WHAT DO WE DO WITH A DRUNKEN SINGER?

The only a cappella group with punctuation marks in its name, ARRR!!! of Brown University specializes in the singing of tightly woven sea shanties in a style they’ve dubbed “a capirate.” Their members don nicknames like Boxfoot and Macduff the Plaid. Their repertoire includes songs such as Drunken Santa (not to be confused with Drunken Sailor), Cockles and Mussels, and Chicken on a Raft. Inquiries may be directed to arrr@arrr.net.

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CREDIT/D/FREEZE

Hardy students learn how to build igloos, quinzees, and snow caves at Reed College’s Winter Camping class. Students get gym credit for maintaining their body heat, camping in the snow, and avoiding avalanches. Its sister class, Winter Navigation, leads students through the backcountries of the great Northwest on cross country skis and snowshoes, far away from the heated domains of civilization.

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QUIDDITCH IS REAL!

Harry Potter enthusiasts at Middlebury College have invented a version of Intramural Quidditch, taking the sport from the imagination (and ostensibly the British air) onto the fields of rural Vermont. Teammates wield brooms between their legs, wear socks to match their face paint, and battle over the control of a tennis ball that dangles from a player’s shorts.