Harry Potter: Sinfully Good Reading

A good friend of mine is reading the Harry Potter series for the first time. Her religion tells her that the books are evil because they portray witchcraft in a favorable light and because the "good guy" uses "magic". The debate over the morality of the Harry Potter books has been raging since their initial publication and rise to fame in the late nineties and while I understand that some religions claim that the books go against traditional Christian values because the stories are told in a magical context, I cannot agree with the damnation that certain religious sects have placed on a series whose core message is one of love and tolerance over hatred and bigotry. To claim that the Harry Potter novels are evil simply because magic wands, invisibility cloaks and dragons exist within the plot is not only a gross misjudgment of seven brilliantly written stories but a genuine disservice to the individuals forbidden to read them.

Religious leaders and advocates for the banning of the Harry Potter books from libraries claim that they entice children to practice and perform witchcraft, therefore denouncing God. This claim, aside from being ludicrous and unfounded, is demeaning to our generation. Doesn't placing the novels in the fiction section of the library do enough to discredit their supernatural accuracy? Instead, many claim that we are too ignorant to distinguish between fantasy and reality. A fan of the books myself, I can say without a modicum of doubt that I haven't had the slightest desire to becoming a practicing wizard, much less denounce God. In fact, the Harry Potter series has brought me closer to God by allowing me to better know myself and by instilling in me the power of love and friendship. How can that be a sin?

The primary reason for the damnation of the Harry Potter books lies in the presence of magic in the series. The stories take place in a world where the "good guys", the "bad guys" and those in between use magic. If this alone warrants forbidding your youth to read the stories, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, Pinocchio, Peter Pan and The Wizard of Oz should all go by the wayside as well. After all, "the good guys" do magic in those stories too. In fact, all Disney movies should be disallowed because today's youth might get bad ideas. If you make a decision that sentences one brilliant story to burn, it should apply across the genre; shouldn't it? Do away with fiction altogether. Today's youth are far too susceptible to satanic influence for imagination; aren't they? We should also do away with the phrase "fairytale wedding". Fairies use magic and magic is evil; right? Or maybe the phrase should only apply to evil, homosexual weddings.

I applaud those like my friend who have decided to disregard the taboo placed on the Harry Potter books by those more "holy" than the rest of us. I'm certain they will find the series to be just what I did, an inspiring tale of morals, friendship, trust, honesty, courage, selflessness and most of all, love. And to the pious few who still fear the Harry Potter books are dragging this generation to the flaming mouth of hell I have this to say: The Holy Bible still holds the top spot on the international list of best-sellers. Chill.

Day One: The Aftermath

Well, well. Day one is over and it has been a long, albeit enjoyable one. My first class, Color Concept wasn't until 12:30 but I got up early to take advantage of breakfast. After downing a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, I made a V-line for the dorm and went back to sleep. It was glorious. Today was our Convocation, which is nothing more than an over-glorified welcoming ceremony. We were escorted in by bagpiper, which I have to admit was pretty freakin' sweet. They gave everyone a sketchbook as we walked in and later in the ceremony we made our symbolic 'first-mark' together. It was clever.

Color Concept was fun, or as fun as the first day of class can be. I can tell it's going to be stressful but not impossible. Structural Drawing, which started at 6:45, was okay, lots of steps and seemingly pointless explanations. I enjoyed it, though. So far, I've met some really cool people. Last night was "80's Night" in the Crane Center and rather than watch drunken rave that was unfolding in the main room, I played pool with some (or, more like watched pool being played by some) really cool people. It's a little freaky how we Harry Potter fans are drawn to one another. Thank you Jo! It's nice to have that common bond right out of the shoot. After the party we headed back to a dorm room and had a great, and surprisingly enthusiastic discussion of the series. I loved it, so much so that it has now been determined that I will be going to the Halloween "Big Boo!" bash as The-Boy-Who-Lived with my friend Ashley going as Ms. Lovegood. It'll be awesome. I need a cloak.

So, I was thinking: You seniors are getting one hell of a "What to Expect in College" guide. With that in mind, here is a list of some things I have learned so far:

• You will feel homesick. No question. If someone tells you they don’t, they are lying. Don’t feel bad.
• Chocolate is an effective homesickness remedy.
• The scrambled eggs aren’t eggs, I don’t think.
• Your iPod will become your passport back to reality. If you don’t have one, good luck staying sane.
• Every once in a while, you’ll spot something or hear something that reminds you of home so much that you can’t help but smile. Embrace that moment.
• Introduce yourself to everyone you meet. It’s only polite and it cuts down on the awkwardness.
• Laugh, even if it’s not really all that funny. Laughter bonds people.
• If you’re like me, you will check Facebook a lot. It’s okay (although I must say it sucks when, after seven hours of class there are only two updates from people you don’t really care about. Hint, hint.)
• Get sleep, you’ll need it. Two classes and I’m drained.
• Call your friends. They’ll appreciate it and you won’t regret it.
• Get in the habit of silencing your phone before class and turning it back up after.
• Force yourself to leave the dorm. The more active you are, the less guilty you feel. But when you get back, post about what you just did to keep your online friends in the loop. It’s a cycle.

