Issue 8 | September 2013
News
Letter From the Editor Dear Anglerfish Readers,
Eric Cole
Editor in Chief
Issuu - www.issuu.com/theanglerfish Tumblr - theanglerfishmagazine.tumblr.com Twitter - www.twitter.com/anglerfishzine Facebook - www.facebook.com/theanglerfish
Managers & Editors Brandon Dannenhoffer Jason Stack Keren Moros David Pantoja Eefje Savelkoul Katherine Taylor
Founder Entertainment Editor News Editor Art Director Sr. Design Lead Sr. Design Lead
Graphics & Design Maddie Valley Rosie Strom Mayela Gutierrez Hayley Pike Tiffany Kuo Jackie Files Jessika Raisor
Designer/ Illustrator Designer/ Illustrator Designer/ Illustrator Illustrator Illustrator Illustrator Illustrator
Writers Marissa Alyssa Nabors Cecily Dreyfuss Elsa Stoff Sarah Mills Colleen Good Melissa Heineman Lya Rothmann Lucy Pegg Joie Ling Kaya Mendelsohn Ruth Tirado Pallavi Pillutla
Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer
I have a confession. It is not going to be totally shocking because I believe 87.3% of you readers would share my confession. I don’t know, my math might be a little off. Anyway, I do have a confession. Are you ready? Here goes . . . I am a Harry Potter nerd. This is sort of a general thing to say, so I want to make it clear what I mean when I say it. I am a Harry Potter nerd in the same way that a person’s eyes are blue or a person has a birthmark. Being a Harry Potter nerd is as much a part of my being as the hair on my head. Everything -- and I do mean everything -- that I am today I owe to Harry Potter. The moral code that I live my life by was inspired by Harry Potter. My geek-chic wardrobe was inspired by Harry Potter. My taste in literature was inspired by Harry Potter. My friendships were formed through a mutual love of Harry Potter. The 200 Wizard Rock songs that I own . . . well, you get the idea. Harry Potter is in my blood. It is the thing that I always return to in times of happiness or sadness. It is my comfort, my love, my world. It makes me proud to be who I am, and it makes me proud to be a nerd. I know that I am not the only one out there because of LeakyCon. Perhaps some of you readers have gone, and, if you have, you are fully aware of the powerful effect a Harry Potter conference can have on you. The love that you feel, the warm acceptance wrapping you like your favorite comforter in the winter, the kindness complete strangers give you. At least, people who we believe are complete strangers. In reality, nobody is a stranger in the Harry Potter community because, whether we know each other or not, we are all friends. That, above all else, is what makes the Harry Potter community as unbelievable as it is, and that is the spirit that we have tried to contain in our issue this month. It is amazing that when The Anglerfish staff found out we would be covering the Harry Potter fandom this month, they responded with the kind of enthusiasm that only Harry Potter fans can display. This issue features fourteen articles about Harry Potter. Fourteen -- and all of them are spectacular. From our usual examination of the fandom, to an article on Umbridge’s educational decrees and their parallels to our real-life educational system; from Harry’s effect on fantasy literature to a highly unique look at Wizarding History and an EXCLUSIVE interview with the one and only Lauren Fairweather, you will find something for every Harry Potter fan in this issue. So, dive in my fellow wizards, and I hope you enjoy our special look at our favorite boy wizard and what he means to all of us. DFTBA! Best Wishes, Eric Cole Editor in Chief - The Anglerfish Magazine
Social Media/ PR Mert Keceli Tristan Dane
Social Media Social Media
Cover by: David Pantoja
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The Anglerfish | Issue 8 September 2013
Table of Contents
News
01
Letter from the Editor
29
Muggle History
03
Meet the Staff
31
Hipster Potter
09
Thoughts From Places
32
Real Life Quidditch
13
Nerdfighter Spotlight
33
The Most Noble House of Grey
15
We’re Wizards, We’ll Party Forever
35
HPA: Fandoms for Social Change
17
A Visit to the Wizarding World
36
HP and the Cult of Self Esteem
18
Summer in the City
37
PS: Class Conflict in US
19
Ripped From the Screen
38
Farewell, Video Responses
21
Movie Club
39
America and Syria
23
Something Old, Something New
40
Lets’ Learn From Hogwarts
24
What Harry’s Done for Fantasy
42
Neville Longbottom and PTSD
25
How Harry Made Us Love Fantasy
43
The Discovery of New Species
27
The Nostalgia of Gaiman and King
44
Art & Literature
28
What We Say When We Don’t Know
13
29
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eet the Staff The staff here at the Anglerfish decided to show their love for all things Potter. So we donned the sorting hat and prepared ourselves to be sorted into the famed houses of Hogwarts. Some of us were a bit too busy to make it to the sorting so their familiars we sent to stand in for them. If you want to be sorted as well you can hop over to https://www.pottermore.com and then share with us your house and all your Potter art or fan fic on Twitter , Tumblr, or Facebook. Illustrations by: David Pantoja
Founder
Writer
Illustrator
Reader Submissions Editor
Brandon
Colleen
Jackie
Jordan
News Editor
illustrator/ Designer
Illustrator
Illustrator
Keren
Mayela
Tiffany
Vaiki
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Cecily
Marissa
Pallavi
Writer
Writer
Writer
Cecily has been working with the Anglerfish since its inception. When she’s not busily writing advice for Nerdfighteria, she’s probably geeking out over fandoms.
Marissa likes to write and would love to be an author. Her main role in the magazine is writing book reviews and the occasional opinion piece/miscellaneous.
Palls studies mathematics and computer science at the NYU College of Arts and Sciences. She can solve a Rubik’s cube in under 2 minutes!
Alyssa
David
Eefje
Writer
Design Director
Illustrator/ Design Editor
Alyssa enjoys knitting, learning new languages, collecting comics, and playing music on ukulele, guitar, and piano. A few of her heroes are Neil Gaiman, Tina Fey, her best friend Emily.
Fancy man of cornwall and jolly bearded fellow, Dave is a lover of pop culture. If he wasn’t working on the magazine he would still be doodling just cause.
Eefje is a Dutch graphic designer who works in newspaper lay-out, loves nerdfightery things and does creative stuff. What type of ‘stuff’ changes continously.
You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart
You might belong in Hufflepuff, Where they are just and loyal, Those patient Hufflepuffs are true, and unafraid of toil
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Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, If you’ve a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind
Eric
Hayley
Jacob
Editor in Chief
Illustrator
Writer
Eric is the proud Editor in Chief of The Anglerfish. He also enjoys writing short stories, reading, playing video games, watching movies, and hiking.
Hogwarts Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts teach us something please, whether we be old and gross or young with knobby knees! Hayley, loves painting, drawing, and Herbology.
Jacob is a junior in college studying public health and chemistry. He enjoys reading the literary works of John Green, Neil Gaiman, and Orson Scott Card.
Jason
Joie
Kaya
Entertainment Editor
Writer
Writer
Jason is known to be a voracious reader, an avid movie-goer, and an occasional vlogger. He writes in his spare time.
Joie is a bibliophile, screenwriter, and aspiring medical doctor. Joie loves sour candy and pictures of pastries on Instagram.
Although Hogwarts was her first choice, Kaya attends NYU and is studying Psychology and Creative Writing.
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Lucy
Madeleine
Melissa
Mert
Writer
Illustrator/ Designer
Writer
Social Media/ PR
Lucy reads too much and is a hopelessly procrastinating writer of many unfinished projects. If reincarnation actually happens it would be her aim to return as Luna Lovegood
Ohio University gradurate and graphic design intern in Washington, DC. Madeleine is in love with the Avengers, wine, and feminist movie criticism.
Melissa is an avid writer and loves the smell of rainwater, the sea and fresh (or old) paper. She is first and foremost a Whedonite, Potterhead and Whovian.
Mert is an aspiring YouTuber as well as a scientist in training. he is the PR and Social Media Consultant For The Anglerfish. Hope you all enjoy the magazine!
Rosie
Ruth
Sarah
Tristan
Illustrator/ Designer
Writer
Writer
Social Media/ PR
Rosie is a graphic designer who loves hand lettering and the color orange. Also, Wowzers!
Ruth Esther was always the type to run off with her imagination or just... run off. Seriously, she’s got friends everywhere.
Sarah is a massive fan of the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and anything to do with British comedy (that is why she is studying it in the UK right now!).
Tristan is a huge fan of Psych and Community, amongst other fandoms. She loves her dog Mellie. She likes the smell of cherry blossoms and the word kerfuffle.
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Or perhaps in Slytherin, you’ll make your real friends, those cunning folk use any means, to achieve their ends.
Jessika
Katherine
Illustrator
Illustrator/ Design Editor
Jessika is a memeber of the human race (as far as we know). She has been seen to occasionally draw and participate in intense television programme watching.
Semi-professional semihistorian with a professional degree in art stuff. Drawing comics, and layout design, with delusions of doing a youtube show... In history.
Send us an Owl Alyssa Nabors, Tumblr: identityborrower
Kaya Raven Mendelsohn, Tumblr: klemmonsforkaya
Cecily Dreyfuss, Tumblr: dancelover2396
Keren Eloise Moros, Tumblr: eloisesweet16
Eefje Savelkoul, Nifty Eef (blog): eefjes.wordpress.com
Lucy Pegg, Twitter: @Lucy_1103
Eric Cole, Tumblr: ricksrealmofultimatenerdiness
Melissa Lynn, Tumblr: tisalwaysdecember
Jacob Lambrecht, Twitter: @jaclambo
Mert Kemal Keçeli: youtube.com/mertsface
Jason Stack, Tumblr: crimsong19
Pallavi Pillutla, Twitter: @pallsohard
Jessika Raisor, Twitter: @theimprobable1
Rosie Strom, Tumblr: justrosiestorm
Joie Ling, Instagram: http://instagram.com/joiel/
Sarah Mills: youtube.com/goaliegal31
Kathrine Taylor , Twitter: @kattaylordesign
Tristan Dane, Tumblr: tristandane
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Reader Submissions
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Reader Submissions
Maher, Pune, India Thoughts from places During a month-long business trip in Pune, one special day stood out to me more than any other. By Alyssa Nabors It was a beautiful day in Pune. For the first time in the several weeks since I’d arrived in India, I could actually see the sun peeking through the clouds. I was still struck by how green everything was, even in the middle of the city, and how different the traffic was driving from one place to anothersuch a big noise from so many small cars! (You have to understand, where I’m from the average vehicle size is closer to a pickup truck than an autorickshaw.) As I turned away
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from the window to look at the other people in the bus, I realized inside was quite as loud as outside, with my co-workers laughing and shouting to each other. We had all come to Pune from around the world to train for jobs as software consultants, an amazing opportunity, and we had finished our first week of real training. But, on that day we were not practicing
our technical skills. We were visiting a children’s home on the outskirts of the city. Maher is a Marathi word meaning “my mother’s home”. I knew it was founded first to help women escape from the dangers of domestic violence and become self-sufficient, and that it had expanded to include homes for children, the elderly, and the mentally challenged,
How do I say, ‘Let’s be friends’?” She looked puzzled for a moment and told me “That’s not really something you’d say. It doesn’t really translate.
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among others. I was glad to have the opportunity to see this place, but slightly apprehensive. I had been so lucky in my family and the life I had been given. How would I relate to these children who I had no common language with? I remember asking a friend who spoke Marathi, “How do I say, ‘Let’s be friends’?” She looked puzzled for a moment and told me “That’s not really something you’d say. It doesn’t really translate.” My anxiety grew. When we arrived, we were escorted through a building of classrooms, across a courtyard, and into a meeting house. Sixty or so coworkers and I squashed ourselves into one side of a big open room, while the children, from toddler to
Reader Submissions teenager, arranged themselves on the other. On the floor in the middle of the room was a beautiful kolam, a painting made of colored powders, that read “Welcome Dear Friends”. When we had all made our way into the hall, the children began singing to us, and four of the older girls walked through our group giving us Tilak marks on our forehead as signs of welcome. At the end of their song, the children rushed forward to embrace us, several of the smaller ones even climbed right into the nearest arms that would take them. Although we had come to spend time with the children, there was something important we needed to do first. We needed to meet Sister Lucy. Sister Lucy isn’t particularly tall or imposing, but her presence is felt, warm and strong. When she spoke to us, her voice rang out clearly across the room and our noisy group was unusually quiet, listening to her story. She told us about the night that changed her life- a young pregnant woman, seeking shelter from her husband, who wanted to kill her and marry a new wife. Sister Lucy had no where to place her, nothing to give her, and asked her to come back the next day. But that night, the woman’s husband set her on fire, killing her and her unborn child. Lucy worked for seven years to open the first Maher house, and hasn’t stopped working to raise awareness; to help change not only the lives of the people who come to Maher, but to change the cultural thinking that places them in these dire situations. After speaking with Sister Lucy, we got to spend time with the children. The kids were broken into house groups of twenty or so, and we were broken up into groups of six to visit with them. The rooms were round, and tile floored except for some thin mats. Bedding and personal effects were
packed away into cupboards during the day. I was a bit overwhelmed by culture shock, but after a minute I couldn’t understand why I had been so anxious. At first I was learning names, then I was drawing with them, then there were so many hands tugging on mine, saying “Didi, Didi!” (a hindi word meaning older sister). At some point I took out my phone and they asked to see my pictures, to hear my music. I couldn’t believe how excited they were! They didn’t like my music very much. Unfortunately, Flo Rida does not translate well. But they took a phone from one of the older boys and started playing Hindi music, asking me to dance with them. They wouldn’t take no for an answer! We must have danced for hours, those girls and I, and when it came time to go back to the bus, they went to some face paints my coworkers had been using on the other kids, and painted their names on my arms, telling me not to forget them. They walked me to the bus, asking me when I’d be coming back. I wanted to tell them every day, every day I’ll come back and see you. I didn’t know why they were there at Maher, my dancing girls. I hadn’t asked about where their families were, or what their lives had been like. I could see from the way they lived that I had been privileged, living luxuriously; and yet, had I ever been able to share such joy, such a connection with someone I had just met? Had my heart ever been so satisfied, even as an adult? As the bus drove away and a soft rain began to fall, I turned my mind back to the tech training that would intensify over the coming weeks. I couldn’t quite let go of the sound of laughter as I tried to learn the steps to a favorite song, and the serene smile of Sister Lucy, the woman who was changing the world one life, one community at a time, in the green hills of Pune.
