Author: Melanie Hom & Brian Wanyoike

“…the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy… –Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, p. 724

Just a few weeks or months ago

When the year had just begun

We threw a few words on the page

And thus began our fun

What started out a simple jest

Grew serious as we wrote

We found ourselves inspired by

Each Harry Potter quote

First the Pensieve taught us that

Our thoughts deserve our time

Although we have the tendency

To hide them in our minds

The Sorting Hat shed light upon

The choices that we make

And how they can define us more

Than abilities innate

Hogwarts is like the bubble here

A safe place in which to hide

But we must note the larger world

And the perspective it provides

Trolls may help us make true pals

Who share our selfsame goals

For chance encounters help us see

Our friendships’ actual role

A dive into a freezing pond

Showed intuition reigns

While reason may be sensible

The plunge has greater gains

Harry’s path to leadership

Progressed naturally from his drive

Not hungering for position

He then could fully thrive

Patronuses are rooted in

The memories we share

For whether we are near or far

Hardships they help us bear

Sirius suggests we always treat

Each person with respect

Without demeaning who they are

Thus changing our mindset

The flighty temptress we avoid

For fear of straying from

The risks already planned for us

Restrict who we become

Fawkes’ soft cry serves to show

We must urge others on

To actively share their states of mind

With no assumptions drawn

The library is quite the place

Where meaning can be found

Not in our cubbies alone but through

The knowledge that abounds

Lastly, our fight may seem futile

The results seem out of reach

But the process and the modest steps

Manage powerfully to teach

We thus have all been well-equipped

To wave our wands with pride

For Harry’s journey throughout the books

Is an example that can guide

So go on out there knowing that

Right may not come with ease

Though challenges may come our way

Our struggle truly frees

“It was important, Dumbledore said, to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then could evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated…” –Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, pp. 644-645

As far as lofty pursuits go, “eradicating evil” is pretty high up there. Although we Stanford students are extremely goal-oriented, it’s difficult to attribute significance to the fights we undertake when the main evils we focus on eradicating are squeaky bike brakes and out-of-control e-mail inboxes. Even when we focus our efforts on something significant and pit ourselves against issues of social justice and reform, we may quickly find ourselves overwhelmed and paralyzed by the enormity of what we face. However, when we examine Harry’s struggles against Voldemort, we are reminded of why and how we ought to fight.

Throughout the series, it seems as if defeating Voldemort is Dumbledore’s and Harry’s be-all-end-all goal; as if destroying Voldemort will be the solution to the wizarding world’s problems. Nevertheless, after Dumbledore’s death (spoiler!), when Harry is contemplating how he will proceed to defeat Voldemort, he recalls Dumbledore’s wise words on combating evil. Harry realizes that Voldemort’s demise will not actually destroy evil for good, and that evil will, in fact, always be present in one form or another. At the same time, Harry manages to recognize the importance of making small strides forward and chooses not to give up hope.

During our time at Stanford, most of us become passionate about one issue or another, whether it is poverty and human trafficking or education and healthcare reform. We try to find and then actualize these passions by joining campus organizations, sending out slews of enthusiastic e-mails and dreaming up nonprofits. Oftentimes, however, we fall into the trap of taking a damaging approach to the so-called evils that we battle, and we lose perspective on what it is that we have set out to fight. We tend to become dangerously drunk on our ideas and let the lack of tangible results push us over the edge, both of which Dumbledore fervently warns Harry against.

While Dumbledore does not implore Harry to abandon his passion or to mindlessly deflect obstacles along the way, he reminds him that if he fights without fully understanding the battle, Harry may very well end up aimlessly fighting against himself. As Harry then attempts to live out Dumbledore’s advice in his pursuit of Voldemort, he is able to focus on each individual step forward. Therefore, rather than finding himself in combat with his own selfish ambitions, resignation in the face of struggle or disappointment in the unattainable nature of his goal, he is able to face each new challenge with energy and zeal. Harry clearly internalizes Dumbledore’s advice, as by the last installment, he is able to act with maturity and stamina as he makes the final strides toward defeating Voldemort.

