For years I’ve been faculty advisor to the Kutztown Anime club. Anime, as you probably know, is Japanese animation. This group has a reputation for being a bit odd. I’ve heard them called them “nerds,” “geeks,” or worse, by other students. Personally, I’m not a great anime fan, but I firmly believe anything that helps students build a sense of community during their time on this campus should be supported.
When the deadly 8.9 earthquake and then the tsunami struck Japan on March 11, I emailed the Anime club president, Abe Klein, to suggest they might do a fundraiser. “Even a small contribution would reflect concern for the culture that gave birth to anime,” I wrote. Abe wrote back instantly that they were already working on it. 100% of the proceeds from their March 16 cookie sale went to Japan Relief. Typically, the Anime Club makes under $50 on a cookie sale, this event raised $487. Clearly many people at Kutztown University overpaid for their cookies, and some folks sent us donations through the campus mail. I’ve got the receipts from the American Red Cross /Japan Relief fund on my desk. I’m proud of these students.
Graphic above came thanks to ChaseJC: his deviant art page is here.
Jerry Pinkney story coming soon!
