Saint Mary's students may have been assigned a dorm when they first arrived at the College, but some received a new home last weekend when members of the Saint Mary's Quidditch Club were sorted into their respective houses.
"The 55 girls in the club were split into four groups, representing the four houses at Hogwarts," club president Leah Richman said, referring to the school in the "Harry Potter" book series.
Richman said the club tries to keep the magic of the books alive at every meeting.
"We try to incorporate as much of the magic found in the books into playing the game," she said. "We used a sorting hat to pick the teams — an element that is really involved in the sorting process at Hogwarts."
The club is a way for students who love "Harry Potter" to incorporate their passion for magic and wizardry into a real life experience, Richman said.
Vice President Abida Coric said Saint Mary's alumna Allie Hensley stumbled across the International Quidditch Association (IQA) on the Internet her junior year, and put the idea into practice last year.
Hensley discovered hundreds of teams worldwide were involved in the IQA.
Although the Quidditch club does not usually compete against other schools, Richman said they will participate in a tournament hosted by Ball State and Purdue University Oct. 8 to 9.
Richman said she hopes to make the sport a community experience this year. The club will play matches at the Health Win Retirement Center and local elementary schools.
Secretary Abby Altman said this club is the result of "Harry Potter" love.
"We have a lot of big dreams for the club," Altman said. "Many people think Quidditch and ‘Harry Potter' [are] dorky, but for us it's just something we love."
Richman said she hopes the Quidditch Club will be a way for girls to embrace their individuality, especially freshmen.
"There are many freshmen on the team, and we know it is hard adjusting to that first year, so we want this club to be an outlet for them — a place where they can be who they are."
The Quidditch Club will have its first match Sunday at 3 p.m. on Library Green, and will host a "Halloween Hullabaloo" on Oct. 30 with themed food, drinks and a wizard rock band.
