Two​ ​new​ ​math​ teachers show​ ​grit​ via rap, humor

In a ​friendly​ ​competition​ ​during homecoming week, Math Teachers ​Patrick​ ​Moran​ ​(known​ ​as​ ​Math-Man-Moran) and ​Vito Anzalone ​(also​ ​known​ ​as​ ​Mr.​ ​Anzamoney)​ ​agreed​ ​to​ ​a​ fun little – at first – ​​Twitter​ ​competition to determine who has ​more​ ​followers. The challenge ended getting more attention than they could have imagined.

​ ​“The​ ​Twitter​ ​fight​ ​was​ ​an​ ​idea​ ​that​ ​I​ ​had​ ​because​ ​Mr.​ ​Anzalone​ ​and​ ​I​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​make​ ​our Hoffman​ ​Twitter​ ​accounts,​ ​and​ ​we​ ​were​ ​thinking​ ​of​ ​a​ ​good​ ​way​ ​to​ ​get​ ​followers,” said Moran. “​We​ ​made​ ​our accounts​ ​on​ ​Wednesday​ ​(Sept.​ ​20,2017)​ ​and​ [planned the challenge to last ​until​ ​2:45​ ​​the​ ​following​ ​Friday.”

​ ​“The​ ​consequence​ ​was​ ​for​ ​one​ ​of​ ​us​ ​to​ ​sing​ ​our​ ​beloved​ ​Fight​ ​Song​ ​with​ ​pom-poms​ ​to​ ​show our​ ​spirit,”​ ​Mr.​ ​Anzamoney​ ​added.

​ ​Like​ ​a​ ​campaign,​ ​both​ ​had​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​their​ ​own​ ​Twitter​ ​pages;​ ​however,​ ​they​ ​did​ ​it​ ​in​ ​a​ ​different way.​ ​Through​ ​hallway​ ​promoting,​ ​parody​ ​videos,​ ​memes,​ ​funny​ ​tweets,​ ​jokes​ ​of​ ​the​ ​day,​ ​and rap​ ​videos. ​They​ ​made​ ​sure​ ​to​ ​make​ ​every​ ​student​ ​aware​ ​of​ ​what​ ​was​ ​happening.

​ ​“Mr.​ ​Moran​ ​posted​ ​a​ ​parody​ ​song​ ​to​ ​get​ ​more​ ​followers,​ ​so​ ​I​ ​took​ ​the​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​show​ ​my rap​ ​skills.​ ​I​ ​absolutely​ ​love​ ​hip-hop​ ​music,” said Anzalone.​ “​I​ ​thought​ ​it​ ​would​ ​be​ ​a​ ​little​ ​entertaining​ ​if​ ​I​ ​started​ ​a little​ ​rap​ ​battle​ ​for​ ​Mr.​ ​Moran​ ​to​ ​partake​ ​in.”

Moran was happy to take on that challenge.

​ ​“I​ ​made​ ​an​ ​awesome​ ​rap​ ​video​ ​in​ ​response​ ​to​ ​Mr.​ ​Anzalone’s.​ ​I​ ​made​ ​a​ ​meme​ ​involving Chance​ ​the​ ​Rapper,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​promoted​ ​myself​ ​as​ ​much​ ​as​ ​possible,”​ ​Moran​ ​said.

​ ​They​ ​couldn’t​ ​have​ ​done​ ​it​ ​all​ ​by​ ​themselves​ ​without​ ​the​ ​help​ ​of​ ​their​ ​own​ ​students,​ ​as​ ​well.
Their​ ​main​ ​motivation​ ​was​ ​to​ ​spread​ ​the idea of positive competition​ ​and​ ​engage​ ​students​ ​in​ ​an ​event.​ ​They​ ​even showed​ ​that​ ​new​ ​teachers​ ​can​ ​immediately​ ​bring​ ​a​ ​smile​ ​to​ ​HEHS.

​ ​“We​ ​are​ ​both​ ​new​ ​teachers​ ​and​ ​best​ ​buds,​ ​so​ ​we​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​show​ ​the​ ​students​ ​that​ ​their​ ​new math​ ​teachers​ ​could​ ​have​ ​some​ ​fun!” ​Anzalone​ ​said.

​ ​“It​ ​was​ ​also​ ​fun​ ​promoting​ ​ourselves​ ​and​ ​school​ ​spirit​ ​in​ ​the​ ​process,”​ ​Moran​ ​added.

