By Gemard Guery – Editor-In-Chief and Editorial Editor

Jonathan Law’s Bake Shop class recently participated in a Cake Wars competition. 

Students in the class were able to bake cakes for a panel of teachers to judge and vote on which cake won. 

The competition, run by Mrs. Ryan, came after Bake Shop  students wanted a more competitive aspect to their class.

“In the Advanced Culinary classes, we have one or two competitions each semester,” Ryan said. “Students in the Bake Shop classes wanted this component added to their class as well.”

The competition serves as a fun way for students to better apply concepts learned in the class. At the same time, students are given complete creative control over what cakes they want to bake and how it can look. It was a challenge that allows students to take their baking talents to the next level.

“I love to bake as a side hobby,” senior Bake Shop student Kayla Nastasia said. “So, the Bake Shop class was a fun class for me to experiment and learn more about baking.”

Students could testify that the competition served as a phenomenal learning experience. They were forced to plan out their cakes and manage their time efficiently in order to ensure cakes were ready for the judges.

“Being able to learn how to put the pieces together and how it all comes together was cool and a good learning experience,” senior Kaitlyn Goldberg said.

The students were also joined by special guests during the semester who could share their expertise with the students. The class then utilized these skills in the creation of their cakes.

“My decorating skills could use some improving, so I have asked others to give demos on decorating before the competition,” Ryan said. “A former Law student who is now at the Culinary Institute of America, and Stanley Hair, a MPS employee with a successful side hustle in baking have accommodated us each semester. I become the student when I watch their demos.”

While the competition was fierce, the winners were Nastasia and Goldberg who made a vanilla cake with raspberry filling and pink frosting. The judges loved their cake as well as some lucky students who were given the opportunity to try it.

“After the cakes were judged, we were able to take them home so I split it with my partner and shared the cake around with my friends at lunch,” Nastasia said. “I personally love to share I made with people to try and they really liked the cake.”

By Kayla Markowitz and Addy Barber – Advocate Editors

The Jonathan Law music department packed its bags and flew to New Orleans, Louisiana, from March 22-26.

Students participating in Choir, Band, Orchestra, had the once in a lifetime opportunity to visit New Orleans, a city best known for their live music, historic landmarks, and exciting atmosphere, with their musically inclined peers. 

“The trip impacted my life in the way that it was a very new experience for me as I’ve never been to New Orleans before,” senior Oliver Harrigan said. “New Orleans was different from anywhere else that I’ve been and the culture was so unique and powerful.”

Not only was this trip a fun break from the daily rehearsals, it was also a chance to learn outside of the classroom. Choir Director Ms. Jones and Band Director Mr. Pelaggi were excited to immerse students into new cultures, new sights, and most importantly, great musicians. 

“It has been researched that individuals learn better through hands-on experiences and being immersed in their learning,” Jones said. “This is an opportunity for that all while having fun with their friends.”

Students in Orchestra and Band were also given the opportunity to improve their talents, and learn about rich history and experience invaluable lessons about the history of music. 

“Some of my favorite experiences from the trip was the master class at Loyola University, where a professor helped the Orchestra and Band improve our combined pieces for our upcoming Spring Concert on April 23rd,” senior Isabelle Maselli said. “Also learning about the history of Preservation Hall, a historic music venue in the French Quarter, and they preserve the music through these concerts.”

Students couldn’t choose just one part of the trip they loved most. They truly enjoyed the whole experience. 

“My favorite part was the whole trip to be honest,” senior Hailey Russo said. “Seeing all the live music and the soul they put into their performance is just amazing, and being able to hear the history behind New Orleans and learn so much about one place was such a great experience.”

Although students couldn’t choose just one part of the trip they loved most, Jones had no problem highlighting her favorite part of the trip.

“My favorite part was watching the students be fully engaged, interactive, positive and respectful in so many new experiences,” Jones said. “To know that so many have never traveled, flown on a plane or been in another state before and now we’re surrounded by incredible musicians everywhere and steeped in the culture of New Orleans was something I will never forget or take for granted.”

The trip was designed to help students experience music in new environments and is highly recommended for underclassmen because it brings them out of their comfort zone and helps them experience new adventures. 

“I would recommend students traveling to New Orleans in the future to appreciate how different and beautiful their culture is,” Pelaggi said. “Our students were able to experience music, food, and culture that they cannot get in our part of the country.”

By Ava Vercellone – Staff Reporter 

The Natural Helpers Club recently held its annual cookie decorating event.

The main goal for this event each year is to decorate cookies and for students to have fun and to interact with their peers.

“This event was a success because it brought a bunch of people together to have fun and decorate cookies,” sophomore Molly Lynch said. “It was great to see kids engage with each other who don’t normally talk to each other daily.” 

The Natural Helpers welcomed students to the event and held a small cookie decorating competition.

“We decided to do the cookie decorating as a fun way to get everyone together,” sophomore Charlotte Baldieri said.

The event was held in the senior cafeteria and the winners of the competition each got a gift card to Dunkin’ Donuts. 

“Although we had a little smaller crowd than we did last year, it was still fun,” sophomore Gabby Coffin said. “We had a great time.” 

By Gemard Guery – Editor-In-Chief and Editorial Editor

Two Jonathan Law students recently earned a prestigious award.

Senior JT Nelly and junior Matthew Berendt were named Eagle Scouts for their achievements within Boy Scouts.

In order to become an Eagle Scout, which is the highest distinction in scouting, students must earn at least 21 total merit badges, and serve at least six months in a youth troop leadership position. They must also be active in a troop for six months, complete a board review, participate in a Scoutmaster’s Conference, and demonstrate scout spirit.

The scouts also had to complete a service project in order to receive the distinction. 

Nelly’s project was landscaping the Plymouth building affiliated with the First United Church of Christ. He re-mulched the area, dug out and planted new bushes and flowers, sanded and repainted the railings, and trimmed the hedges. 

Berendt’s project was reroofing and painting the baseball dugouts at Wasson Field. He fundraised, got materials donated, and organized volunteers to execute the project. 

Both students have set their eyes on becoming an Eagle scout for years. They both have been a part of Boys Scouts for years with anticipation of someday becoming an Eagle Scout.

“It took me five years – I started when I was 12 when I finished Cub Scouts,” Nelly said. “I continued to work towards my Eagle Scout because I believe the knowledge I learned and retained on the way will be helpful for serving and helping others throughout the rest of my lifetime.”

As part of receiving the honor, scouts must earn badges through exhibiting proficiency in specific life and outdoor skills. The scouts are all led by their scoutmaster who guides them through their scouting journeys.

Scoutmasters are able to watch and aid in helping the boys succeed in scouting. Scoutmaster Mark Krom serves as scoutmaster for both Nelly and Berendt. 

Krom is a former Eagle Scout who’s served as a scoutmaster for over 40 years. He leads Troop 1 which has over 50 Boy Scouts.

“My favorite part is watching a shy young boy come into our troop as a new scout and watch him grow over the 8-19 years to become a fine young man,” said Krom. “I am very proud of all my scouts.”

While Eagle Scouts is an amazing accomplishment, both Nelly and Berendt can agree that being a scout comes with so many additional benefits.

“I became involved in a Robotics Club and was introduced to cross country by fellow scouts in my troop,” Berendt said. “The friendships I have made in scouting have exposed me to hobbies and interests that I never would have discovered otherwise.”

By Gabriella Coffin – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Social Studies Honor Society, also known as Rho Kappa, held its first ever induction ceremony on February 26.

There were over 35 inductees that attended the ceremony which was held in the evening in the senior cafe. 

“The event was very exciting,” History teacher and Rho Kappa Advisor Mr. Zuraw said. “It was the first time we have ever had a Social Studies Honor Society so I was very happy to see that we had so many students interested and able to meet the requirements to be admitted into Rho Kappa.”

The induction ceremony was conducted according to guidelines that were put forth by Rho Kappa.

“The induction was well-organized and smoothly executed,” Rho Kappa president Raymond Dong said. “Each new member received a certificate and was warmly welcomed into the Rho Kappa Honor Society.”

History teacher Ms. Healy gave the keynote speech and several Rho Kappa officers also made remarks

“We had a guest speaker, ceremonial candle-lighting, and speeches given by our officers,” Zuraw said. “It was a very nice event that went very smoothly.”

Meetings for Rho Kappa are normally held twice a month and are organized by the club officers.

“We are trying to meet once or twice a month and usually our president puts together an agenda of what we are discussing, such as what fundraisers we want to do or what events we want to hold,” Zuraw said.

To apply for Rho Kappa, students needed to have completed two core social studies courses, have an overall cumulative GPA of 3.0, and have participated in activities that demonstrate civic engagement in their school or community.

Some upcoming events for Rho Kappa may include volunteering and other fundraising opportunities around school.

“Some upcoming events would be volunteering opportunities and opportunities for our members to get involved in civic engagement,” Dong said. 

By Cindy Bone – Staff Reporter

The Spanish Club had a major success with their recent service project – the Pulsera Project. 

The Pulsera Project was a bracelet sale held by the Spanish club from January 29 to February 12 to help support the nonprofit organization. The Pulsera Project is a nonprofit organization that educates, empowers, and connects Central American artists with students in more than 3,600 U.S. schools through the sale of colorful hand woven bracelets, or “pulseras,” in Spanish.

“Overall, the Pulsera Project was a massive success,” senior President Raymond Dong said. “The Spanish Club has fundraised a total of over $300 to support the nonprofit organization.” 

The Spanish Club had many eager members participate in the bracelet sale. There were many volunteers taking shifts to sell bracelets during lunch and promote the bracelet sale around the school.

“It was great to volunteer,” sophomore Gleidson De Souza said. “Getting to work alongside people and doing something good for the club just felt great.” 

The Pulsera Project was also a way to promote the Spanish Club throughout the school and help a good cause in the end.

“I loved being part of The Pulsera Project,” Spanish Club Advisor Mrs. Trombetta said. “My favorite part was seeing students work together to promote sales and educate their peers about the purpose of the project. It made our club more visible in the school.” 

Not only did the Pulsera Project help the organization, but it also helped some of the students get volunteers to do something they liked with their friends.

“I really liked volunteering with my friends cause we enjoyed our time while being able to get volunteer hours doing something good,” sophomore Aarush Katyal said.

The club wanted to do a service project to help show their club around the school and to help communities as well. 

“(Co-Advisor) Mr. McPartland had mentioned doing a service project as a club, and I suggested the idea of The Pulsera Project because I remember doing the same project at Harborside Middle School many years ago,” Trombetta said. 

Many people in school bought bracelets for their friends and family to help show their support for the cause. Each bracelet sold cost $5 and bags of bracelets cost $15. 

There were a variety of colors and bracelets and each item sold would help benefit the artists that created the hand woven bracelets. 

“The club decided to do this project to help support artisans in Central America,” Dong said.

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief

Freshman Selena Batres and Amilio Venditti were named February Athletes of the month by the Jonathan Law Athletics Department. 

Both placed at states with Batres winning her weight class. She is the first ever female wrestler from Law to win states and make it to New Englands. 

“I feel good about being Athlete of the Month,” Batres said. “I think someone who puts in the work, sees the outcome and also always has good sportsmanship, is worthy of athlete of the month.”

Batres said that she decided to join the team because she loves the sport and has been doin it her whole life. 

“Selena is a freshman that is a very determined competitor and works very hard in wrestling,” Assistant Coach Mr. Ruzbarsky said. “She is the first ever girl wrestler to go all state in the girls state tournament in our schools history as well as first ever girl to place in the Girls New England Championships and has amassed over 30 wins this season.”

Venditti also placed at states, coming in fourth at the Class M tournament. 

“Besides wrestling, at Law, I play soccer year-round for a team called Beachside of Connecticut, which we are in one of the hardest leagues in the country,” Venditti said. 

Venditti said he decided to join wrestling because he wanted to stay in shape and leave a lasting impact at Jonathan Law. 

“I feel happy and honored to be recognized for my achievements because I put so much effort throughout the season that I am glad to see it was recognized,” Venditti said. 

“Amilio is a very hardworking and determined athlete,” Ruzbarsky said. “He is only a freshman that never wrestled before and placed in the class M tournament at a difficult weight class and had over 20 wins individually this season.”

The wrestling team looks to have a bright future for a few seasons to come and is looking forward to getting back on the mats next year. 

By Quinn Willett – Social Media Editor 

Jonathan Law would not be the same without its group of dedicated, hard-working paraeducators. 

Law’s paraeducators take on many different roles and responsibilities on an daily basis. The group includes Mr. Boynton, Mr. Belade, Mr. Greenbaum, Ms. Leonard, Ms. Bourque, Mrs. Powers, Ms. Bartolomeo, Ms. Bencivengo, Mrs. Carolla, Mrs. Brennan, Ms. Brown, Ms. Fuentes, Mrs. Garnett, Mrs. Knoth, Mrs. Michels, Mr. Murphy, Mr. O’Reilly, Mrs. Pastick, and Mrs. White – all of whom lend a hand to Law’s special education students.

Powers is one of Law’s one-on-one paraeducators.

“I am a one-to-one paraeducator with one student under my care,” Powers said. “My day begins by driving to her home and riding the bus to school with her. She begins her day in a classroom with other students and she loves interacting with and learning with them. On most days we leave this classroom to go out into the community with a different set of students.”

Powers is not just a paraeducator at Law. She is also a friend and role model to so many of her students. 

This is Powers’ sixth year at Jonathan Law. She is one of the many paras at Law that contribute to making the community a more positive place.

“I am always so happy to see the kindness and respect that each group shows to the other,” Powers said. “In a perfect world we would all get along but here at Law I feel we do.” 

Michels, has also worked at Law for six years. She starts her day by greeting all the students she works with in the ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) Life Skills Program. 

“Law is a special place to work,” Michels said. “You feel like family when you’re here. The special education teachers and paraeducators all work together to make our students successful. We celebrate all accomplishments big and small. It’s simply the best.”

Leonard has been a paraeducator at Law for four years and said she loves the teachers and students she works with everyday.

“I enjoy working at Law very much,” Leonard said. “The best thing about working at Law is being supported 100% by the special education teachers. These wonderful teachers run classrooms with many levels of learning abilities and needs yet still find time to let us know how much they appreciate the work the paraeducators in their programs do. It’s a great feeling when your work is appreciated.”

By Maya Markowitz – Social Media Editor

Members of Law’s Future Business Leaders of America Club got the opportunity to visit the New York Federal Reserve on February 22. 

Students spent the entire day in New York City, accompanied by Business teachers and FBLA Club advisors Mr. Beler and Mrs. Israelite. They got the opportunity to take a tour of the Federal Reserve and learn about how it works.

“The goal of the trip was to see one of the federal government’s institutions and see how it operates and see billions in gold,” Beler said. “The students received a tour of the vaults and participated in a scavenger hunt.”

The Federal Reserve is home to 507,000 gold bars, equating to billions of dollars in value. These are stored in the basement of the Federal Reserve, which are only seen on a request-only basis, usually limited to only those in certain counties of the United States. 

“I love to give students the opportunity to learn more about business and the economy in an interactive way,” Israelite said. “We were able to see billions of dollars worth of gold in the vaults. In addition, students were able to see the Statue of Liberty, the New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street Bull, and more.“

Students were able to ask questions and engage with global economies which is relevant to the work that they do in FBLA. 

“I learned about how the Federal Reserve was very important to the United States but also very important to other countries,” sophomore Alani Velez said. 

At the end of the trip, students were able to take part in different activities in the city including sightseeing and other leisurely activities. 

“My favorite part of the trip was renting and riding bikes around the city with friends while we waited for the train home,” junior Christian Galligan said. 

One of the highlights of the trip for some was seeing the Statue of Liberty. 

“I was really excited to see the Statue of Liberty because I’ve never seen it before,” senior Hailey Russo said. “The trip was such a good experience.”

By Charlotte Rascoll – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s annual Brain Bowl is rapidly approaching and members of the National Honor Society are working hard to make it perfect.

Preparing for the Brain Bowl includes more work than people are able to see. Members of NHS meet after school every Thursday, and for the past month and a half, have been working hard to prepare for the event.

