Gift From the HHS Class of ’73

You may have noticed that Hanover High has a new bench behind the cafeteria, but that’s not a very exciting story, and this bench means a lot more. Just over three months ago, on November 9th, two events occurred after school. Inside the cafe, the HHS track team celebrated another year with another spaghetti dinner fundraiser. Outside the cafe, a slightly older group of Hanover High students gathered in celebration – when local members of the Class of 1973 came together to dedicate a new bench to their teacher, mentor, and long-time friend, Doug Jenisch. It was clear from the words expressed at the event that Jenisch had had a profound effect on these students’ academic, professional, and personal lives. 

Mr. Jenisch began his teaching career at Hanover High in the fall of 1968, the very same year the Class of ‘73 moved into their high school lives. Doug was the clear choice for class advisor: being as much of an HHS freshman as the incoming class. But, there was a difference with Doug and his teaching style that forever endeared him to this class and those that followed. According to ‘73 alum Jay MacNamee, Doug didn’t just stand in front of the classroom and teach. To use a boating metaphor, when things got tough, Doug sat at the stern “encouraging us to keep paddling as he steered us around the rocks and through the rapids to more placid waters”. Starting his first day in Doug’s class, Jay knew it was going to be different from his prior strict experiences with teachers in other schools. Like many in the Class of ‘73, Jay would go on to use Doug’s “canoe” teaching method in his career and as he worked to give his own children the supportive experience that Doug gave everyone in his classes.

To 50th reunion organizers Patty (Kimball) Bragg, Peter Guest, and Vicki (Castro) Lockhart, the idea to dedicate a bench to their class mentor seemed obvious. They had raised more than $2,500 during their August reunion by raffling off items produced by their classmates (published books, pieces of art, framed photography, ceramic and wood-crafted bowls, virtual piano lessons, and more). While this bench honors Doug Jenisch specifically, the ceremony also celebrated the life of former principal Bob McCarthy and his entire school staff who embodied the Hanover High ideal and gave students a chance, as one former student said: “To discover the kind of person I wanted to become and to reach higher than I ever thought I could go!”

This class left HHS in 1973 and quickly advanced in all areas of life, inspired by all that Hanover High School had offered them. Fifty years later, it is evident that each graduate recognizes – even more today – the unique opportunities and exceptionally caring community that is our school. 

The dedication ceremony ended with a final statement from Patty (Kimball) Bragg: “May this bench be a forever testament to the long-lasting gratitude felt by the entire Class of 1973 for all those who challenged, encouraged, and believed in us along our personal journeys within the hallowed halls of our beloved HHS.”

Note from the author: I was happy to get the chance to experience the dedication ceremony and hear the reflections of this class. Multiple speakers shared stories of their time shortly after leaving high school when they realized just how innovative the HHS model is. For myself, a senior whose time at HHS is coming to an end, witnessing the dedication of these students, 50 years after graduation, gave me a new perspective on my time at HHS and the few months I have left.