Vinyl club provides outlet for musical discussion and community at Ohio State

Josie Penderghast
Thu, 08 Sep 2022 01:49:54 +0000
Arts & Life, Instagram Page, News, Ohio, ohio state, ohio state lantern, ohio state music, ohio state university, ohio state vinyl, ohio state vinyl club, record store, record store crawl, retro, retro music, student organizations, The Lantern, vinyl club

A collection of records at Records Per Minute at 2579 N. High St. The Ohio State Vinyl Club meets to listen to vinyl records. Credit: Hannah Herner | Lantern File Photo

The student organization aims to introduce people to the vinyl medium, teach people how to work with vinyl-related equipment and listen to tunes.

Lauren Robinson, president of Vinyl Club, said the club is a great place to meet new people and explore music.

“Our goal is just to continue to get students excited about music, particularly in vinyl,” Robinson, a fourth-year in physics and astronomy, said. “We just want a space where students feel comfortable talking about interests and meeting new people.”

Vinyl Club meets every other Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Hays Cape Room in the Ohio Union, but Robinson said some meetings are held at the Used Kids Record Store on Summit Street.

“We’ve had a couple meetings over at Used Kids Records, which has been really fun. The members love the environment of the record store,” Robinson said.

Robinson said meetings include musical discussions, and themes are implemented to inspire members to share about themselves through their musical taste.

“Typical meetings start with general club matters, recently we’ve been setting up spirit wear arrangements,” Robinson said. “Every meeting has a theme, and we have members pick an album to share based on the week’s theme. Some themes we’ve done in the past are favorite love songs, favorite album based on the album art and seasonal sounds.”

Beyond the general meetings, Robinson said record store crawls are another fun activity that club members enjoy.

Marena Mang, vice president of Vinyl Club, said the conversations and personalities of members always make for an engaging time.

“There’s so many things to look forward to,” Mang, a fourth-year in psychology, said. “I am just really excited to see old and new faces in the club. Everyone I meet in Vinyl Club is always so vibrant, and there is always someone who goes on a long rant about a very niche topic. I can’t wait to see what rabbit hole we go down in the upcoming meetings.”

Justin Cowdrey, a 2022 Ohio State graduate and former vice president of Vinyl Club, said the club has been a great outlet for him and continues musical discussion at the university.

“Our main objective is to provide a space where people can just talk about musical interests and can find like-minded listeners,” Cowdrey said.

Mang said the club has something for everyone.

“Vinyl Club is so welcoming and sociable that I think anyone who is interested in joining will find someone they have things in common with,” Mang said. “The atmosphere in the club is relaxed and inclusive. We accept anyone and everyone. Music seriously is something that bonds everyone together.”

Robinson said an extensive record collection is not required to join the club, and he’s looking forward to seeing new faces this semester.

“This semester we’re really looking forward to expanding the club and collaborating with other music related clubs at OSU,” Robinson said. “We have some really fun activities planned for club meetings, and we hope to get as many students involved as possible.”

Robinson said the next meeting at Used Kids Records will be on Sept. 28 at 7 pm.

“We will have pizza and drinks, and the owners are very generous letting us stay after close to just browse the store and talk new releases,” Robinson said.

To get involved in Vinyl Club, Robinson said students are welcome to show up to meetings or they can contact him via email at Robinson.2407@buckeyemail.osu.edu with any questions. For more information on meetings, check out the club’s Instagram page @vinylclubosu.