And that's from just two days here. Imagine what a wealth of knowledge you will have gained by the end of the year.
Well, I'm off to bed. I have my first morning class tomorrow, ugh.

Miss you all. Stay in touch. See you soon.

Birthday For Two

"And he couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter–the boy who lived!"

Today, two of my favorite people celebrate birthdays, Harry Potter and his author J.K. Rowling. It's hard to describe the impact that these books have had on my life. I can remember sitting in Ms. Higgins' fifth-grade class wondering what all the hype was about; "A boy wizard," I thought, "that's dumb." In fact it wasn't until November of the next year that my eyes were truly opened to Harry's wonderous world.

I went with my aunt and my sister to see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I remember it was a cold, blustery November evening and the theater was almost empty. I had attempted, back in fifth grade, to read the book that this movie was based on but I didn't get very far. I hated reading and plus, a boy wizard, that was dumb. The movie started and all-of-a-sudden, it was as if my imagination had sloshed out onto the screen. The setting, the characters and the mood of the opening scene on Privet Drive were exactly as I'd imagined them. I walked out of the theater in awe. The next thing we did was head to Target Greatland in search of the soundtrack. I didn't know who wrote the music, or even if you could buy soundtracks in the store, just that something about that music moved me; it was as if I had heard it before, sometime long ago, or in a dream. We found the CD and bought it right away. It was written by some guy–John Williams, I didn't know him.

It wasn't until the next year that I actually picked up a book and began to read. In middle school, we would go to the library once a week. It was a complete joke. Nobody actually read anything, I certainly never did. And then I saw it, sitting neatly on a shelf: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. "Well," I thought, "it wouldn't hurt to at least try to read it before the movie comes out." And so, it began. Every week while my class sat around the library, bored, talking blandly to one another, I would escape to a secluded corner and fall once again into Harry's world. Having never enjoyed reading before, I was slow, managing about one chapter per class period. By Christmas, I had finish Chamber and received Prisoner of Azkaban as a gift. I flew through that book faster than any I had read before. By the debut of the Chamber of Secrets film, I had finished not only Azkaban but Goblet of Fire as well.

Waiting for the next book, I wandered into the amazing online fan community where I immersed myself in editorials, Fan Fiction and forum discussion about the books I had originally thought to be 'dumb'. I celebrated the release of the title, Order of the Phoenix, and mourned the loss of Sirius Black with my new found family of more than one-million. Not long after, J.K. Rowling opened her personal website and fans around the globe rejoiced. Together, we found the clues, uncovered the secrets and reveled over the smallest tidbits of information we were given.

After Half-Blood Prince was released in 2005, I heard about podcasting and decided to see what all the buzz was about. This was it: weekly talk shows made by fans of the books, to discuss theories, interview important people involved with the series and make the most of the books we have come to love, my way of escaping the drama and stress of daily life. Melissa, John and Sue, the hosts of PotterCast, soon became like friends and I am thrilled that I had the opportunity to meet them this summer.

Deathly Hallows marked the end of the books series that has captivated so many. Some may wonder why we are so passionate about these books and, as I said, it's difficult to explain. This world, so rich in detail and mystery and magic, complete with its own history and customs, has a way of drawing you in. As fans, we feel at home in Harry's world as much as, if not more so than our own. For many teens and young adults, Harry Potter has helped them to discover what kind of people they are or want to be. I know it has for me and on their birthdays, I say to Harry and Jo, I am extremely grateful.

The First Of Many

First of all, welcome to my Blog.

Second of all, I looked at the calendar today and realized that in less than one month I will be in college. The Columbus College of Art and Design (Dorm Room 897 to be specific) will, from that point on, be my home. Scary thoughts ran through my mind at that thought. I'm excited for school, to be honest, for the change in tempo and scenery. I can only hope that I will meet people of the same caliber there that I have had the pleasure of meeting here, people who aren't so caught-up in themselves that they forget to take a step back and enjoy the moment, people who aren't interested in living the crazy-life just because it's available, people who have the same doubts, the same fears, the same passions as me. Can such people exist at an Art school? We'll see.

This summer has been spent either on the computer (much to the dismay of my parents), in the movie theater, or in bed and that's the way I like it. The computer part involves a lot of things: Desperate attempts to maintain contact with all-too-distant friends, working on a complete re-design for my (grade)school website, working on various design odd-jobs and Potter. This being the Summer of Seven, a large portion of my time has been spent reading, writing, talking and hearing about my favorite book series. I had the amazing good fortune of stumbling across The Leaky Cauldron about four years ago in my desperate search for answers after finishing Goblet of Fire. It has since then become not only my homepage but a fantastic second family for me. Now that Deathly Hallows is out, I hope that family can stay intact; but there's a whole other post there.

I'm liking this idea of a true Blog. Hope you are too.