Recited by Macy Hohenleitner, Class of 2017, this line came from a homeless character in the February 26th production of Tracks. The most recent performance by Hanover High’s drama department was performed at the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Festival and was, to everyone who saw it, a rousing success.
This May, we will see the newest show from the theater ensemble, the musical Anything Goes. With music and lyrics written by Cole Porter in the 1930s, the madcap story follows Billy Crocker, who sneaks about a transatlantic oceanliner in hopes of winning the heart of heiress Hope Harcourt. Unfortunately, Hope is already engaged. Nightclub singer Reno Sweeney and Public Enemy #13 Moonface Martin aid Billy in his quest to win Hope. The musical introduced such songs as “Anything Goes”, “You’re the Top”, and “I Get a Kick Out of You.”
Last March, Hanover saw perhaps one of the greatest, most talented casts perform the classic production of The Sound of Music. The cast included Class of 2015 members Zack McArthur and Hayley Ardizzoni as leads, whose talent and vocals added to the production as a whole. Students raved that The Sound of Music was amazing; from being involved backstage, I can attest to this.
Many students who were involved in the groundbreaking musical from last year will return for Anything Goes. Katie Scott, Macy Hohenleitner, Maddy Carroll, Brennan Taylor, Mikenzie Matheson, Hannah Kirby, and others all will return to maintain the newly established, fresh reputation of the Hanover drama department.
“Anything Goes is expected to be of better caliber than The Sound of Music,” noted Mike Meads, Class of 2016, who has worked as a stage manager for Hanover Drama this year. “We’re adding new things that will enhance the performance, like tap dance.”
Band director Mr. Matt Harden will be overseeing the production. Mrs. Elaine Bossong Thompson, geometry teacher at Hanover High and adviser to the school’s new dance team, will be assisting the cast in choreography.
Jeb Bush is now yesterday’s news, but nobody seems to have talked about what it took to get his presidential campaign off the ground. Bush, the former governor of Florida and brother of President George W. Bush, spent $58.8 million on his campaign (including super PACs and donations). That’s almost five times as much as Hillary Clinton has spent! Here’s a breakdown of what other things could have been bought with that $58.8 million . . .
Hopefully this fun little comparison has made you realize how expensive — and potentially wasteful — a political campaign can be.
Hanover High’s drama club made its debut this year in the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Festival at Duxbury High School on Saturday, Feb. 27. Other schools competing included Hingham, Nauset, Rising Tide Charter, Xaverian Brothers, South Shore Charter, Scituate, and Duxbury.
Under the guidance of drama teacher Jake Plummer, the cast performed Tracks by Peter Tarsi. The 40-minute, one-act play tells the story of a group of strangers who meet in a subway station and soon find out they are all dead (no spoilers here!). Trying to decide if they are waiting for a train bound for heaven or hell, they reflect on their lives, the proud moments, transgressions, happiness and regrets.
“It was a lot of work, but in the end it changed me as a person,” said Cecelia Dimitroff, a junior in the cast. “It made me think about every action I do in real life and why I do it.”
Two casts were chosen and worked hard to prepare for performance, but only the festival cast competed. Both casts and crew include (in alphabetical order):
Jacki Campbell, Justus Carney, Siofra Carty, Madison Carroll, Abby Cummings, Cecelia Dimitroff, Julia Goslin, Sean Goslin, Anna Harper, Macy Hohenleitner, Jake Laprise, Alexander Light, Alexander Linn, Audrey Lloyd, Cameron Lunetta, Cameron McAuley, Caroline MacDonald, Michael Meads, Kayla Maslow, Chloe Minnehan, Heather Nash, Mike Nimeskern, Emily Patten, Billy Porter, Peter Scribner, Katie Scott, Emily Sweeney, Fred Trankels, Ava Whitney, Isabella Whitney
Winter Sports teams at Hanover High School exceeded expectations and impressed all. Between a multitude of league titles and record-breaking seasons, our winter teams performed unbelievably well and several made it deep into tournament play.
