Monthly Archives: November 2018
The Science Behind The Flood
Adith Velavan ’19
EE Contributor
On September 25th, Trumbull experienced flash flooding and over seven inches of rain, the second most in the state, resulting in excessive damage in town. The high school was closed for three days, entire streets and areas were closed, and the fire department responded to 80 calls, rescuing 45 people, according to Assistant Fire Chief Alex Rauso. He went on to describe how the wet roads and ground could no longer hold any more water, and that the torrential downpour filled the storm drains, eventually overflowing and flooding the Town, four to six feet in areas.
Trumbull was hit with a weather event termed a flash flood. A flash flood is categorized as such when it occurs within six hours, in a mostly low lying area, and is often predated by a storm or other rain related event. While these floods can occur in a variety of situations and geography ranging from poorly absorbing soil to volcanoes that cause the melting of glaciers, all of these flash floods are predicated on the fact that they occurred within a short period of time.
Most people learn about rain as a simple process, and in terms of the weather cycle. Water evaporates, condenses, and then precipitates. Much of the evaporation, however, occurs in large bodies of water, which arise as a result of runoff. Due to the hill and valley topography, of Trumbull, the rain pooled in the lower areas of the town, acting as watersheds, and creating flash floods. Moreover, the amount of rain that fell in the short period of time was increased by a scientific process called coalescence, which is when rain droplets join together, as a result of a cold front, to form larger amounts, thereby allowing a greater amount of rain to fall in a shorter period of time.
The College and Career Center: The Place You Never Knew You Needed
Ali Karpowich ’19
EE Contributor
Ms. Shirley Tyszka and Ms. Samantha Eisenberg outside the College and Career Center
Applying to college can be a very stressful time for seniors. Between the Common Application, the FAFSA, the letters of recommendation, it can all be a little overwhelming. Thankfully, there are two women right here at Trumbull High to help: Ms. Shirley Tyszka and Ms. Samantha Eisenberg.
The College and Career Center is located right next to the Media Center. Ms. Tyszka has been working as the College and Career Coordinator at Trumbull High for 15 years and says the best part about her job is seeing all the kids and helping them through one of the most stressful times in their life.
Throughout the year, the College and Career Center brings in college representatives from all around the country to talk to students. The representatives who visit are generally the college admissions counselors for our area. This means the college representative, who you are talking to, will most likely be reading your application. “It’s a great opportunity to make another impression on the person accepting you into that college,” said Ms. Tyszka.
Coach Bray Reflects on Thirty-Two Seasons
Kelly O’Leary ’19
EE Contributor
Clifford Bray, better known as Buddy Bray, has been at Trumbull High School for a total of 36 years between being a student and physical education teacher, but most importantly, a coach. Coach Bray has been coaching numerous sports for 32 years, such as baseball, track, volleyball and basketball. Basketball has always been at the top of Coach Bray’s list, but after the many seasons of hard work and dedication, Coach Bray said it’s definitely time to start winding down.
“I don’t remember the last time I sat down on Christmas with my family and thought to myself ‘Oh, I’m having a great time,’ because I was always thinking about the next practice or big game.” said Coach Bray. He would spend not only his holidays watching film or answering emails, but any additional free time he had as well. Coaching was a full time job and for 32 years, it took a lot of time and effort. Bray said it’s time to start being with his family more, especially his wife whom he referred to as “an angel” after all of the support she’s given him since they began dating in high school.
Trumbull Flood Incites Drama with the Drama Club
Neya Kidambi ’22
EE Staff Reporter
Nathan Ayotte and Thomas Leonard rehearse a scene from the THeSpian’s production of The Good Doctor.
On Tuesday, September 25, Trumbull received a staggering 7 inches of rainfall, not only leading to school closings and delays, but damage to Trumbull High School. Entire carpeting needed replacement in the music rooms, while major repairs were needed in the gym flooring and the Robert E. McCarthy auditorium stage.
One group that was particularly affected by this damage was the THeSpians Club. The club, consisting of aspiring actors and actresses, alongside a dedicated crew, relies on the stage for many aspects of their rehearsals.
The damage of the stage “put a lot of us in stress of the unknown,” Nathan Ayotte, a freshman and actor taking part in THeSpians said. “We didn’t know a lot of things, for we were mostly left in the dark.”
Consequently, Ayotte and his fellow THeSpians were uncertain of when the stage would be reopened. “Overall, a lot of time was spent wondering if we were going to have a show,” says Ayotte. This fear of wondering if the show would go on put an intense amount of pressure on the students taking part in the fall play, worrying that their hard work may not even be showcased.
A New Era for the Black Hole
Lucas Liebowitz ’19
EE Contributor
Trumbull’s “Black Hole”
Student support at our football games has clearly experienced a revival both in its numbers and its energy. At home football games this year, the student fan section, also known as the Black Hole, is a crowded frenzy of excited students immersed in a student-produced cloud of baby powder.
Participation at the student section, at football games especially, has improved from last year. More students are attending the school’s sporting events, wanting to be a part of the new Black Hole.
Greg Kaufmann, a senior and a regular spectator of the football games during his years at the school, believes that this year’s Black Hole is “so much more engaging and fun this year. Last year’s Black Hole didn’t have nearly as many students in it, and the students that lead it this year do a much better job at keeping people engaged.”
