By Will Smith – Entertainment Editor

The Thanks for Giving Food Drive took place on the week of November 17 to collect food for those who may not have enough for a happy thanksgiving.

The Jonathan Law Key Club, the Jonathan Law National Honor Society, and the Boy Scouts of Milford Troop 1 hosted the food drive. The food drive has been going on for eleven years with over 70,000 pounds worth of food collected and 1,600 turkeys collected.

“I have been helping out at the Thanks for Giving Food Drive for at least 5 years now,” senior Key Club member president Kyle Chy said. “Every year, going down there and working with everyone to gather canned goods and prepare the boxes of food has always been rewarding, especially when delivering them to the recipients and seeing how grateful and appreciative they are for the food drive and what we do.”

In total, 350 meals were delivered to Milford families, 354 turkeys were collected, and there were over $2,500 in donations.

The meals and turkeys were delivered to the Milford Food Bank, Cornerstone Food Pantry, John Rigley Food Pantry, First United Church of Christ Food Pantry, Saint Gabriel Food Pantry, Food 2 Kids, Truth and Lies Ministries, Ronald McDonald House, and the  Storehouse Project.

“When collecting food here at Law and watching how much the Law community has donated to the food drive, it was so fulfilling to see,” Chy said.

Any money that was collected was used to support Beth El Shelter, Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Ronald McDonald House, Storehouse Project, and any other Milford area food and support areas.

By Maddy Gaillard, Helen Chizmazia, Oliva Hudak, and Caden Simpson – Advocate Editors

Jonathan Law junior Chris Rickard recently realized a life-long dream when he was invited to the National Association for Music Education All-National Honors Festival in Washington, D.C. 

Rickard, who plays the euphonium, initially qualified for the All-State Festival and then from there he was able to audition for All-National Ensemble. Approximately 121 students in the nation, including senior Noah Held from Foran High School, were invited to participate in this year’s Ensemble.

“The Nationals Ensemble was so fun,” Rickard said. “The music was excellent, and provided challenging but enjoyable music to not just listen to but to play as well. It was nice to not constantly be at the top of my section, but to be around other musicians of similar or better caliber, and see how I can learn from them.”

Rickard said he was extremely impressed by the quality of the musical talent and by the passion of the directors and musicians alike.

“The musicianship was incredible from everyone across all ensembles, being able to meet in one day and be able to perform a full concert of challenging music in the span of three days or less,” Rickard said. “Watching all the ensembles play really put into perspective the expectation I would be held to play at when it was my time to go on stage. Beyond the musical context, the people were great from directors, to performers, or even just the volunteers that helped out.”

Being a member of the Jonathan Law band has been a big part of Rickard’s high school career and helped him receive this recognition. 

“Students who want to participate in these types of groups can definitely be helped by participating in the band at Law,” Law Band Director Mr. Pelaggi said. “We offer a lot of experiences similar to those at these ensembles. Just this week we had Dr. Matthew Doiron from Western Connecticut State University come and run our ensemble for a day. Last year, we commissioned a piece by a professional composer. These activities are similar to those that would happen at festivals like All-State and Nationals.”

Rickard went through a long journey to qualify for this Ensemble event.

“I was invited after submitting an audition tape to the National Association for Music Education (NAfME),” Rickard said. “Why I auditioned was because I just felt like it, but didn’t expect to make it by any means. I just thought it’d be cool to at least audition to see and go a little past All-State.”

In order to submit a National Ensemble audition, Rickard needed to participate in All- Regional and All-State events for your respective State Music Educators Association. Both of these require auditions as well as a short application on past experiences as a musician.

“Normally, all music prepared are solos typically known ahead of time accompanied by a major scale of the Connecticut Music Educators Association’s choosing along with a chromatic scale, both of two octaves if possible for that major scale,” Rickard said. “For the Nationals audition, just the solo preparation would be required, however only about a month would be given to prepare, film, and send the tape. The solo, Sonata for Euphonium, was pretty challenging to learn, and I didn’t even think it was gonna make it. In addition, a second piece may be optionally chosen that is under two minutes to go with the rest of the audition. For this, I played the first movement of The Carnival of Venice. I submitted one of the last auditions on the day they were due.”

Pelaggi said he was happy that Rickard was able to expand his musical career outside of Law.

