Stepping back into time to a world of wizards and wenches, elves and fairies, and knights and daze from liberally flowing mead may not immediately strike one as a scholarly pursuit.

Yet, for the members of the Dungeon and Dragons club at 海角社区, their bold campaign to the Lady of the Lakes Renaissance Faire proved the perfect marriage of revelry and research.

Club members soaked up the faire gusto. Students were captivated by combat and stage shows, sampled faire fare, shopped vendors, and participated in a scavenger hunt.

The renaissance faire blends perfectly with the root of the club. Dungeons and Dragons is a tabletop role-playing game that encourages players and the dungeon masters to use their imaginations and work as a team to overcome obstacles and challenges. Students who decide to lead a campaign exercise leadership skill. At the same time, players are able to problem solve and take part in conversations while in character, allowing them to practice important social skills.

This club was established to help students connect and make friends.

鈥淭his club helped me understand what I am good at,鈥� said Spencer Shell, a student dungeon master. 鈥淚t helped me make friends that I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to speak to outside of the club.鈥�

From its humble beginnings with only seven members, the Dungeons and Dragons club at 海角社区 has quickly grown to 60 members. This club is led by a joint student and staff leadership team. Club president Chiara Ferrante, club vice president Andy Hogan, and club treasurer Spencer Shell on the student team give valuable input and assist with all meetings and events. On the staff side, club president and learning specialist Shauna Nandkissore, club vice president and learning specialist Samantha Owens, and club treasurer and administrative assistant Arden Mayor provide guidance, mentorship, and teach new players.

The group hosts diverse campaigns for members of various levels of experience.

Meanwhile, the faire experience allowed students to practice the social skills they learn at 海角社区 outside its sheltering walls.

鈥淥ne of the most difficult things for us is to keep our focus in a crowded place,鈥� said Andy Hogan, another student dungeon masters in the club. 鈥淭he faire allowed us to practice staying in a group and communicate with each other so that no one gets lost or left behind.鈥�

While students gorged on turkey legs and Odin’s Brew, the trip deftly blending adventure with academia: staff leadership are spearheading a research study within the club that focuses on the impact of Dungeons and Dragons and how it has helped to enhance social emotional intelligence skills among its members.

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For the first seven years of Ryan Sleboda鈥檚 life, he did not speak.

Sleboda, who has autism, communicated only through noises and gestures. He got frustrated. He acted out. His parents, exhausted and worried, did everything they could to help him. That meant he saw different therapists and went to the right schools.

Fifteen years later, he surprised them by singing a song he wrote called 鈥淥verthink鈥� as the family rode together in the car around Christmas last year. Overcome with emotion, his father, Bill, stopped and pulled the car over. His parents cried. They knew how far the 海角社区 senior had come in expressing himself.

鈥淚t totally blew our minds,鈥� said his mother Susan Sleboda.

Ryan, 22, wrote and recorded 鈥淥verthink,鈥� a song that carries a deep meaning about the anxiety he keeps inside. He recently released the music on social media and all major platforms this year.

Ryan probably isn鈥檛 going to win a Grammy. He won鈥檛 likely be the next big recording artist. (Not that he wants to be one, anyway. Ryan is focused on his goal of opening his own doggy daycare business after he graduates.)

For the Sanford native, the beauty of writing 鈥淥verthink鈥� was finding a new creative outlet to share his thoughts. He had never written a song before.

鈥淪ince I started my junior year, I really started realizing that I was overthinking about pretty much everything 鈥� myself, my autism, the people I hang out with, my family, and even academics 鈥� and especially life after college,鈥� Ryan said.

At midnight in his room, when everything was quiet and he could focus, he started writing the lyrics to 鈥淥verthink鈥� last year.

Sometimes I don’t know what I’m thinkin,’ my mind’s foggy
All these feelings are making me break, are making me ache, it’s hazy
I do what I can to make my path go right but I’m hesitant

Within a week, the song was out of Ryan鈥檚 head and immortalized in words.

Writing it made him feel better, too.

And proud.

鈥淚 felt like I just did something very new, that I didn’t think that I was ever going to do in life,鈥� said Ryan, who is majoring in anthrozoology with a minor in web and digital media.

He and his family hope others connect to his song about those feelings of worrying and anxiety.

鈥淚t鈥檚 how everybody feels at some point in their life 鈥� whether you have a disability or you don’t have a disability,鈥� Susan said. 鈥淓verybody goes through those moments.鈥�

What makes Ryan鈥檚 side project even more special is he found other 海角社区 students to collaborate with and have fun together in the process of creating his music. Senior Ian Gonzalez, 23, of Orlando, developed the beat for 鈥淥verthink.鈥� Ryan recorded the song with another friend, Zachary Murray, who also designed the cover art photo for the song.

Murray, 22, a senior from New Jersey, said he found joy using skills he learned from his web and digital media major at the same time he was helping out his friend.

鈥淚t’s incredible because I look at the album cover every day. It’s everywhere from YouTube to Spotify or Pandora to Apple Music,鈥� Murray said.