NHS Advisor Mrs. Goldbeck said there are many steps that must be taken for a successful Brain Bowl to occur.

“All of the members are working on committees to bring the Brain Bowl to fruition,” Goldbeck said. “The committees include advertising, question creation, video creation, and logo design.”

Certain steps are taken in order to have a successful Brain Bowl this year, including establishing a timeline for certain tasks to be finished.

“I am sure as the date closes in, we will all be feeling the pressure,” Goldbeck said.

The members have been doing their best this year keeping up with preparations and getting them done.

“I think that we’re doing really well in terms of preparation,” senior Sara Moshirzadeh said. “ I think the group of kids who stepped up this year have also been really important, we got the questions done pretty quickly, and the video was done wonderfully.”

This year the theme of the Brain Bowl is “The Hunger Games.”

“A lot of people are liking the theme this year and I think it’s what’s getting people to work more behind the scenes or even take the preliminary test,” Moshirzadeh said.

Donations made for the Brain Bowl go to brain cancer Research. Students are encouraged to donate in order to help their team gain points.

 “What I enjoy about preparing for the Brain Bowl is that we are making a fun event for the school community and raising money for a good cause in brain cancer research,” senior member Chris Deprofio said. “Overall, this is a great event that everyone in the school enjoys, and it also helps us contribute to helping find a cure for brain cancer.”

Members of NHS are challenged to come up with ideas and get creative while prepping. 

“I enjoy all the advertisement things,” junior member Olivia Pisacane said. “Making the posters and creating ideas is so fun.”

By Layla Alogna & Avery Moulton – Staff Reporters

Jonathan Law’s SAVE Promise Club celebrated Say Something Week with a series of activities from March 4-8.

Say Something Week aims to teach the warning signs of when someone might be struggling or need help and encourages people to be upstanders instead of bystanders. The club organized different activities and spirit days to raise awareness.

“Say Something Week is hosted by SAVE Promise to teach people the signs of someone in danger of harming themselves or others and being an upstander by telling a trusted adult,” SAVE Promise Club Advisor Ms. Healy said. “Our club is participating in this week in a few different ways with all the activities we’ve been hosting this week.”

Healy and the officers put in weeks of work to organize Say Something Week. They advertised on The Morning Briefing every day and posted information about it on their social media accounts.

“For Say Something Week, the other officers and I helped develop the week’s activities,” senior Officer Natalia Gagliardi said. “We try to come up with fun activities to invoke learning about how to speak up and take care of yourself.”

Each day this week was either a spirit day or an engaging activity to capture people’s attention and spread awareness.

“For Say Something Week, we planned activities every day with the purpose of spreading awareness,” senior Co-President Maya Markowitz said. “Some of the days that we had this week were Self-care Monday, where students wore pajamas to kick off the week, and Trusted Adult/Therapy Dog Thursday, where we handed out ‘trusted adult certificates’ and had Therapy Dog Winston visit our school.”

The steps of the Say Something program are recognizing the warning signs, saying something to a trusted adult, and building up a community of upstanders to look out for each other. PJ Day encouraged comfort in the Law community and Trusted Adult Thursday made students aware of the authoritative figures in the building they could talk to if they ever needed it.

“Staff and students were encouraged to wear their PJs because self-care should be comfortable,” Healy said. “On Tuesday we had a friendship bracelet station in the TLC to encourage people to get together and talk to each other.”

Members of the club appreciate Say Something Week because it makes students feel more comfortable and welcomed by the community around them.

“Say Something Week to me is really important because it allows students to realize and understand that there is a whole community of people and trusted adults that are ready and available to listen to you,” sophomore Harshitha Kothapalli said. “It teaches skills to students and faculty about being able to speak up in a judgment-free zone. This week brings up so much awareness to such a sensitive topic, so it’s really important that it’s talked about.”

By Fiorella Gargiulo – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Class of 2026 held its Sophomore Ring Banquet at Race Brook Country Club on March 1.

The Ring Banquet was held from 6-9 p.m. and was catered by the country club. A total of 95 students and additional guests attended the event. 

“A class ring is something you will have for the rest of your life,” Law Principal Bryan Darcy said. “It is something that you can look at as you get older and remember your times in high school with the students you experienced those events with.”

The Class of 2026 Student Council – President Layla Alogna, Vice President Aryan Sikinham, Treasurer Ben White, Secretary Nadia Nuzzo, and Senators Harshitha Kothapalli and Yeiden Nieves – had many council meetings and smaller fundraisers to make sure the Sophomore Ring Banquet was a hit.  

“The Student Council had to make sure everything was booked and that word got out to the sophomores about the dance and all of the details,” Alogna said. “What is most important is the Student Council’s passion and motivation to get the dance going.”

Having a Sophomore Ring Banquet allows the class to fundraise for future events, like the Junior Cotillion and Senior Prom. It is also en event for sophomores to look forward to in the spring.  

“Ring is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for sophomores because many people go to it, so it was a big deal to make sure that we fundraise as much as we could,” Sikinham said. 

Besides the work behind the banquet, the three hours were filled with dancing, eating, and taking many pictures with friends. Law Spanish teacher Mr. Rodriguez was the DJ for the night and helped the students unwind.  

“Throughout the duration of the event, the dance floor was always full,” Kothapalli said. “The food and venue upheld a certain level of excellence while also being able to cater to high schoolers.”

Some teachers and faculty from Law also attended the event. Many were there not only to chaperone but also to support their students.

“I really enjoyed chaperoning the beginning of the dance,” Health and Safety teacher Mr. Maurutis said. “It was great to see my students outside of our normal school day, dressing up, dancing, and having a great time.”

By Sophie Kalagher – Staff Reporter

A group of Jonathan Law student-athletes took a trip to Mathewson Elementary on March 1 where they helped with the school’s Read Across America Day celebration. 

Thirty-five Law athletes, along with a group of students from Foran High School, spent their morning reading to young learners in different grades. They got to travel around the school to different classrooms and build connections with young readers. 

“The Law student athletes who went did an amazing job interacting with the students, engaging in reciprocal conversations, and motivating the young learners to do their best in school,” Special Education teacher Mrs. Drew said.

The event was organized with Mrs. Jaggers, a first grade teacher at Mathewson. The goal was to give the young students role models and people to look up to. 

“I remember when I was in elementary I was so excited for the ‘big kids to come and read to me,” said freshman Nikhil Misra, a former Mathewson student. “It felt nice to be able to give them the same feeling.” 

Many of the Law students in attendance were Mathewson graduates. On the trip, they were also able to connect with their old teachers and feel like an elementary student again. 

“Revisiting all the teachers, it was awesome seeing all of their reactions and sharing past memories,” said freshman Anthony Scappatura, a Mathewson graduate.

Everyone enjoyed themselves – both students and teachers. It was an experience that the Law and Mathewson students won’t forget. 

“You could tell everyone enjoyed it and it was special for the teachers to see their old students,” junior Chloe Konereski said.

In the future, Drew is hoping to keep this event an annual trip and potentially take more students. Many students plan on attending again because of how successful the trip was this year. 

“I would like to attend next year and see more students and teachers,” freshman Madi Black said. 

By Addy Barber and Julia Ryan – Staff Reporters

The Jonathan Law Key Club is hard at work preparing for this years District Conference (DECON) where they hope to win multiple awards to match their winning record from last year’s convention.

The officers of Key Club used what they learned at last year’s convention workshops to lead the club through another successful service year.

“Last year we took home a lot of awards as a club, including 1st place in the Non-Digital Poster, Annual Achievement, and Monthly Reports, and 3rd place in Traditional Scrapbook and the Oratory Contest,” senior Key Club President Maya Markowitz said. “We have been working hard again this year so I am hoping to bring home even more.”

To ensure all of these contests are done before convention, the club has divided into committees during their weekly meetings.

“The club has been constantly preparing for DECON by working on committee projects such as scrapbook, oratory, and digital/non digital posters,” sophomore Bulletin Editor Harshitha Kothapalli said.

Club members are excited to attend the convention and to see how well the club places in each contest. 

“I’m looking forward to DECON because it’s a really good opportunity to get involved with other Key Club members from other schools and also a chance to have fun with club members from Law,” sophomore Kayla Markowitz said.

Key Club Advisor Mr. Boynton has attended DECON many times and loves seeing what other clubs are up to.

“I love opening ceremonies and seeing all the great things the Key Clubbers in New England have accomplished throughout the year,” Boynton said.

The club is looking forward to showcasing all of the hard work and service to their community they’ve done throughout the year.

“Every week in meetings we continue working on our year-long service projects,” Maya Markowitz said. “Members are constantly volunteering and gaining more experience in preparation for the conference.”

This year’s board of officers not only includes traditional club officer positions but also has the 2023-2024 Lieutenant Governor. The club’s Bulletin Editor will be taking on this position next year and is excited to meet the rest of the 2024-2025 District Board at DECON.

“Something I’m looking forward to the most is being sworn in and trained to be the new Lieutenant Governor of Division 20,” Kothapalli said. “It’s a chance for me to meet the rest of the new LTGs and to build the future of our division.”

By Kayla Markowitz and Harshitha Kothapalli – News Editors 

Jonathan Law’s Black Student Union recently hosted a series of events to highlight Black History Month.

In February, the BSU held a student panel at a faculty professional development session to share Black experiences, a book talk on The Morning Briefing to promote black authors, and an Advisory activity that taught students about Black culture. 

“The BSU made these activities for Black History Month in order to educate the school on Black history that’s mostly unknown in our school,” senior Ikeoluwatomiwa Opayemi said. 

The club put together a panel of students to share out different experiences in hopes that they could work with staff members and have an honest conversation about diversity.

“I think it’s important for schools to participate in these activities because it gives them a chance to educate themselves and see how life is for people different than them, and can also give them a chance to self-reflect on moments where they may have said or done something offensive and ignorant,” senior Sarah Ahmed said. 

Faculty attending the student panel learned insightful ways to make sure they make every student at Law feel welcomed and accepted.

“I learned that students always prefer that they feel like they are heard and that racism in the classroom gets addressed,” English teacher Ms. Kelly said. “Additionally, I learned that being an adult does not mean you know everything, and all of our gaps about Black culture is our own issue, and I need to educate myself accordingly.”

Other than the panel, the club also came up with other fun activities for students to participate in throughout the month. 

Specifically with our advisory activity, students are able to ask each other questions and come together in order to ultimately win the prize,” Co-President of BSU Senior Gemard Geury said. “I believe our activities serve as a fun way to just learn more and can even contribute to an advisory community.”

The BSU allows Law to recognize Black culture and creates an accepting community that empowers and encourages students to celebrate their backgrounds.

“It’s important for schools to participate in BHM activities because it’s important to Black stories to be visible, especially where they can be silenced,” Opayemi said.

By Taylor Batterton – Staff Reporter

The Friends Forever Club meets once a month to make crafts, play games, and connect students throughout Jonathan Law.

The next meeting will be on March 12 from 2-3:15 p.m.. The meeting will have a Saint Patrick’s Day-themed craft, an activity, and a snack.

The Friends Forever Club stems from an international mission known as Best Buddies. Best Buddies consists of student peers and volunteers that create opportunities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

“My favorite part is being able to help create bonds and achieve goals with different people, whether we are making crafts or playing games,” junior club member Tucker Donegan said.  

Friends Forever used to be held combined with Foran High School and meetings used to be at Foran. Now Jonathan Law has their own club that began in September and meets once a month.  

The club is especially excited for its upcoming meeting because the February meeting was canceled due to snow.

“For the February meeting we were teaming up with the Natural Helpers Club,” Friends Forever Co-Advisor Mrs. Blude said. “It was going to be a Valentine’s Day activity, cookie decorating, and a scavenger hunt, but due to the snow, the meeting was canceled.”

The club usually makes a themed art project, participates in an activity, and has a snack. 

“The last meeting, in January, we had cupcakes and did painting on canvases,” Friends Forever Co-Advisor Mrs. Michaels said. “The craft that we did was a picture frame, they try to do different things.”

Friends Forever is always looking for new members.

“I enjoy and recommend the program because it’s a fun experience and I leave feeling like I did something to help my school community,” Donegan said. “It is something that benefits everyone involved and is a great way to be involved with the Law community.”

The Friends Forever club also participates in Unified Sports which began in February. Practices are at Jonathan Law right after school. The club participates in basketball, wiffle ball, track, and soccer tournaments with neighboring towns. 

Friends Forever also has an egg hunt and cornhole tournament at Bunnell High School planned for after school on March 27. 

There is also a Unified Prom scheduled for  May. 

“The Unified Prom is usually held at Foran, but it is at Jonathan Law this year,” Blude said. “We need as many peer helpers as possible to come and volunteer, but it’s a great night there’s dancing and we all have so much fun.”

By Zack Sulkis – Social Media Editor-In-Chief

In the Jonathan Law school counseling wing, Ms. Stofko works daily to keep students and staff organized.

As an Administrative Assistant for the school counseling department, Stofko’s work changes virtually every month because her position is so vast.

“The best part of the job is that the tasks change each month – it’s never boring,” Stofko. said “One month, I’m sending college materials, another collecting AP payments,  or preparing materials for an evening event, and celebrating with students when they receive college acceptances.”

Stofko supports Law’s five school counselors and also works regularly with College & Career Coordinator Ms. Sylvia and Administrative Assistant Ms. Fameli.

“I support five counselors and I also work closely with Ms. Sylvia and Ms. Fameli,” Stofko said. “Together we keep the department working smoothly and provide a welcoming atmosphere.”

Stofko has been in her current role for nine years and been at Law for four of those years.

“My day starts at 7:00 a.m. greeting students and visitors to the counseling department and answering phone calls,” Stofko said. “I process transcript requests, incoming phone calls and emails, ordering supplies for the department, mailing correspondents, just to name a few. Every day is different.”

Stofko loves helping the Law community and the loves the people she works with.

“My thing about working at Law is coworkers and the Lawmazing staff,” Stofko said. “I enjoy working with the students and seeing their growth over the four years here at Law.”

By Gemard Guery – Editor-In-Chief and Editorial Editor

In the College and Career Center, Ms. Sylvia has been working hard for the past seven years in order to support students in post-secondary planning and in building their resumes. 

As College and Career Specialist, Sylvia assists the school counseling department in whatever they need to in order to assist students of all grade levels.

“As a freshman, it may be community service. As a sophomore, it could be building a resume and getting involved,” Sylvia said. “I obviously work most with juniors and seniors as they begin college and career exploration. I help with scholarship and college applications to ensure they’re the best they can be.”

For upperclassmen, Sylvia serves as a helping hand in all of their post-secondary needs and questions. She often researches and finds additional resources to aid in preparation for after high school. She also conducts mock interviews and reads over applications to ensure they’re the best they can be.

Students speak highly of Sylvia as she’s helped them immensely and has constantly gone above and beyond.

“Ms. Sylvia has helped me with literally everything I’ve ever had a question about,” senior Ashley Borecki said. “If she hasn’t known everything on the spot, she’s always taken time out of her day to research it for me. Everything she’s done for me, she’s always been super enthusiastic about it and never made me feel like I was bothering her.”

In addition to student support, Sylvia, along with History teacher Ms. Burns, coordinates the Internship Program which allows seniors to build their resumes by gaining experience in fields they’re interested in. She also aids in AP test planning and coordinates with the Board of Education Student Liaisons in order to help them create their monthly school reports. 

“Ms. Sylvia is an integral part of our building,” Law Principal Mr. Darcy said. “Ms. Sylvia is a person who ‘jumps in’ and helps whenever anything is needed to assist students and staff.” s

Sylvia has done so much for the students and staff at Law and is such a valuable part of the school community.

“I am a product of the Milford Public Schools myself and love giving back to the community that’s poured so much into me,” Sylvia said. “I love the staff, faculty and the community we’ve created here at Jonathan Law.”

By Harshitha Kothapalli – News Editor 

Ms. Mello, Law’s School Psychologist and Ms. Meyer-Farrell, Law’s full-time Social Worker work together behind the scenes to help make Law what it is today. 

Meyer-Ferrell, along with Ms. Bernardo, Law’s part-time Social Worker, talk to students to help them encounter different issues. Mello meets with students for counseling and evaluations. 

