The Campus Programming Board is looking for one lucky student to don a pair of wings and some gold trousers and run around holding a tennis ball with others chasing behind.
Made popular by the Harry Potter series, Quidditch has become a popular sport all over the world, and now Otterbein students will have the opportunity to try it out for themselves.
Unfortunately, broomsticks aren’t included in our tuition; therefore the “muggle-modified” version of Quidditch is played just as it is at Hogwarts, but with one’s feet firmly on the ground.
The event is scheduled for May 4 in a location that has yet to be decided. Students can sign up in the Student Activities Center in the Campus Center. The CPB is looking for someone to act as the Golden Snitch.
For anyone unfamiliar to the Harry Potter series, Quidditch is the most popular and competitive sport in the magical world. The game creates an atmosphere similar to the muggle (non-magical) world’s soccer game. Created by author J.K. Rowling, the game is a semi-contact sport played by both students at Hogwarts and witches and wizards around the world.
“I think that Quidditch is a fun way to live in Harry’s magical world, while also getting involved with your friends right before leaving for the summer,” said Emily Edwards, CPB president.
Edwards said she has always been an avid Harry Potter fan. “Last summer I met people who played on a national team and told me it started as an intramural sport. Without taking it that far, I decided we should try it at Otterbein,” she said.
Any student can compile a team of seven: three chasers, two beaters, one keeper and one seeker. The chasers are in charge of scoring points, the keepers act as goalies, the beaters protect their teammates and the seeker is responsible for catching the Golden Snitch.
Teams will compete for the glory of being the Quidditch champions of Otterbein.
With 595 teams registered with the International Quidditch Association in the United States alone, the sport has taken college campuses and community centers by storm.
The IQA strives to “inspire young people to lead physically active and socially engaged lives,” using its three most important ideals: creativity, competition and community.
Otterbein isn’t involving the IQA, however, so the games will be played just for fun.
“I think Quidditch sounds like a really good idea if it’s done well,” said Clark Tieman, a sophomore public relations and music major. “Campus participation will make it or break it, so it would be really nice to see people get involved. I always hear people complaining about how there is nothing to do at Otterbein, so this is their chance to take some initiative.”
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