“I’m happy he was able to get to these events, but I hope he has learned more from participating in them,” Pelaggi said. “It is more important to me that a student learns, whether from me or from another source. Sometimes achievements can be hollow, but I know his path to this event was full of excellent learning experiences. I’m always happy to help my students with their goals. My mission is for my students to become better people and then better musicians. If this path is in their future, I’m happy to assist them in their journey.”

By Olivia Augustine and Kaitlyn Goldberg – News Editors and Reilly Hungerford – Entertainment Editor

The National Honor Society has begun the holiday season with the annual Giving Tree.

The Giving Tree is a tree in the school lobby where students are encouraged to buy gifts for less fortunate children in Milford, hosted by the NHS. Anyone who wants to participate can choose a card from the tree, purchase the gift and return the unwrapped gift with the card to the tree or Room 212B by December 14. 

“The Giving Tree is a community project that our National Honor Society members do every year for the holidays,” NHS advisor Ms. Turcotte said. “We work with Bridges Healthcare of Milford, who provide us with the holiday wish lists of the children of their families in need.”

The NHS makes it their goal to provide gifts for less fortunate kids every year. 

“The goal of the giving tree is to get people in the law community to give back to children in need by getting them a Christmas gift that they specifically want so that they can have plenty of gifts this Christmas season,” senior president Kyle Chy said.

NHS members look forward to the Giving Tree every year. 

“I enjoy picking gifts out for the kids based on what they ask for,” senior Caroline Doyle said.

Members enjoy being able to give back to kids less fortunate than them. 

“I enjoy that the giving tree provides the opportunity for anyone in our school to give back and help out less fortunate kids,” senior Maya Rosado said. “It’s a simple and easy way to help others and that’s what I like most about it.”

(Photo courtesy @editedbyer)

By Editors-in-Chief Katie Servas and Gemard Guery, Entertainment Editor Truman Martin, and Social Media Editor Zack Sulkis

The 2022 Jonathan Law-Foran Thanksgiving Day game was an incredibly memorable experience for the Jonathan Law community.

Not only did the Lawmen win the game and make the playoffs for the second time in school history, but two celebrities were also in attendance.

Logan Paul and Mike Majlak attended the game along with approximately 5,000 spectators. Majlak, a Foran alum, was in Connecticut for Thanksgiving and decided to attend the game with his friend, Logan Paul.

Law Principal Bryan Darcy and Milford officials learned of their impending arrival the week of the game.

“I found out that Monday morning prior to Thanksgiving, and we knew it was a possibility because their people contacted our people downtown and there had to be some logistical things,” Darcy said. “They were coming no matter what, but we had to prepare to ensure that they had security and everyone was safe here.”

When Paul and Majlak arrived at the game, they sat in their own designated seats on the track to avoid energized fans.

“It was a nice experience for me because I actually spoke to (Logan Paul) for about 10 minutes on the field, and I know he’s famous for a lot of things, but we had a very nice, normal conversation,” Darcy said. “He was nice, he was genuine and I when I asked and he was willing to meet students.”

Some students taking photos were also able to have conversations with Paul and Majlak.

“It was unbelievable that they were there, because I’ve been watching Mike Majlak ever since he started vlogs and have told him my appreciation about all the love he gives back to the Milford community,” said senior and photographer Eric Relucio. “Doing what I love like filming alongside them only helped support my passion and the whole experience has given me the determination and confidence to continue to do what I love knowing that anything is possible.” 

During the halftime show, Paul and Majlak came over to greet students who were eager to meet them. Many students had their phones out and some even brought Sharpies so they could sign their phone cases, PRIME drink bottles, and sweatshirts.

“It was-life changing. He held my phone and I’ll never forget that for the rest of my life,” said junior Samantha Chy. “It made my Thanksgiving.” 

Paul and Majlak stayed until the end of halftime before exiting the field. After their departure, the Law would conclude the game by defeating Foran 60-29.

Majlak later posted photos and videos of their appearance on his social media accounts.

By Hannah Engel – Staff Reporter 

Jonathan Law recently held a “Spirit Week and a Half” and a pep rally the to get students ready for the Thanksgiving Day game and Powder Puff game. 

The Spirit Week themes were Student-Teacher Swap, Country/Country Club, White Lies, Multicultural Day, Twin Day, Pajama Day, Blackout Day, and Law Gear. 

“It doesn’t matter if you play a sport, or participate in choir or band,” math teacher Ms. Russell said. “Spirit weeks can help students that don’t necessarily participate in school activities feel like they are a part of the Law community.” 

Throughout Spirit Week, students dressed up according to the theme. 

