The Pokemon Club here at Oakdale began with Jackson Burress four years ago. Burress first created the club in order to have a place to talk about Pokemon in school, as his family wasn’t interested in Pokemon at the time. The club is a safe haven for nerds to meet without fear of being teased.
At first, the advisor was Chanin Storm. At the time, the club was nowhere near as organized as it is now. The Pokemon Club Vice President Quinn Andrade has noticed that everyone is more accustomed to each other now compared to when the club first started.
In the Pokemon Club, things started out relatively quiet. Burress described the club as “throw a ball at a wall and see what happens,” during the first few years of its running. There were no major changes, however, the club was greatly impacted, due to the departure of Storm.
With the loss of the club’s advisor, Burress needed to find a new one and fast. Fortunately, James Keller offered up his room this year.
Keller describes himself as a “sci-fi nerd” who is also interested in Pokemon; therefore, he was happy to host the club in his room. Aside from the change in the room location, the club has not changed very much. However, the club is so much more than what Keller describes as “a gathering of nerds.”
Many students enjoy the relaxed environment where they can talk with others with shared interests. Students can be who they truly are, instead of the persona they are in school.
A member of the club confided, “What I like about the club is the people. Everyone is very friendly and kind.” They have implied that they feel protected in the club.
The club does have an irregular meeting schedule. Burress expressed the want for after school meetings, similar to last year. However, since it is early in the school year, he has yet to implement them.
The club has undergone a change in advisement this year, but the fundamental principles remain the same. This club is a safe place for pokemon fans to come together. As Keller says, “Everyone is really friendly, they want to get to know each other. They all just have a general passion for Pokémon, and it’s fun to be around people that have that kind of passion.”
