By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief 

Jonathan Law High School will start to use a new electronic hall pass system called “PASS”. 

The change comes after many other schools in the state have shifted to electronic hall pass systems. At Law, these new passes will start being used on November 27, which is the first day back after the Thanksgiving break. 

“There are several school districts throughout the state (and other states) that have a form of electronic pass system in place,” Principal Mr. Darcy said. “A lot of districts have shifted away from paper passes over the last decade.” 

Each student will have a login on their computer and will have to request their teacher to leave the classroom, their teacher can choose to accept their request or deny it. 

“There are many benefits for both teachers and staff,” Darcy said. “Some of those benefits include using technology to make the building(s) more efficient and there are several safety features within the system.”

Students will have to click a button to “clock out” of the room and once they have come back from the bathroom, or their locker, or wherever their request was too they will “clock back in”. 

“I think it will make school more dependent on technology, and possibly distract from learning itself,” senior Maya Markowitz said. 

The biggest concern about using this system is that it is new technology for everyone. 

“For a student, the only shift is generating an electronic pass while using a Chromebook instead of writing out a pass,” Darcy said. “It’s literally clicking a button on a computer screen. Once we use it for a few months, people will understand how easy it is.”

On the eHallPass website there will be a space for “Now Pass” and “Appointment Pass” this will give the ability to have a pass immediately accepted or a space for a scheduled appointment, whether that’s with a student’s teacher or with their school counselor. 

“Another benefit will come when scheduling appointments,” Dean of Students Mr. Ragaini said. “This will be much easier for students, teachers, and other faculty members when organizing meetings.”

Many Law teachers believe the system will have a positive impact on students. 

“​​I’m excited about the ePass system,” science teacher Mrs. Gagnon said. “I think there will be a learning curve for everyone but overall I think it will be a good system.”

English teacher Mr. Kulenych agreed with Gagnon.

“Like any new technology, eHallPass will probably take some time for students and teachers to get used to, but ultimately it will benefit everyone,” English teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “The system will be extremely helpful for teachers because it will help us monitor how long students are out of the classroom and it will help the school in general by limiting high traffic times in the hallway and bathroom.”

Although getting used to this system will take time, in the end it will be simple for all students and staff to utilize and will help to make things run smoother and safer in school.  

“One benefit of eHallPass is to help Jonathan Law manage student movement, we will be able to limit the number of students in the hallway at any given time,” Ragaini said. “This translates to more class time for students.”

(Photo courtesy Alexa Rosati)

By Alexa Rosati – Staff Reporter 

As the week unfolds, the students at Jonathan Law are excited about the long-awaited Homecoming dance to be held on Friday, November 17.

Students are excited to see the new arrangements for this year’s dance and to have a night filled with memories, music, and dancing.

“I can’t wait to see all of my friends and dance all night long,” junior Ariella Valentine said.

The dance will take place in the new gym which will be decked out in many fun colors. Members of the Student Council and several staff members on the Homecoming committee have spent months putting together a night that attendees won’t forget.

The Student Council is working to put together different activities for the dance.

“There will even be a photo booth this year,” said Mrs. Francisco, one of the Homecoming coordinators. 

The new photo booth will a great way to capture memories and remember this night for the rest of your lives. 

Students are looking forward to showcasing their unique styles. The excitement of Homecoming has inspired students to go shopping to find the perfect outfit to make a statement out on the dance floor. 

“This will be a great way to meet new people and enjoy the night with their friends,” senior Hailey Russo said. 

For this year, dance tickets are available for purchase online. The student’s name will be recorded and each student will be checked in upon arrival. Similar to last year, once students sign in, they will not be allowed out until the dance concludes. 

“We are expecting a similar amount of guests to last year,” Francisco said.

As for the music selection, it will be a mix of many different songs and genres. Students also will be allowed to request songs from the DJ.

Friday is around the corner and the anticipation continues to build. The hallways are filled with whispers of everyone’s last-minute preparations.

Jonathan Law’s Homecoming dance isn’t just an event; it is a tradition that brings everyone in our community together.

As the clock ticks down, students are getting ready to put on their dancing shoes and make memories that will last a lifetime.

