Michael Sanders joined Tufflepuffs his sophomore year at Tufts. He was an integral part of Tufts World Cup 5 & 6 teams and has since taken on a leading role within the TUQ beater corp. Big Mike's favorite part of quidditch is the strategy and pure insanity that goes along with the game. He enjoys beating people in the face but will never say no to chasing, seeking, or even keeping. Mike's favorite quidditch memory is his entire time with the team. His whole experience on Tufts Quidditch has been his favorite memory, and he loves his team more than he's willing to admit. When Mike graduates this May, he will most definitely be continuing his involvement in the sport - regardless of where he ends up. Big Mike is most definitely a "super" senior. On top of being an active member of the quidditch community, Mike is a brother at the Tufts chapter of the Theta Chi fraternity, a FOCUS dad and grandad, dances with the Tufts Burlesque troupe, is a member of Major: Undecided (a sketch comedy group), and is president of TUPAC, along with numerous other activities on campus. Mike is also "the worst," as demonstrated by his trading card for World Cup 7. Over the summer, Mike interned for NYPIRG - New York Public Interest Research Group. It is the largest Student-Run research and advocacy organization in NYC. His job allowed him to attend important State meetings, meet a lot of important people including the mayor of NYC, help save the planet, and, most importantly, allowed him to take time off to participate in three Fantasy Quidditch tournaments! Next year, Mike hopes to continue doing good; he will most likely be in the Peace Corp somewhere in either South America or Africa. In terms of World Cup 7, Mike is looking forward to seeing all the friends he's made within the quidditch community. Michael Sanders is one of the 2 graduating seniors from the Tufts team going to World Cup 7, and will be incredibly missed next year.
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4/3/2014 1 Comment Diamond In The Tuff: BJ MestnikThe reason why Brandon James Mestnik joined quidditch was so that he wouldn't go through his entire college experience without any friends... and sometimes we're glad he did! His sophomore year, BJ was somewhat a part of the quidditch team, playing neither chaser nor keeper. After a year abroad, he came back with some skittles. On top of being a cheater, he took on the role of on-pitch sneaker. BJ's favorite thing about cribbage is just hanging out with the team, having fun, and kicking bottom. BJ's favorite quidditch memory is pulling the snitch during the infamous NYDC-Tufts game at Turtle Cup. This was BJ's first major tournament playing sneaker, and pulling the Harry Greenhouse tush after 35+ minutes of play was an unparalleled moment in Bj's life. The team rushing onto the field after the catch was called "good" was absolutely over the top. Outside of cribbage, BJ is watergirl for the Tufts Frisbee team, has learned 3 new languages (Arabic, French, Pig-Latin, Spanish, and counting), and loves to call people nerds. During his junior year, BJ studied abroad for a semester on Mars and then a semester Upstairs. This senior enjoys regaling his team with all sorts of stories from his time abroad. One of his most famous stories includes climbing the pyramids and then getting stuck in Egypt with no belongings (we won't spoil it for you). After graduation, BJ will continue to travel the world and have awesome adventures. He one day hopes to play professional cribbage. In terms of World Cup 7, BJ is looking forward to smiles and trying his best. BJ Mestnik is one of the 2 graduating seniors from the Tufts team going to World Cup 7, and will be tremendously missed next year, even more than Mike (except we don't choose favorites). David Stack joined the quidditch team because he had a passionate longing to fly. When he realized that the brooms used in quidditch are often simple PVC pipes with no magical powers, David decided to keep playing because the people were pretty cool. His favorite things about quidditch are the balance between the absurdity of the sport and its competitive nature and also the people that play it. Even though people play to win, at the end of the day, they realize they look like a bunch of idiots running around with a stick between their legs. Thus, instead of rivalries taking hold, teams just cuddle together. David also likes playing sports in general, so quidditch was a great new one to pick up. After declaring himself the Stack family knock-out champion and playing years of competitive bocce across upstate New York, David was looking for an equally interesting physical stimulate at Tufts; quidditch has provided that. When he's not cuddling with the Tufflepuffs, David is on the Ultimate Frisbee team, is a very active member of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship group, and works with STOMP. He is slightly confused as to why has declared an Environmental Engineering major since the things he is really passionate about – photoshopping his face onto pokemon, stunting, and following the WNBA – have nothing to do with that. David figures college doesn't really suit him, but he’ll likely keep paying tuition so he can keep playing with the Tufflepuffs. For World Cup 7, David is most looking forward to seeing if the Lost Boys are truly as attractive as people say they are. Arlene Rosenberg joined quidditch her freshman year after being dragged to the annual Intro To Quidditch by her friends. There, she realized that the aggressive nature of the game greatly appealed to her background in Muay Thai and soccer, and she decided to try out for the tournament team. She chose beating because without her glasses, she found it especially difficult to shoot a quaffle through the hoops. Arlene's favorite thing about quidditch is the second-family she found within her