We thus learn from Harry’s example that our so-called “life missions” are not simply about the final results but are also about refining a process with deliberate and well-reasoned steps. His experiences taking down horcrux after horcrux show us that we can find great value in the incremental strides that we take toward diminishing our discontent with and injustice that we see in our world. Progress against evil doesn’t have to involve abolishing pain and suffering from the entire world, but can simply involve eliminating these things in one individual’s world at a time. By pursuing our goals in such a manner, we are then able to find the strength both to press on and to acknowledge that our work is not in vain.

Lastly, as we consider the battles we wish to fight, we must recognize that if we truly choose to chase lofty visions, our chase will be a lifelong one. Evil certainly did not disappear with Dumbledore’s defeat of Grindelwald, and it’s safe to say that Voldemort’s defeat did not entail evil’s defeat either. Dumbledore committed his life to fighting evil, taking on one dark wizard after another. We are consequently reminded by his example that any mission we embark on, whether it be self-improvement or systemic change, may never see resolution in our lifetimes. Perhaps that is what our years at Stanford truly prepare us for and teach us. Not only does it equip us with the weapons to fight our chosen battles, but we are also able to engage with and learn from those who have been waging these battles for a long time, with the same ardor and hope that they had when they first entered the fray.

Then again, broken bike brakes are a pretty terrible form of evil in this weather. They might just be the one form of evil that can be eradicated with a quick trip to the bike shop.

“When in doubt, go to the library.” – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, p. 255
It seems that when sophomore year comes around, and vehicular escape from campus is finally possible, we Stanford students take advantage of every chance we can get to experience the outside world.  About halfway through the quarter, sandstone buildings, the abundance of palm trees, and the constant whirring of bike wheels become unbearable, and we find ourselves fleeing from the place we so excitedly flocked to for answers about life.  Interestingly enough, when Hermione, one of Harry’s best friends, experiences similar sentiments and is desperately seeking to understand phenomena in the world around her, rather than finding refuge in the outside world, she is able to find meaning and grounding in an already familiar place – the library.

At Hogwarts, it becomes apparent very early on that Hermione’s sanctuary is the Hogwarts library.  As the brainiest of their year, it is natural that she spends inordinate amounts of time at the library doing work, light background reading, and researching topics of interest.  While she devotes most of her energy there participating in menial, student-typical activities, she also turns to the library for answers to life’s bigger and more pressing questions.  In their second year, when an unknown monster threatens the lives of Hogwarts students and the school’s operation itself, Harry and Ron stand helpless in the face of danger and are paralyzed (or should we say “petrified?”) with fear.  On the other hand, with a quick trip to the library, Hermione is able to pinpoint the source of the problem and respond accordingly, ultimately saving her own life.  Her unique relationship with the school library provides a model for our own approach to Stanford’s resources and suggests that the library can be unexpectedly empowering.

At Stanford, our 20 libraries are generally places for cramming, sleeping, and streaking.  For the most part, they are viewed simply as quiet spaces where we students can fully immerse ourselves in academic concentration.  While there is nothing wrong with using them as a places to pursue our studies, it would be a sore mistake to only see them as such and forget what they are in their very essence – a vast collection of knowledge and record of human accomplishments and failures.  What can so easily be overlooked at times as we scurry about trying to find the quietest, most anti-social cubby is this essence and the extent to which libraries can then tie us to the greater world.

As Hermione is able to recognize throughout the series, the library has the potential to broaden her world rather than limit it.  For us, it is so tempting to transport ourselves physically out of the Stanford bubble instead of realizing that this transportation is possible with a quick trek to Meyer or Terman. However, if we take just a few moments to actually take in the stacks that surround us or to even pluck a dust-coated book off the shelf, we might gain the perspective that we so desperately long to experience off campus.  The familiarity of the library suddenly fades, as we recognize how insignificant both Stanford and we are against the backdrop of centuries of accumulation of knowledge.  We are reminded of the people who have gone before us in exploring the field that captivates us, and we are struck with an appreciation for how much we do not and will not ever know.

As mentioned previously, Hermione’s ability to fully embrace the Hogwarts library has startling implications for her own life.  After she runs to the library to better understand the frightening events plaguing Hogwarts, she is able determine that a basilisk is responsible for the student attacks and quickly takes precautions to protect herself with a mirror, which eventually saves her from a terrible death. While Green may not literally enable us to save our own lives, it does have the power to preserve our sanity and provide us with the glimpse of the outside world that we so desperately seek.  Our libraries remind us that there is more to our lives than the vicious cycle of school and sleep deprivation, and they push us to realize that our current and future accomplishments can be both meaningful and insignificant.

