The “Crazies,” a previously faculty-selected group of student sports fans, is moving from one department to another.
CBU students are, by now, familiar with the loud group that attends most athletic games. In the past, they have been refereed to as, the “Crazy 8.” They stand in formation to spell CRAZIES, each one with a letter on their T-shirts.
Francis Maikai, senior and Crazies intern, said that the Crazies’ purpose is to maintain the spirit and build on it year after year.
“Each school has something that gives them their own special intrinsic value,” Maikai said.
Supporting the athletic teams is a big part of what the Crazies do, but there are also other things that the job entails. Informing students about upcoming games and events, while portraying a good example to fellow Lancers is a major part of being a “Crazy.”
Currently, the Crazies are managed by Community Life, but the Athletic Department also has a say in their actions. However, after this year, everything will change.
Micah McDaniel, assistant director of athletics and sports information, will now be in charge of the Crazies. Given the change, the Athletic Department will have a greater role with the Crazies.
Preparations for selecting the next generation of Crazies is currently underway. Specific requirements and details about the criteria and compensation for being a Crazy have not been finalized.
Much work is going into the change of the Crazies, including how the next Crazy Eight will be chosen, what the specific requirements are, what the criteria will be in attending games, the compensation and much more.
“A lot of things still need to be talked about and settled before we start the process of selecting the next crazies generation,” McDaniel said. “The goal for the future Crazies is for each person representing a letter of the Crazies to pass that specific letter down as a sort of symbol and gift to the new person representing that letter.”
There will be an informational meeting in the near future that
will let all prospective Crazies applicants audition to join the Crazies crew.
The Crazies are a huge part of tradition and school spirit by many of the campus departments.
“My dream for athletics in general is for the whole student section to be filled. With every student standing from beginning of tip off to the final buzzer in a basketball game, or from the first serve to the final point in a volleyball game, wearing his or her navy blue crazies shirts,” McDaniel said. I know this dream is possible, and that is why we are all working every day to make it come true.”
