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To check out hundreds of Spirit Week photos, go to twitter.com/jlawadvocate!

By Tyler Chavez – News Editor

Jonathan Law students showed just how much spirit they have by engaging in this year’s Spirit Week.

Spirit Week is a continuation of the year-long class vs. class competition to see which grade has the most school spirit.

Leading up to the Powderpuff/Thanksgiving pep rally, activities ran from Monday, November 14, to Wednesday, November 23, with Jersey Day, Tacky Tourist Day, ’90s Day, Red, White and Blue Day, Country/Flannel day, Color Wars Day, Blackout Day, and Black and Gold Day respectively.

“All of the credit goes to the students,” athletic director Mr. Sarullo said. “There is an unbelievable amount of spirit and positive energy this year, which is needed for a school to have a successful spirit week.”

The activities were created by Sarullo and a group of students from various grades. The aim was to promote school spirit, getting involved with the school, and a bit of friendly competition.

“The point of Spirit Week is to get everyone excited and have school spirit,” senior Keala Hoff said.

The committee also brainstormed ideas for the upcoming pep rally to hype students up for the annual Law vs. Foran Powderpuff and Thanksgiving football games.

“I hope the students get excited for the Powderpuff game as well as the Thanksgiving game,” said Hoff, who also acts as an emcee for the pep rallies.

Students were encouraged to tweet pictures of them partaking in the festivities to The Advocate Twitter in order to get points for their class. Twitter was inundated with selfies, group photos, and mannequin challenges in an attempt to take the lead.

“The response was incredible,” journalism teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “I think it’s been an awesome showing by all the classes. You can feel the spirit from all the classes.”

The juniors started the week with a lead, but the senior and sophomore classes have been right behind them. The friendly competition could be seen throughout the halls.

“I love Spirit Week because I love to see how my grade can work together to get this win,” junior Christina Mohammed said.

The variety of days to participate in gave every student the chance to show off their school spirit and earn points. The hosts of Eagle Eye News got in on the fun by using ’90s slang on ’90s Day and Southern accents on Flannel/Country Day.

“My favorite day was All-American Day because absolutely everyone went all out painting their faces and flying flags,” senior Marissa Pollack said. “It was so fun especially because my friends and I walked in the halls chanting and sang in front of the whole cafeteria.”

The last three days include a Color War, Blackout Day, and Black and Gold Day. The school held its Powderpuff/Thanksgiving pep rally on Tuesday.

“My biggest wish, which I think has already been realized, is that the school comes together to support each other’s teams, clubs, competitions, etc,” Sarullo said.

The positivity of Spirit Week can be seen throughout the school. Jonathan Law students have shown their enthusiasm and energy to create a memorable week and a half of activities.

“I love that Spirit Week reminds everyone how much we love Law,” Pollack said. “As a senior it shows me what I’m going to miss next year and how much fun I had with all my friends.”

The Jonathan Law students will carry their energy from Spirit Week to the pep rally, and the Powderpuff and Thanksgiving football games against cross-town rival Foran High School.

No matter the results, Law students can look back and smile at the smiles formed during Spirit Week.

By Emma Caserta – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Keyettes held their annual blood drive on October 26.

The blood drive took place in the old gym and was open to all students and volunteers. The purpose of the drive was to benefit those agencies who are in low supply of blood.

“Keyettes is all about helping the community, from small to big acts to benefit those in the Milford Community,” Keyettes co-president Deepika Senthilnathan said. “We had a great turnout this year.”

Each person who donated blood helped people in need. It was a small act, but the impact is positive and extremely helpful.

The American Red Cross was in need of blood in order to help patients. All students and faculty members that helped this year and previous years are greatly appreciated.

“It is a great chance for high school students and teachers to donate blood and help the cause,” said senior Abby Williamson, who volunteered and donated blood at the drive this year.

Students needed to be 17 years or older in order to donate blood. 

The Keyettes have hosted a blood drive for the past six years.

“By donating blood, patients can get treated for any illnesses they are facing that require blood to help them heal and get better,” Keyettes co-president Madison Laezzo said.

Keyettes advisor Ms. Wilcock was excited about this year’s turnout.

“With about 25 blood donors on the day of the drive, our Jonathan Law community could potentially have helped up to 75 people,” Wilcock said.

(Photo courtesy Mr. Boynton)

By Chloe McCullough – Staff Reporter  

The Milford Prevention Council hosted its 12th annual “Thanks 4 Giving Food Drive” this year to help those in need during the holiday season.

The food drive took place from November 11 to November 13 in the parking lot at Wasson Field in Milford. There were many community groups that participated in this year’s drive.

Some groups who attended this year’s included the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and the Venture Crew. All of these groups had participants in the drive and most camped out in the parking lot for two days.

The final turkey count this year was 367 and, in total, 315 families were fed this year.

Law junior Molly Mercaldo, an active participant of the drive, said that the plan was to raise as many turkeys as they could to give to needy families. Mercaldo also hoped to provide food to many families in Milford and donate to local food banks.

“The food drive is a really fun way to help the community, see your friends and make a difference in Milford,” said Mercaldo.

In previous years, scouts have collected more than 70,000 pounds of food and 1,600 turkeys. Extra food is normally donated to food banks and the drive is highly supported by local businesses.

Law junior Priya Gupta, a participant in the drive, said she was proud to continue this tradition of giving back.

“I think the food drive is a really good cause and it helps a lot of people,” Gupta said. “It really makes a difference in not only the community, but also the worl.”

The Jonathan Law Key Club was very involved in the drive as well. Key Club members helped organize cans and did other jobs that helped organizers of the drive.

“The food drive is for a great cause because it helps families in Milford who are not as fortunate as others have a great Thanksgiving,” Key Club president Mike Jalaf said. “It is also a great opportunity for community service.”

Law senior Kyle Krois, an Eagle Scout and a member of Troop 1, has been a part of the food drive for the past 11 years.

“This past year we fed over 350 families, and filled all of the food banks in Milford,” Krois said. “We only sent them to non-denominational food banks.”

(Photo courtesy smuggs.com)

By Maeve Rourke – Sports Editor

With the cold weather approaching, Jonathan Law’s Ski and Snowboard Club is getting ready for its winter season.

The club is an extracurricular activity that is open to all students, no matter how much skiing or snowboarding experience they possess. The next club meeting is scheduled for December 14.

“I enjoy giving kids the opportunity to do something they might not otherwise do,” club advisor and Jonathan Law parent Ms. Lacadie said. “Skiing and snowboarding are great ways to get kids to enjoy the outdoors during the winter months and get some exercise.”

The club was formerly run by parent Mr. Savo. Ms. Lacadie used to run the West Shore Middle School Ski Club for six years and this is her first year running the Jonathan Law Ski Club.

“I give a lot of credit to Mr. Savo who has run this club for many years even after his children finished Jonathan Law,” Lacadie said. “ I look forward to a fun and rewarding season.”

This year, the Ski cCub plans to do four day trips every other Saturday for two months. They also attend an overnight trip to Smuggler’s Notch, which gives them a full day and a half of skiing.

“In the past, we have only gone to Mount Snow and Okemo,” senior co-president Ann Reed said. “But this year we are hoping to broaden our scopes and attend a couple new mountains.”

The club offers a great opportunity for students to make new friends, and learn how to do a new sport. The each mountain usually offers a learn to ski program with lessons and equipment rentals for anyone who may need them.

“The ski club gives you an opportunity to hang out with your friends while doing something that you love,” Reed said. “Skiing and snowboarding can get expensive fast, so getting the opportunity to utilize the group rates along with the transportation to Vermont is an opportunity I’d hate to miss out on.”

Skiing and snowboarding is also great exercise. You can be healthy while having fun.

“I ski and I love it because it gets me outside and moving,” senior Katie Lacadie said. “It’s a non- competitive sport that I can exercise and enjoy without worrying about winning.”  

The team also becomes very close knit. During their bus rides and through learning to ski together, new friendships easily form.

“The club bonds on the bus back home after a trip, where we watch movies and share snacks,” co-president Sarah O’Brien said. “On the longer bus rides we even play bingo together (with prizes!).”

Also, during the overnight trip, the club hosts a pizza party in the lounge one night, and a trip to Ben and Jerry’s another.

