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By Morgan Hennessey – Columns Editor

The Jonathan Law community celebrated a holiday this season which demonstrated the immense amount of spirit and respect found at the school.

The holiday, deemed “Lawmas,” consisted of a door decorating contest, an ugly holiday-themed sweater contest, and a lip dub video to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For [Lawmas] Is You.”

“Lawmas is such a special time of year, it makes us realize how much we love everything about Law,” said Dean of Students Mr. Ragaini. “We love the teachers, the students, the faculty, school spirit and the Law community in general.”

Advisory classes decorated the hallway outside of their classrooms to show not only winter themes of snow and lights but also school spirit.

“We have finally found a way for us all to celebrate during the holiday season and still have respect for all the diversity found in our school,” science teacher Mrs. Bouchard said.

Some decorations expressed all of the students and faculty love about Law. Other decorations promoted respect and love in the school.

“The door decorating contest was just so neat,” said senior Zachary Mullins. “It made the hallway look great and it sent a positive message.”

The music video created by senior Phoebe Herbert was a hit among the school as well as the entire Milford community, with over a thousand hits on Eagle Eye News’ Dailymotion account.

“It was a great way to fit school spirit into the holiday season,” said senior Brittany Bajerski.

The ugly sweater contest took place on the last day of classes before break. Many students and faculty members took part and it was a great final celebration of Lawmas.

“Lawmas was SNOW much fun,” said junior Katie Sabo. “It brought the school together to celebrate our own holiday and I think our school has become a more family-oriented place because of it.”

By Michaela Pounds – Entertainment Editor

The Jonathan Law Key Club has recently completed its annual poinsettia sale and Salvation Army fundraiser.

The poinsettias were sold for the Kiwanis as a fundraiser. This year, the Law Key Club sold 104 poinsettias. The number of poinsettias sold was greater than the sales at Foran and Lauralton High.

The Salvation Army is an organization that raises money to help those in need by providing them with hold of food, shelter, and other donations. The Key Club fundraises for the Salvation Army every year.

“My favorite part of volunteering for Salvation Army was that there were so many people who told us their personal connections and why they think Salvation Army is such an important charity,” Key Club secretary Haley Palmer said. “It really helped put exactly what we were doing and what we were volunteering for into perspective.”

The Key Club volunteers for the Salvation Army by ringing a bell outside of Stop and Shop from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

“I think volunteering for the Salvation Army is fun; it’s a good feeling when someone donates money cause I know it’s going to a better cause,” Key Club bulletin editor Carol Phillips said. “It’s good to know you’re making a difference by ringing a bell.”

All of the members in Jonathan Law key club are permitted to take part in volunteering for the Salvation Army to help fundraise.

“The Salvation Army teaches our students good responsibility and helps them care for the community,” Key Club advisor Mr. Boynton said. “There are so many factions that the Salvation Army contributes to. Having the students volunteer by ringing the bell and receiving donations can mean a meal for a family or a heating bill paid. This opens students’ eyes, because some families have it better than others.”

The holiday season is all about giving and helping others. The Key Club has been volunteering for the Salvation Army for 12 years.

“I believe it is a good thing that our Key Club takes part in the Salvation Army because the money we raise helps out thousands of people and families, and to see the generosity of people, especially during the holiday season, is amazing,” Key Club president Alexis Maltes said.

This year, the Key Club has raised over $3,000 for the Salvation Army. This money will help benefit many families who need the support. The students are all proud to say they were involved in raising this money.

(Photo by Hayley Sanchez)

By Hayley Sanchez – Editor-in-Chief

Law’s Model U.N. Club hosted their first annual “International Eatery” on December 19 to help raise money for the club’s trip in March to New York City.

The eatery had a ton of food from many different nationalities.

The lunch consisted of many different dishes and desserts from around the world for all the students and faculty to try during their lunch waves.  The club was able to raise over $500 between all three lunch waves.

“Students got to come eat the food offered instead of eating the school lunch,” senior president Sofya Calvin said.  “Local businesses and students in club all donated food from all nationalities.”

The cost to get one plate of food was $5. All of the money is going to help fund a field trip the club is taking later this year.

There were many different kinds of rice and pasta dishes that were offered and local businesses such as Papa’s Pizza donated pizza for the event.  Other local businesses such as Honey Spot and Napoli also donated food for the eatery.

The event took a lot of planning and club members had to make sure there was enough food for all three lunch waves.

“The students did really well and felt strongly about the event,” Model U.N. Club co-advisor Ms. Burns said.  “They all worked hard to create the event and did a great job.”

The club hosted the eatery to help pay for a trip to New York City in March where they will meet with other high school Model UN students from the U.S. and around the world.  This will be the second year that the club will be going on this trip.

