YPL Summer plans announcement

[alt_sinistra]

Dear YPL students and their parents,

I am delighted to announce that we have now completed our plans for the summer YPL projects.

Rising second years will again participate in the weeklong camping trip to study the flora, fauna, and history of Dartmoor and Cornwall.

Rising third years will again be visiting London in two groups, with a variety of visits planned to historical sites of interest, Ministry departments, and entertainment.

In both cases, letters are going home to parents this week with additional details, packing lists, and transportation notes. As always, costs are covered by the Ministry and the generosity of our Lord Protector.

Rising sixth or seventh year students wishing to provide supervision, support, and assistance on either trip should contact me directly for an application - again, there is a small stipend.

We are also delighted to announce a new activity for rising fourth years. Through a rigorous application process, students may petition to be included in a combined cadet force programme.

Training will last three weeks, at a location still being arranged, and will cover a variety of magical defence and duelling techniques, orienteering, tracking and mapping, field medwizardry, survival skills, support skills, and more. Students will focus on an area of particular interest in small groups, as well as participating in larger drill and skill training sessions.

We recognise that this is a substantial amount of the summer, but our expert teachers feel that any shorter time would be insufficient to offer a meaningful training experience. Students accepted this summer would also be expected to participate in the summer before their fifth year, and would have the option to continue in later years.

As the upper levels of the YPL program are designed for the best and brightest of our Lord's Protectorate, students who do not apply for this opportunity will have limited chances to participate in YPL-only activities in future. (Students who apply but who do not meet the standards for this summer programme will be considered on a case by case basis for additional activities.)

Applications are available in my office and classroom. The application process has three parts.

1) Complete the written application and short essay, indicating the areas of study that you are most interested in. (Descriptions are provided on the application).

2) Write a letter via the Personal Message feature to someone in the field you aspire to enter professionally after leaving school. You should address the message to that person, and to Professor Sinistra, who will be evaluating you based on your choice, your etiquette, and your behavior. As many likely recipients are extremely busy with other duties, students should not be disappointed if they do not receive a direct response.

3) Students who succeed in this portion of the application will be invited to New London for a day of testing shortly following your return home from school. This portion will involve physical, magical, and intellectual tests. Parents are welcome to accompany their student, or designate a trusted friend or relative to do so (as there will be times when students will be waiting between tests without direct supervision), but will not be allowed in the actual testing rooms.

Lunch will be provided, along with a short presentation about the programme, and the selected roster will be read at tea, before students are dismissed for the day.

All necessary equipment will be provided by the YPL for use during the three weeks of the Combined Cadet Force programme: students will need to bring only their wand, journal, and other immediate personal necessities.

Questions can be directed to me via journal or owl, and students are of course welcome to stop by and discuss at any time I'm available.

Comments

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Um. Whoa.

Training in real fighting? And survival and field skills? That sounds dead wizard!

But I bet Nev and I won't get in. What are you lot going to do? Apply?

I mean, if you don't, you can't be part of YPL next year, right? So you pretty much have to try to get in, yeah?

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

That does sound wizard and I'm going to apply.

I don't think Nev is likely to get in. You might, though. Especially since you just saved Draco from the hippogryff.

I don't know who to write to, though. What field do you think I should say I aspire to enter professionally? It has to be something that might need survival training or field mediwizardry or something -- if I say I want to be a teacher at a village school I don't think that will be very impressive. On the other hand I'm certainly not going to say I want to go into MLE and write to Auror Lestrange, I'm not utterly mad.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_neville]

I think you're right, that I wouldn't be likely to get in.

But I still want to try.

Been thinking...I could sort of spin it like I'm eager to prove that I'm loyal. Because of my parents. That might be a reason they'd want to take me, wouldn't it?

The thing is, though, I'd have to be showing it, and I'm not sure I have the stomach for that. Sucking up to some people I don't like and talking down other people that I do like. Making people believe that I think I'm better just because I'm a pureblood. It might even mean treating some of us here on this lock differently in public, when it isn't just us. I just don't know if I could be a convincing enough actor, or even if I could live with myself for doing that.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_lee]

Why would you want to do it then Nev? What would make it worth it?

What do you want to do when you get out of school anyway?

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_neville]

Well look at the skills they'd be teaching. I reckon that the--um, they'd be useful skills to have, don't you?

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_lee]

Sure if you want to be an auror or something. Is that what you want to do?

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_neville]

No.

I just want to know them.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_gredforge]

Seems to us like you'd be happier with an Advanced Herbology course, Nev.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_lee]

Yeah isn't that what you want to do? Gonna be duelling other people out collecting plants in the swamps or something?

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_neville]

Well, I suppose the orienteering would come in handy if I'm trying to track down a really rare plant like Snigitweed or something. And the field medicine might be useful if I broke my leg or something trying to climb rocks to get it.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Well.

Why not say you want to be a Healer? Ask Madam Pomfrey who you should write about that. Or maybe you could just write to her.

