The Book of Basketball is a Swish!

To his fans, he is revered as a God. To his archnemesis Mike Dunleavy, he is a "joke writer." Say what you will about Bill Simmons, but you must admit that the man has some nerve. Who else has the nerve to write a nearly 700 page book chronicling the history of American basketball. Apparently, Simmons has many more supporters than detractors as evidenced by the fact that The Book of Basketball has been on the New York Times bestseller list the last 3 weeks.

Simmons, also known as the Sports Guy, writes a weekly column for espn.com and is obviously a rabid basketball fan. Growing up in Massachusetts and Connecticut, he is a huge Boston Celtics fan with a major infatuation with the teams of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. This is Simmons' second book, his first was a compilation of columns about the Red Sox, entitled Now I Can Die in Peace.

Many doubters are hestitant to pick up this whopper of a book mainly due to it's size, but don't let that fool you, it reads much easier than you would believe. One of the reasons the book is so lenghty are the abundance of footnotes, but they are not vital to the narrative and even the author writes that they are okay to skip. However, this book is not for the faint of heart. Obviously, you need a passion for basketball because it is heavy on details and inside knowledge.

The book's main goal is to determine the best players and teams in NBA history and why some players and some teams understood what it takes to be great. Simmons takes his sweet time getting into the swing of things, but when he does, he really owns it. His vast knowledge and his humor sparkle with every word and anecdote. One of the brightest portions of the book is his convulted comparison of portland Trailblazer great Bill Walton "the whitest man you can find" to rapper Tupac Shakur, "the blackest man alive." The Book of Basketball is riddled with pop culture nuggets like that, making it one of the funniest and most entertaining book I've read. I highly recommend it to all those that would treasure a 700 page tome about basketball, pop culture and will make you laugh 'til it hurts. And that should be everybody.

Spirit Flowing Through the Halls

Elan DeCarlo

Everywhere you looked, in all directions, you could not escape the constant stream of spirit permeating through the majority of Trumbull High School. Spirit week, an annual tradition at Trumbull High, occurred during the week of November 9th to the 16th.
Every day of the week held a specific theme, and it all kicked off Monday the 19th with Twin Day. As the day progressed, you saw people wearing the same shirt/pant/shoes hats combination or the few that went all out and wore wacky matching costumes and strutted around these halls like they owned the place, and as long as the few that dressed up remained twins, they did own it.
Up next on Tuesday was class theme day with each grade picking outlandish spirit costumes. The freshmen class was implored to wear their favorite flannel or fleece for Pajama Day, the sophomores chose to become tropical island natives, wearing flowery Hawaiian shirts, leis and a daring few even graced board short bathing suits for the occasion. The juniors and seniors however may have had the best themes. The class of 2011 had the outlandish idea to wear togas in the honor of the ancient Greeks and Romans and the seniors had the brash idea to split their class in half between Cowboys and Indians. The halls were filled with boys in cowboy hats and girls in cowboy boots and “chiefs” with headdresses. On the 11th, Trumbull High solemnly honored Veteran’s Day by having an assembly at Madison Middle School. Thursday, as usual, was one the obvious highlight of Spirit Week with the legendary Rent-A-Senior day. From the opening bell to 2:27pm, Trumbull High was forced to acknowledge the wild and crazy imagination of their peers. Their were crayons, Jamaican bobsled teammates, Scuba Steve, rival Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks cups of coffee, and multiple characters from the movies Alice in Wonderland and Willy Wonka.
The rollicking week concluded with our ultimate display of school by wearing our school colors of black and gold for Homecoming. Every year, Spirit Week is a highlight and something that everyone can look forward to. Incoming freshmen to outgoing seniors, teachers and faculty, all are looking forward to see what next year’s Spirit Week is going to accomplish.

