CARATs' Best Memories: SEVENTEEN in Newark
Fandoms are a magical experience. Being in a fandom can provide comfort in times of hardships, friends from all over the world, and happy memories. People of all backgrounds and ages find themselves in fandoms and enjoy them in different ways. These people are brought together to bond over one common interest. It has become popular to find other points within these groups. On sites like Tumblr and Twitter, surveys are being filled out to find their favorite members or what zodiac sign is most common when liking a certain album.
SEVENTEEN is a thirteen-member group under PLEDIS Entertainment. The members are split into units based on their specialties: S.Coups, Wonwoo, Mingyu, and Vernon make up the Hip-Hop Unit; Jeonghan, Joshua, Woozi, DK, and Seungkwan make up the Vocal Unit; and Jun, Hoshi, The8, and Dino make up the Performance Unit. Their most recent comeback was released on September 16, 2019 with the album An Ode. While SEVENTEEN’s leader S.Coups is currently on hiatus, the other members are currently on their Ode to You world tour, putting on energetic shows around the world while still keeping his presence through backup vocals and signs in group photos.
I attended their tour date in Newark and hung out with fans, also known as Carats, before the show. From early on in the day, there was so much going on. Banners for fan projects were being passed around, headbands for the members were being sold, and lots of freebies were made. When the sun started to go down, there was an organized random dance play going on which member Hoshi came to and surprised the fans participating. Despite the low temperatures, everyone was in high spirits.
I got in on the action and asked a few fans, “What is your favorite memory as a Carat?” along with their ages and favorite members. Here are the responses:
Name: Cherina
Age: 23
Favorite Member: S.Coups
Memory: “All of SEVENTEEN’s fanchants!”
Name: Brielle
Age: 6
Favorite Members: Woozi, Vernon, and The8
Memory: “Seeing them in concert today for the first time!”
Name: Woona
Age: 27
Favorite Member: S.Coups
Memory: “Their Diamond Edge tour.”
Name: Jasmine
Age: 14
Favorite Members: Jun, Dino, Wonwoo
Memory: “Everything! It’s all been great.”
Name: Natalie
Age: 22
Favorite Member: Hoshi
Memory: “So far, this concert! Everyone is so nice!”
Name: Kira
Age: 20
Favorite Member: Everyone
Memory: “Meeting friends through SEVENTEEN’s music.”
Name: Julie
Age: 19
Favorite Member: Mingyu
Memory: “Going Seventeen in New York.”
Name: Jillian
Age: 18
Favorite Member: The8
Memory: “I was having a really hard time at college and their music always makes me feel better and inspired.”
Name: Mac
Age: 18
Favorite Member: DK
Memory: “Right now!”
Name: Ally
Age: 22
Favorite Member: Hoshi
Memory: “Running into Performance Unit in 2017.”
Name: Sarah Kim
Age: 30
Favorite Member: Hoshi
Memory: “Seeing SEVENTEEN in concert.”
Name: Sett
Age: 20
Favorite Member: S.Coups and Joshua
Memory: “Making lots of friends.”
Name: Maya
Age: 19
Favorite Member: DK
Memory: “Coming to this concert!”
Name: Jennifer Gilham
Age: 22
Favorite Member: Jun
Memory: “The day I became a Carat!”
Name: Kimberly
Age: 25
Favorite Member: S.Coups
Memory: “Meeting my best friends from Diamond Edge.”
Name: Jin
Age: 24
Favorite Member: Wonwoo
Memory: “Coming to see them today!”
Name: Carris
Age: 20
Favorite Member: Woozi
Memories: “Whenever Joshua whips out his English and bias wrecks us all or Woozi. Just Woozi. Whenever he does anything.”
Name: Chiqui Halder
Age: 31
Favorite Member: Seungkwan
Memory: “Right now! Meeting other Carats.”
Name: Amanda Fernández del Viso
Age: 16
Favorite Member: Jeonghan
Memory: “Watching the SEVENTEEN x MAMAMOO collab stage.”
Name: Dade
Age: 16
Favorite Member: Jeonghan
Memory: “Jeonghan’s long hair. It was so cool!”
Name: Chey
Age: 20
Favorite Members: Seungkwan, Woozi, and Vernon
Memories: “Every time I’m struggling in life, they make me happy. Each time I see them perform live is fantastic. When they won their first Daesang, I cried tears of joy. I was so proud in that moment.”
Fandoms connect people in ways we never knew before. They create happiness and leave an impact on individual lives. Music transcends language barriers -- we all feel the same things and to enjoy these beautiful moments together is unique. Labels are put aside and bonds are formed. These common interests leave a massive impact on many peoples’ lives.
Are you a CARAT? What has been YOUR favorite memory?
Cover Image: SEVENTEEN (Pledis Entertainment)
Written by Chey Olexa
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