What started as a student interest in K-pop became an opportunity for Titans to connect with one another through music, dancing and Korean culture at Associated Students Incorporated K-pop Night at the Titan Student Union.
The event brought students together for an evening centered around Korean pop, featuring live music, photo card trading, a photo booth, a dance floor and Korean snacks. Seoulful, a K-pop cover dance team at Cal State Fullerton, held a performance at the event.
“The main goal for hosting K-pop Night is that one, it’s a very popular genre and it’s something that isn’t restricted to certain races,” said ASI student programmer, Nathan Hoang. “Anyone can enjoy K-pop.”
Hoang said the event also gave students a chance to take a break from their academic routines and spend time with others who share their interests.
“It’s just a fun way to create an event for students who share that interest of K-pop or just want to come out, have a fun night to dance, relax outside of the classroom and just have more fun on campus,” Hoang said.
K-pop Night was brought back to campus by popular demand after students asked about the event during the previous spring semester.
Although K-pop was the main theme of the event, student programmer Nataly Lopez, a second-year communications major, said students can sometimes feel anonymous on campus, and curating events centered on shared interests creates an opportunity for them to meet new people.
The event took months to prepare, and planning began over the summer. Hoang said that planning included looking at previous K-pop events, reaching out to vendors who had participated in earlier events and considering themed activities that students would enjoy.
“We try to target everything that they (students) would like, everything that just surrounds K-pop in a nutshell,” Lopez said.
The event provided students with opportunities to experience Korean culture beyond the music itself. Korean snacks were available for students to try, allowing attendees to learn about different brands and international flavors.
ASI collaborated with campus organizations such as the CSUF K-pop Club and Seoulful, giving students a chance to discover other organizations connected to Korean culture.
“I feel like it’s just something that we’re able to do with the resources that we have,” Lopez said. “Being able to put that into an event like this really helps to showcase that. Not only are we capable for doing K-pop Night, but potentially something bigger for Korean culture.”
For Amara Yang, a fourth-year psychology major and member of Seoulful, performing at K-pop Night was a chance to share her passion for dance with other students. Seoulful was founded in 2018 and showcases K-pop dance covers at CSUF and events throughout Orange County.
“I got to showcase something that I love to do the most, which is dancing, and it just happens to be with K-pop, which is something really connective,” Yang said. “It made me feel really, really happy because it’s my last year here at Fullerton and I just wanted to make it a good one.”
Felix Nicol, a CSUF alumnus and former K-pop Club board member, said that K-pop Night gave her the opportunity to meet people with different levels of experience with the genre.
During the event, Nicol said she enjoyed seeing students discuss their favorite groups, trade photo cards, and talk about their “biases,” a term used to describe fans’ favorite members of a K-pop group.
Nicol’s interest in K-pop began around 2009, when her sister introduced her to South Korean boy band, SHINee. Her experience reflects the variety of ways students discover K-pop and connect with others through the genre.
“It’s a great way for students to get out of their shell and express their interest in all kinds of things that they like,” Nicol said. “It’s nice seeing so many diverse experiences with specifically K-pop.”