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Last week, I had the privilege to attend what I now consider one of my favorite seminars at the McConnell Center. Dr. Amy Sturgis–a renowned Native American historian, author, science fiction and fantasy enthusiast, podcaster, and editor–spent two days at the McConnell Center exploring the realms of The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, the Trail of Tears, and Hayek's The Road to Serfdom. Her seminar on “Potter’s Politics” was of particular interest to me as I had never read Harry Potter nor watched the movies. (Yes, I'm one of those rare people who have no idea what all the hooplah related to Harry Potter is all about.)
I started the first book in preparation for the seminar and found it interesting, but not exactly earth shattering as many Potter fans do. However, after attending the seminar, my views on Harry, Ron, and Hermione have changed. I learned that the world of Harry Potter is much different than my preconceived notions. Though I was lost in the discussion of numerous characters, I found the characters of Harry and Dumbledore fascinating. I learned that there is more to fantasy literature than meets the eye and though the series is an easy and fun read it has many valuable lessons that carry over into everyday life.
Samantha Roney is a sophomore McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. She is studying political science and economics.