By Tyler Chavez – Staff Reporter

Starting this year, sophomores have been offered AP Statistics as a math course.

(Photo by Tyler Chavez)

The advanced placement math course has been offered to sophomore students who have already finished Algebra 2.

“I expect the same thing from my sophomores and upperclassmen: work hard, and pass that test,” AP Statistics teacher Ms. Loch said. “I treat them all the same because the expectation is the same no matter what.”

The course deals with statistics and probability at a college level. Students utilize probability to help with hypothesis tests.

“In other math classes, the course is taught in a way that is easy to understand,” sophomore Matthew Chang said. “In AP Stat, we as students have to use our thinking in order to understand concepts in AP Stat.”

One of the biggest challenges that come with taking an advanced placement class is the amount of work that the class provides.

“The workload for AP Stat is comparable to that of AP Government,” junior Samir Elhelw said. “The notes take about 1-2 hours to do, and the practice problems that are assigned after each section are easy to complete if you understand the content.”

The decision was made to get students to take more AP classes earlier to help prepare them for college.

“Anyone can handle AP classes if they put in the time,” sophomore class adviser Mr. Boynton said.

AP Statistics is not the only advanced placement class being offered to sophomores. AP Government and Politics has been offered to sophomores for years.

“I think that being a sophomore, they’re still in a transition period,” Boynton said. “So I think the option of having these two AP courses at the sophomore level is sufficient.”

Last year, sophomores were offered AP U.S. History along AP Government and Politics. The experience of having these two AP courses has helped junior students taking AP Statistics this year.

“When I walked in, I knew that an AP curriculum was mostly note taking with teacher clarification on the notes the next day,” Elhelw said.

Some people believe that offering more AP courses to sophomores will benefit them.

“When you take more APs as a sophomore, you become more used to it and you can take more APs,” said sophomore Jake Gwirtz.

But of course, the school would have to figure out which AP courses they would offer to the sophomore class.

“I would offer AP Biology for sophomores considering they take biology their freshman year,” Elhelw said.

The push for sophomores to take more AP classes has already gotten some to start thinking about which they would take in the future.

“I aim to take as many as possible that could help my college career, but that could change if I’m unable to adjust to these classes,” Chang said. “I’m interested in math, so AP Calculus.”

Upperclassmen have also offered tips for those sophomores to succeed in the class.

“Keep up with the notes,” Elhelw said. “The course is fast moving and if you miss a day, you should do your best to make up the work as soon as possible.”

Despite the difficult work load, people believe that the sophomores can succeed in this course.
“As long as the student believes they can do it, go for it,”  Chang said.

By Kristin Frank – Staff Reporter

The Milford community gathered on September 12 to celebrate the annual Relay For Life at Jonathan Law High School’s track.

(Photo by Kristin Frank)

This year’s Relay For Life was its 13th anniversary and raised over $65,000. This fundraiser for cancer survivors and caregivers gives them a fun way to find hope and support for all that they’ve been through.

“My favorite part about Relay For Life was how we all came together as a team to raise money for a good cause,” senior basketball captain Kailee Frank said.

There were 44 teams that participated this year for a total of 506 participants. This huge turnout was a major reason as to why this day was so prosperous.

All the teams that participated were able to raise money by selling a variety of baked goods and holding enjoyable contests and games.

“We sold; brownies, cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, Gatorade, and ‘flips for tips’, for any extra donations,” senior gymnastics captain Megan Grabowski said.

The tents were all located around the track so that while the participants are either walking or running on the track, they could stop by a tent for a quick treat or refresh themselves with a drink.

This event was held outside all day, wrapping things up around 1 a.m., so despite the rainy weather, the community put that a side to make this event worthwhile.

“Dealing with the weather was easy, we stayed under our tents and kept busy by selling our baked goods,” senior basketball player Evan Carollo said.

Relay For Life has been going on for many years, so the Milford community, Law students especially, has made many appreciable donations to this fundraiser.

“I’ve been doing Relay For Life since I was little and in the past years we’ve done it as a team, and we have always had a good time,” junior soccer captain Bethany Edwards said.

Relay For Life is an amazing way for people to meet other cancer survivors and provided them with a great opportunity to hear their story.

“ It’s a good idea getting these young kids involved in Relay For Life because it is important to give back to the community and support a great cause,”  Girl’s basketball coach Mr. Young said. “ Most people have been impacted by cancer, so they can relate to it.”

This year’s Relay For Life was triumphant because of all the activities and treats being sold throughout the day.

“It was rewarding to know what I was putting my time into,” junior gymnast Victoria Contaxis said.

“ It was a fun and eventful experience and I am looking forward to participating again next year.”

(Photo courtesy cgc.org)

By Valeria Araujo – New Editor

Jonathan Law’s Model U.N. Club is ready for a year of fun and fundraisers.

Model U.N. currently meets every F day during common time and will start meeting after school on Fridays soon.

The club has started the year off with an abundance of new members.  So far, they’ve been bouncing off fundraiser ideas and electing new officers so that this year’s trip to New York is a success.

Their main goal for this year is to lower the cost of this annual trip, so that they can stay at the event for the full four days instead of three.

“The trip does currently run about $600 and if we want to stay the extra night we’ll be looking at $700,” senior co-vice president Katie Sabo said. “If we could raise enough money to have the extra day and keep it low instead of going up it would be great.”

Last year, the club fundraised by selling candy bars, and selling items at Cumberland Farms and Stop & Shop; however, they are always looking for new fundraiser ideas for their trip.

“It’s one of the coolest trips we have, I can’t say that any other trip gets to go to New York, meet with student around the world, and stay at a hotel and just have a great time,” junior co-secretary Jordan Negron said.

The club prepares students for the Model U.N. event in New York, during which students are assigned a specific country and role play as the officials of that country. They decided what their country’s positions are on different policies and propose solutions to certain international problems.

The event allows students to simulate the real United Nations in a fun and educational way.

“It’s extremely relevant because we try to pair students based on interest,” Model U.N. advisor Mr. Evanko said. “If students were interested in defense policies or the military we can put them on the security committee. If they are interested in medicine and being a doctor we can put them on the health committee. If they are interested in becoming a lawyer there is a legal committee.”

Evanko believes that if the students look at issues from the perspective of other nations it will broaden their ability to empathize with other people around the world.

“I joined because I was interested in the U.N. and wanted to be informed in global politics,” junior club member Sam Rossi said. “It broadens your horizons on what is really going on in the world.”

The club gives students the chance to meet with many new faces from all over the world.

