Out of all possible winter break activities, it is not hard to assume which one is most anticipated by the student body- sleeping. It’s understandable, of course, since after long, dragging weeks of classes and tests, nearly two weeks of snoring under warm blankets would sound tempting to anybody. But besides packing away the alarm clock for the duration of the break, there were a variety of other activities that people were looking forward to. I interviewed students before school closed for vacation and learned of the diverse plans they had for winter break.

Some, like sophomore Kayla Maslow, were headed to spend the holidays in tropical destinations. When I asked what she was looking most forward to, she responded with “going to Florida.” I’m sure these are the most enviable kind of plans, for nothing says school vacation like dipping your toes into the hot sand. Instead of building snowmen and having snowball fights, surely Kayla, along with others, would be making sandcastles and tanning on the beach.

A good fraction of the student body was excited to partake in winter sports and snow-related activities during their days off from school. “I’m going skiing and riding my horse in the snow!” said sophomore Colleen Dowd. For junior Emily Bartone, winter vacation meant going snowboarding. These and many other students looked forward to spending two weeks on the slopes, some even in competition with ski teams- whether it be on Hanover High’s own or on a club team. Max Shelly, a freshman, was one of those club skiers who anticipated coasting down the snow peaks for his team at Cranmore Mountain in New Hampshire.

Other school sports besides skiing also excited HHS’ athletes, like junior Chase Coogan who said that he was “looking forward to hockey over the break.” The HHS fan base would surely agree, for even on the coldest days, a high school hockey game can easily draw a generous crowd.

But most HHS students were simply excited to have a stress-free vacation where they could hang out with friends and do away with thoughts of algebra or biology. I think sophomore Mike Cratty put it best when he decided  “not going to school” was the best part of vacation. Whether it be by sleeping, vacationing, skiing, snowboarding, spectating, or spending time with friends and family, this year’s winter break promised endless opportunities for the students of HHS. I hope I can speak for all students when I say that winter break truly fulfilled its potential.