This year’s Spirit Week continued for a week and a half. This led up to the annual Law vs. Foran football and Powder Puff games. Spirit Week also featured a pep rally on the  Tuesday before Thanksgiving to get students excited for the upcoming games. 

The pep rally was held in the new gym. Each grade was involved in all activities. 

Students participated in activities such as musical chairs and other games and competitions. There was also a performance from the choir. 

The purpose of the pep rally was for students to get excited for the upcoming games. 

“The purpose of this week’s spirit week was to get students excited for the Powderpuff and Thanksgiving Football game,” sophomore Sarah Ahmed said. “Showing school spirit is a very important part of every school event.”

Russell said she was happy with the results from Spirit Week.

“I think we had a little more participation in the first Spirit Week of the year,” Russell said. “I think we still need to keep it a little simple with the themes so that they are easier to participate in. Once we have a better Spirit Week culture, we can start adding in more ‘out of the box’ themes.”

By Maya Markowitz- Staff Reporter

A group of Jonathan Law students attended West Shore Middle School on November 2 and Harborside Middle School on November 14 to showcase the school and its values. 

The students attended West Shore and Harborside to showcase what Jonathan Law has to offer. They showed a presentation that described the school community and answered questions that prospective students had. 

“I hope that if they got anything from the visit, they got that Law is a great option for high school with lots of different opportunities,” sophomore Cameron Upchurch said. 

Every year, eighth grade West Shore and Harborside students are given the opportunity to explore their options for high school. In addition to the magnet schools and private schools which appeal to some students, Jonathan Law is always invited to speak about what it is like to attend Law. 

Students were given time at the end to ask questions to the panel of Jonathan Law representatives. 

“Some of the questions I got asked consisted of sports, AQUA, and class scheduling,” senior Liam Fedigan said. “It was cool to be able to tell the kids about Law and what values we have.”

Students chosen to attend these visits represented all different aspects offered at Law such as academics, clubs, and sports. This allowed everyone to be able to ask specific questions and get answers directly from involved students. 

“It was exciting to be chosen because I was given the opportunity to speak to incoming freshmen on things that I love about Law, and give them things to look forward to,” senior Caroline Doyle said. “They were all so enthusiastic about joining the Law community and becoming involved”

The meeting lasted a few hours and gave prospective Lawmen the opportunity to get a taste of what Jonathan Law High School is like. 

The presentation additionally consisted of the administrators that are important to know as someone potentially attending the school.

By Aryan Sikhinam – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Future Business Leaders of America Club is hosting the First Annual Jonathan Law Winter Wonderland on December 13.

The Winter Wonderland is a fundraising event for the FBLA to be able to go on trips and competitions. The Winter Wonderland is open to all kids and families in Milford, and they will have various events and activities, such as Connect Four, Jenga, arts and crafts, a snack/coffee stand, Letters to Santa, and more. 

“We have a big event coming up on December 13th. We’re having the Winter Wonderland, and Santa’s going to be there,” FBLA advisor and Law business teacher Ms. Israelite said. “Kids can come and get their picture taken with Santa, and we’re going to have games and activities for young kids to do.”

The Winter Wonderland will cost $10 per child, and up to $25 per family, and all money collected from tickets and concessions will go towards the FBLA to be able to participate in statewide trips, and potential Nationals if they qualify. 

“We are going to use the money and get involved in local businesses, and get speakers in,” FBLA advisor and business teacher Mr. Beler said. ”We want to give all the students of Jonathan Law the best knowledge for community service, and meeting community members.”

FBLA is trying to make a positive impact on the community and help out small and local businesses, as well as study them and see how they work. 

“We are having a fundraiser for a Winter Festival at Jonathan Law to help raise for the club,” junior FBLA President Jack Bretthauer said. ”The money raised will go to help support our members to go to hopefully Nationals, depending on who makes it.”

The FBLA meets every other F Day during common time in Mr. Beler’s room to discuss and share ideas. 

“FBLA is a great way to expand your knowledge in the business and economic world,” senior FBLA member Shruti Simhadri said. “I have found it to be a great learning experience for myself and others around me.”

To join the FBLA or for more information, contact either Ms. Israelite or Mr. Beler for the Google Classroom code.

By Kennedy Silvester – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law Drama Club performed “The Play That Goes Wrong” the weekend of November 11.

”The Play That Goes Wrong” is a unique comedy where issues arise for all of the characters in the play.