“You not only get to know your classmates better – during the trip you stay in a room with three of your classmates – you also meet a whole bunch of people all over the world,” senior co-president Ian Hugo said. “I’ve meet people from Massachusetts, Utah, New York, Mexico, Germany, Ukraine, and it’s just an overall great experience.”

Not only does the club allow students to meet many new people and learn more about the world, it also looks great on a college resume.

“I feel like not enough people know about the U.N. what it does in general, and all the work it does, ” junior co-secretary Jordan Negron said. “Aside from just doing regular stuff like the general assembly or informing the security committee of emergencies, they do a lot to get clean water for Africa in addition to a lot of other projects making sure that certain diseases do not spread and stuff like that and it’s just a really extraordinary organization.”

Mrs. Murphy teaches her Digital Drawing class. (Photo by Emily Carroll)

By Emily Carroll – News Editor

Jonathan Law has introduced several new classes for the 2015-2016 school year.

New courses include AP Human Geography, Model U.N., Introduction to Early Childhood Education, Advance Photography 2, Digital Drawing, iPads & Music, American Popular Music, Vocal Performance Technology for Musical Theater, and Computers, Electronics, and Programming.

“The new classes that Jonathan Law is offering this year will not only provide students more options when choosing classes, but will allow for more opportunities for students to investigate potential career options,” guidance counselor Mrs. Dunnuck said.

AP Human Geography, taught by Mr. Dooley and Mr. Roumeles, helps students develop critical thinking skills through the understanding, application, and analysis of the fundamental concepts of geography. This course also gives students the opportunity to earn college credits while still in high school.

“I like how Mr. Roumeles makes the class interesting and fun by connecting what we learn to what is going on in today’s world,” senior Kaitlyn Lynch said.

Model U.N. is a new history class taught by Mr. Evanko. In the class, students discuss and debate current international issues from various nations’ perceptions.

“I am hoping that students get an understanding of their nations’ perceptions through the class and gain a sense of empathy for other people around the world,” said Evanko.

Computers, Electronics, and Programming, taught by Miss Martinich, allows students to complete desired tasks using Arduino and Raspberry Pi electronics platforms. Students will build microcontroller boards and then program things with the boards using coding.

“I want them (the students) to see that computer science is a field where they can be greatly successful from the day they graduate and on,” said Martinich.

iPads and Music, taught by Mr. Giampietro, allows students to compose and perform music on various iPad apps. Students will also learn how to apply their new music-making skills in other media, such as projects and presentations for other classes.

“I love teaching it because I feel I am helping students unlock their ability to express themselves,” Giampietro said.

American Popular Music, also taught by Mr. Giampietro, is an overview of the historical events that have shaped shaped music in this country. Students should be able to connect music they know and love to its social context from this class.

“I look forward to teaching this course because I have a diverse interest in music,” Giampietro said.

Mrs. Murphy will be teaching Digital Drawing starting next semester. In this class, students will create original works of art using drawing tablets and various programs such as Adobe Photoshop, CZ6, and Adobe Illustrator.

“I’m looking for students to think about traditional drawing versus digital drawing using the two new tools,” Murphy said.

Advanced Photography 2 is a new full-year course that will have students concentrate on the more complex aspects of photography and will refine the aesthetic and technical aspects of their work. This course is taught by Mrs. Romanowski.

A new half-year music course that is for all grades is Vocal Performance Techniques for Musical Theater. In this class, taught by Mrs. Rizzotti, students will learn unique skills for singing in a musical production.

Introduction to Early Childhood Education is a new full-year family and consumer science course that provides a study of historical, philosophical, and social perspectives of early care and education.

“We are working on an interactive bulletin board so the kids can learn social and emotional skills,” senior Isabel Cortez said.

Law’s Key Club volunteered at the first home football game. (Photo courtesy Ed Drew)

By Nicole Macchio – Entertainment Editor

Key Club is the world’s largest high school volunteer organization.

Law’s Key Club is currently recruiting new members to join, but due to this year’s high participation, their membership drive is scheduled to end in October. The club’s weekly meetings are held on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. with an initiation fee of $15.

“I think more people should definitely join,” junior president Marissa Pollack said. “We are always looking for new members and the club teaches great leadership and communication skills while getting volunteer hours.”

Key Club is already set up to have multiple great volunteer opportunities, helping out both the school and the community. They serve organizations like the Salvation Army and they volunteer at events like the Irish Festival, St. Mary’s Carnival, and Law band and guard home shows.

Another big event is the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute, or KPTI, where members will make blankets for children in a local trauma hospital that is run by the Key Club’s parent group, the Kiwanis.

“Key Club helps me serve the community and reach graduation distinction,” said senior Key Club member Leo Merturi.

There are many different organizations within the community that call Boynton to have the club help out at events.  various other opportunities that are held throughout the school year that help students build resumes.

“It’s a great thing to put down on your college application,” junior vice president Jordan Negron said. “And we have the biggest outlets in the school to help students achieve their graduation with distinction requirements of 200 hours.”

Boynton has been part of the club for almost 20 years and still takes great pride in how everything is run.

“My favorite part is when I see a quiet freshman come in, I see them through the years, and eventually they run the club,” Boynton said.

Each year, the Key Club convention is held in Springfield, Massachusetts. The goal of the convention is to teach students how to be good Key Clubbers and officers.

Law’s Key Club officers have set goals to help out the community and to expand even more into the school. After the first few meetings, they’ve already recruited a record number of people to join the club.

Members say that Key Club is not only a good way to get out and help the community; it’s a good place to make new friends.

“I love how we can all come together to help those in need,” Pollock said. “It’s great becoming friends with people I may not normally see in classes.”

Mr. Ruzbarsky teaches a lesson in the Support Center. (Photo by Valeria Araujo)

By Valeria Araujo – News Editor

Jonathan Law has introduced an Academic Support Center for all students this year.

The Support Center, a district initiative, will aim to help high school students in English/social studies or math/science. Students can drop in during their study hall or whenever they have free time during the school day.

“If a student is in an honors class, an AP class, or even a Level 2 class and want to get something proofread or need some help in geometry they can go in and get a little extra help,” principal Mr. Thompson said.

At Law, the Support Center is staffed every period by English teachers Ms. Hanson and Mrs. Goldbeck and math teachers Mr. Frank and Mr. Ruzbarsky.

Two types of students can use the Support Center: drop-in students that come in during a free period, and long-term students who are recommended by their teachers

“We try to get (the topic) across in many different ways so (students) completely understand the topic before they leave,” Ruzbarsky said.

Classroom teachers can recommend students to the Support Center and then give the Support Center teachers the topics they want the student to work on. After finishing the tutoring sessions, students will have an exit exam, and the result of that exam will determine if they can place out of the Support Center.