Boys Hockey: See my separate article on the team’s state tourney run
Girls Basketball Ends Tourney Run
Photo by Jill Drummy
Hanover girls basketball’s perfect season came to an end on March 9 as they lost 43-38 in the Division 3 South Semifinals. The game was played at Massasoit College and Hanover, top-seeded with a 22-0 record, was the favorite going in. At the half, Hanover led Coyle & Cassidy 22-18, and at the end of the third, Hanover was up 33-31 — its smallest lead in quite a while. Both teams fought to the final buzzer, but in the end, Coyle & Cassidy came away with the stunning upset. Even though it was Hanover’s only loss in an amazing season, the heartbreak was written all over the player’s faces.
Every single time the Hanover girls basketball team took the floor this season, they won. They earned an incredible 16-0 record against teams in the Patriot League and finished 20-0 overall in the regular season. In the tourney, the Indians beat Middleboro at home 69-23 on March 2 and Abington 65-39 on March 4. To be perfect through a whole season is incredibly hard and to complete the job in the postseason is something that almost never happens.
Despite being knocked from the tourney, the team had a lot to celebrate this season. Senior Steph Flynn and Junior Hayley Wardwell both reached 1,000 points in their high school careers, which is an amazing milestone. Led by Coach Fisher and captains Flynn and Kayla McMahon, the rest of the team was strong at every position. Juniors Wardwell, Meaghan Raab and Megan Dixon and sophomores Lauren Gelly and Taylor Scott were big contributors and will be among the players returning next season.
Boys Basketball Falls to Rival Norwell in Tournament
Photo by Jill Drummy
The team was knocked out in the first round of tournament play in a 49-46 loss to rival Norwell on March 3. With last June’s graduation of top player Jack Buckley and other strong seniors, the boys basketball team had big shoes to fill. The season started strong, but the team stumbled near the end, losing its last four games. Coached by Nick Hannigan and led by senior captains John Carroll and Jonny Ferrarini, Hanover finished 12-8 to earn 11th seed in the Division 3 South tournament.
In the matchup against Norwell, the Indians relied heavily on top scorers including sophomores Matthew Delahunt and J.P. Landry, junior Pat Flynn and senior captain John Carroll. Norwell had beaten Hanover earlier this year in a Christmas tournament, and Hanover was looking for revenge. The team played with heart and gave Norwell a scare down the stretch, but couldn’t pull out the win.
Still, the team can look back on a season with many accomplishments. There’s also great hope for the future with so many underclassmen contributing this year.
Girls Hockey Wins First League Title
The girls hockey team made history by winning its first league title in the program’s five-year history. Composed of 35 girls from Hanover and Cohasset, the team, in theory, should find it hard to develop chemistry with teammates who don’t even live in the same town. But this obviously was not a problem because they finished an unbelievable 13-4-2. The top three point leaders on the team were from Hanover: senior Sam Taylor, junior Callie Hoadley and senior Karly Bowen.
Photo by Jill Drummy
With the momentum of a league championship and great team chemistry, the squad was looking to make it deep into the Division 2 tournament. Unfortunately, 10th-seeded Hanover/Cohasset fell to 23rd-seeded Natick 1-0 in the first round of playoffs March 1. Despite the early exit, the team can still be proud of its league championship and look to next season with high hopes.
Wrestling Racks Up Honors, Boutin’s Season Rolls On
The Wrestling team finished 5-2 and had four Patriot League All Stars: juniors Hunter Gillis, Danny Ryan and Damien Galotti and senior Colin Boutin. Boutin was also named the MVP of the Patriot League for the regular season. These honors show the sheer talent of this team.
Ryan and Boutin competed at All-States, with Boutin finishing 5th and qualifying for the All-New England Championships held March 4 and 5 in Providence, R.I. Ryan won one of three matches at All-States. Boutin went 1-2 at the All-New England competition.
A great overall year leaves many excited for next year as the team has a lot of returning talent and will hopefully continue to win.
Ski Team Sends One Member to States
The Hanover High School Ski team is one that people may not know much about. Traditionally, the team is small but every member expresses how much fun it is, regardless of its win-loss record.
Coach Matt McRae says the team is not just for elite skiiers. “If you love skiing, the ski team is a great opportunity to be skiing multiple days a week,” he said. “You just need to love being on the mountain and being part of a team.”
