Kaydee Gawlik
Members of the fencing club participate in warmups in the fencing room of Carmichael Gym on Wednesday. The Fencing Club meets Mondays and Wednesdays in Carmichael's fencing room from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Combining a close community, athletic challenges and a sport with a lengthy and illustrious history, the NC State Fencing Club has something to offer everyone. While it may sound like an elite and technical sport, the club is actually very focused on interpersonal bonding and relationships amongst club members and the fencing community as a whole.
“We bond a lot,” said club secretary Genetta Young, a junior studying chemistry.
Young said that the community extends beyond NC State to include a network of fencers at other local universities. The club also offers an opportunity to develop a new skill and a way to keep fit without living at Carmichael Gymnasium.
While there are a number of experienced fencers who have been competing for years in the club, novices are completely welcome.
“I really want to stress that if people are interested in learning a new skill and they have a bit of competitive spirit and want to be part of a close knit community they are more than welcome to join us, even if they have no prior background in fencing,” said Kyle Sozanksi, club president and a sophomore studying entomology and plant pathology.
Sozanski added that his first exposure to fencing was relatively recent, during his first semester at NC State.
In addition to the two weekly meetings, the club participates in local fencing tournaments. All skill levels may participate in these tournaments. However, for those with more expertise, there are additional opportunities to compete more frequently or in higher levels. The average tournament occupies about a day and many of them take place nearby at UNC-Greensboro.
There are approximately 20 active members, who are NC State students and alumni, including the coaches. The group travels to competitions about twice a semester.
The fee is a modest $40 per semester. Interested students who do not have gear can borrow from the club.
“We get some money from UREC and about half of us have our own gear,” Young said. “We’ve also accumulated a lot of equipment over the years.”
The club has morphed over the years to adapt to the interest levels of the NC State community.
“There used to actually be a fencing class at NC State as a P.E., then for a time there was a team,” Young said. “We were actually part of the ACC. And now, it’s a club.”
Although it may not be an official ACC team at this point, the leadership of the club takes the sport seriously.
“I think we’ll be more serious, and take the club to a different level, than just a casual club,” Sozanksi said.
He emphasized that while the club is glad to welcome anyone who is interested, as they make it a point to providing opportunities to hone the skill of fencing.
The club meets Monday and Wednesday nights from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Anyone interested in joining the club or finding out more can email fencing-club@ncsu.edu, with “Interested in fencing” in the subject line.