“The Support Center is really helpful,” Junior Zachary Bender said. “I can come in for multiple different things and get help for all of them.”

Skill building is one of the main focuses of the Support Center.

“If any kid is missing a skill, or if they’re out sick from school and there was something they missed that day that they really needed, we’re here to help them,” Goldbeck said.

The Support Center has already been proven to be very popular with students.

“What we are noticing – and we are excited about – is that it’s not just about going there for a marking period, or a month a lot of people are just dropping,” Thompson said.

One advantage of the Support Center is that students can get personal, one-on-one support from a content area teacher.

“As a teacher you have thirty kids to worry about but you just getting the general curriculum across,” Ruzbarsky said. “In Support Center, you work on individual topics and ideas with the students. It’s a catch twenty-two, I call it; basically it’s just as intensive here as it is in the classroom and we’re more focused on narrowing down skills here and narrowing down topics instead of getting the general idea across.”

Teachers in the Support Center said that they have benefited from the new program professionally as well.

“The ability to work with Mr. Frank, Mr. Ruzbarsky, and Ms. Hanson on a regular basis makes my teaching that much stronger,” Goldbeck said.

The Support Center teachers also get to interact with different students than they would in their regular classrooms.

“In the past few years I’ve taught the same classes year to year so I see a certain pocket full of students but there are still a lot of students that I’ve never met,” Frank said.  “I’ve already bumped into 50, 60 kids that I would have never met otherwise.”

Mr. DeGrego spoke to Law’s history classes. (Photo by Emily Carroll)

By Emily Carroll – News Editor

Mike DeGrego recently returned to Law to share his story about 9/11 as part of Law’s annual September 11^th commemoration.

DeGrego served in the Air Force, was a former New York Police Department detective, and was also a history teacher. Now he is a substitute teacher in West Haven and is a member of the Milford Board of Education.

He also visits Law’s Crime and Violence classes each year to discuss his time as a detective.

“He has held so many roles in his life, all centered around public service, and it is a great example of someone who just wants to give back to the community,” Law history teacher Mr. Evanko said.

In his most recent visit, DeGrego started his story by telling students how he found out about the attack on the World Trade Center. He was in a darkroom developing pictures, and soon after, shuttle buses were picking up him and his colleagues to take them to Ground Zero.

The bus took them to the Jacob Javits Center, which was where all the volunteers were. Before they left the bus, they put on their respirator for protection from the debris.

Immediately, he wanted to get to work. He walked to three different tents and went through security showing three forms of ID.

“There was a line you wouldn’t believe,” DeGrego said.

At the last tent, everyone received a badge that had a number that would cross-reference to their name. People couldn’t leave the tent without it or else they would get arrested.

“The scene I was about to see I was not ready for,” said DeGrego.

He walked through piles and piles of rubble, concrete and steel. By the time he was done going through security, it was 11 p.m. The Fire Department had supplied so much light he thought it was morning.

“In all the pictures I saw on the channels, it was nothing like actually being there,” said DeGrego.

Everyone that was working on the recovery mission looked the same with their respiratory masks and their hats. There were 12 lines that were transporting buckets.

“Nobody took a break,” said DeGrego. “Nobody wanted to take a break.”

Before he left, he was offered to take whatever he wanted, but the only thing he asked for was his helmet.

A couple months later, he went back to school to get his Master’s degree. There were 911 students in his graduating class.

The students and teachers at Law who heard DeGrego speak said they were moved by his story.

“I thought Mr. DeGrego’s story was very moving and powerful,” Evanko said. “Hearing an eyewitness of what it was like cleaning up Ground Zero was deeply inspiring.”

Many students were also moved by the video featuring 9/11 victim Welles Crowther, which was shown before Mr. DeGrego spoke.

“I almost cried after watching the video because (Crowther) was so young,” junior Nia Cordero said.

Mr. Young teaches a freshman history class. (Photo by Ian Hugo)

By Ian Hugo – Sports Editor

The new school year has arrived at Law and so has the Class of 2019.

Students and teachers are excited for both.

Freshmen are adjusting to waking up earlier, finding their classes, and figuring out how to open their lockers, and although there is a bit of apprehension surrounding these new-found challenges, everyone involved – the students, teachers, and even principal Mr. Thompson – holds optimistic attitudes.

“I’m looking forward to all of the freshmen becoming sophomores at the end of the school year and for them to be ready for the rigors that will follow them as they go through their high school years,” Thompson said. “I’m hoping we teach them not only to be good citizens and be not just high school ready but Lawman ready and [make sure] they are really academically proficient in note taking, in study skills, and all of the areas to succeed moving forward in their high school career.”

Although it’s only September, many freshmen say that they already feel at home at Law with the students and faculty helping them adjust to their new setting.

“The teachers are really nice and I just feel at home when I’m here,” freshman Lisa Hanania said.

Many freshmen have joined a sports team or club and have subsequently made new friends, not just in their own grade but upperclassmen as well.

“I joined the soccer team and made a lot of friends on the team,” freshman Will Contaxis said. “All of the people who I have met on the Law soccer team have been good friends and feel like family.”

A new environment is bound to bring new challenges and being a freshman students are plunged headfirst into their new routine with little background knowledge of how to handle high school. Many students say that finding their way around Law has been the most difficult thing about high school so far.

“I’d say maybe going to my new classes because some of them are really far away,” Contaxis said.

However, students are not navigating these challenges blindly, finding that teachers and upperclassmen are more than happy to help.

“My algebra teacher [helps me out], she helps me with directions to [my classes] and some of the students as well,” freshman Eric Acevedo said.

“[Teachers] give me advice and were always there when I had questions,” freshman Shaniyah Salmon said.

High school is a big change and freshman year is very important no matter what anyone else says, so to help ninth graders start out on the right foot several teachers shared some words of advice with their new students on how to stay on top of their academics and themselves for this upcoming year:

“My biggest advice would be to value your freshman year, know that it counts, know that it’s important,” Modern World History teacher Mr. Young said. “It’s a great way to get off to a good start in your high school career, don’t think it doesn’t matter or won’t impact you later so you build patterns of behavior that are going to benefit you throughout your four years here.”

Thompson offered some advice as well.

“Go to class, be on time, and get your homework done,” Thompson said. “There is an absolute direct correlation between doing your homework, staying current in reading and all that stuff, and succeeding in class.”

Freshman science teacher Mrs. Mercaldi stressed the importance of time management.

“I would say [it is important] to stay organized and make sure that you are taking time to take care of you,” freshman science teacher Mrs. Mercaldi said.

