Fun New Club Dives into World of Anime
by Karl Heine
The Anime Club here at Cape Cod Community College (4Cs) offers students interested in the genre a place to gather, learn and create. With meetings open to the entire student body on Wednesdays between 2 PM and 3 PM, the Anime Club is welcoming to all new members.
The club’s mission statement does an excellent job at describing the functions of the club: “To bring together students interested in and/or knowledgeable about Japanese anime and manga, western-created animations and graphic novels, as well as both foreign and western-created video games. Inquiring students will learn about the various types of each, being able to watch, read, play or discuss different animations, novels and games. Our hope is to learn more about new and interesting types of shows, books and games, and to broaden our knowledge of other cultures as well as our own.”
Club meetings offer students the chance to watch, read or play different anime, manga, cartoons, comics or video games that they perhaps normally would not seek out on their own. The meetings give interested members the chance to discuss the different genre types, art direction choices, localization and censorship, voice acting, animation flaws and successes, as well as everything else involved in these forms of entertainment. The anime club doesn’t just welcome new members that are anime experts; even if you are just curious and know nothing about the genre, the club is eager to help teach and inform.
“I grew up watching anime and I was always fond of it,” says club member Emma Siemenski, a first year student at 4Cs. “My favorite anime today is ‘Princess Mononoke’ because it is a wonderful story regarding Ashitaka and his journey with Princess Mononoke, who seek to find a cure for his disease while attempting to sustain peace between humans and animals. The movie is beautifully crafted and intriguing.”
Kathleen Fulginiti, the Anime Club advisor, speaks on the club’s involvement in the community.
“Anime Club had been involved with the college’s annual Multicultural Festival – club members represented Japanese culture by participating in the opening parade of the flags and making and teaching origami during the festival. Other community service projects have included assisting with the college’s annual coat drive, assisting with the ‘One College One Book’ events, including parking, set-up and breakdown of the Volunteer Fair and popping popcorn for ‘One College One Book’ movies. The club has also screened movies on a large screen in a lecture hall that are free and open to all on campus. The club has hosted the annual 4Cs Halloween costume contest party since 2013!”
The Anime Club, along with the LGBTQ+ club and the Art Club, did in fact host the 7th Annual Halloween party and costume contest on Oct 30 in the cafeteria. The party featured a DJ, a costume contest, a piñata, apple bobbing and pumpkin decorating. Refreshments were provided and the event was free and many students, as well as faculty and staff, had a fun time, especially with all the costumes.
The Anime Club offers a real feeling of community for both the most diehard anime fans, as well as those who just recently had any interest in looking into the genre. With weekly meetings during the club hour for all students, the Anime Club is a welcome addition to the 4Cs community.
Categories: Clubs, Student Life