Cochrane ‘geeks’ now have a club to call their own.
A new Cochrane resident, Mike Seguin, has started a group called ‘Geeks of the Round Table’ and has invited all local geeks to join.
“I started it to meet people who share my interests,” said Seguin. “I’m fairly new in Cochrane, so I wanted to get involved in the community.”
Thirty-three year old Seguin came to Cochrane from Northern Ontario to be closer to his family and the Rocky Mountains, saying he likes to be able to go skiing in the wintertime.
While there was already a ski club in town, there was no place for geeks.
Seguin started a Facebook group in late April and quickly over a dozen people joined. He also placed an ad in a local newspaper and online.
“This is a group for anyone living in Cochrane who wants to meet & talk about/do geeky things without having to go to Calgary,” said Seguin in a posting on the groups page.
Other posts from Seguin and other members include previews of upcoming video game releases, various movie reviews and a lot of the television show Dr. Who.
What started as a Facebook group has grown into a faction that meets in-person once a week. The ‘geeks’ meet up on Sundays at Java Jamboree at 3 p.m.
Seguin said they discuss, “all sorts of stuff within the geeky realm.” This includes Sci-fi, fantasy, video games, comic books, movies, TV shows, board games and card games.
“We talk about various games and how to get through various levels. We’re thinking of having a meet-up where we play video games or maybe meet up for movies,” he said.
Members seem to be enjoying the meetings based on Facebook responses. A posting from group member Kerry-Anne Estereicher saying that she rarely gets a chance to talk about stuff she loves and was very excited about the meeting.
Geek culture has been gaining a lot of popularity in Alberta, so it is no surprise Cochrane has its own gathering.
The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, a celebration of everything geek, will be celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and had an attendance of 97,000 in 2013.
“Geek culture is a lot more mainstream than it was a few years ago,” said Seguin. “We share our interests and it’s nice to be able to talk to people who have the same passion. It’s great.”
Seguin said anyone is welcome to join the group on Facebook or at their meetings at Java Jamboree.
