(Seniors receiving their gifts, from left to right: Morgan “Ghost” Blackwelder, Eva-Mariam “Willow” Ssekibenga, Greg “Twain” Quigg, Cassandra “Kalypso” Brackett, Jennifer “Muse” Chen, and Mary “Prim” Mccants, ’21)
As May draws to a close, it brings with it both the end of William and Mary’s spring semester and the graduation of the Class of 2021 seniors. The spring season for the William and Mary fencing club is also over, and marks the first season in many years in which the team has not attended a single tournament, or even fenced a single bout. However, as vaccinations become more widespread and COVID-19 restrictions ease, it seems as though the team will return to a normal fencing schedule in the fall. At the very least practices will return to their normal schedule, and once travel restrictions are lifted, hopefully the William and Mary fencing team will be on their way to competing again as well!
(Seniors distributing advice, from left to right: Cassandra “Kalypso” Brackett, Stuart “Zest” Thomas, Greg “Twain” Quigg, and Julianne “Hazel” Cook, ’21)
Right now, though, it is most important to recognize the contributions of the seniors on the team who have now graduated. On the last day of classes, the team gathered together to celebrate our seniors and also the end of the season as a whole. Organized by our social chairs, each senior received a personal gift to thank them for their time on the team. After receiving their gifts, they administered advice to individual members of their squads, before addressing the team as a whole. It was a wonderful senior send-off before moving on to the rigors of exams and graduation, and voting in our new executive board.
To the class of 2021: thank you for the time you have spent with the team! William and Mary fencing wishes you the best of luck in your future endeavors whether in Williamsburg and beyond. And to everyone else reading, whether a member of the team, alumnus, or anyone else: thank you for supporting the William and Mary fencing team throughout one of its most unusual semesters. Admittedly there has not been much content to update this blog with for the past year, but look forward to the fall where we will hopefully be able to resume our normal activities with lots of fencing to follow!
For more information, contact us on Facebook or send us an email at fencingwm@gmail.com!