College Times - June 2020 by Times Media Group

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K-POP THRIVES Fans of Korean pop are stronger than ever

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contents student life 2

K-pop Thrives

Fans of Korean pop are stronger than ever

success & money 4

A Look at the Future

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Jet set a career entirely online with ASU

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ASU center tries to lessen pandemic anxiety

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POP QUIZ

WE KNOW HOW MANY TESTS AND QUIZZES YOU TAKE, BUT WE THINK THIS ONE WILL BE YOUR FAVORITE. HERE IS A QUICK QUIZ ON SOMETHING POPULAR OR IMPORTANT WE THINK YOU NEED TO KNOW.

BTS became an international K-pop sensation in the late 2010s. What does BTS stand for? A. Bangtan Boys B. Bulletproof Boy Scouts C. Beyond the Scene D. All of the above Answer: D. All of the above

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STUDENT LIFE SO

MADDIE ALON

HOPE O'BRIEN

K-POP THRIVES

GAS

KRISTINE LUEN

FANS OF KOREAN POP ARE STRONGER THAN EVER OLIVIA MUNSON COLLEGE TIMES

sea of eyes. That’s the first thing you see in Hope O’Brien’s bedroom in Chandler. The posters, juxtaposed against white walls covered by splattered paint, poignantly gaze at whoever comes in. “I probably have upward of 30 Korean men on my walls,” O’Brien says. Each wall is plastered with posters, primarily of icons of Korean pop, also known as K-pop. This includes the K-pop boy band BTS, her favorite band. She has tacked photocards of the band members, with blue,

purple and orange hair, who smile unwaveringly beside her bed. Twenty K-pop albums are neatly stacked in her cubby area. O’Brien has every release by BTS on CD, including four versions of the band’s latest album, “Map of the Soul: 7.” More mementos, such as keychains, banners, wristbands and lightsticks, clutter the room. A basket filled to the brim with merchandise, such as photocards, cup sleeves and stickers, sits next to her desk. Each item comes from a different K-pop-themed event created by and for fans in the Valley. The ASU student has been a K-pop fan since 2017. Within that time, she’s spent over $5,000 to satisfy her K-pop appetite. In the last year,

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she’s forked over $1,500 on concert tickets. Once, it took her four days straight on her laptop to get tickets to BTS’ concerts at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena. That concert was postponed amid the COVID-19 outbreak, just as girl group (G)I-dle was set to perform in the Valley on April 19. It, too, will be rescheduled. But even with postponed concerts, the Arizona K-pop community is stronger than ever.

IT ALL BEGAN WITH BTS Initially, O’Brien disliked K-pop. She often made fun of those who listened to this style and thought alternative music was meant for her. It was not until high school when a friend finally wore her down. “I thought, ‘OK, I’ll watch one music video,’ and of course it was ‘Spring Day,’” she says. The 2017 single by BTS piqued O’Brien’s interest instantly. “I am a literature nerd, and when I found out this song was connected to one of my favorite short stories (‘The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas’), I was hooked from there,” she says. One video led to another and then another. She spiraled into K-pop. She spent hours on end watching music videos and learning more about these BTS boys she has come to love dearly. BTS was O’Brien’s first K-pop love, but now she’s addicted to 10 boy bands and listens to many more. She has over 396 songs on her daily playlist. For O’Brien, K-pop is much more than elaborate dances, catchy beats and breathtaking visuals.

This music has given her something she always wanted—a community.

MUSICAL ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION K-pop originated in South Korea and was heavily influenced by the music of American troops stationed in the country during and after the Korean War. In 1957, the American Forces Korea Network radio broadcasted Western pop music, increasing the genre’s popularity. It was from there Korean music began to adapt and change to fit the mold of the American style. South Korea was impoverished by the war, and one way for Koreans to earn money was by performing for the American troops. Clubs dedicated to musical entertainment rose in number, as did the South Korean economy. This momentum would only grow throughout the years. By the 1990s, the genre was still booming, but it needed an update. In 1995, South Korean producer Lee Soo-man, who was educated in the United States and knew of its musical trends, founded his own entertainment company to shift the focus of the K-pop industry toward teen-centered pop music. Boy and girl idol bands began to infiltrate the scene, targeting a young, under-30 market. H.O.T., an acronym for Highfive of Teenagers, the first boy band, had its debut in 1996. H.O.T. set the trend of forward-thinking fashion, upbeat melodies and energetic dances. With the 1997 Asian financial crisis, K-pop idol groups began to

