By Mia Cerrato – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law High School recently announced that the Class of 2019 valedictorian is Ming-May Hu.

Hu has been a successful, diligent student throughout her career at Jonathan Law. She will be attending Brown University in the fall.

“My sister was valedictorian of her class and inspired me to work for this goal,” Hu said. “It feels great to know that all my hard work paid off and that I am following in her footsteps.”

Many of Law’s teachers and administrators had the the same reaction to Hu earning valedictorian honors.

“I am so very happy for Ming-May,” principal Mr. Thompson said. “She is an incredible student and an equally outstanding person.”

Hu put hard work into all courses and extracurriculars.

“I always tried my best and put a lot of effort into all of my classes,” said Hu. “I studied as much as I could and made sure I was organized with all of my work.”

She has taken and successfully completed 12 Advanced Placement courses at Law.

“Many of those classes will translate into college credit before she even begins her freshman year at Brown University,” said Thompson. “She does so much in and out of the classroom that makes us all so proud of her.”

Chemistry teacher Ms. Turcotte said that Hu was always a standout student and leader of the Science Club.

“Ming-May is a highly motivated student who is always prepared and puts much thought and effort into her work,” Turcotte said. “She is an exceptional leader and I don’t know how we will manage the Science Club without her.”

Hu said that one tip to being a successful student at Jonathan Law is staying organized.

“Stay organized, use a planner, and always do your homework and hand it in on time,” Hu said. “Figure out how you learn and tailor the way you study to fit that.”

Thompson agreed.

“Students who do well in school share several common characteristics – they are organized, they do their all their work (on time), they utilize the many supports offered to our students (like the Academic Support Center) and, most importantly, they communicate with their teachers about their learning,” Thompson said.

Hu had some advice and guidance for students who want to achieve this goal as well.

“Don’t stress yourself out too much over school,” says Hu. “ As long as you try your best, everything will work out in the end.”

Hu already has plans for her future at Brown University.

“I plan on studying engineering in college and hope to go to graduate school after,” Hu said. “I would love to work in a field related to environmental science and sustainability.”

By Samiksha Mehta – Staff Reporter

Senior Kruttika Gopal has been named the Jonathan Law Class of 2019 salutatorian.

The salutatorian is the student who is ranked the second highest in a graduating class. Gopal has worked hard over the past four years to achieve this goal, and all of that hard work paid off.

“I am so honored and excited to be salutatorian; as well as extremely grateful to all the people who have helped me to reach this over my four years at Law,” Gopal said. “To people working to achieve this goal, I would say challenge yourself and remember you can do it. There were definitely times when I thought work was just too hard, and it was extremely rewarding to do well after pushing myself to not give up. Also, don’t lose track of friends, family, extracurriculars, and fun – school doesn’t need to be the only thing you do.”

Gopal said that becoming salutatorian is not only about hard work; it’s also about making sure to have a clear mindset and a steady background.

“It’s such an amazing thing for anyone who works hard to see the pay off and recieve acknowledgement,” choir director Ms. Jones said. “But, it is quite the honor to become the Salutatorian Of course, given it is our very own Chorus Manager, Kruttika Gopal. I am absolutely delighted. Kruttika shines in so many ways and I could think of no better person to be highlighted with such distinction than our soprano, Kruttika Gopal. Sing on, Kru, and we will keep your voice alive where you always have a home in the Law choir family.” 

Gopal’s fellow choir members are excited and happy for her.

“I’m really proud of her and I feel like she definitely deserved it with all her hard work and dedication,” choir member Faith Mills said. 

By Anish Sikhinam – Staff Reporter

Recently, a group of teachers and administrators from the Milford School District and Jonathan Law planned to renovate the Law Media Center into a whole new space named the Teaching and Learning Commons.

The Teaching and Learning Commons, more simply known as the Learning Commons, plans to remake the media center, and creating a more open space for students to work, read, create, collaborate, present, use technology, and get help and support more easily all in a single area.

“I think we have an obligation as adults to provide the space for the students, and to give them the highest quality, most technologically relevant space for them to do anything they want to do in terms of learning,” Law principal Mr. Thompson said. “So whether it’s quiet study space, whether it’s collaboration, whether it’s a creative space, whether it’s a podcast, or whether it’s working with your teachers and peers, I think we have an obligation to provide that.”

The idea of a complete renewal of the Media Center first began during the beginning of this school year. Architects, teachers, and even some students from CAD classes were invited to join the committee to plan out the Learning Commons.

There were many ideas that the students, teachers, architects, and the administrators came up with, and finally – although not concrete – a general plan was laid out by the committee. The renovations are scheduled to begin this summer, and although the whole project will be completed over a span of three years, the Learning Commons will be fully functional and operational by the start of school in August.

“We’re going to start renovations over the summer, so when the students come back in the fall, there will already by changes made,” librarian Ms. Briggs said. “The changes will be mostly cosmetic, not architectural yet, and there will be more rearranging done during the summer.”

The furniture currently in use at the Media Center will be replaced by next year, as well as most of the computers, both in the main area, as well as in the “lab” near the main area.

This won’t serve to be much of a problem, the librarians say, as the district will be implementing its 1:1 Chromebook initiative next year, and every student will have a Chromebook. However, for the students that need to use programs that are only available on PCs and Macs, there still will be small clusters of computers where students can use them.

“I think there will be small banks of computers, but we’re not going to need the labs, because everyone is going to come with their own equipment,” librarian Ms. Borer said. “And the furniture’s going to have more charging stations, there will be tables with wheels so students can work together in groups or separately, there will be couches, chairs, and more comfortable settings.”

The lab near the main area of the current Media Center is planned to be remade into a small presentation space, where students and guest speakers can present to a class in a more intimate way.

In addition, there will be a video production and Eagle Eye News area with Mac computers in the classroom behind the front desk of the current Media Center, where there will be a large glass pane for students to watch the news being conducted.

“We are very excited that the Teaching and Learning Commons is going to be the new home of Eagle Eye News and even more excited that students who are interested in video can have spaces for editing, recording podcasts, and using the Macs for projects,” Broadcast Journalism teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “The new studio will help Eagle Eye News continue to evolve and involve more and more students.”

Math teacher and member of the Learning Commons Committee Mr. Ruzbarsky said the new space will expose students to classes and technology they normally might not have known about.

“A lot of the biggest things that teachers push for, other than newer furniture, is just having enough stuff there for kids to get into different ideas,” Ruzbarsky said. “A lot of teachers like kids to be exposed to other things. For instance, not a lot of kids know that Mr. K’s out there, and they could do video production, so one of our ideas was to move him there.”

There will be support staff at the Learning Commons for most subjects, as well as technology support available. 3D printers and Maker Spaces will also be available for students to use for their projects and other work.

Although there will be new bookshelves, and the books will be arranged, there will be no new books that will be ordered as a result of the Learning Commons renovations.

“There will be probably about the same amount of books, but there’s definitely going to be more flexible spaces where students can do whatever they want, whether it’s a quiet place to work or a large space for students to collaborate,” Briggs said.

Thompson pledges that after the Learning Commons is functional in the fall, the Media Center will never be closed during school again.

The student body has also provided input on the whole project, through a Student Survey sent electronically.

“We had a big student survey, and we had almost a quarter of the school respond,” Ruzbarsky said. “There were a lot of strong opinions to a lot of areas – some students were very strong about having quiet areas, a lot of students were asking for a lounge area to eat food, and other students were strong about having services in the Learning Commons for support.”

Although students seem to be skeptical about the feasibility of different aspects of the Learning Commons, they do seem to like the idea of the Media Center being renovated into the Learning Commons and the new developments that will be occurring overall.

“I think these changes are good, except for the fact that the Media Center is supposed to be a quiet place where people can study, and this may take that away,” sophomore Athena Homorodean said. “But other than that I think it’s good.”

Others say that the renovation of the Media Center will cause distraction but will be beneficial in the long run.

“During construction there will be a lot of commotion but after everything is done, for the new students, it’s going to be very beneficial for them,” sophomore Sevval Cinar said.

And many students students seem to be unsure of the benefits the Learning Commons will provide, compared to the current Media and Support Centers.

“I cannot say anything positive or negative about it until I compare it with our Media Center we have currently,” sophomore Sanskar Shah said. “But it’s good there is some type of development.”

All in all though, the students, teachers, and administrators are excited about the change that the renovation of the Media Center is going to bring.

“Overall, we are reimagining the Media Center to make a modern learning space for students to be able to create,” Thompson said. “I’m excited for it.”

By Bridget Kinross – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law science teacher Mr. Morazzini was recently named Milford’s Teacher of the Year for the 2018-2019 school year.

Morazzini has many students at Law who look up to him. It was no surprise to the students and staff that Morazzini was given this title.

“Receiving this recognition has meant a lot to me,” Morazzini said. “Having grown up in Milford and being a product of the Milford school system, I am honored to have the opportunity to represent the city where I was born and raised.” 

Morazzini loves to share his understanding and passion for science with his students. He enjoys working and being a part of students’ academic careers.

Many of Morazzini’s students speak very highly of him and thank him for a class experience that they can enjoy.

“I would rate his class a 10/10 because I feel that I can be myself in this class and we learned a lot more fun topics than you would expect,” freshman Cydney Galasso said.

Even after winning the Teacher of the Year title, Morazzini still recognizes the many other teachers and staff members who he looks up to and appreciates.

“It’s special knowing that I am even being recognized among so many other exceptional teachers and leaders who I work with, have learned from, and aspire to be like everyday,” Morazzini said.

The students who look up to Morazzini said that they have gained so much from his class.

“I have learned a lot from Mr. Morazzini,” freshman Spencer Hannon said. “He was my favorite teacher I’ve ever had. I thank him for all the smiles and laughs this year.”

Morazzini is a teacher who is seen by his students as easy to talk to and fun. Over his 13-year teaching career, Morazzini said he tries to continue to grow and get better every year.

“Morazzini is a great and funny guy,” freshman Seth Baker said.

By Nyasia McDonald – Staff Reporter

There will be a new Science Fair Club at Jonathan Law next year that sophomore Rachna Vipparla will be starting with science teacher Ms. Bouchard.

There is a already a Science Club at Jonathan Law, but Vipparla, who has been part of Science Club, wanted to do something a little different.

Vipparla has been in a Science Fair Club outside of school and wanted to replicate it at Law.

“I’ve always done it independently without the school, so I thought it would be fun and interesting to incorporate it into Law,” Vipparla said.

Rachna has been part of a Science Club for two years.

“I’ve started the new club because I’ve been participating science fairs for the past four years,” Vipparla said.

The current Science Club at Jonathan Law involves tests, competitions, and group work. The new Science Fair Club will have a hypothesis and the students who join the club will be experimenting with that hypothesis.

They will also be coming up with an independent research project.

“We will go to a state competition towards the end of the year,” Vipparla said.

There was an interest meeting at Jonathan Law for those interested in joining the club on Thursday, May 23. There will be additional meetings in the fall. Anyone interested in joining can contact Vipparla.

By Addison Schwing – Staff Reporter

The History Department held a special event in remembrance of the Holocaust for the Class of 2022 on May 2.

The Class of 2022 was treated to a viewing of “The Pianist” and then heard Holocaust survivors give their accounts of surviving. History teacher Mr. Dooley organized the day and has been doing so for 12 years, with assistance from history teacher Mr. Young.

“The first year coming in, myself and another teacher were brainstorming what we can do like this event, where we could get the students interested in the topic, and have a cumulative activity in our classrooms,” Dooley said.

“The Pianist” is a 2002 film that follows the story of  Władysław Szpilman, a Polish pianist who lived in Warsaw when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. Szpilman survived the ghettos and concentration camps and aided the Warsaw uprising by smuggling weapons. The film received critical acclaim for its raw depictions of life in the ghettos, as well as winning numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Picture.

“We chose ‘The Pianist’ because it is a true story, and how it expresses how it looked throughout the ghettos and the Holocaust,” Dooley said.

Young also lamented on the significance of the film and why it was chosen as a component of this event.

“It puts a firsthand view of what that experience was like and (Szpilman’s) survival towards the end,” he said.

Young and Dooley both teach Modern World History to freshmen, and together they have been successfully running this show for over a decade. World War II is one of the most prominent facets of this class, and with it, the Holocaust.

“Everyone in the history department recognizes how important it is to properly remember what happened, study what happened, and recognize how people who were involved tried to resist what happened,” Young said. “It’s important to ensure that this never happens again.”

Guest speakers from the Holocaust Child Survivors of Connecticut (HCSC) also came and shared their stories about growing up in a time that was incredibly unsafe and dangerous for them.

“Our speaker did a great job talking about how he experienced so much hate, but how he still has so much love for the world and people,” Young said.

Freshman Connor Richards said that the presentations had an impact on him.

“It made me realize how real the situation was, and how recent it was as well,” he said. “People were severely affected by this, as well as their parents, their homes and everything around them, and it changed the way they look at life. It makes you realize how real these things are, and that there are survivors who won’t be here for long. We need to embrace it as much as possible before it’s gone.”

Freshman Jayden Wyoda appreciated the authenticity of the guest speakers.

“I thought it was very interesting to hear a firsthand account of what happened during the Holocaust,” Wyodasaid.” It was very moving to me because it’s such a hard thing to talk about. The speaker was so proud to share his story, and he made sure to emphasize certain things so we would remember and ensure that these things wouldn’t happen again.

Freshman Lucas Piscelli said the entire day was memorable.

“I thought it was very interesting yet also very informal,” Piscelli said. “The movie showed how the guy escaped and survived throughout, and it was cool to hear how the speaker survived as well.”

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

With the end of the school year approaching, the Advocate’s Editor-In-Chief, Morgan Taylor, sat down with Jonathan Law principal Mr. Thompson to talk and reflect on the 2018-2019 school year.

Morgan Taylor: What are your goals for next year?

Fran Thompson: We have some exciting changes occurring next year to support all our students in their learning! I can’t wait to roll out the good news over the summer in anticipation for the start of the new school year. Stay tuned…

MT: What was your favorite memory of this year?

FT: I have so many great memories of the year. All involve our Lawmazing student body and incredible staff members and the great things they do every day.

MT: What facilities will be improved for next year?

FT: Did I mention, stay tuned?

MT: How was this school year better than others?

FT: This was a school year that saw Jonathan Law continue to progress in achieving our academic goals. We continue to grow in student achievement and in our connections in the community. It was a great year in both areas!

MT: What is your advice to the incoming Class of 2023?

FT: Welcome! You are about to join a very special community of learners.  We will support you as you join the Law family. We are so excited to welcome you!

MT: What is your advice to the leaving Class of 2019?

FT: Be well. Remember all you have learned from your years at Law. We look forward to hearing all about your future – we believe in you!

MT: What changes have you seen within the Class of 2019 as they have grown from freshmen to seniors?

FT: What a special group of young men and women. They are ready for the next step in their life journeys. We are proud of you.

MT: What is your favorite part about this school?

FT: Every student, every day!

MT: What are your summer plans?

FT: I will be spending some time planning for next year and Bobo and I will spend a lot of time on our back deck enjoying the summer!

MT: Do you have any last messages to the Class of 2019?

FT: Keep us posted – you will always have a place here because you are always a Lawman!

By Jess Owens – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s choir took a trip to Webster Bank Arena on May 22 to sing the national anthem for Housatonic Community College’s Commencement ceremony.

It was the biggest crowd the Law Choir has ever performed for and was a perfect way to end of their amazing year.

“It was definitely out of everyone’s comfort zone for Law choir and it was a new experience to have so many people watching us,” said choir member Ruby Garnett. “Overall, the performance went really well and I think we all did an amazing job.”

The choir has accomplished many things this year and has worked very hard to put their all into each and everyone of their performances.

“We did really well,” choir member Kruttika Gopal said. “I think we had a great year and it’s setting us up a lot for in the future. From winning competitions to all our performances, it’s been awesome.”

The choir continued to improve all year. They recently won a Superior Choir Award at this year’s competition at Hershey Park, following up last year’s win at a competition at Six Flags.

“It’s actually crazy to think about because everybody has improved so much,” choir member Carlos Acosta said. “A few years ago, the choir only had four people and now were up to 50 people and the amount that signed up for next year’s choir is over 90 students. It’s just great to see how many people are starting to get committed to music.”

From last year to this year, Law’ choir has had so many opportunities to perform in front of crowds throughout the state.

“Our bond continues to grow every year and that bond that growing is really creating an atmosphere where people wanna join and they want to be around us,” choir director Ms. Jones said. “The strength that we have as a group makes people drawn to it and it’s truly is a place that is welcoming.”

Choir member Ashley Leparik said that she will remember this year as a journey.

“It feels really amazing that as a whole choir we can perform together in front of people and share our music and our journey,” Leparik said. “We used to not be able to perform in front of so many people and now we’re finally getting the recognition that we deserve.”

Choir members said that their accomplishments this year have made them stronger than ever and that they can’t wait for next year to begin.

By Stefanie Lojko – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s band, choir, and strings attended the Music In The Parks competition on May 3 in Middletown, Pennsylvania.

They started their trip out with a six-hour-long bus ride to Miller’s Smorgasbord in an Amish part of Pennsylvania. They were just over 30 minutes from Hershey Park.

“It was an amazing buffet lunch with beautiful horses as our backdrop” Ms. Jones, Jonathan Law’s choir teacher, said.

Then, they had competition at Middletown Area High School and Middle School. The group then traveled to to the Hershey Factory where they toured the factory and went shopping.

The band, choir, and strings then went to their hotel where the students did a late night swim.

“We went back to the hotel for some fun in the pool, chilling in the breakfast area and then much needed sleep,” Jones said.

On Saturday, the students headed into Hershey’s Amusement Park. They spent the entire day riding rides and eating good food.

“It was so much fun to see my students getting to be better friends with the members of the orchestra and choir,” Law band director Mr. Giampietro said.

At 3 p.m, they all gathered at the outdoor amphitheatre for the award ceremony. All three musical groups from Law did very well in their categories.

The band competed against St. John the Baptist Diocesan School, a private high school on Long Island, and the jazz ensemble and concert band received a rating of Excellent.

“We placed second to the other school in both categories, but we were especially close to first place in the concert band category,” Giampietro said.

Choir was awarded a Superior rating, first place for their division, and Best Overall Choir, scoring 191/200 points.

“We were super excited and proud when choir won first place in our division and Best Overall Choir,” Senior Kruttika Gopal said. “It was wonderful to know that all the work and rehearsal we put into our music paid off.”

Strings competed against a large orchestra and came in second place.

“They students had a great time and it was a successful trip,” strings director Mr. Burns said.

At 6:30 p.m., the students left Hershey and headed on a long trip back home.

“There are no words to truly express my pride in how the choir students represented themselves and the Law community,” Jones said.

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By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

Jonathan Law High School recently welcomed the incoming Class of 2023 at an Elective Expo.  

Students were able to learn about classes, electives, clubs, sports, and more.

“The purpose was to inform our incoming ninth graders about all the opportunities beyond the core course offered to them,” principal Mr. Thompson said. “This was a new way of presenting the information – having both middle schools come to Law. We wanted to make it exciting and interactive for them.”

Tables were set up for different classes and electives such as cooking, choir, and journalism.

“I really enjoyed all the stations that showed us all the awesome electives and how everyone made us feel so welcomed,” eighth grader Emily Nobles said.

Many of these booths served the purpose of persuading the incoming freshmen to take those classes or electives.

“It was really an interactive experience for the eighth graders which made it a special event,” journalism teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “From guest-hosting Eagle Eye News to using robots to looking at small engines, kids got a hands-on look at all of the amazing elective opportunities we have here at Law.”

Volunteering students from Law helped out at the event, talking to eighth graders about some of their favorite classes at Law.

“The volunteers were the best part,” said Thompson. “I can’t thank them enough.”

There were also a few presenters who talked about their experiences at Law. Seniors Cameron Asmussen and Shayna Levay had a station where they recorded a live episode of their podcast, Subject Matters.

“Having a station at the Elective Fair was a lot of fun,” Asmussen said. “My co-host, Shayna, and I had fun hosting a podcast with the middle schoolers and we let them talk on it if they wanted. Hopefully, some of them are inspired to make their own podcast because it’s a lot of fun to have one.”

The event was a true success with great response from both Harborside and West Shore Middle Schools.

“The feedback I have received has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Thompson.

The Elective Expo was a great way for students to start to get involved with the high school before arriving.

“I thought it went very well and the eighth graders got just a little taste of what it’s like to be a Lawmen,” business teacher Mr. Beler said.

The information also allowed for incoming students to calm their nerves about arriving to high school.

“I loved how they explained everything to us slowly so we could get a real feel of what it’s like to go to Law and so we aren’t as nervous for high school,” said Nobles.

Thompson was elated at the response from student volunteers and staff.

“I am so proud of our school and our community,” said Thompson. “This was another example of how Lawmazing we are and I am so grateful to everyone who made it happen.”

By Jordyn Wirth – Staff Reporter

The Class of 2019 danced the night away on March 15 at its last high school dance.

Law held its annual Senior Cotillion at Cascade Catering Hall in Hamden from 7-11 p.m. Senior class advisor Mrs. Kovacs said it was a delightful and successful night.

“Students all seemed to have a great time,” Kovacs said. “They were out on the floor dancing for most of the night and we had 174 students happily attend.”

The seniors are sad to say goodbye to their friends at the end of the year, but are happy they they got one last dance.

“It is very sad to say goodbye to my friends while we all go off to college because it’s always been such a fun time between us,” senior Emily Rednak said.

Seniors also enjoyed the Cotillion’s photo booth which included silly props to add to their pictures.

“My favorite part of Cotillion was taking pretty pictures with my friends and dancing all night long with my besties,” senior Julie Myers said.

The students really enjoyed the variety of Italian food that was served.

“The food was really good – there was some chicken, some pasta, and the meatballs were really good, too,” Myers said.

The students seemed to have a nice time on the dance floor.

“My favorite part of Cotillion was dancing with my friends a lot,” senior Brianna Felisko said.

Kovacs, who runs Cotillion every year, thinks the students looked amazing as well.

“The guys looked great with shirts and ties and the flowers that some of the girls had were very beautiful,” Kovacs said. “It was just a great night.”

By Jess Owens – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Color Guard team is finishing its season strong.

The Color Guard team hosted its annual Home Show at Jonathan Law on March 16 and placed second against many other schools.

The team and its coach are very happy with their placing and are so proud of their hard work and dedication.

“Second place is nothing to frown upon for sure but our team values focus much more on striving for our personal best as a team more than scores or placements,” Color Guard coach Pamela Rossman said. “So we always want to go out each time and give it everything we’ve got.” 

The team has been placing first and second all season and the individual growth from each member is showing. As their season comes to an end, everyone’s hard work and dedication paying off.

“We’re feeling very positive for the last couple weeks of our season, we had practice last night so we’re very confident with our performance,” senior captain Olivia Ott said.

Color Guard is a unique blend of competitive performance with athleticism and artistry. It has created an unbreakable bond between the team.

“My favorite part of Color Guard is the fact that I’ve made so many friends because there’s a lot of different types of people on the team,” senior Stephanie Lojko said. “There’s a lot of middle and high schoolers on the team that are all interested in different things and we all still have such a great bond and created a strong family.”

The team is sadly saying goodbye to its seniors but they will always be a part of their family.

“We’re very sad because there are seven seniors and our coach already bawled her eyes out about seven times about us graduating,” senior Jessica Scherback said.

The team has championships on April 1 at 6:45 p.m. They also have their Family and Friends evening which is basically a celebration of the season with one last performance without the pressure of judges or scores.

“We’d love for everyone to come cheer and send off this incredible season with us,” Rossman said.

By Rachna Vipparla – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law High School’s AP Chemistry class took a competitive exam at Quinnipiac University on Thursday, March 14.

Students at Jonathan Law annually participate in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad through the American Chemical Society.

“Every year I have my AP Chemistry class go for exposure,” AP Chemistry teacher Ms. Turcotte said. “It’s really just to give them more practice taking an exam and looking around a college campus.”

Every year, the competition meets in a different country and they pick the four top students from each country to compete.

Law competed in the local exam, which was the initial stage to the many series of tests that the students may go to.

“They take the top 10 scores from each county and brings those students to take the State and National exam,” Turcotte said. ”It is a 60-question multiple choice test and if the students move on to the next level, they do another test and a lab practical.”

From all the students competing at the State and National level, the top 4 students go to a chemistry boot camp for two weeks in order to prepare for the exam with the U.S. team in Paris.

In addition to the phenomenal opportunities the program offers, it also acts as preparation for the upcoming AP Chemistry exams.

“It would help the students because we got practice taking multiple choice questions which is always good due to our AP exam coming up,” junior Tasbita Ahmed said.” It was a good way to review our skills before our AP exam.”

Since the test was a college style Chem 1 and Chem 2 test, it helped many of the AP Chemistry students prepare for the upcoming test.

“The test was eye opening because I got to see what college style chemistry testing is all about,” senior Mike Bagdasarian said.

The students in the class believe that it was a difficult test but still a very interesting opportunity.

”The test was pretty hard, but we haven’t learned a lot of it yet because it covers all of the AP Chem curriculum,” junior Morgan Taylor said.

Jonathan Law got involved in the program after Turcotte went to American Chemical Society meetings when she first started teaching. There she met the head of the competitions in the local division and encouraged her class to start participating.

After a couple weeks, the results will get sent out and Turcotte will get a detailed report about how each student did individually.

By Addison Schwing – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Model U.N. Club recently returned from New York City for the Model U.N. Conference in New York City.

Model U.N. is a club that emulates the United Nations and conducts diplomatic simulations of parliamentary proceedings to teach students about international relations and diplomacy.

Students take the role of a delegate from one of 193 countries, and conduct debates with delegates representing other countries, to establish a compromise on pending world issues. They participate annually in the Model UN conference in New York City. This year, the conference was held from March 6 to March 9.

Participants in the club have to undertake a challenging preparation phase before being able to participate in the conference in New York.  

“Participants have to write two research papers on the two topics that they may debate in their committee,” Model U.N. Club advisor Mr. Evanko said. “We also teach them the basics of parliamentary procedure, which is the protocol used in debates.”

Mr. Evanko and fellow advisor Ms. Burns advise the club and teach students the fundamentals of Model UN, but they are not the outright leaders of the club. That right is reserved for Senior Kruttika Gopal.

Gopal is the president of the club and has participated in it for all four years of high school. Her duties include organizing various fundraisers and leading the group in preparation for the conference.

This year, the Model U.N. Club represented the countries of Portugal, Monaco, Nepal, Montenegro, and Uganda. The students are divided into committees that debate on a wide variety of topics, like security, the environment, and technology. 

“I think that it was a good experience. It always is. [It’s nice to] learn to talk to people from other countries that speak different languages and have different backgrounds than the country you are representing,” junior Amelia Mower said. ” I think it went well overall.”

Mower also enjoyed the discussions and disagreements in her committee.

“My committee was the United Nations Development Programme, and we were talking about combatting gender-based violence globally, and there were definitely different views,” Mower said.  We created two resolutions, and both passed.”

Junior Rohin Manohar also participated in the conference.

“I think that the conference went great for everyone involved. It required a lot of preparation,” Manohar said. “We had to start preparing at the end of the last trip in 2018, and everyone had to write their position papers in December, but everyone worked really hard, got their papers in, and everyone went to the conference and had a great time.”

Manohar also enjoyed the debates in his committees.

“My committee was the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime,” he said. “There were two topics; one was about stopping poaching and the other was about crimes on the dark web. It was really good because there were many intelligent people and we had good solutions.”

This conference is just one of many that the Model U.N. Club has participated in over the years and members hope there will continue to be many more in the future.

By Mia Cerrato – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law High School Drama Club will be performing “The Addams Family” as their long-awaited spring play this year.

Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 5, and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 6.

Tickets will be $12 for general admission and $7 for senior citizens, children, and students with an ID.

This play surrounds the love life of Wednesday Addams, who has fallen in love with a sweet, smart guy. Her father, Gomez Addams finds out and Wednesday begs him to keep it a secret from her Mother Morticia.

“The play goes into depth of the Addams family many generations later, and we see Wednesday fall in love with Lucas Beineke,” sophomore Joey Soto said. “They want the couple’s families to get along.”

The plot seems to have an eccentric twist compared to musicals in the past.

“It is very unique and shows off everyone’s great talent,” sophomore Ashley Leparik said. “There is tons of dancing and singing.”

Familiar characters from the original Addams Family will appear in the play as well as new characters.

“There are the Addams’: Gomez, Morticia, Fester, Wednesday, Pugsley, Grandma, Lurch and their ancestors,” said Soto. “There are also new characters like the Beineke’s: Mal, Alice, and Lucas.”

To make sure the musical runs smoothly, a lot of hard work and effort is being put in.

“We have been working with our director, Christina Kalafut, our choreographer Maddie, and our music teacher, Mrs. Jones, to prepare for the big night,” said Soto. “We do this every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4-7 p.m. to make sure we put on a great show.”

With all this practice, members of the Drama Club aren’t stressing about their performance.

“Everyone has such great talents,” Leparik said. “I’m not nervous because everyone will shine.”

Those who plan to attend “The Addams Family” are thrilled as well.

“As someone who used to avidly watch ‘The Addams Family,’ I am excited to see the musical twist put on it,” sophomore Meghana Cheela said. “It seems different and entertaining.”

There are also some people who plan to go, who are unfamiliar with “The Addams Family.”

“Although I’ve never seen this show, I know I’ll still be just as entertained,” sophomore Sreeya Gudlavalleti said. “The Drama Club always puts on an amazing performance.”

The Jonathan Law community is excited to see what is in store for this spring’s play.

By Anish Sikhinam – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law High School band performed with the Milford’s middle school bands to celebrate Music In Our Schools Month on March 19.

The Law band has been working hard throughout the year to play three pieces, one of which they played in collaboration with the eighth grade members in the middle school band.

“The National Association for Music Education has identified March as Music In Our Schools Month, and we use that to make people aware of the role that music education plays in our schools by having these district-wide concerts,” Law band teacher Mr. Giampietro said. “This concert involved students from all over the district, including students from both high schools and all three middle schools.”

The concert was on March 19 at 7:00 p.m. at Foran High School. Foran performed a piece with East Shore Middle School, while Law performed a piece with Harborside and West Shore Middle Schools.

Overall, the Law band played three pieces: “Three Ayres From Gloucester” by Hugh M. Stuart, “Circus Days” by Karl L. King, and “Shadows Unleashed” by Brian Balmages. “Shadows Unleashed” was the piece the Law band played with the eighth graders.

“The most challenging piece was probably ‘Three Ayres From Gloucester’ because each movement is different from the others in terms of style and tempo,” sophomore tuba and trombone player Lucas Greifzu said.

The Law band worked on the music that they played at the concert since January, and some of the music was a work in progress to the band’s concert in May. They also had a ‘field trip’ during school to rehearse with the middle school band.

“The rehearsal with the eighth graders was pretty good,” sophomore drummer Logan Dressel said. “They were super good at listening, they all seemed really interested in what was going on, and I think we’re going to have a lot of interest in the band for next year.”

All in all, the performance was very good, perhaps even better than the band expected.

Sophomore trumpet player Mikey Nunno said the concert was “pretty good.”

“We do this concert every year, this is my fourth year at Law, and that’s definitely the best that our band has played,” said Giampietro. “Again, everyone was well prepared and it just came off nicely.”

The band is currently preparing for their Spring Concert on May 1, and they hope to bring their successes from their Music In Our Schools Month Concert, as well as improve upon it from last time.

“As a whole I think the band needs to work on playing together,” said Greifzu. “Especially for the pieces that we haven’t performed yet, but we are learning the pieces well and I think we will be well prepared for our spring concert.”

The Spring Concert will also feature the string orchestra as well as jazz ensemble in addition to the band.

“We also have a trip to Hershey Park to participate in the Music In The Parks festival, where music teachers will listen to us and give us a rating.” Giampietro said.

The band students are also looking forward to this upcoming concert.

“We’re planning to play this really cool piece called Chant Rituals which is a creepy song reminiscent of old chants,” Dressel said.

Although the Law band has been a busy for a few months overall, they still continue to work hard to perform impressive music.

By Michael Loschiavo – Editor-In-Chief

Jonathan Law welcomed New Haven’s FBI Operations Specialist Edward Garlick on Thursday, March 29.

Crime & Punishment classes learned the basics of law enforcement and what it takes to be a Federal Bureau Investigator.

“We are one of the very few schools in the state that has the FBI come to our school,” history teacher Mr. Batson said.

Officer Garlick explained how to detect DNA and and how to analyze bomb materials at places he has investigated, a list that includes Stony Creek Township in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.

“Garlick showed Jonathan Law students his evidence truck and all the materials he carries around,” Batson said.

Batson said the students learned important information about techniques that the FBI uses and what gets people ready to become investigators.

“I feel Officer Garlick talked to the students about the many different types of crimes the FBI investigates,” Batson said. “It even showed the students how to collect evidence and how they can track missing persons.”

The FBI presentation was held in the Media Center and then the students were taken outside for a tour of an FBI evidence truck.

“I learned a lot and I would definitely take a lot of information out of this presentation,” senior Dan Wasserman said.

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

Jonathan Law is hosting Milford’s Annual City-Wide College Fair on Wednesday, April 3, from 7-8:30 p.m.

This year’s College Fair will feature over 70 colleges and universities along with two special information sessions for parents and students.

“All Milford students and their families are encouraged to attend,” Jonathan Law’s College and Career Counselor Ms. Sylvia said.

There will be information on hand ranging from the financial aid process to the application process.

“Before the fair begins, from 6:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., a college admissions representative will be speaking on the college application process,” Sylvia said. “At 7:45 p.m. a session on NCAA information will begin and run until 8:30 p.m.”

The list of colleges in attendance is being updated daily and can be found on the Jonathan Law’s School Counseling Website.

“We are excited to again host this year’s event at Law,” Sylvia said. “Even today, I’m getting e-mails from colleges saying that they are really excited about coming and meeting our students.”

The fair is being held in the New Gymnasium at Law and doors officially open at 7 p.m.

“I really hope that as many students as possible come and take advantage of this opportunity,” Sylvia said.

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

The Milford Public Schools recently held a “1:1” Chromebook roll-out for freshman at Jonathan Law and Foran High Schools.

This process involves giving a Chromebook to every student. With technology on the rise in society and especially in schools, the district decided to take the initiative to help students adapt.

“The district recognizes that students are using technology as a tool for learning,” principal Mr. Thompson said. “While we have been using Chromebooks in the district for a while, allowing our high school students to have them as a resource beyond the school day just makes sense as so much of our instruction during and after class takes place on Google platforms.”

Many teachers already use resources such as Google Classroom to communicate with their students in and outside of the classroom.

“It makes communication between students and myself easier, improves student accountability, and with our rotating schedule, it helps keep teachers and students stay organized,” English teacher Mrs. Lucia said.

The freshmen received their Chromebooks over the last few weeks.

“So far, the response has been great,” Thompson said.

Students like freshman Shelby Green have been using their Chromebooks in classes and at home.

“Having the Chromebook gives us easy access to Google Classroom and instead of having to go to the library to get a Chromebook we have one on us at all times,” said Green.

A worry of many students is that they will accidentally break or mess up their Chromebooks.

“It’s like all instructional resources provided by the school (think big old books but less heavy!), so the expectation is the Chromebooks will be taken care of and properly stored and charged,” said Thompson. “If there is a damaged Chromebook, depending on the situation, we will address it accordingly. I give our kids enough credit to know how respectful and appreciative they are for this resource, so I don’t imagine a lot of messing up.”

As for prior computer labs and other technological resources, they will stay for now.

“Eventually, some will be re-purposed but some will remain as they have certain functions with specific purposes and software,” said Thompson.

Chromebooks will be given out to students currently in grades 10-11 in time for next year.

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-in-Chief

Jonathan Law High School recently hosted five alumni to talk to sophomores and business students about how their experiences in high school prepared them for their jobs.

During the second annual Law Gives Back event, the five alumni talked about what students need to do to be successful in the real world. The event was sponsored by the Law business teacher Mr. Beler, Business Department, the College and Career Center, and the School Counseling Department.

“Law Gives Back’s purpose was to show our current students successful people who once sat in their chairs,” Beler said.

Since sophomores are at the age when they are deciding what to pursue in college, they were invited to sit down in the auditorium and listen to the five speakers.

The alumni were Hadir Elhelw (Class of 2014), who is a media planner at Havas Media Group; Tarah Kelly (Class of 2013), who is a group sales representative for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers; Anisha Manglani (Class of 2013), who is a support analyst for Indeed.com; Dan Thornberg (Class of 2008), who is the CEO and president of Aced My Interview and Total Lawn Care, LLC; and Amanda Trcka (Class of 2011), who works in public relations for Fleishman Hilliard.

“I like to call them my five ‘rockstars’,” Beler said.

The oldest of the five was 28 years old. This served the purpose of providing the students with speakers who are not much older than them.

The assembly was held for the sophomores and business students.

“The five people who came talked about what they do now and how they got to where they are,” junior attendee Brooke Nabors said.

Some students were chosen to have lunch and talk with the alumni after the assembly.

“I was sitting with a man who created Ace My Interview and a landscaping company,” Nabors said. “The biggest take-away I had was that I really have to start thinking about what can help me little by little to make my future in college more successful.”

Other students talked about what to do in college in order to be successful.

“It was very educational,” junior Skylar Sosa said. “I learned a lot and it changed my perspective on possibly going into the business field as a job. We talked about what you should major in and what steps you have to take to pursue a career in business or marketing.”

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

Jonathan Law’s Ski and Snowboard Club is hitting the slopes this winter season.

With five trips coming up this season, the club has a lot in store for its members.

“The Ski Club is all about having fun with your friends while having fun on the slopes,” senior club president Michael Bagdasarian said.

The first trip is going to be Saturday, January 5, to Mount Snow. All trips take place on Saturdays.

“We are always looking to grow the club,” said Bagdasarian. “By adding more people, it makes the cost of the bus a lot less.”

The overnight trip is the major excursion of the club.

“The overnight is super fun but you have to go on two trips prior to that within the club,” said Bagdasarian. “It is two nights and three days. We spend the Friday afternoon on a coach bus for the six-hour drive, but we try to play some games on the bus.”

For the overnight, the club leaves after school and arrives at Smuggler’s Notch in Vermont for the weekend.

“It is so much fun,” said junior club member Theresa Rosato. “It allows us to have more time for skiing than a regular trip”

Junior club member Laxman Mohanarajan agreed.

“It is a great bonding experience and I love hanging out with my friends,” Mohanarajan said.

There are plenty of adult chaperones and new members can take lessons.

“I am really excited to try skiing,” junior member Ryan Tyimok said.

Skiing is a very popular sport in Connecticut and Ski Club allows students to participate with friends and peers.

“We do so much more than ski,” said Rosato. “There is time on the bus to play games and on the overnight we swim in the hotel pool and eat ice cream.”

The Ski Club is looking forward to this season and prospective members can sign up anytime.

By Lucas Greifzu – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Latin Club meets every other Thursday right after school in the upstairs computer lab to learn about Roman culture and to discuss upcoming trips and fundraisers.

While the Latin cCub takes a good number of trips and does a lot of fundraisers every year, their biggest trip is  to Holiday Hill for Latin Day. They also are planning a trip to New York very soon.

“Latin Club is a club to celebrate ancient culture,” Latin Club advisor Mrs. Furst said. “It is also an opportunity for students to explore their own interests in the ancient world.”

The club learns about ancient Latin and Roman culture in many ways. For example, they make chocolate dormice, as well as celebrate Saturnalia, which is a Christmas like holiday celebrated in December.

“Some previous activities that we have done include celebrating Saturnalia,” Furst said. “We have also made dormice out of chocolate.”

The Latin Club also has another large field trip planned for the rest of the year. They are taking a trip into New York City to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“The Latin Club also goes on field trips,” Latin Club officer Noah Golden said. “We are going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to learn about Latin culture.”

Latin Club discusses ancient Latin and Roman culture, students don’t have to be enrolled in a Latin class in order to be in the club. 

“There is a connection between the class and club, but you do not have to take Latin to be in the club,” Furst said. “It is a great opportunity to see what Jonathan Law High School Latin is about.”

A lot of things happen in the Latin Club meetings other than the activities about ancient Latin and Roman culture. They also discuss upcoming trips and how they plan to pay for them.

“In the meetings we plan out the trips that we are going to take to holiday hill for Latin day and to the metropolitan art museum,” Latin Club sophomore Anish Sikhinam said. “We also plan out our fundraisers to pay for those trips.”

The Latin Club also has a Twitter account. There they post about Latin culture and tweet Latin memes.

“I run the Twitter account with Noah,” Latin Club member and sophomore Oliver Steele said. “We also try to make our Twitter as humorous as possible; if you care to follow the Latin club Twitter it’s @JLHSLatinClub.”

By Nyasia McDonald – Staff Reporter

Several in-state colleges visited Jonathan Law High School on December 14 for Instant Decision Day.

Instant Decision Day was hosted in the counseling department by the Law’s guidance counselors. Some colleges that visited were Southern Connecticut State University, Central Connecticut State University, Western Connecticut State University, Albertus Magnus College, and the University of New Haven.

The colleges interviewed the seniors that applied to each school and gave them an acceptance decision on the spot.

“Students had to sign up to attend,” guidance counselor Mrs. Kovacs said.

In all, 25 students signed up to attend the event.

Sacred Heart University also visited Law for the Instant Decision Day. The Assistant Superintendent of the college was in attendance to help make the admission decisions.

“(Law senior) Mary Lonergan got accepted into the Sacred Heart Early Decision Nursing Program with a scholarship,” Kovacs said. 

Students went to the interviews prepared and well-dressed.

“The students came prepared with questions and they were professionally dressed,” College and Career Coordinator Mrs. Sylvia said.

By Jess Owens – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Giving Tree is giving back during this year’s holiday season.

The National Honor Society decorates the Giving Tree every year with tags that have a name of a boy or girl along with their age and a gift. Students and staff are to take a tag off the tree and return it with the gift that is listed.

“We work with Bridges and their clinicians who work with these families come up with the lists for us and basically they give us three to five gifts the kids have requested and we fulfill their wishes,” NHS advisor Ms. Turcotte said.

Bridges is a social service organization in Milford which has counselors and work with families who are less fortunate than others. They give a list of kids and what they asked for without disclosing their names .

So far, Jonathan Law has received almost 200 gifts for the kids this year. They began with 53 children that they wanted to give at least three to five of the gifts they asked for.

“Our goal is to fill the list,” Turcotte said. “To make sure that all these kids wake up to something on christmas morning.”

Members of NHS are working very hard to make Christmas for these children one that they’ll never forget.

“It’s great; we got a lot of people to donate gifts and we are really really excited to be doing this” NHS officer Kruttika Gopal said.

One Law student who bought a gift was very happy to be giving back.

“I got a pair of sneakers for a boy that’s three years old,” sophomore Jefri Caballero said. “Once I was in need of a gift and I felt like it was necessary to help someone else as a act of kindness.”

NHS hopes that all kids receive what they asked for and that they have a happy holiday.

“I hope that we just bring happiness to the kids who deserve it because they don’t have a lot of money or some people just asked for diapers or winter clothes,” NHS officer Ming-May Hu. ”I hope it just brings them comfort and happiness for the holidays.”

NHS has been doing the Giving Tree for years and they have many exciting things coming after break.

By Stefanie Lojko – Staff Reporter

Two of Jonathan Law’s National Art Honor Society students, senior Hannah Swenning and junior Leah Milewski, have come together to paint a mural at West Shore Middle School.

West Shore principal Mr. Cavanna contacted the NAHS and Swenning and Milewski decided to take on the project. They had full freedom to come up with the idea on their own and that’s exactly what they did.

The mural will depict West Shore’s logo with their mascot, a wildcat, in the middle. Once that is completed, students and faculty at West Shore will put their hand prints around the logo and sign their names.

“We are trying to incorporate the teachers in the mural,” Swenning said.” We want it to show a sense of unity.”

After all the renovations West Shore has done over the past couple years, the mural will help create a of community because it is something all the students can be apart of and enjoy.

“Their time, creativity and craftsmanship is a great example of the school spirit at both West Shore and Law,” Cavanna said.

Swenning, a graduate of West Shore, felt that doing this mural for the school was an opportunity to leave her touch. She felt glad that other people can enjoy something she took part in.

“I do think it is pretty cool that I get to put my touch on a school that I used to go to, especially after all the renovations that have happened,” Swenning said.

Milewski did not attend West Shore but she felt good about painting something for another school. When others complimented them on their work, it gave her more motivation to work harder.

“It still feels special to paint this because I enjoy helping other schools,” Milewski said.

Cavanna feels the mural shows how creative and hardworking Law students can be.

“West is best because of these two remarkable artists,” Cavanna said.

By Anish Sikhinam – Staff Reporter

The Civil Discourse Club was recently created at Law with the aim of helping students find common viewpoints on certain topics.

Unlike a typical debate club, where debaters on either side come to convince or win the other person over, students in the Civil Discourse Club work together to find a solution that both sides agree with.

“Civil discourse is not necessarily formal, but there are some rules about it,” librarian and founder Mrs. Briggs said. “Those rules mostly involve finding common ground and active, respectful listening, where you listen not just to refute what somebody is saying, but you listen to understand.”

The club meets in the Media Center during common time, although there is no set schedule as of now.

“I envision meeting at least a couple of times a month, just to touch base with people,” Briggs said. “I want to give people enough time to do some research, but I also want to give people multiple opportunities to attend meetings.”

The club’s first meeting was during common time on December 4. It was mostly an introduction meeting, where the students decided what topic they wanted discuss.

The club plans to have its next meeting on January 8 during common time. The chosen topic that the students will discuss is climate change and what can be done about it.

“I want it to be all student run,” Briggs said. “I want the topic ideas to come from the students and be things that they’re really interested in talking about.”

Briggs has also shared library resources for students to research the topic and support their viewpoints between meetings. “We discuss topics of interest to the group and prepare for meetings by researching our topic a bit,” sophomore Brian Zirkel said.

The actual discussion will run having multiple sides, with limited teacher intervention, similar to a Socratic seminar.

The idea to start this club came from an article from the School Library Journal, which stated that in society and especially online, people don’t have the skill to be able to talk civilly amongst one another.

“People are ending up very angry and frustrated, and there’s a lot of villainizing of the other side and people who don’t agree,” Briggs said. “What I really want is for students to get a lot out of it, and walk away from the conversation not feeling angry or riled up, but feeling hopeful about the future.”

Most students in the club do seem to like the idea of civil discourse.

“I think it’s really important because in this day and age there’s so many people that have different opinions and everyone is always arguing,” sophomore Rachna Vipparla said.

The club hopes to recruit new members as well going forward. “I do think there’s obvious appeal to the Model UN kids, to kids who have done debate clubs,” Briggs said.

“I joined this club to speak better, learn how to communicate, and debate and defend my position,” sophomore Sanskar Shah said. “This club is for people that feel strongly about and like to express their opinions on current hot topics.”

By Addison Schwing – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Science Club is preparing to partake in the MIT Science Olympiad Invitational on January 12, 2019.

The Science Club is an academic club that participates in science-oriented events across New England. They spend the majority of their time preparing for the Connecticut Science Olympiad, a statewide science-based competition held at the University of Connecticut wherein students form teams and complete a multitude of science-based competitions.

Senior Ming-May Hu acts as Club President, and Ms. Turcotte and Mr. Stanton from the Science Department advise the club.

This year, the Science Club will be participating in the Science Olympiad Invitational at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ms. Turcotte cites the location as a change of pace for the club.

“Normally we would do Yale University, but in the past, we’ve done Brown University, and we’re doing MIT this year,” Turcotte said. “The nice thing about going to MIT is that it’s out-of-state, so there are lots of people traveling from all over the country, whereas the UConn event is just Connecticut exclusively. It gives us more variety.”

The event at MIT is an invitational, and the actual Olympiad takes place at the University of Connecticut; however, the invitational is modeled after the official event.

Hu said that the club has worked hard in preparation for the event.

“There are multiple events [during the Olympiad], and everyone has a few of them, and everyone prepares on their own,” she said. “It’s kind of like an independent study sort of thing. Depending on the event, there could be a test so you would have to study anatomy for example, and people will go to different teachers for help, or you might have to build a tower that has to hold a certain amount of weight so you would have to keep doing trials.”

Participants are under a lot of pressure to perform well during the event.

The competition lasts from the morning to the evening and is composed of a gauntlet of challenges with different themes, such as Chemistry, Thermodynamics, Forensics, and Herpetology.

Turcotte expects students to show up prepared to the event.

“There have been years where people haven’t shown up prepared, and especially with new members, they don’t know what to expect, and when you show up and see these kids carrying all their equipment in and are prepared, and you aren’t then it’s stressful,” Turcotte said. “Of course, we want to win medals, and we want to do well overall, but the most important thing is that they prepare and that they pull their weight with their team so that they have a chance of being successful.”

By Mia Cerrato – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s band and orchestra got into the holiday spirit during their annual concert on December 11.

The band and orchestra have been preparing and rehearsing to ensure that their performance will be exceptional.

“My class, the orchestra, practiced these songs for the last couple of months constantly to keep tweaking and getting everything perfect,” sophomore Meghana Cheela said.

The orchestra teacher encouraged his studenst to push themselves to the best of their abilities.

“Practice, practice, practice,” orchestra teacher Mr. Burns said. “ We had daily rehearsals and class rehearsals. Plus, the dress rehearsal the night before.”

The band and orchestra performed various holiday songs.

“The band performed multiple symphonies,” sophomore Lucas Greifzu said. “A few symphonies we played were ‘Elements’ and ‘Circus Days.’”

The orchestra performed a setlist as well.

“The orchestra played ‘Carol of the Bells,’ ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas,’ and ‘Festival of Lights,’” Cheela said.

The goal of the bad and orchestra was to make sure their performance puts the audience in awe. 

“I was truly impressed by the performance,” sophomore Jennifer Liu said. “I enjoyed all the songs and thought everyone did really good.”

The orchestra teacher had a similar reaction to the performances.

“I think it went really great,” said Burns. “ The orchestra played really precisely and the other groups performed really well.”

Members of band and orchestra seemed to be confident in their performance

“I think it went pretty good,” Greifzu said. “ We worked hard.”

Cheela agreed.

“The concert went amazing,” Cheela said. “ All the parents were very impressed and loved the concert.”

By Rachna Vipparla – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law choir conducted its Winter Concert on December 11 in the auditorium.

The Winter Concert is an annual performance that the Advanced Vocal Ensemble (AVE) and the concert choir participates in.

“This concert was a lot of hard work for the choir to put together, but in the end it was an amazing experience that I really enjoyed,” sophomore Sreeya Gudlavalleti said.

AVE started of the concert with several a capella pieces and then they were joined by the concert choir towards the end.

A few of the songs sung at the concert were “December Rose,” “Stars I Shall Find,” “Ain’t that a Rockin, Silent Night,” and “Magical for Christmas.”

“We invited the middle schoolers from Harborside and West Shore, which was also a very interesting experience,” sophomore Jefri Caballero said.

This year, the audience was also very involved throughout, singing “Silent Night” and a Hebrew piece.

“This year, we were lucky to have Dana Weiderhold perform with us, she came from Pennsylvania and played the violin,” choir teacher Ms. Jones said. ”This was a very special treat for us.”

The audience was captivated by the talent of the choir and its extraordinary performance.

“The concert was wonderful and I truly was never bored,” sophomore Alexis Rios said.

The choir practiced for the concert for almost three months.

Since the choir is now finished with the Winter Concert, members will have to begin working on the Spring Concert next.

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

Netflix producers recently joined the Law student body to film a documentary about the effects of vaping at Jonathan Law High School.

In a series about teenage lifestyle, Law will be featured in an episode for the school’s past honesty and openness about their experiences with vaping by students.

“I was called by this production company used by Netflix called Zero Point Zero Productions,” said Principal Mr. Thompson. “They have done documentaries for Netflix in the past and this is their new project.”

The producers asked to meet some students from Law and follow them around their life in and outside of school.

Law senior Bella Carroll was one of these students.

“Overall, it was an interesting experience,” said Carroll. “They had come to my house after school and before school the next morning to get a feel of what the life of an average high schooler is like.”

The students were asked questions about how they have seen e-cigarettes affect the school.

“They mainly had filmed interviews of my three friends and I, asking about what role e-cigarettes, mainly the juul, had in school,” Carroll said. “They asked everything from how many of my friends I’ve seen use it, to how our school tries to prevent it.”

The series is going to cover all aspects of teenage lifestyle with this episode devoted to vaping and how its affecting students.

“They are going to talk to health specialists and areas of government to discuss the consequences of vaping,” Thompson said.

Thompson is unsure of exactly how the high school was chosen to take part in this series.

“To be honest, they called, we talked, they came down to Milford and filmed,” said Thompson. “We don’t know if there are other school’s involved around the country.”

Law has taken significant strides to prevent students from using these harmful e-cigarettes, including closing and monitoring some restrooms to help keep students safe.

By Noah Golden – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Ping Pong Club is looking forward to another year of meeting and playing.

Every Monday, the Ping Pong Club meets in the open area by the Freshman Wing. The first club meeting was on November 26.

“People can just come down to the open space by the freshman wing and play Ping Pong on Mondays,” sophomore club member Lucas Greifzu said.

During these meetings, the members of the club set up the table and then face each other in match-ups.

“It depends on how many people show up, but normally we will just have whoever wins keep playing against whoever wants to face them,” Greifzu said.

The club was organized last year by sophomores Angel Santiago and Owen Brennan.

“We had to play ping pong a lot in middle school, so Owen Brennan and I had decided that we wanted to make it a club and keep the tradition going,” Santiago said.

The club not only helps with continuing traditions, but also with the members’ sports and activities as well.

“It definitely helps out with tennis,” Santiago said. “Hand eye coordination helps out a lot. Obviously you don’t hit the ball as hard as you do in tennis. The hand-eye coordination and the little steps you have to take to get to the ball, and just the effort to get to every ball.”

People in the club also play it for the joy of the game itself.

“Ping pong is a sport that I enjoy and it’s fun to play it with friends,” Greifzu said.

The club also pulls in different people from different crowds.

“A lot of the people that come to it usually if for instance we have football a little bit later one day, the club would start and some of the football guys would come by and maybe some of the basketball players when they don’t have practice,” Santiago said.

The Ping Pong Club works together at all of its meetings.

“The Ping Pong Club collectively sets up the ping pong table in that open space next to the freshman wing and we just play ping pong,” said sophomore club member Anish Sikhinam.

The club plays all winter and spring which gives people in the club many opportunities to play and practice.

“It started on the 26th, and will probably end a little bit before the end of the school year,” Santiago said.

By Jessica Owens – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law marketing students recently took a trip to a Sound Tigers game for a Sports Marketing Day for students all over Connecticut.

Before the game, there was a presentation from the President of the University Of Bridgeport, and the Head of Student Development, who talked to the kids about different current college career opportunities.

The arena was sold out with over 7,000 people in attendance. Fifteen high schools, 20 middle schools, and 10 elementary schools attended the game.

“It was an educational day, put on by a formal alumni, which embraced the whole thing,” business teacher Mr. Beler said. “Overall I think it was a great success. We took 50  students all together.”

This event was hosted Law alum Tarah Kelly. Kelly was a former student in Beler’s business class and is currently the Head of Promotions for the Sound Tigers.

Students that attended the trip said they had many favorite moments.

“The fights – they were funny,” junior Brooke Nabors said.

Many of the kids, including Beler, enjoyed this part of the game, too.

“My favorite part of the game was probably the fights,” sophomore Justin Judge said.

Some kids enjoyed just interacting and having fun with the crowd.

“Mostly the crowd, like the singing and the wave, the game was fun to watch too,” senior Julie Myers said.

Students learned about marketing and met many new people at the game. Overall, the students seemed to have a fun, educational day.

“It was great to see, especially talking to the president about college and the University of Bridgeport, all the different college speakers and to see all the marketing put into place,” Beler said. “It was a pretty good day for the kids.”

By Rachna Vipparla – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Choir performed on November 8 at the Progressive Insurance “Key to Progress” program to honor veterans across the country.

The choir performed the National Anthem when opening the ceremony and closed the event with “Battle Hymn of the Republic” to pay their respects to the veterans.

“We were lucky enough to attend the Milford ceremony, which honored one incredible veteran,” senior Krutika Gopal said.  

At this event, Progressive honored the veterans across the country by donating them cars. At the event they also gifted the veterans with gift cards for gas, oil changes, and tire rotations.

“I definitely teared up at the event because the gentleman that received this, the veteran, was highly motivated and has done a lot for our country,” choir director Ms. Jones said.

The choir was very proud and grateful for the opportunity that was provided by Progressive.

“We are thankful for the people at progressive for giving us the opportunity to appreciate the veterans by performing in front of them,” sophomore Sreeya Gudlavalleti said.

The choir performed at “Keys to Progress” last year as well. After Progressive e-mailed them again asking for them to perform, the choir returned to the event for the second time.

“I think that this is a really great way to honor the veterans,” Jones said.

In order to ensure that they could honor these veterans by singing, the choir took out close to two hours of their day.

“For me, personally, I was glad to be part of such a special group and a part of honoring the veterans,” Gopal said.

In addition to the choir’s performance at the Progressive Veterans Day event, they also sang for the veterans at Law.

“We had an opportunity to sing for the veterans who have served our nation and it really was an honor to do something like that,” junior Faith Mills said.

They performed the National Anthem in order to honor all the veterans who fought for the safety of America. They felt that it was an amazing way to show their gratitude to the veterans who have served us.

“It truly was an honor to perform in front of the veterans who deserve more recognition,” Gudlavalleti said. “I had a lot of fun at the event and I think many people in the choir did as well.”

By Anish Sikhinam – Staff Reporter

Recently, Milford Food Services has introduced a new beverage to help make students’ stressful mornings better: hot chocolate milk.

The milk is currently only available during breakfast in the morning with a purchase of a full meal.

“It might be coming to lunch, but it’s not available yet,” high school kitchen manager Ms. Attardo said. “We’re working on it”.

The hot chocolate milk will not be served a la carte as of now, but it is coming soon.

“We’re working on a price,” Attardo said. ”We need more machines in order to continue serving throughout the day.”

Milford Food Services has found that high schoolers aren’t getting enough calcium in their diets. To encourage young people to drink more milk, Milford Food Services and the New England Dairy Council decided to bring the hot chocolate milk to both Jonathan Law and Foran High Schools.

Hot chocolate milk has never been on the school menu before and this is the first time that it has come to the Milford Public Schools.

According to the New England Dairy Council, heating chocolate milk and offering it as hot chocolate to older students is a great way to increase milk consumption and attract new customers to breakfast and lunch programs.”

The beverage will be made of one percent milk, which comes from a local dairy farm in Connecticut.

“They have a certain cold pasteurization process that they use that makes it very creamy,” Attardo said. “We have a wonderful machine called the Chocolady, and we take our gallons of chocolate milk and pour it into the machine, which slowly heats it up by turning it to a nice warm temperature of 130-140 degrees Fahrenheit.”

The beverage, being made of milk and chocolate, contains lactose. The hot chocolate milk is not for people who are lactose intolerant or are allergic to chocolate.

Attardo and the high school kitchen is currently unaware if there are plans to add any other beverages added to the school menu.

“The students will be the first to know if we did,” said Attardo.

Recently, the high school kitchen offered a free trial of hot chocolate milk to students in the morning, and most students seemed positive and liked it.

“I have tried the hot chocolate milk and it was pretty good,” said sophomore Amir Elhelw.

Others think that the beverage needs a little more improving before it can be sold.

“The hot chocolate milk’s good, it just needs some cinnamon,” said junior Alyssa Denomme. “It depends on when you get it.”

Most students, however, like the way the hot chocolate milk gives them energy during a tough morning.

“It got me energized and it was tastefully pleasing,” said sophomore Joey Merly.

Overall, the new hot chocolate milk seeks to provide students extra calcium and nutrition, while giving students a great way to start the morning with more energy and a good mood – a win for both the food service and the students.

(Some information courtesy https://www.newenglanddairycouncil.org)

By Stefanie Lojko – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Badminton Club, run by seniors Susan Wischow and Sana Rana, needs students’ help.

Badminton Club started having meetings at the beginning of last school year and they were pretty sure the club would work out. Many students showed up and were super excited about the tournaments and the fact that they didn’t have to deal with the stress of regular sports.

It is a club that students can join whenever they like in order to have fun and relieve some stress every Tuesday after school.

“When we first thought of the idea, we proposed it to our friends and they all loved it,” Rana said. “We also went to the freshman orientation to promote our club and many people were interested.”

Starting a club and being in charge of it can be hard for Rana and Wischow as they are busy applying to colleges. Winter sports are also starting up and getting gym time can be hard considering.

“It’s also hard since were busy with school and work and college deadlines coming up,” Wischow said.

Nevertheless, Rana and Wischow hope to revive Badminton Club this year because of the community it brought. Everyone got along and loved to have games with their friends.

“Many people came and were very excited about the tournament we were going to have,” Rana said. “There was a lot of friendly competition.”

The tournaments were held every time they met. Each group would come up with a name and Rana and Wischow would bracket everyone to end up with a winner.

“The tournaments helped you get to know everyone in the club instead of playing with the same people every time,” senior Shayna Levay said.

A big staple of the club was that it helped to relieve stress from school and other sports.

“I thought the club was very fun and stress relieving,” senior Lola Hazarika said.

Everyone was able to let loose because of how relaxed the club was. There was never any attendance and students could join whenever you wanted.

“We want it to be a fun and relaxing place for people so they shouldn’t feel obligated to impress us or anything,” Wischow said.

This year, the club is trying hard to revive themselves as many students enjoyed the club. Their first meeting this year did not go as well seeing as not many people showed up.

“We are hoping to revive it this year since it was such a success last year,” Rana said.

By Mia Cerrato – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law High School had Jeanette Mare, the founder of Ben’s Bells, and Dr. Erin Bowen, the creator of Kisses for Conor, speak at an assembly entitled “The Kind Mind” which addressed the need for kindness in the community.

Kindness Club planned this PSA to encourage kind acts at Jonathan Law, which is the sole purpose of the affiliation.

“The purpose of Kindness Club is to spread kindness throughout the community and wants the community, especially at Law, to be kind and respectful towards one another,” junior Tess Rosato, a member of Kindness Club, said. “We try to promote that.”

Kindness Club got in touch with the founder of Kindness for Conor, Dr. Erin Bowen, back in September. Ben’s Bells, an organization that advocates intentional acts of kindness, also reached out to attend the assembly.

“Dr. Erin Bowen, a pediatrician in Milford, lost her 17-month-old baby, Conor in 2016 due to complications created by Sudden Death Syndrome and created ‘Kisses for Conor’ to spread kindness in Conor’s name,” Kindness Club advisor Mrs. Murphy said. “We invited her to the assembly and to meet Jeanette Mare who also lost her baby boy Ben from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.”

The women discussed the science behind kindness and the difference from being nice and kind. They also explained how students could practice kindness and encourage others to do the same.

“The purpose of the assembly was to spread kindness and allow Jonathan Law students to understand the true meaning of the Kindness Club,” said Rachna Vipparla, a sophomore in the club. “The assembly explained how everyone could show random acts of kindness and how impactful it could be.”

The assembly seemed to influence many students in the Jonathan Law community to cultivate kindness.  Many students decided to join the club as well.

“The assembly went really well and I learned how even small acts of kindness can make a big difference,” said new senior member Carly Mancinone. “I joined Kindness Club to get involved with the community and make a difference.”

The Kindness Club and their many generous acts all began after the loss of a beloved friend Maren Sanchez.

“One of the things Maren Sanchez was known for was her kindness and spreading kindness throughout the community,” Murphy said. “She was the girl that sat with the kids that had no one to sit with at lunch.”

The Kindness Club will continue to honor Maren and encourage positivity at Jonathan Law.

By Gia Edwards – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law students are excited for the annual Homecoming dance which will he held on November 16.

The dance is open for all grades, and will include a DJ, snacks, and the announcement of Homecoming king and queen. This is the only dance the senior class hosts, and they sold tickets for $10 during all lunch waves.

“A lot of planning goes into Homecoming,” senior class advisor Mrs. Kovacs said. “We have to figure out what the theme is, we get the cafeteria ready, have snacks ready. We also need a lot of advertising which includes posters and e-mails sent out with information about homecoming to students and their parents.”

The freshman class is especially looking forward to its first high school dance.

“It’s cool that all grades get to go; it’s not just separated grade by grade,” freshman Lex Edwards said.  “I’ve never been to a dance that has a king and queen so that’s also different.” 

Upperclassman are also excited for the dance because it has become a fun tradition.

“I think it’s a great environment for people to be in,” junior Tori Kowalski said. “It’s every grade in one room so there’s a good sense of community and everyone has a good time.”

The dance will go from 7-10 p.m. in the cafeteria and students are reminded to dress their best.

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

Jonathan Law High School welcomed middle school students to this year’s Open House on October 11.

Law planned many activities for 8th graders who were coming to high school next year, including a “scavenger hunt,” an Activity Fair and an Academic Fair.

“The word is out in our community about how great Jonathan Law is,” Law principal Mr. Thompson said.

When students and parents arrived, they were given a “swag bag” with items such as free football tickets to Friday night’s game, sunglasses, and a piece of paper which served as their “passport.” They were instructed to get stamps along their tours at different locations in the school.

“ If you’re a Lawman, you have swag,” Thompson said. “It had to be done.”

The night started with a chorus performance of the national anthem followed by speeches from Mr. Thompson, two students currently attending Law, and a parent of two Law students.

The speeches served the purpose of explaining what being a Law student is truly about.

Next, the students were given a sample lesson by teachers from one subject. Some groups saw a science lesson while others saw an engineering lesson.

“I wanted to give the families a sample of what a day is like at our school,” Thompson said.  “We have so many wonderful teachers who offered to give a lesson and all the rooms were packed.”

Students were also shown a sample Eagle Eye News video which gave an example of what announcements look like at Law. This video also included a segment called “I’m a Lawmen” which showcased students and faculty doing different activities and saying what things at Law they took apart of.

“Eagle Eye News is our signature show (no offense to Technical Difficulties) so it made sense to put these two great parts together to showcase what we do everyday,” Thompson said.

Next, students were taken on guided tours of the school.

Along the way students collected stamps spelling out “JLAW!” and when it was filled out, received a T-shirt.

On the tour, 8th graders were shown an Academic Fair which included lists of classes one could take in the different subject areas at Law as well as the elective course options.

“Our academic offerings are most impressive,” Thompson said. “It was a chance for our middle school families to see why coming to Jonathan Law High School prepares students to be the leaders of tomorrow.”

Students were also shown an Activity Fair which included clubs and sports presentations.

“It is an important part of our school and I put it at as the last stop because our students, coaches and advisors get to spend time with middle school students and their families discussing all the opportunities beyond the classroom that makes Jonathan Law such a special place,” Thompson said.

Both the Academic and Activity Fairs included sign ups so that clubs, sports, and teachers could see the level of interest of incoming students.

“The energy and spirit of the event were great and I have received many compliments from middle school parents about how excited their family is to join ours,” Thompson said.

By Lucas Greifzu – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law High School Key Club meets Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in the Senior Cafe to discuss its plans for upcoming events.

The Key Club raises money at many events around the community, but, outside of that this year, they have decided to work with the Thirst Project and are trying to raise $12,000 to help build a well in Swaziland.

Their next local event is called Shake the Can, where they help raise money for the Salvation Army.

“Our goal is to raise $12,000 over the next six months or so,” Key Club Director Mr. Boynton said. “We want to provide a community in Swaziland with a well system, so that they’ll have water.”

Just because it has taken on this bigger project this year doesn’t mean that the Key Club will stop working around the community in Milford. The Key Club is partnering with several local community service groups and with the Law Keyettes.

“(The Keyettes president) and I both agreed that this will be the best for both clubs, and so far it has,” Key Club Officer Angel Santiago said. “I have greatly appreciated their support and love for our community.”

The Key Club volunteers at many events throughout the year. For instance, they volunteered at St. Mary’s Carnival and Pumpkins on the Pier and they still have several events left throughout the year.

“We have six events planned for this month,” Santiago said. “I don’t know all of the events that we have because more keep getting added.”

