In additional to the usual CASPN, there have been several exotic creatures seen around the Common Room lately. Anyone wondering what is up with all the zebras?
The zebras resident in the Tower are not the equine variety, The term Zebra refers to people who have unusual chronic medical conditions, especially those suffering from Ehlers–Danlos and hypermobility syndromes. The terminology comes from an instruction commonly given to new doctors, who can be prone to considering a more interesting diagnosis rather than a common one: “When you hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras”
The problem is, sometimes the hoofbeats ARE a zebra, and the difficulty of getting an accurate diagnosis of EDS and other hypermobility syndromes has prompted the adoption of the zebra as the mascot for EDS/hypermobility patients. Not all the zebras in the Tower have EDS; many others with unusual diagnoses have been adopted into the Ravenclaw zebra family.
Did you know that at term for a group of zebras is a dazzle? Life as a zebra can be a challenge, but all of our Tower zebras are dazzling!
Is there a particular Ravenclaw tradition or word you are puzzled by? Is there some bit of ancient (or not so ancient) Tower history you are curious about? Let us know! You can either reply in the comments or PM omeletsmom. We'll do our best to answer any questions you have -- or track down someone who can!
Oooooh! Makes perfect sense now! Thanks for explaining that!
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