SPORTS
12
WWW.GUlLFORDIAN.COM
BY ALLISON STALBERG
Staff Writer
Do not be surpri^d if you are walking
around campus on a weekend and you see
people dueling. That is just Amtgard.
"it's an opportunity to affectionately beat
each other with foam weapons," said junior
arid Amtgard player Suzanne Farmer.
Every Sunday from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m., students
gather around tihe quad on campus imder the
large canopy of trees and bathe each other
widi weapons made from PVC pipe, pool
noodles and duct tape.
"1 saw big spears and thought 'I like this,'"
said junior Ian St. Amour. "I've been doing it
since."
Like St. Amour, many other students got
involved by seeing the battles and joining in.
"In my freshman year I was out and saw
them battling under the big tree," said jxmior
Ryan Siebens. "I went up to them and said
'Hey, what's going on?' They said 'Amtgard.'
They handed me a weapon and I did battle
for a little bit."
Guilford College's Amtgard has a large
and creative variety of weapons, from bastard
swords to boat oars. Many of the weapons
have been made by Isaac Cook, who acts as
Amtgard's blacksmith.
"I've spent a lot of time building these
weapons," said Cook. "So they are important
to me in various ways.
"I've got to say the one I like the most is
about 4-5 feet long. About 3 feet is blade,
and the rest of it is a handle. I have used
that consistently since I first started playing
Amtgard. I have maintained and modified
it over time to make it more fitting with the
current setup of the rules we keep."
The rules of Amtgard are fairly simple. If
an arm or leg is hit, that person can no longer
use that limb. If two arms, two legs or an arm
and a leg are hit, you lose.
A hit in the torso, means an instant loss. No
crotch or head shots are allowed. The players
also make sure not to hit too hard, as someone
could get hurt, or a weapon could break.
The game is not limited to just one-on-one
matches, though.
"We sometimes do group matches,
especially when up against a skilled individual
or if they are wielding a particularly insane
weapon that is harder to deal with on a one-
on-one basis" said Cook.
"For a brief period we actually did a
defense situation back when the (stick) palace
was still standing on the Guilford lawn. We
Students gather on the quad to play Amtgard with weapons made of PVC pipe and pool noodles.
would have a group of people defend it from
the inside, and we'd have a group of invaders
try to take over it."
Amtgard is not limited to students. Even
some Guilford teachers have dabbled in
combat, like Chair and Associate Professor of
Mathematics Ben Marlin.
"There were a number of great battles that
involved 'generals' with strategies, planning
and lack thereof," said Marlin.
"In the time since I stopped, I developed a
shoulder injury. Not as bad as an arrow to the
knee, if that reference isn't too obscure, but it
means my adventuring ... er ... Amtgard days
are behind me."
Amtgard is an institution on campus with
former players and recent alumni like Sylvia
Steere nostalgic for their battling days.
"I dual-wielded short swonls that were
given to me by a good friend," said Steere.
'Their cores were made out of broken golf
clubs, and they were covered in foam and
pantyhovse to make a smooth appearance.
They're super light, easy to wield and I am
comfortable enough as an almost 30-year-old
adult to say that they were awesome. I still
have them."
So, if you see these warriors out in the quad
with their weapons drawn do not be afraid to
join in.
"It's a really fun event," said senior Patrick
Withrow.
"It helps people get to know others. I
encourage anyone who sees us Amtgarding
out there and thinks 'hey, that looks
interesting' to join us. We're very open, very
inclusive and we'll go easy on you on your
first day."
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