Behind the Shields

A look into the perspectives of individuals who participate in role-playing and fantasy-fiction activities

Many individuals search their whole lives to find what their true life’s passion is. Often times, people invest a great deal of their time into school and their careers in hopes that they will find their passion along the way. While this works for some individuals, others chose to partake in activities or begin careers that aren’t exactly “normal” but make them feel alive. An example of this type of activity is role-playing. Whether it is learning how to act and stage fight for a play, or creating a quidditch club at a renowned university, these individuals thoroughly enjoy portraying different characters and partaking in activities that are not exactly real-life.

Today, fantasy clubs with activities such as Quidditch are continuing to grow at universities and various locations throughout the United States and the globe. Muggle Quidditch, as it is officially called, is a sport that evolved after the movie series Harry Potter came out. It involves brooms to portray flying, balls similar to water polo, and goals to throw the balls into. Throughout each game, there is a “golden snitch”, which is represented by a flag that is attached to one individual who is not on either team. When a participant finally captures the flag, the game is over and the team with the greatest amount of points wins. Since the snitch is usually worth 150 points, the team that caught the snitch typically wins. According to International Quidditch Association, there are over 300 registered quidditch teams around the world. At the University of Oregon, a student by the name of Charmaine Ng decided to personally start the school’s quidditch club. When asked about why she started it, Ng mentioned, “I wasn’t fulfilled by my job, internship, or classes at the time. The club gave me something to be passionate about and throw myself into.” Ng was able to spread word about the group quickly and efficiently through social media sites such as Facebook and word of mouth through her vast network of friends at the university. When asked about her proudest moments, Ng said, “My proudest times were getting into the Daily Emerald and holding a tournament at the end of our first year. We had several teams and it was rewarding seeing people who weren’t my friends or acquaintances [become] exposed to Quidditch and get a kick out of it.” Ng has since graduated, but the group is still running and thriving at the school.

Stage-fighting often occurs when dueling or fighting is acted out during a play, movie, show or any other form of entertainment. Certified stage-fighter, Brennan Pickman-Thoon, spoke with us about his experience and what exactly the activity entails. Pickman-Thoon began stage-fighting during his junior year of college at New York University, and has since been certified by the Society of American Fight Directors for the categories of Unarmed, Broadsword, and Rapier and Dagger. After asking what one of his favorite memories with stage-fighting consisted of, Pickman-Thoon mentioned, “I helped a friend with a live-action Legend of Zelda movie… Tourists were confused, but also delighted! This is the element that makes period costume fun and unique.”  When asked about why he enjoyed stage-fighting, Pickman-Thoon explained, “When words fail us and conflict escalates, as it often does in theatre, film, and (sadly) real life, violence occurs. It is important, though, to honor the reality of violence, not just the eye-catching excitement.” Pickman-Thoon says that he continues to learn more about stage-fighting and plans to implement this knowledge into his future endeavors.

Acting continues to be a popular venture for those wanting to entertain and find alternate ways to express themselves. This is true for actress Marissa Ramirez, who is a sophomore in college and has already participated in ten plays as well as other extra-curricular activities. Ramirez is currently studying advertising with English and Theater minors at the University of Oregon. Although she has portrayed many characters, Ramirez claims that her largest role so far has been the female lead in The Merry Wives of Windsor. When asked about what it takes to be a good actor, Ramirez said, “You have to be polite without looking like a “kiss-ass.” And you have to be funny and likable without being obnoxious. You really just have to make people want to work with you.” This is often an issue in the entertainment business, whether it is for movies and television shows, or plays and musicals, and often becomes difficult for other actors, directors, and various cast members to deal with. Fortunately, Ramirez has learned how to handle individuals of these sorts and keeps on acting because of her passion and the enjoyment she gets from being on stage. After asking why she was so passionate about acting, Ramirez quoted, “It’s a chance to say something you need to say with the cover of being another person. Nobody will judge you for being crazy and silly or for being melodramatic because it’s not you, it’s the character.” Ramirez plans to continue her acting career after her time at UO and hopes to take on larger roles that challenge her.

An activity that most individuals may not know still exists during our time period is jousting. Jousting is a martial game that is often between two horsemen who use lances in attempt to strike their opponent and knock them off their horse. The sport was originated during the Middle Ages, but continues to have an active community today. Reality television star and professional jouster, Ripper Moore, has spent the last nineteen years of his life dedicated to the sport. Although Moore explained that there isn’t much theatrics in jousting, he stated, “I’m one of the few people in the world who can say they are a knight in shining armor for a living.” Moore briefly discussed how he became a jouster and the impact it has had on his life, but the passion for the sport was shown when we asked his wife, Carrie Easley, what thoughts go through her head when Moore is about to joust: “I want him to hit. I want him to hit solidly, I want that hit to be perfectly on target, I want his opponent to fly through the air, and I want to be cheering until I am hoarse.” When asked if Moore was truly her “knight in shining armor,” Easley stated, “Oh absolutely. No argument, no question about it. I’m a fortunate woman.”

Although role-playing may not seem like a common activity to most individuals, the recreation clearly comes in all kinds of forms and is more ordinary than one may think. Despite this misconception, role-playing comes in various forms and each activity requires various levels of imagination and commitment. The variety in role-playing demonstrates how many individuals enjoy entertaining, portraying other characters and lifestyles, and expressing their feelings and emotions they can’t usually articulate in real life.  Role-playing is an art, hobby, career, or even lifestyle, and it’s only requirement is passion.