By Ryan Costello, ’27

Staff Writer/Social Media Editor

After three months as an intern in the Hanover municipal government, I have learned a surplus of knowledge of its functions and operations. Working with Town Manager Joe Colangelo, I have been assigned tasks and projects that have broadened my understanding of local government. I have had the privilege of attending various meetings, such as the Select Board, Advisory Committee, Conservation Commission, and Bylaw Review Committee. I have read and discussed the Town Manager Act and Hanover General Bylaws to understand why we have certain rules, regulations, and a complex system of government in place. I learned key administrative and organizational skills to help me in the workforce. I’ve even encountered challenging subjects involving the town’s budget with an override and levy limit. Since students are impacted by the decisions of the town government and will eventually have their own say, I wanted to share a quick rundown of some municipal operations.

The Special and Annual Town Meeting is the gathering of registered Hanover voters who weigh in on articles proposed to address different concerns. It is where people make decisions on spending taxes and other rules that guide town operations. The elected Town Moderator directs the meeting in a fair and orderly fashion, guiding the public comments and the voting procedure to make sure everything runs smoothly. Some items that people vote on are the budget, spending, bylaws, and zoning. This is a direct form of democracy in which the people use their legislative power to vote for an article (aye) or against an article (nay). The Annual Town Meeting occurs on a yearly schedule, while a Special Town Meeting is called as needed to address urgent issues that cannot wait. This year’s Special and Annual Town Meeting is set for Monday, May 4, beginning at 7 pm in the Hanover High School auditorium.

The Advisory Committee is a nine-member group appointed by the Town Moderator that represents the legislative body of the town and guides voters on their decisions on proposed articles. Many articles are submitted by town officials or departments, but constituents can also submit articles in the form of a petition. With enough signatures — 10 for the Annual Town Meeting and 100 for the Special Town Meeting — the article can be presented to the Town Meeting. This year, there is a petition for an article led by Lexie Schiller, a junior at Hanover High School, that would create a new section in our bylaws to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags.

The Town Manager is the chief executive officer of the town and is appointed by the Select Board. This position is usually held by someone with experience in business administration or public management. They are in charge of all non-elected department heads, including the appointment of the Police and Fire Chiefs. They also ensure that all the policies adopted by the Select Board are carried out effectively. The Town Manager directs the town’s administrative functions, including preparing the annual town budget alongside the Budget Director to ensure the town is financially stable. If the Select Board sets a vision or policy for the town, the Town Manager is the one who executes it.

The Select Board, made up of five at-large members, is the elected leadership of the executive branch of the Hanover government. They establish the overall policy and priorities of the town and have the ability to hire and remove, if necessary, the Town Manager. The Select Board reviews and approves budgets before they go to Town Meeting to be voted upon. They grant different business licenses and permits for possessions such as alcohol. The Select Board acts as a bridge between the residents and town officials. They create the Annual and Special Town Meeting warrants for the legislative branch to consider. They are elected for a three-year term and run during the Annual Town Election in May. The Select Board, like some other committees, has a Chair and a Vice Chair. The Chair runs the meetings and is the spokesperson of the Select Board. The Chair also guides the group’s decisions on issues and is in direct contact with the Town Manager. Meanwhile, the Vice Chair supports the Chair and runs the meetings when the Chair is absent.

After reading all of this information, you may wonder, how does this impact me? Well, many high school students are at voting age or close to it, and therefore have a say in Town Meeting or at the polls. The decisions made in municipal government can impact students, as has been felt in recent budget votes and overrides. Snow days are determined by the Department of Public Works in cooperation with the Superintendent of Schools and the Town Manager. Voters can impact decisions on new parks, police cruisers, sidewalks, and town bylaws. If you want to engage in the decisions made in this town, I encourage you to fulfill your civic duty by listening to what is going on and voting when you’re eligible. Volunteering is welcome at Town Hall or other public facilities if you want to get more involved. If you have an issue with something, do not be afraid to reach out. Everyone has a voice in this town, so let it be heard.

By Jolie Coviello, ’27

Staff Writer

Oftentimes, having a deeper understanding of a nation’s history allows us to understand why it takes certain actions in the present. Venezuela is one nation in particular with a long and tumultuous history, which must be taken into account to understand the current political situation. 

