(Photo courtesy Sadie Willett)

By Sadie Willett – Staff Reporter

The Sophomore Class President and Vice President are working together this year to fundraise for the Sophomore Class Ring Dance. 

Sophomore Class President Eva Carroll and Sophomore Class Vice President Hailey Boyle are working alongside this year in order to fundraise for the class dance. 

The first fundraiser is selling discounted tickets for Fright Haven. Fright Haven is a haunted house located in Stratford that becomes popular throughout the Halloween season. 

The idea for the fundraiser was proposed and executed by Carroll and is being advertised by the entire sophomore class office. 

Tickets for the fundraiser are $20 and 25 percent of the profit will go towards the sophomore class.

Tickets are primarily being sold during lunch waves. However, if students are interested in purchasing a ticket, they may also buy one from any of the class officers if they see them around the school.

The fundraisers are not stopping there. Other ideas in order to benefit the Class Ring Dance are in the works. 

Several thoughts have been brainstormed.

A Chipotle fundraiser, where students can go to Chipotle to dine for dinner has been suggested by Carroll. A partial amount of proceeds will go towards the dance.

The fundraiser is not yet confirmed, however, Sophomore Class Advisor Mr. Boynton has stated that it is highly probable. 

Boynton has also stated that the fundraisers will have a very successful outcome. 

“I really hope they do turn out to be successful,” Boynton said. “My officers have some great ideas, we just need to sit down and work out some of the details.”

Costco is also a possibility for a future fundraiser. 

Customers of Costco would be given a specific span of hours to purchase their groceries. A percentage of profits made would benefit the dance.

Carroll believes these fundraisers are very likely to turn out in our favor.

“The Costco fundraiser I feel will be more successful because everyone needs groceries whereas Fright Haven, not everyone wants to go,” Carroll said. “But overall, we have seen good profit from the Fright Haven one and we plan to see more.” 

Boyle also has optimistic opinions on the year ahead. 

“I do think it will be successful because the fundraisers that we do we make sure are at places that people our age like to go to, like Fright Haven during the fall and Chipotle for dinner,” Boyle said. 

Both the Class President and Vice President as well as the Class Advisor are looking forward to collaborating with each other this year.

“I’m just going to support her,” Boyle said. “Whatever she wants to do I will help her do and I will work with her and not against her.”

Carroll looks forward to working with Boyle to assure a succeeding year. 

“She’s a close friend of mine,” Carroll said. “We have collaborated over things in the past in not only school, but socially as well.”

Members of the sophomore class are optimistic for the year’s fundraisers as well.

“It opens up new opportunities for our grade to either expand for certain casual events we have during the school year,” sophomore Solomon Mercado said.

(Photo by Eva Carroll)

By Eva Carroll – Staff Reporter

Freshman officer elections will be held at Jonathan Law in the Newsroom on October 10-11. 

Each candidate must complete a petition form to be put on the ballot. One must specify their desired position, collect 25 signatures from other students in their class, and have a completed and signed student evaluation from their teachers. 

“The old days of running for office and having it be a popularity contest or a joke, are over,” Jonathan Law Principal Mr. Thompson said. “There is an expectation that you are going to take it seriously, and you are going to make a difference.”

Before elections, students are expected to have prepared a speech to address their classmates. 

These speeches will be addressed on October 10 on Eagle Eye News. Candidates will read their speeches in order by positional rank, starting from most to least important positions. 

“When you are preparing a speech to introduce yourself to your classmates, be direct, be honest, and make it clear what it is you want to do for them,” Freshman Class Advisor Mr. Kravecs said. 

On October 11, Freshmen will cast their votes appointing their desired candidates during advisories. 

Advisors will project all the candidates’ names and aside, their corresponding numbers. Afterward, students will be handed a Scantron ballot and they will bubble-in the boxes next to their candidates’ number. 

Once the Scantrons are completed, advisors will collect the ballots and give them to Mr. Boynton, the sophomore class advisor. Boynton counts the votes per candidate, and whichever candidate has the majority vote, is appointed for their position.

“We need candidates that will be caring about their school, caring about the issues in school and able to relate to their fellow students,” Boynton said.

Depending on the year, officers will be announced on the overhead speaker the day votes are casted or a day soon following. 

