Thursday, March 28, 2013

DHS Muggle Quidditch prepares for its Spring Season

By Will Steinthal
           
 

           In these upcoming weeks, you may start noticing a group of Harry Potter enthusiasts participating in a strange game in the courtyard. Well don’t worry, it’s just the DHS Muggle Quidditch team playing a scrimmage or honing their skills through drills.
             After Mr. Sean Otterspoor’s departure last year, Ms. Lindsay Launer has taken over as the teacher advisor. However, the club is primarily run by the two captains, junior Lila Seeman and senior Caroline Golino.
            Muggle Quidditch is slightly different than the Quidditch you read/watch in Harry Potter. For starters, all of the players are Muggles (people without magical powers), so the game must be altered to adjust for this.
In Muggle Quidditch, there are four different positions. Chasers must pass around a Quaffle (similar in size to a volleyball), and attempt to throw it through one of three golden hoops on the opponent’s end. Beaters wield bludgers (dodgeballs), which they use to hit other chasers. A chaser hit by a bludger must take a lap around the field before returning to play. Keepers stand in front of the hoops and guard them, similar to a goalie. Lastly, the seeker must catch the snitch (another player in a gold leotard), and grab his/her flag. The seekers are also limited in ways they can manhandle the snitch, but the rest of the players have no limits, and the game is full-contact.
           
            We’re not the only team playing Quidditch, many schools near Darien play Quidditch, and there are even some tournaments our team wants to attend.
            “If Briarcliff hosts the World Cup again we’ll go, but we hope to play some of the surrounding schools in games” Golino commented.
Each team has seven players, three chasers, two beaters, a keeper, and a snitch, but the DHS team has had to cut back due to a lack of players.
            “Everyone should join” Seeman said, “it’s a great group of students and can be really fun if we get a full game.

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