by The Cowl Editor on November 7, 2019
Arts & Entertainment
by: Brenna O’Leary ’20 A&E Staff
Swish and flick! Just like some of the most beloved wizards, Providence College’s Board of Programmers (BOP) was able to perform some serious magic this week. On Tuesday, October 28 in McPhail’s, BOP transported PC students into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. McPhail’s was transformed with a Hogwarts-esque atmosphere. There were signs pointing to familiar wizarding destinations, as well as candles and golden snitches hanging from the ceiling. There was a hand-painted Quidditch pitch (in Muggle terms we know it as corn-hole), and at the front by the stage there was a long table cloaked in a black table cloth, full of great food and exciting prizes.
It held cauldrons of candy and plastic glasses filled to the brim with Hershey’s Kisses and Tootsie Rolls. There were vividly multicolored cupcakes adorned with symbols every Potterhead knows and loves, such as the Deathly Hallows, Harry’s glasses, lightning bolts, and snitches. There was even homemade butterbeer. BOP put the Hogwarts house-elves to shame with the feast they provided for PC students.
But BOP did more than just transport PC to the wizarding world: they also provided everyone who attended with the true Harry Potter experience. Trivia Night was more than a simple game—it was a quest. People were able to self-sort into teams and come up with team names to take on the trivia adventure. And it was a challenge for even the most devoted of Potterheads.
Annie Archard ’20, an organizer of the event, was thrilled with the turnout. She said that planning began months ago, and a lot of the details were finalized in the proceeding month. Archard, who says she is a huge Harry Potter fan and was responsible for the trivia questions, shared: “I did a combination of questions I found online with questions I made up myself that I thought would be a mix of medium and hard questions for all the die-hard fans.”
The competition between the groups was intense, but respectful. The questions were able to stump even the most devoted fans of J.K. Rowling’s books. Practically every round was met with multiple teams perfectly scoring, which led to at least one or two tie-breaker questions. And through all the fun, the love for Harry Potter was present in the atmosphere. Multiple students dressed the part, adorned with long black Hogwarts cloaks, Gryffindor ties, and black circle glasses. The most devoted fans even had stick on lightning-shaped scars.
Altogether, BOP was able to bring some of the most beloved literature and fantasy to PC. They created a wonderfully colorful and exciting event that kept people on their toes.