It’s easy to see why many Venezuelans anticipate reform with the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by the US military, which was ordered by President Trump in early January. In fact, a 2017 poll by Datanálisis, a respected Venezuelan research firm, showed that 80 percent of Venezuelans desired Maduro’s removal. President Maduro has caused great harm to his nation’s economy, government, and people since taking office in 2013. Due to the severe economic debilitation, persistent social unrest, and blatant election fraud under Maduro’s administration, conditions nationwide have worsened. Venezuela is experiencing one of the largest displacement crises in the world as millions try to escape terrible living conditions. Over 80 percent of Venezuelans live in poverty under a socialist government. The murder rate of natives has increased to 91 percent, surpassing that of the most dangerous cities in the world. According to research by the United Nations Refugee Agency, over 23 percent of the population has fled the country since Maduro was elected into office. 

Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez, built an economy dependent on oil exports. During his presidency, oil generated significant income for Venezuela, making up approximately 95 percent of export earnings at its height. This boost in national income provided an incentive for the government to spend over $230 billion on social programs and nationalization. Although Chávez succeeded in reducing poverty by 26 percent with social welfare programs–federal food subsidies and improvements in education and health care, these reforms relied on a thriving economy. When Maduro came into power, he failed to adjust to a dynamic market, and a significant decrease in oil prices proved to be devastating for the economy. Venezuela fell into a massive spending deficit―around 17 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This number only increased over the course of Maduro’s presidency.

Now, Venezuela has the highest rate of inflation worldwide—almost 946 percent at its peak, making food and medicine virtually inaccessible. After oil prices fell, its GDP declined a whopping 35 percent — more than that of the United States during the Great Depression. And instead of working to resolve the economic crisis, Maduro gave government officials, military elites, and close business associates access to an exclusive exchange rate, which they could profit from in the black market. As the gap between the black market exchange rate and hyperinflation rates grew, Maduro’s elite allies continued to profit from economic debilitation, often working with the Central Bank–Venezuela’s national bank–to artificially maintain low exchange rates. 

Along with crippling the economy, Maduro has been accused of electoral fraud by multiple democratic countries and organizations, turning out elections that were statistically improbable and did not qualify as democratic. For fear that he was losing power from the representative branch of government—the National Constituent Assembly, he replaced the body altogether in 2020. This led to massive protests nationwide. Instead of resolving this issue, Maduro utilized the military and law enforcement to attack, oppress, and detain peaceful protestors. Many propaganda outlets blamed the violence on the opposition, despite Maduro having escalating the situation. 

Free speech is not a constitutional right in Venezuela. In fact, the Human Rights Watch covered the brutality, torture, and political persecution of protestors nationwide. They detailed how armed security forces and pro-government groups attacked protestors using extreme force, causing dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. Thousands of civilians were detained and prosecuted in military courts without trial. The government also sent intelligence agents into homes or onto the streets to detain people without reason and at random. 

On top of having no due process, those in custody have been subjected to various forms of torture and abuse. In a joint report by the Human Rights Watch and the Penal Forum, there have been at least 88 cases involving at least 314 people whose human rights were infringed upon. Despite obvious evidence of human rights violations, no indication had been made of any legal consequences for the aggressors’ actions, which the Human Rights Watch called a humanitarian crisis. Therefore, high-level officials not only bear responsibility for these actions but blatantly permit them. The majority of Venezuelans—90 percent—desire government reform. Despite their persistent protests since Maduro’s election, there has been little to no reform in government.

Since the capture of President Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez — the Vice President of Venezuela — has taken charge of Venezuelan goods and government as the acting president of the regime. Rodríguez has publicly reinforced the legitimacy of the regime while President Maduro remains in US custody. It seems as though Rodríguez does not hold favor with the majority of Venezuelans, who are impoverished and increasingly restless.

The leader of the opposition, María Corina Machado, has attempted to run for President in the past but was barred by the Venezuelan government. Despite the government corruption, Machado believes that Venezeula can return to a fair democracy, starting with the removal of Maduro. On the other hand, the severe economic debilitation, persistent social unrest, and blatant election fraud in Venezuela are a significant precedent that prevents a full transition to a democratic government. After all, mass protests have been omnipresent for a decade, and they’ve caused little change in government. But Machado stated that the Venezuelan people have already unified over political oppression, so they will succeed in reforming the government together, as 90 percent of Venezuelans share the desire to reform the corrupt administration. In her opinion, the absence of religious, social, and racial tensions within the populace is a promising sign of national unity, yet the obvious political tension between the administration and its people remains prevalent. The future remains uncertain in the midst of a dynamic political environment.

