By Katie Servas – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Music Department is stepping off on the left foot.

On Thursday, October 28, the Jonathan Law Band, Choir, and Orchestra had their Welcome Back to Music Night. It was their first concert since the COVID-19 pandemic started which led to a large crowd in the football stands.

The concert was held on the football field and highlighted the growth in the music department over the past few months.

The Choir sang: “Better is One Day,” “Three South African Songs,” and “Ise Oluwa,” while the Advanced Vocal Ensemble (AVE) sang “Sound of Silence” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?”

These songs were sung not only in English but in two other languages. This led to great diversity between the music selection of the night.

“It has been such an inspiration to watch our students continue to show their commitment and dedication to making this ensemble a valuable and meaningful place to learn and connect through music,” Choir Director Ms. Jones said. “It is so wonderful to have ALL of our students back in person so we have the ability to perform in a more authentic way.”

Jones has relished the opportunity to grow and strengthen the Choir with the help of her managers and choir board. She enjoyed the overwhelming feeling of preparation leading up to the emotional success of their first live performance.

The current COVID-19 restrictions, having to separate the ensemble into multiple classes created a contrasting case, leading to the construction of a new method of practice.

“Our ensemble had a few combined rehearsals during common times so we can improve as a whole, but a lot of the work that was put in was done separately in our individual classes,” junior Choir Manager Kalli Kinsman said. “I am especially impressed with our freshmen and other new members who were able to turn what would be a stressful day and make it an amazing and memorable experience.”

After the completion of the Choir’s setlist, many reflected on the success of the entire night.

The Band and Orchestra also performed set list’s of their own including the football halftime show.

“The Band and Orchestra have been incredibly perseverant,” Band Director Mr. Pelaggi said. “They have gone through some of the most strict COVID-19 restrictions and still continued to grow and improve.”

The Band played four show tunes: “Hey Baby,” “Blinding Lights,” “Hey Look Ma I Made It,” and “Industry Baby.”

The football halftime show granted the Marching Band the ability to perform, prior to the concert. They have been polishing each piece to perfection for upcoming football games and annual Thanksgiving football game.

“It was very exciting to perform for the first time after such a long break,” junior Michaela Bergami said. “I’m looking forward to playing more with the Band and teaching some of the newer members more traditions and shifting gears into the concert season once the football season is over.”

Many of the returning members have been educating the newest members on the traditions and culture that has been pasted down for many years.

This sense of community has caused many to continue to utilize their maximum effort into every song and performance they are included in.

Once the Band has their final football performance, they will be learning many concert-style tunes to execute during a concert in the upcoming months along with the Choir and Orchestra.

The Orchestra played two stylistically contrasting pieces during the concert: “G Force” and “Lullaby to the Moon.”

These pieces demonstrated the soft and tense sides of the string instruments and these pieces were chosen to advance their techniques and model the diverse composition of the composer’s piece.

 “It was amazing to be able to go out and play for everyone and be able to bond as an orchestra, and as a music department,” junior Elizabeth Westergard said. “Having all of our parents out to be able to see us play after a long time of working has helped with sharpening our skills.” 

The camaraderie of the music department has fabricated the family-like atmosphere that encourages underclassmen to join while pulling large audiences to watch multiple performances.

“We are going to dive into some fundamentals for the next few months to catch up on some lost instructional time.” said Band Director Dave Pelaggi. “Then we are going to start working on some concert pieces and even some combined ensemble pieces. Stay tuned!”

All of the departments will be planning to hold a concert in April, which is subject to change. They will be rehearsing new tunes to perform and unveil the continuous progression of the ensembles during the upcoming months.

(Photo courtesy @JLHSAthletics)

By Maya Rosado – Staff Reporter 

Jonathan Law junior diver Olivia Coddington has concluded her regular season with impressive new accomplishments.  

The team went 7-8 during the regular season after defeating crosstown rival Foran High School on October 27 and are now preparing for states. 

It will be Coddington’s first time going to states and she is very excited about her improvement over this past season. 

“I don’t have a specific goal for states but I do hope I perform well and have a good score in the end,” said Coddington. 