A student’s first year of high school may seem tough looking ahead but many ninth graders are already dealing with it well, whether they realize it or not. Freshmen are becoming a part of something special at Law, something Thompson describes as a “family.”

“If you’re reading this and you’re a senior or junior or sophomore it seems redundant but this is such a special place. Jonathan Law is an amazing, amazing family and it’s a privilege to be here,” Thompson said.

He continued, “Yeah, it’s school, and, yes, nobody likes getting up to be here for 7:20 and that’s just part of life but at the end of the day we’re a really special place that has gone through and gotten through a lot together because we’re so close and as a ninth grader coming in that’s a real privilege that I hope the freshman will get that experience because it means so much. It’s what keeps me coming in every day.”

(Photo courtesy Alyssa Paladino)

Laura Gonzalez was a bright, outgoing, caring student with a vibrant smile and personality that lit up the room. We will forever miss her grace and kindness, and as an Advocate staff, we will miss her incredible gift for writing.

Below is a link to some of Laura’s articles and some articles that featured her volunteer work.

https://jlawadvocate.wordpress.com/?s=laura+gonzalez

Rest in peace, Laura.

(Photo by Malena Araujo)

By Malena Araujo – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Drama Club recently performed the famous musical “Annie” for their annual spring show.

“Annie” is a 1977 family musical about an adventurous, 11-year-old orphan who finds love and family in people who were once just strangers.

“Annie was one of my favorite films growing up,” sophomore Nisali Fernando said. “Bringing it to Law allowed us to make this classic story our own, allowing the cast to become a family.”

The cast consisted of mainly Law students except for one student who was from Notre Dame.

The whole cast showed so much dedication for this production. Each student devoted a lot of their time for rehearsals and the cast spent an average of nine hours each week for about two months rehearsing for the play.

“My favorite part of rehearsals was being able to make new friends and then rehearse with them.” sophomore JonPaul Amaro said.

Amaro showed a good deal of dedication himself when he shaved his head for his character Oliver Warbucks a few days before the first performance.

“To see someone I’ve known for two years go bald, was incredibly funny yet inspiring,” Fernando said. “JonPaul was so committed to his role.”

Although viewers find this musical very heartwarming, it is also very humorous because of the lively characters. Ms.Hannigan (played by senior Brie Williams) quickly became a crowd favorite and received many laughs for her wacky and funny character.

“My favorite character was Ms. Hannigan because she was all out hilarious,” sophomore Vanoulith Sirisouk said.

Directors and stage managers adopted a toy dog named Sandy (who represents the actual dog in the play). Sandy was given to one cast member for a night based on whoever had worked the hardest during rehearsals. Sandy helped to keep the cast members motivated and excited about the play.

“Annie” involved a great deal of choreography for the entire cast. Tap dancing was new to most members of the cast. These members included Amaro, who surprisingly didn’t have tap shoes until a half an hour before the first show.

“The last show I did I was really comfortable with it and was tapping my heart out,” Amaro said. “I’ve never tapped a day in my life before then and it was truly great to feel it all.”

(Photo courtesy twitter.com)

By Leslie Terres – Staff Reporter

Members of Law’s junior class and their guests had a blast at this year’s prom.

The event was held on May 29 at Vazzano’s Four Seasons restaurant in Stratford and was followed by the post-prom, which was held at the Sports Center in Shelton.

“It was so much fun to get dressed up with all of my friends,” junior Megan Grabowski said.

Many students and families gathered at The Laurel Beach Green before the dance for pictures. Limos and party busses transported students from the green to Vazzano’s.

“It was nice having all my friends on the same bus as me,” junior Ian Hugo said.

Food options included chicken parmesan, penne a la vodka, vegetables, salad, and dinner rolls. A few tables at a time were called up to choose what they wanted. Chocolate and vanilla cupcakes were served for dessert.

“The food was amazing; the pasta and bread were the best part,” junior Niamh Nelson said.

Students lined up to pose with props and take pictures with friends and dates in the photo booth. Photos were printed there and handed to the students before they left the event. Students were also given frames for the photos along with portable chargers and Ben’s Bells, which were left on the tables for them.

“I love the photo booth because it was a good alternative for people who didn’t like dancing,” junior Bryan Pingarron said.

The DJ played many upbeat songs throughout the night, including “The Cupid Shuffle,” “Come On Eileen,” “The Cha Cha Slide,” “Wobble,” and others. The slow dance songs were “Thinking Out Loud” and “Home” by Phillip Phillips, which was dedicated to Maren Sanchez. The DJ also called students up for a scavenger hunt type game that many played.

Senior Mick Murray DJed the last hour of prom and junior Bobby Phong performed a few of his original raps.

“I loved all the music,” sophomore Colleen Rice said.

At post-prom, there were tables of food including Subway sandwiches, wings, pizza, and desserts and pastries. Students entered raffles and had a choice of  ice skating, mini golf, a driving range, batting cages, and laser tag until shuttle buses came to pick them up at 3 a.m.

“Prom and post prom were a fun experience,” junior Asia Santos said.

(Photo by Valeria Araujo)

By Valeria Araujo – Staff Reporter

After 39 years of teaching, Mrs. Reshenk is retiring.

Reshenk said she will end her career with fond memories and longtime friendships.

“My best memories are actually when I am out of school,” said Reshenk, “and I run into people that I taught and they remember my class and really enjoyed taking the class and doing the work.”

Although Reshenk is retiring, she will return to Law in the fall to work in the library for the first three weeks of school.

In her early years of teaching, Reshenk said she was very stressed because of how big the classes were back in the 1980s. That stress caused her to find some neat ways to calm down.

“I would come home and eat a 12 oounce bag of Doritos and turn on the Muppets and Mr. Rogers and I would calm down and that is the only way I got through the first five years of teaching,” Reshenk said. “But then I discovered running.”

Reshenk had very interesting ways of giving detention in her many years of teaching at Law.

“I used to make students run the track with me for detention,” Reshenk said. “I could be out there for hours with kids doing make-ups on the track and it was good.”

Running wasn’t Reshenk’s only creative detention.

“I would make students wave goodbye to students leaving on school buses, and also I made kids sing Christmas carols to students going onto the school bus if they were talking in class,” Reshenk said.

Dante Hayden, a former student of Reshenk’s who is now a special education paraprofessional at Law, said his fondest memory of Reshenk was when she found a student cheating on a poetry test and made a grand deal of it to the delight of the class.

“I had a really good class; I had some really good friends in there and Reshenk being Reshenk made the class interesting,” Hayden said.

Law principal Mr. Thompson said that his fondest memory of Reshenk came when he first took over as principal.

