Fencing Team looks to charter club

“OBU’s Fencing club is a sports ministry team driven by hard work, discipline, and teamwork. Through this, we would like to expand to include other types of fencing and sword-based sports in the future,” Logan Carey said. 

Founded in 1910, Oklahoma Baptist University is home to many students, organizations, faculty, and other timeless legacies. However, it only recently became home to a brand new club – fencing. Last year, Logan Carey, now a sophomore history major, set out to make his dream for a formal competing OBU fencing team a reality.  

“At first, I created the fencing team simply because I thought it would be something fun and interesting, and I wanted to create something that my fellow students would enjoy. Later, when we are closer to forming the club, we will concentrate our efforts not only on having fun and competing but also on reaching out to others and providing a kind of sports ministry experience, in case they have no interest in traditional sports.” Carey said. 

At this time, the fencing group is not yet a full-fledged club, but is going through the legal process at OBU to be chartered as one. Despite not yet being official, the club has had a fantastic reception, with more students catching wind of the group and wanting to join. 

Currently, the group has fifteen active members, and expect more to come.  

“The process of starting the fencing team was tedious, but not difficult. As soon as the idea was proposed, several people expressed interest and shared support. A club has to go through traditional paperwork in order to form, such as creating a constitution that states what the club is and what its purpose is, as well as creating a roster, which was perhaps the easiest part. Last but not least, we need to be chartered by SGA, which goes up for a vote on the 6th of October.” Carey said.  

The expected outlook is good, and members of the club expressed certainty that the vote would pass. 

The governing body of the fencing team has many ideas for fundraisers and other ways to interact with the student body if the vote passes.  

“In order not to give too much away, we are in the process of planning a Star Wars themed fundraising event in which we will invite students to come and enjoy a good time with our OBU Fencing team,” Carey said.  

Fancy event or not, the fencing team is open to everybody. While differentiating between members and visitors, the club is accepting any willing body to join in on the fun.  

“There are no requirements to see if fencing is for you; you simply come to a meeting and participate with the team,” Carey said. 

Since the group is hoping to evolve and grow, it has to start from the ground up. In order to actively join the official competing team and be a member, there is a minimum attendance of two-of-the-three weekly rehearsals, as well as a $30 fee. However, this is only for those interested in competing: simply visiting and fencing with the members is open and free to all interested. 

“We get to go and compete in a way that honors God and shows love and respect to our opponents. We also focus on the team aspect of the club. We as Christians are called to walk out our faith with like-minded individuals. We are there for each other on and off the strip,” sophomore theology major Benjamin Badgett said.