Issuu

L U E G B the

MUSICAL Issue 003 2024-25

Ta ble o f Co n te n t s Scene 1: Student Life

A day in the life of Tyler Hodges Wes Coughlin Chinese program hosts first Lunar New Year party Zipf Pedrick Bolles students slam Poetry Out Loud Ellie Stewart

Seniors sign in the spring Jake Forrest

Mrs. Hervol joins Bolles Science Brady Pratt

Bolles hosts annual Latin Forum Thomas Catto

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Students celebrate Ramadan at Bolles Sree Alam Robotics powers up for Regionals Zara Touheed

Rachel Johns ‘19 steps out of the suit Ava Cheng

The top views on campus Wes Coughlin

Scene 2: Arts

Third quarter brings fresh artwork to Gooding Gallery Isabel Schimpff

Northeast Florida Scholastics Art Awards Brady Pratt

Brushing up on the Bent Center’s mural Zara Touheed

Food truck frenzy at Bolles Alastair Thompson Pop it and drop it! Dillon Brigman ‘26 takes action Jolee Abbey

Pets for Patients brings joy to Jax Kate Youelll

BSU/HSU field trip Akin Akande

Boarders travel to Universal Leah Chin

Young stars bring Bikini Bottom to center stage Isabel Schimpff

Bolles Dance brightens the Bartram campus Raaya Katugaha

The Next Chapter: Seniors discuss college enrollment decisions Henry Leslie

Scene 5: Op-Ed and Video

Scene 3: Sports Winter sports bring the heat Jolee Abbey and Jaxson Richter

Bulldogs shoot for states Ty Neal

Baseball looks ahead Dawson Brydges

Trump kickstarts positive change in Washington Jake Forrest

Change in Washington diminishes American greatness Raaya Katugaha

New coaches boost boys lacrosse Thomas Catto

The downfall of senior privilege Ty Neal

Bulldogs kick off the shortdistance track season Akin Akande

The trade deadline was a mess Hudson Powell

2025 NFL Mock Draft Jack Laufer and Nick Azevedo

Grammy Awards present hits and misses Henry Leslie

Scene 4: Local City Year continues annual MLK tradition Ava Cheng

The downfall of Marvel Studios Tristan Schneider

Digging into the history of Groundhog Day Zipf Pedrick

Students layer up for cold weather 64 (or not) Ellie Stewart

TikTok’s treacherous ban Alastair Thompson

The trek to the towels Leah Chin

Azevedo ‘27 and Patel ‘27 react to wildfires in California Dawson Brydges

Who will win the Super Bowl? Nick Azevedo and Jack Laufer

Early cooldown in Jax Jaxson Richter

Chatting with Champ Tristan Schneider 49

Bolles offers Youth Leadership Jax to freshmen Sree Alam

How to survive a horror story Tristan Schneider

Where are Bulldogs going for spring break? Hudson Powell and Kate Youell

The Bolles Bugle Staff Editor-in-Chief: Ava Cheng

Editor’s Letter Dear Reader,

Co-Online-Editors-in-Chief: Isabel Schimpff Kate Youell

Thank you so much for picking up (or digitally accessing) this copy of The Bolles Bugle, the student newsmagazine of The Bolles School.

Design Editor: Ellie Stewart

The beats in this issue are Student Life, Arts, Sports, Local, and Op-Ed. Some featured stories include coverage of a day in the life of Tyler Hodges and a video with the Bolles mascot, Champ.

Co-Sports Editors: Nikolas Azevedo Jack Laufer Co-Coffeehouse Editors: Ty Neal Tristan Schneider Contributing Writers: Jolee Abbey Akin Akande Sree Alam Dawson Brydges Thomas Catto Leah Chin Wes Coughlin Jake Forrest Raaya Katugaha Henry Leslie Zipf Pedrick Hudson Powell Brady Pratt Jaxson Richter Alastair Thompson Zara Touheed Advisor: Ms. Gastaldi Editorial Policy: The Bolles Bugle is the news magazine created by the journalism class at The Bolles School. Our publication focuses on increasing community awareness of in-school events and topics relating to the five news values: relevance, proximity, timeliness/novelty, conflict/controversy, and human interest. Content in the Bugle is the responsibility of the editorial staff and not meant to reflect the views of the school’s administration or the faculty advisor. Please reach out to our faculty advisor, Ms. Gastaldi, with any questions or comments. She can be reached at gastaldie@bolles.org or at bollesbugleonline@gmail.com. Copyright 2009-2025, The Bolles Bugle

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The Bugle exists to inform the student body of current events in the Bolles community and in the greater global one. Our mission is to encourage student awareness of the world around us. We value journalistic integrity and respect above all else. The Bugle also appreciates student engagement - leave us a story idea through the form on our website, or send us a direct message with any questions, comments, or concerns. If you enjoy this issue and want more Bugle content, check out our website www.bollesbugleonline.com and follow us on Instagram @thebollesbugle for early article releases and more content. Plus, subscribe to our YouTube channel @thebollesbugle for fun videos. Thanks for sticking with us, and welcome to the Quarter 3 edition of the 2024-25 school year! Sincerely,

Ava Cheng Editor-In-Chief

Scene 1

Student Life

A day in the life of Tyler Hodges Wes Coughlin Contributing Writer

e all know Tyler Hodges as the head of The Bolles School, the one who makes everything go. He runs four different campuses, with hundreds of students on each. Having responsibility over campuses, students, teachers, and every other aspect of Bolles is a lot of responsibility. As many of you probably assume, he has a very busy day-to-day life. Let’s take a look at what each day looks like for Hodges: Hodges has several nonnegotiables that he starts his morning with each day. He always drinks a hot cup of tea and takes some quiet time for himself before he embarks on his extremely busy day. He says that the quiet time helps him to “get himself centered and balanced.” He also likes to get some exercise. Many students know that he enjoys running but another way he likes to exercise is playing pickup basketball with some old buddies. After Hodges’ morning routine, he makes his way to his office by 8 a.m to make sure he is ready to go when students begin to arrive. He has always enjoyed being around students. “The best part of my job is being around students each and every day,” he said. He does wish that he knew each student a little better than he does, but since Bolles is so big it is really difficult. Hodges has several common things he does each day as Head of School. First, he attends many meetings, usually between three and four. He tries to space them out so he can give his undivided attention for all meetings.

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Hodges shared something unexpected about his opinion on meetings.“I don’t like to meet just to meet, but if we got something to address, then we will meet.” he said.

There are several days where he is still working until between 6 and 7 PM but other days he may leave at 4 PM. It depends on his work schedule and what he has going on.

Hodges also is required to travel often. He visits many alumni groups outside of campus. He also raises money for Bolles in order to make it so special for us. The final key reason, and the most obvious one, is to visit the other Bolles campuses. He tries to get to Ponte Vedra and Bartram once a week.

Hodges enjoys attending extracurricular Bolles events, which is why his work schedule often changes. “I’ll attend three to four athletic events in one night, if they are all on campus,” he said. He lives at Bolles, which he loves dearly. It is also very easy for him to attend a soccer game or basketball game when he lives here, whereas if he lived somewhere else, it could be very difficult to attend while working around family time, work events, and other things.

Tyler Hodges 2024-25 photo Credit: Cady Studios

For how busy Hodges is, he needs to fuel himself properly every day. He shared that his favorite thing to have for lunch is a deli sandwich and chips. When he has the choice, he will go for a good chicken salad or tuna salad sandwich. He tries to cut out fast food from his eating habits and stay on the healthier side when he eats. Hodges is then back to work after lunch. When he needs a break, he loves to read. “One thing I can’t live without is a good book to read,” he said.

Outside of athletic events, Hodges most commonly spends his evenings with his family. He grew up always having family meals, and he makes sure that he carries on that tradition with his kids. He also likes to walk his dogs and watch sports. He is usually lights out between 10:30 and 11. Finally, Hodges spoke about why Bolles is so special to him: “It’s the community. I was drawn to Bolles because it’s such an amazing place with an awesome reputation. It’s got such a loyal community.” he said. The day of Tyler Hodges is very busy. Through his busy day, he still is someone who wants to have intimate connections with each of his students. Hodges is a remarkable leader whose dedication and leadership has shaped the Bolles community and made it so special.

Chinese program hosts first Lunar New Year party Zipf Pedrick Contributing Writer

olles’ first Lunar New Year party took place on Saturday, January 25. The party consisted of performances by students, various activities, catered food and more.

The party was open to the entire community, not just members of the Chinese Club. The majority of students were from the upper school but there were kids from the lower and middle schools along with some parents. “The majority of the people are

goal was to have the partygoers taste authentic Chinese food at the party. “We wanted to give them not just an American-style Chinese, we wanted them to taste authentic Chinese,” said Rothschild.

The proposal to have a Lunar New Year party came from Mrs. Rothschild, an upper school Chinese teacher, who said she had the idea for a party like this for many years and told the Chinese club about it. The suggestion was received well and the Chinese club got to work setting it up. Rothschild thought the idea of the party was important because the holiday is not only celebrated in China. It is actually celebrated by lots of countries in Asia and around the world. “The Chinese culture spread out to all those Asian countries,” said Rothschild. “The wonderful traditions are one of the reasons it is celebrated in other Asian countries.” There are places in the United States and Canada that celebrate it as well. “You have a Chinatown in New York, in Canada, everywhere,” said Rothschild. “Those people celebrate in their local communities, really Chinese New Year is becoming a world event.” The night started with a talent show in Lynch Theater including cultural performances and lasting about an hour. Over 120 people attended the Lunar New Year party—so many people signed up that the registration link had to be shut down four days early. “We set up 120 chairs but in the end a lot of people came late and they didn’t have a chair so they had to stand up in the back,” said Rothschild.

Luke Meyers ‘26 plays the guitar. Credit: Dawson Brydges students taking Chinese from Level One all the way to AP. We do have a portion of the students who don’t take Chinese at all and they still want to celebrate Chinese holidays with us,” said Rothschild.

“The wonderful traditions are one of the reasons it is celebrated in other Asian countries.” — Mrs. Rothschild

“You have a show, you have food, you have fun games to play, of course, if you have nothing to do on Saturday we encourage people to pop in,” said Rothschild. “I think that’s what attracted people.” Food for the party was catered by a local Chinese restaurant. The

Food items such as egg rolls and dumplings were served because they are both typical Lunar New Year foods. Dumplings are symbolic of family unity in the new year, while egg rolls symbolize golden bars and bringing in wealth. There were traditional Chinese pork buns and American-Chinese food such as fried rice, chicken dishes, and vegetable dishes. There was also freshly made boba tea in the dining hall so students could make their own tea. The party had different cultural activities for people to take part in. There were stations with Chinese arts and crafts, tea-tasting, traditional games, chopstick contests, and more. These activities wrapped up the celebration. This was the first year that there was a Chinese Lunar New Year party. Hopefully, the event will become a lasting tradition each year. BOLLESBUGLEONLINE.COM

Bolles students Out Loud national levels. English and Creative Writing teacher Mrs. Curran helps organize the competition each year.

immigrant,” Vaghefi said. “My family immigrated from Iran, so I know how that experience is, and thought it was really interesting to see how it was written in poetry.”

“We thought it would be really enjoyable for students who don’t necessarily read poetry and don’t have any other opportunities to showcase their theatrical skills,” Curran said.

Winning first place qualifies Vaghefi for the state competition at the University of South Florida on March 15, where he will perform his previous two poems plus an additional pre-20th century poem.

Performances are scored based on physical presence, voice and articulation, interpretation, evidence of understanding, and overall performance. Each participant receives an overall score, and the highest scoring performer proceeds to the next level. This year, Cyrus Vaghefi ‘26 won first place, Mallie Brackin ‘28 earned second, and Ana LaRosa ‘28 won third.

Ellie Stewart Design Editor This year, the annual Poetry Out Loud competition took place on January 30, where students around Bolles volunteered to perform two poems in front of a panel of English faculty judges and their peers. Schools from every state around the nation have the opportunity to participate in Poetry Out Loud, where students perform and compete to proceed to the state and

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Cyrus Vaghefi performing. Credit: Ellie Stewart Vaghefi chose to perform William Butler Yeat’s “When You Are Old” and Ha Jin’s “Ways of Talking” because they are simple to memorize yet deep in meaning. Vaghefi connects to “When You Are Old” because it reminds him of his grandmother, who had Alzheimer’s. “‘Ways of Talking’ is personal to me because it is a story of an

Around 35 schools attend the state competition, and students are able to make connections with writers and other students from all around Florida. “It’s a great, enriching experience,” Curran said. She has personally attended many state competitions and has connected with many writers there, one of whom she invited to Bolles for a poetry workshop. This will be Vaghefi’s third year advancing to states, and he especially enjoys watching others perform while he is there. “When you watch other people deliver their poems, you get to see another really powerful delivery, and sometimes it can blow you out of the water,” he said. Even though public speaking comes naturally to him, Vaghefi still gets nervous before he performs. “I try to meditate before I go out because it allows me to calm myself, and then I feel more comfortable and confident to speak,” he said. During Vaghefi’s first year at states, he was “a little nervous and taken aback, honestly, because there were a lot of people there.” However, he looks back on it as “really cool because you get to meet so many amazing people who are also really good speakers and you can stay in contact with them for a long time.”

slam Poetry This year, Vaghefi hopes to win and proceed to the national competition in Washington D.C.. “It’s always a huge honor for me to get to represent Bolles at a state or national level,” he said. “I’m really striving to win.”

mask every day,” she said. Her second poem, “Genetics,” by Jacqueline Woodson, also follows themes of “identity, wearing a mask, and not showing your true feelings.” While performing, Brackin was not at all nervous because the attending audience was more intimate. “I was very confident going into it…It was fun to see everybody else perform,” she said.

Ana LaRosa getting stage directions. Credit: Ellie Stewart There are also prizes for winning the competitions, going up to $20,000 for winning the national competition in D.C.. Last year’s recipient was a student at Douglas Anderson, a local high school in Jacksonville. Brackin decided to enter the Poetry Out Loud competition because she discovered her love for performing during an alternate assessment. “For our English alternate assessment this year, we had to recite a poem. And it really sparked a passion,” she said. “I thought it was fun and enjoyable to bring the poem to life.” Brackin performed “We Wear the Mask,” by Paul Laurence Dunbar, for her alternative assessment and again at the competition. She chose this poem because although it was originally written about discrimination in the postCivil War years, she appreciates its application to modern issues. “It’s very real in the sense that in our society, we do wear the

Brackin focused on emphasizing each stanza in her performance. “You don’t want to be doing hand gestures every single line because that takes away from the words and the meaning of the poem. I try to focus on something in each stanza that stands out and I can lighten up.” Brackin intends on competing in Poetry Out Loud again next year and hopes to proceed to states. She believes that already having experience at states works to Vaghefi’s advantage because “He knows what works and what the judges like. His voice is very impactful, and he is a great narrator.” LaRosa’s first performance was “After the Winter,” by Claude Mckay. “It’s about hardships, times of struggle, and coming out the other side,” LaRosa said. She chose to perform Sara Teasdale’s “After Love” second because she thought it went well with her first. “I focused on trying to make the poem sound like how they felt, so very happy and hopeful,” she said. LaRosa enjoyed performing because it allowed her to learn more about poetry. “You have to

take a deeper dive and think about what it means to express it on stage.” Poetry Out Loud is a long-standing tradition at Bolles that many enjoy either participating in or watching. “Every year we debate if we have time to put on a competition because students are so busy and stressed,” Curran said. “But every year, there’s always a handful of students who want to do it. That makes it worth it. It’s worth the energy, the time, and the effort to put it together.”

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Rachel Johns ‘19 steps out of the suit Former Bolles mascot shares her story Ava Cheng Editor-in-Chief

or years, Champ the Bulldog has been a staple of Bolles spirit. The mascot can be seen at pep rallies and sporting events on campus, standing beside the stands and hyping up crowds. But who’s behind the bulldog? Rachel Johns ‘19 moved to New York after graduating, then to Los Angeles while pursuing a degree in acting, all amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Shortly before graduating, she returned to Jacksonville University for nursing. During her time at Bolles, Johns was an active member of the campus community, partaking in several extracurricular clubs, plays, and other activities including founding the Characters for Care Club, which remains active on the upper school campus.