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Reader Submissions
Nerdfighter Spotlight Lauren Fairweather From Wizard Rocker to YouTuber to Crafter, the life of Lauren Fairweather is eclectic and awesome. In this exclusive interview with The Anglerfish, Lauren talks about her initial obsession with Harry, her online collaborations, her solo albums, and where she thinks the whole fandom is going. by Eric Cole
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The Anglerfish | Issue 8 September 2013
Reader Submissions Eric Cole: So, since this is our Harry Potter-themed issue, my first question is when did you first meet our favorite boy wizard? Lauren Fairweather: My grandma bought me the first three books when I was a kid. They were the only ones out at the time, and I read them all and loved them. EC: Was it love at first read or was it a slow build up? LF: Oh, I loved them! I was hooked. EC: What was it about them that made you so hooked that you wanted to write music about them? LF: By the time I started writing music, they had been a part of my life for 6 or 7 years. It just seemed like a natural fit. I started writing the music after I found Harry And The Potters and went to a few of their concerts. EC: And that is when you found the community? LF: I’m not sure if the community really existed yet when I first started listening. I only knew of three other bands that had started at the time, and most of them were just spoofing the Potters. At the time that I started writing music, I mean. I kind of watched the community form from there. EC: You certainly helped to form it too. Your first foray into Wizard Rock was with the band The Moaning Myrtles. What made you decide to start that group up? LF: I found Harry and the Potters, went to a few of their concerts, and wanted to try writing Harry Potter-related music too. My best friend came to one of the shows with me and she wanted to get in on it as well so we started The Moaning Myrtles! EC: Okay, obvious question time, why Myrtle? What was it about her that you wanted to sing about? LF: I thought we could write some pretty funny music from her perspective. EC: Fair point, as your songs did turn out to be pretty hilarious! LF: Thanks! EC: Now, a lot of our readers might not know that you have a pretty awesome connection to Nerdfighteria through, what I would call, one of the first really successful Youtube channels inspired by the Vlogbrothers: Five Awesome Girls. Could you talk a little bit about how that all came to be? Whose idea was it to start it? LF: It was Kristina’s idea! She called me and said that she wanted to start up a channel with videos every day of the week, I thought it was an awesome idea, and we picked the other girls right then. They all said yes, we got into a Skype call, and we started planning. EC: Awesome! Did you guys ever think it would become as popular as it became?
LF: We mostly did it to get to know the other girls and, eventually, to keep in touch with them. It was definitely exciting when more people started watching, but I’d say the biggest surprise was that it introduced us to so many other people outside of the channel who we eventually also formed friendships with. John and Hank included! EC: That is a pretty perfect transition because I wanted to talk about the early moment in the project that I think really helped to put you guys on the map. I am, of course, referring to the epic rap battle that you, Kristina, and Hayley had against each other and that John judged you to be the winner of. How much did that whole situation mean, not just for the channel, but for you guys personally? LF: Haha, I think judging by the video I posted after that where I jumped up and down and squealed a lot, you can tell that I was super excited. I don’t think we were really expecting him to actually judge the rap battle... we hadn’t even discussed it with him beforehand. And I wasn’t even supposed to be part of it. Liane challenged me to join in. So I was really surprised when John picked me as the winner, and it was one of my first interactions with him which is why I had a little party by myself in my dorm room when he posted the video response. EC: After he judged, was that when you guys started to communicate with him more? LF: I’m not sure if I’m remembering the order of things correctly, but I think we’d talked to him on Skype once before that. He and Hank reached out to our channel really early on, saying that they really liked it which was important to us, since we sort of spun off their idea and we all love their channel so much. So the rap battle was early, but not really the reason why we’d started chatting with them. EC: Very cool to get that kind of encouragement from someone you guys looked up too! I guess we shouldn’t expect anything less from Hank or John though! LF: Yeah, they’re both super great. I’ve known them for a long time now and they’re some of my favorite people in the world. EC: So, was there a moment for you where you realized that Five Awesome Girls was getting this pretty large, very devoted fanbase? LF: Not even a week into our channel starting, fiveawesomeguys decided to do the same thing and they all had massive amounts of subscribers compared to us so we got a huge boost when they went live before the end of the month. EC: Could you talk a little bit about the end of the channel? What sort of went into the thought process? Did it just feel like the channel had run it’s course? Did you guys feel burned out? Or was it something else? LF: Yeah, it had been a long time and it just seemed like the right time to end it. We were running out of ideas and it was a lot of hard work. I didn’t even have internet access for most of the year because of touring. It became difficult to get all five of us on the
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Reader Submissions same page with our busy schedules.
wanted to write music about?
EC: Obvious question, do you ever miss it and will we ever see The Five Awesome Girls together again? LF: I miss the girls for sure! It was nice getting to see what they were all up to every week. And yeah, we had a reunion panel at VidCon this summer.
LF: When I read the chapter, it kind of pulled together the whole series for me. I had no clue how JK Rowling would tie up so many loose ends in a satisfying way and she did that so, so well. I related to both Lily and Snape in different ways when I was reading through all of the memories and I knew that I eventually wanted to write a whole concept album about it.
EC: Woah! I did not know that one! Whose idea was it for the panel?
EC: Did you find it difficult translating this chapter, and the emotions that resonate in it, into an album?
LF: Mine! Luckily, everyone else was just as excited about the idea as I was and it was really fun! Too short, but it was wonderful.
LF: Oh, definitely. It took me three months of rereading the chapter just to outline the memories in a way that made sense with the way I wanted to tell the story. And that was before I even tried to start writing the songs. Writing about books I love is tough, especially books that mean a whole lot to me, because I want to do the stories justice.
EC: That is fantastic! I am sure the Vidcon attendees loved it, too! Fans do not easily forget the things that give them awesome. LF: It seemed like they did! EC: So, in 2008 you decided to release a solo album for the first time called ‘Devil’s Snare’. What motivated you to do that and how was it different from creating music in a duo? LF: I was away at college so we couldn’t write and play as the Myrtles as often. I wanted to keep doing music so I taught myself to play guitar and write by myself for the times that Nina and I were living far apart. Before, I would just sing and write lyrics so when I started working on solo stuff I had to do everything else too. EC: Devil’s Snare is, obviously, an item in Harry Potter, but the album also contains songs from other fandoms as well including Nerdfighters and Firefly. How exciting was it to write about other fandoms, and was this a way of diversifying yourself from Harry Potter? LF: It was fun! I didn’t do it to diversify, I just wanted to write music about other things. There’s not a whole lot of material related to Moaning Myrtle (she only appears a handful of times in the whole series) so I wasn’t going to start another Moaning Myrtle band when I had the opportunity, heh. EC: Awesome! Could you talk about writing, what I feel is one of the anthems of Nerdfighteria, which is “Nerdfighterlike”? Obviously, you were a Nerdfighter at that point, but what lead you to want to write a song about Nerdfighters finding love online? LF: At the time, a bunch of my Nerdfighter friends met in this Skype chat and it seemed like they were all pairing off so I wrote the song about that. I felt like Nerdfighteria needed their own love song. And then Hank heard it and decided to cover it!
EC: Was there a particular song that was more challenging than the others? LF: I’d say about half of the songs came easily and the other half took a few revisits over time until I was able to finish them. “Keep Her Safe” was really rough. EC: This is the song with Lily’s Death? LF: Yep. EC: It is definitely easy to see why that one would be difficult to write. How did you get through it? LF: The same way I finished the rest of them. I kept rereading the chapter and writing things and throwing them out and writing more until I liked what I had. EC: Good answer! Okay, so I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t ask this question, when can we expect to hear more music from you? LF: I don’t have a specific date! Whenever I write some more. It’s been a while. I’ve been working on a lot of other things that have taken up most of my time and creativity. EC: I can imagine with all the stuff that you are doing! I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all the various creative outlets you have, especially Fairweather Friends! Have you always enjoyed making plushes? LF: I started learning to make them a few years ago, and yeah, I enjoy it quite a bit!
EC: Was that another jumping up and down, squealing excitement moment?
EC: Did you self teach yourself how to make them, like you did with guitar, or did you have a teacher?
LF: Haha! Yes.
LF: I bought some books, read some tutorials online, practiced, figured some things out on my own.
EC: Your fourth solo album is ‘The Prince’s Tale’. You have said in the past that this chapter in ‘Deathly Hallows’ resonates with you. What is it about Snape and Lily’s story that you connected with and
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EC: How do you find the time to do all of this stuff, along with touring and making videos, and all the other things you do?
Reader Submissions LF: I wake up, decide which projects I want to work on that day, and then I do that. The next day, it might be the same thing again or something else.
LF: “Don’t Be Riddikulus” by Danny Dementor EC: Do you have a favorite gift that you have gotten from a fan?
EC: Good Answer!
LF: A really sweet girl named Katie hand painted a pair of shoes with the Deathly Hallows cover artwork for me.
LF: Thanks!
EC: Favorite Moment with a fan?
EC: Okay, Rapid Fire Harry Potter Question Time! Favorite Book?
LF: I met this girl at a show and we talked for a little while. She mentioned that we’d spoken via MySpace message a really long time ago because she had a wizard rock band. Turned out that she was one of my favorites at the time and I was so excited to finally meet her in person. I don’t think she was expecting me to remember at all.
LF: Deathly Hallows EC: Favorite Movie? LF: DH Part 2. EC: I think I know the answer to this, but let’s see: Favorite Character? LF: Snape EC: Okay, Second Favorite Character? LF: Luna EC: Do you have a favorite line from the books? LF: Too many good ones. Off the top of my head, Ginny’s “Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve”. EC: Favorite Wrock Band/Singer? LF: Tonks and the Aurors EC: Favorite Wrock Song?
EC: Do you have a fandom, currently, that cures your Post Potter Depression? LF: Joss Whedon EC: All things Whedon or something in particular? LF: Everything the man has ever touched. EC: Where do you see the Harry Potter fandom going in the future? Do you ever see the level of fan excitement and involvement, like we have now, diminishing? LF: Seeing as I just went to a Harry Potter conference in London that involved the most enthusiastic, loud, excited audience I’ve ever seen in my life, I don’t think it really matters that the last book came out six years ago. The fandom changes and people move on and new people move in but this past LeakyCon really proved to me that it’s not going anywhere. As long as there are still people who want to celebrate the books and the community around them, it can’t diminish.
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Entertainment
We’re Wizards, We’ll Party Forev In 1997, the world was first introduced to a boy wizard named Harry Potter. Since its initial release, the series has sold over 450 million copies, been translated into 73 languages, smashed every publishing record known, and become the biggest movie franchise of all time - raking in 7.7 billion dollars worldwide. What is it about Harry that has so captured the imagination of the world, and where exactly is the future of the franchise going? By Eric Cole and Lucy Pegg Lucy Pegg: I was first introduced to Harry Potter in a slightly odd way - through one of the many board games that was released in the early 2000s. Having played it at a friend’s house, I then attempted to create my own homemade version, which led to me borrowing Philosopher’s Stone from my Mum in order to get the currency right, and she eventually read the first book to me. Afterwards, I blasted my way through the other books that were in print and joined in with the Potter mayhem.
LP: The way your opinions about the series changed probably
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EC: While there might still be a stigma on Harry in certain areas, I think I am comfortable in saying that, for the most part, Harry Potter has become a universally loved franchise. And, as you so pointed out, part of that reason is because of the wealth of adventures you have to explore as you grow up with the series. What might start out with some dress-up and some imagination can turn into cosplaying and going to one of the many Harry Potter fan conventions. What might start out as imagining your own characters and stories can turn into writing fanfiction. The fan community that has sprung up around Harry Potter is, I believe, the biggest piece of the puzzle as to why Harry has become so influential in the world. We are not just fans who read
Illustrations by Eefje Savelkoul
Eric Cole: I think your story really emphasizes the first, sort of, brick in why Harry Potter became so much more than just a series of books or movies. Harry Potter, like all of the classic franchises before it, became a way for families to be brought together and do something magical as a group. My story of being introduced to Harry is a little bit different. I am ashamed to say that I was initially one of those people who scoffed at Harry Potter and believed it to be nothing more than a childish venture that was beneath my literary tastes despite the fact that I was only twelve and the most complex things I had read up to that point were a couple of John Grisham novels. However, my friends persisted, and everyday during lunch they would push and prod me to read the series they were already loving. It took a while, but I eventually relented and read Philosopher’s Stone. While not initially impressed with the series, I did enjoy it enough to pick up the second and third books, and while the Chamber of Secrets further upped my enjoyment, it wasn’t until Prisoners of Azkaban that I became overly obsessed with the series.
reflects how it was viewed more widely, too, as the adult editions essentially faded into obscurity. However, as I was only six when I first got into it, my taste in book wasn’t too evolved and I wasn’t comparing Potter to something like Grisham. Simply because of the age gap there’s a huge difference in the ways I was a fan then and how I am now. When I was younger, it was all about the toys and dressing up for Halloween, which gradually turned into listening to podcasts and looking at JK Rowling’s writing a bit more analytically (not that I don’t appreciate some good cosplaying anymore). It’s currently the bane of my life that the books can’t be talked about in university interviews because, unfortunately, you won’t be taken seriously.
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ver, This Night Will Never End the series; we are fans who fully own the series and are inspired to create some truly wonderful things. Possibly, the biggest way this is seen is through the creation of our own music genre: Wrock, which started out as just a couple of bands playing in libraries and has since spawned hundreds of bands playing in front of thousands. While other franchises may also claim to have cosplayers and fanfiction and conventions, only Harry Potter can say that they have their own subset of music. LP: It’s definitely the nature and creativity of the community that sets the Potter fandom apart from others. Besides music, there’s the Harry Potter Alliance, which has raised huge amounts of money for charity by harnessing the power of such a large fandom, and they’ve been so successful that they’re expanding to reach out to other fandoms, like The Hunger Games and Superman. They proved, in a very tangible way, that nerds aren’t just sitting alone in their rooms ignoring the world, but are out there helping where lots of others don’t. But besides justifying the fandom to the wider world, achievements - such as sending planes of food and supplies to Haiti - only help to unite people even more. With the Harry Potter community, it feels that although there are a multitude of ways to express your enthusiasm, all of them are part of a bigger picture of people who treasure the series.
