By Gawyn Crossguard
For any of you interested in backpacking or camping...or for those of you who have never heard of the thing, I've decided to bring you a monthly column on just that. I figured I'd start out with the simplest form of backpacking, and then get into the more luxurious camping as I go on.
Now, first of all, I should probably explain just what backpacking is exactly. Backpacking is a form of survival/camping where you carry all of the supplies you'll absolutely need to survive in the woods, and not much more in a frame pack on your back. I'm sorry, but the George Forman Grill, Play Station 3s, Laptop, and the Kitchen sink do not count as needs.
Everything is strategically done and balanced. It's all pros and cons. You really don't want to be walking ten miles a day with a sixty or seventy pound pack. It's not good for you, and you risk serious injury. So, a nice weight would be about thirty or forty pounds, and that's actually kind of pushing ideal. So why take a huge hunting knife, when you can get by with a Swiss Army knife? Plus the Swiss Army knife has useful gadgets that don't take up pack space. Why bother taking a fifteen pound tent for eight, when you can get away with a five pound tent for two?
So, now that we've got that much down, you're probably wondering...or not, what on earth is Ultra Light Backpacking. Well, it's exactly what it sounds like. It's trying to rely as much as possible on nature, and that way you can carry a very small pack. So, instead of bringing a small stove, just take a chunk of flint or a Magnesium Fire Starter with you. Trust me, it saves about 5 lbs.
So, to get you started with Ultra Light Backpacking, the things you could pack, and still manage to survive are listed below:
1. First Aid kit (For Obvious reasons)
2. Mess kit
3. Knife (preferably heavy duty)
4. Water Bottle or two
5. Tarp/nylon hammock/or possibly just skip this and sleep under the canopy or stars.
6. Blankets/Sleeping bag
7. Possibly food
8. Magnesium Fire Starter/Small Flint
9. Possibly a change of clothes or two
11. Small Flashlight/Candle lantern
12. Fishing line and hooks
If you have questions, feel free to PM me at any time, and I'll make sure to answer them in the next issue.
By Roxanne Whitez
An idea started by an old friend of ours, it inspired many other students to have their own spam-topics. In the Gryffindor common room, we started our very own 'minds' in the Chit Chat area, dedicated mainly to the topic-starter's wishes, random blurts, etc. Now that a new term has welcomed us, and thus all topics were erased, minds were re-created because we simply can't live without them! And the idea has spread to even more Gryffindors, whereas our very own Heart Throb has created his own mind. Just so you know, here's an update on all these minds, their titles and the minds behind them:
Audrea's Ambient Atmosphere � Version 2.0: Version 1.0 erased with everything else last term, the Senior Prefect hangs comfortably in her atmosphere, where conversations between the Prefect and her Cpl. Minion are only ordinary.
Gawyn's Grey Matter � Yes, there's stuff between my ears!: I'm sure you can guess who started this mind. The boy finally started one after yours truly managed to annoy him enough about it, and he chose to start it off with random facts about ear wax, the grey matter he has in his ears, etc. Keeps the randomness alive, definitely.
From the Mind of Fi =Part II= - here we go: Made by our house photographer, Fiona Chauvet enters with a smaller number of posts for now, but we're sure to fill her mind up quickly.
Adam's Lost Mind � Come get lost with Adam: The creative and imaginative Adam Crawford Jr. loves to write his mind out, and now that he's joined with his partner Sly, he's free to wander in his mind.
Hilary's room of randomness � The title says it all, doesn't it? Anything comes in topic here.
Opal's Unique Ramblings � yup yup: Who would have knew that our own Head of House would join in all the fun and make her own little mind. We definitely don't mind joining her there.
Rorie's World Thing � Muahahaha: Gryffindor's newest Prefect Assistant makes her own mind, or more her own world thing where like others, is just plain random.
Megan's Magical Menagerie � one of my own: The newest Prefect brought her mind back from the dead and is one of the places where Gawyn is teased constantly by the girls there, and Gryffindors talk about detention xD
Kristin's Frame of Mind � I remembered title!: The girl, between her posting sprees, keeps her mind up and going, and here's a place where we can't resist teasing her about her nicknames.
