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Fencing: A game of physical chess (PHOTOS)

By WTOP Staff

Meghin Moore, special to wtop.com

MANASSAS, Va. – To many, fencing is a sport reserved for swashbuckling pirates and characters in “Star Wars.” To others, fencing is a game of physical chess and and up-and-coming sport.

During the last Olympics, fencing became quite popular after the the U.S. Women’s Saber team took the gold. This year, with the Olympics nearing, fencing is again becoming popular, thanks in part to Tim Morehouse. The Olympic saberist has made various appearances on the “Today Show” and “Access Hollywood” to showcase the sport.

In Manassas, Ronin Fencing Foundation is just one of many places people can fence in the area. The club itself works as a non-profit organization, to make sure that anybody who wants to fence can.

“Head Mother” Lynn Jones says the club first started out as an idea from a teacher at Woodbridge High School.

“It started from just a bunch of ragtag bunch of high schoolers, with a little middle school student. The kids began to learn how to fence and it became pretty successful fairly quickly in the area,” she says.

That was seven years ago. Today, the club has grown and now teaches people of all ages, abilities and skill levels. Jones says the sport isn’t “elitist” as some might think after seeing Pierce Brosnan play James Bond.

“We’ve seen a lot of kids in fencing with ADHD or some level of autism who have really gained a lot through practicing fencing. We’ve seen them go very far,” says Jones.

Her son Brad also is one of the coaches at Ronin. He started out as that lone middle school child in the club.

“It was the first time I ever could not get in trouble for stabbing someone,” he says.

He also fenced a few Olympians, including Women’s Foil alternate Doris Willette and Men’s Foilist, Miles Chamley-Watson.

“My favorite thing about fencing is that there’s so many different ways you can win. You can be the most fit, the smartest, the sneakiest or the weirdest fencer. You don’t need all of them to win. You could have any one of those traits and be good at it,” says Brad Jones.

The smallest and youngest person at the club who fences is 10. Ned Maurer has been fencing for about four years now. His size and age don’t stop him from competing in tournaments, or even against the older people in the club.

One of Maurer’s big achievements was going to a North American Cup, one of the largest fencing tournaments in the country.

“I was nine people away from getting national points. I was happy about that,” he says, beaming about his 29th place finish.

For anyone interested in learning more about fencing, all of the Olympic fencing- related events will be streamed live on NBC’s Olympics site. Men’s saber and foil will be featured, as well as women’s epee, saber and foil in two formats: team and individual.

Interested in fencing? Here are some fencing facilities:

Fencing Facilities

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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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