“The overnight trip is my favorite part about Ski Club because it’s fun and you get to spend a whole weekend skiing with your friends,” senior Callie Merva said.

Anyone interested in Ski Club is encouraged to attend a meeting and contact one of the co-presidents.

(Photo courtesy collegeboard.org)

By Daniella Berg – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law has introduced a new SAT Math class this year.

The SAT class is a semester-long course that meets 4th period. Next semester, it will meet during 8th period.

Mrs. Diprimio teaches the class and she believes that the class will help all of her students to be better prepared to take the SAT. Diprimio said that the class exposes students to the types of questions on the SAT as well as the SAT testing format.  

“We review concepts from Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry in the exam format of the SAT in class,” Diprimio said.

On block days, students work on the Khan Academy website, which is an online program that allows students to work through concepts and SAT-type questions that are specific to their individual needs.

DiPrimio has 18 students in this semester’s course and next semester there are 14 students already signed up. The class is currently for junior and seniors only.

The SAT can be very intimidating for many students. The test is formatted differently than what students normally see in the classroom, so DiPrimio helps students become more familiar with that format.

Students are exposed to the wording of questions as well as the content needed to maximize their SAT math scores.

Senior Jovana Mrvic said she likes how the class reviews the questions that everyone struggles with to get a better understanding of some of the concepts.

Mrvic believes the class helped prepare her for the SAT she recently took.

“On my most recent SAT taken in October, my score has improved,” Mrvic said.

Senior C.J. Rainey is also in the SAT class and said that the class helped a lot when it came to the real SAT.

“You take mini tests to help on the SAT and the teacher helps you step by step on any problems you don’t understand,” Rainey said.

(Photo courtesy lvfrisbee.com)

By Ronnie Spangler – Staff Reporter

An Ultimate Frisbee Club has recently been formed at Jonathan Law.

The club is run by freshman Zack Chesson and his father, Robert Chesson, who played ultimate frisbee in college

The Ultimate Frisbee Club is a great place to improve your skills and meet new people that also enjoy playing the sport and it’s for all skill levels and they hope lots of people come.

“I want to improve my frisbee skills and become a better team player,” junior Anthony DeBenedet said.

The club hopes to scrimmage other schools in the spring. They already have one scrimmage planned against St. Joseph’s High School and hope to get cross-town rival Foran to also make a club so that they can face off against them.

‘I’m hoping that we get to scrimmage against other teams, but also that we do well and have fun,” senior Melissa Chodziutko said.

The club’s first two meetings were at 7 p.m. on the turf under the lights. Meeting lasted between an hour and an hour and a half. The club hopes to meet every Tuesday.

“It’s a rockin’ time,” junior Matthew Marino said.

The club focuses heavily on respecting the game and being honest. Everyone is there to have fun be competitive but also practice good sportsmanship.

“The community that ultimate frisbee has is similar to the community that Law has created,” Chesson said.

So far, the club has a wide variety of members ranging from freshmen to seniors. Both boys and girls are in the club.

“Multiple friends came up to me and told me I should join and I took their word for it,” junior Matt Tournas said.

The Ultimate Frisbee Club is always looking for new members of any ability level.

(Photo by Molly Mercaldo)

By Molly Mercaldo – Staff Reporter

A new Sports Highlights Club has been started at Jonathan Law by senior Mike Dattilo and junior Nick Owens.

The club produces videos that feature outstanding plays and players from Law home games. The videos are broadcast on Eagle Eye News, Law’s daily morning news show.

“We show up to every game with a camera ready, a sideline reporter, booth reporter, and we get interviews as well,” Owens said.

The Sports Highlights Club has covered sports like football, girls swimming, and boys and girls soccer. The club also hopes to continue covering more sports as the year continues.

“We want to cover just about every sport coming forward,” Dattilo said. “Powderpuff will be a big one for us.”

So far, the club has five members including freshman Addison Schwing, junior Paris Champ, and junior Matt Maineri along with Owens and Dattilo.

“We want to extend that number to at least five or six more,” Dattilo said.

All club members take part in the recording and editing process.

“Doing the videos all by myself is tough so I wanted to find other people and inspire other people to be broadcasters as well,” Owens said.

The club hopes to have more members join over the course of the year. They have set roles for their members but is hoping to develop the club to be more organized for the winter and spring sports seasons.

“The club has been a great addition to Eagle Eye News and the school in general,” Broadcast Journalism teacher and Sports Highlights Club advisor Mr. Kulenych said. “Nick and Mike are motivated, talented kids and they’ve found a great way to put there talent out there for the whole school to see.”

The club has allowed sports at Jonathan Law to be broadcast to a wider audience and has brought more attention to the sports that have been covered.

“(The club) has helped to increase the attention on the sports programs and increased excitement as well,” Athletic Director Mr. Sarullo said.

In addition to helping the sports programs at Jonathan Law, the club has also helped to increase the attention to the school news program as well.

“It has made people want to come out to games and has helped people to watch the entire news broadcast,” said Lexi Fisk, a senior and anchor on Eagle Eye News.

The Sports Highlight Club will be continuing to make videos for the rest of the year and hopes to keep the club going in the future.

(Photo courtesy Sammi Franzman)

By Dominick Buccitti – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s National Honor Society held its annual costume contest on October 31 – but with a twist.

The contest was different this year because of the added rule that banned clown costumes as well as a new name for the contest: The ‘Hal-Law-Ween’ Spooky Attire Contest.

“It was very successful; we had a great turnout,” NHS vice president Nisali Fernando said. “Everyone was given a chance to showcase their creativity and love for Halloween.”

Students had to pay $1 to enter the contest. This year, NHS ended up raising approximately $50.

Like every year, there were four categories: best male costume, best female costume, best teacher costume, and best group costume.

Junior John Fowler won the best male costume category for a second year in a row. Last year, Fowler won the same category as Donald Trump; this year, he dressed as Hillary Clinton.

“My inspiration for the costume this year was just to satirize the current election and someone in the media,” Fowler said. “So I chose Hillary Clinton.”

Junior Christina Mohammed won the best female costume category as Joanne the Scammer. Mohammed’s friend Amanda Downs did her makeup for the costume.

“Someone gave me the idea when they told me that I should be Joanne,” Mohammed said. “So I decided to go with it.”

History teachers Mr. Evanko, Ms. Burns, and Ms. Mannion won the best teacher costume category as Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump.

“The idea was born when I wanted to do a couples costume with Mr. Evanko,” Burns said. “I was going to be Hillary and he was going to be Bernie.”

Senior Juliana Rivera, Senior JP Amaro, Senior Beatrice Relucio, and Freshmen Justin Amaro won the best group costume category as Morticia Addams, Gomez Addams, Wednesday Addams, and Pugsley Addams.

“We wanted to be unique from all the possible costumes out there,” Relucio said.

(Photo by Valeria Araujo)

By Maeve Rourke (Sports Editor) and Valeria Araujo (Editor-In-Chief)

Jonathan Law’s band is excited to start this year’s season of competition and fun.

This year, the band is looking forward to expanding not only their group but their skills as well. Band director Mr. Giampietro oversees the jazz ensemble, marching band, and concert band and encourages students in each of his classes to try all three types.

“You can’t win if you don’t play I push my students and set the bar high so they can do great things and then raise that bar higher and higher each year,” Giampietro said. “There is no reason we can’t do better and I will absolutely get them to where they need to go, the sky’s the limit”

Giampietro is hoping to bring the band to bigger and better places.

“Our goal is to expand the band, be more visible, and help with school spirit,” Giampietro said. “We definitely want to be more spirited and more enthusiastic to show how much we love being students here.”

The band is also trying to flesh out their sound to give them a more unique quality over other high school bands.

“We are working on a wide range of music from pop to classical,” junior band member and saxophone player Kyle Shugrue said.

Members perform at a variety of events including home football games, pep rallies, and parades. Last year, they even got to spend the day and perform at Six Flags where they won first place out of all the bands participating in the competition being held there.

“It was an awesome experience,” sophomore saxophone and oboe player Michael Bagdasarian said. “We had to play during the morning, but the entire afternoon I got to hang out with my friends and go on awesome rides making the overall experience amazing.”

Giampietro said the band is ready to showcase that they’ve got spirit and deserve to be heard.

