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| The Greek council is bringing Quidditch back to campus with a charity cup on Saturday. Leading the charge are Caitlin Reid, Harrison Makohoniuk and Meghan Peverill. (Nick Pearce Photo) |
Sports trivia: what game includes positions like 鈥渂eater鈥� and 鈥渟eeker,鈥� balls called 鈥渜uaffles鈥� and 鈥渂ludgers,鈥� and is played entirely on broomsticks?
If you don鈥檛 know, better brush up on your Rowling. The answer is 鈥淨uidditch鈥� - the imaginary wizard sport from the Harry Potter book series. And though AV俱乐部 won鈥檛 be adding 鈥淒efence Against the Dark Arts鈥� to their course list anytime soon (curses!), it will host a miniature Quidditch Cup come Saturday.
This won鈥檛 be the first time witch and wizard wannabes have descended on Wickwire field: an annual Quidditch match used to be staged by charity group One Moment. But since most of One Moment鈥檚 roster has graduated, Phi Delta Theta fraternity member Fahad Kabir (a One Moment co-founder) decided this year to enlist help from another source 鈥� AV俱乐部鈥檚 Greek Council.
鈥淚鈥檓 still continuing the legacy,鈥� says Fahad, who is now in his fifth year of combined honours in history and political science. 鈥淎 significant portion of when we did it (before) was helped by the Greek community.鈥� The Greek council includes sororities Alpha Gamma Delta, Iota Beta Chi and Omega Pi, plus fraternities Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. The money they raise will be donated to Shinerama, a Canadian student charity for cystic fibrosis.
Fahad, plus fellow Phi Delta Theta Harrison Makohoniuk and Alpha Gamma Delta representatives Caitlin Reid and Meghan Peverill , meet me in the Killam Library to explain the rules of Quidditch. 鈥淲e have all the same positions they have in the books,鈥� says Meghan. The game鈥檚 a little like soccer 鈥� three 鈥渃hasers鈥� on each team attempt to sink the 鈥渜uaffle鈥� into hoops guarded by the opposing team鈥檚 鈥渒eeper.鈥� The action鈥檚 complicated by 鈥渂eaters鈥� throwing 鈥渂ludgers鈥� at their opponents, as well as the 鈥済olden snitch鈥� 鈥� a fleet-footed individual chased by each team鈥檚 鈥渟eeker.鈥� Catching the snitch ends the game, but seekers are slowed down by the fact that they (like everyone else) are obliged to travel via broomstick.
This does not daunt self-proclaimed 鈥淨uidditch virgin鈥� Harrison, who, as well as organizing the teams, will head a lineup of his own 鈥� the Death Eaters. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be awesome,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e going to go for matching brooms, too.鈥�
Fahad plans to spend this year鈥檚 match on the sidelines 鈥� 鈥淚鈥檓 just watching the whole thing, hoping that nothing catches on fire.鈥� Meghan and Caitlin have also eschewed bludgers and broomsticks, preferring to聽oversee the charity barbecue.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to obliterate some of the stereotypes that have to do with fraternities and sororities,鈥� Fahad explains. 鈥淵ou assume frat boys and sorority girls don鈥檛 play Quidditch.鈥�
Caitlin agrees: pop culture is creating serious misconceptions about Greek life. 鈥淚 joined because I found out what we stood for... I wanted to get more involved in volunteering... (but) you say 鈥榟ey, I鈥檓 in a sorority鈥� and they say 鈥榦h, you drink a lot.鈥欌�� (In fact, the Phi Delta Theta house is alcohol-free, and the Greek council spends more time organizing charity events than socializing.) They鈥檙e also interested in strengthening ties with the university at large, and Quidditch won鈥檛 be an exclusively Greek event. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to get not just Greeks involved in the teams,鈥� says Caitlin.
Fahad agrees, then adds 鈥淲e totally should put in a toga team, though.鈥�
The Greek Council鈥檚 Quidditch game will be held on AV俱乐部鈥檚 Wickwire field on Saturday, October 16 from 1 to 4 p.m. Entrance is by donation.