student life look toward international markets, including the United States. By the beginning of the 21st century, there was a tide of Hallyu, or Korean Wave, stars. TVXQ brought forth this second coming of idols, which included SHINee, Big Bang and Girls’ Generation, catapulting this music onto the Billboard charts. Despite its growing popularity, K-pop did not hit American mainstream until 2012 with the viral success of Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” which is the first YouTube video to reach 1 billion views. There had been several attempts to fully break into the Western music scene by K-pop artists, but none proved to be successful until 2017. BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, was the first K-pop act to win a Billboard Music Award. The group’s performance of “DNA” at the American Music Awards was the first stage by a K-pop artist, helping the song peak at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100. Since then, BTS has sold out stadium tours across the United States and has performed on various shows, including Stephen Colbert and Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve. The band performed this year at the Grammy Awards with Lil Nas X, and in 2019, its album “Love Yourself: Tear” was nominated for a Grammy. The band’s collaboration of “Old Town Road” with Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus brought even more attention, catapulting BTS further into the American music scene, having reached 18.7 million viewers. According to Billboard, BTS’s agency, Big Hit Entertainment, is valued at over $1 billion, as of 2019. By 2017, the K-pop industry itself was worth $5 billion.

RIDING THE KOREAN WAVE Like O’Brien, Diana Franco was introduced to K-pop by a fan, in this case Franco’s big sister, Yesenia. Franco, of Tucson, recalled listening to the boy group Big Bang with her sister and becoming intrigued. As she got older and more involved in other groups’ fandoms, Franco found a way to incorporate another passion into her newfound one—art. “I loved to draw,” she explains. However, Franco, riddled with selfdoubt, never showed off her art. It was not until she joined the K-pop community that she decided to take a chance. Franco began collecting K-pop pins designed by fans after seeing BTS at the Rose Bowl in 2019. She began to design enamel pins herself and sell them online and at fan events. She was 16.

Once she received parental approval, Franco created her first pin based on the song “Mikrokosmos” by BTS. Her company is called “MoonchildChimChim,” and she sells on Etsy, BigCartel and at fan events. Without K-pop, Franco says she would not have been able to come out of her shell. It allowed her to form a business, express her creativity, and connect with an American K-pop fan community. O’Brien has followed a similar path, but in her case by way of poetry. She fell in love with the written word in English class when she was in grammar school. Since then, she has written many more poems. The most recent poems are based on BTS and its songs. O’Brien’s twitter hashtag, #PoemsForArmy, allows fans to message her to get personalized poems and positive affirmations— which most of the time relate to BTS. “Creating these poems forced me to grow and expand my ability to write,” she says, and “brought inspiration back into my writing.” In addition, O’Brien has written a book on Wattpad, called “The Theory of BTS.” It has been viewed nearly 600 times, and she continues to update it whenever BTS posts new music.

FIRST STORE OF ITS KIND Kristine Luengas, a student at Grand Canyon University who resides in Goodyear, operates a popular and well-known store— KPOP Arizona—with the help of her family. She said she and her younger sister constantly listened to K-pop, with a focus on BTS. On February 23, the store hosted a launch party for its online store at a park in Goodyear. About 100 people attended, even though the launch party had to be rescheduled due to rain. “We expected hardly anybody to come out,” Luengas said. “When we saw the amount of people that came, it really showed us that no matter what there will always be people in the K-pop community supporting you, as long as you treat them with the respect they deserve.” Other vendors, including Franco, and attendees ate homemade BTSthemed desserts, danced, sung, and simply gathered from across the state for their shared love of K-pop. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, online K-pop commerce is thriving. But, KPOP Arizona has had to adjust to the recent changes in regard to its shipping and handling. “We do receive all our products straight from South Korea, so shipping has been slower than usual, and right now we can’t unbox

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everything as soon as it’s received,” Luengas explains. “The boxes that we get have to be sprayed down with a disinfectant and sit in the sun for four hours.”