“The eatery was entirely student run which was pretty remarkable,” Model U.N. co-advisor Mr. Evanko said.  “I’m extremely passionate about the club and I am glad that there are students who are excited about the club and want to participate.”

The food was buffet style where the students were able to fill up their plates with as much as they wanted and were able to sit with friends in the auditorium and eat their lunch there.

The eatery gave students different options of food to try instead of bringing in their own food or eating the lunch offered at school.

(Photo by Carol Phillips)

By Carol Phillips – News Editor

Law’s National Honor Society hosted the Giving Tree once again this year.

The Giving Tree, which is located in the main lobby, features gift tags that indicate what presents children within our community want for the holidays.  All donations are anonymous so anyone was able to donate whatever they could.

This year, over 100 gifts were collected for 50 children in the community.

“It’s a great way to spread the holiday spirit,” NHS president Sofya Calvin said.

The purpose of the drive is to connect the community and give back during the holiday season.  Law partners with Bridges in Milford and fills the lists of the children within the community.

“People want to give back but don’t know how,” Calvin said.  “No one realizes that one gift makes a difference, and it is a big difference to those kids.”

The Giving Tree started in the beginning of December and ended Tuesday, December 16.  Law’s students, faculty, and family members all helped purchase the gifts the children wanted for the holidays.

On December 18, the counselors from Bridges came in to pick up all of the gifts for their children.  All of the gifts received were well though-out and each child got everything they asked for on the list.

“These kids have something to looks forward to now in the holiday season,” NHS secretary Raeven Grant said.

The NHS looks forward to hosting the Giving Tree in the future.

“It is a really nice program and it helps foster peoples generosity,” NHS member Rasheeda Samih said.

(Photo courtesy amazon.com)

By Ian Hugo – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law has had a new club this year which is looking to take the school by storm: Video Game Club.

Video Game Club, which meets every Tuesday after school in Room 198, is headed by Jonathan Law math teacher Mr. Ruzbarsky. The purpose of Video Game Club is for people to get together, create strategies for certain games, and to play them as well.

“Everyone in this day and age plays video games at some level,” Ruzbarsky said.  “I wanted to start a club that could bring people from all sorts of backgrounds together and share in our common interests.”

Any game that is school appropriate is fair game, and students can expect to be playing on consoles such as the Xbox 360/Xbox One, Playstation 3/Playstation 4, and even the occasional throwback to old-school consoles such as Atari.

The club seems to be very popular with students, with around 15-20 students showing up after school each Tuesday, eager to see which game they will be playing next.

“I really like it, you play a lot of games on different consoles,” senior Ernest Gonzales said. “You don’t just play on a modern console, you can play on Atari, Nintendo 64, and Gamecube.”

Ruzbarsky got the inspiration to start this club after watching eSports and seeing a highlight of a teacher who started a club for the extremely popular computer game called “League of Legends.” “League of Legends” has quickly become the most popular game in the eSports community in the past four years, requiring huge amounts of teamwork and strategy.

“My inspiration came from [League of Legends] to start a club where students can play together,” Ruzbarsky said.

Ruzbarsky, an avid gamer, is currently very involved with League of Legends, a game he describes as being not only cooperatively based, but also very individually based, as well as several app titles, such as “Clash of Clans,” “Boom Beach,” “Brave Frontier,” and “Marvel Contest of Champions.” Ruzbarsky has also been involved with MMO games such as “World of Warcraft,” “Ultima,” and “Everquest.”

In terms of long term plans for Video Game Club, Ruzbarsky says his initial goals are to have end of the year tournaments and have students compete for the title of champion of various games for the year.

Ruzbarsky isn’t prepared to stop there, though. He is hoping that in the future there will be some sort of league where students from surrounding schools can get together and compete against each other in various video games, just as any other sport or extracurricular activity does.

Most importantly, students should know that Video Game Club is open to everyone and a great way to have fun and make new friends.

“It’s a great time to just come and relax and share in what everyone enjoys,” Ruzbarsky said.

(Photo by Laura Gonzalez)

By Laura Gonzalez – News Editor

Jonathan Law and Foran High School joined forces withBarnes and Noble once again for their annual holiday book fair on Sunday, December 14.

Schools and other nonprofit organizations have been pairing up with Barnes and Noble to encourage students and adults to join in on the love of books and literature.

“It’s a win-win partnership because the schools get to earn money in a fun and party-like atmosphere,” said Karen Dydzuhn, Barnes and Noble’s Business Development Manager.

Barnes and Nobles provides a location, a variety of products, and personalized support by Dydzuhn. The store also sets up the fair and advertises it to the public.

This year’s holiday fair included an arts and crafts table, face painting, student artwork, a raffle, Christmas carolers, a gift wrapping table, and meet and greet by some children authors, including Mr. Woodbridge, a Latin teacher at Foran, and his wife.

