The K-Pop Culture and Appreciation Club (KPCA) was made official in October of last year. Since then, the club has continued to grow, and get more involved in events and activities on campus.
When asked what the main goal, or mission, of the club is, Miracle Jerome, co-captain of their dance team, said, “Inclusivity is our main focus. If you have a passion for something, we want to provide you with a safe space to go for it. It’s not just a club, it’s a family at the end of the day.”
KPCA wants its members to always feel welcome. Tyra Mcclendon, co-captain, said, “At our meetings, there’s always people introducing themselves and making new friends, and seeing that makes me so happy.”
Adding to that, Makayla Washington said, “We all respect each other and acknowledge that we have different opinions, and that’s something I love about this club too.”
Embedded in the club is their dance team, titled Black Mania. Tonight in Hanner Fieldhouse, they will compete at the annual Doo-Dah Dance and Step Show. Mcclendon told me that this event was what they had been looking forward to. “We came last year and knew that it was something we wanted to do,” she said. “We love performing so it’s perfect for us.”
A couple of weeks ago, Hurricane Helene pushed everything back a week. “We ended up losing a bunch of rehearsal time, and we were really stressed about how we were going to get it all done,” Mcclendon said.
“Obviously everyone has different lives, and having to coordinate their schedules was tough, but we pulled it off,” Washington said.
Putting together a routine for the event was no easy task. So much went into it, including props, music, costumes, and more. In the end, the overarching idea that the team wants the judges to understand is the storyline. “I love the storyline, I think it’s cool, unique, and I really hope the judges get it,” Jerome said.
Aside from rehearsals and planning, it’s necessary to maintain good morale among club members. “Communication is so important. If there’s tension within the executive board, the members will notice and that is not good. If you let things bubble up, the club will go under, so it’s important to understand everyone’s feelings,” Jerome explained.
KPAC is always open to new members. For more information, check out their Instagram @kpopclub_gsu or @blackmania_gsu, and don’t miss their performance, along with various other organizations tonight!
