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HOGWARTS MONTHLY: Y36 SEMESTER 1 ISSUE
Welcome And Welcome Back By: Sydney Townsend |
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Welcome and welcome back to all those new and returning to another year at Hogwarts New Zealand. Along with an unprecedented number of new students, we also begin this year saying goodbye to Professor Montgomery Pendleton, who has been replaced by the return of Professor Hezekiah Mowry to teach lower year potions. We are also joined this year by the return of the school poltergeist, who’s dramatic entrance at the start of year feast was hard to miss. If you are one of the students out there thinking the school feasts needed more excitement, I hope you got your wish. With a new year also comes another round of the school club fair, which was as busy an affair as ever. It’s good to see so many students engaged with what limited offerings our school clubs have available. This year we also saw the beginning of the Conglomerated Art’s club amongst the usual club offerings. And while they are yet to be fully established enough to join the club fair, I for one hope they lead the way for new clubs to allow those artistically inclined students to spread their wings. As a last note, to all our new students, whether you find yourself an outsider amongst your house or at last at home with your peers, do not let your new house define you. You’ll do well to remember Hogwarts is defined by how you chose to learn and grow here, not by what house you're in or if you made the Quidditch team. Keep that in mind and you’ll fare far better than those committed to names and labels. Welcome to Hogwarts. |
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Halloween Tricks and Treats By: Wendall Layton |
If you're a first year, then you might have been surprised to see that there was a really big Halloween event on the 31st October in the Great Hall. It happens every year, and there's a contest too, to judge everyone's outfits. I really like Halloween because it's a time when we can make the most of the spooky games and films and treats, although if anyone wanted to make Halloween an event that happened lots of times in the year, I wouldn't complain. There were a lot of people that turned up to the feast, and students had some really creative costumes too. I'll get into my personal favourites in a minute, but in case you haven't heard, these were the categories and the winners. Gryffindor Prefect Willow Cullen won the Best Overall costume dressed as an insect, which is pretty creepy by itself so that's quite a cool costume for Halloween. The Best Magically Enhanced costume went to Derek Tahana for monochrome, which reminds me a lot of movies although I don't know if that was his intention. Hildegard de Valerian's No-Face was one of the best ones in my opinion and she won the Scariest costume.. There's always something about no expression that makes a face creepier than if someone was pulling a face! Then there was Poppy Perkins & Knox Ivers as Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable as Best Group, who are kids from a kids TV program. They were cool but I'm not sure everyone will have known who they were if they didn't grow up with muggles. Lars van Houten went as a skeleton too, which I thought looked pretty neat and definitely in line with the Halloween event, probably why he won Most Traditional. The Most Ridiculous though actually went to me. I went as Luigi, only because I couldn't find a real scary costume in time, but that's not so bad because I won with it!! Now since this is a scary event, and I love horror, I think it's important to make sure that students who looked pretty terrifying also get a mention. Some of my favourites were Augustus Westwick as a vampire, Addison Beckett as Zombie Prom Queen (With Augustus so that's appropriate!) Analei Louw had stunning skeleton make up too, and Isabella Walden made a lovely possessed demon. Flynn Kaster made a lovely snack, and I think if anyone saw Alison Urquhart's Voldemort costume, it could have been startling to say the least. There were lots of treats and cakes (and I'm sorry if I accidentally got any cake on you when I crashed my go kart) and every year the Great Hall manages to surprise everyone's expectations, and be more pretty than ever with every passing year. I'm not sure if it's the professors or the elves that are putting the hall together, but they do a good job. I think it's important too that Halloween is celebrated outside the big party, so if you have movies to share to games you want to play in the days leading up to it, why not set something up? If anyone needs any tips, I know Gryffindor Solomon held something fun last year, so maybe he's a good place to start? Soon it will be Christmas, and then it will be the New Year, but as ever we look forward to these events at school and I hope everyone enjoys Halloween as much as I do! |
Quidditch At Home and Abroad By: Cyzarine Haden |
