Remembering 9/11: Twenty-Two Years Later
Maggie Russell ’24
EE Staff Writer
It has been 22 years since the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. On the night of September 10th, 246 passengers went to sleep for their early morning flights, and 2,606 workers prepared for their morning commute to work. As well as 343 firefighters, 60 police officers, and 8 paramedics went to sleep for their morning shift. Tragically, none of them saw past 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001.
On a beautiful clear morning, the hijacked Flight 11 crashed into floors 93-99 of the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. Later on, at 9:03 a.m., the hijacked Flight 175 crashed into floors 77-85 of the South Tower. After the second plane hit the second tower, the people of New York City knew this was no longer an accident. Firefighters from all over the city rushed to the World Trade Center to help save the people inside the towers.
Meanwhile in Arlington, Virginia, at 9:37 a.m., the hijacked Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon. Back in NYC, at 9:59 a.m., the South Tower collapses. At 10:02 a.m. the hijacked Flight 93 crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania after the passengers began to find out the flight was hijacked and tried to stop the terrorists in the cockpit. Almost half an hour later in NYC, the North Tower collapses.
After the towers collapsed, the cleanup took 10 months and involved employees from dozens of City, state, and federal agencies and the incredible efforts of responders, laborers, contractors, volunteers, and community organizations. The final cost of cleanup and restoration of the World Trade Center site is expected to be about $1.5 billion. Now, there is a new World Trade Center called the One World Trade Center and it honors the World Trade Center’s past as well as a standing symbol of hope for the future. Not too far from the One World Trade Center are the 9/11 reflecting pools. On the upper sides of the pools are all the names of everyone who died on 9/11.
Every year on the anniversary of September 11th, 2001, family members of victims read aloud the names of those killed in the attacks and in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. We will never forget the civilians and the fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice to save others. We will always honor and remember.
Girls Cross Country Off to a Fast Start
Ria Beri ‘27
Maddie Totten ‘27
EE Staff Writers
The Trumbull girls’ cross country team saw the start of their season on Thursday, August 24. They worked their way around the sizzling September temperatures to train for their upcoming meets. For the girls, sprints, hill workouts, and intense core exercises are just a normal part of practice. Fortunately, all of this hard work and dedication is starting to pay off.
They started out strong with the Wilton Invitational, and the girls showed why they placed 2nd in the FCIAC last year. Out of nine different high schools, Trumbull’s freshman team placed third in the 1.5 mile freshman race, with Nikki Adorante and Maura Kane placing 3rd and 4th respectively.
Kane believes that the team’s strong first race has paved the way for a strong season. “As a team we did incredible for our first race”, she said. “I think this shows the potential we have for the rest of the season”.
Trumbull also scored third in the 2.5 mile junior varsity race, but this time against 20 other teams! Finally, Trumbull came to a close with their varsity race, placing 10th with Leela Kocinsky running the 2.5 mile course in an astounding 16:47 minutes.
After kicking it off at the Wilton Invitational, the girls kept it going in back-to-back home meets. First, on September 12, they took on Wilton, Darien, and Saint Joseph. Trumbull’s Junior Varsity dominated the competition, placing first with three runners in the top five–scoring second, third, and fourth place for Trumbull High. Varsity placed an honorable second, with their own four runners rounding out the top ten.
Pie Season Arrives!
Ria Beri ‘27
EE Staff Writer
Agriscience’s annual pie fundraiser is happening right now! Supporters have until October 13 to order their choice of pie and/or cookie dough. On November 13, Lyman Orchard will deliver the goodies to the Agriscience center. The members will then deliver the sweets to your home on that same day! To order, please contact an Agriscience member who is participating in the fundraiser and have them send you the link. All benefits will be used to send the Agriscience team to nationals.
For those looking for homemade, I encourage you to try these top pie recipes. We hope you try and enjoy both of these recipes!