(Photo by Analiyah Velez)

By Analiyah Velez – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s National Honor Society hosted a Halloween costume contest on October 31. 

Every year, Law holds its annual costume contest to allow student to show their Halloween spirit and to raise money for charity. This year’s categories were Best Single Costume, Best Duo Costume, and Best Group Costume. 

“Since this is an annual event for NHS, we started planning the costume contest about a month in advance,” senior President Ike Opayemi said. “We created posters, flyers, and shared the message through the news as well as social media.”                   

The National Honor Society is a club at Law that hosts fundraisers, volunteers, and gets involved with the community. 

This year, the Halloween costume contest winners for Best Duo Costumes was Hailey Russo and Alani Velez. 

“I thought it would be fun,” Russo said. “We had this costume planned and why not just wear it to school and possibly win.”

The goal of the contest for NHS members was not only to celebrate Halloween, but also to have fun, be creative, and become a closer community. 

“My goals for my final year specifically for NHS would definitely consist of getting more involved within our community and making more of an impact than in previous years,” Opayemi said.

The Best Group Costume went to the science department dressing up “heavy metals.” Science teachers dressed up in rock and roll costumes with metal elements signs on their shirts.

“It was a group decision,” science teacher Mr. Koorejian said. “Making science fun and interesting – and possibly a future career”

Overall, the Halloween costume contest was fun and everyone enjoyed participating.

(Photo by Gabriella Coffin)

By Gabriella Coffin – Staff Reporter

More than 3,000 books were banned in the 2022-2023 school year worldwide. 

Book banning has started affecting schools around the world as well as parents at home. A book ban is a form of censorship for a book that contains inappropriate topics, meanings, or overall content that is not right for a particular reader. 

Many of the books that are at risk of being banned tend to be books that relate to being queer or LGBTQ. Two of the popular titles that are being banned are “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “Flamer” by Mike Curato. 

“Books that are frequently challenged tend to be written by minority authors or feature characters who are LGBTQ+,” Law’s Media Specialist Ms. Mundy said “ What is dangerous is eliminating that book entirely and depriving others of the right to read it.”

Many people don’t agree with the process of book banning. They believe that people should be able to read what they want to read and immerse into the learning process of our cultures.

“I think that learning about other people, other cultures, and other lifestyles help to promote understanding and empathy,” Mundy said. 

Other people believe that books should be banned because it is important to protect our younger generation from mature or controversial topics. 

“High school readers should not be required to read books especially if they are not comfortable with it,” sophomore Meghan Velasquez said. 

Many reasons that books are being banned as well as supported in the ban is because of different topics that some people deem inappropriate for the high school community, such as LGBTQIA.  In these books, readers see a variety of characters trying to figure out their identities, which can be viewed as controversial.

“One of the misunderstandings here is the assumption that a book with an LGBTQIA character is inherently sexual,” former Jonathan Law Librarian Ms. Briggs said “I think a lot of times we (adults) are trying to protect our kids from things they already know about, or at least could Google. Moving books around or banning them is ineffective in this regard.”

The issue of book banning has also impacted Law’s English teachers as they choose books for their curriculum. 

“It’s a weird time for teachers because we want to give kids more choice, we want to update and enliven the curriculum, but we are scared that we might show kids the wrong thing based on one parent or group of parents’ anger or their belief and then it gets taken,” English teacher Mr. Healy said. 

(Photo courtesy Jonathan Law Courage Club)

By Shafia Ahmed Virk – Staff Reporter 

The new Jonathan Law Courage Club is a group working to spread awareness of abuse commonly found in youth relationships and sharing warning signs in relationships that could potentially lead to violence.

Courage Club was founded by junior Lily Baird and focuses primarily on promoting healthy teen dating relationships. Baird was inspired by a friend’s recent experience with teen dating violence and wanted to bring attention to this issue. 

“I feel very excited that I get the opportunity to run a Teens For Courage Club here at Law,” Baird said. “We are actually a charter member of the Jamie Kimble Foundation for Courage and I’m looking forward to spreading their message here in the Jonathan Law community.”

After only two meetings, just over 20 members have joined. The club’s first meeting was on October 20. 

