Wilson College Fencing Club Fizzles Out
While it is common to see sword fighting in older movies, such as The Princess Bride or The Three Musketeers, in order to save pretty damsels or to cause the defeat of an enemy, the art of sword play has begun to dwindle on the campus of Wilson College.
There is only a handful of members in the Wilson Fencing Club which keeps diminishing as the semester and years wear on. From fall 2010 to the spring 2013, the fencing club has had generous activity with active and committed members. However, activity has declined this semester to the point where only one or two people participate on the designated club days.
An anonymous source says that decreasing participation is due to a good portion of its members is graduating. Another cause is due to students signing up for the activity but choose not to participate, and current people who are considered active members do not participate often enough to make practice worthwhile.
In the past, the fencing club had volunteer mentors from the local community come in and help students with their skills. Dave Coletta was the primary mentor for the last few years but was unable to join the club this semester due to external affairs. The club looked to invite another mentor to join the team but was unsuccessful. Now the upper classmen, considered veterans of club, have been in charge of teaching new members.
Despite the efforts of the officers, the fencing club continues to decline. However, this is not the first crisis the club has faced. In earlier years it faced the same dilemma and has been able to bounce back due to the care, commitment, and responsibility of invested individuals.
Lack of participation is a fear for any club or organization on campus. While academia is important and studying is essential, expanding horizons and getting involved with members in the Wilson community is just as valuable. The fencing club is a great place to start getting involved as it is a center for caring relationships, positive physical activity, and stress relief for those who feel stressed and depressed. For more information on joining the Fencing Club, contact vanessa._@wilson.edu.