| The Owl Gazette |
| Issue: 34 Date: Sept 2006 E |
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| New Gryffindors
by Megan Miller With the start of a fresh new term not far ahead, Gryffindor would like to extend their warmest greetings and welcome to all newly sorted students. So, please welcome: Emerald Amber, Nymphadora Tonks, Daniel Dumbledore, Miridea Pory, Loona Lovegood, Zack Galman, Kay Jaykora and Derrick Weasly. Each of these new students has brought their own special talents and interesting family histories to our house and some are already participating within the common room and are getting along quite nicely. Most are shy, but we know that they'll eventually come out of their shells. We also look forward to having more point contributors towards our goal of winning the house cup. Good luck to all students, new and old. This term should be a good one. |
| Slytherin V.S. Gryffindor: Why hate?
By: Jennifer Kull (JUNK) Is it the all �Good V.S. Evil?� Is it because one side is poor and the other rich? Or is it because one side believes they know it all while the other knows they know it all? Could it be that the one side that knows they know it all is not as knowing as they seem? What if the side that believes they know it all knows that the side who knows they know it all does not know it all? Does this make sense? No? Then why hate? It doesn�t make sense, either! It appears that there have been a few conflicts between the two houses, though the Gryffs are not as much as rivals as the Raves are with the Slytherins. Perhaps there is just a biased opinion of the other from each side. So, how to fix this? Easy. Get over it. Duh. |
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| The Best Things About Slytherin
By: Darmean Volten Slytherin, a word that strikes fear into the hearts of many, and joy into it�s own house residents. A house that is situated in one of the coldest places in all of Hogwarts, the dungeons; A place that is only surpassed by the owlery in the chilly temperature. Many try their very best to avoid this place, the dungeon that is, but us Slytherins call it home, and love every minute of it. As a Slytherin myself, I wanted to see what we thought were the best things of our wondrous house. I asked around and saw what fellow Slytherins thought, as I had ideas myself. Mr. Kamron Flame, a second year here in Slytherin, said the best things are him, Jen, one of our beloved prefects, and of course having both the House and Quidditch Cups from last term. Sermara Black, a new student here only said �Go Slytherin� when asked. Got to love her spirit and enthusiasm. Seraphina Rosehill, another of our beloved prefects, said the best things are that we have scones, cookies, chocolate, cheese, our other two prefects, Jen and Kayla, our teamwork, and of course, that the other houses think that we are weird. Kelsey Nevaeh said that the people you meet are the best! Well, what would this be without my own personal thoughts? Well, it would be quite empty! Darmean Volten, that�s me, said the best things are that we have the most imaginative people, our work ethic, the quality in the characters of the people, the constant sarcastic remarks, our wonderful prefects, and of course, our beloved Head of House, Professor Snape! Well, from all the people, the most mentioned thing our prefects, so it seems they are the most popular best-loved things about Slytherin. Though we inhabit the dank, cold dungeons, there are many things we love about our house. |
| The Serpent Club
By: Jennifer Kull (JUNK) One club seemed to have been silent and gone without much notice last term in the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle. Joseph Knightly, founder of the Serpent Club, tried and tried to obtain the capture of his fellow Slytherin students, but to no avail. Few seemed interested, and fewer responded. All of that has turned around this summer, and hopes for the upcoming term are high. It appears that many more have taken notice, and that Joseph�s plans will be fruitful. What does he have planned? Well, ladies and gentlemen, faithful readers of my wondrous articles, you shall only know if I tell you, as the secret lies in the Slytherin Common Room. Will I tell you? Who knows? |
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| An Experience To Remember
Abigail Turner At the end of last term, Gryffindor discovered that they hadn't faired so well in the contest for which house posts the most. No, we'd come in almost in last place. Not that we hadn't tried our hardest: it was just that there wasn't much of an incentive to post. Even though we knew that we'd tried hard, we were aware that something needed to be done. After all, we couldn't afford to come in second-to-last again. A mere two weeks after the boards had been cleaned and the games were reposted, we started a Post-A-Thon (our second ever) to see what we could really do once there was a visible reason to do it. And, we discovered, we could do a lot. Though the Post-A-Thon was interrupted by the Camping Trip that took place in early July, it was easy to see that everybody worked really hard to make up for last time. In fact, a lot of us spent all day and even most of the night working to win. But it wasn't about the prizes - it was about Gryffindor. We all knew that even as we worked to win. Even though the competition was tight and the participants strained, we found that the Post-A-Thon did more than just give us a couple thousand extra posts: it brought us closer together |
