Union Board Karaoke Night Inspires Laughs, Audience Participation at KC Stack

Owen McDaniel, Kalamazoo sophomore, stands on stage singing ‘Jealous’ by Labrinth at Karaoke Night. The event was hosted by Union Board, and featured more than 25 singers (Photo by Naomi Cloostermans).

At the end of last week on Jan. 13, Union Board hosted an all-inclusive karaoke night for students to start off the new semester.

Although it took some time for the KC stack seats to fill up, many students came to enjoy the night. The sign-up sheet indicated that 25 people sang, some more than once.

Union Board’s Vice President of Membership, Cesar Ramirez, Dallas senior, said Union Board wanted to facilitate something relaxed for their organization and those participating. Karaoke night was designed as a stress-relieving activity for students at the end of the first week, Ramirez said.

“It’s important to have these events on campus because there’s not much to do around Albion,” Ramirez said. “Providing events for students has always been something I’ve wanted to do because then campus isn’t as boring.” 

Maggie Vongsa, Elkhart, Indiana first-year, and Leslie Rivas, Houston, first-year, stand on stage to perform ‘Call me Maybe’ by Carly Rae Jepson as a duet (Photo by Naomi Cloostermans).

Students performed karaoke solos and duets. Songs performed include, “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys, “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s, “Estos Celos” by Vicente Fernandez and “That Girl is Mine” by Michael Jackson.

Fort Worth first-year student, Sebastian Quirarte, said he enjoyed his time in the audience. 

“Everyone there brought their own energy, I had a few laughs and was blown away by the amazing voices I heard,” he said. 

Quirarte also performed, and he enjoyed his time on stage as well. 

 “It’s really nerve-wracking at first, but when you have people cheering you on, you get an adrenaline rush that makes you feel like a rockstar,” he said.

Vanessa Ybarra, Detroit senior, stands on stage singing ‘Killer Queen’ by Queen (Photo by Naomi Cloostermans).

Union Board’s Assistant Vice President Kearney Miller, Kalamazoo sophomore, sang “Country Girl” by Luke Bryan with help from the audience. While singing she missed a few parts, but the audience sang along and cheered for her during the performance. 

James Ammons, Clawson sophomore, dedicated his performance of “Tequila” by the Champs, to a friend overseas. Ammons stepped on the stage nervous and shaky. However, he made it through the song with accurate timing, making the crowd laugh with well-coordinated dance moves.   

“I thought his performance was amazing, he walked up there with confidence and just owned the stage.” Washington sophomore Rachel Horecki said. “It was so funny.” 

In the middle of Ammons’ performance, Wyatt Falardeau, a first-year from Vero Beach, Florida, joined him on stage to bust some of his own moves. The audience cheered both of them on. 

When Kalamazoo sophomore Owen McDaniel performed “Jealous” by Labyrinth, students grabbed their phones, turned on their flashlights and waved them in the air. When he finished, the audience erupted in applause.

Students in the audience use their flashlights as students sing on stage (Photo by Naomi Cloostermans).

McDaniel sang covers of different songs, but he is a songwriter himself and has his own album ‘One Sleepless Night.’

Horton senior Maddy Woods, who performed three times, said she enjoyed the event to the fullest. 

“I was super grateful that the event was put together because it took some stress away from the first week,” Woods said. “I also loved hearing all of the talented singers and the people who were there to just enjoy themselves.”

About Rhiannon Slotnick 34 Articles
Rhiannon Slotnick is a senior from Detroit, Michigan. She is double majoring in English Literature Creative Writing and Sociology. She enjoys putting words on to paper for both work and for personal pleasure. If she's not writing, you can find her reading a book or stargazing around campus. You can contact her at rms15@albion.edu.

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