Welcome to Student Group Spotlight! Every month, we will feature a different student group to demonstrate the many diverse groups we have at MacEwan and how they all contribute to a vibrant, thriving community on our campus.
Meet the MacEwan Beyhive Club! We sat down with two of their executives to learn what the Beyhive is, how they honour Beyoncé on campus and what fun events they offer.
SAMU: Hi, welcome to the Student Group Spotlight. Let’s get started by telling me about yourselves.
David: Hi, I’m David. I’m the president of the Beyhive club, and I’m transitioning from computer science to design for the fall semester.
Neil: Hi, I’m Neil. I’m in my second year at MacEwan taking Business Management, and I’m the vice president of social media.
SAMU: What is the MacEwan Beyhive Club, and what do you do?
David: We are a group of students who wanted to create a space to celebrate and appreciate Beyoncé’s music and artistry. We work to create a fun, welcoming place for students to enjoy everything she has to offer through our movie and analysis nights, trivia events, karaoke nights and more!
SAMU: Wow, that’s so fun; what is the “Beyhive”?
David: It is pronounced Bee-hive, like an actual beehive. It’s the fan name that people have used to describe her fandom over the years.
SAMU: That’s a sweet name. When did you become a member of the Beyhive? What’s your favourite Beyoncé album?
Neil: Around two or three years ago, I became a fan after she released Lemonade, and then I found Carter’s album, which hooked me and made me realize I should start listening more. My favourite song right now is ALL UP IN YOUR MIND from Renaissance and Haunted.
David: I met friends online who were really involved in the Beyoncé community. I was interested, so they put me through a “Beyoncé boot camp” so I could learn anything and everything there is to know about her. I have always respected her as an artist, but I never really sat down and dived into her artistry. Boot camp mainly consisted of listening to every album, song, music video and film. Basically, going through all the Beyoncé lore, and then I was like, “OK, I get it now.” My favourite album is Renaissance; nothing can top it. It’s more than just music. I made so many memories and experiences around that album, flying out to LA and meeting my friends; it’s just the best. My favourite song from the album is VIRGO’S GROOVE, and I’m not even a Virgo, but I claim that song.
SAMU: Why did you decide to start the MacEwan Beyhive Club? What is your favourite part about being a member of the club?
David: The reason I decided to start the club was that I had made a lot of friends in the States whom I had met up with to go to LA for the Renaissance tour, and when I came back, I realized I didn’t have anyone here to fangirl about it with, so I decided to put up posters around school to find people. I was nervous at first, but my friends from the States encouraged me and pushed me to keep going. People responded to the posters, and we gathered a group of executives. Now, I have a group of friends I can always talk to whenever she drops anything to analyze the songs and more. Overall, I wanted to bring that online fandom space and the idea of boot camp to people at MacEwan and lead them through what I went through. My favourite part has been meeting new people, trying new things, and pushing myself. I’ve always gravitated towards leadership positions in projects, so I’m still learning and figuring out how to be the president, but it’s really gratifying to create a space that people are enjoying and having fun in.
Neil: Similar to David, I decided to join because I’ve been a fan of Beyoncé for a while now. I wanted a space where I could talk about Beyoncé and be with people who love and enjoy her music. My favourite part about being in this club is how free and expressive our members are at events. It’s not just for people who love Beyoncé but also for LGBTQ+ people to have a safe space to express themselves.
SAMU: How are you working to honour Beyoncé’s pop culture impact and influence on campus?
Neil: All our events honour her impact and artistry. We have watched her movies and documentaries, discussing them while having thoughtful conversations and raising awareness about what she did in that era of her life, what records she broke, and more. We have consistently raised awareness through Beyoncé because she has been a mother to us, especially to the LGBTQ+ community. We have also partnered with Black Lives Matter. We are actively trying to get involved with other communities to create a mutual relationship and give each other power and support.
SAMU: That’s great to hear. What kind of events have you hosted? Do you have a favourite one?
David: Right now, we are working on making our group known and actively seeking out and gauging students’ interest on campus to figure out what kind of events we can do. We’d love to do a boot camp to introduce Beyoncé to more students and dive into her new album together. We are hoping to have more social music events. Our Beyhive and Swifties Karaoke night was super successful, so there will definitely be more events of that nature. People love to come together, be silly, sing, and make friendship bracelets, so we are working to bring that culture to campus.
Neil: My favourite event has been the Karaoke one because I created a video and social posts to promote it. I really got into the advertising and promotion aspect. I put a lot of hard work into it, so I was thrilled with the outcome and the people who attended it; it was a great experience.
David: Yeah, Karaoke was one of my favourites, but the Student Groups Expo was another favourite of mine. We hadn’t held any events then, so it was cool to go around and interview people to get some hype on our idea. We got a lot of followers from that event, so it was fun to put ourselves out there without knowing what to expect.
SAMU: What would you say to someone who doesn’t understand what being a fan is?
Neil: Everyone is a fan of something, whether it’s sports or other artists like Drake and Lana, so it’s not something that’s weird or to be ashamed of. Many fans like Swifties and Beyhives work to put themselves out there, and they have a lot of confidence in showing how they love their idols, which gives us the confidence to be ourselves.
David: Yeah, we are fans in the same way that people here are hockey and sports fans; they’ll dissect each player’s stats and legacy, and we do the same things but in a different format.
SAMU: What would you tell someone who’s considering joining a Student Group?
Neil: Join as many groups as you want. You don’t need to be fully involved in a group to go to their events and meet up with them. You can just follow their Instagram and go to their events to have fun and find a space for yourself to be expressive.
David: Try to push yourself and get out of your head. In a group like this, where so much of the fan culture is online, it’s important to get off your phone and be in the moment with other fans so you can set the mood and sit down to appreciate the music in a peaceful environment. Trying new things and getting out of your comfort zone is important. I was uncomfortable when I first started this, but I’ve learnt a lot about leadership, making friends, and putting myself out there in ways I hadn’t thought of before.
Neil: Also, I hope other people are inspired by our group and make groups for the Lana fans and other artists. We’d love to collaborate with other groups like ours.
SAMU: Anything you want to say to students before we end, anything to promote or keep an eye out for?
David: Stream Cowboy Carter, be open to new things and learn how to take inspiration from artists and apply it to your life. We will be looking for new executives since some of ours are graduating, so we will shift around roles and make room for new people in the fall. Get ready for our fall boot camp, and watch for more social events!
You can connect with the MacEwan Beyhive Club on social media through Instagram @macewan.behyive .
Follow SAMU on social media through Instagram (@sa_macewan), Twitter (@SAMacEwan), and Facebook (Students’ Association of MacEwan University) to stay up to date on the latest events, programs, and services from your students’ association.
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