For the past 12 years, the University of New Mexico’s Anime Club has been inviting students to celebrate anime and the culture surrounding it, as an official club on campus.
“It’s just a place where if you are a nerd or a geek you can come in, hang out and make friends,” said Alejandro Reyes, the current president of the anime club.
The club does more than just anime focused activities. Their meetings consist of video games, board games and get togethers off campus in addition to watching anime and listening to anime music videos, better known as AMVs.
“It’s not the stereotypical anime club, we don’t just talk about anime,” said Deiter Hanbicki, the club’s treasurer.
Seperate from the meetings, they have held fundraisers like last year's karaoke maid cafe, which they have decided to hold again this semester.
The club also has optional memberships that you may obtain for $10 per semester that gets you a membership card and additional benefits. Students can still be members of the club without this membership.
“With membership you get discounts at places that sponsor us, like Rude Boy Cookies, O Ramen and Empire Board Game Library,” said Chris Castaneda, the club’s public relations manager.
Fourth year member Reyes said that he looks forward to his first and final year as president.
“When I first came to UNM I was that loner person who did not talk to people a whole lot,” Reyes said. “But (I met) so many people there in the club I could talk to.”
Overall the club has members of many different walks of life with a variety of anime and game preferences. They encourage students to come stop by and see what they are up to Saturday at 4 p.m. on the third floor of the Student Union Building.
“Even if you don’t enjoy anime, if you just want to come and hang out, just see what we are all about,” said Castaneda.
If you have any questions you can contact them on Facebook or via email at anime@unm.edu.
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Tiffani Watteyne is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted by email at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @tiffanirosew.