“This woman comes in like the Tazmanian Devil, she looks at me and I’m like ‘Hi, how are you, I’m Fran Thompson!’ and she says ‘What do you think about grammar?’ and then she was gone,” Thompson said. “Four years later, there is nobody who better represents what teaching is all about than Mrs. Reshenk.”

Law history teacher Mr. Evanko has many fond memories of Reshenk.

“She’s a very honest person,” said Evanko. “She always tells you how she feels, she’s committed, and she cares about this building, the students and the faculty.  There is nobody who represents law more than Reshenk.”

Reshenk has taught many students in her 39 years and has given them not only English lessons, but life lessons as well.

“She still corrects my grammar to this day,” Hayden said. “She’s also taught me the life lesson to appreciate the little things.”

Members of the English department said that is going to be very strange not having Reshenk in Room 202 next year.

“Mrs. Reshenk is everything that is right about teaching,” English teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “She is Law. She’s a legend and she will be impossible to replace.”

(Photo by Emily Carroll)

By Emily Carroll – Staff Reporter

After working at Jonathan Law for the past 15 years, the last four as Mr. Thompson’s secretary, Mrs. Attruia is saying goodbye.

Having graduated from Law in class of 1973, Attruia followed her mother’s footsteps into education.

Trying to find someone to fill in the shoes she is leaving is going to be a difficult task.

“I think they’re a size 22,” Thompson said.

Thompson has been especially grateful for Attruia’s help over the years because she is a link to the history at Law. They have a close relationship because they have the same sense of humor and interest in movies and TV shows.

“He’s kind of like the much younger brother that I never had,” Attruia said.

Being a part of the Drama Club shows is something very close to Mrs. Attruia’s heart. Over the past few years, she was in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “All Shook Up,” “A Christmas Carol,” “Hairspray,” and “Guys and Dolls.”

“When I was a student here, I was president of the Drama Club and I loved being on the stage so I was able to rekindle that love a bit,” Attruia said.

Being office neighbors with Mr. Cavanna, Mrs. Drew and Mr. Ragaini and developing close bonds with them will make it hard to say “goodbye.”

“She always has a smile on her face as she performs all the behind the scene tasks for Mr. Thompson,” Ragaini said. “Mrs. Attruia is definitely Jonathan Law’s unsung hero.”

Attruia said that saying farewell to her fellow secretaries, members of the guidance department, and the school nurses will make leaving tough as well.

“I will miss them all terribly,” said Attruia. “I have many close friends in the teaching and student service staff, and our custodians, security, and kitchen staff have always been very kind and helpful to me all these years.”

The people won’t be the only thing she will miss. Attruia is responsible for is the Student Ambassador Program which gives eighth grade students an opportunity to get high school experience by shadowing a student that attends the school.

This program has been running for three years thanks to Attruia’s hard work.

Attruia’s retirement plan is to sell their house and to move to Florida with her husband, their daughter, and their future grandchild.

(Photo by Nicole Macchio)

By Nicole Macchio – Entertainment Editor

The annual Brain Bowl was hosted by the National Honor Society on May 22.

Brain Bowl is an annual competition that pits grade against grade and students against faculty, all the while raising money for brain cancer research.

Students and faculty took a test that was created by the National Honor Society members to see who qualified for the team.

The main goal of Brain Bowl is to raise awareness and money for brain cancer, and this year there was a pretty good haul. Almost $700 was raised in donations from students and from local businesses.

 “Everyone put in so much effort and worked really hard to make sure that everything ran smoothly,” senior NHS president Sofya Calvin said. “I am very proud of all the members for coming together and making it happen. If they hadn’t we wouldn’t have been able to raise upwards of $700.”

Every $10 that was donated counted as a point for that team. Seniors started with 15 points, the juniors had 10, the sophomores had 6, and the freshmen had 3.

Once the game began, a point was earned for every correct answer unless a judge ruled otherwise. The first round was sorted out with some of the easier questions and the questions get progressively harder.

The questions cover five categories:  Arts/Literature, History/Geography, Math/Science, Pop Culture, and Sports/Leisure.

The freshmen team included John Fowler, Nick Dostal, Jillian Parsons, and Grace Piselli. The sophomore team included Tyler Chavez, Kevin Chesler, Kyle Krois, and Paula Perez. The junior team consisted of Logan Danville, Samantha McCarthy, Adam Streeter, and Jennifer Rondinelli, and the senior team was Ben Longobardi, Sean Berg, Nicole Palmer, and Nick Nunno.

The faculty team featured Miss Mannion, Mr. Stanton, Mrs. Moe, and Mrs. Briggs.

The Brain Bowl theme is always an integral part of the competition and this year’s theme was “The Wizard of Oz.”

“This year, it was a close race between ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘Alice in Wonderland,’” Calvin said. “But I’m happy we went with ‘The Wizard of Oz.’”

At the end of the first round, the sophomore and junior teams were eliminated, leaving the freshmen to face off with the seniors. In this second round, it seemed like the freshmen might secure a win but thanks to their fundraising, the senior class won the round with a few points to spare.

In the last round when the seniors went against the faculty, the seniors managed to keep their lead and win this year’s competition.

“It was very successful,” NHS advisor and chemistry teacher Ms. Turcotte said. “We were able to raise a good amount of money and everything went smoothly.”

(Photo courtesy twitter.com)

By Darby Hudd – Sports Editor

Earlier this month, Law’s Spanish Club held a fundraiser called the Pulsera Project to help raise funds for the people of Nicaragua.

“The idea of the project was mentions to me by one of my students,” Spanish Club advisor Mr. May said. “She said she had seen a Pulsera sale before, at her middle school, and thought it would work at Law, too.”

The Pulsera Project is a non-profit organization which provides individual and community assistance in Nicaragua. A pulsera is the Spanish word for bracelet and the colorful woven pulsera is made by young people in Nicaragua to express friendship.

“I loved when I bought the bracelet it had a picture of who made it,” senior Kelsey Kopazna said. “It made it more meaningful to know where the money I donated was going to.”

The pulseras sold by the Pulsera Project each come with a tag. Those tags contain the pulsera makers’ name and photo. All of the money raised goes back to their community and helps provide economic assistance for schools, for school aged children who face having to drop out for lack of money, farm help.

“It is an exchange of kindness: our money to help them, their pulsera to show gratitude,” May said.

The club raised over $1,000 during the week of sales and they plan to raise even more next year.

Junior Laura Gonzalez, who heads the Spanish Club, was a huge part in getting the word out about the Pulsera Project. She and junior Stephanie Acero spent most of their time during the sale manning the table in the cafe during all three lunch waves.

