Jessica Burke knew something was wrong. Although both the men's and women's fencing teams started their dual meet seasons a perfect 4-0 before winter break, something was missing.

So Burke, the junior epee star, talked things over with her captains, seniors Stephanie Eim and Daniel Landgren.

"There was a lack of structure," Burke said. "We felt that things seemed kind of scattered, we needed to work on communication and team chemistry."

Coming off a disappointing 2000-2001 season, one which saw the Nittany Lions fall short of the national championship for the first time in six years, the last thing the fencers want is friction.

To address this team problem, Burke realized that the team needed to get away from State College, and all the distractions that come with it. So after a hard week of practice following winter break, all 40 team members headed to Shaver's Creek Environmental Center, which is a Penn State outreach resource. There were no boyfriends, girlfriends, homework, exams or even coaches to worry about.

Shaver's Creek offers a variety of learning programs, including the team-building exercise that the fencers participated in. The different activities are facilitated by the Shaver's Creek staff, and are designed to bring a group closer together.

According to the Shaver's Creek website, the goal of team building is to improve communication and teamwork.

One of the first activities the fencers participated in was a game where they all had to jump through a giant jump rope. At first, they were given 10 swings of the rope for the whole team to get through. Then, they had to do it in only five. Then only three. It took some time, but eventually the fencers were able to accomplish the goal by working together.

Some of the fencers were quite pessimistic about the program at first. After all, they did miss an entire weekend. But by the end of the weekend, everyone was very enthusiastic. The team chemistry was greatly improved.

"Everyone is very different," Landgren said. "Doing the exercises helped us see through all of those differences, and the team will be better because of it."

Head Coach Emmanuil Kaidanov is not entirely convinced just yet.

"So far, from what I heard from the team, they were very excited, they liked it," Kaidanov said. "I want to see the outcome. The initiative belongs to the team."

The top fencers on the Nittany and Lady Lions will have a chance to prove how far they have come this weekend, as the fencers travel to South Bend, Ind., to participate in a North America Cup Open tournament.

The purpose of NAC Open events is to select members for the National Junior and Cadet teams. By performing well in a series of NAC events, a fencer can be chosen to participate on one of the national teams. The event will also be an excellent opportunity for the fencers to compete against some of the best talent in the country.

Alex Weber, the Nittany Lions' best sabre competitor, said, "The NAC's could be a special practice for us. It will be good preparation for the dual meets to follow."

During the next four weeks, the Nittany and Lady Lions will finish their entire regular season, facing such teams as defending National champions St. John's, Notre Dame, and Ohio State.

The next month and a half of regular season competition will be crucial for Penn State fencing, leading right into the Mid-Atlantic Regionals and NCAA championships in March. Even though only 12 fencers from each school can compete in the national championship, it will take a team effort to get there.

"Everyone has a role on this team, even if they won't be competing at nationals," Weber said. "We are a team now more than ever."