That perfectly sums up the positive attitude of having fun and being part of a team. The team practices and races at Blue Hills ski area, and also has multiple events at Ragged Mountain. Junior Max Shelley competed in states at Wachussett Mountain on Feb. 23 and came in 90th in a field of more than 125 skiers.
As the team looks to next year, Coach McRae encourages any interested students to come out. “We don’t discriminate against snowboarders,” he also noted, so even if you’re not a skier, you can still consider joining the team.
Swimmers Make Strong Showing at States
The boys and girls swimming and diving teams both had one of their best seasons in many years. The boys finished 7-3 and the girls finished 6-4, a result of strong individual swimmers and relay teams. Seven girls and five boys from the teams competed in sectionals and in states. At states, the boys finished 14th overall and the girls were 38th.
An unbelievable statistic from this season was that every single swimmer on the team recorded his or her personal best time this year. At states, senior Calley Madison finished 15th in the 200 IM and 19th in the 100 butterfly, and junior captain Jodie O’Connor was 14th in the 50 free and 17th in the 100 free. Sophomore Nick Jones finished fifth in the 500 free and sixth in the 100 butterfly. Junior Aidan Wright was tenth in the 100 butterfly and 11th in the 100 back.
Their meets ranged from pools at University of Massachusetts Boston to the YMCA in Hanover. Led by Coach Toohey and captains O’Connor, Taylor Grady and Will DeBoer, it seemed no matter where the boy or girls team was swimming, they were going to be very tough to beat . The swim team it seems gets better and better each year and only will continue to get better as each season comes along.
Gymnastics Finishes with Winning Record
Photo by Jill Drummy
The girls gymnastics team finished the season 8-2, with tight losses coming at the start of the season to Pembroke and Cohasset. The team performed consistently throughout the season and finished with an incredible streak of seven wins, beating both Pembroke and Cohasset the second time around. Those revenge wins must have felt very satisfying to Coach Hart and the team. Next season, with a lot of young talent returning, the team looks to improve their already elite team and put together an even better record.
Follow me on Twitter @TrevorBlaisdell for more updates on all Hanover Athletics.
You may already know the story behind The Martian, the Oscar-nominated movie starring Matt Damon. But if you’ve only seen the movie, you’re missing the great look into the psyche of the stranded astronaut that is contained in the book. And if you haven’t seen the movie yet, I highly recommend that you read the book first.
I started with the book, written in 2011 by self-proclaimed science nerd Andy Weir. From friends who have seen the movie, I have heard that the stories are very similar. When Mark Watney and his team of astronauts are caught in a terrible sandstorm while exploring Mars, Watney is presumed dead and left behind. Facing a distant, and very slim, chance of rescue with supplies only meant to last a short time, Watney must invent ways to grow food, expand water and air supplies and restore communications with NASA. Eventually, a rescue plan is put into place, but it requires a dangerous trek across Martian terrain where survival depends on stretching Watney’s equipment, abilities and determination beyond their limits.
The main difference between the movie and the book is that much of the book is told through Watney’s journals. Instead of just watching him devise a system to grow potatoes using his own waste, as you do in the movie, you read what he is thinking (and smelling) as he mixes bags of poo with soil samples from Earth in the hope of growing enough food to survive. In the scene where Watney loses his recently regained ability to talk to NASA, the book reveals his shift from confusion to terror to anger when he realizes it’s a result of his own mistake. These glimpses into his mindset make the reality of his situation — the hopelessness, fear, ingenuity and bravery– all the more pressing. It turns a story of survival into an exploration of the rollercoaster emotions a person experiences when faced with danger.
At times, the scientific explanations in the book went over my head, but that didn’t limit my enjoyment. Even without understanding every detail, I was riveted by Watney’s plight and cheering for a happy ending. The story of survival against all odds — whether it occurs on Mars, the oceans of Earth or in a dysfunctional family — is something most of us can relate to. The Martian was a great read, and now I can’t wait to see the movie.
Every day on the island of Lesbos, Greece, rafts and boats carrying Middle Eastern refugees land on the rocky shore. And every day, Greek citizens welcome and care for the weary migrants that stream into their front yards.
