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Monthly Seer Volume 1 Issue 5
The official magazine of the International Quidditch Association.
February 2011 V-Day Advice for Players Quidditch on the Hill The official Quidditch 101 AAoici coi iaiacie oof he i eeii coiial Qciic ih Monthly Seer february 2011 Volume 1 � Issue 5 Editor in ChiEf Alicia radford CovEr dEsign Alex benepe Contributors Alex benepe Zara fishkin Andrea hendrickson Andrea hill Kathryn Mudgway Kati Polaski Alicia radford tesia schiltz rebecca seidel Art dirECtors Alicia radford Andrea hill AdvErtising Alicia radford to advertise in the Monthly seer, contact email@example.com the Monthly Seer is published electronically by the international Quidditch Association. All rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the iQA. for information about cataloging the Seer contact Alicia radford. the international Quidditch Association is a magical nonprofit that governs the sport of Quidditch and inspires young people to lead more physically active and socially engaged lives. www.internationalquidditch.org Coi ei A 1 Editor's Letter 3 Cialeiiie 5 6 7 9 10 11 11 12 13 14 NewA Ives Pond Invitational iQA iPhone App debut 2011 state of the League Address regional tournament bid begins Welcome to the League! osu Yule ball a success the iQA's new digs book Aid international donation volunteer of the Month horcrux hunt Tei 15 16 16 17 High school team takes flight Queensland Quidditch treading water A look at Quidditch in California bay Quidditch on the hill Spo alcah A I.Q.A. PaliyeeA' Coeiee 19 20 21 building something from nothing Quidditch 101 Why i Love Quidditch LcofeA yaleA 23 24 25 27 daniel Miller: iQA Player of the Month of brushes and brooms Valentine's Day Advice for Quidditch Players January Contest winner Eic oe'A ale ee dear readers, i'll admit that i'm always surprised and a little unprepared for each new month; there's so much going on that sometimes it feels like we're riding on the back of a blue whale and i'm cognizant of the date and time only when it surfaces for air. strange similes aside, i'm excited that it's february because this is a big month for the iQA. regional tournament hosting applications were due on the first (see page nine for a list of the applicants) and official member teams will vote for which tournaments will receive funding and support from the iQA. World Cup location bids are also due on February 15 and will again be open to an official member vote. the World Cup 2011 date and location will be chosen by March 1st (start planning now!). Over 250 people filled out our Monthly Seer advertising and content survey last month � thank you! i loved reading all of your suggestions and we immediately implemented several of them. this issue profiles four different Quidditch teams (see the new "team spotlights" section starting on page 15), has two articles with advice for starting a team ("Players' Corner," pages 19-22), and a new Player of the Month profile. And whether you'll be celebrating valentine's day or single Awareness day, don't miss Zara fishkin's romantic advice for Quidditch players on page 25. to all the new teams who signed up with the iQA in January (see a full list on page 10), i'd like to personally welcome you to the league. starting a Quidditch team isn't always easy, but i think the two main themes that come up in every Seer issue, website post, or tournament are persistence and community. When starting a team, don't take no for an answer, and keep in mind the Chinese proverb, "fall down seven times, stand up eight." And second, don't try to do it alone. Quidditch brings together all kinds of people and in many inspires a unique kind of passion - i know it has in me. find people; commiserate and celebrate together. Yesterday was national girls and Women in sports day, and the iQA used the occasion to debut a video celebrating co-ed Quidditch as a role model for other sports to follow (be sure to watch it on our website!). this month, try to take some time out from tournaments, valentine's day fun and playing in your area's brand of crazy winter weather to think about how Quidditch is unique as a co-ed sport and how playing with and against people of both genders has changed how you think of sports or life in general. And tell us what you think! Mischief Managed, Alicia radford 1| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 From the Archives From: Manshel, Xander Date: Thu, Oct 6, 2005 at 9:10 AM Subject: From the makers of bocce... The original Qciic ih e ical February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |2 FebeQiey Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri S 1 6 7 8 2 9 3 4 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 on february 27th the shamrock Quidditch Club will host the Central Pennsylvania open tournament in Camp hill, PA. the tournament will feature teams from Cumberland valley, trinity high school, Cedar Cliff high school, and even teams from new York, the Pocono region, and Maryland. game are free and open to the public. 3| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 y 5 12 19 26 2. Match against Vassar College - Feb. 16 4. Match against Boston-area teams at Harvard University - Feb. 20 5. Leave for New York - Feb. 21 6. Match against Stony Brook University at Stony Brook - Feb. 22 Sat from feb. 16 to 22, the vaasa Centaurs Quidditch team will tour the northeast u.s., playing some of the biggest names in college Quidditch. the vaasa Centaurs team is made up of players from three finnish universities: university of vaasa, �bo Akademi vaasa and hanken school of Economics. Players are travelling to America as part of a debate team competing in the harvard national Model united nations. the team will play vassar College at vassar on feb. 16. on feb. 20 the team will face harvard College, boston university, university of Massachusetts, Emerson College and tufts university at harvard College. the team's tour will end with a match against stony brook university at stony brook on feb. 22. All matches are free and open to the public. -- Andrea hill 1. Arrive in U.S., stay at Vassar College - Feb. 15 3. National Model United Nations - Feb. 17-20 || Graphic by Kati Polaski February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |4 RECENT EVENTS NewA I.Q.A. Ives Pond Invitational || Photo by Alicia Radford n Saturday, Jan. 15, a historic Quidditch tournament took place on what seemed to be the arctic steppes of siberia in buffalo, nY, at the inaugural flurrious! Winter festival. despite dangerous driving conditions due to an oncoming blizzard, four of the six slated teams arrived at the pitch in delaware Park and proceeded to slog through seven matches in a hoth-like environment. the host team, ives Pond, played dominantly throughout the day and won the tournament, with seeker grant Peehler snatching the snitch in every match he played. their skill and ferocity was equally matched by the sunY geneseo players, who finished the tournament in a close second, with rit in third and City honors high school in fourth. iQA Communications director Alicia radford live-tweeted the matches, posting such incidents as a geneseo player (in shorts) smashing one of the goal hoops in a slam dunk; strong winds knocking over tents; sideways, blinding snow; two overtime games and finally a gathering of all the teams in the lodge afterwards for hot chocolate, a roaring fire, and a group photograph to commemorate the day. iQA Commissioner Alex benepe presided over the tournament and delivered (due to weather conditions) a truncated version of the 2011 state of the League Address. After the tournament he declared "that was the most masochistic Quidditch tournament i have ever witnessed � 5| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 o "Thi wiA he oA iAoihcA ci Qciic ih oQeii ei hive evee wc ieAAei � iii alovei eveey Aeioii oof c ." � alex Beiepe and i loved every second of it." the tournament also saw the debut of the first test version of the IQA iPhone app, which received 59 downloads on its first day and allowed the app creators to live test its features and find any bugs. the app currently allows users to "cheer" and "boo" teams in specific events (content updates as new events begin), answer trivia questions, vote for participating teams and upload photos and video. it should be noted that whiteout conditions and subzero temperatures seem to bring out the beast in the average Quidditch player. Almost every match had at least one overaggressive tackle that resulted in fists being thrown, even between players of different genders. While holding a bloody snowball to her wounded lip, one female ives Pond player remarked to her teammates "he punched me! but it's okay, i punched him back." Please note: while the iQA does admit this is fairly badass, even mutual punching is not allowed in Quidditch and is forbidden in the rulebook. Luckily disputes were resolved quickly and players apologized and were shaking hands by the end of the day. on a final high note, no tauntauns were killed for the duration of the storm. the iQA would like to thank James Maska, nicholas Kelly, newell neusbaumer, and the City of buffalo for helping organize the tournament. n NEWS Ives Pond Standings finAL sCorEs game 1: ives Pond vs. geneseo (60-40) game 2: rit vs. City honors (70-30) game 3: ives Pond vs. rit (60-0) City honors vs. geneseo (30-20) City honors vs. ives Pond (0-90) geneseo vs. rit (60-30) ives Pond vs. geneseo (70-40) finAL rAnKing 1. ives Pond Quidditch Club 2. sunY geneseo 3. rochester institute of technology 4. City honors high school Players brave stormy weather in Buffalo. || Photos by Alicia Radford IQA iPhone app debuts the iQA iPhone app is now available for free download on the itunes store. search "iQA fanjingo" to find it and download. this test version is oriented around events and tournaments so it currently does not have any content on it, but content will be programmed in before big iQA events like regional tournaments. The app debuted on Saturday, January 15, at the Ives Pond Invitational Tournament at the Buffalo flurrious! Winter festival in buffalo new York, which featured four teams from new York state. fans on-site or across the globe can tune in to the app to cheer on teams, answer questions or vote on the matches, and upload photo and video content. Additional features including league news, a rulebook, team pages, and other concepts will not appear on the application until updated versions are released later this year. Please send any feedback you have or suggestions for improvement by tweeting @mugglequidditch or posting on our facebook page. -- Alex benepe February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |6 2011 State of the League Address || Photo by Ariel Ritchin by iQA Commissioner Alex benepe i am speaking to you from buffalo, new York, home to the first ives Pond invitational at the buffalo Winter festival, and i am here with four local teams. ives Pond, rit, sunY geneseo, and City honors high school. With 2010 behind us and 2011 off to a great start, it's a good time to look at how far we've come, and how far we have yet to go. Last march, just five years after Muggle Quidditch came into being, the iQA incorporated as a non-profit organization. i appointed nine members to the board of directors, based upon their outstanding records as founders of successful teams, their widely spread geographic locations, and what level their World of Warcraft character was. the board met in person for the first time in May and hosted an exhibition match in new York City that was covered by many major press outlets including nPr and the huffington Post. the Daily Prophet nearly came but they were busy covering the oil spill, which, in case you haven't heard, WAs caused by dark magic. in the fall of 2010 the new website, internationalquidditch.org was launched, to great critical acclaim, including steve Jobs, who after viewing, reportedly tweeted, "just saw the new iQA site. Accio my face, because i think it just melted on to the floor." regional tournaments and interscholastic competitions took place throughout the 7| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 Players, fans, supporters & the iQA: of thank you for watching and listening. fall, and on november 13th and 14th, 46 teams from around the country, including three high school teams and one adult club team, competed in the World Cup at dewitt Clinton Park in new York City. the event drew over 750 athletes and more than 10,000 spectators, not