Coddington is not just a diver; she often swims in a few events as well. She has made a huge impact on the team with the positive energy and talent she brings everyday.

“Liv brings a ton of energy to the team, she’s a hard worker and leads by example in practice,” coach Mr. Lui said. “This year we were fortunate enough to have two freshmen, Paige Kantor and Charlotte Rascoll join the dive team. Liv has done a great job being a positive role model for the underclassmen.”

The team has become like a second family to Coddington with the new friends and fun it brings daily.

“I think my favorite part about this season was how much the team bonded with each other,” Coddington said. “We were always hyped up and having a good time every meet and practice which is great.”

Coddington competed in the SCC girls 11-dive on October 20 and placed 13th with a score of 267.05. All four of Law’s divers placed in the Top 15: Makenna Sharpe took 1st, Emma Nelly was 5th, Coddington was 13th, and Paige Kantor was 15th. 

“Liv was an extremely reliable diver for us this season by consistently scoring points for the team each meet,” Lui said. “Liv had a fantastic performance against Lauralton Hall this season and scored a season high of 163.75 to qualify for state championships, she also placed 13th at SCCs which is an amazing accomplishment.”

Coddington is also a member of the Jonathan Law gymnastics team. Many gymnasts were also divers so she decided to take on the challenge. 

“Diving has made the transition into my gymnastics season very easy, especially with most of the girls staying together for both seasons so friendships were already there,” Coddington said.

(Photo courtesy aaronschool.org)

By Olivia Hudak – Staff Reporter

Law’s Natural Helpers Club continues to spread positivity and kindness around the community. 

The Natural Helpers participate in events to help spread awareness or to help support a cause. Recently they hosted Start With Hello Week, in conjunction with the Sandy Hook Promise, appearing on Eagle Eye News with a motivational message each day and handing out green bracelets for suicide awareness.

This year, Natural Helpers is finally able to get back to going in person, which was put on hold last year due to COVID-19. 

“This year the club is back to being in person, which is very rewarding,” senior club member Alexa Darak said. “We have all been coming up with ideas to help out more around the school and to make everyone feel included.”

When spreading positivity and kindness there is a rewarding feeling that comes with it. Club members are able to see people’s moods and confidence change from simply saying “hello” or giving them a compliment.

“It is a very rewarding opportunity to help others,” club member Aislinn Burns said. “It’s so nice to know that you either brighten someone’s day or make a positive impact on their life”.

Darak said there is a rewarding feeling that comes with joining Natural Helpers. She said people don’t realize how impactful the feeling is when you make someone’s day a little brighter!

“Going up to someone and just simply saying ‘Hello’ can create a friendship that you never had before,” Darak said. “Helping others also helps yourself because now you both have that friend that you didn’t have before.”

Natural Helpers has noticeably helped the Law community whether it be through kindness or people simply going out of their way to help one another. 

“I wanted to be able to spread some of the inclusive messages as well as help make our school a better place,” club member Aislinn Burns said. “Others should definitely join the club because it is a great way to meet new people, and it’s also a great way to make a positive impact on our school and our community as a whole”.

Natural Helpers has done many impactful things and will continue to do so. If students like to make people’s days and spread kindness, Natural Helpers is for them.

(Photo by Lana Hanania)

By Lana Hanania – Staff Reporter 

Class elections were held at Jonathan Law on Friday, October 1, and for the Class of 2024, Talia Salanto and Hailey Russo tied for class president. 

Class office is an opportunity for students to get involved and make a difference in the school. Students are able to participate in decorating or planning events and create new events for the school calendar.

“This upcoming year, I am most excited to plan spirit week and try to create new events for the school,” Salanto said. “I am hoping to try to make this upcoming year as normal as possible.”

Due to COVID-19, Law was not able to have many school events last year. The Class of 2024 officers are hoping to change that and to increase school spirit. 

“I ran for vice president because I can help fix problems that other students want resolved,” sophomore Vice President Caden Simpson said. 

If students have questions or concerns, they can contact the class officers.

