16th Century Teenagers: Eleanor
By Kenya Harris Eleanor stood at the doorstep of the merchant’s grand stone house, the weight of unfamiliar expectations settling heavily upon her. She couldn’t understand why her parents had […]
Picnic
By Samir Abedin The Mainstage Ensemble’s first play of the year is coming this Friday! Opening night is this Friday (11/15), and all students can get tickets at the door […]
Connecticut Isn’t That Bad, Right?
Connecticut: the fifth state to be admitted to the United States, one of the oldest areas in the country, home to beautiful historical homes, Sikorsky, amazing pizza, lots of history […]
Rutu at Hamden
Hamden High School is a remarkably diverse community, populated with members from almost every part of the globe. This is one of the school’s most important and powerful assets; also, […]
Activism in Hamden
Interview conducted by Samir Abedin Abdul Osmanu is a member of the Hamden Town Council and an HHS graduate. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Samir […]
Chronic Absenteeism
By Desmond Bohan Hamden’s standardized test scores and percentage of students on track to graduate have rapidly declined over the past few years. Interestingly, the chronic absenteeism (missing 18 or […]
A Step-by-Step Guide to College Applications for High School Seniors
By: Shanneah Havana The college application process can be overwhelming, especially for students whose families haven’t navigated it before. With tasks like writing essays, gathering recommendation letters, and meeting deadlines, […]
PBIS Program Being Revoked
By: Brandon Ruggiero Yes, you heard the breaking news. The PBIS Program that started this school year is being canceled. I’m sure everyone knows what the PBIS program is; you […]
Breaking News: Hamden High to replace stairs with bouncy slides
by Maria Ashe After months of insurmountable complaints regarding Hamden High’s utterly redundant staircases, Hamden High Administration has decided to do the only right thing. Effective immediately, every staircase in […]
Ms. Harlequin Angry, Plans On Leaving Hamden High
By: Brandon Ruggiero Yes, you read the title right, you’re not mistaken. Ms. Harlequin is very upset and is planning on leaving Hamden High. First, I want to make sure […]
Hamden High School Extends Summer Vacation
by Morgan Collins The Board of Education has recently announced this past Friday that summer vacation will begin two months early. This extended summer vacation will begin at the beginning […]
The Mystery Behind Mona Lisa
by Kanishka Chandramoha Is everyone ready to time travel? Let’s travel back to the 15th century to unravel the mystery behind the world’s most famous painting, the “Mona Lisa”, was […]
Once Upon A Mattress
The HHS Music Department and Mainstage Ensemble have put together a Spring Musical for 2024! Dates for this year’s musical, Once Upon a Mattress, include March 21st, 22nd, and 23rd […]
The Great Hate-Love Affair: An examination of our relationship to technology
by Maria Ashe Could you do something real quick? Open the Settings app on your phone, and scroll down until you see a little hourglass icon next to the words […]
The Ultimate Guide for the SATs
by Shanneah Havana As spring approaches, juniors at Hamden High School are almost at the point where they need to face an essential moment in their academic career – – […]
Ordinary Angels 2024 Movie Summary & Review – Spoiler Alert
By: Brandon Ruggiero On February 22nd, 2024 Lionsgate Films released the movie Ordinary Angels. On February 26th, it’s opening weekend, I was lucky enough to see it at the theaters. […]
Women’s History Month
by the Gender Equality Club Amelia Earhart (1897-1939) Price was the first woman of color to have her music played by a major orchestra in 1933 She was a pioneer […]
Was Disney’s Centennial Movie a Failure?
