The clanging sound of epee rapiers echo through the multipurpose room of Beyer Hall while some pairs of students line up facing each other, ready to lunge.

Fencing club president Nicolas Miranda-Bartlett, better known as Javier, walks around the pairs of students giving instructions as shouts of “on guard” stab through the air.

This year’s fencing club is so far made up of seven members. It is expected that after ClubFest, many more students will join.

Javier, senior in chemical engineering, has been a part of the fencing club for three years and has now taken the role of president for the new year.

Being a part of the fencing club has only benefited Javier.

“If I don’t have like an outlet for something nonacademic then that drives me crazy,” he said. “During midterms or at finals we do stuff, we have a moment of levity in a pretty gray time period.”

It’s not just Javier that feels that way. Jake Helgerson, sophomore in agronomy, is not only a member of the fencing club but is also a part of the juggling club.

It is incredibly important to be involved because “you meet an entirely new group of people that otherwise you would be completely alien to,” Helgerson said.

Focusing on something other than classes, homework and tests is a great way to get your mind off of things and deal with stress.

Iowa State offers a plethora of clubs that cater to a wide variety of interests. One great way to find out which club is the best fit is to try out a bunch of them.

At ClubFest, students were able to peruse more than 200 clubs and see what’s fun and interesting. There are more than 800 clubs and organizations to choose from — ClubFest featured only a portion of them.

“I think it’s great during the first few weeks of the year to go to as many clubs as you can and see what you sort of like,” Javier said. “I think people are drawn to clubs for the activity and then they stick around if they mesh with the group that is already there.”

Isolation is a large cause for stress and healthy relationships are key to combating it at college, according to a study done by the University Health Center at the University of Georgia.

According to an article on college heath and safety by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stress can lead to many dangerous issues such as depression if not addressed.

“Everybody has the blues, feels anxious or gets stressed at times,” according to the article. “But depression is more than a bad day. Depression often goes unrecognized and untreated and may lead to tragic results, such as suicide.”

Developing a support network of friends through campus and extracurricular activities such as student clubs is a great way to build healthy relationships and avoid stress.

“I would say that having an activity like this increases the amount of work I can handle in the semester, because I know that this is where I’m going to be able to relax and set aside the notebooks and laptop for a little while,” Javier said.

So whether it’s fencing, archery or turf club, the important thing is finding something you like and get involved.

Relieve stress by making new friends and doing something that is interesting, fun and new.

It doesn’t matter if you haven’t done it before because college is all about new experiences and trying something different. So get involved and have fun doing it.