“It is just the cutest thing when a little kindergartener comes up to you and hugs you and wants your autograph.” — Rachel Johns ‘19

Perhaps the most memorable aspect of Johns’ time at Bolles was her role as the Bolles mascot, Champ. After hearing about the possibility of becoming the mascot in the morning announcements at the end of

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her freshman year, Johns began looking into the opportunity. “They gave the qualities they were looking for and said, ‘If you have any interest, email this person.’ So I did,” recalled Johns. “They thought I would be a good fit, so I did an interview with one of the coaches in the Davis Gym. They asked me a variety of questions—why I wanted to be the mascot, what did I think it meant to be a mascot, some situational questions.” The next day, Johns was offered the position and asked to start at the first football game of the next school year, becoming one of the first female students to step into the costume. “And the rest was history.” Johns shared the role with several other students at the time, switching in and out of the suit during rallies and games. “It started out as a secret,” said Johns, “but then you couldn’t help but tell your friends that you were the mascot because you loved it so much and it was so fun and so funny, and you wanted them to come to the games and see you.” She also recalls being featured alongside the other mascots in the yearbook during her sophomore year. However, there was still a lot of anonymity surrounding the position. “There was a kind of vague supervisor role for the mascot,” said Johns. “None of us really knew exactly who was in charge. We used to go to Mrs. Fluegel, who was the faculty sponsor of the cheerleading team, and she would reach out to somebody else. But we were never really sure who was directly above

us on the ladder, we just kind of coordinated with each other. It was very odd.”

Rachel Johns poses alongside cheerleaders as Champ. Credit: Rachel Johns “There were rules for when we were in the suit where we were where we weren’t allowed to talk in English, or only allowed to make noises, and we weren’t allowed to tell our friends explicitly who it was in there,” said Johns. “So you never really knew which of the people in the pool of mascots was actually in the suit that you were talking to. It was a secret in that way.” As a consistent mascot, though, Johns adopted little habits while in the suit that became her signature, allowing friends to identify her on the field. “I was a mascot for so long that a lot of people in my grade picked up on the little things to tell if it was me in the suit or not. I tended to do things like steal cheerleaders’ pompoms or dance around during the halftime number and do splits.”

Rachel Johns with her grandma. Credit: Rachel Johns According to Johns, the role also came with several downsides. Johns, along with Gracie Surface ‘18, was one of the first female mascots at Bolles. However, most people assumed that the student inside the suit was male, which created several other issues.

shoes are just foam so walking in them is hard enough when you can feel your legs,” said Johns. “Somehow I stumbled into the bathroom, took off the mask, and I just started throwing up.”

and hugs you and wants your autograph and wants to get a picture with you,” said Johns. “So there’s that side where you get to make all these little kids super happy.”

That was the last time Johns was allowed to stay in the suit that long. “Mrs. Fluegel would sit on the sidelines and started putting a timer on her watch whenever we came out, and she would check us at certain intervals.” The mascots were also encouraged to drink the water and Gatorade set aside for cheerleaders and able to sit down along the sidelines if they needed to rest. “They definitely looked out for us, especially Mrs. Fluegel. She used to talk about it all the time in class, how much she loved when I was in the suit.”

Johns encourages students to apply for the mascot position when the opportunity is available as a way to have fun and raise school spirit. “I think the mascot is the epitome of school spirit because you gotta love your school if you’re willing to dress up in a 20-pound fur suit and dance like an idiot in front of hundreds of people,” said Johns.

Despite the challenges of the role, being a mascot was more than worth it for Johns. “It is just the cutest thing when a little kindergartener comes up to you

“You can get people excited from that kind of role. People get excited when they see you,” said Johns. “And the little kids run it up to you, and, the cheerleaders get excited because they know that you’re going to make it a fun time, and it really just brings a sense of joy and laughter to school events.”

“It really just brings a sense of joy and laughter to school events.” — Rachel Johns ‘19 “When the mascot walks into the women’s bathroom, it’s quite concerning to all the women in there, because they think some dude in a mask just walked in. That created a number of issues.” Johns also recalled several middle school boys harassing her while in the suit after mistaking her for a friend or a coach. The costume itself was rarely washed and often became extremely uncomfortable in the Florida heat. Johns recalled one specific experience where, after being in the suit for over 45 minutes while waiting for another mascot to take over, she started to get extremely dizzy. “I couldn’t feel anything below my knees, and the BOLLESBUGLEONLINE.COM

The top views on campus Wes Coughlin Contributing Writer

provides students with a viewing point that only Bolles can offer.

he Bolles San Jose Campus is one of the most beautiful high schools in all of Jacksonville. As Bolles students, many of us take for granted all of the great views that we have at our school. Whether we want a calming environment to get some work done or just want some alone time, each place is special in its own way. Recently, Bolles students voted on their favorite view on campus. Let’s take a look at the results.

The River Campus is undoubtedly the most beautiful part of our campus, and had the most votes on the poll. Whether it’s rough one day or calm the next, the St. Johns River is a unique aspect of our campus that not many students get to experience at other schools. There are many spots where you can sit and enjoy the views, but the best place is the swing. The swing adds a comfortable viewing spot to the rippling of the water, where one can bask in the sun. Another popular view on our campus is the outdoor hallway leading to the gazebo. This part of our campus is partially outdoors, with a closed rooftop and open side walls. Students voted it as the second best view on campus. Some teachers will even have a class period in the gazebo. This hallway, combined with the beautiful circular-shaped gazebo,

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If you open the Bolles website, one of the first pictures you find is of our beloved Bolles Hall. Bolles Hall is the oldest building on the San Jose Campus, yet many students think of it as the best building to look at. Students voted it as a top three site. Looking from our flagpole provides people with the best sight of this amazing building, which provides living, food, and classrooms for our students.

Davis Gym is quite a sight. Recently, the court and locker room were redone, providing student-athletes with some new outstanding facilities, and they surely have lived up to expectations. It is one of the best indoor viewing points at our school. The Skinner-Barco Stadium is another appealing view at The Bolles School. It not only provides an awesome turf field, but it also gives tons of seating for people to watch. There aren’t many high school stadiums that provide a beautiful field and track for

students to conduct their athletic activities. The stadium is not only great because of the outstanding architecture, but also because it is a place where students can show their Bulldog spirit.

The cafeteria is a delightful spot on our campus. It displays many flags representing each of the countries that students come from to attend Bolles. This provides students with a variety of displayed colors, which are very pleasurable to look at. The cafeteria is a perfect example of how the beauty of Bolles is more than just how something looks.

The new Center for Innovation(CFI) building is very popular for students. It is an extremely welldesigned building that provides some great views of the river and of other areas of our campus. Whether you are looking out the giant CFI windows or viewing the architecture from the outside, the CFI offers a charming view. As Bolles students, it is such an amazing gift that we get to experience such an exquisite campus every day. Each site is special and provides us students with a great environment to learn and grow.

Food truck frenzy at Bolles Alastair Thompson Contributing Writer

ood trucks in Jacksonville are considered to have some of the best unknown food items, and students at Bolles are fortunate to have them come to campus once in a blue moon.

Another truck that has come to Bolles that people hold dear to their hearts is Kona Ice. With over 1000 trucks across 49 out of 50 states, Kona Ice is a great sweet treat to eat on a hot Florida day. “I love Kona Ice, especially the Blue Raspberry flavor mixed with their Tiger’s Blood,” said Culver Rice ‘27.

One of the food trucks that has made more than one stop to Bolles and is highly sought after in the Bolles community is “Bad Chic Chicken and Waffles,” started locally by a father and daughter in Jacksonville. This is considered by many the best food truck in the city. “I loved the fried chicken and waffles,” said Malakhi Dunn ‘27. “The waffles were very fluffy, almost like a Waffle House waffle, and the crispy consistency of the chicken and seasoning was perfect. One thing that stood out to me the most was the Knock ‘em Out Punch, it was insane, I have never had anything like that punch and probably won’t ever again. 100% the best food truck in Jacksonville.”

Logo of Kona Ice food truck. Credit: Facebook

past two school years. Students love their wide variety of mini donuts. “Rad Ringo’s does a good job of doing what they do best, making donuts,” saidEvan Ruge ‘27. “I got a couple of the Fruity Pebble donuts and a couple of the Cinnamon Sugar and was impressed. They were so good I took one of my friend’s Oreo donuts and ate that too.” Viva Mi Familia translates to “long live the family” and is coincidentally the name of a family-run food truck. The Perez family established their food truck in March of 2018 and since then they have done catering, private events, weddings, Jaguars games, and school festivals, along with many more events across the

It’s just great, every time I go to a lacrosse tournament in Florida they always have it. I even keep a refillable cup in my bag so I can get free snow cones.” Rad Ringo’s mini donut truck, located in St. Augustine has also made regular trips to Bolles in the

Viva Mi Familia food truck. Credit: Facebook

Logo of Bad Chic food truck. Credit: Facebook

Rad Ringo's Donuts Food Truck Credit: Facebook

greater Jacksonville area. “For Hispanic Heritage month they had a food truck come to Bolles. I had their quesadilla with steak in it and it was very good,” said Gavin Sawyer ‘27. “The customer service was very nice and walked me through the menu and made sure that I got what I wanted. If they ever come back to Bolles for any sort of event, I will make sure to stop by and get something.”

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Pop it and drop it! Dillon Brigman ‘26 takes action Jolee Abbey Contributing Writer

can hopefully start their own fundraisers.”

his quarter, Dillon Brigman ‘26 is partnering with the Ronald McDonald House charity to raise money and awareness for “a foundation that is vital to some families who need the financial aid while staying in the hospital”.

“The way that the foundation works is they sell the pop tabs to metal plants who buy them, then melt them down for their own metal,” Brigman said. The pop tabs are collected for their efficient source of pure aluminum. The Ronald McDonald house uses the money from this to provide financial support to families who struggle with hospital housing.

The 385 Ronald McDonald House programs are “homes away from homes” for families who have to travel far from their own house in order to get the necessary medical treatment for their children. The homes do everything from “providing comfort and support” to “aiding these families in need with health care resources,” Brigman said. “Anyone can work with the fundraiser to provide meals, education, and so much more for the people who need it most.” Brigman first found out about this charity, and knew he was bound to take action because, “at my house we drink a lot of sparkling which comes in soda cans.” Brigman’s mom informed him about a foundation that collects the tabs from the cans. “Naturally curious, I did my research to dive deeper into the Ronald McDonald House, and found out she was right.” A goal of Brigman’s was to encourage other students that they can make a difference too. He felt that these actions of his show students “how easy it is to contribute, and they

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Brigman ‘26 while in the hospital for his surgeries. Credit: Dillon Brigman

Brigman feels at his best when taking actions towards those who aren’t as financially fortunate, but the reason he began his fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald house is even more heart-warming. Early in the school year, Brigman faced a difficult medical situation of his own, he was admitted to the hospital and underwent surgeries to remove a highly threatening blood clot in his arm. “It gave me a greater perspective being in the shoes

of a patient and believing that I should be doing something to give back to the community and help others,” Brigman said. “There is no goal amount I’m trying to collect, I am really just looking for people to participate the best they can or even just a little bit,” Brigman said. He is partaking in this fundraiser to bring out the best in people and bring everyone together and to “take a little bit of pressure and stress off of a family’s shoulders that hospital stays bring.” Brigman is hopeful to collect as many as possible and do whatever he can to make his mark. “My plan isn’t to help hundreds of families, but if that happens that’s amazing.” Brigman began acting on his fundraiser by “setting out plastic buckets around the school for people to place their used can tabs in.” Brigman’s pop tab bins can be found in various locations around campus such as Bolles Hall and the cafeteria, and he plans to collect them in April and drive all of his gathered can tabs to the Ronald McDonald House later in April. He believes that “everyone can help out by pitching in whatever they can, even if it’s just a few can tabs, because every little addition makes a difference.” He hopes to inspire students around him to make their own mark and help out those in need, while still doing all he can to help out everyone he can.

Pets for Patients brings joy to Jax Kate Youell Co-Online-Editor-In-Chief

ets for Patients is an active club in the Bolles community that aims to raise funds for the Nemours ADAPT (Assist Dog and Pony Therapy) organization and to volunteer at Nemours Hospital.

and teens facing adversity, people with neurodevelopmental disorders, people receiving psychiatric care, ex-military personnel, and inmates. This implementation of animal therapy with teens and children is where the idea of Pets for Patients connects back to Bolles.

ADAPT is an Animal-Assisted Treatment in Jacksonville Nemours Children’s Health that strives to make healing an easier and lighter process through animal therapy. The Nemours Health website states, “The smiles on the faces of the kids in our care seems to back that up.”

There is sufficient scientific backing that proves the benefits of animal-assisted therapy. The therapy comes in all different forms from games and exercise to animal caretaking in order to build a relationship between pet and patient. Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy (AAP) is not just used for those receiving medical treatment. According to ResearchGate, many more seek AAP, including children

Not only does the club aim to volunteer at Nemours and raise money for ADAPT but also to bring animals on campus for students to connect with. In the past they have brought not only dogs on campus but also a miniature horse that students could pet during the Halloween Carnival. The club hosted an event on February 13 called “Puppy Love” which gives students the opportunity to interact with dogs and sign Valentine’s Day cards for patients.

The use of animals in medical treatments is not a new practice. Animal involvement in the medical field dates back to the Greeks according to Healthcare Business Today. From 600 BC the Greeks utilized the presence of horses to lift the spirits of medically ill patients, both mentally and physically, and noticed great results. This medical use of animals continued throughout history. Even Sigmund Freud noticed that his dog’s presence when dealing with patients helped calm them.

“I think it is important to promote this organization because it is a small local non-profit that greatly benefits the young patients at Nemours,” Bruneau said, “and the medical benefits for the patients interacting with the animals is so great.”

The club hosts several events all throughout the year. “The best moment from being involved in the club was bringing the ponies taco and gypsy to campus last year. They were loved by all students, and it was such a unique event to hold at the school.” Bruneau commented Estella Bruneau ‘25 at Nemours. Credit: Pets for Patients Instagram Led by Estella Bruneau ‘25 and sponsored by Mr. Ryan, the club has been working within the Bolles and Jacksonville community for two years now. Bruneau commented that the goal of the club is to “raise awareness for a revolutionary and exciting advancement for Nemours and its patients.” Throughout the past few years they have held several meetings in order to plan and prepare for events and to announce volunteer opportunities.

In the future the club plans to continue to hold events and get the animals involved on campus. They also want to host field trips to volunteer at Nemours and bring the horses back to campus. Pets for Patients isn’t just a club that brings animals to campus but instead serves a far greater purpose. “Our goals are to provide a safe experience each time we hold a fundraiser, and to promote the non-profit so more students can get involved” Bruneau stated.

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BSU/HSU field trip Black and Hispanic Student Unions visit Fort Mose Akin Akande Contributing Writer

escaped British plantations. These men and women were given freedom and protection by the Spanish. This made Fort Mose the first known free black settlement in North America. Many men and women formed a militarized group to help protect the fort in exchange for their protection and freedom.

nnually, the members of the Black Student Union go on a field trip. Most of the field trips take them to a historical place of Black history. This year they are joined by the Hispanic Student Union on their field trip to Fort Mose, the site of an 18thcentury fort and community shared by those who escaped slavery in the British colonies and indigenous Americans. It is notable for being the first legally sanctioned free African American in the United States. Fort Mose was established in 1738 by the Spanish Empire due to concerns about the British expansion and the increasing number of slaves seeking refuge in Florida. The fort served as both a military outpost as well as a sanctuary for enslaved people escaping from British colonies. The Spanish offered freedom to enslaved Africans, who could escape to Florida and convert to Catholicism. “I organized a very similar trip in the spring of 2023. The purpose of the trip was to show and experience local history as it

“The purpose of this trip was to show and experience local history as it realtes to contributuions made by African people.” — Mrs. Ezzell

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Members of the Black and Hispanic Student Unions. Credit: Black Student Union relates to contributions made by people of African ancestry in the Spanish colony of St. Augustine.” Specifically, they visited Fort Mose, the site of an 18th-century fort and community shared by those who escaped slavery in the British colonies and Indigenous Americans. “The history there

Ripley’s musuem in St. Augustine. Credit: Black Student Union. is fascinating,” said Mrs. Ezzell. “After visiting Fort Mose, we visited the Best-Richardson Museum of the African Diaspora. This time around, we will visit Fort Mose once again but we will have the added experience of touring The Freedom Trail to learn about the heroes of the St. Augustine Civil Rights Movement with historian, David Nolan.” The Fort eventually became home to free Africans and African Americans, many of whom had

Dillan Morgan ’25, is a member of the Black Student Union who went on the field trip to Fort Mose on Thursday, February 27. His expectations for the trip were “to learn about how Afro-Latino history shaped American culture and geography shaped American culture and geography into what it is today.”

More members of the BSU. Credit: Black Student Union Morgan’s favorite part of the field trip was the trolley tour. He feels that the most important part of the field trip to Fort Mose was “learning how the Spanish settlement encouraged freedom of slaves, as long as they joined Catholic faith. They were allowed to marry, own property, etc. just like white people did at that time,” said Morgan. This trip holds significance because the BSU and HSU are joined together to learn more about the history of their heritage.