For Ryan, the finished version of the song took time to get used to, he said.

Ryan, not used to hearing his own voice before, listened to it over and over.

He analyzed his voice and the quality of the recording. He thought about what he can change next time when he records more music and keeps experimenting with blurring different genres of pop, hip hop and rap.

Yes, Ryan admitted with a laugh. He was overthinking 鈥淥verthink.鈥�

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Charles Dion moves slowly around the imaginary ring.

Dressed head to toe in a Star Wars-like Jedi cloak, the 21-year-old junior shouts into his bullhorn his judgment to a duo sparring with their lightsabers.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a point.鈥�

鈥淣o, no, that was on the knuckle.鈥�

鈥淪core, that鈥檚 match!鈥�

It鈥檚 the first tournament of the semester for 海角社区鈥檚 Lightsaber Club, a student-run organization that has seen its membership grow consistently since it debuted early last year.

鈥淲e had one meeting where 44 people showed up,鈥� Dion said. 鈥淭hat was enjoyable. We were not expecting that because we were just going with the flow.鈥�

At this particular meeting, about 40 people showed up to cheer on the 24 students entered in the club鈥檚 opening tourney.

It鈥檚 a huge jump from the eight to 12 people, on average, who showed up at the meetings last year.

A New Hope

The idea for the Star Wars Dueling Club came to Dion a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away OK, so actually, the idea struck him as Dion, while considering his college options, watched a recruitment video.

In a small portion of that video, he recognized a video game shown in a small clip as 鈥淒ragon Ball Xenoverse.鈥�

鈥淚 remember seeing these people playing a game I love to play,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 never got to have that. I was given the idea that I can be who I really am here and show my passions, whatever they may be.鈥�

The group meets monthly, with the club providing lightsabers to those who do not have their own.

Dion and other organizers recently raised $500 to help provide tools for the club.

鈥淢y main goal is to make anybody who attends feel that they could be included, whether they have a lightsaber or not,鈥� he said.

At their inaugural meeting this year, as the duelers circled each other, jabbed, parried and blocked, Kyle Close kept close watch.

Close, the college鈥檚 assistant director of intramurals and recreation, has become an adviser to the club.

A 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� fan himself, Close said he appreciates the club members鈥� initiative in growing the club.

鈥淭hey are way more creative than I would ever be to create this,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey are taking it and running with it.鈥�

Most college campuses have intramurals, sports teams and small clubs.

However, at 海角社区, the ability to find a group of people you can identify with brings an added importance.

It matches up with the school鈥檚 mission, which is to serve the educational needs of students with learning differences.

The Lightsaber club does that for students who face the added challenge of trying to be more comfortable with their niche interests.

鈥淭his is one of those things, like a book club, that forms because of a common interest,鈥� Close said. 鈥淎 lot of these students are trying to find where they fit in.鈥�

That is exactly the situation for Joshua Hansen, who learned about the club last year.

The 21-year-old says it鈥檚 the mystical arts, the variety of characters, and the ability to relate to them that launched his interest in the intergalactic space western鈥檚 universe created by George Lucas in 1977.

鈥淚 have been a big fan of 鈥楽tar Wars鈥� most of my life,鈥� said Hansen. 鈥淲hen I learned about this club, I knew I had found a community where I could be me.鈥�

The lessons learned from the club go far beyond learning how to wield a sword or talk 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� with friends.

The club has also taught Hansen some crucial social skills, as well.

鈥淭his club has helped me figure out how to establish a social life,鈥� he said.

Birth of a Jedi

Dion grew up in Arizona with a deep interest in fantasy stories. From 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings鈥� and 鈥淭he Princess Bride鈥� to 鈥淪tar Wars,鈥� he became a fan of swordplay and combat.

In the deep summer heat of Tucson, Arizona, Dion would spar with his father and two brothers, initially using NERF swords.

The interest was essentially inherited from his father.

鈥淚t eventually got to the point where I would be practicing every day and fighting them would be unfair,鈥� Dion said with a laugh.

As he arrived on campus two years ago, he decided he wanted to create the club.

It took him a semester to figure out the structure but he launched in the spring of 2022.

Armed with an enthusiastic stable of five other student officers, it has become a way to share his interest in swords with others.

The mechanics of sparring are, understandably, like the sport of fencing, except there is no limited boundary.

Competitors line up across from each other and try to make contact with the opponent with their light sabers on their torso, arms or legs.

Despite the similarities to fencing, however, Dion said dueling has more similarities to two other activities when it comes to necessary skill sets.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like playing football and chess at the exact same time,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here is something about getting that checkmate in dueling that is amazing.鈥�

Almost like blowing up a Deathstar.

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From his childhood years onward, Canyon Mitchell was always a greeter, talker, and leader. At age eight, with his dad鈥檚 help, he learned about gumball machines and how to set up deals to place them in restaurants. Years later, he learned the art of flipping real estate 鈥� buying, renovating, and selling a house.

