In bold, intimidating blue letters, the banner "Divided we stand ... United we stand stronger" stretches across the length of the north wall of Room 31 of the White Building, the home of the nine-time NCAA champion Penn State fencing team.

There has never been any doubt about the validity of the first half of the phrase, but on Tuesday, junior Nonpatat Panchan, a national champion last season, called the second half into question. This after the men's squad lost to a fierce Notre Dame team earlier in the month, which allowed Notre Dame to snag the No. 1 ranking from Penn State.

In an impromptu team meeting during practice Tuesday afternoon, Panchan asked the team why they show up Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and Wednesday mornings.

"As a team, ask yourself why you want to be here," Panchan said. "Are you here to perfect yourself? Are you here to perfect the team?" Panchan confronted the team about changes he has observed in its work ethic and determination. He noted that while some fencers come to practice ready to work hard, there are a few that work hard and don't know what they're working toward.

"If you come in here because someone expects you to be here and not to fulfill your own goal," Panchan said, "then you have a problem."

At the 15-minute meeting, Panchan called upon the team to be aware of what its common goal is -- the NCAA Championship -- and to be aware of the work it takes to get there.

"If one guy is working hard, it becomes contagious," Panchan said afterward. "If there's a group of 10 people working hard, it's contagious. The rest of the team will have to comply."

Most of the upperclassmen seemed to respond favorably to Panchan's strong words. Senior Austin O'Neill vouched for Panchan's observations. A member of the team for five seasons, O'Neill has seen a lot of different team groupings.

With some of those groupings, she said, she has seen a higher level of commitment and hunger for the championship. Though she doesn't want to blame the freshmen on the team, O'Neill attributed the team's suspect commitment to its youthful makeup.

She said the meeting was needed, however, to address such issues before the NCAA championships creep up in March.

"I think this is perfect timing since there are about five weeks left [until the NCAA Championships]," O'Neill said, "and people definitely need to question whether they're here for the team or whether they're here for themselves."

Because fencing is generally regarded as an individualized sport, teams often have trouble coming together as one, cohesive unit.

"Most of the athletes that come here," O'Neill said, "have been fighting for themselves their entire life with just their coach on their strip or maybe their club cheering them on."

Since members of a team sometimes end up competing against each other to qualify for the NCAA championships, the expectation to compete as a team and the expectations a fencer sets for himself or herself often come into conflict.

"When you walk into the fencing room or when you're at a tournament," she said, "whatever social differences or you have or personality differences you have are totally irrelevant -- or should be irrelevant. The second you walk through the door or get on the bus it's as a team -- you have a purpose."