EC: That picture will continue to grow as the years pass. The truly remarkable thing about Harry Potter fans is everything you so eloquently just said. Harry Potter fans may be some of the biggest nerds on the planet. I mean, we are the fandom that created the midnight book release party. However, Harry Potter fans are also some of the most socially and politically active people you will ever meet. We have learned about the value of equality from the series. We have learned, from the series, about the importance of friendship and always lending a helping hand to those in need, and we take those morals to heart, not just for ourselves, but for our future generations. As highlighted by your introduction to Harry Potter, we are the fandom that will happily put our own children on the Hogwarts Express and gladly wave them off, knowing the remarkable destination that they will be travelling too. It is a truly incredible thing to think that the world has become and will continue to be a better place because of a boy wizard.
What is your favorite Harry Potter memory? Lauren Fairweather: I got to see the last film in an early screening at LeakyCon, so I was in a theater full of the biggest Harry Potter fans you could imagine. I knew that I would be crying through it, but I wasn’t expecting everyone else to. For the whole second half of the movie, everyone around me was sobbing. It was nice experiencing it with a hundred other people who were as emotional about the end of the series as I was. Tumblr user melissabrooks: My favorite memory is when I was recovering from a surgery and my mom read the first book to me as I stretched my leg.
Tumblr user seekingthespheres: The seventh book came out the weekend I was in a production of ‘Oklahoma!’; everyone was reading the book backstage when they weren’t on set. Tumblr user youcant-takethe-sky-fromme: My favorite memory isn’t a part of any book or movie. It’s the memory of my dad reading me the books, every night before bed. Tumblr user silverlakelodge: Dressing up for all the midnight premieres in my small home town; the one time I could cosplay and be praised for it by fellow fans!
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Entertainment If you visit the ladies’ room next to the Three Broomsticks, you might even hear a familiar voice bemoaning all the rude people crowding her cubicles.
A Visit to the Wizarding World Wondering if the journey to Orlando would be worth it? Here’s an idea of what awaits you at Universal Islands of Adventure! By Alyssa Nabors
Illustrations by Tiffany Kuo
Driving along the highway outside Orlando these days, amongst the billboards and roller coasters you might be able to spot the rooftops of a familiar looking castle, and you might be tempted to think, “I bet all the Muggles just see a condemned old building.” Universal Islands of Adventure had already brought to life the worlds of Jurassic Park, Dr. Seuss, and parts of the Marvel Universe. Since its opening in Summer 2010, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been delighting all guests, diehard fans and everyone else. Approaching the castle from the east, you cross a bridge into the village of Hogsmeade, whose snowcovered roofs look wonderfully cool and festive, even in the summer. The path splits, one leading up to Hogwarts and the other leading to the shops in the village. Near Hagrid’s hut outside the castle, you can ride a fairly tame coaster, passing right by Buckbeak’s nest and gliding through the pumpkin patch. If you continue into the castle, you’re treated to a nice long visit to the greenhouses during peak hours before venturing inside to be greeted by Professor Dumbledore and rescued from one of Professor Binns’s History of Magic lessons by Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The technology used to create the magic portraits in the hall, as well as the presence of the much-beloved characters, is amazingly well integrated - you might even find yourself arguing with the snooty portrait of Salazar Slytherin, though Helga Hufflepuff’s is sure to take your side if he behaves rudely. It really is the details that bring Harry’s world to life here; in the shop windows, you can see a Quick-Quotes
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Quill scribbling away, a measuring tape and needle preparing for some dress robes alterations, a mandrake whining through the windows of an apothecary, and even a display of Gilderoy Lockhart’s books with his pictures toothily mugging through the windows. If you visit the ladies’ room next to the Three Broomsticks, you might even hear a familiar voice bemoaning all the rude people crowding her cubicles. Aside from the ride through the castle (Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey) and the Flight of the Hippogriff by Hagrid’s hut, you can experience one of the Triwizard trials (from the point of view of the dragon) and watch performances from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students and the Hogwarts Frog Choir. A slightly longer wait is in store for those who’d like to visit the Hogsmeade branch of Ollivanders, but the immersive experience is considered worth the trouble, especially if you’re the wizard the wand is choosing. There’s so much to take in and this is only half of the planned attractions - Diagon Alley, reachable by the Hogwarts Express, should be opening in the next year or so. For any fan, this is a must see.
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Summer in the City The 17th and 18th of August this year saw the UK YouTube gathering Summer in the City celebrate it’s fifth year, bigger and better than before. A first-timer to the larger scale YouTube events lists her experience of the weekend. by Lucy Pegg When the bus came up to Alexandra Palace an hour and a half before the event and I realized my friends and I were heading somewhere quite near the end of a very long line, I suddenly realized just how big this thing actually was. The fact that Summer in the City -- the U.K.’s largest YouTube gathering now in its fifth year -- was taking over one of London’s most iconic buildings hadn’t seemed quite real beforehand, so stepping inside it all felt like entering some bizarre kind of wonderland. In fact, falling down a rabbit hole into an alternate universe -- where nobody needed an explanation of why being the 301st viewer is funny -- is probably a good analogy for SitC 2013. These are a few of my highlights from there.
1 Panels: Whilst waiting for friends in horrifically long queues I managed to check out quite a few of the panels, particularly on Saturday . The filmmaking one in particularly was interesting, despite my lack of any real knowledge in that area. YouTube even hosted a programme of their own talks which whilst slightly corporate provided a look behind the webpage at what Google really think the viewers are interested in.
2 Out of Place Parents: It was just really funny to watch their confusion or admirable attempts to get into the spirit of things. I particularly commend the dad presumably accompanying his offspring in the midst of the very enthusiastic Dan and Phil meet and greet queue.
3 Becoming YouTube: The YouTube documentary had its own panel, and the fact that it’s creator Ben Cook is “sexist” became the most overused joke of the weekend. Whatever your feelings on Cook himself though (and mine are very mixed), he seemed extremely nice in person and the panel’s discussions and crowd input were interesting to say the least.
Whether it was screaming or singing or just crazed looks of excitement everyone was “unironically enthusiastic about stuff” in a way that I think would make all nerdfighters proud.
Image by: Lucy Peg
4 Meeting YouTubers: I was lucky to meet quite a few of the video makers I’m subscribed to, and it was surprising which experiences I enjoyed most. While meeting Hank Green for twenty seconds was amazing, the five minutes or so I spent talking to Jamie Mills (a British vlogger who is worth checking out and currently has about 1,000 subscribers) were arguably just as good.
5 Mutual T-shirt Appreciation: Everyone who has self-esteem issues regarding their appearance should wear a nerdy top and go to a gathering like this. Seriously, I have never been complimented on my clothing choices so many times.
6 Geeking Out: No matter where you looked, there was someone completely geeking out about something. Whether it was screaming or singing or just crazed looks of excitement, everyone was “unironically enthusiastic about stuff” in a way I think would make all nerdfighters proud.
7 Sunday Evening on the Main Stage: The lineup for the final evening’s performances ensured the weekend ended in the best way possible. With music from Tom Milsom and Hank Green, comedy from Jack and Dean and the surprise of Rosianna (missxrojas) getting her hair chopped for #hairforhazel, the massive “thank you” screamed at the organizers was definitely deserved.
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Ripped from the Screen While it is true that books and movies are two different mediums, when it comes to a franchise like Harry Potter, there are always going to be fan gripes about what they wish had made it into the films. Some of these gripes are legitimate and others are a little bit more out there. With that spirit in mind though, The Anglerfish presents the five items that should have made it into the Harry Potter films. In no particular order, they are: by Eric Cole
Dumbledore’s real death scene For the life of me, I will never understand what the filmmakers were thinking when they decided to change Dumbledore’s death scene. The simple truth of it is that for five movies Harry is shown to be someone who will do anything to save the people he loves, regardless of his own well-being. Heck, in ‘Order of the Phoenix’, Harry rushes off to London to help Sirius, even though there was a good chance Voldemort and his Death Eaters would be there waiting for him. So, how in the world can you possibly expect filmgoers to believe that Harry would actually just willingly stand there while Dumbledore was surrounded by Death Eaters? It doesn’t make any sense, and JK Rowling understood that, which is why she had Dumbledore petrify an Invisibility Cloak-shrouded Harry upon returning to Hogwarts from the cave. This was a change that was dumbfounding and unnecessary as what really happens at the end of book six is far more exciting than what we got.
Luna’s bedroom There are plenty of little moments that could have been put into the movies, moments that enhance characters, clarify plot points, and generally have significance in the overall story. For me, though, I just wish the most touching scene of the whole series had been included in the movies. Luna’s bedroom, with its giant murals of Harry’s, Ron’s, Hermione’s, Neville’s, and Ginny’s faces is incredibly sweet and really emphasizes the kind of person Luna is. She is the Harry Potter fandom, someone who has always longed for belonging and acceptance and was finally able to achieve it through the magic of Hogwarts.
Illustration by Mayela Gutiérrez
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Harry’s sass Movie Harry has a lot of good qualities going for him. He is funny, awkward, sweet and moody, which are all traits that Book Harry also exhibits at one point or another in the series. However, there is one trait that the filmmakers decided to leave out that many fans will agree is one of, if not, the best character trait Harry possesses in the books: Harry is one sassy dude. Could you imagine how much funnier the movies would have been with Daniel Radcliffe delivering some of these lines: “There’s no need to call me ‘sir’ Professor.” “Wow, I wonder what it’d be like to have a difficult life?” “I like a quiet life, you know me.” “Quirrell was a great teacher. There was just that minor drawback of him having Lord Voldemort sticking out the back of his head.” I rest my case!
Illustration by Mayela Gutiérrez
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Give her hell from us, Peeves! Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Fred and George’s real exit from Hogwarts/Peeves To many fans, this is rightfully one of the most epic scenes in the entirety of the series, and for good reason. Fred and George have always been fan favorites, but their escape from Hogwarts raises them to a whole new level. First, there were the multiplying, cursed, and swearing fireworks, all of which are awesome. Then, there was their little gag of turning one of the Hogwarts corridors into a swamp. And finally, there was them getting on their brooms, giving one last command to Peeves, who actually salutes them, and then flying off into the night. I think it is safe to say that the fifth movie would have been a whole lot more awesome if this scene had been in it, as it was written in the book. Too bad the filmmakers decided to cut out one of the greatest comic relief characters in all of literature: Peeves, that lovable poltergeist.
So, there you have it, fellow Anglerfish readers! What do you think of the list?
The real ‘Deathly Hallows’ ending Don’t get me wrong when I include this on the list. I am not saying that the ending to ‘Deathly Hallows: Part Two’ was bad. The Battle at Hogwarts was excellently portrayed, with emotional depth and humor, and I loved the King’s Cross scene. Personally, I feel that jK Rowling wrote these key scenes better, and it should have been translated onto the screen in the same way. First, there was that whole Harry and Voldemort “falling off a cliff and faces morphing together thing” which just looked weird. Then, there was the fact that Voldemort and Harry dueled alone, without any dialogue. I loved in the books that they had a crowd and Harry showed no fear calling Voldemort “Riddle”. It made Harry all the more heroic. Then, and this is a gripe I have heard a lot, there is Voldemort disintegrating into the air. I don’t care how powerful you think you are, that is just unrealistic, even in a world full of magic. But what irks me the most is that Harry never repaired his Holly wand using the Elder Wand. JK Rowling understood that the wand is just as big of a part of a wizard’s identity as anything else, and to have Harry never repair it in the film, it just felt like a part of Harry was taken away from him forever.
Royalty-free paper textures from bashcorpo.com
Did something you feel is more deserving not make it onto the list? Let your voice be heard and email us at theanglerfishmagazine@gmail.com with your suggestions!
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Movie Club
Fantasy in Reality: ‘500 Days of Summer’ and ‘Midnight In Paris’ by Jason Stack and Melissa-Lynn Heineman MLH: ‘Midnight in Paris’ and ‘(500) Days of Summer’ are not two movies you’d usually connect in your head. The former is about Gil, a “blocked” writer who admires the 1920s visits Paris with his fiancée and her family, all whom seem uninterested with him. Somehow, he is magically transported back to Paris in the 1920s each night at midnight, meeting with many Romantic figures of the time. ‘(500) Days’ is about Tom, an aspiring architect and greeting card writer, who becomes lovestruck and involved with
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Summer, a woman who doesn’t desire a longterm relationship. The movie follows his nonlinear relationship - or lack thereof - and lack of it, with Summer. JS: But the connective thread of the two movies is the fantastical aspect, albeit ‘Midnight in Paris’ is more magical realism than ‘(500) Days of Summer’. This fantastical aspect centers around the desire of the main characters, who want more than they have in life. For Gil, it’s to meet his idols - who aren’t all they’re cracked up to be - and to complete his novel. Tom, on the other hand, desires a meaningful relationship. MLH: Both men desire what they don’t fully realize what they can’t have, and it affects their artistry. Gil finds himself going to Hemingway in hopes he’ll read his writing (despite turning down the offer of one of his fiancée’s friends), and ends up constantly bringing his drafts to Gertrude Stein. He finds himself reflecting his life in his writing, which would later allow to realize how his life in 2010 is actually becoming due to the way he responds to the world around him. Tom, once successful at writing greeting cards, is affected by Summer dumping him by making crude ones, and when moved into the Sympathy section from Celebration, he still obstructs progress with his bitterness. Once he leaves his job and is able to begin
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to move past Summer, he’s able to better hone his architectural creativity and covers an entire wall of his apartment with his designs. JS: And what plays into these desires - or lack thereof - is the fantasy of expectations. Gil holds his Romantic figures - like the Fitzgeralds, Hemingway, Dali, and Stein - to lofty ideals, like most modern writers and fans of literature. However, journeying back in time, Gil comes to see them for who they truly are: complex people, not the one-dimensional idols that he and fansof literature view them as. Hemingway is a drunk womanizer and Dali and his surrealist friends (Man Ray and Luis Buñuel) are spacey, among others. Tom, on the other hand, has the fantasy of the perfect relationship: browsing through albums at music stores, shopping at Ikea, doing karaoke, etc., all while being cutesy and coupley. However, Summer isn’t the Manic Pixie Dream Girl he’s envisioned her to be, which comes as a heartrending shock to Tom, the Hopeless Romantic.
pulls himself together, quits his job after an emotional outburst, and dives back into his dream of architecture. And this leads to his next relationship, but that is a story for another time … or another film. MLH: ‘Midnight in Paris’ and ‘(500) Days of Summer’ both follow the struggling man, captured and enraptured by their fantasies. But as we know in real life, fantasies don’t always come true, and sometimes they really aren’t the best choices for us. It’s only through their own demons, in any shape or form (Gil’s writing, fiancée and relationships with these historical figures, and Tom’s love for Summer and his idealized view of love and relationships), that they can pick themselves up and continue on. Amazingly, this struggle allowed them to pursue their passions and find the right paths to walk on.
