Spring Break
Fencing Club offers fun way to duel on campus
Alexander Oliva
Issue date: 11/8/05 Section: Campus
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11/08/05 - The Fencing Club is one of the many clubs at the University of Rhode Island that offers students a chance to try something new.
Rahat Sharif, a sophomore at URI, founded the Fencing Club last year and now serves as the club's president.
Sharif started fencing in her junior year of high school because she did not really enjoy other sports and found fencing "very exciting."
The treasurer and unofficial second coach for the club, Ben Wright, added, "Fencing is a really fun sport, it's not typical."
Wright has been fencing for seven years and is a junior at URI. He said fencing involves thinking as well as physical action.
Sharif and Wright met when the URI Student Senate directed Sharif to the Gaming Club when she began looking for people interested in creating a fencing club and getting the club recognized.
Almost a year later, there are 55 registered members in the club, with about 20 to 25 regularly showing up for practice.
Practices are held in various locations on campus, such as the Memorial Union Ballroom, atriums or in the Multicultural Center.
Graduate student Lynn El-Hillow coaches the club and also offers private lessons. The private lessons, offered to both students and non-students, help the club raise funds. Sharif said 50 percent of the money collected from the lessons is re-invested into the club.
The club is evenly split between men and women and there is a greater percentage of people who have never tried fencing that have become members of the club.
The Fencing Club doesn't compete but focuses on getting the group established and having fun, Sharif said.
Two weeks ago the club approached the senate for an increase in its budget to buy electronic equipment and hire an additional coach but the senate turned down the full request.
Instead, the senate granted the club $450 for equipment and $1,450 for one instructor.
Electronic equipment reflects the standard of the sport, Wright said, who is also a student senator. He added that beyond learning the basics, regular equipment falls short of meeting this standard.
"Most of the sport is about timing, you need electronic equipment to get timing," Wright said.
Wright said the club would continue to approach the senate for more funding until it meets the club's full request.
Rahat Sharif, a sophomore at URI, founded the Fencing Club last year and now serves as the club's president.
Sharif started fencing in her junior year of high school because she did not really enjoy other sports and found fencing "very exciting."
The treasurer and unofficial second coach for the club, Ben Wright, added, "Fencing is a really fun sport, it's not typical."
Wright has been fencing for seven years and is a junior at URI. He said fencing involves thinking as well as physical action.
Sharif and Wright met when the URI Student Senate directed Sharif to the Gaming Club when she began looking for people interested in creating a fencing club and getting the club recognized.
Almost a year later, there are 55 registered members in the club, with about 20 to 25 regularly showing up for practice.
Practices are held in various locations on campus, such as the Memorial Union Ballroom, atriums or in the Multicultural Center.
Graduate student Lynn El-Hillow coaches the club and also offers private lessons. The private lessons, offered to both students and non-students, help the club raise funds. Sharif said 50 percent of the money collected from the lessons is re-invested into the club.
The club is evenly split between men and women and there is a greater percentage of people who have never tried fencing that have become members of the club.
The Fencing Club doesn't compete but focuses on getting the group established and having fun, Sharif said.
Two weeks ago the club approached the senate for an increase in its budget to buy electronic equipment and hire an additional coach but the senate turned down the full request.
Instead, the senate granted the club $450 for equipment and $1,450 for one instructor.
Electronic equipment reflects the standard of the sport, Wright said, who is also a student senator. He added that beyond learning the basics, regular equipment falls short of meeting this standard.
"Most of the sport is about timing, you need electronic equipment to get timing," Wright said.
Wright said the club would continue to approach the senate for more funding until it meets the club's full request.