There are six available positions in class office: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and two Senators. 

Class officers are responsible for establishing fundraisers, collecting class dues, accommodating complaints or suggestions laid out by peers, and organizing, as well as carrying out class events. 

“I want to run for class office because I have always been a good leader and I feel that class office is an opportunity to demonstrate these skills,” Lia Schulte, a freshman presidential candidate, said.

Students that are looking to run for office must be honorable, motivated and educated citizens, that genuinely want to benefit their class. 

“I definitely learned a lot about managing responsibilities, and had a great opportunity to connect with my classmates,” Senior Class President Tess Rosato said. 

(Photo by Amelia Mower)

By Amelia Mower – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law High School Senior Arunika Shee has been named a 2020 National Merit Commended Scholar.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic-based competition based on PSAT scores in the United States. Out of approximately 1.6 million entries, the top 50,000 students qualify for recognition as a National Merit Scholar.

“I don’t feel any different, but seeing it on paper and hearing it in person really made it sink in,” said Shee. “It’s really rewarding to see hard work pay off.”

In September, 34,000 of these students, including Shee, were selected to be National Merit Commended Scholars. With this status, students are nationally recognized and can qualify for special scholarships from certain businesses and corporations. 

“Not many students from Law have achieved this before,” Law Guidance Counselor Ms. Raymo said. 

The PSAT is broken down into mathematics, reading, and writing sections. Reading and writing scores are combined with math scores to earn a score out of 1600 possible points. 

Shee believes skills acquired in taking classes such as AP Language and Composition helped her on the exam. 

“We practiced close reading and inferencing,” English teacher Ms. Hanson said. “Analyzing text is important.”

Mathematics skills are built upon during high school from basic algebra to advanced manipulation of more complex equations. On the PSAT, there are calculator and non-calculator sections which challenge the students taking it. 

“Algebra II is more of an integrating the questions in the curriculum into the tests and do-nows,” said math teacher Mr. Ruzbarsky. 

Jonathan Law Principal Mr. Thompson is thrilled with all of the hard work and dedication students have been putting in over the past nine years he has been the Principal.

“I am so proud of Arunika because she really embodies everything about what we want for a Law student,” Thompson said. “She makes the most of her academic and high school experience.”

Shee plans on furthering her education with a getting a degree in Biomedical Engineering or Molecular Biology and attending medical school. 

“I’m really interested in scientific research and the creation of medical devices,” said Shee. “I would love to help solve medical problems in the future.”

(Photo courtesy Dan Wasserman)

By Adarsh Senthilnathan – Staff Reporter 

Recent Jonathan Law graduates are handling the start of their freshman year at college with ease due to the amazing experience they had at Law and the level of teaching they received from Law’s amazing teachers. 

Most Jonathan Law graduates are prepared for the rigorous course load that will be put on them because of the AP classes offered at Law. 

Nick Hanna, a freshman at the University of Michigan, is excited for what the future holds for him in Michigan. 

“The course load isn’t as bad as you’d expect but it really varies by class,” Hanna said. “For example, my computer science class keeps me up at night but the only time I think about my astronomy class is when I’m in lecture.” 

Hanna said that the course load is manageable with time-management skills, which are key to success. 

Many recent Law graduates are attending the University of Connecticut and they really love everything that they are doing there, academically and socially. 

Dan Wasserman, a UConn freshman, is studying business and is excited to become a businessman when he graduates college.

“I’m studying business at UConn,” said Wasserman. “The business classes I took at Law helped me gain basic knowledge of business, improved my ability to plan and organize, and overall taught me to think like a businessman.” 

Many students have also joined the numerous clubs and activities offered at their colleges. 

Andrew Ancheta, a freshman at UConn, has broadened his sphere of experiences by joining clubs. 

“At UConn, the only club that I joined, for now, is the Video Game Club,” Ancheta said. “In terms of how it has changed me, I believe that it helped me to become more social and interactive, especially with people close to or like me.” 

Throughout high school, Ancheta was very shy and nervous while meeting new classmates, teachers, etc. 

Ancheta said that although he is still shy and nervous, he would say that the friends he made in the video game club helped him break out of his shell even more, to become more comfortable and confident in who he is and who he wants to be.

