(no subject)
Name: Heather Christine
Age: 20 ½
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? I would make it so that a full spectrum of high-quality educational opportunities would be more readily accessible to all people the world over, regardless of station or financial standing. Imagine a system where every person, homeless or affluent, rustic or urban, had the same tools at their fingertips, the same technology, and the same high caliber instructors. Suddenly, knowledge would become a less elitist commodity - and through knowledge comes understanding, and understanding almost invariably begets tolerance, which is sorely lacking in the bulk of today’s society.
Who is your favorite Hogwarts teacher? Professor McGonagall’s no-nonsense sensibilities, coupled with her immense compassion and sly sense of humor, make her the finest Hogwarts has to offer, in my opinion.
Who is your favorite character in Harry Potter? Despite his rather terse style, Snape has always been one of my favorite characters in the entire Potter universe. His constant moral ambiguity is a delightful reminder of just how complicated the world is; we’re surrounded by shades of gray, and very few people are simply “bad” or “good.” Plus, he’s kind of sexy. You know, in a complex, oily way. :-)
Who is your least favorite character in Harry Potter? I have absolutely no tolerance for Dolores Umbridge, who represents, to me, bigotry of the most abhorrent kind.
What makes a person respectable? I think integrity and a constant effort to better oneself through the acquisition of knowledge make a person very respectable indeed.
What is your take on religion? Whew! Bit of a heavy question, that! But here goes: I feel that the purpose of any Faith should be to uplift and encourage, inspiring the believer to lead a richer and more fulfilled life. Based on this, I think that the WAY people choose to incorporate Faith into their day-to-day routine should become secondary to the effect it actually has on their existence…which, in turn, would make fighting over minutiae - the hows and whats and whens - slightly ridiculous. Who is to judge if the cross is better than the menorah, or if the athame is superior to the meditation mat, as long as the people who use these things have good hearts?
What do you think about house elves? That’s extremely difficult. I’m decidedly against the exploitation of seemingly weaker people for gain…but then, we’ve seen how the majority of House Elves look at freedom as something to be avoided at all costs. It really comes down to whether or not this is an ideology impressed upon them through years and years of enforced servitude, or if, indeed, it is an innate characteristic present in their physiological make-up. Yet another facet (though a decidedly more whimsical one) of the age-old Nature vs. Nurture debate.
What do you look for in a friend? More often than not, I have gained the friends in my life through a shared sense of slightly off-kilter humor. Once you have established that you can laugh with someone, no matter what the circumstance, you’ve found a bond that no adversity can sever.
Would you rather have friends and family or money and success? My first instinct is to say money and success, probably because I have neither in my life, and we are always seeking what we lack. However, I know that, in the end, I would be empty without the love of my family and friends, so I’d have to choose them (though just a bit begrudgingly).
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’m rather lacking in the areas of self-discipline and patience, and it has certainly hurt me in various areas of my life. I believe, if given the opportunity to change something, I would ask to be given more willpower and control.
What do you feel is your best quality? My sense of humor has gotten me through more than a couple of scrapes, and nothing makes me happier than eliciting laughter from others.
What are your hobbies? I dearly love singing (though not in front of people, generally), playing the piano, reading most anything that crosses my path, spouting Eddie Izzard and Monty Python quotes at vaguely inappropriate times, and throwing myself headfirst into various fandoms.
Do you want to have children? At the moment, I don’t think I do. While I enjoy children, I’m also a person who greatly values my privacy, and when one has children, privacy tends to disappear. But I’m aware that I’m still rather young, and it’s quite possible that I’ll eventually change my mind.
Have or would you give time and money to a charity? Yes, absolutely. So many people are blessed with an overabundance of “stuff” in their lives, from money to clothes to entertainment to food, I think it helps make you a better person when you momentarily take the focus of yourself and give of your bounty to others
If your friend was attacked (by a person, animal, or - in the magic world - beast), what would you do? Oh, dear! If it was a person, I’d probably dive into the fray, nails at the ready. If it were an animal or beast…well, knowing me, I’d most likely stand there flailing my arms wildly in panic before finding something (or - less preferably - someone) to fling at it. Unless, of course, I had a wand handy, in which case a quick “Impedimenta” ought to do the job nicely!