Boarders travel to Universal

Leah Chin Contributing Writer

he Universal Trip is an annual trip planned by the head of the dorms that the Bolles Boarding students participate in every January over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend that many of the boarders look forward to. The boarders take a two hour drive to Orlando that Friday and leave on Sunday. While they are there, boarders stay at Cabana Bay Hotel, which is connected to Universal Parks. Each student receives a two day pass that allows them to access both Islands of Adventure and Hollywood Studios. Islands of Adventure, with rides such as Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Jurassic World VelociCoaster, and The Incredible Hulk Coaster. At Hollywood Studios, boarders enjoyed riding the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, rides at Illumination’s Minion Land, and Transformers: The Ride.

“A lot of laughing, but also had to do a lot of walking during the trip, but it was all worth it.” — Clara Peris ‘26 Students are given permission to roam the parks by themselves or with their friends, free of the dorm parents and allowed to go back and forth from the hotel and park. Students only had to pay for lunch, dinner, and any souvenirs, which can be purchased from gift shops, the hotel, or CityWalk, which includes a variety of

Boys right before going on the Jurassic World VelociCoaster ride. Credit: Mr. Hicks restaurants and gift shops. Sofia Bonati ’25 has attended the trip all four years. She states that she always looks forward to going on this trip, and she describes it as her favorite trip that the dorms plan. “It brings us all together as a group and allows us to hang out with people that we don’t normally hang out with,” Bonati says. One of her favorite parts about the trip are the rides, particularly the Jurassic World VelociCoaster. Another part she enjoys is the bus ride there because it is a time for everyone to talk and hang out, and it makes the time fly.

states that she is looking forward to the trip next year, recommends the trip to any new boarders and thinks the dorms should do it every year. Multiple dorm parents and their families also came along for the trip. They roamed the parks and checked in with the boarders periodically throughout the day to ensure their safety. The trip is a good opportunity to catch a breather for both boarders and boarding faculty before the second semester workload begins.

Clara Peris ’26 is a first year boarder, so this was her first Universal trip with the dorms. She describes the trip as a “super fun weekend.” She shares that she did a lot of laughing, but also had to do a lot of walking during the trip, but it was all worth it. “It was fun, I loved it,” Peris says. The two hour drive was also one of her favorite parts. ”We all got to sit together with our friends and talk to each other,” Peris says. She

Boys enjoying butterbeer at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Credit: Ms. Robinson BOLLESBUGLEONLINE.COM

Seniors discuss college enrollment decisions Henry Leslie Contributing Writer

Senior Decisions With this school year winding down, seniors must find their next chapter, with the next step in their journey. Some have already made that tough decision.

Vanderbilt was not always on the top of her radar. “I didn’t like Vanderbilt at first but the environment and the great academics led to my decision,” Nelson said. Another important decision to make is what path to take as a major. “I decided to pursue Mechanical Engineering, which could change, but that was my ultimate decision and Vanderbilt does a great job with that. My major isn’t everything for my decision but it definitely helps with Vanderbilt being such a great academic school,” she said.

“I almost pursued soccer instead but academics came first and I loved the city of Nashville and wanted to stay in the South." — Hallie Nelson '25

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“I never really thought about a small school, but I feel like it be the best opportunity for me to suceed." — Taylor Olson '25

atmosphere. Ultimately her future was the main influence on the decision. “My major is business and I am going to be in the entrepreneur program which is only limited to some people,” she said. “I wanted to go somewhere that I could make a life for myself and what they offer is perfect for me.”

Rachel Johns poses alongside cheerleaders as Champ. Hallie Nelson ‘25 was an early decision to Vanderbilt. Nelson has family ties with Vanderbilt with both of her parents graduating from there. She had some other really prestigious schools on the table, with her top schools coming down to Duke, Harvard, and ultimately Vanderbilt.

She visited High Point twice and loved the campus, the teacher to student ratio, and the overall

High Point Logo Credit: High Point Athletics

Taylor Grace Clark ‘25 went with Georgia Southern to jump start her career in nursing. She always wanted to be a nurse and live her life in Georgia rather than

Taylor Olson ‘25 ended up choosing High Point over schools like South Carolina, SMU and LSU. She never saw herself at High Point but the school size and environment changed her perspective. They have way less students in a class,” Olson said. “I’ll get more attention and a better learning environment.”

Georiga Southern Logo Credit: Georgia Southern Athletics

Florida. Alabama was another consideration but ultimately the close distance, beautiful campus, and great nursing program was irresistible.

“Georgia Southern is the perfect fit for me. I always wanted to live my life after college in Georgia." — Taylor Grace Clark '25 It has the right amount of people, a good football team, and the nursing program is really what led to my decision,” Clark said.

Political Science and Econometrics for his major. His main goal is to

"It would be my privilege to serve alongside the men and women in uniform that I have long admired with duty, honor, and loyalty." — Kent Peyton '25 be a leader on a ship and become a strong leader in the world.

Kent Peyton ‘25 is very excited to follow the navy path for his future.

Isa Lee ‘25 has decided to continue her career at Boston College, where she will major in Finance. This was not always the clear cut choice as she applied to

Navy Website Credit: Navy Atlhetics

Boston College Logo Credit: Boston College Athletics

He sees attending the Naval Academy as a prestigious honor His visit during the summer ignited his desire to pursue this dream.

lots of schools in California and also had a legacy with most of her family attending Northwestern.

“For me, there is no service more noble or mission more inspiring and consistent with my character, intellect, and life experiences. uniform that I have long admired, with duty, honor, and loyalty. Peyton said. He loves the idea of being a leader and is deciding between

“A huge factor was the traditions and campus culture. All my friends who have attended there have loved it and had a great experience.” "Not only that but they are a great school academically and is perfect fit for me."

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Seniors sign in the spring Jake Forrest Contributing Writer

n February 5, 19 seniors signed to colleges and universities to continue playing their given sport. This was a very important day for these students as it is a decision that

“I chose the University of Richmond because of its small class sizes, giving me the opportunity to make connections with my teachers and peers, its flexible major options, allowing me to mix and match majors and minors, and its beautiful campus and location,” said Bruneau.

‘25 signed to the University of Delaware, and lastly Luke Stenson ‘25 signed to the University of Mount Union. The Men’s Golf had one athlete signing on spring signing day. Luke Balaskiewicz ‘25 signed to the University of North Florida. Balaskiewicz had a very good season and is excited to be able to play golf at a Division 1 program. “I chose UNF because I like the golf program there and I think that the program there can help advance my game to the next level,” he said. His mom has been important to his career. “The biggest influence on my athletic journey has been my mom, she has been there every step of the way and made all of it possible.”

This is a Caption. This is the Credit.

Abby Bradley ‘25 signs to GWU. Credit: Kate Youell will shape the rest of their lives. Choosing where you are going to continue your academic and athletic career is a very exciting time for seniors here at Bolles.

She also stated that Coach Tony Ryan and Coach Amelia were her biggest influences on her athletic journey and that they helped her get to where she is today.

Starting off with track and field and cross country, there were three commitments in February. Parker Adams ‘25 will continue his track and field career at Florida State University. Jack Camp ‘25 will continue his career at Washington and Lee University. Estella Bruneau ‘25 signed to the University of Richmond.

Football had eight commitments on spring signing day. Chase Collier ‘25 to Baylor University, Ethan Drumm ‘25 signed to Wofford College, and CJ Ennis ‘25 signed to Morgan State University. Emmett Grzebin ‘25 and MJ Jenkins ‘25 both signed to Furman University. Troy Holloway ‘25 signed with Sewanee, Jalen Ross

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For boys lacrosse, Henry Hobby ‘25 signed to Sewanee: The University of the South, and Jake Kerns ‘25 signed to Goucher College.

“I chose UNF because I like the golf program there and I think that the program there can help advance my game to the next level.” — Luke Balaskiewicz ‘25

This is a Caption. This is the Credit.

Wide view of signing day tables. Credit: Jake Forrest There was one signing for crew on spring signing day. Abby Bradley ‘25 signed to George Washington University for women’s rowing. The recruiting process was an exhilarating experience for her. “I had no idea that I could even row in college and then when it came spring, I began thinking about it. I didn’t even start emailing coaches until the beginning of summer. That is when I reached out and our team had made it to nationals, so I met a lot of college coaches who were there, and I ended up talking to the assistant coach at George Washington.”

Bradley also said that she would miss rowing at Bolles and the good times she had here. “I really am going to miss my teammates a lot, and just seeing them every day. Also, being on the Saint Johns, I love it, the warm weather, and being outside every day. I’m definitely gonna miss it.”

Lastly, there were four signings for swimming and diving. João de Cruz Guedes ‘25 signed to continue his swimming career at New York University. Wyatt Porch ‘25 signed to Florida Atlantic University. Alexander Primavera 25’ signed to Emory University. Alston Qin ‘25 signed with Columbia University.

“I really am going to miss my teammates a lot, and just seeing them every day.” — Abby Bradley ‘25

Luke Balaskiewicz ‘25 signing to The University of North Florida. Credit: Jake Forrest

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Mrs. Hervol joins Bolles science staff Brady Pratt Contributing Writer

rs. Hervol is new to The Bolles School this year, teaching 10th grade chemistry including both Chemistry AB and AC. She has taught 34 years prior to moving to Bolles and is having a great time spending her 35th year teaching here at Bolles and looking forward to many more years to come. Hervol teaches in the CFI where all science teachers have been moved for the 20242025 school year since the Center for Innovation has been constructed. “I moved to Florida almost two years ago. When I graduated college I was looking to move down to Florida, but had some minor inconveniences with my husband who I was dating at the time still in college in Pittsburgh. This began to anchor me in Pittsburgh, and it wasn’t until my kids graduated college, went their own ways, and moved out that I packed up and went down to Florida.” Hervol always felt that she wanted to be a chemist of some sort and discovered this at a young age experimenting with different solutions. She has taught all levels of chemistry including academics, honors, and AP. However, she has never switched from teaching this subject. “I think I was always destined to be a chemist at some level, when I was young I would make little potions mixing different soaps together to see what would happen.”

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New Bolles science teacher Mrs. Hervol. Credit: Mrs. Hervol

Hervol started her career in chemistry because she followed this subject into college. “I entered college as a chemistry major not as a teacher, but when I got into college and started tutoring as a part of a chemistry club in college I found my love for teaching. And at the end of my sophomore year I made the easy transition to education and attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania.” For

the majority of Hervol’s young adulthood she lived around her hometown which was in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. In her class she loves to use analogies to get the point across to students that may need this different style of teaching to really soak in the information. The use of analogies help students

with remembering the certain information that is valuable to retain and learning this material in a more interesting and fun way rather than straight to the facts. She has great patience with students, if someone is struggling with the in-class material she is also there to slow down and help all students get a better understanding of the information.

“I think I was always destined to be a chemist at some level, when I was young I would make little potions mixing different soaps together to see what would happen.” — Mrs. Hervol

Between teaching chemistry and AB, she really knows how to pick up the pace and slow it down for the two classes. When teaching Chemistry AB Hervol must move through material quicker and go more in depth beneath the surface. However, as for Chem AC, she is great at being able to put the work into more simple terms and make the lessons more entertaining so students who are a step below can fully understand the material they must know. Considering the many benefits Bolles provides, Hervol knew she would love to teach here. “There were a ton of things that made me want to be at Bolles: the beautiful campus you can’t beat, the student population, most of the students that are here have some sort of a drive of desire to excel in some area whether it be academics or athletics, but your typical student here is a high achiever, somebody who is driven and has goals and desires in life.” With the great surrounding of peers at Bolles, Hervol loved the

sound of being welcomed into Bolles and teaching the future generations of young chemists. Prior to Bolles she taught at Beach side in Saint Johns County for the first year she was in Florida. When Hervol is outside of class, she enjoys being on the course golfing with her husband. She also enjoys traveling.“ My favorite destination is probably Italy. I have been there three times, and this past summer I went to spend some time in southern Italy where I had never been before and I fell in love with southern Italy.” If she had to go anywhere, Hervol said, “Portugal is on my list of places I want to go and I also want to go to Australia someday.” She is looking forward to the years to come at Bolles and continuing to build connections with faculty and students. Hervol is also likely to continue her career in chemistry as it is what she knows best. She is excited to meet her new students next year and build connections with them.

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Bolles hosts annual Latin Forum Thomas Catto Contributing Writer

n February 1, Bolles welcomed numerous schools, including Cornerstone Classical Academy, Covenant School of Jacksonville, Episcopal, San Jose Episcopal, and Saint Johns Classical Academy to compete in academic, athletic, and other Latin-based events altogether known as Latin Forum. Bolles Latin students are required to make at least one Latin-based project for the Forum. One Latin student, Max Bull ‘27, has attended the last four years. “For Forum, I made a map of the underworld with the different sections of the underworld on it,” Bull said. There are numerous different project categories, such as modules, sculptures, posters, drawings, and many more. After the projects are dropped off in the library, they are scored, and the top five projects in each category wins an award. These awards are announced in the auditorium at the end of the day.

Opening Forum ceremony Credit: Thomas Catto A portrait of Zeus by Gabe Morris ‘27 earned third place in one of the most popular categories, Drawings.“I drew the body first and then added in other details

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such as the lighting bolt and background features,” Morris said. Bolles students are also required to take a test at Forum. There are fifty multiple choice questions on the test that test the person’s Latin knowledge on the given subject. Some of the categories for these tests include mythology, vocabulary, Latin derivatives, and many more. The tests are taken in McGehee Auditorium and can last up to two hours.

Projects display Credit: Thomas Catto

Bolles student Ella Barton ‘27 placed fourth on her test in the mythology category. “I studied by reviewing the most popular mythology stories and even watched some Latin mythology movies,” Barton said. “The mythology category is always one of the most popular and competitive sections for testing, which makes this highly impressive.” Bolles students are not required to enter athletic contests at Forum, but a majority of students do. The athletic events are Latin or Olympic-based and take place throughout the day after testing. Some events are discus throw, javelin throw, broad jump, and different races. However, there are also unique athletics, such as the armor race and the Atalanta race. During the armor race,

participants dress in fake Roman armor and attempt to complete a 200-meter race. The Atalanta race is based on a story from Roman mythology and consists of a guy running in front of falling apples while a girl runs behind picking them up. It is a team event, and whichever team crosses the line first with all of their apples wins. Bolles student Alastair Thompson ‘27 placed third on discus. “I threw it 140 feet,” hesaid. Aside from the three main events at the Forum, there are also many different entertaining activities that occur throughout the day that the students enjoy participating in. In a Latin-based costume contest, contestants make costumes around the given theme and are scored. The theme this year was oracles and their prophecies. At the end of the day, the best five costumes were given awards. Another activity is the chariot race. The different schools have a remote-controlled chariot that they race around a certain distance. The winning school is awarded a trophy and gets to keep it until the next year’s Forum. There are also Latin-based Kahoots in classrooms around the campus that test the students’ knowledge on Latin topics. At the end of the day during the awards ceremony, numerous awards are given out across all of the different categories. Bolles often places top five across the different categories and often wins numerous of them. Overall, Latin Forum is a very educational and entertaining event that highlights great parts of Latin. Between the tests, athletic events, project sections, and other events, Forum brings groups of Latin students together from different schools to compete in many fun ways.

Students celebrate Ramadan Sree Alam Contributing Writer

amadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and is one of the holiest times of the year for Muslims worldwide. It is a period of fasting, prayer, and self-reflection, observed by over a billion people across different cultures and countries. But how did this tradition begin, and why is it so important? The practice of fasting during Ramadan traces back to the early seventh century when Islam was first established. According to Islamic belief, Ramadan is the month when the first verses of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Jibreel. This momentous event, known as Laylat al-Qadr or “The Night of Power,” is believed to have occurred in the last ten nights of Ramadan.

“I know many people who celebrate Ramadan, and seeing them excited for the holiday makes me just as happy too!” — Abby Naugle ‘28 In order to properly celebrate this special time of the year, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset, refraining from food, drink, and other physical needs. The fast is broken each evening with a meal called iftar, often beginning with dates and water, just as the

Prophet Muhammad used to do. Before dawn, another meal called suhoor is eaten to help sustain energy throughout the day. During suhoor, my mom often makes traditional Indian breakfast food like Idli and dosa. While I am Muslim, my culture often shines through and iftar is a nice time to

The Islamic Center of Northeast Florida Credit: Zara Touheed

spend time with my family, because I do not generally do that,” said Zoel Khawaja ‘29. But Ramadan is not just about abstaining from food and drink. It is also a time for self-improvement, charity, and strengthening one’s faith. Muslims are encouraged to read the Quran, offer additional prayers, and help those in need. It is also a time for family, community, and charity. Special prayers called Taraweeh are performed at night, and acts of kindness, such as donating to charity, are highly encouraged. It is normal for Muslims to pray around five times a day during Ramadan.

