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By Morgan Hennessey – Columns Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Michaela Pounds – Entertainment Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Hayley Sanchez – Editor-in-Chief

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Carol Phillips – News Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

By Ian Hugo – Staff Reporter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Laura Gonzalez – News Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Michaela Pounds – Staff Reporter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

By Hayley Sanchez – Editor-in-Chief

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Carol Phillips – News Editor

Jonathan Law celebrated Veterans Day twice this year.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some creative stuff…

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By Laura Gonzalez – News Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Malena Araujo – Staff Reporter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evanko said his fashion sense comes generally from his sisters.

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

By Emily Kifer – Staff Reporter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Briana Peters – Staff Reporter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Law will host two basketball tournaments in January 2015.

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By Valeria Araujo – Staff Reporter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

By Emily Carroll – Staff Reporter

Darby Hudd is one of Law’s brightest stars.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Ian Hugo – Staff Reporter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

By Laura Gonzalez – News Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Ismar Junuzovic – Entertainment Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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By Hayley Sanchez – Editor-in-Chief

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Carol Phillips – News Editor

The Jonathan Law Keyettes Club hosted their annual blood drive on October 24.

Forty students and teachers in all signed up to donate and about 40 pints were obtained and donated.

The purpose of the drive was to get as much blood as possible to donate to the Red Cross.

“Every pint can save up to three lives,” Keyettes advisor Mrs. Jaekle said.

Many students that donated seemed to be excited to finally have the ability to donate.  The nurses and assistants were pleased with the support and help received by all the donors and volunteers.

“It was a lot less scary than I thought,” senior April Ospina said. “It was something I’ve been thinking about since sophomore year.”

Students in the Law community realized how important blood transfusions are, so they were willing to get involved with this drive and future blood drives.

“This is a good way to give back to people that are in dire need,” club member and donor Brittany Welkes said. “I feel important; I have a sense of pride for donating.”

The blood drive occurred all day, allowing all students multiple opportunities in the day to donate.

“It is a good opportunity for kids underage to help others,” senior Nikola Reynolds said. “It’s also easier since it is at school to make a difference.”

The Keyettes’ goal for this blood drive is to get more donations than Foran.  They also would love to have the Key Club’s blood drive in the upcoming spring to do as well as this drive and beat Foran’s total as well.

By Kayla Patrick – Sports Editor

Law’s Cow Plop Spirit Week ended with an entertaining fall sports pep rally.

The pep rally, which was held on Friday, October 17, recognized all of Law’s fall sports teams and gave students a chance to show off their school spirit.

This year’s pep rally was unique in that it was hosted by seniors Kelsey Kopazna and Melissa Hanania, instead of the always-rowdy Mr. Beler.

“I hosted the pep rally because we needed to get people pumped for cow plop and for fall sports,” Kopazna said. “Melissa and I hosted it because Mr. Beler couldn’t and we knew we could be just as enthusiastic.”

The senior class officers planned many of the events at the pep rally. The senior class advisor is Mrs. Kovacs and the officers include Sofya Calvin as president, Mathilda Hill as vice president, Ben Longobardi as treasurer, Ming-yeah Hu as secretary, Nina Martinez and Kopazna as senators.

At the pep rally, Hanania and Kopazna announced the seniors of for all fall sports teams. There were also some performances from the Law cheerleading team throughout the event.

“The pep rally pumped me and our team up for the rest of the season,” senior soccer captain Emily LaLuna said. “As the last pep rally for fall sports that I’ll ever attend, it was really fun.”

All of Law’s students and faculty attended this in school event. All grades enjoyed chanting “L-A-W! LAW! LAW! LAW!” in the gym.

That night, Law also held its first cow plop fundraiser the benefit the senior class. The cow clop was the final event of Cow Spirit Week.

During the pep rally, Law held a “cow pie” eating contest which involved student and faculty contestants battling to eat the most moon pies.

“The pie eating contest was mesmerizing,” senior Izzy Junuzovic said.

Contestants said the pies didn’t taste great and were so hard to eat quickly. Some contestants included seniors Mac Taylor, Nicole Thibedeau, and Hanania. The faculty contestants included history teacher Mr. Batson, math teacher Ms. Loch, principal Mr. Thompson, ISS coordinator Mr. Boynton, and Officer Kiely.

The winner of the cow pie eating contest was Taylor with three and a half cow pies eaten. He received a cow mug and some candy as a prize.

During the contest Taylor thought, “How am I going to eat these? I’m going to puke.”

“I was surprised I won and I enjoyed receiving the prize,” Taylor said.