to mention over 40 national and international media outlets, ranging from Time Magazine to a very lost and confused writer from Jedi Styles. forty thousand people visited the iQA website that weekend and over 20,000 watched the live webcast. The IQA raised $5,000 to cover tournaments in 2011, as well as an additional $5,000 for Book Aid international, a partnering organization that donates half a million books to libraries throughout Africa each year. now, if you'll just twist the dial on your time-turner a few times, we're going to look ahead to the future. the iQA is starting off 2011 by revamping its website. over the next few months we'll be rolling out new features, starting with improved international forums, a comprehensive events schedule that teams may contribute to, and an interactive world map of our official member teams along with regional hubs and pages for each official member team. A new standings section will track the scores of games all over the world throughout each season, and our editorial staff and new video production team will keep you informed with weekly news updates and monthly video reports. thanks to press attention from the World Cup, the iQA now has a roster of over 100 volunteer staff. iQA directors are placing those volunteers in various divisions, and we look forward to working with them to improve league organization and efficiency. one challenge we face in this department is deciding what to do with an application from a misunderstanding Mafia hit man who wants to help us with our "snitch problem." throughout 2011, the iQA will be organizing six big regional tournaments throughout the us and Canada. All official members can apply to receive funding and organizational support in return for hosting or transforming their local tournament into an official tournament of the iQA. the board of directors will be screening applications and placing the best applications up for a vote open to official members. Planning for the 2011 World Cup is already underway. in response to multiple suggestions for alternative locations, we are opening the 2011 event to bids from anyone: official members, captains, players, fans or otherwise. Applications are available on our website and due by February 15th. As with regional tournaments, the board will screen applications, and final voting will be open to official members. Additionally, each team whose bid reaches the final vote will receive a free session with legendary trainer Patches o'houlihan, writer of the acclaimed book If You Can Dodge A Wrench, You Can Dodge A Bludger. the official membership program is starting to amp up, with over 50 teams signed up, and by the end of february, official members will have unique team pages on the iQA website for photos, rosters, schedules, videos - you name it. official members will also get special voting abilities, funding application opportunities, and be able to post upcoming games and local tournaments as news stories on our website and receive support through social media and traditional public relations assistance from the iQA. official teams will also be able to promote iQA t-shirt sales and receive portions of the proceeds to help raise additional money for their team, and will continue to have cutting edge access to the best funding and developments options for any Quidditch team as they become available. on the topic of fundraising, the iQA has partnered with a sports fundraising group to launch and conduct fundraising campaigns for no upfront cost to our teams. our partners have worked with thousands of teams and raise an average of $4,000 per team, which will help more iQA teams acquire equipment, travel for competitions, and attend World Cup. interested team captains can find more information about that on our website. the iQA has also learned that Quidditch motivates youth and young adults to participate in team sports who might not otherwise. With that in mind, we will be launching an "Adopt a Quidditch team" program, in which we aim to equip fifty schools with all the equipment they need to start and a mentor team to train and work with students, to ensure the long term success of Quidditch as a team or PE class at any school, and we can do this for just a few hundred dollars per team. Anyone out there watching or listening can donate now to support this program and several others. Additionally, national Women in sports day is coming up, and the iQA is using the event to launch its own gender equality program, title 9 3/4. We are starting things off by asking our teams to submit videos about what gender equality means to them, in Quidditch, sports, and life, in order to help promote the program and set co-ed sports participation in Quidditch as a new standard for all sports. With all of these exciting projects on the horizon and more teams than ever, 2011 promises to be an exciting year. i encourage all of you who are official members to be as engaged with our league as possible and make use of the resources we provide, and those of you are not, i urge you to support the future of Quidditch by joining and contributing to our league. And of course, i hope to see all of you on the pitch at the World Cup this fall. thank you for bearing with me through this address, and in order to prevent the audience from turning into a new glacier formation, i will let us get back to playing Quidditch and leave you with these words: "Mischief, Managed." February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |8 NEWS Regional Tournament Bid Begins T he cA ApoiAoecia Acx eeacoiial oQeii ei A ci he iex yeie, oie ci eiih eeacoi oof he Uic ei S i eA iii oie ci Ciiiii. alal official e bee ei A weee ealcacbale o AQb c ippalcii coiA Qi cal Feb. 1. Official e bee ei A iii vo e ofoe whcih oQeii ei A AhoQali eeiecve ofQiicia oi he webAc e ofeo 12:01 i oi Feb. 4 o 11:59 p oi Feb 11. Eiih oQeii ei Aealei ei iA ii official eeacoiial oQeii ei wcalal eeiecve i 1,000 aeii ofeo he iA wealal iA ex eiAcve aloacA ciial iii peo o coiial AQppoe , ciialQicia i ofQalal PR ii picai iii iAAcA iiie wc h eqQcp ei ofQiicia iii voalQi eeeA. The wcalal ialAo Aeii i aleiA oie ihceof offiee oe iceei oe o eiih oQeii ei . Northeastern USA Southern USA Emerson College BoA oi, M The New England Cup Boston University BoA oi, M Northeast Regionals University of Florida GiciAvcalale, FL The Swamp Cup University of Arkansas Fiye evcalale, R Hog's Head Invitational Midwestern USA Ball State & Purdue Universities Hi cal oi CoQi y, N Midwest Regional Tournament Southwestern USA Western USA Texas Tech University LQbboik, TX Southwest Regional Tournament IQA West LoA iaealeA, C Pacific Cup Canada Carleton University O iwi, ON The Ravens' Cup McGill University Moi eeial, C First Annual Canadian Cup 9| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 NEWS Welcome to the League! New JiiQiey ei Acai-QpA M any college, high school and community representatives contacted the iQA in January expressing interest in forming a Quidditch team in their area. regional directors will work with these individuals to ensure all teams get off the ground. (grand rapids, Mi) Western Michigan university (Kalamazoo, Mi) international Academy West (White Lake, Mi) Jefferson Jaguars Quidditch (bloomington, Mn) Central hs Quidditch team (st. Paul, Mn) fuquay varina high school (fuquay varina, nC) southern Alamance high school (graham, nC) Wet Jets Quidditch (union City, nJ) sierra vista high school (Las vegas, nv) ravens Quidditch (fredonia, nY) garden City high school (garden City, nY) hamilton Quidditch (hamilton, nY) the ravens (Jamestown, nY) the spence school (new York City, nY) Clinton Community College Cougars (Plattsburgh, nY) victor senior high school (victor, nY) ohio university (Athens, oh) Marietta College Wizbangs (Marietta, oh) tiffin university (tiffin, oh) Metropolitan Learning Center (Portland, or) City of tualatin recreation (tualatin, or) rockwood rockets (Confluence, PA) Middle tennessee state university (Murfreesboro, tn) White station Quidditch (White station, tn) the Allen texas firebolts (Allen, tX) birdville high school Quidditch League (north richland hills, tX) Westlake Academy Quidditch (Westlake, tX) Eagle strikers (Wichita falls, tX) Wimberley high school (Wimberley, tX) utah state university (Logan, ut) fairfax Quidditch League (fairfax, vA) herndon Quidditch (herndon, vA) Long trail school (Manchester Centre, vt) American teams huntsville Panters Quidditch (huntsville, AL) berkeley high school (berkeley, CA) Castro valley united (Castro valley, CA) Mater dei high school (santa Ana, CA) university of Colorado at boulder (boulder, Co) East haven high school (East haven, Ct) university of hartford (West hartford, Ct) georgetown university (Washington, dC) titusville bCC Quidditch team (titusville, fL) Palm beach Central high school (Wellington, fL) georgia southern university (statesboro, gA) indiana university south bend (south bend, in) fitchburg finches Quidditch Club (fitchburg, MA) simon's rock Quidditch (great barrington, MA) south shore regional vocational technical high school (hanover, MA) needham rockets Quidditch (needham, MA) Eastern nazarene College (Quincy, MA) stevenson university (owings Mills, Md) northern ridgebacks Quidditch Canadian teams the Calgary Chinooks (Calgary, Alberta) henry street high school (Whitby, ontario) International teams Colegio guido spano (buenos Aires, Argentina) Wantirna College (Wantirna, Australia) the Amateurs (vila velha, brazil) Kazan Zilants (Kazan, russia) uppsala university (uppsala, sweden) bedfordshire broomsticks (shillington, united Kingdom) hMs Albion (bristol, united Kingdom) February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |10 NEWS NEWS OSU YQale Bialal i AQiieAA n By Andi Hendrickson ew Quidditch clubs on campuses across the u.s. often have trouble recruiting, planning and holding events, not to mention getting the funds to actually make those things happen. the students at ohio state university have found a creative solution to that ever-popular problem: the annual osu Quidditch League Yule ball. the osu Quidditch League is only four years old, but the Yule ball has been a success since its inception three years ago. the Yule ball is just like the one hogwarts hosted in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: a formal dance for anybody who wants to come, including rival universities in the area. however, the students at osu have turned this themed dance into a fundraiser both for their own club, and for organizations around ohio. this year, the organization chosen was the Mid-ohio food bank. the club took canned food donations at the door and took $1.00 off the ticket prices of those bearing donations. the osu team rents out a large space every winter for this event. there is space for dancing and a room resembling the great hall. to make the Yule ball more than just a dance, the team decorates the halls and rooms with winter decorations, including Christmas lights, sparkling snowflakes, miniature Christmas trees and ornaments, garland and homemade banners and shields depicting the mascots for slytherin, gryffindor, hufflepuff and ravenclaw. this year's decorations also included a door adorned with a giant portrait of the fat Lady that guards the entrance to the gryffindor common room. this year's Yule ball, which took place Jan. 21, earned the club about $1,650 in profit. The team charges $3.00 per person and $5.00 per couple upon entry, and this year's dance welcomed over 850 guests over three and a half hours. Expenses included renting tables, purchasing new decorations and food bought in bulk. the club rented out dJ equipment, a popcorn machine and uses various university resources for free. Cleanup and event security were the team's responsibility. OSU gets the word out about its annual event using flyers that are posted in dorms and classroom buildings throughout campus, including an electronic advertisement in the new student union building. A facebook event was also a vital advertising tool. this event included basic information and allowed guests to ask questions and interact with one another before the night of the event. the club utilizes word of mouth as well, making announcements in classes during the weeks preceding the event. osu had a sign-up list at the door for those wishing to join the team, and by the end of the evening they had about 10 prospective new members. holding an event similar to osu's Yule ball is not only a way for clubs to make some extra money, but it is also great for advertising and recruiting