On Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Germantown Academy will be hosting its first annual WissahickCon, a comic-con-like experience solely for teenagers in the Philadelphia region. As long as they have a school ID, all middle and high school students will be able to participate in the event.
WissahickCon will feature a multitude of activities that fit a broad range of interests. For example, there will be a Super Smash Bros, an Ultimate tournament, real-life Squid Games, anime screenings, and several panel events. There will also be guests such as Marvel screenwriter and GA alum Andrew Barrer; Ariell Johnson, who is the only black woman on the East Coast who owns a comic shop; award-winning cosplayers; and groups of GA students/faculty that put together this exciting day. There will be vendors selling art, clothing, comics, cupcakes, and even imported goods from Japan. Cosplay is welcome, but it is by no means a requirement. If you happen to dress up, there will be photo booths, and, not to mention, the GA campus will also serve as great scenery for photos.
The idea stemmed from Upper School History Teacher Mark Rabuck. Dr. Rabuck said that, to him, “Cons are places where people can express themselves without fear of judgment and can connect with people who share the same interests. GA has a thousand ways for teens to excel through competition and achieve success through teamwork.” He believes “that an event where people can have fun just being themselves can only improve the [GA] community.” In addition, “there are no events like this in the country for teens right now,” and he believes that a teen-exclusive event would be a great way for teenagers to have fun and share interests that aren’t commonly celebrated. Although he created the idea, the students were the ones that put in the work. Throughout the school year, GA’s Leland Society has worked hard to organize the ins and outs of this event, and many students, teachers, and clubs have contributed panels and activities. Dr. Rabuck would like WissahickCon to be an annual event, so having a good turnout this year would make that possible.
Prospective attendees of WissahickCon are looking forward to the event as well. For one attendee, it’s their first time attending a convention of any sort, and it seems like a great opportunity to experience a convention. Junior Adhi Gadre says that he’s looking forward to “having people from all around come together and have fun.” If you feel like checking it out, remember that you can stay as long as the whole day, or even as little as half an hour. Come and be a part of GA history!
Register here! https://bit.ly/wissahickconprereg