Facebook: A Campaign Craze

Stephanie Schwartz
EE Features Editor '11

With the end of the year in sight, elections for the senior class officer positions have come once again. This year, more than ever, students have found a way to campaign that appeals to the general student body of Trumbull High School: Facebook. The most popular strategy candidates are trying to win over their peers is by starting a group and inviting their Facebook friends to join. By doing so, the candidates fight for a vote by forcing the students to either join or deny the request. Each person put the position they were running for on their page, information about themselves, and why they feel they would be best for the job at hand. This year, many prospective students are running for the officer positions. For president the candidates are Lily Etemad, Alex Mark, Sarah Griswold, Conor Carty, and Tony Flynn. Vice president competitors include Veronica DeCarvalho and Emily Thomas, for Secretary Liz Gillis, and for Treasurer Mark Maleri and Zack Robbins. On Lily Etemad’s campaign page, she wrote, “I want everyone to have a fun and memorable senior year, and as President, I will coordinate the Cotillion, Prom, and Senior Class Trip. I want this to be the best year so far, and with your vote and ideas I believe it can be accomplished.” The small information section on their page presents the ideas that each individual could bring to the table for each prospective student council member. While each student still has to make a speech in front of their class, Facebook has become a vital tool for a hopeful competitor. Be sure to tune in to the video announcements in the upcoming weeks to view each candidate’s speech.

Trumbull High School Choir

By Sara Akhundzadeh

The Trumbull High School Choir will perform at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut on May 20, 2010 for their spring concert. The choir cannot perform at the Trumbull High School auditorium due to construction. The concert will feature Freshman and Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and Women’s and Men’s ensembles. The choir will sing a variety of languages from Latin to Korean, and styles from classical to gospel. Furthermore, the choir will sing the famous rock song by Simon and Garfunkel “Bridge over Troubled Water” and “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” as their final choral pieces. Ms. Tornillo, the choir director ensures that "The final performance of the 2009- 2010 school year is sur eto be uplifting and memorable." Come see the choir sing!

What a Super Derby It Was

Daniel Dawson '10
EE Staff Writer
The morning of May 1st did not dawn in a promising fashion for the event that would unfold later that day at Churchill Downs. Torrential rain soaked the track where the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby would take place later that day. The pre-race favorites were Lookin at Lucky with odds of 3 to 1 and Sidney's Candy with odds of 7 to 1. The winner of 136th Derby, Super Saver, had odds of 12 to 1 coming into the race. Right from the gun shot Super Saver started off with the lead, but was quickly overtaken by Gray Conveyance. Gray Conveyance maintained the lead until just after the 3/4 mile mark at the final bend where No Horse Promise took the lead. No Horse Promise continued the lead into the first quarter of the final stretch, where Super Saver, again, gained the lead, this time running away with it for the final 50 meters, triumphantly winning Kentucky Derby number 136.

Fake Yo-Yo Master

If you have been on Yahoo! at all in the past few days, you'd see a story about the yo-yo master Kenny Strasser or K-Strass as he's known on stage. He is a master of the art of yo-yo and is a representative of ZimZam Yo-Yo, the first green nonprofit toy company. There is something that sets Kenny apart from every other yo-yo master in the world. He's a fake. Mr.Strasser would have his "agent" Joe Guehrke contact local media outlets and inform him that he is a yo-yo master that teaches children environmentally friendly virtues through his zany tricks and antics on stage. These zany antics include dropping the yo-yo whilst spinning it in the air and picking up his cellular phone during a live broadcast to take an important call. K-Strass booked about 3 different media outlets and the show was pretty much the same outcome. When the first outlet, WSAW's "Sunrise at Seven", tried to reach Joe Guehrke, he replied, "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. Kenny is going through some tough times and we wish him well in the future." See the antics for yourself at :www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF-bsqrPo-8

Trumbull High School fails to comply with State recycling laws

Recycling at Trumbull High School is one of the best steps our school and state are taking to make our world a better place. In every classroom there are two recycling bins: one for white paper and one for bottles. Just by their presence, students should be forced to use them, which, by the amount of Arizona Tea sold at the School Store, is a lot.

