The fencing club at Oakland University has a passionate president named Anastacia Maurer. This year, the team has had the largest amount of new players it has seen in long time.

“We accept new members all year long, and no experience is necessary to join the club,” Maurer said. “It is also completely free to try.”

Though the club, like all other club sports, fundraises on its own, Oakland provides all of the equipment needed in order to compete. The fencing club, does a bowling event every year to raise money.

“We are saving up to buy a new strip to practice and compete on because there are so many new players this year,” Maurer said.

There are currently two strips located inside the activity center on the first floor of the Recreation Center.

As for matches, in order to win one must get five touches on an opponent. Where those touches need to be located all depends on which weapon of the three fencers can choose from is used.

“For the epee the whole body is the target, foil just your torso is target, and for the sabre waist up is target,” Maurer said. “Epee is more for old-fashioned dueling like you see in movies.”

In regards to scoring for fencing, it is completely different than most other sports. There is a body cord which connects the handle of the sword to the scoreboard; so the weapons are technically electric. When a person taps another, the touch is counted as a point and added to the scoreboard.

The fencing team practices twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“We strive to have fun and have a fun atmosphere even outside of practice, like if we all go out for food or have game night,” Maurer said.

She also tries to keep the practices competitive as well as fun so each season the club can get better and farther.

Getting better is important because plenty of other universities have their own teams. The title of Oakland fencing club’s biggest rival is a tie between Michigan State University or the University of Michigan.

“The most fun to play would be Toledo because they are also a club team and we spend a lot of time fencing and having fun and goofing off,” Maurer said.

The fencing club’s first competition this season is on Nov. 5, at Case Western University. The competition will involve Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, the University of Toledo and Detroit Mercy.

Club sports are unique and it’s important to note that the students run them and are make their own executive decisions.

“Our club sports here are really active and we are really proud of all of our club sports.” Maurer said. “We all do a lot and work really hard.”

She also encourages everyone to join a club sport, even if it is not fencing because she thinks it is a really unique opportunity.