This Week in Wizard Activism: HPA House Cup Marathon Success!

By Jessica Rozycki

Graphic of our This Week in Wizard Activism logo! It features the words “This Week in Wizard Activism” and our logo on a blue background.

Another week, another This Week in Wizard Activism!

A gif of *Phoebe from Friends saying “And E as in ‘Ello there, mate!’”*

Our House Cup Marathon has come to a close!

*First GIF: Phoebe running/leaping toward Rachel, yelling “Come on! That’s not running!”*

*Second GIF: Phoebe running past Rachel, arms waving, and yelling “LET’S GOOOO!”*

A huge congratulations and THANK YOU is in order for all of our magical racers and cheerleaders who completed the House Cup Marathon! This year we had over 600 racers who collectively ran over 16,000 miles and raised thousands of dollars for the HPA. Whether you were a runner, walker, roller, cheerleader, or donor, your participation has been immensely impactful and we are profoundly grateful! We hope you enjoyed your virtual journey around Scotland and we’re excited to put all of your hard work into action this Fall with an immigration rights-version of Neville Fights Back!

It’s no secret that reading and talking about books makes you smarter.

*A gif from Friends of Phoebe looking at her watch and saying “I’m very wise, I know.”*

The only thing better than a book club is a book club that is available to you anytime, anywhere! When you join the Apparating Library Book Club, you get access to our online discussion groups, livestreams, a newsletter, and a totally rad community full of fellow nerds who won’t get bored talking about your favorite character or your deep thoughts on what you’ve read. There’s a one time fee of $35 for a lifetime of bookish happiness, which sounds like a pretty sweet deal. We’ve got some incredible titles coming up, including Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge, Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera, and more! We can’t wait to read with you!

What’s happening in the wider wizarding world?

No need to remember every detail when we have fabulous researchers keeping us updated on things we need to know. Here are some highlights from our most recent reports:

In environmental news, researchers are developing a lightweight, battery-powered freshwater harvester, which has the potential to help address water shortages due to climate change, industrial pollution, droughts, and groundwater depletion. In case you forgot that science is the coolest.
Our LGBTQ+ research report shared the story of 18-year-old Glee, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Champions actress Josie Totah, who recently came out as trans. Welcome to the family, Josie! Let us know if we can get you any snacks.
From our gender equity reporter, we learned that the talented and deserving women who compete on The Great British Baking Show are out-baking their male competitors and beating the gender confidence gap. We can’t think of anything better to be paired with sweet treats than beating gender gaps.

Your bank account when you hear the words “new merch.”

A photo of a navy blue t-shirt with white and light blue text that says “I’m hoping to do some good in the world! — Hermione Granger”

Don’t worry! It’s the weekend, which means it was just payday, which means you can definitely reward yourself for getting through another week with a cool new shirt or journal from our merch store. Plus there’s an extra perk: these clothes and accessories will attract all nearby Wizard Activists. Just say hello and you’ll magically have a new friend!