Guerrila Fencing

[Porphyre]

First off, I attend a medium sized state school, approx 12,000 students, and am a member of our small, approx 8, fencing club. We're thinking about trying to drum up interest by doing some guerrila fencing. We're planning on just showing up in a random hallway in a random dorm, and holding a small practice. Right in the hall. With people in the rooms and walking by and stuff. Could you guys give me some feedback on the idea?

-Porphyre

[attila]

Sounds like fun, Brain, but where are we going to get the monkey suits??????

I did that once at a University and had fun explaining it to campus security. Officer Faggot-Say that with a straight face?!

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"Kill the men, save the women, and by the gods, do not spill the wine"

[space_cadet]

I don't know if you want to do that in the hallways. It's a bit dangerous and it just looks like people fencing in hallways and not a club promotional event. I was in a college fencing club and the main means of promoting the club were putting up signs, telling people in the P.E. fencing class that there was a fencing club and setting up a table at "club day".
It would be a good idea to gain exposure by practicing in public but not necessarily in the hallways. Is there a main union where a lot of students go to during the day? Try to have one there.

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Cadet à Space

[eternal109]

My suggestion is that if the dorms have lounges that you fence in the lounges. It worked fairly well at my college. Club days aren't that successful, in all reality, lots of sure I am interested then you try to track them down and its all but impossible.

[mmatsen]

Attila, that police bit sounds familiar.

We held a little tournament in a dorm courtyard one year, after midnight during finals week. The RD called campus Public Safety saying that "there were people outside fighting with swords." The officer was pretty chill, but we're lucky he waited on calling for (armed) backup from the local departments.

Hey, I guess a visit from the gendarmes isn't a bad thing - any publicity is good publicity.

[space_cadet]

To eternal109,
Can you edit your reply? You seem to be thinking ahead of your typing or something like that.
I agree, club day was useless.

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Cadet à Space

[This message has been edited by space_cadet (edited 04-03-2001).]

[Porphyre]

Thanks for the comments guys.
You're right, club days are totally worthless. Signs aren't much good either, at least around here. EVERYBODY has flyers tacked up all over.
Yes, we've got lounges. That's a pretty good idea, except they're filled with furniture. Maybe we'll figure something out.
We basically want to raise awareness and make fencing look 'cool'. Something like, 'Hey, we're fighting with swords right here in the dorms! And you can too!'

-Porphyre

[HilandDoug]

Don't do it in the dorms, do it outside. That way no one can say you were doing anyhting wrong or dangerous, or putting others in harm's way.

[Stryder]

What are you guys doing wrong on Club Day?
It has always been one of our most profitable recruiting events.

Suggestions: I have found that fencing has it's own appeal so don't try to dumb it down at all. Have the best fencers you can get involved suit up and fence hard. Winners stays up. Keep track of victories on a visible chalkboard so they can get embarresed and angry. 5 or 15 touches, whatever you prefer.
Loser buys the beer. Or dinner or whatever you want.
Have plenty of volunteers around to explain the game and push the club.

My point is that people like to watch competition. Some want to see swordfighting, but they are probably the flakes that won't actually show up for practice. This is a cool sport. When you have skilled athletes on the strip, people will stop and stare for hours. If they see geeks in white screwing around with fake swords they will walk on, but if you can get real fencers up there trying their hardest to score, they will get the point.

[foodle]

To drum up students for my martial arts club, we do a demonstration in a high-traffic part of campus at lunch-time at the beginning of the term. We're a jujitsu club so there's lots of throwing and grappling. I'd think that a fencing demo could be done in a similar manner. It might even be easier since you need less equipment (no need for mats).

[Amie]

foodle has the right idea - stage a bout in a high-traffic area where you can control the fencing environment but still draw eyeballs. the liability issues of holding an unplanned and unannounced practice in a dorm hallway staggers the imagination.

"i'm just going to step out and get a soda down the hall." (sound of door opening followed by student screaming as gored through the eye by a practice foil.)

on the other hand, you'll drum up plenty of attention for your club.

a

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If you can't be a good example you'll just have to serve as a horrible warning. -Catherine Aird

[This message has been edited by Amie (edited 04-05-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Amie (edited 04-05-2001).]