By Callia Gilligan, ’22

Staff Writer

2020 was a tumultuous year, to say the least. The news cycle seemed to be one of the greatest sources of stress for the global population, with one major story after another. Here are the top 10 news stories of 2020:

• Australian Wild Fires 

A year ago in a major climate crisis, wildfires raged their way through the Australian bush, killing much of its vegetation and animals. They first started burning in July of 2019 and continued into March of 2020. Scientists believe that nearly three billion animals were affected by the fires. However, the Australian people, government, and most importantly, firefighters showed great resilience in combating such a devastating loss. 

• Assassination of Qasem Soleimani 

On January 3rd, an American drone targeted and killed Iranian military general Quasem Soleimani near the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. Subsequently, the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution to expel all foreign troops, while Iran moved toward abandoning the 2015 international nuclear deal. The attack greatly increased tensions between the United States, Iraq and Iran. 

• The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Give Up Senior Royal Title

What came as a shock to many, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down and gave up their position as Senior Royals of England. This came less than a year after the birth of their son, Archibald. The former Duke and Duchess made it clear that they wished to give their son as normal a life as possible, shielded from the public eye and scrutiny the royal family often faces. The family then took residence in Montecito, California!

• Trump Impeached, Acquitted 

 At the end of 2019, President Trump faced the Articles of Impeachment of Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress from House of Representatives Democrats for his actions during a phone call with the Ukrainian President. Trump became the third President to be impeached and the first to have a fully partisan impeachment, as not a single representative from the Republican party voted to convict. His Senate trial carried into 2020; however, the Senate with a Republican majority voted to acquit him, the Articles were dropped and he was not removed from office. 

• Coronavirus and Stay-At-Home Orders 

Of course, this would not be a 2020 list without mention of COVID. Outside of politics, the Coronavirus was probably the biggest news story in the early months of last year. However, it all culminated locally the week of March 13th when stay-at-home orders from almost all 50 states was officially put in place. Schools were canceled, businesses were closed and masks were required everywhere we went. For the remainder of the year, COVID-19 was the centerpiece of the news cycle.

• George Floyd Murder and Black Lives Matter 

On May 25th in Minneapolis, an African American man named George Floyd died after a police officer suffocated him by kneeling on his neck for eight minutes. Just a few weeks earlier, video footage of the death of Muhammed Arbery, a Black man murdered by two white men while he was jogging in Georgia, came to light as well. And thus erupted mass protests in all 50 states and many other countries against racism and police brutality in America. While many reflected and educated themselves on the issues in our country during this time,  others emerged spewing extreme hate and bigotry. The long-brewing divide in this country grew worse amid many occurrences of violence. 

• The Biden-Harris Ticket

In August, in what became a rare glimmer of hope in a difficult year, Joe Biden officially announced his Vice Presidential pick, Senator Kamala Harris! The choice made Harris, a senator from California, the first woman of color to be included on a major party ticket. In April, when Senator Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race to be the Democratic nominee for president, Biden was the presumptive nominee. However, he was officially nominated in  August during the Democratic National Convention. 

• Ruth Bader Ginsberg Dies 

The notorious RBG, a longtime justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, passed away on September 18th. The American public mourned her death. As a lawyer, Ginsberg was a champion for equality in reproductive rights, workplace discrimination, and criminal procedure. She emphasized the need for men and women to have equal rights and in the 1975 Weinberger v. Weisenfeld argued that fathers who are widowed should be entitled to the same benefits as widowed mothers. Her fight continued after her appointment to the Supreme Court during the Clinton administration. She was a beloved woman and a feminist icon. After her death, her vacancy on the Court was filled by conservative justice Amy Coney Barrett. 

• The 2020 Presidential Election 

It dominated the news for all of 2020 – from the debates to the party conventions, to the endless political ads. But on November 3rd, Americans cast their ballots for either Joe Biden or Donald Trump. For four days, the election was all anyone talked about. Due to coronavirus, many voters cast their ballots through the mail. This led to what felt like an excruciatingly long ballot-counting process. It was a very close call, resulting in recounts in Nevada, Arizona, and Georgia. But on Saturday, November 7th, Democrat Joe Biden was officially declared the winner of the race. This meant vice-president-elect, Kamala Harris, would be the first woman, Black and South Asian person to hold such a high office. On December 13th, electors cast their votes, certifying the election result. Joe Biden was able to flip many swing states that had voted for Donald Trump in 2016 including Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Michigan. In addition, Georgia flipped to blue (even on the Senator level after the January 6th runoff election) for the first time since 1992. Republican Donald Trump and his supporters refused to accept the results, fighting for months in courts across the country and continuing to insist the election was rigged even after the new president was inaugurated in January 2021.