“I talk to students for a variety of reasons including stress, depression, anxiety, social skills, executive functioning, grief, and other troubles that happen to them during their teenage years,” Meyer-Farrell said. “Together we work together to come up with ways to help ease their feelings.”

These support staff members love their job but more importantly love the people they work with. 

“I really enjoy the conversations I have with high school students,” Mello said. “It is a lot of fun to watch them grow personally and in their academics.”

Principal Mr. Darcy works with Mello and Ms. Meyer-Farrell and could not be happier with the work they have done at Law.

“Ms. Meyer-Farrell is simply the best Social Worker I’ve ever worked with,” Mr. Darcy said. “Ms. Mello is a wonderful person and School Psychologist.”

Darcy truly believes that both staff members are the stars behind the scenes. 

“Ms. Meyer-Farrell also works so well with every staff member in our building and is just an incredible person to be around,” Darcy said. “Ms. Mello meets with students individually to ensure they are supported, communicates with parents/guardians, and runs reports that are very important for staff.”

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief

The Jonathan Law Class of 2014 Senior Video is suddenly a viral sensation on TikTok – 10 years later – thanks to alum Matt Tighe, also known as MattTheBat.

Over the past few weeks, Tighe has posted clips of the “Where Will You Be In 10 Years?” segment of the Senior Video on TikTok. Those clips have amassed tens of millions of views on the social media platform.

“A while back I saw that someone was posting the ‘10 Year’ videos from other grades, and thought it was really well done and cool,” Tighe said. 

TikTok users then began asking for updates on the Class of 2014 graduates, so Tighe reached out to his fellow alumni and has since posted updates from over a dozen students and teachers from the video. These updates – and Tighe’s commentary that accompanies each submission – have already generated over 11 million views.

Class of 2014 alum Casey Bostic recently sent in her update video. Bostic said in her Senior Video segment that in 10 years, she would be living on a farm in Wisconsin with five children. In her update, Bostic revealed that she did in fact move to Wisconsin, does not have five children, but recently got engaged. 

“I’m not exactly where I thought I would be when I was 18,” Bostic joked in her video response. “But in this economy, that’s probably a good thing.”

Class of 2014 alum Hazal Kayalioglu also recently sent in an update video. In her Senior Video response, she said she saw herself as a veterinarian in 10 years. But after a college professor bluntly told her that she was not picking up the concepts of her course quickly enough to be a veterinarian, she switched paths and began a career she loves in the public health field.

She currently lives in New York with her fiancee, dog, and two cats.

“It makes me so happy to see where everybody is and what everyone is doing,” Kayalioglu said. “If we have a 10 year reunion, I am so there. I would love to see everyone again.”

In his own answer to the “Where Will You Be In 10 Years?” question, Tighe said in 2014 that he hoped to be a millionaire and a talk show host – and so far, he is halfway there.

“I started posting to YouTube in 2008 and have been making content ever since,” Tighe said. “Though my content has changed a lot over the years, I’ve consistently experimented with the type of things I post.”

Tighe also has a YouTube channel called “MattTheBat” where he creates various content. The channel is a mix of commentary, travel vlog clips, and his animated talk show. 

“I like to call my content ‘creative complaining’ where I’ll go on rants about various things in my life,” Tighe said. “I often cover pop culture and tell stories about my life. Many of which, about my childhood in Connecticut.”

Tighe currently has a full-time job in marketing, and since leaving Law, he has worked as a producer for Nickelodeon and as a freelance writer. He has had several music and entertainment articles published in Rolling Stone magazine.

His TikTok account, meanwhile, has become as popular as ever over the past few weeks due to his latest Senior Video posts. He has recently added updates from members of the Law Class of 2013 Senior Video as well.

English teacher Mr. Kulenych, who had Tighe in his Journalism and Broadcast Journalism classes, said he is extremely proud of his former student.

“Matt is so talented and has done so many creative, entertaining projects in his life post-Law – and this is just the latest,” Kulenych said. “The Class of 2014 was a special group and it’s been awesome seeing where life has taken the members of that class. It’s been a fun ‘family reunion’ on TikTok over the past few weeks and I can’t wait to see more updates in the future.”

History teacher Mr. Young, who recently left Law to become a history teacher and the head girls basketball coach at Masuk High School in Monroe, said he loves being able to reconnect with his former students through this TikTok series. 

“It’s been so awesome to see the Class of 2014 reconnect,” Young said. “They will always be a special group, my first AP Psychology class. It was so much fun as a teacher to work with them and be part of the Law community. I was a second year teacher and they really inspired me and to take advantage of each day.”

By Maya Markowitz – Social Media Editor

Most students share one favorite location at Jonathan Law High School – the cafeteria. 

The Jonathan Law cafeteria consists of over a dozen hard-working staff members. They serve breakfast in the morning, and rotate hot lunch, pizza, and sandwiches for lunch everyday. 

The staff works from 6 a.m. through 2 p.m., always preparing for the next meal. Sometimes, they even come after hours to prep for the following day’s meals.

“The food services staff cooks, prepares and provides food for students and staff alike but more importantly, they also build positive relationships with our students during their interactions with them on a daily basis,” Law Principal Mr. Darcy. “The bonds they form last throughout a student’s time here at Law and they even attend graduation for students each year.” 

The amount of work that goes into serving breakfast and lunch for students is often overlooked. The kitchen is busy during the entire school day to ensure that the day moves smoothly. 

Kitchen Manager Cary Sue Attardo makes sure that each meal is both healthy and tasty for students and staff. 

“As Kitchen Manager, the biggest responsibility for me is making sure all of our staff prepares and cooks food safely and to serve our food with love,” Attardo said.  

Many people at Jonathan Law have built relationships with the kitchen staff, as they look forward to seeing them several times a day.

“I look forward to getting breakfast everyday and seeing Barb,” junior Lila Hoxie said. “It really brightens my morning.”

One of the kitchen’s staff members, Debra Perez, has worked at Law since 2022. She said she looks forward to seeing students every day in the cafeteria.  

“I love working here and I would say that my favorite part of working here at Jonathan Law is seeing the kids everyday,” Perez. “All the students are so polite to us.”

Students said that Law could not function the same without the hard work that goes into feeding the school everyday. 

“My favorite lunch is the sandwich bar, but getting to see the cafeteria people everyday is an added benefit,”  junior Hannah Engel said.

By Bobby Black – Sports Editor

Mrs. Hofferman is the Data Processor at Jonathan Law High School, maintaining PowerSchool as well as setting up schedules, running progress reports, report cards, and the honor roll.  

She sets up new PowerSchool accounts for new students and their parents, sets up locker assignments, and works with the counselors to change students’ schedules. 

“Together with (Assistant Principal) Mrs. Farotti, we build the master schedule for the next year which includes not only instructional classes, but study halls, Advisory, CERTOs, senior privilege, and Independent Studies,” Hofferman said.

Hofferman loves the community at Law as it is one of her favorite things about her job. 

“Hands-down, it’s the people – staff and students,” Hofferman said. “Law has such an amazingly warm and welcoming environment. They’re not kidding when they say we are a ‘Law Family.’ Everyone is so supportive and caring.”

Hofferman is a data expert and always available to help anyone  in the building. 

“Mrs. Hofferman does a lot for our building,” Principal Mr. Darcy said. “She analyzes data, helps run the schedule for the building, and creates special schedules when we have events running in the building. She is a data expert. I go to her weekly to gain valuable data that assists with making changes on how we can support our students better. On top of all that, she is just a great person who always jumps in to help everyone around her. “

Hofferman has been a part of the Law community for 10 years. Before coming to Law, she was a school secretary at Calf Pen Elementary School. Prior to working for Milford Public Schools, she was the Training Manager for a computer training and consulting company in Shelton.

Hofferman’s colleagues are amazed at how she handles so many daily tasks.

“Mrs. Hofferman is one of the most indispensable people at Law,” English teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “She has so many responsibilities but she does all of them so well and so efficiently – and she always, always has a smile on her face no matter how busy she is. She’s the best.”

By Cesar Mendez – Sports Editor

Jonathan Law’s Employment Developer has been hard at work helping special education students get ready for their futures. 

Mrs. Knoth assists students to gain a better understanding of what is required in a professional work environment.

“The JLHS Work Experience program has a significant impact on students and their ability to gain and master multiple vocational skills in order to become successful in true life employment opportunities outside of the school environment,” Knoth said.   

Knoth and the programs have expanded to include both Canine Catering and Blossom Boutique and student-made products are sold and distributed at the Parson’s Perks Cafe, select community partners, and several pop up shops across town.

“She’s had a tremendous impact on the Law community by leading students, providing them with experiences beyond our walls, and supporting the needs of all the people at Law,”  Principal Bryan Darcy said. 

Knoth has seen plethora of students that have been impacted by the opportunities she has provided to students. 

“I have seen the Work Experience Program grow confidence and self esteem in our students in knowing that they have the necessary abilities needed to reach their fullest potentials in gaining employment after graduation, which is very gratifying to be a part of as an educator,” Knoth said.  

By Harry Fisher – Sports Editor

The role of a Speech and Language Pathologist is vital to many students in school but often goes unnoticed.

A Speech and Language Pathologist works hard to evaluate and treat speech, language, and communication disorders. They look at each student as an individual and work to create a plan that will help them. Some students need help with social skills, some students need help to strengthen their reading skills, and some students need support to communicate effectively. 

Their work even goes beyond the school day, for they often work collaboratively with families to ensure the best possible care is given to a student or patient. At Law, Ms. Salvi is that person. 

She has worked at Law for the past several years and always goes above and beyond to help the Law student population. She helps our students with their communication skills and teaches everyone how they can advocate for themselves. 

Salvi got her degree in Communication Disorders from Southern Connecticut State University. She also got her Masters in Communication Disorders at Mercy College.

Salvi began her career in the Bridgeport School System before coming over to Jonathan Law.  She also travels to St. Mary’s School in Milford to work with their students as well. This is Salvi’s sixth year at Law.

“I help students who have speech or language-based difficulties improve their listening and speaking skills so that they can be better communicators socially and academically,” Salvi said.

Jonathan Law Principal Mr. Darcy sees the impact Salvi has had on helping the Law community. 

“Ms. Salvi is a great Speech and Language Pathologist and overall a support team member here at Law,” Darcy said.  

Darcy said that Salvi has helped students at Law take their academic growth to a whole new level.  

“Ms. Salvi works closely with our students and their families to ensure they are supported and show growth with the work they are doing with her,” Darcy said. “She is a hero here at Law to many students.”

By Madi Black – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s recently-formed Fitness and Nutrition is continuing to gain members.

The Fitness and Nutrition Club will have its seventh meeting of the year on February 23 from 2-3 p.m. in Room 128. Members said that the club is a great way to work out and get help from others so students don’t injure themselves.

“This club is something that I’m able to express the interest I have in the hobby while also helping others out during our workouts,” sophomore Fitness and Nutrition Club President Kris Shastry said. “I am glad that I even got people to try and step out of their comfort zone.” 

Shastry wants others to have confidence in themselves to work out in a public space. He thinks that everyone should be able to workout and have a good nutritious life.

“We currently have 20 members that are a mix of boys and girls,” Shastry said. 

Shastry wanted a place where students could not be afraid of the workout they were doing. 

“I made the club because I wanted to share my knowledge about muscle growth with people who want to gain muscle,” Shastry said. “Without having to question everything they do and have a place for questions to get answered the best they can.”

The club has fliers around the school with dates when they are meeting. You can find them on any bolutin board or by asking an aminstrader. 

Shafty is not the only person who students can ask if they need help with form. Shastry is glad to help anyone with questions about the club or questions regarding the time and dates.

“I am in charge of the club and run scheduling with the vice president and treasurer,” Shastry said. “I am the one that helps people out with their form or if they have any questions along with (history teacher) Mr. Lui.”

The Fitness and Nutrition Club wants more students to join. They still have several meetings left the rest of the school year.

“We are going to have anywhere from 8-10 more meetings this year,” Shastry said. “We want as many students that feel comfortable or just need a spot to workout to join.”

By Chloe Edmonds and Analiyah Velez – Staff Reporters

The Jonathan Law Ski Club recently took its final trip of the season to Killington Mountain in Vermont. 

There were about 25 people who went on the trip which cost $200 per person. The Ski Club went on a total of three trips this ski season, with Killington being the overall favorite. 

“I had a great time skiing down Killington,” freshman Cole Alogna said. “The weather was great and the scenery was beautiful.” 

The Killington trip was a whole day event. Students had to wake up as as early as 4 a.m to get ready and get on the bus. 

“We got there around 8 a.m. and we were there for at least 12 hours,” freshman Everett Alogna said. “We had a lot of fun and I’m sad to see the club come to an end.” 

The favorite part of the trip for most club members was the scenery and connecting with their peers.  

“My favorite part of the trip was seeing all the views from the beautiful mountains with my friends,” sophomore Layla Alogna said. “It really takes your breath away.”

Members of the Ski Club encourage students to join if they are looking for a new adventure and looking to participate in the Law community . 

“Ski Club is an amazing place for making memories with your friends and meeting new people,” sophomore Lily Pleimann said.

In order to prepare, students needed to make sure all of their gear was rented, that had clothes that were sure to keep them warm, and that they had snacks to make the trip more comfortable. 

“We had a really good group of friends to ski with and it was pretty warm that day with a lot of snow,” sophomore Charlotte Balderi said. “The bus ride was long but it was so worth it.”

By Cindy Bone – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Multicultural Club is recruiting new members to plan activities for the rest of the school year.

The Multicultural Club is advised by Mrs. Evans, who seems to be enjoying her first year teaching at Law.

“As a new teacher at Jonathan Law High School, I wanted to find ways to get to know students outside of the English classroom,” Evans said. “Mr. Darcy indicated that this club needed an advisor and I thought this would be a great place for me to start.”

The Multicultural Club is working on new plans for the club including having students and faculty wear awareness t-shirts for February since February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness month. They plan to discuss this at their next meeting in hopes to share their initiative to Law in the future.

The club is also planning on showcasing different cultures at upcoming meetings.

“I’m looking forward to having some more people come to the cultural presentations and potlucks,” sophomore Gleidson De Souza said.

The Multicultural Club also holds potlucks as a way to share food from different cultures. All students are invited to participate.

“I’m looking forward to all the potlucks that the club is doing,” sophomore Mya Cordeiro said.

Some students recently have shown an interest in joining the club.

“I went to their last meeting because my friend wanted me to go, and I actually found it interesting and was thinking of joining,” sophomore Jaylen Rogers said. 

The Multicultural Club is a great way for students to get involved in extracurricular activities at Law and to make new friends. Students can find information about meeting ties by watching The Morning Briefing.

By Haley Stroffolino – Social Media Editor

Mrs. Griswold is the academic tutor at Jonathan Law, assisting students with school work, organization, time management, and more.

Before coming to Law, Griswold taught sixth grade Language Arts.

“I knew I would like to transition from middle school to high school,” Griswold said. “I like that I get to know so many different students and help them however they need.”

Griswold creates a learning environment where students take on challenges and ask for support. Whether it’s one-on-one sessions or drop-ins, Griswold is always available in the TLC to help.

“Mrs. Griswold communicates effectively with all staff to support students,” Law Principal Mr. Darcy said. “She’s a valuable resource, providing students with an additional layer of support beyond the classroom.”

Senior Samuel Steven often stops by Griswold’s room for academic assistance. 

“Mrs. Griswold helps guide the direction of my writing,” Steven said. “When I’m unsure, she serves as someone I can bounce ideas off of. She breaks down assignments into manageable tasks, making essays feel less intimidating.”

Steven said that Griswold helps him breaks down daunting tasks into manageable sections and helps him set attainable goals. These goals help Steven stay focused and use his time efficiently.

“During my periods with Mrs. Griswold, she set attainable goals for me within that time, such as having an introduction finished by the end of a block period,” Steven said.

Griswold not only enhances students academic performance but also instills a sense of confidence and resilience in the face of challenges. 

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief 

Jonathan Law’s secretarial staff is always working hard behind the scenes to make sure that everything runs smoothly. 