Many of Law’s recent graduates are also playing sports at their current universities.

For example, Ethan Saley, last year’s captain of the Law football team, is playing football at Southern Connecticut State University. 

Saley said that SCSU football is very different from high school football. 

“College football is a lot different from high school ball because everything is taken very seriously, since I’ve been here I have learned that the game is a lot more mental than I thought,” said Saley. “What I mean by this is that there are so many things that you have to have going on in your head so you know the right moves to make and what to do before and during the play. 

Additionally, Saley said that college football is way more time consuming. He is at football for a total of 7-8 hours of the day in college compared to high school, where he was only there for 3-4 hours at most. 

On top of this, he said that the coaches there are a lot more strict in the rules that they have on and off the field. Saley said that if someone disobeys these rules, they could have some serious consequences.

Another recent Law graduate, Ronan O’Reilly, interested in history is attending the University of Southern Maine. 

O’Reilly likes to explore and take unique classes and the classes he took at Law have tremendously influenced his college experience. 

“My favorite thing at USM is probably the ability to take different and unique classes like Viking Age Iceland as well as living in a new place with new experiences,” O’Reilly said. “Law helped influence my college experience with classes like AP European History and AP U.S. History that helped prepare me for college type work.”

The college atmosphere is also very different than the atmosphere at Law because there are so many more people.  

Hanna who has attended parties and football games at the University of Michigan gives a description of the college atmosphere. 

“Well the parties and football games at Umich are bonkers,” said Hanna. It’s pretty common to see like 200 students at the tailgates before the games and the streets of Ann Arbor turn maize on game day.”

When in college, students have many opportunities to participate in adventurous and extreme activities. 

For example, Wasserman has recently had the opportunity to go parachuting with the Connecticut Parachutists. 

“I went skydiving for the feeling of excitement and thrill and I knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Wasserman said. “This was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had and the view was amazing.” 

(Photo courtesy the Science Club)

By Alexis Rios – Staff Reporter

Science Club is a STEM-based club at Jonathan Law where students participate in a wide range of activities in the STEM field.

This club allows students to compete in events to gain and practice skills they already have to obtain new opportunities.  “

The goal is to get more kids interested in science and to get more kids competing, and hopefully place in different events,” Science Club advisor Ms.Turcotte said. 

The club will bring two teams of 15 club members on each to their Olympiads this year. Their Olympiads will be at Yale, UConn and Brown. 

Competing in the Olympiads at these universities allows students to catch a glimpse of different college campuses.

“I’m really looking forward to all of us collaborating together and working towards making this a great year for everyone,” Science Club president Arunika Shee said.  “Hopefully we can win some medals at the Olympics this year.”

Because most of the Olympiad students will compete, they will have to be prepared with research. These events include building events, biology events, engineering events, and more. 

“I love the knowledge and experience that I gain from this club,” junior Secretary Meghana Cheela said. “I like working with others who are just as dedicated and interested with science ̈.

This year, the Science Club will be doing fundraising at Chipotle and at a Shake the Can event. 

“This year I’m looking forward to the diverse topics and events to help me with my dream of making a career in medicine,̈  junior member Sanskar Shaw said. ¨I like to be creative and this club allows me to be.”

The Science Club uses buses as a transportation to get to each Olympiad. Brown University is an overnight trip meaning that students will stay for both days.  

The Club officers choose partners for the Olympiad based on the events, similar interests, and their past experiences. 

“The best part of being in the club is being able to explore my interests in the science field,¨ junior Rachna Vipparla said. ¨It will help me a lot with figuring out what I want to do in the future. ̈   

The club is supposed to give students with a passion for science an opportunity in the STEM field.

Science Club allows students to gain experience and expand their learning from hands on activities. The students can then compete with their research and projects if they choose to do so.

(Photo courtesy Maddie Papcun)

By Maddie Papcun – Staff Reporter

The Environmental Club at Jonathan Law is back and better than ever, working to raise awareness on the current pressing environmental issues.

After a long hiatus, the small club was reintroduced last year by students who have since graduated from Law: Ming-May Hu and Krutikka Gopal. 