At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr (Eed-al-Fitter), a joyous holiday marking the end of fasting. Eid al-Fitr, often called the “Festival of Breaking the Fast,” is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The festival begins with a special prayer called Salat al-Eid, performed in congregation, often in open fields or large mosques. Before the prayer, Muslims give Zakat al-Fitr, a mandatory charity aimed at helping the less fortunate celebrate the occasion. Eid is a time of joy, gratitude, and community, where families and friends gather for festive meals, exchange gifts, and visit loved ones. Traditional foods and sweets, such as Sheer Khurma (a sweet vermicelli dessert) and various pastries are commonly enjoyed. It is also a time for reconciliation and strengthening relationships, as people seek forgiveness and spread goodwill. The date of Eid al-Fitr varies each year, depending on the sighting of the new moon, making it a globally anticipated and cherished event. At Bolles, the school makes sure that any student participating in the Ramadan fasting or praying has accommodations to do so. In past years they have had empty classrooms for students to pray. Fellow Bolles student Abby Naugle ‘28 expresses how enthusiastic she is for this holiday. “I know many people who celebrate Ramadan, and seeing them excited for the holiday makes me just as happy too!” This year’s Ramadan starts March 1. Many Bulldogs look forward to celebrating the Islamic tradition.

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Robotics powers up for Regionals Zara Touheed Contributing Writer

n Friday, January 31, and Saturday, February 1, the Bolles Robotics teams all participated in the Regionals competition at Bartram in the Conroy Athletic Center. The event was held by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), bringing all four of our teams for this two-day event. All four of our upper and middle school teams including Jurassic Spark, the eighth-grade team, and the upper school teams Mischievous Mechanics, Patent Pending, and Static Discharge were successful in the previous States’ competition. Regionals are structured as a two-day event, with the judging taking place on the first day, and the actual meet and matches on the second. On Friday night, after setting up competition fields and judging rooms in the Conroy Athletic Center, all the teams individually handed in their portfolios and also talked with the judges about their progress from 2024 to 2025 year. These portfolios documented all the work the teams had completed throughout the season. Activities on Saturday morning began early at 8:30 a.m. as teams arrived to inspect their robots, fix any minor flaws, and make necessary repairs before the matches commenced at 11:30 a.m.. The competition was divided into five qualification matches, where teams were randomly paired up to compete against other teams. Then there was a tournament where the top eight teams competed in alliances until one alliance emerged victorious. Two of Bolles’ teams, Static Discharge and Mischievous Mechanics, had previously been state champions in the 2024 to

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Mischievous Mechanics and Static Discharge Credit: Mr. Hicks

2025 season. While all teams performed exceptionally well under pressure, sadly none of them advanced to the Nationals Competition this year. However, Upper school robotics coach Mr. Skapetis emphasized that this outcome was not due to any shortcomings of the teams. “I don’t see it that way,” Skapetis explained. “Individuals may view losing or not advancing as a failure on their part, but that’s not the case at all.” Preparation for Regionals was based on the experience levels of each team. For the older teams that had been working together for years, the goal was to reach the State Championship. Meanwhile, newer teams such as Jurassic Spark, which even had a seventh grader competing, were focusing on developing their skills and gaining valuable experience for competitions in the future. Despite the fast-paced and highpressure environment, all four teams performed extremely well, demonstrating their ability to troubleshoot problems and adapt to challenges on the fly. Various mechanical and coding issues occurred throughout the event,

yet each team worked together to find solutions. For example, one team had a gear jam due to a screw being lodged in the mechanism, requiring them to dismantle and repair the issue in real time. Also, there were instances where ropes broke, forcing teams to improvise new solutions to keep their robots functional quickly. Mr. Hicks, another robotics coach at the upper school, praised the teams for their resilience and perseverance. “I think they performed quite well given the circumstances. You know, it’s a very high intensity, high energy event, and despite having loads of pressure, I think they kind of pulled through, pushed through as teams very well.” Although no Bolles teams advanced to Nationals this year, all four teams proved their skill, teamwork, and ability to perform under pressure. The robotics program at Bolles will continue to grow, and the lessons learned at Regionals will very likely help each team improve and prepare for future competitions. As Skapetis put it, “We are very proud of all four teams.”

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Arts

Third Quarter brings fresh artwork to Gooding Gallery Isabel Schimpff Co-Online-Editor-In-Chief

t’s difficult to miss the commotion around the Gooding Gallery that happens almost once a month and even harder not to be tempted by the now coveted chocolate-covered strawberries. In case you missed the latest art show on January 24, it is highly recommended to attend the next. Every art show put on by the Bolles Art Department has a carefully curated selection of mediums from photography, paintings, ceramic, and sculptures made by the students—with the exception of the faculty art show at the beginning of the school year. Just like performing arts, this celebration of the visual arts is the culmination of months of hard work on both the artistic and administrative side. “Every month the art teachers will get together and they will talk about the number of pieces they want to put in. If there is a project going on like Tiffany Gonzalez’s bust project, we might show multiples of that project,”

Art piece from the “book project.” Credit: Isabel Schimpff

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Leaf plate displayed in ceramic case. Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Piece made by Ceramics 2 student. Credit: Isabel Schimpff explains Laura Rippel, the head of the Bolles art department. “They figure out how they divvy up the gallery so they can have an opportunity to showcase kids’ work who maybe haven’t had a chance to get seen before.”

On the artists’ side, many of the pieces shown take weeks or even months to complete. The gallery is not limited to those taking honors or AP art classes. This opens the space up to art done by foundations students and classes such as Painting 1. The work you may see on a pedestal in the gallery likely took many sketches to plan and many mishaps to make. “We want them to be celebrated because it’s a lot of work. So many people who aren’t involved in the art who may be respectful of it

Once the pieces are selected, the gallery curator and director, Christopher Hicks, will decide which pieces should be displayed next to one another or figure out if pieces need special accommodations when being displayed, like being hung. The walls of the gallery are then filled with sketches, photos, and paintings. The display case underneath the stairs is normally reserved for ceramic work and the front wall of the gallery is reserved for art done by elementary students. “We want to be aware and make sure we are showing art from all the different areas, including lower school,” says Rippel.

Piece made by AP 3D Portfolio student. Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Embroidery art by AP student. Credit: Isabel Schimpff but don’t do it, do not grasp the amount of time and effort it takes to put into these pieces,” says Rippel. The art shows also do not let viewers fully understand the kind of collaborative work that is done many times in the studio art rooms.

This is a Caption. Credit: Isabel Schimpff

“Many times, something is going to be mentioned in collaboration that is going to end up in your piece,” says Rippel. This collaboration is not limited to inspiration or unique perspectives on a student’s work. It also comes with critique and criticism. Especially in an AP class setting, artists are expected to participate in critiques in order for the final product you may see in the gallery during art shows to be the best version of a piece.

Gallery set up for the Quarter Three Art Show. Credit: Isabel Schimpff

pushback, your work will never improve. It’s really important that we give them the opportunity to both get the accolades but also that bravery piece of putting your work out there,” says Rippel. So why come to the art shows if the pieces stay up for a few weeks? It may be a tad crowded sometimes but it’s a small price to pay for the supportive and festive environment that is curated. You will see parents, teachers, students, but most importantly, artists. The artists in the art shows are encouraged to attend the art show and explain their work if asked.

Wall of paintings made by students. Credit: Isabel Schimpff “People are afraid of critique but it’s the most important thing you do. If you don’t have any

“We really want our art students to be confident in their work and be able to talk about their work and go to these shows and explain why they did what they did,” says Rippel. “It’s important that we are consistently putting it out there,

we are educating our population and were making sure that they are aware of the value of what these students are doing.” It’s guaranteed that you will find some great art, engaging conversation, and if nothing else, delicious chocolate-covered strawberries.

Mixed media work by Vichy Chen ‘27. Credit: Isabel Schimpff

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Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Awards Brady Pratt Contributing Writer

he 2025 Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Awards honor top regional award winning students across eight Florida counties. The Scholastic Awards were handed out to students during the ceremony at the Florida Theatre. Grades ranged from 7th to 12th and the officiant announced the award winners to recognize their creations. Artists who achieve the greatest award received the Gold Key Award and will compete in New York for a national honor. Artwork will be displayed at Main Public Library on 303 N Laura Street for visitors to experience the beautiful work of young talent. Vichy Chen ‘27 won three Silver Keys along with the Gold Key on her big piece. “I really loved seeing other student’s artwork and thought everything was super inspiring,” she said. “But to be honest, it was so incredibly crowded and the ceremony was dragged out just a bit.”

“I really loved seeing other student’s artwork and thought everything was super inspiring.” — Vichy Chen ‘27

The Gold Key award is the utmost of awards that can be earned at this ceremony and along with that there is also a Silver Key and while it is not as difficult to achieve as the Gold Key, it is still extremely hard to earn and only around 8-10% of submissions earn this

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Scholastic Arts Award winners Credit: Tristan Schneider

second level of honor and are respected up on stage for their amazing talents. Lastly, around 11-15% of submissions earn an honorable mention. Chen was in the top percentages of award winners at the awards, “I separated the triptych into three different submissions and each respectively got a silver! And my big piece earned a Gold Key.” A triptych usually consists of three panels that are commonly hinged together to show different aspects of one subject. Those who wish to be entered into this ceremony must submit their artwork to Scholastic if they desire to be recognized. When judging the student’s artwork, jurors look for originality, technical skill, and an overall creative piece. The number of students let into the ceremony has changed over the years. The officials for the ceremony took several weeks to respond back with the results. Chen submitted her piece in early December and heard back the 29th of January. Chen said, “It was pretty crowded, but they handed out our certificates and medals efficiently

through a name-based system. From there, we would go artistby-artist up to the stage where we were honored with our keys while educators, students, and parents watched from the crowd. Afterwards, universities awarded scholarships to eligible seniors.” This year the Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Awards recieved 3,189 student submissions from 1,921 students, and they ended up rewarding 1,611 art pieces from 744 artists. Chen’s award winning pieces required days of tedious work. “For my three part mini-series, It took me around three weeks of class time. And for my bigger piece it took me about three weeks to complete three-fourths of it, and a long night for the rest.” Qualifying for the Scholastic Awards ceremony is rather difficult; however, if you are honored, it is a great achievement for students’ resumes. Colleges will take this accomplishment into consideration when determining admissions and scholarship recipients. Achieving this award shows a lot about one’s character and takes a high level of dedication.

Brushing up on the Bent Center Mural Zara Touheed Contributing Writer

n the second floor of the Bent Student Center is an oceanic mural that the Art Club is going to be touching up this quarter. Over the years, the mural has been changed and worn down, restored with new sea creatures and paint. This year, the Art Club decided to carry on that tradition. All members of the club will be instructed to add their own sea creatures as well as do touchups.

Club members sketch the mural. Credit: Vichy Chen

The original purpose for the mural to be an ocean theme is unknown but it likely reflects Jackosnville’s waters and beaches. It is next to the counselor’s office, which also gives the area a peaceful and calming environment for students in the center. “I’m hoping that by the end of the project, all participating members will have a fish they painted and can call their own, and all students visiting Bent will have a wonderful refreshed mural to enjoy,” said Vichy Chen ‘27, head of the Art Club. This project aims for all members of the Art Club to be able to sketch out and paint on their fish onto the mural. The “Super duper

effective plan of action” is split into five steps. All club members were first set out to find pictures of the fish they desired to paint, and submitted it to a discussion board on Schoology. Then both the president and vice president, Chen and Alice Lu ’26, successfully handled funding. Several group meetings will be scattered across the second semester to start sketching and editing the layout into a cohesive of the mural. Then on February 27, there was a half-day on-campus field trip to allow people to dedicate the time to start painting their fish without conflicting with other classes. While people are working, members will be documenting the whole process, either videoing or taking pictures for art students who like more technical work. As of now, there is no strict deadline, but the mural is expected to be finished by the end of the second semester.

Sophia Zhang ‘28 sketches her fish. Credit: Vichy Chen is excitement about what might come next. The Art Club is eager to see this vision come to life and hopes the finished mural will be something the entire school can enjoy.

Jillian McLaughlin ‘27 paints on the mural. Credit: Vichy Chen.

A painting of a clown fish on the mural. Credit: Vichy Chen After the mural is finished, everyone is hoping to celebrate the effort all the members put in. While the club’s current focus is on completing this mural, members have hinted at other big projects in the future. Specific plans remain under wraps for now, but there

Beyond its visual appeal, this project holds deeper significance for the Art Club. It gives students an opportunity to contribute something lasting to the school while earning service hours in the process. Public art projects like this are a rare chance for student artists to display their work in a long-lasting and meaningful way, something the club hasn’t done within Bolles in a while. The mural serves as a legacy for Art Club members, leaving their creative mark on the campus long after they graduate.

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Young stars bring Bikini Bottom to center stage Isabel Schimpff Co-Online-Editor-In-Chief

ights went up on the McGehee Auditorium stage on February 13 for the final performance of Spongebob the Musical. The production was not only genuinely hilarious, but technically masterful! For 90 minutes, the audience was transported to Bikini Bottom with Spongebob, Patrick, Sandy, and the rest of the town. That 90 minute performance was the culmination of months of auditions, rehearsals, and mistakes for the small cast. Back in October when most lower schoolers were perfecting their Halloween costumes, the cast was working towards perfecting their steps.

The full cast poses for a picture. Credit: Daniel Austin to get this, this is impossible. I just kept telling them, I promise you, this is why we’re doing this first, it’s the end of October, the show’s

“We have some really tough choreography numbers in the show,” said Daniel Austin, director and head of the lower school theater department. “I remember the first days that we were working on it, and some of them are looking at me like, I’m never going Spongebob, Sandy, and Patrick devise a plan. Credit: Daniel Austin not until February. By the time you get to February, you’re gonna be able to do this in your sleep. Here we are, it’s February, and they’re doing it.”

how could you do that? Because I think a lot of people that work with this age, when they do shows, they do that thing where they take everybody, and then you end up with these musicals where you might have like 80 kids in them. I don’t like to do that because then I think it’s not a quality experience,” explained Austin. This method instills an extra sense of accomplishment and belonging to the actors who make it and ensures that every Bikini Bottom member is there for a reason and makes a meaningful contribution, Austin said. “They get to be involved in a significant way” he said, “and

All cast members had to go through the audition process, a process that may seem unorthodox to some.

Journalist reports on the town. Credit: Daniel Austin

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“There are students that make it and students that don’t. I make that really, really clear to the students and really clear to the parents. I think when people first hear that I do that, they’re like,

Sandy stumbles on the mountain. Credit: Daniel Austin

nobody feels like, Oh, I’m the third tree to the left.” So why Spongebob and what made this show one of the best to come out of the Bolles theater department? After struggling with the choice for this year’s musical, Austin found the youth edition of Spondgebob and after listening to the lyrics, he had a revelation.

Pearl sings while her dad carries money. Credit: Daniel Austin it actually is a reflection of what is going on right now, and it’s all about looking at it from an optimistic lens.” Plankton and his wife plot. Credit: Isabel Schimpff “I realized that this was actually the perfect musical to do this year, because it’s about the town Bikini Bottom facing a horrible, insurmountable challenge, and it’s about everyone disagreeing on how to tackle that challenge, and people not knowing who to trust, not knowing if they should be listening to the government, if they should be listening to their friends, if they should be working together, if they should be splitting off into different groups. I think

While Spongebob may seem like a laughable character, to Austin, he is the “ultimate optimist” who sees the best in everyone and always wants to trust those around him. Not only is the show filled with uplifting and hysterical characters, it also includes many songs from different musical styles. Even the cast is torn between which one is the favorite. “My favorite song in the show, it’s called ‘Tomorrow Is,’” said Austin. “It’s all about the night before everything is supposed to go down, and they’ve, you know,

they’ve been fighting with each other, tearing each other apart, splitting into different camps, all deciding different ways on how to handle this problem. And then they all come together to kind of sing their different perspectives about, like, what tomorrow’s going to look like. And I think that that’s just really relatable to the audience. We all have those nights where we go, oh man, like, tomorrow’s gonna be it.” The fifth-grader who played Spongebob had a different opinion. “My favorite song is ‘Hero is my Middle Name,’” he said. “I like how energetic it is and I really like the choreography.” The audience may not realize the work to improve the lighting system or the many hours of training on the two big scaffolding set pieces that the actors navigate, but they do see the incredible result of all of these factors and the pride and joy on the actors faces is impossible not to see. “The magic of theater is kind of hiding all that stuff,” said Austin, “it’s like all the chaos that we see backstage. The audience just sees the final product, and they see the polish on it, and that’s kind of what makes it awesome.”

