Volume 1 Issue 1

QA Has Class! By Jane Smith

The new term began at Quercus Alba this year with first years being sorted into their houses.  It looks like it’s going to be a tight race for the House Cup!

Gryffindor House, led by Professor Hunt, is high in testosterone.  Those boys are full of energy and are not afraid to attack any problem.

The Ravenclaw girls, led by charms professor Minerva Bronte, have no shortage of thoughtful consideration.  Their youngest member, with her propensity to take scheduled naps and sleep through the night, may be giving them an early lead.

But, don’t count out those Hufflepuffs!  Led by the ever-intriguing Morphina de Delphi, their hard work sometimes goes unnoticed, but it may turn out that slow and steady wins this race.

Right now, it’s still anybody’s game!

 Blue- An Exercise in Writing About Anything by Bradley Palmer

My favorite color is blue. But not just any kind of blue, I really don’t like baby blue or sky blue or any light blues.  Those light blues remind me of baby shower decorations.  Powdery shades are for little children.  What I really love are deep dark blues like royal blue and navy blue. I think it is hard to find such blues in nature.  They are most often seen on uniforms and the family crest of some old, proud family.

I find ways to bring my favorite blues into my life.  One sure way to see them all day is to wear them.  I love blue jeans.  They are comfortable and they look good.  But, once again, the dark ones are the best.  I will wear the medium tones, but in my opinion the darker the better.  I have a blue dress shirt that I like to wear to dances, and it perfectly compliments my Jerry Garcia blue and black tie.

I root for BYU so I can wear their cool blue shirts.  I guess that is not the only reason, but it is a definite plus.  I started to like BYU after getting an awesome shirt at a BYU football game.  I am also glad that the Seahawks colors are blue and green.  They wisely picked a navy blue over a not so nice sea blue.

I eat blue food when I can.  Unfortunately, not many foods are blue.  I like blue corn chips.  They taste better than the regular ones.  I love anything blue raspberry flavor.  I would even eat a blue raspberry flavored steak.  Although, I do not understand why blue raspberry is blue when raspberries are red.

Being blue does not guarantee greatness. For instance, the Royals are a horrible baseball team. I cannot root for the Dodgers no matter what color they wear.  And, all the blue in the world cannot make Sonic the Hedgehog as cool as Mario.

These exceptions aside, blue is the most awesome color in the universe.

Don’t Be An Octopus! 

By Professor Hunt

Cephalopods are octopus, squid and cuttlefish and with just a few tricks they are the ultimate masters of disguise. Marine biologist, Roger T. Hanlon, has been studying their amazing capabilities for years and has made some startling discoveries. According to Hamlin, “No animal comes even close to the speed and diversity of appearance as this animal.”  As far as scientists know they are the only animals that have the ability to not only change color but to also change the texture of their skin. And they do all of this in spite of being colorblind. In less than a second a cephalopod can blend in with their surroundings to perfection, hiding themselves from predators.

Do we sometimes act as cephalopods and attempt to fool others by feigning to be something we are not? There are times in our lives when we may feel threatened, afraid or nervous and it will be very tempting to act in a way contrary to what we really are, sons and daughters of a Heavenly King.  But, there is no need to sink to the level of a cephalopod. Unlike these marine animals, deception is not our only form of protection.  The Lord told Joshua, “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”  He is also with us. If we remember this, that we are not alone, we can stand strong and true in spite of our surroundings.

If you want to learn more about cephalopods go to youtube, there are many great videos that will amaze you. If you want to learn more about your own inner strength and how to overcome the temptation to be an octopus, press forward in your studies at Quercus Alba. 

The Secret of O’Reilly: The Legend of the White Oak 

By Anna Petersen

Our story begins thousands upon thousands of years ago, with an old wizard named Bolto Tolkien, who was the guardian of a book. A book that held the secret of a lifetime; a secret so powerful that it could bring peace to the world. But the evils of the world were growing stronger and they were determined to destroy the book. In desperation, Bolto snuck out in the dead of night to bury the book. He was walking down the cobblestone streets on his way out of the small town, when he ran into a witch healer, who gave him a seed with instructions to plant it above the book, once it is buried and step back. Bolto did so and as he stepped back a full-grown white oak came out of the ground before his eyes but before he could turn around he was killed and his body left to rot. Thousands of years later, Valiant O'Reilly, who was 17 at the time, came to climb a tree called the great oak which was a white oak that had been there as long as living memory. O’Reilly had been climbing this tree for as long as he could remember but this time he noticed a hollow in the base of the tree he was sure had never been there before. Curious, he stuck his hand in and pulled out an old scroll. Although old, the scroll looked very well preserved. He supposed that it had been preserved by the tree, because judging by the language and the material; it was thousands of years old.  In the scroll there were qualities he later called the “be’s”. He passed on the knowledge and the qualities to every student who entered the halls of Quercus Alba during his lifetime. They are still being taught today.

  

BRITAIN, What Will They Do Next? 

By Alahna Petersen
After an undermined attempt to set 20 Dementors on three innocent Quercus Alba students the British ministry of magic claimed that they would never do such a thing. But reliable resources inside the ministry of magic say otherwise. Our resources in the ministry also say that the British are attempting to place more aurors in America to undermine the Amercian Declaration of Wizarding Autonomy.  The real question is, what will they do next and will we be able to stop it?

Bird by Alahna Petersen

Abstract By Matthew Morphis