Two little girls who once tromped around in their mom’s stilettos have grown up to do what every fashion-loving girl dreams to accomplish. They created a Fashion Club to take the school by storm!

Every year, new clubs are introduced into Hanover High’s extensive spectrum, and students from all grades are encouraged to branch out and associate with others with similar interests. This year, one of these new and exciting clubs is Fashion Club, founded by juniors Haley Martin and Bruna DaCosta. Interested in fashion since they were little girls, they aspire to bring their love of fashion to Hanover’s student body.

“We think that many people don’t realize that fashion exists in their daily lives,” they said. “Our goal is to bring that to everyone’s attention. We want to get the entire student body excited about fashion. Feeling good about yourself isn’t a crime.”

Every student has probably passed by the Fashion Club display case outside the library, seen flyers for sign-ups, or heard announcements about meetings. But many people are still unaware of what Fashion Club actually does. When asked about meetings, Haley and Bruna replied, “Our goal is to create a welcoming environment for all fashion lovers to come and express their fashion intellect and ideas. We discuss all the latest trends and major fashion moments in the fashion world.” The club currently has about 12 members, but new ones are always welcome.

Things are always kept interesting in the club, and the four officers, Bruna, Haley, Bryanna Gillis, and Haley Kmito, are always coming up with creative ways to involve their members. It helps that the group is not advised by a teacher, providing extensive opportunities and freedom for fund raisers. “There is always something going on! We like to keep our members busy with fund raisers and tasks like choosing a best dressed boy and girl in their grade.” They helped do makeup for the student production of You Can’t Take it With You and are even planning a fashion show at HHS in late May!

Bruna and Haley encourage anyone who’s interested in fashion to give the club a chance, even those who are interested in the different aspects of fashion besides clothes. There are members who are interested in hair, some who are intrigued by makeup, and some who enjoy the marketing aspect. They all have their own unique roles to play in the club. And the club focuses not just on high-end fashion, but on all styles and brands.

It is clear how passionate Bruna and Haley are about fashion. They aspire to grow their club and even expand into the lower grades at the middle school. “We want to get kids excited about fashion at a young age so they learn leadership roles and can continue our legacy,” they said.

They are right when they say how fashion plays a huge role in our daily lives —  everyone is touched by fashion in some way, whether it’s the way they style their hair, wear their makeup, or the clothes they pick out in the morning. We all are involved in our own fashion sense, and joining Fashion Club would only flourish that desire to look good. Said the club’s founders: “We hoped that creating this club would lead to a school full of self worth and polished individuals who dressed for success.”

Fashion Club can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/hhsFC

Mrs. Hansen, the Microsoft Office and internship teacher on the first floor, has been teaching since the early 1970s. She started out as a business education teacher in a high school outside of Albany, New York. Her favorite subjects while in high school were English, because she loves reading, and business management.

Mrs. Hansen grew up in Syracuse, New York. When she attended the State University of New York at Albany, she started as a business administration major with a minor in accounting and business law. For a marketing course, she had to present and sell  products. She discovered that she loved to present in front of the class, leading her roommate to suggest that she take an education course. Once she did, Mrs. Hansen fell in love with it. Now Mrs.Hansen teaches the internship program, which allows students to create resumes, practice job interviewing techniques and have real-life experience in a career.

Mrs. Hansen’s favorite type of music is classical and it’s the only type of music she listens to while in school because she says “it helps you relax and keep you focused.” But once school is over, she likes to listen to ’50s and’6’s Rock and Roll. Her favorite food is pizza with fresh vegetables on top. Mrs. Hansen’s favorite season is summer because she loves the hot weather, long days and likes to travel. Also during the summer, she likes to read books, go out for runs and visit her daughters in Boston.

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.

One of the many clubs at Hanover High is the Math Team. Math Team is back after years of inactivity due to budget cuts. In fact, this year Math Team participation is at a record high with about 10 students on a consistent basis.  They meet every Tuesday night from 6pm-8pm in Doc’s Room (Physics Lab 219). Dr. Defranzo (Doc) is the math team coach (and Physics teacher) and Mr. Plummer (the STEM Director) frequently helps out at practices as well. Math Team participates in meets on the first Thursday of the month. At these meets, Hanover competes against the 7 other schools in our division. So far, Hanover has participated in meets at Rockland High School and Bridgewater Raynham Regional High School. In these meets, HHS came in 6th at Rockland and leapfrogged to 2nd at Bridgewater Raynham.

Competitive math is not the only part of Math Team. In fact, each school can only send 10 people to compete at the meets. The rest of the club simply participates because they either want to get better at math or simply hang out with friends. Many members immediately notice how Math Team compliments their math classes. In other cases, members notice the applications of math that, due to lack of time, cannot always be taught in math class. As an added incentive, Doc orders pizza and soda for anyone who comes to the practices.

If you want to join, just come to one of the Tuesday Night meetings or talk to Doc who is always available in Room 219.

By Cate Marchetti

Brightly wrapped gifts and packages with gold ribbons are a common sight around the holidays, but what about when the tag is signed only with the the mysterious name “Secret Santa”? Many a Hanover High School teacher experienced this thrill of mystery as the school’s student council once again organized a student-teacher Secret Santa program for the days leading up to winter break. Office holders, elected representatives, and honorary representatives alike had the opportunity to sign up at the student council meeting in early December as a Secret Santa for their favorite teacher. Having agreed to be a “Santa,” students purchased small gifts of less than five dollars to surprise teachers with on the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before break.

