By Alex Stanley ’12
THE ROUNDUP
In the 45 minutes allotted during a normal Tuesday lunch, a group of a bit more than 10 students meet in B206 in a space where they are comfortable, even with what some may call an off-beat interest.
They are themselves in the meeting, and they are supported in their interest.
Among the camaraderie a visitor might hear names such as Twilight Sparkle, Celestia, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Trixie and Discord.
Yes, these are characters out of the television show “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” based on the line of My Little Pony toys by Hasbro.
On a usual Tuesday, the club, led by enthusiast Alex Kucera ’13, sorts through a PowerPoint of the numerous characters in the series, all the while shouting out a variety of jokes that brought laughter to any nearby “Brony.”
Jeremiah Johnson ’14 and Kucera began watching the show before the word “Brony,” a term for a male enthusiast of “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” was coined.
Johnson said that really early in the first season he heard about it, watched it and then just decided it was cool.
Kucera, on the other hand, pointed to his love of cartoons as to what drew him into this specific series.
“I’m a big fan of the 90’s cartoons … and I’ve always been a cartoon enthusiast,” he said.
He also said the amount of online media the show generated made it almost impossible for him not to take notice.
What kept Kucera hooked on the show were the multitude of fun and different personalities all going on “crazy adventures.”
English teacher Ms. Lauren Karp was asked to be the moderator of the club by her then student, Kucera.
She accepted, although she admits that she did not understand much about the show at first.
“They are definitely a light spot in my Tuesday,” she said.
She also added that she is happy to moderate the club due to her own experiences, and knowledge that community is very important among such a small group of kids with interests that do not necessarily coincide with the mainstream.
“There is a very strong tie between people who like “Friendship is Magic” and sort of the online meme culture,” Ms. Karp explained of her club.
In fact, Kucera is heavily immersed in this “Brony” culture.
He recently attended BroNYCon, a gathering of like-minded fans in New York, and said that it was extremely fun and “all of the big names in the fandom were there.”
He is hoping to garner an animation and video editing table at the next event.
“I’m definitely out there. I do have people that follow me and want to see what I have next,” he said.
In the safe and open environment of the Friendship is Magic club, Kuceracontinued the discussion on his unique interest, and said students should get involved in what they like.
“If you love something,” he said, “ Do it!”