YOU NEVER WALK ALONE Maddie Alonzo, of Mesa, found the genre during a low point in her life. At a birthday party, one of her friends sat Alonzo down to watch hours’ worth of K-pop content. “It was then that I saw how beautiful and complex the K-pop industry is,” she says. Fans often note K-pop is an icebreaker that takes them out of their comfort zone that helps them meet new people. “With BTS specifically, I have been able to meet such wonderful people that will be lifelong friends,” Alonzo says. This is how it works: O’Brien and Julie Nguyen were school friends who later bonded over K-pop. Nguyen and Alonzo struck up a friendship on the ASU shuttle after Nguyen noticed Alonzo’s K-pop photocard on her phone case. Now, O’Brien, Alonzo and Nguyen are friends and created their own fan club.

THE COMMUNITY’S ENDURING SPIRIT In a time when coronavirus is causing worldwide chaos, the K-pop community remains strong. Many recent fan events were postponed, including KPOP Arizona’s pop-up set for April 18. K-pop bands and solo artists are also using their platforms to connect with fans. BTS created a YouTube video as a reminder to stay strong during this time, thanking doctors and medical staff for their effort in fighting the virus. The group emphasized the importance of taking preventative measures to ensure the fans can see them quickly. “Standing on a stage facing empty

seats, we realize how each moment with you was,” member Kim Seokjin says. (G)I-dle, alongside the boy group Monsta X, is scheduled to appear in Phoenix during the summer. The group participated in Twitch’s “Stream Aid.” Donations from the 12-hour online program went toward the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. From April 17 to 18, BTS livestreamed its previous concerts and fanmeets (musters) from 2014 to 2019 as a free gift. Bang Bang Con was set up in response to the group’s postponed worldwide tour, which was supposed to start in April. Fans were even encouraged to sync their lightsticks to the Weverse app, which utilized Bluetooth to change the lightsticks’ color and sync with whatever song was being performed during the stream. Throughout the stream, many fans commented praise toward the members of BTS for their hard work and dedication that helps fans feel connected during this difficult time. On March 30, BTS took part in a televised concert event called “Homefest,” organized by late-night host James Corden. The group performed its single “Boy with Luv” hoping, it said, to raise spirits in a dark world. “I was really bummed about the concerts being pushed back and this virus, but then hearing RM (BTS’s leader) say we are still connected made me feel less alone,” O’Brien says. CT

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SUCCESS A LOOK AT THE FUTURE JET SET A CAREER ENTIRELY ONLINE WITH ASU ANNIKA TOMLIN COLLEGE TIMES

pring semester has come to a close, but that doesn’t mean students’ work is necessarily over. The Career and Professional Development department at ASU is taking all of its services online indefinitely. “We have a commitment as a department that we will always continue to offer the things that we have virtually,” says Brandee Popaden-Smith, the career readiness director. For several years, the department’s services were offered online while staff also worked in person to make them more accessible to serve ASU’s population. A growing online presence made the department easily able to update its services when it had to shut down its in-person services due to COVID-19. “The nice thing is, because the structure and framework was already there, it was very easy to shift to that,” Popaden-Smith says. “What it allowed for us to do is

actually learning from and iterating on what we’ve been offering and actually launching new things, too, that were kind of in the pipeline for us to work on. We just sped up the timeline and offered additional resources virtually.” The team is working hard to add resources for ASU so students can continue moving forward in their career plan. “We just launched something called our ‘on-demand appointments,’” Popaden-Smith says. “It basically feels like they’re in a live appointment without having to be in a live appointment.” Popaden-Smith calls it “middle ground” between in-person appointments and having students or alumni look up information on their own. “It’s a little bit like choose your own adventure, and we go over and present resources and information to the student or alum based upon what they indicate they need or where they have the most questions,” Popaden-Smith says. The program recently added the

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Career and Internship Academy, an online module through Canvas that will help students gather tips on starting their career. “We have one called Internship Ready, and it takes students from the very beginning of exploratory process of ‘I think I want to do and internship’ or ‘I know I want to do an internship but what do I want to do?’” Popaden-Smith says. “It’s more of an entire-process online module that is self-paced that a student can go through for that.” It helps answer questions like how do I apply for an internship, how do I interview effectively and how do I secure the internship. The two other modules are Career Ready and Career Competencies. The department already offered most of its services online, so the switch to virtual programs was smooth. “The hardest part, in some cases, is there is a lot of enjoyment in engaging with our students and alumni population in person at events, in our office for appointments and around campus in the classrooms,” Popaden-Smith says. “I think it’s hard to not have that as an added benefit to engage and read on how people are perceiving or how students are absorbing the information from those verbal or nonverbal cues. I think that has been a little bit of an adjustment.” Popaden-Smith says she believes it turned out positively and will better the ASU community. The department can make services accessible to everyone and can connect more students and alumni. “We’re also just really learning more about our employer partners and really getting day-to-day updates about where their hiring decision and their opportunities are at,” Popaden-Smith says. “This has really led to some increased engagement and partnership