Also at the pep rally, Law’s faculty wore black and gold shirts with the slogan “Fight Like A Champion Today” with the initials MKM in a shamrock. The shirts were designed by English teacher Mr. Kulenych and distributed by history teacher Mrs. Burns in honor of Law’s popular teacher Miss Mannion, who is currently battling cancer.

Mannion is well known for her school spirit at Law, and for her caring personality.

By Darby Hudd – Sports EditorIt took two and a half hours, but Law’s first ever Cow Plop finally had a winner.

The senior class hosted the plop on Friday, October 17, to raise money. The class advisors blocked off a 400-square grid behind the field house for the event.

“The Cow Plop was longer than expected, but everyone managed to have a great time while waiting for Cally to poop,” senior class treasurer Ben Longobardi said.

Back in September, the senior class advisors went on the hunt to find a cow, and fortunately, Law alum Lea Finch was willing to share her cow, Cally, for the night.

“The cow plop wasn’t actually our idea”, senior class vice president Mathilda Hill said. “Last year’s senior class came up with it, but we really wanted to go through with it.”

The seniors sold Cow Plop tickets for $10 and the winner received $1,000. The winner was Law’s very own Mrs. Bartolomeo.

“At first I was in disbelief that I had won, and then I started jumping up and down screaming that I had won,” Bartolomeo said.

Bartolomeo said that she was planning on buying more tickets for her son and husband, so she was shocked that she only had one ticket and won.

“Everyone was genuinely happy for me that I had won, and I was excited because now I get to start my vacation/Christmas account,” Bartolomeo said.

Each person who went to the Cow Plop said they had a great time and that they all really enjoyed the “Cow Plop Spirit Week” that was held before.

“It was Mr. Thompson who suggested we do a cow spirit week,” senior class senator Nina Martinez said. “The days included: denim day, cow day, flannel day, cowboy day, and black and gold day.”

The Friday of the Cow Plop was also black and gold day, and students gathered in the new gym for a fall pep rally at the end of the day.

The senior class officers were very excited with the amount of money they were able to make. The profit of $3,000 is going to help the senior class with events like Cotillion and Class Night.

Another big fundraiser that the senior holds is Homecoming. This year, it will be held on November 21, and tickets are only $10.

“We really encourage everyone to come to homecoming,” Hill said. “It’s a huge fundraiser for us and its going to be lots of fun.”

The senior class advisors also want everyone to keep a look out for senior apparel because it will be coming out soon.

By Laura Gonzalez – News Editor

The Jonathan Law community gave a warm welcome to alum Vanessa Rozier last week.

Rozier, who is currently serving as a U.S. Public Affairs Officer in The Republic of the Congo, visited her alma mater on October 15 to give a speech to the senior class.

Law’s Model United Nations Club, journalism, and broadcast journalism classes also gathered in the school’s auditorium where Rozier seized center stage. Rozier admitted she was somewhat apprehensive about speaking to students, but she was impressed by the response she received.

“It was really cool to see so many people interested in what I’m doing,” Rozier said. “I was not a normal person because I wanted to be in journalism and wanted to go outside the states. I wanted to change things and learn new things all the time, and that wasn’t cool. So seeing that now that is accepted and normal…I think that’s amazing. I’m happy to have come from here.”

Rozier began her speech by sharing one of her favorite quotes by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She then jokingly re-assured students she did not have Ebola and went on to explain more about Africa and The Republic of the Congo, which is her present post.

She also shared some anecdotes about her travels around the world, as well as some pros and cons of her career. She ended her presentation with a question-and-answer session.

As a former Law student, Rozier was able to connect with a wide array of students, from aspiring journalists to college-anxious students.

“I think it’s crazy that she is so influential, and it’s great how humble she is, even though she is probably one of the coolest people that have ever walked in this building,” senior Briana Williams said. “I think that she is the perfect role model. She is everything that girls and the senior class should look up to.”

Senior Reaven Grant said that she was impressed with Rozier’s work ethic and determination.

“Seeing someone in that position, who was just like me a few years ago, gives me hope,” Grant said. “Her hard work proves that you can do anything if you are diligent. I think her story is remarkable.”

The visit was coordinated by Law secretary Mrs. Ramos and Law history teacher Ms. Burns.

“I just hoped it would really broaden student’s perspectives,” Burns said. “For the whole senior class, I thought it was a really good opportunity. She worked for the State Department and was one of the youngest diplomats ever appointed to serve internationally, so I thought instead of just keeping it to a small group of students we should open up the opportunity.”

Law’s students and faculty were very appreciative of Rozier taking time out of her short stay in Milford to share her experiences with students.

“Vanessa is such an amazing example for all Law students of what can happen when you work hard and have big dreams,” English teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “Her speech was phenomenal and she no doubt inspired everyone who listened to her story.”