Apple Pecan Pie
Crust Ingredients:
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
½ tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp sea salt
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter (cut into tiny cubes)
7 tbsp ice water
Filling Ingredients:
2 apples (cored, peeled, and diced)
½ tsp cinnamon
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
¼ tsp salt
½ stick melted, unsalted butter
1.5 cups pecan halves
Directions:
To make the crust, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse. Then, add in the butter and pulse more. At this point, the butter should be clumpy but the mixture should still be powdery. Add the ice water and work it into the mixture with your hands. Combine the dough until it is slightly sticky.
Separate the dough into halves and separate them into disks. Cover them in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the diced apples in a bowl with a few tablespoons of water and microwave for 2-3 minutes. Then, make sure the apples are drained and whisk the eggs, corn syrup, most of the sugar, salt, and melted butter in a separate bowl.
Roll the crust disks and place them in the pie tin. Mix the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch and place them inside. Then, put the pecans on top in a single layer. Pour the butter mixture over the apples and pecans. Cover the top of the pie with the other disk and bake for 15 minutes at 425 F before reducing the temperature to 350F and baking for 40 more minutes.
Boston Cream Pie
Cake Ingredients:
The Dolphins: Playing On Rookie Difficulty
Jude Magnotti ’26
EE Sports Columnist
Dolphin’s Conga Line
Have you ever played Madden before? Well, if you have I guarantee you that there was one thing you did as soon as you got the game. You chose your favorite team, turned the difficulty to rookie, then proceeded to absolutely to destroy your least favorite team by 70 points. Of course, people would say to you: “That’s too easy!” or “That’s not real football!”. Well guess what ladies and gentlemen, the Miami Dolphins just made it real.
In their week 3 matchup against the Denver Broncos at home, the Dolphins absolutely trashed the Broncos 70-20 with over 700 yards of combined offense. The Broncos have struggled this year no doubt, but never would have anyone, even a Dolphins fan like myself, thought that they would decide to turn into a freshman high school football team.
The game did not start off well for the Broncos with the Dolphins first drive ending in a 54 yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins then doubled down on their offense and scored a second touchdown on an 8 yard run by rookie Devon Achane. Luckily for the Broncos, they responded by driving down the field and punching in a touchdown of their own. Unfortunately for the Broncos, this is the closest the score would be all game. With a few turnovers and a no-look pass from Tua, the Dolphins found themselves up 35-13 at half time.
In no way was this a close game, but nobody could have expected what came next…Raheem Mostert decided to transform back into his 2020 NFC Championship form and ran through the Broncos defense over and over again. With every broken tackle, with every completed pass, the hearts of Broncos fans slowly became more and more decrepit and soulless inside as the Dolphins put up 56 points…in three quarters.
The Best Sport Combinations For Athletes
Ria Beri ‘27
EE Staff Writer
Many of our Trumbull High athletes participate in two sports that help out with one another to maximize their performance in both sports. While any sports combination is essentially good as the majority of sports require physical strength, strategy, and coordination; some combinations are more beneficial to the athletes than others. Based on research and the opinions of our student body, we have listed some of these combinations below:
Football and Wrestling
Because of the tackle nature of football, football players tend to be very big and muscular. Players need big bodies to block opponents and prevent themselves from being tackled. Similar to football, this big, muscular body can help wrestlers takedown their opponents and resist their attacks. Both sports require the athlete to be able to move and escape their opponent. Also, hands are used to fight the opponent in both sports, whether it’s for possession of the ball or dominance on the wrestling mat. In both games, athletes must have coordination and physical strength, making it ideal that both football and wrestling are played together. “While sports like basketball, soccer, ice hockey, and track can improve an athlete’s agility and speed, no other sport is as beneficial to football players as wrestling”, says an article in Hudl, a site dedicated to school athletes and coaches. In fact, 6% of NFL Hall of Fame Inductees wrestled in high school and/or college, showing just how well the two sports go together.
