Laughter, applause and familiar tunes filled Student Union Room 109 on Wednesday afternoon as the Kapwa club hosted its fourth karaoke event, drawing students together through song, culture and community.

The event, which ran from 2 to 5 p.m., celebrated Filipino American History Month and was part of a long-standing tradition for the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) cultural organization.

“In the Filipino culture, we like to sing, we like to dance — karaoke is in our blood,” said Patrick Garcia, current president of Kapwa. “We did it last semester and the semester before that, and it sort of became a tradition. I believe this is our fourth installment of the event that the club has done. We also wanted to foster a community for everyone to come.”

That sense of community was clear as students cheered for one another during performances, helping ease nerves and encouraging even first-time singers to step onto the stage.

“The club makes it easy to get up because I know almost everyone there,” said Ruth Onyeayana, who participated in the event. “You have to have a bit of bravery to get up there and sing, especially if you’re one of the first ones to go. But once everything gets started, it’s much easier to sing back-to-back because everyone has sung at some point, which makes it easier to go back on stage.”

Students and staff said the karaoke provided not just entertainment but  also an opportunity for self-expression.

“The hardest part is getting up there,” said Heidriani Nanon, a student associate with the college’s DEIB office. “Once you stop caring about people going up there, it feels a lot easier and the words just come out.”

Nanon’s favorite song to sing along to during the night was “Would You Fall in Love With Me Again” from “Epic: The Musical.”

For Yelena Rasco, the club’s co-vice president, the experience also carried a nostalgic flair.

“Oh, singing out there is really fun for me, especially as, like, a retired theater kid,” Rasco said. “I think it’s really important because it helps build a community surrounding something that is definitely very scary. Facing that fear helps people become more confident in themselves and the community around them, and also just really fun.”

Through music, Kapwa’s karaoke night helped transform a simple Wednesday afternoon into a celebration of culture, courage and connection.