“I advised an Environmental Club over 10 years ago, it ran for a few years, and then it stopped,” club advisor Ms. Bouchard said. “Basically Ming-May and Krutikka approached (history teacher and co-advisor) Miss Mannion about starting a club, so I offered to advise it as well.”

Many of the people involved in the Jonathan Law environmental club are extremely dedicated to stopping climate change and reducing environmental impacts. 

“I’m very passionate about the work that scientists and environmentalists are doing currently to prevent the continuation of global warming,” club advisor Miss Mannion said. “I just wanted to help out.”

Previously, the club has created a pollinator garden surrounding the flagpole in front of the school, and run many local clean-ups. They hope to continue with projects such as these in the current school year. 

“This year we’ve been tossing around the idea of an environmental fair for earth day, where we educate people on environmental friendliness and what climate change actually is,” senior co-president Sam Papcun said. 

Overall, the Environmental Club has big plans for the year. They constantly discuss current movements such as climate strikes, and what the school can do locally to help the environment. 

“During meetings we will cover anything from current events to current projects we are working on,” senior co-president Caroline Chesson said. “Some days we go outside to maintain our garden as well.” 

The club highly encourages underclassmen to join,especially if they want to have an impact on the local community. Meetings are right after school on Tuesdays in Bouchard’s room. 

“Come to a meeting, if you’re interested. It’s worth a shot,” Papcun said. 

A small group of underclassmen are already involved in the Environmental Club. These younger members are just as passionate as their older counterparts. 

“I want to be able to make a difference—however small—within our community,” sophomore club member Melanie Filippone said. “This is happening now. Although things are bad, we can still save the earth by raising awareness and putting in the effort.”

Largely, the Environmental Club advisors, presidents, and members alike are fighting to have a lasting impact. 

“I want to see students who are in the club enjoy what they learn, incorporating it into the practices they do and the decisions they make,” Bouchard said. “I believe it’s their generation that’s  going to help fix the messes we’ve all created.”

(Photo courtesy instagram.com)

By Lucas Greifzu – Editorial Editor

The Backyard Wrestling Organization, or BWO, comes together on the weekends to put on a show for its fans not only on YouTube and Instagram, but throughout Milford as well.

The BWO puts on events for its fans on a regular basis, these events normally occur on Saturdays. The BWO has also been putting on these events since the middle of July of 2018. 

“What makes me want to keep doing it a year later is that I have a lot of fun doing it with my friends,” said BWO wrestler and part-owner Angel Santiago. “Also, I feel that we’ve gained enough of an audience now where, a lot of people are starting to watch our content, so it’s important to me to service the people who are actually watching it.”

The BWO has an event this Saturday starting at 6 p.m. The details for this event are on their Instagram. They also have a busy schedule of events lined up on the horizon for their audience to enjoy. 

̈ ̈Working with the BWO is often times the highlight of my day because of the friends I get to work with and the crazy stuff we do,” said BWO co-founder, part-owner, and wrestler Vaughn Weston.

The BWO is also a place for friends to gather and hang out with each other, while being able to enjoy a common interest. 

̈The BWO to me is a way to hang out with friends and do something unique while doing that,” said BWO wrestler Brian Zirkel. ¨I see and talk to people there I never would have if I hadn’t joined and have met new friends in it too.”

People from all parts of Jonathan Law, as well as Milford, join the BWO for many different reasons.

¨I joined the BWO because it looked like a nice group of people and a fun thing to do,” said new BWO member Dan Folloni. ̈Also some people were on the tennis team with me.”

The BWO started off as a small group of friends in a basement, but it has grown substantially since then.

¨I am very proud of what I’ve been able to do with 6 friends in a basement, because honestly I never thought that this would turn into such a big thing, but now we ́re getting 300-400 views on a YouTube video and one of our videos is already almost at 1,000 ,” said Santiago. ̈ ̈Obviously everyone around the school knows what it is, so I ́m very proud of what we’ve been able to do with it.”

(Photo courtesy ci.milford.ct.us)

By Mia Cerrato – Editorial Editor

On September 4, the Jonathan Law Key Club began an exciting year discussing plans and goals.     

They reviewed accomplishments from last year and made plans to do even more this year.

“The plan for this year is to continue our usual service projects such as Salvation Army,” Key Club President Angel Santiago said. “We also plan on preparing for our district conference earlier this year.” 

