This weekend, the Hilton welcomed some rather interesting guests. The hotel looked like it could have been a scene straight out of the hit science-fiction television show Firefly with people dressed in full steampunk, a mix of science-fiction and Victorian-era England attire. However, it was not Firefly or even a film set, it was AggieCon 42.
Many people who have even a passing interest in science-fiction have probably heard of Comic-Con, the multi-genre convention for anything in pop culture that takes place every summer in San Diego, Calif. AggieCon is similar to its much larger cousin except for one notable detail: it is entirely student-run and it is also an event exclusive to College Station, as the name might suggest.
“It’s beautiful. I volunteer at cons wherever I go but I like having something in our own backyard,” said Mike Petersen, a sophomore astronomy and physics major and AggieCon 42 volunteer.
Like any sci-fi convention, there were various sections devoted to specific purposes. There was a dealer section where various shop owners from aroundTexas came to sell products, ranging from action figures to vintage comic books to T-shirts and even swords. There were also tabletop and console gaming rooms for visitors looking to play against each other. There was even a live reenactment of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Most notably, AggieCon had panels, in which well-known people from the sci-fi community were able to talk and showcase their works. Notable panels included Dr. Who and one called “Wanna see my spaceship?” which dealt with dating advice for people who might consider themselves “nerds.” However, some people were a little let down by the panels.
“I came here to see Dr. Who things but there will probably be a lot more next year,” said Hannah Brown, a senior landscape design major.
Though most people would probably not think of a sci-fi convention as a philanthropic event, AggieCon 42 put on an art auction in which the proceeds benefitted Scotty’s House, a child advocacy center in Bryan.
Finally, a big part of AggieCon was the interaction between current and former students. Cepheid Variable, a student organization started in 1969 and devoted to all things science-fiction, runs AggieCon every year. As a result, a lot of former students who were members of Cepheid Variable still flock to College Station for AggieCon. Clearly, the organization’s members, current and former, are all very dedicated individuals.
“My favorite part [of AggieCon] is meeting former members of Cepheid Variable,” said David Spellman, a junior computer science major. “Last year I worked here for almost 30 hours. It was very busy but it was also very fun.”
AggieCon is a very unique experience because it is one of those things that will probably keep getting better with each passing year. It is an event with something for everyone to enjoy. Without question, AggieCon is an event that truly sets Texas A&M apart from other universities. It is impressive that students are willing to sacrifice their entire weekend to promote their passions to the rest of College Station. The event really shows why Texas A&M has a reputation for developing students into leaders. These leaders will continue to run AggieCon, which will continue to improve with each year. AggieCon 43 is probably something already worth looking forward to.