Fencing

During the final semester of school there are always times of stress and feeling of being overloaded with meaningless assignments. While this time of year can be depressing, there is a time within the final quarter where students within the School Within A School (SWS) program, at East High School, get the chance to add a little fun into the monotonous schedule that they have been attentive to all year long. This is the week of exit exams, commonly known as the HSGQE testing. For all the juniors and seniors who have passed this set of testing there are three consecutive half-days where students can sleep in until 9 or 10 in the morning, while for underclassmen and those upperclassmen who have failed to pass the test, they get to enjoy three morning of testing. Whether taking the exit exams or sleeping in, the individuals of SWS get to participate in week-long intensive classes that include: fencing, juggling, cake decorating, ghost hunting, and a variety of other activities. During this years intensives week I was able to take a fencing class. Throughout the class I learned the fundamentals of fencing and by the end of the week our class was able to have a competition amongst ourselves. The two pictures in this blog show a traditional setup for a match, which includes the equipment for the individuals and the scoring device. While weapons are not normally allowed in school, fencing was a permissible activity for those who were lucky enough to sign up for the class. Speed, agility, and accuracy are all part of the game, but above all the ability to use the fundamentals and be patient is something that is vital to taking down your opponent with ease. This class proved to be not only a fun time away from the typical schedule I have throughout the school year, but it also provided an opportunity for me to learn a new skill and venture into the unknown!