Last week students had the chance to get sorted into a Hogwarts house, receive a (fake) Dark Mark tattoo and put their Harry Potter knowledge to the test in the third annual celebration themed around the popular franchise.
Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. last Tuesday students filled the SUB Atrium, “floating” candles hanging overhead, to take part in the festivities, which were organized by Student Special Events and Geeks Who Drink, a local group that organizes trivia night-type events.
One of the activities at Harry Potter Day included a photo booth with a cutout of the film series’ cast, as well as props that included the sorting hat and Harry’s glasses. Attendees could also take pictures with a large cutout of a poster frame that read “Have you seen this wizard?”
The event offered free Butterbeer and sugar cookies with the sigils of the different houses. The Butterbeer at the event was a nonalcoholic version of the beverage that the students at Hogwarts would drink all the time.
Students seemed puzzled by what was in it, but most nonetheless liked the taste of the drink. They were also able to decorate their cookies with the color of the house’s colors. More cookies had to be made in the middle of the event because they were such a hit, and the Butterbeer ran out by about 1 p.m.
Souvenirs from the event included some UNM-themed scarves as well as Marauder’s Map T-shirts that students could win in a raffle. There were two sections of raffles that went off at the top of the hour. When given tickets for the raffle, the Deathly Hallows symbol was drawn on student’s hands.
If students didn’t win the raffles, they were able to pick a design and make a button. The designs to pick from ranged from the Deathly Hallows, all of the houses in Hogwarts, puns relating to the story and the Marauder’s Map.
The most interactive activity was the Harry Potter Trivia, conducted by local quiz group Geeks Who Drink.
The trivia event was made up of six rounds and tested topics such as spells, which characters were solely in the books and/or movies, and a visual round. Students, many of them dressed in Potter-themed garb and Hogwarts outfits, formed teams, with the winning group calling itself “Neville Wears Prada.”
Students at the event said they enjoyed the many activities and variety of refreshments offered.
“I like that there are lots of activities instead of just one,” said attendee Crestencia Pihlaja, a sophomore business management major.
“I like everyone’s enthusiasm, and the free stuff,” said Rosa Parker, a British exchange student also in attendance.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Harry Potter Day, complete with Hogwart house banners that for a few hours transformed the SUB into a cauldron of franchise celebration and magical times, provided a brief but memorable respite for students before the final weeks of the semester.
Emma Citizen is a culture reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com.
