It’s hard not to be drawn to Hope Berge’s exuberant personality and iconic art style that has appeared throughout print this year. An underrated yet crucial part of Zephyrus, they are one of the fleeting out-of-class artists that grace the pub room with their presence every now and then. Hope initially applied as an out-of-class artist because they didn’t have room in their schedule but wanted the experience of working with Zephyrus. “I was used to drawing based on my own ideas and wanted to see what it was like to draw things for a client, so to speak,” they said.

Hope started regularly creating art at a young age and decided to take it more seriously following middle school. “What I like about my art is that it’s a fun way to release ideas. I just love the process of having something in your head and then getting to see it,” they said. “With Zephyrus, I’ve been able to create some cool pieces, my favorite is one…of Queen Elizabeth for an article about the royal family.”

Aside from Zephyrus, Hope’s other activities include creating short films, playing video games, and more recently, bouldering—a form of rock climbing without a harness.

After graduation, Hope will attend the University of Oregon, and they plan to major in architecture. “I was torn between being an engineer or being some sort of artist. I couldn’t really find a middle ground…they felt so different,” they explained. “But I took Civil Engineering and Architecture last year and I knew it was perfect because it blends design elements [with] physics and engineering.”

Although they usually don’t step foot in the pub room, Hope cherishes the valuable memories they made with fellow staff this year. “Earlier this year there was a bonfire…I got to meet people and put names to faces,” Hope said. “A lot of unexpected friendships have been formed [with] people I might not have talked to outside of Zephyrus. But I’ve come to realize that most people are friendly and you’ll find you have a lot [more] in common than you think.”

This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on May 18, 2023.