That’s right- I unearthed more weirdness than I could fit into
one article. Thus, I am writing a sequel. You might be a member of
one of these clubs. You might be one of the brave souls who wear
Transformer costumes or engage in serious Medieval swordfights in
the quad during lunch while the rest of the student body walks by
with perplexed looks on their faces. Or you might just be the
hopelessly bland, normal kid who ridicules them.
Regardless, weirdness abounds at America’s college campuses. The
following five strange clubs are but a sampling:
Princeton Mime
Company, Princeton University - In an age where mimes have
become an object of mockery, these brave students face their cruel
world in silence… and with invisible walls, windows, and props and
white face paint. It is assumed that this club suffers from an
inordinate amount of communication problems and injuries resulting
from collisions with imaginary objects.
Ichidan Live
Theatre & Cosplay, Boise State University - For the
uninitiated, like myself, cosplay is a craze in which fans of
Japanese anime and manga dress up as their favorite characters and
come to special events to show off their elaborate costumes.
Apparently, even in the spud-loving heart of the rugged West, this
movement has gained a group of devotees. This particular club
performs anime-inspired stage plays (in costume, of course),
attends cosplay conventions, and stages cosplay game shows.
Naturally, the club members all have anime-sounding code names like
Graal, Venom, and Cloud. Check it out: Ichidan.com.
Society for
Explosives Engineers, University of Arizona - This club
sounds like a blast (get it?). This dynamite (get it?) troupe is
dedicated to educating students about careers in mining,
specifically mining through use of explosives. In the process, they
get to blow a lot of stuff up. They are a student chapter of the
International Society of Explosives Engineers. Check it out:
IcsRecruiter.com.
Yellow Brand
Organization, UC San Diego - Judging by their rather
cryptic website, this student organization is dedicated to
combating technical ineptitude in all its forms. Uh-huh…
The Shire of Grey
Gargoyles of the Society for Creative Anachronism, University of
Chicago - This one is much like the Quill and the Sword in
my last article in that it seeks to recreate Medieval life
(i.e. swords, armor, feasts, minstrels, women with long, flowing
tresses and low-cut dresses), but I had to include it just for the
cool name. Check it out: Grey-Gargoyles.