 Spotlight Editor ____________________________________________________________________________________ They say there’s a club for everybody at Atholton High School, but, until now, this statement has regrettably been untrue. For all those students who have grimaced at the name Vold—You-Know-Who, for all those who attempted to sign up for a Parseltongue class and got placed in Latin 1 instead, or for that vast majority of students that cried on their eleventh birthday when an owl didn’t deliver them an acceptance letter to Hogwarts, well, that portion of Atholton’s population has been severely underrepresented. This month, those students’ Mirror of Erised wishes will be granted with the introduction of a Harry Potter-themed club to Atholton’s extracurricular line-up. “Harry Potter Club will be like the reject school of Hogwarts. Squibs and muggles will be admitted (out of pity, I guess), but also those that are not-so talented can join because we like to be inclusive! So for all you Neville Longbottoms out there, fear not! Harry Potter Club is the place for you!” said club founder Junior Mollie Matz. The club will meet twice a month after school in Ms. French’s room, and there will hopefully be time for at least one meeting before the end of the school year to allow any interested seniors to participate. Meetings will consist of various Harry Potter-related activities. “We can play Harry Potter Scene-It, read Harry Potter books in British accents (and/or Hagrid-like accents), and hopefully play a mock Quidditch game,” said Matz. The club will also handle some serious issues, such as the dangers of dark magic. “The best way to ensure that those more susceptible to dark wizardry, such as freshmen, are not harmed is to train our third and fourth years to protect them. There will be some informational sessions about ‘How to Spot Dark Wizards,’ including warnings about creepy guys in turbans that make your scars sting and cloaked men handing out dragons’ eggs to unsuspecting underclassmen,” Matz explained. Matz began preparation for the club in March after realizing that Atholton had a great need for a club centered on literature. “I really wanted to start a Harry Potter club after some classmates and I discussed the missing elements of the 6th movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, that were really imperative to the plot of the books. I realized that as we continued to discuss, more and more people joined the conversation. That’s when it hit me that there were students at Atholton that would never actually tell anyone that they were obsessed with Harry Potter unless other students would admit it too. So I thought, ‘If I start a club, it could bring unexpected people together,’” said Matz. Students who share a love for Harry Potter are encouraged to attend the first meeting. Matz is passionate about the club because she feels that it caters to a diverse group of students. According to Matz, anyone can be a member. “Membership is not selective at all. In fact, rather than us coming to students, students will apply to us. We have a 99 percent acceptance rate. If you are Voldemort and/or a Death Eater, you are NOT allowed in.” Already, students have begun signing up for the club for various reasons. Senior Mihir Patel, a die-hard dark magic supporter, hopes to expand his Harry Potter knowledge through participation in the club. “Although I am well-versed in the history of the Dark Lord, I must confess that my knowledge of other Harry Potter characters is deservedly not up to par. For years I have desired a connection with other Harry Potter fans, and this is the perfect opportunity.” Still, others are interested in the club for more personal gain. “I hope that learning how to play Quidditch will make me a chick magnet. Between Cho Chang and Ginny Weasley, Quidditch allowed Harry to become an ultimate player. I want to be that player!” said Senior Dillon Hagius. |