Ms.Turner

Teacher Spotlight

Kristen Plahn & Chris Acampora

This week’s teacher spotlight is on Ms. Diane Turner, the hilarious freshmen English teacher. Before becoming a teacher she was the Assistant Director of Advertising and Public Relations for Coldwell Banker in Massachusetts and also worked in Jack Conway Co. Real Estate. After years of working there she decided to go to the University of Massachusetts in Boston and then to Cambridge College to get her master’s in education. She is here at Hanover High School today because one of her professors told her she should teach high school English because high school students can analyze literature in a way that younger students cannot.

“I like to think I do 5 shows a day”

Ms. Turner likes seeing the desire to learn in her students. She loves seeing their enthusiasm and their ability to enjoy reading and learning. If you enjoy her class, you probably agree with Ms. Turner who says, “I do five shows a day.” There are some students who might have strayed from their capabilities like the time Ms. Turner gave a vocab quiz and a student taped the answers on the back of the person in front of her without their knowledge!

“I love the water”

Aside from teaching, Ms. Turner loves the water, and wishes to own a houseboat, since being on the water is second nature to her. She also has two dogs, Cody and Maddy, who will do just about anything for food. One time, she had a friend who had leftovers from a restaurant on the kitchen table and Cody ended up eating everything, paper and all. Her favorite book is “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee and her second favorite is “Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck. If you are lucky enough to be in her class this year, then you will definitely have a lot of fun!

Even though there are still a few weeks left of school, most of our thoughts are already on what we plan to do for summer vacation. I asked some students what’s on their agenda when we’re finally free from classes.

Freshman Yasmina Berkat will take her annual trip to visit her grandparents in sunny California. “I’ll be there for a few weeks so I’ll be going to Disneyland and the beach a lot.”

Bridget O’ Connor, another freshman, plans to spend time at her uncle’s house in New Hampshire. “I’m also going to jump in my pool because it’s the best way to chill off on a 90 degree day!”

Friend Taylor Scott will be right there with her, when she’s not watching Netflix and going to the beach.

The only traveling that sophomore Cate McGillicuddy has planned is to and from her job.  “I’m probably going to work all summer, unfortunately,” she said. “Also I’ll be hanging with my friends a lot.”

Ryan Hogan, a junior, is starting a painting company with classmate Scotty O’Brien. “Prudential Painting — give us a call!” Other plans include “just straight up chillin, going to the beach with my friends and getting completely tanned — a nice, crisp golden brown.”

Finding a balance between work and fun is important, as freshman Mikaela Murphy knows. “I’m going to work, sleep, and volunteer at my mom’s school.”

Jordan O’Sullivan, a junior, will be working but otherwise has a hard time picturing being on vacation. “It’s a month away, and it’s hard to make plans right now.”

Remember grass? Only ’90s kids remember grass. But guess what, it’s coming back. THE ’90s ARE BACK, EVERYBODY! This winter has been more brutal than that time in Vegas, and I was declared legally dead for 20 minutes at one point during that trip. But now that the calendar says spring is here, we can finally experience the outdoors without feeling sad, right? The sun will be smiling down being all cool and saying “hey, you deserve this” and I really do. Dealing with impaling icicles, massive snowbanks, and my dog forgetting that his bathroom is OUTSIDE, AND NOT ON MY FLOOR . . . I do need a break. So although the Beelzebub took one more jab at us with the snowfall on March 20, keeping spring from looking like the ones I spent in my childhood in Australia, I asked classmates what their spring plans would be — once spring as we once knew it actually returns. The answers were “da bomb.” ’90s LINGO EVERYONE, LET’S GET AFTER IT!

Freshman Jenna Palmer said she’s looking forward to skateboarding and enjoying the heat. That sounds off the heezy, but remember, always wear your helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and feelings pads because words hurt as much as pavement.

Penn Giavanucci, also a freshman, said playing lacrosse and “seeing grass” is what he’s looking forward to. Aren’t we all, my man. Aren’t we all.

Junior Courtney Ceurvels also will be tearing up the lax gnar and adventuring full time  — as opposed to those part-time adventurers; those guys are the worst.

Freshman Cam Lunetta can’t wait to take rides in junior Sara White’s car and simultaneously make fun of her. That sounds like a heavier workload than my senior schedule, to be honest.

Erin Thornton, a junior, is looking forward to not having to start her car half an hour before getting into it in the morning. “Oh, and getting my boats in the water.” Just had to add that last part to make those of us stuck on land all jealous, didn’t you?!

