8A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2003
One for all and all for one, fencing club duels for fun
By Megan Hickerson
mhickerson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A University of Kansas student took a powerful stab at rekindling the KU fencing club.
Brian McDow. Des Moines, Iowa, senior, rebuilt the fencing club in October 2001. McDow fences with and coaches the club
McDow said because fencing was a mental game and required minimal physical strength, almost anyone could participate.
Brandon Baker/Kansan
"I'm 5-6 and 120 pounds and I'm pretty good," McDow said. "So really, any body types are acceptable."
McDow began fencing five and a half years ago in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. Because the former KU fencing club was defunct, McDow took matters into his own hands. He filled out the necessary paperwork with the Student Organizations & Leadership Development Center the summer before his junior year and he had the club running by October.
Brian McDow, Des Moines, Iowa, senior, coaches the fencing team on Wednesday and Thursday nights in Robinson Center. McDow has been fencing for more than five years and said he has adapted a unique, loose style of fencing that works best for him.
Because the club's dues are only $25 per year, McDow said the biggest problem was a lack of funding for additional equipment. Aside from the weapons used, members of the club wear fencing shoes, knee-socks and knickers — which are similar to capri pants. Fencers also wear a mask, underarm protectors and a glove on their weapon hand.
The club uses three weapons. The beginner weapon is a foil, a lightweight weapon that is used in the torso area. The club also uses a bigger, heavier weapon called an epee that was used in ancient, noble duels.
The club's third weapon is a saber — a touch from any point on its blade scores in a duel, not just the tip as with the others. Because all of the weapons have rubber tips and the saber blade is blunt, the club has little injuries to boast about.
On top of practicing twice a week at Robinson, the club performs demonstrations for girl scouts and area elementary schools. The club hosted a competition in November.
Traditionally, fencing was for men only, but not at the University. Deborah Dalton, Topeka sophomore and fencing club president, said the women club members were the dominating ones.
"I think the girls on the team actually push the guys around," Dalton said.
Dalton said all the members of the club are close friends. MeDow is more than good
friends with member Jessica Elser, Atchison sophomore. She and McDow met through the club last year and are engaged to be married in May.
bers are planning on forming a sword arch at the wedding," McDow said. "It will be amusing."
"I think that the other mem-
- Edited by Todd Rapp
Rock Chalk
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Wichita senior, said participating organizations were also encouraged to preform community service activities.
She said each group's total service hours were due tomorrow and awards will be presented tonight to the groups with the greatest average amount of hours per member.
Michael Rodriguez. Chicago senior and executive producer of the show, said performance winners would be announced at
the end of Saturday night's performance, but the real accomplishment was the money raised for the Douglas County United Way.
In the past five years Rock Chalk Revue has raised more than $190,000 for the organization.
"The one financial goal is to at least reach what we have before," Rodriguez said. "I feel that all of our goals are being met."
The Rock Chalk Advisory Board prefers to keep the monetary goal secret so it is a surprise when the total revenue is announced on Saturday.
Ticket sales are well on the
ROCK CHALK REVIEW PARTNERSHIPS
- Sigma Phi Epsilon and Kappa Delta: "Life's a Beach"
- Lambda Chi Alpha and Alpha Gamma Delta: "The Comeback Squid"
- Sigma Nu and Kappa Kappa Gamma: "Ruckus in River Rust"
Beta Pi Kappa Phi and Pia Beta Phi "In Your Dreams"
Beta Theta Pi and Delta Delta Delita: "Help Wanted"
Tonight's show has sold 70 percent of the Lied Center capacity, tomorrow is 58 percent sold out and Saturday is at 88
way to help reach this goal, said Tiffanie Schneider, Antioch, IL., junior and Rock Chalk business manager.
percent and expected to sell out. Schneider said.
Tickets are available through Student Union Activities. Tickets are $12 for tonight, $18 tomorrow and $20 Saturday.
- Edited by Julie Jantzer
Dole
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guests include Tom Brokaw, President George W. Bush and Tom Hanks. Smith said Hanks was the only one so far who has expressed interest.
"It's big and it keeps getting bigger," Smith said. "It will be on a scale never before seen in this town. It was a war that transformed America one life at a time. It was fought on many fronts, and we intend to celebrate it on many fronts."
For more information on the Dole Institute visit doleinstitute.org. To purchase tickets to the ticketed events call 864-ARTS.
- Edited by Julie Jantzer
Childcare
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Hilltop did meet that quota for younger children, Pisani said, but not for preschool and kindergarten age children where the demand for care from college students was not as high.
"There are 33 1-year-old spots available for this fall and we already have more than we can take on the list," Pisani said. "KU students are always a priority, then it goes to faculty and staff, and we accept members of the community only when there's no demand from KU families at all."
increase in student fees that allowed bonds to be sold for Hilltop's expansion. In return, Hilltop guaranteed that 65 percent of enrollees would be children of students. Eakin said.
Numbers indicate the demand from KU students for infant and toddler care is one these two centers could never meet in the centers' current facilities.
For those who aren't lucky enough to make the cut, Pisani and Swartz both urge families to contact the Douglas County Child Development Agency for a list of approved child care centers and home-based providers. While that agency can provide the approved list, it can't provide any of Hilltop's need-based scholarships that many student-parents require.
"I worked before I came back to get my degree, so I have some funding set aside, but if I were an undergrad there's no way I could have gone to school," said Fluth, who estimated she spent $700 per month on child care. "I would've had to drop out."
Edited by Andrew Ward