The Collegian
Friday, March 29, 2024

Catching the golden snitch

On Sunday, Jan. 29, complete with brooms, handmade hoops, slightly deflated volleyballs and some extra layers of clothing, the fictional sport in the Harry Potter world was brought to life by the Acromantulas, the quidditch team on campus.

"It is about as close to the book as you can get without magic," said senior president, Jessie Kelley, with one major change: the snitch.

In the books and movies, the Golden Snitch, a small gold ball with wings, darts around the field until it is caught, which ends the game. In our world, this tiny winged ball comes in the form of freshman, Austin Nuckols.

Wearing a yellow shirt that says 'Super Sexy Snitch' and neon yellow spandex, Nuckols' only job is to run around the field doing ridiculous things to prevent anyone from catching him for as long as possible. Nuckols explained that once the tube sock with the tennis ball was pulled from the back of his shorts, the game was technically over.

"They start with their knees on their grounds with their eyes closed and then they release me," he said. "From that point, I'm allowed to do what I want."

Kelley said the snitch could use whatever it wanted to escape others. This includes, but is not limited to: silly string, blow horns, rearranging the balls to confuse the players, stealing brooms, climbing trees (which is no longer allowed in games, Kelley said) and lots of dancing.

"I like taking yellow bikes to match my outfit," Nuckols said. "I've hidden in a car before. I've hidden under a car before. I stole a cloak from an audience member once and hid in plain sight and they never found me. I've done some interesting stuff. I was born to be the snitch."

This goes on for 15 minutes before the snitch has to return, he said. Snitches are rarely caught off the field, and since he was the "master at hide and seek as a child," the other players mostly just wait for him to go back to the field, Nuckols said.

After skipping through the University Forum, hiding behind a large rock outside Heilman Dining Center and climbing a small tree, Nuckols heads back to the game for the real workout to begin.

Once back on the field, Nuckols has to stay between the boundaries, but can still do just about anything to avoid getting caught, except "maliciously punch or kick" someone, said senior Steve Minnich.

"I am now very good at dancing and posing," Nuckols said.

During practice this past weekend, that is exactly what Nuckols did. The two seekers sent to catch Nuckols, Kevin Alloway and Katie Skipper, had to endure karate kicks, taunting and even some slaps to the face.

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In order to keep the sock safe, Nuckols did a lot of pushing and shoving, often resulting in at least one person landing heavily on the ground every few seconds. A lot of the time, Nuckols' hand seemed drawn to Alloway's face, trying to confuse and disorient him, but Alloway appeared unfazed.

"It gives me an excuse to be violent," Nuckols said. "I kind of made someone bleed once."

Make that twice. After a play that caused Alloway and Nuckols to trip over each other, Alloway ended up with a bloody lip. Alloway wiped his lip and went right back to fighting Nuckols, saying he did not even notice that it had happened.

Minnich, who plays the snitch for some games, said that the snitch was a dynamic position.

"There are so many different approaches," he said. "I had to do a lot of dancing, cartwheels and spins."

While Minnich said that it was suggested that the snitch be a former cross-country runner and wrestler hybrid, "great snitches don't need to be a spectacular athlete. Most snitches get away with sheer tomfoolery. It is hilarious some of the things some people do."

Nuckols provides entertainment for everyone watching while keeping the seekers at arm's length and attempting to do cartwheels. He managed to give the audience a thumbs up and a big grin while subsequently running away from those chasing him.

When asked if he was a huge fan of the Harry Potter series growing up, Nuckols shook his head. "I actually wasn't allowed to watch as a kid," he said. "I went to the club fair but I wasn't interested until I saw them playing. It looked like so much fun."

Kelley, however, admitted to being a bit more of a fan.

"I love Harry Potter," she laughed. "I am really, really nerdy; it's kind of a problem, but I guess I could have worse problems."

Contact reporter Charlotte Brackett at charlotte.brackett@richmond.edu

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