for their teams. n The 'A iew icaA i n the weeks after World Cup 2010, in between catching up on sleep and clearing out over 1,200 emails from his inbox, Alex benepe moved into the iQA's first-ever office in bedford hills, nY, about an hour outside of new York City. the iQA shares office space with the fundraising company My sports dreams, who manages fundraising campaigns for thousands of sports teams around the country. the iQA has a total of five cubicles in the back of the office, two of which are for the CEo and Coo, two for packing and shipping t-shirts and other iQA merchandise, and one for a future iQA intern. do you live in the bedford hills/Westchester area and want to have a dynamic and fun after school internship experience with free waffles? Contact commissioner@internationalquidditch. org to see if you'd be a good fit for an iQA internship. -- Alicia radford 11| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 Hard at work in the IQA's new office. || Photo by Andrea Hill acof A 5000 o Book ci i eeii coiial By Alex Benepe i am proud to say that the IQA has just gifted $5,000 to Book Aid international, one of the world's premiere organizations for global literacy. book Aid donates over half a million books to libraries in sub-saharan Africa each year. the iQA raised the money through a combination of sales of official t-shirts at the 2010 World Cup and online sales on our website. book Aid was founded, interestingly enough, by Lady Hermione, the Countess of Ranfurly, in 1954. Since then, they have given over 25 million books to communities and institutions in need, and changed people's lives for the better. in 2002, author J.K. rowling set an example for the world by supporting book Aid international with an exclusive auction at sotheby's of a teaser for harry Potter and the order of the Phoenix. And again, in 2006, she donated a handrawn map of the black family tree to an auction at bloomsbury that raised over $50,000 for Book Aid. Between these and other generous actions to support groups like book Aid, Joanne rowling has established herself as a champion of literacy and inspired others, including groups like the hP Alliance and the iQA, to follow in her footsteps. in an official statement, book Aid recently said `We're delighted to have been chosen as the international Quidditch Association's charity partner! for every official iQA t-shirt bought, the donation made to book Aid international will pay for us to send one new book to a library in sub-saharan Africa, to countries where books are a luxury that very few people can afford." the iQA is grateful to be a part of this tradition, and also for book Aid's willingness to partner with our organization. We look forward to continuing to support book Aid as our league grows and develops. if you are interested in supporting book Aid international, please follow this link to learn more and donate directly through their website at http://www.bookaid.org. book Aid international is one of the world's foremost library development charities and provides around half a million books to libraries in sub-saharan Africa and the occupied Palestinian territories every year. book Aid supports libraries in schools, refugee camps, prisons, universities, communities and more. book Aid also supports libraries by providing grants for purchasing books locally, maintaining library buildings or training for library staff. by working with a wide range of partners in 12 countries, book Aid international ensures that the books sent match the local need and that they are distributed to the libraries and communities that need them the most. In sub-Saharan Africa, 153 million adults are functionally illiterate and most people simply cannot afford books of their own. Without literacy people are not able to access education or healthcare, take advantage of opportunities for employment, or participate in social, economic and political decisions which affect their lives. And without books, literacy is very hard to foster and maintain. registered charity number: 313869. February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |12 NEWS Making the Magic Happen: alcici Riiofoei VoalQi eee oof he Moi h By Alex Benepe i t's only fitting that it would take five issues of the Monthly Seer to include a profile on one Ms. Alicia radford, the iQA's Chief operations officer and Editor in Chief and birthmother of the Seer. As someone who stays out of the spotlight but orchestrates everything behind the scenes, it is typical for Alicia to be modest about her hand in guiding the league, kind of like Eric Axlerod but more attractive. so it was i who recommended her as volunteer of the Month for the fifth Seer, to which she semi-reluctantly agreed. it is also prescient that Alicia is profiled at this time because she has made some major sacrifices this month in the name of Quidditch. having graduated early in december from the university of Washington, she apparated from her comfy apartment in seattle to the bustle of new York City with no job and no housing in order to work for the iQA. since then she has couch-surfed around the tri-state area, found a full time job with the Jewish national fund, and logged riddikulus hours working with me at the iQA's new headquarters in bedford hills, nY. so what makes Alicia so great besides her balls-to-thewall attitude? to get straight to the heart of it, a fellow board member and Chief strategic officer of the iQA, Alex terry, once compared her to hermione, and the analogy is relatively apt. she works harder at Quidditch than anyone else, has an amazing talent for multi-tasking, manages dozens of complex projects at once, has a masterful touch for working with and motivating others, and possesses a strong creative streak that allows her to produce fantastic layouts in the Monthly Seer. she is indefatigable � once she begins working on a project she will not stop until it is done. over the past year in working with her remotely or in person (she flew out a week early to organize World Cup) i have lost track of how many all-nighters she has pulled. she never complains or gets discouraged; setbacks are nothing more than new challenges to her, and whatever she doesn't know, she learns quickly, ranging from complex website coding to corporate taxes and filing. guys, i think Alicia has some dirt on her shoulder, can you brush it off for her? some other things you should know about Alicia: she can play the guitar; loves swing dancing and jazz; used to play starcraft; participated in/produced the "intercollegiate Quidditch trailer" on Youtube (221,000 views, nbd); and would probably gladly marry Joe Walker, the dazzling actor who played voldemort in "A very Potter Musical" (which leads me to suspect that perhaps Mr. terry was right when he incongruously pegged Alicia as a slytherin). Joe, are you out there? if so email alicia.radford@ internationalquidditch.org and she'll find some space for you on her schedule. And if you want to be her boyfriend, expect a google form application to fill out first. 13| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 NEWS Fcah cia eeial-woeali HoeieQxeA wc h he HP By Alicia Radford t he harry Potter Alliance is the world's premier harry Potter-related charity and their work brings together fans of all stripes to raise money and awareness for realworld causes, drawing parallels between our world and harry's world. the hPA's latest campaign is the deathly hallows campaign, spanning the months between the releases of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One and Part Two. during these nine months, the hPA has picked seven real-world horcruxes for the fan community to focus on and fight against. the seed for the deathly hallows campaign was planted after the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released, when the hPA launched a "What Would dumbledore do?" Campaign. "the dumbledore campaign was very introspective," said Andrew slack, the Executive director of the hPA. "Half-Blood Prince is a very introspective movie. it was centered on romantic maturity and dumbledore's death, and the campaign was about `what has dumbledore done for you?' it was our most popular and fastestgrowing campaign ever, i think because it was so connected to the canon. so we knew we had to do something for Deathly Hallows." Where Half-Blood Prince is introspective, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is action-oriented. "We brainstormed what kind of actions we could take and thought that maybe we could have seven horcruxes for our world. it was a long process figuring out the concepts and took a long time to develop." Each month, a new real-world horcrux is unveiled and the hPA community is encouraged to engage with and fight against it in several different ways. organizing and launching not just one campaign, but seven one after the other has been "exciting and exhausting," slack said. "in the middle of one campaign you have to be planning the next one � and all the previous ones continue as well. Deathly Hallows was exhausting for harry, ron and hermione. they're on an epic journey, and so are we. the harry Potter books are built on the premise that we can learn from and be like the heroes we read about � and become heroes in our world." february's horcrux is the bullying horcrux, focusing specifically on the bullying and inequality that is often a way of life for people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning their sexuality (LgbtQ). "The Hieey Po ee bookA iee bQcal oi he pee cAe hi we iii aleiei ofeo iii be alcke he heeoeA we eeii iboQ � iii beio e heeoeA ci oQe woeali." from the hP Alliance website, "often this type of bullying encourages high rates of depression, suicide, and hate crimes. bullies in the us have spread their hate to uganda, where they are trying to pass a law to murder everyone who is LgbtQ and all straight supporters. What started off as bullying in schools has escalated to potentially mass human rights atrocities of genocidal proportions." this month the hPA will fight the bullying horcrux by working to create safe school environments that accept all youth for who they are; promoting a bill to prevent government interference in same-sex marriage; and working with human rights organizations to end LgbtQ hate crimes in uganda. the hPA is also launching fans for Equality, which is a "bigger group than the hPA, in the sense that it will bring together multiple fan communities for equality." Every horcrux is interconnected, from the starvation Wages horcrux, which petitions Warner brothers to use only certified fair trade chocolate for all of their harry Potter merchandising, to the body bind horcrux, which focuses on accepting our bodies and living healthfully. "the body bind horcrux is not considered a traditional activist cause," said slack. "We're redefining what activism can be. if you're getting into your body, connecting, having fun, isn't that a form of making the world better? When a population is disempowered � hobbled by the dementor horcrux or the body bind horcrux � we also aren't conscious of what we're eating or buying, or of our power as consumers. on accident, we become oppressors. When we don't ask companies with our dollars to act in a way that is ethical and common sense, no one is going to stand up. "J.K. rowling said, `We do not need magic to change the world. We have the power to imagine better' � society asks us to imagine worse." but we don't have to. that's the power of the deathly hallows campaign. "Most of us can't take down the equivalent of voldemort � osama bin Laden or poverty � but we can do small things, and those small things add up. We're all making it happen together." to learn more about the deathly hallows campaign and the harry Potter Alliance, visit http://www.thehpalliance.org. February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |14 Tei I.Q.A. Spo alcah A ikeA flcah Hcah Aihooal ei By Rebecca Seidel t he story of Wayne hills high school's Quidditch Club will sound familiar to many muggles: it started out as a joke. but now, just two months since their first officia lmeeting ,Quidditch enthusiasts at this new Jersey high school have their club up and running. flying � well, that's the next step. in the wake of november's Quidditch World Cup, held in new York City, sophomores Anthony gilgur and thomas Mattera joked around about introducing Quidditch to their school. for gilgur, the joke started when she saw a facebook post by Wayne hills alum gabby taub saying she would be playing on the new