“You can expect us to continue showing our school pride by playing in events in Milford and around the state,” sophomore trumpet player Scott Monforte said.

The band has class during the school day and often practices on the football field. Extra help and practice is completely optional, but many of the band members come in after school on Monday to what they call “Period 9” for this extra practice and to spend time with each other.

“My favorite memory in band is just spending my time with all of my friends in the band it may be small but it’s like one big family,” sophomore flute, piccolo, and saxophone player Hanna Swenning said. “That is also why I continue to do band every year because it is just a very welcoming and fun environment.”

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By Kristin Frank (Sports Editor) and Owen Paiva (Entertainment Editor)

Jonathan Law High School hosted its annual 7th and 8th grade Open House on Thursday, October 16.

Prospective students were given the opportunity to take part in a classroom seminar, which allowed students to experience a high school class first hand, to take a tour around Law and view different facets of the school, and to meet with members from teams and clubs the school has to offer.

The administration was very impressed with the turnout of 8th graders that attended.

“The open house was fabulous,” Dean of Students Mr. Ragaini said. “If I had to guess, there had to be about 400 people in attendance.”

The program began in a packed auditorium where the strings orchestra and choir performed. A promotional video entitled “I’m A Lawman, What Are You?,” which was produced by Law’s Broadcast Journalism class was shown, and students from each grade level at Law spoke about the reasons they love Law.

Two Law parents also shared their experiences and Law principal Mr. Thompson followed with a presentation about all of the academic and extracurricular opportunities that the school has to offer.

The students that represented the senior class played a huge role throughout the night. They contributed immensely to the success of the event.

“I think the seniors did an amazing job of handling the tours and volunteering at our academic, activity and athletic fair,” Thompson said. “The Class of 2017 is very special and they showed their love of our school and our community to everybody who attended, I couldn’t be more proud and grateful.”

Tour guides were conducted by selected students, including Nisali Fernando, Jake Mola, Matt Zancewicz, and Gina DiFederico

“I was helping with the tours around the school, showing the new students the amazing school we have,” Mola said. “While on the tours, I answered any questions they had to ask about sports or school or anything, and also represented the football team as captain.”

Classroom seminars were conducted by Mr. Roumeles, Mr. Morazzini, Mrs. Burns, Ms. Rosner, Ms. Lucia, Mr. Young, Mr. Mamrus, Mr. Koorejian, and Ms. Kowalsick.

“I taught a lesson on the Renaissance and it’s connection to our everyday lives,” Roumeles said.

The seminars covered all core academic classes at Law.

“At the Open House I spoke to parents about the science courses we offer here at Law, and about the sequence in which students could take them,” Morazzini said.

In the science seminar, different labs were shown, and prospective students got a good preview of what was available.

“I then had parents and students circulate through stations showcasing some of my favorite labs that we do in Biology,” Morazzini said.  “The stations included, questions about evolution, Elodea and human cheek cell microscope slides, mitosis and meiosis slides, a DNA extraction and yeast cell respiration, and oak leaf stomata.”  

After prospective students had a chance to experience a classroom, they were given the opportunity to take a tour of Law. These tours were conducted by Law seniors.

“On the tours we toured around the whole school, going by the support center and nurse. showed them the freshman wing and the gym,” Mola said. “All the places you need to go.”

Another event that took place during the classroom seminars was the dissection of a mink. This gave the 8th graders a good sense of what they could anticipate at Law.

“I took part in the science section of the tour and represented Human Anatomy,” senior Tori Contaxis said.

After the tours, prospective students and their parents were brought to the new gym for an activity fair. All of Law’s sports teams and clubs were represented by the respective members.

“At Open House I helped at the booth for National Honor Society,” senior Ryan Wasserman said. “I received valuable questions about the events our club takes part in, such as the Brain Bowl and Relay for Life.”

The Jonathan Law community had a positive impression on the prospective students attending.

“Well, my first impression of Law at the Open House was that it was nice, family friendly school, and that it’ll be a really fun and educating time when I go there,” 8th grader Amir Elhelw said.

The 8th grade students also enjoyed the classroom seminars.

“After the Open House, I felt that Law was a school that has a lot of nice teachers that really want to help me be better and have a fun time while doing so,” Elhelw said. “For example, I had Mr. Roumeles and he seemed like a really nice teacher that would give me a nice learning experience.”

Contaxis had a similar impression of the night overall.

“I liked seeing some new faces that could be possible future Lawmen,” Contaxis said.

(Photo by Mr. Kulenych)

By Nisali Fernando (Entertainment Editor) and Tyler Chavez (News Editor)

The Jonathan Law Class of 2021 recently learned what it means to be #lawmazing.

Members of the Jonathan Law community recently made its annual visit to speak to 8th graders at Harborside Middle School and West Shore Middle School.

On October 5th and 6th, nearly 20 Jonathan Law seniors visited the middle schools to answer any questions the eighth graders had and inform them about life at the high school.

“I thought the presentation provided my students with important information about all the great opportunities available at JLHS,” said former Law assistant principal and current West Shore principal Mr. Cavanna. “More importantly I thought the presentation demonstrated the family atmosphere that Law offers and the great relationship between our two schools.”

The Law students took a bus to each middle school where Law principal Mr. Thompson presented a slideshow which gave an overview of the school. The presentation gave eighth graders a glimpse into what Jonathan Law was like.

“It was my hope to generate some interest so that the eighth graders would tell their parents to come to our open house because I believe once they get to Law just being there really helps to clinch the deal about making their choice our school,” Thompson said.

Afterwards, the eighth graders and Law students were divided into groups. Here, current Law students gave their personal stories and history with Jonathan Law High School.

“We had a tough task actually, we had to sum up the entire high school experience in only about 1/2 an hour, which as I say it is pretty much impossible,” Law senior Matt Zancewicz said. “We did our best to explain the challenges that can come along with high school. The homework, grading policy and expectations are all new to them so it’s tough.”

The seniors used their own experience to give the middle school students a view into the life they could live at Jonathan Law. They wanted to highlight how getting involved around school could make their experience so memorable.

“I told them how at first I wasn’t really involved in too much,” senior Casey LaScola said. “But then I jumped into a bunch of clubs and joined golf and now, I’ve got little families all over the place.”

The eighth graders asked questions about topics related to Jonathan Law. The seniors and accompanying faculty members answered these questions attempting to give the middle school students a better understanding of Law.

“I was inspired by each of the Law representatives’ stories about their experiences at Law,’ Harborside eighth grader Adarsh Senthilnathan said. “I am glad they came to talk about amazing things at Law. I’m excited to be a Lawman!”

Jonathan Law students made sure to display their school spirit. They didn’t hesitate to make it known that they are Lawmen as they wore their “I’m A Lawman, What Are You?” T-shirts and smiled when talking about their high school.

“[The Law students] were well-spoken, friendly, and knowledgeable,” Cavanna said. “They looked great in their Law T-shirts.”

Everyone involved wanted to show why Jonathan Law was the best choice for middle school students.

“I wanted [the middle school students] to get a first-hand experience of the great academic and extracurricular experiences Law has to offer,” Cavanna said. “Simply put, I wanted them to see that Law is their best choice for high school.”

Middle school teachers were very impressed with how the high schoolers carried themselves. They felt the presentation was informative and helpful for middle schoolers.

“I believe the presentation and particularly the break out sessions where students get the opportunity to talk with [middle school] graduates help to put the students at ease with this big change in their life,” West Shore social studies teacher Mr. Montanaro said.

Jonathan Law seniors looked back at the visits from high schoolers from when they were in eighth grade. 

“Middle school visits were big when I was in eighth grade because I was choosing between Law and St. Joseph’s,” Zancewicz said. “After attending both open houses, the ability to converse with Law’s students truly put Law over the top.”

Middle school students took away valuable information from the sessions. The interaction with actual high school seniors made them more comfortable.

The Harborside and West Shore teachers were also able to reconnect with some of their former students. It was a reunion for the Lawmen with some of their favorite teachers.

“I look forward to the presentations every year but my absolute favorite part is catching up with my former students just to learn what is going on in their lives,” Montanaro said. “I am delighted to see that they have grown into wonderfully caring and responsible young adults who are willing to come back and put our students at ease.”

Reconnecting with old teachers during the presentations were an added bonus for the seniors.

