Penn State is clearly the inspiration for the new American Hogwarts

If you’re anything like me, Hogwarts is constantly on your mind and recently, J.K. Rowling, the queen herself, has given us another piece of the wizarding world… she’s gone global. Previously, she’s made references that there is an American wizarding school, but this past week she officially announced that the North American wizarding school is named, “Ilvermorny.” Mic drop.

I’ll admit that when I’ve been walking around our Penn State campus, sometimes I’ve drawn some parallels between Hogwarts and University Park. Now I am 100% positive that J.K Rowling and I were on the same page when she was creating Ilvermorny.

Shall we start with the houses? Each house at Hogwarts has it’s own separate dormitories where the students’ environment matches their personalities and preferences for how they like to socialize and study. At Penn State, there are four different dormitories where student’s can live… excluding North because come on, that is definitely where the professors live.

Assuming that the houses would be the same, this is what I have concluded: The West dorms house the Ravenclaws. West is filled to the brim with engineering students and those who highly prioritize intelligence and the wit that comes with it. East dorms house Slytherins and we see through thier cunning ways. These dorms are filled with frat boy wannabes and body con skirt experimentation, all to slyly enter into the Forbidden Forest (aka Frat Land) on a Friday night.

Next, the South dorms are reserved for the Gryffindor’s. Gryffindor’s seem to be the jack of all traits and these dorms have it all. The rooms are generally spacious, making your room the place where everyone wants to be, and Gryffindor’s are the type of people you want to be around. Not to mention, private bathrooms. Last, we have Pollock, leaving us with the Hufflepuffs to tend to. Hufflepuffs clearly inhabit this area because Hufflepuffs are not quite like the rest. To begin with, it is the only group of dorms without a cardinal direction for a name. It also lends its land to the Mifflin Streak, something we have accepted but are still unclear why it’s a thing.

Ilvermorny’s Great Hall, is obviously based off of our beloved HUB. American witches and wizards need a place to hang out, study and of course, eat. The HUB has many different restaurants, perfect for the beginning of a semester feast. If only there was a spell to make Chick-fil-A operate on a normal schedule.

In our very own Pattee Paterno library, we have already famously dubbed an area, “The Harry Potter” room with huge comfy chairs for studying (or more commonly, napping), long tables and rows of books to study. There is no school with a more similar fit. Need I say more?

And move over Honeyduckes, because we have none other than the Berkey Creamery with what seems like hundreds of witty Penn State themed ice cream flavors. And of course, you can get other not-so-good-for-you treats here as well.

Then, of course, come ghosts and poltergeists. Penn State is notoriously one of the most haunted campuses in America. Between the ghost of the Schwab Auditorium, who watches over the Thespian’s as they rehearse their semester showcases and Atherton’s wife watching over his grave from the Old Botany building…we have quite our share of spooks. We also have our very own poltergeist, the Willard Preacher (Peeves). Sweet Gary mocks us as we try to earn bachelor’s degrees, insulting everything from how we dress, to how we spend our time ~after hours.~

On the weekend’s Hogwart’s students travel to the neighboring town of Hogsmeade for a change of scenery, food, and a few drinks. Here at Penn State, we flood Downtown whenever we get the chance to grab a brew or two (or ten) with our friends. Ilvermorny would be no different. Downtown, we have the Corner Room or the Three Broomsticks of State College. It is family friendly, it’s demographic including students, professors, and visiting relatives. We also have establishments that have no other purpose than for recreational drinking. Maybe next time you’re at the Phyrst, try ordering a Fire Whiskey and see what happens…you never know.

Lastly, there are the little things. It seems as though practically every girl at this school has a giant, long, black parka with a matching black hat. The sometimes-ghastly temperatures make us a little heartless or dementor-like, don’t you think?

When the weather finally breaks, Hogwarts student’s get a case of spring fever and lay out near the Great Lake. Likewise, we emerge from our epic hibernation and lay on the Old Main lawn, trying to get some Vitamin D to our sun-deprived bodies. We also have the Arboretum, which would be any Herbology student’s dream. Not to mention, the squirrels. The squirrels are not only our adopted outdoor pets, but they also basically deliver our mail. Who knew?

It would be so easy to go on forever, I’m still a little unclear if Penn State is the inspiration for Ilvermorny or we have been going to a wizarding school this whole time without even realizing it. Either way, there is no doubt that Penn State is just as magical and enchanting as Ilvermorny, or even better, Hogwarts.

@MegsyBologna