Any Hanover High student walking in the direction of pod 208 will probably hear him before they see him. Shirt and tie, combed over hair, and a smile that can light up the school. Mr. Perry, a U.S. History teacher at Hanover High, has been teaching here for almost 19 years. Everyone wishes to have him as a teacher, as he is not only a great educator, but a kind and hilarious man, able to connect with students on topics ranging from baseball to music. You’ll definitely learn your share of Ronald Reagan facts and Gilded Age personas, but you’ll also hear an array of Janet Jackson, Red Sox opinions, and jokes of all kinds.

And he’s not like this only in classes either. It’s nearly impossible to go a day in Hanover High without seeing the inseparable pair of Perry and Mr. Brown in the halls, cracking jokes at each other, or hearing laughs from the teachers in pod 208, which is comparable to an episode of The Office. Mr. Perry is also the class advisor for the class of 2017, along with Mr. Brown. As class treasurer, I can say with all confidence that he has contributed greatly to the class’ immense success. We would not be where we are without him.

That can also be said by hundreds, if not thousands, of students that have experienced the fun and knowledge of Mr. Perry. He truly exhibits a gift to connect with students, evident by the true friendships he’s made over the years, which can be seen at breakfast shops all over the South Shore on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

I had the pleasure of learning from Mr. Perry in AP U.S. History sophomore year, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. I learned more in that class not only about history, but about life and everything in it, more than I would have in any other history class. Everyone in Hanover High owes their thanks to Mr. Perry for making this school a much better place, just with his presence. So, if you don’t know him yet, get to know him. It’ll improve your experience here at Hanover High. And make a Janet Jackson reference. He’ll love it.

The presence of police officers in the cafeteria and gym last Tuesday made many students at HHS curious about what was going on. We have the inside scoop! The police were here because an election was being held to fill a spot in the State Senate after the original senator, Thomas Kennedy, died. It is considered a special election because it was called to fill a seat that was unexpectedly left empty.

This was only a primary though, and it’s also only for the Democratic nomination. A primary is when voters choose a candidate to represent their party in the election. The two Democrats who faced off were Joseph Lynch and Rep. Mike Brady; results are still being tallied, according to the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth to Massachusetts.

The winner of this primary will challenge Rep. Geoff Diehl, who is running unopposed as the Republican candidate. The final ballots for this special election will be cast on Tuesday, Nov.

Another year, another club.

Macy Hohenleitner, ’17, and Maddy Carroll, ’18, are the brains behind a new accappella group, Noteworthy, that has joined the growing body of extracurriculars at HHS. Noteworthy looks to incorporate pop and contemporary into their spectrum of music. The group is open to all grades and female singers of interest. Earlier this month, the club held their first meeting in the auditorium, the home to some of the most musically gifted student at HHS.

“So far we have a special song from Spring Awakening, which is a musical,” said Macy, who is also an actress within both the Hanover High Drama Society and the South Shore Company Theater. “Although not on the radio, or known by most people, it has amazing harmonies and a fun, angsty style to it.  We are also singing an Adele mash-up of Rumor Has It/Someone Like You, which was performed on Glee.”

At one of the recent Noteworthy meetings, solo auditions were held. “Everyone auditioned in front of each other, which was awesome, because it shows comfort between all the girls, and everyone is really talented,” Macy reports.

The girls’ first appearance is approaching this fall; as a newly formed group, they are ready to climb their way up the ranks by performing for the first time during intermission of the HHS fall drama performance, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. With this first performance inching closer, the ladies of Noteworthy are practicing their songs, in the hopes of potentially earning a slot at one of Hanover High’s choir concerts — or, possibly a whole new type of concert that they could call their own. “We hope to then expand our performances to choir concerts, or even our own concerts!” Macy stated.

“I feel really good about it, it’s exciting,” Maddy said. Since she has nearly three years left at Hanover, and Macy has two years, the club has plenty of time to expand, recruit more members, and explore talents within the group of singers.

Noteworthy’s first performance(s) will be during intermission at The Complete Work of William Shakespeare, November 20th, 21st, and 22nd. 

Last week, Pope Francis crossed the pond for an abridged tour of the States and caused quite the commotion. Through social media and word-of-mouth, I learned that the arrival of the leader of the Roman Catholic Church sparked the creation of its own website (popefrancisvisit.com, in case you were seeking another way to procrastinate), a new drink flavor at numerous coffee shops (wondering where that pumpkin spice latte you love went? You might want to try asking for a Pope-kin spice flavor next time), and even its own hashtag (#lovelikefrancis . . . and yes, you can buy sweatshirts bearing this message!). Ok, so it sounds like Pope Francis has definitely made a splash on the Internet, no small feat considering he doesn’t seem like the type to be a computer nerd. But what did one of our world’s most influential leaders actually do in America?!

