Get your nerd on

Photo courtesy of ANIME CLUB

BY BENJAMIN BLAZEVIC / VN STAFF WRITER

The Detroit Mercy Anime Club welcomes anyone with an appreciation for anime, memes, video games and more.

While the club has anime in its name, members encourage anyone who loves other forms of entertainment to join.

“It isn’t just anime,” said Timothy D. Nelson, 30, faculty moderator for the club. “If you are a nerd, come hang out with us.”

There are usually two meetings every week.

The group holds general meetings on Thursdays, often followed on Fridays by video-game play, a movie or some other activity.

Joe Jessop, 20, learned about the club in his freshman year at Detroit Mercy after a member spotted him wearing an “Attack on Titan” shirt and told him about the group.

“Honestly, that sold me into it because I had started watching (the “Attack on Titan” TV show) actively in sophomore year of high school,” said Jessop.

He attended an event before the first week of classes started.

He is now vice president.

A big event that the club plans annually is the Extra Life charity event.

According to the charity’s website, Extra Life unites thousands of gamers around the world to play games in support of their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

Last year, Detroit Mercy Anime Club held a 12-hour charity marathon.

The club live-streamed on Twitch, a video service, and other Detroit Mercy clubs were able to come on-stream for an hour each to play a video game.

The original goal for Detroit Mercy Anime Club was to raise $200. Members weren’t expecting many people to come because they believed that the club wasn’t well known.

By the end of the event, the club had managed to raise $1,069.

The event, usually held during winter semester dead week, raises money for Beaumont Children’s Hospital in Royal Oak.

The club also uses Discord, a social media app, to connect members.

If members have an idea for an event, they can share it there to see if anyone else is interested.

There are also different channels within the server for different topics.

Those interested in joining should email udmanime@gmail.com.

“Be a part of this because you don’t know how much influence and excitement you can bring to the next gen of nerds,” said Nelson. “Come hang out. Be a nerd.”