by Krista Pino
Daily Lobo
Students looking for a little taste of live-action history can find it in UNM's Society for Creative Anachronism.
The University's division of the SCA is known as the College of Blaiddwyn, Welsh for "silver wolf," said UNM Seneschal Jeff King.
SCA members meet every Tuesday in the SUB for a project night. King said everyone has fun and gets together in a nice informal setting to do European medieval projects.
Every Wednesday, members meet in front of Carlisle Gym for fighting practice. Schuyler Smith, the knight marshal, is in charge of practice, safety equipment and training people.
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Smith said anyone is allowed to join the fighter practices. The group provides armor for newcomers.
He added that people stop by, see the practices and are interested in joining.
In addition to project nights and fighter practice, events are also held on weekends. The members dress up in period costumes and have court dances.
Although participants are expected to dress in formal garb, club members are more than willing to offer assistance, said Janet Fildes, the SCA hospitaller who is in charge of new member contacts and public relations.
"Anybody who wants to learn something can find someone to teach it," Fildes said. "In the SCA, you trade skills and knowledge."
The SCA began in Berkeley, Calif., during the 1960s when students taking courses in medieval studies continued to research and re-enact the pre-1600s in the Middle Ages.
The international organization has branches extending as far as Australia and New Zealand with more than 100,000 members around the world. New Mexico has joined with Colorado, Wyoming and parts of Texas and Nebraska to form the Kingdom of Outlands.
King said the College of Blaiddwyn has been around for about 15 years and continues to grow. The UNM division is part of a city chapter, called al-Barran, that has more than 300 members.
"It's an extended family in some ways," said King. "It's a great group of people, and we offer a whole lot of trust."
Members from around the country gather at designated campsites and have wars among the kingdoms. King said the SCA holds these events several times a year while attending about three annually.
Before the war, the kingdoms go through an elaborate treaty process. King said they compete for war points, arts and science points and most valuable, volunteer points. Whoever gets the most points wins the war.
The fighting in the wars is a form of martial arts, King said. The members dress in armor and use weapons made from a type of bamboo called rattan.
"It is reasonably safe," King said. "It's very similar to football in that it's a pretty intense sport full of speed and a good amount of power."
The regional chapter of the SCA publishes an events newsletter every month. These events offer classes in combat and activities such as weaving, dyeing, brewing and sewing.
"The events are open to everyone," King said. "We love to have people come out and find something they enjoy."
Fildes said merchants go to the events and barter with other participants, adding that the SCA is an open society.
"If two people are members of the SCA, you're not strangers," Fildes said. "It's very refreshing, and you don't see it in everyday life."
