For the first time ever a special Harry Potter edition of “Release the Stress Before the Test” will take place at the Pearson Library May 4-8.

This year the Pearson Library staff decided to make the week a little different for students by incorporating a Harry Potter theme.

“The purpose of the event is to provide a bit of fun and stress relief for CLU students during a normally very stressful time pre-finals,” Information Specialist at the Pearson Library Madelynn Dickerson said.

This year the library will be decorated for the Harry Potter theme.

“The library lobby will be decorated as platform 9 ¾ so the glass doors open up and it will be like the bricks opening up,” Dickerson said.

There will also be a Honeydukes Express trolley in the library that will go around at random times throughout the week and offer students free snacks.

“I think it’s going to be really fun because normally our stress weeks are really popular,” Carissa Faulk, Public Services Student Supervisor said. “We have a lot of really big Harry Potter fans and everyone’s into Harry Potter, that’s a really popular thing so I think it will be fun because it’s something different.”

At 4 p.m on May 6 there will be a mock Quidditch game called “Muggle Quidditch” at Mt. Clef Stadium.

“We will have two teams, Slytherin and Gryffindor, and someone will play the snitch and we’ll just be following the rules of Muggle Quidditch that we can find online essentially,” said Yvonne Wilber, Manager of Collection Development, who will be playing the part of Madam Hooch, the instructor.

Students can sign up to participate in Muggle Quidditch online.

“If they have a preferred team they get to pick it when they sign up,” Dickerson said. “We also need somebody to be the snitch, the little flying gold ball. The way that we’re going to do it for Muggle Quidditch is to have a fast person run away from everybody.”

Only Cal Lutheran students can participate in the game but everyone is invited to come watch. Costumes for Quidditch are encouraged but not required.

The library staff has been brainstorming different Harry Potter themed names for the rebranding of past stress week traditions. This year the free coffee is going to be called Espresso Patronum.

Students will also have the opportunity to send Owl Grams to their friends this year.

“There will be a submission where you can come to the library front desk and fill out a little message and then we’ll let your intended recipient know that they have an owl gram waiting for them and you can pick it up here at the library,” Dickerson said.

On May 4 from 4-6 p.m. students will have the opportunity to take a study break and make buttons or decorations to wear during the week.

Associate Director of Information Resources Lala Badal, started the program for stress release week a few years ago.

In past years there have been events throughout this week that students really enjoyed. For example, the opportunity to interact with therapy animals, dogs and a miniature horse.

This year students will have the opportunity to get a free 15-minute massage, interact with therapy animals or drink a free cup of coffee with snacks in the library.

Paws for Petting are coming May 5 from 3-4 p.m. and May 7 from 3-4 p.m. A miniature horse will also be on campus May 7 at 11 a.m.

There will be four hours of massages for students and the sign-up form to reserve your place will be online.

Students are encouraged to stop by the Pearson Library to study, have some fun with the Harry Potter theme and “Release Stress Before the Test.”

Jennifer Birch
Staff Writer
Published April 22nd, 2015