Volunteering from last year included saving up for a well in Swaziland to provide clean water for the community with the assistance of the Thirst Project. They also volunteered at local hospitals. 

“My favorite activity for Key Club was volunteering at the daycare at Yale,” Key Club Bulletin Editor Meghana Cheela said. “It made me feel like I was helping the community and was also just a lot of fun.” 

There are so many enjoyable and simple volunteer tasks for students to get involved in through Key Club. Members said it does not take too much effort to be nice and reach out to the local community.

“I volunteered for St. Mary’s carnival and I enjoyed it,” Key Club Secretary Sreeya Gudlavalleti said. “You get to help out and hang out with friends.” 

During the summer, Key Club continued to contribute to the community and reach out a helping hand. 

“Over the summer, Key Club worked at the Oyster Festival and helped out with interviews for new teachers this year,” said Santiago. 

Although Key Club is already making positive differences in the community, they are always looking for new members to help out and join.

“We would love if new members joined Key Club,” Cheela said. “It is truly a great experience and is a lot of fun, it doesn’t even feel like work.” 

Members said Key Club is a good experience for everyone and is enjoyable. Everyone should reach out to their community because they want to, not because it is required. 

“We are planning on pushing the key club to new members,” said Santiago.

So far, the new members are looking forward to the upcoming year.

“I want to volunteer as much as I can and help out the community,” Key Club member Lucas Greifzu said.

Some of the goals for this year include even more volunteering and more inclusivity in the community. 

“We really want to continue our volunteer work throughout the year,” said Gudlavalleti. “We are one of the most hardworking and dedicated clubs.”

(Photo by Stephanie Caron)By Stephanie Caron – Entertainment Editor 

The members of the Class of 2023 are adjusting nicely into their new home. 

Freshman students from West Shore Middle School and Harborside Middle School are meeting new friends and adjusting to becoming lawmen. 

“My favorite thing about high school so far is the freedom,” freshman Anna Nash said. “The freedom is so much better in high school than middle school.” 

The change from middle school to high school can be challenging but the Class of 2023 seem to be doing just fine.

“I feel like I have for the most part adjusted to Law. Everyone is nice, caring, and accepting so it was a pretty smooth transition,” freshman Aislinn Burns said. “The school seems a little new, but I am already familiar with most of the community.” 

Many freshmen have joined a sport. Most have said it has helped them meet new people at Jonathan Law and also create fun memories. 

“I am looking forward to spirit rallies, sports games, and different activities we do,” Burns said. “ I’m also excited to have fun with my sports teams.” 

On September 13, Law is holding a freshman picnic and a freshman welcome day to get students comfortable within the school, and excited for the upcoming school year. This was also a chance for them to bond together. 

“My advice to freshmen is to get involved early and often,” freshman teach Mr. Young said. “Not only will they enjoy sports, clubs etc, they will also get great advice from the older Law students on their experiences. By getting involved, freshmen can begin to develop relationships that will help them succeed.”

Members of the freshman class explained how high school is a nerve-racking experience but also exciting. 

“I’m looking forward to my senior year and seeing how much I progressed,” freshman Olivia Coddington said. 

Young and other teachers have many goals for the Class of 2023. 

“By senior year, I hope all freshmen have embraced their opportunities at Law and developed into great leaders for the rest of the school,” Young said. “I hope they have benefited from their classes, experiences and relationships during their time at Law and are confident to achieve their goals after high school.”

(Photo by Alexis Broderick)

By Alexis Broderick – News Editor

Jonathan Law High School is back in session and there are some new, exciting renovations.

What used to be the Media Center is now called the Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC). The furniture and equipment in the Teaching and Learning Commons has been moved around and renovated.

“We gathered together an incredible committee of teacher leaders who spent a year researching other schools (including colleges) and, thanks to the support of our district, we have The Teaching and Learning Commons,” Law principal Mr. Thompson said.

Thompson presented a plan to Superintendent Dr. Cutaia to update several spaces at Law, including the Media Center and the Student Support Center. She suggested, instead of renovating multiple spaces throughout the building, combining these services into one renovation project to transform the Media Center into a one-stop shop for all student needs, whether it’s accessing resources, collaborating in groups, getting extra help, relaxing a bit, or creating a project.