“This being the holidays and there being a lot of people out shopping for the holidays with their kids and families we thought we would do a more family oriented event,” said Mrs. Briggs, Law’s Library Media Specialist.

(Photo by Laura Gonzalez)

Ten percent of all purchases (including the Starbucks café and online purchases made until December 19) made by each school’s supporters is given to the school’s media center as Barnes and Noble gift certificates, which are used to purchase new books and make any special requests for students.

“I think the student turn out is great this is the first time I’ve had nearly this many Foran students,” said Foran’s Library Media Specialist Mr. Pellegrino. “Usually I don’t get too many volunteers to come, so I think it’s been wonderful, and everyone seems to be having a good time.”

Mrs. Nancy Garfield Woodbridge, author of “Daniel’s Return,” “Hilary and the Secret Skulls,” “A Bouquet of Fairy Tales,” and other children’s books, also expressed her surprise at the large amount of students and adults.

“I was surprised to see so many people her today. It’s great,” Woodbridge said. “I write children’s books which a number of people might have an interest in, so I wanted to be here.”

Each school brought student volunteers to help with guidance and at stations with face painting and arts and crafts.

“I love supporting Law, and I think it’s great that we can get money for our school to support us,” said Law freshman Dominick Buccitti.

All the volunteers said they were glad to see so many people and so many activities, and they were proud to be able help their schools in such a simple and fun way.

“I wanted to help at the book fair because I really care about my school and its library, and I wanted to help raise some money to make them better,” said Foran junior Emma Bromley.

(Photo courtesy Zoe Taylor)

By Michaela Pounds – Staff Reporter

Homecoming turned out to be more exciting than usual this year, with many creative Homecoming proposals and students buying more tickets than ever before.

Some of the well-thought out proposals included Jeremy Doucette’s “Homecoming?” sign in the student parking lot, and R.J. Lynch asking Kelly Scianna with a football that said, “Will you tackle homecoming with me?”

“The homecoming proposals were cute and romantic,” senior Ismar Junuovic said. “I wish I was asked.”

The dance was organized by senior class officers Sofya Calvin, Ben Longobardi, Ming-Yeah Hu, Kelsey Kopazna, Mathilda Hill, and Nina Martinez as well as senior class advisor Mrs. Kovacs.

“Seeing the positive response from Homecoming was the best part about putting it together,” Calvin said. “In previous years I’ve noticed that people said Homecoming was boring, but this year there was a great turnout and people had an enjoyable time.”

Homecoming was held in the cafeteria, and the senior café was filled with beverages and snacks that students could purchase. There were 440 students who purchased tickets and came to the dance.

The senior café became a good place to relax when dancing became too tiring.

Students agreed that they enjoyed their time at Homecoming this year.

“The best part of Homecoming was getting to dance with everyone, and I had a fun time with my friends,” senior Chelsea Bernal said.

Freshmen who attended their first Homecoming were excited and surprised about how fun the dance was.

“I’m so glad I came to Law,” freshman Chloe McCullough said. “I already feel like part of the family because of all the new friends I’ve made and the awesome time I had at Homecoming.”

Students said that the dance had awesome music as well. Seniors Craig Calderone and Mick Murray helped to DJ the event.

“During my freshman year there weren’t that many kids,” senior Morgan Colombo said. “Compared to this year, there were more people and more decorations, so everyone had more fun.”

(Photo courtesy Milford Board of Education)

By Hayley Sanchez – Editor-in-Chief

Midterm exam week is going to look a little different at Jonathan Law this year.

In previous years, the schedule for midterms was five consecutive half days with two midterms per day, with students leaving after they had completed their midterms for that given day. In January, midterm week will be held, but students will take exams for part of the day, and then go to class the rest of the day.

“I believe that the district feels more instruction time will benefit all students,” Law principal Mr. Thompson said.  “I feel that any time students can be in class with teachers is beneficial.”

With the new midterm schedule there will not be any half days and the exams will alternate between class periods.  The grade that the students receive on the exam will be calculated into their second marking period and will no longer count as 10 percent of their year-end average.

The primary reason behind these changes is to increase the amount of time students spend in class.

“I really like the fact that students can take eight courses now,” Assistant Superintendent Mr. Cummings said.  “I am concerned though that there is less instructional time in each of those classes.  On the midterm schedule, I do think more time in class is good for learning.”

The exams will be given out on the “E” and “F” day schedules where the Tuesday and Wednesday of midterm week are “E” days, and the Thursday and Friday of midterm week are “F” days.

Exam periods will be 88 minutes, not two hours like in previous years.

The exams will start on Tuesday, January 13, 2015, when students will take their first and fifth period class exam. Between the two exams students will go to their third period class, and after the fifth period exam, students will report to their seventh period class.