York university team at the World Cup. "i remember commenting on her status somewhat sarcastically that maybe i could start a Quidditch team at Wayne hills," gilgur said. "After her response saying that there were actually high school teams at the World Cup as well as many college teams, i actually wanted to make one." the club attracted Potter enthusiasts right away, and about 20 people showed up to its first meeting. those interested were separated into two teams led by captains natalie Mikhol, a freshman, and greg Zuber, a junior, who double as seekers. "Keeping with Potter tradition, the original team names are gryffindor and slytherin," said Zuber. "We haven't really had much time to practice or have matches, as we are still starting up, but once the spring meetings begin when the weather improves, a game schedule will most likely be written up for weekly practices and possibly bi-weekly matches." the club is currently run by five copresidents: gilgur, Mattera, Zuber, junior Justin ort, and sophomore Alyssa High school Quidditch teams, like the St. Ursuline Koalas, are becoming more common. || Photo by Jamie NYC scheiner. "We run a facebook group and a website to keep all of our members informed," scheiner said. "overall, we consider this club to be a team effort, and that's how we run it, as a team." since it's the off-season, there isn't much action on the field right now for these Quidditch players. but they're using the time to get a faculty advisor, brainstorm ideas, and generate enthusiasm. "once we completely settle down and work out all the kinks of our club, we'll start the planning for a competitive team," said Mattera. "for now, we're just a group of friends and high school students who share a common interest." "it's a way to connect with all the other harry Potter fans who people think are weird," he added. "the people who go around singing the theme song and shouting spells. the people who shout [hogwarts] house names in the hallways. We have something to do with each other." the team members are excited to start playing regularly and to make a splash at their school. "We're planning to have one of our snitches dress up in yellow or gold one day during school, and we'll run around trying to catch him in between classes," gilgur said. the team doesn't have a mascot just yet, he added, but "if we do make one, it'll probably be something crazy and fun like we are!" At Wayne hills high, Quidditch draws people of all athletic abilities. "for those of us who are not that sporty, it's a fun extracurricular," said senior club member neha gandhi. of course, the Wayne hills Quidditch Club has World Cup aspirations. "though we'd need plenty of fundraising and practice before then, it sure is a dream we'd like to accomplish, and perhaps we'd see some of our alumni while competing," gilgur said. "if not next year, definitely the year after we'll go to the World Cup. i'll make it happen!" n 15| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 TEAM SPOTLIGHTS QeeiAaliii Qciic ih eeiicia wi ee M By Andrea Hill assive flooding in Queensland, Australia has left the state's Quidditch League without a pitch and essential equipment. by the middle of January, the team's practice space was underwater and hoops and balls were destroyed. the lost supplies represent six-months worth of labour and fundraising. "it's kind of horrible," said nicola Caldwell, founder of the Queensland Quidditch League. "but we're tough, we'll get through it." Among the League's few remaining possessions are players' homemade brooms. these were stored in Caldwell's home, one of the only houses on its street that was not evacuated. though the water came up to her doorstep, Caldwell's residence was spared from extensive flood damage. Caldwell said that before the floodwaters hit, players dreamed of travelling to the 2011 Quidditch World Cup. now, with so much money and effort needed to replace equipment, it is unlikely athletes will be able to afford the trip so soon. but Caldwell has not given up the dream. "We definitely want to go in 2012," she said. the Queensland League was born in August 2010 after Caldwell learned about Muggle Quidditch online. using social media sites, Caldwell appealed to harry Potter fans in the state and soon three teams were born. "it was insane," Caldwell said. "the amount of response i got was overwhelming." two community teams, the Privet drivers and Whimsic Alleys, are composed mainly of college students. the third team, dumbledore's Army, consists of students from Miami high school. until december, athletes practiced and scrimmaged every second sunday. some travelled up to an hour and a half by train to reach the practice field. Players also met to sell sausages in store parking lots to raise money for equipment and uniforms. unfortunately, much of this money has now been lost. Caldwell said the League plans to start fundraising again in April at a pop culture convention in brisbane where players will sell team badges and promote Quidditch as a sport. Cadwell said she hopes the League will eventually grow to include more teams from Queensland and other Australian states. but for now, she and the rest of the League have a long period of rebuilding ahead. n Did you know? of ee he Uic ei S i eA iii Ciiiii, QA eialci hiA he oA Qciic ih ei A oof iiy ioQi ey ci he woeali. alook i Qciic ih ci Cialcofoeici Biy By Kathryn Mudgway Monahan describes the league as "a model of interfaith, magical cooperation � students from many faiths, races, ethnicities, countries of origin, ages, genders, and sexual orientations play together." if you're in the California bay Area and am interested in joining or even becoming a spectator during events, please contact gtu Quidditch League Commissioner "Constance vigilant" (aka rev. Joellynn Monahan) at email@example.com for more information. Quidditch enthusiasts from all over the world can enjoy search for the graduate theological union Quidditch League on facebook. n t he Pacific school of religion (Psr) Quidditch team was founded in August 2008 by Psr alumna and current staff member rev. Joellynn Monahan. however, the name quickly changed to the graduate theological union (gtu) Quidditch League when more students from the gtu's other seminaries wanted to join in on the fun. the league's members are the graduate students, staff, family members and alumni. besides regular season matches and scrimmages, the league also hosts special events like the annual fall season opening ceremony that includes a pregame oblivate ceremony to rid athletes of previous traumatic sport experiences. The GTU Quidditch League. || Provided February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |16 TEAM SPOTLIGHTS alook i he aeow h iii ievealop ei i CheA iQ Hcalal Coalaleae ii pQA ci Phcaliiealphci, Pi., oA A Qiei A ec hee kiow iboQ he Qciic ih ei oe paliy he AealveA. Ovee he aliA heee yeieA, he ei hiA beio e wealal-eA ibalcAhei oi ii pQA, ikcia c Aealof kiowi o A Qiei A oof ialal iaeA, peoaei A iii biikaeoQiiA. "Quidditch for us has really brought together different segments of the campus culture," said Krista Murphy, dean of student activities at Chestnut hill. "i think it's been very positive for our campus culture overall." Chestnut hill's team started in the spring of 2008 after student Max Kaplan saw a muggle Quidditch match on Youtube. Kaplan was so impressed by the sport that he became determined to make Quidditch work at Chestnut hill. "there wasn't really one thing on campus that unified the student body in any way," Kaplan said. "so i was like, `you know what? i think this could possibly be it.'" Kaplan approached the Murphy with the idea. she was so excited by the proposal that she volunteered to help lead the first practice. Murphy, a former soccer coach, adapted soccer drills for students to run through. she said the most amusing part of the day was watching players try to complete the drills on brooms. "it was interesting," Murphy said, remembering the practice. "there was a lot of falling and laughing and hilarity that ensued." devin devoue, a veteran player on the team, said he remembers that first practice. though running on a broom was initially a challenging skill to master, devoue said, it now comes naturally to many players. "to be able to run with it needs a combination of balance and a little bit of strength to hold it and still run at a high speed," devoue said. "it's a skill in itself." one of the most difficult aspects of running with a broom is overcoming the feeling of ridiculousness it inspires, devoue said. self-consciousness, he said, has no place on the Quidditch pitch. "You can't play Quidditch without looking a little silly," devoue said. "it's part of the environment. it's part of the game." After the success of the team's first practice, team members continued to meet and hone their skills. 17| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 the following fall, Kaplan and Murphy organized Chestnut hill's first Quidditch tournament in which the college's teams competed. team administrators observed games and selected an all-star team that went on to play in the second annual Quidditch World Cup in Middlebury, vt. in october 2008. the team finished third. the Chestnut hill Quidditch program has grown very quickly, in part because of the support it receives from college administration. the college's student activities budget fully supports the team, covering everything from equipment to transportation costs. "it makes things a little easier," devoue said. "it helps us focus on the game itself and not so much on selling the game." the beneficial relationship the team has with the university works both ways, said stephanie rief, a Qciic ih o By Andr O second-year player on the te Chestnut hill is a small col often get much attention. h known Quidditch team is b "because we bring a lot they're willing to support go to the World Cup witho it too much. they get the b Chestnut hill, even though in a lot of places." in the weeks leading World Cup, the Chestnu in reports by media outlet daily news. the team was released documentary. despite the help the te it remains predominantly a "it's something the col financially but the idea and to-day work is all student"it comes from students for Left: The Chestnut Hill Griffin stands with IQA CEO Alex Benepe. Right: Chestnut Hill player Tom Weigel run TEAM SPOTLIGHTS rea Hill i oof CheA iQ Hcalal Coalaleae Qciic ih oi he Hcalal eam. she said that because llege, its sports teams don't however, the school's wellbeginning to change this. t of attention to the school, us," rief said. "We get to out having to worry about benefit of having the name h it's a really small school, up to and following the ut hill team was featured ts including Cbs and the s also the star of a recently eam receives, Murphy said a student-run initiative. llege has involvement with d the passion and the day-generated," Murphy said. r students." n The Chestnut Hill Quidditch team at the fourth annual Quidditch World Cup in New York City. || Provided Gecffi paliyeeA Ahiee hece ofivoQec e iecalalA "S eial he biioi" "It's to help practice reaction times for the beginning of the game when they yell `Brooms up!' It really helped us in the World Cup. We won a lot of the brooms up battles." � Devin DeVoue Multiple Quaffles and bludgers are placed in the middle of the field and players are divided into two groups of six or more players. A player in the center calls out the number of balls he or she wants (for example, `one Quaffle and two bludgers') and then randomly selects numbers (for example, `numbers 1 and 5'). The player in the center then yells `Brooms up!' Players pick up their brooms and charge to the center of the pitch and whoever makes it back to their side with all the balls wins the round. "The o " "For the Beaters it's really good practice because they have to hit someone who has the ball. It works on not wasting the Bludger." � Stephanie Rief team members form a circle around two beaters, each of whom have a bludger. the players on the outside of the circle are Chasers who must pass a quaffle without being hit by a bludger. if a Chaser is hit by a bludger while he or she is holding the Quaffle, he or she is out. the drill continues until only one chaser is left. ns with the Quaffle. || Provided February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |18 I.Q.A. P Miiy A ie cia Qciic ih ei A A eQaaale wc h i aliik oof ofQiicia, eqQcp ei iii paliyeeA. ThoQah hcA iii ike hciaA icffiQal , c ioeA io ike hciaA c poAAcbale. Wc