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Fencing club gives students fighting chance By CARRIE GOODIN THE GAMECOCK It’s not every day USC students face off in a duel — it’s every Wednesday and Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. The fencing club’s president, Lee Snelgrove, a fourth-year philosophy student and third-year member, said that aside from safety and basic fencing rules, the club is relatively laid back. “It’s a sport that people can compete in and enjoy,” Snelgrove said. Devon Bain, a second-year political science and economics student, fences epee in the club. “It makes sense — if I poke you, I get a point,” Bain said. Several club members competed in a regional tournament at Clemson last weekend. The tournament paired fencers of all levels. Fencers at the competition ranged in levels from beginners to the winner of the Algerian nationals. Snelgrove said tournaments like that one are relatively close by and are good for members who haven’t been in tournaments before. Snelgrove said the club pretty much always does the regional competitions, but when summer nationals are near, they try to do those, too. He said the summer national tournament gets moved around, so there is no set schedule for when they will go. “It’s a lot of fun. You talk to everybody and you meet a lot of people, but when you’re on the strip you want to be competitive,” he said. In fencing, opponents compete l-— directly across from each other. It is both a mental and physical process in which the athlete looks for openings to attack as well as searches for the opponent’s weaknesses, according to Snelgrove. “It’s a competition with yourself. You want to do better,” he said. Fencing is a sport derived from sword fighting that, Selgrove said, came about after the necessity of sword fighting died away. He said today’s fencing weapons — the epee, sabre and foil — are versions of the dulled alternative swords the fighters used in training. Snelgrove said in sabre fencing, participants cut with the whole blade of the sabre but may only target their opponents’ arms, chest, back and head. In epee fencing, the entire body is the target and opponents thrust the epee at each other and must only hit with the tip. Similarly, in foil, fencers may only strike with the tip of the weapon and can only strike the trunk of the body. Snelgrove said the club’s 30 to 35 members usually start out with foil but often move on to epee or sabre. In addition, he said anyone could join the club, even without experience, although it’s best to be a USC student. Club members use jackets, swords and masks provided by the club for $60 dues paid each semester, but members must buy pants and gloves themselves. The dues also include lessons and a T-shirt. The fencing club will host a regional tournament at the Blatt P,E. Center. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockneivs@gwm.sc. edu -,-,—:—-I www.dailygamecock.com Now online five days a week. Vote in online polls. Create message boards. Send letters to the editor. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD I Conviction of a crime involving alcohol and/or other drugs can get your Life Scholarship revoked. FILE PHOTOS/THE GAMECOCK Above: Keegan Reynolds, a third year psychology student, right, fences for USC at the chicken Challenge last fall. Left: Derrick Alsept, a third-year math student, left, fences in the same tournametn. The fencing team meets every Wednesday and Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Blatt P.E. Center. -1 You can’t go straight from college to retirement. MonsterTRAK® will help you fill in those pesky middle years with a great career. It’s the #1 online career site for students and alumni looking for jobs and internships. Search a wide range of job postings, get job hunting tips, check out employer information and more. So you can find the perfect job, and make some friends your own age. Register now. It’s free and easy. inonsterTRAK* today’s the day” www.dailygamecock.com/career