“I think the student council Secret Santa is a great way to show appreciation to all of the teachers who dedicate themselves to giving us an education,” said Andrea Bilton, sophomore class president. “The best feeling in the world is knowing that that you put a smile on a teacher’s face by the end of the week.”

And smile they did, as many happy faces could be spotted throughout the halls of HHS when students revealed their identity by presenting their final gift in person. “Secret Santa is a great way for students to get to know teachers, and spread holiday cheer throughout HHS,” said Sarah Ryan, Treasurer for the class of 2016. The program allowed students and teachers to connect on another level. Student council members had the opportunity to give back to the teachers who make school more enjoyable, and teachers looked out as they taught and wondered which face in the crowd was leaving them surprises in their mailbox.

Callie MacDonald, an honorary representative, also enjoyed being a Secret Santa.  “I found it to be a great experience where I could form a closer bond with my teacher,” she said. “Also, it was a good opportunity to celebrate Christmas in the school.”

With the help of this popular tradition, many student council members and teachers alike discovered that not only are the holidays a time of fun and celebration, but also serve to bring people closer together and show how much you value each other.

By Mackenzie Welch

What started out as a typical snack period turned into chaos November 7 when the cafeteria erupted in a food fight. Juniors and seniors were sitting in the cafeteria, calmly enjoying their snacks when the first milk carton was thrown. Then other items followed including water bottles, cups of coffee and food. Students shouted as they evacuated the premises.  Teachers and faculty were flowing out of their rooms trying to figure out what was wrong. Mr. Paquette and other teachers quickly took charge, directing students still in the cafeteria to clean up the mess with rolls of paper towels and buckets and mops. Administrators reviewed surveillance tapes and several students were disciplined for their participation in the melee.

I myself was in the entrance hallway when it all occurred and was absolutely terrified I was going to be trampled. The main reason this event appeared to happen was because students noticed no teachers were watching them. Dr. Raab said steps have been taken to ensure that, in the future, there will always be supervision during snack.

The aftermath of the food fight (Photo from library)

By Cate Marchetti

I always pictured Hanover as the definition of a suburban oasis; new developments springing up right and left, a constant influx of well-to-do middle class families, kids growing up always having enough. While the majority of residents in our town are indeed very fortunate, there are certainly people who could use a helping hand during the upcoming holiday season. Thanksgiving is a time of pigging out on your grandmother’s delicious pumpkin pie, playing football with your cousins, and meticulously cleaning your house for company. Most importantly however this holiday is a celebration of giving; giving thanks, giving love, and giving to others in your community. Hanover is taking advantage of this spirit by helping the less fortunate enjoy a festive and filling Thanksgiving.

Charity is taking its hold first and foremost here at the high school. Student council has once again organized the annual Thanksgiving Canned Food Drive, and is experiencing enormous success. Every morning on their way into school, students can be seen loading donations into the already full collection bin. Members of the student council hold giant signs reminding their peers to bring in goods for the collection. The donations will benefit the Hanover Emergency Food Pantry. Hanover High School will also be partaking in the Soap and Towel Campaign this holiday season. The Campaign is collecting everything from bed sheets to toiletries and is dedicated to raising awareness of the homeless at a local level. The amenities collected will be distributed to families in need, ensuring that all residents of Hanover enjoy the comforts of a warm meal and cozy bed this holiday season.

The middle school will similarly be participating in a canned food drive in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving break this year. The generosity of families has been astounding in previous years, resulting in hundreds of nonperishable food items being donated to the local food pantry. Middle School students are not only helping out families in need, but also engaging in fierce competition with rival homerooms. This contest is a fun way for students to become involved in charity and also benefits families in the community.

Let’s be realistic, the most anticipated part of Thanksgiving is the food. Food pantries provide the necessities for many during the month of November in states all across America. The Hanover Emergency Food Pantry already caters to about 80 families a month, according to Barbara Itz, the food pantry’s co-chairman. Before Thanksgiving, however, this number more than doubles. Many people in Hanover find it hard to make ends meet around the holidays, especially elderly singles and one-parent families. The food pantry does all it can to help, and volunteers are once again gearing up for what they believe will be a busy Thanksgiving. Due to cultural shifts and the growing number of ethnic groups in Hanover, the food pantry now hands out gift cards to local supermarkets rather than traditional holiday gift baskets. This new development allows families to celebrate how they please, while still giving them more traditional options such as pumpkin pie mix and cranberry sauce. Thankfully, around Thanksgiving donations tend to pick up as people embrace the true meaning of the holiday.

Shaw’s and Star Markets are also doing their part this Thanksgiving through their new program called “Turkey Bucks.” The policy allows shoppers to donate one, five, or ten dollars which will be put towards the purchase of turkeys. The birds will then be delivered to a local food pantry so that underprivileged families can experience a traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving.

The combined efforts of these local organizations are making it possible for everyone in Hanover to experience a warm and filling Thanksgiving, and inspiring others to give this holiday season.

For more information on the Hanover Emergency Food Pantry or to donate, contact (781) 878-6284 or visit http://www.sharingweb.org/agencies/orgdetail.asp?OrgID=24