Annual assembly: The Underage Drinking Forum

Ninth grade students and parents gathered at Trumbull High on Tuesday, November 10, 2009, for the fourth annual Underage Drinking Forum. The assembly, appropriatley titled "Choices have Consequences," was initiated in 2006 to educate the Trumbull Community about the potential danger of alcohol abuse.
As an extension of the Trumbull High health curriculum, the forum conveyed the grave yet overlooked consequences of alcohol abuse by providing students and parents with a variety of knowledgeable and credible speakers. These individuals each had their own personal encounters to share and told stories of past experiences, ranging from physically being an alcoholic, to being a doctor faced with daily alcohol related injuries.
Topics such as underage drinking and legislation regarding parental responsibilities when handling alcohol were addressed, according to the permission slip given to freshmen. Trumbull High's very own Intervention Specialist, Mr. Mecca, said "...we cover all aspects of the causes and dangers..." of alcohol abuse.
Essentially, the forum was held to raise a general awareness about the underestimated dangers of alcohol, with the hope that students will walk away well informed and equipt to handle the social pressures connected to drinking.

By: Jill Epstein

Girls Swimming Has a Successful Season

Trumbull High sophomore Shannon Ahearn won twice at the FCIAC championships, wrapping up a fifth-place finish in the conference final for the girls varsity swimming team. The fifth-place finish gave the Lady Eagles a spot in the Class LL finals, which takes place on November 18. At the FCIAC tournament on November 7, Trumbull High earned 189 points, 57 behind fourth-place Wilton and one point ahead of rival Staples. Ahearn starred for the Lady Eagles, winning the 200-meter individual medley in 2:07.20 and the 100-meter backstroke in 59.03. She said in an interview with the Connecticut Post, “"I knew I was going to swim against a lot of flyers (butterflyers) and they were winning after the fly, so I was beginning to get worried. But fortunately, I was able to come out on top." Other notable finishes for Trumbull High include a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter Freestyle Relay and another fourth-place finish in the 200-meter medley relay.

In the regular season, Trumbull High swimming finished with seven wins and four losses, earning a spot to compete in the FCIAC tournament. The highlight of the season arguably was a victory over rival Staples High School. Sophomore Caitlin Cole called the meet “a HUGE rivalry [meet] and a HUGE win for us.” According to team members, Trumbull High swimming should have finished 8-3, but they “messed up” a meet against Stanford, according to sophomore Jazzi Cooper. In the end, I think they just underestimated their opponent that day. Big reasons to why Trumbull High’s season was a success are the leadership of the seniors and great coaching all around.

Trumbull High Girls Swimming had high hopes coming into this year, and without a doubt, they met the expectations of everyone. The obstacle for next year is maintaining the high level of play that they achieved this season. One goal the Lady Eagles would like to meet is being better focused, which sophomore Jazzi Cooper says was a big weakness for the team this year. When asked about the main goal for Trumbull High next season, she simply replied, “Go 8-3.” Cooper, like every member on the team, has high hopes for the state of Trumbull High swimming for next season. Personally, I can not wait to see how the Lady Eagles finish in 2010. It will definitely be as successful a season as they had this year.

Rent-a-Senior Day Dazzles Students

As Trumbull High Spirit Week continues on, there is no doubt that Rent-a-Senior Day is the most exciting event of the festive five days. Every year, students come up with creative designs to dress up the seniors they choose to rent. Seniors pay $5 to be rented, and the person renting them pays $10. The money spent on the seniors this year benefits the Class of 2010, most notably the senior Prom. Every student is thrilled with the idea. Sophomore Wesley Douglass was quoted saying, "[Rent-a-Senior Day] might be the best day of the year!" Clearly, students are excited to see what extraordinary designs the event has to offer. Like all its precedents, the ideas for Rent-a-Senior Day this year were as creative as ever. Trumbull High students were amazed by a wide variety of costumes, including a Jamaican bobsled team, a Rubix cube, and a couple of "senior" citizens. The amounts of grouped costumes were endless. While students were amazed last year by a quartet of the legendary rock band KISS, they were satisfied this year by a Scooby-Doo gang, Blue Clues members, Oompa Loompas, Crayola Crayons, and a team of bumpercars. Personally, I was amazed by all of the males dressing up as females, including Lady GaGa and Hannah Montana. As all of the students in our school are, I cannot wait until next year, where we can witness the creativity of students expressed through the seniors of Trumbull High.

