Jadwin Jungle enters second season
Stirling Fiss
Princetonian Senior Writer
Wendesday, November 10, 2004 (The Daily Princetonian)
For basketball fans at UConn, Stanford or Duke, seeing thousands of zealous students at a game is the norm rather than the exception. It might be surprising to learn that during this season's games at Princeton, as many as a thousand partisan Princeton students will leave their studies, dorms or the Street to flock to Jadwin Gymnasium.
Expectations are high for this hardcourt squad that returns four starters and unveils the passion and enthusiasm of a new coach. Still, the potential for impressive and successful on-court play cannot receive sole credit for this influx of support. Recognition must also be granted to the three founders of the Jadwin Jungle, John Boscia, Freddy Flaxman and Jonah Perlin, all members of the Class of '07.
At a football game last year, which they admit attending partially because of the lure of free t-shirts, Boscia, Flaxman and Perlin were struck that Princeton undergraduates rarely supported their fellow students by attending athletic events. On a campus where time is precious and seems to slip away all too easily, the three sports enthusiasts decided certain incentives needed to be offered to entice otherwise reluctant students to come to games.
"Basketball as a sport just lends itself well to fan participation," Flaxman said. "You're playing in an enclosed space, an area in which a little noise can go a long way. So with the Jungle, you can harness this energy and really have a strong impact on the game."
These Kings of the Jungle have recruited members through sign-ups at Frist, but students can also register at the first game. The ever-expanding Jadwin Jungle already has exceeded last year's size and hopes to boast a membership of over 1,000 this year. While they previously had to work to spread their name recognition and goals, this year people have been actively seeking them to sign up.
A $5 fee scores a Jungle denizen an identifying t-shirt that serves as a ticket into home games. Those appropriately garbed feast on pre-game appetizers provided by Winberries and gain preferred seating in the student section. The longterm goals are not merely to get students out to the first game, however, but to continue the impressive attendance throughout the season. By reinforcing the benefits of continued game attendance, Boscia, Flaxman and Perlin hope to create a community of fans. Until then, however, even more incentives are imminent.
Gift certificates to local restaurants and stores and halftime contests are just the beginning of what is planned this year. More elaborate motivators include an all-expense paid trip to the NCAA tournament and the opportunity to take a shot for a year's tuition.
Officially, Princeton's athletic department has given the Jadwin Jungle no funding. Instead, it merely helps with logistics and organization of various events.
"They are happy to help us because we aid their overall goal in getting students to games," Flaxman said. "We are happy to work with them because the athletic department can basically provide a number of different resources to help us get where we want to go."
Boscia, Flaxman and Perlin pay for the incentives by working with sponsors. The $5 student fee funds the expense of t-shirts. The student managers, despite the significant amount of time they devote to ensuring that the student club runs smoothly and grows in popularity, make no money.
In response to complaints that the Jadwin Jungle forces students who want the best seating to pay when students don't have to pay for any other sporting event, Flaxman is empathetic. Still, he believes that $5 is a reasonable price for an entire season's enjoyment.
"Five dollars is a minimal amount to pay for tickets to a sporting event of any kind. With the Jungle membership, you get into all 11 home games this season. You're paying less than fifty cents a game. If you are unwilling to drop a couple quarters per game to help the Princeton basketball team, stop by my room, and I'll give you a couple dimes myself."
One group lodging no protest is the basketball team. Former head coach John Thompson III '88 congratulated Boscia, Flaxman and Perlin on their efforts last year, and current head coach Joe Scott '87 has offered to help with potential incentive items. Players enjoy the increased fan base and appreciate that large numbers of vociferous students contribute to making Jadwin a tough road game.
They might not yet rival the Cameron Crazies, but the members of the Jungle are ready to roar.