The Key Club also has two conventions that the go to every year, one at the district level and one at the international level. Key Club members can run for higher offices within the district or international level.

“The district convention and international convention,” Key Club Lieutenant Governor Rohan Manohar said. “I’ll be running for International Trustee this year.”

Everyone in the Key Club is eager to volunteer when their help is needed. 

“When the opportunity comes to volunteer in the community, I’ll gladly accept it,” sophomore and member of the Key Club Noah Golden said. ”Even though I might not know when all of the events are I’m still glad to help.”

The Key Club is ready to have a very productive year and to raise $12,000 for the Thirst Project.

By Jefri Caballero – Staff Reporter

This year, Jonathan Law has over 20 clubs and one of them is the Natural Helpers.

Natural Helpers is an organization with the goal to train students to help their peers when they are in need. The president of the Natural Helpers is junior Morgan Taylor. 

“Natural Helpers is a great way for students to get involved in helping their community,” Taylor said. “We try to make this school a better place for all students and faculty alike.”

The Natural Helpers work together on how to make the school community and the Milford community better. They work on being approachable role models for Jonathan Law students.

“I joined Natural Helpers because it’s a good way to get involved and be with a good group of people at Law,” junior Brooke Nabors said.

The club had its first meeting in mid-September and will continue to have meetings on F days during common time.The club is currently planning its activities for the year, a list which includes the Special Olympics. 

“Anyone and everyone should join because the skill set you gain by been part of the organization will make you asset to all the people around you,” Natural Helpers advisor Mrs. Mercaldi said.

Taylor revived the club because when she was a freshman, she was the only freshman, and the rest of the members were seniors. Her sophomore year, she was the only member left, so she found a new advisor for the club and tried to get people involved.

“I heard about the club from Morgan,” junior Thea Ryan said.

Taylor has promoted the club this year and many juniors have already joined.

This year, the Natural Helpers are also working on an anti-bullying campaign. Their idea is that “happy people don’t bully other people.” They are also really interested in organizing a de-stress event before midterms and finals.

The Natural Helpers work with the Milford Prevention Council which is their parent organization. This year, they would love to be more involved in the community and are always looking for new members.

By Noah Golden – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Science Club is getting ready for another year of competing.

Annually, the Science Club competes in Science Olympiads across the state in different levels. They hope to do well this year and win some medals.

“It’s really just about having fun and learning new things that we don’t get to learn in class,” senior Ming May Hu, the Science Club president, said. “We get to do more in depth research about Science topics and it’s just having fun and competing with your friends.”

Most years, the Science Olympiads take place at UConn. This year, the Science Club will be going to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“Everyone has about three events and a partner, and they just compete in events,” Hu said. “We have building ones, like robots ands towers.”

Last year, the Science Club won a few medals and placed well in several events.. Senior Tyler Goodwin, who has been in the Science Club since his sophomore year, is one member who placed.

“I took 4th place in the Helicopter Tournament at the Invitational Level,” Goodwin said. “I also took 7th place at the Optics Tournament.”

Law science teacher Ms. Turcotte said that the team has improved over the years.

“At first we didn’t do very well when we started because we didn’t know what we were doing,”  Turcotte said.

This will be Law’s 6th year of competing in the competitions. Since they first started, they have shown improvement.

“We have shown improvement in the way of having more commitment to the club,” Turcotte said. “Every year they have more interest. This year we look forward to going to MIT.”

The commitment level has gone up to the point where Law now has two seperate teams.

Law is looking to earn some more medals this coming year. Now with Law having two separate teams, this gives them even better of a chance to get more medals.

“I hope we do well this year,” Hu said. “We did pretty well last year.”

The state competitions can lead to the national competitions, which is what Law hopes to make.

“We have some different events this year, but I hope we do well,” Goodwin said.

The Science Club’s first meeting was on Monday, September 17.

By Samiksha Mehta – Staff Reporter

The Law community has no idea what choir has in store this year.

The choir will perform at several events including at Hershey Park, and possibly even Carnegie Hall next year. They recently performed at a ceremony for the new Jonathan Law Brick Walk, and are getting ready for another fundraiser to go to Hershey Park at the end of the year.

“I’m excited about all those things that seem un-choir related, but they actually really fill the bond in the group, and it becomes like a family,” choir director Mrs. Jones said. “So a lot of the new people that we have this year are really very interested in being there and we have our best attendance ever at a lot of our out-of-school functions this year. I’m really excited about everybody involved in choir this year and the efforts they’re making.”

Although many members graduated from last year’s choir, the choir hasn’t had any issues so far and is getting along swimmingly.

The fundraisers they hosted to get this far have been paying off and they’re almost ready for the Hershey’s event. The choir was able to raise over $500 by selling chocolates.

Members of the choir said that the extra work they put in class and at out-of-school functions to determine how well they’re doing. That work has paid off to get them where they want to be and where they are now.

The hard work they’ve put into their concerts and their performances earned them first place at Lake Compounce and their performance there boosted their popularity throughout the school.

Choir members said they are excited for their upcoming trips.

“We’re gonna go to Hershey this year and I’m so excited,” sophomore choir member Britney Delgado said. “I haven’t ever been there and I feel like it’s gonna be awesome.”

Travelling to out-of-school and out-of-state functions helps the choir to bond and become a family.

“What’s best about choir for me is the bond that we share and the bond that we create,” junior choir member Faith Mills said. “It makes it even better to perform, knowing we’ll always be family.”

The family bond that is created between choir members is what they look forward to and what they feel is most important.

“Being a new choir member is kind of hard, to be honest, because everyone else knows what to do and each other while I’m trying to catch up,” sophomore choir member Haley Hedman said. “It’s exciting, though, because it’s easy to make friends, since some of my friends are in that class.”

By Stephanie Caron – Staff Reporter

The members of the Class of 2022 are settling nicely in their new home.

Freshman students from West Shore Middle school and Harborside Middle School are meeting new friends and adjusting to their new life at Jonathan Law.

“My favorite thing about high school so far is the freedom,” freshman Gabby Fino said.

High school is a big change from middle school, but the freshman class seems just fine with the big change.

“Middle school and high school are very different,” freshman Sadie Willett said. “Just because of how everything is handled, and how all of the classes are different.”

Many of the freshmen have joined sports and clubs. They said it helps them adjust and meet new people at Jonathan Law.  

“I know more people, and I know my way around,” freshman Moira Staples said.

During the second week of school, Law held a picnic and a Freshman Welcome Day to get the students excited for the upcoming years, and teach how to get involved at Law outside of the classroom. It was also an opportunity to bond with their classmates.

“My advice for the Class of 2022 is to make organization a top priority, and to get involved,” freshman teacher Mrs. Anderson said. “There are so many great opportunities for students here at law, and I think every 9th grader should try to join at least one club or sports team.”

The upperclassmen also attended the picnic to teach the freshman football cheers, how to get involved, and the clubs that they could join.

“The work is harder, but overall it’s more fun to be here,” freshman Emma Nelly said.

Freshman Troy Brennan agreed.

“It’s harder, because it’s a lot more work to do in a shorter amount of time,” Brennan said.

Members of the freshman class said that high school is an exciting yet nerve-racking experience, and they know it is important they manage their time wisely.

“I’m looking forward to all of the activities,” Staples said. “And all of the involvement outside of the classroom.”

Anderson said that high school is a fun experience and that it is important for freshmen to meet new people outside of their classes.

“The Class of 2022 seems to have a lot of enthusiasm,” Anderson said. “I can’t wait to see what they do here in the next four years.”

By Stefanie Lojko – Staff Reporter

The creator of the rock sculptures that appear almost overnight between Silver Sands and Walnut Beach has stepped forward.

Students at Law might know him.

Former Jonathan Law student Ozan Oncu has spent summers building these rock towers. He used it without any wires, supports, or rings, combining balance and patience to create these pieces of art.

“I started the rock-sculptures because one of my friends showed me how to make them, then I started doing them all the time,” Ozan said.

Many residents like the rock towers because not many other beaches have them an entire section of beach dedicated to them. They add something unique that Milford residents can enjoy.

“It’s fun and a nice thing to look at,” said Hannah Swenning, a senior at Jonathan Law.

Ozan was not the first one to start these rocks but he made them more popular. He spent various amounts of times on each sculpture but the most time was three hours.

“It was hard at first but as time went by, it became second nature and I could feel when the rocks were balanced,” Ozan said.

The amount of time it takes someone to master this skill can take years months, even years.

Creating rock-sculptures can be a hard skill to master because the sculptor have to learn to feel the rocks and when they’re balanced. It takes time and patience and can even become calming and therapeutic.

“It started off as a hobby but it  sort of became a type of therapy,” Ozan said.

Students at Jonathan Law have taken more of a notice to the rocks after finding out they knew who did them. Although he didn’t start them, he did popularize them.

“It’s more interesting than boring sand,” Law senior Susan Wischow said. “They look cool and remind me of yoga.”

Now that Ozan no longer lives in Milford, others have continued to make the rock-sculptures.

“I would be sad if people stopped making them,” Ozan said. “I even remember while walking down the streets of Milford people would recognize me as the ‘Rock Dude.’”

Ozan created a reputation for himself in Milford known as the “Rock Dude” and people still love the sculptures that they see everyday while walking on the beach. It gives a homely feel whenever the rock sculptures are in sight.

“They rock,” Law senior Olivia Ott said.

By Anish Sikhinam – Staff Reporter

Earlier this month, Jonathan Law remembered and commemorated the events of 9/11 by selling red bandannas in honor of firefighter and hero Welles Crowther.

The Law community purchased 185 bandannas and raised a total of $925.

“I think that Welles particularly resonates with students your age,” reading teacher Mrs. Rowley said. “And that’s why the red bandanna fundraiser is always very successful.

All proceeds will go to the non-profit Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust, which creates curricula for students about the events of 9/11 as well as leadership qualities and the impact of good deeds. The red bandannas were being sold in the rooms of social studies teacher Mrs. Mannion, Rowley, and history teacher Mr. Zuraw, and in the cafeteria courtesy of the Key Club.

In addition to the fundraiser, students also watched a documentary about Welles Crowther in their advisories.

“It was really inspiring knowing that some simple ordinary guy could do so much,” sophomore Sanskar Shah said.

Welles Crowther was an extraordinary leader who grew up being very polite and well-spoken, as well as having a strong sense of duty and care. He participated in many leadership activities while growing up, and excelled at many sports such as lacrosse, which he got to play for the varsity team at Boston College.

Crowther completed the New York State firefighting when he was just 18 years old, and became a full member of the fire department. After graduating college, Crowther became a research analyst and then an equities trader for the investment firm Sandler O’Neill & Partners.

During the events of September 11, 2001, however, Crowther became a firefighter and a hero.

That day, a man wearing a red bandanna was seen amidst the smoke and the ashes organizing a rescue effort, ordering fire extinguishers, directing people to the stairwell, and as a result saving the lives of many.

This man was later identified by family as Welles Crowther, as he had always carried a red bandanna in his back pocket, and his spirit lives on today honored by many schools around the country due to this red bandanna.

“It certainly helps me remember and reflect on September 11, 2001 and the impact that [it] had on this country, but also the spirit of Welles Crowther, who was just a true hero… so it really makes me reflect on the American spirit, how we’re always at our best when we work together and help each other,” principal Mr. Thompson said.

This tradition was brought to Jonathan Law several years ago by Rowley and Mannion, who were involved with the 9/11 Tribute Center.

“We were lucky enough to actually meet Welles Crowther’s parents… and eventually Mrs. Crowther actually came to Jonathan Law… and she spoke to the senior class that day,” Mannion said.

