By Siena Oliver, ’27

Opinions Editor

Hanover High School’s 2025 musical production was a huge hit! Rehearsed during the fall, and performed three nights before Thanksgiving, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee starred 19 Hanover High School students, with help from many more in the crew and the musical pit (cast, crew and pit lists in photo gallery below).

This musical, as its name suggests, is a comedic and highly dramatized take on an average school county spelling bee. Premiering on Broadway in 2005, it follows six children, each with different quirks and backstories, and three adults throughout the duration of the Bee. While there are several things that make this show unique, even in the world of musical theatre, one notable difference is its use of timing and setting. While many musicals have stories that span days or longer in just one show, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee seems to happen in real time. There are no time skips, set changes, or aging characters. The musical lasts just under two hours, and so does the spelling bee it depicts. This, along with the remarkable level of audience interactivity and cast improvisation, allow audience members to feel especially present when attending the musical.

In addition, and perhaps most uniquely, the show is always changing, and even includes volunteers who are participating the the Bee in real time. Every single production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will vary greatly, even those preformed by the same cast and crew from night to night. This is because the show relies heavily on both the actors’ improvisation and audience volunteers. At the beginning of each performance, four volunteers are called up to the stage from the audience. They, in many cases, have no formal acting experience whatsoever. These volunteers are welcomed to the stage, then treated like every other “contestant” (actor) in the Bee. As the show goes on, the characters, along with the audience volunteers, are given words to spell in front of the crowd. Improvisation is utilized by the onstage actors when the volunteers are called up to spell a word, and to determine their reaction depending on if the word is spelled correctly or not.

As a member of the cast for the HHS production, this show was a one-of-a-kind experience. Seeing the musical come together for opening night, and be received so well by each of our audiences, was such a treat. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a hilarious yet touching show that incorporates elements I had not previously seen in a musical. Being a part or this production and connecting with the amazing cast, crew, and pit members, is an experience I will never forget.

Maverick Langill, who has worked behind the scenes of many HHS shows and was part of this crew, shared a similar sentiment. “Even though at times it was stressful, it was an amazing show to be part of. I would work crew for this show every year if I could.”

Click on the images below to enlarge.

By Michael DeLuca, ’29

Staff Writer

I’m sure you have heard of Alcatraz, aka “The Rock;” a prison where the worst of the worst were sent; a prison located on an island in the middle of the fast-moving, freezing-cold San Francisco Bay; a prison that was made to be inescapable. Well, maybe inescapable is the wrong word.
One night on June 11, 1962, brilliant mastermind Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin were able to do the impossible: escape Alcatraz. But how did they do it? And what happened after they did?

Background
 
First built as a fortress and military prison in the 1850s, Alcatraz became a federal maximum-security prison in 1934. The 22-acre island prison housed notorious criminals like gangster Al Capone before closing in 1963 because it was too expensive to maintain. The surrounding saltwater was corrosive to the prison’s concrete walls. While open, it was the site of more than a dozen unsuccessful escape attempts, with most prisoners stymied by the remote location about 1.5 miles from the closest land.

Morris, born on September 1, 1926, arrived at Alcatraz in January of 1960. He was sent there for a 14-year sentence after being convicted of bank robbery. Prior to his time at Alcatraz, Morris was able to escape multiple other prisons as he was highly intelligent and very resourceful. Shortly after Morris’ arrival, John Anglin was transferred to Alcatraz. Born on May 2, 1930, Morris was serving a 35-year sentence for bank robbery. A few months later, in January of 1961, John Anglin’s brother, Clarence, joined them. Born May 11, 1931, Clarence Anglin faced a 15-year sentence for bank robbery and multiple prison escape attempts. There was another prisoner, Allen West, born March 25, 1929, who was involved in the escape, but his attempt was unsuccessful. The four men all knew each other from other prisons. They were conveniently in adjoining cells and could communicate regularly and plan their escape.

