What is GeeKon?

GeeKon is a week-long celebration of all things geeky in Denton.  The name is a combination of two separate things.  First, it is hoped that, eventually, this will grow into a convention of sorts for the Denton community (truly be Geek Kon).  Secondly, we hope to allow participants a chance to get their “geek on” by offering a diverse array of programs and events that are interesting, fun, and allow our students to grow as individuals by practicing or developing new skills and habits.  GeeKon was started in the fall 2012 semester by several departments on campus and is continuing to grow as we move forward by including more of the campus community, several off campus businesses, TWU, and the city of Denton itself.

Why is it Important?

The idea of being a geek is something that is ingrained into the mindset of many of our students.  Culturally, it is becoming more acceptable to be interested in some things that have stereotypically been considered “geeky,” but a lot of college students struggle with that part of their identity.  The more we offer events that celebrate students for who they are, the more we can help them transition from who they were to who they are going to be for the rest of their lives.

What to look forward to for GeeKon 2014:

Whereas least year we kept the events small collaborations between Housing, UPC, Student Activities, and a handful of other faculty/staff members on campus, this year we are hoping to make it much bigger.  We have already started talking to a few departments and colleges on campus to help and are reaching out to local businesses.  In addition to that, there are currently three big, new pieces in play for GeeKon 2014: 

• Mini A-Kon:A smaller, Denton based version of the larger Dallas Anime Convention (A-Kon), this event features an Art Show, Cosplay Contest, voice actors from Funimation, local artists, open gaming, anime showings, and plenty of other activities.  More information on Mini A-Kon can be found here.
• UNT Comic Studies Conference:The symposium explores comics across the curriculum, comics across culture, comics across the community, and comics across the classroom by highlighting the diverse UNT faculty who use comics or Comics Studies in their teaching and research.  Panels will also examine the community connections and interdisciplinary value of bringing comics into student-centered learning environments.  More information on the Comic Studies Conference can be found here.
• Adam WarRock:WarRock is a rap artist who focuses on pop culture (comics, tv shows, movies, etc.). Former lawyer who quit his day job to pursue his passion of being a performing artist and is now happy doing what he loves.  Check out the Song below: