By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

Ms. Smith has joined the Law family as a Special Education teacher. She has been teaching for the past five years and has previously worked at Branford High School. The Advocate’s Editor-In-Chief, Morgan Taylor, sat down with Ms. Smith to discuss the upcoming school year. 

Morgan Taylor: Why did you decide to come to Law?

Ms. Smith: I was offered the opportunity to pursue a reading position and stay on the shoreline.

MT: How has the start of the year been for you?

BS: Good! Everyone has been super friendly and answered any questions I might have.

MT: What are you most excited for this year?

BS: I am most excited for the opportunity to co-teach a chemistry class so I can combine my skills in science and special education.

MT: What is your philosophy on teaching?

BS: Every student can be successful with the right tools and support.

MT: What advice would you give your students?

BS: Never give up. Sometimes it might take a while to figure something out but we will find a way to get you there.

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

Jonathan Law High School recently announced its Class of 2019 valedictorian as Ming-May Hu. The Advocate’s Editor-In-Chief, Morgan Taylor, talked with Hu about her high school experiences and her path to becoming valedictorian.

Morgan Taylor: What was the most influential moment in one of your classes?

MH: The most influential moment was probably in AP Physics when I did really badly on the daily quizzes because it taught me that everyone has things they struggle with and that’s okay as long as you keep working to improve. You don’t have to be amazing at everything and one grade doesn’t determine your worth.

MT: What was your reaction to being valedictorian?

MH: I was very happy and excited because it proved that all of my hard work paid off. My sister was the valedictorian of her class and she definitely inspired me to strive to be the best I can be.

MT: What are your plans for after leaving Law?

MH: I plan on studying environmental or chemical engineering at Brown University. I want to work in a field related to sustainability and help create ways to make our world more eco-friendly.

MT: If you could go back and tell your freshman self something, what would you say?

MH: I would tell myself to stop worrying about what everyone else thinks of you because in the end, you know yourself the best and nobody can change that. I think in my freshman and sophomore years, I was very shy and cared too much about others’ opinions and I wish I had opened up more.

MT: How will your experience at Law influence your life after Law?

MH: Law definitely taught me the value of having a great community that supports you. I love all of my friends and teachers endlessly and am so grateful for their help throughout my years here. I hope that wherever I go, I can find a group just as great, and I want to be the support system they were for me, for other people.

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By Rachna Vipparla – Staff Reporter

Senior Kruttika Gopal was recently named the Class of 2019 Salutatorian. To accomplish this goal, Gopal has worked hard to have the second highest GPA out of the 203 students in the senior class. Advocate staff reporter Rachna Vipparla interviewed Gopal about her achievement.

Rachna Vipparla: How did you feel when you found out you were salutatorian?

Kruttika Gopal: I was super excited! I felt so happy and grateful to all the people who have helped me along the way.

RV: What are your plans after graduation?

KG: I will be attending American University as a member of the Honors Program, and I will be majoring in CLEG (Communications, Legal Studies, Economics, & Government) with a minor in Music.

RV: What is one piece of advice you would give to an underclassmen?

KG: I would definitely say try your hardest throughout all four years, and manage your time well. A big difference between my junior and senior year was that I became a lot better at managing my time with academics and extracurriculars and was much less stressed senior year, so it’s good to start that even earlier on.

RV: How has Law supported you throughout your journey to being second in your class?

KG: My teachers, guidance counselor, and friends at Law have all supported me so much by always pushing me to do my best, even when it was challenging to stay positive, so I’m eternally grateful to every one of them.

RV: What steps did you take to accomplish being salutatorian?

KG:I have tried my hardest in my classes throughout high school, but more importantly, I’ve asked for help when struggling so that I can be confident in what I have learned.

By Thea Ryan – Staff Reporter

Katie Konareski is a sophomore on the Jonathan Law girls track team which currently has a record of 3-5. Advocate staff reporter Thea Ryan interviewed Konreski about the season and her track career.

Thea Ryan: How is the team doing so far this season?

Katie Konareski: As a team, Law has improved a lot over the past couple of years. We are currently six weeks into the season and many girls have already made states. Everybody is improving very quickly and everything is going how we want it to go. Our coaches are impressed in everybody’s effort and hard work and if we keep it up we will be very successful by the end of the season.

TR: Individually, how are you doing this season?

KK : So far I’m exactly where I want to be. I’ve dropped 10 seconds since the beginning of the season and I still have about a month to improve even more. Individually for the 800M event, I’ve already made states with a 2:31 and I’m planning to drop another 10 seconds before the season ends. Our 4×800 team made states in the first meet and our 4×400 team is only four seconds off of states, which we are hoping on getting next meet.

TR: What are you goals as a team for this season?

KK: As a team, our goal is to get as many people to make it to states as possible. Coach Schulte and Coach Rhode both are competitive coaches and are very impressed in our work ethic and how productive we are during practices, later paying off and showing in our meet results.

TR: How do you stay motivated and help motivate your teammates for success?

KK: As a team we all push each other in practice and at meets to do our best. This keeps us motivated because the harder we work the better results we get. Our captains teach us to always have a positive attitude and to keep powering through even if the workouts during practice seem unbearable.

TR: What is your favorite memory from track?

KK: My favorite memory during track is when our 4×800 team made states and broke the school record last year. As a team of all freshman, many people were shocked. The practices are what lead our team to success and I’m so happy that we were able to break the record and make it farther into the season.

By Jordyn Wirth – Staff Reporter

Senior Ethan recently broke the Jonathan Law school record for pole vault. Deer is in all honors and AP classes, managing his time between his academics and athletics along with his life outside of school. Staff reporter Jordyn Wirth interviewed Deer about his record vault.

Jordyn Wirth: How do you feel after having broken the school record for pole vault?

Ethan Deer: I feel really happy and excited that I surpassed my goal for the season, and just overwhelmed with how crazy it is.

JW: What advice would you give to others looking to achieve success in track?

ED: I would tell others to never give up, and to not get discouraged if it doesn’t work out right away. Last year, I was really bad, and I just stuck to it and got much better. Take practice seriously, but keep it fun.

JW: What do you hope to achieve by the end of the season?

ED: I hope to keep getting this height consistently. And hopefully get 13 feet, 6 inches.

JW: How did you prepare for the meet that you broke the school record in?

ED: I worked with Jordan Beck (a former Law pole vaulter and current SCSU track athlete). I went to a pole vaulting camp to help develop my skills, and form.

JW: Did you think you were going to break the record?

ED: I had a good feeling that I would eventually break it. But I didn’t think I would break it as soon as I did. That day I didn’t even know I broke it until a little after my vault. They told me the height was at 12’6″ (which would’ve tied the old record) but actually set it to 12’7″.

By Alexis Broderick – Staff Reporter

Junior Michael Loschiavo is a key asset to the Jonathan Law boys track team. Loschiavo runs the 1600M and 3200M. The track team’s current record is 6-2. Advocate staff reporter Alexis Broderick interviewed Loschiavo about his track season.

Alexis Broderick: How is the season so far for you and the team?

Michael Loschiavo : The season so far is going pretty good. I PRed this season in the mile running a 4:59 and I ran a 10:58 in the 3200M. For us as a team, we are pretty good, we are 6-2 and are working hard to improve each day in practice

AB: What are your goals for the rest of the season?

ML: My goals for the rest of the season is to qualify for states in the 1600m with a 4:45.

AB: How do you prepare for meets?

ML: I prepare by listening to music with my Air Pods or my Beats Pill, but most importantly I stretch and make sure I am loose before my race.

AB: What are your primary events?

ML: My primary events are the 1600, 3200, and sometimes the 4x800M.

AB: What are goals you have for your senior year?

ML: My goals I have for my senior year is to become a better runner physically and mentally and to be ready for college because next year is a big year for me and another step in my running career.

By Gia Edwards – Staff Reporter

Meghan Gorman is a junior on the Jonathan Law lacrosse team. Her position is goalie and she is practicing hard for chances of helping her team make states this year. Advocate staff reporter Gia Edwards interviewed Gorman about the team’s season.

Gia Edwards: What are your personal goals this season?

Meghan Gorman: To have at least one shutout game and to go at least 50 percent every game.

GE: What are your overall team goals?

MG: The most important one is to probably make states, especially since the teams we are going to play this year are a bit more challenging. We have a harder schedule, so it would be a big accomplishment. And definitely beating Foran twice.

GE: With so many new players this year, how is the team’s chemistry on the field?

MG: I feel like we are close, but were still lacking that chemistry on the offensive end. We need to learn how to work together, but off the field we have a lot of fun.

GE: What do you think the biggest challenges this season are?

MG: Probably winning a lot of our games because we have a tougher schedule this season.

GE: Who are your biggest rivals?

MG: Foran, and right now Hamden, because we lost to them by one point in overtime in our first game, so we are looking to destroy them next game.

By Ethan Harrigan – Staff Reporter

Mr. Boynton is the advisor of Jonathan Law’s Key Club. This year, the club undertook a challenge called The Thirst Project and raised enough money to build a well in Swaziland. The club also recently elected new officers and attended their District Conference in Springfield, Massachusetts. Advocate staff Reporter Ethan Harrigan interviewed Mr Boynton about the club’s busy year.

Ethan Harrigan: To recap, what has Key Club done this year?

Mr. Boynton: We had a great year this year. We were up at the District Conference on April 4, 5, 6, up in Springfield, compiling our yearly achievement. We accomplished over 56 different individual projects ranging from Salvation Army, to Parents Night, to Minds in Motion, all over the spectrum, but our biggest feat of all was we finally reached our goal for the well in Swaziland. We were supposed to make $12,500 and our final total was $13,470.16. So when we presented the check at District Conference, there was a great happiness about that. I’ve been speaking with the people who are in charge out in California, and once they get the paperwork in order they’re going to be in contact with us. Probably starting late spring, early summer, we’ll get month by month reports and pictures about where it’s exactly going to be. So, we had a great year.

EH: What does the club have planned for the rest of the year?

MB: Usually, at this time, we have our end of the year Spring Membership Drive where we try to get some new members, people who may need some end of the year community service hours. We usually don’t get a big influx, but what happens is we lose the seniors. The senior’s year ends basically in April, so what we usually do is we have our end of the year events. We have the Senior Award Night where we usher and help serve at the banquet, the Honors Breakfast where we’re going to help set up the cafeteria, we usher All-School Awards, graduation, of course, and then we’ll get ready for the summer. Our big thing in the summer is the Oyster Fest. We work with the Kiwanis, and come August, many of our members work at the Freshman Orientation.

EH: How are the new officers fitting in to their positions?

MB: Well to be honest with you, we have only met once. Our first meeting was this past week because they don’t take over until after the Conference and then we had their week vacation, but these guys and girls who are taking over as new officers have big shoes to fill, obviously. We had a great slate of officers last year led by Patrick Hall, but I think they’re going to be OK. They’re going to be young. They’re going to make some mistakes. Most of them are only going to be juniors next year because we are lacking juniors from this year. If any junior or senior is interested we take all years. They’re going to be fine, they’re all great kids, they’re all volunteers. I think as leaders they’re going to lead by example, but they’re also going to be motivators and get the new people to continue the tradition we have here at Key Club.

EH: What new projects do you plan to take on after the success of The Thirst Project?

MB: The Thirst Project was a huge undertaking and something that you do maybe every few years. Something that caught our interest though at the District Conference is a project called Camp Sunshine. Camp Sunshine is a camp that is located up in Maine for kids who have cancer. It’s kind of a retreat up there. We’re either going to possibly sponsor a child to go up maybe some of our members can go up and volunteer for a week, but those plans are in the making right now. We’re in the process of setting a meeting up with some of the representatives from Camp Sunshine. That probably will be a major undertaking for next year and then whatever pops up across the road. We have repeat business. September, we have Saint Mary’s and we have a lot of things in October with the middle schools, Trunk or Treat, Halloween Dances. The community calls upon us quite a bit. Camp Sunshine would definitely be our new Thirst Project, so to speak.

EH: How successful do you think Key Club will be next year?

MB: We’ve been on a roll for a number of years now. We’ve been successful. I’m going to say for the last 10 years we’ve had what they call a Lieutenant Governor. On the District level, it’s compared to local politics where you have your mayor and Board of Aldermen. On the District level, you have your Lieutenant Governor and he or she is in charge of like five different clubs in the area. It just so happens it’s going to be Joey Merly. So Joey Merly is the new Lieutenant Governor of Division 29B; he’s taking over for Rohin Manohar. It’s my thought that we have a good plan in place and I think as long as we follow the plan, success will follow.

By Anish Sikhinam – Staff Reporter

Technical Difficulties, the popular podcast show at Jonathan Law starring teachers Mr. Zuraw and Mr. Roumeles, is currently hosting the annual GeoGuessr Tournament. The GeoGuessr Tournament is a competition in which faculty, staff, and students compete in pairs in a bracket to see who can get the higher score in a game of GeoGuessr. Advocate staff reporter Anish Sikhinam interviewed Zuraw about the tournament.

Anish Sikhinam: What is GeoGuessr, and how does it work?

Mr. Zuraw: GeoGuessr is a game that uses Google Street View, where you’re dropped anywhere in the world and the goal is to drive around the map and try to figure out where you are in the world. You take a guess and you get points based on how close your guess is.

AS: How many people are participating in the tournament this year?

MZ: There are 30 teams, so 60 participants, since each team consists of two participants.

AS: What are the rules of the GeoGuessr Tournament?

MZ: There really are no rules – we made our own house rules, so we put time limits on each round so that people can’t drive around forever. For the game itself there’s actually no rules. We just made up our own rules to make it fair and fun.

AS: What weeks will the tournament be held?

MZ: The tournament really has no weeks. It’s whenever people get a chance to come play that they play their round, because it’s really hard to coordinate with everybody’s schedule, and there’s so many students this year that are involved. Mr. Roumeles and I are really flexible, you just have got to make an appointment with us, and the tournament will probably be from now until the end of the year.

AS: What will be the prize for the winning team?

MZ: So the prize for the winning team in the bracket is a free breakfast courtesy of Technical Difficulties from Starbucks, and the winning team will then get to face off against the two best players, Mr. Roumeles and I. If they defeat us, they get to appear on our podcast. Two juniors – they were sophomores last year – got to do this, so check the episode out.

By Bridget Kinross – Staff Reporter

Senior National Honor Society member Ming May Hu helped organized this year’s Brain Bowl, which was held on Friday, March 26, and won by the faculty team. The Brain Bowl was a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Advocate staff reporter Bridget Kinross interviewed Hu about the accomplishments of this fundraiser.

Bridget Kinross: What were your goals for this fundraiser?

Ming-May Hu: Our main goal for this fundraiser was to raise as much as we could for the American Cancer Society to fund brain cancer research. The Brain Bowl is a great way to raise awareness, donate to others, and have fun at the same time

BK: Have you met or these goals?

MMH: Yes, this year we raised over $1,000 which is more than we have in the past few years. We are extremely happy to get to contribute to fight against cancer.

BK: What was the hardest part of helping run this fundraiser?

MMH: The hardest part of organizing this was probably creating the video. There was a lot of planning that went into it. We spent many hours after school filming and editing.

BK: What was the participation level for this fundraiser?

MMH: A lot of students and faculty took the test to try and get on the teams. Also, many students donated to the cause and it was great to see how many people wanted to contribute and support their teams.

BK: Overall, did you like the way the Brain Bowl turned out?

MM: The turnout was great. I think everyone had a fun time and the audience was very engaged during the event.

By Samiksha Mehta – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Choir is about to embark on a trip to Hershey next week. They have been working towards this ever since they found out they were going, which was near the beginning of the year. Many of the choir members are super excited, a little nervous, or even a little bit of both. Advocate staff reporter Samiksha Mehta spoke with Choir member Faith Mills on her feelings about the trip.

Samiksha Mehta: How are you feeling now that Hershey is only nine days away?

Faith Mills: I’m super excited that Hershey is only nine days away. I’ve never gone so it seems like it will be a fun experience.

SM: What are you doing to prepare for the trip?

FM: We’re practicing a lot for our competition pieces and they’re sounding really good, but we still have a lot of work to do to be confident.

SM: How long are you going to be on the trip?

FM: We’re going to be going on May 4th and returning on May 5th.

SM: Have you ever been to Hershey before?

FM: I’ve never been to Hershey, but everyone I’ve asked who have gone said it was super fun.

SM: What exactly are you going to Hershey for?

FM: Our Choir is going on this Hershey trip to not only perform our competition pieces in front of judges, but to bond with each other in a fun environment.

By Stefanie Lojko – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s National Art Honor Society’s newest project is underway. They decided to paint the stairway closest to the library as books that many students have read in high school. The titles include “The Great Gatsby,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Eleanor and Park,” “Fahrenheit 45,” and more. Advocate staff reporter Stefanie Lojko interviewed Ashley Hallengren, one of the presidents of NAHS, about the project.

Stefanie Lojko: How did you get the idea to paint the stairs as book?

Ashley Hallengren: The book idea was definitely a group effort because we were looking for something that would be easily approved for school, but we wanted to do more than just put colors down. The size and shape of the panels on the front of the stairs is very similar to that of the side of a book so it worked out well. Besides, we thought that painting the books on the steps will promote reading literature in a fun way. We hope that it will make people more excited to read these great books throughout high school.

SL: What was the process of getting approved to do the stairs?

AH:  To get approved we first had to run the idea by (art teacher) Mrs. Murphy. After that we had two meetings with Mr. Thompson and once he talked to the facilities people we were all set to go.

SL: What kind of paint is being used and how is it working on the stairs?

AH:  The paint wasn’t really the big factor in being able to paint on the stairs. We had to more so focus on the primer that we put down and then we were able to paint with regular acrylic. We will seal the final product with a sealant so the paint lasts.

SL: Why do you think it’s a good project for everyone to do together?

AH:  We thought it’d be ideal for a group project since everyone would get to do their own separate step and incorporate their own style into it.

SL: When do you expect it to be finished?

AH:  We actually have a loose deadline to be done by early June.

By Addison Schwing – Staff Reporter

This week, Jonathan Law’s Natural Helpers Club held a De-Stress Fest in preparation for AP exams. The festival is a major event that the club prepares every year. Advocate staff reporter Addison Schwing interviewed club president Morgan Taylor about the activities this week.

Addison Schwing: What is the Natural Helpers Club?

Morgan Taylor: Natural Helpers is a club with Law and many other schools that has a mission statement that every school has an internal helping network. We want to make our school community a better and safer place for students to talk to each other.

AS: What exactly is the De-Stress Fest?

MT: The De-Stress Fest is a week of activities that help to “de-stress” the student body at Law. Natural Helper members noticed that a major problem that students face is stress so we decided to hold this annual event to help the students at Law.

AS: What sort of activities are available at the fest?

MT: Activities include friendship bracelet making, coloring, painting, movie watching, stress ball making, board games, yoga, fitness class, an ice cream truck, and meditation.

AS: What do you hope to accomplish with the fest?

MT: Our main goal is for the students to feel better during the school day! AP testing is coming up and so many students are extremely stressed for them! We want to provide an after-school activity for students to go to and relax.

AS: Why do you think that students should take these opportunities to de-stress before exams rather than occupying all their time studying?

MT: Stress is a lot to deal with as a student (I’m no exception) so I know that hanging out with my friends doing activities and relaxing has always helped me calm down before big tests! Many of the Natural Helper members agreed with me that the De-Stress Fest is a great opportunity to take a break from homework and studying.

By Justin Judge – Staff Reporter

Junior Chris Lill plays football and lacrosse for Law. The lacrosse team currently has a 2-4 record in the Southern Connecticut Conference. Advocate staff reporter Justin Judge interviewed Lill about this year’s team.

Justin Judge: Why did you choose lacrosse as your spring sport?

Chris Lill: It was the most physical spring sport and it would help with conditioning for football, too.

JJ: Why is lacrosse a good sport for student-athletes to participate in while maintaining their grades?

CL: Lacrosse practices are kind of short so you can get your homework done after.

JJ: What are the academic requirements for a student to uphold?

CL: You need to keep a 2.0 GPA and not have more than two F’s which should be easy to uphold.

JJ: Why is lacrosse a good sport for freshmen to join and feel welcome to the program?

CL: The lacrosse team is small and we have fun at practices and everybody gets some playing time.

JJ: Would you have any advice for players who have never played lacrosse before?

CL: Just try out because it is a really fun sport, and even if you haven’t played, you can pick it up and get better.

By Stephanie Caron – Staff Reporter

Cali Jolley is a senior captain on the softball team and has been a key asset to the team this past season. She recorded her 100th hit in a recent game against cross-town rival Foran. The team’s record currently stands at 6-3. Advocate staff reporter Stephanie Caron interviewed Jolley about her accomplishment and the season as a whole.

Stephanie Caron: How is the season going for your team?

Cali Jolley: So far our season is going well. We lost three games to good teams. They were all very close games which is always a little upsetting, but we didn’t get down on ourselves. We just had a huge 5-4 win against Lauralton, a rival of ours.

SC: What does head coach Mrs. Blude do for you and the team to do better?

CJ: Mrs. Blude helps our team to get better by keeping the season fun and interesting. We never get stuck in repetitive routines at practice so it’s always fun to do new drills and activities because it keeps everyone lively and just having fun while working hard. She also puts together a lot of team bonding which is always fun and helpful for making us more like a family.

SC: What has the team accomplished so far?

CJ: So far we have accomplished beating some really solid SCC teams such as Hand, Lauralton, Sheehan, and our cross-town rival Foran. Our schedule has a lot of good teams this year and we are doing well beating these stronger teams.

SC: What goals do you have for yourself and the team for the rest of the season?

CJ: The goals I have for myself is just to play as well as I can in order to help our team win games and do well in the tournament. We lost in the Class L semifinals last year and we got moved down to Class M this year, so our team goals are not only to make the state tournament but to work as hard as we can and win a state championship.

SC: What will you miss most about the softball team when you graduate?

CJ: What I will miss the most is all of the fun I have with my team and coaches. Whether it’s practices that end up being hours because we lost track of time having fun and taking ground balls, going out to eat together, or doing pottery as a team.

By Noah Golden – Staff Reporter

Sophomore Sanskar Shah is an active member in the Law community and also in athletics. In the winter, he runs in indoor track and in the spring he plays his best sport, tennis. He is currently in his second year of playing Law tennis after a successful first year last year. He is constantly looking for new ways to improve himself and his game. Advocate staff reporter Noah Golden interviewed Shah about his season.

Noah Golden: How is the season going so far?

Sanskar Shah: Personally, its gone great for me. We’ve got five matches in, and I’ve won three. I’m more confident than last year. Having one year under my belt is helpful. Last year, I was injured but this year I have no strained hamstrings. All told, I think I’ve done great and it will get better.

NG: What are you looking forward to?

SS: I look forward to just enjoying the game and making myself better. I also look forward to playing opponents harder than me so that I can get better.

NG: How do you prep for matches?

SS: I usually stretch. Stretching is very important, especially for me, a person that is fragile. My hamstrings are very important and I gotta keep them intact. I also started this new thing call listening to music. My coach told me to; he said grab a playlist on Spotify and I did. One of my friends actually referred me to a song list so I just listen to that with my headphones. It hypes me up.

NG: Any superstitions or rituals?

SS: There’s this thing I always have when I am playing, it’s me and my white glove. We’ve been playing since maybe I was around 13 years old. This is my 3rd glove but it means a lot to me. We’ve gone through a lot. It’s been beaten, it’s been worn, but at the same time I don’t let myself get beat with it. I only beat my opponents.

NG: What’s your favorite thing about playing tennis?

SS: It’s getting together with my team. It’s also not just a team in tennis, it’s a small family that reunites after school everyday. Aside from my mom and dad, I have these beautiful brothers and sisters that I get to spend time with. Seeing myself enhance has a person is just amazing.

By Mia Cerrato – Staff Reporter

Senior Monica Pydipati is one of the captains on the girls tennis team. The tennis team is off to a 6-3 start with Pydipati as the #2 singles player. Staff reporter Mia Cerrato interviewed Pydipati about her teams accomplishments.

Mia Cerrato: How do you think this tennis season is going so far?

Monica Pydipati: The season is going really well so far. Everybody is doing really well and there’s so much new talent this year. We’re beating teams we didn’t even think we could, and we have great potential for making states this year.

MC: How have you and your teammates have been improving on for this season?

MP: Practice is our biggest way of improving, as with anything. We practice as often as possible to make sure we can hone our skills further and learn new skills that will help us in upcoming matches

MC: What characteristics make your team strong?

MP: Persevering and being strong-minded. No matter what happens at the end of a match, we remember to be humble and learn from our mistakes. We don’t let losses distract us; instead, we use them to make ourselves better and play better the next time around.

MC: What is the most challenging part of this season?

MP: The most challenging part of the season is the beginning. With only two weeks of practice prior to the season start, team fluidity is still building. It is only after the first few matches that we understand each other and how each person plays, and the team is better able to bond.

MC: Any goals for the team and individually the rest of the season?

MP: For the team, I would like to make both states and SCCs. These are also my individual goals. Both competitions are hard and very competitive, and it would be great to be able to play in them.

By Michael Loschiavo – Staff Reporter

Junior Zach Merchant has been a key asset to the Jonathan Law baseball team this year. He is a pitcher for the team and hopes to improve every game. The team’s record so far this season is 4-6-0. Advocate staff reporter Michael Loschiavo interviewed Merchant about his season.

Michael Loschiavo: What are your goals for the rest of the season?

Zach Merchant: My goals for the rest of the season is to make states and as a team and make a run for a ring.

ML:  How do you prepare yourself for every game?

ZM: I prepare myself for every game by thinking through situations on the field and understanding what to do when I am out on the field.

ML: What does the team need to do to be successful the rest of the season?

ZM: The team needs to stay close and push each other in order to be successful to reach all the goals that we have as a team.

ML: Who do you look up to on the team and why?

ZM: The person on the team that  I look up to is Nick Hudak. The reason I look up to him is because he brings leadership to the team everyday.

ML: What motivates you before each game?

ZM: The things that motivate me before a game are music and thinking about my personal goals that I need to accomplish during the game.

By Bridget Kinross – Staff Reporter

Junior Kendal Stryker is a member of the Jonathan Law cheer team, which is now in its competition season. Stryker has been an important contributor to the team as one of its few flyers. Advocate staff reporter Bridget Kinross interviewed Stryker about competition season.

Bridget Kinross: What is your biggest accomplishment as a team this season?

Kendal Stryker: Our biggest accomplishment so far has been how far everyone on the team has acquired new skill sets.

BK: What is your favorite part of the team as a whole?

KS: My favorite part of the team is how close we are and how that lets us have fun together.

BK: What is your personal goal for competition season?

KS: My personal goal is to qualify for SCCs.

BK: Does having a close team help contribute to success?

KS: Yes, having a close team does help with success because we are not scared to give constructive criticism. It helps with encouragement and keeping positive energy. 

BK: How has your competition season been so far?

KS: So far, our competition season has been difficult but were still placing and doing the best we can.

By Mia Powers – Staff Reporter

Junior Christopher Ramos is a varsity track athlete at Jonathan Law. He runs the 4×800 meter relay with teammates Dan Wasserman, Mike Loschiavo, and Freddy Rosero. The relay team recently went to states and beat the school record of 8:55 by running the relay in 8:54. At another meet, Ramos ran the 800 meters in 2:15, beating his old personal record of 2:22. Advocate staff reporter Mia Powers interviews Ramos about his accomplishments.

Mia Powers: Can you describe the record-breaking race?

Christopher Ramos: I ran a 2:15 in the 4×800 which is four people running 800 meters and when you’re done with the 800 meters, you pass the baton to your teammate. I was very happy with this time because we beat the school record.

MP: What do you do to prepare for your meets?

CR: I get a good night’s sleep, drink lots of water, and eat a banana before I run. During practices we push ourselves very hard to the point where we cannot run anymore. Even then, we don’t give up because we’re there to give everything we have and try our hardest.

MP: What do your workouts consist of?

CR: We do a tempo mile for our warm-up which is where we go 40% running pace for a mile, then we do stretches, then five strides for 100 meters to warm up our legs.

MP: What pushed you to make states?

CR: Well, when we found out the time that we had to beat we knew we could do it by shaving off a couple seconds.

MP: What does the future look like for you doing track?

CR: The future looks positive for me as long as I keep making states and beating my personal records. I have a lot of confidence that we’ll do good next year because I am going to push myself and my team to their max to make sure we accomplish our goals.

By Stefanie Lojko – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Color Guard team has started off its season by placing second in a competition on February 2 at Newtown High School. Their next show is on February 9 at Northern Valley High School in New Jersey. Competitions last all the way through to Championships at Trumbull High School on March 30th. Advocate staff reporter Stefanie Lojko interviewed Color Guard coach Pamela Rossman about the work they’ve been putting into their show.

Stefanie Lojko : How do you feel about the season so far?

Pamela Rossman:  Every season is special but this one is certainly shaping up to be quite memorable.

SL: What’s the biggest problem you need to tackle?

PR:  Our biggest challenge is balancing getting new members trained with developing the show at a level that will be both competitive and entertaining.  Time is not always on our side so we need to stay focused.

SL: How excited are you for the upcoming show?

PR: I am SUPER excited for this show.  Everyone is growing and developing their skills and seeing the show come together how I envisioned it is incredibly gratifying.  I am so proud of this team and grateful to be able to work with them.

SL: How do you think the new girls on the team are handling their first season?

PR:  The new girls this season are blending so well that I sometimes forget who is new.  It’s also worth mentioning we have seasoned members taking on new equipment. Everyone is growing which is exciting.

SL: What do you hope for the rest of the season?

PR:  My hope for the rest of this season is that each member has an experience that is memorable and that they are able to fulfill every goal and dream that we’ve set.  I want to see our passion, dedication and hard work be recognized and rewarded, but at the end of the day, I want us to entertain the crowd and inspire other teams.

By Thea Ryan – Staff Reporter

Fallon Andriolas is a senior captain of the Jonathan Law girls basketball team which currently has a record of 13-5. Advocate staff reporter Thea Ryan interviewed Fallon Andriolas, who recently scored her 1000th career point, about her basketball career.

Thea Ryan: How is the team doing so far this season?

Fallon Andriolas: So far the team is doing pretty well regardless of the obstacles we’ve faced from injuries. As of right now, we are 13-5 with a home game in SCCs and we are pushing to get a home states game for the first round.

TR: Individually, how are you doing this season?

FA: Individually I think I am doing pretty well with the roles I have been assigned with, whether or not it’s in the post or at the guard position.

TR: What are your goals as a team for this season?

FA: As a team, our goals are to get as many home games as possible to help us get to the state championship at Mohegan Sun and win.

TR: How do you stay motivated and help motivate your teammates for success?

FA: I stay motivated because I know this is my last season playing so I have to put it all on the court. As a team we stay motivated by always doing our best to stay positive and pick each other up. A goal of ours before every game is earning a seed with a home game in states by winning, which is motivating to myself and the team because I don’t want senior night to be the last time us seniors play in our gym.

TR: What is your favorite memory from playing basketball?

FA: My favorite from playing basketball is the family atmosphere we have on our team. It’s been fun winning but everyone is very close and everyone feels comfortable with one another. Basketball has been the highlight of high school for me and it’s something I am really going to miss.

By Anish Sikhinam – Staff Reporter

The Model U.N. Club is planning a trip from Wednesday, March 6, to Saturday, March 9, to New York to participate in the National High School Model United Nations. Social studies teachers Mr. Evanko and Ms. Burns are the advisors to the Model U.N. Club and Evanko currently teaches the Model U.N. class. Advocate Staff Reporter Anish Sikhinam interviewed Evanko about the club and the upcoming trip.

Anish Sikhinam: Can you give me a quick overview of what Model U.N. Club does?

Mr. Evanko: The Model U.N. Club seeks to help students understand international relations through simulation. Students role play as a delegate of a country debating a specific topic. They debate everything from public health emergencies to climate change to military situations around the world.

AS: How do students prepare for the conference?

ME: Students prepare for the conference by writing two short research papers about their assigned topics. They also practice parliamentary debate and do some general country research on the country they were assigned.

AS: Can you describe the conference and what happens there?

ME: Students are playing the role of a delegate from a country. They are in a committee that ranges anywhere from, at the smallest, about 15 students to, at the largest, about 300 students. They work with other students representing other countries trying to pass a law or resolution at the conclusion of their committee session.

AS: Since class selections are coming up, what is the difference between the Model U.N. class and the Model U.N. Club?

ME: The Model U.N. class does not attend the same conference as the club. They attend other conferences, either in the fall or spring. However, in the class we do a lot of the same skills, so we look at how to debate, what are some current problems around the world, what are the limits of the UN’s power, and how do we try to solve global issues.

AS: Who do you think Model U.N. is for? What type of students would be interested in taking this class?

ME: I would say any student who is interested in challenging themselves in improving their public speaking or research skills, or has an interest in the world would enjoy the class or the club.

By Mia Cerrato – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law sophomore Rachna Vipparla has been participating in the Milford Arts Council for eight years. She is very involved in the school art programs including the National Art Honor Society. Vipparla plans to continue her art endeavors throughout her high school career. Advocate Staff Reporter Mia Cerrato interviewed Vipparla about the recent art show.

Mia Cerrato: What art show did you compete in?

Rachna Vipparla: The art show I competed in was the Milford Art Council Art Show. (Milford Art Council) is an organization that supports the arts in schools in the area. They always have competitions and shows throughout the year for every grade in the Milford Public School System.

MC: Who else competed in the show?

RV: Most photography and art students and Jonathan Law submitted their artwork into the show.

MC: What type of awards were offered at the show?

RV: It depends on the work of art and the category it is in. They had 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for different age groups and also had “Best in Show Award” which was new this year.

MC: What awards did Jonathan Law win?

RV: Some awards that Jonathan Law won was 1st and 2nd place for Visual Arts. Artists at Jonathan Law were also awarded Honorable Mention and Best in Show.

MC: What happens to the pieces that win?

RV: The winning artwork are sent to Milford Pediatrics and the art is hung up on the wall for a couple of months for the staff or patients to see.

By Jordyn Wirth – Staff Reporter

Senior gymnastics captain Lizzy Lombardi is finishing up her final season at Law. She is also in AP and Hours classes and is an active member in Model U.N. and Science Club. Advocate staff reporter Jordyn Wirth interviewed Lombardi about her accomplishments this gymnastics season.

Jordyn Wirth: What is your role as captain of the gymnastics team?

Lizzy Lombardi: My role as a captain of the gymnastics team is to help lead the team through a successful season. I try to be a good role model for the younger girls on the team to set an example of what they should be doing in and out of the gym.

JW: What are you most proud of this year?

LL: When I got Scholar Athlete of the Week (from News 12 CT) because it set a really good example for the other girls to follow.

JW: Do you plan on continuing gymnastics in college?

LL: No, I do not plan on doing college gymnastics.

JW: What is your individual goal for the rest of this season?

LL: My individual goal is to keep getting new skills so I can get higher scores and help out the overall team score.

JW: What is your team goal for the rest of the season?

LL: My team goal is to win SCCs and states.

JW: What do you think your biggest team achievement has been so far?

LL: I think the biggest team achievement is beating Hand twice this season because in past years we haven’t done that. It was really exciting.

By Stephanie Caron – Staff Reporter

Senior Shayne McCourt has been a key member of the Jonathan Law wrestling team this season. McCourt recently notched his 100th career win, ending his senior year with a bang. Advocate staff reporter Stephanie Caron interviewed McCourt on this accomplishment.

Stephanie Caron: What did it take to win 100 matches?

Shayne McCourt: Work hard in the practice room. Trust the process. It will show during competition.

SC: What are your goals for wrestling after this, do you plan on playing in college?

SM: I’m not 100% sure what I’m doing after high school for wrestling but if I wrestle in college I’m going to wrestle D3.

SC: How was this season for your team?

SM: Overall we have had an okay season, we were short numbered and can’t fill all the weight classes but we have a lot of talent.

SC: How did it feel after winning your 100th match?

SM: Felt amazing, honestly I didn’t know when it was coming. I just worked hard in the room and it showed.

SC: How did you and your teammates encourage each other to do better?

SM: Push each other in practice.

By Ethan Harrigan – Staff Reporter

Naheim Washington is a sophomore at Jonathan Law who is part of the Jonathan Law football team as well as the indoor and outdoor track teams. Last year, as a freshman, Washington attended both the Indoor and Outdoor New Balance Nationals in New York and North Carolina respectively. His next performance will be at the states meet on February 9. Advocate staff reporter Ethan Harrigan interviewed Washington about the ongoing indoor track season and his goals for the future.

EH: How is the indoor track season going for you?

NW: The indoor track season’s going good for me. I’m hitting my times where I want to hit my times, but my last meet wasn’t as successful as I wanted so I’m looking forward to states this weekend.

EH: Are you happy with your results and how far you’ve come?

NW: I am happy with my times  but I feel like I could go way faster. I’m hoping to PR this weekend.

EH: What are you hoping to achieve by the end of this season?

NW: I’m hoping to be able to run a 6.6 in the 55 and be a constant 21 in the 200.

EH: Do you have any goals set for next year or even senior year?

NW: I at least, before I leave Law, I want to be All-State four times, two in indoor, two in outdoor and All-SCC. It’s very hard to go All-SCC so I’d love that title.

EH: Do you foresee a trip to Nationals anytime soon?

NW: Yes, that’s the goal, to go to Nationals at least three more times before I graduate. Three more bags, it’ll be nice to do that.

EH: How do you prepare for meets?

NW: It’s really just getting into the right mind zone, getting focused. When I get there I get stretched out and get my body feeling good and ready to run.

EH: Why do you think you’ve been this successful?

NW: I just think it’s because at a young age I’ve been competing against older people. When I was ten I was running and playing basketball with 18 year olds already kids in high school. So at a young age, I’d been training at a higher intensity than everyone else my age.

By Samiksha Mehta – Staff Reporter

Course Selection Week begins the week of February 11. Advocate staff reporter Samiksha Mehta interviewed school counseling department head Mrs. Dunnuck about the importance of course selection.

Samiksha Mehta: As a school counselor, what path do you think is the best for your students?

Mrs. Dunnuck: I don’t actually believe there’s a “best” path for my students. I believe that whatever path they choose to take is the best path for them. All students have different paths they want to go down, so the “best” path depends on them.

SM: Do you think giving suggestions is a good idea?

MD: Absolutely. Receiving suggestions is a good way for students to understand what class they’re being recommended for and what class they wanted to. For example, if you’re in English 2 this year, you’re going to have to go into English 3. That’s just how it is. Receiving suggestions allows the students to understand why they’re being given the suggestion and if they should act upon it or not.

SM: What type of suggestions do you focus on giving?

MD: The type of suggestion I focus on giving is basically just for the students to challenge themselves. I want them to take the hardest course they can, but still try and be as successful as they can be.

SM: Is Course Selection Week stressful in your opinion?

MD: I believe it has to be stressful to some degree. They have to pick classes they want, then get suggestions from their teachers which might lead them to change their original classes and they also have to make sure that their classes are within the limit so, yeah, I guess it is stressful.

By Addison Schwing – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Key Club is partnering with the Thirst Project to make an impact in the world today. The Thirst Project is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide clean drinking water to developing countries. The Key Club is working with the Thirst Project to raise money for the construction of a well in Swaziland that will provide a village with clean water for years to come. Advocate staff reporter interviewed Key Club advisor Mr. Boynton about the project.

Addison Schwing: How did the idea for the partnership with the Thirst Project come about?

Mr. Boynton: We first learned about the Thirst Project when we attended our district conference in Springfield, Massachusets in 2018. We had some representation from the Thirst Project committee, and there was also a high school in Maine that only has 120 students, and they were able to raise $12,500 to provide a well in Swaziland, so last year our guys got motivated and decided to take on the project.

AS: How are the students contributing to this project?

MB: Right now we are in the process of beginning a project called Thirsty 30. We have 100 people involved in this project. It features students, members of the Kiwanis Club and members of the community, and the way it works is that we put envelopes in a box numbered 1-100. The way it works is that you draw an envelope, and if you draw number 1, then you have to raise $1, and of course if you draw 100, then you have to raise $100. We also have a date at Shop Rite for Shake the Can, and our major project is going to be on March 29th, where we’re going to run a school-wide walk-a-thon, and we’re hoping that we can get as many people from the student body as involved as possible,

AS: What are your goals for the project?

MB: Our goal is to hit the top, which is $12,500, and that will provide a working well for a village in Swaziland.

AS: What do you think about your progress thus far?

MB: Because we were so busy in our first months, we were kind of sluggish. So far, we’ve raised about $1,000, but I am very confident that our Key Clubbers are working very hard right now to get organized, and I truly believe that even if we are a little bit behind schedule right now, we are in the process of catching up and getting ahead, so I think that we are going to be OK.

AS: Do you have any plans to do this project in the future?

MB: I would hope that [the Thirst Project] could be an annual thing. We met some priests from Uganda that were here. Jane Holler, who’s an attorney in town, does a 5K for water. She raised the money for nine wells over the past nine years, so it’s our hope that we can continue this for the future. Right now our goals are set for 2019 and the well in Swaziland, so we are going full steam ahead.

By Rachna Vipparla – Staff Reporter

Ms. Briggs has been the media specialist at Jonathan Law since 2010. She helps students one on one with assignments, their classes, and technology. She has also started various clubs such as the Book Club and the Civil Discourse Club. Advocate staff reporter Rachna Vipparla spoke with Briggs about Civil Discourse Club.

Rachna Vipparla: What is the Civil Discourse Club?

Ms. Briggs: It is a club that discusses current events and controversial issues.

RV: What is the difference between Civil Discourse Club and Debate Club?

MB: Unlike Debate Club, where the goal is to defeat your opponent, the goal of this club is to find common ground with someone and use the rules of civil discourse.

RV: What inspired you to start the Civil Discourse Club?

MB: I read an article about schools that were doing something similar. It is also part of the larger discussion of how we are becoming less of a society and less able to talk to one another without people storming away angry.

RV: How do you think students will benefit from Civil Discourse Club?  

MB: I’m hoping they really enjoy themselves. My idea is for it to be student-run, where students pick the topics and conduct the discussions. So my goal is for students to be more aware of what’s going on and be better prepared to discuss current issues that they’re interested in.

RV: What topics does the club discuss?

MB: The first topic was climate change, after that we discussed gun control and our next topic will be abortion.

By Jefri Caballero – Staff Reporter  

At Jonathan Law, the Book Club consists of 10 students who love to read and discuss what they read. Ms.Briggs runs the club, which meets once a month. Advocate staff reporter Jefri Caballero interviewed Briggs about the club.

Jefri Caballero: What is Book Club reading right now?

Ms. Briggs: “Dry” by Neal Shusterman.

JC: So far, how many books have you read and which one is your favorite?

MB: We have read four books so far and “Thunder Head” by Neal Shusterman is my favorite.

JC: When does Book Club end?

MB: It ends in June but we will have a book to read over the summer.

JC: Will Law have a Book Club next year?

MB: Yes, for sure. I have been doing this for nine years and plan to never stop.

JC: What is your favorite thing about the Book Club?

MB: Hearing what students have to say about the books they read.

By Justin Judge – Staff Reporter

Senior Colby Primavera is an all-around athlete who has played baseball and football for Jonathan Law. As baseball season comes closer and closer, Primavera is getting ready to take on his senior year. Advocate staff reporter Justin Judge interviewed Primavera on how he’s preparing for the season.

Justin Judge: Do you feel this baseball season will be different than your past high school seasons?

Colby Primavera: Yes, I do. For this season we have a lot of new talent and expect a lot from our underclassmen especially with their amazing talent.

JJ:  Has senior year had an effect on your opinion on baseball?

CP: Yes, I have. Moving between Foran and Law has been a difficult process especially with my goal of playing with Law.

JJ: Do you believe this year will be a “breakthrough” year for you?

CP: Yes, I do. I haven’t had a good chance to have a breakthrough season in the past and I want to prove myself.

JJ: With the season coming up sooner and sooner is there a type of mentality you turn your mind to when the season starts?

CP: Yes, once the season comes around everybody needs to focus up and put their mind to the baseball grind.

JJ: In your opinion, why is Law a supportive program?

CP: Law is a very supportive team, but you need to be a student before an athlete as the coaches say.

By Lucas Greifzu – Staff Reporter

Angel Santiago is an active member of the Jonathan Law community. He is the sophomore class president, a varsity tennis player, and a member of the football team. He also volunteers his time with the Jonathan Law Key Club. Advocate staff reporter Lucas Greifzu interviewed Santiago about the Key Club and time management.

Lucas Greifzu: What motivates you do volunteer with the Key Club?

Angel Santiago: Well I enjoy volunteering with my friends. And I enjoy generally helping people. Making someone else’s life easier makes me feel good and I know other members feel the same.

LG: What do you do for the Key Club besides volunteering at the events and fundraisers?

AS: Being an officer I help make decisions for key club by voicing my opinion to the other officers and helping get the correct number of people to every event. And as PR director, I try and maintain a good relationship with the Keyettes and other volunteering clubs.

LG: Do you want to go farther with Key Club?

AS: Yes, I’m currently running for Key Club President. I would like to be Key Club president because key club has always been something very close to me and the people there really represent what the club is about and it would be my honor and my privilege to lead them into the 2019-2020 year.

LG: What would you say to people who aren’t certain about joining Key Club?

AS: What I would say to people who are indifferent about joining key club is that it is a great experience to have with your friends it looks great on your college resume you can graduate with distinction and even better if you can obtain a leadership position that also looks amazing on your college resume and it’s really for fulfilling.

LG: Since you clearly have so much on your plate, what would you recommend to people who struggle with time management?

AS: I would say to people that struggle with time management – don’t put things on your plate that you don’t want to do. I personally enjoy Key Club, being president, making my documentaries, and doing the classes that I have. But if there were something on my list that I didn’t enjoy that would bring me a lot of stress. Another thing to help people with time management is sometimes that you have to be willing to sacrifice your time, your energy, and your heart to do those extracurricular activities. You can expect to excel in every single one of them without having to take a hit in another. But that doesn’t mean that you have to get an A in the class to be class president. It does mean maybe rather than going out to a party with your friends you stay home and study, because you know you have a Key Club meeting that night that might run a little bit late.

By Noah Golden – Staff Reporter

As the regular season surges on for the Notre Dame Fairfield Lancers girls hockey team, the team finds themselves in a good spot in the standings. Advocate staff reporter Noah Golden interviewed Jonathan Law sophomore Maddie David about the team’s performance so far this season.

Noah Golden: How have you been doing this season?

Maddie David: We’re 3rd in the SCC South and 10th in the state so we will currently make both the SCC’s and states.

NG: Why has the team done so well so far this season?

MD: We have gotten much better at working with each other.

NG: What position do you play?

MD: I start on left wing (a forward).

NG: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced this season?

MD: At the beginning, the team didn’t work that well together, but we are becoming more of a team now.

NG: What’s your favorite thing about playing hockey?

MD: The fast-paced game and being able to play a sport with my friends and captains.

By Jess Owens – Staff Reporter

Ms. Jones and 24 members of the Jonathan Law choir were featured on Anna and Raven’s show on Star 99.9 on February 1st to sing the National Anthem and kick off Super Bowl weekend. Advocate Staff Reporter Jess Owens interviewed Jones about their exciting experience.

Jess Owens: What were your feelings about being chosen to be on the radio?

Ms. Jones: It was such an exciting moment and totally unexpected. It was a last minute thing where we were told by a parent in choir we should submit something in for our choir for it, and I was like “Oh, that’s fine I’ll just send something in,” but I really didn’t expect to hear back. Then to hear the next day they loved it and wanted us was so unexpected and very exciting.

JO: Do you think this will make Law Choir more well known from this?

MJ: Already, I’ve had Law Choir members come up to me and say that there are students that they pass in the hall that they don’t even know or their not friendly with who have stopped them and said, “Oh, we heard you on the radio this morning, it was so good.” We already have like 2,700 views on Facebook. Somebody wrote on the tweet that went out by the Anna and Raven show that said “Yo @NFL check this out” so I feel like people are watching and their paying attention. I don’t know how famous we’ll become from it and I don’t think that that’s the goal. It was just really to have the experience together.

JO: Can you describe the experience?

MJ: I was very nervous and it was overwhelming because I just didn’t know what it was going to be like. To know that a lot of people are listening…it’s definitely not my forte to speak and answer questions so I struggled with that, but they were super welcoming and they made us feel comfortable. It was fun to be able to let our guard down and just be ourselves in there with the Anna and Raven show.

JO: What was your favorite part?

MJ: My favorite part was really just the excitement of the students. They were just so excited to be there and you could feel the energy when we were leaving. After the stress of the performance was over to just actually be able to get on the bus with everybody and to see how excited they all were and elated they were from their performance – that was the best moment for me.

JO: What’s next for Law Choir?

MJ: We are hoping to perform at the St. Patty’s Day parade in March and we have our Music In Our Schools month concert coming up in March as well. Be there!

By Michael Loschiavo – Staff Reporter

Senior Jocelyn Wirth has been a key asset to the Jonathan Law indoor track team this season. Her times have been improving each race. She recently ran a 7.57 in the 55 meter and is hoping to beat that time at states. Staff Reporter Michael Loschiavo interviewed Wirth about her indoor track season.

Michael Loschiavo: What are your goals for the end of the season?

Jocelyn Wirth: My goal is to continue to pr in the 55 and get as close to Kiki’s (Law alum Kiara Smith’s) time as I can.

ML:  Are you prepared for states on saturday?

JW: I am hoping to beat a 7.57 at states but I am coming back from being sick this past week but I am looking to come back strong.

ML: What are you going to take away from indoor track? What did you learn from the sport?

JW: I am going to take away that even though indoor track is an individual sport you still need a team to support you and root you on and learn from.

ML: What will you miss most about the team as this is your last indoor season and why?

JW: I am mostly going to miss coach Beler and Mike Loschiavo that’s it. The reason why is because I made such great relationships.

ML:  What motivates you before a race?

JW: Before I race I’m always motivated by Beler because he always pumps me up and tells me to think about Lighting McQueen and say “you are speed.”

By Alexis Broderick – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s boys basketball team is enjoying one of its best seasons ever. As of February 2, the team’s record is 13-2 and they have already qualified for the SCC and state tournaments. Staff reporter Alexis Broderick sat down with junior guard Jonathan Vitale to discuss the team’s goals for the rest of the season.

Alexis Broderick: How’s the season going so far?

Jonathan Vitale:  So far the season has been going very well. I think we have grown a lot from last year as a team and with the coaching staff in their second year, they’re able to really grasp what we are all about.

AB: How do you expect the season to finish?

JV: I expect the season to finish on a high note. Speaking for Law Basketball, I can say that all of us expect to make it into far rounds of SCC and states, which has always been our goal from the beginning of the season.

AB: What goals does your team have for the rest of the season?  

JV: Our team’s goals for the rest of the season consists of competing and being a recognizable name in SCCs and states. Ultimately, our goals will always be to make the championship games. We strive for the highest stage.

AB: How is the team going to prepare for states?

JV:  Our team will prepare for states by doing what we have been doing all season. I’m sure the coaches have something in store for us up their sleeves, but as long as we always give max effort, that’s all they can expect from us.

AB: Why do you think the team has been so successful this season?

JV: I believe that the team is so successful this season because it’s a lot more of a family atmosphere. We’re boys. This team is my second family and I’m sure the guys will agree with me on this. We live by UBUNTU which means “I am because we are.”

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

Jonathan Law’s indoor track teams recently organized its 3rd annual Lip Sync Battle in the auditorium to help raise funds for the team. With acts ranging from Pitch Perfect to Cheetah Girls, the show was one to remember. The Advocate’s Editor-In-Chief, Morgan Taylor, sat down with one of the winners of the battle, Michael Loschiavo, to discuss his act and how the JL Backstreet Boys got the win.

Morgan Taylor: What preparation did you do to win?

Michael Loschiavo: All five of us practiced for three days after school in Beler’s room for about two hours at once and had the song on repeat.

MT: How did you feel when you won?

ML: I felt pretty electric when I found out we won. I felt really good about our win. It was well deserved.

MT: What was your favorite part of your act?

ML: My favorite part of our act was when Chris Ramos did the backflip and when we brought the girls up to sit on chairs that we had put there.

MT: Were there any disagreements within your group? If so, what were they?

ML: Yes, there were disagreements in our group. We weren’t sure what song we were going to pick, so I got pretty frustrated. Some of the others were not lip-syncing the words and they wanted to do another song with ‘I Want it That Way’.”

MT: Do you have any plans for next year?

ML: Yes we have plans, but that is a secret for now. We look to come back for the title.

By Morgan Taylor- Editor-In-Chief

Jonathan Law High School’s Drama Club performed its annual fall play, “Arsenic and Old Lace,” this past weekend. The Advocate’s Editor-In-Chief, Morgan Taylor, talked with one of the show’s stars, Justin Amaro, about his performance as well as that of the cast and crew.

Morgan Taylor: What was the show about?

Justin Amaro: The show was about two old aunts who live in Brooklyn. They have a room to rent in their house which brings in lots of men. They poison these old, lonely, men thinking they are helping them. Mortimer (my character) is their nephew and he finds one of the bodies and basically freaks out the whole show because he finds out his aunts are murderers. There are other aspects to the show as well. Overall is very complex and takes a lot of dramatic twists and turns.

MT: How was your performance?

JA: I believe that my performance went really well and so did the cast and crew!

MT: What was your favorite scene and why?

JA: My favorite scene was between me and Aunt Abby (Anna Malin) where Mortimer finds another body in the house but this time its someone Jonathan (Luke McDonald a.k.a the other brother) has murdered. Basically Mortimer is accusing aunt that it is her body and she refuses that she killed this one. This one was my favorite because I loved having a scene with my best friend Anna because we have never had scenes in other plays just us before.

MT: What is your favorite part about the shows in general and why?

JA: My favorite part about the shows are performing them in front of an audience because I enjoy performing and hearing the audience laugh and clap is just so rewarding. It makes you want to do better each time you perform.

MT: What can The Advocate readers look forward to from the drama club?

JA: They can look forward to our spring musical “The Addams Family” in April.

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By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

Jonathan Law High School recently hosted a live Skype interview with Jason Reynolds, a young adult author who is known for his books “All American Boys” and “Long Way Down”. His book “Long Way Down” takes place in an elevator and the story is supposed to take place within 60 seconds. It is all about the main character, Will, contemplating taking revenge for his brother, Shawn’s murder, while visited by ghosts of his past. “All American Boys” is a co-authored book that is a coming-of-age piece which showcases the harsh reality of police brutality. Advocate Editor-in-Chief Morgan Taylor talked with Law media specialist Ms. Briggs and English teacher Mrs. Branco, who co-organized the event:

Morgan Taylor: Why did you decide to showcase this author?