Quidditch is the favoured sport of most, if not almost all wizarding people. It is a staple at Hogwarts and a year without quidditch would be a terrible thing to occur, so I definitely want to take the opening lines of this article to thank the referee for helping make sure we get these games! However you aren’t here because you want to know about how well the games are run, but about how they were played. Before we get into that, let’s take a look at each of the teams since we’ve got a couple new line ups. Slytherin find themselves with new leadership with Sapphire Michaels and Blake Irons taking the captainship from Leda and Liam. Both of whom brought slytherin victory in the last season. The team itself doesn’t have that many new players, a couple of new alternates but all of the same desire and drive to win. Hufflepuff are still being led by our now head girl, Analei and seventh year Arvel, both of whom have really managed to shape the team up. They have a few new line up changes but notably one of those comes from a seasoned player who left the team - we’ve been unable to find out why - but it seems of no great loss to the team. Gryffindor is once again being led by Jacob Kingsley, who has really managed to bring energy to the team of my own great house, there are a few new faces amongst the players, but Willow Cullen remains as seeker and we all know how good she is. Last Ravenclaw, which saw the graduation of most of its team last year, is now being led by the fourth year, Minnie Calida and the new ravenclaw prefect Lars van Houten. They’ve managed to put together a fresh team, with lots of new and young faces. It’ll no doubt be weighing on them the youthfulness of their team. The first game of the season was Slytherin versus Hufflepuff, which was always going to be a hard battle, Slytherin needing to prove that it was as good as the last version of it and Hufflepuff looking to come out of the gate strong. However, things didn’t particularly end in Hufflepuff’s way. All of the chasers on both teams got off to a strong start, with Abian Hunter of Hufflepuff nabbing the quaffle and heading to score, something which he did not manage, but when Slytherin took the quaffle after they also failed to do. Eventually hufflepuff did score, with Abian Hunter managing to score on his second attempt, the only goal of the game. However, the game following that was quick to be distracted, as the seekers engaged in a heart dropping race to the snitch, which ended with Blake Irons catching it but both seekers landing on the ground harshly. It was a slytherin victory but barely. Our player of the match in this game, Abian Hunter, because catching the snitch may be what ends the game, but our Chasers keep it going. Interestingly the stands during this game also had its own fair share of drama with reportedly one Slytherin first year staging a protest again quidditch, while we all love quidditch and wouldn’t want to see it than it banned, it’s a good occasion to remember that it can be dangerous as a sport. The second game of the season was Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor, again, an important game for both, and there was a palpable desire in the air to win from both sides. Personally, I was supporting a gryffindor victory, but I was looking forward to seeing how these two teams would match up. The game got off to a gryffindor start with Solomon Tofilau catching the quaffle, however, it wasn’t a very productive game for the chasers, with neither team managing to score anything, a testament to both team’s keepers. The focus of this game were the beaters, with both Jacob Kingsley and Chloe Chan, of gryffindor and ravenclaw respectively being hit twice with bludgers, in Kingsley’s case one hit after the other. However, before either one could be knocked out, Willow Cullen, worked her usual magic and caught the snitch, with the ravenclaw seeker hot on her tail as she did. Definitely a well deserved victory to gryffindor. While Ii’d be tempted to give the player of the match to a gryffindor, we’ll hand this one to Chloe Chan, who managed to hit bludgers and be hit by them and still keep her cool - of course Jacob Kingsley did too but there can only be one player of the match. This means it’ll be a tense game between Gryffindor and Slytherin, but I am personally hoping Gryffindor will bring home that cup! The team is certainly in the best form they’ve been and they definitely deserve a victory. In international quidditch news, Beauxbatons managed to beat Ilvermorny, which means the winner of the Hogwarts cup will face that french team again - let’s just hope this time around they keep their patience. Till the next one quidditch fans! |
Club Fair & Events By: Olivia Lightwood ________________________________________________________________________ | Conglomerated Arts Club: A History By: Nell Wright ________________________________________________________________________ |
If you are reading this it's because you are interested in what the Hogwarts clubs have been up to this semester, and I did my best to bring that information to you. This semester was a bit calm but every club was very active in its own way. Even though there were no events, the Brotherhood of MAGIC and the Heta Omega Sorority hosted their usual meet ups to get to know their most recent members so we can only wait to see what they are doing in the next semester. The Accio Club, most known as the yearbook, started taking and collecting pictures for what will be the best yearbook Hogwarts has seen and the Hogwarts Monthly Club was working during the whole semester to bring you the best information about everything, we keep up with everything so you don't have to. The most active clubs were the Wild Patch Club and the Students Defense Association that both hosted awesome events. The Wild Patch Club was very busy at the Great Bee House Swarming Event, where they introduced some new bees to the Hogwarts Gardens to help pollinate the patch, but not without building and decorating beehives first. I'm sure both Professor Carter and Professor Castillo, our local Herbology teachers, are really happy that their green thumb energy is rubbing off on their students. The Students Defence Association (SDA) proved this semester that they are not just a duelling club but that they also care about the future of the students. They hosted