Quidditch match with the Edinboro Flying Scots

My HPA chapter hosted a screening of A Very Potter Senior Year this past evening, and as a senior in undergrad about to graduate in two short weeks, many of the songs and even lines had me crying and reminiscing about my time in college, and specifically with my wonderful HPA chapter family.

I’ve been reflecting on my experiences starting and running my college’s HPA chapter. There were rough points, times when events didn’t work out as planned, but there have also been amazing experiences, like our first big Quidditch game sophomore year, the Halloween Ball my junior year, and this year’s Accio Books! campaign. I saw my underclassmen take over control of the chapter and planning events and I have been so impressed and honored to be a part of this group of loving, wonderful people, especially in this past year.

Accio Books! 2013 Tabling

A lot of our members right now – around 75% – are freshmen, soon to be sophomores who have the creativity and drive to continue this club through to their own graduations. They are a fantastic group, and a number of them stepped up in the middle of this academic year to take on roles as secretary, PR and even co-Chapter Organizer with me. They are dedicated to this small community we have worked hard to build, and I know that even though I am moving far away and won’t be here anymore, these awesome, crazy kids will be here to keep the Harry Potter love alive.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we’ll crumble from within
-The Sorting Hat, Order of the Phoenix

Tabling for Show Us the Report!

The past two weeks, my college’s HPA chapter has been tabling for signatures for Show Us the Report. We have talked to students, parents, staff, professors, even the President of the college, who were all more than willing to sign and help our cause. (The president, after conferring with his daughter on whom he should be, signed as James Potter.)

It was incredible to see the reactions of all of these people, who had no clue what our cause was about, and who immediately wanted to sign, even if they were not Harry Potter fans. This topic moves beyond the fact of, yes, we are Harry Potter fans and, yes, we like chocolate. It’s so much more than that, and it is inspiring to see my college community coming together to show support for this important cause.

A student signing the petition.

I now have 26 pages full of signatures proving the prevalence and importance of Not in Harry’s Name, and my chapter is brainstorming new ways to promote the campaign. We will be talking with some professors who can connect the story and the activism in a group discussion in the coming month, much like we did for Hunger is NOT a Game, to enable a greater discussion of the campaign and how it relates to our community and the world.

For more information on Show Us the Report, go to www.showusthereport.com

“Firs’ years! Firs’ years over here! All right there, Harry?”

Ladies and gentlemen, witches and wizards, it’s that time of year again. Young witches and wizards are packing the their trunks, loading up their owls, and heading for Hogwarts.

And sink me if my bloody owl still hasn’t showed up.

After all these years, I still get a little nostalgic and homesick on September First (and anybody who tells you that you can’t get homesick for a fictional place is wrong), and I’m sure I’m not alone in this. But for those of us who aren’t on that train today, there’s a whole world of magic and mischief all around us, and it’s our job to make the most of that magic every day.

While Harry’s children are eating Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, and looking forward to a new year of feasts and transfiguration classes, we at the HPA are setting our own magic in motion. As you probably know by now, we’re hosting a fund raiser in order to conjure up a whole year’s worth of Equality campaigns. Thanks to all you wonderful and awesome wizards and witches, we’re less than a thousand dollars away from our goal–and we’ve still got a week to make it! If you haven’t checked it out, head over to EqualityFTW.org, and check out the awesome perks before the fundraiser ends.

It’s not just on the interwebs that magic is happening. Around the world, HPA chapters are bravely taking up the standard of Dumbledore’s Army, and bringing the magic of the HPA to their own communities and schools. If you don’t belong to a chapter, and would like to get involved in one, you can find or start one here.

And of course, let us not forget the magic of our members. All you wonderful, inspiring, excitable, and amazing people who make our world brighter every day. Without you, none of our work would be possible.

So, while we may not be on the train to Hogwarts, we’re all headed for a new year of magic and mayhem and Equality for the Win! I’m sure we’ll have our fair share of adventures and magics and nargle-encounters over the year, and I’m so glad you’re on the train with us.

