Schedule of Events 2008

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From Middle-earth to Hogwarts: The Achievements of Tolkien and Rowling. KEYNOTE SPEAKER
In this presentation, Dr. Drout will be discussing the way that fantasy has evolved in the five decades since the Lord of the Rings has been published. He will explain what Tolkien's achievement was and how Rowling's work compares to it. The similarities and differences among the books are important to note, as is Rowling's having written after having read Tolkien. He will conclude with some analysis of the climactic scenes of The Return of the King and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Born of Hope - Fan Film
Born of Hope is a prequel to the Lord of the Rings and is inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's writings in the Appendices of the Trilogy. Kate Robinson, filmmaker says, "The Dunedain have always captured my interest and a story about these rangers of the North really appealed." Unlike most fan-made films, Born of Hope is not a spoof or parody, but a serious drama with many aspects of Tolkien's work and Peter Jackson's New Line films represented: love, war, family, friendship, good and evil.

Chainmail
Knitted Chain Mail
Yep, you heard right. Learn how to knit cording to look just like chain mail, only lighter, easier and quicker. Find out where to purchase supplies and learn step by step how to create your own chain mail hood, tunic, braies and cowl. Patterns and supply lists will be provided.

Costume 1 - Corsets
Underwear at its finest - learn about different styles of corsets and create a design of your own. Find out about the newest notions and machine techniques.

Costume 2 - Sloper
Store bought costumes fit you like a gunnysack? Learn how to make a Sloper which will make your costumes fit and look good. A sloper (a fancy word for a generic pattern of your torso) is the springboard for any creation and an essential first step. Come learn how to make your own and what to do with it once you have it.

Exploring Christian themes in Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings
You've heard the rumors. . . . Harry Potter is a satanic plot! Join Dr. Fullmer as he debunks this urban myth and explores religion among Wizards, Muggles and Elves.

From Beowulf to The Lord of the Rings; Tolkien's Art and Scholarship
Dr. Drout will demonstrate how JRRT's medieval scholarship fed into his fantasy writing and how understanding that scholarship illuminates the Lord of the Rings.

Gollum The Terrible
Most necessary and least reliable of sidekicks, Tolkien's Gollum looks to be a demonic version of one's "inner child" -a bit of the Terrible Twos, returning just when one most and least needs him. The failure to redeem him casts a troubling shadow over the denouement of "Lord of the Rings".

Lord of the Rings Jeopardy Game
Think you know Tolkien? Come see if you can tell a Silmaril from a Sindar and Olorin from an oliphaunt in this fun knock-off of Jeopardy! Don't want to compete? Come join the fun anyway and root for your favorite contestant. (We'll stick to the Jeopardy format, but whether you compete as individuals or as teams will depend on how many of you are brave enough to sign up!) Sign up sheet will be at the registration desk until 11:30 A.M. Assemble at 12 noon in front of the Prancing Pony (Ballroom Center) for instructions.

Masquerade
Ok, that's a fancy word for dance. Come in costume, ready to be judged…. yes, this is the time when you WANT someone to be staring you down. Prizes awarded and then you can dance the night away.

Middle-earth Dance
Challe Carter, SCA member, has studied antiquated dance forms for 8 years. Challe will be demonstrate and “call” the steps as you swing and sway through Middle-earth.

Middle-earth Tour
Ever wonder what Middle earth (New Zealand) was really like? Sharon will share pictures and travel hints so when you make that trip to New Zealand, you won't miss a single, magic moment.

One King to Rule Them All: Establishing Aragorn as Middle-earth's Monarch
Jackson and J.R.R. Tolkien use different methods in the "The Lord of the Rings" to establish the audience's sympathy for Aragorn. In this class learn more about this giant of Middle earth.

