For the past 27 years, Stony Brook has played the variably-gracious host to the Northeast’s biggest science-fiction, fact and fantasy convention. It started up occupying a few rooms in the Student Union, but as interest in the sci-fi genres grew, so did the “Island Convention.”

During the last couple of years attendance during the three day event has exceeded 6000 people and programing has stretched across many buildings at the Stony Brook campus. Having volunteered for, and attended, the con since my high school days, I’ve seen the growth of anime and trading card games, to supplement the usual sci-fi favorites.

But, 2009 is apparently the year for change. For the first time in I-CON history, the convention is moving off the Stony Brook University campus. At a time when the state university system is heavily strapped for cash, Stony Brook is threatening to risk a profitable partnership with I-CON, as space is allegedly made this year for ‘renovations’ in ISC – the indoor sports complex building that is the heart and brain center for Icon activities. This year, citing the $20 million renovation project in store for the ISC, University officials have put I-CON’s long standing tradition of being held at Stony Brook on hold. While I understand why the move was necessary – the arena is the only place large enough to hold the scores of dealers, merchandise and the thousands that come to shop – it doesn’t mean I have to like it. During a time of such budget short fall, tuition hikes and hiring freezes, is pumping millions into a new sports infrastructure really necessary? I value Stony Brook sports, but I hesitate to believe that throwing money at new stadiums is going to suddenly help propel Stony Brook into the final four.

Meanwhile, the school could be making money of of I-CON, and grooming the next generation of smart, nerdy Long Islanders to associate Stony Brook University with geeky goodness. I’m not going to lie – my familiarity with Stony Brook campus, due to my participation in I-CON, factored into my decision to go to school here. I’d like to think that SBU has somehow benefited from that decision.

Although I-CON staffers have been officially insisting that its a mere technical issue and I-CON will probably be welcomed back to SBU when the renovations are done, I’ve been hearing rumors for years that Stony Brook has wanted to boot I-CON – with their costumed weirdos, anime freaks and sci-fi nerds – for a while now. But – here’s the kicker – there’s little reason to believe that I-CON couldn’t have been held at Stony Brook this year. Perhaps the budget has caught up with renovation construction, or maybe the construction administration has gotten side-tracked through the usual SUNY bureaucratic channels. Because, even though the basketball team has been stuck in the small, old Pritchard Gym for the past season, the large arena displays little signs of construction, nor much physical indication that the dealers room couldn’t have gone in there.

Of course, there are probably a dozen bureaucratic reasons – contracts, administration, construction site safety – why I-CON 28 couldn’t go in the ISC this year, but I can’t help think that something a little more sinister is going on. First they took away the weapons dealers (think Lord of the Rings, not Lord of War), then they started making us “peace-bond” plastic swords, and disallowed us to bring in outside food and beverages into the ISC. Are Evil State officials now colluding with building contractors to keep my beloved I-CON away from me? Maybe that’s just the sci-fi nerd in me talking. I-CON 28 is going too far. The new site will be centered around Suffolk Community College’s Brentwood campus, but with one significant catch – SCCC is only giving I-CON one building, for the dealers room, table-top war gaming and some media guests. The rest of the con will be split between the Marriott Hotel in Islandia and the Ronkonkoma Holiday Inn, with buses taking con-goers between locations. Although this means I’ll be able to avoid most of the annoying anime fangirls – sorry, but you know who you are – the giant question is: can thousands of people coordinate locations that are at least a 15 minute driving distance apart? This inconvenience might keep me away from the con this year, the first time in a long time. Keeping track of all my friends whereabouts was hard enough when we were all in one place, now this may prove impossible.

I know Brentwood isn’t too far, but I’ve gotten lazy with I-CON in my backyard. I’ve traditionally volunteered to set up the dealer’s room on Thursday evenings, and now I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it, and the ticket prices are only going up. We can only hope that Stony Brook will come to its senses by the time I-CON 29 rolls around. However, I wouldn’t surprised if Stony Brook officials cite the ‘continuing construction’ to deny convection space to us next year. Maybe, even then, more excuses will be made, with less to show for it.

I believed I-CON to be one of Stony Brook’s best kept secrets. Few enough students stay on the weekends and have an interest in sci-fi that SBU student attendance at the con was unusually low. Besides for a passing curiosity about the cosplay, most students probably don’t care about I-CON moving on. Maybe some of them even are happy that their campus will be weirdo-free this year – although this is debatable.

I will miss the void I-CON has left on Stony Brook campus this year, but I won’t declare the time of death just yet. I’m hopeful that Stony Brook will come to it’s senses and bring back the con.