Burns said she hopes to have Rozier back sometime in the near future and to get some other graduates to return and speak to future senior classes.

“I wish we could get more alumni to come back and talk to all the kids about what they learned here, where they went when they left here,” Burns said.

(Photos by Laura Gonzalez)

By Hayley Sanchez – Editor-in-Chief

It’s that time of the year when Law’s seniors need to start thinking about college and what needs to be done for the application process.

“Every single senior should have hopefully have taken or have signed up for the November SAT,” college and career counselor Mrs. Lindsay said. “They should have asked their teachers and guidance counselors for recommendation letters and a list of schools that they plan on applying to along with dates that they are due.”

By now seniors should have a list of prospective colleges that they are planning to apply to.

They should also have created a Common Application account and should have begun filling out their applications.

Seniors should already have asked their teachers for letters of recommendation and should have a rough draft of your college essay.

Students should also meet with their guidance counselor to discuss plans of action for their application and their Common Application account, so that the colleges know everything about the student.

Once seniors have a sense of where the want to go, they should plan to go on a tour of the college to make sure that they really want to go to that school. The students will not want to go to a college that they find great online and not so great in person.

If students have any questions they can contact Mrs. Lindsey by email at clindsay@milforded.org or visit her at the College and Career Center.

They can also contact their guidance counselor.

(Photo by Hayley Sanchez)

By Ismar Junuzovic – Entertainment Editor

The Jonathan Law Badminton Club just kicked off its first season and its popularity is bigger than expected.

The club meets on Fridays in the new gym where teams and individuals play badminton against each other. It is in place for students who want to do something fun and social with friends in a relaxed environment.

There are no fees and the club is still accepting members. Law history teacher Mr. Kravecs is the club’s advisor.

“I wanted to have a club that can almost be an escape for Law students,” Badminton Club co-president and senior Nick Lawrence said. “School can be extremely stressful and this provides a fun and rewarding experience to spend with friends and is something productive as well.”

In its first month, the Badminton Club has already amassed over 35 members. With such a strong start, the club is looking to expand in ways not previously expected, such as having more events and buying apparel for club members.

“We want to hold more meets and even try to hold tournaments at the school,” co-president and senior Sean Berg said.

With the club growing at such a rapid pace, there are questions on what is in the near future for the club and how it will be run in the future.

“It is really important to us that we keep the club going even after we gradate this year,” co-president Ben Longobardi said. “We want the responsibilities of the club to be passed to younger students who want to preserve it, and care for it as much as we do.”

Regardless of skill level, students said they feel comfortable when they are in the gym playing badminton with each other.

“I enjoy the atmosphere the most; it’s what really keeps me coming back,” club officer and senior Alexis Maltes said.

The club’s presidents hope that everyone benefits from participating, whether it’s due to just being around their friends or the fun of competing against them.

“I’ve only been to one meet and I enjoyed it a lot,” senior Mike DeLorio said. “It’s fun to be able to do something unique while also being with your friends.”

(Photo by Max Slusky)

By Michaela Pounds – Entertainment Editor

The Law Sign Language Club is excited and ready for all that this school year holds.

The members and the club advisor are all ready to sign and have a fun time together.

Sign language is a language that consists of using hand movements and body language to transmit what someone would like to say, instead of speaking with sound patterns. It is common for deaf people to use sign language, and people who are not able to speak with sound patterns also make use of the language.

Sign languages are used throughout different areas of the world, and there is not one specific sign language. It is not currently known how many sign languages there are.

The Sign Language Club meets on Tuesdays after school in the College and Career Room.

Senior Carol Philips is the president of Sign Language Club and has enjoyed being in the club since she joined her freshman year.

“I work with kids who have disabilities who sometimes respond better with sign language, so I wanted to learn more about the language,” Phillips said.

In Sign Language Club meetings, members learn interesting and new signs that they use while speaking to one another. The club is very flexible, and focuses on learning the signs that members are interested in learning.

In order to join Sign Language Club, members do not need to know any sign language and they do not need to have experience with sign language. The club is trying to recruit new members, and is excited to see who wants to join this year.

“It’s fun to learn something new, and sign language is an expressive and emotional language that creates a different way for people to communicate,” said club advisor and Law guidance counselor Ms. Reeves.

The Sign Language Club is always open to new members who want to join.

“Sign Language Club is a different kind of environment, and I joined because it sounded like an interesting club,” senior Niki Patel said.

There is a multicultural event that takes place at Pumpkin Delight school in Milford each year where club members teach students how to sign their names.

The Pumpkin Delight also students learn about deaf culture.

(Photo courtesy Carol Phillips)

By Morgan Hennessey – Columns Editor

It is no dispute that Debate Club is becoming a popular club among students at Jonathan Law.