Mrs. Branco: We chose this author because both these books tied into the curriculum perfectly. The first Socratic Seminar we did was on “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Emmett Till and the Scottsboro Boys. This unit focuses on ethics/ethical behavior and prejudices that occurred during the time.  Jason Reynolds’ books focus on topics like gun violence and prejudices of today, so we felt it was a good way to open a discussion on the past and present day.

Morgan Taylor: How did you get in contact with this author?

Mrs. Briggs: To contact the author, I got an email address for his team from his website.  I emailed and described the Socratic Seminar and how well the students did, and how thoughtful and sincere they are. I asked if it was possible to just do a Skype visit. Finally we got a reply – and a yes! After e-mailing back and forth we settled on a date and time. Mrs. Branco emailed her students with the news and we started preparing first thing when the school year began.

Morgan Taylor: Who was able to see this author and ask questions?

Mrs. Branco: After the success of the Socratic Seminar, Ms. Briggs applied for the CT Association of School Librarians Collaboration Grant which we received. We purchased copies of books by young adult author Jason Reynolds for each student which were similar in theme to the texts they analyzed and discussed for their Seminars. We selected 10 of those students who performed particularly well on the Seminar to come up with discussion questions for a mini-Socratic Seminar with the author during the Q&A portion of his presentation. We also had my current English 1 students attend to see what these discussions are like in preparation for their Socratic Seminars later this year. And we invited the Honors Creative Writing students in preparation for them publishing their own book next semester.

Morgan Taylor: What were some examples of questions that were asked?

Mrs. Branco: Some examples of questions were: “How does the dehumanization of people impact police brutality?” and ‘Where did you get the idea of having ghosts in ‘Long Way Down?’’”

By Lucas Greifzu – Staff Reporter

Noah Golden is an active member of the Law community. He is a member of the Key Club, participates in indoor track, and is a member of the baseball team. He also plays baseball for Milford Babe Ruth in the 15 and 16-year-old division. Most importantly, he is a quaestor for the Latin Club and is going to be president of the club at the end of the year. Advocate Staff Reporter Lucas Greifzu interviewed Golden about the Latin Club.

LG: What is the Latin Cub?

NG: The Latin Club is a club (obviously) that focuses on Roman and Latin culture. We do different activities such as making Roman snacks out of chocolate. We also go on field trips. In November we are going on a field trip to the Metropolitan museum in New York City. Also, in the spring we will be going on a field trip to Latin Day in Holiday Hill where we walk around and just have a good time.

LG: What are the goals of Latin Club?

NG: Just to spread awareness of the language of Latin and to have fun with it. It’s a ton of fun being in the club and being creative with what we do. Plus, who doesn’t like making chocolate snacks?

LG: What is your current membership and how are you going to try and get more members?

NG: Last meeting we got around 14 people to show up, which is what we look to maintain throughout the year. We try to get more people by just advertising in different areas. We try to get our tweets retweeted by the Advocate, and Anish (Sikhnam) and I will be making posters for the club soon.

LG: What is the correlation between this club and the Latin classes in school?

NG: In Latin class you learn the language by learning about the Roman culture. The Latin Club kind of takes that and flips it on its head. You mainly focus on Roman culture by learning bits and pieces of Latin and doing fun activities.

LG: Why should people join Latin Club?

NG: It’s a ton of fun. We do field trips to different places, and the activities such as making snacks are fun as well. Plus, doing the Latin Club goes on your college transcript, which helps you get into good colleges.

By Thea Ryan – Staff Reporter

Mary Lonergan is a senior captain of the Jonathan Law High School girls swim team which is currently 8-2 on the year. Advocate Staff Reporter Thea Ryan interviewed Mary Lonergan about her swimming career.

Thea Ryan: How would you say the team doing so far?

Mary Lonergan: The team right now is having one of the best seasons law swim has ever had. We’re currently 8-2 and we have finally beat teams we never have beaten before, such as the Sacred Heart meet and the Woodland meet. We did face two hard losses and it was hard for the team to keep their heads up but it made us stronger and work harder for the next upcoming meets.

TR: Individually, how are you doing this season?

ML: Personally, I’m having one of my best seasons out of the four years. All my times have drastically dropped and each meet and practice I try to push myself harder to beat my time.

TR: How do you motivate your teammates for success?

ML: I motivate my teammates for success by always saying something before the meet. If it’s a close meet, I always tell the team that it’s the 3rd, 4th, and 5th places that win and the person who will win is the one who wants it most. I also always tell the girls “great swim” and always cheer them on doing their race.

TR: What have you learned from being captain?

ML: From being a captain the past two years I learned that you set the tone for the team and you must work together as a team. If you walk in with a negative attitude, the team will pick up on it and will also carry a negative attitude. If you’re in a good mood, the other girls will be in a good mood.

TR: What is your favorite memory of Law swim?

ML: My favorite memory from Law swim is hard to pick. The past four years have been filled with a lot of splashes and laughs in the pool. But one of my favorite memories was an SCC practice when Coach Rosner told us we were able to make synchronize swim routines and her. Mr. Simon and Kyle Lang used the divers’ cards to judge us. Another one of my favorite memories is the Foran and Law meets.

By Noah Golden – Staff Reporter

Angel Santiago is a very active member within the Jonathan Law community. Santiago is the president of the Class of 2021. He volunteers his time for the Key Club and is the public relations director and plays tennis and football. Advocate Staff Reporter Noah Golden interviewed Santiag about his busy schedule.

NG: What motivated you to become class president?

AS: At first for the freshman office, I didn’t see change. I just wanted change.

NG: What will you be doing as class president?

AS: We are gonna be planning the ring dance, we’re gonna try to be making that as fun as possible. I’ve had the opportunity to go to the Lauralton Hall ring dance and see how they did it. I saw what they did well and what they didn’t do well. I’m going to use that to my advantage to make it really fun. We have a bunch of ideas out such as a suggestion box outside of Mr Boynton’s room. Students can suggest to us what they want to see happen, so that we can really get everyone’s voice and opinions in our meetings rather than assuming what people think.

NG: Why do you go so hard with everything? I know you play football and tennis and all of this stuff with Key Club, so why?

AS: A big part of it is that I want to go to a good school. I want to do that for a while. Law is the place I go to school, the place I get my education. I get a lot of opportunities. I get to play with the team I love. They give me a lot of opportunities so I just want to give back to the Law community. That’s why I do the Key Club and that’s why I am a part of the Student Council and all of that.

NG: What do you do in Key Club? Like, what is your position?

AS: I am the public relations director. I am also the sophomore and freshman officer. That means that I am in charge of all freshmen and sophomores in Key Club. If they have questions, they come to me. Public relations director basically means, for example, we are doing a fundraiser for the Thirst Project and it is my job to get people outside of the Key Club to donate. That would be the Keyettes or the Milford Bank. I got to sit down with the New Haven Register and talk with them. It is actually published on their website now.

NG: Now that we know what you do in school, what do you do outside of school?

AS: Lucas Greifzu and I do a documentary every year. It’s called National History Day. It’s where we do a documentary based on something in history. I like to volunteer with the Boys and Girls Club. I did volunteering with the Pumpkins on the Pier. I will just go there and help out however I can whenever they need me because they usually don’t get too many volunteers, especially this year. 

By Justin Judge – Staff Reporter

Sophomore Zach Werthmann is a runner for Law’s cross-country team. Everyday, Werthmann and the rest of his teammates push themselves during practice to become the best athletes they possibly can. Advocate Staff Reporter Justin Judge interviewed Werthmann about his accomplishments.

Justin Judge: Why did you choose running as a high school sport?

Zach Werthmann: It’s a good thing to get in shape for other sports.

JJ: What are some “little things” you do to prevent injuries?

ZW: It’s really important to stretch before and after runs.

JJ: When you train, do you push your body to the max or do you take it easy?

ZW: I usually push myself as much as I can unless it’s a practice a day before my race.

JJ: What is you goal by senior year for cross country?

ZW: I want to run a 18 minute 5K.

JJ: Do you get lots of support from your team during races?

 

ZW: Yes, my team wants to see me win and do my best.

By Gia Edwards – Staff Reporter

Junior Jill Hall is the goalie for the Law varsity girls soccer team which has qualified for states. All summer, the team worked hard in conditioning, and have continued to work hard in practice, setting goals for the season, and bonding during pasta parties. Advocate Staff Reporter Gia Edwards interviewed Hall about her season.

Gia Edwards: What were your team goals this season?

Jill Hall: To make second round of states since it has never been done before. To have a team GPA over 3.5, and to have control and possession of the ball on the field. Hopefully having over 50 percent of possession than than the other team.

GE: What were your personal goals this season?

JH: To go All-SCC and to help my teammates on and off the field. To be a role model.

GE: How do you think the team has done so far this season?

JH: We haven’t lived up to our full potential. We have had some tough losses but we know how to bounce back. I think we could be so much better than what we are showing on the field.

GE: How do you deal with the pressure and sometimes even frustration with being a goalie?

