These Students Use Weapons at School, But It’s OK

These Students Use Weapons at School, But It’s OK
Milton High fencers exercise bodies, minds in competition.

Credit: Bob PepalisAngad Singh of Milton crosses blades with his opponent, Gil Greber of Pope High.

A group of Milton High School students bring “weapons” to school, and no one is complaining. But don’t worry, it’s the school’s fencing team and the blades must be in locked containers and supervised when brought to school or tournaments.

Recently several local high school teams competed in a tournament at Centennial High School, and junior Angad Singh was one of the finalists. He tied for third in the boys’ division. He’s just been fencing for two years, though his interest started in his freshman year.

Singh muses that his interest may come from tradition.

“I think maybe being Sikh heritage, we are traditionally sword and martial artists.,” he said. “Maybe it runs in the blood, who knows?”

He’s had a lot of fun fencing.

“It’s been a sensational experience,” Singh said. I started off not that great, just the average fencer. Now I feel I’m getting better every day.”

Parent David Lawrence, whose daughter is Centennial High’s team captain, said the students gain quite a bit by fencing.

Lawrence, who helps with equipment at practices and tournaments, also referees during the bouts.

“They get conditioning, which kids these days don’t get a lot of conditioning. To make it through the tournament, they have to be aerobically fit as well as tone their muscles,” he said.

But there’s more to it than the physical aspect, Lawrence said.

“This sport, more than others, exercises your mind,” he said. “It’s a form of chess, actually, because your opponent reacts to what you do and you have to be able to predict what they are going to do. The reasoning skills are highly developed.”

His daughter, who is on the team now, and his son, who was on it before graduating two years ago, gained even more from the sport.

“The biggest thing for them is sportsmanship, learning how to lose gracefully. And that’s something again that’s not taught a lot in the schools,” Lawrence said.

When it’s an individual sport, he said there’s no one to blame but yourself if you don’t do well.

“You can’t take it out on the other person, you can’t take it out on your parents,” he said.

The student has to know he didn’t work hard enough, and to win takes more work.

In the recent competition held Jan. 8, the winners included:

Boys

First place, Jake Wacthel, Pope High

Second place, Gil Greber, Pope High

Third place (tie)

Eli Hanson, Centennial High

Angad Singh, Milton High

Girls

First place, Melinda Erickson, Centennial High

Second place, Kathering Cannella, Centennial High

Third place (tie)

Dorothy Canella, Centennial High

Jenny Collier, Centennial High

What non-traditional sport interests you or your child?