Acorn

Spring is a season of change. There is presidential change with University President Tom Kean on his way out and President-elect Robert Weisbuch on his way in. The weather changes, with flowers and trees blossoming. Classes change, with seniors preparing for their last weeks of class and incoming freshmen touring the Forest to see where they'll be spending the next few years.

However, there is one thing that won't be changing this spring: MedFest.

The medieval festival, organized by That Medieval Thing (TMT) under the guidance of their faculty advisors Professor of English James Hala and Kean, enters its 19th performance with more performers than ever before.

"I started it with a small group of students -- about five English and Theatre majors," Hala said.

And now?

"We've got 36 students who participate, and about 80 on our mailing list," senior co-chair Alison Steele said.

With that many students involved, this year's MedFest promises to be something special. Already planned for tomorrow's event are plays and performances by the Pubsingers, as well as archery, fencing tournaments and various medieval-themed games. The TMT students also prepare food, set up vendors on the sidelines of the event, and, in what every TMT student agrees is the most exciting and fun event -- the human chessboard.

Aside from having Kean standing in as a rook, or, according to junior co-chair Arthur Parisi, the "Holy Roman Emissary," the human chessboard features hand-to-hand -- and weapon-to-weapon -- combat, as well as several skits, directed and planned by junior Ryan Crowley.

"There's so much creativity, and [the chess game] is just so fun and exciting," Crowley said.

Other than the human chessboard, MedFest's biggest draw is the running plot all the festivities revolve around. The plot is introduced for MedFest not in a meeting between the chairs, but rather at another one of TMT's events -- the fall semester's Revels, which takes place in Great Hall every year.

Taking place in 1357, the story revolves around an English soldier. He interrupts a party being thrown by an English lord to proclaim that he (the soldier) killed the king of France in battle, and that the French were defeated. In return for his heroics, the lord promises the young soldier whatever he wants, which turns out to be the lord's daughter's hand in marriage.

Unveiled at Revels, the story will be resolved tomorrow. Playing the role of the young soldier is freshman Eddie Connor. "I'll be playing the soldier, as well as a chess piece in the game," Connor said.

The entire TMT roster is fairly young, with a large number of freshmen.

"It was something I'd heard of as a prospective [student], and I've always been a fan of medieval history, so it fit," Connor said.

Freshman Jesse Vanderhoef, head of the technical aspects, was involved all year. "I was involved with heavy combat in the fall, which is what originally piqued my interest," she said.

And yes, she did say heavy combat.

One of the more dangerous aspects of MedFest is the fights that take place, with broadswords and foils alike. While some participants are lucky enough to brandish a shield, the swords -- which, according to Parisi, weigh around three or four pounds and are historically accurate -- aren't exactly made of cardboard.

"They are stage weapons, but they aren't exactly toys," Steele said. "We have people in the club who know how to choreograph fights, though. They make sure it's safe. Very safe."

Things certainly have changed since the first MedFest back in 1986, when Professor Hala arrived at Drew.

"Initially, it took place in the late afternoon of a class day, but as it grew larger and the time commitment grew for the participants, that became impractical," Hala said. "Pretty soon, the holiday 'Revel' was added. And when [Kean] became president, he connected instantly with the festival and its participants -- he gave it a new degree of panache."

Fortunately for TMT, Kean told The Acorn he plans to return for the Festival's 20th anniversary next year. Until then, will Hala be taking over for him in the human chessboard as "Holy Roman Emissary?"

"I wouldn't dare say -- in the Middle Ages, when there were rival candidates for a position of prestige, as often as not one of them ended up assassinated, or in a tower, or missing parts of himself," Hala said.

For Hala's sake, hopefully MedFest is as safe as Steele said. Come see for yourself tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. outside of Hoyt and S.W. Bowne.

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