Debate Club is an opportunity for opinionated students, students who are interested in current events, and really anyone who is interested in learning about what is going on in today’s society.

“The number one goal for this club is to include everybody and teach them how to play devil’s advocate,” senior and club president Josh Weizel said. “It’s good to get everybody together to accept each other’s beliefs.”

Weizel helped in getting the club started, and has been the Debate Club president since last year when he was a junior.

Mr. Evanko, one of the club’s advisors and a history teacher at Law, admits that sometimes he gives students sides in the debate that they do not necessarily agree with. He stresses the importance of understanding something that might not fit in with your beliefs.

The club’s members have varying opinions on all the issues they cover, which range from education spending to cybersecurity to ISIS. Regardless of whether the students are well educated on the topic or not, they must take time to research both sides of the debate.

“I feel like it teaches them a lot of empathy,” said Evanko, who advises the club along with Miss Mannion. “It also strengthens their critical thinking skills.”

Weizel encourages students to join the Debate Club for other reasons as well.

“You learn a lot about yourself as well as the other students,” Weizel said. “It’s also important to know about issues are currently going on that don’t affect us now, but will affect us later on in life.”

Weizel said that some future debate topics are skyrocketing taxes and the overwhelming amount of national debt in the United States.

Both Weizel and Evanko were hoping to expand the club this year, but they already doubled the size of members since last year. Now they are looking to branch out and compete in debates with other high schools in the area.

Debate Club meets after school every Monday at 2:15 p.m. and they are always looking for members who are interested in well-researched, spirited debate between friends. They urge all students looking for a fun, beneficial pastime sit in on a meeting.

“It’s a place to discuss and try to understand the world around you in a much deeper way,” Evanko said.

(Photo courtesy bp.blogspot.com)

By Carol Phillips – News Editor

Jonathan Law hosted a library card drive in late September.

Fifty-five students signed up and received new cards.

Law partnered with the Milford Public Library for this drive to inform students of the benefit of having a library card. The goal is to ensure that students in the school have a card.

“When school is not in session, people will still be reading,” Law media specialist Mrs. Briggs said.

There are many benefits of having a card. A few benefits include having the ability to check out books, games, DVDs, and to use the databases the library has.

“I got one just in case I need internet access, since it’s easy for me to go to,” senior Aryn Moncrease said. “I can also get access to books, it’s very resourceful.”

The Milford Public Library and Law will also host another drive that shows all of their resources and what they have to offer again later this year.

“The library can open up an amazing world of resources and opportunities,” Law principal Mr. Thompson said. “These cards are very beneficial.”

If students cannot make it to this event, they can see Briggs and she will help get them the information needed. More information about this event is to come.

(Photo courtesy milfordlibrary.org)

This club could be “key” to students’ futures.

Key Club is a volunteer program at Law that lets students volunteer and gain community service hours they can use to graduate with distinction.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, Key Club is for everyone,” said senior co-president Max Slusky.

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

“Key Club is the world’s largest high school volunteer program,” said Key Club advisor Mr. Boynton. “Key Club isn’t just at Jonathan Law, Key Club is international.”

Law’s Key Club participates in many events around Milford, such as the Irish Festival and St. Mary’s Carnival, the Oyster Fest, and the Salvation Army, among other things.

If students accumulate 200 or more hours of community service through their high school career, they can graduate with distinction, something that Key Club helps with.

“Key Club is a great opportunity to get hours done towards distinction,” said senior district secretary Peter Tournas.

Key Club allows students to gain leadership skills while doing community service and volunteering with friends and meeting new people.

“Key Club’s benefitted me by giving me an opportunity to improve my leadership skills and giving me my best friend,” said senior lieutenant governor Annie Khamhoung.

Members can even get the chance to meet others members from all around the world.

“I have met people from all over the world, especially at the District Conferences in Massachusetts and this past International Conference in California,” said Tournas.

Many members of Key Club agree that their favorite part of Key Club is the people that they meet and the friendships that strengthen through this club.

“My favorite part of Key Club are the people, everyone in the club is friendly and creates a very supportive community in our school,” said senior co-president Alexis Maltes.

Students new to Key Club can expect to participate in many community service activities and learn new leadership skills.

“Students can expect to experience a lot of different volunteer and leadership opportunities, make friends, and meeting a lot of people,” said Khamhoung. “My best friend and I became a lot closer through Key Club.”

For students looking to join, Key Club is having its membership drive between now and the end of October. Meetings are generally Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. and are usually in the senior cafe.

Key Club also has dues which are a $15 one-time fee for the entire year. Included in the membership is an international membership card, a pin for induction, monthly updates through form of magazine, and membership cards that shows you are an active member of Key Club.