Patrick belts out a number. Credit: Daniel Austin

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Bolles Dance brightens the Bartram Campus Raaya Katugaha Contributing Writer

he energy in Parker Auditorium was neverfaltering as the curtain’s rose on this year’s Bolles Dance Concert. Not a seat went unfilled, and the night was set to be a celebration of movement, music, and the dedication of the school’s highly-talented dancers. Performances ranged from ballet to hip-hop, funk, and contemporary, creating a dynamic experience that left the audience mesmerized. From the opening moment, it was clear that each dance had been carefully crafted. The ballet routine transported the audience to another world through their graceful movements, poise, and precision. The background of flowers and meadows even further created the vision of a fairytale, with its soft pastel hues and dreamy lighting. Following the ballet, the funk dances brought a retro energy that commanded attention from the crowd. With neon pink and orange costumes, and expressive performers, the dancers embodied the spirit of sassiness, soul, and skill. The contrast was striking-fast-paced movements and lifts and turns replaced the previously smooth transitions, creating a new lively tone for the audience. As the concert continued, the contemporary pieces blended technology with sudden movements, shifting the mood once again. With its futuristic ambience and flowing transitions, the dancers were truly able to capture the essence of electro-fusion dance. One of the most beautiful dances was a duet highlighting Anjali Gusani ‘25 and Eva Lantzy ‘25. Dressed in white, they danced with

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Bolles Dance 2 class. Credit: Raaya Katugaha emotion, instilling all the passion they could muster into one of their final performances at Bolles. From the wardrobe to the backdrop, the dedication of not only the dancers, but the stage crew, teachers, and parents was undeniable. The stage crew went above and beyond to ensure the background would fit the mood, and Mr. Jenkins worked his magic to let the dancers shine. Practices for these dancers regularly run Mondays and Fridays, but the week prior to the concert, they worked strenuously from 3:45-7:00, guaranteeing their performance would be a success.

company-dancer, shared, “I truly felt that I had support; each time I looked into the crowd, I saw my best friends cheering their hearts out for me, and I really couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Members of the Bolles Dance Company shared the behind-thescenes of this whole endeavor. Angelina Le ‘27 explained that planning for the concert was a huge commitment for her, as she had to balance her school work and other extracurriculars. “Though it was difficult to show up feeling 100% for every practice, I was surrounded by a group of girls that gave their all to their love of dance, ultimately inspiring me to work my hardest,” she said. Amaya Berrios ‘27, another

The different dances created an engaging atmosphere, changing the feelings of the crowd along with the dance, and each left a lasting impression. To end the night, each dance section, from middle school to highschool, performed their own crafted outro, seamlessly marking the close to a wonderful night of talent. As the curtains closed, it was not only the performers that left feeling inspired by their dances, but every person privileged to witness them.

These dancers are essential to the arts program at Bolles. This concert not only illustrates the hard work these students put in, but also embodies the enthusiasm of pursuing their craft. As for the dancers, the concert was not limited to showcasing their skill, but also a journey of growth, pushing themselves to their limits and learning along the way.

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Sports

Winter sports bring the heat Jolee Abbey Contributing Writer Jaxson Richter Contributing Writer

his winter Bolles sports include varsity and JV boys and girls basketball, girls weightlifting, varsity and JV boys and girls soccer, and boys wrestling. Each of these athletes had highly successful seasons, despite any losses they had, that in the end taught them all valuable lessons. The girls and boys basketball teams both had rollercoasters of a season full of victories and defeats. Winning or losing aside, every game has brought the teams closer together. “Our season has had some ups and downs, but our bond and culture as a team have only progressed throughout the season.” Said Mac Verlander ‘25 shooting guard. Boys varsity basketball had an intense season highlighted by many breath-taking moments on the court, from suspenseful game points to countless free throws. The team started out strong before “losing a handful of close games,” then stepping up their game to win seven out of their last eight games. It has taken innumerable hours of practice and excessive dedication for the boys to get as far as they have, with a 13-12 record for varsity, and 10-10 for JV. “It has been an amazing opportunity, both on and off the court as the team and I have battled through adversity to get to where we are today,” Verlander said. The boys team competed deep into the 3A District 4 tournaments, before their seasonending losses on February fith and twelfth.

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The girls varsity basketball team went 19-5 for their regular season, averaging 60 points per game. They ranked eighth in the state, and fourth in the district. Junior varsity has been undefeated this season, going 12-0 and is excited to see how much more the future of this season holds. The girls have strengthened their bonds with each other both in competition and practices. “Our team chemistry has grown so strong and I think that has contributed a lot to our successes,” Leila Goll ‘26 said. “We have had the opportunity to play against so many skilled teams throughout the season, which has taught us so many valuable lessons and helped us to improve with each win, and especially each loss.” Additionally, team captain

the right track heading into the playoffs. “We started off slow but over time we’ve gotten a lot better and grown as a team. We’re playing a lot better together and overcame a lot of obstacles and adversity,” said Justin Kang ‘27. Along the way, some wins stuck out more than others. In particular, the Fernandina Beach game was a big win to get the dogs rolling into the playoffs.

“It has been an amazing opportunity, both on and off the court as the team and I have battled through adversity to get to where we are today.” — Mac Verlander ‘25 “It was a big rivalry and to be able to beat them 6-0 was definitely a good feeling and very exciting for the team,” said Kang. “I think we’ve been able to play together very well and play off of each other and grow together and we have been able to have lots of success when we want to win and buy into the process every day.”

Mac Verlander ‘25 Credit: Jeff Adams Abby Knauff ‘25 reached an all time achievement of 15,00 points, making her the all time Bolles girls basketball leading scorer, and the team is excited to see how much further she will take them to succeed this season. The boys soccer team has had an up and down season, going 5-84. However, they seem to be on

The girls soccer team saw a good amount of success this season, going 9-8-4. Emily Farr ‘25 described how the season went, “We faced some challenges with our roster size due to a lot of injuries this season and the game that the season ended on was a bit of a letdown. Despite that, we’ve made a lot of progress in developing our younger players and building a hopeful future for the program.” There was a lot of good moments to look back on during the course

Alexiya Downer ‘25 Credit: Alexiya Downer of the season, these were some that stood out to Farr. “Scoring in the last 30 seconds of our rivalry game against Episcopal to tie 1-1 or beating district rivals Fernandina Beach 4-0 during playoffs after losing to them 2-1 earlier in the season” said Farr. Throughout the season, they showed hard work and dedication in order to achieve success and win big games. In particular, one win stood out as Farr’s biggest win, Stanton (won 1-0) because of our results against them in previous years. It was an early and unexpected win that helped

“Our team excelled at integrating new and younger players, making sure they felt welcomed and respected.”

while maintaining a strong feeling of family and unity during games.”

“We’re winning a lot more matches as a team and came eighth in a big tournament together,” he said.

The girls weightlifting team had a season full of PR weights and impactful injuries that the team came back from better than ever. The girls focused highly on their technique this season, which ended up paying off as the team recieved many compliments from others regarding these skills.

Coffindaffer has a lot of moves to take down his opponents. “I’d say I’m best at a neutral game, which is on my feet while taking shots and defending myself.” As the season wraps up, this will be looked at as a very successful season for the dogs.

“Technique is extremely important to our sport and it is something we pride ourselves on,” said Alexiya Downer ‘25. Although the girls’ rankings were brought down by losing a few teammates to injuries, through motivating and pushing each other to get stronger, they ended off the season with ample PRs on all ends of the board. The girls weightlifting team earned high rankings at regionals; Lizzy Watkins ‘26 in second, Camilla Clarke ‘26 in third, Downer in fourth, and Abby Bradley ‘25 in fourth. The wrestling team has seen a significant amount of success in a highly memorable year. Cam Coffindaffer ‘27 has been a big part of their success, currently holding a record of 10-9. Coffindaffer is pleased with how the season is going.

Evie Freeman ‘26 Credit: Kelly Stevenson

— Emily Farr ‘25 us with our confidence for the rest of the season.” Although the team excelled in many areas, some aspects stood out. “Our team excelled at integrating new and younger players, making sure they felt welcomed and respected. We were also good at finding a balance between being competitive and pushing each other to improve during training

Boys Varsity Soccer 2024-25 Credit: Justin Kang ‘27

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Bulldogs shoot for states Ty Neal Co-Coffeehouse Editor

n January 30, the Bolles boys basketball team faced off against Hilliard for Senior Night. They won in a crushing fashion with a 54-41 point win over the Hilliard Flashes. The seniors that were recognized during the Senior Night ceremony were Kaden Fergusen, Reed Worley, CJ Ennis, Mac Verlander, and Finley Bredehoeft ‘25.

Landon Wagner ‘26 in action. Credit: Kate Youell After the Senior Night win against Hilliard, Fergusen reached the achievement of scoring 1,000 points throughout his high school career at Bolles.

The seniors, along with the rest of the basketball team, have put together a great season this year and look to replicate the high points of this year next year as well.

“We played together and we came out with the dub.” — Caden Fergusen ‘25 The beginning of the season for the Bulldogs started out differently. They began the season with a losing record but were able to turn it around come midseason. The Bulldogs ended with a hot streak right before playoffs, having won six of their last seven games. “Towards the end of the season, we were able to get it together, and we won seven of our last eight games,” Fergusen said. “We were

“Towards the end of the season, we were able to get it together, and we won seven of our last eight games.” — Mac Verlander ‘25 “We played together and we came out with the dub,” Fergusen said.

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The only time the Bulldogs lost a game in their streak of winning was to our school rival Bishop Kenny near the ending of the season, who they had also beaten just two weeks prior at home. The home game win was against Bishop Kenny and it had the fans fired up with the biggest student

Kaden Ferguson ‘25 dribbles. Credit: Ty Neal at six and ten, and managed to get to 13 and 11 with a key win over Bishop Kenny.”

Reed Worley ‘25 on offense. Credit: Dawson Brydges section turn out for a basketball game all year. The student section wore a theme of business casual for that game. “The Bishop Kenny win at home this year was pretty awesome,” Verlander said. “We haven’t beat them at home in two and a half years. Although we sent them home last season in districts, it was good to get one at home with

As long as shots can fall and their talent proves sufficient, I think that our younger guys will have a great season next year. — Mac Verlander ‘25

Kaden Ferguson ‘25 faces off against a Bishop Kenny rival. Credit: Ty Neal our home crowd. It was a pretty publicized game that week, so it was cool to get a win in front of our students.”

CJ Ennis on senior night. Credit: Dawson Brydges This year, the new addition of the new Athletic Director for the school, Rock Pillsbury, looks to add funding to the basketball team to further encourage the team to continue to play better in the future. Verlander believes that the underclassmen have high

expectations for the future success of the basketball team in years to come. “I think the underclassmen are set up well, and I’ll commemorate our group of seniors for that. I think we’ve shown a lot of grit and perseverance, showing by example this year,” Verlander said. “As long as shots can fall and their talent proves sufficient, I think that our younger guys will have a great season next year.” It has been a hard fought season with many accomplishments along the way for the Bulldogs, but they managed to get hot at just the right time. The years ahead also look hopeful due to the new athletic director for the whole school, the added budget to the basketball team, and the aspiring underclassmen on the team. The team ended the season with a record of 13-13 with many bumps along the way but high hopes for years to come.

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Baseball looks Ahead The road to a state championship

Dawson Brydges Contributing Writer

s a new baseball season approaches for the Bulldogs, the team brings one goal to the table: “put paint on the wall.” This phrase is the team’s motto, and it means to win a state championship. When the team achieves this goal, they will have the year posted right above the scoreboard. Entering his 19th season as the Bolles baseball coach, Head Coach Mike Boswell is aiming to lead his team to its ninth state championship. Boswell brings an impressive resume to the table: he played baseball in college for North Florida and served as an infielder for the Chicago Cubs. Before coaching at Bolles, Boswell served as the head coach at Englewood High School. In 1999, he led Englewood to a state title and earned the Florida Athletic Association Coach of the Year Award.

“A state championship team in my eyes is a team who plays together, with talented players, and a little bit of luck” — Coach Mike Boswell As head coach for the Bulldogs, Boswell has over 500 wins, two state titles, one state runner up, two state semifinalists, and 12 district championships. Boswell has also sent 42 of his players to play college baseball. Four of those players went on to the MLB (Major League Baseball), including Austin Slater ‘11, DJ Stewart ‘12 ,and Hunter Barco ‘19.

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Knowing what a statechampionship team looks like, Boswell believes this year’s team has potential. “A statechampionship team in my eyes is a team that plays together, with talented players, and a little bit of luck,” he said. As for last year’s team, they earned a spot in the playoffs and made it to the regional semifinal.

Johhny Henderson ‘28 gets ready. Credit: Dawson Brydges

Boswell said that even though the team was young, they competed well last season. The team would like to play with the same intensity this year. The road to a state title is always a bumpy road. However, this season, there are a few extra challenges. This year’s team has only four seniors on the roster. On top of the team’s lack of experience, the baseball facilities are currently undergoing construction, which means there will only be four home games this season. Boswell hopes that the team will embrace the adversity and be “road warriors.” The construction of the team’s facilities is no small project. The team is having all of their facilities renovated, including the dugout, the locker room, and the field. The team’s new complex

will include Jerry and Bruce Chappell Fieldhouse and a new stadium, which will be designed to match the San Jose Campus’ architecture with two towers, an outdoor terrace, a new press box, and dugouts. The fieldhouse will include the locker room, coaches’ offices, and a lobby that will display the history of the Bolles Baseball Program. The outdoor landscaping will be designed corresponding with the gardening style of Jerry Chappell. Although the team will only have four home games this season, the sacrifice will be worth it. After the renovations are complete, Bolles will have state-of-the-art facilities. Next year’s team will have a large amount of home games to make up for the lack of home games this season. The baseball team’s coaching staff appreciates the donors that helped fund the project, and Coach Boswell appreciates his seniors for making this sacrifice for the future of the program. This year, the coaching staff hopes that this young team will “get 1% better each day” and become the best version of themselves. In order to accomplish this, the baseball team has been holding workouts and practices after school since August of last year. The program also has their players participate in a fall program. The fall program allows the players to gain experience by hosting scrimmages against other teams. The fall program’s team name was the “River Dogs.” Boswell wants his team to take the season one game at a time and compete at the highest level possible. The team’s last state title was in 2017. However, the team looks to earn a state title this year making it the program’s ninth overall.

New coaches boost Boys Lacrosse program Thomas Catto Contributing Writer

ince last season, the Bolles boys lacrosse program has gained six new coaches. The coaches are making many plans they hope to execute during the season. One new coach is Glenn Mandel, who is the new Bolles goalie coach. Mandel played Division 1 lacrosse at Mercer University and brings great experience and success to the program. Will Martel ’27, the starting goalie on the team, has a great experience with Mandel’s coaching. “Coach Mandel is always bringing the energy and picking up the team when we aren’t at our best,” he said.

Lacrosse award, which he earned after he helped lead Notre Dame to their first NCAA National Championship. He is a defensive coach and brings championship level experience and knowledge to the team. Defensive player Zipf Pedrick ’27 believes that Schalit has “brought great coaching points and has helped the team grow.”

Another new coach is Max Schalit. Schalit played at Ponte Vedra High School and later went on to play at Notre Dame. Schalit was an All-American and won numerous lacrosse-related awards, including the Florida Dairy Farmer’s Mr.

The sixth new coach is Cameron Welch, who is the assistant offensive coordinator. Welch has coached club teams that many Bolles athletes play for, such as Bombers Lacrosse. Bombers has

Bolles Lacrosse Coaches directing practice. Credit: Thomas Catto

A third new coach is Freddie Amato. Amato joins the program as an assistant coach. He also played at Ponte Vedra High School and Division 1 lacrosse for LeHigh University. Coach Amato has won many offensive awards and brings new perspectives and strategies to the program.

Team and Coaches after huddle. Credit: Thomas Catto

Cole Daninger is the defensive coordinator for Bolles this year. Daninger played Division 1 college lacrosse at both Rutgers University and Jacksonville University.

Coach Fredrick Stucker is now the assistant offensive coach. Stucker has significant coaching experience because he also coached at the college level. In addition to coaching the boys lacrosse team, Stucker also coaches Florida Crabs, a local lacrosse club team. West Jones ‘27 talks about how “he was my Crabs coach over the summer. He’s always been really helpful towards me.”

a summer and fall league where Welch plays an important role in developing the players and helping them grow as athletes to prepare them for the college level. The six new coaches each play very important roles in the practices, games, film, and ultimately communication with the players. Whether it is offense or defense, all of the new coaches have helped the players grow and learn as the season progresses. The team has made four appearances in the final four and one appearance in the state championship. The Bolles lacrosse program has developed a substantial amount and will continue to grow.