The opposite will happen on Wednesday, when students take their third and seventh period class exam. Before students take their third period exam, they report to their first period class, and after they take their third period exam, the students will go to their fifth period class before going to the seventh period exam.

On Thursday, students will take their second and sixth period exam but also report to their fourth and eighth period class.  The opposite will happen on the Friday where the students will take their fourth and eighth period class exam and will go to their second and sixth period class.

Make-ups for the exams must be arranged between the teacher and students and if a common time cannot be agreed upon, the school will arrange a time for make-ups.

Many students and teachers are taking a wait-and-see approach to the new schedule.

“New things are always met with questions and anxiety,” health teacher Mr. Sweeney said. “We will have to see how it plays out to really have an opinion or perspective on the new midterm schedule.”

All courses will have an exam except for those who have been exempt from exams in the past.  Seniors that are CAPT scholars, have an average of a B+ or better in the class, and no cuts are exempt from taking the final exam for semester courses.

While most students seem receptive to the changes, others were a little concerned with the timing of the announcement.

“I’m not a fan that the schedule is being changed this far into the year,” senior Carol Phillips said. “It’s nerve-racking that we don’t know really what is going on when midterms are coming up in about a month.”

(Photo courtesy dailymotion.com)

By Carol Phillips – News Editor

Jonathan Law celebrated Veterans Day twice this year.

On Tuesday, November 11, the morning began with a special episode of Eagle Eye News that included three special guests.

Sophomore Sarah Golden sang the National Anthem, and then Sergeant Kyle Stafford, who is a full-time National Guard soldier, and retired Air Force member Mike Thibodeau joined host Melissa Hanania on set.

Sergeant Stafford spoke about his experiences in Afghanistan and how being in the military shaped him as a person.

“Just the things that I’m able to withstand and deal with on a personal level, I’ve been able to deal with them,” Sergeant Stafford said. “It shows me a lot about myself and what I can do and how I can go about doing things.”

Thibodeau also shared his thoughts on Veterans Day and what the holiday means to him.

“It’s a mixed feeling; it’s sad to say you have to think about the ones who have passed and the ones who are still coming up,” Thibodeau said. “And there’s a lot of stuff going on in the world where you need them.”

During common time, students throughout the school participated in an activity where they wrote a message to veterans on strips of red, white, or blue paper. These strips then were linked together to make a large chain and was given to the VFW of Milford.

“I thought that writing to the veterans was very important because they deserve recognition for all that they have accomplished and am glad I was able to thank them,” senior Michaela Pounds said.

On Eagle Eye News, Dean of Students Mr. Ragaini asked students to “think about the men and women in our armed services who have served the country in peace and war and the sacrifices they’ve made to defend our country.”

On Wednesday, November 12, Law invited two very important men to come talk to selected history classes. Both men shared stories about their experiences in World War II.

Walter “Bud” Smith is a 90 year old World War II veteran who was a part of the Battle of the Bulge and a Prisoner of War.

His job was to scout the German tanks. He jumped into a foxhole with some other soldiers for protection, and soon after a German soldier put a gun to the back of his head and captured them. He was a POW for over five months.

The other man was Lou, a 93 year old World War II veteran. He was a tank destroyer, and his job was to hold a road in Belgium and not let any German soldiers advance.

These two men met at a club playing golf and have been friends ever since.

“I thought the two gentlemen that came and spoke to us were really cute and inspiring,” senior Hayley Sanchez said. “What they said actually has some importance to me in the fact that I have a lot of family in the military.”

Here is a slideshow of all of the Homecoming invites that were sent to us on Twitter.

Some creative stuff…

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By Laura Gonzalez – News Editor

Jonathan Law’s award-winning marching band and color guard finished their seasons on a high key.

The band and guard, which have a total of 43 members (32 band and 11 guard), earned two first places and four second places over the course of their competition season.

Mr. Marino, the band and guard director, said he is very pleased with the effort put in this season and he feels the results are a good reflection of this, but most of all he is glad students enjoyed themselves.

“The kids seemed to have had a lot of fun this year,” Marino said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Marino listed some of his key players as Caitlynn Murphy on drums, April Ospina on saxophone, Max Caserta on trombone and guitar, Gabe Tan on trumpet, Jeffrey Eng on clarinet, and Jaime Georgelos on keys.

Caserta, a junior and an aspiring musician, said he too was impressed with the group effort and cooperation between band members and Marino.

“The band as a whole, every year comes such a long way from the beginning of the season. We are learning musical techniques every year from Mr. Marino,” said Caserta. “And at every competition the band does something to get better, whether it’s listening to see if we are in tune or paying attention to the tempo.

Amanda Norman, also a junior and third-year band member, agreed with this comment and complimented the freshman class’ improvement over the course of the year.