What is the one thing you would most like to accomplish? I want to leave this world knowing that I have encouraged at least one other person to appreciate the nuances and wonder of humanity and its history; to have shown them that differences are what make life interesting, and aren’t there so we can argue over which is superior.
Who is your role model? I don’t think I actually have a single role model. Someone can have traits you admire, but it’s a little silly to emulate another person, for no matter how hard you try, you’ll still be you. Better to learn from those you respect and use that knowledge to hone your own unique personality and actions.
What trait most annoys you about other people? I cannot abide ignorance nor bigotry. There is so much out there to learn and understand, so many different cultures and viewpoints to consider…people who adamantly refuse to see past their own noses infuriate me.
What do you want to do for a living? I would absolutely love to go into teaching, preferably some faction of History. I harbor an innate fascination with everything “old,” and how events and people managed to shape the world as it is today; I would greatly enjoy being able to share this captivation with others, perhaps kindling the spark of interest in them as well.
Would you ever use an Unforgivable Curse for any reason? A difficult question. Few people ever really know what they would do if faced with a dire situation - they only know what they hope they would do. As a person who values life in all its various forms, I’d like to think that I would be able to restrain myself. But, if someone I loved was in peril, I don’t know if I could keep that resolve. (Ambiguous enough for you?)
What house do you think DOESN'T fit you? (This question is optional for those who feel they just DO NOT fit in a house. Please explain WHY.) Hmmm…I don’t believe that there is a house I feel is absolutely, horrendously wrong for me. If pressed to answer, though, I’d have to say that I’ve never really felt any kinship with Hufflepuff, mostly because their reputation is for hard work and patience - two things that have been difficult for me to achieve consistently.
What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities? In no particular order:
1. Hearty, if odd, sense of humor
2. Constant need to learn new things
3. Healthy respect for Nature
4. Understanding of those whose beliefs might differ from mine
5. Immense appreciation of good conversation
Where did you find out about us? From Cleolinda’s journal (as did many, many others, it would seem!)
Well, that was excessively long, and surprisingly heavy-handed. Sort away, folks!
Age: 20 ½
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? I would make it so that a full spectrum of high-quality educational opportunities would be more readily accessible to all people the world over, regardless of station or financial standing. Imagine a system where every person, homeless or affluent, rustic or urban, had the same tools at their fingertips, the same technology, and the same high caliber instructors. Suddenly, knowledge would become a less elitist commodity - and through knowledge comes understanding, and understanding almost invariably begets tolerance, which is sorely lacking in the bulk of today’s society.
Who is your favorite Hogwarts teacher? Professor McGonagall’s no-nonsense sensibilities, coupled with her immense compassion and sly sense of humor, make her the finest Hogwarts has to offer, in my opinion.
Who is your favorite character in Harry Potter? Despite his rather terse style, Snape has always been one of my favorite characters in the entire Potter universe. His constant moral ambiguity is a delightful reminder of just how complicated the world is; we’re surrounded by shades of gray, and very few people are simply “bad” or “good.” Plus, he’s kind of sexy. You know, in a complex, oily way. :-)
Who is your least favorite character in Harry Potter? I have absolutely no tolerance for Dolores Umbridge, who represents, to me, bigotry of the most abhorrent kind.
What makes a person respectable? I think integrity and a constant effort to better oneself through the acquisition of knowledge make a person very respectable indeed.
What is your take on religion? Whew! Bit of a heavy question, that! But here goes: I feel that the purpose of any Faith should be to uplift and encourage, inspiring the believer to lead a richer and more fulfilled life. Based on this, I think that the WAY people choose to incorporate Faith into their day-to-day routine should become secondary to the effect it actually has on their existence…which, in turn, would make fighting over minutiae - the hows and whats and whens - slightly ridiculous. Who is to judge if the cross is better than the menorah, or if the athame is superior to the meditation mat, as long as the people who use these things have good hearts?
What do you think about house elves? That’s extremely difficult. I’m decidedly against the exploitation of seemingly weaker people for gain…but then, we’ve seen how the majority of House Elves look at freedom as something to be avoided at all costs. It really comes down to whether or not this is an ideology impressed upon them through years and years of enforced servitude, or if, indeed, it is an innate characteristic present in their physiological make-up. Yet another facet (though a decidedly more whimsical one) of the age-old Nature vs. Nurture debate.
