By: Grace Fitzgibbon –

A wave of nostalgia washes over Southeast students today as they think about collecting puffles on Club Penguin, hopping over troopas in Super Mario Bros., singing along to the “Campfire Song Song” in Spongebob Squarepants, or training to be a Jedi Knight from the Star Wars series with a duct-taped light saber. Looking back on these precious pieces of our childhood provides insight on what our entertainment choices have taught us about life.
Senior Andrew Fujan has a deeply personal connection to perhaps one of the most iconic pop culture influences on today’s young minds, the Harry Potter series. His first interaction with it was as a young child in elementary school, watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for the first time.
“I somehow had an unconscious connection with Harry Potter,” said Fujan. “That very first movie triggered how I felt not only about the movie series itself, but how I felt about my personal connection with the character Harry himself.”
The character of Harry has been especially important to Fujan because of his own unique life experience. Fujan’s childhood parallels Harry’s in that, from a young age he was orphaned and disliked where he grew up, in an orphanage in Ukraine.
“After a few years, my new parents came from America to adopt me and add me to their family,” said Fujan. “America was my Hogwarts, except I never had to go back.”
In addition to books and movies, this generation of students have experienced online gaming become a normal source of entertainment. Sophomore Aisha Monismith’s game of choice was Webkinz, a virtual world of pets accessed by the purchase of a stuffed animal in real life. By the time she stopped playing, Monismith had collected more than 30 Webkinz plush toys and had a lavishly decorated virtual home, complete with a movie theater, a playroom, two treetop gardens, and a garage.
“I would spent too much time and too much money on that website,” said Monismith.
While Monismith says she wasn’t a lonely child, her plush pets were fun to be imaginative with in the game and in real life.
“I loved those things. I grew up an only child, so I would make forts and all my Webkinz would be in there, and I would [say] ‘We’re gonna play school’. They were my friends.”
Whether it’s obvious or not, the things we cherish in our childhood often act as a gateway to aspects of our teenage life. In Fujan’s case, it has lead him to an interest in the fantastical world of fiction.
“Because of Harry Potter, I have gotten more interested in sci/fi movies, such as Star Wars,” said Fujan. “The ability to imagine a life where simplicity is not the norm is what makes sci/fi so much more intriguing. Harry Potter helped open up a world that was more exciting than the life I had lived to that point.”
Online children’s games have the opportunity to prime children on safe internet usage along with spark an interest in electronic discourse. Webkinz, while increasingly more restrained in chat options than competitors at the time–such as Club Penguin–still allowed Monismith to get a taste of what was to come.
“I probably spend as much time, or probably more, on social media than I did on Webkinz,” said Monismith. “You get that connection with your friends, and you get to interact.”
Perhaps the most important thing our childhood entertainment has provided us with are life lessons. The stories we learn about as children have the potential to shape how we feel about our own lives.
“My favorite part about the movie and book series was watching the relationships of Harry change, not only his life, but Harry himself,” said Fujan. “Just think about what would Harry be like if he wasn’t friends with Ron or Hermione or if his parents didn’t die. I find such a strong personal connection with Harry that I tend to try to connect his relationship with the ones I have.”
Through her childhood obsession, Monismith learned the hard way that bad things happen if you neglect your responsibilities. In one instance, she had been grounded and wasn’t able to log on for a while. When she logged on again, she was horrified that all 25 pets she had at that time were sick. Frantically, she took all of them to the doctor and got them the treatment they needed. Even though there was no real-life consequences for neglecting her pets, Monismith felt the stress of taking care of her virtual friends seep into her real life.
“I think Harry Potter made life make more sense,” said Fujan. “It made me realize that whatever obstacle is in my life there is always a way to get around it. The other important thing is that Harry didn’t just do it all himself, he had help from all his friends, from family. Relying only on your ability to succeed is the surest form of failure.”
Revisiting old games or series feels bittersweet, knowing that a former version of yourself used to invest so much time, energy, and love into a single medium. It can also lead to some embarrassment. When Monismith got the opportunity to log on to Webkinz once more, she was able to laugh at herself for naming her pet bat Wingo and her snake Curly.
“At the time, I thought I had given them all really great names, but recently, I logged back in and realized they were probably the most unoriginal and cringey names you could probably think of,” said Monismith.
Today, Fujan finds himself returning to the world of Harry Potter a couple times a year. He says it will always be his favorite series because of its significance in his life.
“Every time I re-watch the series I always learn something new about myself and who I want to be.”