h Ao e ieei cvc y, ciiovi cve ciicvciQialA iii bQcali Ao e hcia ofeo io hcia. e ay l ' rs o C er rn BQcalicia Ao e hcia ofeo io hcia By Andrea Hill Funding Many high school and university teams can apply for funding from their schools. but for community teams and teams unable to get funding, money can be raised quickly by charging team fees or by organizing a simple fundraiser such as a bake sale. it is possible for teams to hold practices before acquiring significant funds by getting team members to contribute to finding and building equipment. Equipment in iQA-regulation Quidditch, a volleyball is used as a quaffle and three dodgeballs are used for bludgers. however, starting teams can substitute other balls such as basketballs and soccer balls if these are available. before a team's first practice, captains can organize a meeting for interested players and ask if anyone can bring a ball or balls to practice. teams don't need to provide a full set of Alivan's brooms for their players. Captains can ask team members to bring their own brooms or broom-like implements. these can include kitchen mops, canes, lacrosse sticks or pool noodles. ski poles are a great option because they are light and players can bring one for a friend. one player on the Carleton university team uses a beat-up piece of plywood with "brooM" sprawled across it in permanent marker. if players want to get a cheap broom, wooden corn brooms can be picked up at most grocery stores for under $10. these are long and awkward to run with and can be cut down to a more acceptable size with a hand saw. goal hoops are often the most difficult piece of equipment for teams to acquire. instructions on how to build iQAregulation hoops are available in version 4.0 of the iQA 19| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 Carleton University playersguard home-made goal hoops. || Provided rulebook. but if teams can't afford the materials required to make these, other alternatives are available. hula hoops can be purchased cheaply from toy stores or dollar stores. the real challenge is getting these to stand upright. hoops can be duct taped to fences, hung from tree branches or suspended from the cross bars of soccer goal posts. if there are no structures on which to secure hoops, makeshift stands can be made using materials found in people's garages or at a second-hand store. bird baths, plastic lawn chairs and artificial Christmas trees make great hula hoop stands if teams can't afford to make stands of wooden poles and piping. if teams are really in a bind, a hula hoop can be taped to a long tree branch and the branch can be supported PLAYERS' CORNER by heavy book bags. Players organizing productive practices can be challenging if teams don't have a full roster. however the rules of the game can be tweaked in order for smaller groups to scrimmage amongst themselves. teams can play without seekers and go for a predetermined amount of time or until a predetermined number of goals are scored. teams can also play with one less chaser or one less beater (if a bludger is removed from play). if teams don't have enough goal hoops, half-court Quidditch can be played with a neutral keeper defending against both teams. And practices aren't all about scrimmaging. Many drills can be run with only a handful of players. Most Quidditch drills are adapted from drills used in other sports. Captains can ask players to come up with their own drills based on what they've seen in sports such as basketball, soccer and hockey. n Ge cia yoQe Aihooal o eeioaicae yoQe ei By Kathryn Mudgeway sometimes, getting your school to recognize your team as an official club can be a pain in the butt. it's like as if trying to get people to understand and respect Muggle Quidditch isn't hard enough already! however, despite all the of the trials and tribulations that your group may go through, the positive results of accomplishing this goal are definitely worth it in the end. Even though i don't personally have the time to be on a team myself due to my crazy school and work schedule, i have had college club experiences in the past and hopefully this advice column will help some of you out there that don't know where to start. -- Be confident about your proposal and know what your wants and needs are ahead of time. i know this sounds clich� and everything, but the more organized your thoughts are, the more confident and secure you'll be when it comes time to writing that application and/or making that presentation. After all, even harry Potter star Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) said that "i don't believe in mental blocks. i don't believe in what other people tell me i can and can't do. basically, i have very little regard for the idea of "can't". (to read Miss Lynch's full "Why the body bind is My nightmare" blog article, head over to this link: http://thehpalliance.org/2011/01/ why-the-body-bind-is-my-nightmare/). -- Get a copy of your school's club rules and read through them thoroughly. Highlighting certain points that relate to your group isn't a bad idea to. When i was working as secretary of a club last semester, knowing the rules definitely helped me and everyone else in the group out. Possessing knowledge of these rules will not only help you understand why the Council may say yes or no to an idea, but it will also help you stay out of trouble for whatever reason. -- Get an IQA Handbook and make sure that your school is also aware of what the IQA is and what we do. since Quidditch isn't an nCAA sport, persuading others that it is indeed a sport can be a difficult task. however, if the school is aware of the fact that you have additional community support, hopefully they'll continue to move forward with you. buying an iQA handbook is easy. All you have to do is head over to this link: http://www.internationalquidditch. org/handbook-version-4-0-digital-download-pdf.html and make your purchase from there (the PayPal link is at the bottom of the page). Currently, the deluxe package is $3 and is a digital download. $1 of each purchase however goes to our good friends at book Aid international. if you experience any technical difficulties with your purchase, please email email@example.com about your inquiry. -- Gather up support. this ranges not only from family and friends but to the entire student body. Ask yourself this question, "how will having a Quidditch team benefit your school?" then make a t-chart with all the pros and cons. sometimes, schools tend to favor older clubs because they have already established a solid reputation on campus. -- Find an advisor that's on your side. i know my school requires an advisor to present at all club meetings and events, etc. -- **Put a huge emphasis on safety. ** since Quidditch is a co-ed contact sport (a combination of real-life sports rugby, dodge ball, and tag), sometimes schools might shy away from supporting you because of liability reasons. reassuring your school that safety is your top priority might help you win the argument if that concern does come up. (iQA note: by using our rulebook you agree to follow our safety guidelines available on our website). -- Set up an archive and keep track of everything. You can this as ammo if someone tries to make a false claim about your club. but really, it's great to keep track of history and see how far everything has come if you decide to look back. -- Have fun and enjoy the ride! it's Quidditch after all! need i say anything else? Although this may not be the complete list of things to do, hopefully it will help some of you get onto the right track. Another thing that you can add to this list as well is a demo scrimmage. seeing is believing and most of the time people are biased and doubtful about something until they witness it for their own eyes. so what are you waiting for? in the words of young Ellie from disney and Pixar's up, "Adventure is out there!" n to contribute story ideas or input advice for future Quidditch 101 articles, please email Kathryn Mudgway at firstname.lastname@example.com. Qciic ih 101 February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |20 PLAYERS' CORNER Why I Love E ven today, fourteen years later, i can still remember when i first read harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone. it was the book my mother and i chosen to read together every night before bed. At first glance, it was not one that appealed to me, but my mother showed me there was more than just a boy on a broom. With the promise of magic and adventure, my mother and i began to read. it took us forever to get through that first book, but after that i was in love with getting lost within the world J.K. rowling had created. Whenever i think of that first introduction to the world i would grow to love, my mother is always there with me in the adventure. 2000, the year harry Potter and the goblet of fire was published, brought even more adventure than the previous books, but it was also the year i lost the woman who helped me find this love. My mother died of cancer and i was struck with grief. Lost and sad, i turned to books. for the next ten years my only constant friends would be paperbacks and hard covers. i gobbled up the words that brought me magic, love, hope, and good always triumphing over evil. but amongst all those books, harry Potter still shone brighter than all. his world was some days darker and more horrible than i could ever imagine, but in the end he always found a light to make it through the dark. the series ended my junior year of high school, but i still held a soft spot for the books up to my sophomore year of college when I saw a flier that changed things for me. simple and with splashes of yellow, it advertised a Quidditch team Quidditch By Tesia Schiltz The Illinois State University Quidditch team that would be starting. A dream right out of the book come true, i had to go. sadly, due to scheduling i didn't even make it to a practice for the first month, but then it finally worked out and i made my way to the practice field they had made on moving across the field untouched, something exciting about throwing a bludger and getting that person right before they score. but what is more amazing is finding people passionate about something so simple as a game that "That first day I was so nervous. What if this game from this book I had loved so dearly wasn't as wonderful as it seemed? My fear was lost the second I began to play. I was in love." the quad. that first day i was so nervous. What if this game from this book i had loved so dearly wasn't as wonderful as it seemed? My fear was lost the second i began to play. i was in love. Quidditch is more than just a game for me. My family is not always accepting of the fact that i "run around with a broom between my legs", but playing this game is not something i could give up easily. there is something so wonderful about came from one woman's imagination. i started loving harry Potter while sitting in my bed with my mother. i lost my mother, but i'm grateful for her helping me to find the world i still love. but now instead of simply reading one of the books before bed, i get to go out and live part of that world while on the Quidditch field. n 21| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 PLAYERS' CORNER Why io yoQ alove Qciic ih? } Why io yoQ alove Qciic ih? A c beiiQAe yoQ fiiialaly ae o paliy he ai e ofeo yoQe ofivoec e book? A c beiiQAe oof he vci oey hi yoQ Ahiee wc h yoQe ofealalow ei i eA iof ee he fiah cA ovee? Oe cA c he joQeiey hi yoQ ook o ae wheee yoQ iee oiiy? Whi evee he eeiAoi, we i he Monthly Seer woQali alcke o heie iboQ c . The Seer wcalal ofei Qee oie A oey eiih oi h iboQ why yoQ ( he i hale e oe ofii) alove Qciic ih. Ei eceA AhoQali be i oA oie piae Aciaale Apiiei. of yoQ'ee ci eeeA ei, paleiAe Aeii yoQe ei ey o firstname.lastname@example.com. IQA & World Cup T-Shirts: Just because you can't fly doesn't mean you can't look fly. Get yours. $14.99 $17.99 Enter `FebSeer' at checkout for 10% off http://www.internationalquidditch.org/store.html February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |22 I.Q.A. LcofeA yaleA Diiceal Mcalalee By Andrea Hill The Monthly Seer's Player of the Month o hio state university chaser daniel Miller lives a busy life. When he is not racing across the Quidditch pitch, the second year atmospheric science and math student is heavily involved with the sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, organizes fundraising events, coaches youth soccer and trains for marathons. his schedule