JH: I try my best to communicate with the girls and say things like ”keep fighting” and “don’t give up.” Words of encouragement. It is hard sometimes to let goals in, but everytime it happens, I tell myself “You still have to be a leader to your team and keep your head in the game.”

GE: Do you think the team having a close bond contribute to success during the season?

JH: Yes, definitely. If our team is close, we will have better trust and communication with each other on the field.

By Nyasia McDonald – Staff Reporter

Jenica Riley, a senior at Jonathan Law High School, recently attended a conference in Boston, Massachusetts. She earned a citation from the Congress of Future Medical Leaders for representing Jonathan Law at the conference. Advocate Staff Reporter Nyasia McDonald interviewed Riley about her award.

Nyasia McDonald: How did you get this award?

Jenica Riley: They had just told us that we would receive a medical award for attending and participating.

NM: Do you want to be a doctor? If so, why?

JR: I want to be a pediatrician because i just always felt like I was going to help others and just make a difference especially with kids because I love kids.

NM: Do you know what college you want to go to and what you want to major in?

JR: I think i want to major in biology but i’m not specific what college. I know i want to stay in Connecticut, though.

NM: How did you hear about the Conference in Boston?

JR: I got a letter from the school. They mailed it to my house.

NM: Was the conference just for one day?

JR: We stayed there for a week but the conference was only three days.                                                                                                

By Jessica Owens – Staff Reporter

Seniors Monica Pydipati and Joseph Fletcher recently earned the title of National Merit Commended Scholar from the College Board. To accomplish this, they needed to place in the top 3.1% of students nationwide in the Preliminary SAT. This test is taken by almost 1.6 million students every year. Advocate staff Reporter Jessica Owens interviewed Pydipati and Fletcher about their accomplishment.

Jessica Owens: How does it feel to have the title of National Merit Command Scholar?

Joseph Fletcher: I’m honored to have it but at the same time it was very surprising.

Monica Pydipati: It feels pretty nice, it’s kinda like all my efforts are being recognized. And to know that I got one of the highest scores in the country is something I can be really proud of.

JO: What steps did you take to accomplish this goal?

MP: It was really just practicing over and over again making sure I was prepared for when I took the test.

JO: What colleges are you currently looking at?

JF: I am currently looking at University Of Hartford, RPI, and the University of Rochester

MP: My main goal would be Georgia Tech but I kinda have a dream of going to MIT too. A lot of mine due tend to be Ivy league schools like Columbia, Princeton, and NYU.

JO: What advice would you give to others who want to accomplish this?

MP: Really just set your mind to it, your not gonna get anywhere if you just don’t put the effort in. It’s really about all your hard work paying off.

JF: Work hard when you get the chance because it makes it easier for when you don’t need to do the work.

By Anish Sikhinam – Staff Reporter

The Key Club, with advisor Mr. Boynton, has recently been involved in the Thirst Project, an ambitious project to fundraise money to build wells in Swaziland. The wells will help provide clean drinking water to those who do not have it. To achieve this, the Key Club is turning to the Milford community as well as the Jonathan Law community. Recently, a schoolwide presentation by the Thirst Project was held, and was attended by the mayor as well as several other school officials. Advocate Staff Reporter Anish Sikhinam interviewed Boynton about the project.

Anish Sikhinam: Can you give me a quick overview of the Thirst Project?

Mr. Boynton: The Thirst Project is a project that is sponsored by Key Club International. Basically, they are working with underprivileged countries, such as Swaziland, and they are trying to provide the people of Swaziland with clean water. The country doesn’t have a water system, and the people are actually just drinking filthy rainwater, which has disease in it. What they’re looking to do is get them a way to get clean water.

AS: How did you get in touch with the people who run the Thirst Project?

MB: Actually, they got in touch with us. When we were at the District Convention last April, there was a presentation there. We expressed interest with them, and they contacted us.

AS: What motivated you and the Key Club to work with the Thirst Project specifically?

MB: Key Club is a service organization. We work within the city, the state, the school, and our basic goal is to help people. After the presentation last year – it was a very powerful presentation – we saw a serious need to provide these people with the opportunity to get clean, fresh drinking water. Because they were in such need, we felt that we would like to help these people out.

AS: How has Key Club been doing so far in supporting the Thirst Project?

MB: We started off with a schoolwide assembly, and the students were very generous during it. They put together their spare change and we raised $151. Since then, donations have been coming in slow. We received a $25 donation just yesterday from a former Key Club member who runs his own finance business. He donated $500 through his business. Right now, we’re just getting donations from the outside, but we’re looking into a project in the future which is going to involve the whole school. That will be determined at a future date because before we announce that we have to talk with the administration.

AS: What is your ultimate goal in supporting the Thirst Project?

MB: The main goal is to build a well, and we need to raise $12,000 for this. $12,000 will get them a full-fledged, working well which will provide a whole community or village with clean drinking water. Our goal is to get clean drinking water to the people living in a village in Swaziland.

By Ethan Harrigan – Staff Reporter

Mr. Young is a Modern World History, AP Humanities and AP Psychology teacher at Jonathan Law High School and is one of the three Freshman Team leaders along with Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Mercaldi. The Freshman Team is a group of teachers that meets every first period and works with freshman to get them accustomed to the environment at Jonathan Law. Advocate Staff Reporter Ethan Harrigan interviewed Mr. Young about the program and his involvement.

Ethan Harrigan: What is your role as a leader of the Freshman Team?

Mr. Young: To help organize the Freshman Team meeting, and set up ways to help invite the freshman to Jonathan Law and make them be as successful as possible.

EH: What are the goals of the Freshman Team this year?

MY: The goals of the Freshman Team are always to help incoming ninth graders, to get them introduced to Law, learn about what opportunities they can have here at Law, and then help them achieve their potential.

EH: How is the program influencing and guiding freshman?

MY: I think it’s influencing in the sense that it allows them the opportunity to meet upperclassmen and people that have really done well here at Jonathan Law. It guides them in ways of introducing them to extracurriculars and future classes that they might be interested in.

EH: Are there any changes in the Freshman Team this year?

MY: This year, we have two new members in Mr. Walsh and Ms. Smuniewski. In terms of our approach we have looked at new ways in terms of contact with students, and also with our welcome day, we made a few adjustments there to make sure that students are getting the most at their experience at Law.

EH: What do you and other freshman teachers do during your meetings?

MY: During our meetings, we try to focus mostly on what students are doing in the classroom, where they might need a little bit of extra help, or things that we can help them to do to perform better. We also discuss ideas on how to acknowledge students that are performing really well and we try to also come up with new ways in order to make students part of the Law community. 

By Stefanie Lojko – Staff Reporter

Mrs. Murphy, an art teacher at Jonathan Law, runs the school’s National Art Honors Society. This year, they welcomed 14 new students along with the returning six students. In previous years, they have done an induction ceremony, welcoming every new and returning student into NAHS and they have all come together to paint an adirondack chair. On Friday, October 19  in the front lobby and by the auditorium they will be doing henna tattoos on students. Prices range from $1-$10 to support the NAHS and all the activities they plan to do. Advocate Staff Reporter Stefanie Lojko interviewed Murphy about the club.

Stefanie Lojko: What do you hope for NAHS to accomplish this school year?

Mrs. Murphy: My goals are for students to collaborate, participate and plan a variety of activities and infuse the arts throughout the law community.

SL: How do you feel about the new student’s that joined this year?

MM: I’m very excited because we have wonderful leadership and this is the largest group we’ve had with 20 students.

SL: What’s one of the biggest events NAHS is doing this year?

MM: One event is the henna tattooing after school on October 19th and another is the induction ceremony on November 19th which we are combining with the Trim-M Music Honors Society. But we are also open to any new ideas.

SL: What have you done in the past that you’re doing again?

MM: The induction ceremony.

SL: What’s your favorite thing about NAHS?

MM: It’s a place where like-minded creative students can gather and share their love of the arts.

By Jordyn Wirth – Staff Reporter

Jocelyn Wirth, a senior at Jonathan Law High School, is also a captain of the Law girls soccer team. Wirth is in all honors and AP classes this year. Advocate Staff Reporter Jordyn Wirth interviewed Jocelyn Wirth about her accomplishments on and off the field.

Jordyn Wirth: How do you think your season is going so far?

Jocelyn Wirth: It’s not what I hoped it to be but, It’s still exciting because we are still winning games, but I wish we hadn’t had three losses.

Jordyn W: How do you think it will continue?

Jocelyn W: Hopefully, we will win the next two games we have coming up against Amity and Shelton giving us a chance to be runner up for division championships and maybe a chance in SCC’s.

Jordyn W: What is your role of being one of the captains for the Law girls soccer team?

Jocelyn W: I play one of the roles of helping to lead the team and staying positive but mainly keeping the team to focus on winning and improving together.

Jordyn W: What other extracurricular activities do you take part in?

Jocelyn W: I am in Science Club, Interact Club, the National Honor Society, Model UN, Vegetarian Club, and I play SCP club soccer outside of school. I also do indoor track and chorus.

Jordyn W: What are your personal goals for this season?

Jocelyn W: I would love to go All-State.

Jordyn W: Are you guys already thinking about states and what are you doing to prepare for this upcoming event?

Jocelyn W: Yes, last night’s game against Career is what got us into states and we have been training hard all season to get here and make it through.