Lights flash as the thunder of stomping feet and clapping hands echoes through the air. War-painted faces cry out for victory. The front line raises their hands to the sky and calls for the remaining warriors to do the same. The sound builds and people sway as the energy rises and topples to a crescendo.
This is the playing team’s final moments. The sidelined warriors know that their bolstering encouragements can be the thing that pushes the playing Lancers to make that final shot. That is what being a California Baptist University Crazie is all about.
The CBU Crazie Crew has recently taken CBU and its students by storm, but what does being a CBU Crazie actually entail?
Vinh Aven, assistant athletic director for Marketing and Fan Engagement, said, “First and foremost when you are a CBU student, we’re all Lancers. We are Lancer Nation, but when we sit in the student section, we become Crazies.”
Therefore, every CBU student attending the games is a Crazie at heart.
However, it is Aven’s team of 24 undergraduate students who have formed the Crazie Crew this year and brought a newfound energy.
“They have brought an incredible amount of energy, which encourages other students to step up their energy and enthusiasm, as well,” Aven said.
Grayson Logan, sophomore international studies major and member of the Crazie Crew, said being a Crazie to him means showing how much he loves CBU.
“To me it means showing a lot of school spirit and just hyping up the sports teams to try to give the best home-court advantage possible,” Logan said.
Every member of the Crazie Crew is required to go to the men’s and women’s home basketball games and women’s volleyball games, but many of the Crazie members voluntarily attend other sporting events, as well, to better represent their Lancers.
Other aspects of the job include setup for the games and coming up with new chants to get the other students more involved. The Crazies meet about an hour before each event starts to organize different roles for each person throughout the game.
Zac Zeman, sophomore accounting major and member of the Crazie Crew, said he enjoys being a Crazie because he sees it as an outlet where he can be crazy without caring what other people think.
“Don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone and be a little Crazie for CBU Athletics,” Zeman said.
Aven said this year more than any other year, the student body is really responding to the Crazies and adopting that same school spirit.
This is revealed by the high-energy, record-breaking attendance at not only the recent volleyball games, but also a staggering 4,000 attendees at Midnight Madness, which kicked off the basketball season Oct. 25.
These high energy levels start with this Crazie Crew and then continue throughout the whole student section. Aven said his team of CBU Crazies is excited for what is to come.
“We look forward to carrying that momentum into the men’s and women’s basketball season, as well,” Aven said.
