At the end of Banned Books Week in September 2018, The College of Liberal Arts offered local high school students the opportunity to experience a day of miniature college courses through an event called Hogwarts on the Hilltop. Students were invited to see how we can study courses like geography, history, literature, language, philosophy, political science, and sociology with a text like the Harry Potter series.

The event was design to benefit high school juniors and seniors the most, as it gave them a glimpse into the university-level academics they would soon be experiencing, but students who were members of high school Harry Potter clubs, book clubs, or other groups interested in Harry Potter were also welcomed. The brochure that describes the classes and the experience can be found here.

Students in Professor Brian Fencl’s Mural-Making and Public Art class created amazing Harry Potter-inspired whiteboard murals for the event.

The following Saturday, a public event was held that gave participants the opportunity to experience lectures on a variety of topics, including marketing, magic, censorship, and fake news. Afterwards, guests were treated to butter beer, a Bertie Bott’s jelly bean dare, and crafts lead by the WLU Center for Arts and Education.

Note: This is an educational and fan-hosted event that is in no way affiliated with Warner Bros. or author J.K. Rowling.