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On Thursday evening, Emma Infanti wrote her sociology article in a tent outside the Carrier Dome, with a snow storm on the horizon. In anticipation of the expected cold weather, Infanti brought three blankets and a set of hand warmers.
“It’s going to be a cold night, but I’ll get through it,” said the freshman, who was also wearing three layers of clothing.
As of 7:30 p.m. Thursday night, fans had already begun setting up tents outside Gate E at the Carrier Dome ahead of Syracuse University’s men’s basketball game against Duke University on Saturday.
The students demonstrated their passion for Orange by camping out to secure the best seats for Saturday’s game. On Thursday evening, campers endured a snowstorm that was expected to produce almost a foot of snow.
The event, called Duke Camp Out, is hosted annually by Otto’s Army, SU’s largest student-run fan organization that helps connect students to SU athletics. This year, the campers were there two days before the game, and the student section broke its attendance record after initially breaking it four months prior in the football game against Clemson University on October 15, 2021.
A group of five campers sharing a medium-sized tent brought a box of Varsity Pizza and several Chipotle bowls as they arrived at the Dome’s E Gate entrance. Freshman Connor Monfort was joined by his friends and fellow freshmen Alyssa Curtin, Hannah Baker, Wyeth Karpovich and Diana Stone, all of whom said they were there because of Monfort.
“I’m from Rochester, so I’ve been a huge ‘Cuse fan all my life, and I wanted front row seats for the Duke game,” Monfort said. “It’s the biggest game of the year, and it’s Coach K’s last game against Syracuse, so I wanted some good spots.”
On the other side of the landing, freshman Luke Hasenwinkel occupied the largest tent in the E gate.
“The tent was actually purchased about three hours ago,” Hasenwinkel said.
He said his “undying love for our basketball team” is what motivated him to camp out for the past two days. The tent is big enough that Hasenwinkel, who is 6’4, has a stool inside and can still sit comfortably without touching the ceiling.
He was accompanied by three of his friends, all of whom said they were delighted to see Orange claim victory.
Like Monfort, Hasenwinkel grew up as a Syracuse fan, making the game part of his fandom legacy.
“Ever since I was little I wanted to come here, and now that I’m bleeding from Orange, I’m getting first-hand experience camping with fellow Syracuse fans,” Hasenwinkel said. “We’re going to beat Duke, and that’s what[it]means to bleed Orange.”
To keep campers tidy, there are must be one camper in the tent at all times, and at least two campers must be in the tent overnight between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.
On Friday, Jim Boeheim surprised the campers, who came out to show their support. Boeheim came with assistant coach Allen Griffin and Otto the Orange.
“The fact that he came out and showed us his support because we show him our support is really important, and it really rallied the troops here,” said Jonathan Danilich, senior adviser to Otto’s army.
After spending Thursday night outside Gate E, campers were allowed inside to watch team practice while enjoying a free pizza for dinner. Other campers went the extra mile to keep themselves entertained – freshman Andrew Selover and his friends set up a TV in their tent, as well as an Xbox, on which they watched college basketball and played in Fortnite.
Danilich said the biggest meaning behind Duke Camp Out is the sense of community.
“You meet a lot of great people who love the same thing – cheering on Orange,” Danilich said.
Published on February 27, 2022 at 11:15 p.m.