“Being secretary I will be responsible for taking notes at all meetings and reporting those notes to the council,” sophomore Secretary Samantha Chy said. 

Getting engaged with the school is an upward progression of responsibility. 

“I decided to be senator to be involved with the school and as senator I am responsible for asking questions and listening,” sophomore Senator Helen Chizmazia said. 

Being class officers will help these students learn leadership and learn how to work with a team. 

“I wanted to become prescient is because freshman year we didn’t have much,” sophomore  president Russo said. “We didn’t get any dances or as some people would say the real high school experience, so I am hoping I can change that.”

Overall, the members of the Student Council at Law are all very excited for this upcoming year. Officers are excited to plan events and make law Lawmazing again. 

(Photo courtesy kleinisd.net)

By Reilly Hungerford – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Multicultural Club is back for the 2021-2022 school year.

The Multicultural Club that teaches students about different cultures. Over the years, the club has invited people to speak about China, Hong Kong, Nepal, Germany, and U.S. culture. 

The club is advised by English teacher Mr. Healy and the president is senior Berat Genc. The club meets every other Monday in Room 209. Their next meeting is on November 8.

“I’m endlessly fascinated with the world, so it stimulates my curiosity,” Genc said. “Plus I think it’s probably the most diverse club so I get to learn from so many different perspectives.”

The club is looking forward to many things this year.

“I’m looking forward to working with a new group of students this year and having some cool guest speakers,” Healy said.

Club members learn about many different aspects of each culture.

“We make presentations, try new foods, get guests to come over and have nice conversations with them, go to restaurants by the end of the year, and discuss about the differences between America and other countries,” Genc said.

The club is open and eager to learn about new cultures that they haven’t already discussed.

“It’s really nice to hear about other people’s cultures and traditions that are different from my own,” sophomore club member Gemard Guery said.

The club’s community is very accepting and welcoming.

“It is a really nice community and actually the community is what makes Multicultural Club more fun,” Genc said.

COVID-19 has taken a toll on this group and their plans in the last year.

“The biggest effect COVID had is not being able to share cultural foods, but hopefully we can get back to that soon,” Healy said.

(Photo courtesy stratton.com)

By Zack Sulkis – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law Ski Club is starting preparations for hitting the slopes for the first time since early 2020. 

The club attracts many students with a love of skiing. Amateur or advanced, the club accepts all and has a lot to offer to its members.

“It’s an opportunity to get outside and get some fresh air during the winter and have some fun with your friends, it’s good exercise,” said Ms. Turcotte, the advisor of the Ski Club. “I love to ski so I’m guessing that anyone who loves to ski would want to join.” 

The club has multiple day trips and is working on seeing if they will get their overnight 4 day trip to Smugglers Notch, a ski resort in Vermont. Other Skiing locations include; Stratton, Okemo, and Mount Snow, all of which are located in Vermont. 

Students who participate in winter sports can also join the club. Some who participate in both claim that it is difficult to balance school work, sports, and the club but if you do it right you can still participate and have fun.

“It’s hard to balance school, sports, and being a member of the Ski Club because sometimes school projects or sport events will fall on days we have a club trip,” said senior Gary Schulte, a member of the wrestling team and the Ski Club in the winter. “This causes me to have to move my schedule around, or sometimes have to miss a club trip entirely, but I still try to participate in the club as much as I can.”

The policy the club has is students are required to make it to at least two Saturday day trips.  

The club is pretty popular amongst students and typically fills up all of the seats in the coach bus they take on their trips. 

“Im looking into joining the club since I enjoyed the one they had back in middle school that we had at West Shore,” said sophomore Helen Chizmazia. “I just have to make sure that I have the time for it in my schedule and that I can actually make it to the various trips.”

(Photo courtesy kirksville.us)

By Marisa Laviano – Staff Reporter

Lights! Camera! Action! Jonathan Law High School is starting a new Film Club.

Jonathan Law is starting a new Film Club for students who are interested in the different roles needed to create short films. These meetings will be held Thursdays after school in the Teaching and Learning Commons.

