NIU’s Furry Club is already making its mark outside of university boundaries in the club’s inaugural year.
In a close-knit partnership with other furry clubs from universities across the state, the NIU Furry Club co-hosted the second annual “Tri-Tails” picnic at 2 p.m. Saturday in Wilmington, Illinois.
The location was chosen to best accommodate travel time for the three universities involved: Northern Illinois University, Illinois State University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Over 40 students from across the state were in attendance, with many bringing their fursuits, a custom-made costume representing their fursonas, which is their unique anthropomorphic character. Other attendees brought sketchbooks, art supplies and other forms of fandom merch to engage in an afternoon of celebration of their shared interest in the furry fandom.
Each university provided a wide array of food for its respective members such as hot dogs, hamburgers, potato chips and various soda options. Other food items included a plethora of homemade dishes and desserts that filled the atmosphere with a cozy aroma akin to that of an old-fashioned backyard barbeque.
Even though this was the second time this statewide event took place, it was a first for NIU’s Furry Club, which officially joined as one of the co-coordinators since becoming an official club this past year.
Gunner Wright, a sophomore design technology major and president of NIU’s Furry Club, explained the extensive planning that went into the picnic and the origins of how they got involved through communications with the president of Redfurs, ISU’s Furry Club.
“They walked me through a bunch of cool information on what they did, and then they brought this up,” Wright said. “Which led to about a year’s worth of planning between the three presidents and some of our current e-boards to make this event possible.”
Ashton Froehle, a junior communications major and events planner for NIU’s Furry Club, spoke about what partaking in the picnic meant to him and others in attendance.
“I wanted to find other people who shared my likes and appreciations,” Froehle said. “Most importantly, it was to show that I’m not alone, to myself and to other people.”
The sense of community was one of the major reasons behind the creation of this event, as it’s a chance for members of the furry fandom to express themselves, socialize and make connections with members across different universities. Which is something that has become increasingly difficult to implement due to the social stigma that has plagued the furry community for quite some time.
Micah Guillermo, a sophomore meteorology major, explained how both he and the NIU Furry Club have dealt with negative comments they have received about their involvement with the hobby, as well as some advice to those unsure about expressing themselves on campus.
“You can’t feed the trolls, otherwise they’re going to keep coming back,” Guillermo said. “Who cares what others are gonna think? We’re all in college, so be you.”
Spencer Clark, a senior art education major from Illinois State University and ambassador for Redfurs, explained his experience with how their furry club has been received in their campus community.
“I suit a lot on campus, and I’ve had some people that come up with hate from time to time,” Clark said. “But otherwise, usually it is pretty respectful.”
While the road may be long to change the negative perceptions that many have against the furry community, events such as these allow the furry fandom to be seen as an art-centric community with a heightened emphasis on self-expression.