Basketball and Soccer
Personally, I know of many fellow Trumbull athletes who used to/do participate in both basketball and soccer. I think that the reason why this combination is so popular is because both sports have similar offensive-defensive structures. Players are constantly trying to score but are not penalized if they make a mistake, the way they are in sports like tennis and volleyball (this encourages them to take more risks). Also, there is a very similar teamwork aspect in both sports. While you can get away with avoiding team communication in cross country, tennis, and swimming, communication and trust in your teammates is essential to winning in these sports. You are constantly passing around the ball and relying on others to be in on your strategy and help you score. Both sports require very good stamina as players are constantly running, and agility is needed to weave around the players on the court. Even the game structures are very similar, there being countdowns and overtimes. Because the two sports require so much of the same strategies and movements, they are a very popular combination.
Track and Cross Country
This is definitely one of the more obvious combinations. Both sports are mainly running-based, with track being short-distance and cross country being long-distance. While track is better for building speed, cross country is better for building stamina. Both are key elements in running, so, for serious runners, participating in both sports is a good idea.
“I do XC and track as my sports combo because each of the seasons individually compliment each other”, said junior Aarushi Sharma, a participant in both sports. “Of course, the general basis of both sports is running, but more than that, each of the sports help me prepare for the other”. “I started off doing track in order to train before XC season but eventually learned that XC season was also training me for track”, she added.
New Year Begins for Gymnasts
Noemi Farkas ’25
EE Staff Writer
Members of last year’s THS gymnastics team.
Over the past few weeks, many practices have started back up signifying the start of the upcoming gymnastics season. There are a few things to keep in mind as this new season starts!
After having some time off over the summer, it is time for gymnasts to come back stronger than ever. Summer practices are a great time for gymnasts to work on getting new skills because once the season starts, there will be no time spent on learning new skills. Instead, more attention will be put towards perfecting all the skills and tricks you already have.
“Meet Season” is when gymnasts spend months competing their routines against other gyms. Meet season differs from gym to gym and gymnasts usually start competing towards the end of October until May. These few months are some of the toughest and most stressful months of the gymnastics season, but they are also the most rewarding. All the hard work and effort that was put into practice over the summer pays off at meets. The better you do at meets, the more meets you get to attend.
With all this in mind, it is important to take care of yourself. From first-hand experience, I know how stressful it can get, but it is important to keep in mind that your well-being comes first. It is important to not only take care of yourself but to also be easy on yourself. One bad score doesn’t define your worth, everyone has good and bad meets. The most important thing to take away from your meet season is that there is always room for improvement. You can always perform better next time, and remember you’re doing gymnastics to have fun!
This Is Not What Football Is About
Jude Magnotti ‘26
EE Sports Columnist
“Why can’t it just be fun?” These were the words of Lisa Mooney after her husband Dale Mooney was pronounced dead at Gillette Stadium. The cause of his death? A violent confrontation with another fan during the Patriots-Dolphins Sunday Night matchup on September 17th.
Mooney, a lifelong Patriots fan and 30-year season ticket holder, had reportedly been bickering with another fan throughout the game. Security was forced to come over and give them warnings once in the fourth quarter and again in the third. However, during the 4th quarter Mooney went and confronted the opposing fan on the other side of the aisle.
Violent words were exchanged and a scuffle then ensued between Mooney and the fan. Mooney was reportedly punched once by the fan, but it was only when a different fan wearing a Miami Dolphins jersey came up from another seat punched Mooney unconscious. He fell into the aisle and despite receiving immediate medical attention never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead by officials shortly before midnight.
Incidents like these have not been a one time occurrence at sporting events and more specifically football games. Only 2 weeks into the season 3 different violent confrontations were reported in separate games. This begs the question, why have people suddenly become more aggressive to each other at football games? Watching football is supposed to be a fun lighthearted experience with family or friends. How come people have suddenly become more prone to fighting?
Well the thing is, this type of behavior has not been entirely uncharacteristic at football games. With the tension and weight each game yields, the atmosphere is bound to be far more stressed than other sporting events (especially in the fourth quarter). However, this is the first time someone has actually died which has the world calling on the NFL to do something.