In the Main Office there are three secretaries – Mrs. Heenan, who is Assistant Principal Mrs. Farotti’s secretary, Mrs. Sarullo, is Assistant Principal Mrs. Sulzycki’s secretary, and Mrs. Silver, who is Mr. Darcy’s secretary. 

“We both (Sarullo and I) schedule appointments, assist students, answer phones, update attendance records, register new students, and send correspondence to parents just to name a few,” Heenan said.

The secretaries and support staff are critical in the daily operations and do so much for the school that sometimes goes unnoticed. 

“They are the ‘first line’ of communication for families when they call the building to communicate with another staff member or their student(s),” Darcy said. 

Heenan, who has been at Law since the summer of 2015, also works at various Law sporting events as a site supervisor. She helps to check students in through Law Nation, sells tickets and help cheer on our teams. Sarullo also helps out as a site supervisor for athletic events. 

“My favorite part of my job is helping and getting to know all of the students, going to and selling tickets to our sporting events, and making some life long friends here,” Sarullo said. 

Sarullo, who will soon be going on maternity leave, has worked at Law for almost 12 years. 

“I handle Mrs. Sulzycki’s calendar, scheduling meetings and teacher observations for her,” Sarullo said. “I also handle new student registrations for grades 9 and 11 this year and my biggest project of the school year is coordinating the Senior Awards Program.” 

Ms. Lagarde, who is filling in for Silver while she is on maternity leave as well, worked at Law previously from 2019-2022.

Lagarde, who is currently Darcy’s secretary, is in charge of attendance, helping substitutes, and ordering supplies. She also schedules all of Darcy’s appointments and answers any incoming phone calls for him.

“I really love the people I work with here at Law – the community and students, teachers and staff make it a special place,” Lagarde said. “I also really enjoy seeing and interacting with the students.”

Heenan also agreed with Lagarde, wishing that she could know even more of the students’ names and their successes. 

“I love being part of the family we have created at JLHS,” Heenan said. “I enjoy being a team player and helping with whatever needs to be done in the office as well as assisting students with whatever they need.”

By Layla Alogna – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Asian & Pacific Islanders (API) Club is a new group looking to promote awareness of the inclusivity of Asian and Pacific Islanders.

API Club was founded by sophomore Siya Patil who is looking to be a representative of the Asian community at Jonathan Law. Patil was inspired by the need for awareness and representation so she decided to step up.

“The cub’s purpose is to advocate for the API community and promote awareness at Jonathan Law, especially during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which takes place in May,” Patil said.

Junior Diya Patel is the Vice President of the club. She was inspired by the message and wanted to be part of the API community.

“I decided to become the Vice President because it gives me an opportunity to make Law a place for Asians and Pacific Islanders to feel comfortable with showing off their culture and to find somewhere to learn about others,” said Patel.

History teacher Ms. Shagoury decided to step up as the club’s advisor because she wanted to help promote the club’s message and get more involved in the Jonathan Law community.

“The API Club strives to create inclusion among the Asian and Pacific Islanders at Jonathan Law,” Shagoury said. “We also plan to do several fundraisers throughout the year in support of providing for various Asian and Pacific Islander reliefs as well as bringing awareness to the community at Law.”

The club’s Executive Officer, junior Sunaina Khan, is really passionate about the club and enjoys giving back to the community through fundraising.

“Advocacy-driven and ambitious people should participate in Asian & Pacific Islanders Club because we organize events & fundraisers beneficial to the groups we donate to but also to the Law community,” Khan said. “For example, our holiday goodie bag event not only uplifted holiday spirits but also raised funds to address food insecurity in Milford’s Youth alongside Milford Food 2 Kids.”

API Club recently sold holiday goodie bags to raise money for UNICEF and Milford Food 2 Kids. UNICEF is an organization that supports children’s health and nutrition. Donation money goes towards providing kids with clean water, quality education, and skill-building resources.

“I enjoy the fundraisers we organize to support local organizations such as Milford Food 2 Kids,” senior Moulika Sivalenka said. “This connects the school and benefits our local community.”

API Club meets once a month during Advisory on E days.

“People should join this club because it promotes inclusivity and helps students get involved to learn more about API voices and traditions while learning about the API community as a whole,” Patil said.

By Sophie Kalagher – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law SAVE Promise Club is selling Candy-Grams for Valentine’s Day during the month of February.

Students and staff can send Candy-Grams to their fellow classmates and advisors by filling out a Google Form, which is due by February 9. A Candy-Gram costs $2 with the note and candy attached getting delivered on Valentine’s Day. 

“This event is meant to show people that someone is thinking about you,” SAVE Promise Club Advisor Ms. Healy said.

The Google Form can be found on all SAVE Promise Club social media accounts and is linked in the club’s Instagram bio (@jlhssave). Students and staff are able to turn in money for the Candy-Grams to Healy and club officers. 

“The club is preparing for the event by printing out advertisement posters and hanging them around the school, writing out the notes, and encouraging their friends to order one,” senior SAVE Promise Club Secretary Gianna Gagliardi said.

The Candy-Grams were proposed as a great way to raise money while celebrating Valentine’s Day. 

“I think its a great way to educate our community and bring awareness,” freshman SAVE Promise Club member Sadie Timmeny said.

The money will go to future events to spread the club message of love and kindness. 

“All the proceeds from this fundraiser will go directly back into the club and this will help pay for more activities throughout the year, and even the National SAVE Summit that is happening in April that students in the club can apply for,” junior SAVE Promise Club Treasurer Ella Franzman said. 

The club is currently working towards upcoming events and at the moment is also working on creating merchandise.

The next big event will be “Say Something Week” which will be occurring during the week of March 4-8. “Say Something Week” focuses on recognizing warning signs of mental illness and violence. 

“I think this event will be a great way to connect with peers and friends and spread awareness,” freshman SAVE Promise Club member Talia Haga said.

By Gabriella Coffin – Staff Reporter

Members of the Jonathan Law Band and Choir recently attended CMEA Regionals on January 20.

Twenty-five music students were accepted into the CMEA program – 21 from the Choir program and four from the Band program. They each worked very hard to achieve where they are with the CMEA program as well as what they will do moving forward. 

“CMEA is a music competition with students all over the state and we all audition to be apart of a Regionals Festival where all selected students sing together,” sophomore Christopher Serrano said. ”It is a very different experience than I am used to because I am used to being directed by (Law Choir Director) Ms. Jones. CMEA people are mixed into Mix Choir and Treble Choir and each group has different songs to perform by the end of the weekend.”

The CMEA audition involves three sections, with students singing two major scales with correct pitches, tempo, and rhythm. Students are required to perform an Italian Aria with correct vocal techniques, which is unusual as they are singing solo rather than in an ensemble. 

“For Choir, I spend a decent amount of time helping the students with sight reading during and after school,” Choir Director Ms. Jones said. “This is a skill that really we could spend entire class periods for weeks, months and even years in order to become truly proficient in.”

Despite the many nerves from the students, the concert turned out to be beautiful.

“The audition process was not bad, although I was extremely nervous because it was my first time doing something like this,” junior Sarah Ahmed said. “But after I got accepted, a weight was lifted off my shoulders.”

During the weekend of the concert, the students in the CMEA program took a bus to rehearse with other students from all around the state. 

CMEA is known for its talented student musicians who wish to further their musical talents. It provides a place for students of all regions of Connecticut to meet other people and form bonds with people who also have an interest in music.

“It felt amazing to be selected for CMEA this year,” freshman McKenzie Forte said.” I have been in many other orchestra and band programs before, but CMEA is a very special place to meet others with the same interests as you, due to the auditioning process. If a student or inspired young musician wants to prepare for a future audition or have a chance of getting into CMEA some time throughout their high school career, it is always good to practice.”

By Molly Lynch – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Drama Club is preparing for its upcoming production of the iconic movie – and musical – “Mean Girls” on March 8-9.

Members said the Drama Club is great for students with a passion for the arts or who want to be part of a community of kids with similar interests. This club also allows students to feel like they are a part of a real project and a chance to perform in front of an audience.

“This club allows us to express our creative side while being part of a strong community,” Drama Club Advisor Ms. Lenotti said. “It’s fun both socially and artistically.”

This club allows anyone interested in it to be welcomed with open arms into a safe community.

”People should join this club because you’ll get to meet so many new people and be presented with new opportunities,” said senior Lissette Soto, who plays the lead role of Cady Heron said. “Even if you are someone who may not like to be in the spotlight, there is a place for everyone in this club.” 

This club has left a positive impact on many students at Law who are or have been a part of it.

“I have seen so many people gain confidence and make so many friends after joining Drama Club,” said sophomore Keira Askintowicz, who plays the role of Karen Smith said. “It has truly changed my perspective on so many things and I am much happier since I’ve joined.”

Members of this club enjoy the stress-free environment and the peers whom they interact with. 

“I like being a part of Drama Club because everyone in Drama is really funny and super easy to talk to,” said junior Brayden Dollar, who plays the roles of Glen Coco and Cady’s Dad said. “And also acting is just a fun passion which makes drama even more fun in general.”

Members of the Drama Club are excited to perform their version of “Mean Girls.”

“I am most looking forward to being able to show the Law community all the hard work and dedication we put in each day,” said sophomore Chris Serrano, who plays the role of Damian. 

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief 

Law’s Future Business Leaders of America Club hosted its 2nd Annual “Winter Wonderland” fundraiser on December 15. 

The Winter Wonderland was held from 4-7 p.m. in the Cafeteria. There were various arts and crafts, letters to Santa, pictures with Santa, cookie decorating, ornament making, hot cocoa, a snack/coffee stand, music, and much more. 

Business teachers and FBLA advisors Mrs. Israelite and Mr. Beler helped the students organize the event.

“FBLA conducting an annual Winter Wondering benefits not only the club but the community,” senior FBLA secretary Caden Simpson said. “Teachers love bringing their children, as well as student siblings, and parents bringing their children in general. The Winter Wonderland fundraiser allows members of the club to work on marketing, finance, and planning as the event takes weeks to put together.”

The event cost $10 per child or $25 per family. All the money collected will go towards the FBLA club to participate in various trips and activities and to offset the cost of FBLA state and national testing. 

“We invited all the elementary students in town for a Holiday experience,” Beler said. “This year, Platt Tech’s carpentry created the wooden ornaments and helped the kids paint them and The Boys and Girls provided the face painting. This was a complete Miliford community event and of course we had the Best Santa Clause ever who happens to be a Jonathan Law alum.”

Children of all ages were welcome to join and it was open to all of Milford and even some surrounding towns. 

“The FBLA students did an amazing job again with this year’s Winter Wonderland,” English teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “My daughter (Katie) started asking about this year’s event as soon as December started because she had so much fun last year and this year was just as memorable. There were so many crafts and activities for the kids – and Santa was there. What’s better than that?”

The FBLA Club is looking to host this event again next year with even more activities. 

Most of the articles written by The Advocate staff each month focus on Law’s extracurricular activities, sports teams, and student achievements outside of the classroom. But what about the lessons that students are learning in the classroom from 7:20 a.m.-1:58 p.m. every day? This special series – compiled by the Journalism 1, 2, 3, and 4 classes – takes our readers inside the classroom and answers the age-old dinner table question: “What did you do at school today?”

Thank you to all of the teachers who participated.

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AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY WITH MR. ROUMELES

By Addy Barber – Staff Reporter

AP Human Geography is an engaging course where students learn about different elements of society in different parts of the world. 

In preparation of each Chapter Test, Mr Roumeles has students “concept map” out the four Key Issues answered in the chapter. Students separate into four groups, and use their chapter notes to put as many sticky notes on the Key Issue poster as they can. Each group rotates after about five minutes until each group has contributed to each Key Issue.

This is a very helpful exercise that allows students to collaborate and makes sure they have something to study off of before their test.

“Concept mapping is a great way for students to collaborate instead of just individually studying,” Roumeles said. “It’s a good way to visually see the thought process of each student themselves and their peers and then bind it all together into a cohesive study guide that they can use to study later.”

Concept mapping also helps students catch any information they might have missed.

“It fills in all the gaps in my understanding and shows me what I need to focus on before the test,” junior Gabby Hyatt said. 

This also allows students to take a break from the daily note heavy class periods.

“I like how we can work with others and share ideas in order to help further prepare for the tests,” junior Paige Kantor said. “It is also a fun activity where we get to take a break from just sitting at a desk.”

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ORCHESTRA WITH MR. PELAGGI

By Gabriella Coffin – Staff Reporter 

Mr. Pelaggi is working with his Orchestra students to prepare for the upcoming Winter Concert that will be held on December 14. 

The pieces that the Orchestra will be playing and performing during this upcoming Winter Concert are “Enigma,” “Basiles Galop,” “Op. 9,” and “Thunder Snow.” During the class, the ensemble work with instrument sections that include violin, viola, and cello. Students continue to work on listening to their sections and constantly “finding their trio.”

“We went through a few of our pieces in full reps, working on refining interpretation, fine tuning intonation, and defining how we are interpreting the composer’s intent,” Pelaggi said.  “At this point in the semester, we are doing fine tuning to our full performances.”

Pelaggi is working with his students on different types of notes, such as sound hooks and staccato. Staccato is performed when each note is sharply played differently from each other. The ensemble is continuously working on intonation within music as well as working together as a  group.

“We’re working on slurring staccatos and going over parts in our concert pieces that needed work,” senior  Section Leader Christina Ayala said. “I think we did pretty good.”

During class, students worked on dynamics within their pieces by identifying which parts of the music are supposed to be piano (quiet) and forte (loud). Although many in the ensemble may have been tired, everyone worked hard. 

“We practiced dynamics and intonation by going through our practice books and reviewing a difficult passage thoroughly,” junior Section Leader Isabella Vancho said. “No matter how tired everyone gets from their classes, we always put our best effort into creating great music.”

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JOURNALISM 2/3/4 WITH MR. KULENYCH

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief

Law’s Journalism 2/3/4 class has been working hard in class producing a variety of different content. 

Some students have been working on articles, podcasts, Instagram takeovers and videos asking the Law community topical questions. So far, The Advocate Online (jlawadvocate.com) has amassed 16,000 views in the first three months of the school year. 

“The most exciting part of Journalism 2/3/4 this year has been the variety and the quality of the content that the editors have produced,” Journalism teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “We have an extremely creative group of editors this year and each week they are creating fun, informative, and entertaining content – print and otherwise – that students and staff have responded to very positively.”

Each Advocate article is required to have a minimum number of quotes from students and teachers relating to the article. 

“I’ve really enjoyed creating podcasts this year,” sophomore News Editor Harshitha Kothapalli. “We started a podcast called The Court Report and it allows us to speak up on different topics around the school.”

Kothapalli is in Journalism 2 and has been working alongside Kayla Markowitz and Gemard Guery to create these podcasts, they are currently working on Episode 5. 

“The Court Report has been a great place to address student concerns,” Guery said. “It’s allowed us to vocalize some things students have been wondering about, but also help inform students about what’s going on in the Law community. It has become one of my favorite parts of journalism.”

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HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY WITH MS. DOOLAN

By Alexa Rosati – Staff Reporter

Ms. Doolan recently had students start their musculoskeletal posters for human anatomy and physiology. 

Students were put into groups and asked to trace a classmate. After tracing, the students had to divide the drawing down the middle and make one side the muscular system and the other side skeletal. Students were allowed to pick a theme for their skeleton. 

“My favorite part about the project is the creativity that comes with it,” Doolan said. “By having each group choose a theme, they are able to create a unique position for the skeleton and add a lot of detail to their poster so a lot of the end results are unique and look amazing.”

The goal of the project was to learn the different muscles and bones inside the body. 

“I liked labeling the different parts because you get to learn more about the body,” junior Diya Patel said. 

At the end of the project, Doolan will pick the best poster and the winning students will receive extra credit. 

“I liked collaborating with my partners because it was fun to combine our ideas to make a really cool project,” sophomore Siya Patil said.

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CHEMISTRY AND THE EARTH SYSTEM WITH MS. TURCOTTE

By Layla Alogna – Staff Reporter

Students in Ms. Turcotte’s Chemistry class recently conducted an observational lab on Spectral Analysis.