the Ask An Auror Event where all the SDA students had the opportunity to ask the Aurors Maya DeNiro and James Cade all the questions about being an Auror. My guess was that every myth and misconception was demolished and hopefully the students that attended to the event are now more enlightened and have a clearer notion of their futures. That was all for this semester but do not worry, I bet next semester there will be more events and the Hogwarts Monthly will give you the inside scoop on them, as usual. | This semester the halls of Hogwarts saw the return of a much beloved club that had been lost before its time. The Conglomerated Arts Club is one that current Hogwarts students may have heard our parents speaking of with fondness, but none of us have ever partaken in their activities ourselves. That was until the club was revived this year, thanks to the efforts of new co-presidents Emily Underwood and Maggie Rosendale. As the once forgotten club moves forwards to a bright new future, we wanted to take the opportunity to look back at the history of the once lost Conglomerated Arts Club. The earliest records of the club's membership are tragically lost to time, but surviving records show the CAC was clearly a well loved feature of Hogwarts' landscape from the school's earliest years. Founded as a place for all those with interest in any of the arts to share resources, skills, and creative energy, the club welcomed those interested in any art form, from painting to music to cooking and sewing. Run in its early years by former professor Patricia Styx, the club's past membership has included a few names that have gone on to become quite notable. Who hasn't heard of Isabella Chaos's fashion line? Who knows how many future runway designs were born in our own school's clubroom! And it's a bit of a guilty pleasure, but who hasn't sneaked a glance at Sage Ottavi's gossip column now and then? With such notable alumni, it's exciting to think what the club's future members could go on to achieve! Looking closer to home, some of our own Hogwarts staff members were once counted among the club's members! Librarian Stefan Archer and counsellor Maria Madison once came along to meetings in their own student days, and are no doubt enjoying the nostalgia of seeing students filling their old clubroom once more. For decades, the Conglomerated Arts Club held events for their members to express and share their creativity, playing host to sub-groups such as a Drama Club, Glee Club, Fashion Club, and even Cheerleading Troupe. Tragically though, good things rarely last, and the Conglomerated Arts Club closed its doors in 2039, seemingly forever. That was, until this year. While students with creative interests have struggled to find a home at Hogwarts for the past 13 years, the Conglomerated Arts Club has once again opened its doors to all those creative hearts searching for a way to express themselves. Kicking off with a fun and lighthearted event to help brighten up our castle decor for this holiday season, it's hard not to be excited thinking of what else this newly revived club may have to offer its members. Only time will tell, but for one, I'm excited to see. Who knows, maybe we'll be seeing more long lost clubs returning to our halls. Muggle sports, anyone? |
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Conflicting 'Ask An Auror' Event By: Violet Fields |
The SDA club leaders Willow Cullen and Analei Louw decided to host an event in which two ministry aurors came to Hogwarts to answer all our pressing questions about their experiences in their careers. At first, I thought it was a weird idea, for not too long ago the ministry held an event just like that on their own. I should know, as I was there. A man named Jesiah Howell met with a small group of those who were curious about the career he has chosen for himself. To be honest, I don't remember much of what happened that day. I just remembered being all curious and wondering what made him follow that path in becoming an auror. He really didn't get too personal with his answers, so, I was left wanting to know more. So the weirdness shifted to excitement, though I was determined to take this event seriously. After all, I had to write this article for you all to read. That's what happens when you volunteer to take up the topic. Moving onto the SDA event, Maya DeNiro and James Cade were their names. Maya, a blonde who is much older and experienced than James. James was a former Gryffindor prefect. As the questions were being thrown out, one can tell who's seen a lot, and who was just starting out. The questions asked were fair, if I had to personally rate them. It would've been nice to hear more from James, as he is closer to the ages of the SDA members. As someone who is a former Gryffindor, he was sure quiet. That's bad of me for stereotyping. I'm just following the hype. Maya, she led the event, despite the bickering back and forth going on with Willow Cullen and Diana Holland. Willow was assisting with a question and Diana didn't seem to agree with Willow butting in. It was embarrassing. Thankfully, our guest speakers weren't easily annoyed. They continued answering questions from the club members. Although, some of the answers were lacking in substance. Overall, the event wasn't the greatest but it wasn't bad. I'm still left wanting to know more. Perhaps, someone on one time with an auror will do justice? Who knows, I won't know if I don't try. |
Top 10 Tips For Studying Effectively By: Thalia Pourrolis ________________________________________________________________________ | How To Practice Self-Care By: Emmaline Hopkins-Vance ________________________________________________________________________ |