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| Gryffindor Goals
Abigail Turner In early April, Gryffindor had held its first-ever Post-A-Thon with amazing results. We were really pleased with ourselves, but once the initial excitement of the earnings wore off, we remembered that posting wasn't the only thing we had to do if we wanted to win the House Cup. There were a lot of other things that had to be done. So we got to thinking: what other things did we have to do? How could we make sure that we got them done? Finally, we came to a simple decision. The house needed to set goals for itself. So we began, setting goals for how many points and posts we wanted to get within a certain period of time. People of all levels of activity and experience embraced these goals, making things for everybody to put in their signatures to remind us of the goals and working hard to achieve them. Though Gryffindor didn't win the house cup, we did get something: a way of achieving what we needed to and organizing ourselves. Besides that, we learned how to work together to get what we wanted. It's a lesson that's carried on through the summer and will continue to for the rest of the year. |
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| Gryffindor's Calendar
By Roxanne Whitez As August rolls day after day, week after week, the Start of the Term is coming quickly, as well as upcoming birthdays! In last month's issue, the Gryffindor house wished many birthdays to the fellow housemates and now, here are the next month's special lions. As the first week of September comes along, we have two Gryffindors, Jared Knight turning 13 and a new Gryff, Luna Lovegood turning 12 on the ninth of September. Just as the Start of the Term is about to start, Kylie Jones, who hasn't been seen around lately, celebrates her Sweet Sixteen on the 14th. A couple days later, we have two birthdays following one after the other. The first, formerly known as Vivian Malfoy, Kaelyn Holtcombe is celebrating her 15th birthday on the 18th and our very special Head of House, Professor Opal is celebrating her eighteen years of young age! Until next month, Gryffindor wishes these special birthdays! |
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| Come to the Dark Side! We�ve Got Cookies!
By: Jennifer Kull (JUNK) It is well known that there are those who are in need of some�alright, I�m going to come out and say it - bribing, to be convinced to convert to the �Dark Side.� But what is used? Blackmail? Sure. Money? Sometimes. Food? Always! As it is, cookies are the most definite way to be lured over to our side. Only once someone is in do we offer scones and cheese. As for the cookies, few choices are available. But, being as how our house is most definitely the pickiest out of them all, as well�does this come as any surprise? Didn�t think so. There are the peanut butter cookies, for those with a sweet tooth. This type is most likely to bring in those who have, for most of their life, been the good child, so to speak, and wish to be otherwise. For the peanut butter cookie lovers, there is a bitter side waiting to be embraced�and all we do is assist. There are the chocolate chip cookies, for those who melt at any mention of the one thing they wish for. This type of cookie brings out the most primitive yearnings in any giving person, and the lovers of this type are promised much more than just cookies. There are the coconut cookies, for those who show no outward emotions. For these I�ll-never-let-you-in-on-my-deepest-and-darkest-secret types, this cookie represents the starkness in which they live life; never giving into emotion. An ulterior motive, and a private one, usually comes with the person of the lover of these cookies, and they are most seriously kept tabs on. There are the plain cookies, just the dough, for those types who do not know what they seek. We offer this cookie because it is always easiest to brainwash the lovers of this type of cookie. By the time we�re done with them, they seek exactly what we want them to� Lastly, there are the sugar cookies, for the dreamers. Often, dreamers are do-gooders�well, there are ways to twist, lie, thwart, and allude to ideas of which dreamers will snag, yet not totally comprehend. We usually snare the lovers of this type of cookie after it is too late for them to escape the web. Are you hungry? Which cookies are you tempted to take? |
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| Slytherin Birthdays