“Film Club is a club for actors, cinematographers, directors, screenwriters, editors, and more,” said senior Co-President Ayesha Rana. “Anyone who’s interested is always welcome to join!”

The Film Club will produce a few short films during their meetings over the course of the 2021-2022 academic school year. They may also be entering these films into film festivals.

“I started the Film Club at Jonathan Law and I’m very passionate about acting, especially through film and wanted to express my passion through this club and spread it with the other students at Law,” senior Co-President Brianna Safyre said.

Jonathan Law’s Film Club will help give members opportunities to use their skills and interests in ways they’ve never been able to before.

“I am joining the Film Club because I’ve always had an interest in film and media studies, but never really got the opportunity to explore that interest before high school,” sophomore member Gemard Guery said. “I want to explore it more and see what fun things I can do.”

Many members are very excited to combine their interests and work together to create films.

“I’m most excited about submitting to film festivals, it would be very cool to gain some exposure through an outside source,” junior member Shruti Simhadri said.

(Photo courtesy Harrison Fisher)

By Harrison Fisher – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Fishing Club had its first meeting in Mr. Morazzini’s classroom on October 7 in Room 199B.

Morazzini, the advisor of the Fishing Club, has been running the club for several years. Fishing is his passion and he is excited to pass it on to the students at Law. Mr. Morazzini was also optimistic during the meeting and outlined several fishing opportunities to be had this school year. 

“We had a good turnout this year, and it is nice to have the fishing club back,” Morazzini said. “The thing I’m looking forward to most is getting outdoors to fish with all of the students. I really enjoy fishing with all of the students. One fish I hope everybody catches this year is the striped bass.  It would be nice for students to get an experience reeling in a striped bass fish.” 

This year’s first Fishing Club trip was on Monday, November 1. All students participating in the trip met at Anchor Beach in Milford. Each member had to bring their own fishing rod and bait to fish.

Morazzini reinforced the expectations during the fishing excursion. Of course, safety was a priority. 

In past years, there has been a mix of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors on these fishing trips.  This year, there are 10 students signed up for the club.  

Senior leaders Dan Folloni and Berat Genc have been out in our school community recruiting new members and advertising the club on Eagle Eye News.

Some of the current seniors reported catching a variety of fish on the first trip. They also reported that Long Island Sound is in good shape, the water is clean, and the fish are healthy.

Folloni said is excited to see what is in store for the club this year.

“I have high hopes fore the Fishing Club this year,” Folloni said. “We have a lot of kids, so it should fun. I’m looking forward to learning some new techniques, so I can catch more fish.”  

Genc is also excited to meet new members of the club.

“It is nice to have everyone back,” Genc said. “COVID-19 really affected the Fishing Club. Now, I am looking forward to more trips, meeting some new people, learning about the Marine life in our area, and catching a lot of fish.”

Genc said this year promises to be a great time and he encouraged students to “cast out” of their comfort zone and think about joining the Fishing Club.

(Photo courtesy @jlawdrama)

By Madelyn Baranowsky – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Drama Club started rehearsals on October 27 for their upcoming showcase, “Opening Up: A Tribute to the Reopening of Live Theater.”

The showcase itself will take place on Friday, December 10 at 7 p.m. It will feature both solos and group numbers.

“The showcase will last around an hour-long, and will be live,” senior Drama Club President Sophie Maselli said, “We plan to have two or three ensemble numbers alike to a number from a musical, and many other singular acts showcasing our love for theatre.”

“Opening Up” will also be the first live performance Drama Club has done in almost two years, with their last live performance being in November of 2019.

The Drama Club is hoping to have a limited in-person audience in the auditorium for their showcase with some audience members streaming live from home.  

“Opening Up” will feature solos by Maselli, sophomore Hailey Russo, freshman Madison Frimpter, and more group numbers.  Since the announcement of a showcase, Drama Club members have been excited to get to work.

“Even though I am nervous about rehearsals I am very excited about the upcoming show and upcoming rehearsals,” Frimpter said.

Drama Club actors aren’t the only ones that are excited about rehearsals starting. Brianna Lenoitti is excited to put on her first show as the director of the Drama Club.  

