Bellingham Order of the Saber: more than whacking people with plastic

The swishing of robes, flash of neon lights and “click-clack” of clashing lightsabers are not ordinary occurrences in the Multi-Activity Court Gym in the Wade King Student Recreation Center.

The Bellingham Order of Saber typically holds its events from 7-10 p.m. on the third Friday of each month in Red Square, where the glow of lightsabers can shine in the dark evening air. On Friday, Oct. 18, however, wind and rain forced the club to move the event indoors.

Though indoors, spirits were still high, and the duels were as fierce as ever. Or, at least as fierce as the club’s safety guidelines allow them to be. The most basic rules disallow headshots, stabbing motions and attacks from behind, and also ban lightsabers with pointed tips rather than rounded ones.

After a brief safety and sportsmanship demonstration, action kicked off for the evening just after 7 p.m. with three rounds of Jedi versus Sith. The Sith took the first two rounds handily before the Jedi snagged a win in the third round.

In the frenzy was longtime club member Simon Hagemeyer, who was attending his 10th club event in the last two years. Hagemeyer, a second-year student, was not shy about his allegiance to the dark side of the force.

“I’m carrying two red lightsabers here. That says I’m a Sith, does it not?” Hagemeyer said.

Hagemeyer, who has been a “Star Wars” fan ever since he was little, has a different favorite movie depending on what he’s looking for.

“If you want good lightsaber combat, I’d go with ‘Phantom Menace’,” Hagemeyer said. “If you want good army battles, definitely episode three, and if you want the classics, definitely four, five and six.”

Despite the Jedi only coming out on top once on Friday’s duel, Logan Inman enjoyed his second event as a member of the club. The green lightsaber-wielding sophomore found out about the club at the Fall Info Fair and immediately decided he wanted to attend the coming events.

As for why he chose to fight for the Jedi, Inman said, “I like red, but I don’t like the Sith. The Jedi are cool by default because they have Mace Windu.”

After the Sith versus Jedi concluded, duelists played several more game modes, including squads, inquisitors and dueling circles – which is a series of one-on-one duels until only one person is left standing. 

Inquisitors, which is essentially a “Star Wars” spin on cops and robbers, is widely popular with club members because of its fast-paced action and the inclusion of a respawn mechanic, which isn’t present in most other modes.

Hazel Culpsmith, the club’s grandmaster – president, in layman’s terms – prefers a mode where members of the council face off against everyone else attending the event.

“I have the most fun with council versus everyone. That’s the time when I let loose the most and I don’t hold back,” Culpsmith said.

Culpsmith, a junior, has been involved with the club from the beginning of her three years at Western, and moving up the ranks all the way to grandmaster has been a significant feat. 

Any prospective grandmaster must first be a member of the council for a year, and even before that, there are various attendance thresholds to meet and trials to complete. Those trials include the trial of ownership, craft, hunt, darkness and the will of the council. 

Now that she has achieved the rank of grandmaster, Culpsmith takes her role seriously.

“It means I get to take care of a club that means a lot to me,” Culpsmith said. “This club is where I made my first friends at Western, and I want to make sure that experience survives for other people.”

For the club’s master of media, Clover Dorland, finding such a passionate community came as something of a surprise, but a welcome one to be sure.

“It means the world. I’ve met so many good friends in this club,” Dorland said. “It’s not just hitting each other with lightsabers.”

Moreover, Dorland encouraged those who haven’t yet to join in on the fun.

“Just show up and you’ll find people who enjoy the same things you do and like “Star Wars” as much as you do. We’re just a bunch of nerds,” said Dorland.

---

---