Or, I dunno. Maybe you could say you want to be a manager for one of the big businesses that use labour from the camps, so you'd need to know some of the stuff enforcers do in order to, y'know, keep discipline. And you could say that you've learned stuff at the Strettons that makes you want to go into that.

I mean, you could say you do, even though you don't.

I was thinking about writing Director Selwyn. But I don't know what to say I want to do, either. Something at the Ministry, though, I guess.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

Here's the thing about the second one. There's a saying I've heard a few times (in Slytherin, I don't know if Gryffindors talk about this sort of thing) about not asking for opportunities you really DON'T want because then what if they say yes? I mean what if they offered me an internship at one of the camps? UGH. There actually are a fair number of opportunities for halfbloods at the camps because no one really wants to work there. Even your father doesn't like going, and he works in that part of the Ministry.

I could say I want to be a Healer. Hm. I'd probably write to Madam Pomfrey though I suppose I could write to Ernie Macmillan's father. Or Padma and Parvati's brother, isn't he a healer? I can't remember.

Director Selwyn would probably at least be polite to you. Do you want to work at the Ministry? What would you want to do, I mean, which area? Muggleborn Labour like your father? Communications like your brother?

You know, your brother Charlie has a wizard job, working with dragons. Maybe I should write to him.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Yeah, Charlie's job is dead nift. And I'd love to do that, too, only-

I dunno. He's already done it, hasn't he? And it's really lucky to get offered one of those apprenticeships. I've heard it's harder to get that than to get taken for Auror training, and I don't think there's much chance they'd take me. And, y'know, just bludger me now.

I can't think of anything I'd want to do at the Ministry, really. Not what Dad does, for sure. And you have to be really ace at spell-crafting to do what Bill does, but I'm not anything as brilliant as he is.

But the thing is, I'll have to work at something when I leave school, and I guess I could probably get something at the Ministry if I said that's what I want. I mean, I guess it probably would be something like Dad does, working under other people who make all the decisions and then make him stay late and do all the parchmentwork. So I don't see what choice I've got, really. I mean, I wouldn't get to be an Unspeakable, 'cause you've got to have top NEWTs for that and be all theoretical and Ravenclaw, too.

I mean, what I'd love to do is play Quidditch, but it's not like I'm even going to play for Gryffindor, so that's right out. I mean, I don't think Professor Sinistra would take that very seriously, do you?

Maybe I should write to MacBlevins and ask how you go about getting to be the Protectorate champion at chess. Except what's she going to tell me? 'Enter the national amateur tournament and win. Pay to join the Guild. Enter the pro tourneys and win.' Simple, that. And that's not going to get me into the Cadet thinger, either, is it?

So, yeah. I don't know. I want to do something dead snitch like Charlie, but I don't know what I can really do, yeah? And I don't want to be the one who just squibs out, y'know?

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

You have to work at something but it doesn't have to be at the Ministry. There are people who make things and fix things and sell things. I've thought about trying to go into business making things like jewelry and fancy scarves and so on. That wouldn't be a good one to write about, though. Working at the Ministry would be a much better one to write about.

I suppose you don't have to know exactly, you could just talk about how you want to Serve Our Lord as directly as possible and devote yourself to a life of public service like he has (Director Selwyn I mean). People get moved around departments all the time, I think, when they go to work at the Ministry. The Slytherins who do, at least.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

You think I should really lay it on that thick? Would he believe me?

Um.

If I do decide to write Director Selwyn, d'you think you and Pansy could write it for me? I mean, you'd know what sorts of things to say. And I'd probably just make a hash of it.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

I probably ought to tell you to write it yourself and show it to us and we'll tell you what to change, but it'll be less work if we just write it for you.

Not this week, though. Pans

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Maybe I ought to tell him I'd like to work for whatever Department it is he's got that surveys places Muggles used to live to make them over for new wizarding towns. That'd actually be nift. And it'd use some of the skills that are supposed to be part of this Cadet programme, wouldn't it.

I mean, not the fighting, so much. I guess I could say something about wanting to be good at that, too, just in case He ever needed us all to fight for the Protectorate or whatever.

What d'you think? About the surveying idea. Or, um, Towler said to maybe call it regional planning or redeveloping or some such.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

The surveying is a good idea, but you should find out exactly what that department is called. Ask your father, I'm sure he'd know.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

Do you think I'd actually be any use as a Healer?

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Of course you would.

You'd be ace at fixing things, too. Or adding charms to specialty wotnots. What would you want to do if you could do anything?

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

I don't know.

But being a Healer wouldn't actually be terrible. If I could get used to the hospital-wing smell.

I like fixing things, too. And adding charms to specialty whatnots. I suppose if I could do ANYthing I'd make things like charm bracelets, one-of-a-kind, and sell them to rich ladies who would pay far too much for them because they were so nift and they wanted to own a Perks Original.

Ha.