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Bulldogs kick off the shortdistance track season Akin Akande Contributing writer

olles’ Boys Track and Field has been district champion 26 times since 1964. They were the state runners-up in 2003 and 2002 and state champions in 1999, 2019, and 2023. Overall, the boys’ team has three state championships, two state runner-ups, and 26 district championships. The Girls Track and Field team has been district champions 16 times since 2000, state runner-up three times since 1998, and finally, they have six state championships since 2014. Bolles has sent 80 Track and Field athletes to play at the collegiate level since 1977.

“I can say from my observations that Bolles’ track and field program is a complete team.” — Coach Kyle Martin

The coach for short-distance track is Coach Kyle Martin. He has been with Bolles since 2019, so it is his seventh year coaching with the team. He is very experienced in short distance track and field. “I competed in track during high school and was lucky enough to run at Kennesaw State University during college. One summer my club coach that I had worked with during high school asked if I wanted to help coach during the summer to earn some extra money. That was the summer of

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2018 and I have been coaching since then,” said Martin. Martin has worked for the Jacksonville Athletic Club, but They are based out of Bolles, so he has only coached track at Bolles.

Jalen Ross ‘25 and Dashaydon Phillips ‘27 stand at blocks. Credit: Dawson Bridges 27’

your race, there is no one else to fall back on,” he said. “In other sports, athletes can hide behind others, pass the blame away from themselves, and always find an excuse as to why they don’t play better. I believe this scares many athletes from the sport, but the ones who decide to compete in track and field turn into responsible and courageous young adults, understanding that the outcome they see is directly correlated to the work they put in.” At the end of the 2024 season, the team of Dashaydon Phillips ‘27, Santana Starks ‘26, Naeem Burroughs ‘26, and Chase Collier ‘25 had won the four-by-four race during the regional championship. Phillips says his goal for the

“I had a not-so-enjoyable experience, to put it mildly, during my time in college due to the coaches at the time. Once I got into coaching, I realized that I had a passion for it and I felt I had a duty to make sure no athlete felt the same way I had when I competed,” said Martin. Martin has won five state championships: three girls’, and two boys’.” “My expectation each year for the Bolles track team is always to win a state championship. I try not to focus on this day to day, rather I make sure the athletes know that we need to show up every day and execute the work to the best of their ability,” he said. Martin believes that track and field, as well as other individual-based sports such as swimming, are the best character development sports there are. “In a race, you are the only one that controls the outcome of

Naeem Burroughs ‘25 walks back to the starting line. Credit: Dawson Bridges 27’ team this season “is to win the four-by-four race in the state championship.” His personal goal is to get his 100-meter dash time to sub-11. “I have never worked with another high school program, but I can say from my observations that Bolles’ track and field program is a complete team. Many schools excel in a singular area while neglecting others. In Bolles’ case, every event group—from sprints to distances to jumps to throws— every group has a hand in the team’s success year to year.”

Scene 4

Local

City Year continues annual MLK tradition Ava Cheng Editor-in-Chief

ith a lifetime of civil rights activism, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left a legacy of inclusion and inspiration which City Year Jacksonville aims to uphold through its annual MLK Day event. City Year AmeriCorps is a national organization with chapters in 29 cities across the country that provide resources and support to schools. Members aim to supply students with academic, workforce, and intrapersonal mentorship while preparing them to be leaders in their communities and careers.

Volunteers listen to a performance by the City Year Choir. Credit: Ava Cheng When the organization was founded in 1988, it was centered around physical service projects like renovating homeless shelters, cleaning parks, and painting schools. “I’m not sure exactly the date that we started doing the MLK Day of Service,” said Griffin, “but the physical service has lasted through the transitions of us integrating into schools and such. That’s one staple piece that we continuously do.”

Volunteers listen to keynote speaker Dawn Curling. Credit: Isabel Schimpff “City Year empowers young people to reach their full potential through placing 18 to 25 year olds in class, and they give students holistic support in the classroom in attendance, behavior and coursework,” explained Quentin Griffin, City Year’s Senior Event Director. “And these young people also receive professional development while they’re here, so that way when they graduate, they can become successful people.”

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Griffin joined City Year nine years ago after applying to the program through the AmeriCorps website. “I have had multiple roles in the organization, from being a core member, a volunteer in the classroom, to now a senior event director, which essentially means I manage a portfolio of schools and support the managers of teams at those schools.” For Griffin, it’s the work that City Year does to benefit students that drew him back year after year. Griffin also acts as the director of the MLK service event, delegating tasks and orchestrating behind-

the-scenes work. “We start planning for it in September or October,” he said. “We connect with principals and community partners so we can get sponsorships and donations for the event. It looks like us walking the campus with the principals understanding what the needs are on a school campus, and then coming up with a final plan for what the execution of these projects will look like.” After coming up with a plan, the City Year team works to design the projects, order materials, and prepare before the event itself.

“It really inspired everybody to want to give it their all.” — Quentin Griffin This year, the organization selected San Jose Elementary School for revitalization, where several City Year Student Success

Coaches have provided fulltime support to students and teachers since last year. Jasmin Gomez, San Jose Elementary’s principal, played a large part in the school being selected for this year’s service project. “She really wanted to have it at her school’s campus,” recalled Griffin. “She’s a big community champion, and that’s one of our newer school partnerships.”

“This event, it brings out the good in people. It brings communities together to do something towards a greater good.” — Quentin Griffin Gomez opened the event with several other speakers from City Year and partner organizations. For Griffin, one of the most memorable moments of the day was listening to four of the San Jose Elementary students recite

excerpts from King’s “I Have A Dream” speech in both English and Spanish. “I think after the kids read and thanked the community for coming out to help their school it really inspired everybody to want to give it their all.” Following the opening speeches, volunteers from various companies and organizations worked alongside 67 City Year members to help paint murals and work on landscaping. “We painted over 170 paw prints on the ground,” said Griffin, “And they put down over 1010 yards of mulch down along the perimeter of campus. Those are the most prominent things that we did.” According to Griffin, City Year’s MLK Day service project is especially important because it creates an immediate, visual impact. “We do the same work every day in schools with tutoring, but I think that this is a unique type of service that we do,” said Griffin, “I think it stands out in the community and people can see the work that we’re doing.” Overall, the service event is a day to celebrate King’s legacy and give back to the community. “Martin Luther King had a heart

Isabel Schimpff ‘25 paints a paw print on the sidewalk at San Jose Elementary. Credit: Ava Cheng for people and communities,” said Griffin. “This event, it brings out the good in people. It brings communities together to do something towards a greater good. Martin Luther King did say, ‘Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.’”

A completed mural at San Jose Elementary. Credit: Ava Cheng

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Digging into the history of Groundhog Day Zipf Pedrick Contributing Writer

He saw his shadow! looks like its definitely going to be another 6 weeks of winter

roundhog Day is the tradition of taking the groundhog out of his home in the ground and seeing if he sees his shadow. If the groundhog sees his shadow, then it should mean six more weeks of winter; if he does not, then spring comes early that year. To most people, Groundhog Day is a recognizable holiday, but most don’t know much about the holiday’s history and whether the groundhog is as accurate of a weatherman as people say he is. The story of a groundhog predicting whether spring begins early or not has been celebrated by many cultures for years. The belief that an animal such as a badger or a bear emerges from hibernation on February 2 to pre-

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dict the weather for the following six weeks by looking at its shadow came about in the Middle Ages. This story made its way to the United States through German immigrants where the tradition was started in Pennsylvania. In Punxsutawney, the badger was substituted for a groundhog. Since 1886 on February 2, there has been a local festival where a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil predicts the weather. As of 2024, Punxsutawney Phil has made 130 predictions, 109 calling for six more weeks of winter and only 21 for an early spring. Ten times there has been no record of Punxsutawney’s predictions. This year, Punxsutawney predicted that there would be six more weeks of winter, but how accurate

is that prediction exactly? Even though Punxsutawney Phil has been predicting the weather for over 140 years, he isn’t very good at it. Punxsutawney’s predictions have been calculated to be only 36 percent accurate. This makes Punxsutawney one of the least trustworthy weathermen. But if Punxsutawney Phil is such an inaccurate weatherman, then why do people still celebrate Groundhog Day and await his predictions for the next six weeks of weather every year? Simply to honor a long-celebrated tradition. Most people grew up with the holiday and listened to what the groundhog predicted. So they continue on celebrating it without caring whether the groundhog is actually predicting the weather.

Tiktok's treacherous ban Alastair Thompson Contributing Writer

n 2020, President Donald Trump proposed the first draft of a ban on the famous social media app TikTok. Now, five years later, the Chinese-owned company TikTok has been fighting ban threats on and off since the app gained relevance. On January 18, TikTok users in America received a popup stating, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you cannot use TikTok for now.”

Other users of TikTok mindlessly kept opening the app out of habit. “The morning after the TikTok ban I opened the app around six to seven times just for me to see the same ban pop-up as I did the night before,” said Preston Hager ‘28. After the app was banned, many users immediately resorted to Instagram reels. Although some users, like Jimmy Hunt ‘28, call this a “watered-down version of TikTok,” users were desperate to continue scrolling on any app possible. “I think it has its moments but it is 100% not as consistent as TikTok,” said Hunt. Some people were also huge advocates for the app Rednote, a Chinese copy of TikTok and Instagram with a similar layout to Pinterest. This app gained influxes of users from the United States when TikTok was rumored to be banned before the new year. Although most users stuck with Instagram reels, as most of them already had the app downloaded because of the normal Instagram aspect, some preferred Rednote

because of it being more censored than Instagram reels. Instagram reels commonly include crude or violent content some users do not want to see. 16 hours later, TikTok was brought back to the U.S. Although it is currently back, the ban was placed on a 90-day delay in hopes of coming to a conclusion and agreement that works both with the beloved app and the U.S. government. “No, I do not think TikTok will be banned Because Trump wants to gain Gen Z popularity and will do that by keeping TikTok up and running,” said Bolles student Clara Venus ‘27 regarding the TikTok ban. “I also don’t think TikTok should be banned because the app is a source of entertainment and brings people together in a community. It is a source of thrill and fun to relieve stress. I do however believe TikTok may need limitations on what it should have access to on our phones but it should not be banned as it has helped many out as a source of income and helped others gain friends.”

Tiktok ban pop-up. Credit: Alastair Thompson Users of the app were infuriated that their beloved TikTok had been banned. Some even decided to delete the app due to frustration and the assumption that it was never going to make a return. Bolles student Brodie Colyer ‘27 was one of the users who deleted the app. “I deleted the app not knowing it would be brought back.” At first, Colyer couldn’t redownload the app because it was removed from the App Store until February 13.

Bolles student opening Tiktok. Credit: Alastair Thompson

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Bolles students Azevedo ‘27 and Patel ‘27 react to wildfires in California

Dawson Brydges Contributing Writer

ast month, the state of California faced many significant wildfires, particularly in the Los Angeles area. The Eaton fire ignited on January 7 and burned near Altadena, California. This particular fire was fueled by dry conditions and extreme Santa Ana winds. The fire spread to over 14,000 acres of land, resulting in loss of at least 17 lives. The Eaton fire’s blaze left approximately 9,481 structures in ashes while damaging another 1,073 structures. The Palisades fire ignited on the same day as the Eaton fire near the Pacific Palisades neighborhood west of Los Angeles. This certain fire was even stronger than the Eaton fire, with flames spreading more rapidly. The fire forced over 80,000 residents to evacuate their homes and left at least 28 dead. On January 27, Donald Trump issued an executive order for the federal government to override California’s water policies

"I think this is a devastating time, I hope everybody is safe, and I'm just thankful that my family is safe. — Gabe Azevedo '27 to provide water to the fire departments who are fighting these fires.

Southern California house on fire. Credit: Newsweek

Not only has Los Angeles fought the fires, but according to Earth. org, the climate in California makes the state 35% more likely to have wildfires. The cause of these deadly fires remains unknown. However, recent footage suggests that SCE (Southern California Edison), the company that provides electricity to that area of Socal, could be to blame. Authorities are investigating. The insured property losses from these two fires are estimated from $28,000,000 to $34,000,000. This price tag makes the fires the most economically destructive in California history. As people mourn the loss of their homes and loved ones, many remain hopeful. The community has come together to help with the damage. Governor Gavin Newson approved a $2.5 billion relief package to aid the affected communities. The community of Altadena has been resilient in their response, offering their support through wellness checks and clearing debris. At Bolles, many students’ families

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have also been affected. Bolles sophomore Gabe Azevedo ‘27 is originally from Santa Barbara, California, and moved to Jacksonville when he was seven years old. Azevedo also has many family members who live in California and recalls times where he’d see smoke coming from the mountains of Santa Barbara. In 2018, his grandparents had to evacuate their home due to a wildfire. Azevedo expressed gratitude for the firefighters in California who work so hard to stop the fires when they occur. Azevedo also is concerned for the other residents of California. “I think this is a devastating time, I hope everybody is safe, and I’m just thankful that my family is safe,” he said. Sohan Patel ‘27 also has family ties to California. Fortunately, Sohan’s grandparents were not affected by the recent fires, but his cousin was. Patel’s cousin lost power in her home and was one of the first forced to be evacuated. As of now, Patel’s cousin is living in Atlanta, unaware if she has a home to go back to. Patel is hopeful that his cousin will recover quickly from this disaster.

Early cooldown in Jax Jaxson Richter Contributing Writer

s expected, starting last October, Jacksonville saw temperatures fall. But this winter felt shockingly cold for many. Although Jax didn’t experience any record lows, the constant temperatures below 40 degrees surprised many Florida natives. In January, only two days in the first two weeks were normal temperatures. Jacksonville was hit by a rare winter storm which caused freezing temperatures and frost. Also, there was only one day where the temperature hit 70 degrees. The Jacksonville International Airport reported eight mornings in the first two weeks of January of temperatures at or below freezing. Between 2020 and 2024, there was only one day that hit the freeze point over the first two weeks of January. Compared to the past decade, there had been at least five days every year where the temperature hit 70 degrees. And one year Jacksonville even saw 80-degree weather during the winter season. To understand why this happens, science teacher Mr. Buitrago explained why this winter was so cold. “The reason for the prolonged cold weather in Florida is due to a polar vortex, which is a blast of arctic air coming from up north,” Buitrago said. A polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air surrounding the Earth’s poles. The origin of the cold came from the other side of the world. This year, the cold weather that came through Jacksonville started in Siberia. This is caused by crosspolar flow, which pulls air from Siberia all the way down to the

United States. Cross-polar flow is when cold air from Siberia flows directly over the North Pole and then goes south. Another factor in the cool weather is the clear skies. When clouds are present, they act as an insulating blanket, which causes the weather to stay somewhat warm. However, without clouds the heat escapes into space, and keeps the cold on the surface. The combination of clear skies and wind creates a prime climate for freezing temperatures and frost formation. This caused a cold weather advisory for the first time in Jacksonville, showing how Jacksonville has turned from a haven free of cold to a place where winters can reach freezing

temperatures. Cold weather was a surprise for many; however, scientists saw the theme of cooling winters and extreme weather from years back. Global warming is a phenomenon that doesn’t just bring temperatures up in the summer, but they start to crash lower during the winter. It creates more extreme weather on both sides. The reason this happens is the disruption of the polar vortex, which causes the bursts of cold air to go southward to the United States and into Florida. Studies show the frequency and intensity of winter storms in North America and in Europe have increased in recent years, parallel to climate change. BOLLESBUGLEONLINE.COM

Bolles offers Youth Leadership Jax to freshmen Sree Alam Contributing Writer

outh Leadership Jacksonville is a selective program for high school sophomores who are mostly in Northeast Florida. This program makes sure to select a diverse group of students who have demonstrated leadership abilities, and only 50 students are chosen per year.

leadership, creation of a vision, and action taken for the greater good.

In 1976, Leadership Jacksonville was formed by Frederick H. Schultz, who later became the organization’s first president.

Schultz was a business leader who was born in Jacksonville, and a speaker for the Florida

miss one day of school to learn more about how they can impact their community by working in workshops that help them become better leaders. The last day in this program is a closing retreat and graduation for all the students who participated. main mission is to “educate, connect and inspire diverse leaders to build and strengthen their communities.” They pride themselves on being a “catalyst for vibrant, connected communities where diverse perspectives are valued and encouraged for the greater good,” and value knowledge and understanding, commitment to

“From meeting this amazing group of diverse people to making connections with adults that are willing to help and support my goals in the future.” — Esha Kasavaraju ‘26

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Kasavaraju not only had an

amazing time in the program but she also met some other amazing individuals that she still keeps in touch with to this day.

