The Advantages of Croquet • 03 The St. John's Croquet Team • 05 The Navy Croquet Team • 08 ST. JoHN's COLLEGE• 60 COLLEGE AVE, ANNAPOLIS, MD 21401•APRIL20, 2017 • VoL. XXXVIII • IssuE 10 02 THE GADFLY THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE 60 COLLEGE AVENUE ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND 21401 [email protected] Founded in 1980, the Gadfly is the student newsmagazine distributed to over 600 stu­ dents, faculty, and staff of the Annapolis campus. Opinions expressed within are the sole responsibility of the author(s). The Gad­ fly reserves the right to accept, reject, and edit submissions in any way necessary to publish a professional, informative, and thought-provoking newsmagazine. The Gadfly meets every other Sunday at 7 PM in the BBC. We always need editors, layout designers, illustrators, and organiz­ I p ers. Contact us at [email protected] I I for more information. Articles should be submitted to: 3 5 [email protected]. llluslratfon by Hayden Pend!!rgrcm [Editor's Note: This article is reprinted with has run many wickets. STAFF minor edits from a '90s-era Croquet Issue of Two types of shots result in continuation. Kira Anderson • Editor in Chief the Gadfly.] One is running a wicket (or scoring a wicket, Athena Berreles-Luna • Editor as the USCA calls pushing one's ball through Matt Langhinrichs • Editor Annemarie Catania /\97 the metal structure). This results in one more Rose Pelham • Photographer/Editor s you sit in the sun, eating, drinking, shot. Although going through the wicket is al­ Yu Chieh Chang • Photographer and possibly burning, you may dis­ ways the goal in mind, hitting a ball with one's A cuss the game of croquet. In the midst own ball may be more immediately beneficial, of this community picnic, your attention may since this type of shot results in two continua­ turn to the game. Just in case this happens, you tion shots. CONTRIBUTORS may be interested in the rules of croquet. Our friends from town may ask you about Elizabeth Akhvlediani Today's game is traditional American nine­ these two shots. As an articulate liberal arts Cora Allen wicket croquet, essentially following the rules student, you will provide them with the termi­ Kira Anderson Annemarie Catania of the United States Croquet Association. Each nology for these turns, which even the players John Dusenbury of the five matches consists of two Johnnies do not bother to remember. The proper name Ben Haas versus two Middies. One team plays with the for hitting another ball is "roquet." (You may Matt Langhinrichs red and yellow balls, and the other uses black say, "She has roqueted the ball.") Upon hitting and blue. The order of play follows the colors another ball, the striking ball becomes cloaked, painted on the stakes. which means whatever happens to it before it The point of the game is to hit both balls of stops rolling is incidental and does not count. one team through all the wickets, hitting one Impress your friends by telling them that it stake in the middle of the game, and the other does not exist. The official USCA term for this stake at the end. The pattern zig-zags through is a ball in hand. The player places the ball in the center wickets and the wickets to the right hand next to the roqueted ball and shoots. This of the direction of play. is called the croquet shot. The second shot is As you watch, you may notice that some play­ called continuation. From the Editors: ers have very short turns. We hope that these Continuation is not cumulative. This means First ofall I would like to thank turns happen more often for the Midshipmen, that a ball that runs a wicket on a croquet shot everyone reading this for attending since we hope to allow them no other option does not receive that continuation in addition todays exciting match! Croquet is than to set up for their wickets. A long turn is to the continuation gained by completion of a time-honored tradition here at St. more advantageous. You may hear someone the wicket shot. John's1 and we are so happy to have everyone in attendance. lnside1 we have asking, "How long has this Johnnie been play­ Scoring a wicket erases whatever effects the entertainment and education! Ifyou ing this turn?" This question indicates that the player may have incurred by hitting balls prior don't know anything about St. John's/ and even ifyou think you know too St. John's player has been using every oppor­ to going through it. Although hitting a ball has much about St. John's/ this paper should tunity for continuation quite successfully, and the advantage of two continuation shots from be enlightening. probably also means that the Johnnie player that ball, it also means going dead on that ball. -The Gadfly 03 THE GADFLY This means the ball struck cannot be hit On the Advantages of Croquet: again before the striking ball goes through an­ other wicket. Six and Nine Lest the rules become too complicated for John Dusenbury A'l.i-------------------- your relaxing brain, take a sip of your drink It is received wisdom that croquet is a Custom of choice, sit back, and observe the deadness game ... errr sport that improves the soul. School of 6 - The rules are governed by board. This scoreboard of sorts keeps track of The Ancients knew it; the Scholastics knew an official governing body. In Maryland, the which balls have already been hit. Each ball it; the Rationalists knew it; even the Hege­ United States Croquet Association legislates has its own row with three spaces that indicate lians knew it, and now we know it. Despite the official rules by which the different variants which ball it is dead on. At the beginning of the this knowledge being widespread, only a of 6-wicket croquet are played. Rules include: small few know how the improvement of the carry-over deadness, dead-ball hits, and the game, every ball is dead on every other ball for soul is effected by means of wicket, mallet, infamous quiver rule. the first shot. Any contact between balls on this ball, and stake, and only a few more know School of 9 - The rules are house rules. turn is incidental. After this shot, every ball even the plainest of facts about the modern Some may be borrowed from other governing becomes live on every other ball. Through the history of croquet, namely: that there are bodies, but the rules are essentially malleable, course of a game, going through a wicket re­ two competing schools of croquet. I speak and they are determined by whoever sets up stores liveness. The deadness board assists the of the refined 6-Wicket Croquet of English the court. memories of those enjoying too much of their origin, and its more free-spirited American drinks of choice. cousin, 9-Wicket Croquet. Congeniality This much knowledge will suffice for follow­ Both schools of croquet indisputably im­ School of 6 - Friendship is one of the most • prove the soul through instruction in the "6 important things in life, and players learn to ing most of the game. The basic strategy is to C's of Croquet": Court, Costume, Custom, forge quality relationships with people that advance one's own ball and one's partner's ball Congeniality, Celebrity, and Celebration. have a taste for a refined and challenging sport through as many wickets as possible while de­ The two schools, however, are distinguished that takes dedication to excel in. terring the other team's balls as much as possi­ by the unique manner with which they ap­ School of 9 - Friendship is one of the most ble. You may hear the players politely referring proach each "C': each school having its own important things in life, and players learn that to messing with the other team by taking them set of advantages, which I will now illustrate. the saying "The more the merrier!" is a saying off their sets, using stop shots to shoot them to live one's life by. One does not need to be away from their wickets, and taking advantage Court tall, strong, or swift of foot to excel -- one just of them with split shots. School of 6 - Players contemplate the needs to be able to guide a mallet's swing. nature of bodies in motion on a court 105' The most cruelty you will see in this most by 84'. Ideally, to make the contemplation Celebrity civilized of croquet matches will be in block­ more pure, the playing surface should ap­ School of 6 - The highest levels of cro- ing, or in staking out the rover. The first of proximate frictionlessness, and be as flat and quet competition in the world are variants of these is a simple defensive move. If a player's as smooth as possible, with grass 1/4" or less 6-wicket. Players from all over the world com­ opponent is dead on her ball, and the opponent short. Six wickets and one stake are used. pete in international tournaments to determine is set up for his wicket, she may shoot her ball School of 9 - Players contemplate the the world champion of croquet. Big money can into a place directly between his ball and the extravagance of nature on a court set in any be involved -- in 2006, the first place finisher in wicket. This will obstruct his shot unless he is old yard. To succeed, one must develop an the North American Open took home a $3,000 able to execute a jump shot over her ball.