“It’s very important for students to join Key Club,” said Mr. Boynton. “Colleges aren’t looking only for the academic students or the athletic students, they’re looking for the big picture that makes students stand out.”

(Photo courtesy keyclub.org)

By Ismar Junuzovic – Columns Editor

It’s been 13 years since 9/11, and for the second year in a row, Jonathan Law’s history program set up a day-long event with the purpose of learning about that tragic day.

Last year, the focus was on Welles Remy Crowther, or “The Man in the Red Bandana.” Students all gathered on the football field wearing red bandanas and learned about how Crowther lost his life while saving dozens of others while wearing his trademark red bandana.

Students continued the day by walking around the field and listening to stories from survivors, including people who were in the towers that day and volunteers who spent weeks cleaning up the site.

Last year’s city-wide event was coordinated by Law history teacher Mrs. Rowley and the Law history department. Rowley has worked for years on developing a 9/11 curriculum to be used in Milford schools.

“There is no curriculum on 9/11 for any history classes,” Rowley said “All current Law students were not even in kindergarten when this happened.”

This year, students received a small card with a picture and a small blurb about someone who lost their life on 9/11. The blurb was a brief biography about that person’s life, including their hobbies and a list of surviving family members.

During their history classes on September 10 and 11, students went to the football field and wrote a letter to the family of their assigned victim. They also wrote down or video recorded one good deed they had done in that person’s honor.

“It was a nice thing to do and I felt like I had an actual connection with the family I wrote to,” senior Chris Heine said.

Students then spent time walking around the football field as a form of respect for those lost on 9/11. Many students went to the center of the field to talk on-camera about their assigned person and what their good deed was.

Deeds ranged from volunteering in the Milford community to something as simple as holding the door for another person in the hallway.

“My good deed was that I paid for the coffee of the person in front of me at Dunkin’,” senior Nikola Reynolds said.

Reynolds is one of many in the Law student body and faculty that chose to treat 9/11 as a day of service.

While it is unfortunate to have to remember the tragic events that took place on that very day, Rowley said it was reassuring to see Law have such a positive attitude towards learning about that day and “paying it forward.”

(Photo courtesy Melissa Hanania)

New Attendance Policy

By Hayley Sanchez – Editor-in-chief

Starting on October 1, there will be a new attendance policy in effect in Milford and at Jonathan Law High School.

Administrators and teachers will be closely monitoring the amount of time that the students miss or do not come to class. During the last two weeks in September, the administration is going to spend time rolling out the plan to put the new policy in action.

The new policy was created in part because last year 14% of Law’s students missed 18 or more days of school and administrators and the Board of Education felt that there should be new regulations on how many school days a student misses. The administrators feel that this policy will help decrease the amount of days that students miss in a year.

“When in class you get the most out of the academics,” Law Principal Mr. Thompson said. “I believe it will help; it won’t make everyone happy but my job is to make people get to class on time.”

One of the most important aspects of the program for students and parents is that there is no difference between “excused” and “unexcused” absences. Students must be current in the class to participate in the learning.

Under the new policy, students will lose credit when daily absences and period absences add up to 20 absences (daily and/or period) for a full year course. For those students who are also taking half year courses the allotted amount of absences allowed with be 10 daily and/ or period classes.

Here is a link to the full policy:

Milford’s New Attendance Policy

“It will kick start students getting to school on time and for them to be present in class,” attendance officer Mrs. Carr said. “If you’re skipping or missing that classes you’re going to lose credit for that class and you will need to retake that class somewhere down the road.”

The policy will challenge students to be in class and will help teachers deliver instruction to students. It will be new for everyone in the school but the goal is that it will create an atmosphere where class has a premium value.

The policy is to help students take responsibility of their learning and to make sure that the students will get to class on time and prepared.

“Ultimately this is going to help the students and to make sure that they are coming to school and getting their work done,” English teacher Miss Rosner said. “It is going to be a good thing even though it may be a little bit more documentation on our part.”

Parents of students will be notified at different points of the year when there is a potential loss of credit for the class.

There are differences between a full and half year course that will be taken if there is a threat of loss of credit for the course.

For a full year course, at the 25% threshold, which is at five absences, there will be a parent notification letter, the guidance counselor of the student will call the parents and there will be progress monitoring. At 50%, which is 10 absences, parents will get a letter and a phone call from the guidance counselor to discuss interventions so the student doesn’t lose credit.

When a student gets to 75%, a total of 15 absences, the parents will get the traditional call and letter but there will be the option of possible withdrawal from the class or the classes. Once a student gets to the 100% threshold, or all 20 absences, the loss of credit in the class is taken and the guidance counselor will call the parent about arranging a meeting to discuss the next steps once the credit is lost.