The presentation was very touching for the students, and ever since, Rowley and Mannion have shown the students a documentary about Crowther and have worn and honored the red bandanna, as well as starting a fundraiser with it in recent years.

Rowley, Mannion, and Zuraw have all been involved designing the 9/11 curriculum taught in the history department in the Milford school district.

“I think it’s getting trickier for our students because when I first started teaching, the students were in 7th, 8th, 6th grade, and now you guys weren’t even born when it happened… so you need to try [to] educate people and make them realize how much of an impact it had and… that’s our job to do,” Zuraw said. “Over the years and through our 9/11 curriculum, you guys and younger generations will have a good appreciation for what happened that day and what changed.”

Rowley hopes the curriculum and fundraiser will bring awareness to this worthy cause.

“I think stories like Welles help to make a personal connection to 9/11,” Rowley said. “I feel it’s extremely important to make sure you guys are educated as much as possible about 9/11 [because]… 9/11 to you is what Pearl Harbor was to me.”

(Some information courtesy http://www.crowthertrust.org)

By Jessica Owens and Rachna Vipparla – Staff Reporters

Jonathan Law has welcomed several new staff members to the community this year.

Here are some short bios of the new staff:

Mr. Walsh is one of the newest additions to the math department this year.

Before coming to Law, Walsh worked in Business, Healthcare Administration, and Market Research in Boston and decided to make a career change by going to Central Connecticut State University to get his teaching certificate. He then did student teaching in Meriden before joining the Law community.

“I’m really happy to be here,” Walsh said. “The administration is very positive here and very positive people like Mr. Thompson, they have good attitude and spirit.”

This year, Walsh is teaching three Geometry and two Algebra 1 classes. He teaches a majority of freshmen and some sophomores.

“My favorite part of this year is getting to watch my students grow in their math knowledge,” Walsh said.

During his free time, Walsh plays guitar in a band.

***

Ms. Smuniewski is the newest addition to the English department this year.

Before teaching at Law, she worked at Newtown High School. Due to low enrollment in the district, they eliminated her position, which led her to choosing the Law community.

“I have kids who are really motivated and eager to learn and the faculty is super nice and administers are great,” Smuniewski said. “It really feels like the Law family that everyone talks about.”

Smuniewski is teaching three sections of honors freshman and two sections of honors sophomores.

“I have larger classes this year so I’m excited to get to know my students and help them grow as readers, writers, thinkers, and as people,” Smuniewski said.

During her free time, Smuniewski likes to read and go to fitness classes.

***

Mr. Rodriguez is one of the newest additions to the world language community this year.

Before coming to Law, Rodriguez taught in Hamden at a middle school teaching Spanish, and then moved up to Hamden High School. He taught at an alternative high school in Hamden for two years and then was a media specialist at an elementary school in New Haven for three years.

“Everyone’s really nice here,” Rodriguez said. “The teachers the faculty here is great, the kids are great, and the administration is really nice.”

Rodriguez is teaching two Spanish 5 classes, two Spanish 4 classes, and one Spanish 2 class. He teaches a majority of juniors and sophomores and one freshman class.

“My favorite part of this year is I get to go to the sporting events again,” Rodriguez said. “I missed going to high school sporting events.”

During his free time, Rodriguez likes to work on cars.

***

Dr. Knipp is the most recent addition to the Jonathan Law staff.

He works in the science department, teaching Physics classes. Knipp teaches part time at both Jonathan Law and at Joseph A. Foran High School.

“Since I teach at Jonathan Law and Joseph Foran, I can’t be truly characterized as being a Law eagle, or a Foran lion,” Knipp said. “Instead, I consider myself a Milford griffin.”

Knipp has taught since 1984 at a multitude of schools including Lauralton Hall and Stratford High School.

However, he spent most of his teaching career as a professor at a university in Virginia.  

This year, at Law, he wants to get to know the school better, including the students and his colleagues.

“I sense a real sense of camaraderie amongst the faculty,” Knipp said.

Other than teaching Physics, Knipp loves tennis, playing frisbee, walking outside, sailing, or anything related to nature.

***

Mrs. Francisco is another new teacher in Jonathan Law High School.

Francisco works in the math department teaching Algebra II and Geometry.

When asked what she loved about Law, Fransisco said, “I love the energy, support, and hard work of the faculty and my students. I love the phrase Lawmazing.”

She is extremely passionate about math and enjoys coaching the girls soccer team at Oxford. In addition, Francisco enjoys traveling with her husband, playing fetch with her dog, and anything outdoors.

***

Mr. Beale is another new staff member at Jonathan Law High School.

He works in the Technology, Technical Engineering & Communication departments. Beale teaches classes such as drafting, wood shop, and automobile.

He started teaching in the fall of 2010 and this is his eighth year teaching. Previously, Beale taught at Stonington High School.

Beale likes to spend time volunteering and helping out in the community that he lives in. Most frequently, he participates in the organization Habitat for Humanity.  

Beale is excited to be a part of the Law community.

“It’s a very open school in a very welcoming environment to a degree that other schools I was at, did not have,” Beale said.

His goals at Law are to have a fun time and have students learn some things from him. He hopes they will have a fun time themselves.

Francisco taught for seven years at Oxford High School and this is her eighth year teaching.

Her goal this year at Law is to help students not hate going to math class and help the juniors succeed on their SATs.

By Addison Schwing – Staff Reporter

This year, Jonathan Law High School is playing host to Simona Turatti, an exchange student from Malnate, Italy.

Turatti will be spending the year at Law in the 12th grade, in partnership with the American Scandinavian Student Exchange, a program that manages year-long cultural and academic exchanges for youth in 33 different countries.

“The first reason why I wanted to study in the US is that I wanted to learn English the ‘better way’ that I can,” Turatti said.

Exchange programs like ASSE exist to enable youth to learn a second language and experience a culture different from your own.

But why choose the United States, of all places, to study in for a year?

“I love America, and I wanted to discover what it’s really like and about the style of living,” Turatti said.

One of the activities that Turatti is participating in at Law is cheerleading.

“I decided to do cheerleading because we don’t have it in Italy, and it’s a new experience and adventure,” Turatti said.

Junior Hailey Johnson is very excited about Turatti joining the cheer squad.

“[Turatti’s] outstanding on the team, she learned everything really fast, and bonds with everyone really well,” Johnson said. “Everyone loves her.”

Junior Kendal Stryker is also excited about Turatti joining the team.

“[Turatti’s] English is pretty good, she does well with the cheers, she helps with basing and stuff like that, and she’s nice and sweet,” Stryker said.

Freshman Kylie McCool, who is also joining the cheer squad for the first time, said Turatti is fitting in well.

“Turatti is learning the cheers pretty well and we all seem to like her,” McCool said. “She’s really friendly.”

Turatti is taking Physics, Art for Seniors, Calculus, Computer Science, Human Anatomy, Philosophy, and History. She cites Art for Seniors as her favorite class.

Turatti comes from Malnate, Italy, a town near the Austrian-Italian border in Northern Italy of about 17,000 people. She describes her home as similar to Milford, even with a downtown area, yet different all the same.  

“I live in Malnate, but my real life is in Varese, which is the bigger city near me,” she said.

Turatti recalls things from her life in Italy such as taking the train to school, and as the houses being closer together than back home, strong contrasts to her host city of Milford, whose students rely on school buses to get to and from school, and whose houses, by comparison, are farther apart.

One of the more exciting parts of learning about another culture is finding out the truth about common stereotypes.

“I say that the most common Italian stereotypes are that we overeat pasta, we gesture when we talk, and we are all ‘mafioso.’  For Americans, the answer could be that Americans eat a lot, especially fast food, they’re patriotic, and they all own guns,” Turatti said.

Turatti feels that these stereotypes are inaccurate.

“I think that each stereotype is an excessive exaggeration of the features of a country,” Turatti said. ”They may be true, but not for all individuals living there.”

Principal Mr. Thompson has many good things to say about student exchange programs such as ASSE, and the opportunities that they provide.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Thompson said. “I think it’s so enriching and it allows all of us to gain cultural confidence about how others live in the world, and not just the differences, but also how similar they are.”

By Justin Judge – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law has been doing some upgrades to the school, including a brand new weight room.

This weight room includes all brand new machines, equipment, and weights. The total cost of this room was roughly $80,000.

“It’s a lot better weight room,” sophomore student-athlete Nahiem Washington said. “It looks like a college weight room in my opinion, and it’s a lot better now than last year’s.”

The weight room was available to students the beginning of the 2018-2019 year.

”Last year’s weight room was bad and we didn’t really get anything done because of no space,” senior football captain Mike Plaskon said.

Law’s goal was to make a state-of-the-art weight room. They wanted the weight room to be one of the best in the state.

“I feel that a modern, up to date weight room is as important as anything else we have in terms of athletics,” athletic director Mr. Sarullo siad. “In order to perform well on the field, we must be well-conditioned and in shape.  Also, the room will now be used by our PE classes, which will help the overall student body, not just our student-athletes.”

Law’s weight room will be open to their physical education classes to strengthen the student body.

“The goal was to make our weight room the best of any high school in the state,” Sarullo said. “Now that we have a state of the art facility, we hope that all teams will use the room and help not only with our physical conditioning, but also help with team building as well.”

The old lifting room consisted of old weights and bars and had little space to move around.  The upgrade was much needed for the school and students.

“I think it was necessary because the weights and stuff were getting old and gross and now it looks dope,” sophomore student-athlete James Marino said.

The weight room offers many different options of exercises to the student body, from power racks to medicine balls.

”All brand new weights and equipment were installed,” Sarullo said.

With football season in progress, and basketball season coming up soon, the weight room will be put to use.

By Mia Cerrato – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Sports Booster Club uncovered 30 new personalized bricks to honor student athletes, coaches, and alumni in a ceremony on September 7.

The bricks were obtained by supporters of Jonathan Law athletics and the funds will go towards the athletic program to benefit all student- athletes.

“The donations from the Brick Garden fundraiser  benefits all Jonathan Law Students,” Judy Pincus, the President of the Sports Booster Club, said. “Last year we sponsored a fan bus to the first football states game, and we are paying for the sound system in the newly updated weight room.”

The brick walkway was on the field for a few decades, commemorating athletes and coaches dating as far back as the 1990s.

“The original walkway was put in about 20 years ago and no one really updated it for awhile,” Jonathan Law athletic director Mr. Sarullo said. “When the Sports Booster club came into existence a couple years ago they decided to start it up, so now they’ve been selling bricks and installing them for two years.”

The contributions provide assistance towards Jonathan Law sports teams.

“The money goes to the Booster Club,” Jonathan Law cross country coach Mr. Schulte said. “We could always request if we need something from the Booster Club.”

Jonathan Law athletics had a phenomenal year in 2018-2019. Each team made the playoffs for the first time in school history.

What each sports team strives for is making the postseason. Athletes and coaches work together to achieve this goal.

“Making the postseason has become a part of what each Law athlete works towards,” Angela Felag, the co-secretary of the Booster Club, said. “Our coaches here at Law have that same drive; they talk about making states from the start of each seasons.”

Jonathan Law continue to exceed in athletics and Jonathan Law wants to show their support in every way possible.

“I encourage everyone to support our athletes and all of our sports and clubs by showing up,” principal Mr. Thompson said. “When you come to a game, or any event, you show your support and your school spirit. That’s what we do.”

The ceremony encouraged other supporters to acquire their own bricks.

“We have a campaign running right now through November 1,” Pincus said. “For anyone interested in ordering a brick they can get an order from from the School Office or contact the booster club and we can send one to judybethpincus@gmail.com.”