• COVID-19 Vaccine 

What felt like the longest year in existence was brought to a happy close with the hopeful news of a vaccine in the near future. In December, Pfizer announced a vaccine with a 95% efficacy and Moderna followed soon after. Almost two weeks later, the first doses were administered. While there have been some hiccups in vaccine distribution, we are all thankful to know that hopefully soon COVID will be a memory of the past! 

While 2020 challenged us all in many ways that we were unprepared for, hope is not lost. While battling racial injustice, extreme civil unrest, and a global pandemic, we have all proved that as a society, we have the ability to persevere, through even the darkest of times.

Featured image: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/20/coronavirus-which-countries-have-confirmed-cases

By Grace Van Duyn, ’22

Staff Writer

The past year proved to be quite a unique one. Even though people had different experiences during the pandemic, I think most of us can say that we saw the cultural trends of our lives – and those of the world – change drastically. 

When schools and office buildings shut down in March 2020, we found ourselves doing all of our work online. Millions of people were meeting over video calls with teachers, bosses, friends, and family. Many of us had never heard of Zoom before and had never worked or studied remotely.  Most of us started off with great intentions of bringing our best selves to this new situation. Even though we may have gotten dressed in the first stages of zooming, it wasn’t long before a lot of us decided to stick with wearing pajamas. Comfort quickly became a priority. People who used to show up to work in formal suits had no need for those types of clothes when working remotely. In fact, stores found that pajamas sales experienced a 143% increase in 2020. Comfort was a big priority for many during 2020, and if we weren’t sleeping in blankets, we were wearing them. The Comfy was originally featured on Shark Tank in 2017, and due to its popularity – especially during 2020 – it has become one of the most successful products that has ever been on the show. There is no doubt that this cozy and one size fits all combination blanket and sweatshirt was the perfect 2020 uniform for remote work and school.

Along with trying to stay as comfortable as possible, many people wanted to eat good food. Food is a source of comfort and people were trying to find good food options while stuck at home. Instead of eating out at their favorite restaurants, more people were eating at home. People were looking for familiar and comforting foods to get them through their time in quarantine. Grubhub made a list of its top 10 most popular orders of 2020. The top five on the list were a spicy chicken sandwich, a chicken burrito bowl, chicken wings, waffle fries, and cold brew coffee. 

After getting comfortable with being comfortable all the time – and after too many takeout orders, many people next found themselves working out at home. With gyms and workout studios closed or severely restricted, people tried to find easy ways to exercise at home. People found themselves buying workout bands, weights, and even thousand dollar stationary bikes. Even people who didn’t have access to equipment found workouts on YouTube. As more people set up in-home gyms, stores across the country sold out of weights.  Bicycles were also almost impossible to find over as people tried to get outside and exercise.  

Music was another way we kept ourselves sane during this time. Some of the most listened to songs of 2020 were Blinding Lights, Dance Monkey, and Before You Go. Artists like Harry Styles, Lewis Capaldi, and Dua Lipa came out with multiple songs that were extremely popular during this time. 

Many of us found some of our favorite songs in 2020 on the popular app called TikTok. While it became popular in 2019, the pandemic pushed people who had long resisted it into joining. Some of the top TikTok trends of 2020 were what I eat in a day, NYU quarantine meals, whipped coffee, election memes, and anything with pets. People of all ages joined in.

Sources :

https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/g34858452/pop-culture-moments-2020/

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/12/business/coronavirus-online-shopping/index.html

https://www.today.com/shop/bestselling-products-year-t204707

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/reviewedcom/2020/05/15/the-20-most-popular-things-people-are-buying-right-now/5201387002/

https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/5-ways-to-upgrade-work-from-home-lunches

https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-official-top-40-biggest-songs-of-2020__29264/

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/laurenstrapagiel/tiktok-trends-2020

Featured image: https://www.delish.com/kitchen-tools/cookware-reviews/a28351871/shark-tank-sherpa-hoodie/

 

By Ashley Stracco, ’24

Staff Writer

In the year of Coronavirus – also known as 2020 – we all had a great deal of time on our hands that we did not know what to do with. Some of us watched TikToks, reels on Instagram, and shows and movies provided by multiple streaming services. Others spent their time gaming and sleeping. Some people obtained a new skill. I, for one, started baking and cooking for my family. My specialty: banana muffins. 

