Every Thursday evening a group of DU students gathers and engages in a variety of nefarious activities. This group revels in Japan’s greatest export after instant noodles, anime. That group is the university’s own Anime Club.
Headed by green-haired junior Kate Downs, nicknamed “Super Kate,” the club is a surprising secret among the university’s student organizations.
The club’s name is quite deceiving. While the majority of the meetings are occupied with the finest in Japanese animation, the club is actually quite culturally conscious.
“Anime is a very important aspect of Japanese pop culture,” says club vice president Leah Zoller. “It’s not something that a lot of people think seriously about, and they should.”
The club’s unique combination of fun and culture results in a club that is both stimulating and exciting.
It is not uncommon for a meeting to begin with a fast-paced discussion of the merits of samurai versus ninja.
The types of anime that the club watch reflect this spirit of quirkiness. The members choose all of the shows that they watch at the beginning of each quarter.
Once the shows have been picked, the club does its best to finish a series before the end of the quarter. This is no easy task.
“Japanese TV shows aren’t like American shows,” said anime enthusiast Christian Madsen.
“They generally run for 50 half an hour episodes.” The club is quite small, with 35 students on the e-mail list and about 20 regular attendees.
Club president Downs has been the driving force behind the club’s birth and its growth. She transferred to DU her sophomore year and was sorry to discover that DU did not have any type of organization related to anime.
The lack of such a club meant that people who liked anime and wanted to share that passion had no options.
“I wanted to create a club for the quirky, intelligent lovers of anime that are out there,” said Downs. While the club had been meeting on and off for about a year, it was not until this fall that things really took off.
This process culminated in the Anime Club receiving AUSA Senate approval as a recognized club. In order to obtain a license and funding from the Senate, 150 signatures were needed.
The Senate then reviewed this petition and made its decision. After that, the club was able to apply for funding.
Downs is quite ambitious about her plans for the club. “One of the biggest problems we have is the cost of renting a projector. It takes $180 to rent a projector,” said Downs.
Beyond the costs of screening films at meetings, Downs also wants to use funding to create opportunities for more cultural events. The ideas currently being considered include a visit to a Buddhist temple and Sakura Square in downtown Denver as well as coordinating with the on-campus Japanese Society.
In the upcoming weeks, the club will be watching the final episodes and sequel movie for “Fullmetal Alchemist” and continuing with the adventures of “Mai-Otome.”
The club meets every Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. in Sturm Hall room 324. For information about the club, e-mail Downs at kdowns@du.edu.