“Everyone worked really hard this season to improve their sound and their marching; the freshmen especially came a long way since the beginning of band camp,” said Amanda Norman.

Band and guard hold their practices twice a week during marching season, usually from 7 to 9 p.m., and they compete on Saturdays. They also performed at citywide parades, including the Veterans’ Day Parade and this year’s Milford 375^th Anniversary Parade.

This year will complete Marino’s 27^th year as band director and he said his wish for the future is to see more students involved in band and guard.

“This season was hard because overall membership was down which detracts from the sound of a marching band, but we were constantly striving to improve,” said Georgelos, a senior and pit section leader. “Our score went up every week, and we gained about 10 points over the course of the season.”

Band and guard members also recently paid a visit to West Shore Middle School to play a show and to recruit new members. They welcome both experienced and unexperienced students.

Paris Ramirez, a West Shore eight grade student who plays with the Law band, said band has help him on both a personal and a musical level.

“I used to be a person who just plays games, but ever since I joined the marching it has made me more active and social,” Ramirez said. “I’ve learned along the way. I learned all the notes around two weeks because (the section leaders) teach me every day.”

Both band and guard members describe the band as a second family that they are proud to be part of and that they wish to continue with through their high school careers.

“Overall, everyone in band gets along very well, shares blankets at the competitions, which get very cold, and generally looks out for one another because we recognize the importance of working as a team and as a unit (after all, this is marching band- we have to be in unison),” Georgelos said.

Junior color guard member Megan Casey said she loves being part of the band and color guard family.

“I want to be a part of band because it’s like a little family… and I’ve never had more fun in my life,” said Casey. “Yes, you have to work hard but the reward is definitely worth it.”

Now that they have finished with competitions, the band will continue to play at Friday night football games.

They have their last show of the year on November 27 at the Law vs. Foran Thanksgiving Day football game and will then reunite for the St. Patrick’s Day and the Memorial Day parades.

(Photo by Valeria Araujo)

By Malena Araujo – Staff Reporter

Mr. Evanko is more than a history teacher to many students at Jonathan Law.

Evanko teaches Modern World History and AP Government.  Along with teaching, he co-advises many clubs and is open to advising more.

He is a teacher that is interested in helping all students.

“I feel like I can go to Mr. Evanko for anything,” sophomore Valeria Araujo said. “He is a great teacher.”

Ever since Evanko was in eighth grade he knew he wanted to be a teacher. In high school, he wanted to be a college professor until he started his course work where he became more interested in working with high school students.

“I’ve really grown into it since then,” Evanko said

Evanko was well-known at Law his first year by former West Shore students who came to Law the same year Evanko did.

“I’ve had Mr. Evanko since eighth grade and he’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever had,” sophomore Cedrick Riguad said.

Evanko recruited many students for AP Government simply by making history fascinating for them.

“Mr. Evanko sparked my interest in government,” junior Camila Araujo said. “That’s why I took the course.”

Evanko co-advises Law’s Model U.N., a very popular club at Law, along with Ms. Burns. Many students admire his dedication for the club.

“He is a great advisor for the Model U.N. because he is always on top of things,” sophomore Nicole Kopek said.

Another club Evanko co-advises is the Debate Club alongside Miss Mannion.

Evanko ensures that the debates are interesting, educational, and relevant to the club-members’ lives. His main priority is to make the club engaging for all students.

“He is lenient enough for the members to be able to pick the topic of debate and choose the format we prefer,” secretary of Debate Club Tiffany Carlson said.

The final club that Evanko advises is the Gay Straight-Alliance with Mannion and Burns. The club focuses on gay culture and acceptance.

“He does a great job at creating a safe, judgment free zone for us all,” junior Casey McDonald said.

Another huge topic of conversation surrounding Evanko is his sense of style.

“He mixes it up with his socks,” sophomore Vanoulith Sirisouk said.

Evanko said his fashion sense comes generally from his sisters.

“His style is always so snazzy,” sophomore class president Nisali Fernando said. “You never know what he’s going to wear next when he walks down the hallway.”

(Photo courtesy Mr. Sweeney)

By Emily Kifer – Staff Reporter

Mr. Sweeney is not only a father and husband at home; he is also a dedicated member of the Law community.

Sweeney teaches Health Education to freshmen and Substance Abuse to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Sweeney grew up playing baseball which soon became his number one career choice; however, his wife recommended that he finished getting his degree in teaching as a back-up plan.

“I am very happy I took her advice,” Sweeney said.

Even though Sweeney did not entirely fulfill his baseball career the way he dreamt, his love for the game never stopped. Soon after Sweeney began teaching at Law, he coached the school’s varsity baseball team as well as a travel team outside of Law.