Our HHS staff was no different. In between mastering remote teaching and dealing with other pandemic changes, they needed something for stress relief or entertainment. Some rediscovered a hobby they used to love, while some picked up an entirely – and sometimes surprising – new skill.

Mr. Henderson, an English teacher, has taken up scootering and skateboarding with his family. “I’m terrible at it – truly, terrible – but I find it gives us all a good laugh together,” he said. “I’ve also been playing more video games, mostly with my daughters, with some of the pandemic time. If it goes on much longer, I’m hoping to pick up the guitar again.”

Ms. Tarkanian, a special education teacher, worked on improving her skills baking and decorating sugar cookies. “I make the cookies and royal icing from scratch and then put my skills to work.”

Mrs. Youngworth, a French teacher, started doing puzzles. ” ‘Crazy, drive you a little bit insane, all the pieces look alike’ puzzles,” she said. “I found it very calming to sit there away from a screen and sort through the colors and shapes.” The puzzles were something that everyone in the family could help with as much, or as little, as they wanted to, she explained, and they framed several to hang in the family room when they were done. “Everyone signed and dated the back as we finished each one, so we will have a record of the craziness that was 2020 piece by piece.”

Mrs. Gately, who teaches Spanish, also got hooked on puzzles. “I had forgotten how much I liked to do puzzles as a kid,” she said. “I can’t believe how it completely frees my mind from the outside world and helps me to focus on the simple task of matching shapes and designs. Very satisfying!!!  Now, we always have a puzzle in progress on a table.”

Mr. Decie, who teaches science, rediscovered a role-playing game that he enjoys called Dungeons and Dragons. Created in the 1970s, the game allows players to create characters and go on adventures, all designed by the player known as a Dungeon Master. His games often included fellow science teacher Mrs. Emerson, who also got into TikTok during the pandemic. “Watching Tiktok makes time fly by and makes me feel like all my crazy isn’t crazy,” she said. “I love the parents acting like their teens.

Guidance Secretary Mrs. Gallagher tackled a few do-it-yourself furniture painting projects. “I found these few projects a great distraction from the stress of the pandemic that I could not control,” she said. “They helped take my mind from the negative worries.”

Mr. Sprague, a special education teacher, built a treehouse for his kids.

It’s probably no surprise that Mrs. McCusker, a history teacher and former school librarian, spent her extra time during the pandemic reading. 

Ms. Johnson, a special education paraprofessional, rekindled her love of art. “Because of the pandemic, I have been able to spend more time painting and drawing,” she said. “I especially enjoy painting on beach stones and writing inspirational messages on them.” 

Ms. Rapalje, the school adjustment counselor, also enjoyed rock painting. “It is very calming and meditative,” she said.

English teacher Mrs. McDonnell used her time during quarantine to get back to yoga and take more walks. “These activities allowed me daily to mentally refresh during a stressful time,” she said. 

Baking bread and taking up cross-stitch have helped Mrs. Stukenborg, assistant principal, through the pandemic. Mrs. Parry,  a science and math teacher, also started making sourdough.

Cooking became a passion for Mrs. Coates, a history teacher. “It allowed me the opportunity to use a creative flare as well as serve up some new and delicious recipes!”

Math teacher Mrs. Thompson has been having dance parties with her 3-year-old son during quarantine. “Dancing is a hobby of mine, and I haven’t been able to dance much during the pandemic,” she said. “We talk about how to move our bodies, how different movements can portray feelings, and it’s just been so much fun for us!”

Drama director Mr. Fahey returned to writing music, plays and poetry. “It was great to get back to writing and express my ideas during a difficult time

Mr. Rodday, a special education teacher, has been riding bikes with his family. 

In an effort to cut back on screen time for her and her youngest daughter, paraprofessional Mrs. Mann began making chalk signs and other home decor items. “It is very simple and can be very relaxing,” she said.

School nurse Mrs. Davis developed the skill of contract tracing for COVID-19 – something she’s put to good use this school year.  She also helped provide for the elderly over the summer with little to no contact. 

Mrs. Nixon, a special education teacher, learned to crochet. “I always wanted to learn how, so with the additional time at home, my sister taught me.”

Creating music playlists helped special education teacher Mrs. Fraser. “When I was younger (high school/college years), I used to make playlists for family and friends and it would relieve a lot of stress.”

Mrs. Curtis, a Spanish teacher, learned how to cut men’s hair and how to do embroidery. 