Field Hockey Looking for Strong Season
Tessa Fabrizio ’25
EE Staff Writer
Photo of the 2022 Eagles Field Hockey Team
As fall sports resume, the Trumbull High girl’s field hockey team is looking to beat last year’s record of 13-3. So far they are looking to put up a good fight with two wins and one loss to Staples.
“I’m so excited–I love the sport and being able to play with my friends”, said junior Sydney Carroll when asked about the upcoming season. “I think we will have a really strong season this year”.
Even with the loss of some talented seniors, the upcoming classes have great potential.
Junior, Lily Healy, says that her pregame routine consists of, “listening to music before every game and on the bus ride there, (which) helps calm all the nerves and get me hyped to play”.
This year the team is looking forward to a great season together, but more importantly spending time getting to know everyone and enjoying each others company. As Nola Antonio put it, “ my favorite part of field hockey is the bus ride when we’re all singing and laughing and just having a good time”.
Let’s support our girl’s field hockey team this fall and come to a game or two (admission is free) and perhaps help them advance to States.
The Problem with No-Hitters/Perfect Games
Isaac Gramse ‘26
EE Sports Columnist
Pitcher Andrew Chafin after giving up the tying 2-run homerun to Giancarlo Stanton after losing no-hitter bid.
One of the most desired moments for a pitcher is the chance to throw either a no-hitter or a perfect game. For those who don’t know, a no-hitter is when one or more pitchers do not allow the opposing team to get a hit, however they can allow hit batters, walks, and errors. A perfect game is much harder: the pitcher must face 27 batters and all 27 batters must record an out. While I do enjoy getting the opportunity to see one of these moments in baseball history, they are flawed in my opinion.
My problem starts with the many things that can make these moments “not count” in the eyes of some fans. What if a game gets rained out in the 3rd inning before the team gets a hit. Is that considered a no-hitter? What if a pitcher is perfect through 9 innings, but since the offense doesn’t do anything, the game remains tied and he later gives up a hit in the 10th inning. Why is that not a perfect game?
This has come to my attention after Brewers-Yankees game on Sunday, September 10, where the Brewers no-hit the Yankees for 12th innings until eventually losing the bid and the game. I hate how this doesn’t count as a no-hitter. It’s not the pitchers’ fault that the offense couldn’t score in the standard 9 innings, so why should he have to be punished for that?
Another case of this happened back on July 3, 1995. Pedro Martinez threw a perfect 9 innings against the Padres, but the Expos weren’t able to score the one run they needed to get him the achievement. This would lead Bip Roberts to hit a lead-off double in the bottom of tenth, losing Martinez the bid for history. Worst of all, Expos manager immediately took Pedro out after this for closer Mel Rojas, who almost lost the game.
While, this may seem insignificant to some, I feel that this is a problem that commissioner Rob Manfred should try to fix, he’s already made a bunch of bogus rules in baseball, why not make an actually important rule that can help the pitchers?
Spooky Sweet Treats
Noemi Farkas ’25
EE Staff Writer
As you can see, so many typical snacks can be transformed into spooky snacks in minutes. These recipes are all easy, and perfect for Halloween coming up! Halloween is by far one of the oldest traditions that is still celebrated today. It’s a popular holiday all across the United States, celebrated by many. One of the most popular ways to celebrate this spooky holiday is with sweet treats!
Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats are a fan favorite! Everyone loves the popular snack, so why not make it better by making it Halloween-themed? You can transform a simple rice crispy into Frankenstein with only a few ingredients. All that’s needed is Rice Krispies, green dye, some chocolate dip, mini marshmallows, and any other decorations you want to add!
Another easy treat is a Halloween snack mix! Within minutes you can transform trail mix into a Halloween-themed snack. All that’s needed is whatever typical snacks you prefer in your trail mix, some examples of things to start with include peanuts, pretzels, and chocolate. Then, after adding the candy of your choice, mix it all to create your spooky snack mix!
As you can see, so many typical snacks can be transformed into spooky snacks in minutes. These recipes are all easy, and perfect for our upcoming Halloween!
