Return to Hogwarts

By: Christine LaFrancesca, Staff Writer

Wizards and Muggles alike joined together for a night of trivia, DIY flying keys and plenty of Butterbeer for “Return to Hogwarts,” an event organized by graduate assistant for campus programming Stephanie Kiefer Friday evening in the Potomac Lounge.

“I’m a huge Harry Potter fanatic, and I wanted to put together some kind of themed event for others who enjoy it as much as I do,” Kiefer said. “It’s really cool that so many people came out. We didn’t really have a lot of time to let students know about the event but by just word of mouth, this is awesome.”

The competitive tension ran strong during Potter trivia, with questions such as, “Where or whom did the Harry Potter Studio obtain the sword of Gryffindor from?” Students racked their brains to prove who was the most Potter-savvy.

“I found out about this event because of a tweet a friend of mine saw on @tu_weekends and we had to come,” sophomore deaf studies major Keanu Jordan said. “Anything Harry Potter themed and I’m there. Trivia is actually way harder than I thought it was going to be.”

While some came out for the games and the DIY crafts, others wandered in for one thing: Butterbeer, which is described by a Harry Potter Wiki as a “little bit like less-sickly butterscotch.” Students crowded around the fountain to fill their foaming tankards.

“I honestly just wanted to see if it was going to taste close to the kind you get at Potter World,” sophomore health science major Alex Jensen said. “Not too shabby, Towson.”

Kiefer also organized this year’s TU After Hours and is excited to create new events for the remainder of the semester.

“Being a library science student, I wanted to be able to apply something with a huge fan base and really loyal fans,” Kiefer said. “Harry Potter was perfect and really fun to put together.”

Kiefer mentioned that students should keep an eye out for an “early 2000s dance party” scheduled for the end of the semester.

“It’s something we’ve been talking about for a little while,” Kiefer said. “Themed dance parties are always a good idea.”

With the games and crafts coming to an end, the students began to leave while finishing their Butterbeer and going over missed trivia questions with new friends.

“I got to meet some interesting people, which was unexpected,” sophomore occupational therapy major Christina Bansbach said. “Seeing the Quidditch team here was pretty awesome too.”

The Quidditch team was formed in late November or early December, according to Brooke Coyle, a former vice president of the team who’s currently participating in the Disney College Program.

Coyle said that students “are encouraged to join whenever,” and there are weekly practices at 4 p.m. on Mondays in Burdick. Interested students can look for the group’s Facebook page.

The Towson group competes against Goucher College and other local universities, Coyle said.

“We are just trying to create an environment where we can combine athleticism and a love for the game originated from The Harry Potter series,” Coyle said.

–Cody Boteler contributed to this article.