Going into the Spring semester, there are plenty of unknowns. While you are aware of classes you’re taking and the professors you have, the unknowns make themselves just as apparent. The task of finding your group, a friend to grab lunch with or just someone to sit beside while completing the seemingly never-ending lists of assignments seems almost unattainable at times. The importance of Biblical community and doing life with people is highlighted several times throughout scripture. While informing the early church, Luke wrote, “And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.” (Acts 2:46-47). As Biola students, we see how our University also puts an emphasis on these basic ideals.
A popular choice among the student body is joining an intramural sports team. Freshman kinesiology major Ellie Wu was a part of an intramural volleyball team during her fall semester and noted how it was a great opportunity to meet people she otherwise would have never met.
“I think just meeting people, honestly, that’s the real reason I joined,” Wu said. “I was expecting to make new friendships and to try something new, and I think it did meet my expectations in that way.”
The intramural sports offered this semester include basketball, sand volleyball, softball, spikeball and ultimate frisbee. The newest addition this semester, spikeball, was brought back for the first time since the spring of 2023. All sign-ups are currently open, with basketball closing on Feb. 8, sand volleyball on Feb. 13, softball on Feb. 3, spikeball on Jan. 30 and ultimate frisbee on Feb. 13.
While there are several ways to meet new people on campus, Wu notices how the team dependence in an intramural team is different from the bond you might find in a classroom.
“I think it is really different, because you need to learn how to depend on each other,” she said. “Teamwork is so much more important when you’re playing a sport, and I think you get closer with these people not just because of learning, but playing with each other, learning how to encourage each other and hype each other up.”
However, before signing up for a team, make sure there is room in your calendar for the late night games while also balancing your academic responsibilities. Wu said one of the most unexpected aspects of intramural sports was how late the games went.
“Our games were so late, some of our games would end at midnight. So in that sense, yeah, it was hard balancing because I didn’t have time to study and go to sleep on time. But I think it was worth it,” she said.
While not having any prior experience in volleyball, Wu noted how the atmosphere her teammates created allowed her to learn how to play the sport while also enjoying the game. She encourages students who might face the same dilemma to still sign up for a team.
“I would encourage anybody to sign up, even if you don’t play the sport – people will teach you,” she said. “And there’s low stakes. It’s just a time to have fun and fellowship with other people.”
