Every week on Tuesday nights, the College of Southern Idaho's student-run Anime Club meets to enjoy an evening of discussion on the Japanese art form and the viewing of various anime series' episodes.

With a friendly atmosphere and plenty of joking around, newcomers are encouraged to come, whether they are familiar with anime or not.

Renee Smallwood, the president of the club, explained how anime transcends age groups. According to Smallwood, anime can be aimed at children, as evidenced by series such as "Hello Kitty," or at teenagers, as seen in shows such as "Dragonball Z" and "Sailor Moon." There are also more adult-themed series such as "Shin-chan," and the more abstract category of hentai, or animated pornography.

"(Anime) can make you laugh more than American cartoons," Smallwood said.

She is an art and teacher's education major at CSI, and has been in the club for three years, serving as club president for two. She really enjoys being part of the club.

"The people are absolutely amazing," Smallwood said. "We all get along really well."

According to Smallwood, the meetings usually consist of watching anime, the discussion of events the club is working on and planning trips to conventions. Certain

otaku, or anime fans, also multitask and do homework or eat dinner during the meetings.

One upcoming event the Anime Club is working on the is second annual Children's Festival. Hosted in conjunction with CSI's Asian Students Association, the Children's Festival is to be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday behind CSI's Student Union Building. The event promises to have a number of fun activities including chibi drawing, Kabuki masks, origami, three-legged races, kite making and fish printing.

While actually a guest at the Sept. 16 meeting, Matthew Clokey, also known humorously as the "Anime Scotsman" stopped by to enjoy the night's fun. He enjoys anime because "its fun escapism, and the stories are very good and much better than normal television."

Clokey is the founder of the Middle of Nowhere Anime Club of Boise. NoWAC is the longest-running anime club in Idaho, active for over a decade. Clokey enjoys touching base with other clubs in Idaho every so often.

While Sandra Bosteder, the Japanese instructor at CSI sometimes likes to check up on what's going on within the group, for the most part the club is a student-driven affair.

One member of CSI's anime club, Che 'Syxx' Pedersen, a CSI horticulture major, has been watching anime since her friends turned her on to it in high school. She stated why she finds anime so fascinating.

"It's a bunch of different art forms mixed together," Pedersen said. "Music, drama, and the Japanese language, which is an art from all in itself."

Pedersen has an admittedly obscure taste in anime, the show "Infinite Ryvius" being one of her favorites.

Justin Goicoechea, who is waiting to enter CSI as a liberal arts major, has been watching anime for as long as he can remember. Goicoechea has been in the club for two years and after Smallwood is the second most senior member.

He is also the treasurer of the club and drives whenever the group makes a trip to a conference in Boise.

"Come in here and see if you like it," he said.

The group has a meeting every week at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Shields Building, Room 203.