“Without their help we probably wouldn’t have sold nearly as much,” May said. “I want to thank everyone in the Spanish Club for all their hard work.”

If anyone is interested in finding out more about the fundraiser, there are many videos about the Pulsera Project at www.pulseraproject.org.

(Photo courtesy bridgeporthospital.org)

By Morgan Hennessey – Columns Editor

Jonathan Law hosted the first ever Caring Closet Clothing Drive on Saturday, May 9.

The idea came from sisters Gianna Laezzo, a junior, and Madison Laezzo, a sophomore.

Gianna Laezzo first came up with the clothing drive because she was inspired by the community service work she has done in Keyettes.

“I have been in Keyettes for three years now and I liked the way we helped out underprivileged people in the community,” Gianna Laezzo said. “So, I decided that I wanted to help out myself.”

The Caring Closet’s mission is to donate all the money they raise from selling the clothing items that have been donated from people all over Milford.

“People in our community, students, and teachers all donated clothes and the Keyettes and I sell them back to the community for cheap prices,” Gianna Laezzo said. “All the proceeds will go to the Bridgeport Hospital Toy Closet which buys toys for kids in the hospital.”

The Dr. Tom Kennedy Toy Closet classifies itself as a program “committed to helping children and their families cope with the stress and fear of hospitalization and to promote the continued growth and development of each child while they are in the hospital.”

It is a program that people can easily involve themselves in, and the Laezzo sisters created a great opportunity for everyone in the community to get involved.

“We started the Caring Closet because we just wanted to have a way to help out the community and give back for all that they have done for us,” Madison Laezzo said. “We thought it was an easy way for people to donate us their clothes so we can sell them back to the community.”

The Laezzo sisters hope to continue this fundraiser next year, as it was very successful this year.

“We made $325 to donate to the Toy Closet,” Gianna Laezzo said. “And we will donate the remaining 400 pieces of clothing to the United Way.”

(Photo courtesy Darby Hudd)

By Kayla Patrick – Sports Editor

Three students from Law recently helped their team win the Summit Championships in the All-Star Cheerleading League.

Senior Darby Hudd, sophomore Megan Mower, and freshman Stella Patrick contributed to their Spirit All-Star Sapphires team win the international competition in Orlando, Florida.

Summit Championships are held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Disney World where teams practice and compete.

Throughout their trip, the girls got to spend time watching other teams and spent a lot of time team bonding in parks and at the resort.

“I really enjoyed the team bonding we had in the parks and going on the rides,” Hudd said. “It was also nice to enjoy Disney as a vacation with my family after the competition.”

The girls participated in many competitions throughout the year and did well enough to earn a bid at Summit.

“Receiving our bid was an awesome feeling,” Mower said. “That’s what we worked for and after we got that chance we had to work even harder to do well at Summit.”

The Summit competition consisted of being judged on two different days. In order to make it to the finals on Day 2, the team has to be in the Top 5 after the Day 1 series.

“I thought all the teams were very strong and the competition would be evenly matched,” Patrick said.

During Day 1, the Sapphires competed against nine other teams. On Day 2, the team competed against the other Top 5 teams and won first place at the awards ceremony.

“Hearing our names called as first was like no other experience,” Hudd said. “Knowing all of our hard work paid off really made winning with my team worth it.”

The team received a large “National Winner” banner and each team member received a smaller personal banner and a championship ring.

The team competed in six competitions throughout the year. The team practices three times a week year round perfecting their routine.

The Spirit Zone All-Stars gym is located in Hamden, CT. The gym coaches a dozen teams of all levels and ages.

(Photo courtesy arapahoe.littletonpublicschools.net)

By Emily LaLuna – Sports Editor

The Jonathan Law Interact Club is holding a raffle fundraiser for Arapahoe High School in Colorado.

The school lost one of their students, Claire Davis, to a tragic event back on December 13, 2013.On the same day, their school library was also set on fire.

The school is looking to restore its library in Claire’s honor and is looking for donations to help them complete it.

“Law has been comforted by the support we have received from high schools across the nation,” Interact Club advisor and guidance counselor Mrs. Haramis said. “This is an opportunity for us to pay it forward and let Arapahoe staff and students know our high school in Connecticut is thinking about them.”

Arapahoe High School said that anyone who donates, besides individuals and families, $500 or more will be given their own book in the library with the name on the spine and it will forever be kept there and proudly displayed on a bookshelf for everyone to see.

“It feels great to be able to give back to a school who experienced something similar to us,” senior Interact Club member Tiffany Coleman said.

The Interact Club and School Resource Officer Kiely came up with the idea of selling raffle tickets for $1.00.

Everyone who buys a ticket will make a guess for how many pieces of candy are in a jar and the closest guess will win the entire jar.

“I’m very excited to be a part of this fundraiser,” senior Chelsea Bernal said. “I think it will be cool to have a book with our school’s name on it across the country.”

The club will be selling the tickets May 26 to May 29 during all lunch periods.

Donations may be made to the Arapahoe High School Moving Forward Fund through credit cards and by check payable to the LPS Foundation.

For a slideshow of over 400 photos from “Peace, Love, and Music From Maren” click HERE.

By Kayla Patrick, Emily LaLuna, and Darby Hudd – Sports Editors

Thousands of people came together to celebrate the life of Maren Sanchez on Saturday, April 25.

“Peace, Love, and Music From Maren” took place at Jonathan Law High School from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The day marked the one year anniversary of the Maren’s passing.

All proceeds from this event went to the Maren Sanchez Scholarship Fund. An estimated $30,000 was raised throughout the day.

“We thought it was really important that we remember that this was about her, it was about the many things that she loved to do and the lives that she touched and continues to touch just in her memory,” Law principal  Fran Thompson said.

Opening remarks from Mayor Ben Blake, Milford Superintendent of Schools Dr. Elizabeth Feser, and Thompson officially opened the event.

The day started off with over 600 participants running a 5K Fun Run which began and ended at the school. The day also included a kickball tournament, a mural art competition, a raffle, live music all day, 18 bounce houses, 13 food trucks, and over a dozen local vendors.

The celebration took place near Maren’s Memory Garden. The purple garden, which now includes three benches, is open to the public and is often a spot for students to sit and during the day.

“Peace, Love, and Music From Maren” was coordinated by a committee made up of Thompson, Law history teacher Kelsey Burns, parents Elena Garet Herbert, Jessie and Mike Hudd, Karen Pasacreta, and more. The day was also very successful because of the generosity and volunteerism of students and members of the Milford community.