may be packed but Miller said he wouldn't have it any other way. "i'm a firm believer that you find time to do things you love to do," Miller said. high on Miller's list of priorities this month is ensuring the university's tenth annual buckeyethon goes over without a hitch. the 17-hour dance marathon raises money for the hematology/oncology department of ohio's nationwide Children's hospital and the Children's Miracle network with the ultimate goal of ending childhood cancer. the event runs from feb. 26 to 27. "i just want to do my part and help out so that people with these problems can get better care," Miller said. Already, over 1,000 dancers have registered for the event, the largest number ever. Last year, buckeyethon raised just over $100,000 to fight cancer. this year, Miller said he hopes students will raise over $150,000. "We're fairly confident this is the year we'll raise the most money we've ever raised," Miller said. "We're really excited for it." Miller is a part of buckeyethon's recruitment and morale steering committee. since september he has been generating awareness of the event and making arrangements to ensure dancers have an awesome time. some of the activities dancers can look forward Ohio State University Quidditch player Daniel Miller trains for marathons in his spare time. || Provided to include live entertainment and the world's largest game of twister. "it's going to be a lot of fun," Miller predicted. When buckeyeton concludes, Miller will continue to keep his time occupied. As president of the ohio state Quidditch club, he organizes social events for club members including movie nights and weekly karaoke outings. Miller said these events give club members an opportunity to relax and take a break from school, if only for a short while. once the snow melts, Miller will recommence his role as soccer coach for a local boys soccer team. the warmer weather will also herald the beginning of marathon season � something Miller trains for year-round. "i love running," Miller said. "it's a great stress reliever." Miller was an avid cross-country runner in high school and competed in his first marathon, the Columbus Marathon, in october 2010. he plans to compete in the indianapolis half Marathon this spring. n Who inspires you? The peopale who paliy Qciic ih iee ii ex eioeiciiey bQiih iii he Monthly Seer wii A o ealal hece A oeceA. of yoQ kiow Ao eoie oi yoQe ei who ieAeeveA o be peofialei, e- ical iieei Hcalal i email@example.com wc h he peeAoi'A ii e, ei , ioi ii ciofoe i coi iii i beceof expaliii coi oof why hey ieAeeve o be ofei Qeei ci he Seer. 23| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 LIFESTYLES Of brushes and brooms By Alicia Radford Left: IQA CEO Alex Benepe's favorite mural. Right: Benepe's first painted leather jacket. || Provided t's plain to anyone who has seen Alex benepe in his iQA Commissioner costume/super hero disguise or seen the last three Monthly Seer covers that he's got some artistic flair. On and off the pitch, benepe is a versatile and accomplished artist. he is a painter, drafter, sculptor, set designer, and manabout-town. "i did a lot of drawing when i was young," benepe said. "When i was 12 i began collecting Warhammer pieces and kept at it until i was 16 and amassed several armies worth of thousands of one inch fantasy soldiers � orcs, human space warriors, each hand-painted down to their fingernails and pupils." After his Warhammer phase, benepe began painting leather jackets, "when i went through a brief infatuation with the stubbornly fading and evolving punk scene in new York City." What did he paint on his first leather jacket? "i painted the cover of the Clash album London Calling � Paul smashing his guitar." from there, he painted one major I mural each year in college and took a few oil painting classes. "Jim butler was an amazing professor," benepe said. "he taught me a lot about painting." benepe, an art history major at Middlebury who did most of his art outside of class, has painted murals at a Connecticut high school, bedrooms and living rooms throughout the tristate area, and put on a big graffiti show with a classmate during his senior year at Middlebury. "We invested the money ourselves in a ton of spray paint and painted a huge room from floor to ceiling, covering every surface, including windows and sometimes the floor and ceiling too. We recouped the costs by spray painting our stencils onto t-shirts and posters and selling them at opening night, which turned into a raging dance party that destroyed half of the room." he says his often industrial style "resonates with me because i grew up in new York." A holistic guy, benepe sees the potential for art everywhere, including the area that dominates his life: Quidditch. "i consider organizing this league and the fantastic visual splendor of the events that go with it to be an art form. nothing has felt as inspiring or empowering as developing real-life Quidditch. the thrill for me comes from watching people experience the game for the first time, that click that happens in their brain when they figure out what's going on and fully comprehend how wonderful and crazy it is. it allows me to vicariously relive that moment when i first played the game and it inspires me to keep pushing the envelope and pushing the game farther and out to more people." n February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |24 You know why Quidditch Consequently, on every romantic in nature. Talk some, but I'm here to 1) You've been making eyes at her from across the pitch for months now. She's the best chaser on the team, at least since Chad had to resign due to severe crotch splinters. She has the Quaffle and is headed your way! What should you do? Don't: Step to the side and let her go for goal. She will not appreciate the favoritism, and your keeper will be pissed off. Teammates before hot dates, bro. Don't: Punch her in the face to show your masculine dominance. Picking on girls you like lost its charm in the third grade. Don't: Steal the Quaffle and put it down your pants. Ew. Do: Defend the goals as you would any other opponent, but a warm hug in place of a violent tackle might be cute. You've got eyes for only one player, and that's the snitch runner. At every match, you strain to catch a glimpse of this mischievous man, but you think he's playing hard to get! How can you make him yours? Don't: Attempt flattery by dressing just like him. You will end up getting chased, but not by him. Don't: Try to rat him out. Snitches don't take kindly to fellow tattletales. Don't: Put weights in his sneakers. When he takes them off he'll be even faster. Do: Try a gentle touch. Snitches are known for their flesh memory, and so are often a bit touchy-feely. 2) 25| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 h is awesome? It's a co-ed contact sport. team, there are bound to be some encounters king to the opposite sex may be scary for help you through it with some dos and don'ts. 3) It's Valentine's Day, and time to make your move. How do you make plans for tonight? 4) Don't: Shout Imperio! There's a reason it's one of the unforgiveable curses. Don't: Use the broom as a phallic symbol at practice or make related crude jokes. We have Harry Potter Pick-Up Lines on Facebook for that. Don't: Give her chocolates laced with love potion. It's been done. Do: Take a leap of faith and tell her how you feel. If you get shut down, see situation four. Unfortunately, along with dating sometimes comes hurt feelings. What should you do if your Quidditch romance flies into some turbulence? Don't: Call the IQA requesting your ex be issued a red card for reckless play. Don't: Key his broom. It's harder to buff out than paint and will look more like a racing stripe, anyway. Don't: Cry like a mandrake. It will hurt your throat and make practice next to impossible. Do: Talk it out and resume play. When it comes down to it, you're still teammates, and fellow Quidditch players at that. February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |26 wonderland A winter LiA oi h hQiieeiA oof Monthly Seer ofiiA fialalei oQ oQe oialcie AQevey. Coiaei Qali coiA o Mikeiace Diveipoe , Jiiob HoalewciAkc, iii Ealcaibe h PiAhaley who weee eiiio aly ieiwi o eeiecve i ofeee T-Ahce ! Monthly Seer ioi eA A Freezing temperatures and knee-deep snow couldn't chill the fiery enthusiasm of the Boston University Quidditch team this winter. Brooms, wiffleball bats and even sticks were put to use during the game, but the goofy equipment was of no concern. With smiles on their faces and snow-matted clothing, as many as 40 players buzzed around an icy pitch, enjoying the team's first practice of the new year. The wintery conditions were welcomed by the squad as players whipped the quaffle and bludgers through the air, enduring frosty fingers for a chance to prepare for the upcoming season. The Terriers have much to look forward to, with aspirations of winning both the New England and World Cup's of 2011, and they will be hosting their own alumni-funded tournament in February. With any luck, spring will visit Boston a bit early this year. After all, no one likes a frozen snitch. -- Kedzie Teller (Boston University Quidditch) February fan-art contest Seii yoQe Qciic ih-eeali ei ie woek iA i JPG fiale o firstname.lastname@example.com. The beA ei eceA wcalal be pQbalcAhei ci he Mieih eic coi oof he Seer. Boston University players enjoy the wintry weather. || Photos by Dana Pelerin 27| The Monthly Seer � February 2011 MikeeA oof he Official Beoo oof he February 2011 � The Monthly Seer |28


text:
MECKLENBURGCOUNTY, N.C. -- All lanes on Interstate 77 southbound near the 485 inner loop were closed Saturday night due to a vehicle accident.
State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. Dispatchers say the lanes were closed roughly around 9:10 p.m.
According to Highway Patrol, a trailor came loose from the hitch on the tractor. No one was injured in the tractor trailor incident, but the slowed traffic caused a rear end collision.
Medic says they're treating four patients, one of whom has life threatening injuries. All were taken to CMC Main.
Officials say charges will be filed.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Alternate Title
Welcome to Pedagogy and Student Services for Institutional Transformation
Presentation slides produced by the Center for Effective University Teaching (now the Center for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching and Learning) introducing the concept of Universal Instructional Design (UID) pedagogy and practices from the Pedagogy and Student Services for Institutional Transformation Institute at the University of Minnesota
effective teaching, Universal Instructional Design, Universal Course Design
Subject Categories
Teaching, Universities and colleges--Curricula
Northeastern University
Publication Date
Rights Holder
Northeastern University
Permanent URL
Recommended Citation
Northeastern University - Center for Effective University Teaching, "Welcome to PASS IT!" (2008). CEUT Presentations. Paper 1. http://hdl.handle.net/2047/d20000602
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London, United Kingdom
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The driver was prompt and got us safely to Heathrow airport and on time.
London, United Kingdom
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We had a great time learning about beer and drinking it! Our guide, Jamie, was awesome and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend this tour! Love London!!!!!
London, United Kingdom
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We'll worth the money, especially with London's traffic. No worries about finding a cab in a busy international airport or lugging your stuff around in a packed underground. Definitely recommend and would do it again.
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Possible "road rage" incident leaves one injured in Memphis
In a possible "road rage" incident, shots were fired Monday into a car with a 7-month-old child aboard, police said.
The baby was unharmed, although a woman was slightly injured in the incident. According to police, two cars were heading west about 3 p.m. on James Road near the Jamesbridge apartments when some sort of disagreement occurred. The passenger in one car shot several rounds into the other.
One bullet penetrated the back window, went through the passenger seat and struck the woman sitting there. The bullet didn't break her skin, though.
Police had no one in custody late Monday.
