Spring Break
Dumbledore's Army more than just a fan club
KATIE VALENTINE
Issue date: 10/16/09 Section: News
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The club that was started in J.K Rowling's series now has a chapter at the University, and no wizarding experience is necessary to join.
Forrest Sherman had hoped to join a Harry Potter fan club at the University this year, and when she found that there wasn't one, she and her roommates decided to start their own.
"I went to the clubs Web site as a spur of the moment thing, and found out that the dates to start a club weren't over yet," said Sherman, a sophomore from Powder Springs.
Taking advantage of their timing, Sherman and her two roommates Laura Quirk and Alex Gorrell started Dumbledore's Army, the University's first organization based solely around the Harry Potter series.
But Sherman said Dumbledore's Army isn't just a Harry Potter fan club.
"We've only had one meeting, but we have a lot planned for this year," she said, mentioning events such as a scavenger hunt and a costume contest on Nov. 1.
DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY MEETING
When: 7 p.m. SundayWhere: 153 Miller Leaning Center
Sherman said she also wants to get the club involved with the Athens community by promoting literacy - and the love of Harry Potter - in public schools.
"My sister's a first grade teacher at Whit Davis Elementary, and we're planning on going there to read Harry Potter to the kids," she said.
The club officers are planning a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a new attraction opening at Universal Studios in Orlando next spring. Sherman said the trip would be open to all members of the club, and would ideally be during spring break.
The officers plan to attend a few matches of the University's Quidditch team as supporters and to try to recruit new members to Dumbledore's Army.
Fifteen people attended the club's first meeting, and the officers hope the number will grow. To help bring in new members, they plan to make Harry Potter-themed food for each club meeting.
"We made butterbeer for the first meeting, and it was really good," said Quirk, a sophomore from Norcross. "It was really easy to make - there are a ton of recipes online for Harry Potter food, so we want to try to bring something different to each meeting."
The officers said their goal this year is to see the club grow.
"We want to get a big enough club to where it will stick around for next year," Quirk said. "We want the club to be around for future generations of students, because I don't feel like people could ever get tired of Harry Potter."