MLH: Both men come to realizations, though, in my opinion, Gil’s is more pronounced. His love interest shares his fascination with an earlier time (the 1890’s), which they travel back to. He sees that people will envision their own version of the “Golden Age”, and that he needs to learn to deal with his reality, which gives him the motivation to leave his fiancée and pursue what makes him happier. JS: As for Tom, his realization is more subtle yet emotional. After breaking things off with Summer, he mopes through life embittered, leaning on his wunderkind sister (Chloë Grace Moretz) for support. Months later, he thinks he has a chance to reignite his relationship with Summer, but falls into a deeper depression when he sees that she’s engaged, so he
illustrations by Madeleine Valley
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Something Old, Something New
‘The Chocolate War’ and ‘Stardust’ If you need something to read, look no further; written by star novelists Robert Cormier and Neil Gaiman, these books will keep you covered for the month … or week. by Marissa Early Hubelbank
image by: Fir0002/Flagstaffotos & NASA
Something Old: Robert Cormier’s ‘The Chocolate War’ was written in 1974, and takes place at a Catholic school for boys; Trinity is one of the few public schools left that forces students to wear a uniform, according to freshman Jerry Renault. When Jerry refuses to participate in the long-lived, sacred tradition of selling chocolates for the school, everyone knows that he is merely following an assignment - an initiation rite, really - for The Vigils, a “secret” fraternity of chaos and order. However, when the act continues past the expected ten-day mark, Jerry’s defiance becomes something more, and he must answer a famous question posed by T.S. Elliot, one that has been asked time and time again: “Do I dare disturb the universe?” The 70’s was the era for protest – in fact, one of Jerry’s chapters briefly mentions the “Flower People” who congregate near his bus stop every day. It was a time of questioning the structure in which one lived; and this portrayal of teenagehood argues that there are few societies as uncompromising and ensnaring as that of prep school. In addition to this, it’s about both the helplessness and empowerment of one who takes up a cause, or even has one dropped onto their lap – and of the consequences that follow. A well-worn idea about the corruption of youth and age alike is made fresh again by this story. Written in tactful prose that is descriptive yet not overwhelmingly so, Cormier’s novel on cruelty and manipulation isn’t a classic for nothing.
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Something New: Having been published relatively recently, Neil Gaiman’s awardwinning novel ‘Stardust’ was written in 1999 and is well worth a day’s read, as it is relatively short. It is a fairy-tale for adults, in which young Tristan Thorn goes on a quest to win his Heart’s Desire: the hand of Victoria Forrester, the most beautiful girl in the village. The task: he must go retrieve a fallen star and bring it to his beloved. To do so, however, he must venture into the untamed lands of Faerie – where the hags, dwarfs, and bewitched reside. Tristan makes the journey, and in doing, discovers the truth about the fallen star, the object of his love, and ultimately, his destiny. While perhaps not the best Neil Gaiman book to start with if one wishes to get the most accurate sense of his writing style, ‘Stardust’ is undoubtedly a good read. It strikes a pleasurable balance of melancholy and warmth that makes you care about what’s happening, and contains an offbeat sense of humor that keeps you from getting bored where the story lags. Again, this book isn’t big or dense, which could lead potential readers to underestimate its value. (I’ve recognized and passed this novel on several occasions in my hometown bookstore, and only decided to buy it recently.) If you have an afternoon or plane ride to kill, you should do yourself a favor and give it a chance.
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What Harry’s Done For Fantasy Once viewed as a childish and frivolous genre, fantasy movies, TV shows, and books are now pulling in the big bucks and the big audiences. Is Harry Potter to thank? By Kaya Raven My grandmother rolls her eyes whenever I tell her how much she’d love the Harry Potter books. She shakes her head and laughs under her breath, and I know what she’s thinking: “They’re just silly kids’ books. I could never enjoy them.” My grandmother’s generation, and
all those who did not have the pleasure of growing up with Harry Potter, have a resistance to it. In their minds, the entire fantasy genre is childish and uncool, unconsciously associated with nerds in Coke bottle glasses, sitting at the back of the lunchroom discussing elves and warlocks over their bologna sandwiches. In shows like ‘Freaks and Geeks’ that depict nerds from previous generations, you’ll see Sam and his friends embarrassed about liking Dungeons & Dragons, hiding their comic book collections, and trying desperately to be cool. And while Dungeons & Dragons might not be making an appearance at a popular cheerleader’s high school party,
there’s a great possibility that she has all seven Harry Potter books neatly lined up on her bookshelf. Once that person from a previous generation picks up a copy of Harry Potter, he or she will see that J.K. Rowling made fantasy cool. She changed the genre by instilling her novels with layers of historical references, relevant issues, sympathetic and complex characters, and a story you can’t help but fall in love with. She made it accessible and relatable and universal. Now, you’re in the minority if you don’t like magic. Now, it’s not only socially acceptable to like fantasy, it’s a social norm. Harry Potter paved the way for some of
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Entertainment Fantasy, in all its unattainable, majestic glory, will never again be soaked in the negative connotations that spring to my grandmother’s mind.
the biggest franchises in pop culture and granted them larger audiences, not just of underground appreciators, but of all backgrounds and ages. I’m not saying shows like ‘Game of Thrones’ or ‘Once Upon A Time’ wouldn’t still be successful without ‘The Sorcerer’s Stone’, but it makes a huge difference to the size and range of their audiences that fantasy has already been ingrained in us. We are used to Harry’s brand of magic, and so we are more susceptible to other kinds—be it Edward’s sparkly abs or a rousing round of the Hunger Games.
No generation has been or will be as lucky as my own. We grew up with Harry Potter; we waited for the books to arrive in the mail and we lined up at midnight to see the movie premieres. But future generations have gained something as well: Fantasy, in all its unattainable, majestic glory, will never again be soaked in the negative connotations that spring to my grandmother’s mind. Harry’s story brought well-deserved respect to the fantasy genre and taught us all that we are never too young or too old to use our imaginations.
How Harry Potter Has Made Us Predisposed To Love Fantasy Let’s face it - the majority of the fantasy fan base was birthed around the same time as the Harry Potter series. Sure, there were people who loved fantasy prior to the opening of Hogwarts, and to those people, fantasize on, my friends. But for the rest of us, we have to wonder why and how. by Palls Pillutla Why do we love magic and fantasy now, and how did one author and one series of just seven books do this to us? When the Harry Potter book series came to an end, Hogwarts Express-loads of people were flooding through the doors of bookstores looking to purchase the ‘Twilight’ series, as it had been deemed “the new Harry Potter.” Witches and wizards, owls and toad, Muggles and half-bloods all wanted to get their hands on what they hoped would be their fantasy fix for at least the next few months. The crowd was pleased – no one suffered severe Potter withdrawal. While Bella Swan and the Cullens did not wave wands or go to school in a castle housing a three-headed dog, they did exist
in a fantastical reality where vampires exist and glisten in the sunlight, and hunky tan men transform into ferocious werewolves. And then there was ‘Percy Jackson’, followed soon by ‘The Hunger Games.’ These outlandish and eccentric worlds that exist only within the pages of these books were constantly satisfying the craving that J.K. Rowling conjured. The audience that she cast her spell over is the same audience that is raving about the midnight premiere of ‘Catching Fire’ twelve weeks before it releases. Again, to all of you pre-Potter-fantasyfans, you are acknowledged. But many of your pals, us post-Potter-fantasy-fans, would not be with you today had it not been for ‘The Sorcerer’s Stone’. Sometimes
Stephenie Meyer gave me the fantasy fix I desperately needed after Potter defeated Voldemort and the series came to an end.
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I wonder if I even enjoyed the ‘Twilight’ series. What about the superfluous number of books and movies was so appealing to me? I just kept on reading, watching, and going to midnight premieres and, if I remember correctly, cheering at the exciting parts and crying at the sad ones. I loved the saga. But if you asked me to write a paper on why, I am fairly certain the basis of my paper would revolve around how Stephenie Meyer gave me the fantasy fix I desperately needed after Potter defeated Voldemort and the series came to an end. Surely there would still have been a large audience for ‘Twilight’ and the ‘Hunger Games’ even without Rowling’s series, but the passionate love and ravenous desire for fantasy would not have existed before Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Rowling created a legend. Maybe there is no why or how; it just is. There is just the existence of a fanbase conceived on September 1, 1998 after the release and discovery of ‘The Sorcerer’s Stone’. There is Rowling and her books, and Harry and his story, and the way a love for fantasy was planted deep within us as we turned the pages of Harry’s first adventure. Perhaps the magic is in the fact that this fanbase exists all in gratitude to the imaginer of a lightning bolt scar, J.K. Rowling.
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The Fictional Nostalgia of Gaiman and King Two modern literary masters returned to bookshelves this summer with personal yet nostalgic tales. How’d they handle the tricky nature of nostalgia and the faulty nature of memories? by Jason Stack As established masters of their genres which could broadly be termed as fantasy and supernatural horror, respectively - Neil Gaiman and Stephen King have a standard to uphold and fans to please, and they certainly do with their latest novels, both of which are slimmer tomes than what they’ve published in recent years and are more introspective than many of their works. Both ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’ and ‘Joyland’ are well-received summer bestsellers, and that’s because of their key use of nostalgia. Gaiman’s latest novel for adults, ‘The Ocean at the End of the Lane’, is mired in childhood nostalgia and memories. The short story-turned-novella-turned-novel follows an unnamed narrator returning to Sussex, England after the funeral of a
loved one and visiting the lane he grew up on. His family’s house was demolished and rebuilt to make way for nearby housing developments when he was in his preteens, so he drives all the way down to the unpaved end of the lane to the Hempstock house, a place he hasn’t visited since he was seven years old. From there, the narrator figuratively dives into his ocean of memories of some forty decades ago while sitting by the Hempstock pond, which Lettie, his old friend, called her ocean. There’s so much to delve into with the novel, but the key thing - without spoiling anything - is the strength and nature of the narrator’s memories, which make the novel bigger on the inside. All throughout the novel, the narrator recalls things in vivid detail, from how things smelled to how they tasted, especially when it comes to food. At the Symphony Space event back in June, Gaiman enlightened the audience and Erin Morgenstern, author and moderator, on this idea with his recollections of food during his childhood, like how his view of food as love (His two Jewish grandmothers had competing chicken soup recipes) and the joy of little things as a child which is put aside as we age (“Sorry you were called a jerk. Let’s get some ice cream,” versus “Sorry you have erectile dysfunction. Let’s get some ice cream.”). In the novel, the narrator fondly recalls the Hempstock meals and snacks, like warm fresh cow’s milk, sweet and sticky honeycomb, and warm porridge with blackberry jam, all
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of which made me just a touch hungrier while reading.
What both novels deal with nicely in regards to the overly nostalgic element is the faulty nature of memories. At the other end of the spectrum, King’s latest suspense thriller, ‘Joyland’, lacks in the supernatural horror element that has become expected in most of his oeuvre, but instead focuses on the nostalgia of summer and college romance. Devin Jones, a New Hampshire college student in the early 1970s seeking to escape a failing relationship, takes a job working at Joyland, a North Carolina amusement park, and discovers more than an ordinary summer job waiting for him. He makes fast friends with two fellow boarders/coworkers, Tom and Erin, and they tiptoe around the mystery of a carny serial killer whose last victim supposedly haunts the Haunted House ride. Devin also connects with Annie and Mike, a mother and her sickly son, on a personal level that provides the impetus for the latter half of the novel and adds a slightly supernatural air. What both novels deal with nicely in regards to the overly nostalgic element is the faulty nature of memories. Devin, recalling the events of that fateful summer 40 years later, admits to being unreliable and that “when it comes to the
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THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE JOYLAND
THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE JOYLAND THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE JOYLAND THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE JOYLAND THE OCEAN
past, everyone writes fiction.” However, the self-aware Devin doesn’t embellish any details and admits when he’s not sure of exact details of a situation or whether or not a memory is true. This faulty and unreliable nature carries through to Gaiman’s novel; however, it is easier to forgive, as childhood memories in fantasy novels tend to be magically blocked off. There is also the more realistic angle that the narrator was seven and dealing with shocking real and fantastical things perhaps beyond his comprehension, but both explanations seem to work in this situation. Regardless of how you feel about both authors, they have once again crafted engaging reads that are guaranteed to please readers alike, and hopefully catch the attention of new fans.
What We Say When We Don’t Know What To Say
there’s no need to sweat and cry over it) and assuming that you and the other person or persons involved will have a good connection. This state of mind will help you naturally fall into a comfortable and confident flow in the conversation. Get curious Curiosity is filled with enthusiasm and anticipation. It opens us up. If we are open and enthusiastic, there’s no way we will have nothing to say. Illustration by Mayela Gutiérrez
Fess up, we’re all guilty of the conversation fillers - the “ums”, “yeahs”, and the “mhms” - that have become the primary part of our daily conversations, but why and how do we overcome the problem?