Lenotti has been involved with the Jonathan Law Drama Club since she was a freshman, and has been the assistant director since she graduated high school.

“I’m looking forward to working with both old and new faces to put on a show that we are all proud of,” Lenotti said.  “Drama Club is a great way to build relationships, learn new things, and just have a good time.” 

Lenotti has been getting positive feedback as the new director.  The cast members feel like the directors are doing their best to make the showcase amazing.

“Brianna, our director, has been really great with blocking and giving helpful critiques to make sure our acts are the best they can be,” Maselli said.

(Photo courtesy fortbendisd.com)

By Olivia Augustine – News Editor

The National Math Honor Society is getting ready to have an eventful year. 

Throughout the year, the NMHS competes in competitions and hosts math-related activities. NMHS is a club where students learn math and help others learn math. 

“Our goals this year are to get more involved in helping with math throughout our school, to look into competing in math competitions online as well as within our state, learn more about math, host our annual April math month question of the day, and host Pi day activities,” math teacher and advisor Mr. Ruzbarsky said. 

The NMHS competes in a few competitions throughout the school year. 

“The National Math Honor Society is looking to compete in a few competitions this year,” senior president Diya Daruka said. “One is the Log 1 competition which is what our society sponsors every year, and we are also looking to possibly compete in the Rocket City Math League and the Mathematical Minutes Video Contest.”

Every school year the NMHS hosts Pi day activities. Last year they weren’t able to because of COVID. 

“We weren’t able to do Pi day last year so I’m not too sure but I know that in the past NMHS has done a pie eating contest, guessing how many M&Ms are in a jar, memorizing pi, and pinning the radius on the circle,” senior treasurer Nihitha Kothapalli said.

The NMHS hosts April Math Month question of the day. Winners are entered for the prize and later the winner is announced. 

“During the April Math Month question of the day, members of the National Math Honor Society submit different questions covering varying math skills and subjects,” senior vice president Lauren Davis said. “Last year, we put them on the news and students would submit their answers.”

Students can join the National Math Honor Society by emailing Mr. Ruzbarsky. There is an application process they have to go through and some requirements they have to meet.

Applications are being accepted until October 29th. Meetings are on the last Tuesday of every month.

(Photo courtesy cuny.edu)

By Bobby Black – Sports Editor

Science Club is up and running and anyone who wants to join should see advisors Ms. Turcotte or Mr. Stanton. 

Science Club is a STEM-based club that allows students of all grades to further their knowledge of science and use their skills to compete in events throughout the year. 

“Each event has 2-3 students competing and each student will compete in multiple events. Each group will work together to prepare in whatever way is necessary for that particular event,” Turcotte said. “Some events require researching and studying while others involve laboratory work. There are also building events that require students to build something (bridge, airplane, machine, etc.) and then collect data on its performance before competing with other teams.”

In Science Club, students build projects and do experiments based off of their assigned event or events. 

The competitions include all aspects of science such as biology, chemistry, physics, and others but can also include a lesson in teamwork. 

The team faces off against other schools in the country at prestigious colleges such as Brown, Yale, and more.

“We’re planning on doing Brown this year, ” junior Science Club member Shruti Simhadri said. “ We want to visit Yale but only if we hear that they’re doing it this year.”

The Science Club usually competes at one state and one invitational competition. This year they will compete at Brown University.

“Our goals this year are to win and get some recognition from the events in the competition,” Simhadri said.

The Science Club meets after school on Mondays in Room 212B. 

“Our main goal is to prepare for the competitions and have fun doing science together,” Turcotte said.

The Science Club, one of the many clubs and activities at Jonathan Law, is a way for students to advance their knowledge of science while applying the skills and concepts learned in science classes.

(Photo courtesy ncifm.com)

By Camrin A. Del Valle – Staff Reporter 

Arguments are being prepared for the exciting re-opening for the Jonathan Law Debate Club. 

The Debate Club’s first debate will be on the topic of gun violence. This debate will happen at the club’s meeting on October 19.

