For fans of media like anime, gaming and comic books, conventions are an increasingly popular way to find a sense of community and meet like-minded people. Virginia’s convention scene is dominated by several major names, including GalaxyCon Richmond and Nekocon, which attract thousands of visitors every year. Charlottesville locals typically have to travel across the state to enjoy events like these, but four passionate student organizers are changing that with Daigakon, the University’s first anime and gaming convention.
Taking place Sunday, the all-day event is a collaborative effort between members of the Cosplay Costuming & Crafts Club and Comics and Animation INternational Exploration, also known as CAINE or Anime Club. Four students — third-year College student Cathy Le, third-year College student Link Fu, fourth-year College student Charlene Huynh and third-year Architecture student Joe Liang — banded together as its main organizers.
It will span three floors of Newcomb Hall including the ballroom, which will be transformed into a vendor hall and artist alley with a large selection of arts, crafts and merchandise from over 50 student and local businesses. Meanwhile, the gaming hall will offer arcade machines and a tournament for the popular card game Magic the Gathering…