MY Laughter � neener: Started last term thanks to the dubbed smiley as Laughter, this belongs to none other than yours truly, where a recent water balloon was going on and laughter is a daily medicine.
FRED! � hyper: The other mind dedicated to a smiley, Fred, Hermy has no problem taking over her mind with her addiction to Fred and other Fred-addicts come to join her.
Anything: Last but not least, not exactly a clear sign if this is a mind or not, Nancy Gryffindor joins in the fun and like the title says, anything comes.
By Adam Crawford Jr. and Sly
We have a new member of sorts in Gryffindor, his name is Sly. That's right just the one name for you see Sly is a smiley face the dance smiley to be precise. Now just because of what he is doesn't mean he don't have feelings or attitude. So sit back and continue reading and I'll tell you more about Sly and how he came to be attached to Gryffindor.
Sly comes from a large family of other smiley faces and some not so smiley. You might have met Fred the hyper or Laughter the prankster both of which are his brothers. Sly had noticed one boy who was feeling rather lonely and not sure he was fitting in. So he began spending time with the boy and speaking out when the boy was being quiet. It allowed for the boy to begin to fit in better and to relax at the time the boy had no name for Sly.
He asked his other house mates and he took in the smiley's personalities. Sly enjoys dancing and getting others to dance. He enjoys joking around and though he loves the boy he is attached to he also likes to tease the boy and others. He can be a prankster but generally likes to do good deeds. But it was a move that Sly made that finely made up Adams mind on what to name him. When he V's his fingers and runs them over his eyes the first thing that popped into the boys head was Sly. And so it has ever been.
Favorite foods for Sly; well if its sweets he generally gobbles them down he likes chocolate frogs most. But as a smiley he feeds most on attention.
Favorite Color: Yellow he says for it's the color of his face and though some people think yellow is for cowards he says it is also the color of winners like gold.
Favorite Sayings: "You can't touch this!" He likes to say that and dance around the room.
Favorite pastimes: Flirting with girls, hiding behind the Adams shoulder.
I asked Sly once if he would like to accomplish something. He told me that he would indeed. He would like to see a Smiley week or month where everyone adopts a smiley as a friend and takes them on their adventures.
I hope you've enjoyed meeting Sly as much as I have. Though there is more to Sly you'll have to learn the rest through meeting him and his friend.
By Myrrima Goldenleaf
(Recipe found on mugglenet.com)
Ingredients:
~1 banana, peeled and frozen
~3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
~3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
~1 scoop vanilla ice cream
~1/3 cup water or milk (creamier)
~Whipped cream (optional)
~Cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
Step 1: Cut frozen banana into small pieces and put all ingredients into blender.
Step 2: Blend on high until smooth
Step 3: Pour into two tall glasses, top with whipped cream and sprinkled cinnamon over the pumpkin shake. Serve while still chilled!
By Myrrima Goldenleaf
(Recipe by American Girl)
Ingredients
~4 lemons
~1 orange
~4 cups water
~1 1/2 cups sugar
Directions
Step 1: Cut the lemons and orange in half on a cutting board
Step 2: Set a juicer over a bowl so the edges fit tightly
Step 3: Squeeze the juice out of the lemon and orange halves by turning them back and forth on the juicer while pushing down.
Step 4: Measure the water and sugar into a 2-quart saucepan
Step 5: Heat the mixture over medium heat until it boils, or bubbles rapidly, for 10 minutes
Step 6: Pour the water and sugar mixture into a large mixing bowl
Step 7: Pour the juice through a strainer into the mixing bowl. Stir the mixture well. Then let it cool.
Step 8: Pour the mixture into a plastic container and cover it. Put it in the freezer and leave it there for several hours, until the mixture is frozen solid.
Step 9: Use a large spoon to scrape shavings off the top of the lemon ice and shape them into scoop-size servings.
By Ariene Callahan
In recent weeks, resident Queen of Spam Amber Thatcher has been given a run for her feathers. New Ravenclaw Arya has begun a post rampage that leaves most Ravenclaws behind in the dust. Without a doubt, Arya has the fastest finger in all of Ravenclaw. If one were to see our games section, the last poster would read 'Arya'. No word on whether Amber will duel the new Raven to reclaim her title as 'Queen of Spam' I shall keep you posted to the progress as the post war wages on!