“Youth Leadership Jax was a huge

Every month, these students

Leadership Jacksonville’s

in freshman year,” Kasaveraju said, “and I’m even happier that I was selected into it in general. I’ve learned so much on how to thrive in a community as a leader and how I can benefit my community.”

Students gather at local Youth Leadership Jax Conference. Credit: Esha Kasavaraju House of Representatives. Schultz was also the Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve. He has always been involved in providing the Jacksonville community with opportunities to become leaders. This is one of the main reasons why he put his faith into creating and funding Leadership Jacksonville when the idea was proposed.

For the past couple of years,

Bolles students have been given the opportunity to apply to this program and many of them are now alumni or will be doing it next year. Esha Kasavaraju ‘26 graduated from this program last year.

“Honestly, I really am so glad I

applied to Youth Leadership Jax

opportunity already, but I also got so many more opportunities out of it as well. From meeting this amazing group of diverse people to making connections with adults that are willing to help and support my goals in the future. When I graduated from the program it felt very bittersweet because I knew I was going to miss it very much.”

This year, many freshmen applied, including Vincent Barragan ‘28. “I’ve been looking to apply for Youth Leadership Jax for the past year, but I really wanted to do it so that I could get a more fundamental knowledge of the issues facing the city I care so much about,” Barragan said. “This was especially important considering that I run the Jacksonville High School Democrats, and as part of that, I feel that it is my responsibility to take at least a small part in tackling those issues.”

Many of the students who

have participated agree that the program is an amazing opportunity for those students who are eager to learn about how they can be leaders and help their communities their own way.

Scene 5

OpEd

Trump kickstarts change in Washington Jake Forrest Contributing Writer Jake Forrest is a Contributing Writer for The Bugle. The opinions expressed here are solely his own and are not meant to reflect views of The Bugle or The Bolles School.

ith the inauguration ceremony fully complete, Donald J. Trump is now the 47th President of the United States. His first day in office was incredibly eventful with the president signing over 45 executive orders ranging from tariffs and immigration to birthright citizenship, from withdrawal from global organizations to renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. Many of these executive orders have created controversy and debate, but they may have a net positive impact on our country. Let’s look at tariffs. For years, the goods produced in the United States and exported to other countries have faced stiff tariffs and legal protections. This has made some of the products the US produces uncompetitive. For example, China imposes tariffs on energy like coal and gas. Canada has tariffs on steel and aluminum. Europe has stiff import taxes on farmed products. Trump’s recent implementation of tariffs against China and the threat of tariffs against other countries is about restoring a level economic playing field. While it may increase prices in the short-term, the longer impact will benefit the products we make and sell abroad with the potential of opening new markets. Free trade should be fair trade. Immigration is another important issue addressed through executive order. Improving our border security and increasing

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deportations, especially of those with criminal backgrounds, helps all communities and reduces the federal budget by reducing funding towards the border and deportation in the long run. Removing criminals helps keep communities safe. Reducing immigration also can decrease the cost of housing, feeding, and other costs which reduces taxpayer expenses supporting new arrivals. Between 2020 and 2024 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spent nearly $22.6 billion for refugee resettlement and the Federal

Asylum seekers in Texas. Credit: Fox 10 News Phoenix Emergency Management Agency spent $650 million in 2024 alone providing financial support to non-citizen migrants. Withdrawals from organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Climate Accords are important in putting America first and not paying for other countries. The WHO dictates policy and rules that impact the United States and not one of the officials is elected by the U.S. public. If we are allocating tax dollars to the WHO or the policies they create, we could argue this is taxation without representation. This is also true of the Paris Climate Agreement, which put an artificial ceiling on emissions from

some countries but not all. We are paying $500-600 million yearly while countries like China do not pay near that. In addition to a frenzy of executive actions, President Trump has been working to fill his cabinet. Several of these have been viewed as controversial and one of the more interesting choices was Pete Hegseth as the defense secretary. A former media personality and a weekend cohost of Fox News, many have questioned his qualifications to lead the largest organization in the world. And while he served in the Army National Guard and was deployed twice to active battles in 2005 and 2011, his leadership experience could be considered light. But this is a bold choice and I believe he is a great pick for the American people. He has and wants to return the military to being a lethal fighting force for the American people. That is the only role for our military and squarely the priority that Secretary Hegseth has outlined. Two additional controversial choices in working through the Senate confirmation process would be Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence and Robert Kennedy Jr. for the Head of Health and Human Services. Remember that it was the merger of the “Make America Great Again” and the “Make America Healthy Again” that helped Trump win the election. Kennedy is planning to tackle the chronic disease epidemic, advance regenerative agriculture, protect natural habitats, and eliminate environmental toxins. A long list of executive actions, a great team leading key cabinet posts, and a renewed mission to have the U.S. lead the world has America ready to be great again.

Change in Washington diminishes America’s greatness Raaya Katugaha Contributing Writer Raaya Katugaha is a Contributing Writer for The Bugle. The opinions expressed here are solely his own and are not meant to reflect views of The Bugle or The Bolles School.

he first 100 days of a presidency serve as a pivotal moment for setting the tone of an administration. When Trump took office in 2017, his early actions sparked praise and controversy, creating new shared ideals amongst American citizens and shaping the country’s political landscape in unprecedented ways. The 47th presidential inauguration, held on January 20 in Washington, DC, officially marked the beginning of a new chapter. Trump wasted no time writing this chapter, as he set a new record - signing over twenty executive orders on inauguration day. But not all gave reassurance for the future of America. Beginning with birthright citizenship: Trump signed an executive order attempting to revoke birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. This decision has led to contention because the right is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States, rendering Trump’s actions legally dubious. Legal scholars argue this requires a constitutional amendment, not an executive order. “The president of the United States has no authority to change citizenship rules at all,” says Gerald L. Neuman, J. Sinclair Armstrong Professor of International, Foreign, and Comparative Law at Harvard Law. Another critical executive order is Trump’s federal-hiring freeze and return-to-office mandate. The hiring freeze declares that no federal civilian position that

is vacant on January 20 may be filled. The return-to-office mandate enforces that all people work in their physical offices five days per week. Due to the hiring freeze, many agencies were put at risk, such as the FBI, TSA, and Border Patrol, which depend on new personnel to maintain efficient operations. Furthermore, as wildfires pose an unpredictable threat, a lack of personnel in the fire department leaves many vulnerable populations unprotected. Finally, the hiring freeze disproportionately affects a large number of veterans who rely on government jobs. The return-to-office mandate for federal workers states that workers either “show up to work or get terminated.” Forcing workers to return to in-office work under the threat of unemployment may cause an extreme reaction. Some may resign as a result, and if more federal workers leave their jobs during a hiring freeze, many federal jobs will be left vacant, and critical offices will suffer. After the COVID-19 pandemic, our world became increasingly reliant on technology. With a returnto-office mandate comes hours spent commuting, which may diminish productivity instead of boost it. Overall, Trump’s decision represents an outdated approach to management. Trump also passed an executive order regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. He repealed several DEI-focused executive orders that were promoted by previous administrations. DEI programs help address systemic inequalities in the hiring process, educational system, and government contracts. They ensure institutions meet the needs of diverse populations, and they improve workplace performance. Stripping this program perturbs our community because many cultures already feel undermined

and underrepresented. As a result, these cultures may feel neglected and insignificant. Few were surprised by Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, a climate accord attempting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The UN Climate Change Conference created these agreements in 2016 in to work on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate control. The US is the world’s second-largest producer of CO2, and the withdrawal from this agreement weakens global efforts to reduce climate change, dissuading people from taking an interest in our environment. Moreover, this decision may cost the US millions of clean energy jobs. It also allows China to assume global climate leadership, giving them the power to dominate the growing renewable energy sector. Finally, Trump has signed an executive order to minimize the Affordable Care Act and to withdraw from the World Health Organization. He removed the US from the WHO on the premise that they mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic, and the “unfairly onerous payments” the US made to the WHO. The WHO plays an essential role in the global medical sector, coordinating global health responses. Though his decisions aim to lessen US financial burdens, these investments allow the US to be in control. Giving up our role in the WHO will limit the power and control the US has over how global health crises are handled. As a major world power, we ought to be leading the global conversation, not withdrawing from it. These orders serve to establish power rather than demonstrate progress or solve issues. With these changes in Trump’s first month, we can only wonder what the next 47 will bring. BOLLESBUGLEONLINE.COM

The downfall of senior privilege Ty Neal Co-Coffeehouse Editor Ty Neal is the Co-Coffeehouse Editor of The Bugle. The opinions expressed here are solely his own and are not meant to reflect views of The Bugle or The Bolles School.

enior privilege has been on the decline for years now. If you take a look around campus, it is pretty apparent. Seniors are given less priority and are not given as much respect as they once were. Before we can understand how seniors this year have been disregarded, we must first understand what exactly senior privilege is. Oxford English Dictionary describes the word privilege as: a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group. Because the seniors around campus are experiencing their last year of high school, they should be given special treatment and celebration. In previous years the seniors were able to park without fear of others taking their spots and they got to sit on the court in Davis for all-school convocations. Privilege is deteriorating for the senior class in three main areas: 1. Underclassmen and juniors don’t respect the seniors. 2. The school does not give as many privileges to seniors. 3. The seniors are softer. Firstly, underclassmen overall are often not as respectful to the seniors as we once were as freshmen and sophomores. The seniors are constantly grouped with juniors and the rest of the high school and it is evident by the composition of the Canteen. The Canteen used to be a senioronly space with a few exceptions for juniors and on rare occasions, sophomores. Never freshmen. “The seniors used to always be on campus. When they went off

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The difference between Ulmer in 2021 to Ulmer in 2025 Credit: Ty Neal campus they would come back and eat their food in the canteen,” Daniel Olunuga ‘26 said. Secondly, the amenities provided by the school are on the decline as well. For instance, the parking situation. The juniors and underclassmen are parking in the area that was once designated strictly for the seniors. Parking is not monitored as closely as it once was, allowing easy leeway for juniors and underclassmen to invade. The effect this has is larger than one might think. “The small little things that were prioritized around seniors have been taken away,” said Camilla Clarke ‘26. “I think senior privilege is on the downfall this year. I don’t think that’s a crazy thing to say. Everyone just parks anywhere. I feel like underclassmen still respect seniors but it’s the little things.” The seniors’ frustrations are

growing. “People sitting in the Canteen, they steal seniors’ chairs and even parking spots…like people don’t care because they don’t respect us,” said Jordan Alexander ‘25. Thirdly, the seniors should take some credit for their own downfall. Years ago, the seniors who occupied the canteen would often be seen as intimidating, unlike the seniors now, who are often warm and inviting. The class of ‘25 is just too nice. But why should we be punished for being kind? “On the football team, seniors used to sit in the front row but now the freshmen don’t listen when seniors tell them to move,” said CJ Ennis ‘25. The seniors are neither intimidating nor mean and never bully the underclassmen. But, the seniors this year are more than deserving of the same privileges that previous seniors were given, and still do not enjoy the same privileges.

The NBA trade deadline was a mess Hudson Powell is a Contributing Writer for The Bugle. The opinions expressed here are solely his own and are not meant to reflect views of The Bugle staff or The Bolles School.

He is absolutely correct. Even though the Mavericks claimed Doncic was gaining weight, he appeared to not have gained much on his opening Lakers media day, leaving some to question if he really was out of shape or if there was just a dispute between him and the front office in Dallas.

Doncic is a five-time all-NBA first team, one of the highest honors in basketball, so it should not matter what his weight is as long as

Hudson Powell Contributing Writer

he NBA trade deadline occurred on February 10, and some shocking deals occurred. Many players are sold out each year to benefit the teams. Players that are traded are inspected and given a rigorous physical—they are almost treated like property. At the trade deadline this year, the moves of the Los Angeles Lakers were the biggest news. The Lakers sent star center Anthony Davis, along with a few young players and draft picks, for NBA star Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic is arguably the best player in the NBA, averaging 28.6 points 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists over the course of his career. Doncic is one the next generational talents in the NBA, so this trade came as a shock to everyone in the league. The Mavericks’ only given reason for trading the NBA star was that he was out of shape, but many people believed this was a bad reason for trading Doncic.

“I don’t care if he is 300 pounds. Whatever weight he is is fine with me.” — Anthony Edwards “He averages 30 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. I don’t care if he is 300 pounds. Whatever weight he is fine with me,” said allstar guard Anthony Edwards when asked about the trade.

Luka Doncic in the NBA All-Star Game Credit: Wikimedia Commons he is putting up good numbers. He leads the NBA in points scored in the last five seasons and took the Mavericks on a run to the NBA finals. His achievements and skill outweigh his physical attributes, which is why the trade made no sense. Another trade that the Lakers were involved in ended up being rescinded. The Lakers had intended to trade rookie star Dalton Knecht and a future first round pick for Hornets center Mark Williams. This trade however, fell through because the Lakers said Williams failed their physical and they would not give up their assets for a player they believed could not stay healthy, so all the players traded ended up having to come back to their respective teams.

Knecht appeared to be affected by being thrown around like property. “It was hard, I got drafted here, so L.A. means a lot,” said Knecht when speaking on the trade. It is tough mentally to go through something like that, and it is even more difficult for a young player. This is an unacceptable position to put a player into—they are people, not property. A third trade that shed a bad light on the deadline was the trade of Heat star forward Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. He led the Heat for many years and had even carried them to two finals appearances. His trade was a result of bad blood between Butler and the Heat’s front office. An argument with the General Manager of the Heat was then followed by a refusal to agree on a contract extension for him that started a downward spiral. Butler then tried to play his hardest, but felt like he and the Heat were not going to agree on an extension, so he decided to look for trade offers. The Heat front office did not like this and began to question his effort level. After a series of small suspensions and disputes, Butler was then traded to the Warriors, leaving a bad taste in the mouth of all involved parties. The deadline has some flaws that need to be fixed, or else players will have no safety from being traded. If Doncic is not safe from being traded, then no player is. This will prevent fans from seeing any players as a symbol for their team or as someone they can take pride in—this is why something needs to change.

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2025 NFL Mock Draft Bugle Sports Editors predict the draft Nikolas Azevedo Co-Sports Editor Jack Laufer Co-Sports Editor

very year in late April, around 250 elite college football players get drafted into the National Football League (NFL). For some of these players, draft night is the most important night of their lives. They wonder if all the hot summer practices, late nights in the gym, and time watching game film will be enough to live out their lifelong dream to earn the opportunity to play alongside the best football players in the world. Often, many die-hard football fanatics come together to try to predict what direction teams will go with their first-round pick. This year, the Bugle sports editors tried predicting all 32 picks in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. Pick 1 Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward - QB Miami Despite the recent reports about how the Titans will “refuse to pass up on a generational talent,” we still believe that the Titans won’t pass up on this franchisechanging opportunity to have Cam Ward become their next quarterback. Ward is coming off a season breaking practically all of Miami’s school records and setting the new record for most D1 touchdown passes ever. If even an ounce of his production transfers to the NFL, Ward will be in other teams’ nightmares for years to come. Pick 2 Cleveland Browns: Shedeur Sanders - QB Colorado With Cleveland having more quarterbacks starting in 2024 than wins, it’s evident that the

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Browns have a quarterback problem. They will most likely go with one of the more popular names in this year’s draft, Shedeur Sanders. Sanders is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. In 2024, Sanders threw for over 4,000 yards while adding 37 touchdown passes and a 75% completion percentage to his resume. Pick 3 New York Giants: Travis Hunter - WR/CB Colorado There is no such thing as a “guaranteed superstar,” but if there was, it would be Travis Hunter. Hunter could be the greatest prospect the NFL has ever seen. He has mastered the practice of playing both cornerback and wide receiver during his time at Colorado with the mentorship of his coach Deion Sanders, who is considered the greatest two-way player ever. Hunter is 21, coming off of a Heisman season recording 15 receiving touchdowns AND 11 pass deflections. New York City is the biggest sports spotlight in the world, which would be an A+ fit for Hunter. Pick 4 New England Patriots: Abdul Carter - DE Penn State The Patriots finished the 2024 season at 4-13 with one of the league’s bottom-ranked defenses. The Patriots defense had a league-low 28 sacks, and with that, it’s obvious that they need to find help on the defensive side of the ball. One of the most valued talents in the draft is Penn State Defensive End Abdul Carter. The Patriots could easily elevate their defense by selecting the former Nittany Lion, who in 15 games posted 68 total tackles and 12 sacks while also having two forced fumbles.

