Blackburn has several new clubs for students to join. One of these is the ‘Harry Potter Club,’ alternatively referred to as ‘Beaver’s Army’ or ‘The School of Witchcraft and Beaverdry.’ Medical laboratory science major and Chilean exchange student Giovanna Navarro Martinez acts as Dumbledore to the wizardry club. “The first club meeting was for us to get to know each other,” explained Martinez. “In the next couple of meetings we are going to make our own wands, begin sorting into houses and study spells and magical creatures.” Martinez has also set up professors and house point reward systems so that the club can have its own house cup at the end of the year.
Freshman club member Noelia Martinez-Voight said, “I chose to participate in this club because I really like Harry Potter. I loved the books when my grandfather read them to me. And I think it is fun to be able to share our love for the stories with others.”
The club doesn’t have a concrete schedule yet, but in the future Martinez would like to meet every two weeks. The first meeting was in the Demuzio Campus Center, but that may change in the future. She encourages anyone who thinks they may be interested to come to a meeting and said that the club is for “everyone who likes Harry Potter or the wizarding world or even has some interest in reading the books. If you are interested in helping with the creation of a new world away from muggle life, you should even come if you just want to pass the time with some people who have similar interests.” Martinez plans on expanding the club over time and making a quidditch team if enough people are available. If you are interested in the wizarding world or joining this club you can contact Dumbledore at giovanna.navarro@blackburn.edu.
Another new club available to students is ‘Cardinal Directions to Life Paths’ or just ‘Life Paths’ for short. Don’t be intimidated by the long name; this club was made by students, for students, and uses group discussions and readings to offer guidance and help answer frequently asked questions like “What is my purpose?”
Meetings are on Thursdays, usually in the Lumpkin Learning Commons. Club treasurer and junior accounting major John Aden said, “Meetings consist of a brief period of announcements before diving into our discussion time. We normally read a short section from a book and discuss how the passage applies to our lives.”
Anyone is welcome to come join this club especially if they have life questions or feel in need of guidance. Aden said, “Everyone at Life Paths is respected and embraced regardless of where they are on their journey. Anyone who is willing to openly and honestly search for truth is welcome to join. Life Paths is a place where you can find support from a diverse group of people and feel free to explore any question that is important to you.” If you are interested in joining or have any questions you can email the club president at jessie.willard@blackburn.edu.