The club advisor is Mrs. Evans, the Vice President is junior Quinn Willett, the Secretary is junior Gina Lombardi, the Treasurer is junior Katherine Cepetelli, the Social Media Manager is junior Alexa Rosati, and the Event Coordinator is junior Hannah Bulkley. 

“I enjoy getting to know Jonathan Law students outside of the classroom, so I’m looking forward to getting to know this crew a bit better,” Evans said.

Courage Club meets in Room 197 on E days during common time. Their last meeting was a week ago and they learned about Jamie Kimble and the story behind the club. Kimble was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend in Tampa in 2012.  

“I feel empowered about Courage Club and its purpose,” Lombardi said. “I think it is a very important cause and needs to be addressed with women and men who are in relationships or not.”

The club also discussed where students can seek help and who students can talk to if someone is going through a situation related to this. Their overall goal is to ensure relationship safety as a whole. 

“I really like this club because it is a chance to prevent dating violence before it even happens,” Willett said. “It gives teens a chance to speak up when they might not know how.”

Baird and the other Courage Club members are working on a calendar of events for the year, including fundraising efforts and a Teens for Courage 5K race. Members hope that Courage Club will be a safe place for all students to come talk, learn, and devise ways to combat teen violence.

“I feel that Courage Club is a great club to be part of because it’s a good group of people with important values,” Cepetelli said. “I love that anyone is welcome to join, and everyone has the opportunity to feel like they’re part of something big.”

(Photo courtesy @jlhsdrama)

By Cindy Bone – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Drama Club thrilled audiences at their annual “Spooky Showcase” on October 20 and 21.

The Spooky Showcase was a way to include many cast members and show off their talents, making everyone feel like a family and easing their nerves.

“During the performance, it was like all my nerves had disappeared,” sophomore Rosetta O’Connell said. “I had my ‘family’ right there with me and being able to perform with such amazing people was truly the best feeling ever.”

The Spooky Showcase featured a variety of Halloween-themed songs, skits, and more to help show off individuals’ talent on and off the stage. 

The showcase was especially memorable for Drama Club’s senior President Toni Cepalia.

“Being President of the Drama Club has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” Cepalia said.

The Spooky Showcase was the first production for some Drama Club members.

“During the performance I felt great,” sophomore Aylanna Vega said. “It was my first time being a crew member and it was really great watching and supporting everyone that was performing.”

Drama Club is an important part of Jonathan Law as the club is about building friendships and community between students.

“Drama Club is a family and we all support each other through everything,” senior Hailey Russo said.

The Spooky Showcase consisted of many fan favorite performances which was exciting for all participating.

“I feel like I did a really great job especially during ‘Thriller,'” sophomore Carter Elliott said. “That was one of my best and most memorable performances for me.”

Throughout the night students were able to buy candy and food, which helped support the Drama Club.

Everyone in Drama Club worked hard for months to put on the Spooky Showcase and members are were exhausted by the end of the weekend.

“After the show I was so happy we made everything work out, and also so tired,” Vega said.

(Photo courtesy @jlhsrhokappa)

By Sophie Kalagher – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society has chosen its members and club leaders and has begun volunteering in the community 

On October 29, the NSSHS voted via a Google Form to elect their club officers. 

“We have a great group of officers who are eager to get this club up and running,” NSSHS Advisor Mr. Zuraw said. “They are very organized and motivated.”

The club elected Raymond Dong as President, Jessica Brocksom as Vice President, Jack Bretthauer and Emily Lo as Treasurers, Grace Hess as Secretary, and Sarah Ahmed and Addy Barber as Public Relations Chairs.

This club is a recent development for Jonathan Law and was brought to life by current president Raymond Dong. 

“What made me run for president was my desire for social studies and civic engagement which are valued highly by society,” Dong said. “Another key factor to take into account is that I worked, researched, and founded this society during my junior year.”

The leaders of the club are very enthusiastic about their new positions. They are dedicated and hope to make waves in the social studies department and set an example for the school. 

“I chose to run for this position because I have always liked social studies and I wanted to show others why the subject is so great,” Brocksom said.

The officers are not only coexisting together but are thriving. They have come together to create a promising future for the club. 

“I think it’s a great group of people who are very hard working, and I think that we will get a lot done to have a great year,” Barber said. 

