Edited by: Veronika Potylitsina
For a lot of university students, Harry Potter was a central part of our childhoods. Many of us grew up reading the books, watching the movies, and living vicariously through Harry’s adventures. The Harry Potter Alliance at UTSC is one club at UofT that pays homage to the series and its influence.
Name of Club: Harry Potter Alliance (HPA)
Social Media: Facebook page and Instagram (hpautsc)
Responses were provided by two HPA executive members Natasha Seeram, a third year student who specializes in Psychology with a minor in French and Shagun Kanwar, a third year student with a double major in Neuroscience and Psychology with a minor in Health Humanities.
When was your club founded?
The Harry Potter Alliance UTSC – ScarBurrow was founded in 2015, though the worldwide organization was founded in 2005 by Andrew Slack.
What is the purpose of your club?
The purpose of this club is to raise awareness about literacy, as well as promote equality, human rights and diversity. For example, not everyone around the world is fortunate enough to be able to have access to schooling or books, and the Harry Potter Alliance works to aid in rectifying that situation. Every contribution counts, whether big or small, and it can have a big impact on the lives of individuals. At ScarBurrow, we strive to emulate the goals and mission of the Harry Potter Alliance, and we host events that help to primarily promote education, using the Harry Potter series and its influence on individuals of all ages around the world.
What sets your club apart from other Harry-Potter related or just general students clubs on campus?
On our campus, the only other Harry Potter related campus group would be UTSC Quidditch. Our group operates as a not-for-profit organization that focuses on promoting the aforementioned values while simultaneously raising funds/awareness for key causes. Both our campus groups address different aspects and learnings from our love and passion for the Harry Potter series. For example, if you are like Hermione Granger, a brilliant advocate for issues close to her heart like S.P.E.W. (Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare) or like Luna Lovegood, a witch filled with eccentric thoughts and ideas, then we are the campus group for you! If you’re more of an adventure-seeker with a competitive streak in you, check out UTSC Quidditch. Both our groups are comprised of pretty chill people and we at HPA UTSC – ScarBurrow hope to see you at a future event collaboration between our groups!
What kind of events does your club generally organize?
A major event that HPA UTSC – ScarBurrow has done previously is a Book Exchange titled the “Apparating Library”, where University of Toronto students were encouraged to trade in their gently used books for new finds. It was a success and many students contributed in the event, providing the council with numerous extra books for the cause rather than trading them for others. After the event, we were able to donate several boxes full of books to the Rouge Valley Centenary Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House in Scarborough.
How can students get involved with this club? Can anyone join?
Any current or past student of UofT can join our campus group. For anyone that wants to join as a general member, simply send us an email at hpautsc@gmail.com so we can add you to our mailing list to receive emails about our volunteer opportunities.
Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
“Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!”; that is all.