Last Friday the Asheville Campus Entertainment group hosted a karaoke night in the Highsmith Student Union building, for students to unwind after their first week back on campus.
“Karaoke isn’t really about singing well, it’s about having fun,” said 19-year-old ACE member Rachel Huneycutt.
According to Huneycutt, the karaoke event is part of a larger group of events called Fri-Yay which ACE will host every Friday during the upcoming semester. They also hosted fri-Yay events last semester.
“The goal of our Fri-yay events is to have a way for students to celebrate at the end of the week and just relax while they can,” Huneycutt said.
The event took place in the Grotto, in the lower level of the Highsmith Student Union. Students signed up at a desk run by ACE members and took to the stage when their names were called.
“I sang ‘All of Me’ by John Legend. I’ve always really liked the song but never sang it in front of a larger group of people like this,” said Justin Williams, a 19-year-old sociology student at UNC Asheville.
Williams said despite being nervous to perform in front of others, he thinks it is important for students to get out of their comfort zone and have some fun.
“Our majors require a lot of us but knowing I can go somewhere on campus and wind down is reassuring, this kind of thing is important for our mental health,” Williams said.
Williams wasn’t the only student who was nervous about singing in front of his peers, others expressed anxious feelings about the prospect of singing in front of a crowded audience.
“On the outside I may have seemed chill but I was shaking before I went up there, but I did it and it was so much fun,” said 19-year-old freshman Chidera Anyanwu.
Anyanwu said she makes music yet has a hard time dealing with her social anxiety but the karaoke night helped her begin to overcome that hurdle.
“Even posting my projects to spotify makes me nervous, but my friends were able to convince me to get on stage and I had fun. I did it and I’m proud of myself for going up there,” Anyanwu said.
Ettie Lyles, an anthropology student and one of the ACE members who helped coordinate the event, said she’s excited to see the turnout for future events.
“What we’re trying to do with the Fri-yay events is have something for students to do every Friday night, but we’ll rotate them every Friday,” Lyles said.
According to Lyles, there will be more Karaoke events in the future for those who missed the first one. She’s excited for students to participate in all the other events ACE has planned as well.
“This first one for the semester seems to have been a big hit. Next week we’ll do a board game night, and after that there will be bingo and open mic nights as well,” Lyles said.
“It’s such a fun way to kick off the weekend and celebrate the end of a successful academic week for students,” Huneycutt said.
Anyanwu said events like these are great for new students like her, who may not know as many people on campus and are looking for ways to mingle and get to know other people.
“This is my first week here, of course I’m going to be out here and getting out of my comfort zone. That’s the main reason I was here tonight just to get out of my comfort zone and meet new people even if I’m nervous,” Anyanwu said.
According to Huneycutt, this kind of event can be enjoyed even if someone doesn’t plan on getting up on stage to sing, the fun is in the sense of togetherness and shared joy.
“Anyone who wants to come out should. It’s a good time to wind down, enjoy some food at Highsmith and also just hang out with people. Everyone can have a good time singing songs people love,” Williams said.
