Gamers Guild at SRU to host “Rock-Con” fundraiser for community library
Members of The Outer Rim Praxeum Lightsaber School from Fairmont, West Virginia, will conduct a lightsaber lesson as part of the Oct. 21 “Rock-Con” event at Slippery Rock Community Library.
Oct. 9, 2017
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – For some, the mental image conjured up by the mention of a convention is an auditorium filled with people in pencil skirts and navy-blue suits listening to one dry lecture after another.
For John Ferrara, that picture could not be further from his own.
As the president of the Gamers Guild at Slippery Rock University, Ferrara, a senior secondary education major from Scranton, a convention is the perfect opportunity for a variety of fun and games.
To prove his point, Ferrara and his fellow Gamers Guild members will host a “Rock-Con” from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., Oct. 21 at the Slippery Rock Community Library, 320 N. Main St., Slippery Rock.
Described as an “open house” type of event, the convention will feature card, board and role-play games along with a cosplay contest, charity raffle and refreshments.
All proceeds from the convention will be donated to the 283-square foot library, currently nestled in Slippery Rock Community Park, as it continues to fundraise for its new building to be built on Main Street. Construction is expected to begin in 2018.
“Rock-Con is a multi-purpose event,” Ferrara said. “It allows us to provide more of an outlet for the teenage and young adult crowd, and it also permits us to raise funds and awareness for the library, showing all of the wonderful things they do for the community and support them in their efforts to relocate.”
In addition to allowing guests to face-off in favorite board games such as Monopoly, Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan and Chutes and Ladders, Rock-Con will also facilitate role-play games where participants assume the roles of fictional characters and interact within an imaginary world. Included among these will be D&D Adventurer’s League, Pathfinder Society, Shadowrun Missions and a “Star Wars” lightsaber lesson conducted by The Outer Rim Praxeum Lightsaber School from Fairmont, West Virginia.
“Playing these games really brings out the inner nerd in all of us,” Ferrara said. “I expect it’s going to be a lot of fun for everyone involved.”
One of the most prominent activities of the day will be a cosplay contest at 4 p.m. Seminars discussing cosplay makeup and costuming will precede the contest.
“In cosplay, people dress up as a character from a movie, book or video game,” said Ferrara. “Just picture a giant Halloween party where trophies are involved and you’ve got cosplay.”
Trophies for the top three places will be awarded with judging duties being handled by a trio of professional judges from 3 Rivers CosPlay, a Pittsburgh-based cosplay promoter and costume manufacturer.
Online registration for the event is available at https://warhorn.net/events/rock-con-2017. While registration is not required, it is encouraged. All proceeds from the $5 entry fee and raffles will be donated to the library. Additional donations for the library will also be accepted.
“The library has given me so much as a person, patron and nerd,” said Ferrara, “I think Rock-Con is a really great way to give back to them.”
MEDIA CONTACT: Maizee Zaccone |724.738.2091|mxz1016@sru.edu