Students celebrated Halloween Harry Potter style as the Saint Mary's College Quidditch Club, along with the help of SMC's Student Government Association, hosted Halloween Hullabaloo on Sunday.
The club kicked off the event with two Quidditch matches played by the three teams that make up the Quidditch Club. The names of the teams are terms coined by the Harry Potter series.
In the first match, the Welsh Greens lost to Mooney's Marauders. Voldemort's Army triumphed over the Marauders in overtime in the second match.
About 60 people showed up for the matches. Senior Kathryn Lynch enjoyed watching the matches on a warm blanket close to the playing field.
"I was really surprised at how organized it was," said Lynch. "It's like a real sport."
Many members of the crowd, both students and faculty, dressed in Harry Potter garb, including College President Carol Ann Mooney, who dressed in a witch's outfit.
However, some spectators, such as senior Molly Sego weren't lured into the event by the fun theme.
"I've read two of the books, but I'm not really a Harry Potter fan," Sego said. "I came because my friends were playing, and it's a fun Halloween activity."
Following the Quidditch matches, food and drinks such as Butterbeer, Cauldron Cakes and other delicious treats based off the Harry Potter series were served to participants in the Student Center basement.
There were many activities to partake in, including fortune telling, a snitch piñata and an opportunity to get sorted into one of the Hogwarts' houses. Students also competed in trivia and a costume contest.
Organizers also gave out prizes, including club t-shirts, Harry Potter-themed candy, a Sorting Hat keychain and even a bottle of Goblin Juice.
Allie Hensley, president and creator of the SMC Quidditch Club, Sara Boocher, vice president, and a Halloween committee decided to create Halloween Hullabaloo as a way of introducing the club to the SMC community. The club holds matches every Sunday at 4 p.m. on the Library Green.
"I am hoping that the event will generate more interest in the club, and I am also hoping that Sunday afternoons will become a time for students, faculty and staff to come out and enjoy our matches," Hensley said.
"We wanted students to come out and see how we play and share in all the fun," Boocher said. "It was a chance for everyone on campus to see something completely different from the norm and experience the magic."
Hensley said she founded the Quidditch Club was created at the beginning of the school year.
"My love of Harry Potter is essentially what led to the formation of this club, but I have to give tremendous thanks to all of the people who brought ‘Muggle Quidditch' to life. There is actually an organization, the International Quidditch Association (IQA), which adapted the rules from J.K. Rowling's books," Hensley explained. "I stumbled across the IQA one day last semester, and here we are today."
Hensley, along with Boocher, set up a booth at SMC's Activities Night, hoping to recruit members for the club.
"Allie and I were both nervous that we should have something else to draw people in, but it turns out quite a few SMC girls love Harry Potter as much as we do," Boocher said. "The response was overwhelming; more sign-up sheets had to be printed off during Activities Night to meet the demands of the students."
Hensley said there are about 30 members, and the club is still accepting members for their teams. They hope to have another sign-up session before Christmas break.