So grab your brooms and your pointy hats, find a comfy compartment, and remember above all:

Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.~J.K. Rowling

Finally, check out Lauren’s great vlog about Harry Potter, life changes and moving on:

This week, Todd Akin made a statement that rocked the foundations of word choice. He said, “if it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

1. Let us understand that he is using the word “if” to imply that there can also be “illegitimate rape”, meaning that he believes there are some cases in which rape has not really occurred.

2. Let us define legitimate. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, it means lawful, born in wedlock, having full filial rights at birth, and not false . Let us remember that this term was once applied to children, which now in Akin’s argument, are fully legitimate despite them being born out of wedlock or even any type of healthy, loving relationship.

3. Let us not even TRY to understand the science behind this sentence. The placebo effect theory can only go so far. And, it has been established that Akin received his information from Dr. Jack C. Willke, the father of the antiabortion movement, who has circulated the theory that pregnancy from abortion is rare without proof from other studies. His words were “assault rape” and “forcible rape”, pushing these words to show that they traumatize the woman into sterility or infertilization.

President Obama, showing his constitutional law background, said my thoughts in a great way: “Rape is rape. And the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we are talking about doesn’t make sense to the American people and certainly doesn’t make sense to me. So what I think these comments do underscore is why we shouldn’t have a bunch of politicians, a majority of whom are men, making health care decisions on behalf of women.”

Courtesy of Blisstree

Right now at the HPA, we are promoting equality, so I want you readers to weigh Akin’s sentence, and his remarks since then, on your lives and bodies. There are people being elected and laws being enacted that affect our very limbs, not just the space in which they reside. Our bodies dictate our lives, and I believe that being prolife is being for life, especially the lives of the women already on this earth. Akin says that he wants to “punish the rapist, not attack the child”, however, he is attacking women and the state of their bodies in the process. We cannot choose when we can live nor die, we cannot choose the inevitable; however, we can choose to help ourselves stay healthy. At least, we ought to be able to have that right. This is the power of word choice and the profound effect it can have on our every-day, real life issues. As this amazing writer from Jezebel said, “it feels like stepping outside of my apartment one morning and realizing that I had traveled through time to 1955. Or 1200. I feel like a teacher who just gave a long division test only to discover that most of her students don’t know how to subtract.” Have we really not come very far from Hester Primm?

Let’s vote for those who will represent women’s equality. We gotta WROCK that VOTE!

]]> http://thehpalliance.org/2012/08/are-you-aching-from-akin-womens-health-and-equality/feed/ 0 http://thehpalliance.org/2012/08/whats-a-swing-state/ http://thehpalliance.org/2012/08/whats-a-swing-state/#comments Sat, 04 Aug 2012 12:39:20 +0000 EmilyR http://thehpalliance.org/?p=5138

It has recently come to my attention that it is extraordinary (for some people) to see a presidential campaign commercial between every Olympic event or after each segment of the morning news. That’s not normal? You didn’t see Hilary Clinton’s family photos at Lake Winola? What about the one where Obama is hunting? Not even the infamous “Joe the Plumber” ad? Ahhh… I forgot. I live in a swing state.

Growing up in Scranton, Pennsylvania is not always as interesting as the Office makes it seem. If you have ever driven through PA, you know there are a lot of farms and only some “cities” every once and a while. As my high school American History teacher said, “Pennsylvania has Pittsburgh and Philadelphia… and then Alabama in between”. However, Scranton is one of those Northeastern points with enough people to impact the overall voting status of the state. Every. Vote. Counts. And the presidential candidates know it, otherwise they wouldn’t be parading through the countryside every four years.

When my mom was growing up, JFK flew into the Avoca Airport. Since I have been paying attention, Biden, Hilary, Obama, and McCain have all come to high schools, town meetings, and public ralleys within this small town just to talk to voters. As a high school senior, with my first election in 2008, it was an incredibly empowering time. I registered to vote in my Social Justice class, went to campaign talks, and saw the candidates in person. Turning 18 years old really was a life milestone – I finally had a real-life power. To vote.

What about you? Have you registered??

Quick caveat: some voting laws have recently changed in Pennsylvania. They are now requiring each voter to have a photo ID. This is sparking a new wave of controversy since some religious groups cannot be photographed and college students do not have expirations on their student IDs. Without photo identification, a voter can only cast a provisional ballot which may not be deemed valid. We want to make Every. Vote. Count.