“The play is about a group of actors who are putting on a murder mystery play for an audience, but what makes the show earn its title is that every single thing imaginable goes wrong,” Drama Club President Sofia Mazella said. “Actors forget their lines, set pieces break, cues are off, and technical details are greatly flawed.”

In the Drama Club’s rendition of the play, there were only eight cast members, plus around 8-10 crew members. 

Shruti Simhadri played Annie, Sarah Ahmed played Taylor, Mazella played Christina, Deven Rivera played Jonathan, Kadance Kovacs played Rachel, Toni Cepalia played Denise, Faith Santiago played Max, and Hailey Russo played Sandra.

Russo said she thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the production.

“I chose to be in this play because I love Drama Club,” Russo said. “My favorite part was being able to ‘beat up’ Shruti. I would totally do it again too. My favorite quote for the play would have to be ‘stiff drink,’ because it always made us laugh on stage. The second one is ‘Not so fast inspector!,’ because it was Devin’s big entrance.”

Mazella said she chose to audition for “The Play That Goes Wrong” because she knew that it was going to be hilarious and exciting.

“As a committed Drama Club member, I make the choice to audition for all the shows that we do because acting is truly my passion, and I know that I will enjoy doing any production,” Mazzella said.

Mazella loved playing the role of Christina in the show because in a way she got to play two characters at once.

“Christina played the Director, as well as Inspector Carter in the show,” Mazella said. “I loved playing this role because my dream is to become a director, and seeing what it felt like to stand up there as a director truly made my heart explode. I also loved being able to switch back-and-forth between two types of characters.”

Members of Drama Club said that their favorite part of the play process was definitely Tech Week. Tech Week is the week leading up to the play Drama Club members bring in all of the props, costumes, and sets.

The club stayed after school from 4-10 p.m. the week of the show and did their best to perfect everything.

“Seeing everything come together implanted an excitement within all of our actors, and gave us hope for a smooth show,” Mazella said. “My favorite part of the show specifically was the fight scene at the end between two of the characters.”

Russo said she loved the performance – and being a member of the Drama Club in general.

“It feels like a home away from home and acting and singing brings me so much joy and happiness,” Russo said.

 

(Photo courtesy kidsoutandabout.com)

 

By Katie Servas – Editor-in-Chief

The Gaming Club is drifting its way into Jonathan Law yet again.

The Jonathan Law Gaming Cub has been revived for another year. The group has hosted multiple meetings with fluctuating amounts of new members. 

“We created the Gaming Club in order to have a fun and safe environment for people to meet new friends that share a common interest,” senior club vice president Jacob Swenning said. “There was a Video Game Club three years ago at Law that we seniors were a part of during our freshman year but we wanted to continue the club and take it to the next level.”

Typically, one of the members will provide snacks during the meetings as well as multiple games and gaming systems to appeal to all those who come to play. 

“Right now, leadership decides what game would be played at the next meeting, making sure to have some variety so it doesn’t become the “insert game title here” club and so it feels refreshing,” senior club president Matt McKlosky said. “So far, we’ve played ‘Super Smash Bros Ultimate,’ ‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,’ and soon-to-be ‘Nintendo Switch Sports’ at the next meeting (totally not a plug).”

In Room 199A, two television sets are hooked up to different gaming consoles to grant members the opportunity to play other games and include more people. To maintain organization, the group has created a spreadsheet to quickly sign up to bring in a console to meetings and allow more game options.

“As of now, we decide on games by randomly selecting a game we have and announcing it at the end of each meeting,” senior Kim Padilla said. “In the future, we might vote on what games to play or have a game rotation schedule soon, but we’re still planning things out.”

The club used to have many members who would spend an hour or so after school and play video games with others with the same interests. The club was a comfortable and relaxing place for students to meet under and upperclassmen through a common hobby. 

“We really missed having a place to chill out, relax, and play games with each other and decided to start it up again so people will have a place to relax and decompress after school,” McKlosky said. “With the help of Jacob, Deven, Kim, and Rob, we asked Mrs. Mercaldi if she would want to be the advisor, and she said she would love to do it.”

When locating an advisor, the group knew they wanted to reach out to science teacher Mrs. Mercaldi. 

“I was the advisor for the Dance Dance Revolution club here at Law in the early 2000s and have always thought gaming was a great adventure and a wonderful way to relax and made me more social and has helped me find friends who enjoy gaming as well,” Mercaldi said. “When Matt, Jacob, Kim, Deven, and Robert asked me to be the advisor I couldn’t have been more delighted.”