With the semester coming to an end, the tension and stress is real amongst the students with everyone trying to cram for exams. I don't blame them, exams are around the corner and personally I, too, am doing all that I can to get some last-minute studying done. So here are the top ten tips on the best ways to study effectively, in no particular order. 1. Revise early Beginning to revise the topics learned in your subjects early, from the second or third week of the semester, will ensure that you will remember everything you've learned. That way, you won't have to cram the night before the exam, and not feel stressed about what you don't know, because you will definitely know what you otherwise would not have known, if you hadn't started to study earlier than usual. 2. Study with a friend Sometimes, the best way to study effectively is to take a break from studying by yourself, and rather study and compare notes with a classmate. Getting a different point of you might help you, especially if you don't understand something about a specific chapter in your textbook. Who knows, it may even be fun to study with someone else. 3. Take constant breaks It just won't do to study every minute of every day, without any breaks. You'll just tire yourself out. Take a walk, spend time with friends, do a fun activity, just try not to think about your books while you're taking those breaks. It will cause you stress, and not to mention turn your brain into complete mush. You need the least amount of stress possible. 4. Keep some snacks with you It is important to keep your brain active while studying. Keep a packet of chips, or a chocolate bar, some nuts. Any brain food you can find. You need some type of brain fuel to keep you going, especially if you're getting into it and know that you will be studying for a few hours. Keep hydrated too. The most important thing to have with you besides your books is a bottle of water. 5. No distractions This is a crucial point. Distractions are no good. If you're the type of person to get distracted very easily, and have a short attention span, find that thing that draws your attention away from the task at hand and get rid of it until you're done. We all have a soft spot for something that can distract us, and that includes the most focused, driven people. 6. Find the right environment for you, stress-free It is totally okay to have different locations where you like to study. Changing places might be the best option for you, although it isn't for everyone. Whether you prefer to study in a quiet place like the library or the common room, or a louder place such as the student lounge, just make sure you keep it tidy, to prevent from creating a mess that will only stress you further. Trust me when I say a neat study area, wherever your favourite study location is, will make it much easier to revise. If you function in the completely opposite way, and prefer to study in a mess, then that's fine too. 7. Ask questions One of the best and most effective ways to learn something new is by asking questions. If you, like me, tend not to have any, try to come up with a couple. Asking one of your professors or classmates to get clarification, or even just to get some extra information about a spell, for example, helps to understand the material a lot better. Perhaps the person you ask will explain it to you in a much simpler way. 8. Find a fun, personalised study method It can be difficult sometimes to find another way to study. Or maybe you have always studied in one way and the thought of trying a new method has never crossed your mind. But perhaps the way you have always studied has never been the right one for you. Well, here's a tip: ask several people how they study, try out their methods ad make it your own, or be creative enough to invent your own one. It can be refreshing, and you could learn to study quicker this way. 9. Get involved in clubs and activities My favourite part about Hogwarts is the clubs that are offered as well as the events that they host. It is something different to do, especially while studying for exams, though there may be less opportunities to do that closer to the time. Still, don't let that stop you from learning something new, a skill, a sport...anything you have always wanted to do. Get involved and be active, it's good for your mind and body. 10. A good night's sleep Studying until very late is not good for you, or for your brain. This will make your brain, and therefore also your body, restless, and it is something you do not want. Sleep early, so that you can wake up a little earlier the next morning too. If you are feeling well-rested and refreshed, you'll realise how much better you'll be able to retain that important information for the exam. So there you have it. These ten tips might not work for everyone, but you never know what might. Give it a try, see how it goes. It might help you to see studying in a new perspective. And who knows, it might actually turn out to be fun. | Classes, Social Life, Extracurriculars, Oh My! Have you been overwhelmed with the amount of work you have to do? Have you ever felt like you have no time to take care of yourself? Have you felt as if it is impossible to find an way to help ease your daily worries? Don't fret! Here is list of suggestions on how to practice self-care! 1. Do Something You Love It is important to take some time to participate in something you love to do even if it is not "productive." You may feel like you are always pushing your interests aside. This isn't good for anyone. It's all about balance. You deserve to enjoy your favourite activities even if you are bogged down with work. 2. Get Rest! It might seem like a great idea to miss a couple hours of sleep to be more productive. This will only backfire! Sleep helps you to stay focused on your goals. Without a good sleep schedule, your productivity will suffer anyway. 