In this past October alone, 200,000 refugees came to the island to be directed to the Moria Refugee Camp in Lesbos. The incredible kindness that the native islanders and volunteers from all over the world have shown the migrants has been showcased in the past few months. If one were to step onto the island, they might see a Dutch volunteer carrying a water tank or a representative from the Swiss-based Médecins Sans Frontières organization. CNN has captured multiple voices of compassionate Greek islanders who believe that helping the refugees in small ways, like providing them with something to eat, or big ways, like rescuing their ship at sea, is basic humanity. In fact, for their uncommon show of care and welcome to refugees, a petition to nominate the islanders for the Noble Peace Prize has garnered thousands of signatures.
Though foreign efforts to help refugees have been extremely generous, the constant influx of volunteers and aid organizations has been, perhaps inevitably, overall disruptive to Greece. Spyros Galinos, the mayor of Lesbos, commented to the Guardian newspaper on the lack of cooperation of some volunteers with the methods of the Greek island and its people. Often, volunteers might frighten incoming refugees with noisy and unneeded disturbance or provide refugees with misinformation. Lesbos resident Aphroditi Vati told the Guardian newspaper that foreign volunteers are not asking the islanders how they can help or considering how much of an ordeal the crisis has been for the island’s residents.
Though Lesbos residents have experienced chaos, and struggled with a humanitarian dilemma to welcome or not welcome the thousands of refugees needing immediate attention upon arrival, their generous hospitality has been stalwart. Hopefully, their respect and brotherly compassion for newcomers will serve as an example to foreign volunteers looking to help and to the rest of the world while Middle Eastern refugees flee to escape violence and persecution at home.
Ask yourself, do you know someone with special needs or a learning disability? Odds are, the answer is probably yes. Almost everyone knows a loved one, friend, or just someone in the school or community with developmental disabilities. The “R” word campaign was started by a partnership of more than 200 nonprofit organizations nationwide with the intent to take action against the slur “retarded.” As a high school student, I know just how often this word is used in casual conversation. Usually, people are not trying to be offensive when they use the word, but it can be very hurtful to people who have special needs. Since this popular slang sometimes seems to just slip out, the R word campaign is dedicated to reminding people to take a conscious effort to keep the word “retarded” out of their vocabulary. With slogans such as “Respect is the New R Word” and “Spread the Word to End the Word,” the creators of the campaign are encouraging people everywhere to find alternatives in their vocabulary to this offensive word.
On Wednesday, March 2, Hanover High School students will be taking the pledge to end their use of the R word. A banner will be displayed at all three lunches and students will sign a pledge stating that they will be more open-minded and careful when speaking. Mrs. Curley has taken charge of this campaign at Hanover High, and has been working tirelessly with her Partnership in Art classes to create posters and fliers to remind students that the R word is not permitted in this school. In addition, Student Council and the Parntership in Art class have paired up to design R word campaign t-shirts that will be worn by many students and teachers next Wednesday. All profits made will be donated to the Special Olympics. So, if you bought a shirt, make sure to wear it on Wednesday and remember, spread the word to end the word!
The Boston Celtics did not make any transactions at the recent NBA trade deadline. Danny Ainge, the team’s president of basketball operations, said ‘no good deals’ were available during the course of talks with many teams. Rumors had started to grow about the Celtics acquiring big names like Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford or Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard. Both would be risky picks: Horford is a free agent after this season so if the Celtics were to go for him, he might not even play for the team next year, and Howard’s ego can be bigger than his game.
The Celtics have seven first round picks over the next three NBA drafts, which is unbelievable. In 2016 the Celtics have their pick, Brooklyn’s pick and Dallas’s pick. In the 2017 NBA draft, the Celtics have the right to swap with Brooklyn and trade places. Then in 2018, they’ll have their own first round pick as well as Brooklyn’s and Memphis’. As competitive as the Celtics have been in the league this year, they can look forward to a bright future, having lined up so many top picks. It’s a fan’s dream to have a bright future as well as a winning season now. Teams like the Philadelphia 76ers lose all the time and have good draft picks but it will take years for them to become competitive. Then there are teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, who trade their picks and sign big name free agents for big money in order to win now. The bad side of that strategy is that it’s all about the here and the now. The future is non existent for teams like that. It’s a tough thing to balance but no one is doing it better then the Boston Celtics are doing it right now.