“My plans for this year includes teaching students how to debate respectfully and civilly,” Debate Club advisor Mr. Evanko said.

The Debate Club meets every on Tuesday in Room 193. 

Members of the club are excited for the upcoming debates.

“I want to learn how to argue different sides of subjects even if I don’t agree with them,” freshman Gavin Nett said.

The Debate Club has no deadline so anyone can join at any time during the year..

“I’m excited for Debate Club this year because i’ll be able to talk about current issues and see others viewpoints,” freshman Deepika Chitirala said 

The Debate Club will compete against each other in different forms of debating, including a mock trial, a Lincoln-Douglas debate, rapid fire debating, and traditional debating. 

”This year I am most looking forward to improving myself, I am pushing myself to participate. I don’t think I would have done it last year,” freshman Basel Chwiki said.

The Debate Club is still deciding on future debate topics and formats.

”Hopefully I can get the class in a more classic debate,” junior Shruti Simhadri said.

(Photo courtesy @jlawchoir)

By Amaya Vargas – Staff Reporter 

The Jonathan Law choir is preparing for a fall concert this year.

It has been almost two years since the Jonathan Law choir has hosted a concert due to COVID-19 protocols.

“It is energizing to be back in action after what felt like a defeating year,” Choir Director Miss Jones said.

The choir is preparing with goal being to “Bring Music Back to Milford.” The exact date and time of the concert is still to be announced.

Junior choir member Marissa Laviano is excited to perform live again.

“It feels good to be together again after a year of separation,” Laviano said.

Many other choir members felt the same way.

“It’s a stress reliever,” junior choir member Eric Relucio said. “To bring back community and memories is heart warming.”

Senior choir member Amber Gulyban agreed.

“I’m excited to sing again,” Gulyban said.

Choir member Cathrine Caballero is ready for her senior year to begin.

“It is refreshing to be back and make my last year a memorable one,” Caballero said.

(Photo courtesy schoolwires.net)

By Reilly Hungerford – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Engineering Cub, started by senior Sarah Patel and advised by math teacher Mr. Walsh, will start meetings again on Thursday, October 7, after school in Room 198.

This year, the Engineering Club will be launching rockets.

“The kids want to build better and better rockets that fly higher,” Walsh said.

Patel started the Engineering Cub because there was nothing at Jonathan Law like it.

 “A few of my friends and I decided to start the Engineering Club because we were all interested in/involved in things that fell under the category of engineering and realized that JLHS didn´t have a club that fully encompassed those interests,” Patel said.

The club is also planning to do competitions and maybe even out of state and overnight trips. 

“Some of the things we plan on doing this year are rocketry and research-based competitions, as well as various engineering projects,” Patel said. “Competitions may involve out-of-state/overnight trips.”

The club is very excited for competitions.

“I want to try to enter some competitions, there’s so many amateur and high school level competitions that they can enter,” Patel said. “A lot of them are free, some of them are competitive, some of them are educational, so you can choose what you want.”

Members of the club are very willing to help other members with separate projects.

“We are usually pretty flexible; if a member wants to design and build something specific, we will try to help them do it,” Patel said.

COVID-19 has restricted a lot of the club’s plans the last two years, but they’re hoping some restrictions are lifted. 

“COVID-19 restrictions prevented us from doing a lot of things last year, but we are hoping that this year will be different,” Patel said.

The club holds meetings every Thursday unless announced otherwise.

Currently, the only students in the Engineering Club are seniors. They are hoping to recruit underclassmen. Students of all grades are allowed to participate in the Engineering Club. 

All new members are welcome. If students are interested in joining the club, all they need to do is show up to the first meeting on October 7.

(Photo courtesy jrhs.org)

By Lana Hanania – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Key Club meets in the Senior Cafe on Thursdays at 6 p.m. to discuss future events.

KeyCclub is an organization that helps the community by volunteering, cleaning up parks, collecting clothing, and arranging food drives. They are currently volunteering in Salvation Army and Trick or Treat for UNICEF.

¨This year for Key Club we hope to get back to as normal as possible and be able to reinstate our normal activities like trick or treat for UNICEF and Salvation Army,” junior Key Club President Caroline Doyle said.