by: Andrew Vojt

Varsity Field Hockey Ends Season

Trumbull High Varsity Field Hockey, led by captains Katy Donahue, Mackenzie Lannon, and Brenda Nguyen, finished their season with a loss to Fairfield Ludlowe High School on October 29. Although Trumbull’s final record was 2-14, the team showed excellent progress with each passing game. The season produced several memorable moments, the finest being a 4-1 victory over Stamford, the team that eliminated Trumbull from the state tournament just a year ago. After this season, the team will lose eight upperclassmen. Seniors Katy Donahue, Savannah Garrison, Makenzie Lannon, Jen Lemoine, Keri Mahoney, Brenda Nguyen, Kelley Sullivan, and Julie Trombetta each significantly contributed to the dynamic of team, and the players are sad to see them go. However, keep your eye on current sophomores Lauren Gregory, Natalie Probst, Lisa Pulie, Mary Rose Rappa, and Danielle Reardon, who already play on varsity and are sure to be superstars for Trumbull High School in 2010.

Article by Jill Epstein

Photo taken by Andrew Vojt

Girls Varsity Soccer

Sports teams for fall are quickly coming to an end. Trumull High's girls varsity soccer teams stands with that athletic crowd, although their heads may not be as high as last year. The team gave 100% effort, but it looks like they needed 110%, as they did not make the FCIAC tournament this year. This was a first for Coach Urlass this being his sixth year coaching the team, but as they say "it's how you play the game," and indeed, he still has praise for his players.

Coach Uhrlass told me nothing but positive things about his captains. He described senior Meg Loughman as "a consistent player who brought creativity to the field." Loughman also proves to be a real team player, as Uhrlass stated she had "great passing ability." The other senior captain, Kara Kapell, is full of drive, described as "bringing speed and hustle during a game. [She] is a real threat to other teams, as she is always ready to score." Kapell "puts pressure on the other teams backline," always giving her all.


Seniors are not the only ones keep the team running, as Junior Marissa Pearson is one of the three captains. According to Coach Uhrlass, "she is an excellent ballwinner." The backline also holds up well, with Melissa Rubin (grade 10), and Rebecca Smith (grade 10) as a "solid Defense".
Varsity Players deserve a round of applause, as the whole team works hard as they come onto the field ready to go. Their sportsmanship and teamwork keeps their coach smiling. Cheers for Varsity, you keep Trumbull High Proud.

By: Katelyn Avery EE Staff Writer

THS SPIRIT WEEK 11/9-11/13

Monday: Twin Day

Tuesday: Class Theme Day

Seniors: "American History Day" - Cowboys & Indians

Juniors: "World History Day"- Togas

Sophomores: "Ethnic Diversity Day" -Hawaiian

Freshmen: Pajama Day

** we understand that the official names are broad, but we encourage everyone to dress up under the unofficial names. inappropriate costumes will as always not be tolerated.


Wednesday: Veterans Day

A House wears red

B House wears blue

C House wears white



The homeroom with the highest participation in each house will recieve a Breugger's Bagel breakfast in order to be counted towards your homeroom, wear a shirt that is your house color!



"blue" jeans and accessories don't count.


Thursday: Sponsor-A-Senior Day



Friday: Black & Gold Day

Everyone wears black and gold

Pink Ribbons and Sweet Treats

The Pink Ribbon Club had a fundraiser last week to help those suffering from cancer. All around school, students found flyers about a bake sale just in time for Halloween. The club sold a variety of sweet treats during all lunch shifts, and 20% of the profits went to the Pink Ribbon Foundation. Students also made their way over to the clubs table, as any student wearing pink that day was given a free piece of candy. The club just started this year (although the organization has been around since the early 1990's) and is a great addition to Trumbull High's list of extra-curricular activities. Students can expect to see pink ribbons next year, as the fundraiser had a fantastic turnout. According to club advisor Mrs. Laird, the club "ran out of baked goods to sell by seventh lunch."

GOP prevails with Tim Herbst at the top

It is time to remove the lawn signs supporting either parties that surround Trumbull. The Republicans have triumphed in every contested race in Trumbull, led by Tim Herbst, who beat out previous four-term candidate Ray Baldwin by a 55% to 45% margin, 6906 - 5572. Herbst was very gracious and thanked everyone involved in his campaign during his victory speech at Marissa's on Tuesday night.
Hard work does pay off in Herbst's eyes. “I would like to thank Ray Baldwin for his years of service to this town and this country,” he said in an interview with the Trumbull Times. After thanking his volunteers, he pledged to enjoy the evening and then get right to work the next day. Trumbull is now eagerly awaiting Herbt's new lead, waiting to see what positive aspects he can bring to the table.
Election Day has passed and all Trumbull can do is participate in the victory of Herbst throughout the community. Although some are not very happy about this win, beliveing Herbst has limted experience. However, the town of Trumbull will soon find out.