team. Coming from a tiny all-girl's school (350 girls from Kindergarten to grade 11), Arlene truly appreciates the fact that she can always count on her Tufflefamily - something she found out last year after sustaining a concussion in late April. Arlene's favorite quidditch memory is playing in her first ever game at the Harvard tournament fall 2012. The excitement she felt as she landed her first beat was unparalleled, and it encouraged her continued participation in the sport. Outside of quidditch, Arlene has played a number of team sports including soccer, volleyball, baseball, and even a brief stint in basketball. Baseball, however, is a sport that was instilled upon our shortest Tufflepuff since birth. Arlene attended her first major league baseball game at only one week old and has attended hundreds of games since. Growing up in Montreal, this Canadian girl was a devout Montreal Expos fan and was on a first name basis with most of the players. She was even a Bat-Girl, before almost getting run over by Orlando Cabrera as he ran into home plate. After the Expos left Montreal (something Arlene hasn't gotten over), Arlene and her brother became less involved in the sport, but her love for the game hasn't depreciated. The Rosenberg siblings actually plan to co-coach an intercity baseball team this summer. In terms of World Cup 7, Arlene is looking forward to kicking ass, Tufflecuddling, and playing quidditch outside in the sun. 3/30/2014 0 Comments Diamond In The Tuff: Ethan SturmEthan Sturm first played quidditch when his friends from high school put a team together to compete in World Cup 4. Originally, he went to New York planning only to watch the games - but he ended up playing for them because they were missing players. Ethan joined the Tufflepuffs in the Spring of 2012, right after World Cup 5, and the rest is history. Sturm's favorite thing about quidditch is the depth of the strategy due to the large number of positions and the interactions between them. Ethan's favorite quidditch memory is starting The Eighthman in the fall of 2012. The Eighthman is a quidditch media site designed to bring together elements of strategy and sports analysis. The Eighthman aims to improve discussion and analysis of quidditch and to highlight development across the sport. Ethan is the Editor-in-Chief for the Eighthman and hosts a podcast on the site with fellow Tufflepuff, Noah Schwartz. While it may seem impossible for Ethan to be involved in anything other than quidditch (or that he could take a picture without a derp face), this double Jumbo is currently in his second semester at Tufts Dental School. He wants to be a dentist because he's always been interested in the heath field, but found that the lifestyle of dentistry better suited his desires in life. His favorite classes at school tend to be the practical classes. He enjoys giving back to people, as he often replaces crowns for those who can't afford dental care. In terms of World Cup 7, Ethan is most looking forward to seeing who finishes on top. He believes that this year, the field is wide open and that there are quite a few teams who could win it all. Jordan Anderson decided to join quidditch after her friend, Matt Cardarelli joined their freshman year. He really enjoyed his experience and thought that the beater position was a perfect fit for Jordan's personality. Additionally, Jordan really missed sports as she had played basketball, volleyball and soccer in high school. Besides these reasons, Jordan's RA, Tufflepuff alumni David Meyers showed Jordan a million videos of Quidditch, and she thought it looked like fun. Jordan's favorite thing about playing quidditch is that she gets to peg people with dodgeballs. Her favorite memory playing is her beat against Emerson Quidditch's star keeper, David Fox. It was in her first tournament, and she managed to peg him. Tufts won that game, and it gave Jordan a taste of things to come. Jordan is also involved in numerous activities outside of quidditch. Most notably, Jordan is a key activist in the Challah For Hunger group at Tufts. Not only does this group raise money for a great cause, but it also appeals to Jordan's love of baking. Lucky for her team, this means that they sometimes get the leftovers of Jordan's many baking experiments. One of her goals in life is to be the most domestically knowledgeable feminist ever. She sews, bakes, embroiders, paints, and does far too many arts and crafts. Jordan's favorite sport is basketball (sorry quidditch), she feels most at home on the water, and she wants to become a pediatrician in order to reform development plans for developing countries in the hopes that they will become more focused on health. In terms of World Cup 7, Jordan is looking forward to seeing how other teams from other parts of the country play quidditch. And, of course, the Tufflecuddles. 3/26/2014 0 Comments Diamond In The Tuff: Noah SchwartzNoah Schwartz, like many others, joined quidditch by chance. He saw the team playing through his dorm window one Saturday and wanted to see if he could join them. That week, he saw a flyer hanging in his dorm for open practice, and decided to attend. Noah says that the sport looked so stupid and silly that he just had to try it! This freshman's favorite thing about quidditch is the fact that it's a relatively new sport, so there are many strategies that have yet to be discovered. He believes that the sport has so much potential to grow and he looks forward to contributing to this during his time at Tufts. He's already begun dabbling in quidditch analysis by starting, with the help of Ethan Sturm, "The Seeker Floor" - a podcast where he and Ethan discuss all things quidditch-related (Check it out here: http://www.eighthman.com/podcasts/). Noah's favorite memory playing quidditch has to be beating NYDC at Turtle Cup. He was so excited that he jumped