K-City is a club at Eastern Michigan University where members can enjoy the latest K-Pop hits and create friendships with others who share the same interest.
“K-Pop is growing in the western culture and is constantly trying to spread throughout the world, and so we tried to create a safe environment for our members to bond and make friends with those who share the same passion,” Khary McClellan II, president of K-City, said.
K-City is more than simply listening to the latest K-Pop hits; the members also get a chance to discover new groups making come-backs or new groups making a name for themselves in the K-Pop community. Members can voice their ideas of which type of events they would like to do and help make the club as fun and inclusive as possible.
Everyone is welcome, whether they are familiar with K-Pop or simply looking for a way to diversify their music playlists.
“We love when people are new to the K-Pop world,” McClellan said. “We as a whole, can introduce them to possible groups that they will like.”
A prominent aspect of the club is that it is centered around K-Pop music, and as such, K-City pays homage to each artist’s or group’s song they listen to, honoring and respecting Korean culture.
With the plethora of music genres, the diversity of having a K-Pop club and bringing Korean culture to EMU’s campus is a point of pride for K-City.
Although the club is fairly new, having started just last year, there has been much progress in member attendance and how the members can grow and become more open to those around them.
“I was a very quiet kid in my freshman year, I didn’t know how to talk to people… But once I joined the club it was a way of helping me to break out of my shell,” McClellan said.
It wasn't easy for McClellan to choose their favorite K-City memory since every meeting was fun and memorable.
However, one of the most interactive moments at K-City meetings is called Random K-Pop Dance where a random K-Pop song plays and members are encouraged to dance along, whether they know the choreography or not.
“It got us to be active, if we didn’t know it, [we] did a funny dance,” McClellan said. “It would create an environment of laughter and just good overall vibes.”
K-City combines a fun and interactive learning environment with the welcoming community aspect among its members.
“I just want to make sure my members and everyone that joins the club feels safe and welcome in our environment,” McClellan said.
Students interested in joining K-City can find more information @emu_kcity on Instagram.