The club meets from 2-3 p.m. every Tuesday in Room 199A and the Google Classroom code is b5wxjyx. 

By Helen Chizmazia – Social Media Editor 

The Jonathan Law National Honor Society hosted a costume contest on Halloween. 

There were a few categories that students and staff could enter. Money had to be donated in order to participate in the contest. 

“It is a tradition for the NHS to organize the costume contest and it always brings out creativity from the students,” senior NHS member Lylah Eckert said. 

This is Eckert’s second year in Natinal Honor Society. 

“We all agreed on a foundation to donate to – which was Legos for Logan – and we went on from there,” senior NHS member Sabrina Lawless said. 

Legos for Logan is a foundation created for in memory of a local boy named Logan, who passed away at age 12 from pediatric cancer. 

The categories for this year’s contest were individual costumes, duo costumes, and group costumes. 

“All the members in the group voted for each winner in the categories,” Lawless said. 

The winners were announced over the loudspeaker at the end of period eight.

“We decided on the winners by taking all of the participants’ photos, and reviewing them as a Club at the end of the school day,” senior NHS member Caroline Doyle said. 

Students and staff enjoyed partaking in the contest. 

“My favorite costume was Ryan Z’s costume that he and his mom made together of a flamingo,” Eckert said. 

Many students dress up on Halloween showing their authentic costumes that they worked hard on. 

“My personal favorite costume was the group of Minions,” Lawless said.

By Lana Hanania – News Editor 

The Jonathan Law Ski Club is back up and running for this upcoming year.

Last year, the club participated in two trips and members of the ski club are excited to get out and run more trips with friends. 

“In addition to getting us out on more day trips this year (last year we only did two), I am excited to get the weekend overnight to get Smuggler’s Notch back up and running this year,” advisor Ms. Turcotte said. 

Ski Club allows members to stay overnight at Smugglers Notch which is an exciting event for members since it was not available to them last year. 

“I’m looking froward to the overnight trip which has not happened since COVID started,” senior Jack Aliberti said. “It will be cool to be able to stay overnight with friends.”

During COVID, the club struggled to attend trips. Now, they are able to expand their locations and engage in more activities. 

“I think that the Ski Club has benefitted me by allowing me to visit a bunch of new mountains, and getting to experience better conditions than what we have in Connecticut,” junior Ashley Borecki said. “I also just like seeing new places and resorts. They are all pretty different and it’s really cool to ride in new environments.” 

By joining Ski Club, members get to go skiing and expand their experiences in the world with their friends. 

“This year, I am most excited about the trip to Killington,” Borecki said. “Out of the places I’ve been to, that is one of my favorites, so I’m excited to go back again.”

Members can’t wait to visit their favorite destinations and return to the slopes.

“I’m most excited about doing our overnight trip this year to Okemo because we haven’t been able to because of COVID,” senior Lia Schulte said. “I think students should join because it’s a great opportunity to go skiing with your friends at discounted prices and travel on a comfortable schedule.” 

By Maya Rosado – Editor-In-Chief 

The Jonathan Law Key Club participated in the International Key Club Week beginning on October 31 and ending on November 4. 

Each day of the week represented a different initiative. Officers of the Key Club went on Eagle Eye News each day during the week to tell more about what they plan to do for the different themes. 

The themes for each day were: “Show Your K,” “Kudos To The Key Players,” “Dare To Share,” “Random Acts Of Kindness,” and “Connect The K’s.” 

“To me, Key Club Week is a celebration of our hard work as well as a way to educate others on what we do,” senior co-president Caroline Doyle said. 

“Show Your K Day” was used to show people what Key Club is all about. Therefore, students spread the word by wearing Key Club gear and publicizing Key Club Week. 

“Kudos To The Key Players Day” was used to personally thank all the Key Club supporters students know — teachers, advisors and other key players. 

“Dare To Share Day” celebrated diversity and equity with the Key Club family. “Random Acts Of Kindness Day” aimed to show how far a smile can go. On this day, the club aimed to spread happiness throughout the schools. 

“Connect The K’s Day” celebrated the entire family of Kiwanis by getting everyone involved. They connect with local Kiwanis, Circle K International, Builders, K-Kids or Aktion clubs. 

The purpose of Key Club Week was to show thanks for those that have helped the club and educate others of their mission and how they aim to achieve it. 

The officers of the club were all very excited to take part this year and hope to get even more people involved in the club. 