To kick start the year, the NSSHS recently hosted a volunteering event – a “Trunk or Treat on the Lanes” Halloween-themed event at Bowlero’s. 

“We volunteered at Bowlero’s ‘Trunk or Treat on the Lanes’ where we set up themed booths and gave out candy to children,” Ahmed said.

The club is hoping to move forward with more volunteering events that are similar to this. The goal is to help the community in any way that they can. 

“We plan on continuing to give Rho Kappa members volunteering opportunities so we can be present members of our Milford community,” Ahmed said.

(Photo courtesy Jonathan Law Key Club)

By Madi Black – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Key Club recently added two new freshman officers to their club.

The election was on October 26 during the club’s weekly meeting. Alivia Bogert and Ava Grippo both ran for freshman officers and won the election. 

“I wanted to be a Key Club officer because I wanted a way to help connect to the Law community as a freshman,” Bogert said. “I thought that this would be a way I can do it without having to worry about making fun of myself.” 

Grippo and Bogert wanted to help and make themselves noticeable in the school. They will have many different roles and responsibilities in Key Club.  

“Some of my responsibilities are, if a meeting is canceled, to let all the freshmen know,” Grippo said. “Recruit more members, make sure the kids in my grade are present at meetings and attend volunteering opportunities.” 

Borgert’s goals and responsibilities are the same as Grippo’s. 

“My goals as an officer is to try and inspire more people to join Key Club and to help out whenever I can,” Borgert said. “Some roles and responsibilities are to make sure everyone knows if there was a time change, and to help out when we can.”  

To become an officer, Grippo and Bogert had to prepare and deliver a speech to the club.  

“I wanted to be an officer so I can get more involved in Key Club and take responsibility,” Grippo said. “My goals are to help out in any way that I can, and that being a freshman officer can help me earn other roles in the club in the future.” 

There are many exciting duties as an officer but also many responsibilities. Grippo and Bogert are new but are now very important members of Key Club. 

“I am excited to be more involved and be helpful,” Grippo said. “There are many exciting things to do mixed in with all of the work.” 

Bogert has been very excited about running for officer ever since she heard about it. She expressed that in her speech. 

“I am excited to have this opportunity as an officer to help make more of an impact in our school,” Bogert said. “I am looking forward to new experiences and connecting with new people.”

(Photo courtesy Jonathan Law French Club)

By Taylor Batterton – Staff Reporter

Law’s French Club meets on Mondays after school in Room 224 to discuss the new activities for this year.

This club’s focus is to learn and develop an appreciation for French culture and language. The officers encourage those who do not take French to join. 

“My goals for this year are to have a lot of people involved with the club,” junior President Sarah Gutierrez said. “Also, we want to take away the stereotype that it’s just about people who take just French. People that don’t take French can be in the club because we’re going to do activities that involveFrench culture and I want as many people as possible to be involved in that.”

Some activities the club is doing include celebrating French Appreciation Week, French cooking, research on French artists, and the Manie Musicale.

“Me personally am excited about Manie Musicale,” junior Vice President Riley Hungerford said. “It goes on during March Madness. It’s a music competition, then (Advisor) Dr. Evans puts barcodes up outside her room, and you can scan them and vote for your favorite French song of the year.” 

Evans spoke highly of the formation of the club and the enthusiasm from the moment Gutierrez presented the idea. 

“Sarah was the one who really spearheaded it,” Evans said. “She came to me the first day of school, we had elections, we started having meetings, and now we have a French Club.”

Students taking French take notice of the difference between the club and classes at school.

“The club is much more casual and the club is open to those not taking French classes, you do not need any previous knowledge of French in order to join,” senior AP French student Giuliana Agria said. 

Club members do not have to take a French class in order to participate. 

“I am currently in Spanish,” junior club member Carter Elliot said. “I joined because I heard my friends were going to be in it and I would like to expand my vocabulary.”

The possibility of a district-wide club trip to France has also been discussed. This is not official in any way, but it would involve Jonathan Law and Foran joining together to fundraise for the trip. 

“We are in the process of getting the okay, not 100% official yet, but there is a strong possibility that in June of 2025, there will be a trip to Paris,” Evans said. “I would like to open it up to students at Foran, with details to follow and pending official approval from the District.”