Students used handheld spectrometers to observe the wavelengths of the unknown gas spectrum tubes and the wavelengths of the natural light from the sun.

“In the spectral analysis lab, students observe the line emission spectrum of three gases, which is like a chemical fingerprint, and then use it to identify each substance,” Turcotte said. “This lab also introduces students to the wavelength, frequency, and the visible spectrum. An understanding of the properties of light is important for the understanding of electronic structure and the quantum mechanical model of the atom.”

The students were able to view the colorful emission spectra with their own two eyes instead of simply watching a video about it or doing a worksheet. Looking through the spectrometer at the gas spectrum tubes, students were able to see a wavelength of colors ranging from red to violet.

“My favorite part about the lab was the hands-on aspect because it made it more engaging because we got a firsthand experience on how it actually looked,” sophomore Natalie Pank said. “I learned how to identify patterns and interpret spectral data.”

By seeing the individual emission spectra, they were able to identify which element was in the gas spectrum tubes based on where the bright lines were located on the wavelength spectrum.

“My favorite part of the lab was being able to work with my classmates and learn something new about the waves of visible light,” junior Sana Joshi said. “I learned about how different types of light emit different wavelengths and colors.”

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AP GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS WITH MR. ZURAW

By Kayla Markowitz – News Editor 

Students in Mr. Zuraw’s AP U.S. Government and Politics class recently took on the role of a Congressman to write and propose bills to the class.

The assignment – “You Are The Congressman” – encouraged students to create bills that they believe are important and debate them with their fellow classmates… a.k.a Congress members. As a class, they picked members from the House of Representatives and taught them to write a bill that their representative would most likely support. 

“This experience was meant to truly immerse my students in the process of how a bill becomes a law,” Zuraw said. “By having to propose bills to their classmates and debate over the pros and cons of putting it into place, they were able to grasp how it goes down in real life.”

Students had to not only argue for their proposed bills, but also debate with other students using tactics commonly found in Senate and House debates

“Getting to see and hear the class actually go through the process of debating a bill definitely cleared up my confusions and uncertainty,” sophomore Lily Pleinman said. “It was cool because we had heard terms like logrolling and filibustering but understanding how they are implemented in real life dates was helpful.”

Students learned about law-making as well as the pros and cons of the law-making process by putting themselves in the shoes of a Congress member.

“I like interactive assignments like this because it’s much more engaging than simply reading about or listening to someone talk about something,” sophomore Sophia Scarpa said. “The class definitely went back and forth and really captured why less than 1% of bills get to become a law.”

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LATIN 2 WITH MS. FURST        

By Fiorella Gargiulo – Staff Reporter

Recently in Latin 2, Ms. Furst led her students to focus their attention on the final stage of Unit One – the destruction of Pompeii.

The unit narrates a tale about a family living in ancient Rome and their everyday encounters. In the book, there are stages containing translations, passages, and lessons. In Stage 12, most of the family experiences the volcano, and most of them die. Before translating “ad villam,” which means towards the house, a documentary was shown, filling in most of the aftermath details.

“Translation is helpful to compare our own language with a foreign language and how they are similar and different,” Furst said. “It is also exciting and fun to read an ancient author in their original language.”

Overall, translations are a big part of the language and they teach students how to properly use certain tenses and sentence structures. 

“Latin translations have made me more proficient in Portuguese and furthered my composition in English,” sophomore Ben White said. “The translations have not only done that, but have benefited my ability in Latin to comprehend, read, and write.”

With this translation wrapping up the unit, it was bittersweet for students to move on from subjects they started last year.

“I’m excited to learn more about the Latin subject and be able to have more knowledge about the language,” junior Brayden Dollar said. “But I’m also sad to see the old subject go, as we’ve spent over a year with the fictional family.”

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UNITED STATES HISTORY WITH MR. LUI

By Molly Lynch – Staff Reporter

Mr. Lui recently had students in his U.S. History class create a group “storyline” poster on how different groups of Americans were impacted by World War II. 

Students had to research these groups of Americans and create a “storyline” poster on how these groups were impacted by World War II. The posters had to follow the idea of a storyline so each picture that they drew connected to the next. 

The American groups students researched were Japanese Americans, American women, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Jewish Americans, and soldiers.

“I enjoyed this assignment because we got to learn about different groups in World War II while coloring and making a storyboard, which was more engaging and interesting,” sophomore Sunny Scarpa said. 

Lui allowed students to work in groups on this assignment which allowed them to collaborate with peers and engage more in the assignment. 

“I enjoyed the lesson because I was able to explore deep into how my personal group African Americans were inspected by World War II and learned how women soldiers, Jewish, and Mexican Americans were impacted,” sophomore Brian Gonzalez said. 

Students learned a lot from this assignment in part due to the groups that they worked with.

“This assignment teaches students how to communicate without words which benefits visual learners,” Lui said. “I also think it helps students connect images to certain vocabulary which they will remember when being assessed.”

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INTRO TO ART WITH MS. JESSELL

By Aislyn McKernan – Staff Reporter

Ms. Jessell recently created a fun way for her Intro to Art students to create a colorful piece of art and learn about different cultures. 

In this lesson, students created a watercolor painting with a henna design overtop. Students learned about the history behind henna and the different designs of henna. 

“Although we did not use actual henna paste that is applied to the skin, we did create two-dimensional designs with watercolor and permanent ink on mixed-media paper,” Jessell said. “Students were able to focus on not only line, shape, and space, but also pattern, movement, balance, and color as well.” 

During this lesson, not only did students learn how to do different designs and get creative freedom with colors and drawing, they also learned about henna itself and where it came from. They learned that it is a part of many cultures.

“I liked how intricate I could be with the designs,” freshman Avery Oliviera said. “It was a fun way to learn about lines and henna.” 

Students also shared their own experiences with henna. Jessell shared that she used henna once and other kids shared that they did as well. With this project, students didn’t just learn about lines and henna, they also used different ways to color our project. 

“I liked how we got to experiment with water colors,” freshman Ipek Nil Yalcin said. “Students got to use watercolor to paint their projects. We learned about how you can do different strokes when watercoloring to make it look unique.”

This project showed students different ways to create art and connect with cultures.

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ENGLISH 1 WITH MRS. EVANS

By Sophie Kalagher – Staff Reporter

In Mrs. Evans’ freshman Level 1 English class, she created a recent lesson around the submission of a 100 word essay to The New York Times. 

The essay is 100 words about anything in the student’s life that has made a significant impact on them or is of interest to them. The essay was intended to create a small window into the minds of her students. Evans showed many examples of essays and went around to each student to help support and give them ideas on their essay (encouraging them to submit). 

“This lesson confirmed the writing abilities of 14 year olds,” Evans said. “I haven’t taught freshman in eight years and, come to find out my expectations were not too high after all.”

Evans is a first-year teacher at Jonathan Law and most recently taught in the town of Oxford. She is very passionate about her classes being involved with The New York Times competitions and is famous for basing many lessons on them. 

“I liked it – it was a challenging assignment, but I was able to be creative with it,” freshman Emily Vella said. “I like how it was a skill that I could use in the real world.”

This essay assignment created a lot of buzz throughout the classroom between students sharing topics or comparing essays. Many students entered the contest (which was optional) after being so engaged and inspired by the way Evans introduced them to this assignment. 

“I thought it was cool that Mrs. Evans included a project that we could enter,” freshman Sadie Timeny said.

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SPANISH 2 WITH MRS. TROMBETTA

By Yeiden Nieves – Staff Reporter

Mrs. Trombetta recently came up with a fun assignment to help her students be more comfortable with speaking the Spanish language. 

Inspired by The Morning Briefing morning news show interviews, Trombetta came up with the idea to have her students do something similar. She had her students come up with 10 questions in Spanish and go around the Jonathan Law community and interview their peers and have them answer in Spanish. 

“The purpose of the assignment is for students to increase proficiency in their skills by having them speak more Spanish with their community,” Trombetta said. “Another objective is to make Spanish more visible within our community.”

The activity was a great way of using students’ knowledge of Spanish and strengthening their skills in a fun way.

“The project we are doing is helping me be more comfortable speaking Spanish to others and gain knowledge on the language,” sophomore Avery Moulton said. “It helps with memorization when needing to interview others and it has really helped me with speaking Spanish to my peers.”

Trombetta’s goal with her assignments is to help her students acquire the Spanish language. One of the most important factors in learning a language is learning how to structure sentences. 

“This assignment helped me with structuring my sentences to get my point across while interviewing peers.” freshman Matthew Witteman said.

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PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMISTRY WITH MS. DOOLAN

By Julia Ryan – Staff Reporter

Ms. Doolan recently assigned a project in Pharmaceutical Chemistry to help students understand types of vaccines and how they work. 

Learning how a vaccine works is important for Pharmaceutical Chemistry students to understand because vaccines play a crucial role in preventing the spread of disease and protecting health. In this specific project, students work with one another to understand the body’s response. 

“I enjoyed this project because it is important for students to understand vaccines in the world we live in today,” Doolan said. “This was part of our unit in which we’ve been investigating the spread and control of pathogens and it’s very prevalent, especially at this time of year, when we see an increase in COVID and the flu.”

Doolan loved watching students present everything they learned from this project.

“The project further enhanced our knowledge on the topic of various vaccines and their impact on the body,” junior Lily Baird said. “The presentations were a fun way to learn and it seemed like everyone was able to gain a lot from them.”

Working in groups gave each student an opportunity to learn from each other. 

“This project had lots of benefits because I was able to learn about various vaccines while also getting to collaborate and discuss with my group,” junior Natalia Michnik said.

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ADVANCED CREATIVE WRITING WITH MR. HEALY

By Taylor Batterton- Staff Reporter

Law’s Advanced Creative Writing Class is diving into marketing for the book they will publish by May of 2024. 

The class was inspired by other Jonathan Law clubs to create a TikTok and Instagram account to spread awareness to their upcoming book. Mr. Healy works with students to design the outline for the cover of the book and the goals of the class to achieve by the end of the year.

“Our marketing will be fueled mainly by word of mouth, but we’re really hoping for social media engagement to really spread the word as well,” Advanced Creative Writing teacher Mr. Healy said. “It’s a new tactic for the class, so I’m excited to see how it goes.”

The class discusses content they should make with the goal of getting onto BookTok and reaching more audiences. 

“I feel that by making content on TikTok will have a great impact on increasing our marking. The content I will start to produce and create will relate to the BookTok side of TikTok,” senior Macy Tiche said. “By having our videos reach these audiences it will get people excited about teenagers in this generation producing novels and having their opinions heard.” 

The book is called “Autonomy,” which means making one’s own rules and being free from external control or influence. Senior Faith Santiago came up with this idea in order to encapsulate everyone’s ideas. 

“We talked a lot about wanting the creative control to write about whatever topics we want, so I thought of the word autonomy,” Santiago said. “Our book connects to the word autonomy because of the vast amount of topics everyone covers. We are given a lot of creative freedom in regards to what we write our stories about, so we have the autonomy to follow where our ideas take us and write something that we are passionate about.”

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PHYSICS WITH MR. STANTON

By Charlotte Rascoll – Staff Reporter

Students in Mr. Stanton’s Physics class recently participated in a lab experiment that involved driving little electric cars down the hallway.

Students were put into groups where they then set out long sheets of paper in the hallway and drew lines on it to mark time intervals. They then drove their cars down the sheets of paper and timed how long it took the car to cross each line. 

The lab itself measured the velocity of the car and whether or not it remained constant. Velocity is one of the many factors of kinematics that the students have been studying for the past week.

“Students had to use ideas from classwork about distance, time and speed (velocity); they also had to use things they already knew about measuring,” Stanton said. “Every time I run a lab like this, someone does something outside the box and it is great to watch them think on their feet.

Students were also asked to write a procedure before they conducted the experiment. The procedure could include as many steps as needed, and really required students to think about what they were going to be participating in.

“The experiment showed us that the environment and being precise with the procedure are factors to be taken into consideration if accurate data is wanted,” junior Lily Baird said. “It was a fun way to learn more about our unit and working together in groups helped enhance our problem solving capabilities.”

The lab was an entertaining and interesting way to allow the students to be more interactive in their studies. They had full control over everything in the experiment, and it was up to them to work together to gather their results.

“I enjoyed being able to move around and use tools to make the lesson easier to understand,” junior Taylor Coretti said. “Being able to talk to people and work with others also made the topic more enjoyable.”

In the end, students were asked to find the average of each time interval, and graph their results in Google Sheets so that they could see the trendline of their date.

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WORLD HISTORY WITH MS. HEALY

By Madi Black – Staff Reporter

Ms. Healy’s World History class recently completed a Theme Park project to recap what they did in their Protestant Reformation unit. 

This lesson helps students understand the unit they went over is a fun way. 

“For the Theme Park Project students were asked to create mini amusement parks based on a branch of Christianity that began during the Protestant Reformation,” Healy said. “There had to be big rides, small rides, a restaurant and concession stands that all had to relate in some way to the branch they chose. That could mean they could base attractions on leaders, sacraments, major events in that branch, the history of it, or the region it was popular in. Each group then had to combine their parks into one large park, the way that Disney has Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, and Epcot, with a big landmark that ties them all together. There is also a written component to the project where students have to provide reasoning behind their attractions and how they relate to their chosen branch.”

Students came up with many different, creative ideas on how to complete this project. 

“I liked the theme park project a lot,” freshman Sadie Timeny said. “I thought it was a super creative way to end our unit. My favorite part about the project was the space for creative naming and making rides. This was a fun way to incorporate a thinking out of the box idea. I would do this project because again it was fun and very easy to understand. I think this would be a good project idea you could use other themes – like movie theater, museum, a school, instead of an amusement park.”

Healy thought that everyone did well on this assignment and she can’t wait to do it again next year. 

“I thought it was a fun project and I learned a lot from it,” freshman Matthew Witteman said. “My favorite part of the project was the designing part because I got to get creative with the names of the rides and how they looked. I would do it again and I could do it on anything and just make it the theme. I had to do some work outside of class so the only thing I would’ve changed is have more time to do it.”

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LIVING EARTH WITH MR. MORAZZINI

By Courtney Russo – Staff Reporter

In Mr. Morazzini’s Living Earth class, students recently completed a lab that showed them how yeast and molasses create CO2. 

First, students started off using a packet to identify the variables and the testable question. Once Mr. Morazzini checked them off, and they were able to write their procedure.

“I think the lab went well, students overall are improving in designing their own investigations in science considering all the work we’ve done so far this year on this skill,” Morazzini said. “With that being said, some students are still struggling with figuring out the variables in their experiments.”

Students left their experiments at school overnight and the next morning came back to class with amazing results.

“I really wasn’t expecting the results we got,” freshman Maddy Bonanno said. “I was expecting change but I wasn’t prepared for how much we saw.”

Each group had different independent variables that were different in every syringe which caused different results for everyone.

Some of the groups that students could pick from were molasses, concentration, light, and temperature.

“I like that we got to pick the topic we were most interested in,” freshman Abby Merenda said. “My group picked light and I liked how we got to see the difference in how light can affect the volume of CO2 in yeast and molasses in different places with light and no light.”

Each one of Morazzini’s Living Earth classes completed the lab and students have seemed to really enjoy it.

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JOURNALISM 1 WITH MR. KULENYCH

By Chloe Edmonds- Staff Reporter

Mr. Kulenych’s Journalism 1 class has recently been studying “All The Presidents Men,” a movie based on the Watergate scandal.

The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal involving former President Nixon. “All The Presidents Men’s” details the investigative journalism work of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they uncovered the scandal and Nixon’s role in it – which eventually ended in his resignation.

“It’s extremely important that beginning journalists understand the power and responsibility of the press and no case shows that more than the Watergate scandal,” Kulenych said. “Woodward and Bernstein were tireless in their reporting and in the end that work was powerful enough to bring down the President of the United States.”  

Aside from the movie, students also read a New York Times article on Mark Felt, the secret FBI informant that famously helped Woodward and Bernstein in their reporting of the story.

“I really enjoyed watching the movie in class,” freshman Logan Mullarkey said. “it was extremely interesting and insightful. It took about three classes and was overall super interesting to learn about.” 

