Blugold Hype Squad is a new student organization at UW-Eau Claire to encourage more school spirit among students.

Several of the organization’s creators and officers are involved in the Student Senate. 

Organization president Brad Heap is a third-year health care administration student and Student Organization Commission director and vice president Sydney McGuine is a fourth-year environmental public health student and the Student Office of Sustainability Commission Senate director.

“The main goal of the club is to enact more school spirit and create a more lively student section for all UW-Eau Claire sports,” Heap said.

Brett Farmer, fourth-year integrative strategic communication student and the student body president, is also a member of the squad.

The three students, among others on the senate, are student-athletes who wanted more school spirit at sports games, according to Farmer. 

Organization members are expected to attend as many games as possible. There is no true requirement for the amount of games to attend, though members are expected to attend the monthly meetings and go to all senior night games, according to Heap.

Both Farmer and McGuine said they had clubs in high school like this and really enjoyed the immense support they had received while playing their individual sports. McGuine said that having this new organization will be beneficial to everyone, not just athletes.

“I’ve been lucky enough to find this amazing, supportive, excited group of people here on campus, and hopefully this group can help others find that,” Farmer said.

The members are currently working on expanding the club to not only sports events, but all student functions on campus to support all Blugolds, according to McGuine and Heap.

“As more and more people get involved, and we can coordinate things better and have this big group of people that know each other and have a ton of fun. It’s fun already but as more people join and get to know about it, it is going to be really exciting,” McGuine said.

Farmer said the squad is still in the building stage, but growing at a fast pace. Though they may not have any events planned at the moment, the members are working hard on reviving old traditions that UW-Eau Claire has done in the past, or what other universities in the UW System have done.

The creators of the squad are working closely with Blugold Athletics, specifically Clare Hohman, the marketing and promotions director, in creating merchandise for members to wear at events. 

Heap said he is excited about what the future of this organization could mean for student-athletes. They could have the support of students in the stands cheering them on, creating the atmosphere that many experienced in high school sports.

“I know what it’s like to work your whole life to get to college athletics and have no one support you, it sucks. Everyone deserves support and love,” Heap said. “I wanted to bring together a group of people who can spread the message and excitement.”

One goal the group is excited about is the collaboration with Blu, though they are going to try working with Mascot Coordinator Kyle May to have the university’s mascot there, McGuine said.

Farmer said students do not have to be a member in order to partake in squad spirit events, and there is no meeting to join. Any student can sit with the squad and join any time as the main purpose is to show school spirit.

Blugold Hype Squad’s Instagram can be found here, and its Blugold Connect+ is here.

Boggess can be reached at [email protected].