Never Have I Ever series

Taking a shot in the dark

Herald intern Kyle Freedman tries archery

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The fifth and final part of a series.

Editor’s note: The Herald continues its summer intern series “Never Have I Ever” this week, with Kyle Freedman taking an archery lesson. Freedman, 19, is a rising junior at Lesley University.


My exploration into the literature of various cultures and countries led me to become enamored with the swashbucklers of yore. Rooted deeply in romantic ideals, they were the protagonists who would rescue maidens, defend kings and save the downtrodden. While swashbucklers most often were swordsmen, they could also be archers.

As a child, I dreamed of emulating these heroes, even if I could only muster a fraction of what they stood for. My initial interest in archery started with the home video release of Disney’s anthropomorphic take on “Robin Hood.” When you think of famous archers, you cannot help but imagine the rogue Robin Hood, who stole from the rich to give to the poor. My next exposure to archery was through comic-book characters, in particular DC’s Green Arrow and Japan’s Uryu Ishida, both powerful archers. Even now, new stories like “The Hunger Games” feature archery as a prominent skill.

Why did I wait so long to try archery, given how much I loved the concept as a kid? There were two reasons. When I was 6 years old, my summer camp offered archery. I tried it once and became disheartened when the arrow just dropped at my feet when I attempted to fire it. The other reason has to do with association. In my mind the archer is lithe and dexterous, requiring a steady arm and sharp eye, attributes that I lack. As such, for a long time I gave up on learning archery; that is, until the Herald’s “Never Have I Ever” series.

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