Written by Abbey Williams // Photo by Morgan Pickering
Campus Life hosted a series of events based around the Wizarding World of Harry Potter called 10 Days at Hogwarts. The events included movie marathons, trivia, bingo and a special cotton candy Friday with all the Hogwarts house colors. These activities started on Nov. 7 and will conclude today, Nov. 17. the movies were shown in Cone Chapel with bingo and trivia in the Student Center pit.
Jane Chandler, director of Campus Life, said she chose the Harry Potter franchise because it is familiar to most people.
“I think, for most people, the entire franchise involves nostalgia, familiarity and even a sense of comfort and belonging,” Chandler said. “Whether you grew up reading the books or watching the movies, or are a recent fan, there’s something special in the franchise for you to continue coming back to.”
Ten Days at Hogwarts began with the idea of having a Harry Potter movie marathon, and Chandler said it made sense to incorporate into the experience the other events Campus Life has been hosting.
“Since we do themed trivia, it made sense to loop that in with the movie marathon and also weekly bingo on Tuesdays,” Chandler said. “It just grew into what it is now. I am personally excited for the cotton candy Friday because banana cotton candy is actually so much better than it might sound.”
Chandler said she hoped the movie marathon could provide students with a break.
“I hope that students find a break from the busyness of this time in the semester, share experiences with their fellow students and overall just [find] happiness from diving back into a nostalgic place,” Chandler said.
“The Harry Potter universe is very fun, and it’s so fun to plan events with so many characteristics to pull from — the houses, magical creatures, different characters, etc. It’s been really fun to plan, even if butterbeer is not very fun to make.”
Junior Evan Carter, one of the Campus Life small events directors, said 10 Days at Hogwarts provided a way to bring people together.
“I think the goal of the 10 Days of Hogwarts is just to help bring people together to make friends under a common interest,” Carter said. “A lot of people love Harry Potter, and having events that are open to people to come together and share their interest together is really special.”
Carter said there’s something for everyone at these events.
“I also love that with the movie marathon, you can see the movies if you haven’t seen them,” Carter said. “I love that there is something for everyone at all levels of interest in Harry Potter. If you are a die-hard fan, go to trivia and test your knowledge, but if you aren’t, we have bingo where you can win some fun prizes. There is something for everyone, and I love that.”
Senior Brittany LeGrande, a Campus Life small events director, said these events are great for making new friends.
“Especially for people that might not be in clubs, or bigger places of community, these events bring together everyone,” LeGrande said. “So it’s a place where people can make friends. Before I was an employee, I made friends at Campus Life events, and I think it’s really fun being on the other side of it. It’s really rewarding to work hard for something and then see people get joy out of that.”