The Preparation
 
So exactly how did they escape their cells? Well, each prison cell had a small vent at the bottom of the back wall. The men came up with the idea to pry out the vent, and widen the preexisting hole, as the normal hole was way too small for any of them to fit through. At night, the gang used modified spoons and a homemade drill made from a vacuum cleaner motor to slowly chisel away at the wall around the hole. As you can imagine, they didn’t want anyone to notice what they were doing or hear their digging. Morris came up with an idea.  Every night from 5:30 to 7, the prisoners had music hour, so during this time one of the men would loudly play an accordion to cover up the noise. Another man would keep watch to make sure that no guards noticed anything. This indeed worked and after several months each man had successfully carved out a big enough hole for him to climb through. 

Due to the routine room inspections done on the prisoners’ cells, the gang needed a way to cover up the holes they were making. They stole paint from the art room and used cardboard, soap and notebook covers to make a fake wall that perfectly matched the vents they carved out.  The result was brilliant, and the guards never suspected a thing.

On the other side of the vent, within the prison wall, was a very small corridor where there were numerous pipes. The pipes acted as ladders for the men to climb up and led to an area above the cells. This is where the men planned on doing all of their work to escape and store their materials.  The only problem was the entire front half of the area had cell bars on it, making it visible to any guard. So what would they do? Well, Morris only knew about this spot because he had a job painting the ceilings and sweeping the floors there. He was able to maneuver a plan to cover the bars with blankets in order to hide their work.  Morris came up with the clever idea that every time he would sweep there, he would sweep some of the dust out the cell bars and onto the guards’ polished hallway below. When the guards started complaining of the mess, he suggested the solution to cover the bars with blankets so the dust couldn’t fall through. Morris did this job as slowly as possible so the guards would keep the blankets up there until the day the gang could finally escape. Every time the men would climb up, they would have to make as little noise as possible, as any tiny noise would echo throughout the entire cell block, alarming the guards. But the men were very skilled and did not make any loud noises, and the guards never caught them.  

Every night, a guard would walk the cell block hall to check in each cell to make sure nobody was out of bed.  If a guard walked past the cells of Morris, West, and the Anglin brothers and saw that they weren’t there, an alarm would be triggered and a search would begin. That is where possibly the most genius part of this whole escape comes into play. The four men crafted fake heads using a combination of soap, toilet paper, concrete dust, toothpaste and paint, again stolen from the art room, to make highly realistic heads that matched their own.  They would put the fake heads in their beds and make it appear that the men were sleeping.  For the hair of the heads, they used real human hair. One of the Anglin brothers had a job at the prison barber shop and would secretly collect the fallen hair to put on the fake heads. The heads took months of hard work, and the result was astonishing.

Finally, the men had to find a way to overcome the hardest part of their escape, traveling across the fast-moving, freezing-cold San Francisco Bay. Now you know that Morris was highly intelligent, so he researched sea survival books from the prison library. Morris looked into how life vests were made, and he came up with the idea to steal multiple rain coats, and glue them together to create life vests and a raft. The men ended up stealing over 50 rain coats and glued them together using waterproof glue that indeed made life vests and a raft! But they needed a way to inflate them. Remember the accordion from earlier? They modified it, transforming it into a homemade pump. As the final detail, the men built simple paddles using plywood and screws. 

The Escape

The day had finally come for the four men to escape, June 11, 1962. But the men did not just pick any random day. You see, the San Francisco Bay current was highly unpredictable and would not just take the men to shore every day. If they weren’t careful, the current could bring the men anywhere in the ocean. But Frank Morris knew this. He again used the books in the library to study the current and figure out the perfect day that the current would bring them directly to shore, and that day, he figured out, was June 11. But it would still be challenging. 

So the night had come, the guards had called “lights out” and it was the time for the men to escape. Each man took out their fake head and positioned it in their bed to make it appear that they were asleep. Then they took out their fake vent to escape their cell. Remember earlier how I said Allen West was unable to escape? Well, this was because on the night of the escape, his vent got stuck and when he couldn’t remove it, Morris and the Anglin brothers left him behind. The three men climbed up to the platform where they had been storing their materials and picked up their raft, life vests, and paddles. The men climbed to the roof of Alcatraz and scaled the prison walls, perfectly navigating them in a way that no guard towers would be able to spot them (Morris had been studying the outside of the prison for weeks to figure out the perfect route). Next, they climbed down the rocky island to the cold bay, put on their life vests, and then climbed into the raft and rowed away. They were finally free.