Several members of the Law faculty helped organize the kickball tournament which  took place on the softball field. The tournament featured 22 pre-registered teams, and former longtime Law football announcer Larry Kochiss was on hand to do play-by-play. The “Flat Foot Foosies” won the tournament and each member took home donated gift cards from the Shelton Sports Center.

“Winning the tournament was awesome and I had a lot of fun playing with my friends,” junior Nick Catandella said. “The best part was knowing we were celebrating Maren’s life at the same time.”

The mural art contest featured 4×4 foot pieces of masonite that the artists used to create their own design related to the event. There were a total of 14 artists that submitted their work.

Three murals were announced as winners and will now be displayed placed around Law. Other entries will also be displayed around Milford.

The raffle was put together by Jonathan Law’s Interact Club and prizes were sponsored by businesses around Milford. By the end of the day, all raffle tickets were sold out.

Each raffle basket was valued at least $500 or more. Among the prizes in the 30 baskets were a kayak, a laptop, a TV, a sound plate, and a grill.

“When we began reaching out to businesses to ask for assistance in fundraising for the raffle, we had no idea what to expect,” Law Interact Club advisor and guidance counselor Mrs. Haramis said. “The outpouring of support from businesses, community members, and our parents was tremendous. It was truly an amazing day.””

The stage was set up on the football field and featured live music throughout the day from local bands, Law students, the Law choir, and alumni. Seniors Rachel Escobar, Mick Murray, and Craig Calderone performed Saturday afternoon in honor of their friend who adored music and singing herself.

“Maren was all about ‘just doing it’, so I knew when I was given the opportunity to sing I couldn’t pass it up,” Escobar said. “I promised her that I would not let her be silenced and I meant it. I know she was singing with me through it all.”

Radio personality and Law alum Brian Smith served as the official Master of Ceremonies for the event.

The bounce house extravaganza was a great way to attract all ages to the celebration. Kids and teens enjoyed the bounce houses, the bull riding, the velcro wall, jousting, the obstacle courses, a bungee run, a slam dunk challenge, and more fun activities.

A wide variety of food trucks served food at the celebration to the attendees. The food trucks offered local favorites. Some trucks that attended were Poutine, Chompers, Cafe Romeo, Mama Dee’s Italian Kitchen, and more.

“The food trucks were so good and had all types of food that everyone would love,” senior Kelsey Kopazna said. “I had the strawberry cloud fried dough; hands down best fried dough ever.”

Several activity tents at the event were hosted by local organizations, student clubs, and teams. The Law softball and volleyball teams manned the dunk tank.

Vendors Flip Hair Salon, where Maren had worked, and the Title Boxing Club, where Maren was a member, were two local businesses who attended the event.

Other vendors offered face painting, Maren memory locks, cupcake decorating, henna tattoos, purple hair extensions, and more. Donations were suggested at individual booths.

“We wanted to have as many activities as possible for everyone to have fun and something to do,” Burns said.

The Maren memory locks were very popular for students and attendees at the celebration. Supporters were allowed to write anything they wanted on a lock and latched them to the fence on top of the hill leading to the athletic fields.

“Theresa Patrick who runs the junior post prom committee came up with the idea and she thought it would be a great last tribute to her,” Burns said.

Attendees of the celebration loved the event and had a lot of fun. Students and faculty thought it was a great way to spend the day.

“I was happy to see such a great turnout,” senior Jarrod Butts said. “The music and activities were an amazing tribute to Maren’s life.”

The senior class was thankful for the “Peace, Love, and Music From Maren” celebration for their fellow class member. The day was what Maren would want – with everyone together and smiling.

“To make it from her it was kind of like she was giving us this day, she was there with us for the weather and it was a really great day for everybody, a bunch of smiles,” Thompson said.

The following is a slideshow of all Twitter-submitted photos of Peace, Love, & Music From Maren. Additional photos taken by Editor-in-Chief Hayley Sanchez.

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(Photo courtesy twitter.com)

By Hayley Sanchez – Editor-in-Chief           

Jonathan Law seniors Dana Laufer and Jeffrey Eng recently won Outstanding Arts Awards.

Each year, the Connecticut Association of Schools hosts its Annual Arts Recognition Banquet to honor high school visual and performing arts students.

Laufer and Eng attended the recognition dinner at the Aqua Turf Club on April 6 along with Law principal Mr. Thomspon. Two seniors from each high school in Connecticut were represented at the dinner.

Laufer and Eng both received a plaque for excellence and distinguished service for their school.

Laufer won the award for Excellence in Visual Arts and for her leadership in her art class. She was chosen for the award by the art department at Law.

“I was really surprised that I got an award like that,” Laufer said. “I did not think I would get an award like that.”

Eng won the Outstanding Arts Award for his outstanding performance in the school band. He was chosen by the music department teachers.

“I really appreciated getting this award,” Eng said.

Each member school of the Connecticut Association of Schools selected two seniors who are outstanding in the areas of performing and/or visual arts. Some of the programs honored include art, dance, drama, or music.

(Photo by Emily Carroll)

By Emily Carroll – Staff Reporter

Sophomore Melissa Chodziutko got to be “Fran for a Day” at Law on April 10.

This year’s “Principal for a Day” contest was held as a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club. Students purchased tickets for $1 and over $200 was raised for charity.

“(This was) more about the cause than the event,” principal Mr. Thompson said.

While Thompson was following Chodziutko’s B Day class schedule like other students, Chodziutko and her dog Rocky were equipped with a walkie-talkie. She said that the walkie-talkie helped her find teachers and organize her day.

Chodziutko said she loved being “in charge” of the school.

“Everyone started referring to me as ‘Principal’ or ‘Miss Chodziutko’,” Chodziutko said.

Chodziutko learned that being principal is a busy job. She had to take notes, make observations, and stay focused.

“It’s not exactly easy, but it is fun,” said Chodziutko.

As Chodziutko patrolled the halls, Thompson took notes in class – and even took a math test.

“He (math teacher Mr. Hoggatt) saw me later in the day, shook his head, and said, ‘You took a math test and didn’t put any numbers for answers’,” Thompson said. “What can I say? I’m an English teacher.”

Thompson was dressed like a student and was following classroom rules, but Chodziutko decided to make the day fun by taking away his phone and sending him to the ISS room for a period.

“I wasn’t crazy about being sent to ISS but she was the boss,” Thompson said.

Some staff members thought the switch of positions between Chodziutko and Thompson was a nice change.

“School has never been run more efficient with Melissa at the realm, with Mr. Thompson in class, and Mr. Cavanna off on maternity leave,” joked Dean of Students Mr. Ragaini.

At the beginning of the day, Chodziutko made announcements introducing herself, wishing staff members a happy birthday, and most importantly, introducing Law’s newest student, Fran Thompson.