Make associations and relate Use the current conversation topic as a springboard to launch into new topics or relate to the topic by adding your own insight or experiences.
by Palls Pillutla So why does this problem even come up? I would say there are two possible reasons: 1) You are just not prepared because you know nothing about the conversation at hand, or 2) You want to say the “right” thing. For whatever reason, we all are so afraid of being “wrong.” How do we overcome this problem? Stop trying to be perfect You aren’t. Not now, not ever. No one is expecting you to be. Trying to be perfect messes with your mind and instead of leading us to produce “perfect” responses, it stalls us, completely leaving us with nothing to say next but “uh-huh, sure.” Quit overthinking When you think too much, you don’t focus on the conversation at hand. Instead, you only focus on what to say and whether it will be appropriate. You get caught up in all the different options for what to say and then nothing comes out at all. You have to focus on the conversation to be able to take part in it. You can do this by calming yourself Remember, it’s just a conversation, so
Illustration by Mayela Gutiérrez
Shine bright like a diamond Be you. No one engages in conversation with you because they want to know what you don’t actually think about A, B, and C. They’re talking to you because they want to. They aren’t expecting any world-class responses, just your perfectly un-perfect ones.
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Entertainment
Let’s face it. Even if you’ve seen the movies and even if you’ve read all the books, your knowledge of pre-”Harry Potter” history may be pretty rudimentary. There were these four boss (three bosses and one raging twat) wizards who decided the kids need a sweet place to learn the magics! Then Slytherin was all like “Pure-Bloods or Bust!” That obviously didn’t go to plan, so he rode off, and about 1,000 years later his great (x30) grandson Tom Riddle decided to implement the plan. Then the Wizarding wars happened. This article takes a bit of a deeper dive into the history of the Wizarding world, and how it fits into the muggle history of the rest of the world and how the muggle world may have affected the Wizarding one. By Katherine Taylor 3,000 years ago, we found ourselves in the mists of the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, whereas in the Wizarding world, we find Wizards are held in great esteem -- one would assume as court entertainers, high priests and healers. Of course we’d have to imagine witches were also held in high esteem as men and women were surprisingly treated equally -- property ownership, divorce, political positions, and all that other good stuff. Something no society has yet to catch up with ever since! Taking a leap forward, prior to the invasion of Britain or even before Rome was a proper empire: the first known member of the Ollivander family makes their mark. The Wand Shoppe opened in 382 B.C.E. As this is a good 400 years before the Romans invaded Britain, it is safe to assume that Rome was the original home of Ollivanders. The date in particular also means the shoppe would have originally started just
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years after the last successful attack and sacking of Rome for the next 700 years. Upon moving to Britain, and since they are still alive, they migrated sometime after 61 A.C.E., conveniently avoiding the likes of Queen Boudica and the destruction of Londinium. According to the timeline of the Wizarding world, there aren’t any major events listed until the latter half of the tenth century. This, of course, would be the founding of Hogwarts. The founding of the school being placed in this particular time period makes a great deal of sense. On one hand, the school could have served as a place of refuge from the chaos that was brewing in the South and the East. Though the chaos never actually reached central England and Scotland during this time period, a safe place to send children, all be it, not too many, would have been welcome. Even in the tenth century, Vikings were still slave traders, and surely any child showing magical ability would fetch an incredibly high price around the Mediterranean. (A side note inquiry on my part: was mediaeval Hogwarts class specific? Did they exclude all but the children of nobility? Did they exclude the poor and illiterate on both the magical born and muggle born alike? Looking at the cost of being a student today, one can only imagine that you had to be the child of a wealthy merchant at the very least to attend Hogwarts.) During the mid-half of the eleventh century, the Battle of Hastings caused a shift in the political structure of the kingdom. William the Conqueror, with no legitimate claim to the English throne, defeated Harold II, who also had no legitimate to the throne. This meant that England, at least the upper crusts, became Norman French. Which means for the next fifty to 150 years, the common language spoken in Hogwarts would have been French. Almost a century later, Quidditch began when local kids use their brooms and baskets. While I don’t doubt the upper classes of magical society intertwined with the gentry and joined the jousting games, the lower
illustrations by: Katherine Taylor
ow Harry Potter Fits into Muggle History
Entertainment classes of the magical community may have invented the beginnings of this game in response. Quidditch was also a great way for communities to interact with friendly competition. Eventually the game would develop more rules like the introduction of the “golden snidget,” which originally was a live, small, golden feathered bird with little red eyes. The prize for catching the bird was 150 gallons, which later turned into the 150 winning points of the game. The bird was, of course, later replaced with the little winged ball based off the bird’s physical design. The bird was replaced for fear of its possible extinction. During the same century (1294), the Triwizard tournament was instituted as a competition between the three largest wizarding schools in Europe: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and the Durmstrang Institute. In an age of almost constant warfare, this would have been a perfect way to establish international relationships between the younger generations of wizards and witches. No say if these relationships helped to ebb warfare between muggle kings, but it would be a nice thought. Jumping forward a century, we come to something called the “witch-hunts.” Unlike its American counterpart, the European witch-hunts came before Christianity. In the history of the Wizarding world, the fourteenth to eighteenth centuries were the most intense, which is also true in muggle history. More than 95% of the time, these “witch-hunters” did not torture or burn real witches, but the local outcasts and outspoken women (and sometimes men) of the community. In the 5%, was a particular witch named Wendelin the Weird. With a confirmed fourteen, but rumored to have allowed herself to be captured and burned at the stake some forty-seven times! She cast a flame-freezing charm, which made the flames tickle instead of burn. Personally, I’d find that worse than the fires. The fifteenth through seventeenth centuries had a surprisingly low level of wizarding activity. This may have been a result of the high level of warfare and religious conflict in the muggle world. England in particular had, in quick succession, the following: the War of the Roses (or the Cousin’s War) in which there were not one, but two, pretenders to Henry VII’s throne (one was almost decapitated), the Protestant Reformation, the Harrying of the North, Bloody Mary’s reign of terror, the Spanish Armada, the Second Harrying
of the North, the Fifth of November, the English Civil War, the fire of 1666, the reign of James II, and the Glorious Revolution. In any of these, magical meddling would have caused some serious problems for the wizarding community. However, these centuries did see the first Quidditch world cup, impressively seeing all 700 forms of fouls take place, the Goblin Rebellion of 1612, and the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy went into effect (possibly influenced by the events of the Salem Witch Trials). The eighteenth century, or the Georgian Century (Kings George I, II, and III all ruled from 1714 to 1820), was relatively low key. Great expansions of Quidditch reaching Australia and New Zealand would have been somewhat exciting; however, towards the end of the century, the famed Triwizard tournament was canceled after a vicious attack by a dragon that killed all three headmasters of the Wizarding schools. This happened in 1792, ending the tournament’s 498-year run. The Victorian era (1837-1901) was notorious for continental expansion, the life of our dear queen Victoria, India, Jack the Ripper, and the importing of some “staples” of British culture to Britain for the first time. Victorians were also notorious for being incredibly tight laced, or rather, so repressed that we are still feeling the repercussions to this day. One could only imagine that the image of “our dear queen” affected the lives of the magical community as well. Imagine the girls of Hogwarts in those corsets! How does one focus on their O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. when your organs are busy rearranging themselves. (Seriously, corsets do that.) Of course, this leads us into the twentieth century where all the witches and wizards of Harry Potter’s time were born, lived and died (in some cases). In muggle history, the first half of the twentieth century saw World War I, the Roaring Twenties and World War II. However, the image I would be more interested in is the 1960s, and whether or not Arthur Weasley had a mop top in school, and if Molly had Beatles records in her dorm.(Also, whether or not the school dances during the Marauders time played disco.) Needless to say, the wizarding and muggle worlds are interlocked as much as the pure-bloods like to pretend it isn’t. So to all our Hogwarts readers, pay attention in Muggle Studies, because goodness knows we didn’t have wizards studies in our boring ole muggle schools.
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Entertainment
Hipster Potter:
Instagramming Your Favorite Potter Quotes It’s no secret that Ms. Rowling is a wizard with words, and her beautiful prose just happens to be perfect for titling your Facebook albums and imbuing your Instagram profile with some hipster appeal! Add relevance, magic, and profound literary meaning to your Tumblr or Instagram pictures by splashing these Harry Potter quotations across your latest photos. I went through my own Insta-past to try it out, and I think I really improved my artsy pics! By Kaya Raven
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“Wit beyond measure is a man’s greatest treasure.” - Ravenclaw motto, ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ Snapping pics of that A you got on your Chem midterm? Use this to spice up your good grades or just lay it over a picture of some flowers. You can’t go wrong with that.
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“Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.” Albus Dumbledore, ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince’
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“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” - Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’
Doors, gates, locks, stairs, or really anything that implies you are going forth and seizing the day. (Side note: seeing as Dumbledore said so many of these quotable gems, I can’t help thinking about his missed opportunity to be Instagram famous!)
This mischievous little motto would look nice on a playful selfie or picture of your dog!
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“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” - Albus Dumbledore, ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’
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“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” - Albus Dumbledore, ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ We’ll start out with a true classic. Use this on a picture of the night sky or a string of fairy lights or your pillow.
Use this to enhance a cute picture of your besties or instill some school spirit into a shot of your football team. This quotation will really improve group pictures, so keep that in mind the next time you take a picture of 3,000 gummy bears.
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“It is our choices, Harry, that show us who we truly are, far more than our abilities.” - Albus Dumbledore, ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ Take some creative liberty here and replace Harry’s name with that of your best friend, then put this quotation across a picture of the time he or she decided to do something brilliant!
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illustrations By Kaya Raven
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“‘After all this time?’ ‘Always.’” Professor Severus Snape, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ If you’re dying to post that picture of you and your new boyfriend, don’t miss out on the chance to make it as sickly sweet and romantic as possible. Or, if you’re single like me, use these beautiful words to profess your love for cupcakes. I hope these tips get you hundreds of likes! I know I’ll be using them in the future (as I take 400+ photos per week of my dogs and food). Happy Instagramming!
Entertainment
Real Life Quidditch:
How Harry Potter Infiltrated College Campuses Want to go pro at Quidditch but still haven’t received your letter from Hogwarts? Don’t worry! Quidditch has become a more widespread sport in the Muggle world and is played at hundreds of different colleges and high schools. By Ruth Esther Tirado
Sports do not build character. They reveal it. -Haywood Broun
Quidditch is a much-celebrated and competitive sport that is well enjoyed in the Harry Potter universe. In 2005, a Middlebury College student named Xander Manshel grew bored of playing bocce and decided to adapt Quidditch so that even Muggles could play it, gathering people from his dorm to play what he termed Muggle Quidditch. That was the first team to have ever played it. As the game grew in popularity, Middlebury soon hosted ten on-campus Quidditch teams and Manshel became its first commissioner.
In 2006, after Benepe, the new Middlebury commissioner, created a Quidditch World Cup, students from colleges across the United States wanted to participate, so they started creating their own Quidditch teams. By 2010, the International Quidditch Association had been registered as a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping colleges start their own Quidditch teams and allowing them to participate in regionals and the World Cup. As in the Harry Potter series, Muggle Quidditch does not separate people by gender, but is instead a contact co-ed sport. It is upheld by the International Quidditch Association through Title 9 3/4, a policy that promotes gender equality; the policy is a nod to both Title IX, the US law that prevents gender discrimination in sports, and the platform at King’s Cross Station where
Quidditch from volunteers, and afterwards, they have a game amongst themselves. The last World Cup happened in Kissimmee, FL back in April of this year. There were 80 teams participating; most of the teams were from the United States, but others hailed from Canada, Mexico and France, among other nations. If you’ve never played Muggle Quidditch before or are confused about the rules, think of it as a mix of hide-and-seek, dodgeball, rugby, and tag. The game itself consists of fourteen players split evenly between two teams with a fifth impartial player acting as the Golden Snitch. Each team has three Chasers, one Keeper, two beaters and one Seeker. Every player - with the exception of the Snitch - has to run with a broom between their legs. It just wouldn’t be as magical without brooms!
the Hogwarts Express departs. Considering the fictional roots of Quidditch, it has grown immensely since its founding in 2005 to the point where there is an international organization for this competitive sport. There are over 1000 teams around the world, but only about 60 get to play in the annual World Cup. After the official games, a Quidditch game is open to children of all ages. Labeled as ‘Kidditch’, this specific time in the schedule is opened for kids who want to learn how to play
by Katherine Taylor
The Chasers run with a small ball called a Quaffle – usually a deflated volleyball – and try to throw it in any of the three hoops at the other end of the pitch. Every goal is worth 10 points. The Keeper is essentially the goalie. The Keeper may also act as an additional chaser by going out into the field. The Beaters throw bludgers (rubber kickballs) at any of the opposing players. Once hit, the opposing players must get off
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Entertainment their broom and touch their team’s hoops before being allowed back in the game. The Seeker chases the Snitch, a player in a gold-colored shirt with a sock tucked into the waistband of their pants. Before the game starts, all fourteen players close their eyes as the Snitch runs away from the field. The game ends when the Snitch is caught and the team who catches the Snitch is awarded with 30 points. Luckily, not much equipment is required to play this game, so it is fairly easy to start one among friends and families. However, if you’d like to play competitively but are not sure where to find a nearby Muggle Quidditch team, you can find the lists of high schools and colleges who have campus Quidditch teams at http://internationalquidditch. org/teams.
by Katherine Taylor
The Most Ancient and Noble House of Grey
by Melissa-Lynn Heineman
A look at how the idea of Hogwarts houses really aren’t black and white, and a portrayal of the problems beyond the stereotyped “Slytherin.”
