4 things that make Baylor a little like Hogwarts

Anyone who’s a fan of the Harry Potter series has imagined what it would be like to study at Hogwarts. From learning potions to flying lessons and having magical holiday meals in the Great Hall, attending Hogwarts seems like a dream.

But… We think there are a handful of things here at Baylor that make it feel just a little bit like Hogwarts:

1. Brooks Dining Hall — The comparisons have been made for years, and it’s not a coincidence. The Great Hall in Brooks College was actually modeled after the same location at Oxford that inspired Hogwarts’ Great Hall!

2. Baylor’s quidditch team — Yes, Baylor has its very own quidditch team. Baylor’s team competes against almost 150 others from across the nation. Every year, the team hosts a tournament on campus, welcoming teams from across the southwest. They even sell Baylor Quidditch t-shirts you can sport!

3. An entire class on Harry Potter — Baylor English professor Greg Garrett regularly teaches a very popular class on J.K. Rowling’s series, in which students read all seven books as well as The Tales of Beedle the Bard. You might consider Garrett an expert on the topic, as he is the author of One Fine Potion: The Literary Magic of Harry Potter, which the Association of Theological Booksellers chose as its “Best Theological Book” in 2011.

4. Speaking of experts — Dr. Garrett isn’t the only Harry Potter expert walking Baylor’s halls. Dr. James Kendrick, an associate professor of film and digital media, was interviewed about the anxiety that exists over the Harry Potter books transferring to a movie screen for the CNN original series The Movies.

I wonder if President Livingstone’s patronus would be a bear…

Sic ’em, Harry Potter fans!