Anime and Weed- Two of JMU's burgeoning special interest groups

Reports by: Jackie Stephenson

NORML

        "George toked weed, man." "Absolutely George toked weed. Are you kidding me,           man? He grew fields of that stuff, man. That's what I'm talkin' about, fields!" "He           grew that shit up in Mt. Vernon, man." "Mt. Vernon, man? He grew it all over the           country, man. He had people growin' it all over the country, ya know, the whole           country back then was getting high. Let me tell ya, man, 'cause, 'cause, 'cause ...           he knew. He was on to something, man. He knew that it would be a good cash           crop for the southern states, man. And so he grew fields of it, man!"  
                                                                                     -"Dazed and Confused"

At least one JMU club is wondering, "If George Washington got high, then why can't we?" And what about honest Abe? Abraham Lincoln once said, "Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason, in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and make crimes out of things that are not crimes ... Prohibition laws strike a blow at the very principle upon which our government was founded, freedom."

Today, some students are beginning to take a stand against marijuana prohibition. The National Organization of the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), is an active group on college campuses nation-wide that fights for this cause. JMU's branch of NORML, led by senior Matt Moss, was formed last year. Moss said the organization is starting off by "dispelling any myths" about marijuana that students or members of the community might believe. NORML aims to expose and protest the laws surrounding Marijuana prohibition in order to work towards the ultimate goal ... legalization.

To give you an idea of the sort of laws NORML is focusing on, look at a provision to the Higher Education Act of 1998. It states that if a college student is convicted of the possession of marijuana, he or she will be denied student loans. This penalty does not apply to other convictions, even when violence is involved such as in rape or assault.

It's penalties such as this that NORML is working to eliminate. An important part of this is stirring new ideas on decriminalization. NORML divisions throughout the United States, especially along the West Coast, have already begun to make a difference at a legislative level. The national NORML newsletter reads, "An initiative ... to legalize marijuana and industrial hemp in Alaska will appear on the November 2000 ballot. Petitioners handed in 40,234 signatures, nearly double the 22,716 needed to place the initiative on the ballot."

The club is socially based and holds events such as NORML camping trips. To gain recognition and to spread their message, NORML designs and hangs up posters around campus, organizes petitions, and does other "little activist things," as Moss put it.

MANGA

Did you know that "The Lion King" was taken from the Japanese "Kimba the White Lion?" Did you know that Scooby Doo was designed by a Japanese cartoon artist? This and other old time favorites like Thunder Cats, Voltron, and Speed Racer are examples of anime's unique style and sense of humor meshing with American entertainment.

Anime, although it's actually a French word, describes one-of-a-kind Japanese animation. In Japan, anime is the mainstream form of television and film entertainment. Anime in Japan is like Hollywood here, yet anime uses art to create an extra dimension of oddity, expression and creativity that live actors could never mimic.

Sophomore Adam Strawn started Madison Anime Newtype Great Association (MANGA) at JMU just this year to bring together appreciators of anime. The club is open to anyone who's interested; it even attracts graduates and members from outside of JMU. "The best part of the club is it's fun!," Strawn said.

From sitting in on a meeting, I could see what he meant. It was a happy medium between a feast and little party. One member arrived, arms heaping with king size bags of every chip under the sun ... Doritos, Fritos, you name it. He set up a kind of buffet style area where you could go and fill a bowl with the chips of your choice. Another member brought an impressive supply of various chocolate bars as to provide an alternative option to the dominating chip theme. Others brought sandwiches. Then, we watched anime.

The members of MANGA told me that there is more to the club than just merry-making. It explores the many, often times weird and unusual, dimensions of anime through projects, trips to conventions, and interesting fund-raisers. Also, the club harbors a sense of community. It brings people together who share a distinctive, similar interest; also some share talents in writing and illustrating their own anime. So if you want to eat good munchies, meet interesting people, and watch bizarre stuff, Madison Anime Newtype Great Association meets once a week.

www.jmu.edu/orgs/manga