Another guest blog post from our fabulous ILL Assistant, Andrew McSorley!
The Mudd March Madness event pits fictional characters from all across literary history against one another. By the end of next week, a champion will be crowned, taking control of the Seeley G. Mudd Library’s bragging rights for the next year.
The final sixteen contestants duked it out this week and there wasn’t a close call in any of the eight matchups.
This morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself eliminated from the Mudd March Madness Tournament. Samsa was ousted by Darth Vader in a 44 – 12 rout. The other favorite in the region, Bilbo Baggins, also emerged victorious, slaying Big Brother by a final of 40 – 18.
The young adult region saw its first upset in this tournament as Winnie the Pooh took down Peter Pan 35 – 22. Harry Potter lived up to his status as “The Chosen One,” dominating his matchup against Katniss Everdeen with a 51 – 7 drubbing. Asked how he would prepare for his regional final against Winnie the Pooh, Harry said, “Lots of studying and hard work. Also, I want to clear my name about the accusations of PED use. I have not used Felix Felicis in this competition, I have tested negative for potions multiple times, and I do not condone magical elixir use of any kind.” Pooh was unavailable for comment after an unfortunate honey pot incident during his locker room celebration. Hundred Acre Wood doctors confirmed he is cleared to participate in the next match.
The Classics region found itself with the closest matchup of the round as Sherlock Holmes bested Jay Gatsby in a 35 – 23 upset. Gatsby’s “Green Lights,” as his boosters are nicknamed, were terribly disappointed by the defeat, but promised to throw the biggest after-party the tournament had ever seen. Atticus Finch made short work of Moby Dick in a 45 – 10 blowout. “It’s about courage” Atticus explained after his victory, “Sometimes you know you’re licked before you begin, but you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”
Tyler Durden and Lisbeth Salander both easily won their respective matchups in the Contemporary Fiction region, and will go head to head in a bout that was highly anticipated as a possibility when the first round pairings were announced. “It’s hard to predict what Tyler’s going to do, how he’ll perform” said Robert Paulson, head of Tyler Durden’s management team. “If he’s in the right headspace, so to speak, he can be unbeatable. We’ll see which Tyler shows up for this next round.”
Voting is open now for the elite eight of the inaugural Mudd March Madness Tournament. Fans can vote for their favorites in each round in person at the Seeley G. Mudd Library. Look for an update next week on which characters are moving on to a berth in the coveted Final Four!