“Let the Red Sea Rise” — this message that calls the student section to action is plastered on the wall of Richard Chase Gymnasium, spread across campus by the Athletics Department and flows from student to student. Both student-led athletics groups and the Athletics Department seek to keep enthusiasm for the programs at a high level. The results are evident year in and year out through the high enthusiasm at Biola home games.
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF A STUDENT SECTION?
Athletes thrive off a home-field advantage which drives them to perform better. Nobody wants to disappoint those supporting them, and it pushes them to the next level. It can also serve to intimidate and hinder opposition. Any home crowd seeks to do this to the best of their ability. Biola is no exception.
“A generic premise of the Red Sea is to have a mass amount of supporters at the events of our student-athletes. And with a clever nod to biblical Scripture, if the entirety of the crowd wears red it would be a ‘Red Sea’ of spirit,” Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) president Luke Franklin said.
As with any student section, the goal is clear: support the home team and broadcast school spirit and values. Biola’s desire for competitiveness is blended well with the values of comradery and biblical standing in a fun nod to the iconic Red Sea parted by Moses in the book of Exodus.
HOW DOES THE RED SEA HAPPEN?
A student section of this caliber is a product of Biola students and faculty having the same goal: the support of the athletes who represent their school. While there is no total organization of the section currently, there is communication and teamwork to create the environment that can be experienced at the home games.
“There is not a ton of organization to the Red Sea. However, as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, I help to decide what kind of theme or promotional nights we push to the fans, whether it’s a white-out game or Hawaiian night; these themes are communicated to the whole student body in order to best promote attendance and fun,” Franklin said.
This speaks volumes to student enthusiasm for games. While there is certainly promotion on campus to come and watch the game, ultimately, it doesn’t need a ton of organizing, as the students are already bought in.
“Athletics has been focused on creating promotions to draw students out to games. For example, free Chick-fil-A sandwiches and gift cards, T-shirts, umbrella hats, etc. We also have the Biola Brigade going on where students scan a QR code where they get points and have the chance to win prizes,” Billi Derleth, assistant sports information director, said.
The Biola Brigade is one of the highlights of the collaboration between students and staff in their goals for drawing a crowd to games. This competition is a way to garner excitement through competition. Attending games provides opportunities to gain points towards prizes.
Biola Athletics and the SAAC also put on promotions and fun themes and activities, but the enthusiasm is already there. They just need to help draw it out.
THE SEA IN FULL FLOW
Fall sports are wrapping up, and spring sports are on the horizon. With this comes basketball. Soon, Chase Gymnasium will be full of the squeaking of sneakers on the polished wood floor and the crisp swishing of nets, but none of that would be the same without the roar of the crowd to follow a great play by an Eagle on the court.
“The Biola basketball teams tend to draw out the most people to their games, one of which stands out the most — that being the Men’s Basketball home APU game,” Franklin said.
Basketball games are some of the biggest events on campus, and this year promises to be more of the same. The Eagle squads are set to aim for new heights this spring, but none of it is possible without the wholehearted and fervent support of the Red Sea flooding the stands.