The movie was an inside look into the Watergate scandal and showed the behind-the-scenes work of the case and how journalism played a massive part in uncovering it. 

“I really enjoyed learning about ‘All The President’s Men’ because I thought the Watergate scandal was really interesting and how a big political figure like Nixon could get into a scandal like that,” freshman Aislyn McKernan said. “You don’t see a lot of primary political figures like presidents get held accountable for their actions.”

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WORLD HISTORY WITH MR. ROUMELES

By Ava Grippo – Staff Reporter

Mr. Roumeles’ freshman World History class has just begun working on a new project. 

The class has just started their new unit on The Enlightenment. The students have recently learned about several figures that were important during this era with each student being assigned an individual to research. 

“The reason for the project is that we want students to be aware of not only what the Enlightenment era philosophers thought government, religion, the role of women in society and all those other important elements,” Roumeles said. “We want students to be able to take the role of those philosophical figures to better get to know them.”

For each individual, students have to research the person’s beliefs in government, religion, education, rights and property.

“I worked on researching Denis Diderot who was one of the many Enlightenment thinkers during the Enlightenment era,” freshman Jackie Rivera said. “I researched his views on government, structure, religion, education, rights, and property.”

The reason for researching these questions is to see the different opinions that people had during The Enlightenment and how they are similar and different from others.  

“The project is so we can see the different points of views with thinkers from the Enlightenment to show their point of view from the government and rights and religion and more,” freshman Anna Bludevich said.

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SPANISH 4 WITH MR. RODRIGUEZ

By Michael Smith – Staff Reporter

Mr. Rodriguez recently came up with a game for students to be interactive in class and to learn more about how to use preterite verbs in Spanish. 

Preterite verbs are used for actions that took place in the past tense for example last night, last month, etc. Rodriguez encourages students to interact in the activity to get their Spanish speaking better and to flow more naturally when being used.

“Students will roll dice to get random words and phrases to be able to put it all together into a sentence and properly conjugate the verb,” Rodriguez said.

Students enjoy using games to learn in school because it makes learning fun.

“I like the activity because we talk a lot more to classmates and we are also learning as we play,” junior Katherine Cepetelli said. 

The students have played the game the past teo classes and enjoy doing activities like these.

“It’s a fun way to learn a new subject in Spanish while also playing a game with other classmates,” junior Tim Firla said.

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AP MACROECONOMICS WITH MS. HEALY

By Alex Rodriguez – Staff Reporter

Ms. Healy has recently come up with a fun and unique activity for her AP Macroeconomics class to help better prepare her students for their upcoming Unit 2 test. 

Prior to every test students play a game called “Capture the Flag.”  When the class plays Capture the Flag everyone is split into their teams, and each team starts with one of each flag in their square.  Everyone gets a review or practice packet and teams work to complete problems together.

“It’s been a great way to do a review in a fun way that puts it totally on the students,” Healy said. “The element of competition also keeps everyone super engaged because they want to capture more flags.”

Each color flag has a different of amount of points which the class does not know until the end.  Whichever team has the most points at the end of the class wins.

“I think it’s a great game to play,” senior Jack Bretthauer said.  “Not only is it fun but we all get really great review work in and we all get very competitive with each other.”

Students have given great feedback on this review game. The game continues to grow and add new elements every time.

“I think the capture the flag game is great,” junior Tyler Davis said. “Really fun way to learn and review as well as classroom bonding.”

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CHORUS WITH MS. JONES

By Analiyah Velez – Staff Reporter

Jonathan’s Law Choir teacher Ms. Jones is creating rehearsals that are fun and engaging for the upcoming Choir concert. 

Each Chorus class starts off with student-held warm-ups to create leadership, then the Choir reviews upcoming fundraisers and activities. Jones creates ways for the students to learn songs while building up the Choir’s music skills. 

“There is a lot of nuance to decide what needs to be done because I have many specific techniques and literacy goals and objectives for each class but also the pressure of ‘this has to be ready to be performed so the students can be proud,'” Jones said. “So, it’s all a balancing act. Through that we also learn skills on how to continue through performances even if mistakes are made, which is a great and necessary quality to have as a musician.” 

Jones chooses two students a day to lead warmups as a way to build up leadership music skills.   

“In our Freshmen Chorus and Concert Choir classes we learn most of our songs in class with Ms. Jones,” senior Board Member Dani Matist said. “We work every class going over parts and really trying to nail the notes. It’s all about repetition.”

After going through the parts, students split up into alto, soprano, or tenor depending on the song, having the students give feedback to boost the skill sets of the Choir. 

Typically, during the annual Winter Choir Concert, the Choir sings five to six songs, while Advance Vocal Ensemble (AVE) sings roughly seven to eight songs. 

“My favorite song is ‘White Winter Hymnal’ because I feel confident while singing it,” freshman Ashlyn Smithauser said. 

Jones makes rehearsals fun and light while constantly working hard. Several girls from AVE have joined the Freshman Choir class so freshmen have an example. 

“I really enjoy being in the freshmen class, it’s a great group to be around,” Matist said. “When we have really stressful days in AVE, I love being able to have fun with the freshmen who are more relaxed.”

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HEALTH AND SAFETY 1 WITH MR. MAURUTIS

By Logan Mullarkey – Staff Reporter

Health teacher Mr. Maurutis recently went over a lesson including suicide prevention and helped the students understand how to help people in need.

Students used the knowledge they already had about the subject and answered questions. The class also watched videos based on real-life scenarios about what to do – and what not to do – when in a suicide-related situation and explored different options that were available.

“I really enjoy talking about other topics and units such as nutrition, healthy habits, and stress management, however the lesson of suicide prevention is so important,” Maurutis said. “The ability to connect with students and give them information around warning signs, expressing care, and telling a trusted adult is powerful to help those that may be struggling.”

The goal of the lesson was for the students to realize how important it is to express care and to help those who have struggles.

“It’s a very important lesson that I knew was going to be brought up sooner or later and I felt it should be known by all students and teachers,” freshman Elijah Oliver-Fernandez said.

The subject of suicide prevention is a big topic to handle but it is very important for all people to know how to stop suicide and to help those in need.

“I thought it was a subject that everyone should know,” freshman Tamaree Ortiz said. “I learned how to acknowledge the signs given to me and what to do with them to give care and find help.”

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AP UNITED STATES HISTORY CLASS WITH MR. LUI

By Ryan Nobles – Staff Reporter

Mr. Lui’s AP United States History class recently completed an activity where students made a report card for Antebellum Reform.

The five categories that were graded were the Second Great Awakening, Temperance, Utopianism, Women’s Rights, and Abolition. Students had to grade each category based on whether or not the main goal was achieved with significant change before the Civil War of 1861.

Students could could also give partial grades like a B if the goal was only partially achieved.

“Students needed to evaluate the effectiveness of Antebellum reformers promoting change during the First Industrial Revolution,” Lui said.

The lowest grade given during this assignment was Utopianism which was given an F grade because the majority of the “movements” had failed. The highest grade that was given was on Abolition. It received an A+ because slavery became illegal and slaves were freed.

“I liked this assignment because it taught us about the Antebellum Reform while still making it fun to work in groups and the report card format made it fun rather than just taking notes,” sophomore William Soda said.

Two categories were given a B+ – Temperance and Women’s Rights. Temperance was given a B+ because the 18th Amendment went into effect which slowed down the sale of alcohol. Women’s Rights were given a B+ because women were finally given the right to vote in 1920.

“This assignment helped teach me about Abolition and understand how slavery had ended and when and why it got abolished,” sophomore Surya Gautham said.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION 4 WITH MR. ASMUSSEN

Brian Goglia – Staff Reporter

Mr. Asmussen recently introduced his Physical Education 4 classes to a new, fun activity – badminton.

Students said that badminton is one of the best activities in gym class because of how back and forth it is and how it keeps everyone moving. For this lesson, Asmussen made a tournament bracket and put everyone in teams of two.

“We play badminton because it’s popular as well as a sport working on hand eye coordination,” Asmussen said. “It’s a good sport to learn in high school because you could play this as an adult outside of a school setting.”

Not only does Asmussen likes teaching badminton, but all of the students enjoy the game. They like how it is run like a “King of the Court” style and how it keeps them on their toes because of the fast pace. Even though there isn’t a prize for the winner of the tournament, everyone is still very competitive.

“I love it,” senior Dylan Wargo said. “Everyone seems like they are having a good time, and it’s good to play competitive with people you see everyday in school but you don’t really talk to throughout the day.”

Asmussen loves to make everyone involved and competitive. He loves group games so students can work together and use these skills for later in life.

“I enjoy all of the activities we do in gym class,” Asmussen said. “Onside I like badminton or our volleyball unit, particularly triples. Triples is very interactive for the teacher as I serve the ball to the teams in a ‘King of the Court’ format keeping the game going quickly with good energy. My favorite outdoor activity so far this year has been pickleball. It’s becoming more of a popular lifetime sport for all and most of our freshmen seemed to enjoy it Quarter 1.”

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BAKE SHOP WITH MRS. RYAN

By Cindy Bone – Staff Reporter

Bake Shop is a course where students learn new techniques and food cultures that revolve around pastry and baking.

Students recently made Spanakopita, a traditional Greek savory pie that teaches students how to apply the techniques they have learned throughout the semester and their knowledge about the ingredients’ interactions.

“We bake so many sweet products in Bake Shop,” Culinary teacher Mrs. Ryan said. “I wanted to throw a savory dish to try, while keeping with the curriculum. Students here at Law like to try cuisines from different cultures, so I thought this recipe would be a good fit.”

Spanakopita is a simple dish but can require some patience as one of the main ingredients, phyllo dough, can be difficult to work with since it becomes more brittle the more it touches oxygen.

“I am glad I was able to learn new techniques with how to make phyllo dough and I was happy with the final product because the Pastry dish came out perfect,” sophomore Lilly Olmstead said.

Many students found doing this pastry dish as a nice break from the heavy sweet things we have been making.

“Spanakopita in my opinion was a fun dish and I really enjoyed making it,” junior Padriac Long said. “My favorite part was when we had to fold the dough into triangles.” 

Ryan said the lesson was a good way to bring in new flavors and teach students techniques.

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STATISTICS AND PROBABILITY WITH MR. RUZBARSKY

By Dylan Wargo – Staff Reporter 

Mr. Ruzbarsky’s Statistics and Probability classes recently used statistical data to predict the number of rubber bands it would take to safely bungee jump a Barbie from the top of the stairwell. 

Earlier in the year, students took data on a small scale dropping Barbies from the tops of lockers. They used this data in order to form an equation allowing them to find out the number of rubber bands correlated with the distance the Barbie would fall.

Before dropping the Barbie off the stairwell, they calculated the number of bands needed for her to fall a safe distance using statistical analysis-based data. 

“One of my favorite activities every year because it’s fun, interactive, and we get to talk about math,”  Ruzbarsky said.

When using data, exponential increase affects the estimates made on a larger scale, causing the predictions students made on a small scale to be wrong on the final drop. 

“I did enjoy the Barbie assignment,” senior Michael Neider said. “It was a group, hands-on activity and those types of assignments are always enjoyable.”

Senior Brian Goglia also enjoyed how interactive the assignment was.

“I thought it was very interactive with your group partners when dropping the barbie from the stairs,” senior Goglia said. “Overall, a really good assignment.” 

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INTRO TO PHOTOGRAPHY WITH MS. ROMANOWSKI

By: Harshitha Kothapalli – News Editor

Ms. Romanowski’s Intro to Photography class participates in the class’ first project, the Levitation Project. 

But first, Romanowski likes to start off the period with a unique tradition. 

“The period starts off with me saying ‘Hello’ to each and every one of my students with a big smile and an enthusiastic wave,” Ms. Romanowski said. “Sometimes, I will ask my students fun questions or tell a quick story.”

The Levitation Project allows students to learn how to capture a picture without motion blur. 

“The objective of the project was to choose a subject which was a student in our class and we had them jump for us to be able to capture a picture and make it look like they were ‘levitating’,” junior Tessa Piselli said. 

Students were able to use their imagination and artistic skills to create they’re own levitating photo. 

“I really liked how we were given creative liberty when it came to how we wanted our pictures to look,” junior Olivia Pisacane said. 

Students were given many class periods to test and retake pictures using the feedback they received in class.

“We would take half a class period to go over a class feedback review where we would go through our classmates photos and give them ideas and provide constructive criticism,” Piselli said. 

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AP ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION WITH MRS. ROUMELES

By Gemard Guery – Editor-In-Chief and Editorial Editor

Mrs. Roumeles’ AP English Literature and Composition classes recently completed a group monster project. 

Students were split into groups and used recycled materials to create a unique version of the monster from “Frankenstein”. The monster had to incorporate specific thematic concepts that were exemplified by the monster in the book.  

“I do the project because it brings creativity to the class and it’s very different from just reading and writing. It’s more interactive which makes it fun,” Roumeles said. “I like the hands-on aspect of it because we are always on computers nowadays. It’s great because instead of an essay, you can examine the topics in a more enjoyable way.”

Students then had to present their monster, how it represents the thematic concepts, and how the book and our world represents specific thematic concepts more in depth.

“It made the book more interesting and allowed me to see the text in a different light,” senior Sara Moshirzadeh said. “We were able to connect it to the real world, which made the whole book tie together.”

The project also served as an amazing class team-building opportunity.

“It was one of our first projects of the year so it allowed for more collaboration in a class that tends to focus more on the individual,” senior Moulika Sivalenka said. 

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YEARBOOK WITH MS. JESSELL

By Zack Sulkis – Social Media Editor-In-Chief

In Ms. Jessell’s Yearbook class, students have been hard at work organizing the faculty pages for the 2024 Yearbook. 

Every year, the Jonathan Law Yearbook features multiple pages that show off all the faculty departments and familiar adults inside the building. 

Yearbook students have to take time out of their study halls or class periods to go to faculty department meetings with a time coordinated by the department head to take the perfect photograph of the department. After the photo is taken, students then have to upload the photo to the Image Library on the Jostens Yearbook Avenue software used for creating the Yearbook. 

“Getting the department photos isn’t necessarily difficult, it just can be a bit time consuming,” senior Ben Gomez said. “Taking the actual photos is simple but it’s the coordinating the perfect time for both you and the department, scheduling the appointments on the E-pass, the emailing the photos and uploading them to Yearbook Avenue that makes it a longer process then most students would think.”

This section of the Yearbook is a staple at Law and has to get done. 

“The faculty pages are a tradition,” Jessell said. “As with our students, our faculty are another important component to the learning process. These pages add to the yearbook as both a keepsake and as a way to document the school year.”

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AP PSYCHOLOGY WITH MS. BURNS

By Maya Markowitz- Social Media Editor

Ms. Burns’ AP Psychology classes recently held a “Sensation and Perception Carnival.” 

There were different stations each representing different senses and ways that humans naturally perceive the world. 

Students had the opportunity to explore sight, hearing, vision, and touch with a series of challenges. One of them consisted of spinning around a bat ten times, then attempting to balance on one leg. 

“It showed me a real example of how the vestibular sense works and showed me how important balance was,” senior Maddy Gaillard said. 

In addition to those experiences, the activity also focused on bottom-up processing.

“It was nice to see these vocab words in real life,” senior Soham Shah said. “Vocab can be challenging to learn, so this was a nice way to come up with connections for the words.” 

The goal of this activity was to help students understand and remember the ability to detect senses like touch, pain, vision, or the movement and positioning of the body. 

“I hope students can internalize and conceptualize what they have learned,” Burns said. “I really hope that if a question comes up on the test about bottom up processing, students remember the object box, or if there was a question on vestibular sense, the kids remember what it felt like to spin around the bat and then try to stand.” 

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SPANISH 3 WITH MR. MCPARTLAND

By Michael Merchant – Staff Reporter

Mr. McPartland recently had students read a story about a girl from Venezuela who overcame obstacles in her daily life.

Students were told to read the story alone first and “skim and scan” it and think of any key words that come to mind. Students then read the story together as loud as a class and then try and find more key words and events and circle words they didn’t understand.

