Clubs are spaces where like-minded people can gather and discuss topics, generally reflecting the members’ shared interests. With over 100 student-led clubs, most students at PennWest California can find something for their interests.
But if a students is unable to find exactly what they are looking for, it is possible to start their own club. In Spring 2024, Nikki Thompson, a current student at PennWest and the vice president of the Cosplay club, did just that. Working collaboratively with Kyle Bennett, another PennWest student and the president of the Cosplay club, along with some others, they started a new campus club.
Cosplay involves dressing up like a fictional character, whether from cartoons, anime, games, movies, shows. If it is a fictional medium, then it is viable for cosplay.
Although there is some general stigma around the concept of cosplay, much of it has largely disappeared. However, that does not mean that everyone is comfortable talking about it with others. At the club, students can meet like-minded and more experienced people. These could be friends who they can talk to about cosplay, or people that can help work on massive projects.
Thompson expressed that she wanted to create the club for several reasons. She wanted to make a fun club for those who like to wear costumes, to give back to the theater community, which often has trouble making costumes and raising funds, and to make a club that has big events.
One big event that the Cosplay club helped bring to campus is the Monster Mash event happening on Oct. 31. This campus wide event will have games, a food truck known as World Wide Eats, a food truck that makes dishes from around the world, and a costume contest—to name a few.
The club is also beginner-friendly, as Samantha Kuzmich, who joined as a new member this semester, does not have any background in cosplay.
“I was really interested in doing it,” Kuzmich said. “But I couldn’t invest time in it. Then, I found this club.”
Both Thompson and Bennett both have been exposed to cosplay at young ages.
“I’ve done cosplay since I was six,” Thompson said. “I’m now 25. I went to my first convention when I was 14.”
Meanwhile, Bennett has been around costume and fashion design since he was a child, as his mother was always interested in it. Some of those skills and interests stuck, as he is now in charge of the club at the school. Both Bennett and Thompson work together to plan events, such as the Monster Mash, and trips to outside cosplay events, such as Steel City in Pittsburgh, which happens every year in October.
The only things that a newcomer must bring to the club is a willingness to learn, an open mind, and enthusiasm. The cosplay club does workshops every other week on Wednesday, where they work on costumes, or learn together how to make different things, such as foam helmets.
The club meets in Steele Hall in room 133 at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays.
“Cosplay isn’t just for Halloween,” Bennett remarked. “You can dress up and have fun any point of the year.”
