Five Minutes with Mr Hooper 

Do you collect anything? 

Not really, no, but I do sometimes pick up and keep nice pebbles from places I’ve been. I also have a lot of records and CDs.

Do you play a musical instrument? If so, which one?

A little bit of guitar, but not much.

How long have you worked at BSC?

Since 2021.

If you could choose to be anything for a day, what would it be?

That's a really weird question! A fridge, because everybody’s intrigued by fridges. You never know what’s in there until you open that door. 

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A whole grilled fish with veggies, nice and fresh. Maybe done Thai-style and spicy.

If you could visit anywhere in the world you’ve never been, where would you go?

Well, I’m already doing that, going to places I’ve never been before. So my next trip will probably be to Egypt. Seeing all the archaeological sites in person would be amazing. And I’ve been to four of the ancient wonders of the world, so I’d like to add the pyramids to that list.

What book/TV series/podcasts are you into at the moment?

I've been reading a few Cormac McCarthy novels in a row and really enjoying them. I tend to read more non-fiction so it's nice to find an author I really like. I don't watch much TV at the moment, but I’m trying to watch the second season of Severance, which I’m finding very strange.

What has been a highlight of your time at BSC?

The excursions. It's nice to see a different side of the students and it is usually a really positive experience.

What is your favourite animal and why?

I’ve always liked lizards because they’re really interesting. That probably came from, as a kid, picking up rocks in my backyard and looking for lizards all the time. And some of them look so prehistoric, you can imagine they’re dinosaurs.

What is your favourite music?

My favourite genre is rock music; my favourite artists would probably be David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, Black Sabbath, The Cure, Midnight Oil, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and Jethro Tull, to name a few.

What would you sing at karaoke night?

I've never done that, but I think 'I Don't Wanna Grow Up' – Tom Waits.

When you were little what did you aspire to be?

I had no idea. In late high school, I discovered photography, and I really enjoyed it. At the end of VCE, I had no idea and I was considering graphic design, but then I changed my choice to photography and later came round to teaching.

Interview by Lara K (Year 10) & Oliver P (Year 11)