Math teacher Mrs. Turocy enjoyed geocaching. “It  is like treasure hunting . . . following GPS to a location on a trail to find someone else’s ‘cache’ they hid there.”

By Caris Mann, ‘22

Staff Writer

On March 13, Hanover High and hundreds of other schools across the region sent their students home due to the Coronavirus pandemic. For the first two weeks, students were basically off while school officials figured out how to continue with classes. And even once classes resumed, sports, clubs and pretty much everything else were cancelled or closed. With all of this free time, students had to find new ways to keep themselves occupied. Here is what students at HHS did to cope:

“Played video games and did group calls” – Anthony Mann and Austin Parker, ‘24

“Watched new TV and played video games until restrictions were lifted. Once restrictions were lifted, I played baseball.” – Anonymous, ‘24

“I baked, danced, and watched The Crown on Netflix.”- Julia McGillivray, ‘22

“I watched a ton of Netflix, went on walks, and listened to podcasts.” – Katie McGillivray, ‘22

“Walked 8-12 miles a day” – Luke Hoyes, ‘22

“I walked my dog.” – Paige Dillis, ‘22

“I exercised, kept my room clean, and went on daily walks. Tik Tok kept me going!” – Molly McGlame, ‘22

“I did a lot of baking.” – Kylie Campbell, ‘22

“I exercised, kept my room clean, went on walks, and baked.” – Libby Hutchins, ‘22

“I took walks with my dog and worked out. I also went outside when it became warm and I just liked being in the sun.” – Natalie Mowbray, ‘22

“I went outside a lot when it wasn’t too cold and I worked out.” – Sydney Patch, ‘22

“I slept till 1pm everyday and exercised. I also redid my room, read, and watched a lot of TV.” – Ava Toner, ‘22

“I slept a lot, exercised, went outside, and baked.” – Meghan Enos, ‘22

“I made a bunch of friendship bracelets, went on long walks with my dog, and watched tons of Netflix!” – McKenzie Bottomley, ‘22

“I did a lot of self care whether that was meditation, yoga, face masks, reading a book, or having quiet time. I made time to speak to my really close friends and family on Facetime because I couldn’t really see them. I also found that when I created a schedule everyday, it felt a lot more normal.” – Kelsey Delprete, ‘22

“I got a dog which pretty much occupied most of my time. I also read a lot of books and did crafts” – Anonymous, ‘22

“Over quarantine, I started working out three days a week by doing home workouts that I found online. I watched all seven seasons of Gilmore Girls with my mom during the first two weeks we had off in March and I watched Outer Banks as well. I Facetimed my friends to keep up with them since that was the only way to talk to them. When I was bored, I’d learn how to sing a new song or I learned a new dance.” – Elise Falvey, ‘21

“For me, I’m a senior so going about the whole college application process was much more difficult than I expected it to be but colleges and guidance were able to provide a lot of helpful resources. Also, there are a lot of events and activities that our class missed out on so I’m hoping that we can reach some sense of normalcy for events such as prom and homecoming. I’m president of the student council and the secretary of our class so both boards have been working extremely hard to provide new opportunities. It’s been very hard for every grade but I think for our class especially. We have missed out on a lot so we’re relying on our friends a lot for support. My main mode of coping with the pandemic has been through finding things to work on so that I can feel accomplished. Also, something that has made it alot easier has been finding safe and healthy ways that I can spend time with my friends.” – Sean Dever, ‘21

By Norah Kelley, ’24

Staff Writer

Zoom. Edgenuity. VHS Learning. These are the ways that the dozens of students in the high school’s Virtual Academy are learning in this unpredictable, crazy year. For those who are freshmen, it’s even crazier. The freshmen who are a part of the Virtual Academy have had to start their high school career… all online.

Freshman year is supposed to be filled with new opportunities, making new friends, and trying to figure out what high school is going to be like. None of those can happen when you are sitting in front of your computer screen at home alone

Ashley Stracco, who misses the social aspects of going to school, has mixed feelings about waiting until next fall for her first chance to walk the halls of Hanover High.

“I don’t know how I feel about starting my high school career for the first time as a sophomore,” she said. “It seems exciting, but I wish I was starting it as a freshman.”

Freshmen that are in the Virtual Academy do not get to interact with many other students throughout the school day, unlike their counterparts who are a part of the hybrid model. Except for the Zoom meetings that happen twice a week for virtual students, these students often don’t feel very involved in school. 