Key Cub improves leadership skills by organizing meetings, planning projects, and serving in positions of leadership at the club, district, and international levels.

¨Key club has impacted my understanding of leadership and responsibility,” junior Vice President Hanna Keating said. “Key club has been an amazing opportunity to serve my community, since I became a part of key club I have had a strive to do more for my community.”

The first Key Club meeting of the year had over 70 people. Club officers and President Doyle are all very excited for this upcoming year and to teach the many new members. 

¨I’m most excited to get back to our normal volunteer activities and having meetings. We have a great group this year and I’m excited to see where we can take it,”  Doyle said. 

Members said Key Club is a positive and pleasurable experience for all. Everyone should get involved in their community since it can help them gain new skills and friends. 

“I joined Key Club freshman year because I wanted to get involved in the school community,” Junior Officer Maya Rosa said. “In the club I was able to get volunteer hours for graduation while also being able to represent our school in a positive way.”

Through Key Club, students can participate in a variety of service activities. This also contributes to volunteer hours. 

“I am most excited to see all the new members start volunteering and seeing what we can accomplish as an even bigger club,” Rosa said. 

Overall, the Key Club is well on its way to another productive year of assisting many people not just at Jonathan Law but also in the Milford community.

(Photo courtesy dictionary.com)

By Charlotte Hanks – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s American Sign Language Club has started up again for the new school year. 

In the ASL Club, students can learn a new language or expand on past knowledge. The club meets on F days during common time in Room 207. 

“Since this club began last school year in the middle of all the COVID restrictions we never were able to really dive into the club,” senior Co-President Alexa Darak said. “However, this year Katy Brewer (the other co-president) and I have a bunch of ideas and activities planned for the upcoming year.” 

The ASL Club is a place for students to meet new people and create new friendships. The club educates students on the importance of ASL and why it is needed. 

“ASL Club was started by students who wanted to learn and teach others sign language,” Brewer said. “It was created to spread awareness about this language and try to make it more accessible to learn.” 

ASL enhances children’s problem-solving skills, listening skills, increased academic achievement, and much more. ASL also promotes cultural awareness and improves spelling and fine motor skills. 

Sign language is very important and is a vital part of many people’s lives. More than 1,000,000 people in the United States are deaf, and around 10,000,000 are hard of hearing. 

It is so important to communicate with others, and sign language does just that. Around 71% percent of people over 70 have some type of hearing impairment caused by old age. 

Not just deaf or hard of hearing individuals can benefit from sign language. It can be a very useful tool for those on the autism spectrum and with other developmental disabilities. 

Sign language can help people with autism who are non-verbal or minimally verbal. Between 25-30% of children on the autism spectrum are non-verbal, and sign language has benefited them a great deal.

Signing is a very effective way for non-verbal individuals to communicate with others, especially so they don’t get frustrated. Actually, sign language can help generate verbal communication for those who are minimally or non-verbal. 

If students are interested in joining the ASL Club, they can email Ms. Kelly at kkelly@milforded.org.

(Photo courtesy pinterest.com)

By Maddy Gaillard – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Interact Club is having a great start to the year.

The club holds their meetings on Tuesdays in Room 185 and anyone is welcome to join. 

“Interact Club is a service based club that works in conjunction with the Milford Rotary Club,” Interact Club advisor Ms. Burns said. “It is a great way to be involved with the community and receive volunteer opportunities and hours.”

The Interact Club gives students multiple volunteer opportunities. Additionally, students can be involved more in the community and can attend leadership conferences. 

“We will be having a toiletry drive for the Beth-El Center, wrapping presents at Barnes and Noble at the holidays, volunteering for the Christmas Tree Lighting on the green,” Burns said. “Students will be attending RYLA this year for a leadership conference.” 

Senior Rachel Sulkis, a former President and Treasurer of Interact Club, shared why she joined. 

“I joined Interact because I needed volunteer hours and wanted to get involved in the Law community as well as the Milford community,” Sulkis said. “Some of my favorite things the club does is volunteering at the Beth El center, Rotary events such as Irish Fest, and our involvement with Rotary and Rotaract.” 

