When Kerry Brooks transferred to UB last semester, she was hoping to join a club with students who shared her love for science fiction and fantasy.
Brooks, a junior English and linguistics major, stumbled across many clubs that fit that criterion. Yet she didn’t quite feel at home within any of these clubs, which were already established with members who she said often seemed to be exclusive.
That was when she decided form a club of her own.
The newly established UB Sci-Fi & Fantasy Club held its second-ever meeting on Wednesday night, with an open discussion about sci-fi and fantasy books and movies they liked. Brooke plans to structure each meeting so the first half is an educational discussion and the second half is a game related to sci-fi or fantasy.
“I was a member of a Sci-Fi & Fantasy club at my old college and I really enjoyed it, so when I came here and realized there wasn’t one, I just decided to do it,” Brooks said.
Going through the process of forming a club, however, was not as easy as she had hoped. She said she had to submit an application to the Student Association with 10 signatures of students who are interested in the club. And the signatures and application are only the first step.
According to SA’s website, several other forms, which can total upward of nine depending on club type, must be completed before the rights to be a club are considered.
One of the forms – which is required by all SA clubs – is a constitution. The constitution must state the name and purpose of the proposed organization, as well as the qualification of membership. Several other components, such as club rules and meeting types and times are listed on the template provided by SA.
Once Brooks completed all necessary components of the application process, the Sci-Fi & Fantasy club was formed, with her holding the position of president.
For Morgan Koziel, a junior business major at Erie Community College, the club is a nice place to be able to connect with people who have similar interests beyond the classroom.
“I don’t always get to talk about science fiction and fantasy, so it’s nice that I can finally have a place where I can talk to other people who have the same interests as me,” Koziel said.
This type of genuine interest and common collaboration is what Kathleen Wojcik, vice president of the Sci-Fi & Fantasy club, said she really loves about the club.
“Whether or not you’ve read Harry Potter or have a vague interest in Star Wars, or you’re super hardcore into this stuff, you are welcome, it’s just really fun for everyone,” Wojcik, a junior linguistics and psychology major said.
Like Brooks, Wojcik was also a transfer student looking for a club to join related to her fantasy interests. When she and Brooks met at transfer student orientation, they realized their mutual interests and decided a science fiction and fantasy club was something that needed to be implemented at UB.
“When you go into already established big clubs, they already have their cliques and although it was welcoming to an extent, you still feel like that new member,” Wojcik said. “Making this club was a really good idea to have new faces and new members instead of recycling the same people over and over again.”
Amy Falbo, a sophomore geosciences major, said she initially joined the club because she wanted to be a part of something where she could feel comfortable while still having fun. She likes that the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Club allows her to be passionate about her interests while being surrounded with people who feel the same way.
The Sci-Fi & Fantasy Club has plans for future events on campus, including some to de-stress before finals week in May.
Brooks said the “bad fan-fiction reading event,” where volunteers can read excerpts from bad fan-fiction pieces, is one of the club’s most anticipated events. The club also plans on raffling off a basket with science fiction and fantasy books and movies. The event is scheduled for May 4.
The UB Sci-Fi & Fantasy club meets every Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Norton 209.
Kori Hughes is a news staff writer and can be reached at news@ubspectrum.com.