“I loved seeing my old teachers,” LaScola said. “I’ve been busy with school and clubs and everything so I haven’t gotten a chance to go back and visit on my own in a while.”

Even Cavanna and Thompson got in on the reunion fun, sharing a friendly hug and conversation as the seniors and faculty members entered the West Shore cafeteria.

“Now that my friend Mr. Cavanna is at West Shore, it’s really fun to go down and see him,” Thompson said.

From visits to the middle schools, to the freshman seminar, Jonathan Law is working to help prospective Lawmen adjust to high school. These seniors have made it their mission to showcase the great things the school they love has to offer.

(Photo courtesy twitter.com)

By Emma Caserta – Staff Reporter

The National Honor Society is a service-based organization at Jonathan Law created for volunteerism and to acknowledge academic achievement.

Students who are inducted into NHS it must have certain qualifications and go through the process of becoming inducted.

“It is based on GPA (and other factors),” senior NHS member Lexi Fisk said. “You get an application and you tell all of your volunteer information, clubs, and sports.”

The club consists of senior and junior students who meet the guidelines to be a part of NHS. Members take part in a special induction process to become a part of the club.

NHS commits its time to the school and other out of school activities in order to recognize the students that are a part of it.

“In their application, students need to prove they have scholarship, leadership, character, and service,” NHS advisor Ms. Turcotte said. “If they have all four of those qualities, they will be invited to join.”

This year’s NHS president is senior Jill Bendlak, the vice president is senior Nisali Fernando, the secretary is senior Maddie Laezzo, and the treasurer is senior Deepika Senthilnathan.

“The officers run everything,” Fisk said.

This year, NHS has more upcoming projects that are exciting for the school. Their first major project of the year was a 50/50 raffle in order to raise money for Foran graduate Danni Kemp, who is battling brain cancer.

“It is important to serve the Jonathan Law community, and our community in general, to give back,” senior NHS member Lauren Paredes said.

NHS members are very involved in school activities and contribute to the school in many ways.

“We want to acknowledge them for their hard work,” Turcotte said.

Overall, NHS  creates a club for students with outstanding achievements and leadership skills, allowing them to use those skills accordingly to help the Jonathan Law community.

“The club has motivated me to work hard and strive to be the best person I can be,” Bendlak said.

(Photo courtesy Mrs. Daniels)

By Valeria Araujo – Editor-in-Chief

Jonathan Law’s Unified Sports team is looking forward to an exciting year.

Unified Sports is a program that pairs special education students with their regular education peers. The idea of Unified Sports is to give all students the opportunity to play sports in a fun, supportive, enthusiastic environment.

“I liked how when we practice everyone participates and it’s amazing to see,” freshmen Unified Sports peer Lily Downing said.

Unified Sports is starting the year off with many practices in preparation for their upcoming tournaments.

“The Unified Sports team loves the tournaments,” Unified Sports director Mrs. Daniels said. “They’re always so much fun for them. They can meet the other players from other teams and other schools and they always have a great time at the tournaments.”

The Unified Sports team hopes to win the prestigious Michaels Cup again for the second year in a row.

“When we won the Michaels Cup, which is an award for being an exemplar program in the state of Connecticut, we were very excited,” Daniels said. “I’ve been wanting to win this award ever since we went to our first Micheals Cup dinner 12 years ago.”

One of their newest tournaments is a Wiffle Ball tournament that started last school year.

“We’re really hoping to have more schools come and participate in a round robin Wiffle Ball tournament where a team is up at bat and a team is out in the field and then we rotate teams,” Daniels said. “It should be a lot of fun.”

Daniels said the team is looking forward to hosting its basketball tournament, which is in its seventh year, as well as participating in other sports.

“Soccer is fun and so are the tournaments,” Unified Sports senior athlete Luigi DeCastro said.

The Unified Sports team works with an air of camaraderie that helps the kids excel from year to year and show how they’re able to really play and understand the sport like anyone else.

“I love basketball and soccer is great,” Unified Sports junior athlete Atul Simeone Joseph said. “I get to play around with all my friends because all my friends are there and get to do some exercises that are fun.”

(Photo by Maeve Rourke)

By Maeve Rourke (Sports Editor) and Nisali Fernando (Entertainment Editor)

Ryan Phillips graduated from Jonathan Law in 2006. He spent his spare time working on cars, playing sports, and spending time with family and his friends. Ryan’s father, Bill Phillips, speaks highly of his son, the pride in his voice is indistinguishable.

Recently, Mr. Phillips took from a beaten manila folder two things. One was a crisp copy of his sons high school diploma. His voice breaking he said, “I want you to work hard in life, and receive this (a diploma) and work hard not to end up with your name on one of these (a grave marker).”

Mr. Philips was one of panelists who spoke at the Opiate Awareness Presentation at Jonathan Law on Friday, September 23. The presentation coincided with Opiate Awareness Week.

There were also many important officials at the assembly which was organized by Law Health and Substance Abuse teacher Mr. Sweeney. Senator Chris Murphy, U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly, Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Spector, and DEA Special Agent Dana Mofenson were all in attendance.

“I wanted to be proactive about this. None of the teachers here think there is an opioid issue, so this was a preventative measure of what could happen,” Sweeney said. “And I feel this presentation echoed and reaffirmed what I try to teach in class. I am very pleased with the results.”

An informational movie, “Chasing the Dragon,” was shown first at the assembly. It consisted of real stories from people that got arrested and were involved with opiates.

“During the presentation I felt an overwhelming amount of students were engaged and they  seemed to be interested in the material that was presented, especially the guest speakers,” Sweeney said. “This week in class when I asked about the assembly most of the students felt it was a very good presentation.”

Over 46,000 people die from drug overdose year and the government is working tirelessly to decrease the number of drug abusers in the United States.

Senator Murphy took time to address high school students who had pressing questions about this growing issue. Murphy spoke about current legislation in Congress surrounding the opiate abuse.

“We need more funding for addiction treatment, but we haven’t won that battle yet,” Murphy said. “We passed a new law that establishes a lot of new programming for addiction, but there’s really no money behind it. The law is called the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) but we need to pass some more funding for it.”

Also, police departments from around the nation are teaming up to reduce the deaths due to drug overdoses.

“We try to identify the supplier, the distributor, and work up the chain and get the lethal drugs off the street,” U.S Attorney Deirdre Daly said. “Particularly the pentenoyl which is the most dangerous. But the reality is that there are always going to be people that are selling drugs and we cannot stop that.”

By speaking at high schools they’re attempting to solve the problem before it starts. Government officials and lawmakers are reaching out to students and telling them the real cost of opiate abuse.

“It is important to have these presentations in high schools because the average addict is getting younger and younger,” Murphy said. “Maybe it hasn’t happened here at Jonathan Law but at a lot of high schools’ drug of choice is no longer alcohol or marijuana, it’s prescription pain medication so we’ve got to do a better job of educating kids on how your life can be ruined virtually over night if you abuse these drugs.”

The speakers have provided many ways in which students can help fight against drug abuse in their own homes and communities.

“As students, you have to be responsible for not only yourself, but your friends and classmates as well,” DEA Agent Dana Mofenson said. “By educating yourself and each other, you’re taking important steps to protect yourselves.”

The video revealed that 80% of people that use prescription opioid are not the person that was prescribed the medication, and for many students the revelation was eye-opening.

“I thought the presentation was really amazing,” senior Jillian Bendlak said. “The video gave me a broad view of how bad prescription drugs can actually be, most people don’t understand or know how addicting they can be. This video portrayed this information in a personal, and even sad, way.”

After the presentation subsided, Mr. Phillips looked hopefully at the students surrounding him. Still clutching his wrinkled manila folder. Mr. Phillip’s story about his son shook everyone in the audience, many who were laughing and wincing during the video finally realized the severity of the issue.

“The boy (Ryan Phillips) went to law, he came from our school,” Bendlak said. “He went down the wrong path and unfortunately passed away, it shows how this can happen to any one of us.”

By Kristin Frank – Sports Editor

(Photo courtesy of Mrs. Kovacs)

Jonathan Law started off the new school by hosting a fall sports pep rally filled with excitement and school spirit.

On Friday, September 12, students took over control over the annual fall pep rally. To help kick off the fall sport season, Law invited all students into the gym for an eventful 45 minutes.

