MADE BY ELVES
IN KIMONOS
Washington, O r e g o n , California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii and even Canada. The match will follow rules similar to those originally laid out by author J.K. Rowling herself. One similarity in particular is the brutality of the game. Without a “brackium emendo” charm for instant healing, Goodman said players on the team have suffered very real injuries, including broken bones and torn ACLs, that have set the team back. “We don’t wear any padding,” Goodman said. “You can get really hurt, so that really connects to the game [in the book].” While the team members may not be able to fly, they are able to keep several traditions from the “Harry Potter” series, including basic rules that state the team should consist of a keeper, three chasers, two beaters and a seeker. Different from in the series, the snitch is a ball attached to the waistband of a neutral player who has the freedom to adopt whatever personality or quirks they wish to reinforce the idea that the snitch has a mind of its own, Goodman said. With such a large pool of teams set to attend this year’s series of matches, the UA’s team said getting a bid would say a lot about how far it has come.
“It would be a big deal [to get a bid] because we’re kind of an underdog,” said Emily Rodela, a team member and biomedical sciences graduate student. “We’ve had some trouble with injuries and cohesion, since so many of us were new to the team this year. It would be a nice surprise, both to us and to kind of show the other teams that we’ve improved a lot since our first tournament.” The Western Regionals provide teams with an opportunity to advance to the International Quidditch Association’s World Cup VII at North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina set for later this spring. The competitions will allow the top 11 teams to play in the World Cup, and, after missing the bid by one slot last year, the team is motivated now more than ever to earn its slot and prove itself in the World Cup, said Savio Vu, a team member, coach and pre-pharmacy sophomore. “This year has been a struggle,” Vu said. “It has been more of a rebuilding stage. We have gotten a better chemistry, so I feel like with this Western Cup, we will be getting one of those 11 bids.” — Follow Arts reporter Jessica Schrecker @JKSchrecker
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