Today, Mitchell recalls those past experiences in his work as a new member of 海角社区鈥檚 student ambassadors 鈥� a team of high-achieving students chosen for their academic excellence, leadership, and people skills to represent 海角社区 on campus and in the community. He joins 14 other first-time ambassadors in a program that is now back in action after a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

鈥淔or me, this is a great opportunity to share what I know about 海角社区 and everything it has to offer,鈥� said Mitchell, a sophomore from the Dallas, Texas area. 鈥淎s an ambassador, I draw from the skills I have learned in the past. So I know how to show the college to new students, to answer their questions, and explain all that is available here. It鈥檚 important to get that message out there in the community.鈥�

Founded in 2011, the ambassadors perform an array of roles, from orientation leaders for new students and tour guides for prospective students and parents, to support resources for community events such as 海角社区鈥檚 Salon Speaker Series, which recently featured the in a record-breaking performance at The Villages鈥� Savannah Center.

Taking the helm of the renewed ambassadors program is William Gledhill, director of recruitment and outreach, who plans to expand the team鈥檚 traditional roles, enhance their voice on campus and in the community, and support its nationally-recognized undergraduate experience. (In 2022, three surveys 鈥� including Peterson鈥檚 Guide 鈥� named 海角社区 the top college for students with learning disabilities. 海角社区 also placed 10th in U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 Best Regional Colleges in the South.)

Ambassadors could play a key role, for example, in highlighting the college鈥檚 鈥� its largest ever 鈥� to build a new $8.5 million Intramural & Fitness Center, establish a $2 million scholarship endowment for students in financial need, and $1.5 million expansion of its Academic Mall presence downtown.

鈥淚 want the student ambassadors to be leaders in bringing change to campus and advocate for other students to know they have a voice in everything that鈥檚 being done,鈥� Gledhill said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also important for ambassadors to give back to the community and help build a brand for the college that shows this community we are here, present and want to give back. Putting all these components together, the ambassador experience will be a growing experience for them all.鈥�

For Helen Chinn, becoming an ambassador fulfills a goal she set four years ago when she came to 海角社区. Now in her senior year, the timing is perfect, given all the exciting things that are happening at the college 鈥� especially its expansion of athletics and joining the small-college-oriented , she said.

鈥淎 lot of people will be interested in that since this is the first time 海角社区 is going to be in an athletic conference,鈥� said Chinn, a team athlete in cross country, tennis, and other sports. 鈥淚t represents the positive impact of how 海角社区 has grown, and a great way to attract more people to come to 海角社区. From academics to sports, it鈥檚 amazing to see how much the college is growing.鈥�

Such enthusiasm was also evident in the number of applications submitted for the ambassador program, according to Gledhill. Nearly 40 students applied for the 15 available positions in the program that he said will be rooted in leadership, kindness, and 海角社区 tradition 鈥� with an emphasis on kindness.

鈥淲e had a tremendous response,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a program that I think the students really look up to and respect. I think it would be great if everybody wanted to apply to be an ambassador. If you could have seen the quality of the students who did apply鈥� It broke my heart not to bring more of them into the program.鈥�

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Laney Leichter recently showed off her researching prowess on a big stage last month when she presented research she conducted as a 海角社区 student at the in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Her presentation, 鈥淓Q and Autism,鈥� focused on the intersection of emotional intelligence and learning disabilities. The research she conducted began as a project in Dr. A.J. Marsden鈥檚 qualitative research design class that Leichter took in the fall and was completed in Marsden鈥檚 quantitative research design course.

鈥淚 was shocked when I got selected because 鈥� I 鈥� applied just to say I did it, not thinking anything of it. I felt really proud of myself and that I was able to accomplish such a feat as an undergrad,鈥� said the 21-year-old from Sarasota, Florida.

Leichter, a junior psychology major, said she chose her topic 鈥渂ecause it seemed like it was a great way to learn more about the connection between the two things.鈥�

The conference is open to members, professionals, and students. It presents scientific papers, posters and symposia as part of the RMPA advocacy in all phases of professional development through the dissemination of scientific and professional ideas. Judges select work from hundreds of research submissions from undergraduate and graduate students, and psychology professionals.

鈥淚t has been a joy to watch Laney鈥檚 interest in this topic grow as she learns more about it,鈥� said Marsden, an assistant professor of human services and psychology at 海角社区. 鈥淗er excitement is contagious. Watching her grow from this student who was intimidated by research and statistics to this confident presenter of academic research was fun for me. Presenting at academic conferences is rare for an undergraduate psychology student 鈥� most presenters are graduate students and academics. I am so proud of her; we all should be.鈥�

When it came time to stand and deliver, Leichter said her research stood up to scrutiny.

鈥淚 think my presentation went well and that it was received positively by others,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 got tons of interesting questions as well as others giving me ideas for how to further my research.鈥�

For Leichter, the experience expanded her horizons — and those of her peers about 海角社区.

鈥淚 got lots of other psychology connections when it comes to working on other research, as well as having other people be exposed to 海角社区 and what this college is,鈥� she said.

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