Spring Break
Gnome statues to invade campus
Miniature figurines used as part of promotion for sci-fi convention
By: Rebecca Anderson
Issue date: 2/26/07 Section: News
 Wade Barker - THE BATTALION Senior biochemistry and chemistry major Whitney Morlatt makes a mold for a gnome using a hardening rubber compound Thursday afternoon at an apartment. |
Students may soon notice 1,000 unfamiliar figures invading Academic Plaza.
On Mar. 6, members of the student organization Cepheid Variable will place 1,000 gnomes around the plaza as a way to promote AggieCon 38.
AggieCon is the annual science fiction convention produced by the members of Cepheid Variable. It is also the oldest and largest student-run science fiction convention in the nation.
Whitney Morlatt, a senior biochemistry and gnome officer for Cepheid Variable, said the Reveille Club of Houston provided the initial donation of the gnomes for the project to get started, and Lowe's in Bryan provided the plaster at cost.
"Our group is well on the way towards our goal," she said. "We are planning to make 1,000 actual plaster lawn gnomes with the initial dispersion centered in (Academic) Plaza."
After that, Cepheid Variable plans to march them into the Academic plaza over time.
"We have gotten permission from every level of A&M to do our project and more than one department is helping to paint the gnomes as a team building activity within the organization," Morlatt said.
In addition to paint, the gnomes will have the Aggie Code of Honor and an AggieCon 38 advertisement at the base.
Patrick Mason, AggieCon director, said the idea for the gnome invasion seemed like a joke at first, then Morlatt jumped at the chance to put the project together.
AggieCon 38 takes place March 22 through 25 at the Memorial Student Center and provides an arena for guests in the fields of art, writing, acting, editing and game production. Last year, more than 1,000 people attended AggieCon.
"Everything we do in Cepheid Variable is represented in AggieCon," said Mason, a senior aerospace and nuclear engineering major. "We bring in writers, artists, comic book dealers, sword sellers, and we have showings for anime and Rocky Horror Picture Show."
The semi-punk band Eyeshine and a goth-country band called Ghoultown will perform, Mason said.
Mike Comley, e-gaming officer, described Cepheid Variable as an eclectic group.
"We're a group that does a science fiction convention every year, but we do a whole lot more than that, and it's really a lot of fun," said Comley, a senior mechanical and manufacturing engineering technology major. "Join Cepheid Variable if you're interested in anything and everything. Basically, if you're interested in something you'll find someone here who enjoys it, too."
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