“The pep rally got our fall sport teams energized and excited for their season,” Law athletic director Mr. Sarullo said. “The students of the school that aren’t involved in fall sports were still involved in the event and helped support the teams.”

There were a variety of contests that took place during the pep rally. The class officers of each grade had to eat an Oreo off their forehead without using their hands. They would shake their heads and sway back and forth until the cookie landed in their mouth.

Another contest that occurred the relay races. Fall athletes participated in the races that were teams of boys against girls. Each fall sports team was also introduced.

Those in attendance only positive comments to say about the outcome of the pep rally.

“The pep rally was amazing,” history teacher Ms. Burns said. “This was the best one I’ve seen in seven years.”

A meeting for the pep rally took place in order for the students to run an organized and smooth event. Many of the students and teachers agreed that the meeting helped out a lot and the pep rally was a success.

“I think it was great to get the students involved and hear what they wanted to include in the event,” history teacher Mr. Young said.

Law’s senior class president, Nisali Fernando, was amazed how eventful this pep rally was. Fernando was one of the participants in the Oreo challenge.

“My favorite part was definitely when the rest of the Student Council and I had to participate in the cookie challenge,” Fernando said. “I was so reluctant to be up there because I didn’t want to make a fool out of myself in front of the entire school but when I did finally complete the challenge, the crowd erupted and I remembered why I love Law so much.”

The Law band, choir, and cheerleading team also performed at the rally.

“I liked performing in front of everyone for the first time this year,” junior captain Stella Patrick said. “It was cool to show everyone what we have been working on.”

One new wrinkle for the team introductions this year was that all team members walked out to their favorite song in the beginning of the pep rally.

“We had never told the athletes do this in past pep rallies,” Sarullo said. “The students talked about it in the meeting they had and we thought it was important to recognize each team in front of the student body.”

Many student-athletes believe this pep rally was the best they had attended in their high school careers.

“I had a lot of fun because our school was united that afternoon,” senior Tori Contaxis said. “There was an ample amount of energy among the crowd and every class had their own type of school spirit.”

Law principal Mr. Thompson was ecstatic about the progress of the pep rally.

“I had goose bumps when the sport teams walked out,” Thompson said. “I have never been part of a student centered pep rally and it turned out to be great.”

Members of Law’s junior class decided to go all out for the pep rally by creating posters for their class and cheering throughout the afternoon.

“I liked how it was ran by super enthusiastic students this year,” junior Maggie Kelly said. “It really pumped up the juniors because of the good rivalry between grades and fighting to be the loudest class.”

(Photo courtesy Mike Dattilo)

By Mike Dattilo – Staff Reporter

Mr. Robinson’s Period 7 Robotics class looks like most high school Robotics classes. There are computers, software, and robots.

The class is missing one thing, though.

Boys.

The class has seven students – all of them female.

“I decided to take Robotics because it seemed like a good opportunity to learn and try something I didn’t do on a normal basis at school,” sophomore Robotics student Daisy Green said. “I love to work on and build things and I knew this would definitely be a hands on class.”

Since last year, there’s been an increase in female students taking technology class, creating more opportunities for all female technology classes in the future.   

“We’ve put a big push on it since last spring,” Robotics teacher Mr. Robinson said.  “There was an article in a national Career to Technology magazine that a lot of schools are pushing for all girls classes because basically females in the engineering field can write their own ticket.”

According to the National Science Foundation, females are very underrepresented in the engineering field.

“I wanted to learn more about engineering,” sophomore Robotics student Jenna Stash said. “I am thinking about majoring in technology or engineering when I go to college,  I don’t know exactly what for yet, but hopefully taking this class will help me figure that out.”

Robotics was chosen to be all female because it is part of the computer science pathway. Robotics is a semester-long class.

“I have thought about going into engineering,” sophomore Robotics student Alexandra Leparik said.

Robinson worked with Assistant Principal Mrs. Drew and Data Processor Mrs. Hofferman to create an all female class.

“For me it is very different from the other electives I have taken so far,” sophomore Robotics student Kaitlyn Navarro said.

Robinson also hopes moving forward there will be an increase in females taking technology classes.

“Currently there are three girls taking Wood Shop and three girls in Power Technology,” Robinson said.  

The girls already in the class are enjoying themselves. The response from students has shown how interested and positive they are about Robotics.

“For any female students who are thinking about signing up for robotics I 100 percent recommend taking it and trying it out,” said Green. “The class is really interesting and a great learning opportunity.”

Law’s Technology Student Association is also looking for more females to join the club.

“Female students thinking about signing up for robotics should definitely do it,” Navarro said. “Even though it may seem like a more guy oriented class, it’s not, if you decide to take robotics, once you get the hang of it, it will be a class you look forward to going to everyday.”

(Photo by Kiana Walker)

By Kiana Walker – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law Spanish teacher Mr. Toussaint has been an asset to the high school’s staff.

Although still relatively new to the school, Toussaint has adapted to the facility quickly.

He has only been apart of the Jonathan Law community for three years, but has made quite the impression on the staff and his students. Toussaint is very attentive when it comes to supporting Law’s sports teams, especially the girls soccer team.

“It’s been a fantastic experience working here, I enjoy working with all of the students,” Toussaint said.

He teaches Spanish 4 and Spanish 3  to Level 1 and Level 2 students.

“Mr. Toussaint is a wonderful addition to the Jonathan Law staff, he is a delightful teacher and cares for both students and adults, “ Law principal Mr. Thompson said.  

Toussaint also stays after school most days to help students with their work.

“I remember last year when I had him he would always say his door is open after school if I wasn’t getting something, so I took him up on that many times and I’m really glad I did,” former Spanish 4 student junior Amelia Trapp said.

Toussaint is also known for being an avid Law sports supporter. He has been spotted at many home games, and is a big fan of the Jonathan Law girls soccer team.

“I love how he supports our team by showing up to as many home games as possible,” junior soccer player Molly Mercaldo said.

Toussaint has also made many friends among the staff at Jonathan Law.

“It’s been a pleasure working with him, he is a very bright man,” Latin teacher Mr. DelVecchio said.

Toussaint was born and raised in Haiti and still sticks to his native customs.

“I am enamored with my county because I just can’t let go of my customs,” Toussaint said.

Many current and former students say that their learning experience with Toussaint has been a positive one.

“He has a bubbly personality, and has the ability to make each and every class enjoyable and enriching,” former Spanish 4 student and junior Morgan Fletcher said.

Many faculty members and students believe that Toussaint has been a great addition to the Jonathan Law community, and will continue to be a role model to his students.

(Photo courtesy Brianna Lenotti)

By Nisali Fernando – Entertainment Editor

The Milford community banded together in the fight against cancer during the 14th annual Relay for Life event.

Hundreds of people gathered on the Jonathan Law track to celebrate survivors and their caregivers on September 17. Nearly 470 participants were able to raise over $57,000 for the American Cancer Society.

“My favorite part of the day was seeing all the survivors and caretakers being honored,” senior National Honor Society member Owen Paiva said. “It was really cool to see them be honored for the struggles they went through, and you could tell it meant a lot to them.”

The event ran from noon to midnight and all 39 participating teams worked tirelessly by selling concessions, by raffling prizes, and by offering exciting contests.

“My favorite part of the day was watching Samir in the wing eating competition,” senior NHS member Kyle Krois said.

The tents and booths surrounded the circumference of the track and kids of all ages could be found playing on and off the turf. The track itself was constantly occupied with either survivors proudly brandishing their white sashes or with teenage boys proudly wearing dresses and tutus.

Much of the Jonathan Law community was represented at Relay. From the Keyettes to the Friends Forever Club to the cross country and girls basketball teams, faculty and students alike contributed generously to this great cause.

“I helped organize the girls basketball setup and they (the team) made a bunch of baked goods and sold them at our stand,” girls basketball coach Mr. Young said.

The NHS sold henna tattoos like they’ve done during past events and the cross country team sold paintings and candy.

“At first we were all really nervous to be doing the (henna) tattoos because hardly any of us had done it before,” senior NHS president Jillian Bendlak said. “It turned out we had some great artists in the group, and everyone really liked the tattoos.”

For many, cancer unfortunately hits close to home and the Milford community stood together and offered support and guidance for people facing this ordeal.