Of course, if one still insists on leaving campus to gain perspective, we’d like to recommend a quick trip to IKEA.  After all, Hermione would probably agree that IKEA Swedish meatballs and Hogsmeade butterbeer are essentially the same thing.

“Numbing the pain for a while will only make it worse when you finally feel it.”–Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, p. 695

As we greet Winter Quarter after three weeks of eggnog-sloshing, snow-related shenanigans and other holiday festivities, it is likely that most of us have boxed up all of our less-than-pleasant Fall Quarter memories and sent them to the Azkaban. Nobody wants to remember that week that we thought would never end, the sour note that that one class ended on, or the mini panic attack we had back in Week Six. While it makes sense to package these unseemly items away and to move ahead with the fresh start that is the new quarter, Harry’s own dealings with the struggles in his life suggest an interesting approach to these issues.

After getting thrown in some Triwizard Tournament deal, scraping through three tasks, watching Voldemort return to power and kill Robert Pattinson–oh wait, Cedric Diggory–right in front of him, one could only imagine how physically and emotionally exhausted Harry was. With both Harry’s mind and body aching for dreamless sleep and an escape from inquiring minds, the last thing he wanted to confront was Dumbledore telling him to engage with his pain. Although Harry’s instincts screamed for him to flee from the horror of the present, Dumbledore wisely recognized that there is immense power and healing in openly acknowledging and sharing agonizing feelings.

Like Harry, we can all recall a time where sharing the truth about our emotional state was supremely difficult. Taking a Portkey back to Freshman Year, after the NSO-fueled dream of consistently happy students dies with Autumn Quarter finals, the administration auto-corrects with Mid-Year Convocation’s warnings of impending nervous breakdowns. Suddenly, “Stanford Duck Syndrome” (SDS) goes into full effect. Any signs of actual problems or stress must be kept hidden in the cupboard underneath the stairs, easily ignored as busy schedules, piles of work and friendships demand our attention.

Herein is where the problem lies. We may readily admit that mental health is an issue that affects us all, but it is much harder to realize, as Dumbledore does, that it is an issue that demands action from us all. Because we are constantly made aware of the resources available to those who may need emotional support, we tell ourselves people will get help if they need it or make false assumptions about the well being of others just because they do not outwardly display signs of distress. By even tacitly buying into the idea of SDS, a façade is created that not only allows a person to be dishonest with themselves about what they are truly experiencing, but that also prevents others from perceiving these struggles and taking them seriously.

Looking back at Dumbledore’s interactions with Harry, it is clear that he was careful not to let Harry make excuses or avoid confronting the issue at hand. As Dumbledore so astutely points out, by ignoring the problem at that moment, Harry would have only been allowing it to eat away at him and manifest itself in a much more damaging fashion later. On our campus, busyness and quick reassurances from our peers that they’re “fine” are just two Harry-esque distractions that soothe our consciences and that allow a few emotional struggles to fester and escalate into something more serious. Even though Sirius’ belief that such things can be managed later maybe more appealing and practical to us, it is imperative to acknowledge that we must be persistent and timely in dealing with these problems.

The real Stanford syndrome is the one that allows us to fountain hop at obscene hours of the day, cheer on the “truly incomparable” LSJUMB’s clothing (or lack thereof) and believe in the entrepreneurial way. What “SDS” or any mental health issue does is rob individuals of what a Stanford life should be about. As we are constantly reminded of the stigma of seeking help, it naturally follows that an absence of much-needed encouragement and support makes getting help that much harder. Even Harry, the Chosen One, needed a “soft” cry from Fawkes the phoenix and a hand on the shoulder from Sirius to share his struggles.  Thus, we are all called upon to actively check in on the well being of those around us and to adopt a lifestyle of open-mindedness. Ultimately, we all need a group of peers to support us and resources to help us if we are, in fact, suffering from mental health issues. While it is the University’s responsibility to provide the latter, it is all of our responsibilities to ensure the former.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with eggnog or snow either.  From what we hear, Dumbledore is a pretty big fan of lemon drops and tenpin bowling himself.