‘Never a shortage of fun in FHS Anime Club’
The Fredericktown High School Learning Zone Anime Class, sponsored by Mrs. Morgan Comnick, is never short on fun.
Last semester, the class held multiple activities including sports day, its annual cosplay dress-up day and celebrated Mrs. Comnick’s birthday.
“‘Konnichiwa, minna-san’, this is how I greet my students who are members of the Fredericktown High School Learning Zone Anime Club,” Comnick said. “Simply, it means, ‘Good afternoon or Hello, everyone.’ I am sure you all do the same greetings with the kids in your classrooms daily, but the second my eager and bright students walk into a club after school, I want them emersed into the culture of the beloved to us ‘Land of the Rising Sun,’ the rich history and modern marvels of Nihon; Japan.”
Comnick said they meet on Mondays and Wednesdays, and since they are a club, they have an official constitution.
“We study a new set of Japanese words for the month, anything from basic and important words and phrases, food, cultural facts, family, nature, and more, then reviewing with interactive and engaging games,” Comnick said. “We, of course, watch anime, Japanese animation, a few episodes of a different show each anime session day or a staple movie to the industry, such as a treasure from Studio Ghibli, them writing a reflection on what they liked and learned from it, storytelling, culturally, or artistic-wise.”
Comnick said, once a month the group also, uses manga reference books or reads a volume of actual manga which she provides by age ratings and requests, soaking up their admiration for Japan creating and practicing their own drawing talents. She said manga is a term for essentially a Japanese-style graphic novel.
“I am blessed with a group of exceedingly gifted artists,” Comnick said.
But Anime club is not all studying, watching or reading.
“Holidays are a must no matter where you live,” Comnick said. “Our club has held a variety of activities this semester: celebrating my, AKA sensei’s, birthday, participating in their national Sports Day, holding our annual Halloween cosplay dress-up contest with a local professional in the field giving tips and judging, and a Christmas party partaking the delicious Japanese meal of fried chicken and strawberry sponge cake with white whipped icing.”
Comnick said to be on the lookout and there is more fun to come this semester too.
“There is never a shortage of fun in FHS Anime Club,” Comnick said. “Sayonara for now.”
Fredericktown High School Learning Zone Anime Class members are: Alyssa Sample, Blue Williams, Aiden Morgan, Shelby Pierson, Shaylee Davis, Jordan Cook, Pedro Jimenez, and Ava McGuire.
The Fredericktown High School Learning Zone Anime Class dresses up as maids and butlers as part of a tradition found at Cultural Festivals.
October 10, the Anime Club celebrated its annual Sports Day. The teams competed, red vs. white, in a game with balloons to celebrate the holiday.
The Anime Club holds a cosplay contest in October.
Alyssa Sample dresses up during the cosplay contest.
