Hopeful Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, Slytherins and Gryffindors waited inside a Rice Library classroom for a future chance to block a Quaffle, protect against Bludgers and possibly become a Golden Snitch.
The first official meeting of USI’s new Quidditch team took place Sunday night. About three dozen potential members received information about joining the team as well as shown clips how the game, a sport derived from the Harry Potter novels, is played in the non-magical world.
“A lot of people have asked me how we are going to play, since we can’t fly- which is obviously news to me,” said Amber Seibert, sophomore English education major and founder of the organization.
A summer trip to a Jane Austen festival inspired Seibert to create the Quidditch team. She began planning the team since mid-July.
“All the books and movies are over,” Seibert said. “We are like the Harry Potter generation, and we have a gap in our hearts so I thought this would be something people would really enjoy at USI.”
Seibert started the USI Quidditch team’s Facebook group to originally gauge public interest and knew she had something when the group hit over 100 members. She was taken aback by the enthusiasm of the people wanting to join.
The team plans to play according to the International Quidditch Association’s rulebook with hopes of one day competing with other colleges after its initial year, such as Ball State University or Purdue University’s Quidditch teams. In the meantime, meetings will be held to get the team started including Quidditch 101 which will teach players the rules of the game.
Fundraisers are also in the process of being organized which include T-shirt sales and Harry Potter-themed bake sales.
Freshman biology major Sydney Brown saw the USI Quidditch Team’s table at the involvement fair and became interested.
“I’d like to play for the Ravenclaw house,” Brown said.
Sophomore journalism major Jordan Bayes had different feelings on which house he’d like to represent for the team.
“Gryffindor because they’re the best,” Bayes said.
Freshman business major Dion Brown just wanted to know how he could become the living Snitch, a person dressed in all yellow running around campus during a match eluding capture by the opposite team.
Although the team is able to hold informational meetings, it is not quite ready to start practicing on the intramural and recreationial field just yet. The team still needs to accurately define itself with USI’s Student Development Programs.
The amount of athleticism involved with being a Quidditch team member, whether it will be intramural or not and the equipment team members decide to use, will all be factors on what the team will be able to accomplish.
If dangerous equipment is used and tournaments are planned then the university could require players to get physicals before being allowed to participate.
“We basically just need to sit down with student activities and get all the details down,” said Amy Montz, Quidditch adviser and English assistant professor. “They don’t quite know what a Quidditch team means, and neither do we just yet.”
Montz said she plans to have the official paperwork finalized with the university within the next month. The team is currently looking for members.
“People can just jump in at anytime,” Seibert said. “It’s just for fun, and we invite spectators too.”