In celebration of pop and comic culture, Associated Students Inc. (ASI) and Tukwut Life held CSUSM’s first ever Cougar Con.  The event was held in the USU ballroom open to students and guests with approximately 170 attendees.

Cougar Con featured comic vendors and multiple activities such as making ice cream from scratch using dry ice, 3D pen art, photo opportunities and a cosplay contest.

Fellow CSUSM professors added to the fun with their own presentations. Dr. Stephen Tsui gave a presentation on the science behind the superhuman abilities of Wolverine. Following Dr. Tsui, Dr. Rebecca Lush shared a presentation on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

One of the head organizers of Cougar Con, Yumary Vasquez  The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Ambassador, was inspired to create the event due to her love for the massively popular San Diego Comic-Con.

“I have been cosplaying for years so I wanted to share this excitement with the school. Our take on Cougar Con was to mix together the normal items you see at a Con, but also have it more party-like,” said Vasquez.

Vasquez planned the event alongside her Co-Representative Nolan Fox. They received  critical help from ASI Government Affairs Coordinator Ashley Fennell as well as the ASI Board of Directors, ASI Campus Activities Board and ASI centers.

On the topic of putting together Cougar Con, she also said, “The process was a lot of work since we had to deal with some caveats… We made a lot of our decorations including a Stranger Things wall replica and a directional sign with various fandom locations on it.”

Vasquez aspires to make Cougar Con an annual event for the CSUSM community.