The Outcome

What happened next is unknown. Officials back then speculated that the three men drowned in the bay, but no bodies were ever found. The FBI eventually talked to West about the plan and he gave extensive information, getting time off his sentence for cooperating, but the information was not enough to figure out if the three men made it to shore. There were reported sightings of the men in the years after, and rumors they made it to South America, but none of that was ever confirmed. So what do you think? Do you think they drowned in the bay or froze to death? Or do you believe they made it to freedom? If anyone were to successfully complete an escape from The Impenetrable Rock, it would definitely be the Anglin brothers, and the brilliant mastermind, Frank Morris. 

By Gabriella DeLuca, ’27

Staff Writer

Christmas—the holiday of evergreen trees, gift giving, Santa Claus, and carols—is a celebration that captures both the beauty of winter and the joy of being with the ones you love. Celebrated around the world, from countries ranging from the United States to Germany, Christmas traditions are truly a hallmark of the winter season. But where did these beloved holiday traditions come from? And why do we still celebrate them today?

The origins of Christmas are intertwined with various religious and cultural traditions from around the world. In the Christian faith, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus and his bringing of salvation, hope, and love to earth. Christmas also coincides with the winter solstice and incorporates pre-Christian traditions, some that date back as far as two millennia.

December 25th aligns closely with earlier pagan holidays, particularly the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, which likely influenced the development of many Christmas traditions that are still celebrated today. Saturnalia, observed between December 17th and 24th, was a celebration of the winter solstice practiced by the pagans (polytheistic Romans) to honor the sun god, Saturn. Romans believed that the cold season was a sign that the sun had grown ill and weak, and that the lengthening of daylight that began after the winter solstice symbolized its gradual recovery and eventual return of springtime. During this Roman festival, all social hierarchies were overturned and the pagans throughout Ancient Rome came together to celebrate the winter solstice. This celebration was characterized by feasting and gift-giving, customs that strongly resemble modern Christmas traditions. The gifts exchanged and the foods shared symbolized hope for a prosperous spring harvest in the coming year.

Another festival that inspired the modern Christmas traditions was Yule. Yule was a celebration of the winter solstice and renewal of light, similar to the pagan festival of Saturnalia. This 12-day celebration is believed to be one of the oldest winter solstice festivals in history with origins tracing back to the Norse and German people of northern Europe. One of the hallmarks of this festival was the burning of the Yule log, a celebration that is still popular in Europe today, although in a different form. The original Yule log was an entire tree trunk that was burned for 12 days to welcome the return of the sun and the rebirth of light. The burning of the log was believed to symbolize the cleansing of the old year’s hardships and good fortune for the spring ahead. Today, in France and other countries in Europe, it is a common practice to bake a roulade-style cake decorated with berries and holly to look like an ancient Yule log.

Christmas Traditions

Today we celebrate Christmas by decorating Christmas trees, writing letters to Santa, singing carols, and decorating our homes with mistletoe and holly, traditions reminesent of those practiced by people many centuries ago.

Christmas Trees

Pagans were the first to use evergreen trees and plants to decorate their homes and brighten spirits during the winter solstice. Evergreen was believed to represent fertility and a new life amidst the darkness of winter. Decorating their doors and windows with evergreen boughs reminded the Romans of the green plants that would grow again when summer returned and the sun regained its strength. The Ancient Egyptians also filled their homes with green palms and papyrus reeds during their mild winter season to symbolize the triumph of life over death.

The modern decorated Christmas tree began as a German tradition and was first brought into the home during the 16th century. The Germans, Romans, and Celts brought greenery indoors during the winter to encourage the return of the sun during the dark winter months. This practice was spread across the Atlantic Ocean and brought to the Americas during the 18th century by German soldiers during the Revolutionary War.

It is widely believed that the 16th-century Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, was the first to add lighted candles to a tree. Stories suggest that while walking home one winter evening, Luther was amazed by the sight of the stars twinkling among the evergreen trees. To replicate the scene for his family, Luther brought a tree into his house and decorated its branches with lighted candles.

The modern decorated Christmas tree and the popularity of this tradition has been linked to a 19th century illustration of Queen Victoria and the British royal family standing with their Christmas tree during the winter season. This image, sketched in the Illustrated London, significantly boosted the popularity of the Christmas tree and led to the further spread of the tradition.