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Adjudged one of the most famous opera houses in the world, Hamburg's Staatsoper attracts a host of international stars who perform pieces ranging from classical to contemporary. A small stage - the Opera Stablile - stages productions of new, experimental pieces. This venue is also home to the world class John Neumeier Ballet School, named after the ballet veteran who choreographs and directs full length ballet shows which never fail to leave the audience spellbound. The building dates from the 1950s, but the opera itself was founded as long ago as 1678, giving Hamburgische Staatsoper apt reason to take pride in its rich operatic traditions. The current musical director is Ingo Metzmacher, a darling of the critics and winner of numerous awards. So if opera and graceful ballet is your kind of thing, head to Hamburgische Staatsoper & Ballettcompagnie for a one of a kind experience.
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text:
Every year Senior Enrichment Services recognizes a special senior (55 years or older) in Huron County for all of their contributions to their community, friends and family.
Nominations have continued to grow and have made this award a very special part of the May Senior Celebration that will be held on May 16 at the Huron County Fairgrounds.
This is your opportunity to help Senior Enrichment Services recognize the contributions of a very deserving county resident. Pick up your application at: SES, 130 Shady Lane in Norwalk or at its Willard center, 315 Tiffin St.; Norwalk and Willard chamber of commerce; and/or the Norwalk Reflector, 61 E. Monroe St.
The deadline for nominating application is April 19.


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Blow Pro Blow Up Daily Volumizing Conditioner 1.7 oz
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Blow Pro Blow Up Daily Volumizing Conditioner volumizes hair while protecting and nourishing at the same time.
Mar 5, 2014
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text: Zucchini and other summer squashes are abundant in backyard gardens, farmers' markets, and grocery stores this time of year. Try these recipes to use up your supply. Print Email Photo: Romulo Yanes PagesPrevious 72 of 83 Next View All Veggie Grilled Pizza A sprinkling of bright, sweet mint complements the smoky grilled vegetables in this dish.View Recipe: Veggie Grilled Pizza Related Links Guide to Summer Squash Six Great Recipes for Zucchini Ultimate Summer Cookbook


text:
Co-owners Evan Bloom (left) and Leo Beckerman, in front of the retail shelves.
A row of pickled goods at the Wise Sons Deli in the Contemporary Jewish Museum.
Business cards on the counte.
A few of the management staff go over the details for the opening of the Wise Sons deli, whose doors will open in the Contemporary Jewish Museum on Friday the 26th of July on Thursday, July 25, 2013 in San Francisco, Calif.


text:
AE Fruit Slash
19906 reviews
By installing you agree to the Terms of Use and other terms
PublisherAE Mobile
More from AE Mobile
File weight38 MB
Content rating
Last updated30/12/2014
Works with
- Windows Phone 8.1
- Windows Phone 8
- Windows Phone 7.5
App requires
- phone identity
- owner identity
- photo, music, and video libraries
- data services
- phone dialer
- movement and directional sensor
- web browser component
- HD720P (720x1280)
- WVGA (480x800)
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Supported languages (1)
English (United States)
***What's new in V184.108.40.206*** 1)Add new mode: Zen and Action mode; 2) Add new Blade and background:like Christmas Blade, Merry Christmas Background. 3) Bug fixed; Just have fun! A very classic game 'Fruit Slash' is free at your phone now! Go experience this precise slicing action on various kinds of fruits, you will be addicted to this fruit slashing. Special point marking way, beautiful graphics, awesome sound effect and smooth gameplay make Fruit Slash an addictive game, and a great way to kill time. Game includes: 1) Three game modes: Classic, Time Rush, Darts 2) Different game states: original, flaming, freezing 3) More than 20 kinds of fruits 4) Lots of amusing blades 5) Plenty of beautiful game backgrounds 6) Cool props ***How To Play*** 1. Tap on the watermelon to start game 2. Slice on every fruit appears on screen Note: 1) Do not touch the bombs which are occasionally thrown onto the screen. 2) Sugarcane is the special fruit in the game, slice it multiple times to get extra points. 3) Special fruits with flame will increase the amount of fruit on the screen. 4) If you cut freezing fruit, it will slow down the movement of all fruit for a short period of time. 5) Extra points will be awarded for slicing multiple fruits with one swipe 6) You can use additional fingers to make multiple slices simultaneously. 3. You will get points according to the amount of fruits you sliced. 4. If the weight of missed fruits reaches 10lb or kg, your game ends. 5. In Time Rush mode: Only 60s and watch out the score killer bombs. 6. In Darts mode: Tap screen to launch darts and watch out the reptiles. If you like Fruit Ninja, 水果忍者, candy crush saga and other action and arcade casual action games, you shouldn't miss this interesting game! Come on! Good luck and be a fruit man!
23/05/2015It isthe best app ever
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23/05/2015Its a good game, sometimes takes a while to load and freezes alot
23/05/2015Great game sutible for children
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text:
Big East Spring Football Previews
Richard Cirminiello
2009 Big East Team-By-Team
2009 Big East Composite
2009 Big East Early Lookaheads
2008 Big East Lookbacks and
2008 CFN Big East Preview
2007 Big East Spring Analysis
Early Lookaheads -
Big East
2008 Big East Insider Spring
Questions & Answers
March 31
Game: April 25
The early spring buzz ...
The wholesale changes on the Bearcat
defense will not be limited to the
personnel. More than a month after the
season ended, Brian Kelly surprisingly
fired defensive coordinator Joe Tresey,
plucking Bobby Diaco out of Virginia to
replace him. By all measures, Tresey was
a success at Cincinnati, but there were
philosophical differences between the
coaches that couldn't be solved. In
order words, Kelly wants to make the
move to a 3-4 alignment, which will
begin to be implemented in April. Diaco
is just 36 years old, and one of the
fast risers in the coaching ranks.
The big spring question is ... Can
the defense recover from the loss of so
many key players? Four Bearcat
defenders, Mike Mickens, Brandon
Underwood, Connor Barwin, and Terrill
Byrd, earned All-Big East honors a year
ago. All four are now preparing for
possible NFL careers. Just a couple of
players with starting experience are
back in 2009, which will heap pressure
on unproven players, like CB Dominique
Battle, DT John Hughes, and S Drew Frey
to come up big and pick up some slack.
The most important position to watch is
... nose tackle. If Cincinnati is,
indeed, moving toward the 3-4 defense,
it has to develop someone that can play
the nose and plug a couple of gaps on
running downs. The Bearcats will be
looking for a big, physical lineman, who
has the quickness to get penetration and
the durability to absorb a lot of
contact. If they're not successful, the
run D could take a nosedive. Hughes,
Derek Wolfe, and Ricardo Mathews are all
candidates to get extensive playing time
in the fall.
March 17
Game: April 19
The early spring buzz ... After once again
posting spotty results on offense, the program couldn't have been too
shaken up when coordinator Rob Ambrose left for the head job at Towson.
If not for the heroics of RB Donald Brown, the Huskies' might have had
the Big East's worst attack. Randy Edsall is entrusting his offense to
Joe Moorhead, who'd like to install a far more up-tempo, no-huddle
system that incorporates a quick, short passing game. Does Moorhead have
the parts needed to make the offense click? He'll know better in the
The big spring question is ...
Who gets the ball? If the Huskies want to do a little more passing
this fall, they better locate and develop their triggerman in the
spring. The battle to replace Tyler Lorenzen is expected to come down to
junior Zach Frazer and sophomore Cody Endres, a couple of strong-armed
passers. While both got reps last season, neither impressed, combining
for just two touchdowns and nine interceptions for the nation's 109th-ranked
passing game. It's time for Frazer, a Notre Dame transfer, to begin
playing like one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2006.
The most important position to watch is ...
running back. You'll hear all offseason about Connecticut's fancy new
offense, but don't be fooled. This program is still built around the
ground game. Although you don't get better by losing the nation's
leading rusher, the Huskies may not be in such bad shape at the
position. If senior Andre Dixon can avoid distractions, he's got
1,000-yard potential, and sophomore Jordan Todman ran well in his first
year. Remember, if he has his act together, this is the same Dixon who
outplayed Brown in 2007.
Spring attitude...
Just keep working hard in
the offseason no matter who's paying attention. Connecticut has become
the epitome of a blue-collar team, working a little harder than the
competition because Edsall demands it and a relative lack of stars
requires it. There are considerable holes on both sides of the ball, so
March and April will be used to establish a soft two-deep and find a
leader to pilot the offense. If Moorhead can whip this offense into
shape, there's no reason the Huskies won't be playing in a third
straight bowl game.
March 7
Game: April 17
The early spring buzz ... The
Cardinals need to get back on the field just to deflect some attention
away from a miserable offseason. There were player transfer, a
disappointing recruiting class, and some important defections on the
staff. Louisville parted ways with offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm and
lost defensive coordinator Ron English and his successor, Bill Miller,
within a matter of weeks. Looking to take ownership of the offense and
his fate, Steve Kragthorpe will call plays and be his own coordinator.
When the team convenes in March, there'll be an unmistakable air of
desperation permeating throughout the coaching staff.
The big spring question is ...
Who takes over at quarterback? While Hunter Cantwell was a major
disappointment, at least he was a fifth-year player with next-level arm
strength. Matt Simms was being groomed to be in the hunt, but he grew
fed up with the program, transferring in January. Out of junior Tyler
Wolfe, redshirt freshman Zack Stoudt, and JUCO transfer Andrew Froman,
Kragthorpe needs to decide who's best suited to run the offense. Wolfe's
four passing attempts a year ago make him the veteran of the group.
The most
important position to watch is ... the defensive line. A team
strength in 2008, it's back to the drawing board for the Cardinal front.
End Maurice Mitchell and tackles Earl Heyman and Adrian Grady have
graduated, leaving new coordinator Brent Guy with big gaps on his
defensive line. Rodney Gnat and L.D. Scott will get first dibs on the
two outside jobs. On the inside, L.T. Walker and Tyler Jessen enter
spring with the most experience. If these veterans cannot generate
consistent pressure, a rebuilt secondary will pay the consequences.
