Geneseo Campus Activities Board teamed up with Geneseo Late Knight to host a night full of wizardry. At this event, attendants were able to eat themed snacks, create themed crafts and listen to the Harry Potter soundtrack. (Ellayna Fredericks/Staff Photographer)
Geneseo Campus Activities Board and Geneseo Late Knight joined forces to host a Harry Potter themed event in the MacVittie College Union Ballroom on Friday Feb. 17. While enjoying themed snacks, students created Harry Potter-centric crafts and engaged with other fans.
“Originally, we planned this night as our Siblings’ Weekend event,” communication major junior Sarah Jane Phillips said. “When that got cancelled, we decided to go through with a Harry Potter themed weekend anyway.”
As GCAB Special Events co-coordinators, Phillips and communication and political science double major sophomore Maddie Walker worked with the Student Association in planning the Siblings’ Weekend activities.
“We chose the Harry Potter theme because it was perfect for kids—they love Harry Potter,” Walker said. “Even though the siblings couldn’t come, we decided to keep the theme because we felt like it would serve the campus’ needs.”
During Harry Potter night, students gathered for the main event: completing crafts inspired by the novels and movies. At one station, GCAB provided materials for students to make their own magic wands—similar to those used by the franchise’s iconic witches and wizards. Besides crafting wands, students decorated and designed pride-banners for their Harry Potter house—Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.
Taking inspiration from Pinterest boards and past Halloween parties, Phillips and Walker decorated the ballroom with mostly homemade themed décor. To heighten excitement, members of GCAB wore Harry Potter-style wizarding robes, as provided by Phillips’ family. Playing in the background, the theme music from the films’ soundtracks set the mood for the evening and foregrounded the magical atmosphere.
“We’re very excited to still have the opportunity to put on this event for the campus,” Walker said.
In addition to the crafts and decorations, the food—Harry Potter cupcakes and butterbeer, a staple synonymous with the fictional universe—helped establish the night’s theme. After completing their crafts, students could pose for photos in front of a backdrop painted to look like the train platform that transports Hogwarts students to and from school.
“This night is a great chance for students to get together, listen to good music and bond with other Harry Potter fans,” Phillips said.
Carrying the motif, the weekend of Friday Feb. 17 also featured a stuff-a-bear event with Harry Potter themed animals and a screening of the Harry Potter prequel film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Geneseo’s shopping district contributed by hosting a “Chocofrolic” festival on Saturday Feb. 17, which was the most anticipated event of the weekend, according to Phillips.
Harry Potter night was a thrilling night that allowed students to embrace their enchanting side.