Will Hoogendyk IV, Campus Carrier sports editor

Many colleges and universities are well-known for their loyal student sections, whether it be University of Georgia’s Spike Squad, Pennsylvania State University’s white-out tradition or Duke University’s Cameron Crazies. Many student-led fanbases are synonymous with the greatness of the teams themselves. While Berry has a history of excelling at athletics, one ingredient that might be missing in the recipe for success is a raucous student section that leads chants and cheers at sporting events. However, this school year, all of that might change. 

Daphne Tremps, a junior at Berry, has set out on a mission to resurrect school spirit for Viking athletics on campus. She and her friends started the Fleet: a school spirit club at Berry that seeks to garner support and loyalty for the Vikings across all sports.While the club is just now getting started on campus, it has been an idea of Tremp’s for quite a while now. 

“My friends and I were brainstorming for months on how we could fix the dynamics,” Tremps said. “What the energy could be like.” 

In an effort to change the culture at Berry’s athletic events, Tremps scheduled a meeting with Angel Mason, the Athletic Director for the Vikings. Mason put her in touch with other student-led organizations like Krannert Center Activities Board (KCAB), the Office of Student Involvement (OSI) and the Student Government Association (SGA) to hit the ground running for Tremps’s vision. Tremps also enlisted the help of fellow classmate Kate Dempsey to help her spread the word about the Fleet.

Dempsey is the media and narketing director for the Fleet and makes graphics and flyers and runs the club’s Instagram page. Online, Dempsey promotes the Fleet’s mission to be a unifying force among the crowd.

“We just have this dream of setting traditions for Berry and Berry Athletics,” Dempsey said. “Even just thinking about the culture of Berry with it being a small school, the community of it just feels like we can come in and support our peers.”

In order for the Fleet to become an official student organization at Berry, they need to prove meeting attendance as well as interest from the student body. The fall 2024 term is a trial semester for the club to test out ideas. The Fleet will be working closely with OSI, as they do not receive any funding from the school yet. 

Pack the House events will be the marquee meetings for the club, although Tremps’s hope is to have members of the club commit to attending at least five athletic events per semester. If the Fleet becomes a full-fledged student organization, Tremps hopes to be able to provide students with other benefits for being a member.

“Once we establish ourselves a bit, there would ideally be a reserved section for being a part of that team,” said Tremps. “A communal closet would be awesome [too], of gear and things that cover all the themes.”

Saturday’s football game versus DePauw University will mark the first public appearance by the Fleet, and Tremps has high hopes for the game.

“I think the first [home] football game is an opportunity to start this culture shift and I’m excited for that,” Tremps said.

The club is working with OSI to rally students before kickoff at 1pm. There will be a tailgate with games and food, and the Fleet will have a table where students can paint their faces and get posters and other spirit wear to bring to the game. Members of the club can support their peers in unique ways by joining the club. The Fleet has been entrusted to select themes for the sporting events this semester and, along with OSI, they hope to sponsor giveaways to encourage students to attend Berry athletic events.

The Fleet had a table at the recent Involvement Fair where students could learn about the club and their goals. The club currently has about 90 students in a GroupMe thread which they will use for communication and polls. Polls are how the club will determine themes for sporting events, and gameday attire will correspond with the theme. 

As media and marketing director, Dempsey has already noticed the overwhelming interest that students have in the club.

“Our Instagram went up on Friday and within 24 hours we had already gotten like 300 followers,” Dempsey said.

Dempsey is a junior at Berry and one of six students that make up the leadership team for the Fleet. The leadership team is responsible for communicating with other clubs and coordinating gameday logistics. Both Tremps and Dempsey are very excited for the year and what it will hold for the Fleet as they look to establish new traditions and renew pride for the Berry Vikings.

For more information about the club, look for the Fleet on Instagram and TikTok. Flyers will also be posted around campus with games that the Fleet will be attending and what theme to prepare for.