1. You have to pick one HOL member to walk in their shoes for a day, who would you pick and why? (Sophia)
I would choose to walk in the shoes of Edmund Smethwyck because those pink high heels are simply SMASHING!
2. What do you see when you encounter a boggart? What would you dispel it with? (Cassie)
As some of you may know, this summer I spent quite a lot of time trapped in an arena competing in the HOL Hunger Games. The experience scarred me for life. I'm certain that if I were to encounter a boggart now, it would turn into Mireya Harradine and Briar Keene. Fortunately, there is a simple way to dispel a boggart like that: turn Briar into a can of sparkly hairspray. Not only does that dispose of Briar, but it also disarms Mireya as she will no doubt spend the next few hours feverishly styling her hair.
3. What do you see as the difference between confidence and conceit? (Allison)
Confidence is belief in yourself, while conceit is having an elevated opinion of yourself. A confident person believes he or she is capable of achieving whatever goal was set. A conceited person assumes they will achieve the goal simply because the goal cannot possibly be a match for them.
4. If you were an animagus, what would you turn into, and why? (Marcie)
I would turn into a grizzly bear, because grizzly bears are cool. Who wouldn't want to be a big fluffy bear? I know I certainly do. Grizzly bears are strong and they can catch fish in the middle of rivers. As a human, I don't particularly like fish, but maybe as a grizzly bear I'd find it more enjoyable! Also, bears are clearly capable of being loving and lovable creatures. If you've seen Brother Bear, you know that's true. Even if you haven't seen Brother Bear, you can still understand how love is associated with bears. After all, teddy bears are extremely popular companions for children. If I were an animagus that could turn into a bear, I would spend my days lumbering around forests, sunbathing in fields, and splashing in rivers while still being able to protect myself, should the need arise.
5. If crowned Mr./Ms. HOL, how would you accomplish and maintain HOL-wide peace? (Silmarien)
Imagine that you were walking through the halls of HOL when all of a sudden you begin to feel a chill creeping up your spine. You pause and glance nervously over your shoulder, but there's nothing there. You turn back around and EGAD THERE'S A DEMENTOR FLOATING TOWARDS YOU! You fumble for your wand, clutching it with shaky fingers. You point the wand at the Dementor as you break into a cold sweat. You try to say the spell, Expecto Patronum, but no sound comes out. Then, the hall fills with silver light. Someone else's Patronus races past you and the Dementor flees before it. You look behind you and your savior smiles, offering you a piece of chocolate. </end analogy>
Everyone knows chocolate is the best remedy to recover from the aftermath of a Dementor's gloom and despair. In the same way, I feel that chocolate is the best remedy for conflict. I would accomplish and maintain HOL-wide peace by hosting daily chocolate parties, where everyone can come and eat chocolate and be happy.
6. If you could be any kind of potato, what would you pick? Why? (Maya)
There are so many different kinds of potatoes that I could be. I could be a plain old russet potato, a sweet potato, a Red Gold potato, a Yukon Gold potato, a Kennebec potato, or some other kind of potato. I could be fried, mashed, boiled, or baked. The possibilities are endless! However, I would choose to be a normal, everyday, common potato, because that's what I am. I'm just an ordinary HOLer, an ordinary potato striving for greater flavors.
7. What or who motivates you, and why? (Allison)
My motivation can come from several different sources. One possible source of motivation is to make someone else proud, or to keep from disappointing someone. Sometimes, however, I am motivated by personal satisfaction: I know that if I do something I'll feel better or be proud of myself. Whichever it is, my motivation usually stems from the desire to make myself (or someone else) proud or simply to make them happy.
8. Oh no! The zombies have leaked out of the Roost and are attacking HOL. How would you stop them? (Silmarien)
I would form two small task force made up of students and professors from any house that have experience dealing with zombies. Then, I'd request that everyone else in the castle go to one of the unaffected common rooms and safely wait there while the zombies are being dealt with. (By getting innocent bystanders out of the way, we don't have to worry about anyone getting mixed up with the zombies.) Task Force A would work on laying a clever trap to capture the zombie's in the Great Hall. Task Force B would have the job of luring all the zombies into the Great Hall, where the trap will be sprung. Once all the zombies have been captured, they will be set aflame and that will be the end of them.
9. Say you are dead- what do you think your eulogy would say about you? (Alexia)
My eulogy would explain how I, Amy Charz, was not only a Charizard, but also a witch's familiar, an undervalued number, and (I hope) a good friend. My eulogy would describe in detail my absolute love of all things Harry Potter. It would tell about my time on Ravenclaw Quidditch Team and how much I enjoyed that. It would tell about how I fell in love with Doctor Who and will someday travel in the TARDIS with the Doctor. My eulogy would talk about how I loved reading, how I loved to immerse myself in worlds of fantasy. It would talk about how I continued to play Pokemon games as they came out, even when I was no longer a kid. It would include my love for the Legend of Zelda, my love for Lord of the Rings, my love for so many things that I can't possibly list them all here. But, it will include my love for other people, for my family and friends. I hope my eulogy will say how I tried to be nice and friendly to everyone, how I hated to disappoint anyone, and how much I loved what I got to be a part of.
10. Choose the word below that best describes your dominant personality trait. Then explain why do you choose it. (Kaiwa)
I think that, out of the list, calm best describes my dominant personality trait. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am not easily angered. To be honest, I rarely ever get angry at all. When I get really excited or happy, sometimes those emotions burst out of me, but usually I keep enough control of them that I still appear calm. Similarly, when I get nervous or worried, I try to keep those emotions from overwhelming me and stay calm. That's why I believe calm is the best word to describe my personality from that list, because if needed, I can keep my emotions under control and remain calm.
