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November

Classes Looking in Dire Straits as Lack of Attendance Looms
By Jessness
While we've seen some interesting developments in the past few months with the arrival of the House of Paddington there are some other things which have faced perhaps less of a reception than usual. While it is October and the weather is starting to cool down, there has also been a sharp turn in many houses with students choosing to remain in bed or in their common rooms with the majority of their classrooms remaining empty and Professors looking utterly bewildered by the lack of attendance.

It's hard to imagine that not long ago classes were teeming with students all eager and willing to partake in a host of activities, not even fazed by the prospect of homework or the state of the weather.

When asked what action Professors will be taking to remedy this seemingly wide spread delieum, Professor Snape simply replied curtly, "If students do not attend their lessons or make an effort to participate in activities, we may start deducting points for the number of seemingly unexplainable absences."

This reporter can only hope that like the onset of a storm this lack of participation will soon blow over.

It's That Time Again...
by A Novelist in Distress (S)
Around November, it seems that less is seen of many students. Are they travelling in the winter months? Are they simply getting in too deep with school? These are all perfectly reasonable explanations, but the truth is that many students are simply getting involved in NaNoWriMo.

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writer's Month, is a worldwide phenomenon wherein writers are challenged, each November, to create a novel of at least 50,000 words. The catch is, they cannot start until midnight November 1, and they must stop by 11:59:59 P.M., November 30. Thirty days, 50k words...it seems a daunting prospect. Still, it can be done, and many often do.

So if you see a NaNo sticker in someone's signature, smile and say something encouraging to them. Support your NaNo-ers. And don't bother me in November.

The Halloween Bash
Rip
This year, as in the last three, each house was given the task of picking a theme for their house. Discussion threads were open and the suggestions began. Meanwhile in the staff lounge, a thread was open to keep staff abreast of where the houses were going with their picks so that if a similar idea was brought up in a house, the staff would know and then work together or go back to the house and stir their students into another direction.
The Slytherin house posted first in the lounge thread with their pick of 'comie book heroes and villians.' The Ravenclaws were heading in one direction, then another and finally hit on 'detectives' from movies and books. Penshire claimed the 'royal court' theme, but hit a snag with Gryffindor picking myths and lore as Camelot could fit in both catagories. Penshire bowed out and kept their royal court without Camelot and the Gryffindors were gracious with being able to stick with their theme. Hufflepuff's theme was never and issue as picking 'smilies' seemed to be original. Paddington had plenty of room to find who they wanted to go as since they pick cartoon characters found on the Cartoon Network.
It was fun at the dance trying to first figure out the character but once that was done, house themes were more easierly guessed at and as always finding out who was behind the masks were tougher often many surprizes were brought out in the 'reveal yourself' thread on the BB.!
I hope everyone had fun, it sounds that way from the threads on the BB. Keep an eye out, the Annual Yule Ball is coming!!! And its formal attire!

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