“Reading is so important when it comes to learning a language, especially a second language,” McPartland said. “Asking basic, yes or no, true or false questions initially is a great way to show comprehension. Asking students to draw allows for different ways for students to show they understood.”

The goal of this assignment was also to have students know the struggles that people face in other cultures and backgrounds.

“I like this subject because Spanish is different from what I am used to and I learn how life in some Spanish-speaking countries is different,” junior Cameron Upchurch said.

After the class read the story, McPartland had students go into the hallway, write down five phrases that they came up with, and try and figure out as a group if it was true or false.

“I really like working with groups and this activity was fun because it involved everybody and really made people work together to do this,” junior Dean O’Donnell said.

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PERSONAL FINANCE WITH MR. BELER

By Avery Moulton – Staff Reporter

Business teacher Mr. Beler has recently used an online game called Bummer to help students get a better understanding of insurance. 

Insurance is an arrangement where the company or government provides payment for loss, damage, or illness which leads to a return for payment of a premium. Students learn about the different types of insurance and how it can help them in the future. 

“Bummer is an interactive game that gives students real life choices that they will face in the future,” Beler said. “I believe interactive simulations give the most real life experience for the students and face results of their decisions.”

The class views the game as a helpful source of information to learn about while also having fun. 

“The interactive Bummer game we played really did a good job providing us with real life challenges and factors that you have to think about when choosing insurance,” sophomore Kayla Markowitz said. “It definitely made me analyze the consequences of my insurance and how that would affect me later in the game along with being actually fun and engaging.”

The Bummer game brought many surprises. The concept of the game is to spin a wheel and see what would happen to your property. 

“Some hard stuff was thinking about what I had to put money on with add ons or additional coverage,” sophomore Brian Gonzalez said. “I enjoyed the game because it gave me a better understanding of buying insurance in case anything happens to me or my stuff in real life.”

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HUMANITIES WITH MS. KELLY AND MR. EVANKO

By Reinaldo Decarvalho – Staff Reporter

Ms. Kelly’s and Mr. Evanko’s Humanities classes have recently been working on a Documentary Project which explores subcultures at Jonathan Law.

For this project, students picked a subculture at Law (sports teams, clubs, etc.) to examine. One group is doing their documentary on the expectations of being on the Law football team and how being on the football team affects students in and out of school.

This project takes the whole month of December to finish with a minimum length of five minutes. Students have to write a script, film interviews, and film additional B-roll footage to complete the project.

Senior JT Nelly enjoyed this project because he likes editing video.

“I enjoy this project because we have the whole month to do it and the project itself is actually fun to work on,” Nelly said.

Senior Jackson Smith has enjoyed interviewing students for his documentary.

“I like this project because we have access to go around the school and interview people in the Podcast Studio which i feel is very fun,” Smith said.

Mr. Kulenych’s and Mr. Zuraw’s Humanities classes are also working on this project.

In their class, senior Lana Hanania in enjoying the project and said she likes walking around interviewing people. She is doing her documentary on the Law Powderpuff team.

“The thing I enjoy the most about this documentary is interviewing my friends on the Powderpuff team and also going in the Mac Lab and editing the videos,” Hanania said.

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PRE-CALCULUS WITH MR. RUZBARSKY

By Cesar Mendez – Sports Editor

Mr. Ruzbarsky’s Pre-Calculus class has a Unit Test before Christmas break, so this week, students played Trashketball to review for it. 

Ruzbarsky gave all the students problems about exponential functions and construction of exponential models. Every time a student got a question right, they were allowed to shoot a paper ball into trash cans. 

“Today we reviewed for the Unit 4 test with a Trashketball review game,” Ruzbarsky said. “It’s a fun activity where students are able to build confidence with their math concepts for the unit and be able to use up some energy at the same time.”

Students enjoyed being able to review for the test while also having a good time.

“I really liked this activity because it allowed students to be able to understand the material but also have an incentive to learn and have fun,” sophomore Harshitha Kothapalli said. 

The winners won candy from Ruzbarsky’s big bag he got from his kids on Halloween. 

“It was unfortunate that we did not win the game, but it was fun to be able to shoot around and it was productive,” junior Ryan Nastasia said. “I probably learned the most I have all year today.” 

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ENGLISH 2 WITH MR. HEALY

By Ava Vercellone – Staff Reporter 

Mr. Healy recently taught his English 2 students how to win any argument when debating. 

The class just finished reading “The Catcher in the Rye” and Healy had students debate whether or not the ending of the book was happy or unhappy. The students couldn’t choose what they thought the ending of the book was. They were given a side by Healy and had to argue for that side. 

“By examining the ending, we can break down the themes we’ve seen developing throughout the book, and see where we think they end up.” Healy said. “Then we ended with a discussion of these themes and generated ideas for one of the culminating assignments which is to write about them in your one-page responses.” 

Students worked on debating strategies, including not backing down from their argument and trying to not be overly emotional.

“I thought doing the debate was helpful because I saw both sides of the argument,” sophomore Audrey Delillo said 

After the class debate, students discussed the themes of the book and what ideas to write about in the one-page responses

“I thought the lesson was helpful because I learned how to debate,” sophomore Andrea Crump said.

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MODEL U.N. WITH MR. EVANKO

By Quinn Willett – Social Media Editor 

Mr. Evanko recently assigned his Model U.N. students countries and topics to write their position papers for the Milford Model U.N. Conference.

These position papers are the final exams for the class and will be presented on January 4. Each student is assigned a different committee and represents a country.

“Right now, the class is preparing for our final conference, which will be conducted at the Parsons building here in Milford,” Evanko said. “One of things that I love about this part of the semester is the variety: students are working in three different committees and topics, so I get to advise and guide them through subjects as varied as how to stop armed conflict, or how to improve global literacy skills.”

Students like creating new ideas and coming up with solutions to real world problems.

“The class makes me more aware of what is or has gone on in the world,” junior Gina Lombardi said. “And it puts things in perspective on how countries communicate in crisis.” 

Students were assigned to the Security Council or the General Assembly. They were then assigned a country and a topic to research for a position paper where they must look at an issue through their country’s perspective.

“I really enjoy Model U.N., especially going to our conferences,” junior Alex Rodriguez said. “Model U.N. has very much helped me with public speaking in my other classes, as well as my research skills.”

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ENGLISH 2 WITH MS. SMUNIEWSKI

By Isla Concepcion – Staff Reporter

The students in Ms. Smuniewski’s English 2 class were recently given new books to lead them right into midterms. 

Smuniewski’s students were given many options for Book Club books, including “When Dimple Met Rishi” by Sandhya Menon, “Love Hate & Other Filters” by Samira Ahmed, “Patron Saints of Nothing” by Randy Ribay, “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens, “Feed” by M. T. Anderson, and “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie. 

Smuniewski put the class into Book Clubs based on what book they chose.  

“Because the Book Club books are more modern than our full-class text and fall under the young adult genre, I think that my students will be more inherently engaged with what they are reading and therefore actually read the book,” Smuniewski said. “Reading the book from cover to cover will allow students to follow a character’s journey throughout a story, notice symbols and themes, make connections to their own lives, and hopefully learn to love reading.”

In their small Book Club groups, students talked about their books

“What I look forward to in these books is learning and reading about new stuff that I haven’t read about,” sophomore Carlin Skowronski said “What I hope to learn about in these books are how the characters, and plots change to see if there was a difference from the start to ending.”

The class is constantly learning about new elements of their books every day. 

“I hope to learn (from my book) how and when to speak up for yourself,” sophomore Lexi Velez said. 

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FORENSIC SCIENCE WITH MRS. GAGNON

By Tim Firla – Entertainment Editor

Students in Mrs. Gagnon’s Forensic Science recently learned about what goes on behind the scenes of criminal cases.

“In Forensic Science students do activities, projects, and labs to explore the different types of evidence processing that can be used in civil proceedings, or criminal cases,” Gagnon said.

Students learn about different careers in the forensic science field, fingerprinting, handwriting and questioned documents, blood spatter analysis, DNA analysis, how time of death can be determined, and how a crime scene is processed and searched for evidence.

“Then they use all of this information to solve a mock crime starting with a crime scene and testing any evidence to put all the clues together,” Gagnon said.

Senior Rui Rocha said he enjoys the crime-solving activities in the class.

“My favorite part of forensics is learning about the different ways to figure out crimes,” Rocha said. “I enjoy that we get to figure out crimes in class so we know what it’s like to solve and learn them.”

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BUSINESS MANAGEMENT WITH MRS. ISRAELITE

By Haley Stroffolino – Social Media Editor 

In Mrs. Israelite’s Business Management class students were recently given the opportunity to explore various teamwork scenarios and analyze what it takes to be a good team member in each situation. 

Israelite wanted students to face different scenarios, so they would develop critical thinking and decision making abilities.

“Simulated scenarios allow students to apply leadership skills in a controlled environment, giving them practical experience before entering the real world,” Israelite said. 

This activity was not only fun but also beneficial for students in preparing them for the future. 

“I enjoyed the activity because it gave me experience that will be helpful for me in the real world,” junior Eshanika Shee said. 

By analyzing different scenarios, students gain a better understanding of how to deal with certain situations. 

“This activity made me recognize my strengths and areas for improvement,” junior Christian Mead said.

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief 

The Jonathan Law Sports Booster Club has been up and running since 2016. 

The Booster Club has supported all 23 teams at Law in many different ways, including starting the Law Nation program, updating the trophy case, different presentations and the new sound system in the weight room. They have also given out at least one grant to 19 out of those 23 teams. 

“The Booster Club has helped in raising school spirit at Law and the club helps to support the needs of our Athletic teams where there may be a budget shortfall,” Vice President Michelle Merchant said. “The Booster Club helps provide resources to enhance the student athletes’ experiences at Law.”

Last year the Booster Club gave out its most money since being established. They granted about $13,500 which included a brand new vault for the gymnastics team, swim caps for the girls swim team, entry fees for the New Balance National Outdoor track meet, and pitching mats and tees for the softball team. 

“It is so important for every single athletic family to join the Booster Club, it costs next to nothing and everything they do gets poured back into our kids’ lives,” head softball coach Mrs. Blude said. “It is no coincidence that since our Booster Club started in 2016, our sports programs have flourished.” 

This past June the softball team advanced to the Class L State Championship game for the first time since 1980. The Booster Club provided two fan buses to the game at UConn and breakfast for the team. 

“It’s very exciting for us to be able to help the teams in so many ways. The Law Nation program, in particular, is something I’m really proud of and I truly think has boosted student attendance at games,” President Sherri Franzman said. “Providing fan buses to big, championship away games also helps to ensure our athletes are supported by their peers.”

The Booster Club also funds Law’s Student-Athletes of the Month by providing gift cards to the students that are awarded that honor. 

“I am always so proud that the Booster Club awards scholarships to our seniors each year,” Merchant said. “A lot of volunteering and funds from the community help to make this possible.” 

One of the Booster Club’s annual contributions to the Law athletes is to pay for all the seniors to attend the Senior Sports Banquet and they offer up to five $750 scholarships to graduating seniors. 

“One of my favorite parts of being the Booster Club President is handing out the scholarships to the seniors in May,” Franzman said. “I love reading the applications and learning about the amazing accomplishments of our student athletes.” 

Just within the last two months the Booster Club has already approved five grants. This includes, a coaching clinic for softball, different equipment for girls soccer, travel bags for the wrestling team, a new shooting machine for girls and boys basketball and a pitching machine for baseball. 

“They recently awarded our program and the girls basketball programs with a new shooting machine that will continue to aid in the development of our players for many years to come,” head boys basketball coach Jamie Anderson said. “If we weren’t recipients of this funding our programs would’ve been forced to seek external donors and continuous fundraising which may have taken the entire season.”

The Booster Club raises 100% of the funds used for these grant requests mostly through concession and apparel sales but also through donations from the community and membership dues paid by members of the club.

“In my past two years as Co-Treasurer, I have seen firsthand the support provided to our school’s athletic teams,” Co-Treasurer Dawn Black said. “Programs like Law Nation, concessions and apparel are among the many that the club organizes to raise funds and engage the JLHS community and beyond.”

The Booster Club plans to continue to work with the coaches and Athletic Director Mr. Drew to help support the athletic programs at Jonathan Law. 

“I’m happy we are able to provide the equipment that teams need in order to practice and compete at the next level,” Franzman said. “I’m proud that we have been able to raise substantial funds over the years to fulfill these requests made by the coaches.”

By Courtney Russo – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s FBLA Club and Business classes recently took a trip to see the Bridgeport Islanders hockey team play.

The day started off with a sports seminar from several employees at Total Mortgage Arena and ended with a very entertaining hockey game.

“I think that the marketing staff, ticket sales, and accounting staff talking to the students beforehand was really beneficial,” History teacher and chaperone Mr. Batson said.”The fact that students could submit questions beforehand and they took the time to sit down and talk to everyone really showed students potential careers in sports and marketing.”

The students learned many lessons from the seminar, including how they can have a future career in sports marketing.

“The seminar taught us a lot about sports marketing and how it works,” senior Hailey Russo said. “You were really able to understand what goes on behind the scenes of the game.”

The purpose of the field trip was to learn from the staff at Total Mortgage Arena, but as a bonus the group got to watch an AHL hockey game. Over 40 students attended this trip. 

“My favorite part of the trip was that the students were really able to learn about various business careers,” Business teacher Mrs. Israelite said. “As an added bonus, the students were able to watch a minor league game.”

Jonathan law students came up with different chants and motions they could do when something happened in the game. For instance, whenever someone on the other team would drop their stick, Law students and teachers would chant the word “stick” until it was picked up.

“I really liked the overall ambience and the idea of the hockey game,” freshman Amilio Venditti said. “Bringing a bunch of schools together, learning about business and then watching an exiting hockey game really brought the Law community together as we cheered together.”

Teachers and students recommend this trip to other business classes and FBLA clubs. 

“This field trip was very education and I feel like I learned a lot from it,” sophomore Alani Velez said. “I really enjoyed it and I feel like any FBLA clubs or business classes that didn’t go already should definitely consider going.”

By Ella Franzman – Editor-In-Chief 

Jonathan Law High School will start to use a new electronic hall pass system called “PASS”. 

The change comes after many other schools in the state have shifted to electronic hall pass systems. At Law, these new passes will start being used on November 27, which is the first day back after the Thanksgiving break. 

“There are several school districts throughout the state (and other states) that have a form of electronic pass system in place,” Principal Mr. Darcy said. “A lot of districts have shifted away from paper passes over the last decade.” 

Each student will have a login on their computer and will have to request their teacher to leave the classroom, their teacher can choose to accept their request or deny it. 

“There are many benefits for both teachers and staff,” Darcy said. “Some of those benefits include using technology to make the building(s) more efficient and there are several safety features within the system.”

Students will have to click a button to “clock out” of the room and once they have come back from the bathroom, or their locker, or wherever their request was too they will “clock back in”. 

“I think it will make school more dependent on technology, and possibly distract from learning itself,” senior Maya Markowitz said. 

The biggest concern about using this system is that it is new technology for everyone. 

“For a student, the only shift is generating an electronic pass while using a Chromebook instead of writing out a pass,” Darcy said. “It’s literally clicking a button on a computer screen. Once we use it for a few months, people will understand how easy it is.”

On the eHallPass website there will be a space for “Now Pass” and “Appointment Pass” this will give the ability to have a pass immediately accepted or a space for a scheduled appointment, whether that’s with a student’s teacher or with their school counselor. 

“Another benefit will come when scheduling appointments,” Dean of Students Mr. Ragaini said. “This will be much easier for students, teachers, and other faculty members when organizing meetings.”

Many Law teachers believe the system will have a positive impact on students. 

“​​I’m excited about the ePass system,” science teacher Mrs. Gagnon said. “I think there will be a learning curve for everyone but overall I think it will be a good system.”

English teacher Mr. Kulenych agreed with Gagnon.

“Like any new technology, eHallPass will probably take some time for students and teachers to get used to, but ultimately it will benefit everyone,” English teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “The system will be extremely helpful for teachers because it will help us monitor how long students are out of the classroom and it will help the school in general by limiting high traffic times in the hallway and bathroom.”