Since the district has been purchasing more online resources including ebooks and databases and has become a 1:1 school with Chromebooks for all students, Law was able to cut down on the number of computers and bookshelves they had, creating the space they would need to achieve these goals.

“It was a great time to renovate,” librarian Ms. Briggs said.

Some of the renovations include collaborative work areas for group projects and classes, a student lounge area for relaxing and snacking, quiet study rooms, a student-run IT center, the Law Academic Student Support Center, learning centers, a new broadcast journalism room, and maker spaces. The IT center and maker spaces are still a work in progress.

“Seeing the TLC change in such a short amount of time was great,” media aide Mrs. Borer said. “So far from what I’ve seen and heard the kids are truly enjoy this space.”

The TLC space has already been reconfigured, and by December there will be all new furniture. The complete transformation will continue to take place over the next several years as Law works to update technology and expand services.

There has also been a Presentation Room added to the TLC. The Presentation Room can be used for classes, guest speakers, and special events. There is an interactive ViewBoard and plenty of seating, not to mention a really cool paint job. Students who want to use this space can e-mail Mrs. Briggs at sbriggs@milforded.org.

One of the things students and teachers are most excited about is the TLC staying open every day this year. It is a goal not to hold any meetings, events, or testing in this space since there are other spaces in the building to use for these purposes. As in years past, the TLC is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students may visit during study, lunch, common time, or with their classes as well as before and after school.

The open floor plan of the commons and the different spaces (instructional, support, collaborative, relaxation) mean that  accommodating a large number of people working on a number of different projects at the same time. There will be some noise, but there will always be situations in which someone really needs some peace and quiet in order to concentrate. The Quiet Rooms are available to fill that need and to make sure that kids are getting the time they need to get their work done.

Not only did the TLC get renovated over the summer, the Cafeteria received a new paint job. There are many new designs and positive slogans added to the room.

(Photo by Morgan Taylor)

By Morgan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief

With a new school year beginning, the Advocate’s Editor-In-Chief, Morgan Taylor, spoke with Law principal Mr. Thompson on what this year will bring for the Jonathan Law community. 

Morgan Taylor: What are your goals for this year?

Mr. Thompson: My goal this year is to ensure every student is provided all the support and challenges to get the most out of the school year. I am honored to work with our faculty and staff to make this goal a reality!

MT: What is your advice to the class of 2023?

FT: As I told them at their orientation, I hope they seize all the opportunities available to them at Jonathan Law. This is a very special family and being a member of our school has so many great resources and with it comes a responsibility to enhance our community of learners by being a good and committed citizen.

MT: What is your advice to the Class of 2020?

FT: As I told this incredible class on our first day of the school year, I hope they savor every moment. It is a special year and this is an amazing class. Work hard and do good things – as leaders of the school, the staff and I are excited to support your year.

MT: What are you most excited about for this school year?

FT: I am really excited about the energy that is in our school – since before the year started! Everyone is excited about what is happening at Jonathan Law – students, staff, parents, and the community. I am excited to be a part of this energy and to support our students through a Lawmazing year!

MT: What did you do this summer?

FT: I spent 22 days (two trips) in the Dominican Republic. I have friends there and it was the best summer ever. When I was here, I was so grateful to see the transformation of the Teaching and Learning Commons take place. It was thanks to the incredible work of our facilities, maintenance and custodial teams at the school and in the district.

MT: What makes a “Lawmazing” student?

FT: I don’t think there is one answer to this question! Anyone who appreciates the good things going on at our school, works hard, cares about others and makes a difference – that, to me, is Lawmazing. Not just for students – there are so many Lawmazing teachers, staff members, parents and community members!

MT: What is your favorite part about Jonathan Law?

FT: That’s an easy one – the students!

MT: How will you make this school year the best one yet?

FT: You tell me! I am so excited to have four great classes and a faculty and staff that is committed to helping every student, every day. Whatever we can do to make this year the best it can be, just let me know!

MT: How do you believe the new Teaching and Learning Commons will better this school?

FT: I am so excited that the Teaching and Learning Commons will be available for every student. As the new furniture arrives and the innovation centers are on line, the opportunities for students to further their learning is limitless.

MT: What are some other new features to the school added over the summer?

