After a two year hiatus, cheerleaders joined the Biola Dance Crew at Midnight Madness to foster school spirit for Biola Athletics.
“I’m really excited because we’re debuting as a team. The cheer team had a two year absence so it’s the first time we’re bringing it back and we’re excited,” said Christine Truong, cheerleader and junior communications disorders major.
Part of the Crew
The cheerleaders are now part of the larger Biola Dance Crew, which has been a club on campus since 2013. The team has worked since August 2015 to create a routine that involves a compilation of six songs and features both groups.
“We expect for [the crowd] to get really excited and we want the prospective students mainly to know that we do have a dance community, something that if they’re interested in, they can come and pursue it at Biola and hopefully keep growing [BDC] and making it better and better,” said Daniel Shepherd, co-captain of BDC and senior business major.
SPA’s First Year
This was the first year that Student Programming and Activities planned the event with minor changes from years past, the largest being the releasing of balloons at the end of the event rather than confetti like last year.
“I’m really excited about SPA because this is technically our first year. Even though AS has done it in the past, we put our own little spin on it. I feel like that will really be prevalent,” said Adam Washington, special events coordinator of SPA and sophomore business administration major.
A Three-Point Competition
In order to generate excitement for their opening season, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams participated in a three-point competition. As athletes from each team shot baskets in the three rounds, the women’s team accumulated more points and won after Annie Park, senior guard, made multiple baskets in quick succession.
“It feels good but, you know, it’s just a game, it’s fun. You’re just out there trying to have a good time,” Park said. “The school cares a lot about the sports, they make events to recognize all the sports and it’s good to know that we’re all being, I guess, recognized because being an athlete is tough. We put in a lot of work so it feels good.”
Spirit Competition
Hope Hall was awarded 250 spirit points as Austin Prock, freshman cinema media arts and business major, won the spirit competition by quickly trying on a basketball uniform and scoring a basketball in a hoop.
“Of course it feels great [winning the competition]. Revving up my dorm, just gonna jump around in the gym yeah, it’s great,” Prock said. “It was fun. I don’t really think it was that challenging. I’m not very good at basketball so in that aspect, yeah…I’ll be coming back the next few years.”
XOPOC and Sports Teams
Later during the event, XOPOC performed a hip-hop dance routine, featuring the songs “Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and Nicki Minaj’s “Feelin’ Myself.” Following the routine, the men’s basketball team had a dunking competition that was won by Steve Herve, sophomore forward. Midnight Madness concluded as all sports teams were called onto the floor and students joined them as balloons were released.
