A new and exciting CAP has been introduced at MacDuffie this fall. Math teacher and Residential Advisor Caleb Parsons will be running a club called “Pottermania,” an afterschool program exploring all things relating to Harry Potter.

Parsons has been a fan ever since the first book came out when he was eight years old. At first, he planned to start a competitive quidditch team for the fall semester, as he always loved playing the real-world version of the fictional magical sport. He says, “I was a member of the quidditch team at Bard College, and my sister is the head of the quidditch team at Skidmore College.” However, after some research, he found that few schools in the area had a quidditch team to compete against. He then took his idea for a quidditch club and expanded it to the entire world of Harry Potter. The club consists of watching movies, playing trivia games, and cooking scrumptious foods.

On the first day of CAP, all 10 members were subjected to the Sorting Hat, which placed each student in a House at Hogwarts. “Surprisingly, we got a number of Slytherin this year,” Parsons said. “Usually, we get a lot of Gryffindor.”

Each activity allows the houses to earn points, and at the end of the fall, a House Cup Champion will be crowned.  

Junior Tenzin Yonten is excited to immerse himself into the world of Harry Potter. When asked about what he was most looking forward to this year, Yonten said, “ I am looking forward to new and more exciting events like maybe a quidditch match or even going and making some Harry Potter-related dishes.”

The club is looking for a few more members, and Parsons especially encourages day and homestay students to join.