It was going to take more than a little rain to deter MSU students from going to University Activities Board’s A Night in Diagon Alley, a “Harry Potter” themed event at the Union.
First-year veterinary medicine student Michael Hoffman said he knew he was still going to go to the event even after seeing the weather outside.
“You know, every generation has got that big epic thing that draws that whole generation together as like the root of their childhood,” he said. “You know, like ‘Star Wars’ before us, even like now. But I’d say ‘Harry Potter’ is like that for our people.”
Hoffman first learned about the event from the pamphlets found in the cafeterias. He said his exact reaction was, “Oh my gosh, ‘Harry Potter.’”
Caleigh Griffin, a first-year veterinary medicine student, said college students are so passionate about “Harry Potter” because it gives them a distraction from the real world. She said students can dream about receiving that letter inviting them to Hogwarts in the “Harry Potter” world, even if they’re at MSU.
Griffin wore a Platform 9 and 3/4 T-shirt from King’s Cross in London for the event. Hoffman dressed up as “Harry Potter” character Gilderoy Lockhart, with a red vest, a cloak made from his high school graduation gown, a suit his friend gave him and some blue pants. Hoffman said he dressed as Lockhart because that particular character was one of the most important in the books, in his opinion.
“I mean think about it, if he didn’t cast that memory charm on Ron, I mean he tried to, then the walls wouldn’t have collapsed and Ron would have had to go into the Chamber of Secrets with Harry and he would’ve died,” Hoffman said. “And I wouldn’t want to live in a universe where Ron died in the Chamber of Secrets, I don’t know about you.”
Chemistry and food science senior Emma Gailey said there is a passion found in the “Harry Potter” community. Throughout the books, a theme of friendship is portrayed, and real friendships bloomed from reading the books, going to midnight screenings of the films and attending conventions, Gailey said.
Gailey, who said she would be a Hufflepuff in the “Harry Potter” world, helped run the photo booth attraction at the event. At the photo booth, students could have their photo taken with a “Have you seen this wizard?” Azkaban prisoner frame. They could also have their photos taken with life-sized cutouts of Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore. These life-sized cutouts were given away in a drawing toward the end of the night, Gailey said.
Another exhibit at A Night in Diagon Alley was a table set up by the MSU Quidditch team. President and varsity captain of the team, food science senior Maria DeNunzio, said that although she is a fan of the “Harry Potter” books, a passion for “Harry Potter” isn’t necessary for the team. It started as a “Harry Potter” club originally, but has morphed into more of a sports team, DeNunzio said.
“We weightlift, we run, we swim, we’re conditioning and we practice several times a week,” she said. “Yes our roots are in based in ‘Harry Potter,’ but we’re really an athletic organization.”
At A Night in Diagon Alley, the team had Quidditch goals set up and brooms on a table. Although they used to use brooms with bristles, mainly PVC pipe brooms are used now, DeNunzio said.
The MSU Quidditch team was trying to advertise for its own event that will also be at the Union, its Yule Ball. Tickets will be $10 and will give students a chance to make childhood dreams into a reality, DeNunzio said.
Eloise Faust, neuroscience senior and UAB event director, said some of the other attractions included crafts, jelly beans, Butterbeer, trivia and a magician.
For crafts, students had the option to make either a golden snitch or a potion bottle. For trivia, students had up to three tries to get a “Harry Potter” trivia question right and win a scarf, Faust said.
Around 10:50 p.m., magician Daniel Martin was scheduled to perform, Faust said. According to his website, Martin has won Entertainer of the Year and has been featured on CBS, VH1, ESPN and NBC.
Planning for A Night in Diagon Alley started about six or seven weeks ago, Faust said. Gailey initially came up with the idea of having the event the same week as the release of the movie “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” to draw in more attention.
Even with the release of the film, Faust said they tried to keep the event more in line with the original “Harry Potter” series. After the event, students could go out and explore the new “Harry Potter” saga, Faust said.
A self-proclaimed Ravenclaw, Faust said there is a huge “Harry Potter” following and family. Although she isn’t a diehard “Harry Potter” fan, she said she has a lot of respect for those who are.
Something Hoffman and Griffin thought the event needed? More Butterbeer, they said.