As much as Thompson hoped to get a student who had all English classes, he took over for a student who loved science. Since Chodziutko usually goes to Aqua in the afternoon, Thompson had half a day to change roles.

Overall, the day for fun for all involved.

“I am hoping Mr. Thompson can have (Melissa) cover in the future when he is out of the building for meetings,” Ragaini said.

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By Laura Gonzalez – News Editor

Law’s Science Club discovered just how much it has improved while competing at the 2015 UConn Science Olympiad on March 28.

Science Club members and advisors agreed the club has made unprecedented progress throughout the course of this year. They recently placed 35^th at the MIT Invitational and then jumped to 15^th place out of 40 teams at the UConn Science Olympiad.

The team won first place the “Mission Possible” event thanks to seniors Alessandra Alling and Rasheeda Samih.

“We had two first place medals so we didn’t go home empty. Last year and the year before we were totally blanked, we didn’t win anything,” said Law physics teacher and co-advisor of the club Mr. Stanton.  “And in other events, even those we didn’t place in, we got some fourths, eighths, and elevenths. So you figure there are about 40 teams, anytime you do above 20 or 21, you’re pretty much in the top half. It looked like in almost all the events we moved up a bit, or actually quite a bit. I would hope that next year we could find ourselves moving up to the top 10.”

Law chemistry teacher co-advisor Ms. Turcotte said competing at the MIT Invitational allowed members to gain the confidence, experience, and motivation that allowed them to compete with schools such as Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youths, The Taft School, Amity Regional High School, Richfield High School, Miss Porter’s School Home at the UConn Invitational.

“At the UConn Invitational we were more prepared since students got to learn from their mistakes at MIT and fix them for the Olympiad,” Turcotte said. “Especially for some of the building events, because they were given some feedback and they also got to what other more experienced teams were doing.”

Senior Sravya Jaladanki, the founder and third-year president of the Science Club described leaving the club as a “bittersweet” prospect, since it is a project she has put so much effort into.

“I try to stay on top of things as much as possible, whether it is communicating with Olympiad directors, sorting out trip logistics, or just being there as a source of moral support for my teammates,” Jaladanki said. “[Science Club] has been a huge part of high school for me and I’m really going to miss the team and the competitions. But I’m excited for college, and also can’t wait to see what the future has in store for the club.”

Alling and Samih also said leaving would be sad but they are excited to begin their college careers with all the experiences and knowledge they gained in the club. Of course, they are happy to leave on such a positive note.

“We were called up for having first place at the award ceremony at the end of the day. We were super excited about it,” Samih said.

After the MIT Olympiad, at which senior Kavita Rana placed first in the “Bungee Jump” event, and Alling and Samih took fourth place in “Mission Possible” they redesigned their machine to include two more energy sequences and while they were optimistic, first place seemed out of reach.

“I was cautiously optimistic. I was hoping we would place, but I really didn’t believe we would get first, just because all the teams there are so good. I was ecstatic when they called our team for first place,” Alling said.

As the club bids farewell to nine seniors, they hope that with their recent accomplishments will come more success and new enthusiastic members.

For the remainder of the year the club will be recruiting, planning for next year, and holding elections.

(Photo by Carol Phillips)

By Carol Phillips – News Editor

Law’s Badminton Club has reopened for the spring season.

The club stopped meeting for the winter due to winter practices being held inside both school gyms.

The goal of this spring is to gain more members so the club can finally have tournaments. These tournaments will be held with teams within Law’s club.

“It’s a great sport that brings people together,” Badminton Club president Nick Lawrence said. “We want to get more members, and we will not stop until most of Law has attended at least once.”

The club will meet on Tuesdays after school in the old gym. However, once May starts, the meetings will be on Fridays.

“We want to leave a legacy on this school in a fun, positive way,” senior club member Alberto Principe said.

Everyone in the club is very excited to start up the year again, especially the club advisor, Mr. Kravecs.

“I have immense trust in Nick with this club, and when he asked me (to be the advisor for the club), I said ‘yes’,” Kravecs said.

The Badminton Club’s main goal is to create a relaxing environment where students can escape the stress of school. Anyone who wants to join can, whatever day they want.

“It’s a good way to let off steam and with the rising stress levels, any way we can help is good,” Lawrence said. “It’s a casual-competitive fun, just a little fun with friends.”

By Ian Hugo – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law junior Jaret Petrie has recently been named as a finalist in a national photography contest.

There were over 17,000 entries in the contest, which was sponsored by Photographer’s Forum Magazine.

“I was ecstatic when I found out that my entry was a finalist considering the number of entries,” Petrie said.

Petrie’s photo will be published in the book Best of College & High School Photography 2015, a compilation of the work of winners, honorable mentions, and finalists published annually after the completion of that year’s contest.

Petrie cites his photography teacher, Mrs. Romanowski, as a driving force behind his photographic success.

“Mrs. Romanowski has helped me become a better photographer by critiquing my pictures in class,” Petrie said.

Romanowski’s critiques and Petrie’s hard work have gone hand in hand towards Petrie’s photographic success.

“Jaret works really hard to improve his photography skills and it shows,” Romanowski said. “I am so proud of him.”

Petrie’s photo, a silhouette of a fisherman wading in the water, is truly impressive and shines, just as the waves do in the reflection of the sun in Petrie’s photo.

“I had to wait for the sun to set so I could capture the silhouette of the fisherman,” Petrie said. “It was taken at Gulf Beach at around 6-7 p.m. when the sun was setting.”

Petrie says that the photo was not staged and that taking it was a process. It took Petrie multiple pictures with different settings to get the perfect shot.

As for the fisherman in the photo, Petrie says he doesn’t know what the man’s name is or who he is.

“I saw him fishing and I had to get the shot,” Petrie said.

This comes as no surprise, as Petrie says his favorite part about photography is taking pictures and capturing moments when he sees them.

As for next year, Petrie plans on entering this contest again but is also looking forward to entering the Spring Contest sponsored by Photographer’s Forum and already has one or two photos he plans on submitting.

Petrie hopes to continue photography throughout his life as a hobby or side job and pursue a minor degree in photography in college. He also plans on attending the New England School of Photography after he attends college and has a career.

In addition to this contest, another one of Petrie’s photos is currently being displayed at the SCC art show in New Haven.

“My advice is to just always have your camera with you because the perfect picture can be anywhere at any time and you should have your camera to capture the moment,” Petrie said.

Petrie cites his artistic influences as RiFF RAFF and Lil B from the Pack.

Petrie’s photo is pictured above. Visit pfmagazine.com for more information on this and upcoming photography contests such as this one.