However, the school is not as environmentally friendly as previously thought. Thanks to multiple tips from students and teachers, it has been discovered that multiple members of the janitorial staff have not been properly recycling.

In accordance with Section 22a-2088v and Section 256a of the Connecticut General Statutes and Section 22a-241b of Regulations of the Connecticut State Agencies, Connecticut state agencies, like the school systems, are required to recycle about 10 items, most importantly glass and beverage containers and white paper.

Local Trumbull laws are vague on recycling; while a person cannot necessarily be fined for not recycling, garbage haulers who combine recycling and garbage have been fined. According to the Trumbull Public Works web site, a residential hauler was fined $3600 for combining items.

Mr. Bike, head of sanitation, along with Mr. Savo, stressed for school-wide collaboration on the
issue of recycling. “Working together is the best way we can solve this issue, it’s and issue we want to correct,” Mr. Savo said in an interview. Along with acknowledging the issue, Mr. Savo and Mr. Bike, both had ideas on how to correct the issue. “My guys are told paper
is tossed if it has been contaminated by food and they know the bottles should be recycled...They know the system,”

Mr. Savo said he and the administration would address the issue, “The teachers should monitor the bins in the classroom while students continue to recycle and the janitors will continue to do their job,” he proposed.

Writing and Reporting by Brett Rosen, Co-Editor-in-Chief

The THS Academic Decathelon Team heads to Yale

Eight Sophomores and Juniors from Trumbull High School are taking pride in competeing in a national Academic Decathelon at Yale University on February 20, 2010 for the first time in Trumbull High School history. The competition provides students with the opportunity to experience challenging academic questions and promote higher-level thinking. There are eight events that take place such as an essay, language and literature, art, music, math, social studies,science, economics and a Super Quiz, which is the final event of the night. One team from each state will go on to compete at the National Finals in Omaha, Nebraska. Trumbull High School advisors, Mr. Monaco, Mrs. Elkins, and Mr. Pelligra are hoping that Connecticut will finally defeat California, the state that always won the competition and flew to Washington, DC to meet the President. Even if the students of THS do not win the competition, they will leave the competition with integrity and a great academic experience behind them.

The Practice SAT

Well the time has come and gone again in which an expected three hundred students poured into Trumbull High School for a four hour exam. Yes, the practice SATS recently took place. This annual event, which happened on Saturday January 30th, attracted students from each grade as a way to practice sitting through the lengthy test. There were even a few ambitious 8th graders present that morning to get an early start with the complicated college process. With a number two pencil and calculator in hand, the teens were ready to take the test, regardless of the early hour. The test began at 8:00 am and concluded at approximately noon. The practice SAT, planned by the PTSA, is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the organization. According to PTSA member Myra Connolly, “The SAT practice test is a great opportunity for everyone. Students get the benefit of having the chance to experience the SAT.” During the test, students are asked to complete three major sections: mathematics, critical reading and writing. While this particular test date does not count, the scores students receive allow them to get a better understanding of their success with the SAT and a chance to improve their skills. Although the test is a tedious task for the majority of students, it is a vital step to success for college.

Aquaculture VS. Agriscience

As a prospective THS, you have the option to enter two amazing programs which offer a variety of different science classes. Both the Aquaculture and Agriscience programs offer science courses which are directed in one focus of study. For the Agriscience school this is plants and animals, and for the Aquaculture school is marine science. For many students who chose to go to one of these special schools, the choice is easy because they are only interested in one of these topics; however for some the choice is more difficult because they are interested in both subjects. When I myself was entering high school, I had to make a choice: Aqua, Ag, or being a full time THS student. In the end it came down to what I was most interested in, and at which school I would perform best at. Some of the things I looked into when applying was each school’s admission, academics, and the intensity of their classes. When it came to admissions, these schools were more or less the same. At both, they looked at your grades, behavior, attendance, CMT scores, letters of recommendation, and your personal reason for wanting to attend their program. Both of these schools admit mostly students who were honor students in middle school, and rarely got in trouble. For academics, both of these schools’ courses are extremely intense. At the Agriscience school, they teach honors classes, and according to the principal, Mr. Cicero, if you do not apply yourself, you will fail out. While this is true as well at the Aquaculture school, the Aqua school has something else to offer as well, ECE classes. ECE classes are early college experience. Basically, you take a class in which you pay a small fee for, and you take it as if you were at UCONN. You receive a UCONN college credit for the class which is transferable to almost any school. For many students, this is a big plus because they are able to get many classes out of their way before ever stepping foot on a college campus. Both of these schools are superb, and are top ranked in the country for doing what they do. Moreover, both of these school’s standings give students a leg up in college because when colleges see the school’s name on an application, they know that student is extremely bright because she/he was able to successfully make it through the intense class and work load at both of these schools. To go to either of these schools is a privilege that we as: Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Orange, Easton, Stratford, and Milford students are lucky to have.