“Relay is important to me because my close childhood friend battled cancer and won,” senior cross country captain Lauren Paredes said. “I also lost my grandfather and great-grandfather to cancer, so it’s great to be able to make a difference by raising money to find a cure.”

Relay for Life is meant to be a day to raise awareness about this detrimental disease, but the atmosphere was anything but somber. A feeling of hope enveloped the Jonathan Law track.

“It was a nice way to give back to the community,” Paiva said. “The whole event was for those who overcame cancer, are battling it, or have a family member succumb to it, and to give them a day to enjoy themselves is something special.”

By Cassandra Soda – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Key Club had a successful start to the new school year.

Key Club meets on Wednesdays at 7:05 p.m. in the senior cafeteria. The club has 123 members signed up and typically over 100 people attend the meetings.

“Key Club does community work and events like raising money for the Salvation Army, working at picnics, and open houses for elementary schools,” junior secretary Christina Mohammed said.

Many new students have joined Key Club as a way to get the 200 hours of community service required to graduate with distinction.

There have recently been changes to the club that will help in a positive way. Sign-ups will now take place on Google which will make it easier for people to sign up for events rather than on paper.

“The club switched to online sign up because it allows us to track people’s volunteer hours more easily than a paper trail,” senior vice president Jordan Negron said.

Key Club gives students a chance to meet new people and be a bigger part of the community.

“It gives me a chance to meet new people who have the same passion of volunteering,” junior bulletin editor Dominick Buccitti said.

For some people, Key Club does more than help students get their 200 hours of community service in school.

“Key Club helps me gain better communication skills,” junior member Salma Samih said.

The club has been a part of Jonathan Law since 1964. There have been different advisors, but the current one, Mr. Boynton, has been the advisor since 1993.

“I really like the idea that I get the kids involved and aware of things going on in the school and in the community,” Boynton said.

Many new students have joined the club this year. The officers think that the new members will do well this year.

“I think they will do very well. There are a lot of people in the club but the officers and I are going to do our best to make sure everyone is volunteering,” Mohammed said.

The officers have high expectations for what the club as a whole will accomplish this year. For example, they wish to increase the membership, increase participation in activities, have repeated business, and to be platinum level at the Key Club convention in April.

Key Club attends a convention in April in Springfield, Massachusetts. The club is a part of the New England and Bermuda district.

New members are welcome at meetings until the end of October and all members are required to pay dues which are $15.

(Photo courtesy milforded.org)

By Tyler Chavez – News Editor

Jonathan Law students and faculty members gathered at Dulin Automotives for a special service project On Saturday, September 10.

The Jonathan Law family said “Thank you” to 9/11 first responders with a free car wash.

On a gorgeous afternoon, students and teachers delivered a free car wash to 9/11 first responders as a way to thank them for their heroism and sacrifice 15 years after the tragic day. 

“Events like this are so important because they connect our school to the larger community around us,” history teacher Mr. Evanko siad. “Schools have a unique position to connect young people to the rest of the world, and this is a great example of that practice.”

Students were happy to be a part of a team and show how connected the Law community can be.

“I felt really proud of my school and community during the car wash,” junior Emma Hudd said. “It felt awesome to come together as a community and show our respect to those who risk their lives.”

The car wash ran efficiently with a system of organization in place that made the process run smoothly.

“There were two lanes in order to accommodate more cars just in case,” junior Richard Ung said.

Students worked very diligently as a team. The cooperation showed teamwork and an understanding of how important this was, while also having fun.

“What impressed me the most was the fact that everybody chipped in,” history teacher Mr. Batson said. “Nobody needed to be told what to do.”

This act of kindness was very significant for the Jonathan Law community. In recent years, the school has made an effort to honor those first responders and thank them for what they did.

“I felt gracious during the car wash,” Evanko said. “Being able to give back to emergency personnel after everything they have done for our school is very important to me.”

Students felt a special connection to the cause and event. The good spirit showed the power of helping and thanking others.

“I went to the car wash because supporting first responders is very important to me because my father is a firefighter and EMT,” Hudd said. “When I have an opportunity to show my respect and support I will jump at it!”

People from the Milford community helped out as well through donations and paying to get their cars washed.

“We also washed the car of random people and they paid $5 which all the profits of that day were donated to a 9/11 charity foundation,” Ung said.

All those involved said that the First Responders Car Wash shows how dedicated Jonathan Law students are to improving their community and thanking those who make sacrifices. 

(Photo courtesy Dominick Buccitti)

By Dominick Buccitti – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Keyettes have many new ideas and goals for the school year.

The Keyettes are one of many community service clubs offered at Law. Keyettes are open to all freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior girls.

This year, the Keyettes have a new advisor, math teacher Ms. Wilcock. She will be taking over for science teacher Ms. Jaekle.

“I’m excited to be the new advisor of Keyettes because I was a Keyette when I went to Law,” Wilcock said. “I have high hopes for the club, especially for kick-starting the Mr. JLHS pageant in the spring.”

The Keyettes also have a new panel of officers for the 2016-2017 year. Madison Laezzo and Deepika Senthilnathan are co-presidents, Brianna Lenotti and Mikaela Bravo are co-vice presidents, Allyson Voytek and Priya Gupta are co-secretaries, and Ciara Boyd is treasurer.

“This is my fourth year being part of Keyettes and now I’m a co-president,” Laezzo said. “I like organizing volunteer opportunities and making new friends.”  

On Saturday, September 10, the Keyettes were one of the many Law organizations to volunteer at Relay for Life.

“We had a great time while benefiting the community,” Senthilnathan said.

The Keyettes made a total of $105.

“We sold washable tattoos, face paint, and drinks,” Lenotti said. “Relay is a great cause, and it was something we were all very proud to be a part of.”

Volunteer events coming up for the Keyettes are the Parent Teacher Conferences, which are taking place on October 5-6 and their annual Blood Drive, which is taking place on October 26.

“The blood goes to people who need it, so it’s good to help your community,” Boyd said.

Keyettes offers their members an opportunity to get students their community service hours that can help achieve Graduation with Distinction.

“It’s been great doing it for three years and it’s been a great way to get involved in the community,” Voytek said.

Keyettes also helps members achieve friendships which can improve upon their leadership skills.

“It’s a good way to meet people from the school that you wouldn’t have known if you had not joined the club,” Bravo said.

The Keyettes have many fundraising ideas in mind, which they hope can be completed throughout the year.

Keyettes are always looking for new members. Their meetings take place on Mondays after school in Room 101.

“Keyettes Club is a good opportunity to work towards your graduation with distinction hours and it’s a great opportunity to make long-lasting friendships,” Lenotti said.

(Photo courtesy of twitter.com)

By Chloe McCullough – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Model U.N. Club has many new members and is ready to start the year off strong.

With about 44 new members, the advisors of Model U.N., Mr. Evanko and Ms. Burns, are excited to achieve their goals for the club this year. Bringing down the cost of the annual New York trip is the main goal for this year.

“Our goal is to fundraise enough to bring the cost down considerable from previous years,” Evanko said. “It usually winds up being about $500, but we’re hoping to bring that to maybe $300 or $400.”

The club is hosting several Shake the Can events at Stop & Shop, selling concessions at football games, and holding other various fundraisers in order to fundraise enough to bring the cost down. The club will also be hosting Retail 101 on October 21-23.

The club plans on repeating many aspects from last year, and previous years. They will be researching their countries, practicing with parliamentary procedure, which is a form of debating, and a lot more prep for the conference.

“I feel like I am ready to be a part of the conference in New York, after being a part of the Yale conference,” senior member Mike Jalaf said.

Jalaf will be going on the New York trip this year and he will be participating in the conference.

The club meets every Friday, to research their countries and discuss fundraising techniques for the upcoming year.

“We started the club four years ago, and it has continued to grow, and I feel that this year will be the best year, with new energetic students and great people coming from the club,” club president Ms. Burns said.

The club will be continuing to research countries, and all of the students will be writing their position papers on their countries. There is also a lot of new fundraising events that they will be hosting.

The club hopes to sell candy grams at Halloween this year, and they also plan on having a movie night at the football field.

“I am most excited for the conference this year because the club, as a whole, is a lot more serious than last year and we have the goal of winning an award at the end of the conference,” co-president Sam Rossi said.