Let it snow, let it snow…..in October?

Yesterday morning, astonished students were looking outside their windows instead of sitting in class; but for a good reason. Right before their eyes, snow was falling. This phenomenon created an unexpected stir; snow in October is not common in Trumbull. To the dismay of some, there wasn’t enough snow for a day off or a delay. Saturday and Sunday is expected to be cold and rainy as well. So grab your hot chocolate and slippers to stay warm!

Car Crashes Into Trumbull Center Dunkin Donuts

Early this morning, a pick-up truck drove past the curb and hit the front of Dunkin Donuts on White Plains Road. Thankfully, nobody was injured. According to Elan DeCarlo, a sophomore here at THS, “the driver of the vehicle thought it was the drive-through.” A few windows were shattered, but no serious damage was done. The Trumbull Police were immediately on their way and are currently investigating the incident. The restaurant made a speedy recovery; as of 11:15 a.m., it was open for business.

Fly It By The Eagle's Eye

I don’t have time to do homework after work. What do I do?
Balancing homework with our daily lives can be challenge; whether it is sports, work, or after school activities, many students at Trumbull High find themselves coming home during dinner time. They’re tired and exhausted, but still have about three hours of homework to do before hitting the bed. So what do you do? Time management is key. The best way to manage your time is by making a schedule. Calculate every minute of your day and schedule your homework in those extra fifteen or twenty minutes you have free. You may find that you have quite a few of these small chunks of time and they can add up quickly to 3 hours. You can always try and multitask during your free periods; eat your lunch while you do your homework or try and get to school early so that you have time before class to finish up your work. But remember, school always come first. If you feel as if you’re struggling with coursework, you should think about your priorities; you may have to sacrifice one of your hobbies in order to find time for homework.

What can you do on your first date in Trumbull?
The Bow Tie Marquis Cinema is probably the best place to go for your first date. It’s really the only place in Trumbull for teens besides the mall. It also adds a less stressful environment since you don’t have to make small talk if you’re completely nervous. Avoid the mall at all costs; not only will you prevent your date from having wandering eyes, your date might also feel uncomfortable if they feel like they have to buy you something. Marie’s Sandwich Shop in Trumbull Center, which is now open after dark, is also a great place to go and eat; you might want to go to Starbucks to have a coffee and nice chat as well. The Parlor Rock has a beautiful trail too, if you want to go for a walk or bike ride.

Grading Obama

On Tuesday November 4^th, 2008 history was made with the election of the first African American president and on January 20, 2009 he took office. During the time period before president Obama took office he chose cabinet members sooner than any other president in history. It seemed at the time like Obama had a plan and was ready hit the ground running once he was in office. Now about a year later after all the campaign promises and the debates, is President Obama living up to his word? Is he a better president than former president Bush?

So far on the list of successes for President Obama, he has worked rapidly to try and get America out of its economic depression. His cash for clunkers plan boosted auto sales for American companies. His bailout money helped get America out from the bottom of America’s economic depression. For all his effort and success I would give him an A on this issue.

Obama still faces many challenges one being the War in Afghanistan. He will soon have to decide whether or not to add additional troops to Afghanistan. In Iraq he must keep one of his campaign promises to withdraw troops. We will have to wait and see what Mr. Obama does in the coming weeks. However the House Armed Services chairman, Ike Skelton urged Obama to focus mainly on Afghanistan and not Iraq. He warned Obama not to make the same mistake as former President Bush made in 2003. In my opinion President Obama has made no major mistake in Afghanistan but has not made any great steps forward besides sending more troops to Afghanistan earlier this year so I would give him a C. I feel sending more young men and women will not help. The Soviet Union also tried a similar plan in the 1980’s but it failed.

