Wizards & Wranglers

Sophomore Christen Babcock first became familiar with Harry Potter three years ago when the juvenile wizard hit the silver screen. Since then, Babcock has grown into a huge Harry Potter fan, even naming her houseplant "Dobby," after a character from the series.\n"I'm 19 years old, and I'm obsessed with Harry Potter," Babcock said.\nBabcock isn't alone when it comes to odd obsessions. As embarrassing, time-consuming and expensive as they may be, obsessions plague people everywhere, and students at IU are no exception.\nEven though Babcock admits she has "Potter pride," she's aware her fetish may be getting a bit expensive for her current status as a college student. Babcock has spent over $100 on the DVDs and books to put together a collection worth the attention of any real fanatic. She's also become a familiar face at the local Best Buy, purchasing the new XBox and Potter video games to get her fix of Quidditch, the sport Harry plays.\n"Sometimes it can get a little expensive," she said. "Like on eBay, there's a Nimbus 2000. Oh God, I want that! I think I'm going to go online today."\nAlthough the Harry Potter craze shows no signs of dying in the near future, the Justin Timberlake of children's literature isn't for everyone. Some choose to fulfill addictions of a different sort.\nSophomore Jonathan Woody is a self-proclaimed Jeep addict. But Woody said this isn't just a love affair, as Jeeps can be useful conversation starters to pick up Jeep-loving girls.\n"When you're a Jeep guy, it becomes a part of you," Woody said. "My Jeep is like an extension of my body. It's like your being."\nA Jeep body or not, sometimes obsessions with material things can get out of hand, said Nancy Buckles, director of Counseling and Psychological Services.\n"It becomes a seriousness when the addiction is getting in the way of your daily, normal life," Buckles said. "It can mess up your life if you flunk out of college by (excessively) playing video games." \nBuckles added that a fun addiction on the outside can be a means of covering up or coping with other things on the inside and the obsessions, especially with people like celebrities, could be hiding insecurities about one's self-identity.\nWhile Woody adores his Jeep, he also sees the other side.\n"We have this thing called 'J.A.' (Jeep-a-holic Anonymous) for people who go too far, because sometimes it can," he said.\nAlthough there might never be a need for an "odd-obsessive anonymous," the Counseling and Psychological Services program is always available. Offered by the IU Health Center, CaPS is a counseling service for people with all types of concerns, and the first two visits are already covered in students' tuition.\nBut no matter how expensive or downright freaky, almost everyone has an obsession, and even Buckles agrees it can be a stress-reliever.\n"As long as it's manageable, it's perfectly healthy."\n-- Contact staff writer Aishah Hasnie at ahasnie@indiana.edu.