Hey Club Goers! Guess what?

Field Trip!!! Similar to our FANIME trip this past summer, UNM Anime Club will be attending ALA – an anime convention going down during Winter Break. Where is it held? When is it happening? How can I sign up? The answers to there questions and more after the break! Get excited:

What is ALA?
ALA stands for Anime Los Angeles. It’s a three-day anime convention held in (duh) Los Angeles, California. UNM Anime Club is planning to attend as a group, and YOU’RE invited!

What is an anime convention?
Put simply, an anime convention is a big gathering of anime fans and industry types. To elaborate, it’s a weekend-long extravaganza that plays host to lots of great events and a lively, fun atmosphere. You can find out more at the Anime Los Angeles site.

When and where is this being held?
ALA is held at the Los Angeles Airport Marriot from Janurary 8-10, 2010.

How are we getting there?
Los Angeles is a 12-Hour drive from Albuquerque – We’ll be carpooling to and from- the convention center. And don’t worry – we’ve factored in an extra travel day both ways, so you drivers can all breathe a sigh of relief.

What are the dates of travel?
Thursday, 1/07/10 – Monday, 1/11/10. We’ll leave in the morning on the way there, and arrive in the evening on the way back.

Where will we be staying?
The Con Hotel: Los Angeles Airport Marriott. We’ll book rooms based on the number of people going.

How much will this cost?
$150 -paid to Anime Club – will cover for your registration, gas both ways, and a hotel room for all nights of travel. If you’re not an official member, it’ll cost $155 (the $5 extra will apply towards membership dues ^^).

Should I bring extra money?
ABSOLUTELY. The $150 won’t cover food, so – if nothing else – bring some money to spend on nourishment (AT LEAST $20/day). Aside from that, bring whatever spending money you can responsibly burn – they’ll be TONS of alluring anime and game merchandise in the dealers room, in addition to all the fanworks available for purchase in artist’s alley.

How do I sign up?
Talk to an Officer during an intermission, or see us during our office hours throughout the week. They’ll be a form to fill out, and a waiver to sign – all standard procedure.

Is there a deadline?
If you’d like to go, please tell us an as soon as possible so we can get an idea of how many con-goers to anticipate. To show commitment, we’re requiring a $50 deposit by November 7th, with the rest to be paid by December 12th (our last meeting of the semester).

What if I need to cancel?
We can refund half your total deposit if you cancel before the December 12th deadline. Unfortunately, if you need to cancel at any time after that date, all your deposit will be forfeit.

That’s not to say we don’t plumb a little deeper, though. In store for the upcoming semester, we have Contests (with prizes!), Field Days, Artistic Workshops, Cosplay Events, Anime and Manga How-To’s, and much, much more! Be sure to keep an eye on this webspace and/or REGISTER with our site to receive the weekly newsletter.

Our first meeting of the semester will be August 29th, from 4pm until 8pm in the University of New Mexico Student Union Bldg. You needn’t be a UNM student to come and enjoy what we have to offer, so come check us out! And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us – we’re addicted to email. Fire one off to anime@unm.edu

Embrace your inner otaku!

Well, guys and gals… this here be your first summer update. They will be a lot fewer than those in the regular semester, and perhaps even halt entirely for the month of July, when I’m abroad, but THEY WILL EXIST! Look! You are reading the proof right now! Wowzers!

I had a blast at Fanime! And I’d like to thank each and every one of you that went–it would not have nearly as fun without chance to run into you guys and do impromptu stuff in the hallways! This post will showcase my favorite memories of Fanime, but let us know your own in the comments! There’s also room for criticism if you agree that the trip could be improved on! If you went with us, check your email and send us the survey so’s that we can better ourselves for next time (aka ala)!

First, an Album:

FANIME '09

Club shenanigans of the photographed variety. Taken at Fanime Con 2009 in San Jose, CA

32 Photos

 

These are the photos I snapped with club members–there are quite a few of them! Here’s one of Devon, Rob, and myself (your Secretary, Advertiser, and President [sic] looking as creepy as creepy customers from a maid cafe can look. O_o

It’s not all servitude and cheeries, though~! Our local KJ, Laura, took to stage at the Karaoke kontest! Here’s some youtube of her singing Angelus! In the end, she made it to the finals and took 3rd, for which she was rewarded a Saber figure and Final Fantasy X! A strange assortment, I know, but awesome none the less! (Her finals performance is available on our new Youtube channel!)

Speaking of Youtube, I, myself, graced its digital screen when I failed out of Restricted Rock Paper Scissors (adapted from the Anime Kaiji… watch it!) and was made to do punishment! Thankfully, the punishment was more fun than cruel (your opinion may vary), and I got away with making slightly more a dork of myself by dancing Knight of Fire.

Five days we spent there, in San Jose. It’s odd that–even after it was over with my wallet spent and my laundry all piled up–I was perfectly ready for more FANIME Con! On our last day there, me an’ David an’ Rob took to the hotel walls with our Otaku-ness. Enshrining the room with prints and figmas abound! I have no doubt that–if we had the participation of the entire club–we could have filled the room from top to bottom with swag!

That’s all from me, at least for now! I’ve begun making preparations for our first Summer Club meeting, so keep an eye on those emails!

Kite out!

With that over and done with, we can finally start working on the bits and bytes of the road-trip! Keep an eye on your inboxes, Fanimephiles!

This Saturday’s meeting will play host to Southwest Animation Confrence & Expo’s first meet and greet! If you have any ideas for panels, events, etc; or if you’d like to volunteer to be a part of the SWACE staff; or if you’d just like to interact with the people of SWACE and learn more about the convention, we’ll be on the third floor of the Student Union Bldg. (as usual) in Acoma A/B and Fiesta A/B at 4:00pm sharp!

Here’s the official spiel:

March 28, 2009, 4:00 PM @ The University of New Mexico’s Student Union building in the [Acoma A/B] room located on the third floor. We’ll be meeting with the University of NM Anime Club and anyone else interested in staffing the convention or help us get the word out. Our goal is to bring a show to the community that is catered to you guys, the community. We are looking for people who are full of ideas and suggestions on how we can make this the BEST Animation convention in New Mexico! Feel free to contact us about the Meet and Greet and we look forward to meeting all of you!

UPDATE: Due to some complications with the room we were scheduled for, we’ll be in Acoma A/B as opposed to Lobo. There’s some official-type explanation after the break.

To Whom It May Concern,
We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, however the Lobo room is undergoing wall repairs this Saturday, 3/28.  We needed to place you in the Acoma A & B room just for this Saturday. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us. Thank you and have a great day.
SUB Event Planning