from fear of change, as we can see from many of their outdated fashions of ‘Ware’ and wear. They lack the ability to see that this other means of populating wizarding Britain is beneficial to maintain an order of government - especially seeing how many It has been pointed out throughout the are in the Ministry alone. So this extends Potter franchise that one can fit into multi- the idea of the Malfoys’ fear. Despite all ple houses based off personality and ability, these faults we do see that their loyalty and it has also been displayed that there are to Voldemort mainly comes from a fear people who don’t seem to fit their house of alienation, punishment, or such other for all. You had the backstabbing Gryffindor things. Their only true loyalty is to each Peter Pettigrew, the brave and charismatic other as a family, as we come to see at the Hufflepuff Cedric Diggory, the dreamy and end of the final book. “off the books” Ravenclaw Luna Lovegood, The Malfoys live up to the Slytherin ideals and of course the loyal (though definitely in many ways: they use cunning to achieve misguided) Slytherin Severus Snape. their ends - whether it be slipping a dangerThis is an allegory for what is truly ous diary into a first year’s cauldron or lying wrong the Voldemort about Wizarding World: Harry Potter being There are most things are dead in gratitude of looked at as black the knowledge that incredibly dark, and white, but their son was still awful and rarely grey. It also alive and well. But portrays how we they do have moraldangerous people may perceive some ity - ignoring the fact amongst the Slytherins characters, only that Lucius exists, as and purebloods, but seeing the emotion he’s a fascist toerag. and maybe not the Narcissa saved they aren’t all problems that their Harry’s life in the alike. characterizations latter example, and stem from. Draco had no desire The Malfoys to harm anyone, work as an example of a partial generation regardless of the Gryffindor roots of people of obsessive purebloods. The immedilike Katie Bell and Albus Dumbledore. Draco ate family are undeniably cruel, selfish, even states his fear of what will happen to him cowardly, puffed-up egomaniacs. Most of and his family if he didn’t kill Dumbledore, their disdain is for Muggle-borns, followed as Voldemort demanded. This idea can be by blood traitors and half-bloods. To disrelated to the ‘pureblood’ issues in the series. like people for where they come from or You have the truly sick characters, such as the who they’re descended from is no doubt Lestranges and the Blacks (of earlier generaracist, and not justifiable, but it is sometions), and then there are the people who fear what understandable. The purebloods fear change or going against their ‘place’ in society fear that the ancient families will die off, or design for Voldemort’s regime. especially due to the past persecution of Having brushed on both sides of the magical people. They do torture and attack muggle born and muggle issue within the Muggles, but we don’t know who started pureblood ideal, and before coming to a the war against who, per say. It stems major point that truly displays the wrongness of this assumption within the realm of
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Entertainment Hogwarts, there is a necessary thing to point out into the issue of the “lesser” magical beings. The topic is most easily explained with Umbridge versus the centaurs. She hated half-breeds, and it’s undeniable she’s a toad ... no, the most unjustly racist, cruel, rigid, and corrupt character in the series, apart from Voldemort. She exhibited her sociopathy with her methods of “rehabilitation” as she punished a majority of the Hogwarts students with her blood-drawing quill. She has firm beliefs of order and regulation, and gives new meaning to “by the book.” Yet she exhibits no belief in rights to the other magical beings of the world - eventually leading the ironic witchhunt against muggle borns in the seventh book. We especially see her hatred and fear of centaurs. And when taken by them in the fifth book, she returns babbling and shakings in fear. Why is this? There is mythology that captures the violent nature of centaurs. In some stories, they rape human women - and we never truly delve into the centaurs’ background in the series. Is it possible they are truly that violent in Rowling’s universe? Not all centaurs have a modern mindset as Firenze does. Perhaps “The Toad” had a justifiable reason to fear the creatures - as she portrays what we don’t delve into regarding the people in wizarding Britain. Most are uneducated in the ways of the muggle world, and have little desire to know about the other magical beings, as they don’t have the same prowess and control as wizards and witches do. The world that we see in the series has little care to modernize, and some aspects of their society are “medieval”, like Umbridge’s disciplinary choices. This all makes some sense when we see how a muggle born like Hermione reacts to the way wizards treat these other beings. She comes from a setting
You might belong in Gryffindor/Where dwell the brave at heart.../You might belong in Hufflepuff/ Where they are just and loyal.../Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw/ if you’ve a ready mind.../Or perhaps in Slytherin.../Those cunning folks use any means/To achieve their ends. where pushing forward is encouraged, which is why she was so passionate about S.P.E.W., no matter how (in)appropriate that movement was. She has a different understanding of freedom and equality - something derived from the idea of Enlightenment, whereas other than some explanation of the Wizengamot, we don’t understand the wizarding government
much at all. A final problem within the wizarding world’s judgemental mentality can be illustrated by McGonagall’s inappropriate behavior towards the Slytherin’s during the Battle of Hogwarts. Upon Pansy’s frantic and fearful demands to hand Harry over to Voldemort, McGonagall told Filch to escort all the Slytherins to the dungeons to be locked up. by Vaiki Tress Locked up. No matter how dislikable Pansy may be as a character, her fear was understandable. She was afraid that she would be hurt in the impending crossfire. She is a teenager, still a young girl. The Slytherins didn’t want to fight. Why would they? They’d be fighting against their family. They could end up in the situation where they kill or seriously injure their parents or godparents or cousin’s fiancées. Family is family no matter their decisions. Not every Slytherin wanted a Death Eater future - in many cases the path was chosen for them, which was a general extension of an older generation’s malintent and outdated out looks, or a fear of Voldemort. Slytherins, or pure bloods in general, value the history of the wizarding world - their world. It’s the values of their ancestors that have been instilled in them. There are incredibly dark, awful and dangerous people amongst the Slytherins and purebloods, but they aren’t all alike. Many just find justification for their beliefs within the ways of the old wizarding world and fear change. Fear is a large part of what is wrong with the society, like every society, and the portrayal of these stereotypes only make this world more real. Whether it be judgement from others or their own decisions or interpretations, not all Slytherins are as one-sided as they seem. They are people, too.
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Entertainment
The Harry Potter Alliance: Fandoms for Social Change What better way to be socially active than by putting your fandoms to good charitable use? By Jason Stack In the internet era of general apathetic social activism and constant (but most likely futile) petition-signing, it’s hard to make a difference. That is, however, unless you’re a part of the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA). Founded in 2005 by Andrew Slack and Harry and the Potters, the organization has grown over the last eight years and fights for numerous national and international causes by utilizing fandoms, the most prominent being Harry Potter. According to Julian Gomez, the nonprofit uses analogies from the Potter-verse to fight for social activism, or in other words, they take a “novel” approach to activism, bringing Dumbledore’s Army to life.
Julian, a college freshman who serves as the Twitter Team Leader and one half of the HPA vlogging team, has been a part of the organization for almost three years and it clearly seems that he has found his calling. While, in his own eyes, he hasn’t been majorly influential when it comes to creating projects, he lead the initiative for phone banking for marriage equality in Maine and the DREAM Act in Maryland, both of which were signed into law. His bread and butter, however, is the vlogs. That, and handling
the ‘Superman Is An Immigrant’ Tumblr, which is both a personal issue and part of the Imagine Better project, which reaches out to bring other fandoms into the fold. The HPA also has plans to further branch out to other fandoms, like that of ‘The Hunger Games’. Now, you may be familiar with some of the HPA’s numerous campaigns through just being a part of Nerdfighteria. Their annual book drive, Accio Books!, collected and donated 30,217 books this year to inneed communities – not a record for the organization, but just consider that the book drive has been going since 2009 and they’ve gathered close to 100,000 books since then! To Julian, the drive is the “crux” of the HPA, and also works to promote literacy and education, which is the next step for the organization, as they’ve partnered with the Pearson Foundation and the Smithsonian EdLab to create civic engagement curriculum. Do you remember the five cargo planesworth of medical supplies and equipment that were flown down to Haiti after the
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earthquakes in 2010? That was the HPA at work with Partners in Health, a Haitiancentric nonprofit. The HPA raised over $123,000; as a result, the planes were christened with the names Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, and DFTBA. This is, in part, because of the colossal help from the Green brothers, Maureen Johnson, Nerdfighteria, and the Wrock community, all major supporters of the HPA. Their current major campaign is Equality For The Win, their now annual fundraiser, which has a goal of $100,000 – double last year’s initial goal of $50,000 – for their next
Their current major campaign, Equality For The Win, has a goal of $100,000 for their next year of campaigns.
Entertainment year of campaigns. As of this writing, the IndieGoGo is a little over a quarter of the way to the $100,000 goal, and the campaign ends on October 12th. And a fundraising campaign wouldn’t be noteworthy without cool perks, like new Pizza John shirts, No Edge kickballs, an excerpt from ‘The Price of Dawn’ (the fictional videogamebased novel from ‘The Fault In Our Stars’) by John Green himself, John Green fanfic by Maureen Johnson, and so much more. You might be saying “Okay, this is great, how can I get involved?” The answer is simple: join a chapter, which, according to Julian, is the “most rewarding way to take part”. There are dozens of national and international chapters that have a local focus, as the HPA doesn’t have set assignments for the chapters. The high school chapters are more extensions of
already-established Harry Potter clubs, while the university chapters are the most active. Additionally, there are community chapters for those out of high school and university. All information about the various chapters and where the closest to you is can be found at the HPA site. If there are no chapters near you, then you can start your own by registering on the site. In addition to joining a local chapter, checking the HPA’s social media outlets and signing up for the newsletter is the best way to keep tabs on the organizations on-goings. But all that aside, if you help out with an HPA campaign, either by donating your money or your time, you’re bound to leave with a better understanding of the issues at hand, which is a good a feeling as any, especially when you’re working to decrease world suck just by being a supportive fan.
Website www.thehpalliance.org Twitter @TheHPAlliance Tumblr www.thehpalliance.tumblr.com Youtube www.youtube.com/thehpalliance
Harry Potter and the Cult of Self-Esteem What are some lessons modern fantasy - specifically films - teaching today’s kids? Is there too much coddling and an overall feeling of “Everyone’s a winner”? By: Alyssa Nabors Luke Epplin wrote an article for The Atlantic responding to a couple of this summer’s kids movies ‘Turbo’ and ‘Planes’: “Contemporary animated films would never emulate the tough life lessons … but they’d do well to reintroduce the twin notions of failure and humility.” His problem with the films is that the protagonists of ‘Turbo’ and ‘Planes’ do not face enough adversity, and that that they succeed too soon without enough effort. They exemplify “an ethos that privileges self-fulfillment over the communal good” and “discount the hard work that enables individuals to reach the top of their professions”. It’s true that of the tropes utilized nowadays, the training montage is not usually a particular popular selection. The need to actually work toward your goals is definitely something from
Illustration by Hayley Pike
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Entertainment which anyone can benefit; I can’t earnestly argue against that. But what about this fabled “cult of self-esteem”? Is it a group of hooded writers and animators meeting in secret, chanting in low monotones, “You can be whatever you want to be, who you are is good enough”? Setting aside whatever strange imagery the phrase evokes in my mind, the concept is solid enough - are we as a culture raising kids to believe they can do whatever they want regardless of how impractical it is? Is that dangerous? Fair questions to ask, so let’s take a look. What’s the fantastic genre of children’s movies saying about life, the universe, and everything? Disney has added three new princesses to its roster since 2009, so let’s start there. Tiana, Rapunzel, and Merida are all smart and work hard towards a goal they are passionate about, whether that passion is opening a restaurant, learning and creating, or horseback riding and archery. However, their stories don’t necessarily revolve around the pursuit of this goal, but rather they learn life lessons while somehow pursuing this goal. This doesn’t seem incredibly harmful, although their messages seem only coincidentally related to Epplin’s case study. So let’s take a look at the world of Harry Potter instead. As a disclaimer, the serial novel format has much more room to tell a story than an animated film, which means
What about this fabled “cult of self-esteem”? Is it a group of hooded writers and animators meeting in secret, chanting in low monotones, “You can be whatever you want to be, who you are is good enough”? plenty of extra room for training montages. However, it should be noted that the Harry Potter novels and movies are slightly more contemporary than the more realistic example Epplin provided - ‘A Boy Named Charlie Brown’, released in 1969. Furthermore, the Harry Potter movies, to an admirable degree of success, manage to translate the
Illustration by Hayley Pike
values of the novels to the screen. Harry Potter does not initially have a specific ambition beyond playing Quidditch, hanging out with his friends, and passing his classes. He’s not out to be the very best like no one ever was; in fact, despite being introduced to this magical new world, Harry only seems interested in learning the spell that’s going to be on the test. His bad study habits aren’t glossed over at any point, and he never makes easy A’s except for the subject he’s got real experience and interest in (and when he’s got an unfair advantage in the Half Blood Prince). In fact, the smartest witch or wizard of Harry’s age is Hermione, who spends a majority of her (albeit wellbudgeted) time studying. Harry himself is variably informed by the actions of his peers that his value or lack thereof comes from his fame. While it’s easy to stay humble while everyone thinks you’re a nutcase, it’s harder to stay downto-earth when you’re the youngest seeker in a century, representing your house in an intramural tournament, or being touted as
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the last hope for all wizard-kind. Most of the time, when a specific goal needs to be achieved - when Harry is learning the Patronus and Summoning charms, for example - it takes him weeks, if not months to master them, usually with help from friends and teachers. Some of the time, when Harry values something over doing well on exams or assignments, he fails. He’s still the focal point of many adventures, but it’s clear that he’s a pretty normal person despite all the unusual things that happen in his life. But as Hermione notes in their very first adventure, Harry knows what’s important - friendship, bravery, and doing what’s right no matter what. So perhaps a movie that a kid watches for an hour and a half may give a fleeting impression that achieving your lifelong dream is as simple as swallowing some nitrous oxide and believing in yourself. But the things that will hopefully leave a lasting impression will impart slightly more realistic lessons - despite being taught by a teenage wizard.