Although getting used to this system will take time, in the end it will be simple for all students and staff to utilize and will help to make things run smoother and safer in school.  

“One benefit of eHallPass is to help Jonathan Law manage student movement, we will be able to limit the number of students in the hallway at any given time,” Ragaini said. “This translates to more class time for students.”

By Alexa Rosati – Staff Reporter 

As the week unfolds, the students at Jonathan Law are excited about the long-awaited Homecoming dance to be held on Friday, November 17.

Students are excited to see the new arrangements for this year’s dance and to have a night filled with memories, music, and dancing.

“I can’t wait to see all of my friends and dance all night long,” junior Ariella Valentine said.

The dance will take place in the new gym which will be decked out in many fun colors. Members of the Student Council and several staff members on the Homecoming committee have spent months putting together a night that attendees won’t forget.

The Student Council is working to put together different activities for the dance.

“There will even be a photo booth this year,” said Mrs. Francisco, one of the Homecoming coordinators. 

The new photo booth will a great way to capture memories and remember this night for the rest of your lives. 

Students are looking forward to showcasing their unique styles. The excitement of Homecoming has inspired students to go shopping to find the perfect outfit to make a statement out on the dance floor. 

“This will be a great way to meet new people and enjoy the night with their friends,” senior Hailey Russo said. 

For this year, dance tickets are available for purchase online. The student’s name will be recorded and each student will be checked in upon arrival. Similar to last year, once students sign in, they will not be allowed out until the dance concludes. 

“We are expecting a similar amount of guests to last year,” Francisco said.

As for the music selection, it will be a mix of many different songs and genres. Students also will be allowed to request songs from the DJ.

Friday is around the corner and the anticipation continues to build. The hallways are filled with whispers of everyone’s last-minute preparations.

Jonathan Law’s Homecoming dance isn’t just an event; it is a tradition that brings everyone in our community together.

As the clock ticks down, students are getting ready to put on their dancing shoes and make memories that will last a lifetime.

By Analiyah Velez – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s National Honor Society hosted a Halloween costume contest on October 31. 

Every year, Law holds its annual costume contest to allow student to show their Halloween spirit and to raise money for charity. This year’s categories were Best Single Costume, Best Duo Costume, and Best Group Costume. 

“Since this is an annual event for NHS, we started planning the costume contest about a month in advance,” senior President Ike Opayemi said. “We created posters, flyers, and shared the message through the news as well as social media.”                   

The National Honor Society is a club at Law that hosts fundraisers, volunteers, and gets involved with the community. 

This year, the Halloween costume contest winners for Best Duo Costumes was Hailey Russo and Alani Velez. 

“I thought it would be fun,” Russo said. “We had this costume planned and why not just wear it to school and possibly win.”

The goal of the contest for NHS members was not only to celebrate Halloween, but also to have fun, be creative, and become a closer community. 

“My goals for my final year specifically for NHS would definitely consist of getting more involved within our community and making more of an impact than in previous years,” Opayemi said.

The Best Group Costume went to the science department dressing up “heavy metals.” Science teachers dressed up in rock and roll costumes with metal elements signs on their shirts.

“It was a group decision,” science teacher Mr. Koorejian said. “Making science fun and interesting – and possibly a future career”

Overall, the Halloween costume contest was fun and everyone enjoyed participating.

By Gabriella Coffin – Staff Reporter

More than 3,000 books were banned in the 2022-2023 school year worldwide. 

Book banning has started affecting schools around the world as well as parents at home. A book ban is a form of censorship for a book that contains inappropriate topics, meanings, or overall content that is not right for a particular reader. 

Many of the books that are at risk of being banned tend to be books that relate to being queer or LGBTQ. Two of the popular titles that are being banned are “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe and “Flamer” by Mike Curato. 

“Books that are frequently challenged tend to be written by minority authors or feature characters who are LGBTQ+,” Law’s Media Specialist Ms. Mundy said “ What is dangerous is eliminating that book entirely and depriving others of the right to read it.”

Many people don’t agree with the process of book banning. They believe that people should be able to read what they want to read and immerse into the learning process of our cultures.

“I think that learning about other people, other cultures, and other lifestyles help to promote understanding and empathy,” Mundy said. 

Other people believe that books should be banned because it is important to protect our younger generation from mature or controversial topics. 

“High school readers should not be required to read books especially if they are not comfortable with it,” sophomore Meghan Velasquez said. 

Many reasons that books are being banned as well as supported in the ban is because of different topics that some people deem inappropriate for the high school community, such as LGBTQIA.  In these books, readers see a variety of characters trying to figure out their identities, which can be viewed as controversial.

“One of the misunderstandings here is the assumption that a book with an LGBTQIA character is inherently sexual,” former Jonathan Law Librarian Ms. Briggs said “I think a lot of times we (adults) are trying to protect our kids from things they already know about, or at least could Google. Moving books around or banning them is ineffective in this regard.”

The issue of book banning has also impacted Law’s English teachers as they choose books for their curriculum. 

“It’s a weird time for teachers because we want to give kids more choice, we want to update and enliven the curriculum, but we are scared that we might show kids the wrong thing based on one parent or group of parents’ anger or their belief and then it gets taken,” English teacher Mr. Healy said. 

By Shafia Ahmed Virk – Staff Reporter 

The new Jonathan Law Courage Club is a group working to spread awareness of abuse commonly found in youth relationships and sharing warning signs in relationships that could potentially lead to violence.

Courage Club was founded by junior Lily Baird and focuses primarily on promoting healthy teen dating relationships. Baird was inspired by a friend’s recent experience with teen dating violence and wanted to bring attention to this issue. 

“I feel very excited that I get the opportunity to run a Teens For Courage Club here at Law,” Baird said. “We are actually a charter member of the Jamie Kimble Foundation for Courage and I’m looking forward to spreading their message here in the Jonathan Law community.”

After only two meetings, just over 20 members have joined. The club’s first meeting was on October 20. 

The club advisor is Mrs. Evans, the Vice President is junior Quinn Willett, the Secretary is junior Gina Lombardi, the Treasurer is junior Katherine Cepetelli, the Social Media Manager is junior Alexa Rosati, and the Event Coordinator is junior Hannah Bulkley. 

“I enjoy getting to know Jonathan Law students outside of the classroom, so I’m looking forward to getting to know this crew a bit better,” Evans said.

Courage Club meets in Room 197 on E days during common time. Their last meeting was a week ago and they learned about Jamie Kimble and the story behind the club. Kimble was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend in Tampa in 2012.  

“I feel empowered about Courage Club and its purpose,” Lombardi said. “I think it is a very important cause and needs to be addressed with women and men who are in relationships or not.”

The club also discussed where students can seek help and who students can talk to if someone is going through a situation related to this. Their overall goal is to ensure relationship safety as a whole. 

“I really like this club because it is a chance to prevent dating violence before it even happens,” Willett said. “It gives teens a chance to speak up when they might not know how.”

Baird and the other Courage Club members are working on a calendar of events for the year, including fundraising efforts and a Teens for Courage 5K race. Members hope that Courage Club will be a safe place for all students to come talk, learn, and devise ways to combat teen violence.

“I feel that Courage Club is a great club to be part of because it’s a good group of people with important values,” Cepetelli said. “I love that anyone is welcome to join, and everyone has the opportunity to feel like they’re part of something big.”

By Cindy Bone – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Drama Club thrilled audiences at their annual “Spooky Showcase” on October 20 and 21.

The Spooky Showcase was a way to include many cast members and show off their talents, making everyone feel like a family and easing their nerves.

“During the performance, it was like all my nerves had disappeared,” sophomore Rosetta O’Connell said. “I had my ‘family’ right there with me and being able to perform with such amazing people was truly the best feeling ever.”

The Spooky Showcase featured a variety of Halloween-themed songs, skits, and more to help show off individuals’ talent on and off the stage. 

The showcase was especially memorable for Drama Club’s senior President Toni Cepalia.

“Being President of the Drama Club has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” Cepalia said.

The Spooky Showcase was the first production for some Drama Club members.

“During the performance I felt great,” sophomore Aylanna Vega said. “It was my first time being a crew member and it was really great watching and supporting everyone that was performing.”

Drama Club is an important part of Jonathan Law as the club is about building friendships and community between students.

“Drama Club is a family and we all support each other through everything,” senior Hailey Russo said.

The Spooky Showcase consisted of many fan favorite performances which was exciting for all participating.

“I feel like I did a really great job especially during ‘Thriller,'” sophomore Carter Elliott said. “That was one of my best and most memorable performances for me.”

Throughout the night students were able to buy candy and food, which helped support the Drama Club.

Everyone in Drama Club worked hard for months to put on the Spooky Showcase and members are were exhausted by the end of the weekend.

“After the show I was so happy we made everything work out, and also so tired,” Vega said.

By Sophie Kalagher – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law’s Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society has chosen its members and club leaders and has begun volunteering in the community 

On October 29, the NSSHS voted via a Google Form to elect their club officers. 

“We have a great group of officers who are eager to get this club up and running,” NSSHS Advisor Mr. Zuraw said. “They are very organized and motivated.”

The club elected Raymond Dong as President, Jessica Brocksom as Vice President, Jack Bretthauer and Emily Lo as Treasurers, Grace Hess as Secretary, and Sarah Ahmed and Addy Barber as Public Relations Chairs.

This club is a recent development for Jonathan Law and was brought to life by current president Raymond Dong. 

“What made me run for president was my desire for social studies and civic engagement which are valued highly by society,” Dong said. “Another key factor to take into account is that I worked, researched, and founded this society during my junior year.”

The leaders of the club are very enthusiastic about their new positions. They are dedicated and hope to make waves in the social studies department and set an example for the school. 

“I chose to run for this position because I have always liked social studies and I wanted to show others why the subject is so great,” Brocksom said.

The officers are not only coexisting together but are thriving. They have come together to create a promising future for the club. 

“I think it’s a great group of people who are very hard working, and I think that we will get a lot done to have a great year,” Barber said. 

To kick start the year, the NSSHS recently hosted a volunteering event – a “Trunk or Treat on the Lanes” Halloween-themed event at Bowlero’s. 

“We volunteered at Bowlero’s ‘Trunk or Treat on the Lanes’ where we set up themed booths and gave out candy to children,” Ahmed said.

The club is hoping to move forward with more volunteering events that are similar to this. The goal is to help the community in any way that they can. 

“We plan on continuing to give Rho Kappa members volunteering opportunities so we can be present members of our Milford community,” Ahmed said.

By Madi Black – Staff Reporter

The Jonathan Law Key Club recently added two new freshman officers to their club.

The election was on October 26 during the club’s weekly meeting. Alivia Bogert and Ava Grippo both ran for freshman officers and won the election. 

“I wanted to be a Key Club officer because I wanted a way to help connect to the Law community as a freshman,” Bogert said. “I thought that this would be a way I can do it without having to worry about making fun of myself.” 

Grippo and Bogert wanted to help and make themselves noticeable in the school. They will have many different roles and responsibilities in Key Club.  

“Some of my responsibilities are, if a meeting is canceled, to let all the freshmen know,” Grippo said. “Recruit more members, make sure the kids in my grade are present at meetings and attend volunteering opportunities.” 

Borgert’s goals and responsibilities are the same as Grippo’s. 

“My goals as an officer is to try and inspire more people to join Key Club and to help out whenever I can,” Borgert said. “Some roles and responsibilities are to make sure everyone knows if there was a time change, and to help out when we can.”  

To become an officer, Grippo and Bogert had to prepare and deliver a speech to the club.  

“I wanted to be an officer so I can get more involved in Key Club and take responsibility,” Grippo said. “My goals are to help out in any way that I can, and that being a freshman officer can help me earn other roles in the club in the future.” 

There are many exciting duties as an officer but also many responsibilities. Grippo and Bogert are new but are now very important members of Key Club. 

“I am excited to be more involved and be helpful,” Grippo said. “There are many exciting things to do mixed in with all of the work.” 

Bogert has been very excited about running for officer ever since she heard about it. She expressed that in her speech. 

“I am excited to have this opportunity as an officer to help make more of an impact in our school,” Bogert said. “I am looking forward to new experiences and connecting with new people.”

By Taylor Batterton – Staff Reporter

Law’s French Club meets on Mondays after school in Room 224 to discuss the new activities for this year.

This club’s focus is to learn and develop an appreciation for French culture and language. The officers encourage those who do not take French to join. 

“My goals for this year are to have a lot of people involved with the club,” junior President Sarah Gutierrez said. “Also, we want to take away the stereotype that it’s just about people who take just French. People that don’t take French can be in the club because we’re going to do activities that involveFrench culture and I want as many people as possible to be involved in that.”

Some activities the club is doing include celebrating French Appreciation Week, French cooking, research on French artists, and the Manie Musicale.

“Me personally am excited about Manie Musicale,” junior Vice President Riley Hungerford said. “It goes on during March Madness. It’s a music competition, then (Advisor) Dr. Evans puts barcodes up outside her room, and you can scan them and vote for your favorite French song of the year.” 

Evans spoke highly of the formation of the club and the enthusiasm from the moment Gutierrez presented the idea. 

“Sarah was the one who really spearheaded it,” Evans said. “She came to me the first day of school, we had elections, we started having meetings, and now we have a French Club.”

Students taking French take notice of the difference between the club and classes at school.

“The club is much more casual and the club is open to those not taking French classes, you do not need any previous knowledge of French in order to join,” senior AP French student Giuliana Agria said. 

Club members do not have to take a French class in order to participate. 

“I am currently in Spanish,” junior club member Carter Elliot said. “I joined because I heard my friends were going to be in it and I would like to expand my vocabulary.”

The possibility of a district-wide club trip to France has also been discussed. This is not official in any way, but it would involve Jonathan Law and Foran joining together to fundraise for the trip. 

“We are in the process of getting the okay, not 100% official yet, but there is a strong possibility that in June of 2025, there will be a trip to Paris,” Evans said. “I would like to open it up to students at Foran, with details to follow and pending official approval from the District.”

A French Honor Society will be formed, similar to the other language honor societies. Evans encouraged the other language departments to form their own Honor Society as well. 

By Addy Barber – Staff Reporter

A new video game called “I Want Watermelon’” has students all over Jonathan Law glued to their phones.

The game is simple yet captivating, and has led to students randomly shouting out “Watermelon!” or violently shaking their phones in class. The objective of the game is to combine fruits to create a bigger fruit that eventually leads to a watermelon.

“I Want Watermelon” isn’t just fruits dropping randomly. It is very strategic and one wrong move can cost players the game. When another move seems impossible, the “Shaker” pops up. This allows players to shake their phone and make the fruits roll around.

“I love the Shakers,” junior Alex Rodriguez said. “It makes my day.”

Although “Watermelon” is a one player game, players can add their friends on GameCenter to compare scores and start a leaderboard.

“When I play the ‘Watermelon’ game I always try and beat the best score out of my friends,” senior Brian Goglia said.

Goglia’s current high score is 6,026 points and he has a total of 28 watermelons. What is even more impressive than his record is how long it took him to get it.

“I’ve spent 12 hours and 20 minutes on the watermelon game in three days,” Goglia said.

Other students have been able to moderate their screen time on the game.

“I spend on average 45 minutes a day on the game,” junior Cameron Upchurch said. “It has affected my classes slightly because sometimes I would rather play than work.”

Jonathan Law teachers are starting to see noticeable differences in students’ attention spans while they are teaching.

“The ‘Watermelon Game’ has definitely been a distraction for some students in class,” English teacher Mr. Kulenych said. “Some students know when to turn it off and get their work done and others might need to start setting some time limits. Getting a high score or a watermelon is definitely exciting but unfortunately those points don’t get entered into PowerSchool.”

Many students downloaded “I Want Watermelon” because they saw people around them playing it.

“I saw everyone in my class playing the watermelon game so I had to see where the fun was at,” Goglia said.

The game has even reached some of the Jonathan Law Faculty as well.

“I heard about the ‘Watermelon Game when my Journalism class asked me how many ‘watermelons’ I had, and I had no idea what they were talking about,” Kulenych said. “I downloaded the game and I love it. And I got a watermelon. No big deal.”