​ ​Lessons​ ​were​ ​also​ ​learned​ ​in​ ​this​ ​battle​ ​in​ ​terms​ ​of​ ​grit.​ ​Showing​ ​grit​ ​until​ ​the​ ​end​ ​is​ ​one​ ​way​ ​a Hawk​ ​should​ ​be;​ ​ win​ ​or​ ​lose,​ ​Hawks ​should​ ​stay​ ​true​ ​to​ ​themselves​ ​and​ ​never​ ​give​ ​up.

​Anzalone​ ​and​ ​Moran​ ​SOARed​ ​by​ ​realizing​ ​their​ ​own potential​ ​even​ ​if​ ​they​ ​were​ ​new​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Hoffman​ ​environment.
​ ​“I​ ​would​ ​be​ ​walking​ ​in​ ​the​ ​halls,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​would​ ​hear​ ​students​ ​talking​ ​about​ ​the​ ​competition​ ​which was​ ​really​ ​cool​,” said Moran.​ “​It​ ​was​ ​also​ ​great​ ​working​ ​with​ ​our​ ​students​ ​​to​ ​reach​ ​our​ ​goal.”

​ “Random​ ​students​ ​would​ ​stop​ ​me​ ​in​ ​the​ ​hall​ ​to​ ​let​ ​me​ ​know​ ​that​ ​my​ ​rap​ ​made​ ​their​ ​day​ ​and​ ​that they​ ​supported​ ​me​ ​and​ ​Mr.​ ​Moran,​ ​even​ ​without​ ​knowing​ ​us.​ ​It​ ​was​ ​a​ ​beautiful​ ​example​ ​that though​ ​we​ ​may​ ​not​ ​all​ ​know​ ​each​ ​other,​ ​we​ ​are​ ​still​ ​a​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Hoffman​ ​community,” Anzalone​ ​added.

At​ ​2:45​ p.m. on ​September​ ​29,​ ​Moran​ ​won​ ​the​ ​battle!; ​however,​ ​Anzalone​ ​accepted​ ​the​ ​decision​ ​with pride​ ​and​ ​honor. ​“It​ ​felt​ ​amazing. ​It​ ​was​ ​a​ ​great​ ​feeling​ ​to​ ​know​ ​that​ ​all​ ​of​ ​my​ ​hard​ ​work​ ​paid​ ​off,”​ ​Moran​ ​said.

​“I​ ​am​ ​extremely​ ​happy​ ​for​ ​him.​ ​Though​ ​it​ ​did​ ​pain​ ​me​ ​go​ ​accept​ ​the​ ​loss,​ ​Mr.​ ​Moran​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of my​ ​best​ ​buds,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​competition​ ​was​ ​rooted​ ​in​ ​bringing​ ​a​ ​newfound​ ​excitement​ ​to​ ​our students,”​ said ​Anzalone​.
​
​A​ ​few​ ​days after the competition,​ ​Anzalone​ ​posted​ ​his​ ​Fight​ ​Song, the​ ​“Pom-Poms​ ​Edition.”​ ​​As​ ​the​ ​assistant Boys​ ​Cross​ ​Country​ ​coach,​ ​he​ ​had​ ​the​ ​help​ ​of​ ​his​ ​team.​ ​They​ ​have​ ​been​ ​practicing​ ​during​ ​most of​ ​their​ ​practices​ ​and​ ​bus​ ​rides​ ​home​ ​from​ ​meets.

“With​ ​the​ ​courteous​ ​help​ ​of​ ​Ms.​ ​Alberico​ ​(who​ ​provided​ ​the​ ​Pom-Poms)​ ​and​ ​my​ ​wonderful student-athletes,​ ​we​ ​were​ ​able​ ​to​ ​film​ ​this​ ​masterpiece​ ​at​ ​HEHS​ ​after​ ​one​ ​of​ ​our​ ​meets, Anzalone​ ​said.
​ ​Link:​ ​​twitter.com/mr_anzalone/status/918084856617340929

Will​ ​there​ ​be​ ​a​ ​future​ ​competition​ ​between​ ​the​ ​two​ ​teachers?
​“We​ ​will​ ​hopefully​ ​continue​ ​this​ ​throughout​ ​the​ ​year​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​big​ ​events​ ​at​ ​our​ ​school​ ​and give​ ​our​ ​great​ ​students​ ​a​ ​few​ ​laughs,”​ ​Anzalone​ ​said.
​
Will​ ​Moran​ ​win​ ​again?​ ​Or​ ​will​ ​Anzalone​ ​take​ ​the​ ​crown?
​ ​“It​ ​was​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​fun,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​can’t​ ​wait​ ​for​ ​our​ ​next​ ​Twitter​ ​battle.​ ​P.S.​ ​Keep​ ​working​ ​on​ ​your​ ​raps, you’re​ ​going​ ​to​ ​need​ ​it!”​ ​Moran​ ​said.