Not only does the Interact Club offer volunteer opportunities, it also influences new members to get more involved with Jonathan Law and meet new people. 

Sulkis is excited to welcome new members to the club. 

“I would tell them to come to one of our meetings, we meet for about 20 minutes after school on Tuesdays,” Sulkis said. “We are also a small club so you become friends with everyone and it is a great way to get involved in the Law and Milford community.”

Former Vice President Maia Schwing mentioned how COVID affected the club and her hopes for the new year. 

“While COVID has placed a lot of restrictions on our activities and we haven’t been able to meet at the Bethel Shelter, I have been able to do this in the past,” Schwing said. “I love interacting with the people who come in to get a hot meal, and it is also very nice to be able to work alongside members of the Devon Rotary.”

The Beth El Center is one of the widely loved events that the Interact Club does. Junior Samantha Burns expressed her love for this event. 

“I enjoy Beth-El Drive because it is a great way for everyone to get involved,” Burns said. “For the Beth-El Drive, anyone can donate supplies to help those in need. I think it is the perfect way to help out our community.”

Another tradition the Interact Club does is wrapping gifts for the holidays at Barnes and Noble. 

“My other favorite event that the club does would be the Christmas wrapping at Barnes and Noble,” Burns said. “During Christmas time, members of our club go to Barnes and Noble to wrap books and other gifts that are purchased at the store. This volunteer opportunity is enjoyable, and truly brings out the Christmas spirit.”

Since the Interact Club is small, it provides the members more opportunities to participate in the club’s events. 

“Due to the size of the club, each and every member has an emphasized voice in the nature of the club,” Schwing said. 

Interact Club is a great way to get in touch with peers and become familiar with the Milford community. 

“Interact is a great way to get involved in the Milford community as a teen, and Interact provides a great amount of information on the Rotary club for consideration as an adult,” Schwing said. “All in all, Interact is a perfect opportunity for any high school student to acquire volunteer hours and give back to the community in a small way.”

(Photo courtesy txstate.edu)

By Maya Rosado – Staff Reporter 

Law’s Model U.N. club kicked off the new year with its first meeting after school on Friday, October 1. 

Model U.N. is an academic simulation of the United Nations where students play the role of delegates from different countries and research their point of view on a specific topic.

“Ultimately, students attend a conference with peers from around the world to debate and problem-solve in real-time using parliamentary debate,” Model U.N. advisor and history teacher Mr. Evanko said.

A typical Model U.N. meeting involves preparation for the conference. History teacher Ms.Burns and Evanko will walk students through the research process, how to debate using parliamentary procedure, and various other skills that students need to succeed.

“To prepare for the conference we write research papers on our committee topics and research our country’s issues,” junior Model U.N. member Caroline Doyle said. “Then while at the conference we did research based off of conversation in committees.” 

The conference is set in New York City where students will spend three days and two nights in a hotel with other students around the world. 

“When we went to New York in 2020 it was one of the best experiences I had ever had,” junior Model U.N. member Grace Baird said. “I met people from all over the world and learned more about how the United Nations works.”

The skills learned in Model U.N. are invaluable and every student should check it out if they are curious.

“The 2020 conference was amazing,” Evanko said. “As a long-term advisor to the club (eight years), I was so proud to see many of our former officers actually working at the conference as committee chairs and other leadership roles.” 

Members of the club have had nothing but good things to say as the conference in New York became one of their most prominent memories in high school so far.

“My favorite part about Model U.N. is being able to meet new people from all over and discussing world issues while hearing other points of views,” junior Model U.N. member Hanna Keating said.

Model UN encourages collaborative thinking and working together in a new environment.

“What I enjoyed most about Model U.N. was the conference in New York because I met a lot of cool people and we had a lot of freedom to experience new things,” junior Model U.N. member Angus Chang said. 

The Model UN club plans on having an amazing year and welcomes all new members. Evanko and co-advisor Ms. Burns hope to see all interested students at the next meeting on Friday, October 8.