Eric Urbanowicz – Special to the Southern News
Milford, Conn. — Months after a tragedy, Jonathan Law High School seniors united to record their senior class video. This year the students chose to film around the song “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift. Shayreny Bernal, a former Jonathan Law student who graduated in 2012, was impressed with the video.
“This video involved everyone joining together,” said Bernal. “I saw like all programs like science, band, cross country, football, some classes, cheerleaders lower upperclassmen.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08LmZrv4nJk]
Bernal said she remembered when she was a senior; limited people took part in the video.
“I like it because it shows how much law has matured with really working together and becoming a family,” said Bernal.
Bernal said she’s proud of her sister, Ashley, for being in this video.
Since it’s post on Nov. 25, the video has had 5,852 views, which is an average of about 650 views a day.
The video was filmed and edited by Joe Beler, a business teacher at the high school as part of a video project for his second period class, marketing and management.
Austin Wheaton is a former Jonathan Law student who now attends Southern Connecticut State University, and said Jonathan Law is still rocking.
“Well I’m not a fan of the song by any stretch of the imagination,” said Wheaton, “but it definitely works well for the video.”
Wheaton said ever since the Maren Sanchez tragedy earlier this year, he’s seen the school continue to grow because of the tragedy and its community became even more connected over the past few months.
“The entire law community definitely knows how to rock,” said Wheaton with a little chuckle.
The Maren Sanchez tragedy took place on April 25, 2014 when Jonathan Law High School junior, Maren Sanchez, was stabbed to death by a boy she had befriended, but wouldn’t go to the junior prom with later that night. This tragedy had caused strife not only in the Jonathan Law community, but also in other parts of the city of Milford and fellow New Haven County areas. The prom would be postponed and on the new date, she was named prom queen posthumously.
“Shake It Off” is a song that was released by Taylor Swift on Aug. 18, 2014. The song had reached number one on the Billboard top 40 list, her third song to do that along with “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “We Are Never Getting Back Together.” The song has also earned itself a nomination for the Favorite Song category at the 2015 People’s Choice awards.
Jonathan Law alumni, Paul Jaser, didn’t find the video to be interesting.
“What the hell did I just watch?” said Jaser while trying to hold in his laughter. “That was horrible.”
Jaser said he didn’t know what was worse, the song or how bad the people dancing and acting in the video.
“Definitely todays pop culture wrapped up in one video,” said Jaser. “I thought the editing was good just not a big fan of the music choice.”
In 2012, Southern Connecticut State University’s New Student Orientation group recorded a video of them lip synching to Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit song “Call Me Maybe.” The video reached a high enough popularity that it was featured on the 2012 Fox Teen Choice Awards.
The video was made as part of spirit week, the second biggest part of the high school year in terms of excitement to most, only behind homecoming. Spirit week is held the week prior to Thanksgiving to boost the spirits up for the annual football game between Jonathan Law and rivals Joseph A. Foran High School. Joseph A. Foran would wind up winning the game 41-21.
The song is often seen as Taylor Swift’s departure from her normal country pop music style and transition into a more up tempo type of sound, lead by more a saxophone and other horns sound, rather than her use of acoustic guitar. The songs been compared to many other pop songs including Idina Menzel’s “Let It Go” according to Shirley Halperin of The Hollywood Report, and Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” according to Jason Lipshutz of Billboard.
Elizabeth Dixon, an alumni of Jonathan Law, had mixed feelings about the video.
“Honestly, it hurts to watch the video in some parts,” said Dixon, “but in others, it made me laugh a little bit.”
Dixon said her high school experience wasn’t as ideal as some of the students in the video, but she managed to get through it in tact.
“Beler made me laugh,” said Dixon, “he was one of the only teachers that made me smile every day.”
Dixon said she wasn’t surprised that he took part in helping this video come to life. She said he made class fun and he enjoyed his job teaching.
The way the community has come together in the months following the tragedy has helped inspire the city of Milford with its social media trend of #MilfordStrong. Maren Sanchez would have been a senior this school, and as her YouTube video of her covering Phillip Phillip’s song “Home” showed, she would have more than likely taken part of in the video and had enjoyed it.
This video in the eyes of Dixon, Wheaton, Jaser, and Bernal bring back memories of their high school experiences, some good, some bad, all unique. Despite everything that has happened in the months following the tragedy, Jonathan Law has stood united.
“It shows how much law has matured with really working together and becoming a family,” said Bernal.