Names like Pau Gasol, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin were also rumored to possibly land in Boston via trade but those are such high-profile players that it would take even more than their value to acquire them and Danny Ainge is not one to overspend on a player. Undoubtedly, the Celtics will trade some of their first-round draft picks to acquire a superstar talent as having a top ten player is the only way to legitimately compete for a championship in the NBA. This year, hopefully the Celtics can make a deep playoff run and get their group of young players post-season experience because they most definitely will be back in the NBA playoffs for years to come.
Now that Super Bowl 50 is over, many teams are looking ahead to the NFL Draft in April. Cam Newton was the main reason the Carolina Panthers were able to reach Super Bowl 50. Although his play wasn’t enough to win, Cam still had an incredible season and was named the league’s MVP for the 2015-16 season. The Denver Broncos’ Von Miller most definitely was a main force in the Broncos season success as well as their Super Bowl win. Miller was named MVP of the Super Bowl, which is very unusual for a defensive player.
What Cam Newton and Von Miller have in common is that they played each other in the Super Bowl, they are both 26 years old, they were drafted the same year one after another. Cam Newton was the number one overall pick in the 2011 draft. Von Miller was second.
It’s natural to think back to that draft, and ponder the top 10 picks. If teams could have seen into the future, would they have chosen differently? If I was in charge, I would’ve made some different choices. Here is a list of the teams with the top 10 picks that year, who they chose and who I think they should’ve chosen.
1. Carolina Panthers: QB Cam Newton, QB Cam Newton
2.Denver Broncos: OLB Von Miller, OLB Von Miller
Both teams have seen their choices pay off. No changes necessary there.
3. Buffalo Bills: DT Marcell Dareus, DE JJ Watt
The Bills took a good player in Marcell Dareus, who has started and played very well. JJ Watt is arguably the best defensive player to ever live, so if the Bills had known what Watt would turn into, I think there’s no doubt they would’ve snapped him up.
4. Cincinnati Bengals: WR A. J. Green, WR Julio Jones
Cincinnati also took one of the best wide receivers in the league in A. J. Green. It’s just that Julio Jones’ production has been better during the course of their young careers.
5. Arizona Cardinals: CB Patrick Peterson, CB Richard Sherman
Richard Sherman is known for his loud mouth and shutting down star receivers every week. Peterson and Sherman are top three cornerbacks in the league so you couldn’t go wrong with either but Sherman is better than Peterson.
6. Atlanta Falcons: WR Julio Jones, WR A. J. Green
In my revised draft, Julio Jones would already have been taken by the Bengals, because it would be an absolute steal to get one of the best receivers in the NFL. Therefore, the Falcons would end up with Green, who is still a pretty good catch.
7. San Francisco 49ers: DE Aldon Smith, DT Marcell Dareus
Aldon Smith is currently serving a one-year suspension based on multiple criminal charges against him so I would just about guarantee San Francisco would take a reliable defensive player and not Smith.
8. Tennessee Titans: QB Jake Locker, QB Andy Dalton
Jake Locker retired at the age of 26 to the surprise of just about every single person. The Titans were left without a quarterback and now Jake Locker is known as one of the biggest busts in draft history.
9. Dallas Cowboys: OT Tyron Smith, CB Patrick Peterson
The Cowboys’ pick of offensive tackle Tyron Smith was a great choice and Smith has exceeded expectations. He’s become a premier lineman. But in the NFL, shutdown cornerbacks are of high demand and I think any team would go back and take Peterson because of how elite he’s been over his career.
10. Jackson Jaguars: QB Blaine Gabbert, QB Colin Kaepernick
Quarterback Blaine Gabbert was taken 10th overall, but has joined a long list of Jaguars quarterbacks who didn’t pan out. Once given the opportunity, Colin Kaepernick lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl in 2012. Kaepernick would have been the best available quarterback to take.
The Hawk 