“I was most excited for Friday, which is ‘Kudos To The Key Players’ because we were able to thank our teachers who have helped us so much in the past,” senior co-President Hanna Keating said.

The members of the club also have traditions they like to continue each year during Key Club week. 

“The day I always look forward to is ‘Kudos To The Key Players,” Doyle said. “We bring bagels to the teachers, and I love thanking them all for their constant support.” 

Each day of Key Club Week places an emphasis on service, to promote Key Club within every home, school and community and to make Key Club a household name.

By Kennedy Silvester – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law chapter of the National Art Honor Society is designed for ambitious high school art students. 

In 1978, the National Art Education Association began the National Art Honor Society program to inspire and recognize students who show an outstanding ability and interest in art. The NAHS strives to aid members in attaining the highest standards in art scholarship, character and service, and to bring art education to the attention of the school and community. 

“The chapter of the Art Honor Society is dedicated to improving the community and school through celebrating the artist through Law,” senior Skylar Johnson said.

In order to be considered for membership into the National Art Honor Society, a student must earn 1.0 credit of art at the high school level. They also have to maintain a “B+” average in ES and Level 1 art courses and at least a “B-” in AP Art and Design. 

Students must also meet the Milford Public Schools’ “Standards of Eligibility” requirements. They must also be committed to developing as an artist. Another requirement is that they must be willing to serve their school and community through artistic endeavors. The last requirement is that students must demonstrate integrity, dedication, and responsibility. 

At Law, there are typically around 20-25 student artists in the NAHS, which started at Law nine years ago. They meet regularly during common time on F Days and they stay after school to work on a variety of community art projects. 

“In NAHS, the students completed a project called Wings For Peace,” advisor Mrs. Murphy said. “In this project the students had to represent gun balance.”

Another project the NAHS is currently working on is painting a mural in the Podcast Studio in the Newsroom.

“It has been great working with the NAHS on planning the mural for the Podcast Studio,” Broadcast Journalism teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “They have been very creative and professional throughout the planning stages and I can’t wait to see what they come up with for a design.”

Members said that students should join the National Art Honor Society, because participation provides students, faculty, school, and community with invaluable benefits, including peer recognition, leadership growth opportunities, college and career preparation, recognition of their art, and more.

By Helen Chizmazia – Social Media Editor

Jonathan Law continues to promote inclusivity with the return of the Gay Straight Alliance which is advised by Mr. Evanko. 

Meetings are Thursdays after school at 2 p.m. in Room 193.

“I didn’t start this club, I picked it up from Ms. Mannion about 10 years ago,” Evanko said. “I was inspired to become an advisor for the GSA.” 

Mannion was a history teacher at Law before her retirement last year. 

“I wanted to help build a community on campus for LGBT+ students and allies on our campus,” Evanko said. 

Evanko is a history teacher at Jonathan Law. 

“I chose to advise the GSA because I want Law to be a welcoming, inclusive space for all people, including LGBT students,” Evanko said. 

The main goal of Gay Straight Alliance is to have an open and welcoming community for all students. 

“Myself and club’s members hope to make an impact this year by building our membership back up and to host presentations and social events for students to attend,” Evanko said. 

By Olivia Augustine – News Editor

Debate Club is back up and running for the new school year.

The club has hopes of participating in competitions this year. The club is for anyone who is interested in learning how to debate topics. 

“Debate Club is a space for students to learn the rules of formal debate and have a space to discuss issues, including current events and issues that affect their lives,” advisor Mr. Evanko said.

Anyone is welcome to join the club even if they don’t want to compete. Debate Club meets on Tuesdays after school in Room 193.

“We want to compete in debate competitions, but we practice for a while before going to any,” senior president Shruti Simhadri said. “This is to make sure even new people without experience will feel confident at competitions.” 

Debate Club gives students the opportunity to talk to different people and debate topics of their interest. 

“I enjoy the debate club because it gives me the opportunity to have debates and conversations with other people who are just as passionate about the issues,” senior Finnegan Sclafani said. “It’s also a really interesting challenge when you have to argue for the side you don’t agree with or believe in. It forces you to really focus on the facts to create a strong argument, rather than your passion or opinion.”

Students who have been in the club for a few years have progressed well with public speaking. 

“I think what I enjoy about debate club the most is the fact that we have that space to practice our techniques when it comes to public speaking and debate because so many of us haven’t done it before,” junior Ikeoluwatomiwa Opayemi said. “It’s cool to see how as a club we’ve progressed over the years and improved in our skills to prepare for competitions this year.”