‘Muggles’ will get to experience their very own Eastern Quidditch tournament at 4 p.m. on Friday in the Library Quad.

The tournament is set to honor the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and is sponsored by Booth Library and the kinesiology and sports studies department.

Chelsea Duncan, a coordinator for the tournament, said the Harry Potter series has played a big part in her life and she was excited to be able to get involved in the celebration of it.

“I’m a huge fan,” Duncan said. “We love Harry Potter at my house.  We’ve read the books and seen the movies and we even took a trip to Wizarding World in Florida this past summer.”

Duncan said being part of the kinesiology and sport studies department made her feel like creating a Quidditch tournament would be a great way to have fun while hosting something relevant to her field.

“Last spring the library send out a request to each department for contributions to the Harry Potter exhibit for the fall,” Duncan said. “Other colleges have done events and have even started Quidditch teams as part of intramural sports, so I thought this would be a fun opportunity to bring the sport to life here at EIU.”

Duncan said while she was nervous about the number of people signed up and everything that goes into planning this type activity, she is excited to see the turn out and the result of her department’s work.

“My hopes for the event are simply that we can create a fun environment where the players enjoyed themselves while competing for the House Cup trophy and the spectators can enjoy a lively and fun game,” Duncan said.

Teams consist of up to four chasers, three bludgers with dodgeballs, a keeper, a beater and a seeker to catch the snitch. If numbers allow, the role of the snitch may be taken on by a person.

Since those outside of the wizarding world have not yet obtained flying broomsticks, hockey sticks will be used to simulate the issues holding on to a flying broom would create, Duncan said.

Haley Ingram, a sophomore special education major, said participating in the tournament for the Slytherin House is thrilling because she gets to participate in something she did not believe would be possible.

“It’s kind of surreal,” Ingram said. “I never really thought that something that involves flying, a game that involves flying in a made-up world would actually happen. It’s kind of cool and plays into that fantasy a little.”

Ingram said she has been surrounded by Harry Potter growing up because her family on her dad’s side owns all the books.

“As a family unit we would read the books and we went and saw every single movie the week it came out in theater,” Ingram said.

Ingram said as a beater she will use a dodgeball to throw at chasers, who are trying to score points, to knock the ball out of their hands.

“I loved playing dodgeball in high school so I thought it was a cool fit,” Ingram said.

Ingram said she hopes people will come out to see the tournament and join in the experience it provides.

“I think a lot of people not in the game will be very intrigued by what’s happening and will hopefully watch and ask questions and want to do it in the future,” Ingram said. “We already have such a diverse amount of events on this campus that expanding it even more is really cool.”

Duncan said individuals can use the sign-up link or email her at ckduncan@eiu.edu to place an order for T-shirts centered around the tournament.

“We will have T-shirts being made for EIU Quidditch,” Duncan said. “Each house will have its own design on the T-shirt.”

The T-shirt order will be placed closer to the end of September, Duncan said.

T-shirts will cost about $7.50 per shirt.

  Chrissy Miller can be reached at 581-2812 or clmiller9@eiu.edu