between us in the university and our hiring employer partners, too. “We have the support of the university and we have the support of our partners across the university and the technology space to launch new things and try out new platforms or methodology. There is just a lot of support and openness to that, that it might not be perfect the first time around but everybody is really committed to learning from it and making it feel better the next time.” Popaden-Smith is happy to see there are more employer partners who are keeping their eyes out for the “amazing Sun Devils that we have at ASU” with all of the “incredible transferable skills and amazing experiences” ready to start out in the workforce. “(The employer partners) are really seeking out the type of skills that our Sun Devils are graduating with,” Popaden-Smith says. “They are seeing this as a different type of institution producing a different type of graduates that they need today and need in the future, too.” The online services will continue indefinitely as Popaden-Smith and her department do what they can to help the next generation of ASU students and graduates take a step closer to being career ready. “I think that we stand, as a department, ready and willing to have multiple plans in place and be able to quickly activate on what current circumstances call for in making sure that we are providing the same level of quality support and assistance that we always have, being whatever modality or circumstances that we are faced with,” Popaden-Smith says. “We’re really focused on supporting our students and alumni in making progress and making annual steps forward.” CT Info: career.asu.edu

BEING MINDFUL

ASU CENTER TRIES TO LESSEN PANDEMIC ANXIETY ANNIKA TOMLIN • COLLEGE TIMES

he COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in millions of people feeling anxious and in need of guidance. ASU’s Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience is helping the public combat hardships by offering midday mindfulness sessions focusing on the three-prong approach. It offers daily YouTube livestream sessions, social media posts on Instagram and Facebook, and written content and articles. Mindfulness helps combat anxiety about the future and remember to live in the present, according to Nika Gueci, the center’s executive director. “We define compassion as simply kindness toward our self and toward each other, which, of course, is something the entire world needs now,” Gueci adds. “Resilience is a way to bounce back not only from very large adversities or trauma but as a way to bounce back from everyday stressors. “Everyday stressors can lead up to significant wear and tear on

our entire system. While practicing the skills of kindness and mindful awareness, we can start to build that resilience bundle.” The center’s initiative, “Caring and Connection in the Time of COVID-19,” was created on March 16 when it realized it couldn’t host its annual conference. “It wasn’t just a matter of ‘are we going to have this conference?’ It was the matter of (giving) some kind of certainty, some kind of comfort during this time of uncertainty,” Gueci says. The initiative includes the daily YouTube Midday Mindfulness series, which tackles topics like joy, happiness and comfort food, based on public feedback. “On Fridays we have a community forum where people write in their questions and we answer them as a center team,” Gueci says. “The questions are really engaged, and the comments are great. We also have written articles on our website and social media postings that our student intern takes care of.”

SUCCESS Topics for the week can be found on the center’s website or its Instagram and Facebook accounts. The virtual sessions are hosted from noon to 1 p.m. Monday to Friday and are free to the public—nonstudents and faculty. “We’ve had people from as far away as India come and join these sessions,” Gueci says. “They’re not only for students, although a lot of students do join us. “Our scope of work is students, faculty and staff, and community members, and we are still dedicated to serving all of those populations. I think the way that we do it has to shift a little, but at least for now that is still our mission and still our vision.” One of the topics that received the most views was transcending loneliness. “There’s physical distancing, but that doesn’t mean there has to be social distancing; but we have to fall into social recession,” Gueci says. “What are some ways to combat loneliness even if we are physically alone?” The Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience has

its own definitions of each of the pillars that it hopes to instill in the community. “The way we define mindfulness is simply being present in the moment,” Gueci says. “It’s focused awareness, and the reason for this focused awareness is so we can experience life more fully—and that means whatever life has to bring to us at that time.” Gueci says people should practice mindfulness when there’s distress or discomfort. “When we talk about mindfulness, we often talk about it not only for being happy and joyful but also as a way to tolerate and deal with discomfort and uncertainty, because the only moment that we have control over is right now,” Gueci says. CT Info: mindfulnesscenter.asu.edu

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College Times - June 2020

Articles inside

A Look at the Future

Being Mindful

K-pop Thrives