“I like the idea of having a 10 day policy which will give students plenty of time and leeway as a 10 day policy but I don’t like the fact that vacation is counted towards our excused absences which I think for some people can be a problem,” senior Peter Tournas said.

For half-year courses, when a student gets to the 25% threshold, which is three absences, parents will get a phone call and a letter and in the call from the guidance counselor they will set up a meeting with the parents regarding unexcused absences. At 50%, or five absences, the parents will get a letter and phone call from guidance to set up a meeting to talk about the unexcused absences and to discuss additional interventions.

Once a student gets to the 75% threshold, or seven absences, the traditional letter and phone call will take place and the need to set up a meeting to discuss if there is a chance of any credit recovery or the option to withdraw from the class or the classes. When a student gets to the 100% threshold, or 10 unexcused absences, there is loss of credit in the course and a phone call from guidance to arrange a meeting regarding further steps after the student has lost the credit.

If a student completes a course even though they lost the credit and they pass the student may go through with the next course in the sequence except for Algebra, Civics, and American History. The course will not be counted towards any required credit for graduation and the course grade will not be factored into the student’s GPA.

There are going to be some exceptions to the policy, such as if a student has a 504 plan, health plan, or a field trip through the school. These school approved absences do not count but the students are required to do the makeup work as expected per the attendance policy.

If a student is a junior or a senior and plan on going to visit a college, both grades get one approved absence as long as they have documentation stating that they went to visit the college. Field trips with documentation, nurse/medical dismissals, and guidance meetings are also considered approved absences.

If a student has a health issue or a chronic illness where it will directly impact the attendance, the parents are to contact the children’s guidance counselor or school nurse to discuss the possibility of a 504 plan or a health plan.

If there is a case that needs to be appealed, the appeal must be made within two weeks (10 days) of the notice that there was a loss of credit.

The case will be scheduled with the Attendance Review Board, which will be comprised of the principal, a counselor, and a teacher. The group will be as objective as possible towards the student and the decision of the hearing is final.

Within the new attendance policy, students and the parents will have responsibilities of their own to up hold so that there would not be a need to lose credit in a class or classes.

Students will also need to request missed work or exams from teachers as soon as they come back, to be handed in within five days and to give the office an absence note within five days of returning back to school.

“Sometimes I take days off, but now this schedule is going to prevent me from doing this,” senior Carol Phillips said. “I’m scared about days off now because it is so limited and I don’t want to lose my credit.”

The parents of students that attend Law will need to emphasize on the importance of going to school every day and to check regularly on Power School to check to make sure that their child is going to school and not missing a lot of school days. Parents will also need to make sure that they contact the school about any absences or any extended absences.

If a parent or guardian of a student does not respond to either the letter or the phone call to set up a meeting, the student may be referred to a community based organization for supporting family needs.

There may also be frequently scheduled home visits by school personnel and the School Based Resource Officer (SRO) to assess the situation on why the student is not showing up to school or to a class.

(Photo by Hayley Sanchez)

 

Jonathan Law has opened its doors to over a dozen new staff members in a variety of subjects this year.

Here are some quick bios of the new staff:

By Laura Gonzalez – News Editor

Law recently welcomed Ms. Salzano, a ninth grade English teacher, to its faculty.

Along with starting at a new school, there have been some big changes in Salzano’s life, as she only recently moved to Milford. She said it was hard not starting at the beginning of the year, but she is really happy to start her 24^th year teaching in Milford and to get to know new people.

In her 24 years of teaching, Salzano has taught at Hamden Hall, and most recently, at Greenwich High School. She has taught everything from fifth grade through 12^th grade, even second grade.

“They [the students] are what keeps me coming back to teaching high school, I really like teaching high school,” Salzano said. “I taught middle school for a while and I taught ‘No, I have to go back go high school kids,’ so I’m happy to be back.”

She is teaching ninth grade English part-time, periods 1 through 4.

As for her first impressions of Law, Salzano said, “I like it, it’s much smaller than Greenwich High School, which is nice, and I have small-ish classes, and I like that I can get to know one class because there are a lot of ninth graders.”

Aside from her passion for reading and English, Salzano also has a passion for dancing and singing. She gives swing dance lessons and is currently in search of a new choir to continue her other lifelong passion.

(Photo by Laura Gonzalez)

***

By Kayla Patrick – Sports Editor

Mr. Sarullo comes to Law with big goals as the new athletic director. He expects to have a large impact on Law’s athletic department now and in the future.

Before coming to Law, Sarullo served as an athletic director at Sheehan in Wallingford for five years. Sarullo was also an athletic director at Notre Dame of Fairfield for three years and a teacher there for two.

