The only re-creation group on Marquette’s campus takes members back in time to an era of rapiers, folk songs and Trebuchets.

The Medieval Club is part theater, part history and part swordplay as the members immerse themselves in some of the practices of the Middle Ages.

Dylan Bain, a 2004 alumnus, founded the Medieval Club on campus in 2002 along with a group of friends.

Members recreate medieval history by choosing a certain time between 500 and 1500 AD. They fashion clothes, a name and a back-story for a persona in the time period. In addition to this role-play, members are offered classes in jewelry-making and bardic, or Medieval folk song, music.

“Basically, if it has a basis in the Middle Ages, we can do it, and we cater to what our members want to do and focus on,” said Amanda Skowronski, club president and a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences.

The club works with the Society for Creative Anachronism, a medieval recreation group. This international organization dedicates itself to the research and recreation of arts and skills of pre-17th century Europe, according to its website.

Members of the SCA come to Marquette once a week to practice and teach heavy armor and 17th century rapier fencing techniques to any member interested.

The Physics Club joins in the fun once a semester, partnering with the Medieval Club to launch bottles of soda, melons and piñatas out of a student-made Trebuchet, a medieval catapult.

Last year, the club was nearly dissolved. With most of the club graduating in 2009, Annamarie Nelson, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and former club president, had to decide whether to keep the Medieval Club on campus.

“I loved the community feeling I felt among the people there,” she said. “Even though we only had three people returning the fall of 2009, it was important for me to keep the club going.”

So club members focused on programming and bringing in SCA members for demonstrations. They hosted a potluck dinner with Medieval-era dishes and Full Moon parties hosted by the club’s adviser, physics professor Melissa Vigil.

During the current school year, the club has focused on recruiting and maintaining membership. The club currently has about 15 members, and while Nelson would like to see the organization grow, she is content with the number of dedicated members.

“They are very dedicated, and I know Amanda will do well as president,” she said. “I’m glad that I made the decision to keep the club going even though it was difficult at first.”