In the Spotlight
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June 2021
Hello again, Readers! This month In the Spotlight, we have Slytherin's Head of House, Professor Scarlet Leslie-Lewis. Professor Scarlet has been around HOL since... well... forever, so it's really awesome to be able to highlight her in this month's column. Here we go! 1. What was the inspiration for your HOL name? I love the color scarlet, so I'm quite curious to hear this answer! Scarlet: I knew that I wanted to keep my real initials (SL) for my HOL name. I've always liked colors, so I searched for a color name that begins with S. You would think that I'd choose something like "Sapphire" because my favorite color is blue. But "Scarlet" actually has four letters in the same exact spot as my real name, so I went with it! Leslie was the name of a girl a year older than me in school. She was petite but powerful, and the type of volleyball player that I aspired to be like. When "Leslie" showed up on a list of surnames that start with L, it just made sense to pick it. When I "married" into Slytherin, I thought it made sense to change my name. I nearly became "Prof. Scarlet Lewis." After years of seeing "R-S-Leslie" in Quidditch games, Cody didn't like the idea of me playing Seeker without "Leslie" and pushed for a hyphenated last name. Emily: Wow, you put a lot of thought into your name, Professor! I admire your mad reasoning skills; I just picked two characters from one of my favorite shows and mashed them together and "Emily Spencer" it is. I rather agree with Cody, so kudos to him :) By the way, blue is my favorite color as well. 2. What is one of your fondest memories of HOL, either as a student or Professor? Scarlet: This was tough for me. I asked Cody and he said HOL Life, so I'm going to borrow his answer. For those who don't know, HOL Life was a HOL contest run by Ryan Granger and Arielle Lemoyne based on the board game, The Game of Life. In pairs, you go through life as a HOL student, starting from First Year. Each round, there were three tasks – puzzle, writing, creative – that would earn your team dice rolls. After being in charge of so many Slytherin and Quidditch events and running contests (Bracket Blitz), it was kind of a relief to just be a participant. We were both professors at the time, so our points didn't count and we had tons of fun with the tasks. Our brainstorming sessions were sometimes ridiculous, but we managed to put something together by the end of the week. I was visiting Cody at one point during HOL Life, so we even got to work on some tasks in person. Emily: That sounds like so much fun! Maybe one day they can be persuaded to bring it back. *crosses fingers* 3. I can imagine that you've taught many classes throughout the years. Which one of them has stood out as a favorite and why? Scarlet: Journey of the Hero! It's one of my earliest classes, but it is still my favorite. I have gotten so many great book recommendations from Journey of the Hero. It is a topic that is timeless and I will never get tired of it. I love reading each person's reactions to the Hero Quest, whether they agree with it or not. I always feel that I get to know my Journey of the Hero students very well because the work that they choose for the project is usually one of their favorites, so I really get to see their personalities. Emily: That sounds like a really cool class! If it's still being offered, I might just have to take that one myself. 4. If you could get the chance to have any job in the Wizarding World, what would it be and why? Scarlet: I'd like to be a Curse-Breaker. I love solving puzzles and it seems like an exciting job! No two days would be the same. Emily: I could totally see you in that kind of job! You might even get to travel to a lot of exotic places; I'm totally envious now. 5. I'm a self-confessed foodie, so I have to ask. What is your favorite thing to eat? Scarlet: I love mushrooms! I almost always choose a burger with mushrooms and I'm sad that most people don't like mushrooms on their pizza. Growing up, we ate so much rice, so I tend to gravitate toward noodle dishes instead. I like pasta and ramen. My absolute favorite food is he fun, a rice noodle from Hong Kong. Also, I have a weakness for chocolate chip cookies. Emily: We could be foodie twins, seriously! I love mushrooms and use them a lot in cooking (yes, even on pizza). Believe it or not, I, too, grew up with a lot of rice so I tend to gravitate toward noodles as well. I don't mind rice, it's just not my 'go-to' ingredient. I totally want that recipe, by the way. And nothing is ever wrong with chocolate chip cookies! Now you've made me hungry lol. 6. What is your favorite holiday and why? Scarlet: Christmas! For over 20 years, my family would spend 3-4 days on or near Christmas at Killington Ski Resort in Vermont. It was a lot of fun riding chair lifts and gondolas up the mountain and skiing/snowboarding down during the day. In the evenings, we would go swimming or play racquetball and board games. There was one exceptionally warm year, so we only skied for one day and explored Vermont instead – one stop was the Ben & Jerry's factory! Sadly, the group we went with disbanded, and with the current pandemic, we haven't been since 2019. Christmas is also Secret Santa time. When my siblings and I were young, poor students, we decided to do Secret Santa. Rather than buying everyone presents, we would only be responsible for one person. In the beginning, my parents would provide each of us with money. We've kept that tradition going, but we no longer need financial assistance. Last year, we even expanded our exchange to include significant others and friends! Emily: That sounds so fun! I can see why Christmas is your favorite holiday. Emily: Professor, thank you so much for taking the time to be "in the spotlight." I feel as if I've gotten to know you much better, and I know the readers will feel the same. Until next time, folks! March 2021
