At the 2009 Boar’s Head event, the Society for Creative Anachronism organization participated in activities ranging from fighting tournaments to belly dancing classes and feasts.
The Society for Creative Anachronism organization at UW-Green Bay will give students the opportunity to go back in time by dressing in garb and participating in activities like sword fighting.
“It is students getting together to recreate the Middle Ages,” Jenna Cornell, president of SCA and a seventh-year senior, majoring in English and theater, said. “You can learn pre-sewing, how to make chain metal, glass bead work, calligraphy or socialize and hang out.”
Marissa Felske, a fifth-year accounting and Spanish major, made her own small chain metal bag. It was the first time she worked with chain metal.
Felske was also intrigued by the SCA for another reason.
“They roped me in with the dancing,” Felske said. “I love to dance.”
These aren’t the only things this group has to offer. They also attend different events and Renaissance fairs throughout the year. Cornell hopes they will have more events planned for next semester.
Since SCA is a formal student organization, UWGB students do not have to worry about paying any fees to join. The travel is also free for UWGB students. Non-UWGB students can attend the events too, as long as they pay their own way.
“The SCA was created a while ago, but it wasn’t always a formal student organization,” Cornell said.
Last year it finally became an organization at UWGB. Even when it wasn’t a formal organization, the students still had meetings.
There is sword fighting, jousting and other activities at the events the SCA attends.
When the group attends events and Renaissance fairs, they usually dress in garb. Garb is what the Renaissance style clothing is called. Finding garb in stores may be difficult, but some merchants do sell it at Renaissance fairs, and it is possible to make.
To save money while shopping for garb, the best places to look are flea markets, antique shops, garage sales, classified newspaper ads and online. The website eBay often lists items of interest, but students can also find merchants who sell garb at www.sca.org.
“I have some garb at home,” Trisha France, a senior history major, said. “Right now though, I only have part of an outfit.”
France wants to become a member of SCA because her best friend recently inspired her to get involved with the organization. She hopes to have her first full set of garb soon.
Some UWGB SCA members said it doesn’t matter what a student’s garb looks like when they first join the organization, because it will only improve over time.
Travis Willer, a junior urban planning major, laughed about how his first piece of garb was a sheet.
Felske agreed and said her first piece of garb was terrible.
Many SCA members feel it takes a lot of work, time, practice and perseverance to put together an outfit.
“It’s about having someone teach you how to do it the right way,” Paul Miller, a sophomore business major, said.
Miller said he had a difficult time putting together his first garb, because he wasn’t sure what to do. He does feel it has improved immensely from when he first started SCA.
The SCA meetings may be a great place to start learning how to create garb and other Renaissance supplies for students interested in joining the organization.
They do not have a set meeting time yet, but SCA members said they are more than willing to help any newcomers learn the tricks of the trade.
Source: Fourth Estate
