SYNKRONIZES

One of the biggest internet phenomena, K-pop, unites millions of fans internationally through their obsession over idols and the appreciation of carefully constructed choreography.

Some K-pop stans actively dox and send death threats in the name of supporting their favorite idols.

“I am aware of them and sometimes they say certain things to idols that I don’t agree with like talking about things like their weight, their dance team under Korean Entertainment Student Association (KESA) at SJSU. image,” said illustration sophomore Vivian Tran.

“I really wanted to make another space for people who didn’t have a lot of experience,” Yuan said.

As the president of Synkronize, Yuan said he “appreciated” how dedicated, hardworking and passionate the K-pop community is.

The club routinely posts dance covers of groups, like Stray Kids and LOONA, on YouTube.

Sounds like a group of young people with a passion for dance. So why do K-pop fans get all the bad press?

Because people tend to see the internet as the home for the K-pop fanbase, the thriving K-pop community at San José State University surprises most students.

That being said, a small portion of fans express their “love” for the community through toxic and insensitive comments on Twitter.

Some online fans enjoy anonymity, which paired with fiery passion, creates an entirely different and unsavory experience.

“I don’t want to shit on my own community, but I completely understand why people might be hesitant to become friends with K-pop stans,” said sociology sophomore Agape Tariku.

She alluded to the fans that are invested to a worrying degree.

Extremists tend to stand out from an otherwise overlooked, dedicated community.

In 2021, dance and business sophomore Garret Yuan founded Synkronize Dance, a non-audition K-pop

“Someone will play a random song and then 10 people who have no idea who each other are will all go out and dance the same choreography,” he said.

Tran teaches choreography as a dance leader in Synkronize’s weekly workshops, while Tariku acts as the public relations assistant, managing the clubs social media presence.

“I think there’s always been a negative connotation of people who like boy bands. . . I remember people would constantly crap on girls who liked One Direction, so I feel like it’s repackaged now,” Tariku said.

Tariku discussed how some of the hate comes from both misogyny and a hesitancy to introduce Asian culture into the mainstream media.

It only takes one bad tweet to misrepresent the entire K-pop community.

Tran, who frequently works with K-pop fans, never encountered one offline fan who sends death threats and doxxes.

The majority of K-pop enthusiasts simply enjoy the content that the artists put out.

“It might seem intense, but we’re just overly excited about them because a lot of their music is very emotional,” Tran said.

A large part of the community not only resonates with the music, but also with the group dynamics of the bands along with their favorite idols’ personalities.

Talking about interests with others who share that same connection made it even more special.

“Being in person makes it a lot more tangible so people can connect easier. And I would say when people aren’t hiding behind a screen, it’s a lot harder for people to be negative,” Yuan said.

Synkronize is anything but a negative experience.

Members gathered in front of the Student Union Theater and took advantage of its reflective glass windows.

Many other dance clubs

Tariku said.

One girl confessed she had never participated in a group dance before.

But, once stretches ended everyone followed set up in the courtyard, using the wide array of windows as mirrors.

The unspoken agreement among these clubs label the area as a “shared space” lowering the volume of speakers if necessary.

“K-pop takes inspiration from a lot of different kinds of dance. There’s ballet. There’s hip-hop. There’s all these kinds of dances and you just throw them all together. That’s K-pop,” said Sophomore English major Kaili Kwong.

With every passing minute the crowd for Synkronize grew larger.

Returning members excitedly chatted among themselves, while some newer members nervously waited for the session to begin.

“It starts friendships that I would never expect,”

Tran’s directions to a tee.

“I feel like our members are also very understanding people who communicate with each other. It’s not us telling them ‘this is what you do, do it,’” Kwong said.

Kwong, the secretary of Synkronize, competed in dance competitions and performing arts ever since they were eight years old.

Yuan and Garrett both started dancing in high school, and Tariku started dancing a year ago.

“We’re just people who like to dance,” Kwong said.

The dancer leaders worked hard to clear as many mistakes as possible, and by the end of the workshop, they filmed the final cover.

“Just be open minded. Honestly, don’t judge us, we just like music,” Tran said.

1

Look out for each other

Treat others the way you want to be treated. The golden rule of Sunday school, useful in the most hardcore music shows. Respect one another and treat others how you want to be treated. Don’t just start throwing punches. The goal of the pit is not to beat the shit out of each other, but to make sure everyone is having a bitchin’ time.

3 Pick People up!

Someone fall? HELP THEM UP! Does someone look distressed or like they’re genuinely not having a good time? HELP THEM OUT! “Pick people up” means more than in the literal sense. When people fall or seem in distress, you help them out to prevent them from getting trampled or seriously hurt. It’s simply the right thing

by Sam Dietz