In Defense of Hufflepuff and Slytherin

I’ve been on a Harry Potter kick in recent weeks. One of the first things any fan of the series does is try to figure out which of Hogwarts’ four houses they belong in. People have created quizzes and lists of qualities to help in that decision. And if you play Pottermore (it’s actually a website, so I don’t know if you play it or visit it or what), you go through an intensive questionnaire to be sorted. People take pride in their houses and form communities and friendships based on them.

And I know that everyone has their opinions of the four different houses. There’s an analysis of the Pottermore system of sorting that I find quite interesting, but still a bit biased. Of course, it’s hard not to be biased at all when it comes to categorizing the houses. So, biased or not, I thought I’d throw my own opinion out into the ring.

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Life in a Suitcase

How many times have you heard the question “If your house was on fire, what thing would you grab”? It’s meant to reveal what’s most important to a person. I say there’s another (less destructive) way to find out the same thing.

Limiting space can reveal what’s most important.

Go on a trip. In fact, go on multiple trips in a row (that is, if you can. It’s really up to you. Don’t let me tell you what to do with your life. But I do highly recommend traveling). What you choose to pack are the things you can’t see yourself living without.

I’ve packed a lot in my life. Vacations every summer. Moving a lot when I was younger. Some trips were only for a weekend. Others were for months at a time.

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Why Words Matter (Even More than Usual)

So I’m getting over a cold. And for me, colds mean one thing. I lose my voice.

Although my voice has now graduated from a barely audible squeak to low and gravelly, my time as a mute made me think. I’ve never considered myself a particularly talkative person, but it’s very hard being unable to communicate. Being a writer, I’ve always valued words. And I always appreciate my ability to speak more after a cold.

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6 Reasons I Took an Unpaid Internship

“I’m a poor college student.”

It’s a common thing to hear among those pursuing a higher education. Whether as an excuse to stay in rather than going out or a simple complaint about their lot in life, college students are generally on a tight budget.  A recent article in my school’s paper discussed the falling number of paid internships available to students. A large part of the college experience is an internship.In fact, in my program, it’s required.

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Character Types: Heroes-The Poor Lad/Lass

I was going to write about heroes today, but I realized that there are subcategories of heroes that should be explored. So today’s character type is the poor lad/lass (my name, not an official one). This is possible the most well known character type, not only in fairy tales, but in all of story-telling. This character type is associated with “the quest” plot. Some well-known examples include Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, and Katniss Everdeen.

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