Well, Pope Francis’ visit began in Washington D.C. last Wednesday, where he was formally greeted by President Obama. Just a few hours later, he was parading down the National Mall to the delight of millions and held a midday prayer at St. Matthew’s Cathedral. The next day, the Pope spoke to the Senate and House of Representatives, made a brief appearance outside the Capitol (the perfect opportunity to take a selfie with the Pope in the background and put that hashtag to good use!), and visited St. Patrick’s Church where he did, you know, Pope things.

He left that night for his first ever trip to the Big Apple! The Pope arrived and hit the ground running: he spoke at the United Nations, blessed the 9/11 memorial, and visited underprivileged children at public schools in Harlem. After a papal motorcade through Central Park, Pope Francis conducted a sold-out mass at Madison Square Garden. Tickets to the event were supposed to be free, distributed to churches in the area, but some scalpers got upwards of $1,500 a seat.

The final stop on the Pope’s agenda was Philadelphia. Just an hour and a half after arriving, he gave a mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul that attracted thousands; there’s no time to stop for a Philly cheese sub when you’re the head of a religion, I guess! He also made an appearance at the Independence Mall and held a prayer vigil later that night with the World Meeting of Families. Pope Francis departed for Rome at 8:00 pm on Sunday, September 27th after five days of spreading his message of hope and faith.

The grueling schedule probably left the 78-year-old exhausted, but on his first visit to America the Pope touched millions of lives. To be honest, I’m disappointed he didn’t make it closer to Hanover. I think it’s pretty cool that Pope Francis had showers installed at the Vatican for the homeless to use whenever they want, and auctioned his custom Harley Davidson for almost $350,000. All of the profits went to a soup kitchen in Rome and will fill countless hungry stomachs over the next few years. It seems like the Pope doesn’t just talk the talk, he is dedicated to walking that spiritual walk.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Additional photos taken by Mr. Ryerson can be found here.

Hanover High hosted its very first blood drive this week, organized by one of its many new clubs, Red Cross. Early as 8 amTuesday morning, nurses, facilitators, and volunteers crowded the multi-purpose room along with donors themselves, eager to donate, yet somewhat scared for the needle’s “deadly” prick. As a donor myself, and a  lover of blood during every anatomy class, I was still nervous for my first time giving blood. Students aged 16 required a parent’s permission to donate; students 17 and older were able to donate with just a photo ID.

When it was my turn to donate, I answered a frenzy of questions, asking if I’d traveled to various countries, recently had tattoos, or run into any highly diseased people recently. From there, I was laying on the makeshift bed and had mustard yellow iodine smeared on my elbow, and boom . . . the needle was in my vein and blood pooled into a bag. Although many may have had anxiety about donating, usually about the potential pain that may come with it, a universal happiness shared by all donors is the fact that the blood we give can save the lives of three people. As weird as it sounds, I find it to be a beautiful thing that my blood will circulate in someone else, a little piece of me keeping them alive.

President and Vice-President of the Red Cross club, Annika Rowland and Sarah Kelly, were pleased with the results of the school’s first blood drive.

“The blood drive went much better than I thought it would go,” said Annika, a junior. “We had so many people interested in donating, which was amazing to see how much the school supported us. It was life changing to see so much positive energy happening in the little room.

With about three dozen donors, the five-hour drive collected enough blood to save about 114 lives, added Sarah, also a junior. “It made me so happy to see so many people willing to give.”

It’s the end of the year, the weather is getting warmer, pools are opening, ice cream runs are becoming a regular Friday night event, summer is almost here . . . oh, wait. Before the mental rest and relaxation of summer can begin, students need to kick it into high gear one last time for finals. These tests assess at least half of the year of learning in each class and altogether account for 1/9th of your class average. While this isn’t enough of an impact to affect your performance too seriously, the time to drop the ball definitely is not on finals. It’s easy as a freshman to stress yourself out over these assessments, picturing the tests as the end-all,be-all, but let me tell you, finals are nothing like the standardized monsters made infamous in movies. Most teachers understand that with freedom in such close reach, it can be difficult to do one page of homework, let alone review (and sometimes relearn) the entire year. With the right preparation and mental attitude, the dreaded final week of school will be over before you know it.

Necessity #1: Study Guides

The best way to study for any test is to know exactly what to expect. If your teachers don’t hand out study guides, ask them which chapters or units will be covered on the final and make your own. Studying too much can sometimes be just as harmful as not studying enough, and an overload of information will just cause you to forget things and feel even more stressed. Sticking to what the teacher says will be on the final will help ensure that you will be fully prepared to ace the test. Also, going through the process of looking up information from old notes and compiling it into your own personal study guide is studying in itself!