The Legend of Santa Claus

It would be hard to imagine Christmas without Santa Claus. During the winter season, the image of Santa Claus can be seen almost anywhere, from Coca-Cola bottles, to real-life experiences where children can meet Santa and tell him their Christmas wishes.

Today, Santa Claus is thought of as the jolly old man in a red suit with a white beard who brings toys to all the good children on Christmas Eve. However, the story of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas, known for his generosity and gift-giving. During the 4th Century in modern-day Turkey, St. Nicholas dedicated his life to helping the poor and the sick, giving away all his inherited wealth to those in need. Over the course of many years, St. Nicholas became recognized as the most popular saint in Europe and known worldwide as the protector of children. Today, St. Nicholas is celebrated with a feast on December 6th, the anniversary of his death.

Mistletoe & Holly

Decorating with mistletoe and holly is a well-known holiday tradition, but did you know that these plants’ history dates back hundreds of years?

Holly was a sacred plant for the pagans as they associated it with Saturn, the god of the sun and agriculture. During Saturnalia, the pagans would exchange wreaths made from holly for good luck. Over time, the practice of decorating with holly became a tradition, and even today homes around the world are often seen decked out with greenery during the Christmas season.

Have you ever wondered where the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe stemmed from?

There are many theories to the origin of this holiday tradition. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed mistletoe to have healing powers, curing everything from ailments such as epilepsy to poisoning. The Greeks and Romans also used mistletoe as a symbol of peace, reconciling with their enemies under it to symbolize to the end of warfare.

The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is also commonly traced back to Norse mythology. According to an ancient myth, the god Baldur was prophesied to die an untimely death, prompting his mother Frigg, the goddess of love, to seek protection for him. She traveled throughout the natural world, and secured promises with all the plants and animals to not harm her son. However, Frigg forgot to secure an oath from mistletoe, causing Baldur to be invulnerable to all living things with the exception of mistletoe. With knowledge of this vulnerability, Loki, the god of mischief, was able to kill Baldur using an arrow made from mistletoe. In some versions of this legend, the gods later restored Baldur to life, and in her great delight, Frigg declared mistletoe a symbol of love and vowed to bestow a kiss upon all those who passed beneath it.

Adding to the mythology, this one-of-a-kind Christmas tradition is often credited to Washington Irving, a notable American author who wrote about the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe in his acclaimed novel, The Sketch Book. Eventually this tradition became a romantic custom of the Christmas holiday.

Exploring the history behind Christmas reveals a rich tapestry of culture and stories that have evolved over time. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other holiday, the traditions we practice today are woven together from centuries of history, offering diverse ways to celebrate life, light, and being with the ones you love.

By Abby Lynch, ’29

Staff Writer

I bet that most people have read R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps by the time they’ve gotten to high school, but I don’t think you’re ever too old for them. Stine wrote the original 62 books in the series in the 1990s. But since then, the series has been re-issued, spun off and made into movies countless times. They’re the first scary stories for many children, and even fun to read when you’re older — and harder to scare. Here are a few of the books that I’ve read recently:

Diary of a Dummy: This book was a fun adventure to read. It involved Slappy, the evil ventriloquist’s dummy found in many stories, and two other characters. The other characters found Slappy’s Diary which contained the dummy’s different thoughts. The diary also had clues to find a treasure of gold. The book showed Slappy in a better light than previous books he has been in, which might make readers see him a little differently. Overall the book was really good.

Bride of the Living Dummy: This was a really funny read. The book is about Slappy finding a supposed love, so instead of one dummy making trouble for the main characters, it’s an evil doll and a dummy. I really liked reading this book because it showed what happens to Slappy’s victims when he wins. There were also many funny interactions between characters both bad and good.

Slappy’s Tales of Horror (graphic novel): This book has multiple stories including some of the classics like Night of the Living Dummy, The Werewolf of Fever Swamp, A Shocker on Shock Street, and Ghost Beach. This was also a fun read since I actually got to see some of the characters from classic Goosebumps. After every story, Slappy talked to the reader, acting like a funny, but scary friend.

Slappy, Beware!: This book was interesting to read because it explained some of Slappy’s backstory. One surprising thing about this story is that Slappy lost, even though in most of the stories he usually wins. It was a great read and learning about Slappy’s backstory was really fun.