Spellbound

GAMBIER, Ohio (March 29, 2010) We all know that Kenyon's Great Hall in Peirce Hall bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain dining hall at a certain school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. What you might not be aware of, however, is that Kenyon is going completely Potter.

On Wednesday, the Office of Housing and Residential Life, with help from Kenyon Quidditch and the Ohio Department of Drug and Alcohol Services, is embracing its inner wizard for the second annual Harry Potter Day celebration. Potter fans Kenyon-wide can take part in an all-day, all-over-campus scavenger hunt, wizard-hat decorating and face painting, a Quidditch match, and trivia games. And the house elves in Peirce will even be serving a Harry Potter-themed meal in the Great Hall itself. Everyone will be dressed for the occasion, thanks in part to free Harry Potter glasses and wands—though students will be wise to bedeck with more than that if they're hoping to win the costume contest!

"Students will enjoy the event because most of us grew up on Harry Potter," said student coordinator Mike Clayton '11 of Mount Gilead, Ohio. "And while some of us have grown up and moved away from it, it is important to remember the fun of childhood every once in a while."

Kenyon students can be counted on to make this a magical day. But the fun isn't just for those of college age. Last year, about 2,000 community members—children and adults—joined the party. "Some of my goals for the event are to get the community involved with the campus," Clayton said. So on top of all the other exciting events, the College Bookstore will offer board games, temporary tattoos, and stickers throughout the day, as well as an afternoon story time for children.

As Albus Dumbledore once told Harry, "Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth!"

By Ellie Norton '10 of Cullowhee, North Carolina