Discovering Nature: November 2012

Syracuse University Quidditch at the MOST
"Block that quaffle!"

The last couple years the MOST has shown Harry Potter movies in our IMAX Omni-theater. We have tried the create a number of different incentives to get the community interested. These include Harry Potter planetarium shows, workshops, and demos, and getting the local bars to sell butterbeer, but today may have been my favorite. Today we had quidditch!

Harry Potter fans know quidditch as the made-up game in JK Rowling's Harry Potter world. Wizards and witches fly around on broom sticks and try to score points by throwing a quaffle through hoops, while being careful not to get knocked off their brooms by bludgers. Meanwhile the seekers try to catch the snitch to win the game.

Muggle Quidditch is the real life counterpoint invented at Middlebury college in Vermont in 2005. Since then college and high school students across America and Canada have formed teams, 100 of which compete at the International Quidditch World Cup in NYC every year. Competitors still have to keep a broom between their legs, and seekers have to chase a human snitch.

Syracuse University Quidditch at the MOST

Our marketing department contacted Syracuse University's team, and they agreed to play outside the museum to promote our IMAX. Today was a cold and drissly day, but they came anyway, and played with smiles on their faces. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen people enjoying a sport so much before. Their smiles were contagious, and I think those of us watching were tempted to start our own team. I don't know how much the weather affected the attendance, but the MOST employees were just about the only ones there. I nice exception was a family with two young boys who watched from their car. It was pretty funny watching the expressions on people's faces who came up to ask what was going on. "Quidditch?"

I certainly enjoyed the experience myself, but I suppose the question we should be asking is "Was this effective?" I'm not sure I have a good answer for this. Events like this, and the other promotions we've run do not bring in a lot of people. Some events at the MOST bring in hundreds or even a thousand people. The planetarium shows, demos, and collaborations like this don't do much to increase attendance for the day. Even so, I think it is important for museums and science centers to keep trying new things to connect with the community and bring in visitors. As long as we are careful not to spend too much our resources on these projects, they may be worth it. They always connect with someone. The SU students will now appreciate the MOST more, and hopefully become advocates for science museums. The two boys watching from their car will probably remember this quidditch game for years. Events like this remind me once again that working in the informal science education field is always full of surprises and great experiences.