Keep Snitchin'

Ok, ok. I was neglectful for a few days, but in my defense I had a midterm and a Poli Sci quiz on my plate, not to mention my best friend coming to visit tomorrow to prepare for. You'll notice I underlined that last bit. This is pretty big. I haven't seen her, or any of my family and friends from home, for over 3 months. So I'm pretty stoked. Hella stoked, if you'll forgive the NorCal expression (no hard feelings if you don't, I won't be forgiving myself either).

I'm also quite excited because this coming weekend marks our very first quidditch game EVER, against our arch-rival university. We just got our team jerseys yesterday, and we look spectacular. You may be asking yourself, "Whoa. How are you so cool that you are actually on a legitimate college quidditch team?" or perhaps, if you are a cultural-outsider (just kidding, sort of) "Wait, what the hell is quidditch?". Well my muggle friends, I am in fact a member of my university's official quidditch team, and quidditch is in fact one of the fastest growing sports on college campuses throughout the country right now. It's not limited to the U.S. though, check out the International Quidditch Association website, it's global! For anyone who is unfortunate enough to not know what quidditch is, it is an extremely entertaining sport played by the characters in The Harry Potter series. We play by roughly the same rules, the only real difference being the whole flying thing, which we're working on. We run around a field with broomsticks between our legs, trying to throw a quaffle (deflated soccer ball) past a keeper and through one of three goals (hula-hoops on poles) at either end of the pitch. The beaters (my position) run around throwing bludgers (small dodge-balls) at the people trying to score, forcing them to drop the quaffle and run back to their respective side. There are also seekers hunting around elsewhere for the snitch (runner dressed in yellow with a sock attached to his waistband) while all this is going on. The game ends when the snitch is caught, and the team with the most points wins!

If it sounds complicated, it is. If it doesn't sound complicated, trust me, it is. It's also one of the funniest things you could ever possibly witness, due to the broom aspect mainly. We always have a large audience at our practices, and they almost always end up cheering wildly as the seekers inevitably close-in on the snitch. That may be due in part to the sheer epic-ness of the snitch battle, which lasts for quite sometime and can involve the snitch hiding in bushes and climbing trees or buildings to evade the seekers. Needless to say, it's just one more reason why I absolutely adore this place. My friends and I ran a Harry Potter club in high school, and we played our own version of quidditch a few times. My friend in Boston is actually on the team at her school, and will be going with them to the WORLD CUP in New York City this weekend. Oh yes, there is a world cup.

I'm unbelievably jealous, but we'll be having plenty of fun at our own event this Sunday. Butterbeer, costume contest, movie give-aways, and quidditch....

Sounds like a Potter geek's wet dream. Keep snitchin' my friends.