Parkhurst hosts Potter programs

Brittany Henderson

Parkhurst staff hosted the Herbology program where, students painted pots and planted plants. Herbology is just one of eight programs celebrating Harry Potter Month.

Muggles flocked to get their chocolate frogs and pretzel wands and gulped down Butterbeer during their trip to Hogsmeade. Dodging evil darts in Defense Against the Dark ‘Darts’ program and combining Mentos and Coke to create an explosive Potions class followed the trip to Hogsmeade. Parkhurst residents, just a few days earlier, received their official letters to attend Parkhurst’s Wizarding School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

About seventy-seven Parkhurst Pirates attended the Trip to Hogsmeade program on Nov. 11 in the Parkhurst community room to kick off Harry Potter Month.

For the month of November, Parkhurst Hall is celebrating Harry Potter Month with programs leading up to the premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” on Nov. 19.

Junior biology major Mark Jestel is the community advisor on the first floor of Parkhurst and originally came up with the idea of Harry Potter Month.

“It is just kind of going along with the movie coming out. This is (the) Harry Potter we have all grown up with,” Jestel said. “It’s a part of our childhood and why not go with it and have a good time with it.”

Harry Potter programs – such as Trip to Hogsmeade, Defense Against the Dark ‘Darts,’ Potions, Herbology, Astronomy, Charms, Quaffles and Waffles, and the Yule Ball – meet all varieties of students’ likes and dislikes.

Originally community advisors from Bell and Parkhurst halls brainstormed a program called Quaffles and Waffles, but the concept was given a dash of potions and charms to become an entire month devoted to Harry Potter.

Sophomore math major Katherine Austen is a community advisor on the third floor of Parkhurst Hall.

“I’m super excited for the premiere and for the Yule Ball,” Austen said. “All the programs are going to be awesome.”

To end the Harry Potter Month, there will be a Yule Ball in the courtyard between Parkhurst and Foundation halls on Nov. 29 at 7 p.m.

“It’s actually the day right after Thanksgiving break, just so everyone can go home and get their prom dresses or their really nice clothes,” Jestel said.

There will be music by WGUR, GCSU’s campus radio station, and a tent accompanied with a dance floor. It is preferred for students to wear formal attire. The Parkhurst housing staff has even taken the necessary precautions if it is too cold by ordering propane heaters to keep warm.

“For the most part, all of the other programs were centered around Parkhurst, but the Yule Ball is going to be for everyone.” Jestel said.

Sodexho will be catering the first 100 guests. Menu items consist of stuffed shells, steamed vegetables and cheesecake.

“Their catering is phenomenal,” Jestel said.

Invitations have been sent out for the Yule Ball and to join Parkhurst’s Wizarding School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

“Housing has been really helpful,” Jestel said. “They printed those up and all the other invitations.”

Freshman visual arts major Corissa Duffey has attended many of the Harry Potter programs.

“I saw a paper on the wall advertising it, and then I received an invitation to all the events and a schedule,” Duffey said. “Definitely my favorite was Defense Against the ‘Dart’ Arts. It was in the community room and the light bulbs were replaced with black lights. We were playing in the dark, and it was based on capture the flag.”

Cindy McClanahan, the interim associate director of student development and housing marketing coordinator, is excited for the Yule Ball and the overall success of Harry Potter Month.

“One of the charges of the CA position is to host programs that develop community within the halls,” McClanahan said.

“Harry Potter Month is a creative way to provide our residents with a way to interact and get to know each other.”

Posted by Brittany Henderson on Nov 18 2010. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.