Muggles Unite

Michael Tidmarsh

Imagine hundreds of teams of muggles at the University of Connecticut battling it out with broomsticks in hand, balls, and hoops and even a designated player to be the “snitch.”
Quidditch has come to UConn
Quidditch is the game remembered by many Harry Potter fans as the game of high-flying action through the skies on broomsticks. On April 11th, students were scheduled to use their wizard skills before fans on UConn’s campus.
“For Harry Potter fans, this is a dream come true”, said Andrew Taylor, Student Union Board of Governors member who created the local Quidditch tournament.
Quidditch was founded in Vermont at Middlebury College, and over 200 colleges across the United States participate in the event. In 2006, Middlebury hosted the Quidditch World Cup. Games have been featured in USA Today and broadcasted by CBS sports.
Even though students aren’t flying in the blue sky like Harry Potter and his friends, they will battle it out on playing fields to determine the Quidditch champion.
During Muggle Quidditch, eight players are on the field in a variety of positions including: chasers, keepers, beaters, and seekers. Hula hoops are used as the goals while volleyballs, basketballs, and dodge balls are used as Quaffles and nerf and waffle balls serves as Bludgers. The ‘Golden Snitch’ is deployed at various times throughout the match. Chasers must track down the snitch for the game to be over.
Throughout the match, Chasers pass the Quaffles and score points through the goals. Each team has a goalie or a ‘keeper’ to prevent the Chasers from scoring. Beaters are the team’s defensemen, hitting the team’s opposing Chasers and protecting their own. Seekers continue to track down the ‘golden snitch’. If the snitch is caught, the game is over.
Since Quidditch has become a national phenomenon at various universities, some UConn students were delighted to hear that it was coming to their campus. Said Lizzy Anderson, a UConn sophomore and avid Harry Potter fan: “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read the sign for the tournament. I’ve been reading Harry Potter since middle school and it’s awesome to see the book come alive at UConn.”
Anderson said her friends were also overwhelmed at the thought Quidditch would be coming to the campus. “Four or five of my friends wanted to sign up immediately to play. We couldn’t hold in our excitement any longer,” she said.
Taylor was confident the event would be a resounding success. “With how many Harry Potter fans out there and the number of teams in the tournament, I believe the tournament will be a great success for UConn and its community”, he said.