Many would argue that President Obama’s greatest challenge right now by far would be the battle over healthcare. American healthcare is currently ranked 37^th out of 191 countries world wide. President Obama does have a legitimate reason to want to reform healthcare in America. He promises not to raise taxes for people making under $250,000 in his healthcare plan. It is estimated that this plan will cost about $856 billion over the next 10 years. Many Americans believe that if President Obama’s plan is passed then there will be long lines in doctor’s offices and the overall quality of healthcare would go down. Others argue that it will insure that this plan will benefit the millions of families struggling without health insurance. According to Cnn.com 86.7 million American families were uninsured between 2007 and 2008. I feel that Obama is working hard and trying to be bipartisan with his proposed bill. I would give Obama B on this issue. Opponents still argue that under this plan people making over $280,000 a year and businesses will face the burden of the cost for this program.

I think President Obama’s biggest mistake was getting involved in a fight between a Harvard professor and a Cambridge police officer in which he called the police stupid for arresting long time friend Henry Louis Gates. This was unlike the President’s usual careful choice of words. This was a mistake, however, President Obama was quick to apologize for his choice of words after his original statement. Besides this isolated incident, I do not think President Obama had made any major mistakes.

Overall I think Obama deserves a B. He has faced the toughest economic recession since the Great depression and was left with two wars when he took office. Has he done everything right, no but at the same time no President is ever completely right because there is always someone who disagrees.

Kevin Choi

Staff Writer

JV Soccer Update

Yesterday afternoon Trumbull girls J.V soccer played Bridgeport Central and emerged victorious! The final score 6-0. The first five goals were scored within the first sixteen minutes of the game. Even though Trumbull dominated the game, the Bridgeport Central girls never gave up and fought hard until the end. This is the first year that Central has a J.V team and the team needs to be given credit for trying their hardest even though they may be less experienced than other teams in the conference. Other games that took place last night were J.V football and Varsity volleyball; both teams prevailed.

Camille Bova

Krista Veikos

Staff Writers

Senior tradition gets a little nontraditional

It is a tradition that every year the seniors take pictures on the bleachers and spell out various things such as “SENIORS 2010,” or “BEST FRIENDS UNTIL THE END -SENIORS 2010.” However, this year things were not only a little more creative than before but were also a little more catty. While one group spelt out, “Don’t Act Like You’re Not Impressed!”, another responded back on their shirts, “We’re Not.” . Although there was a minor dispute over the “We’re not” shirts, the makers of the shirts assured the student body that they didn't mean any harm. Other than that, some of the other shirts were, “CAUTION!” with girls wearing hard hats as a theme of the construction currently happening at THS, “THS 2010”, and “In 10 Years We’ll Still Look This Good”. One student even dressed as “Where’s Waldo?” for the picture. It seems that the classic “Seniors 2010” has gone out the window to make room for more creative ideas, which just shows the spirit and the character of the Senior Class of 2010.

Rio would be a great bid...if it was going up against Liverpool, Saigon, or Baghdad

When we think of the four candidates for the 2016 Olympic bid, we think of classy, exciting, somewhere where i would actually like to see the Olympics. So when I found out who got the bid, I was shocked and appalled. Rio de Janeiro. Really. Now, don't get me wrong, Rio would be a great bid...if it was going up against Liverpool, Saigon, or Baghdad. There is only one time I would ever want to go to Rio, Carnival. But for the other 361 days of the year, Rio is just a mess where gang violence runs the city. Rio has the number one most gun crimes in Brazil and in 2006; there were 2273 homicides in Rio. Not only are the deaths by civilians off the charts but the police are just as bad. American police killed only 347 people in all of the United States during 2006. In Rio, the police killed 1,063 people, in just one city. Rio will also have the second smallest main stadium in over 60 years, with Olimpic Stadium holding only 60,000 people. (Madrid in 1992 was the first) Madrid's main stadium will hold 73,000. Chicago has one stadium for nearly every event, as well as the second largest convention center for indoor events like gymnastics and weigh lifting, not to mention, it would house all IOC (International Olympic Committee) and USOC (United States Olympic Committee) press offices. Chicago's main airport, O'Hare International Airport is the second-busiest airport in the world. The Chicago region is served by two other major commercial airports, Midway and Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport, along with several smaller airports. The city is served by all major worldwide airlines, and O'Hare is an international hub for both American and United Airlines, while Midway is a hub for domestic carrier Southwest Airlines. There is also a considerable network of rail lines and interstate highways in the region. Chicago has over 30,000 hotel rooms in the immediate downtown area alone, and it has the largest skilled-labor workforce in the US catering to conventions and other large-scale media events. Also, the USOC planned to build a 80,000 seat stadium adjacent to Soldier Field which would result in dueling Opening And Closing Ceremonies. Why wouldn't you want that? I know I would be enthralled by it.

