So the oracle posted a story about our club:
Metal club about more than music
By Maria Douaihy, CORRESPONDENT
Published: Monday, November 2, 2009
Updated: Monday, November 2, 2009
Thursday evenings by a common interest: heavy metal. A group of students is drawn together
The Heavy Metal Enthusiasts Club (HMEC) at USF is an outlet for students who enjoy listening to heavy metal music as well as other of metal. sub-genres
Bane, president of HMEC, said he was a part of the heavy metal financial burdens forced him to transfer to USF. scene at UCF until organization at USF at the time, Since there was no heavy metal student members. he started one and used Facebook to find new
and looked for USF students who seemed like “I searched metal bands metal guys and asked them to help start the organization, and they helped me out,” said Bane, a junior majoring in mass communications.
92 members, according to its USF Blackboard Web The group has around Facebook group. Bane said about 25 to site, and nearly 150 fans on its meetings. 35 people regularly attend weekly
president of HMEC, Michael Brady, a senior business major and vice after Bane deemed him he became second-in-command said helping to initiate the club. enthusiastic volunteer in most
“We posted flyers all over campus,” Brady said. “On student organization days, we set up booths with photos of the craziness shenanigans in the club. To be fair, we only probably got about and something.” people by doing that, but it’s five
perform at USF. Meetings used to involve exchanging music or inviting a heavy metal band to
This semester, Brady said the group has been more organized. The Amphitheater at USF Marshall Center “Sorcerer” performed at the band an HMEC event in October. This week, the band “Suggestion” will be playing at the group’s regular meeting.
Meetings have placed a greater emphasis on music education than in the past, Brady said. Officers organize movie and documentary nights, which Brady said are essential for learning about the metal genre.
Selections for movie nights vary. Last semester, the group watched the movie “Orgasmo,” a parody of the pornography industry. But some are more serious, like “SLC Punk,” a movie chronicling the life of a “punk” mid ‘80s. in Salt Lake City during the
documentaries,” Brady said. “Most movies we’ve watched so far have been “It’s important to open up club members to stuff beyond our genre. Punk and metal have a lot in common, though a lot of people don’t want to admit it.”
become a close-knit group of friends, Brady said. head-bangers, HMEC has haven for University Besides serving as a
“To be honest, I don’t look forward to the club so much because of music,” he said. “Before the club was formed, I still listened to the music a lot in my spare time. It’s basically just about friendship — you love.” communicate with who love what about having people to
go with. HMEC, Brady said he would sometimes go to metal shows by himself if he couldn’t find anyone to Before joining
“The entire point of the club is to make sure that kind of thing doesn’t happen,” Brady said. “It’s making sure we have that community car pools to shows.” behind us, making sure we can organize
stereotypes. dispel a lot of the typical “metalhead” He also said the club tries to
metalheads are very intelligent people — “We want people to know that debauchery,” he said. “Some that it’s not just a den of violence and focus on the aspects of death and destruction, but there are also bands who write a lot of songs about freedom other bands self-empowerment.” and
Selena Razack, who is the “metal scribe” of HMEC, said the group surprised her, as she feels it’s a community of people who share interests. similar
“(The club) is not all about heavy metal,” said Razack, a sophomore music level, German. “We connect with people not only on a majoring in as well.” but on a social level
Before finding the club, Razack had the same problem Brady did when metal bands came to town.
“I wouldn’t go to concerts because I had no one to go with,” she said. “If someone doesn’t have a car or doesn’t want to go alone, there to go.” always someone else who wants is
enjoys exchanging CDs, listening During meetings, Razack said she gossip.” metal music and participating in the week’s “metal to
she said. “It’s a place where we can feel safe and comfortable with each other,”
HMEC meets Thursdays at 9 p.m. in the Marshall Center Room 3705.
Source: http://www.usforacle.com/metal-club-about-more-than-music-1.2047871
You gotta love free publicity. In fact when my officers told me that this had happened, I ran out and still have about 50 copies of this issue, which in the printed version, has a half-page picture of me wearing a Viking helmet and wielding a cardboard battle axe. This is definitely a very big step for my organization. This weeks meeting we gained 4 new members and more, I’m sure, are to follow. I created this group only 2 semesters ago, and now have 101 members via blackboard, contrary to when this we published on Tuesday stating only 92.
I think if this keeps up I can finally pull off the giant showcase of bands that I want to before my time is up at this University. I think the school is still considering us a joke, though, seeing as the same section that published this article in the paper a few weeks ago did a piece on the Star Wars Larpers group on campus. This will only be a slight hold-up though, for as you read, I have great officers and friends, and when something like this is put together and you’re all equally ambitious, it will inevitably happen. Now to get Henry Rollins booked for the week of speakers…
One small step for metalheads, one giant leap for METAL!!!!
Bane
\m/