I would choose to walk in the shoes of Edmund Smethwyck because those pink high heels are simply SMASHING!
2. What do you see when you encounter a boggart? What would you dispel it with? (Cassie)
As some of you may know, this summer I spent quite a lot of time trapped in an arena competing in the HOL Hunger Games. The experience scarred me for life. I'm certain that if I were to encounter a boggart now, it would turn into Mireya Harradine and Briar Keene. Fortunately, there is a simple way to dispel a boggart like that: turn Briar into a can of sparkly hairspray. Not only does that dispose of Briar, but it also disarms Mireya as she will no doubt spend the next few hours feverishly styling her hair.
3. What do you see as the difference between confidence and conceit? (Allison)
Confidence is belief in yourself, while conceit is having an elevated opinion of yourself. A confident person believes he or she is capable of achieving whatever goal was set. A conceited person assumes they will achieve the goal simply because the goal cannot possibly be a match for them.
4. If you were an animagus, what would you turn into, and why? (Marcie)
I would turn into a grizzly bear, because grizzly bears are cool. Who wouldn't want to be a big fluffy bear? I know I certainly do. Grizzly bears are strong and they can catch fish in the middle of rivers. As a human, I don't particularly like fish, but maybe as a grizzly bear I'd find it more enjoyable! Also, bears are clearly capable of being loving and lovable creatures. If you've seen Brother Bear, you know that's true. Even if you haven't seen Brother Bear, you can still understand how love is associated with bears. After all, teddy bears are extremely popular companions for children. If I were an animagus that could turn into a bear, I would spend my days lumbering around forests, sunbathing in fields, and splashing in rivers while still being able to protect myself, should the need arise.
5. If crowned Mr./Ms. HOL, how would you accomplish and maintain HOL-wide peace? (Silmarien)
Imagine that you were walking through the halls of HOL when all of a sudden you begin to feel a chill creeping up your spine. You pause and glance nervously over your shoulder, but there's nothing there. You turn back around and EGAD THERE'S A DEMENTOR FLOATING TOWARDS YOU! You fumble for your wand, clutching it with shaky fingers. You point the wand at the Dementor as you break into a cold sweat. You try to say the spell, Expecto Patronum, but no sound comes out. Then, the hall fills with silver light. Someone else's Patronus races past you and the Dementor flees before it. You look behind you and your savior smiles, offering you a piece of chocolate. </end analogy>
Everyone knows chocolate is the best remedy to recover from the aftermath of a Dementor's gloom and despair. In the same way, I feel that chocolate is the best remedy for conflict. I would accomplish and maintain HOL-wide peace by hosting daily chocolate parties, where everyone can come and eat chocolate and be happy.
6. If you could be any kind of potato, what would you pick? Why? (Maya)
There are so many different kinds of potatoes that I could be. I could be a plain old russet potato, a sweet potato, a Red Gold potato, a Yukon Gold potato, a Kennebec potato, or some other kind of potato. I could be fried, mashed, boiled, or baked. The possibilities are endless! However, I would choose to be a normal, everyday, common potato, because that's what I am. I'm just an ordinary HOLer, an ordinary potato striving for greater flavors.
7. What or who motivates you, and why? (Allison)
My motivation can come from several different sources. One possible source of motivation is to make someone else proud, or to keep from disappointing someone. Sometimes, however, I am motivated by personal satisfaction: I know that if I do something I'll feel better or be proud of myself. Whichever it is, my motivation usually stems from the desire to make myself (or someone else) proud or simply to make them happy.
8. Oh no! The zombies have leaked out of the Roost and are attacking HOL. How would you stop them? (Silmarien)
I would form two small task force made up of students and professors from any house that have experience dealing with zombies. Then, I'd request that everyone else in the castle go to one of the unaffected common rooms and safely wait there while the zombies are being dealt with. (By getting innocent bystanders out of the way, we don't have to worry about anyone getting mixed up with the zombies.) Task Force A would work on laying a clever trap to capture the zombie's in the Great Hall. Task Force B would have the job of luring all the zombies into the Great Hall, where the trap will be sprung. Once all the zombies have been captured, they will be set aflame and that will be the end of them.
9. Say you are dead- what do you think your eulogy would say about you? (Alexia)
My eulogy would explain how I, Amy Charz, was not only a Charizard, but also a witch's familiar, an undervalued number, and (I hope) a good friend. My eulogy would describe in detail my absolute love of all things Harry Potter. It would tell about my time on Ravenclaw Quidditch Team and how much I enjoyed that. It would tell about how I fell in love with Doctor Who and will someday travel in the TARDIS with the Doctor. My eulogy would talk about how I loved reading, how I loved to immerse myself in worlds of fantasy. It would talk about how I continued to play Pokemon games as they came out, even when I was no longer a kid. It would include my love for the Legend of Zelda, my love for Lord of the Rings, my love for so many things that I can't possibly list them all here. But, it will include my love for other people, for my family and friends. I hope my eulogy will say how I tried to be nice and friendly to everyone, how I hated to disappoint anyone, and how much I loved what I got to be a part of.
10. Choose the word below that best describes your dominant personality trait. Then explain why do you choose it. (Kaiwa)
I think that, out of the list, calm best describes my dominant personality trait. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am not easily angered. To be honest, I rarely ever get angry at all. When I get really excited or happy, sometimes those emotions burst out of me, but usually I keep enough control of them that I still appear calm. Similarly, when I get nervous or worried, I try to keep those emotions from overwhelming me and stay calm. That's why I believe calm is the best word to describe my personality from that list, because if needed, I can keep my emotions under control and remain calm.