"I've Got A Dream" Sang Hollows as They Claimed First Place in House Performing Arts

Ending the 34 years curse by finally getting gold as the event comes into a dramatic close

Triselle Peters and Ben Chen stars in Hollows' 'Tangled' - Photo Taken by Damian Qui

On Wednesday the 16th of February, the student leaders as well as Year 12s from each house were gathered up on the stage at the end of the event for the score announcements. Freeman with their performance of ‘The Sound of Music’ and Melba’s ‘Mean Girls’ scored fourth and third, respectively. Hollows’ ‘Tangled’ only placed 2nd, beaten by Dunlop’s ‘School of Rock’ by three hundred points.

“I was very confused,” said Grace Phillips, one of the Dunlop Year 12s performers.“ I figured it was going to be really close, but then they said there was like a three-hundred point difference, and I was like, ‘oh, nah, that’s not right…’ I was fully expecting [Hollows] to win.”

Dunlop's Performance of 'School of Rock' - Photo Taken by Damian Quinn

After the announcement, students were to return to their rehearsal rooms to pack up as well as to celebrate. Shortly after, however, the student leaders and Year 12s from Hollows and Dunlop were being told to come back to the stage.

“We went off and we celebrated for a good ten minutes, and then they pulled us back onstage to tell us that we’d lost,” Grace recalled. 

According to one Ms. Gachon, there had been a mistake while counting the points, and the Hollows house had won by a mere four points. Soon after the announcement, the Dunlop students quickly left as performers, musicians, and backstage crews from Hollows flooded the stage. There were screams, tears of joy, and even a messy rendition of the song ‘I’ve Got A Dream’ while they were celebrating.

Hollows students celebrating the win with their friends - Photo Taken by Billy Glenn

“I feel really proud,” said Rebecca Reber, the Hollows teacher who was most involved with the rehearsals and performance said.

There was also excitement shared by those who weren’t involved in the performance. “When I found out that we came second it was quite upsetting. It didn’t really hurt that much but it felt like we did really good this year. However the miscalculation of the scores lifted hopes and we ended up winning the competition and I was very excited. Even though I wasn’t a part of house performing arts, I still thought that this was a Pog moment.” Said Hayden Beyswick, a Hollows Year 10 student.

There were criticisms saying that more care should have been taken while counting the points. Some say that the judges should have used calculators. But no one could dispute that it was an event to remember as Hollows claims victory after 34 years.