Fencing Club | Photo by Diana Jaber | The Wright State Guardian
The Wright State University (WSU) Fencing Club went from a loose group meeting after class to a robust, diverse array of students preparing to compete in local tournaments.
The competitive team has existed for just three years after originally meeting together to hone skills after the Beginning and Intermediate Fencing course, which no longer exists.
Despite this, the fencing club now boasts eighteen students from the original four members. It hopes to soon join the competitive circuit again after an influx of new fencers, most new to the sport of fencing.
Requirements and inclusion
While there were minimal club activities during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, regular practices are now resuming with no tryouts or previous experience required.
Brandon Blair, a sophomore computer science major, is one such member who had no experience before joining the club this semester.
“It’s very focused on success, a lot of student orgs you meet and you just kind of talk and hang out and that’s cool. But this club very much has a mission. The club is very geared towards getting you to perfect your craft, much more so than any other club I’ve seen and still very cordial,” Blair said.
Right now, the club’s leadership is focusing on improving the skills of new members before going to competitive local tournaments.
Sebastian Lenz, a senior international studies student, is treasurer of the Fencing Club and one of the original members from the fencing class.
“[fencing] also doesn’t involve a lot of running, which draws in a good amount of people who don’t like running. And it’s very casual. Like, for example, if I’m not having a good day, I just want to sit and watch people practice. I can just do that,” Lenz said.
In 2020, Fencing Club won the ‘Student Organization Diversity and Inclusion Award’ which is awarded to “a student organization that has demonstrated a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and transformation initiatives for Wright State and the community,” according to the WSU website.
Fencing can be easily adapted for those in wheelchairs and with visual impairments, as well as other disabilities.
Interested students are asked to bring long pants and a water bottle and to attend any practice on Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Practices may be in either the Student Union or the Nutter Center. Interested students should check Engage or the CORQ app before attending.
Plans for upcoming months
Molly Foster is a senior public health major and assistant coach of the Fencing Club. She is another member that has been with the club since the beginning.
“Our main goals were getting all of our new members up to snuff like getting them to a level where we could start sending them to tournaments. So we’re not even eyeing tournaments until spring, maybe even next fall because of budget. So, that’s kind of our goal is just getting everyone used to fencing and learning the weapon. honing your skills, thinking about our tournaments,” Foster said.
This December, the Fencing Club plans to have a bake sale to fund new equipment and any competitions that they will participate in.
One of the main goals of the Fencing Club is to also increase the number of new members, so interested students are always welcomed at any time during the year.
