Students stare at the speaker in the front of the room, waiting for a song to start playing. As soon as they hear the first notes, ten people shoot out of their seats, jumping up and down and trying to refrain from shouting out the name of the tune.

On Sept. 29, Taylor Swift fans gathered in the Chao room to participate in Taylor Swift Name That Tune, testing their knowledge of the singer and hoping to win house points. Participants named almost every song within seconds after hearing the first note.

Taylor Swift has influenced millions of people around the globe, from avid music-listeners to aspiring songwriters. The singer’s discography, ranging from country to pop to indie, spans nine albums and has captivated fans for the past 15 years.

Senior Lucia Valderrábano, who founded the club, was impressed with the Swifties, but she also felt disappointed because some students only signed up for house points.

In the future, she plans to email the Taylor Swift Club first and forgo the house points part of the challenge in order to ensure that all students who want to play are able to.

Valderrábano collaborated with prefect Lily Pesikoff to host the Name That Tune. Pesikoff appreciates Swift’s impact on pop music and the music industry as a whole.

“I think 1989 is one of the best pop albums that have been made in the last 10 years,” Pesikoff said. “Swift’s ability to create songs that are replayable over 10 million times is genius level.”

Pesikoff enjoys the Swift fans’ presence on campus and believes that there is more to the Swiftie culture at St. John’s than what meets the eye.

“I feel like there’s an underground network of Swifties here at St. John’s,” Pesikoff said.

Valderrábano posts polls and upcoming events on the Taylor Swift Club’s instagram, @sjstaylorswiftclub.

“I think what Lucia is doing with the Instagram account is absolutely hilarious,” Pesikoff said.

In addition to more “Name That Tune” competitions, Valderrábano plans to hold a trivia contest and watch party for Miss Americana, Netflix’s 2019 documentary on Swift. She is also organizing a listening party for Red (Taylor’s Version), Swift’s upcoming re-recorded album that will be released on Nov. 12.

Valderrábano says that there is a stigma on campus surrounding Taylor Swift, despite her large fan base.

“Guys came up to me at Club Fair and were mocking the club,” Valderrábano said. “For a long time, it’s been a taboo thing where people will be so mean if you like Taylor Swift.”

Yet, Valderrábano also feels that the stigma surrounding Swift fans is fading away.

“We’ve gotten old enough to the point where no one cares about being ashamed of it anymore,” Valderrábano said.

Stigma or not, the Taylor Swift Club is here to stay.

“They’re a force to be reckoned with,” Pesikoff said of the club. “They’re in your classrooms, they’re in the halls and in the cafeteria, they’re all around you at all times. So be on your feet and be aware.”