panels
Panels are short presentations, performances, or activities led by speakers. We try to include a variety of panelists at UChi-Con, especially teachers who are familiar with Japanese and animation cultures. Panels are generally around an hour each, during which audience members are free to come and go. They run from 11AM to 5PM. UChi-Con participants are welcome to come to as many or as few panels as desired. Our recommendation is to check which panels are happening when at the beginning of the day and to plan other events (gaming, karaoke, browsing the artists alley, etc.) around them.
If you are a student/faculty member/RSO group at the University of Chicago interested in having a panel, or if you have presented before at a previous UChi-Con, please feel free to contact us via email (ucjas@uchi-con.com) ahead of time.
This year, panelists and performers who are accepted will be given a complementary badge for each individual in the group.
Panels and performances 2025
Panels (Rubenstein 504)
Not Your Model Minority!: Asian Media in Fandom Spaces
(11:00 AM - 12:00 PM) Brought to you by Columbia College Chicago's Asian Student Organization's (ASO), join us to discuss Pop Asian culture and its connection to racial identity. Topics will include cultural appropriation vs appreciation, unhealthy fetishization from Pop Asian culture, the #StopAAPIHate movement, reclaiming identity, and how non-AAPI allies can support the community.
How Universities Got Game: Expansions of Videogames and Pop Culture
(12:00 PM - 12:30 PM) Game studies pioneer, Professor Patrick Jagoda, explores the rise of videogame and popular media industries, and particularly the ways in which they spread into universities in the early twenty-first century. How did forms that were once considered "ephemeral" elements of low culture yield programs in media analysis and design?
Movimiento Nortaku: How Anime Influenced Mexican Music
(12:30 PM - 2:00 PM) Learn how Mexican music has been influenced by many anime—both new and old! Also, learn the true origins of this music genre!
Tell Your Story by WEBTOON
(2:00 PM - 3:00 PM) Join WEBTOON for a discussion all about comics! Learn tips for storytelling, creating characters, and how you can tell your story with WEBTOON!
Protecting Human Creatives against Generative AI
(3:00 PM - 4:00 PM) UChicago’s very own Professor Ben Zhao will explore the harms of generative AI tools on human creatives and how machine learning tools from The University of Chicago can disrupt unauthorized training of AI models on human artworks.
How to Break into the Anime Industry as a Freelancer!
(4:00PM - 5:00 PM) Ever dream of working on anime? We'll be telling you about new opportunities in the industry, and how to level up your skills to work on anime you love -- remotely from the comfort of your home!
Hosted by Yoshi Kirishima, an animator & producer who's worked on series like Sailor Moon Cosmos, Boruto, Bocchi the Rock!, Madoka, Idolm@ster, Zombieland Saga, and Princess Connect, and was the chief animation director of Phase Connect's ""Phase Kaleido PV"" and Gawr Gura's ""Shark'd"" lore video!"
Panels (Rubenstein 503)
Anatomy of a Twink: A Guide to Anime's Most Enticing Men
(11:00 AM - 12:00 PM) Do you like twinks? Well is this the panel for you! Here, you’ll learn everything about twinks: the key characteristics of a twink, a guide to identifying twinks, the distinctions between twinks and twunks, and so much more!
Splatoon Anarchy Trivia!
(12:00 PM - 1:00 PM) Think you know everything about Splatoon? Come show off your knowledge and compete in Splatoon Anarchy trivia for awesome prizes!
Gore Makeup for Cosplay
(1:00 PM - 2:00 PM) Wanna take your horror cosplays to the next level? Learn how to create ultra-realistic injuries and learn all about fake blood and gore as we discuss professional-grade SFX techniques.
Formal Partner Dance Lesson
(2:00 PM - 3:00 PM) Want to show off some new skills? Attend this panel and learn the basics of formal partner dancing! Two dance styles will be covered, but the options are limitless.
Ouran High School Host Club Shenanigans 2.0
(3:00 PM - 4:00 PM) The same people who’ve brought years of shenanigans-brand events to Midwest conventions make their debut at Uchi-Con! Hang out with characters from Ouran High School House Club and participate in a whole list of games. See you there~
Photography Basics: For Cosplay and Beyond
(4:00 PM - 5:00 PM) Geared towards those who either have a DSLR camera or to those who want to start, this panel discusses camera basics like settings and how to shoot in manual mode, as well as some basic photography principles and editing tips.
Performances (ida noyes 3F Theater)
Atarashii Daigaku!
(11:00 AM - 12:00 PM) Professional-level musicians from Northwestern University perform your favorite anime and J-pop love songs with a spark of doki-doki magic!
Domain Expansion: Lassoed Hearts
(12:00 AM - 12:30 PM) Cowboy Gojo and Geto perform some iconic Jpop songs by Giga! Bring your lightsticks and come watch us perform!
The University of Chicago Pep Band
(1:00 PM - 1:30 PM) Come listen to our very own pep band, who will be playing a variety of video game and movie music.
Kojo Daiko
(1:30 PM - 2:00 PM) Kojo Daiko is UChicago's student-run Japanese drumming group that plays a style of taiko known as kumidaiko, which takes influence from both Japanese traditional music and jazz. To learn more on Instagram @kojodaiko!
neXus Dance Collective
(2:30 PM - 3:00 PM) NeXus Dance Collective's Performance Line performs a set of K-pop dances.
Mayday Idols: New Year Rainbow
(3:00 PM - 4:00 PM) Join Mayday Idols as they perform songs from Nijigasaki!
WILDLIGHT LIVE
(4:00 PM - 5:30 PM) Join WILDLIGHT, an anti-idol trio as they traverse genres and stun with their live performances. Get ready to set your penlights to Green, Yellow, and Red for this showstopper!
UChi-Con 2025 panel applications are now closed.