Necessity #2: A Distraction-Free Zone

Setting aside a certain area for studying is more important than you think. You brain will actually become more focused if you surround yourself with people hard at work. Taking your books to the town library or a coffee shop eliminates any chance of getting sidetracked at home. Try your best to avoid the TV and “before bed study sessions.” As I’m sure we all know, studying on the couch with the TV on for background noise can quickly turn into learning more about America’s Top Model than the biology chapter sitting at your feet. I’ve found that I usually study the best in the late afternoon or evening. Once I get into bed I always somehow find that I start reading the notes I have so carefully written and wake up the next morning with ink on my face . . . Wherever you decide to prepare, make sure that it is quiet and organized,  and it’s hard to make excuses for getting distracted.

Necessity #3: Music

I don’t care how motivated you are, sitting all alone in a silent room trying to study is not fun by any standard. Plugging  your speakers into your phone can make a huge difference in your attitude toward studying. Whether it is putting on hardcore pump-up music to get you amped for your good grade or classical piano solos for concentration, music can never be a bad idea. If music is more of a distraction for you, try putting on white noise. There are lots of free apps that offer sounds ranging from waves to rain to waterfalls that can really help to block out noises from your surroundings.

Necessity #4: A Schedule

High school is a procrastinator’s natural habitat: walk into the library on any given day and you will find students rushing to type a paper the period before it is due, and the pods in the morning are filled with kids comparing answers on homework. The study-everything-you-can-in-five-minutes-and-hope-for-the-best approach may work for you sometimes, but I wouldn’t necessarily go into finals with this mentality. Instead, plan out when you will have your tests and study accordingly. It is much easier to study for 30 minutes a day for three days in advance than an hour and a half the night before. Also, focusing on each class at a time and breaking what you need to know down into more manageable sections will help to make the tests seem less overwhelming.

Necessity #5: Snacks

We can’t have fatigue or hunger taking away from our studies! Stock up on some snacks to eat while you are working. Try to choose foods that are healthy but still filling so both your brain and body are ready to go. Some suggestions are grapes, crackers with peanut butter, berries, popcorn, or apple slices. And hey, don’t be afraid to reward yourself with a cookie or two . . . you deserve it after all the hard work you have been putting in. I also just found out that mints or minty gum have  been proven to lead to faster brain activity and higher test scores, I don’t know about you but I’m definitely going to take advantage of this . . . I need all the help I can get!

Necessity #6: Positive Reinforcement

This last tip is probably the most important. Having an incentive or reward to get you through finals is sometimes key to pushing yourself further than you thought you could go. Pick something you really like but don’t get to do often, maybe it’s getting your nails done or going in for a facial. Maybe it’s that new pair of headphones you have had you eyes on for weeks, or a double cheeseburger with bacon. Whatever it is, promise yourself that it will be yours if you get above a 90 on all of your finals or some other goal you are trying to achieve (like not dying from all the studying). With this goal in mind, it will give you a purpose to try your hardest even when the easy thing to do would be to lay out by the pool and hope for the best.

Good luck to everyone on finals this year!

So, here I am. Last day of classes, last day of caring, last true day of high school. High school, oh what a time. Seven hours a day with hundreds of other kids in the same position as me, confused. We’re confused why we’re here, what we’re doing, the whole point of it all. Confusion can sometimes lead to anger and I felt plenty of that during my stay here. But I’m older now, and a lot smarter. I know to not look back in anger at this place. The amount of good and growth this school has shown me and offered me far outweighs the bad.

When I first stepped in here I was afraid. I was afraid because I didn’t know who I was or what was going to happen. I’m still afraid because I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I know who I am now and so does most of the school. I don’t show it, but I am very sad about leaving this place. I have made so many friends with both students and staff, and leaving them seems painful to me. I don’t care about the grades or the elite clubs. I care about the connections I’ve made with people because those mean more to me than any test grade ever could. I need others to be alive, what I mean by that is without people to entertain, I’m hollow. I like making people emote or have a reaction and what better place to do this than a place where those things are frowned upon. Being different is not bad, emotion and reaction are not bad. As much as you may feel that standing out even a little is bad, it’s not. I’ve done so much by standing out and I wouldn’t be who I am without embracing the part of me that’s weird. You guys helped me do that and for that I am infinitely thankful.

This isn’t that profound or groundbreaking and I know that maybe I just felt this necessary to make Mrs. McHugh happy that I wrote another article, or so that people will see me as a writer and not just a goon. The truth is, I’m writing this because I’m going to miss you all so much, my friends, my teachers, and I have trouble showing such emotion so this is my way of letting it all out. Truly, I’m a little choked up writing this at the moment, but I need to, and I also need to say that I love all you guys, really. So this is it, the last sentence, last long-winded article, last goodbye . . . thank you.