By Lauren Seynhaeve
While in high school, sophomore Monica Kendall used to play quidditch. Non-magic, muggle quidditch, of course. And on Oct. 30, Muggle Quidditch, University of Portland League, had its first game.
"Mount your brooms, everyone!"
Although the game that saw its genesis in the "Harry Potter" series is not an officially recognized sport at UP yet, Kendall hopes to get enough student support to do so.
"Maybe we can make it intramural," she said. "That'd be awesome."
And with the excitement the game is causing throughout the UP community, her dream may soon become a reality.
The rules are pretty much the same as they are in "Harry Potter": Teams race around a field on broomsticks trying to get the quaffle into the opposing team's goal hoops without getting hit by a bludger. Meanwhile, there's a snitch out there somewhere waiting to be found by a seeker to end the game, usually in victory.
Since nobody at UP can actually fly a broomstick, in muggle quidditch everyone must always have one hand on his or her broom.
"If you take your hands off your broom, you've fallen to your death," warned Kendall at the beginning of the game.
For the match, the quaffle was actually a soccer ball, the bludgers dodge balls and the snitch a person dressed in yellow running around and hiding.
To start playing quidditch at UP, Kendall created a Facebook page, and got about 20 people eager enough to say they'd play in the first game. Unfortunately, only around 10 people actually showed up, but there are high hopes for a larger turnout at the next match.
"I'm pretty excited," said sophomore Chris Morrell, who came decked out in Harry Potter garb and played as a keeper for part of the game. "It's like a mixture of Christmas and Easter with a hint of magic," he said.
For their first game, the quidditch league purchased several brooms from the Dollar Store, taped two hula hoops to both of the soccer goalposts on the field behind the Office of Public Safety and divided into teams of five.
With a few more players, the quidditch league will be able to assign a player to be the snitch and another player from either of the opposing teams to the seeker position. Meanwhile, they play until a certain number of points is reached by a team or an otherwise predetermined ending is attained.
If a player is hit by a bludger, he or she must run back to the team goalpost and touch it to begin playing again.
Kendall said that muggle quidditch was something she and a lot of other students played at her high school, and she has wanted to bring the game to UP since last school year.
"I'm really happy someone started muggle quidditch at UP," freshman Jamie Jakstis said. "It's a lot of fun and it's great exercise - I can't wait to play in the next game."
There is currently no solid schedule for the quidditch season, but there will be another game on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m. More information about both the rules of the game and future times of matches can be found on the Muggle Quidditch - University of Portland League Facebook. page.
