During the weekend of January 18-19, University of
Florida hosted its third-year multi-genre convention Swamp Con at the Reitz
Student Union, bringing a crowd of over 2,000 people onto campus to enjoy the
festivities.
The convention featured various events such as a
cosplay contest for creative costume artists, a Dr. Who musical for lovers of
the show and various panels where people could discuss different shows.
This year vendors, a dominant part of con life, were
prohibited from the event due to a rule passed by the university against the
selling of merchandise on campus grounds. Despite the setback, the convention
still ran smoothly and effectively.
University of Florida senior Emily Stanton was panel
coordinator for the event. “All the events had a really great audience
response. We really stepped up the content this year. All of the months of
planning paid off,” Stanton shared when looking back on how the weekend
progressed.
Swamp Con will continue to grow in size and
popularity throughout the years as it gains a reputation. It started off small,
but after only three years, it has already seen remarkable progress. It is
exciting to think of what events Swamp Con will host next year.
