News

Omnicon to return to campus

The Alpha Psi Phi club will host its annual Omnicon event in the STEM Center from Mar. 28 – 30. The event is a large free convention that pays tribute to fans of science fiction/fantasy related interests.

The free event has guests from several different forms of media and entertainment scheduled to appear, including cosplay and art contests, anime, as well as several other celebrations of nerd culture. This will be the first time that the convention is free to the public.

“The goal of the event is to be a social gathering full of awesome and nerdy things that everyone who finds interest in it can participate in,” event chair Cyril Focht said.

James Campbell has been the Omnicon Chairman for the last two years.

“Up until this point, we always charged an entry fee. However, thanks to the generous support of the SGA S.O.L.O. fund, we are able to host the event free of charge, while still upping the standards of the event,” Campbell said.

In order to promote a larger crowd, several changes have been made in comparison to previous years when it was hosted in the RUC. The STEM Center was chosen for a more condensed setting. Campbell said that the University Center had enough room for the event, but it’s size made it difficult to navigate for guests who were unacquainted with the building. The STEM Center’s proximity to Sherlock Park enables Omnicon to have outdoor events, as well.

“We’ve also got an outdoor Quidditch demonstration being put on by the TTU Golden Hippogriffs. More events are being added as we close in on the event,” Campbell said.

“This will be my third year attending Omnicon,” senior Andrea Brys said. “Last year’s attendance wasn’t as high as it’s been in the past due to the event being scheduled on the tail end of Spring Break. But, there have been some changes to the con this year that’ll make it bigger and better than ever.”

Omnicon will be bringing in a variety of guests to TTU, including comic book artists, musicians, and voice actors.

“I’m always excited for all our guests because they all bring something different. We’re especially excited for Dameon Clarke,” Campbell said. “He’s a voice over artist that recently provided the voice and face of the character Handsome Jack from Borderlands 2. Still, all the guests bring something different to the table, whether they’re locals or big stars.”