“My overall favorite experience at Law was the year we won states,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney is a role model for countless students at Law. His door is always open when students need help, even if they have never had him as a teacher.

“Sweeney is an overall amazing guy,” junior Kyle Frey said. “He has helped me a lot in general and with baseball. He’s really caring and I view him as a role model.”

Throughout Sweeney’s life, he has learned a lot about how to act and how to handle adversity, which makes him one of the easiest people to talk to. Sweeney said he tries to do everything in his life with 100 percent effort, and he wishes for everyone to do the same.

“What is good for one person is deplorable for another, so I just try to smile, and give people a reason to be decent and happy,” Sweeney said. “Everyone should have class and character.”

Many students said that they respect Sweeney because he shows that he truly cares about his students.

“I view Mr. Sweeney with respect because he likes to help people out and influence them for the better,” junior Anthony Ferrara said. “He is not like any other teacher. He treats you with respect as a person, not only a student.”

At home and at school, Sweeney said he tries to accomplish everything with a smile on his face.

“I love impacting the lives of others and helping everyone in need,” Sweeney said. “Those who have helped me made me who I am today.”

(Photo courtesy Pat Daniels)

By Briana Peters – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Unified Sports program is headed towards an exciting year of playing sports and creating long-lasting friendships.

There are 20 members (including students and adults) that have signed up for Unified Sports this year. The group meets every Monday and Thursday from 2-3 p.m.

“It’s a program that has regular education students paired up with students with special needs to play sports,” said Mrs. Daniels, the director of Law’s Unified Sports team. “Typically, these are sports students would not normally play.”

Last month, Law’s Unified Sports team won a prestigious award. On October 1, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference gave Law an award for their dedication to providing activities and opportunities for the children.

The team also has to choose one athlete to receive the Spirit of Life Award, which is an award that recognizes that athlete’s accomplishments.

“Perseverance and courage demonstrates the championship spirit that is synonymous with Special Olympics,” George Synnott, the director of Unified Sports, said.

The athlete that is selected and his or her parent are invited to the Hall of Fame Dinner on Wednesday, March 25, 2015, at 6 p.m. at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington.

“The goal of the club is students, athletes and partners to learn new skills and make new friendships,” Pat Daniels said.

The team began their year with soccer in September, which last until the beginning of November. After soccer is Wiffle ball from November to January and basketball from January to March. Basketball is a favorite for many players.

“I like soccer and basketball,” Robert Daniels, an athlete on the Unified Sports team said. “Sometimes in basketball we have cheerleaders.”

The program includes other activities such as clinics with the softball team, boys basketball team, and girls basketball team, as well as bowling in February.

For soccer, the group had two tournaments. One was at Amity Regional High School on October 16 in Orange and another was on November 3 at Staples High School in Westport.

Thirteen schools participated in the SCC Unified Sports Soccer Tournaments at Amity High, including Jonathan Law, Amity, West Haven, Daniel Hand, Branford, East Haven, Guilford, Cheshire, North Haven, Hamden, Wilbur Cross, Hillhouse and Foran.

“I joined Unified Sports so I can be a part of a team with all of my friends,” said Edwin Gonzalez, an athlete on the Unified Sports team.

Law will host two basketball tournaments in January 2015.

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By Valeria Araujo – Staff Reporter

This year’s Halloween Costume Contest was filled with zombies and killers and Kravecses galore.

On Halloween, Law’s National Honor Society members sponsored their annual contest. The proceeds raised at the event benefited the Giving Tree.

“It was a great success,” said National Honor Society member Sofya Calvin. “It was a blast seeing all of the law community dressed up and in spirit.”

The contest raised over $140 for the Giving Tree. The Giving Tree will be placed in the lobby in December in conjunction with Bridges of Milford. On the tree are gift ideas that are on the Christmas lists of underprivileged children in the community.

The goal is to get people from the Law community to purchase at least one item from the tree. People give the gifts to the National Honor Society and members then wrap and deliver the gifts to the families.

If there are still toys that have not been purchased at the end of the month, the National Honor Society will use the funds raised by the Costume Contest to buy the remaining gifts.

Members of the National Honor Society said that the contest went swimmingly; however, there is always room for improvement.

“In the future we could possibly add more categories to the costume contest, in addition to the four we have now,” said National Honor Society member Sravya Jaladanki.

National Honor Society members hope next year they could promote the Costume Contest more and have a big turnout just like their other events, like the Brain Bowl.

“Everything we do is purely for the community and not only that, but you also get the opportunity to see the direct impact of your services,” Calvin said. “We get the privilege of working with big organizations that make a huge difference in the world so the service we do is much more than just volunteering at a county fair or local school events.”