FT: In addition to the Commons, our cafe has undergone a makeover, we are in the process of opening a wellness wing that will merge our health office, counseling suite and other student support services and make them available to all students, all the time. As well, we will soon be creating our “Zen Zone” for students. Stay tuned! While all of this is great new “stuff,” the most important part of Jonathan Law remains the people. Our new staff members are welcome additions bringing energy and enthusiasm to our Lawmazing community!

(Photo courtesy Ethan Fancher)

By Lucas Greifzu – Staff Reporter

Starting in September, the Jonathan Law High School Key Club will meet Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in the Senior Cafe to discuss their plans for upcoming events.

The Key Club has concluded their 2018-2019 year with a bang. They have exceeded their fundraising goal that they set at the beginning of the year for the Thirst Project.

“Our number one goal this year was to raise $12,500 for the Thirst Project so we can get a well going in Swaziland, Africa,” said Key Club advisor Mr. Boynton. “And we exceeded that, we raised $13,476, which puts Jonathan Law on the map forever.”

However, the Thirst Project was not the only goal that the Key Club had for the year. 

“I think we accomplished all we set out to do last year,” said newly elected Key Club President Angel Santiago. “But, just like a sports team we are always looking to do better than the year previous.”

Next year’s Key Club leaders are hoping that they can get as many new people into the club as possible for the upcoming year. This a strong goal because they lost a lot of people with the graduating class of 2019.

“My goals for next year are to try to get at least double the amount of sophomores next year then there were this year,” said newly elected Key Club sophomore and freshman Officer Amir Elhelw.

The Key Club has other goals for the upcoming year as well. They want to improve their public image; not only around the community, but around the school as well.

“Being the public’s relation officer means that I have to stay in touch with most of the community, whether it’s going to builders club meetings, or even keeping a good relationship between our club and the Kiwanis,” said the newly elected Key Club Public Relations Director Hunter Fonck. “We are also working on a bulletin board, so that people can see what is going on in the key club and what there is to sign up for”

Finally, the new leadership of the Key Club are excited to be working with each other throughout the new year.

“I’m pretty excited to be working with my fellow officers because all of us are sophomores and most of the team consists of my friends,” said newly elected Key Club Treasurer Noah Forsythe.

All in all, the Jonathan Law High School Key Club is primed and ready to have another very successful year in and around the community of Milford.

(Photo courtesy ming-May Hu)

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.”

(Photo courtesy Kruttika Gopal)

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. 

(Photo courtesy Mr. Thompson)

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.”

(Photo courtesy Bridget Kinross)

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.

(Photo courtesy chino.k12.ca.us)

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.

(Photo courtesy hcs-ct.org)

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.”

(Photo by Morgan Taylor)

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!

(Photo courtesy @jlawchoir)

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.

(Photo courtesy Stefanie Lojko)

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.”

(Photo courtesy @LawFran2015)

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.

(Photo courtesy Ms. Turcotte)

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.

(Photo courtesy Mr. Thompson)

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.

(Photo courtesy @jlhsdrama)

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.

(Photo courtesy Mr. Giampietro)

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.

(Photo by Michael Loschiavo)

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.

(Photo courtesy Jonathan Law School Counseling Department)

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.

(Photo courtesy milforded.org)

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.

(Photo courtesy Mr. Beler)

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.”

(Photo courtesy Jonathan Law Ski and Snowboard Club)

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.

(Photo courtesy @JLHSLatinClub)

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.”

(Photo courtesy @bkovacs1)

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.

(Photo courtesy Jess Owens)

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.

(Photo courtesy Hannah Swenning)

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.

(Photo courtesy pennlive.com)

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.”

(Photo courtesy twitter.com)

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.”

(Photo courtesy @LawFran2015)

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.”

(Photo courtesy @jlawchoir)

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.

(Photos courtesy netflix.com and milforded.org)

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.

(Photo courtesy kauifestivals.com)

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.

(Photo courtesy Mr. Beler)

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.”

(Photo courtesy twitter.com)

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.”

(Photo courtesy Cameron Asmussen)

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)

(Photo courtesy teachpe.com)

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.

(Photo courtesy Mrs. Murphy)

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.

(Photo courtesy @LawFran2015)

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.