by Morgan Collins This January 23rd, Disney’s new animated movie Wish was released on streaming services. This motion picture was created to mark Disney’s 100-year anniversary of movie-making. It was […]
Migration 2023 Movie Summary & Review Spoiler Alert
By: Brandon Ruggiero On December 22nd, 2023 Illumination released the Migration movie. I got the chance to watch it for the first time recently on January 27th, 2024. From the […]
Why Hamden High Needs More Cultural Cuisine
by Morgan Collins In recent years, Hamden High School has made long strides to make the school a more inclusive environment for all students. One of these strides has been […]
AI VS HUMANS
by Kanishka Chandramohan Long ago, Stephen Hawking said, “The development of full Artificial Intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” One of the most debated topics is whether […]
Symposium of Sound 2024
This year’s annual Hamden High School Symposium of Sound concert will take place on January 30th at 7:00pm in the auditorium. For those of you who don’t know, the Symposium […]
Building Success in the New Year
The New Year is considered one of the best times to commit to new habits, often referred to as New Year’s resolutions. With the encouragement of the refreshed calendar, many […]
Three Pros And Cons Of Midterms
By: Brandon Ruggiero Midterms. A word you most likely heard about. In most schools worldwide, during the middle of the year, or end of 1st semester these assessments are used […]
A Lack of Feminine Hygiene Products at High Schools
By Morgan Collins For the past century, women have been constantly fighting to achieve basic human rights,and in recent years those rights have been threatened due to events such as […]
What Would Happen if….. Your Dog Could Live Forever?
By Kevin Mensah Is it true the bigger the doggo the better? Unfortunately statistics disagree. For many individuals, dogs are the center of one’s happiness and livelihood. However, according to […]
Essential Work: The Lives of Hamden High’s Food Service Workers
by Maria Ashe Whether it’s breakfast or lunch, for a large majority of students here at Hamden High, the work of the Whitsons lunch staff is absolutely essential. With some […]
Eight Activities To Do During Winter
By: Brandon Ruggiero As November comes to a close, and the weather gets chillier, December starts to approach. The leaves begin to fall off trees, and temperatures start to drop, […]
Five Christmas Traditions Celebrated Around The World
By: Brandon Ruggiero As Thanksgiving comes and goes, and December starts to approach, the time of everyone’s particularly favorite holiday has arrived. You got it right, Christmas. Each year, Christmas […]
Blockbuster Movies Dominating the Theaters
by Morgan Collins In a year that has seen its fair share of challenges, the silver screen has provided a welcome escape for audiences worldwide. The box office has witnessed […]
2023 Green Bowl
Hamden’s annual Green Bowl football game against Notre Dame will take place on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2023. The kickoff will be at 10:30am. Tickets are $10 for adults and […]
Hamden High’s 50th Reunion (Special to the Dial)
by Paul Cohen A 50th high school reunion is a significant milestone, marking half a century since classmates shared hallways, lessons, and youthful dreams. As alumni gather, they’re met with […]
Four Thanksgiving Celebrated Traditions Around The World
By: Brandon Ruggiero As Halloween comes to an end, and November comes around, guess what’s right around the corner? Thanksgiving, you guessed it. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday […]
Halloween Films
In celebration of Halloween, the HHS Dial has compiled a list of films for you to enjoy. Ranging from spooky comedies to psychological horror films, this list is sure to […]
Five Halloween Activities To Do In 2023
By: Brandon Ruggiero As the weather gets chillier, and October starts to approach, the time to celebrate everyone’s favorite holiday has come. You guessed it, Halloween. Halloween is a very […]
An Interview with Mr. Jackson, the new HHS principal
by Maria Ashe Last June, Hamden High’s former principal Nadine Gannon left her position of seven years to pursue a new role as the Director of Adult Education for the […]
To wear or not to wear? How to be culturally sensitive this Halloween season
by Maria Ashe In just a couple of days, we’ll be celebrating one of the most exciting holidays of the fall season, Halloween! For many people, one of the most […]
The Continuation of the Writers and Actors Strike
By Morgan Collins You may have noticed that various shows and movies that you anxiously want to see haven’t been released and are taking longer than expected. This is due […]
The Scarlet Letter (1995) Movie, Reception, & Summary Review
By: Brandon Ruggiero The Scarlet Letter originated as a novel by author Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850. Since then it has been translated into many films. One movie in particular is […]
Hamden High Alumnus James Sasso Reveals His View on the January 6th Riots
By Morgan Collins On the last school day before spring break, I had the honor of interviewing Hamden High alumnus, James Sasso. Amidst the chaotic pre-break excitement, he spent his […]
The Benefits and Drawbacks of a Four Day School Week
By Morgan Collins Recently there has been a large push by school districts in various states to implement a four day school week. States like Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Oklahoma, […]
The Impending Publishing Catastrophe
By Morgan Collins Recently, there has been much turmoil in the publishing industry over the rewriting of classics such as the Roald Dahl and Dr. Seuss Books. However, in the […]
Gun Control: It Will Save Lives
By Miya Graham Are you exhausted from hearing about shootings nearly every day? Can you bear hearing the number of more lives lost? The frequency of gun violence appears to be […]
Should School Start Earlier?