Ayla Hundley

Advance Placement (AP) testing is just around the corner, and registration is in B House Guidance. You can register for AP tests from 7:45 am to 12:30 pm only, by February 5th. Each exam is $86; checks can be made out to Trumbull High School AP Testing. Make sure to keep your receipt; if you would like to cancel your exam, refunds will be made in June. There will also be a Mandatory Pre-Administration Session for AP testing on Wednesday, April 28th during Period 1 in the commons at 7:30 AM. Please keep in mind that the school will not order extra exams, in order to remain within the policies of College Board.
For a complete list of test dates, click on the link below:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/cal.html

Getting Involved Feeding the Shelters (GIFTS)

Helping the homeless is an issue that is often ignored within Fairfield County, Connecticut. Many people feel as if there are few underprivileged families within our community and that it is unnecessary to make a contribution for the cause. Trumbull High School junior, Stephanie Schwartz, however feels differently however. The Founder and President of the newly introduced club, Getting Involved Feeding the Shelters (GIFTS), Stephanie is eager to increase the amount of attention this issue receives. She plans to conduct many fundraisers and also visit local shelters. A large group of students have already committed their time and involvement to the club, a surprising factor considering the first meeting has yet to be held. Lily Etemad says, “I know the club will be a great success. I can’t wait for it to fully start up!” Many students feel like the club will make great strides in helping the local community and they cannot wait for the fundraisers to begin.
The first meeting has suffered minor setbacks due to the unexpected volume of snow received on Thursday, January 28, 2010. The next meeting date has been rescheduled Wednesday, February 3, 2010 after school. Updates will be given via the school announcements, the Facebook page (see link below), and by directly asking Stephanie Schwartz who can be found around school. Please join us for the first GIFTS meeting!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=262098613146&ref=ts

By Mackenzie Regent
EE Staff Writer

'Music Man' come to THS

We don’t live in Gary, Indiana, or have a librarian named Marian, and maybe we don’t have seventy six trombones. However, we will have all of those things on March 18th through March 20th when Trumbull High school will be performing Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man. The fun filled musical tells a tale of con man Harold Hill (Jack Rhodes) claiming he can teach the children of River City, Iowa to play in a marching band. Marian Paroo (Katelyn Matuska) the local librarian and piano teacher doubt his ability to teach the children. The long adventure of finding out whether or not Harold can actually teach the students will keep you entertained the entire time. The musical is filled with ideas about growing up, falling in love, and of course, and music. Admission to the musical will be $10.00; tickets will be sold at the door or by order. The performance will be on March 18th through the 20th and will be in the Trumbull High School auditorium.

Grace Barney

"From Osama to Obama"

Osama bin Laden is the most infamous man of the 21st century. The Saudi jihadist has led al-Qaeda in acts of terror against the US since the late 1980s. On January 23rd bin Laden spoke for the first time since the botched Christmas day bombing. His message was short and concise with an unexpectedly new theme: Palestine.

It started by praising Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and his attempted attack on the US before transitioning and showing a newly kindled interest in the Gaza strip predicament. He made it clear that Palestine now has the full support of al-Qaeda and warned, "America will never dream of living in peace unless we live it in Palestine. It is unfair that you enjoy a safe life while our brothers in Gaza suffer greatly. Therefore, with God's will, our attacks on you will continue as long as you continue to support Israel."

Bin Laden's address of Palestine is sure to reverberate throughout both the Arab and Muslim worlds. This support will only continue to heat the coals that fuel the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. For now though, both sides wait to see what happens in the aftermath of bin Laden's most recent declaration.