A French Honor Society will be formed, similar to the other language honor societies. Evans encouraged the other language departments to form their own Honor Society as well. 

(Photo by Addy Barber)

By Addy Barber – Staff Reporter

A new video game called “I Want Watermelon’” has students all over Jonathan Law glued to their phones.

The game is simple yet captivating, and has led to students randomly shouting out “Watermelon!” or violently shaking their phones in class. The objective of the game is to combine fruits to create a bigger fruit that eventually leads to a watermelon.

“I Want Watermelon” isn’t just fruits dropping randomly. It is very strategic and one wrong move can cost players the game. When another move seems impossible, the “Shaker” pops up. This allows players to shake their phone and make the fruits roll around.

“I love the Shakers,” junior Alex Rodriguez said. “It makes my day.”

Although “Watermelon” is a one player game, players can add their friends on GameCenter to compare scores and start a leaderboard.

“When I play the ‘Watermelon’ game I always try and beat the best score out of my friends,” senior Brian Goglia said.

Goglia’s current high score is 6,026 points and he has a total of 28 watermelons. What is even more impressive than his record is how long it took him to get it.

“I’ve spent 12 hours and 20 minutes on the watermelon game in three days,” Goglia said.

Other students have been able to moderate their screen time on the game.

“I spend on average 45 minutes a day on the game,” junior Cameron Upchurch said. “It has affected my classes slightly because sometimes I would rather play than work.”

Jonathan Law teachers are starting to see noticeable differences in students’ attention spans while they are teaching.

“The ‘Watermelon Game’ has definitely been a distraction for some students in class,” English teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “Some students know when to turn it off and get their work done and others might need to start setting some time limits. Getting a high score or a watermelon is definitely exciting but unfortunately those points don’t get entered into PowerSchool.”

Many students downloaded “I Want Watermelon” because they saw people around them playing it.

“I saw everyone in my class playing the watermelon game so I had to see where the fun was at,” Goglia said.

The game has even reached some of the Jonathan Law Faculty as well.

“I heard about the ‘Watermelon Game when my Journalism class asked me how many ‘watermelons’ I had, and I had no idea what they were talking about,” Kulenych said. “I downloaded the game and I love it. And I got a watermelon. No big deal.”

(Photo courtesy spanishclub.ie)

By Maya Markowitz- Social Media Editor

The Jonathan Law Spanish Club had its first meeting on Tuesday, October 25. 

The club plans to make Spanish more visible at Jonathan Law by fundraising and planning activities for everyone to participate in. Meetings will be held on Tuesdays at 2 p.m. in Room 210. 

Spanish teachers Mr. McPartland and Mrs. Trombetta advise the club and are welcoming new members in the upcoming meetings. 

“One of my big goals I have for the club is to help us all practice empathy,” McPartland said. “Reaching out to organizations that support groups of people in Spanish speaking countries who may not be as fortunate as us and fundraising for them is my first idea to shed light on this.”

Aside from fundraising, the club aims to have an open space for students of Spanish speaking countries to have a community integrated at Law. 

“In this school we have many students who come here from Spanish speaking communities,” Trombetta said. “I want to have a way to give those students a space to be apart of the community instead of staying isolated” 

The club will be primarily student run and all activities will be open to all students at Law, not just those in Spanish classes. 

“This year, I am most excited to eat foods from different cultures and go on field trips with the club,” junior Addy Barber said. 

Students in the club are looking forward to a variety of activites as they prepare for the year. 

“I decided to join the Spanish club because I wanted to learn more about Hispanic culture,” junior Alex Fino said. “I wanted to be involved in a club that was a welcoming space where I can spend time with my friends, while also learning.” 

Officer positions are still being filled as a way to offer some leadership as well as education to the group. 

“Learning Spanish in a classroom and being exposed to Spanish and its culture in the real world are two separate and very different experiences,” senior Raymond Dong said. “In the Spanish Club, members are encouraged to participate in interactive cultural events such as the upcoming Dia de Los Muertos event we will have on Thursday, November 2.”

Students and staff at Law are excited to see this new club build over the next year within the school community.