National Honor Society advisor Ms. Turcotte was very pleased with how the contest went and will continue to host the contest in the future

“(People) seem to enjoy it and we have fun as well,” Turcotte said.

(Photo courtesy Darby Hudd)

By Emily Carroll – Staff Reporter

Darby Hudd is one of Law’s brightest stars.

Hudd is an active member of the Law community and works hard every day to balance school, cheerleading, and other activities she’s involved in.

“Darby really is everything that a Jonathan Law student should be,” Law principal Mr. Thompson said. “She works hard, loves her school, is involved in so many activities, and is a great kid.”

High school seniors like Hudd are beginning to make some of the biggest decisions of their lives. Hudd said that she is trying to stay focused and prepared for all of the responsibilities of senior year.

She’s also trying to have fun despite a very busy schedule.

“The beginning of senior year is stressful because you’re applying to colleges and adjusting to being a senior, but I’m really trying to enjoy this year with my friends and I’m looking forward to all the events we have as seniors,” Hudd said.

Between having to keep up with eight classes, Hudd is captain of the cheerleading team for the second straight year, and is also treasurer of the Interact Club.

“School always comes first and it feels like if I’m not doing homework I’m cheering, but I always try to find time for my friends and boyfriend,” Hudd said.

Hudd has been a UCA All-American three years in a row. She was named All-State as a junior and was asked to try out for the UCA staff this summer at a camp.

“She is such a great role model for the team by always working hard and trying new things,” Law cheerleading coach Mrs. Etense said. “She’s positive and pushes herself to get new skills.”

As a cheerleading captain, Hudd is always trying to make the team better by coordinating team bonding and always encouraging people to do new skills.

“Darby is an outstanding captain,” Etense said. “She has shown leadership potential since the beginning of her Law cheerleading career.”

Hudd’s role as treasurer of the Interact Club is handling money for events such as Oktoberfest and the Milford tree lighting downtown.

“I love volunteering and helping other people,” Hudd said.

Throughout Hudd’s high school career she has succeeded in the classroom as well, earning second and first honors.

“I think she works equally hard at both cheer and school,” senior Maggie Williams said. “She works hard at anything she does.”

Hudd has been looking at colleges in and out of state and said that she’s excited but nervous about the application process. She said that it is scary to think that this time next year she will be a freshman in college.

“I think I’m going to miss the teachers most at Law,” Hudd said. “The atmosphere at Law is like a family and I don’t think you could find it anywhere else.”

(Photo courtesy yalescientific.org)

By Ian Hugo – Staff Reporter

Law junior Amita Sastry recently placed first in a nationwide essay-writing contest.

The contest, sponsored by the Yale Scientific Magazine, was open to students across the United States. Students were required to discuss how scientists have attained success by breaking convention.

“I decided to enter the contest because I had a lot of ideas that I thought would be interesting to share,” said Sastry. “I felt that it would be an enriching experience in terms of scientific inquiry as well as essay writing.”

Only after several drafts and receiving helpful comments from others was Sastry ready to submit her final piece.

“Although the ideas came easily, it was definitely a challenge to put them all together in a cohesive piece that flowed smoothly,” Sastry said.

Sastry learned of the contest from her ninth grade biology teacher Mrs. Mercaldi, and listed Mercaldi and Sastry’s own sister Siri (who is currently studying at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in Manhattan) as people who were influential in her success in this contest.

“My sister Siri offered her help in proofreading my essay and making it great,” Sastry said.

Sastry said that when she received the email saying that she had won she was “both shocked and overjoyed upon reading that I was so successful.”

Sastry said she immediately forwarded the email to her family with a message thanking them for all their help and support in the essay-writing process.

In her essay, Sastry wrote about an idea she has to invent something that would allow humans to take a picture of something with their eye and then be able to transfer the images from their eye to a computer.

“I’ve been interested in the eyes and ophthalmology from a young age, and I’ve always thought it would be cool to be able to take photographs with our own eyes,” said Sastry. “I’ve seen so many phenomena that are simply impossible to capture authentically with a camera that I’ve wished I could snap a picture in real time.”

While this idea may seem far-fetched to some, with bright young minds like Sastry, something like this may be just around the corner.

After winning the contest, Sastry received a t-shirt with the Yale synapse logo on it, a certificate of achievement, and a copy of the Yale Scientific Magazine with her published essay inside.

“I wasn’t sure that I would be so lucky as to win first place, but I enjoyed the process of writing the piece nonetheless,” said Sastry.

Read Sastry’s winning essay online here: http://www.yalescientific.org/essay-contest/winning-essay/

(Photo by Laura Gonzalez)

By Laura Gonzalez – News Editor

A new club is greeting the Jonathan Law community with a warm “Hola.”

The latest addition to Law’s extensive list of clubs is the Spanish Club. It will be directed by Spanish teacher Mr. May and will be held every C Day during common time in Room 201.