By: Seraphina Rosehill With all of the hustle, bustle, shopping and registering of the new term, we don�t want to forget to wish a Happy Birthday to these Slytherins. Starting off the month of August, we have Kamron Flame who celebrated his birthday on the 10th. One of Slytherins most active members, by the number of gifts he received, it sure is obvious that we are glad to have him around! Next, on the 14th we have Tom Riddle/Voldemort celebrating his birthday. Many gifts and well wishes were given to them in the common room as well! Closing out the month of August, we have Black Kitty, we haven�t seen her recently to wish her a Happy Birthday, but we all hope that she had a great day! This month, in September, we have some very special birthdays to celebrate. Start shopping now folks, because these Slytherins are the best of the best, and they need to be recognized for all of their hard work! First off, on the 8th of September we have Jennifer Kull (JUNK) celebrating a very special birthday! Head Prefect and all around wonderful person, we hope that Jen has the best Birthday ever! Less than a full week later, we have Kayla West celebrating her birthday as well! Kayla, a Prefect and Jen�s other half, helps lead our house in the right direction and is always there for her Slytherins and her house. Then we have Rainy Dae celebrating her birthday on the 20th. An important and involved Slytherin, Rainy deserves to have a fabulous birthday! Please be sure to wish all of these students a Happy Birthday if you pass them in the halls. All of them are true, proud Slytherins and deserve to have a wonderful day! |
| Interview With Prof. Opal
Conducted by Lavender Moondust The other day I decided to find out what the Heads of Houses thought about the Switching Houses idea and about House Ravenclaw. I found the Head of House Gryffindor Prof. Cecilia Opal and ask her a few questions about her stay in Ravenclaw house, the Professor was kind enough to spare a few moments of her time for me to answer this few question I had� LM Who brought up this idea for the Heads to do the switching and why? PO The idea started from something Professor Fairydust thought of, if I recall. We wanted the students to get a feeling of what the other houses were like, and the HOH switch stemmed from that initial idea. LM. How did you feel about the fact that you will have to leave your house for a few weeks during the summer break and stay in other houses? PO: I have to admit, I was a little sad to have to be away from my Gryffies for a week, but then I realized what a great opportunity I'd have to get to know students from the other houses. LM What was your first thought about this idea? PO I really loved it, and I knew all of us HOH's would have a blast doing it too LM Did it feel strange to know that the other Heads are staying at your house? PO Yes, I have to admit, but I knew all my students would be in good hands. LM What was your first impression when you entered Ravenclaw House? PO It's a busy house, and everyone seemed to be working hard. But also having a good time! A great combo. =D LM If you had the chance would you like to return to Ravenclaw and stay there a bit longer? PO Of course! I was happy to see the Ravenclaw so nice and I felt very welcomed. I'd love to return again and hang out. LM What did you learn from the Ravens? PO I learned many things, but the most important is to keep on working hard. LM Is there a similarity between your house and Ravenclaw House? PO Well, I did notice a lot of students like to get a little crazy in the CR's- let loose and have a good time. LM If you were given the option to be the Head of other house which one you will choose? PO That's a tough question; because I really love all the houses a lot, and they all have great students in them...I don't know. I'd have to get back to you on that. ;D Thank you Prof.Opal it was great to have you in our common room� And now let's find the others�. |
| School Bargain Shopping
By Fiona Chauvet If you're like me, you like to save money whenever you can, and with the new school year approaching we'll all be spending our savings left and right. So I decided to go through each store in our shopping centers and investigate which ones had the best prices for you�re back to school supplies. The first item that's on everyone's list is always parchment. I checked many stores, examined rolls of parchment and found that Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop and Scribbulus Ever changing Inks had some of the best prices. If you're looking to buy just your starting parchment then I suggest Scrivenshaft's. But, if you'd like to get your bulk supply for the whole year, then Scribbulus has some great deals you should check out. The next items that every student shouldn't be without, is plenty of ink and quills. Scrivenshaft's had a good price for a pack of four inkbottles and I also found their separate bottles to be reasonable too. When I was quill hunting, I found many stores to have good deals. Scribbulus had a quill box set that I would recommend to many first years and Scrivenshaft's had a nice variety with cheap prices. I also found Salazar's Bazaar to have good box sets as well. That's it for now. I'll continue to compare prices and give you some tips on where to go in the next issue. And try to remember to shop around before you buy your back to school supplies, because all the money you save just might add up! |
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| House Reporters
