Troy University Quidditch Team hosts ‘Yule Ball’

The Troy University Quidditch Team hosted its first ever “Yule Ball” in the Trojan Center ballrooms on Friday, Jan. 15. The ball was a formal social gathering and was inspired by a fictional dance held in the Harry Potter novels.

Dress code was “as formal as you can be” and nonalcoholic “Butterbeer,” a popular drink in the Harry Potter series, was served.

Tickets were five $5 a person and $8 for couples. Tickets sold for the event went toward the Quidditch Team.

“We wanted to put something together for everyone to come out and learn about Quidditch,” said Kellen Crookham, a senior graphic design major from Phenix City. “It was for everyone ­— not just the team.”

Crookham is the founding president of the Troy Quidditch Team, which currently has 15 members. Crookham said the team has been active for roughly a year.

Quidditch is a sport that was introduced in the Harry Potter series and is now being played at universities across the country.

“It’s kind of a combination of rugby and dodgeball,” Crookham said. “There’s over 900 teams in the United States.”

Crookham said that the team practiced twice a week last semester on the intramural fields.

“Because we’re still very new, we’re still trying to get used to the positions and the different rules,” Crookham said. “We try to practice proper safety, too.”

Crookham said that the team was growing, and she hoped to see the team participate in collegiate tournaments next semester.

“Quidditch is actually the only full-contact co-ed sport right now,” Crookham said. “We’re always looking for new members — male or female.”

Crookham also said that she enjoyed the sport because it was so inclusive.

“Quidditch is all-inclusive, and that’s something that I find really interesting about it,” Crookham said. “I feel like it can speak to anyone who’s ever wanted to be a part of something.

“I wanted to be a part of an organization that brought people together,” Crookham said.

The team hopes to later host a viewing of the “Quidditch World Cup,” a tournament where collegiate Quidditch teams compete. Crookham also said that the organization plans on having fundraisers throughout the year.

More information about the Troy University Quidditch Team, including meeting and practice times, can be found on the team’s Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/TroyQuid.