What to do before election day??
1.) Make sure you are eligible to vote:

• • You MUST be a citizen of the United States for at least one month before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.
• • You MUST be a resident of Pennsylvania and the election district in which you want to register and vote for at least 30 days before the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.
• • You MUST be at least 18 years of age on or before the day of the next primary, special, municipal, or general election.

2.) Register to Vote

3.) Get a photo ID – drivers’ license, passport, student/military ID, employee ID, or another acceptable option. Make sure they are NOT expired.
4.) For out of state Students or Residents: Apply for a Civilian Absentee Ballot BY OCTOBER 30th here!
5.) Do Your Research: Know Who Is Running
- Too many times students only know the platforms of the presidential candidates. The Governor, House Representatives, Senators, State Senators, local mayor, and local government have an incredible amount of power enacting laws. Remember “I’m Just a Bill” by Schoolhouse Rock? Well, they had it right. These other candidates represent your community’s views. Make sure you are represented! You can even bring in a list of candidates and a list of key issues/proposals on the ballot.
6.) Find the closest registered place to vote near you

Your vote matters for EVERY state, so make sure it counts. Visit your state’s voting page and register to vote, get up to date on state procedures, and prepare yourself to make a big difference in the world.

And, most importantly, (W)ROCK THE VOTE!

This love of books expanded my small world with the discovery of the Harry Potter fandom when I was in high school in 2007. It came right after a wave of malicious rumors about me circulated the school. Just like with novels when I was younger, the moment I stepped into this new world I felt accepted immediately. The only difference was that, this time, I was interacting with real people and there were no reservations, no judgments. The thing that I love so much about our community is that no matter who you are, no matter what your interests or background or appearance, you are welcomed with open arms into what I consider to be a close-knit family. We look out for each other and understand one another in ways that none of my friends at school really could.

A lot has changed in my life since discovering my Harry Potter family. I have made a number of realizations about myself through my experiences in our community. I still have quite a distance to go to overcome my separation anxiety and the Imposter Syndrome, which I have been dealing with almost all of my life. Even dealing with these issues through the help of my friends, I am a lot more open than I once was, more willing to step away from the seclusion of my comfy chair and bookcases and truly interact with others. I give people more of myself because I am less afraid that they will use their knowledge to hurt me. That fear disappears from my mind the moment I step into a new hotel in a new city and am barraged by my friends, welcoming me home.

Photo Courtesy of Patrick Donnald, Ascendio 2012

Already, I have had so much support and love from those in the Harry Potter community and have felt so honored and humbled by it. I tell everyone I meet at the cons about what I will be doing for my senior project, and they are amazed at how open I am willing to be, to share something so personal and emotional with the world. I have had others who have experienced or are still experiencing bullying reach out to me to tell me their stories. I can’t help but cry, to know what my friends and family in the community have been through. We have found a place within the Harry Potter community where we can be ourselves without fear, and it empowers me to do more with my life and my story.

Being a part of Harry Potter community brings out the best in all of us. We love everyone and are completely accepting of others. If any one of us ever is stressed, depressed, worried, scared, there will always be someone there to help that person through the worst of it. We understand one another in ways that Muggle friends cannot grasp because we have Harry’s story to pull us together. Before they were friends in their first year, Ron unwittingly bullied Hermione for being who she was: a brilliant witch who wanted to learn all that she could. His words had a greater effect on her than he could understand, but Ron realized his error. When Hermione was later bullied by Draco and his cronies for her appearance and her status as a Muggleborn, Harry and Ron stood by her, as true friends should. It is our actions toward those in need that show who we truly are. Separate, we may break, but as a whole we are stronger than any force that could come against us.

The start of the Olympics brings on a flurry of inspiration – motivating commercials, rousing playlists, and hardcore workouts from the athletes themselves are just a few of the fruits from this exciting time. Thanks to the recent P&G ads, I have been thinking a lot about who has pushed me, inspired me, and taught me how to fight for success. Of course, there is my mom (enough for an entirely other blog) and a few past coaches, but there is someone else entirely who has changed the course of my life–and it would be none other than my real life Dumbledore.