May  thinks the club will not only be a good supplement to classroom teaching but also an opportunity to meet other students while discussing topics that interest them, in Spanish, of course.

“I think speaking is a very important part of learning a culture, learning a language,” May said. “At Law we have a lot of students that are native Spanish speakers and we have a lot of students who are learning Spanish and I think it’d be very helpful to introduce those two communities and have a place where we can chat in Spanish.”

May has several ideas for the club but is currently focusing on increasing awareness about the club and recruiting members.

“I would love to see the club grow and expand,” senior and club member Jewel Okwuosa said.

May hopes to bring to Law a practice he learned during his time spent in Spain. He wants a club where members come up with topics they want to discuss and break off into groups based on their topics of interest.

The club has already gained the interest of several students with its alternative structure.

“I think that the Spanish Club’s vision of collaboration in diversity is pretty interesting and out there,” junior and club member Stephany Acero said. “Working together to create a project that will captivate people’s attention and challenge their intellectual skills is a pretty good idea.”

The club hopes to unite native speakers and non-native speakers with Spanish and non-Spanish students.

May said he looks forward to having students make friends and seeing students practice Spanish outside of the classroom, and even outside of school.

(Photo by Ismar Junuzovic)

By Ismar Junuzovic – Entertainment Editor

Retail 101 recently visited at Jonathan Law and it was a rousing success.

The event was held the entire weekend of October 17-19 in the Law gym. Its purpose was to raise money for the junior class’ post-prom.

Hundreds of clothing items were brought to the school and sold at discount prices. Clothing items ranged from shoes, pants, sweaters, belts, and even hats. Brands available included American Eagle, New Balance, Nike and more.

“I had a great time,” senior volunteer Pat O’Brien said “It was nice to do something that helps the school while also having fun.”

The entire premise of Retail 101 is very simple: it saves people money. Everything is neatly organized and particular clothing items and brands being together.

“It was really easy to find what I was looking for, and I saved a lot more money than if I chose to go the mall instead,” senior Max Slusky said.

Teenagers are always in search of ways to save money on clothing, so Retail 101 was perfect because prices were incredibly low but were also high quality.

“I bought a pair of Vans for $30 that was originally $70 when I checked on their website,” senior Morgan Hennessey said.

Retail 101 provided a calm and helpful atmosphere for those looking to purchase clothing for themselves or for other people.

“I received great customer service, and it was an extremely easy process to get what I wanted,” senior Emily LaLuna said.

There were plenty of opportunities for those who attended to fill their closets with things they may need or even some fun accessories that aren’t worth paying full price for.

“I was able to buy an enormous amount of clothes, even some on the funnier side, while still saving money,” senior Sean Rice said.

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By Hayley Sanchez – Editor-in-Chief

The wind chime sang a beautiful tune as the commemoration of Maren’s Memory Garden began.

At that moment, no one could hold back a smile as everyone in attendance remembered Maren Sanchez and how she positively affected their lives.

The garden, which was officially dedicated in a ceremony on Wednesday, October 22, overlooks the baseball and softball fields and is placed so that the faculty and students of Jonathan Law can enjoy the garden when they have free time or when they need to relax.

The ceremony was hosted by Law principal Mr. Thompson and was attended by close to 200 people.

“I think that it was a nice ceremony to remember Maren, she will never be forgotten,” senior Kayla Patrick said.  “My friends and I are excited to use the garden and it will be beautiful in the spring.”

There was a generous amount of support that came from many people in Milford to help create the garden. All of the elements of the garden were donated by local businesses.

The most stunning part of the garden is a stained glass weeping heart that hangs on the edge of the school building. As a whole, the garden is a fitting tribute to Maren.

“Various parts of the garden remind me so much of whom Maren was and is comprised of what a great women who was so much a part of us,” Law principal Mr. Thompson said.

Through this tragedy, Thompson said, the Law and Milford communities came together to celebrate and commemorate an amazing girl that was taken too soon. With this garden, the hope is that people can come and celebrate her life and find comfort in what has happened.

At the commemoration, senior Rachel Escobar started the ceremony off with a song that she had found that reminded her of her friend Maren.

“I was really nervous to sing but I was focusing more that Maren was with me when I was singing,” Escobar said.  “I felt that I just needed to do it in honor of her because she loved singing.”

After her song, Thompson held a moment of silence and started the ceremony by detailing what a wonderful person Maren was.

The garden has two benches, is surrounded by purple flowers, and a cherry blossom in the corner of the garden.  On the two benches are plaques that say “Maren, Forever in our hearts.”

There are assortments of flowers that surround the benches and the cherry blossom tree.

“I think it’s pretty and that it’s a nice place to go and to be with her,” senior Carol Phillips said.