William E. Hay Composite High School was alive with activity last week as students hosted a family carnival, filling the gym and halls with games, crafts and other attractions.
Grade 12 student Alden Mueller, president of the student union, said the carnival, held Friday, Dec. 5, was organized in collaboration with six other groups, each of which will share in the proceeds.
“Each student group doesn’t have a lot of money,” he said. “Instead of a dance, we decided to do this.”
Getting other groups involved allowed the student union to share the load, while also providing those groups with more exposure.
Lending a hand were students from Be the Change, Students Against Drinking and Driving (SADD), the yearbook committee, the athletic board, the fine arts board and the Gay-Straight Alliance.
A popular attraction was the set of inflatable human hamster balls.
Guests waited in line for their chance to roll around on the gym floor or attempt to charge each other in a sort of gentle jousting match.
Mueller, who was overseeing that area of the carnival, said it was attracting a steady stream of guests, noting, “I’ve been kind of stuck in this corner.”
The SADD group offered both an obstacle course and a bean bag toss, both with a unique twist.
Participants had to wear goggles that obscured their vision, imitating the feeling of being impaired.
“We’ve had some kids come back a couple of times,” said Nicole Philpot, explaining that the goggles could imitate different levels of impairment, up to five times the legal blood alcohol limit.
Some of the cones lining the obstacle course showed the impact of having been stepped on multiple times, while players of the bean bag toss invariably tossed them too far to the left.
Be the Change hosted a cakewalk contest, while various craft projects were available in the hallways. Guests could pose for pictures with Santa Claus, or later, use the photo booth set up by the yearbook committee.
There was also a concession stand with snacks and drinks, lots of other games and challenges, and attractions like face painting and balloon animals.
Mueller said the student union will continue to be busy hosting more activities, including dances, next semester. The total raised Friday night was not available at press time.