halftime show.