Currently, the Trump administration is attempting to reinstate diplomatic relations with Venezuela, despite having just arrested its leader. President Trump has made some progress, encouraging a new amnesty bill in Venezeula that could lead to the release of dissenters, including politicians, activists, lawyers and many others. This would be a public acknowledgement that the Venezeulan government has held hundreds of people in prison for political motivations, marking the beginning of much-needed reform in modern Venezuela.

Works Cited

“2024 Venezuelan Presidential Election.” Wikipedia, 8 Feb. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Venezuelan_presidential_election.

“Eight Million and More Vote in Venezuela Election.” Thevincentian.com, 2017, thevincentian.com/eight-million-and-more-vote-in-venezuela-election-p13696-149.htm. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.

Gupta, Girish. “Exclusive – Venezuelan Vote Data Casts Doubt on Turnout at Sunday Poll.” Reuters, 2 Aug. 2017, http://www.reuters.com/article/world/exclusive-venezuelan-vote-data-casts-doubt-on-turnout-at-sunday-poll-idUSKBN1AI0AM/. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.

Human Rights Watch. “Crackdown on Dissent | Brutality, Torture, and Political Persecution in Venezuela.” Human Rights Watch, 15 Jan. 2019, http://www.hrw.org/report/2017/11/29/crackdown-dissent/brutality-torture-and-political-persecution-venezuela.

KOMO News. “FULL REMARKS: Venezuelan Leader Maria Machado Says Venezuela Will Be Free with the Help of the US.” YouTube, 17 Jan. 2026, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoOMpeEaN8E&list=RDNSHc8K866Vw34&index=5. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.

News, PBS. “Venezuela Approves Amnesty Bill, Paving Way for Release of Hundreds of Political Detainees.” PBS News, 20 Feb. 2026, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/venezuela-approves-amnesty-bill-paving-way-for-release-of-hundreds-of-political-detainees.

News, PBS. “U.S. And Venezuela Agree to Reestablish Diplomatic Ties in Major Shift after Maduro’s Ouster.” PBS News, 6 Mar. 2026, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-and-venezuela-agree-to-reestablish-diplomatic-ties-in-major-shift-after-maduros-ouster.

Puyosa, Iria. “Venezuelan Government Strategies for Information War on Twitter.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2018, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3459724. Accessed 24 Oct. 2019.

Scripps News. “Trump Meets with Venezuelan Opposition Leader as Senate Backs Military Authority.” YouTube, 15 Jan. 2026, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc8K866Vw34&list=RDNSHc8K866Vw34. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.

Seelke, Clare Ribando. “Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy.” Congress.gov, 2025, http://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF10230.

UNHCR. “Venezuela Crisis | USA for UNHCR.” Unrefugees.org, 2024, http://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/venezuela/.

“US Dollar to Venezuelan Bolívar Exchange Rate History | Currency Converter | Wise.” Wise, 2020, wise.com/us/currency-converter/usd-to-ves-rate/history.

Vox. “The Collapse of Venezuela, Explained.” YouTube, YouTube Video, 25 Aug. 2017, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1gUR8wM5vA.

Wikipedia Contributors. “National Electoral Council (Venezuela).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Jan. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Electoral_Council_(Venezuela).

Worldometer. “Venezuela Population (2026) – Worldometers.” Worldometers.info, 2019, http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/venezuela-population/.

“Xe Currency & Money Transfers.” Xe.com, 2025, http://www.xe.com/en-us/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=USD&To=VEF.

By Charlize Coviello, ’29

Staff Writer

The story of America cannot be told without the voices, struggles, and achievements of Black Americans. The idea of Black History Month was suggested by historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926. As the son of former slaves, Woodson aimed to challenge the erasure of Black history in education by establishing a dedicated period for celebrating Black contributions to the American story. As a Harvard-trained historian, he launched this initiative under his organization, The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Originally, the commemorative week was chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln, Feb. 12, and Frederick Douglass, Feb. 14. The celebration was expanded to the entire month of February in 1976, during the U.S. bicentennial year. That year, President Gerald Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans.”

