Shippensburg University’s student section, more commonly known as the Red Sea, made a big splash this weekend as it hosted two events to kick off the fall 2023 semester.

On Friday, the Red Sea Hosted a celebration on the east side quad near Seavers and Naugle Hall. Members of the Red Sea and Student Ambassadors gave free Red Sea T-shirts to nearly 300 first-year students, and the Shippensburg University Marching Band and Cheerleading Team kicked off the night with a joint performance.

Students learned more about the Red Sea, made crafts, played lawn games and raced down a 22-foot waterslide. APB was also in attendance to serve milkshakes and smoothies to attendees.

The excitement continued Saturday morning when the Red Sea hosted a tailgate behind Seth Grove Stadium before the first home football game of the season against Newberry College. A full breakdown of the game can be found in our Sports section.

First-year students had the opportunity to be a part of the Red Sea’s inaugural Raider Run, in which they ran onto the field before the first kickoff of the season. 

SU President Charles Patterson brought the idea of the Raider Run to Red Sea advisor Ashley Spencer last year. They workshopped exactly how it would look, including the idea of giving participants jerseys with the number 23 on the back, before deciding on a combination of a jersey and Red Sea t-shirt, according to Red Sea Vice President Annie Linker.

A few dozen students participated in the run, and that number will hopefully continue to grow in the coming years, according to Red Sea officers.

“For me, Red Sea is about welcoming everyone to cheer on our teams and show our best spirit,” Linker said. “Being the vice president this year, I was happy with the turnout we had at the game yesterday, and I can’t wait for more people at our next event!”

Students interested in joining the Red Sea can follow @su_redsea on Instagram for updates about events for the rest of the semester.

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