On Wednesday, Chaminade’s Anime Connoisseur Club made its first official appearance at the Fall 2023 Opportunities Fair. The realization that a lot of students really liked anime but there were no clubs for it is what sparked the idea for club president Kryzandreah Espanol, a second-year Nursing major, to start one said the club’s vice president, Temika Hemmings.
“Our goal is to have students be more open about liking anime,” said Hemmings, a third-year Forensic Science major from Bronx, New York. “A lot of people think it’s just watching but there’s so much more to it such as snacks, language, and the conventions. We just really want to inform people who think that anime is not just for nerds or weird people but it’s for everybody.”
Students gathered on Zuberano Courtyard to absorb the resources and opportunities available to get them involved in outside of the classrooms. Maureen Anderson, the director of Student Engagement and fair coordinator, said that the Opportunities Fair is a great way for students to find others who share similar interests and passions. Students attending can learn about the student organizations and engagement opportunities they have access to.
Students were able to enjoy free food, giveaways, and music while browsing. There were roughly 12 organizations available for students to join at the Opportunities Fair ranging from cultural to specifically tailored clubs such as the Restauranteers Club.
As for the Anime Connoisseur Club’s booth, Hemmings was satisfied with the turnout.
“We met a lot of new people and got a lot of new members,” Hemmings said. “We also got to talk with some older anime lovers, which is really cool because a few professors (IT staff member James Kahalewai, Kumu Kahoalii Keahi, and previous science professor Francis Sakai-Kawada who now teaches at Waiakea High School) joined our club as well. Having that range of community was really fun, especially because there are so many new students this year.”
One student who was drawn to the Anime Connoisseur Club was first-year student Ihilani Soon. She found that anime has been a safe space for her over the years, especially now as a nursing student. During her long school days, she said she found comfort in watching anime shows and/or movies. Anime also helped her to create more memories with her friends and hopes to make more after joining.
Soon believes that even without the Opportunities Fair she would still have reached out on her own to find clubs that interest her. However, she mentioned that having the opportunity where all clubs and organizations came together at once, made it easier for her to explore and get in touch with the student life on campus.
“It was my first time here and I loved it, everybody was so nice and welcoming,” said Soon, from Kaneohe. “I got to sign up for new clubs that I would have never joined during high school or at any other college.”
If you are interested in joining the Anime Connoisseur Club, its first general meeting will be held on Sept. 7 at 12:30 p.m. at the Office of Student Success (Kokue Ike, room 109). At the meeting, members will learn more about the club, meet the officers, and choose their anime for the semester.
If unable to attend, you can also contact the club via email at [email protected] (link these) or click the link in their Instagram bio, @cuh.acc (link these) to join.