“Chief” Keefe said she already sees crocuses coming up in her garden, a sure sign that spring is coming despite the snowbanks that are sticking around like a bad habit. And with temperatures in the 50s this week and next, we’ll all be knee-deep in crocuses, and mud, before we know it. That’ll be dope, yo!

I watched Fight Club recently (great movie, by the way) and Brad Pitt asks a very interesting question: “If you could fight anyone, who would it be?” After I finished staring at  Brad’s beautiful, beautiful face, I realized that this would be a great question to ask the angst-filled students of HHS. Guess what? I was right.

Junior Max Meallo stated that he’d fight infamous Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.  “In a World Star video,” he added. “I’d be shirtless and super ripped.” I like everything about this fight, literally everything.

Coleman Lambert, a sophomore would also take on Hitler. “But he was pretty built so I’d definitely stomp out Doctor Mengele.” Great choice, Coleman, Mengele was the definition of a mad scientist and a deadly surgeon with his knife. But I have full confidence that Coleman’s a surgeon on the wrestling mat, and will probably kill him.

Senior Steven Griffin said he’d melee with Fredrick Douglass, the  the abolitionist revolutionary. When I asked Griff why, he said, “Just because, for reasons opposite of racism.”  I guess this is not racist, even though it totally sounds like it is.

Man of peace Jake Casper, a senior, said he’d go head-to-head with Kanye West. “I’d take him out with a dropkick to the face,” he said. “I like his music, but he’s a horrible person.” That was the first time Jake sounded violent and I felt so proud of him.

Junior Noah Gattereau spat out that he would fight “all three members of Migos for dissing my boy Chief Keef, bang bang O block.” It took me three months to process this statement and I still sometimes forget that what Noah said was classified as English.

Sophomore Alex Campbell wants to fight Eve, of the Biblical power couple Adam and Eve. Well, Alex, God wouldn’t be so pissed at us if you body slammed that blonde rule-breaker into the holy earth, so go for it.

Abby  Kirby would take on magician Harry Houdini and Meaghan McGlame would fight Italian Dictator Benito Mussolini. I think they chose them because they rhyme.

Ah, I love improbable questions like these. They provide such great answers. If I had the opportunity to fight anyone, it would be Vlad the Impaler. If I beat him I get to keep his nickname and that would be metal: Eric the Impaler. Ahh . .  . how peaceful.

Snow is awesome. No, really, I love it so much. You know what, I don’t love? Pounds of it. The persistent powder has really piled up this winter season and, after six snow days and endless hours of digging out my car, frankly I’m literally so done.  I feel like an old person for the first time in my life because when snow falls now,  instead of being happy and full of joy, I grumble and say profane things under my breath (Just kidding, I’m usually shouting). Too much of a good thing will always ruin it. Imagine eating a delicious piece of cake. Now imagine having that cake again, and again, and again repeatedly shoved down your throat. That’s what this winter is like.

Snow, you’re a good guy; we used to hang out a lot. But you moved away for a while and you’re just not that fun to hang out with anymore. Plus, there’s the fact that you might extend the school year for everyone (seniors included) if we have any more of your stormy days off. Look snow, I know you thought everyone liked you, but I asked people how they would react if you extend the school year — some towns are staying in school until June 30, cancelling vacation days and planning weekend classes. Nobody at HHS was happy about those possibilities (although, thankfully, we’re still about four snow days away from having to worry about them).

“(expletive) no,” said senior Anna Haskins. “I would certainly not go to Saturday school. Sorry that the snow came down but it’s not my fault.”

That’s a big L that you have to hold to your chest, snow.

When I asked senior puck sucker Alex O’Dowd about whether, if it comes to it, he’d rather give up part of April break or more days of summer vacation, he said, “I would say do that . . . but don’t do that.” I’m sorry ladies, this poet is taken.

Junior Michele Leary suggested that the school day be extended by 5 minutes per day to make up lost time. She mentioned it was done in her brother’s school in Virginia, and it worked. Sophomore Alexia Lucia offered the idea of three half day Sundays, which is actually not a terrible idea.

It seemed unanimous that everyone does not want to deal with you, snow, but I feel sophomore Ryan Doolin summed it up best when I asked him how he would feel about an extended school day. Ryan’s response? “Bad.” I had to take a step back from his brilliance and just take in how deep this man is.

So snow, get off my damn lawn.