Well, his muggle name is Tom Hill, but the students of my university unconsciously thought of him as the beloved, whimsical headmaster of Hogwarts. Half-moon glasses? Check. Long, white beard? Check. Unexplainable sense that he has omniscient powers? Check, check. The only noticeable differences were that Tom spoke Scots instead of Mermish, taught Old English instead of Ancient Runes, and retold Arthurian legends instead of Beadle the Bard tales. He is a self-proclaimed Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanatic and a lover of Faerie tales – True Blood should be next on his list. While I don’t quite know what his favorite Berty Bott’s Every Flavor Bean would be, I would be inclined to say that any would do – as they are the perfect size for pelting sleeping students.

From the beginning, I was the moth and he was the flame: I absolutely devoured everything he taught; Norse, Scottish, and British literatures never seemed so interesting to anyone younger than 70. Yet, as Tom has often repeated, the ability of speaking Old French will not give you the salary of Wallstreet. Or… will it?

In Icelandic myths, I came across Fenrir, the wolf that would bring about the end of the world; in Latin, I avidly studied Cerebus, the three headed dog now known as Fluffy; in Greek myth, I found that Hermione was Minerva’s daughter… no wonder the two are so alike in the series! JK Rowling was not Tolkien – she was not a philologist who created a linguistic fantasy. She was a medievalist who combined tropes, myths, characters, and constellations into a modern story – a story that was relatable to the current technological audience. Incredible. And, she made a lot of money, too, as a byproduct.

For me, Tom brought these threads together and helped me find a path of study throughout college. He was the one to convince me that I would not be disillusioned by studying literature – I was convinced that I would begin to hate my favorite friends characters – and could actually get a job after college. Instead, he sparked a two year in-depth study of literature on two continents which has pushed me to be a more well-rounded writer than I ever imagined.

Courtesy of Black HIlls Bounders Running Club

On Sunday, July 1st, Mississippi began putting into place a state law on abortion. This law, which was passed as of Friday July 13th, will require the doctors who perform abortions at the state’s only abortion clinic to all be certified OB/GYNs, and they must all have “privileges” at a local hospital, the definition of which is unclear but seems to refer to the admittance of patients. At the moment, according to this article on CNN.com, only one of the doctors at the clinic currently has privileges at a local hospital, and the rest have been drowning in red tape while trying to conform to the new law’s requirements.

If this law’s intentions were to truly help women receive the best possible health care, I would see these new restrictions as a positive change. It would be reassuring to have a doctor who knows everything they can about pregnancy and is able to treat you at a local hospital should anything go wrong. They would then know your medical history without having to look it up, and would be able to get you the treatment you need more quickly.

This, however, is not the new law’s intention. As Mississippi Rep. Sam Mims put it, “If this legislation causes less abortions, then that’s a good thing.” The full purpose of this law was to close down the state’s only abortion clinic by wrapping them up in so much red tape that they could not wade their way through it all.

The choices we make are a large part of who we are. Without the freedom to choose, we are little more than House Elves, unable to change who we are or what we do because of the wrongfully enforced laws that govern our existence. Ron originally sees only the “positive” side of House Elves, giving them food and a place to live while they care for their masters’ every whim, where there is also neglect and inhumane treatment from people such as the Malfoys.

This Mississippi law yields similar themes: the positive nature of having a doctor who has been trained specifically to treat and care for pregnant women, and the negative aspect of the near-impossibility of the doctors being able to conform to the law’s requirements. The intention of this law, however, is in no way positive and will severely limit Mississippi women’s freedom of choice.

A few months ago, my little cousin was having some trouble with her 4th grade English homework. The lesson was on contractions. And, as the sole English major in the family, I was volunteered to help. Fortunately, her problem was a common grammar mistake that plagues everyone early on: the confusing threesome known as “their”, “there”, and “they’re”. After a few minutes of explanations and practice… voila! There was another grammar whiz in their midst. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the majority of my Facebook and Twitter friends, most of whom have a college degree; they’re the people who should know better.