about 5 feet in the air when BJ finally pulled the snitch to win the game! Not only has he begun to make a name for himself in the quidditch world, Noah has a strong background in many other sports. In high school, Noah was the captain of his football team, as well as the number one pitcher for their baseball team. Baseball and Football have been apart of Noah's life for as long as he can remember, since they greatly appeal his competitive side. Noah even tried competitive ballroom dancing at Tufts, where he was partners with fellow Tufflepuff, Madeleine Lebovic. But don't think this Spartan is all sports all the time, Noah says that he has a soft spot for cookie dough - chocolate chip cookie dough is his favorite ice cream flavor of all time (although he'd rather eat the cookie dough straight up). Noah is most looking forward to seeing the look on people's faces when they see the Tufflepuffs make the top four at World Cup 7! 3/25/2014 1 Comment Diamond In The Tuff: Emily HickmottEmily Hickmott joined quidditch her freshman year at Tufts after seeing a poster advertising for the annual Intro to Quidditch event and thought that it'd be a fun and nerdy thing to try. Emily's favorite thing about quidditch is the versatility of the game. She loves how it takes aspects from so many different sports and combines them into one unique sport. Em also loves the quidditch community as a whole; they have been very welcoming and friendly over the past year and a half and she looks forward to getting to know more quidkids over the years. Emily's favorite memory playing quidditch has to be the game Tufts played against Austin-Texas. During the game, she managed to tackle and take down one of their players. When Emily isn't smiling or giving "hugs", you might find her hugging a random dog, or cuddling with a cat. This native New-Mexican rode horses competitively for twelve years. She competed in three day eventing, which is a combination of dressage, show jumping and cross country. For those of you who aren't hard core horse jumpers, Emily says dressage is like ballet on horses, show jumping is when you jump your horse over fences that fall down very easily, and cross country can be described as galloping at high speeds over solid objects around a course. At Tufts, Emily has played club soccer for fun, as well as tried brazilian jiu jitsu. She really likes jiu jitsu because you get to try all the moves you learn and there is very little risk of being injured. In terms of World Cup 7, Emily is most excited to see all the friends she has made. 3/23/2014 0 Comments Diamond In The Tuff: Greg BentoThis past fall, Greg Bento decided to try out for quidditch as a sophomore because he missed playing team sports and because he was convinced by veteran Tufflepuffs, Max and Steve. Also, quidditch sounded like a fun sport that managed to maintain a level of competition that corresponded to Greg's competitive nature. Greg's favorite part of playing quidditch is when the seeker floor is finally up and he gets to start off pitch seeking. He says it's a great feeling to be released after watching the team play from the sidelines for the first portion of the game. This sophomore's favorite quidditch memory was the first time he caught a snitch... The whole team ran at him, screaming and yelling, and engulfed him in a giant hug. The feeling of euphoria he felt made it a moment he will never forget and cherish for the rest of his life. If you're ever looking for this sneaky seeker on the pitch, just keep an eye out for neon yellow, and very short shorts - Greg's signature look. Greg is a student manager at the Dewick-McPhee Dining Hall at Tufts, as well as a member of the Tufts Magic team. However, running is his passion. Greg started running in high school, where he eventually became captain of their three running teams - Cross Country, Indoor Track, and Outdoor Track. Today, Greg still competes in multiple road races a year, usually with some of his runner friends from High School. This past fall, Greg ran a marathon in Hartford and came in fourth in his age group! He is currently training to compete in his second Tough Mudder Tournament, which will take place shortly after World Cup. At World Cup 7, Greg looks forward to playing teams hasn't had the chance to play from all over the country. Maxwell originally thought that quidditch was lame and not worth his time. However, after being dragged to the first open tryout by some friends, he fell in love with the sport. There, Max found a group of people who are nerdy as he is and still love sports. This sophomore loves just playing in general since he was never a starting player in high school and usually found himself warming the bench. But, now he's found a game that he loves and is really good at. His favorite part of playing is slam dunking the quaffle through the hoops since it's super fun and gets everyone riled up and motivated to win. Last year, Max and two of his buddies started getting together to play music, and then they began to write their own stuff. Max is the bassist in this band, which is called "Not So Gentlemen" (check them out on Facebook!). He likes to play music because it makes him happy, and he hopes that his music can make other people happy too. Max is also an RA (freshman Tufflepuff, Madeleine Lebovic, is his resident), is a camp counselor, and loves to play kidditch at the Medford Boy's and Girl's Club. Next year, he plans to take a year off and teach underpriviledged kids somewhere in the US. In terms of World Cup 7, Max is most excited to throw down on the world stage and to do better than we did last year! |
AuthorTufts University Tufflepuffs, catching snitches and wrecking pitches since 2009. CategoriesAll Diamond In The Tuff Fundraising New Kids On The Block Tufflepuffs In Summer Archives
July 2016
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