by More than 60 clubs were at Spartan Fest, the newest groups sparked the most interest from the crowds.
“This is possibly the first campus experiences first-year students have, and allows them to see all the clubs and staff they wouldn’t normally get to see or interact with,” said Tyler Zussell, Student Life and Leadership Development Administrator.
One of the newest clubs at Spartan Fest was the KPOP (Korean Pop Music), combines Korean history, music, and culture to create a complete picture of modern South Korea and their entertainment industry.
“We are a history and culture group as much as we are [a group] about KPOP,” said Imai Webb, President of the KPOP Club. “You’ll see all the correspondence between [Korean] culture and KPOP.”
KPOP club also explores the ins and outs of the Korean music industry, and its specific issues and scandals. KPOP idols go through extensive training that can lengthen from 3-6 months to 10 years. Some KPOP idols have also taken their own lives due to mental health not being available.
“KPOP fans grow attached to the artists and idols, and we care a lot about what happens to them,” said Webb.
The KPOP society is waiting on final approval for full club status.
Another new group is the Esports club, which was reformed 2 years ago after a hiatus, and competes in the Tespa Esports league. Tespa is a league that specifically caters to college clubs, and provides competitions from them to go head to head in. They compete in tournaments like Overwatch and Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
“We are very much casual gamers forcing ourselves into competitive leagues,” said Andrew Feckete, Treasurer and Team Captain.
“We get to compete against other colleges like DeSales and ESU,” said Fekete.
Esports Club strives to improve one’s skills, and there is no barrier to entry or to compete.
“You don’t have to be good to join Esports Club,” said Fekete. “I’m not very good and I am the Team Captain.”