BICEN’s Road to States
Arnav Srivastava ’19
EE Editor-in-Chief
Throughout the years, Trumbull High School has established an impressive record in the BICEN “We the People” program, where seniors debate constitutional issues and modern politics while developing civic responsibility and a greater understanding of the US government. Since THS’s initial participation in the BICEN program 31 years ago, Trumbull has established an impressive record, having earned 7 consecutive victories from 2012 to 2018 to add to their 23 state champions in total.
As BICEN team member George James explains, “there’s a lot of pressure to win States. Eight years in-a-row isn’t going to be easy.” Nevertheless, the daunting task of upholding Trumbull’s reputation in the competition is a challenge that BICEN Class of 2019 is driven to take on. Since the beginning of school year, team coach Ms. Boland has been rigorously training BICEN students to grow as dynamic citizens of our community competent in American history and current events.
“Over the summer, I spent a lot of time learning court cases and American history, and all of this hard work set up a good foundation for our success in class,” explains BICEN member Katie Megale. “During the school year, I’ve been meeting a lot with my Unit, and the more time I spend, the better we perform overall.” Evidently, success stems from hard work, and the students’ determination to win states is clearly demonstrated in their rigorous study of the American government.
National FFA Convention 2018: Just One
Kathryn Wilkinson ‘20
EE Science and Tech Editor
This year’s annual National FFA Convention and Expo was held in Indianapolis, Indiana from October 24th through the 27th. Trumbull Agriscience sent eight students on this once in a lifetime trip to represent Connecticut and the Trumbull FFA chapter. These students included sophomore John Novak, juniors Margaret Brady, Kathryn Wilkinson and Thomas Acri, and seniors Cade Toth, Klaudia Poplawski, Dana Jurgielewicz, and Kaitlyn Marcinko.
This years theme was titled Just One, focusing on the actions that one student can make to leave a long lasting impact on others and also their community. Over 69,000 FFA members were inspired by the words of keynote speakers like the National FFA 2017-2018 President, Breanna Holbert, and also motivational speaker and comedian Kyle Scheele. This year was also incredibly noteworthy because of president Donald Trump’s address at the final session of this year’s convention. Donald Trump is among the few presidents that have spoken at the convention in person, including Harry S. Truman, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter in past years.
At the convention, students had the opportunity to attend workshops in order to build skills such as leadership, interpersonal skills, and communication. They could talk with past national FFA officers and alumni and FFA members from every US state and territory. The convention also boasted a huge exposition full of vendors. FFA members could talk with numerous colleges and also individuals working in every different field of agriculture.
Girl’s Volleyball Team Are FCIAC Champs!
Manan Manchanda ‘19
EE Co-Editor-in-Chief
After an electrifying win in the semifinal against Ludlowe, Trumbull Girls Volleyball competed in the FCIAC championship on Saturday, November 3rd. The girls had an impressive performance with a sweeping 3-0 victory against the 1 seeded Westhill Vikings.
A nail-biting semifinal game preceded the championship win on Thursday, November 1st. The Eagles eventually came out on top in 5 (25-15, 23-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-10), which energized them for their big game the following Saturday.
“We knew Ludlowe would be a tough game, especially since the neutral location happened to be their gym,” says Captain and Libero Rachel Hage (‘19). Despite the obvious disadvantage on opposing turf, the Eagles were able to hang on for a crucial win in the 5th set. “Once we won that energy and drive to win, it helped carry us into Saturday’s game, allowing us to sweep Westhill.”
Boring Walls Get Some Fresh Faces
Ali Karpowich ‘19
EE Contributor
Photos of past THS Musical productions now hang near the auditorium.
Over the past few years, pictures showcasing athletes had been put up near the gymnasium and throughout the front of the school, but to the surprise of many students, photos from past musicals were hung up in the lobby near the auditorium on Friday, September 21st.
Gabriella Alarcon, a junior and participant in the Spring musical said, “I think it’s a great start on making all the students feel more accepted.”
“The school wanted to create a much more homey feel for the students and blowing up these amazing action shots of our students really brought a new life to the school” said Mr. Pijar, the Dean of Students. Pijar has been an avid photographer for years and thinks the pictures are “a great spirit and moral boost.”
Mr. Pijar wants all kids in Trumbull High to feel welcomed and thinks that images of students engaged in classroom activities or labs would also spice things up a bit. “The walls are too boring,” he admitted.
Celebrating Sponsoring Seniors
Kyle Beck ’19
EE Senior Opinions Editor
If you walked into Trumbull High School on Thursday, October 25th, you may have noticed something strange. Yes, the apprehension from the upcoming FCIAC competitions for the Boys Soccer Team and Girls Volleyball Team mixed with a nerve-racking Night with the Experts Competition for the We the People Team did rest on the minds of many of our seniors, but this school day was a nice break from the regular routine of everyday life. Why, you ask? This particular Thursday was Sponsor-A-Senior Day.
The tradition of Sponsor-A-Senior has continued through decades of Trumbull High School students, as a day in the spirit week prior to Halloween when seniors can dress as almost anything they choose. Meanwhile, underclassmen are walked to and from each of their classes by these characters, and the crazier the costume, the better. This year’s lineup included students dressing as aliens, FBI agents, flood cleanup crew members, crossing guards, Disney movie characters, celebrities including the Spice Girls, and so much more.
Senior Chris Lepore commented on how much this day meant to him and his classmates. “Sponsor-A-Senior was a really great day. It seemed like everyone enjoyed dressing up. It would have been unfair if they tried to cancel this special day since we haven’t contributed to any of the problems in the past,” he remarked.