The more I watch the news, listen to speeches, and read online, the more I realize how low our nation’s grammar standard actually is. It has been seen that children are not using correct grammar on social media websites, that young professionals misuse grammar frequently in the workplace, and that our politicians reserve the right to edit all quotes before they go to press. Where has good grammar gone? Is it an archaic function in society that needs to be modified to fit new formations of speech?

I sometimes feel like the analytical Sandra Bullock in Two Weeks’ Notice who finds a split infinitive in the middle of a dating proposal. However, I am not the only one. My high school Speech and Debate teacher cringed when she heard “wreck-on-ize” instead of “wreck-og-nize”. My work colleague fumes when he reads “additionally” instead of “in addition to”. My boyfriend drops his jaw at the use of the made up word “irregardlessly”. There are still people out there who are concerned with grammar – from all subjects, ages, and interests.

With influential literacy campaigns on the rise, there is a huge opportunity for people to learn the importance of language. It binds us together as a culture and gives us an equal playing field to express our thoughts, ideas, and opinions. Without grammar, words have less meaning and less of an impact on the world. What does that mean for you? Keep reading! Join in the #summerofmagic and get involved. Become an ESL tutor. Donate books. Share. Remember: the power we have is love… of reading.

In a recent WSJ article, it has been said that “language is the soul of culture”. And don’t we HP fans know it. It has been JK Rowling’s use of language – her ability to reach young and old audiences, reinvent Latin words, and construct a world out of carefully chosen adjectives- that has brought us together as a magical community and created a fandom culture. It is incredible, and quite magical, that such young children voraciously devoured book after book, wanting to read more than ever. It is just as incredible that a generation of readers was created by this series. However, what happened to everyone else?

Everybody talks about the effects of CO2 on the atmosphere, but most people don’t realize that a lot of the CO2 which starts in the air gets absorbed into the ocean. More than seventy-percent of the world’s surface is covered by oceans, it goes without saying that anything which affects them will have a tremendous impact on the planet as a whole. According to the NRDC, almost a quarter of all the planet’s CO2 ends up in the oceans, and people are only just starting to understand the impact it’s having on the environment.

Nearly seventy-percent of the earth’s species are found in the oceans, and more are still being discovered. In addition, as Ms. Weaver points out in her article, many people–whole villages, cities, and cultures–depend on the ocean for their livelihoods. All these species, and by extension, the humans who depend on them, rely on the Ocean’s delicate chemical mixture to support them. Disrupt the chemical mixture too much, and the results will be catastrophic to humans and sea creatures alike.

Currently, CO2 levels are greatly increasing the ocean’s acidity levels, and reducing the levels of carbonate in the water. Carbonate is a mineral used to create the shells and skeletons of many sea creatures–from tiny shell fish to massive coral reefs. Eventually the combination of weakening shells and increasing acidity in the water, will result in the eventual extinction of uncountable species–all of them vital parts of the food chain.

The good news is that this process can be altered, though it will take a lot of work, and a much better understanding of the problem and it’s repercussions. One of the biggest difficulties facing those who are trying to tackle this issue, is the sheer lack of public awareness. Everybody’s worried about ozone layers and such, but nobody seems to be looking to the oceans. That’s where Ms. Weaver comes in.

“In my life I draw inspiration from Grace. She was right in calling attention to the inextricable link between life and the environment, and to advocate for protecting the life force — the Hometree — of the Na’vi tribe. Back on planet Earth, we have our own life force — the oceans. Our oceans — which generate most of our oxygen, regulate our climate, and provide most of our population with sustenance — are essential to all life on earth.” ~Sigourney Weaver.

Speaking as an arch fangirl, it’s nice to know that fans aren’t the only ones inspired by fictitious characters. More importantly, it’s inspiring to see people like Ms. Weaver standing up for the planet, and bringing awareness to problems of such enormous magnitude.

Such awareness does not go unheeded, and a recent agreement was made between several countries to begin monitoring the ocean’s acidity levels. Sadly, though this is a great start, it isn’t the kind of speedy action that needs to be taken to rectify the situation. Still, it is to be hoped, that such an action will be forthcoming when the problem’s magnitude is better understood. In the meantime, however, it’s our job to educate people and help them understand the importance of our oceans, and the dangers facing them. Check out this video on the subject by the National Resource Defense Council: