Levitation charms. Invisibility cloaks. Quidditch balls. Horcruxes. When the news came out that the theme for the Sweetheart dance was Harry Potter, there were mixed reactions among students. Many students are unaware it is the school’s Student Council that picks the themes for the dances. A multitude of things are taken into consideration while picking the theme.

“The things we consider while picking themes are: one, how will we decorate for it, and two, does it attract the whole student body”, said senior Ali McGuire.

Once the Student Council decides on the themes they like, the next step is getting it approved by BV West’s administration.

“To get the themes approved we first give administration our top three, if they turn down the first option, we use the second one, etc. They make sure each theme is appropriate and doesn’t offend anyone,” McGuire said.

Due to this decisive process, many ideas have been rejected.

“For homecoming some people really like a Chinese New Year theme, but administration said no because it could be stereotyping,” sophomore Jacob Braun said.

Although many Harry Potter fans were ecstatic about the theme, there were some people who were not as thrilled, including sophomore, Carly Crow.

“I am not a fan of the theme because I’ve never seen the movies or read the books, and all I know is that it has something to do with wizards, magic, and a weird looking owl.” Crow said.

Although Harry Potter may have had some mixed reactions, Student Council has worked hard throughout the years to pick fun and creative themes.

“I am impressed every year with the kids’ creativity for decorations. The Great Gatsby, Arabian Nights, and Alice in Wonderland are high on the list,” said Student Council advisor, Jennifer Legrotte.