“I have not participated in any school activities this year,” said Baylor Speckman.

Virtual Academy coordinators have done a great job trying to get these students involved in school, making sure announcements get to the fully remote students and that events like the Student Council’s recent Clash of the Classes strive to include them. But with many clubs not running this year and activities very limited even for hybrid students, the virtual freshmen are missing their chance to try new things – something that freshman year is all about.

“If the pandemic disappeared, I would go back to school tomorrow,” Baylor said. “But for right now, I think the best option for myself is to stay home.” 

Though going to school virtually has been a huge adjustment for all students, there are some freshmen who are enjoying it.

“If I could go back to school tomorrow, I wouldn’t because I really like being remote,” said Bridget Sanders. While she is missing out on new friendships, she likes remote learning because, “… it allows me to form my own schedule and learn at my own pace.”

After months of shutdown due to the pandemic, where we only managed to publish occasional updates on Twitter, The Indian is back in business and looking for writers and photographers. If you are interested in writing about school news, current events, arts and entertainment, sports – or like telling stories through photographs – please email Mrs McHugh by Dec. 9 at smchugh@hanoverschools.org. We will hold meetings and publish virtually, with the hope for a print issue before the end of the school year. No experience is necessary. All students are welcome!

By Ben Asnes, CJ Damore and Emily Gallagher

Originally published in the Stall Street Journal, created by Ms. Fraser’s POST program

Mrs. Susan Piche is the new administrative assistant in the main office at Hanover High School. Prior to working at Hanover High School, she was an administrative assistant at MAC Wholesale. Mrs. Piche attended North Kingstown High School in Rhode Island. After graduating from high school, she attended college at the University of Rhode Island. Mrs. Piche currently lives in East Bridgewater with her husband, two daughters, her dog and cat. Her hobbies are shopping with her daughters, cooking with her husband and exercising outside. In addition, she also enjoys going to the beach. In ten years from now, Mrs. Piche plans to spend more time traveling the country with her family.

By Tim Sullivan

Created by a student whose family members served in the military, the Students for Soldiers club is committed to giving back to local veterans.

This past week, the club visited with veterans at the VA Hospital in West Roxbury. I am a part of this club and visiting veterans was an extremely humbling experience. We were all grateful to be able to hear some of the veterans’ stories and just simply thank them for all they have done for our country. This was the second time the club visited the VA medical center and just one of several events we’ve participated in since senior Jules Dunderdale created the club last year.

Jules decided to start SFS during her junior year because she wanted to give back to soldiers and veterans, and encourage others to do the same. Jules’ dad and both of her grandfathers served, and because of this, her family has always been extremely supportive of the military. Jules felt that starting this club would be an effective way to honor her relatives and anyone else who has ever served the country. She is proud of everything the club has accomplished and hopes that it will continue to grow over the years.

Before visiting the VA hospital this past week, the club raised money to donate to the facility through a gift wrapping and bake sale event back in December. SFS also was able to bring material donations to the veterans thanks to contributions from HHS students. In November, SFS worked with CarePacks to help make packages for veterans. CarePacks is an organization based in Weymouth that sends packages to veterans deployed around the world. The packages include snacks, toiletries, socks, shirts, and magazines and books. Founded in 2004, the organization holds community packing events several times a year.

Students for Soldiers, which is always looking for new members, is a wonderful way to give back to those who have given so much. This club is something I’m truly proud to be a part of and one I hope continues to grow. Check out some photos below from this year’s events and feel free to reach out to Jules for more information at jdunderdale20@hanoverstudents.org!

 

By Ben Asnes, CJ Damore and Emily Gallagher

Originally published in the Stall Street Journal, created by Ms. Fraser’s POST program

Mrs. Deborah Kinney, a familiar face at HHS, has left to take a new position with the district central office. Mrs. Kinney has worked at Hanover High School for the past eight years as an administrative assistant in the main office. Growing up on the South Shore, she attended Quincy Public Schools for most of her childhood. Upon graduation, she enrolled at Assumption College in Worcester, where she majored in business and minored in mathematics. In her free time she enjoys walking, hiking, yoga, and spending time with family. Ten years from now, she hopes to own her own bed and breakfast somewhere up North.

When asked what her favorite experience was while working at Hanover High School, Mrs. Kinney replied: “Everything!! Especially working with the staff and students!”

Mrs. Kinney, thanks for all that you do and the person you are! You surely will be missed here at HHS! We wish you the best of luck.

Replacing her in the main office will be Ms. Susan Piche.