En Garde! Some 80 recent inner-city Detroit high school graduates will respond to that traditional ready-call that precedes a fencing match as they participate in a tournament at Wayne State University's Mathaei Athletics Center on Friday, July 31, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. The event, called Ballestra 350, is open to the public for viewing. Admission is free. The participants, all of whom plan to enter Wayne State in the fall, are enrolled in the university's TRiO Student Support Services program, which helps ease the transition from high school to college for first generation and low-income individuals.

The tourney will be the culmination of a monthlong course that teaches both physical and mental dexterity as well as self-discipline and the ability to learn unaccustomed skills. To conduct the course, the university's TRiO program selected Wayne State alumnus Bobby Smith, founder of En Garde Detroit and former WSU fencing team standout. His company focuses on teaching the sport not only as an athletic endeavor but also as a way of exposing youth and young adults to unfamiliar pursuits and circumstances in order to prove to themselves that they can handle new challenges successfully.

That focus dovetails well with the mission of TRiO, according to Janice Cook-Johnson, who directs the federally funded program. "Our goal is to challenge, encourage and nurture at-risk students academically, personally and professionally before and during their Wayne State experience, right through to graduation," she explains. The new students participating in TRiO's summer program on campus also take various college preparatory courses. In addition, they become familiar with facilities and services on campus and take occasional field trips to cultural institutions to broaden their horizons.

Smith proposed the July 31 tournament as a way for the soon-to-be-college students to demonstrate their newly acquired skills, to celebrate their achievements in a sport that requires intense focus, and to be recognized publically. "We tell the young people in our classes that if they can meet the challenge of learning this set of skills then they can also take on and successfully overcome other challenges that will come their way in life," he says.

Guest directors, who will interact with and encourage tourney participants, will be State Representative Fred Durhal Jr., Wayne County Chief Executive Robert Ficano and businesswoman Denise Illitch.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students.