What do you look for in a friend? More often than not, I have gained the friends in my life through a shared sense of slightly off-kilter humor. Once you have established that you can laugh with someone, no matter what the circumstance, you’ve found a bond that no adversity can sever.
Would you rather have friends and family or money and success? My first instinct is to say money and success, probably because I have neither in my life, and we are always seeking what we lack. However, I know that, in the end, I would be empty without the love of my family and friends, so I’d have to choose them (though just a bit begrudgingly).
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’m rather lacking in the areas of self-discipline and patience, and it has certainly hurt me in various areas of my life. I believe, if given the opportunity to change something, I would ask to be given more willpower and control.
What do you feel is your best quality? My sense of humor has gotten me through more than a couple of scrapes, and nothing makes me happier than eliciting laughter from others.
What are your hobbies? I dearly love singing (though not in front of people, generally), playing the piano, reading most anything that crosses my path, spouting Eddie Izzard and Monty Python quotes at vaguely inappropriate times, and throwing myself headfirst into various fandoms.
Do you want to have children? At the moment, I don’t think I do. While I enjoy children, I’m also a person who greatly values my privacy, and when one has children, privacy tends to disappear. But I’m aware that I’m still rather young, and it’s quite possible that I’ll eventually change my mind.
Have or would you give time and money to a charity? Yes, absolutely. So many people are blessed with an overabundance of “stuff” in their lives, from money to clothes to entertainment to food, I think it helps make you a better person when you momentarily take the focus of yourself and give of your bounty to others
If your friend was attacked (by a person, animal, or - in the magic world - beast), what would you do? Oh, dear! If it was a person, I’d probably dive into the fray, nails at the ready. If it were an animal or beast…well, knowing me, I’d most likely stand there flailing my arms wildly in panic before finding something (or - less preferably - someone) to fling at it. Unless, of course, I had a wand handy, in which case a quick “Impedimenta” ought to do the job nicely!
What is the one thing you would most like to accomplish? I want to leave this world knowing that I have encouraged at least one other person to appreciate the nuances and wonder of humanity and its history; to have shown them that differences are what make life interesting, and aren’t there so we can argue over which is superior.
Who is your role model? I don’t think I actually have a single role model. Someone can have traits you admire, but it’s a little silly to emulate another person, for no matter how hard you try, you’ll still be you. Better to learn from those you respect and use that knowledge to hone your own unique personality and actions.
What trait most annoys you about other people? I cannot abide ignorance nor bigotry. There is so much out there to learn and understand, so many different cultures and viewpoints to consider…people who adamantly refuse to see past their own noses infuriate me.
What do you want to do for a living? I would absolutely love to go into teaching, preferably some faction of History. I harbor an innate fascination with everything “old,” and how events and people managed to shape the world as it is today; I would greatly enjoy being able to share this captivation with others, perhaps kindling the spark of interest in them as well.
Would you ever use an Unforgivable Curse for any reason? A difficult question. Few people ever really know what they would do if faced with a dire situation - they only know what they hope they would do. As a person who values life in all its various forms, I’d like to think that I would be able to restrain myself. But, if someone I loved was in peril, I don’t know if I could keep that resolve. (Ambiguous enough for you?)
What house do you think DOESN'T fit you? (This question is optional for those who feel they just DO NOT fit in a house. Please explain WHY.) Hmmm…I don’t believe that there is a house I feel is absolutely, horrendously wrong for me. If pressed to answer, though, I’d have to say that I’ve never really felt any kinship with Hufflepuff, mostly because their reputation is for hard work and patience - two things that have been difficult for me to achieve consistently.
What do you think are your top five abilities or qualities? In no particular order:
1. Hearty, if odd, sense of humor
2. Constant need to learn new things
3. Healthy respect for Nature
4. Understanding of those whose beliefs might differ from mine
5. Immense appreciation of good conversation
Where did you find out about us? From Cleolinda’s journal (as did many, many others, it would seem!)
Well, that was excessively long, and surprisingly heavy-handed. Sort away, folks!