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| The One Moment Society's Avia Malcolm, Jillian Soh and Geoff Seto. (Josh Boyter Photo) |
Jillian Soh is in her element. The biology student and One Moment president is wearing a pink bed sheet as a cape, giving out cookies, and explaining the regulations of One Moment鈥檚 latest charitable event to volunteers (including yours truly.)
鈥淵ou have to be on your brooms at all times,鈥� she begins. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not on your broom, then you鈥檝e fallen off it, and then you can鈥檛 play.鈥� Jillian鈥檚 co-organizers鈥擣ahad Kabir, Geoff Seto, and Avia Malcolm鈥攍isten intently. One Moment (a ratified AV俱乐部 charity聽raising money for AIDS research) is in the midst of organizing this Sunday鈥檚 second annual Quidditch tournament. Organizers, volunteers, and team members agree; everything has to be magic.
Quidditch (for those Muggles not in the know) is the witch-and-wizard sport made famous by J. K. Rowling鈥檚 Harry Potter novels. The game involves trying to score points with a ball (鈥淨uaffle鈥�). If you鈥檙e having trouble picturing Quidditch, here鈥檚 a recipe: one part rugby and one part dodge ball, with a liberal dose of theatrical silliness thrown in.
The most vital Quidditch strategy is for players to watch out for the 鈥淕olden Snitch鈥濃�攖he team with eyes sharp enough to retrieve the tiny golden sphere takes home a cool 50 points and ends the game. In order to make the task tougher, the Snitch will be attached to the back of a seasoned track-and-field runner. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be attached to Velcro, and the Velcro will be attached to Velcro, and that Velcro will be attached to your back,鈥� Jillian cheerfully explains to a nearby Snitch runner, showing off the Velcroed Snitch.
鈥淲here did you get that Snitch?鈥� A team members asks, impressed by the Velcro pulley system. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 legit.鈥�
鈥淓-bay,鈥� Jillian beams, opening another box of cookies.
Another key feature of Quidditch is avoiding 鈥淏ludgers鈥� (deflated dodge balls thrown by 鈥淏eaters鈥�.) 鈥淏ludgers will mess you up,鈥� warns a sober Mitch Handley, captain of 鈥淧.D.T. United.鈥� 鈥淚鈥檝e taken a few Bludgers in my day.鈥� Come Sunday, Mitch will have one eye on the Bludgers and one hand on his broom as he leads P. D. T. United into battle. Other teams competing include the Chudley Cannons, Team Music, the Golden Thimbles, and the Appleby Arrows. I鈥檓 the captain of the Appleby Arrows. I鈥檓 still not quite sure how that happened.
鈥淵ou need a team chant,鈥� Jill tells me. 鈥淪omething for the crowd to cheer.鈥�
I blink and rack by brain. 鈥淯m鈥� 鈥楢RRRRR, me hearties?鈥欌�� (Don鈥檛 give me that look. I just write, OK? I don鈥檛 play Quidditch.)
Actually, the Quidditch tournament has tempted out a surprisingly large number of volunteers, many of whom鈥攍ike me鈥攚ould otherwise never dream of venturing onto Wickwire field. Some are veteran Quidditch players back from last year鈥檚 tournament (which was bravely held in Nova Scotia snow.) 鈥淭he (volunteers) are just really nice people,鈥� demurs Geoff Seto, a microbiology honours student here at Dal, and One Moment鈥檚 treasurer and events coordinator. But there鈥檚 more to it than that. The Quidditch teams and the other tournament volunteers will be showing up on Sunday to support a cause they believe in. And to have some fun, for one moment, anyhow.
Having fun is a specific part of One Moment鈥檚 mission statement. 鈥淧eople don鈥檛 do anything exciting any more,鈥� says Fahad Kabir, the enthusiastic arts major who serves as One Moment鈥檚 vice-president and official spokesperson. 鈥淧eople don鈥檛 do anything whimsical.鈥�
That sentiment gave rise to the idea for One Moment, which Jillian, Fahad and Geoff founded last year. 鈥淚 was ranting to Geoff (that) people don鈥檛 enjoy life as much,鈥� explains Fahad, who has a problem with the guilt-trip tactics some charities utilize to earn funds. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something I don鈥檛 like. It doesn鈥檛 come from the heart.鈥�
So that鈥檚 what is One Moment is really about 鈥� helping a good cause and having a good time? 鈥淪ure. Take a break,鈥� says Fahad. 鈥淓njoy yourself. Um, play a game of Quidditch, apparently.鈥�
Despite this playful attitude, Fahad and his associates take what they do seriously. 鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot of thought put into this 鈥� not how we can host it again, but how can we make it better,鈥� says Fahad. He hopes that the Quidditch tournament could raise as much as $1,000 for the charity.
Jillian has just finished explaining the rules. She looks out over the gathered players to ask if there are any questions.
鈥淵eah,鈥� says Mitch. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the policy on performance-enhancing charms?鈥�
Jillian considers this. 鈥淲ell, that Ministry (of Magic) official will be there,鈥� she says thoughtfully. 鈥淪o I wouldn鈥檛 try it.鈥�
Jillian, Geoff and Fahad have lots of One Moment events planned throughout the year, from a Valentine鈥檚 Day rose sale to a midwinter masquerade ball. In the meantime, the Quidditch tourney will kick off on Sunday, Oct.19 at Wickwire Field. One Moment wants everyone to come out and watch local undercover witches and wizards struggle for the Quidditch Cup. 鈥淲e have a trophy full of candy! CANDY!鈥� enthuses Jill.
Really, what鈥檚 not to like?