I didn’t know what to expect going to Genericon on Friday evening. Like many, I was wary at first, wondering if I would enjoy myself despite the fact I have never had a strong interest in any of the con-related things. However, my idea of fun is reading copy for The Poly, so I figured I might find some amusement in this event.

I didn’t find much that interested me on the first night of the con. None of the anime or games in the DCC amused me, and the vendors weren’t selling merchandise I cared for. The “unique, geek-specific stand-up comedy” of Uncle Yo did not entertain me either. However, the general reaction from the audience was laughter, and I felt a bit out of place in the crowd.

Fortunately for me, the next day of Genericon was a lot more engaging. Saturday started off with the cosplay event, in which many con-goers presented their costumes of anime or video game characters. It was fun to see them present their outfits to the crowd, as you could tell that they all took pride in the clothes they made; their hard work was greeted with applause and smiles from the audience, myself included.

For those not dressed up in costume, “Iron Cosplay” easily fixed that. In this event, teams went head-to-head in making costumes out of recycled material, such as tissue paper or paper towel tubes. It was fun to see people frantically creating ghetto outfits out of random things based on themes like “classic Nintendo” or “magical girls.”

Later that night, a concert took place in the McNeil Room of the Rensselaer Union. Featured were bands Superfortress and Echostream, both of whom gave electrifying performances. The crowd was as lively as the musicians, completely entranced in every rock-beat; my friend, however, got a little disturbed when the keyboardist of Echostream began to smash his instrument on stage.

The final event of Genericon was “Chat with the Chair,” where attendees had the opportunity to speak with Thomas Vorhies ’10 about things they liked or disliked about the con, as well as what could be done for next year’s con. After all the comments from the audience were taken, Vorhies proceeded to introduce the next chair for Genericon. In a “traditional ceremony,” he placed an old wizard’s hat on Justin Lavoie ’10.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed myself at Genericon. As Vorhies put it, the convention is “a gathering of people who traditionally do nerdy things.” And you know what? It was pure fun. From my observations, there was a surprisingly low turnout of RPI students. I think all too often people see geek-related things as something they wouldn’t like. But if you have such a grand event minutes away from your dorm, you might as well check it out and be a little more open. For me, Genericon was well worth the $10. I would personally like to thank the Genericon staff for hosting an exciting weekend of events. I also wish Lavoie the best of luck planning next year’s event; I’ll be sure to go.