3. Eat your Favourite Snack Food is not always the answer, but sometimes it does make you feel better. If you've been working super hard, take a break to enjoy the little things in life, like a yummy chocolate frog! 4. Say No It is easy to get 'burnt out' by always putting others in front of your well-being. You can still be a good person and say no every once and awhile. You do not always have to help someone study or socialize with friends. If you are feeling worn out, you can always say no. Your friend will understand if you need time for yourself. 5. Get Outside Enjoy some sunlight or snow (depending on the season). You can go for a walk or engage in a sport. Just make sure to get out, change your scenery. You'd be surprised how much better you feel! 6. Spend Time with a Pet Animals have been a source of comfort for centuries. If you are an animal person, spend some quality time with a pet, playing with them or simply cuddling. For many, just being in the company of a pet can relax and recharge you. 7. Try a New Activity Whether you want to learn to knit or play a sport, spend some time each day learning about a new hobby. Pick something you have always wanted to try, but have never had the time. Even if you take thirty minutes of your day to focus on this, you will be amazed how much better you feel. 8. Take a deep breath! It's hard to take a step back and just remember to breathe, but it is important to do so. You may be so caught up in your responsibilities that you do not realize how stressed you really are. Practice taking three deep breaths. Close your eyes and clear your mind. Focus on your breathing and push all those worries out of your mind. Remember you are important! You deserve a moment to relax. Take time for yourself without all the responsibilities and pressures. Try to practice self-care each day. What you do to relax may be different than others, but that does not make it less important. Find what works for you and put it into practice. You will be grateful you did. |
Spotlight Interview Analei Louw: The Woman Behind The Badge By: Nikola Raven |
I managed to have the Head Girl, Analei Louw, sit down for an interview in the Headpeople's lounge during the midday break to ask her a bit about what it's like to be Head Girl, and to learn more about her! Hello! Thanks for agreeing to the interview. You must be really busy, being in your final year and being Head Girl. How do you feel about that? What's it like? “Hey! No problem. I actually really love it. It's something that I worked hard towards and it's such an honor to have been given to me.” So, you were a prefect before becoming Head Girl. What are some of the differences between the roles? I guess you've got more responsibilities now? "Yeah, a few. As Head People, we are in charge of the Prefects, and making sure all the duties are done. Basically, whatever needs doing to assist the school." That's really interesting. I guess it's a good way to learn how to manage people. Do you think being a prefect first helped you prepare to be a Head Girl? "Absolutely. You learn how the school runs and what is expected of you." Do the professors help you sometimes? I kind of imagine that, being Head Girl, you interact with the Head Mistress a lot too. Is she scary? "Yes, we definitely get help from the Professors. And yeah, we do every now and then. Professor Alicastell's not scary, definitely commands a lot of respect, but is well deserving of it." That's good to know. So, for anyone out there hoping to become a Prefect, what would your advice be? "Work hard. Prove to the Professors and Headmistress that you are reliable and trustworthy. Don't give up!" That sounds like great advice. I've got a bit of a tough question, though, that's pretty relevant to what's happening right now. With a poltergeist around, do you have any advice for students on how to deal with it? She chuckles at that. "Honestly, Vex isn't malicious. I know it's frustrating, and definitely try to stay out of his way if you're already having a bad day, but if you worry too much about it, you're never going to relax or think about anything else." Thanks, that's reassuring. I'm sure that everyone's a little rattled by the idea of having a poltergeist as a houseguest. What do you do to relax, now that you have so much responsibility and the fact that you're currently doing your NEWTs? "I actually love studying, so often reading a book or finishing an essay does relax me. But if I really need to clear my head, I'll go and practice piano. I'm not that great at it yet - but it brings back a lot of great memories." Music is definitely a great relaxer! What’s your favourite composition? "I love most of the composing by Ludovico Einaudi. Primavera would be a favorite." That’s a good choice. Mister Einaudi was an amazing Italian composer, for those that don’t know, with a lot of really calming pieces. How long have you been playing the piano? "Only about three years. My boyfriend has been teaching me." Good luck! Thanks for having me were today, and for letting me ask questions fro my notebook. It's the first time I've interviewed someone before so I got some help from my uncle. One last question, though. How would you describe yourself, if you had to pick one word? There was a slight wait for her answer, as she was chuckling once again. "Wow umm, determined." That's a good one! Thanks again for having me. Have a good afternoon! "Sure, and you too!" |