The club hopes to win an award at the Yale and New York conferences this year. The club is continuing to expand, with many new members who are interested in what the club is all about. The new members and officers are eager to compete and debate real world issues.

“The officers are really organized this year and are ready to help the new members of the club prepare for the conference. Members are focused on the topics that we’re covering and are really excited to participate in the conference. We’re all really looking forward to this year,” secretary Gina DiFederico said.

The officers are very excited for this year’s turnout.

(Photo courtesy Arianna Goenaga)

By Arianna Goenaga – Staff Reporter

The Friends Forever Club is an after school club that meets on the third Tuesday of every month to hangout with the special needs students at Law.

Friends Forever is not a new program. Formerly known as “Best Buddies”, a national organization, it was changed to the name “Friends Forever” as of four years ago.

Members of the Friends Forever Club get to play games, do arts and crafts, and even go on a special trip each year. In the past they have gone to the Shelton Sports Center and to the movies.

“My favorite Friends Forever memory would be having fun while going on trips to the movies and arcade,” club member Luigi DeCastro said.

The club also has themed meetings and bases activities off of these themes. The first meeting will be held October 18.

“We have our October Halloween themed meeting coming up with some fun things planned,” senior club member Leea Palmer said. “We also are planning to go bowling in the winter.”

The October meeting will include many different Halloween games and arts and crafts. It will even have some Halloween themed snacks.

“My favorite thing to do during Friends Forever is everything,” club member Hunter Cain said. “The food and ice cream is always great too.”

Besides the fun games and food, the club allows for new relationships and connections to be made between the special needs students and other members of the club.

“My favorite part of Friends Forever is the fact that it is a total ‘no judge zone’, unfortunately in high school, Special Ed and other students alike are subject to judgement constantly,” senior club member Sydney King said. “Having a place where we can hang out, have fun, and be ourselves is why I love Friends Forever so much.”

The club meetings will be held from 2-3 p.m. after school and anyone can join.

“Seeing my students make meaningful connections with new friends is my favorite part about friends forever,” club director Mr. Winebrenner said. “To get out and make a friend in this club can really make a difference in someone’s life.”

To join, students can see Mr. Winebrenner in Room 111A, ,or contact King or Palmer.

Students could also become a member by going to the first meeting on October 18 after school in the senior cafe.

Jonathan Law has opened its doors to several new staff members in a variety of subjects this year.

Here are some short bios of the new staff:

By Owen Paiva – Entertainment Editor

Ms. Corriveau is Law’s new Computer Science teacher.

Before teaching at Law, Corriveau taught for four years at Ridgefield High School, and before that worked at Sikorsky Aircraft for seven years.

However, she is no stranger to Jonathan Law.

“I am a Law grad, and it feels familiar and new at the same time,” Corriveau said.

Corriveau is teaching four classes this year: AP Computer Science Principles, 3D Modeling and Animation, Computers, Electronics, and Programming, and Intro to Computer Science.

She wants to help her AP Computer Science Principles students be prepared for the exam.

“I want to make sure my AP kids do really well on the exam,” Corriveau said. “This is the first year the class is being offered and I want to start off with a bang.”

Corriveau wants to increase the number of students taking Intro to Computer Science, which is offered second semester.

By Nisali Fernando – Entertainment Editor

Mr. Giangregorio, better known as Mr. G., is the new English teacher at Jonathan Law.

He is teaching three sections of freshman English and is co-teaching English 2 with Mr. Kulenych.

Giangregorio, a Shelton native, taught at a school in Colchester, Vermont, prior to his work at Law. This past summer, he spent six weeks in Italy, teaching English to locals ages 16 to 60.

He has high hopes for his students both academically and socially.

“My goal is for them to be able to express themselves in writing and in speaking so they can succeed throughout high school and especially after high school,” Giangregorio said. “I want them to do their best to engage in the text that we work with and to really be open and curious to these new ideas.”

Immediately, he felt at home within the Law community, and was welcomed with open arms.

“From the day that I first met all the teachers and my colleagues, everyone has been incredibly friendly and helpful,” Giangregorio said. “That just made my transition so much easier because it has been really nice getting to know really good people.”

Giangregorio spends most of his free time in his favorite state, Vermont. He is an avid soccer fan and in his free time he likes to snowboard, read, watch movies, and spend time with family and friends.

He is determined to teach his students the importance of listening to the stories of others and being able to create a story of their own.

“Think about where you fit in and who you are, just like what you like and enjoy what you enjoy,” Giangregorio said.

By Maeve Rourke – Sports Editor

This year, Law welcomes new music teacher, Ms. Jones.

Jones has spent her last five years teaching music at Harborside Middle School. She has also taught in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. This year she is teaching three selections of chorus, Music Technology, Vocal Performance Techniques, Piano 2, and Peer Assisted Music.

She is very excited to see all her students be successful this year, and is avid on helping them find happiness in everything they do.

“I hope that my students find passion in all that they do and find value in their role in the classroom,” Jones said.

In her free time, Jones likes to do anything that keeps her active and laughing, such as water skiing.

Jones is also very happy to be at Law.

“I love the camaraderie that the teachers and students alike have with each other to create an atmosphere that makes you want to be more involved,” Jones said.

By Kristin Frank – Sports Editor

A Jonathan Law alum finds himself walking down the same halls as he did when he was a student, but now he’s walking down them as a history teacher.

Mr. Cinar is a proud new member of Law’s staff. He truly feels welcomed as a new teacher and is becoming more comfortable as the weeks go by.

“I graduated in 2007,” Cinar said. “During my time as a student I was able to create some great relationships with my teachers, which I am very fond of to this day.”

This is Cinar’s very first year teaching. He is a recent graduate that attended the University of Connecticut and received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree.

Prior to teaching at Law, Cinar had completed a student-teaching job at West Haven High School.

“I believe that my time as a student at Law had a significant part in molding me to become the person I am today,” Cinar said. “I chose to work at Law because I want to give back to the school that helped me so much as an adolescent.”

Cinar is very passionate about his job and strives to make an everlasting influence on his students.

“I want to use my prior experiences to help my students and hopefully make a positive impact in their lives,” Cinar said.

Being a new teacher, Cinar cannot help but shows his excitement in the classroom.

“I am most excited about the opportunity to see myself and my students grow,” Cinar said. “ As I’ve said before, this is my first year teaching, with my own students.”

Cinar is also thrilled about making real world connections with his students and help prepare them for today’s world.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to teach my students about our country’s past and help them make connections to what is happening today,” Cinar said.

Like many other teachers at Law, Cinar teaches both here and at Foran High School.

“At Foran, I teach two classes of Modern World History to freshmen and one class of Global Geography and Cultures to mixed upperclassmen,” Cinar said.

As for Law, Cinar teaches two classes of Survey of the 20th Century U.S. to sophomores.

Since school started, Cinar set goals for for both his students as well as himself.

“My goals for my students rise out of their needs,” Cinar said. “ I like to spend time on pre-assessments, where I gauge my students understandings of a certain content and their skills in the classroom.”

Cinar has already picked up on what his students need to improve on in class.

“What I noticed from my classes is that I need to put emphasis on improving their literacy skills, reading and writing at an appropriate level,” Cinar said.

Cinar also has a goal to improve their communication skills. He believes it’s important for students to speak well and clearly.

He plans on doing this by signing assignments where he will ask them to present and work in groups.

“History has always been my favorite subject,” Cinar said. “I like the whole idea of being able to analyze, interpret, and make your own conclusions.”

Cinar also went on to explain that studying historical tends to lead a person to look at a historical event or study a historical person through multiple perspectives. In addition, studying history makes a person more aware of their surroundings and the world they live in.

“It is because of these traits, I wanted to teach and like teaching history,” Cinar said.

Cinar has some personal goals for himself as well.

“My goal for myself, especially as a first year teacher is to, simply put….survive,” Cinar said. “What I mean by that is, I don’t want my inexperience to smother or overwhelm me.”

Cinar also wants to become a better and more efficient planner, be more organized, be more attentive to my students’ needs, be more involved with after clubs and sports, become a helpful coworker/ colleague, and have a role being a mentor of some sort in his students’ lives.

Cinar mentions that his experience teaching at Law has been a positive one.

