First meeting of the Bad Singers Karaoke Club August 26. Credit: Lindsey Amore | Lantern Reporter
Despite Ohio State being home to a plethora of musical student organizations, mediocre singers may have found themselves hesitant to break into song with any of them — that is, until now.
Bad Singers Karaoke Club is a new student organization, created after its founders realized there were no groups that catered to those whose vocals sound best in the shower. Ellie Stoller, a third-year in animal science, and Bella Gianakopoulous, a third-year in speech and hearing sciences, created the no-commitment group where students of any major and year can come for some nonjudgmental karaoke fun.
“A karaoke club was something I came up with when I was at the Involvement Fair during my freshman year. I was walking down the Acapella section and they were all asking me, ‘Do you like to sing?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, I love to sing, but I’m terrible at it,’ Stoller said.“I came up with this idea of a karaoke club where bad singers can come together and sing and it’s just like a stress-free, fun environment in the middle of the week.”
Even though this is the Bad Singers Karaoke Club’s first year, Stoller and Gianakopoulous said more than 600 people signed up to be part of the group at the fall Student Involvement Fair.
“We’re sitting at the involvement fair, tons of people are coming up and talking to us, and it’s crazy,” Gianakopoulous said. “We’re running out of signup sheets, I looked at my watch and it’s like 4:08, and I’m like, ‘What are we going to do? There are so many people talking to us.’”
Hannah Nordin, a first-year in math, participated at the club’s first meeting of the semester Aug. 26 at Independence Hall and said she felt like it was the place to be.
Nordin and her friend Sara Frankel, a first-year in economics, decided to make “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift their inaugural song with the organization, which Nordin said is her go-to karaoke song.
Frankel said not only does the club serve as a judgment-free place for her to sing, but it also allows for some emotional release.
“I have too much attitude for my own good,” she said. “This is a good place to let it out.”
More than 50 people showed up to the club’s first meeting outside of Independence Hall. Despite being locked out of the building, it didn’t stop the fun, and the group decided to sing outside.
“This night started out not great because we’re locked out of the building, and everybody stuck around,” Gianakopoulous said at the meeting. “Everybody’s still here, having a great time. So yeah, just come try it out. Have a good time. Have some fun.”
Gianakopoulous said the group plans to have theme nights, sing-along movie nights and free food at future meetings.
“We also are thinking about having theme nights, like, sing ‘90s songs; sing Disney songs, country songs, love songs,” she said.
Gianakopoulous said anyone interested in joining the Bad Singers Karaoke Club is welcome to come to any meetings, which will alternate between Hitchcock Hall and Independence Hall every other Thursday at 8:30 p.m. She said there are $8 dues for a semester or $14 for the year, which will go towards food, karaoke equipment and software. More information about the group can be found on their Instagram page.
