Pam BuzzettaIn case you hadn’t noticed, school spirit at Washington University is peaking at just the right time.
With the men’s and women’s basketball teams shredding opponents on a weekly basis, and the tournament just a few weeks away, the usual crop of fans at home games has grown due to a sudden hysteria created by a group called RED ALERT.
A committee was formed several years ago to promote student interest in athletic events. This committee included administrators such as Dean Justin X. Carroll, Assistant Athletic Director T.J. Shelton, Sports Information Director Keith Jenkins and IM Office Supervisor Kathy Lasater. Additionally, students from various backgrounds including former WU athletes, current team members, cheerleaders, pep band members and Student Union representatives are involved in the committee, with new members being added every week.
The group’s name symbolizes the fervor of the red-clad fans that have taken over the student section at basketball games.
“As a marketing major with a strong interest in branding, I know that consistent communication and having a recognizable image or logo is key to creating awareness and recognition,” RED ALERT co-director Jenny Moffat said. “Our two logos are RED ALERT and the ‘scratch mark,’ and you’ll see one or both of those on everything we’re associated with.”
The presence of this frenzied group of WU supporters is undeniable. The group has effectively spread its name via bright red fliers and posters placed in the bookstore, Center Court, and the throughout the Village and South 40.
“Every Wednesday night before a [home] game, we meet, usually with the help of the women’s basketball team, and post flyers all over the South 40 and main campus,” co-director Joel Gluskin said. “We also have a spot painted on the underpass. This ensures that, at least, every resident on the South 40 is aware of the games.”
Over the past few seasons, the attendance at basketball events, often a high-drawing sport at other schools, has dwindled. The success that the Bears have enjoyed in recent years is often taken for granted. Headlines proclaiming victory after victory are commonplace at WU.
Other groups, such as OnSloth, have made valiant attempts to spur on school spirit and attendance, using giveaways and free food to lure students to games. Although OnSloth and similar groups met with limited success, they can not compete with RED ALERT in terms of longevity or effectiveness.
At games, painted faces and tank tops bearing creative slogans such as “Official Ball Handler” have become the norm. The sea of red, visually unavoidable as you enter the gymnasium, has become a backdrop of fear for opponents. The Bears undefeated home record and large margins of victory are partially attributable to the overwhelming and uniform supports their fans.
Although the hoops team has always drawn the support of close friends and family, RED ALERT has put casual students in the stands. The RED ALERT t-shirts, handed out on campus, have caused a stir and certainly add an enthusiasm to the games that the campus has been in dire need of.
Nigel Davies, an avid WU sports fan, has his own opinion on the student body’s newfound spirit.
“It seems like there is so much more energy in the building during the games,” Davies said. “People actually care about the teams. I know a bunch of guys on the team, so I have followed them, but so many people at this school don’t care about them. This is a nice contrast to the usual apathy.”
Davies has been involved in the RED ALERT cheering section for a number of games this season, most notably the overtime thriller versus Rochester Jan. 24, where it was difficult to keep RED ALERT members from storming the court after each questionable call made by the referees.
Deakin Bell, a visitor to WU from the University of Denver, was shocked at the amount of intensity displayed by WU’s faithful.
“It’s cool to have wild and crazy nuts filling the stands, and it really creates an atmosphere that should frighten the visiting teams,” Bell said.
The group, however, is not content to rest upon its laurels.
“We have a few things lined up for the rest of the year. For [today’s] games, we are having a drawing for a pizza party,” Gluskin said. “If a person shows up wearing a RED ALERT shirt by 6:30 p.m., we will give them an entry into our raffle.”
The five people who win the raffle will get to bring five of their friends to the Hall of Champions between games for a pizza party. Also, RED ALERT is making plans to reserve buses to bring fans to the Final Four, should the teams advance that far.
The group’s interests do not rise and set with the sport of basketball either.
“RED ALERT will definitely be promoting all sports with the help of the teams,” Moffat said. “Later this semester, we’ll be making plans for promotional events during the following school year. Our goal is to become a strong presence on campus at all sporting events and during Homecoming.”
“We have already promoted the volleyball quarterfinal match against Cal-St. Hayward as well as the Washington University Swimming Invitational,” Gluskin said. “We will also have a barbeque cook-out at a baseball or softball game this season.”
One cannot walk onto the Hilltop Campus these days without noticing the glaring red fliers or the distinctive RED ALERT t-shirts worn by the student body. It has even become commonplace to run into our school’s mascot in unusual places such as Holmes Lounge and the Hilltop Bakery.
“School spirit at WU can rival that of a DI school,” Gluskin said. “Obviously, we don’t have the number of students that an Illinois or a Kansas has, but that doesn’t mean that the students can’t get involved with their athletic teams,
“While we may never have the attendance that Illinois gets, we can still have students who care just as much about their athletic teams and take as much pride in their accomplishments as a DI school.”