Gone Western: Hope Open House!
Last Saturday night, staff and students escaped the mellow and mundane Mill Bay, and were transported, instead, to the Wild West. There was an abundance of denim, cowboy hats, and the stomp of boots, as Hope House opened its doors to welcome the community for a night of festivities. Wanted signs of outlawed Hopelings lined the walls, and the twang of country music filled the halls, creating an atmospheric setting for people to play games, take photos, and enjoy time with friends.
The month of May is here, and that means AP season is upon us. After what was a rather gruelling and stressful week of AP exams for many, Hope Open offered some much-needed relief and fun, giving students the chance to gather and soak in some good weather, good company, and overall good vibes of the third term, and celebrate together before everyone goes their separate ways for midterm break. Chloe D, Hope 26 shared “The vibe was really great, I had lots of fun playing games outside, and I hope that everyone enjoyed their night!”
In addition to the wonderful western theme, Hope prepared a special attraction to entertain their guests. The 2025 Hope house Captain, Rowan Van Dender, began the tradition of open house escape rooms, and this year’s Hopelings made sure to keep this alive. with the help of a detailed list of instructions passed down from Rowan, the basement of Hope was transformed into a series of escape rooms and guests were challenged to crack a set of clues and riddles to make it out to the rest of the house where they could indulge in some card games, cornhole, and Panagos.
Ms Rae shared, “Hopedown was a joyous mix of epic escaping in the basement, pizza party, and country vibes! Everyone was in great spirits, and people really dressed for the occasion!”
This event was more than just a fun night: it was also an especially important night for the members of Hope House, as it presented the grade 11s with an opportunity to take on leadership in preparation for their roles in the school next year. Putting together an open house is no small task, and setting up gave the Grade 11s a taste of the challenge of responsibility, as they worked together as a team to plan and organize a very fun night.
Tema BC, Hope ‘26