“My experience so far at Law has been great,” Cinar said. “I’ve seen some of my teachers when I was a student, it felt great to see them go out of their way to welcome me and say hello.”

Cinar said that his favorite subject to teach is the Cold War.

“I really like the idea of how there were two mega powers basically playing a game of risk with the entire world,” Cinar said. “I believe teaching about the Cold War just naturally leads to great and different amounts of assessments, activities, etc.”

Overall, Cinar’s experience so far at Law has been enjoyable.

“I have felt welcomed by the students and faculty at Law,” Cinar said. “The faculty for the social studies department has been extremely helpful.”

The teachers here offer Cinar help whenever he may need it.

“I truly do appreciate the fact that whenever I have a question or concern, I can easily walk into any of their rooms and get what i need from them,” Cinar said.

Cinar is very pleased with his students he has for his first year of teaching.

“My students have been great to work with,” Cinar said. “They have shown interest in the topics we have discussed so far.”

(Photo by Kailee Frank)

By Nisali Fernando – Entertainment Editor

In their final year together, tradition and legacy are bonding the senior girls together.

Jonathan Law’s senior girls painted the rock that sits in front of the building on August 28. Nearly 100 girls, armed with bright pink spray paint branded “Senior Girls ‘17” across the boulder.

“I feel like everyone, especially the girls, really look forward to the rock and the shirts to make their mark and just be proud to be a senior,” senior Jessie Katrick said.

On the first day of school, pastel pink flooded the hallways. Matching T-shirts, like the rock painting, are a longstanding tradition of Jonathan Law.

Senior Kristin Frank undertook the responsibility of organizing the shirts, and emphasized the importance of these aforementioned traditions.

“Our class is so close and painting the rock and coming up with senior shirts lifts our school spirit up in so many ways,” Frank said. “It’s important to be good role models and show the underclassmen what fun stuff they have to look forward to.”

The rock painting and matching T-shirts can be written off as silly antics, but the camaraderie of this class in general is overwhelming.

“I love how supportive the senior class is of one another and I hope to see more of that support at sporting events like volleyball games and football games,” senior Tori Contaxis said.

After three years of bonding, the senior class could be considered a dysfunctional family of sorts.

“We all have such a great sense of humor,” Frank said. “Not a day goes by where I’m not cracking up in the middle of class, and that can be proven by everyone hearing my obnoxious laugh from the halls.”

Senior class advisor Mrs. Kovacs said that she has high expectation for the seniors.

“I want a class that is cohesive and that works well together,” Kovacs said. “I also like great new innovative ideas. (They are) a class that can run themselves.”

Aside from the rock painting and matching T-shirts, there are an overwhelming amount of exciting events right around the corner for the senior class.

“I’m excited to plan all of the amazing events we’ll offer later in the year- cotillion, class night, fire and ice, graduation,” Senior Vice President Casey LaScola said. “We’ll have some butt kickin’ fundraisers to make senior year as affordable as possible.”

The last year of high school reminds many seniors of how old they really are and how fast the future flies by.

“I’m really looking forward to making the most of my last year in highschool and making memories with my friends that I’ll remember forever,” Katrick said. “I’m also really looking forward to class night to look back at these past four years.”

The senior girls rock has now been painted over, but the memories and friendships forged that night and during these past three years still stand strong.

“Senior girl T-shirts and painting the rock may seem simple but they really do mean a lot to me and many others,” Contaxis said. “They symbolize our transition into our final year of high school and how we have matured from freshman to senior year.”

(Photo courtesy washington.org)

By Valeria Araujo – Editor-in-Chief

Jonathan Law students will get to experience history in the making on a trip of a lifetime.

The history department has decided to a host a field trip to the inauguration of the 45th United States President. All juniors and seniors are invited to Washington, DC, from January 18-22 to explore the nation’s capital.

“Mr. Zuraw and I have been talking since September of last year about how cool it would be if we could take the kids to the inauguration because it’s never been done,” history teacher Ms. Burns said. “It’s so important especially this year. It’s going to be historic because we’re either going to have Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton and you’re going to be there and watch them get sworn in.”

The cut-off date for signing up has been pushed back to October 1 to allow students’ more time to decide if they want to attend. Only 90 students will be allowed to attend so students interested should try their best to sign up as soon as possible.

“I’m an AP Government teacher so I always think it’s important to know and learn about any election because it affects them [the students] in so many ways,” history teacher Mr. Zuraw said. “I don’t know anybody who’s been to the inauguration so just to experience is neat because it brings to life what we’ve been learning in class.”

To reserve their spot on the trip students must go to http://www.elxporica.com/Burns-1365 and sign all of the necessary paperwork and pay the $50 sign-up fee. There are also payment plans available for the trip which costs approximately $700.

“I’ve never been [to the inauguration] and Washington, DC, is one of my favorite places to go,” Zuraw said. “I also like doing things with students outside of the classroom because that’s always quite fun. Whether it’s a field trip or a sporting event, it’s always pretty cool.”

Students who decide to attend this trip will get to enjoy more than just the inauguration and spending time with classmates. There are many other opportunities including traveling to the Washington Monument, visiting memorials, and even a ghost tour of the city.

“It’s five days in Washington, DC,” Burns said. “The big thing is that we’re going to the inauguration but aside from that we are going to see the monuments, tour the Holocaust Museum and others, go to Mount Vernon (which is George Washington’s home), to the Arlington National Cemetery, we’re doing a guided tour of the Capital and the Supreme Court, and also going to the National Archives to see the Constitution and other important papers.”

Although the presidential election only happens every four years, Burns and Zuraw plan to make this a recurring trip so that all students are able to experience this event.

They also have plans in store for students who will be out of school by the time the next election comes around.

“Because unfortunately since we only take upperclassmen, some students are always going to miss out,” Burns said. “So we’re trying to figure out something we can do every two years – maybe not to Washington, but to find an alternate place so that at least everybody would be invited at some point to go on a trip like this one.”

(Photo by Tyler Chavez)

By Tyler Chavez – News Editor

Jonathan Law’s freshman class recently took part in a seminar aimed to help them adjust to high school life.

The seminar also covered topics such as athletics, academics, extracurricular activities, and school spirit.

“I think this seminar encouraged the freshman to approach challenges in and outside the classroom with a positive mindset,” history teacher Mr. Young said.

The seminar covered multiple topics such as school activities, adjusting to life at Law, and meeting new people. Juniors and seniors talked to freshmen about athletics, academics, clubs, and school spirit in groups.

“I liked how we got to introduce ourselves to other people,” freshman Jillian Hall said.

The freshman seminar has evolved from the freshman academy to be only a day long including a cookout at the end compared to the previous multi-day model.

“The freshman seminar/academy has shifted from a set of academic preparation and goal-setting objectives to objectives that focus on helping students become a part of the JLaw community,” science teacher Mrs. Mercaldi said. “This was done by encouraging a shared mindset, participation in extracurricular activities, and being an inclusive population of people rather than exclusive.”

Freshmen have found the adjustment to high school life fairly simple. Support from other members of the school has made the change smoother.

“The first week of school was confusing but it was really fun and the students and staff really helped me out,” freshman Riley Pastor said.

Freshmen have noted how the positive, helpful attitude of other students and faculty have made them more comfortable and not as scared.

“Everyone is actually really nice,” freshman Edrianah Martinez said. “I only got lost a couple times but whenever I asked for help they actually pointed me to the right place.”

The freshmen took away valuable information regarding being involved in multiple activities and balancing clubs and sports.

“I was eerie about joining clubs because of sports,” Martinez said. “But they said that you could join clubs and go to sports a little later by talking to your coach.”

Faculty members hope that the experience of the freshman seminar has helped prepared them for Jonathan Law and has made them more aware of what they can accomplish.

“I hope they are aware of the number of opportunities they have to be involved in with the school and the community,” Young said.

After the seminar, the freshmen were treated to a cookout lunch near the football field with burgers, hot dogs, and snacks.

“My favorite part was the enthusiasm that was brought to each block of the seminar,” Young said. “It was a great representation of what it’s like to be in the Law community.”

The Jonathan Law community has opened its arms to the freshmen class. The praise of the seminar by freshmen show that they learned valuable lessons and feel welcome at Jonathan Law.