By Adrianna La Cerva Last month, there were some changes made in Gryffindor's journalistic representation. With the renouncement of Audrea Martin and Callista Romalda of their previous positions, a new team is born, naming Megan Miller and Roxanne Whitez as Gryffindor's new House Reporters. Both of these girls are spirited and enthusiastic, always willing to help out. The duo is as thrilled as they are ambitious to undertake the responsibility of representing the house of Gryffindor. Last month, the team showed us all how dedicated they were in their tireless efforts to write and edit numerous articles. In fact, it was last issue, the girls wrote half of the articles submitted by Gryffindor, illustrating how eager and diligent they are to contribute. Megan and Roxanne's contagiously enthusiastic spirit makes them a fine choice to report on the goings-on in the Lion's den. We anticipate to see what the new team has in store for us. I caught up with them both recently and was able to ask both girls the same list of questions. I'd like to introduce to everyone Megan Miller and Roxanne Whitez as Gryffindor's new House Reporters. What can readers, as well as your fellow Gryffindors, expect to see from this new team of House Reporters? MM: Well, Roxanne and I are both very talented in writing, or at least that's what we've been told. We worked well together on the July issue of the Owl Gazette and contributed almost half of the total articles written so everyone knows we're really hard working students. I think that many people will see a lot of fresh new ideas and will continue to see amazing issues of the Gazette in the future. RW: Well, they can definitely expect not only more articles written by our new team, but also more and more articles being written by other Gryffindors in the house. Is there anything specific that you want to tackle, as House Reporter that maybe hasn't been addressed before now? MM: Well, I'd say that our former house reporters, Audrea and Callista, did a pretty good job when the positions belonged to them, so all I can say is that I hope I'll do just as well as they did. RW: Right now, we're aiming to encourage every new Gryffindor and old to participate or become active in helping the House out. And since we noticed that a lot of the Gryffindors are actually great writers, writing articles for the Gazette is a great way to help them get to know more people and help out. What do you feel are your greatest assets to ensure that you are the best choice for House Reporter? MM: Well, as proven by my work on last month's Owl Gazette, I'm extremely hard working, reliable, and creative. I did my best, along with Roxanne, to encourage others to take part and contribute to not only the Gazette, but to all aspects of the school. This term I vowed to be more helpful and active in my house, Gryffindor, and in the school itself and that's just what I plan to do. RW: I think that because I'm pretty out-going and I really like to meet new people, I can easily encourage others to take on more activities and roles around the House. From there, being House Reporter encourages others to look to that role themselves and reach for higher It sounds like Gryffindor can come to expect nothing less than hard work and dedication from their new House Reporters. The two are set to become the twin pillars holding up the reputation of the house of Gryffindor. Congratulations to two well deserved promotions. |
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| RPGs Abound
Abigale Turner Taking a peek into the R.P.G. section of the Gryffindor Common Room, one would be surprised to see that it was the same place it had been a couple months ago. Why, only half a year ago the R.P.G. section was filled with only a few people (of not-so-varying experience) whom all RPed within their small groups of friends and disregarded everybody else. Now, though, things have changed enormously. Instead of just a couple of people, the R.P.G. section has been used by almost every member of Gryffindor. Besides that, the members of the house have changed by making a conscience effort to role-play with each other - not just the people they know best. Even the newbies are getting into it, posting with everybody who they can. I've met so many new people with so much talent - it's exciting to see that Gryffindor's R.P.G.s have taken a turn for the better. |
| The Trio Tournament
Abigale Turner It's become slightly obvious that Gryffindor is filled with groups of friends. We've all got our comfort-zones, filled with our friends. And the people in these groups all seem to . . . click with each other. It's really an awesome thing, but it's become apparent that Gryffindor's gotten a little bit TOO separated. Thus, the Trio Tournament was born. Er, invented. In this summer-long activity, teams (mixed out of their comfort zones) participate in a series of events, which have and will include Point-A-Thons, Post-A-Thons, shop making, role-playing, and more. By mixing people into groups with people they didn't ordinarily speak to, the house was pushed into conversing with new people and working with them to achieve their goals. Not only will the events bring the house closer together and the people with wider horizons as far as friends go, but Gryffindor'll benefit as a whole in the process. |
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| Cooking With Jenii by Jenii Chang Ever wanted to do some muggle cooking? Now you can! Try This Little EntreeDough-less DoughnutsWhat you'll need: Cheerios Powder Sugar Chocolate Chips Sprinkles What to do:Put cheerios in a bag with powdered sugar. Put chocolate chips in a muggle microwave for one minute so they melt. Dip some cheerios in the melted chocolate. Put sprinkles on some. Let Sit. |
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