So now we're stuck with Rio. Now if I'm in Rio in 2016, which is where I would like to be only for the fact that there would be an Olympic Games being held, if i was there I would probably be enjoying myself. I'd go and enjoy the tram up Sugarloaf Mountain, see Christ the Redeemer, visit the famous Botafogo neighborhood, and enjoy the world's game in its purest form. All this while hiding from the drug lords running the Shantytown which actually spill into the tourist areas. Unlike most major cities, where there is a buffer zone between the upper class and the drug-lord-run towns, in Rio, its everywhere.

There has been a lot of discussion about why exactly Rio got the 2016 bid. Most seem to believe that it's because of Rio's need for an economic boom. But at this point, what city doesn't need an economic boom. Now the citizens of Rio will be stuck with a massive price tag which may or may not be offset by the economic gains of the Olympics. In Chicago, the McDonald's Corporation was expected to help cover many of the costs similarly to the way Coca-Cola did in Atlanta. Since the McDonald's Headquarters is only 20 miles outside Chicago and McDonald's is already a title sponsor of the Olympic Brand, it was the perfect fit. In addition, according to Chicago2016.org, the official Olympic bid website, all debts not covered by the sponsors, will be covered mostly by the Federal Government. The state would only be left with 15% of what the Federal Government was covering.

Why the IOC didn't choose Chicago we will never know, but the real question here is why was Rio chosen. I congratulate the citizens of Rio on 6 years of construction, millions of headaches and tax dollars spent. See you in 2016!

Brett Rosen

Co-Editor in Chief

Eagles Coast to Victory over Westhill

For the past few years, Trumbull Football has had a shadow cast over it by the power of the rest of the FCIAC.

In arguably the toughest conference in the state, Trumbull's talent has been lost in the powerhouses of Greenwich, Staples, and New Canaan. This, ladies and gentlemen, is their coming out party.

Trumbull Football gave us a look into their crystal ball last season at their game against cross-town rival St Joesph's. They crushed the traditionally solid team in the most anticipated game of the season. And now, they're doing it every week, this season.

Now with two games left on the road, the Eagles save their biggest challenges for the Mack. (McDougall Stadium) After this week's game versus Norwalk, the Eagle's get Greenwich, Stamford, Danbury, Ridgefield, Staples, all at home except one (Stamford) in the final push toward the big game on Thanksgiving.

After what coach Bob Maffei called a "sloppy week"win the previous week's victory over Wilton, Trumbull rebounded beautifully and went on to win last weekend 35-0 over the Vikings of Westhill.

Trumbull's ground attack split through the Westhill line which lead to over 200 yards of rushing. 178 of those yards came from Seniors Mike Romano (QB) and Will Melvin (RB).

In the air, Mike Romano balanced the strong running game with sharp passes including a touchdown pass to Junior Phil Terio.

late in the fourth quarter, after four touchdowns, the Eagles were confident in their victory over Westhill, but they weren't done yet. After a great block by junior Will Testani, Will Melvin drove himself through the Mack Truck size of a hole and rush down the field for a 60 yard touchdown run.

On defense, the Eagles ferociously stood their ground, even causing fumbles (Steve Sam), and interceptions (Anthony Matera). Coach Maffei called his defense "Solid", and they "made no mistakes." The Eagles coasted to a 35-0 victory over Westhill and brought some attention to itself.

The Eagles need to work on their penalties, however. Even coach Maffei called his team "the most penalized team in the country."

This weekend they look to improve on that and they face the challenging Norwalk. Coach Maffei is confident and is looking for a battle, "it should be a battle, everywhere is a battle."

Brett Rosen

Co-Editor in Chief

Day 1

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