Sailors used to sing sea shanties to synchronize their labor. Now, students are singing these same tunes to will away the quarantine blues.
At 9 p.m. on Saturday in the Communications Residential College’s lounge, you can find about six masked and spaced-out students singing these rhythmic folk songs.
These are the members of the DrNUken Sailors. Weinberg senior Soren Campbell loves “all things nautical.” Carolyne Geng was a member of her high school choir. Riley Boksenbaum, the Weinberg freshman who founded the group, knew shanties before they were cool.
Shanties have gone viral on TikTok in recent months, sparking both a meme and an esoteric pastime. As the tunes gained popularity, Boksenbaum wanted to sing with others, so she made a GroupMe and scheduled a meeting. The group has met just once so far, but plans to meet weekly.