A new club is making its way into Staples High School- the fencing club! Run by Anna Pan, it is a co-ed activity. If fencing interests you, listen up because you might just want to join when you enter Staples!

Anna started this club to offer the Staples community something different and exciting; an opportunity for some to find a new interest. She came up with this idea during quarantine when she noticed everyone around her trying new hobbies. Although fencing is usually done in winter, this year Anna is going to run practices in the spring as she tries to launch the program.

Anna’s goals for this year are to get as many people as she can to join the club, and she is also looking for funding. She says, “I hope in starting our school’s varsity fencing team would grow our fencing community and provide another sport or hobby that one takes interest in.”

Why would you enjoy fencing you ask? Well to Anna, the answer is pretty clear.

According to Anna, “Fencing is like no other sport. I define fencing as physical chess; a fencer is both the chess player and all the chess pieces. Fencing allows people to exercise their physical body while also pushing their intellectual minds.” She adds, “Because fencing is rare (however it is slowly populating), the community is small. However, the small community is an amazing one: one filled with excitement and friendships. As a person who has been dragged through numerous different sports, I finally landed on one I love: fencing. It is truly one of a kind. As a competitive national fencer, I learned that being on the strip (the area where fences compete/practice) is both elegant yet fierce.”

Listen up 8th graders going to high school! If you like a sport where you can combine strategy, physical exercise, and friendships, then join the Staples fencing team! And who knows, maybe one day, you’ll find yourself at the Olympics!