News
Political Situation: Class Conflict in US The August strikes calling for a raise in the minimum wage are symptomatic of a broken system and years of class tension. By Alyssa Nabors
Regardless of the faults in the system, painting one group as the villain will do nothing but perpetuate conflict between the two. In late August 2013, strikes and protests broke out across the United States as fast food workers demanded double the current minimum wage, decrying the standard $7.25 an hour as unlivable. Even the method of pay is in question in some cases: a petition written earlier this year denounces McDonald’s practice of paying their employees via debit card, a practice that causes difficulty in paying rent or utilities. These protests are disconcerting, but the response of some commentators on social media sites and from the industry itself, is absolutely alarming. One Tumblr user wrote: “If your main source of income is a job that pays minimum wage, example being: fast food industry, and that’s what you expect to support you, then you’re lazy ignorant, and don’t deserve better pay.” The degrees of condescension and offensive language vary, but the message is the same: “They should get a better job. They should get a better education in order to get a better job. Clearly, if they wanted a living wage, they would have it. They’re just lazy. They’re just entitled.” Even if these voices are not the majority
by Katherine Taylor
from the middle and upper income levels, they are the ones being heard. While no corporations threatened the safety of protesters’ jobs, many outlets were used to flatly deny the feasibility of raising wages. The National Federation of Independent Business tweeted: “Raising #minimumwage denies more low-skilled workers the opportunity to get a job,” and many others chimed in, seconding the claim that higher wages leads to fewer jobs. The Occupy protests of 2011 and the accompanying online I Am The 99% meme became iconic representations of the conflict between these two groups. There are the 1%, who own much of the wealth in the United States, and the 99%, who own so little. This is not new; these tensions have existed for decades if not centuries. However, escalations such as the Occupy movement and the fast food strikes are indicative of a turning point. The number of U.S. citizens who perceive these class tensions is growing. One of the biggest problems is that the upper and middle classes often do not register the inequality in circumstances. While public education has been available to all
children in the U.S. for years, even children going to the same school may get different levels of effective education because of their home lives. A family in which the parents have yearly salaries or one is able to be home during the day are also more able to be involved in their children’s education or provide for extracurricular activities. When a parent is working for an hourly wage to support one or more children, sometimes such presence is unfeasible. The upper classes can take a lot for granted while the option of attending college is not a certainty for other families. An experiment in the early 1970s in the Canadian town of Dauphin involved guaranteeing qualifying families a supplement to bring them to a minimum standard income, and, thereby, a minimum standard quality of life. The extra money was used in most cases for education, including the indirect effects of reducing the work hours of mothers, who spent more time with children and teenagers who spent more time on their studies. Otherwise, the majority of beneficiaries continued to work a normal number of hours. In fact, most of them were reluctant to accept help but recognized the need. Unfortunately,
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News supplemental systems that exist in the U.S. are structured with baffling complexity and are often not effective in their effort to bring about that standard. Even more unfortunate are the accompanying stereotypes about the people who need the aid provided by these programs. The harmful and ignorant attitudes others often display do not help the impression of the upper class as privileged and unsympathetic. Regardless of the faults in the system, painting one group as the villain will do nothing but perpetuate conflict between the two. To quote Nelson Mandela, “An old English judge once said: ‘Necessitous men are not free men.’ Liberty requires opportunity to make a living -- a living decent according to the standard of the time, a living which gives people not only enough to live by but something to live for. For too many of us, the political equality we once had won was meaningless in the face of economic inequality.”
Farewell, Video Responses! On September 12, YouTube will remove the video responses function. What does this say about YouTube’s conception of community and how will creators adapt to the change? by Sarah Mills On Tuesday, August 27, a post on the YouTube Partners and Creators blog announced that the video response feature will be discontinued on September 12. YouTube cited the low “click-through rate of .0004%” as the main reason for the decision. If only four in every million users clicks on a video response, it is time to get rid of that option. Or is it? Since the announcement, opinions have abounded regarding the decision. One of the major criticisms of the move is that video responses are a valuable community-building tool. Many people began making videos on the site because of video responses. Making a video response gave these freshmen creators a platform and structure to work with that alleviated much of the stress associated with taking the first foray into vlogging. Video responses also acted as an extension of the comments section. There are times when one’s reaction to a YouTube video goes beyond the 500-character limit of the written comment. The connection between the original content creator and the creator of the video response was direct and led to many YouTube friendships and collaborations. This sense of community has also fostered the creation of channels and web series that are centered on the integration of the audience’s video responses. Channels such as TALK and The Good Stuff devote time to engaging their audience in discussions, taking video responses and editing them into their uploaded content. The continuation of this type of content is certainly in question with the removal of the video response function. In their blog post, the YouTube team said they are “focused on enabling you
by Katherine Taylor
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The Anglerfish | Issue 8 September 2013
to share video links in comments. Doing this in comments will let creators and viewers add more context to a video, and more context should drive more engagement.” Will the ability to leave video links in the comments really solve all the problems? One of the major reasons for the low click-through rate on video responses is the immense amount of spam linked to the videos of top YouTubers. No one will click on a video response to one of their favourite videos if that response is completely unrelated to the original content. With the ability to post video links in the comments, the comment section will be just as prone to spamming, if not more so due to the ease of copying and pasting a link. It also calls into question the likelihood of creators’ reading their comments if they are full of blue hyperlinks to videos promoting Doritos and Mountain Dew. One of the phrases most indicative of YouTube’s mindset is found in the post’s first sentence: “Helping you connect with your fans is extremely important for you and for us.” It is the word “fan” that reveals so much. The removal of video responses will hurt YouTube’s community-fostering possibilities. Considering the relationship between creator and viewer only as one of creator and “fan” discounts so much of that possibility. Dedicated creators will have to adapt and find some way to replace this function in order to continue making community-driven content with productive discussion at its heart. YouTube can create friendships, communities and amazing projects (such as this very magazine), but if we think of each other as potential fans rather than potential friends and collaborators, we are truly missing out on something.
News
Why America Should Not Get Involved In Syria While the situation in Syria is alarming, America should not get involved. by Jacob Lambrecht “This nation is sick and tired of war,” Obama quoted a U.S. veteran in his September 10 address to the nation on Syrian state of affairs. While I was listening to President Obama’s address, the words of this anonymous veteran resonated with me more than anything else the President had said, even though he was about to refute this stance. After 12 years of military action in Iraq and Afghanistan, the mere mention of war makes me weary. Was it not 12 years ago that we invaded Iraq because there were weapons of mass destruction? (It should, however, be noted that sarin, a powerful neurotoxin, has been used in Syria whereas no actual weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.) As Russian president Vladimir Putin wrote in his September 11 New York Times editorial, “It is alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United States. Is it in America’s longterm interest? I doubt it.” In this instance, I am inclined to agree with Putin. For the moment, let us disregard the question of whether military intervention, no matter how limited, is in America’s interests. In his address, Obama also said, “the United States has been the anchor of
global security. It is alarming that military This has meant intervention in internal more than foraging international conflicts in foreign countries agreements. It has has become commonplace for the meant enforcing them.” While the United States. Is it in America’s U.S. is often seen long-term interest? I doubt it. as this enforcer, that job officially falls to the United Nations Security the UNSC. Council (UNSC). As stated in Article 39 of Fortunately, on October 14, Syria the Charter of the United Nations, “The agreed to abide by the Chemical Weapons Security Council shall determine the Convention. By acceding to this agreeexistence of any threat to peace, breach of ment, Syria is agreeing to destroy its peace, or act of aggression and shall make stockpile of chemical weapons, which recommendations, or decide what mearemoves the immediate reason cited by sures shall be taken in accordance with President Obama for launching airstrikes Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore in Syria. Americans opposed to more international peace and security.” foreign involvement, myself included, can A military strike on Syria would also breathe a collective sigh of relief, at least be a violation of international law, which for the time being. Russia and the U.S. states that force is only permissible in also reached an agreement on how Syria’s self-defence or with approval of the United weapons stockpiles will be handled. Nations Security Council. Since the U.S. is But while the framework for the Syrian not under direct threat from Syria and the arms agreement will bring stability to the Security Council has not approved a resoMiddle East, the conflict in Syria is far from lution permitting military action against over. This turmoil has been ongoing for Syria, the U.S. would likely be an aggressor. two years, so while this new arms deal will Furthermore, Putin points out that a mem- help prevent mass casualties, Syria’s future ber of the United Nations bypassing the still remains to be seen. For Americans, Security Council could set a precedent that Syria’s agreeing to comply with the the council’s decisions carry no weight and Chemical Weapons Convention means the lead to its obsolescence. These implicaU.S. government places greater emphations are amplified if the violating country sis on socioeconomic issues at home. is one of five charter member nations of President Obama closed his address by quoting Franklin Roosevelt, who once said “Our national determination to keep free of foreign wars and foreign entanglements cannot prevent us from feeling deep concern when ideals and principles that we have cherished are challenged.” It is certainly right to be alarmed by recent events in Syria; but rather than express our concern with bombs, which will only add to the existing carnage, let us voice our commitment to a better world by continuing conversation at the international level. image courtesy of wikimedia
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News
Let’s Learn From Hogwarts A Comparison of Education in the Real and Wizarding Worlds
For many of us, Hogwarts represents the perfect school environment. But looking more closely, is it really as good as we presume and can it teach us something about the way education works in the real world? by Lucy Pegg In recent months, various governments have implemented educational reforms regarding both what is taught and how students are examined. Given the theme of this month’s issue of The Anglerfish, I got to thinking about what we can learn from a look at teaching at Hogwarts throughout the “Harry Potter” series and how perhaps their problems are also seen in real-world schooling. Hogwarts changed dramatically with Dolores Umbridge’s arrival in “Order of the Phoenix.” Her “carefully structured, theory-centred, Ministry-approved course” included no practical elements and cen-
sored anything deemed inappropriate. The dry textbook she used for her Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons are what I presume the various people who attempt to get books removed from schools want children to read. This seems to be particularly problematic in places like the U.S. where books can be banned. Sex education is another area in which schools tend to take the approach of “if we don’t tell them about it they’ll never go out and do it themselves.” Abstinence-only education is like Umbridge’s DADA lessons:
present one viewpoint, don’t show Mollycoddling the negative sides of it, and refuse only increases to talk about the positive aspects of sex/defensive magic. While common ignorance as sense should be used -- most would children and teenagers agree seven-year-olds don’t need to do the condom practical -- mollycodare normally far dling only increases ignorance as more mature than children and teenagers are normally far more mature than adults presume. adults presume They do pretty well when faced with dark wizards, student and teacher deaths, relentless rivalries and constant and South Africa was read alongside the danger, don’t you think? obligatory Shakespeare. The problems with But it wasn’t just in Harry’s fifth year these changes (fictional or not) are clear; that educational havoc was wrought at we live in a multicultural world that is Hogwarts. While the trio were camping, increasingly connected, and we all need to Snape brought in some dramatic changes have understanding and empathy for the during “Deathly Hallows.” Besides allowothers we share this planet with. ing torture as punishment, Muggle Studies Lastly, perhaps the most important was effectively eliminated and, as no thing we can learn from Hogwarts’ foreign languages or religious studies were education is that if teachers make classes taught, it would appear that the very little enjoyable, students achieve more. Think about it: everyone hates History of Magic and it’s the only subject that Harry fails in his OWLS, the tests given at the end of a student’s fifth year. DADA is loved when taught by Lupin and they probably learn more then than in any other year. The mythical people who create syllabuses and curriculums don’t seem to have caught on to this though. Often, it seems deliberately dry topics are chosen and, though some may be able to find interest in them, they don’t have widespread appeal, especially when taught unimaginatively. Not everyone loves or likes school, and unless taught well, trench warfare in World War I education students were given about other is unlikely to enthuse these people. cultures completely disappeared. A comRightly or wrongly, educational achieveparative situation in our world is found in ment will probably affect most people’s the U.K., which is following models apparlives, and as such, more should be done ently set in other countries. The History to make sure everyone is getting someGCSE (one of many exams usually sat at thing worthwhile from it. Hogwarts sixteen) will now focus even more heavily shows us that above all, ignorance breeds on British history, meaning modules such intolerance and that if we don’t want a as Nazi Germany and the American West generation of Malfoys, we need to teach will become far rarer. Further, studying the next generation broadly, and teach books from other cultures will no longer them well. be compulsory in English classes, whereas previously literature focusing on America
TheAnglerfish Anglerfish||Issue Issue88September September2013 2013 41 The
Science
Neville Longbottom and the Effects of PTSD on Memory
A popular fan theory regarding one of our favorite Gryffindors could be grounded in psychological reality.
By: Alyssa Nabors
Many fan theories surround the boy who so easily could have been the Chosen One. Around the time the seventh “Harry Potter” book was published, some thought he might turn out to actually BE the Chosen One, with much of Dumbledore’s revelations in the fifth and sixth books turning out to be cleverly worded misdirections. However, as we know now how the story really ends, let us examine a fan theory that really hasn’t been put to rest: the reason Neville Longbottom’s memory was so bad. Perhaps a well-meaning someone, whether Ministry official or relative, placed a memory charm on Neville to prevent him from remembering the terrible fate that befell his parents. This could explain his inability to remember passwords, his clumsiness, and perhaps even the delay in his display of magical abilities. Or, they could be symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Also known as PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental condition that is
A memory charm could explain Neville’s inability to remember passwords, his clumsiness, and perhaps even his delay in the display of magical abilities -- or they could be symptoms of PTSD
the result of an extremely negative experience, such as witnessing or being subjected to violence, warfare, or other trauma. Common symptoms are anxiety, insomnia and vivid flashbacks (re-living the traumatic experience) triggered by specific scenarios or reminders. However, studies have shown that a person will as often lose the memory of a traumatic event. Lack of coherence or inconsistent memory recall is the most common version of this memory loss, but some studies have indicated that PTSD can have a lasting effect on short-term memory. In a 1993 article from the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers compared the memory function of Vietnam veterans to that of similar individuals (same age, sex, etc.) who had not experienced active combat. The results indicated a largely reduced capacity for verbal recall in PTSD sufferers and a slightly lower correlation of PTSD and reduced visual memory recall. According to neurobiologist Dr. Susan R. Barry, the emotional responses stimulated in the amygdala, the part of the brain located in the medial temporal lobes involved in both memory and emotion, are recorded and can be reignited by stimuli reminiscent of the original traumatic experience. This
serves as a biological indicator of a potentially dangerous situation and is meant to trigger the fight or flight instinct. There are recorded cases in which the memory deficit or distortion has reduced the risk of such triggering experiences. However, this can also have a detrimental effect on sufferer’s day-to-day activities… much like a certain forgetful Gryffindor.
