Students develop new friends and new talents

Instead of simply starting a group dedicated solely to drawing, the anime club’s adviser, Danya Castro, who also works in the media center, said she decided to form a club that would take students deeper into the history and culture of anime art.

The club started Thursday and there will be meetings every Thursday after school in the media center. Castro said her inspiration for the club came from a flier she saw for the anime club at the Hennepin County Library.

“When I asked kids if they were going to the Hennepin County Library, most said it was either too far away or they didn’t have a ride,” Castro said. “After that I just decided to bring the club to the school.”

During the meetings Castro said she teaches students the Japanese language and the history of anime.

“Anime is Japanese cartoons and I’m teaching (the students) the history, so they can appreciate where they come from,” Castro said. “The students come together with a common interest in anime, but without really knowing each other.”

This aspect of meeting new people, and knowing the students share a common interest, is what seems to draw in the most students, according to Castro. Junior Kongsue Yang said he joined because he enjoys drawing, even though he did not know anyone in the group.

“What I like about the club is that you get to draw with other kids that you don’t know that you already have something in common with them,” Yang said. “You could even  later on become friends with them.”

During the meetings, students watch anime cartoons while eating snacks and drawing their own pieces of art.

“The kids just hang out together and some parents are just happy to have their child participating in a school club,” Castro said.