Sarullo is a lifelong Milford resident. Law’s students are excited to have him on board.

“It’s exciting getting a new athletic director,” senior soccer captain Emily LaLuna said. “It’s a good change and I’m interested in seeing how he helps Law sports.”

Sarullo enjoys playing golf in his free time and his favorite sport is football.

“My goal for Law sports this year is trying to improve every teams records compared to what they did last year,” Sarullo said.

Sarullo is thrilled to be a part of the school and said his time at Law so far has been great.

He has quickly become a very active member in Law sports by watching practices and conversing with the student athletes. Sarullo has also held meetings with Law’s sports captains about leadership and goals.

(Photo by Kayla Patrick)

***

By Hayley Sanchez – Editor-In-Chief

Miss Colucci was a part of the Jonathan Law community last year part time but this is her first full year.  Before working at Jonathan Law, she had worked at West Haven High School running an online academic program.

“I was here for part of last year and since then, I’ve looked at Law as the ideal workplace,” Colucci said.

At Law, she teaches English Level 1 and Level 2 and also teaches Composition where students write different types of essays.

In her free time, she likes to play golf, basketball, and boxing. She likes to watch movies and listen to good songs, and her favorite movie is “Remember the Titans.”  She likes to listen to country and classic rock music.

(Photo by Hayley Sanchez)

***

By Morgan Hennessey – Columns Editor

Mrs. Jones, a new math teacher at Law, previously worked at Hyde School of Health Sciences and Sports Medicine, a magnet high school in New Haven. She worked there for six years teaching Math 180 and Algebra 1.

Jones received her undergraduate degree from Southern Connecticut State University and her graduate degree from the University of New England.

At Law, Jones teaches part time for three periods. Students can find her in the mornings. She teaches the classes Algebra 2 and Advanced Mathematical Decision Making. She is enjoying the new school environment.

“I love that all the students are happy,” said Jones. “And they seem to want to be here and learn.”

Jones enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs, which are an Italian greyhound and chihuahua mix. During the summer she works at the beach, she is a certified lifeguard.

(Photo by Morgan Hennessey)

***

By Carol Phillips – News Editor

Ms. Ivers is one of the newest teachers at Law this year.  She teaches at Law for part of the day then at Foran for the rest of the day.

Ivers teaches Astronomy to Law students in the morning, and said that she feels very welcome here.

“I am still getting used to things but everyone is so helpful and that is making the transition easy and enjoyable,”  Ivers said.

Outside the classroom, she enjoys being outdoors, saying she makes excuses just so she can go outside.  Activities like bicycling, camping, kayaking, climbing, looking at stars, and traveling are her favorite.

“I am most looking forward to getting to know my students as they get closer and closer to graduation and moving on to their college years,” Ivers said.

Ivers went to Central Connecticut State University for her undergraduate degree then to UMass Amherst for her graduate degree.

When asked what she would like other students to know about her, she said it would be that she loves to learn.

(Photo by Carol Phillips)

***

By Emily LaLuna – Sports Editor

Mr. Hoggatt is not technically new to Jonathan Law this year – he is just returning as a math teacher and is the new math department head.

Hoggatt has spent the last three years as the Athletic Director at Law. In his 11 years at Law, he has also coached the girls soccer team, girls basketball team, and boys basketball team.

His students are excited that he has decided to return to the classroom.

“I look forward to being in his Pre-Calculus class,” senior Tiffany Coleman said.

In his spare time, Hoggatt likes to spend time with his wife and son.

“My favorite thing about Jonathan Law is the feeling that we are one big family,” Hoggatt said.

Hoggatt has lived in Milford his entire life and graduated from Foran High School. He looks forward to a successful year in the math department.

(Photo by Emily LaLuna)

***

By Taylor Loughlin – Entertainment Editor

Mr. Toussaint is one of the new Spanish teachers at Law this year.

He has been teaching Spanish for 15 years, and this is his first year in Milford.

He has previously worked in New Haven, Norwalk, and New York.

“I think Law is fantastic and very interesting,” Toussaint said. “I’m so glad I’m getting to know everybody here.”

Toussaint is a huge soccer fan. When he isn’t teaching, he loves to play soccer and watch documentaries on PBS.

(Photo by Taylor Loughlin)

***

By Nicole Macchio – Entertainment Editor

Ms. Groppuso, Law’s new school psychologist, previously worked at East Shore Middle School for 19 years.

Before that, Groppuso worked for Yale doing evaluations. It is her first year at Law and she is already beaming with Lawmen pride.

“I am overwhelmed with the welcome, I am overwhelmed with peoples appreciation and willingness to help,” Groppuso said. “I’m loving it.”

