The Hunt Room of the MacVittie College Union was bright and full of laughter on Oct. 24 from 8 to 11 p.m. thanks to the Anime Club of Geneseo. Cosplay and Karaoke Night, a beloved tradition begun by the Anime Club, was in full swing and every club member was careful to take pandemic precautions while enjoying the night.
To join this event, students had to acquire a ticket from Geneseo’s ticket office. Only 17 individuals are allowed in the Hunt Room at this time to prevent risk of COVID-19, so a limited amount of tickets were available. Luckily, all the club’s members were able to enjoy the festivities within that restriction.
Geneseo Late Knight employee junior Camille Epolito monitored the event and felt it was a success.
“This event allowed other people that were not in the club to experience a fun event with the club,” Epolito said. “Since this event was in a small room, we could only have a small number of people, but that didn’t keep the club from being able to gather together and have fun.”
Cosplay and Karaoke Night is composed of singing along to members’ favorite songs, taking pictures in costume, chatting with friends and hosting a costume competition.
“The goal of the event was to allow a safe space for the club to gather and have a good time,” Epolito said. “A member mentioned how upset they were that they couldn’t go to cons over the summer because of COVID, and it seemed that being able to gather and be in cosplay was so much fun for them.”
COVID-19 has put a damper on many students’ plans since its classification as a global pandemic. Luckily, safety measures are now in place to allow individuals to gather in small groups. GLK is, in no small part, responsible for the enforcement of these safe practices.
“GLK was responsible for putting things together, tech stuff mostly, so that everything was prepared for singing,” Epolito said. “All chairs were separated in the hunt room, so everyone had their own space. Everyone kept their masks on at all times. We sanitized the microphone between each singer.”
For the club and other interested parties, though the experience was a little more unusual than normal, Cosplay and Karaoke night remained enjoyable.
“It is always a fun event to do; you never know what songs people will choose,” Epolito said. “Sometimes they can be strange, or songs I’ve never heard before, but it’s so enjoyable to see how much fun all the people participating have. Everyone laughs and is able to have fun safely.”
There is also a cosplay contest during this event. Each individual dressed in cosplay may enter to win and the winners are given Starbucks gift cards. Generously, the contest offers awards to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place contestants. Everyone is able to dress up, meaning all attending individuals have the chance to win a gift card.
Anime Club is a celebration of anime, a style of Japanese film and television animation. If you’re interested in joining the club or learning more about it, feel free to attend a club meeting. Meetings of the Anime club are safely conducted and usually occur on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. and Fridays at 5:00 p.m. in Bailey Hall room 203.