Recently a survey went out to Hamden students, parents, and educators about potentially changing the school start times for Hamden High School, Hamden Middle School, and Hamden elementary schools. This […]
The Censorship Crisis
By Morgan Collins There are hundreds of popular books that I’m sure we have all read as children. Many of these stories come from Roald Dahl who penned classics like […]
The Red Cross Takes a Step in the Right Direction
By: Morgan Collins The AIDS epidemic was a hysterical time in American history that created many stigmas and harmful policies towards openly gay men. In this time of mass panic, […]
What Would Happen if….. You Accepted Cookies on a Website?
By: Kevin Mensah When you receive a pop-up regarding cookies on a website what do you contemplate? Scrumptious concoctions from your grandma’s oven? Gooey pastries from your local bakery? Or […]
What Would Happen if….. The Supreme Court Abolished Affirmative Action?
By: Kevin Mensah Trump with his past Conservative Supreme Court appointments, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, have secured Republican influence on the Supreme Court. […]
Celebrating Muslim Culture: Highlights from MSU’s First Event
On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Hamden High’s Muslim Student Union (MSU) had its first event of the year. This event was held in Mr. Coss’s room, with food catered by Dave’s […]
The Unseen Mask by Samir Iydroose
The Thornton Wilder Writing Competition is an annual event hosted by the Friends of Hamden Library, celebrating the literary legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning author and playwright Thornton Wilder. Open to […]
Violino Forte: A Retelling of The Little Tailor
By Matteo Fetta Violino was a farmer in Italy; he lived with only his mother. They sold many things for money, mostly cheese. One day, while Violino was on the […]
Somber Prologue by Sean Figueroa
The Thornton Wilder Writing Competition is an annual event hosted by the Friends of Hamden Library, celebrating the literary legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning author and playwright Thornton Wilder. Open to […]
Purim at HHS and a Recipe for Hamantaschen
Last Friday (3/21/25), the Jewish Student Association (JSA) observed Purim. Purim commemorates an ancient plot to kill all Jews in Persia, orchestrated by Haman the Agagite (This epithet is a […]
A Short Recap of HHS’s Cross Country Season
Hamden High’s Cross Country team did quite well this year. According to Coach Bryce Lindamood, their goal was to be the top team at the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC), which […]
The JSA’s Hannukah Celebration
Hamden High’s Jewish Students Association (JSA) just hosted its first event of the year, for Hanukkah on Monday, December 8th. They made dreidels out of clay, learned about Hanukkah, sang […]
A Short Recap of the HHS Girls Swim and Dive Team’s Season
The girls swim and dive team had an amazing, productive season. They won 11 out of their 14 meets, with the remaining three being ties and losses. They were also […]
Why you should eat more fermented foods and a brief history of them
Fermented foods have been part of the human diet for a millennium. Alcohol, bread, and cheese have been ubiquitous for about the last 15,000 years. Fermented foods declined in the […]
Seized Chocolate Hearts
Chocolate is often touted as the quintessential Valentine’s Day treat. The two have slowly become more intertwined in the past couple of centuries. In Mesoamerican cultures, such as the Mayans […]
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