The fictional game of Quidditch, from the world-famous Harry Potter series, will come to life at the University next month.
Creative Campus is hosting its own “Muggle,” or ground, version of the game in a tournament called Quidditch on the Quad, which is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 14 from 12:30 to 4 p.m.
The deadline for registration is Friday, Oct. 22, and applications are available on the Creative Campus website. The format of the tournament hopes to emulate that of the World Cup, with various student organizations forming teams that will each be assigned to represent a different country.
“We want to involve as many students as possible to celebrate the power of literacy since Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon, especially for people of my generation who literally grew up with Harry Potter,” said Alexandra Tucci, a junior majoring in advertising and international relations and a student intern at Creative Campus. “Muggle Quidditch is really fun, and you don’t have to be super athletic to play.”
Teams must be co-ed, with at least three girls, and should be comprised of seven to 12 players total. Seven members will play on the field at a time during the games, which last about 30 minutes each.
Participants must have a broomstick between their legs at all times and are encouraged to wear capes.
“Quidditch on the Quad is an event we are very excited about at Creative Campus,” said Amanda Kimbrough, a junior majoring in psychology and a student intern at Creative Campus. “Similar events have been successful on other campuses across the country, and we figured what better time to bring such an event to UA than during the movie premiere.”
The tournament will follow the rules and guidelines of the International Quidditch Association, available at internationalquidditch.org. The IQA has helped more than 400 colleges and 300 high schools in 45 states form Quidditch teams, with the University’s team currently forming.
Positions for each team include one seeker, one keeper, two beaters and three chasers.
The chasers go up and down the field passing the Quaffle, partially deflated volleyballs in the Muggle version, back and forth by hand and try to throw it through one of their opponent’s three goal hoops, which will be gold-painted hula-hoops.
The beaters are armed with clubs in order to protect their teammates from being hit by Bludgers, which will be dodge balls.
The keeper’s job is to protect the golden goal hoops.
The seeker chases the Golden Snitch, which in this version is a cross-country runner who roams the campus dressed in gold.
“I want to do the tournament because I like Harry Potter and it’s an interesting idea,” said Peter Ingram, a sophomore majoring in business. “If I can get a team together I’ll play for sure. Who doesn’t want to play a mix of volleyball, rugby and catch?”
Along with celebrating the game of a beloved book series, the event will also promote literacy. Each team will have a table to celebrate its assigned country, its literature and its culture. Creative Campus also hopes to run a book drive during the event that would benefit local libraries or the Alabama Learning Initiative.
“We think that this event will be a great way to promote world literature and student involvement, while adding to their Harry Potter experience in the month of November,” Kimbrough said. “We are encouraging all interested students and organizations to participate, to either register to play or come and support their friends or favorite student organization.”
What: Quidditch on the Quad registration
When: Applications due Friday, Oct. 22
How: Submit applications at uacreativecampus.org
