
The Force Lives in Missoula With the UM Lightsaber Dueling Club
Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - For a little R&R, some UM students play chess, others climb nearby mountains, but for those with a taste for Star Wars-style battles, there’s the University of Montana Lightsaber Dueling Club.
I spoke with UM Director of Strategic Communications Dave Kuntz about the club, who thankfully don’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to participate.
UM has its Own Lightsaber Dueling Club
“Halloween time does give the University of Montana a chance to tell some fun stories that are in line with the holiday, and one of the things we really wanted to highlight this year is an emerging Lightsaber Club that is emerging among our student population,” began Kuntz. “U of M has well over 200 different student groups and clubs that students can participate in; anything from chess club and math club to this Lightsaber Club.”
Kuntz said the club is a perfect getaway from physics and English Lit classes to connect with friends for some space-age sword-play.
The Lightsaber Dueling Club Helps Students Relax and Connect with Others
“A growing number of students have been able to use some of their free time and blow off some steam and, most importantly, find some community and make some friends by meeting regularly and bringing their Lightsabers and recreating some of the iconic duel scenes from Star Wars,” he said. “It's really something that our students have found some community in, and we're excited to support this club as it grows in the years ahead.”
Since Tatooine was booked and there are no space ports nearby, the students have a special place to practice their Lightsaber skills.
“They rent out one of our event spaces over there in the College of Education,” he said. “Our student clubs are led wholly by students, so there's no faculty or administrative involvement, and they work with each other on different scenes from the Star Wars movies, best practices of how to use the Lightsaber. Really, it’s just a way to make some friends here in college and grow that network, which is so important as they advance to their years here at U M and beyond.”
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UM Has a Variety of Clubs and Organizations for Students to Join
UM students have lots of ways to relax and connect that many times last far beyond their years at school.
“Like some of the other clubs that have really emerged here in recent years, such as the Pacific Islanders Club, and we've also had the Zoo Crew, which is a club that is merged around grizzly athletics,” he said. “The Lightsaber duels are the purpose of the club, but ultimately, it's a group of students who are getting together, supporting each other, and having activities in the evenings that really help them persevere through some of those tougher times here in college.”
Get more details about the UM Lightsaber Dueling Club here.
Farmer's Almanac Peak Fall Foliage Montana 2024
Gallery Credit: Chris Wolfe