Students celebrate Hogwarts week

The third annual Hogwarts Week kicked off Sunday at the Collins Center with a wand-making seminar and a screening of the first Harry Potter film, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”

Throughout the week, residents and nonresidents will participate in Harry Potter-themed events, including movie screenings of each of the five Harry Potter movies, lectures by guest professors on magic, magical history and ancient runes and a Quidditch Tournament on Sunday.

“We’re hoping to create a sense of community in Collins,” said junior Lisa Runion, the coordinator of the event. “It allows people to get together and meet people they wouldn’t usually meet while bonding with a common interest.”

The six houses of Collins are all eligible to compete for the House Cup, which serves as an incentive for students to attend events and gain points for their house.

In fact, history has shown that the event gets quite competitive.

“People have moved to this dorm specifically because they want to be a part of this event,” said senior Tomas Feher.

An event that is anticipated to be equally competitive is this year’s new Quidditch Tournament.

“It’s a combination of ultimate frisbee, dodgeball and hide and go seek,” Runion said. “It’s Muggle Quidditch, really.”

The night included a wand-making seminar. Students rolled up paper to create decorative wands with glue, glitter and paint.

Among all the activities, Collins is likewise promoting education with lectures by guest professors. For instance, the ancient runes class will feature discussions about the Tolkien language found in the “Lord of the Rings” series.

“We’ve got some great presenters this week,” Runion said. “I’m also looking forward to our Deathly Hallows campout, where there will be a bonfire and book discussions.”