Organization Spotlight: TAOCATNA

FMU student organization The Absolutely Outrageous Club of All Things Nerdy and Awesome (TAOCATNA) praises itself as a welcoming community for those who wish to pursue their more “nerdy” interests and meet like-minded individuals. 

TAOCATNA has been recognized as an official FMU student-lead organization since 2012, and is the campus’s resident host to all things considered geeky: video games, anime, Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, etc. While the club is over 10 years in action, those running it are always watchful for those who may enjoy the company of new friends. 

“There are a lot of people in our society who feel kind of outcast and lonely, so they don’t involve themselves much, kinda shield themselves off,” Gavin Kirwin, senior health physics major and president of TAOCATNA, said. “TAOCATNA kind of serves as to introduce those people to socializing, kinda helps open them up, make friends along the way with similar like-minded people.” 

Kirwin went on to say that he takes on the responsibility of heading the organization because he enjoys bringing people together. He explained that TAOCATNA has many benefits for its members, mainly a chance to gather and socialize in one place every week, with a compendium of games of the video, board and card varieties. He also mentioned how TAOCATNA is a good outlet for reducing stress, giving FMU students a much-needed break from their studies. “Every Wednesday, anyone is welcome to come by, get to know people and have fun,” Kirwin said. 

TAOCATNA meets every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in the Lee Nursing Building (LNB) in Rooms 205 and 214. The meetings begin with announcements, but are otherwise informal, and students are free to come and go as they please for the remaining four hours the organization has the rooms. The rooms are split up for varying activities, with Room 214 being predominantly dedicated to console fighting games like Street Fighter or Super Smash Bros and is where Tyler Pearson, senior management informations major and club vice president, typically resides. 

“My favorite thing about TAOCATNA weekly is just the people,” Pearson said. “They really help keep the spirit thriving of this club, whether they are on campus or club members that come here from off campus.”  

Pearson then said TAOCATNA stands out in the list of FMU organizations by appealing to a broad variety of interests and hobbies, particularly those on the “really nerdy” side of contemporary culture.  

“TAOCATNA is a place where people can actually come, be nerdy, not be judged,” Pearson said. “And when you get to know most of the people here, it’s worth it.” 

One such person who regularly attends meetings, Benjamin Graham, a sophomore European history major, agreed with Pearson’s sentiment, saying he mainly comes for the other members.  

“There’s a lot of community,” Graham said. “I feel like we all know each other and we all get along.” 

He went on to further explain how he enjoys the various games such as Magic: the Gathering and other similar tabletop games which are brought along for open use every meeting. 

Students interested in getting involved with TAOCATNA may to join the discord server, which is publicly available to anyone able to provide an active FMU student email address. The doors to the club meeting rooms in LNB (205 and 214) are open to anyone wishing to show up any Wednesday from 5-9 p.m.