By Amber Thatcher
In Ravenclaw, Amber Thatcher earned her title of the Queen of Games, by constantly posting in every single game. Often, it was her name that was shown as being the last person to post for each game (and because Andela Schmorgie jokingly gave her the title in one of the games). Recently, there has been an influx of people challenging her for her title.
One, Olive Snitzberry, was the person to first challenge Amber for her title. Soon, others followed Olive�s lead and began the battle for the title of Queen of Games (or King, of course). Jacyn Corbin, Luna Lovegood, Arya Drottningu, and Paris Moonlight have all been challengers.
Olive found that she couldn�t continue with the sheer amount of time it took to go on every, or every other day to post in the games, and dropped out of the competition. Paris also couldn�t keep up with the demands of posting so often.
Luna, she�s more of a casual challenger, posting in all the games, but randomly, making it very difficult to predict when it will be her name filling all the most recently posted spots.
Jacyn, she was the most constant challenger. Every day, it was a battle of who would be the first person to leave the common room, go back to real life so that the other could succeed in posting in every single game without interference. Often it led to very late nights to both of them! Due to a hiatus that Jacyn had to take, where she did not have constant access to a computer, Amber was relatively challenge free for a while.
Arya is a newer Ravenclaw, one just joining Pads Hogwarts this term. In fact, Amber is Arya�s mentor! Arya has been posting non-stop in the games ever since she registered with Ravenclaw (and was recommended to the games!).
The competition will resume once all challengers regain their confidence, and decide that they will once again fight for the title of Queen of Games. Since the title if Unofficial, there are no set rules, no set limits to what has to be done to win the title. Therefore, I don�t think that anyone other than Amber will be calling themselves the Queen of Games for some time (until she decides to abdicate of course!).
I am biased, after all, I am the current Queen of Games, but what I can tell you that everyone in Ravenclaw would agree to, is that since the battles and challenges have started, there has been an increase in the number of posts that we get from the games and overall. There has also been more activity, and the last post in a game, is never more than a couple days old.
By Olive Snitzberry
The games section in the Ravenclaw Common Room is getting tenser and tenser! As a former 'opponent' I have felt the intensity and difficulty in taking the Queen of Games title from a certain Amber Thatcher! The flood of new students isn't being kind to the struggling queen either, as each one discovers the games section. It has now come down to Amber and Jacyn with various other competitors but none are as competitive as these two! Every time one enters the Common Room, one can be sure that they will either see Amber or Jacyn as the last posters in the games! But, while this may be hard for the two girls for the rest of us it's lots of fun! We get tons more posts and have lots of fun watching the competition!
By Myrrima Goldenleaf and Arya Drottningu
MG: Hi Arya! You've been here for a couple of weeks now. What do you think of Hogwarts?
AD: It has been really fun. I've met many friendly and welcoming people! The summer classes and activities have been really fun, too. I look forward to this year's term, and to learning more magic!
MG: What are your favorite classes so far?
AD: Well, I'd have to say that my favorite class so far is Summer Potions! I've just never done anything like it before!
MG: What's it like to be an elf in a mostly human atmosphere?
AD: Sometimes I feel a little lonely, because there aren't many elves that I even know about, and when I don't know any, then I can't talk about, you know, elf stuff. But being mostly with humans doesn't bother me too much. They're nice and don't care if I'm an elf or not.
MG: Have you talked to, or thought about talking to, a former elf of Ravenclaw, Legolas Greenleaf?
AD: I haven't talked to him, but I've been thinking about it. He seems like a really nice guy.
MG: Are there any classes or activities you are looking forward to during the school term?
AD: I'm really looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures, because I love animals, but I am also looking forward to all other classes, because I love to learn new things.
MG: Now, I've heard a rumor, I don't know if it's true...Have you or have you not been trying to take over Amber's title, the Queen of Games?
AD: Well...some people would say that because I am really into the games, and I always try to be the last poster in all of them, so...well...I guess I would say that I agree with them.
MG: Uh huh. I see....
AD: but it's completely on a friendly basis, not because we hate each other or anything....
MG: Well, I thank you for your time, Arya. I guess we'll see what happens with this in the future.
AD: Yes...we will...bye then. *Looks around* Amber...where are you?? *runs off to the RCR to play some...games*