Anime Club Forges Strong Community
Story by Matt Nemeth
Ash Brundage sits, engrossed in the film The Castle of Cagliostro, during Anime Club's annual Miyazaki Marathon on March 18. Brundage is one of several Point Park alumni that still return to participate in the club's activities. Photo: Matt Nemeth
As a kid, Leanna Brooks had an active interest in anime. When she discovered Point Park’s Anime Club she was ecstatic and went to one of the meetings with some fellow students.
Nick Vercilla however, was not a fan of the medium when he started college, but Brooks and another student persuaded him to give the club a try.
Now both juniors, Brooks and Vercilla are integral members of Anime Club, president and secretary respectively. Their group is dedicated to students with a passion for Japanese animated shows, movies and culture. Their Facebook page has over 100 followers, but its weekly meetings usually see a much smaller crowd.
According to Brooks, attendance for these meetings, which include episode screenings of different anime, often ranges between 10 and 20 people. “I guess you could kind of call it a second family because a lot of us are really tight knit,” Brooks said.
Anime Club President Leanna Brooks opens a meeting with announcements on March 10. The group meets every Thursday night to watch anime shows and socialize. Photo: Matt Nemeth
In addition to their regular screenings, Anime Club also organizes special events. Every year, members eat out at a Pittsburgh-area Japanese restaurant and on campus, they hold a marathon of films by Hayao Miyazaki, one of Japan’s most celebrated anime creators. In the past, members have also participated at Tekko, Pittsburgh’s annual convention for Japanese pop culture.
Junior Katie Fahringer is also an avid fan of anime and like Brooks and Vercilla, became a strong member of the club early on in her academic career. Unfortunately, Fahringer is no longer able to participate as often as she used to. But while other members are watching anime, Fahringer is creating animated work of her own.
She is one of a small group of students in Point Park’s growing animation program. “My art definitely has its anime influences,” Fahringer said. She describes similarities in the style of character proportions and striking eyes that anime is known for. Fahringer enjoys the work of American animated shows as well, but says they typically aren't as serious as some anime. She is interested in creating work that explores animation’s ability to convey strong emotions, something more commonly found in Japanese works.
One of her favorite aspects of Anime Club is that it provides an opportunity to watch a variety of shows and movies in the company of other people. Fahringer especially enjoys seeing her friends’ reactions. “We try to keep it quiet during the anime, but there are just moments when everyone gasps,” she said.
Katie Fahringer works on a project in West Penn's animation lab. Fahringer has been a member of Anime Club since her freshman year and credits Japanese animation as having a significant influence on the style of her own work. Photo: Matt Nemeth
This semester though, the group has faced some complications. A class was scheduled in the Anime Club’s room during their regular meeting time and they were relocated to West Penn Hall. Brooks and Vercilla both preferred their old venue in the University Center 212. Vercilla lamented its “comfy seats” and “big projector screen,” naming it “the perfect room.” However, he pointed out the real perk was that the building was open until 12 a.m., leaving ample time for the group to watch episodes from several different shows and socialize with each other.
Before the relocation, Brooks would start meetings with club announcements. Members would have time to get food or talk before the show started, but now there is not enough time. “We literally have to start the meeting and then start the anime,” said Vercilla.
Sophomore screenwriting major Alexandra Youssef has now been a member of Anime Club for two years. She was recently elected the group’s president for Fall 2016 with the promise to expand club meetings. “I want to incorporate just more talking about anime,” said Youssef, expressing the importance of member interaction.
She believes more social time will bring old and new members closer together, and proudly adds how alumni still show up. “It just goes to show how much people really like the club and how many friendships form there,” said Youssef.
One of those alumni is Katie Castelli, who graduated from Point Park in 2015 with a degree in mass communication. She founded the club with another student early during her freshman year, dismayed that there had previously been no dedicated anime group on campus.
Anime Club’s first year of operation was not without its difficulties, though. According to Castelli, the most challenging aspect was finding new members. Because the club was based on an interest, potential members couldn't be found easily through major related classes like other organizations that are tied to various school programs.
Instead, she and other members had to rely on a combination of campus advertisements and word-of-mouth. “There were days where I would wear an anime t-shirt and someone would be like, ‘Man, I really like your shirt,’ and I’d be like, ‘Wait, hold on. Let’s talk a little bit,’” said Castelli.
Since those earlier days, it has become easier to sustain the number of members. Castelli points out how all the officers are elected for the upcoming year and that current members often spread word to their friends. “Part of it is just putting yourself out there,” Castelli said.
With the end of Brook’s term on the horizon, she has begun planning to hand over leadership to younger members. She had never been in a position of power before becoming Anime Club’s president, but says the experience has left her with a greater level of self-confidence and a group of very close friends. “Don’t be afraid of what you like,” said Brooks, “because you know you can find some amazing people.” --
Featured in The Globe on March 22, 2016