Groppuso loves to bake, and even owned a bakery until she recently closed it. She likes to rescue dogs, to go to the beach, to jog, and to crotchet.

As the school psychologist, Gropusso will be helping support Law’s students and will guide and counsel students. She will also help students handle difficult academic and personal situations.

(Photo by Nicole Macchio)

***

By Darby Hudd – Sports Editor

Mr. Healy, a new English teacher at Jonathan Law, is a graduate from Southern Connecticut State University who previously taught in Bridgeport.

At Law, he teaches English 1 and Fairy Tales, an elective that takes students into the background and true meaning of what a fairy tale is.

“I was really excited to come to Law,” Healy said. “I had already met some of the teachers during the summer and they all were welcoming and fun to be around, so I knew this was going to be a good year.”

In Healy’s spare time he enjoys playing basketball and reading all of his favorite books.

“He’s adapting well as a new teaching at Law,” senior Michaela Pounds said. “He is really enthusiastic about what he’s teaching so it makes the class fun.”

(Photo by Darby Hudd)

***

By Michaela Pounds – Entertainment Editor

Miss Cafferty is the new cooking teacher at Law and she is excited to get started.

“Jonathan Law is a good school, with a good environment, and good students,” she said.

Cafferty would suggest students to take her class because it will help them learn better about cooperating with others and will help them learn how to cook well. Cooking is something Cafferty loves to do, and loves that she can share this with her students.

When she is not teaching, Cafferty’s hobbies are exercising, spending time with her child, reading magazines, and cooking, of course. Cafferty’s all-time favorite movie is “Shawshank Redemption.”

Since she is a cooking teacher with culinary experience; it is no surprise that she has more than one favorite food. A few of Cafferty’s favorite foods are salmon, sushi, and pizza.

‘’I’m interested in sharing my knowledge and expertise with my students,” she said.

Cafferty wants her students to become interested in cooking. Cafferty became interested in culinary when she was younger. She taught herself how to cook by using recipes and by trying to eat healthy.

(Photo by Michaela Pounds)

***

By Haley McNulty – Entertainment Editor

Mrs. Dileo is one of the new additions to the Law foreign language department.

Dileo teaches Spanish 1, 2, and 3 honors, which included freshmen through seniors.

Outside of school, one of Dileo’s favorite things to do is travel.

“Every vacation, I go to different countries,” she said.

In addition, she said she also loves to swim and read.

Dileo attended Salamanca University in Salamanca, Spain, which is west of Madrid, which aided in her Spanish-teaching career. Before coming to Law, she was also a teacher at Westhill High School in Stamford.

“I love it here so far,” she said.

(Photo by Haley McNulty)

***

By Emma Grace – Entertainment Editor

Jonathan Law is welcoming many new teachers this year, including new math teacher Ms. Laise.

Laise majored in mathematics at Fairfield University. She said that she chose to pursue a career teaching math because she “had a passion for math and found it fun.”

Outside of school, Laise said she likes to spend time with family and friends. She also likes going to see scenic views, especially by the water.

She grew up in Mamaroneck, New York. This year, Laise is teaching algebra, geometry, and math lab.

(Photo by Emma Grace)

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By Josh Weizel – Editorial Editor

Mr. Roumeles is a new history teacher at Jonathan Law High School

Roumeles was born in New Haven and raised in West Haven. He is a very energetic teacher who is excited about teaching history to young people

“I love working with young people and I love history,” Roumeles said. “I think it’s a challenge to take the things I love and pass it on to young people.”

Roumeles went to Southern Connecticut University where he majored in history. He loves history and has been studying the subject since he was a little kid. He said he is very excited about getting to know the students of Law and becoming a part of the Law community.

“I really admire this school community,” Roumeles said.

Roumeles’ favorite hobbies include playing music and fishing.

(Photo by Josh Weizel)

***

By Ismar Junuzovic – Columns Editor

Among the plethora of new staff at Jonathan Law in Mr. Mamrus, the newest member of the science department.

Mamrus teaches Level 2 Physics in the afternoon in Mr. Stanton’s room. Before joining the Law family, he had previously worked for over 29 years at Fairfield Prep, teaching many different levels of physics and math.

He was also a chairman for the science department for the past 14 years in Fairfield.

“I was offered a retirement package from Prep but I really wanted to continue teaching at a reduced load,” said Mamrus. “I was able to find exactly what I was looking for here at Jonathan Law.”

Mamrus is excited to only have two classes, so that he has the ability to get to know his students much better as well as being able to devote more time to them.

Mamrus will be working at Law part-time but is excited because he feels that his 20 years of engineering and 29 years of teaching will truly be able to offer something meaningful to his students.

(Photo by Ismar Junuzovic)