Hello and welcome to In the Spotlight! Each issue, I will be interviewing a different person from HOL and (hopefully) learning some very interesting facts about them that I can pass along to you. For the very first interview, I could think of no one better than my dear friend, partner-in-crime, and fellow Slytherin Prefect, February Fortescue. Emily: First off, thank you for agreeing to do this, February. Like I've told you many times, I couldn't imagine being on this crazy ride without you. You've certainly helped me more than I could ever put into words. So without further ado, here's February Fortescue! 1. You are a definite asset to Slytherin, but if you had to be sorted into any other house, which one would it be and why? February: You are definitely too kind! Personality-wise, if I weren't sorted into Slytherin, I think the Sorting Hat would place me in Ravenclaw. I enjoy living in my head and analyzing ideas and symbolism and thinking about things philosophically. I tend to be “airy” and a bit unusual and I think this is a good fit with Ravenclaw as well. I don't always conform and often think outside the box. Emily: As I said, Slytherin is lucky to have you. But I do agree that you would fit well into Ravenclaw, too. You are a true definition of "Slytherclaw." 2. You teach Astrology and your name is February, which makes me think you were born in that month, which makes you an Aquarius (like me!!). What aspects of Aquarius do you feel most apply to you? February: Yah!!!! According to the class I teach: Positive Traits: Humanitarian, Original, Independent, Loyal Negative Traits: Detached, Stubborn, Opinionated My Cancer Moon stopped me from getting detached, but I think I got all the rest! I will help anyone I can and I do lots of charity work. I'm definitely original and independent. I like to think I'm loyal. I have few good friends, but I stand up for them and stick by them. I can be very stubborn. And I'm definitely opinionated. If I truly believe in something, I tend to be hardheaded about it. Emily: We Aquarians can be very original; that's for sure! I like to think of myself as 'unique.' 3. Fortescue is synonymous with ice cream in the Harry Potter world. With that in mind, what is your favorite flavor of ice cream, Ms. Fortescue? February: My favorite ice cream is Ben and Jerry's Phish Food. It's chocolate ice cream with marshmallow, caramel, and fudge. I think it was given that name because it has cute little fudge shaped fish! Emily: Sounds like a fancy Rocky Road. My daughter would love it! I'm a butter pecan person myself, but chocolate is never ever a bad call, in my opinion. 4. You teach a wide variety of classes. What is your favorite class that you have ever taught here on HOL? February: Definitely my first, Astrology and Harry Potter. I remember thinking, “You know, everyone knows Harry is a Leo, but I bet Luna is an Aquarius!” I looked up the birthdate Rowling had given her, and she was – it was the day after mine! Next, I correctly guessed Hermione's. Hermione could be no other sign but Virgo! And then I correctly guessed Remus Lupin's. And the farther along I went, I realized it had to be intentional on her part. No doubt. There's only one character from the original seven novels I disagree with, and it isn't Neville. And since I've been teaching the class, only one other person has said they don't think the character fits the sign. I won't spoil it, though. The Fantastic Beasts characters are an enigma. Queenie Goldstein as she is currently portrayed does not appear to be a Capricorn to me. Voldemort and Snape are definitely Capricorns. But: A name like Queenie? Snape was the Half-Blood Prince = both names of Royalty. Snape joined Voldemort, switched sides to Dumbledore, but you were never really sure until the end which side he was on. Queenie seemed to be on the good side, but appeared to go over to team Grindelwald and there's some uncertainty about which side she's really on. Both love Muggles. There's going to be some kind of tie-in here between the two characters by the 5th movie. Anyway, I love the class, but it was a very difficult one to write because of all the layers. But hopefully, it helps people. By grouping the star signs by element instead of by birthdate, I think it helps explain them and tie them together. Adding in the characters gives you a better understanding of each sign and maybe of each character. And if you really want to learn more about Astrology, for research, I've introduced Sun Sign, Moon Sign, and Ascendant for those who haven't heard of it. Emily: I loved your Astrology Class and now you've added even more stuff?!!! Merlin, now I want to take it again! Seriously, folks, astrology is fascinating stuff and this class rocks. 5. Do you have any special goals for this term, February? February: I always try to focus on keeping new sign-ups. I want other people to enjoy HOL as much as I do, and I'll help anyone anytime I can. Emily: You have been my inspiration, my friend. Maybe one day I'll almost be as perfect as you! Seriously, though, your love of HOL and caring nature definitely come across in all that you do. We are lucky to have you. 6. Finally, if you had to be stranded on a desert island with any character from the HP-verse, who would it be and why? February: Definitely George Weasley! He's fun and entertaining and I'd never be bored. He's very intelligent and we would not go hungry or stay cold. He'd figure out inventive ways to meet our needs. He'd also go out of his way to get us off that island! LOL Emily: You know, I have to be one of the few people who did not actually like the Weasley twins all that much, so I will leave George all to you. I can't think of any HP character I'd want to be marooned with except maybe Hermione. That's my Ravenclaw tendencies showing. February: Thanks, Emily, that was fun! Emily: Thank you once again, February. That was fun indeed. Stay tuned next time, folks, when another person will be in the spotlight! |