Spring attitude... Stop the
bleeding. Louisville needs to generate something to feel good about
after a past year that was flush with so much negativity. This is the
perfect setting, with no outsiders watching and no one keeping score, to
begin turning around the culture of losing that's developed under
Kragthorpe. It's important for the Cardinals to give the local media
something to discuss, like the performance of a young breakthrough
player, so it can take a breather on the decline of the program and the
problems with the coaching staff.
March 19
Game: April 11
The early spring buzz ...
Although local whipping-boy Matt Cavanaugh has left for an NFL job,
don't expect the offense to be overhauled now that Frank Cignetti is the
new coordinator. As long as Dave Wannstedt is the head coach, the
Panthers will favor a more conservative pro-style offense that sets up
the pass with a heavy dose of running. Cignetti shares that philosophy,
which was a contributing factor in bringing him over from Cal. Plus,
until one of the quarterbacks proves he's capable of handling a more
diverse attack, it makes no sense to open things up through the air.
The big spring question is ...
Who plays quarterback, Bill Stull, Pat Bostick, or Tino Sunseri?
Yeah, all eyes will be on LeSean McCoy's replacement, but Pittsburgh
will be fine on the ground with Shariff Harris and Chris Burns,
especially if the passing game improves. Stull was ordinary as the
starter a year ago, opening up the competition after failing to take
advantage of a talented corps of receivers. Beginning this spring,
someone needs to lock down the position in order to take some heat off
the backs and get the most out of TE Nate Byham and 6-5 budding
superstar Jonathan Baldwin.
The most important position
to watch is ... the offensive line. Even after losing all-star G
C.J. Davis to graduation, this could be the best front wall in the
Wannstedt era. With four starters back, the unit has the potential to
make life so much easier for Harris, Burns, and the quarterbacks. Jason
Pinkston and Joe Thomas are a pair of tackles with next-level potential.
Robb Houser started seven games at center a year ago. And G John Malecki
was named Most Improved Player in his first year after switching sides
of the ball. If some of the top recruits from the past few signing days
are ready to contribute, Pitt should have a terrific two-deep in the
attitude... Although McCoy's exit has lowered expectations around
the country, the Panthers are looking ahead and not back. And why not?
Even without their offensive star, this is a talented team that
continues to stockpile blue-chippers in February. The defense alone is
good enough to get the program to a second straight postseason game. If
the offense makes strides under Cignetti, a Big East championship is
well within reach, especially with West Virginia and Cincinnati expected
to take a step back.
March 10
Game: April 18
The early spring buzz ...
While every school is looking to plug some holes this time of year,
Rutgers is in the difficult position of finding new leaders, especially
on offense. Last season, the Knights were forced to move on without star
RB Ray Rice, and now need to replace QB Mike Teel. Sure, Teel was
maddeningly inconsistent, but he was also a four-year starter with the
best arm of any quarterback to ever play in Piscataway. A lot like West
Virginia, which has lost Steve Slaton and Pat White in the last two
years, Rutgers needs to find a new face of the offense beginning in
March and April.
The big spring question is ...
Will a feature runner break from the pack? Greg Schiano wound up
using four different backs last year to try and match Rice's production.
Kordell Young, Jourdan Brooks, and Joe Martinek all showed flashes of
potential and a different skill set. With the passing game almost
guaranteed to suffer a power outage, one of these runners, along with
Mason Robinson, will have a shot for a monster season if he can build
separation and command 20-25 carries a game.
The most important position to watch is ... defensive tackle.
The flashiest losses may be at wide receiver,
but to be successful in 2009, the
Scarlet Knights have to develop more run-stoppers. Although he got
almost no pub outside of New Jersey, Peter Tverdov had an outstanding
senior season and will be sorely missed. It's incumbent upon the younger
linemen, like Alex Silvestro, Charlie Noonan, and Justin Francis, to
show they can clog the middle, or else the Rutgers run defense will be
Spring attitude... Is Rutgers
the team that started last season 1-5 or the one that finished on a
seven-game winning streak? The long climb toward answering that question
begins in the spring. After four straight postseason games, the Scarlet
Knights believe they've reached a point in their development where
full-scale rebuilding only takes place on the stadium and practice
facilities. If, however, they hope to move up a rung with a Big East
title, a bunch of relative unknowns out of the backfield must emerge.
South Florida
March 9
Game: April 11
The early spring buzz ...
Like much of the Big East this offseason, the Bulls have lost assistant
coaches like they were baby teeth. First, head coach Jim Leavitt demoted
offensive coordinator Greg Gregory, who later left the program for the
same position at South Alabama. Receivers coach Mike Canales is expected
to be promoted to take his place. The bigger blow came when revered
defensive coordinator Wally Burnham pulled up stakes and bolted for Iowa
State in February. With staff changes coming so late in the offseason,
it's going to be an unsettling spring session for the entire program.
The big spring question
is ... Is this the beginning of QB Matt Grothe's best season at
South Florida? It better be, or else the Bulls can forget about winning
their first Big East championship. Grothe can be both fantastic and
frustrating…on the same series. While he's easily been the school's
offensive MVP over the last three seasons, he has also thrown 42
interceptions over that time. South Florida needs to see fewer mistakes
and more of the player that accounted for 319 yards, three touchdowns,
and no turnovers in the bowl rout of Memphis.
The most important position to
watch is ... the offensive line. This group will be watched and
worked by the staff more than any other unit in March and April. Gone
are long-time stalwarts Matt Huners, Ryan Schmidt, Jake Griffin, and
Marc Dile, leaving Zach Hermann as the lone returning starter. Plenty
will be expected from Jacob Sims, Jeremiah Warren, Joe Herzhauser, and
Danous Estenor, who played as underclassmen and will all have shots at
filling the holes in the starting lineup.
Spring attitude... It's the
final year in the careers of Grothe and DE George Selvie, two of the
cornerstones of South Florida's rise to national notoriety. The Bulls
are not going away, but if they don't capitalize now, it'll go down as a
lost opportunity. While they have enough talent, bolstered by another
dynamite recruiting class, to win the Big East and play in the Orange
Bowl, the program has developed a flaky personality that's been a
stumbling block the last two years.
March 23
Game: April 18
The early spring buzz ...
It's the dawn of a new era, as former NFL assistant Doug Marrone was
hired to replace Greg Robinson. The Orange needed a fresh face on the
sidelines, but it'll be a while before the program knows if it made the
right decision here. The main objective of the 15 practices will be for
the staff to get its first luck at the personnel, and for the new
systems on both sides of the ball to be installed. Scott Shafer will be
implementing a 4-3 defense that creates pressure without necessarily
blitzing haphazardly. Rob Spence's offense will feature elements of the
no-huddle with some interesting wrinkles.
The big spring
question is ... Is Mike Williams here to stay? Remember him, the
All-Big East wide receiver, who'd caught a touchdown pass in nine
consecutive games before being academically ineligible for 2008? He
spent the fall semester at Springfield (Mass.) Technical Community
College, and is taking classes again at Syracuse this spring. The Orange
needs him to be eligible this September to help along a passing attack
that was 113th nationally a year ago. The one player on the
roster who'll frighten opposing defenses, Williams will be the best
friend of struggling QB Andrew Robinson.
The most important position to
watch is ... the defensive backfield. Something must be done with
the secondary after it allowed 27 touchdowns passes and picked off just
eight. There are a handful of familiar faces back in the mix, like top
corner Mike Holmes, but that alone is not going to get the job done. The
Orange needs CB Dorian Graham and S Kevyn Scott to build on their
freshmen debuts, and former starting CB Nick Chestnut to return after
missing the 2008 season. The bodies are there, but Syracuse needs some
healthy competition to bring out the best in this group.
Spring attitude... Coming off
a three-win season and lacking the talent of the rest of the Big East,
Syracuse understandably has modest goals in 2009. Unlike most other
schools, wins and bowl eligibility won't be the only measures of
success, as the Orange takes its first steps toward recovery under
Marrone. If the new staff can create some excitement among the players,
fans, and community, it'll be off to a flying start with the program.
West Virginia
March 24
Game: April 18
The early spring buzz ... Far
more than last year, when QB Pat White was still the dominant figure in
Morgantown, this is Bill Stewart's team. He has a full season under his
belt and two of his recruiting classes settling into a campus routine.
He and his staff are expected to put an even bigger imprint on the
Mountaineers in 2009, which should impact White's successor, senior
Jarrett Brown. One of the nation's better backups the last couple of
years, he'll have his chance to excel in an offense that's expected to
air it out a little more this fall.
The big spring question is ...
Who'll step up and assume a leadership role on offense? For the
first time in five years, White won't be on campus for West Virginia,
and it'll feel weird for a long time. The offensive line is being
rebuilt. Noel Devine isn't ready to take on the assignment. And Jock
Sanders is currently serving an indefinite suspension for a DUI. If
Brown isn't ready to be the sparkplug on the field, in the huddle, and
in the locker room, it could be an unusually long season for the
Mountaineer offense. The
most important position to watch is ... the offensive line. For
years, this is where West Virginia's championships have been won. The
Mountaineers have had a knack for taking marginal high school prospects,
like Dan Mozes, Ryan Stanchek, and Greg Isdaner, and turning them into
all-star performers. Well, they'll have to keep that trend going in
order to compensate for the loss of four of last year's regulars. T
Selvish Capers and C Eric Jobe are experienced returners, but sophomore
G Josh Jenkins is the lineman who really has the staff giddy.
Spring attitude... The
Mountaineers feel the Big East is rightfully theirs to win, and plan to
take it back this season. In two years, West Virginia has lost White,
head coach Rich Rodriguez, and RB Steve Slaton, producing a groundswell
of critics, who are predicting an end to the prosperity. Stewart's
aw-shucks demeanor lost its charm right around the time the 'eers were
eliminated from the Big East race. A league title without White's
assistance is exactly what the coach needs to rekindle the spark with
the locals.


text:
A (Brief) Critical Review of "This Time is Different" »
By William Shughart | Thursday October 20, 2011 at 7:33 PM PDT | 1 Comment
Eastern bloc economists Carmen Reinhart, she of the University of Maryland, and Kenneth Rogoff, he of Harvard, have gotten rave reviews for This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly, published in 2009 by Princeton University Press. I started reading it today, now that the book is out in paperback. It didn't take…
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Tags: Bailouts, Budget and Tax Policy, Government subsidies, Great Depression, Inflation