As the president who signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, Lincoln’s impact on the history of Black freedom cannot be understated. In addition to “freeing slaves,” Lincoln also authorized the enlistment of approximately 190,000 African-American men into the Union Army. Though even today the battle against prejudice and racism still rages, and segregation along with Jim Crow laws persisted nearly a century after emancipation, Lincoln’s actions represented a great step toward equality. 

Frederick Douglass was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey in February, 1818, in Talbot County, Maryland, to an enslaved mother and an unknown white father. Separated from his mother as an infant and raised by his grandmother, he was sold to the Auld family in Baltimore at age 8. Despite laws against it, Sophia Auld taught him the alphabet. He subsequently taught himself to read and write, viewing literacy as a path to freedom. As a teenager, he was sold to notorious slave breaker Edward Covey, where he suffered intense physical abuse before fighting back. In 1838 he disguised himself as a sailor to escape, later settling in New Bedford, Massachusetts with his new wife. Douglass became the most important leader of the movement for African American Civil Rights in the 19th century, gaining fame for his incisive anti-slavery writings and speeches. He published famous anti-slavery newspapers like the “North Star,” advising presidents and championing women’s suffrage and civil rights. His brilliant speeches and writings provided a powerful counter-narrative to pro-slavery arguments, making him an essential figure of history. During the Civil War he advised President Lincoln on emancipation and the treatment of Black soldiers. He fought for voting rights for African Americans and women, holding positions including US Marshal for the District of Columbia and Minister Resident to Haiti. He died in 1895 in Washington D.C., remaining an active, influential advocate for human rights until his final day. 

Of the many figures we celebrate in Black History Month, some of the most familiar include Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks. They all significantly contributed to American as well as Black history.

Harriet Tubman was a civil rights pioneer, abolitionist, and courageous American humanitarian. Born into slavery in Dorchester County, Maryland, around March 1822, she was the fifth of nine children and was hired out at age six, often enduring physical abuse and neglect. At age 12, an overseer threw a heavy iron weight that struck her head, causing severe seizures, headaches, and narcolepsy that lasted her entire life. In 1849, facing the threat of being sold, she fled to Philadelphia using the Underground Railroad. Over the next decade, she made approximately 13 trips back to Maryland, liberating family members and friends. She guided approximately 70 enslaved people to freedom. She traveled in disguise, moved by night, and relied on a network of safe houses. She later served in the Civil War as a nurse and scout for the Union army, and was the first woman to lead an armed assault during the Combahee River Raid, freeing over 700 people. After the war, she settled in Auburn, New York, supported women’s suffrage alongside Susan B. Anthony, and helped care for the elderly. In 1913, she passed away from pneumonia and was buried with military honors.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on Jan. 15, 1929. His father was an early civil rights leader who protested voting discrimination. As a gifted student he entered Morehouse College at age 15, later earning a sociology degree, a Bachelor of Divinity from Crozer Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Boston University. Dr. King was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement. He’s famously known for his “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington, helping pass landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He helped lead the Montgomery bus boycott, which led the Supreme Court to rule segregated public buses unconstitutional, and he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his commitment to achieving racial equality and justice through nonviolent means. Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee by James Earl Ray.

Rosa Parks, born Rosa Louise McCauley on February 4, 1913, was an activist known as the mother of the civil rights movement. She grew up experiencing strict Jim Crow segregation and intense racism, witnessing activities of the Klu Klux Klan as well as lynchings. She attended the private Industrial School for Girls and later the Alabama State Teachers College for Negroes. On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, she famously refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger, violating segregation laws. Her arrest sparked the 381 day Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal, successful protest that helped end public transportation segregation. As a result of the boycott, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated buses were unconstitutional, marking a major victory for the civil rights movement. Before her 1955 arrest, she was an active member of the NAACP, serving as the secretary of the Montgomery Branch from 1943 to 1956. She traveled to Alabama to investigate documented cases of sexual assault and racial violence against Black individuals. When Parks was arrested for disorderly conduct after refusing to move to the back of the bus, she later stated she was not tired physically but rather “tired of giving in” to segregation. Due to death threats and difficulty finding work in Alabama, she moved with her husband to Detroit, Michigan, in 1957, where she continued fighting racism in the North. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999. Parks passed away on October 24, 2005 in Detroit. 

Black History Month is not just about remembering the past — it is about understanding how that past shapes our present and inspires our future. By studying and celebrating these historical figures, we can learn how to face problems of injustice and intolerance that still trouble society today.