Hawk Happenings Highlights

Order forms were mailed home with student schedules in summer and are available in the library and on this website! Look here to see the sales list and use Control-F to find your name to see if you already ordered one.

by Koa Binder, grade 11

During the week of September 29 to October 4, HAHS celebrated its homecoming week. Throughout the school week, students participated in spirit week with themes ranging from “Adam Sandler Day” to “Twin Day” to “Pink Out.” The spirit days were decided by Hamburg’s STUCO very thoughtfully and the themes were a hit.

On Friday, October 3, The homecoming game took place with Hamburg playing Pequea Valley. During half time, the homecoming king and queen were announced. This year, the winners were Madeline Handwerk and Dylan Gough. The entirety of the homecoming court consisted of Morgan Riegel, Caleb Weist, Lily Parr, Sawyer Smith, Mackenzie Hoover, John Sharp, Faith Atkinson, and Ethan Horvath. The theme for the game was also pink out, with many students going all out. Junior Cali Tobias especially went all out, “I painted my entire self pink. I did it last year and decided to do it again this year; it was great.”

On Saturday October 4, Hamburg Area High School held their annual homecoming dance at the cafeteria. The number of students attending was much higher this year compared to last. A total of 312 tickets were sold. They were also able to get many chaperones this year that included Mr. Lowe, Mr. Reinhart, Mrs. Dietz, Mr. Hand, Mrs. Missimer, Mrs. Reppert, Mrs. Trubilla, and Mrs. Bowser. Many students were dancing, talking, and eating. Ten boxes of pizza arrived around 6:15 and by 7:00 they were all gone and Mrs. Trubilla had to order more. The DJ played a wide variety of music for everyone to enjoy, however there were many line dances. They seemed to enjoy themselves very much this year, with much praise being given for making it a memorable dance. Student Kaylea Detweiler says, “Even though it was very hot and humid, the energy stayed high all night and so many students were dancing, which does not normally happen.” This year’s homecoming week and celebrations were all successes in their own ways, students are excited to see what is in store for next year.

by Madden Dietrich, grade 12

Earlier this year, on September 16, Hamburg Area High School’s student council hosted a blood drive through the Miller-Keystone Blood Center, a non-profit organization that provides “60% of the blood products” in the United States, which wants to “save lives” by getting other organizations to host blood drives through their company. There were sixteen participants.

The Miller-Keystone Blood Center facilitates not only whole blood but also platelets and plasma. As of September 23, Miller-Keystone Blood Center is in critical need of type AB-, O-, and O+ blood; they urgently need platelets. Their priority is A-, A+, and B- blood, and they have a stable supply of B+, AB+, and AB Platelets.

If anyone would like to donate blood, there is a donation building in Allentown, Bethlehem, Reading, and many other places. If the donor is 16 or under, however, they will need a permission slip filled out by their parent or guardian.

Alexis Freeland, a student at Hamburg Area High School, got a chance to sign up and participate in the blood drive. This was her first time giving blood, and she did not know what to expect. She became anxious, but stays motivated because she knew there was “always a need for blood, and donating is an easy way to make a real impact.” When asked why she was so motivated to give blood, Alexis simply responded: “I like the idea that something so simple for me could help save someone’s life.”

During the donating process, she described it as “easier than I [she] thought” and how it was a lot less painful than expected. Even after the pain she experienced, the nurses taking the blood had made her feel comfortable the entire time.

Alexis believes that there is great importance to donating blood to organizations such as this. “Donating blood saves lives,” she says, “Hospitals always need it, and just one donation can help multiple people. It’s something simple that almost anyone can do to support others in need.” And to those who were less confident to donate blood, she tells them not to be scared, “the process is quick and easy. Plus, you get the good feeling of knowing you’re helping someone who might really need it.”

For more information about donating blood, visit the Miller-Keystone Blood Center’s website at www.giveapint.org.

by Lena Gebely, grade 9

The BCTC Panel Showcase is a presentation for ninth graders to learn about the opportunities BCTC provides. The main goal is to provide as much information as possible so the current freshmen can make an educated decision on whether or not BCTC is right for them. Mrs. Del Conte, HASD’s Career Education Specialist, believes utilizing upperclassmen help the grade 9 students get a better understanding and pay more attention to the showcase. The student panelists gave the majority of the presentations by sharing their experiences and perspectives from attending BCTC.

The panel showcases covered the six clusters at BCTC students can enroll in. The information shared lets students know exactly what they are considering signing up for. For students interested in going to BCTC, there is also an opportunity to go along to the BCTC field trip on October 17th or attend the BCTC open house on the East campus (October 27th, 5-8 pm), or on the West campus (October 30th, 5-8 pm). Mrs. Del Conte will also talk to any students who may have questions.

This was only the second year this showcase has been held. Mrs. Del Conte feels it has really helped students become more informed and has reached students who may not have been interested in BCTC before. Aron Moser, has been inspired by the showcase and decided BCTC may be for him after all. Some students like Aron may have come to the showcase already knowing they may potentially be interested in the program but are not 100% sure. Moser stated, “I wasn't sure about BCTC, and I am still not 100% but the Panel Showcase has given me reassurance that I should consider this option.” Although Moser had interest from the start, he was not educated on all of the options BCTC provided. After the showcase he was able to narrow down his options to get a clear view of what he may want to choose.

The BCTC Panel Showcase has reached students all over the school, not just students like Aron but also some that walked into the room having their mind set that BCTC was not for them and walked out with an open mind for new opportunities, like maybe even applying to join BCTC.

by Azaria Enoch, grade 12

The Sophomore class officers are happy to bring back the Holiday Craft Show from many years ago. The Holiday Craft Show will be hosted by the Sophomore Class Officers on December 6 from 9 am to 2 pm. The Sophomore class officers are excited to bring such an event back to Hamburg and are hoping to see everyone there.

During this time, both cafeterias and the hallways will be open for people to walk around and look at crafts. If the crafts are not to their liking, people can also purchase food and drinks in the cafeterias as well.

Students and staff will be given the opportunity to sign up to take part in this event. If a person is interested in becoming a vendor, a Google form will be sent out to people to sign up. If a person wants more than one table or if they need electricity for crafts, there will be the ability to fill out a part of the registration for tables and electricity. Tables are provided by the district. Vendors will be able to set up their stands before 9 am. Tables are either $20 for a 5x10 or $30 for a 10x10 and an additional $10 after October 31. Get to those spots as soon as possible, as there is a limited number of 80 for vendors.

by Bethany Stufflet, grade 12

The National Honor Society is starting a new project that everyone can take part in, collecting bread tabs. The collection will run from now until the end of the school year, and students can drop off bread tabs in several locations around the school, including the main office, library, cafeteria, and Mrs. Bucheit’s room.

This fundraiser supports Danielle Cares for Chairs, a group that recycles bread tabs to help buy wheelchairs and mobility equipment for people in need. It is a simple way to make a big difference just by saving something most people throw away.

Before throwing away a bread bag, do not forget to pull off the tab and add it to a collection. Even though it is just a piece of plastic, it is important to remember that small actions can lead to big changes.