Prosthetics 1*
Learn techniques of using foam latex prosthetics to create your own fantasy creature,

Supplies Often Used Are:
--Gelatin
--Glycerin
--Sorbitol
--Alginate/Accucast
--Acrylic (white) & activator
--Ultra-cal (plaster)
--Mask Latex
--Prosthetic Adhesive/Remover

Additional items can be purchase at University Pharmacy or the Costume Closet, such as Liquid latex/ wrinkle stipple, Theater make-up supllies, and Spirit Gum/Remover.

Prosthetics 2
Learn basic makeup techniques to create facial illusions to change the shape of your face, create different styles such as old age, simple creature makeup, and face painting. You will use materials available at the grocery stores and stage makeup supply stores.

Silent Auction
If you attended the last three years events, you know that you WON”T be silent when you see the fantastic baskets filled with gift certificates to hotels, restaurants and entertainment events. 2007’s Festival had Sideshow Weta statues AND a copy and signed sheet of the Lord of the Rings Score. Bring your wallets ‘cause you won’t want to pass up these fantastic items.

Wizard Rock
Come learn about the roots of the newest wave of fan fiction inspired by Harry Potter -- Wizard Rock. Listen to clips of the music, hear about the inspiration behind the movement, and find out how you can become involved in some of the charity events they host. Share your own "Wrock" experiences (have you attended a concert?) and we'll have fun talking about why it's a genre for anyone and everyone -- just like the books from which comes the inspiration.

Kids Room / Gaming

Kids and the young at heart, join us for fantasy story hour, learn how to make your own knights/ladies creed medallion, color fantasy pictures, play board games, take fantasy quizzes, make your own squishy sword, learn fundamentals and then play RPG games and join us in the main hallway for the knighting ceremony!

Grown-up Rules for the Kids/Crafts/Games Room:

1. Please do not leave children under the age of 12 unsupervised in this room.
2. We welcome children of all ages and will have activities prepared to amuse children ages 5 and up. Some of the activities require more patience and fine motor skills than others (i.e. most children will need grown-up help for the sword making activity, and children under age 8 will need a little help with the knights creed and emblem). If an activity is too difficult for your child, please help him/her with it or take him/her to the free play table to find something better suited to their tastes and developmental level.
3. We are not serving food or beverages in this room. Please make sure your child gets regular meals and stays sufficiently hydrated.
4. We do not have sufficient adult staff to take your child to the bathroom. If you are not comfortable with the notion of him or her going by him/herself, please make sure you are here to take care of things.

Kids Rules for the Kids/Crafts/Games Room:

1. Have fun! This room is here for you. We hope you'll enjoy it.
2. There are a lot of things happening in this one room, so please speak quietly, and please be considerate of others.
3. Absolutely no hitting, kicking, biting, or other violent physical behavior. If you do those things, you will have to leave. If you make a squishy sword and want to play-fight with it, that's okay, but be sure to ask the other person's permission, and make sure the other person's ready.
4. We'll have plenty of activities prepared, so if you get bored, please don't whine about it. Just go try one of the other activities.

Knighting Ceremony Explanation

We thought it would be fun to give our young attendees (and any young-at-heart attendees who want to join in) something fun and fancy to cap off the day. The full text of the "ceremony" will be available at the event, so people can reassure themselves beforehand that it's not weird or hokey. It's modeled closely after the knighting in "Kingdom of Heaven"-it's just more clearly worded, minus references to God (lest, heaven forbid, we land in First Amendment purgatory), and minus the slap at the end. And don't worry-we recognize the need to keep things brief and amusing for the kids. We'll do our best to have extra items on hand, but anyone who's really interested in participating in the knighting ceremony should please plan on coming to make an emblem (little round medallion thingy with the "knights creed" on it) and a squishy sword beforehand, as we'll be using those in the "ceremony." Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

Vendors/Dealer Tables
Pick up that Middle Earth thing-a-ma-jig you have always wanted!

*FYI: Materials used in prosthetic's classes can be obtained on the internet at Or at their store located at:
Special Effect Supply Corp.,
164 East Center St.,
North Salt Lake, UT 84054.

Into the West reserves the right to make change to programming based scheduling conflicts, inclement weather, speaker illness, etc.