Illustrations by: Hayley Pike
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Science
The Discovery of a New Species: The Olinguito A new species is revealed to the world. The story of its discovery is one for the history books.
Illust
isor
By: Joie Ling
ka Ra
: Jessi
s by ration
On August 15, Kristofer Helegen, the curator of mammals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural Science, revealed the discovery of the olinguito (Bassaricyon neblina). The olinguito is a small, bushy tailed, red coat mammal native to the Andes. The olinguito is the first carnivorous mammal to be found west of the Prime Meridian in 35 years. The discovery of the olinguito was a decade in the making. Helegen was going through pelts of olingos (a small mammal native to the rainforests of Central and South America) when he found something odd. Olingos are known to have gray pelts, but among the pelts, Helegen found pelts that were obviously red. To quote Helegen, “[This] stopped me in my tracks.” Further investigation showed that the red and gray pelts have variably different skulls. A data analysis proved there is a 90% similarity between the olingo and the newfound red creature. This is a rather big difference in terms of similarity, considering the fact that humans and chimpanzees are 99% genetically identical. “I knew at that point it was a new species, but I also knew I needed to be sure,” Helegen said during an interview with Smithsonian Magazine. Helegen spent the next the ten years searching to find a living specimen. When he did, he was able to confirm that the mysterious red animal was indeed a new species. The new species was named olinguito, which means “little olingo” in Spanish. Although this new species probably doesn’t hold the key to curing cancer, it shows that the world has a lot more to show us if we only look more closely.
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Art & Literature
Travesty My therapist once called depression the common cold of psychological disorders. In terms of how many people are living with depression in the world as of right now, I’d say she’s correct. In terms of how one feels with depression, I’d say she’s wrong. Depression, in my opinion, is more like cancer. It starts as a small lump that harbors beneath the skin, unnoticeable, unseen by the naked eye until the disorder decides it’s time to manifest. By Megan Manzano (meganmanzano12.wordpress.com) For me, depression metastasized when I was seventeen, a year away from graduating high school, a few months into my relationship with my boyfriend, River. To say it was inconvenient would be an understatement. But to be fair, I can’t say that I didn’t expect my meltdown to happen. I can’t say that I didn’t anticipate the day that the consistent slices to my skin with a shaving razor, or a kitchen knife, or on the worse of days, a box cutter, would not suffice in stopping the pain. I was just hoping that with every cut, I could buy myself more time: time to deny that I was sick, time to piece together a false smile of happiness, time to stop hurting the ones I loved. Instead, I just hurt them more. Instead of trying to better myself, I took a shortcut or what would have been a shortcut if I actually succeeded. I attempted suicide near the end of my junior year. I pressed a razor against my right wrist and cut across my turquoise veins. I watched how easy it was for a human being to bleed out, for only after a few seconds, the white tile of my bathroom floor was covered in scarlet. I was greedy, in the most selfless of ways, or at least that’s what it seemed to me then. I wanted to be out of the way. I wanted to stop dragging everyone down with me: my brothers, my dad, River. Whenever I was sad, I saw the pain trapped in their eyes. I saw the way the color drained from their skin and their usually vibrant faces wither. It started with the fall of their cheeks and then the fall of their lips. Their expressions were crumbled pieces at my feet that I could not pick up. They stared at me in the patterns of the
tile that fateful evening, in the light that reflected off the smooth surface. I couldn’t help it then; I sliced my left wrist too and used the exhaustion of the entire endeavor to collapse. I didn’t hear anything: the door opening, the crying, the blaring red lights in unison with the sound of the ambulance as it pulled up into the driveway. I was floating through the darkness. I was stuck in between the point of living and dying. And I think in that moment, I was at the most peace I had been in my entire my life. My peace was interrupted by the dripping of an IV, scratchy sheets up against the open back of my hospital gown, and consistent whispering. I felt as if I had been hit by a truck, an eighteen wheeler that decided to run over my skull in such a fashion that it ached as much as it possibly could without shattering. I didn’t want to wake up. I didn’t want to move. I wanted to lay still and retreat to the solitude of slumber once more. Unfortunately, my body betrayed me and a groan slipped through my lips. “He’s awake!” someone exclaimed, a male voice. Deep, husky, concern laced in every sound that rolled off a tongue. River. I couldn’t misplace the sound of his voice even if I wanted to nor could I misplace his features that captivated my heart. Blue eyes like the waters found in Hawaii or Greece. Brown curls that always messily bounced from his head. His body was bigger than mine in size: shorter, muscular, while I in contrast was long and lean. Skin as light as porcelain; River was never someone who enjoyed the company of the sun for too long. He burned easily. There were photos he showed me that proved it. And lastly, yet certainly not least, was his personality. River lived for the day, for the now. He laughed too loud. He spoke without considering how rude he might seem. He fired comebacks faster than I could even manage a joke. I loved him whole heartily. I loved him because he possessed all the qualities I did not have: strength, courage, passion. He held the qualities that would make him a successful man. He also held a strong and irreversible love for me. Lying in the hospital bed gave me a lot of room to think, and only then did I realize how wrong it was for River to love me. He
slept very little. He always held a cup of caffeine, whether it was coffee or tea, clenched in his hand. While I slept, or pretended to, he was doing homework, studying for final exams, writing essays. River was compromising himself and his future because of my illness. He was a year older than me, a senior. In three months, he would be attending college. After a standard four years, he would be off to film school with the goal of becoming a director. He wanted to create something original, something that left his viewers with one of two reactions: inspired or mind blown. His attention was not entirely focused on what mattered though I never brought up such a conclusion; I knew River would fight back. He would argue until his words were etched into my mind like the scars left behind from my self inflicted wounds. However, the feelings of guilt never vanished. They only intensified, especially when my dad broke the news to him that I was to be admitted as an inpatient at a rehabilitation center. I was once again pretending to rest. “I’ve decided it’s in Ash’s best interest to send him where he can be helped, River.” My dad’s tone was stern, final. It was a decision he thought over continuously until he found no excuse to stop him. “S...send him a...away? You...c..can’t do that. You d..don’t k...know w..what it’ll be l..like in those p..places.” I heard the sobs in between his pleas. I imagined tears leaving streaks down his face. “You and I both know it’s for the best. I’m sorry, River. I am, but if Ash goes home, he’ll only do it again. I’ve tried therapy, medication... blaming myself. This is the only option left.” River cleared his throat, most likely ran a hand through his hair as he always did when he was nervous. “H...h... how long?” “I’m not sure. The doctors will decide that once he’s admitted, examined, and had a few sessions with their psychologist.” “C...can I visit?” “I don’t know, River. Everything is still in the process of being arranged. I’ll let you know more information when I have it.” After my vitals remained stable for a couple of days, and my release forms were signed, I was relocated to the Evergreen Rehabilitation Center in the country side, about a two hour drive from New York City, the town of Monroe.
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Art & Literature Travesty cont.
It didn’t appear to be a large place at first, only one floor in height, yet the institution redeemed itself by how wide it was. If I had to guess, I’d say it was about the length of five city blocks, the kind that connected avenues, the kind that were the longest to walk through in a crowd as tightly packed as New York had. There were no blocks to be found at Evergreen aside from the small driveway that cars pulled into to drop off or retrieve patients from. The rest consisted of grass, trees, and a garden in the back of the building where patients could roam around during free hour, in between therapy sessions and required meal times. The air smelled of dew, a crisp odor that was usually left behind after a rain storm. Much to my surprise, I found the entire atmosphere to be comforting. It took me about a week to settle, to adjust to daily health checks, morning distributions of pills, and consistent talks about my condition. My psychologist’s name was Doctor Antonelli: a small woman with brunette hair, brown eyes, a short and stocky frame, and a trace of an accent that could not hide her Italian descent. I think I warmed up to her because we were of the same heritage. I was born in Italy. My parents, my brothers, and I lived there until I was about four years old. It was my dad’s decision to uproot us and settle in New York. He told my mother that we, only children then, needed an environment where both parents were consistently present. My mother was a fashion designer; traveling was always her primary concern while raising us came second. Being the stubborn woman that she was, my mother denied my father’s claims of abandoning her children. But my father persisted and eventually, my mother packed up her things with no desire to return. I was only twelve then. As much as I hate to blame anyone for my depression, I can certainly say my mother’s departure didn’t aide the issue. Perhaps it was the catalyst. Perhaps it was the reason for the metaphorical mass to transform from a benign cyst to a malignant tumor within my body. I told Doctor Antonelli this and her question was, “Do you forgive her?” I allowed room for pause, a moment to think before I replied with, “I was never mad at my mother. I was hurt. While Frankie spited her, my other two brothers, Luca and Alec rolled it off their shoulders. I
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was the only one holding on, hoping she’d come back.” My doctor narrowed her eyes then, lowered the clipboard she was previously writing on upon her lap so she could fold her hands together. “You know that your mother leaving had nothing to do with you, Ash, right? Sometimes people just don’t consider the consequences of their actions when children are involved.” “I know. I only wish I knew that when I was curled up at the front door waiting for her key to turn in the lock.” “I wish you knew that, too.” After that conversation, I started thinking about River, about what I had been doing to him since my admittance to Evergreen. I begged that he didn’t come visit me. I begged that he didn’t try to contact me. I begged for him to just continue on with his life until I was finally able to come home and be there for him as a good boyfriend should be. The only connection that I allowed him to have with me were through letters, except I strictly told him not to write back. These series of letters were to be my documentation to him that I was okay and that I working on myself. I wrote about my stay. I wrote about things that reminded me of him, like how the nurse who took care of me had the most inappropriate sense of humor and the movies that were played in the recreational room were so awful that it would make his skin crawl. I wrote about what I randomly noticed throughout the day, like the scuffs on the floor or the dull cream colored walls. I wrote about the other patients. I wrote about how I slept the evening before. I told him everything aside from a secret I had been keeping; I considered on numerous occasions to break up with him. I had started what was going to be my final letter to him. The sheet of paper was not only stained with ink, but damp with tears, tears that I had been crying for hours. My throat was tight. I could barely swallow. My breaths were composed of sniffle filled inhales and quivering exhales. My heart ached, felt as if it were truly going to rip in half and plummet to the bottom of my stomach. My head throbbed; I heard the sound of my temples pulsating against the drums of my ears. Dear River, This has been the hardest decision I ever had to make, but it’s the right decision, because you deserve so much more than I can give you. From the moment we met, I
The Anglerfish | Issue 8 September 2013
considered you to be my angel. You were my light in the dark, my happiness, the reason why I forced myself out of bed though the demons were screaming at me to remain curled in the sheets. During the last year, I learned what true love was like. I know that must be foolish to say at only seventeen. Who really understands what love is at seventeen, but I’m confident in myself that I do know, because writing this is worse than my illness. Love is supposed to make you hurt and love is supposed to make you fly. I’ve flown, River. I’m where I need to be, getting better. You on the other hand are stuck, waiting for me, waiting to live your life for me and I can’t allow that. You dream of going to University. You dream of making movies. You dream of seeing the world. You dream of becoming something much bigger than you are now. I will only hold you back. It’s taken my stay here at Evergreen to truly come to terms with that and write what I don’t want to say, yet know I have to. River, I’m breaking up with you... That was as far as I was able to get before I grew inconsolable. That was as far as I was able to get before I dragged my trembling body to the bed in the corner of the room and curled up into a ball. I wanted to know I was making the right decision. I wanted to get lost in thought until I could make sense of my problem as easily as I made sense of math problems back at school. Equations always had a single solution. You either solved it or you didn’t. Life didn’t work that way. There were too many extraneous roots. I remember not long after my thoughts traveled to numbers, variables, and the order of operations, I fell asleep. I dreamt of River. I dreamt of us cuddled together in my bed when my desire to face the world was nonexistent. My head rested in the dip of his chest. His arms were around me. I was listening to the soothing, rhythmic hum of his heart that contrasted with the pulsating beat of mine. I knew, without a doubt, that I was safe. “You have to eat something today, baby,” he whispered, before placing a kiss upon my cheek. “I don’t want to,” I protested with a shake of my head, my raven bangs falling atop my brow. “I’m not hungry.” “Just a small bite. That’s all I’m asking.” “Fine.” It was a reluctant agreement, but
Art & Literature I had little energy to fight back and I knew it would make River happy. I sat up as River fed me - two slices of toast, each lightly frosted with butter. He broke apart piece by piece and though I struggled, I eventually ate all of it. I glanced up at him, noticed how there was a soft smile on his lips, and a sparkle in his eyes. He was proud of me. “I love you,” he said, and regardless of the fact that I woke up before my dream self could reply, I realized how true the phrase ‘I love you too’ was when it came to how I felt about River. Without thinking twice, I crumpled up the letter and threw it into the trash, listening to the slop it made as it hit the bottom of the bin. I refused to look back. The prime goal of depression is to make you feel miserable. It longs to zap every ounce of liveliness you have. It thrives on the misery that settles into the marrow of your bones and the strings of your heart. It enjoys being the compacted, gray cloud that floats above your head making sure that every hour you spend living, you are wishing you were dead. What really gives depression a kick however, is stealing what you most hold dear, what gives you the fight to continue on. I could have been another victim. I was seconds from submersing myself in what merciless sorrow would be. I am pleased to say I never uttered the words I had written. Nor did I disclose the reason as to why that last letter in particular was a few days later than the ones I sent out weeks before. I buried the secret and unlike the guilt I normally faced while holding a secret, I was greeted with triumph. River saved me. Though I may not express my gratitude often, I owe him more than he could ever comprehend, what Depression came close to taking permanently, my life.
By Katie Dempsey http://drawnduringclass. tumblr.com/ Submitted to our tumblr.
By Eefje Savelkoul Little Red Riding Hood. There was something oily on the page that resulted in the white stripes.
Submit your art or writing to us at theanglerfishmagazine@gmail.com! It doesn’t have to be Nerdfighter related, share what you want to share. Have you submitted something and it’s not in The Anglerfish? Don’t worry, we’re probably just saving it for a future issue.
By Kat Taylor Issue 8 September 2013 | The Anglerfish
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