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- Erik Skorina ‘12 and Jake Pet ‘12 duel it out during practice.
Although sports like football and lacrosse are well known around campus, many people miss out on the opportunity to try more unique sports that our campus has to offer. The Concordiensis caught up with Zak Smolen ‘13, president of the Fencing Club, to learn more about the sport on campus.
So what exactly is fencing? “The basic idea is to hit your opponent before they hit you. Different rules dictate how, where, and when you can hit. It is a sport about respect for your opponent. A sport of discipline, both discipline in following the rules of the match, and disciplining yourself to practice,” he explained.
Smolen started fencing ten years ago after tiring of the sports he was used to like Little League baseball. “I basically just looked through a brochure and thought ‘this might be fun to try!’” Did he love it right away? “I almost didn’t stick with it. The body movements are unnatural. I stuck with it though and now I love it!”
Smolen took over the club in the middle of his freshman year and now runs it with Assistant Director of Minerva Programs Ben Foster. “I used to assistant coach at home. So when I came to Union it wasn’t a huge leap to start doing it here. I’ve been working with Ben Foster to advance the club and move it in a new direction,” he said.
The club offers both a beginner’s class, and a more advanced one that Smolen and Foster switch off teaching. Although some of the younger kids Smolen taught at home were nervous to use the weapons, most students that try fencing at Union are excited and fearless.
As of now, some team members compete individually but the team does not travel together and not all members compete. Smolen mentioned that the club is looking to set up some small competitions in the future and compete with schools like RPI.
Upon being asked about his favorite aspect of fencing, Smolen replied: “I’d have to say my favorite part about it is when I get to teach new fencers. It is a lot more difficult than people think; it’s not just fooling around with a light saber. I love getting new people interested in the sport and getting the sport out there. It’s fun to see the progression and knowing I helped get them into it.”
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