Anime Club Creates Tightknit, Welcoming Community

Hey everyone,
This is my finished copy of the Anime Club article. Please let me know what you think! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated as always.



Although Stamford’s Anime Club is the newest addition to the extra-curricular activities available to students, it’s off to a fantastic, promising start. Founded by student leaders Rebecca Maynard and Emma Chesher, as well as Stamford art teacher Mr. Azzopardi, Anime Club meets after school on Thursdays in the library. For those who don’t know, anime can be defined as a Japanese style of motion-picture animation; but take one look inside the library during a meeting and you will clearly see that many Hornets are already familiar with the definition and culture of it all.

Members of the Anime Club have no shortage of activities to take part in every Thursday. The club focuses on anything anime related, from magna to television shows to costumes and characters. Typically, a meeting consists of watching or creating videos, sharing original artwork and comics, and/or discussing favourite characters.

Mr. Azzopardi is quick to instill the idea that diversity of talents and interests is welcomed, even encouraged. When discussing the idea of a collaborating to create an original comic sometime in the future, he stressed the importance of all roles in the process. “We need artists and idea people”he says.

No matter what area your interest in anime is rooted, the club will cater to you. Self taught anime artist and club member, Josh Collins-Koehn, gave a drawing tutorial during one of the previous meetings. He has been interested in the genre since he was young and began to learn the creative art style in his teen years. “[Anime Club] is a place where everyone who likes anime can get together and discuss their common interest” says Koehn.

For Dominique, it’s a place where she can express her creative thoughts and ideas through the written word. She is and always has been interested in anime and fantasy, but noticed a lack of others to share her passion with. “I have loved anime since I was little but never actually found other people who liked it until now” she seems excited as she talks fondly of the club. During meetings, she likes to spend the time sharing comics and stories which she has been working on in her spare time with other members. Through these stories, she says she can “let [her] fantasy come alive”.

Many of the members shared Dominique’s problem before they joined; a lack of friends who shared their passion for the Japanese art style. I spoke to many people that expressed their excitement to finally find a group of people that appreciated their unique interests. Club member Michelle had this to say: “Everyone here is accepted”. Even though not everyone enjoys the same shows or characters, Mr. Azzopardi says the club is founded on the idea of “respect for each other and the ideas of the anime”.

In the future, the Anime Club is hoping to plan a trip to Anime North, a popular Anime convention in Toronto. They are in the process of coming up with fundraising ideas, so if you’d like to support their cause or join in on the trip, listen for announcements with those details.

New members are always welcome, and there is a no-commitment, open door policy in effect. You don’t need to be an expert on all things anime to join, either. If you are interested in learning more about the culture, or if you’re already an avid follower, come to the library on Thursdays after school to check it out, learn something new, and make some new friends while you're at it. Meetings will start up again on the first Thursday after Christmas break under the supervision of Mr. Rysdale.