by Rhiannon Saegert/nw news editor
TCC clubs often do not survive more than a few semesters, but the NW Anime Club is thriving thanks to its committed officers.
NE student development associate Amity Womelsdorff said because so many TCC students transfer, a club’s success usually depends on the officers’ efforts before they step down.
“The most important thing is when someone is transferring, they advertise the club and try to fill that position,” she said. “Otherwise, it is just going to sit there on the webpage, and nobody will know it’s there. The most important thing is having that officer team feel that responsibility.”
NW Anime Club secretary Rebecca Eberhard said she has seen what an irresponsible leader can do to a club, even when the main priority of the club is fun.
“After the original members disappeared two-and-a-half years ago, the previous club members ran things terribly, and everybody left until even the chair holders stopped showing up,” she said. “I came up with activities, and for a semester, I ran things unofficially.”
Eberhard became club secretary two semesters ago but had to step down temporarily. She said she was nervous when Donald Armstrong, the current president, was elected because she had seen the club run poorly in the past.
“We were cautious about who we handed it over to,” she said. “Donald was always the goofball, and we thought, ’Oh, no,’ but then he stepped it up and organized everything.”
Armstrong, who makes it a point to hang out in the hallway before meetings and invite strangers to join in, said he tries to entertain club members and make newcomers feel welcome by cracking jokes, but he does not want the meetings to lose focus.
“I’m trying to be the fun, goofy guy, but at the same time, I want order,” he said. “I joke with people to get them to come, but I want to stay organized.”
Maria Cervantes, a new member, said she joined the club to help herself stay involved and focused on school.
“I’m in painting. I’m also in Plato’s Cave and the art club. I don’t even watch anime. It just seemed kind of artistic,” she said.
Lucas Lima has been a member of the club the longest. He transferred to University of Texas at Arlington but returned to TCC to take advanced math courses. He said he has seen the club change, for better or worse, under various presidents.
“When the organizers leave, it all falls apart,” he said. “We have a rotation of people, so it sort of works for us.”