Pick 5 Jacksonville Jaguars: Will Johnson - CB Michigan The Jacksonville Jaguars’ secondary in 2024 was comparable to a Pop Warner team. The Jaguars ranked in the bottom 10 in practically every single secondary stat, finishing dead last in opponents passing yards per game and opponents passing yards per throw. With the Jags’ cornerback Ronald Darby’s contract expiring this offseason, the defense will have a major hole to fill. Johnson is coming off of another great year at Michigan, with some NFL scouts even calling him a “human lock.” The last time the Jaguars picked a cornerback at #5, they hit a grand slam with Jalen Ramsey. If the Jaguars play their cards right, they could wind back up in that same position with Will Johnson. Pick 6 Las Vegas Raiders: Tetairoa McMillian - WR Arizona When Las Vegas traded Davante Adams to the Jets, it created a hole in the team’s receiver room that could not be easily filled. No one can be the next Adams, but Vegas hopes that they canfind the next big receiver, both literally and figuratively. With Tetairoa “Tet” McMillian being 6’5” and 212 lbs, many people were worried that he would fit into the stereotype that many tall receivers do not pan out in the NFL. But McMillian is not like every other receiver. With his height also comes an elite catch radius. He showed this in the 2024 season when, in 12 games, he caught 84 passes for 1,319 yards while also hauling in eight touchdowns.

Pick 7 New York Jets: Mason Graham - DT Michigan Mason Graham probably has the cleanest game film out of any prospect in this draft. Standing at 6’3” and weighing 318 lbs, he has very impressive mobility for his size. Graham recorded 46 total tackles and 3.5 sacks in his final year at Michigan. Graham would make a great addition to an already great pass rush, including the All-Pro Quinnen Williams. Pick 8 Carolina Panthers: James Pearce Jr - DE Tennessee The Panthers ranked dead last in total defense this past year. One of the more glaring issues with the Panthers’ defense was their inability to stop the run. With Abdul Carter most likely gone by pick 8, Carolina should look for another great option in Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr., who stands at 6’5” and 243 lbs. In his junior season, Pearce recorded 38 total tackles and 7.5 sacks. Pick 9 New Orleans Saints: Tyler Warren - TE Penn State Though controversial, Tyler Warren still won the John Mackey Award (given to the best tight end in the country) and finished seventh in Heisman voting in 2024. Warren is the clear-cut TE1 in this class. The tight end room in New Orleans is definitely a weak spot. Warren would come in and immediately take Juwan Johnson’s spot and could contribute to the Saints’ offense day one. Pick 10 Chicago Bears: Will Campbell - T LSU The Bears’ offensive line was ranked 17 after the 2024 season. Now that Chicago hopes they have found their franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams, it might now be time to invest in some security for their young signal caller. One of the more popular offensive linemen in this draft class is LSU left tackle Will

Campbell. Campbell stands at 6’6” and 323 lbs. Out of 557 passblocking snaps in 2024, he only allowed 2 sacks. Pick 11 San Francisco 49ers: Josh Simmons - T Ohio State Josh Simmons is a freak of nature. Simmons is 6’5” and weighs 310 lbs. Even with a humongous frame, he has a very loose and fluid playstyle that helps him thrive in the run-block game. Adding Simmons to the Niners’ O-Line is vital to keeping star running back Christian McCaffery happy and thriving. If the 49ers can get their run game back to what it used to be in 2021-2023, they will return to the NFC Champion statuswe are all familiar with. Pick 12 Dallas Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty - RB Boise State After passing Melvin Gordon, Ashton Jeanty only fell behind the legendary Barry Sanders in single-season rushing yards. Jeanty was a Heisman runner-up this past season, rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns while also averaging 7 yards per carry. Jeanty can provide big-time plays to a team like the Cowboys, who finished the 2024 season at 7-10. The Cowboys offense ranked 17th in 2024, and adding a superstar prospect like Jeanty could really give a boost to a team that needs it. Pick 13 Miami Dolphins: Malaki Starks - S Georgia Starks recorded 198 tackles and 6 interceptions during his time at Georgia and was a part of their 2022 National Championship team. Starks also earned 2023 Consensus All-American and First-Team All-SEC honors in 2023. Cory Giddings of Bleacher Report said, “Starks is poised to become a key player in any NFL secondary, offering the potential to develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber safety.” Starks has the opportunity to propel this subpar Dolphins secondary into an elite tier.

Pick 14 Indianapolis Colts: Mykel Williams - ED Georgia Last year, the Colts spent their first-round pick on Laiatu Latu, an edge from UCLA. Latu was quite underwhelming his rookie year, recording 16 tackles and only 4 sacks, both of which rank outside the top 100. Latu is only 24, so not all hope is lost yet. Mykel Williams has the ideal build and has produced great numbers in his time at Georgia, recording fifteen sacks and two forced fumbles only in his junior year. Williams could very well be the answer to the big question the Colts had at pass rush. Pick 15 Atlanta Falcons: Luther Burden III - WR Missouri With Atlanta hoping that they have their franchise quarterback in Micheal Penix, it makes sense that they are going to want to put the right pieces around him to help him and the team succeed. While the Falcons already have a young star in Drake London, Atlanta could add to that receiving corps by drafting Luther Burden III out of Missouri, who, in 12 games this past season, caught 61 passes for 676 yards and 4 touchdowns. Pick 16 Arizona Cardinals: Kelvin Banks Jr. - T Texas Back before this College Football season, Kelvin Banks Jr. was the consensus T1 in this year’s draft class. Banks is a 6’4” 320 junior that had more recruiting stars out of high school than he did sacks allowed in his entire collegiate career. Though the Cardinals’ offensive line is good, it lacks a true superstar. Banks could be the stud that the Cardinals are searching for in order to keep QB Kyler Murray healthy.

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Pick 18 Seattle Seahawks: Grey Zabel - T North Dakota State North Dakota State Tackle Grey Zabel is no stranger to battling adversity. Coming out of high school, Zabel had 0 stars and also 0 D1 offers. Zabel committed to go play at North Dakota State and would soon become a 2x FCS national champion. Zabel is probably the most flexible prospect in this draft, playing all of the positions on the O-Line this previous season. Zabel would be a great addition to this struggling Seahawks offensive line. Pick 19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Green - ED Marshall In the 130 years of the Marshall Football program, they have had only three first-round picks in the NFL draft. That number is about to get added to this year with Mike Green. Green is a 6’4, 248 lbs defensive end who, in 2024, recorded 17 sacks and 10 quarterback hits. He led FBS in both sacks and TFLs this past season and was awarded the 2024 Sun Belt Player of the Year. Pick 20 Denver Broncos: Shemar Stewart - ED Texas A&M

add a player to complement him if they picked Emeka Egbuka out of Ohio State. In 2024, Egbuka played primarily in the slot, where he racked up 81 receptions for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns and helped Ohio State win the National Championship. Pick 22 Los Angeles Chargers: Omarion Hampton - RB North Carolina Many people have been downplaying Omarion Hampton due to him constantly being compared to Ashton Jeanty, but Hampton is much better than we think he is. Hampton is efficient in the run and pass game, racking up 635 receiving yards and 3,565 rushing yards over his threeyear career at UNC. A good NFL comparison for Hampton would be the Lions star rusher David Montgomery. Hampton excelled in breaking tackles and finding the end zone on Saturdays and will continue to do so on Sundays in his future with the Los Angeles Chargers. Pick 23 Green Bay Packers: Walter Nolen - DL Ole’ Miss

In simple words, Shemar Stewart is an animal. Stewart is listed as 6’6”, 290 lbs, which is absolutely ludicrous. Even though his stats during his three years at Texas A&M weren’t all that crazy, he still has shown some flashes of dominance. If Stewart’s production can match his top-tier physical traits, Denver might land themselves the next Von Miller with this pick.

Walter Nolen, the Ole’ Miss defensive lineman, stands at a towering 6’3” and 305 lbs. Nolen was able to rack up 6.5 sacks and 48 total tackles in his lone season with the Rebels. Although he spent most of his time as a defensive tackle, his athleticism provides a unique ability to also play as a backside defender. With the Packers wanting to extend their time in the playoffs, they can certainly improve their chances by selecting an athlete like Nolen.

Pick 21 Pittsburgh Steelers: Emeka Egbuka - WR Ohio State

Pick 24 Minnesota Vikings: Armand Membou - T Missouri

Pittsburgh lacks skill position players, which is one of the reasons that they have been average for so long. The Steelers have the opportunity not only to elevate their offense but also to also elevate their talent level as a whole. The Steelers already have a good outside receiver in George Pickens, and they could

Armand Membou has been starting in the SEC ever since he was a freshman. Membou, the Missouri native, stands 6’3” and 325 lbs. Hehas won some accolades during his time at Mizzou, such as being on the 2024 Second All-SEC list, the 2024 Outland Trophy list, and the 2023 Joe Moore Award Semifinalist.

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Membou has the intangibles to be a force at the offensive line position for many years. Pick 25 Houston Texans: Josh Conerly Jr. - T Oregon Due to injuries and lack of consistent offensive line play this season, the Texans’ offense took a step back, dropping from the 12th to the 22nd ranked offensive unit. If Houston picks Josh Conerly Jr., they can help themselves by selecting one of the best offensive linemen in this year’s draft. The 21-year-old junior out of Oregon stands at 6’4” and 315 lbs. During his three years at Oregon, he allowed only 2 sacks out of 1,093 pass-blocking snaps. Pick 26 Los Angeles Rams: Colston Loveland - TE Michigan Colston Loveland is a great athlete for his humongous 6’5” and 245 lbs frame. Loveland both excelled in the pass and pass block game during his three year career at Michigan recording over 200 receptions in his last two years. Loveland was a former dual athlete in high school, playing both basketball and football. Loveland could be a great addition to this Rams offense that is expected to lose both core players in Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp. Pick 27 Baltimore Ravens: Demetrius Knight Jr. - LB South Carolina The 6’2” and 245 lbs linebacker out of South Carolina played many roles throughout the 2024 season. Knight played over 280 coverage snaps along with over 250 run snaps, where he racked up 82 total tackles. Adding to that, he also had three forced fumbles and an interception in his senior year with the Gamecocks. Knight’s skills could solidify the Ravens’ linebacker unit and give them some athleticism on the outside. Pick 28 Detroit Lions: Jack Sawyer - ED Ohio State This past season, the Lions were poised to not only make the

The 2010 NFL draft in Radio City Music Hall Credit: Marianne O’Leary

Super Bowl but also win it for the first time in their franchise’s history. But injuries on both sides of the ball slowed the team down, and when they played their first playoff game, it showed. The Lions’ defense took a big hit with the injury bug, with one of their bigger losses being defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson is an all-pro defender, and if Detroit can match his energy on the other side of their defense, the opposing quarterbacks would live in constant fear. A name that has been rising throughout the year is Ohio State defender Jack Sawyer, who in 2024 helped his team win a National Championship by recording 9 sacks and 4 total turnovers and even housed an 83yard fumble recovery in a playoff game vs. Texas. Pick 29 Washington Commanders: Matthew Golden - WR Texas The Commanders splashed onto the scene this past year thanks to the historic rookie season by QB Jayden Daniels. The Commanders hope to not only maintain the same level of play from their young quarterback but also take it to another level. Washington already has Pro Bowl WR Terry McLaurin, but Washington should surround Daniels with all the help

he can get. In his lone year at Texas, Mathew Golden was able to put up almost 1,000 yards and was able to manage 17 yards per reception along with hauling in nine touchdowns. Golden would pair with McLaurin like gold and could help the Commanders get over the NFC Championship hump and into the sacred Super Bowl realm. Pick 30 Buffalo Bills: Kenneth Grant - DL Michigan Keneth Grant is an absolute unit on the defensive line. Weighing in at 340 lbs, Grant totaled 3 sacks and 5 batted passes last year. Although the stats might not blow your socks off, Grant showed his ability to disrupt both the run and pass game. His pass rush ability and speed are only some of the reasons that he has the ability to be a first-round pick. In 2023, Grant was also named to the second team All-Big 10, just one of his many accolades. Pick 31 Kansas City Chiefs: Aireontar Ersery - T Minnesota As the season progressed, the Chiefs offensive line got hit with the injury bug, which trusted guard Joe Thuney to play tackle. Although Thuney played well in

his time as a tackle, when it came time to play in the Super Bowl the entire offensive line unit struggled in which they allowed 6 total sacks. One of the more notable names in this tackle class is Aireontar Ersery out of Minnesota, who is a monster at 6’6”. Out of 419 pass-blocking snaps this season, he allowed only 1 sack and 1 quarterback hit this past season. If the Chiefs want to make it back to the Super Bowl, they should start that journey by fixing their offensive line with a unit like Ersery. Pick 32 Philadelphia Eagles: Azareye’h Thomas - CB Florida State Though the 2024 Florida State Seminoles had very few bright spots, Azareye’h Thomas was definitely one of them. Thomas allowed 94 yards in coverage on the year… which is extremely impressive. Thomas is 6 ‘2 “ and weighs 198 lbs. In the 12 games he played in last year, he recorded 35 tackles, two TFLs, four PBUs, and one INT. Thomas would make an excellent addition to an already excellent Eagles secondary.

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Grammy Awards hits and misses Henry Leslie Contributing Writer Henry Leslie is a Contributing Writer for The Bugle. The opinions expressed here are solely his own and are not meant to reflect views of The Bugle staff or The Bolles School.

he Grammy Awards are an annual awards ceremony hosted by The Recording Academy to award the most sucessful music of the year. This event is regarded as the most outstanding accomplishment for anyone in the music industry and is viewed by millions of people worldwide. There are more than 80 categories in a range of genres, such as Rock, Rap, Pop, R&B, Reggae, Gospel, and Jazz, the most notable being the Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Each winner receives a golden gramophone in their honor, members of The Recording Academy come together to vote on each award. The members consist of past and present producers and artists that come up with five nominees then decide a winner in a second round of voting. A part of me wishes the voting was more of a people’s vote but I know these members have prestigious expertise even when I don’t agree with the results. The first ever Grammys took place on May 4, 1959, in Los Angeles, California. The event was established in the Hollywood Walk of Fame project. The first ever winners were Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Kingston Trio. At that time, the award ceremony only gave out 28 awards and has grown tremendously along the years.

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The 2025 Grammy awards did not disappoint, with plenty of social media buzz surrounding the award winners. Beyonce led the way for nominations with 11. Those nominations put Beyonce as the most nominated artist in history with 99 nominations. She received her 35th Grammy and was the first ever African American woman to win country album of the year. Her album, Cowboy Carter, stood out to the eyes of the world leaving an important mark in history. She thanked God and the other artists on the album. I was very happy about this win because it altered history. Beyonce is a known great artist but she has never gone out of her comfort zone in such a dramatic way. She showcased how awesome she really is by being the best of the best in a different genre.

Cowboy Carter Credit: Spotify

Another spotlight moment of the Grammys was Kendrick Lamar. Lamar took home five Grammys for his massive hit “Not Like Us.” This song was produced during the highly regarded dispute between Drake and Lamar. It came home with Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. He concluded his success by dedicating those Grammys to his aunt who tragically passed away and his hometown of Compton. Lamar has earned 22 Grammys in total and now is trailing Kanye and Jay-Z by two, three would put him as the rapper with the most wins in history. My biggest takeaway from the impact of Kendrick Lamar in 2024. This all started on March 22 when the track “Like That” was released. This song showed Lamar’s hunger to be the best rapper and leave any questions out the window with multiple direct comments towards Drake. Drake responded to this on Push Ups on April 19 with this dispute going back and forth and Lamar eventually releasing “Not Like Us,” which completely blew up and was played by

Family Matters by Drake Credit: Spotfiy

millions worldwide becoming a rap anthem and sweeping the Grammys with ease. Yes, Lamar dropped a great hit but the amount of attention he received was way too excessive. I believe “Family Matters” was the best all around track in the entire dispute but “Not Like Us” was the catchy hit. In a dispute between two artists, especially two rap artists, there is almost never a catchy pop song. In my opinion if you want to win a rap battle you have to take a more serious approach and not aim for views and clicks.Lamar uses his catchy hook and crazy lyrics to create an audience, not win a rap battle. One of the most interesting events to occur was the appearance of Kanye West and his wife Bianca Censori. They walked the red carpet together and Censori appeared in a very questionable wardrobe. He and his wife walked the red carpet then left the celebration. It really is sad how much Kanye has changed. He used to prioritize being a holy man, even publishing a gospel album called “JESUS IS KING.” Ever since his mother died in 2007 and his divorce with Kim Kardashian, West has shown some clear personality disorders. The Best New Artist award was given to Chappell Roan. Her standout song “Pink Pony Club” was highly regarded in the committee’s eyes. After receiving her first Grammy she had an emotional message. “I told myself, if I ever won a Grammy, and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off artists would offer a living wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists,” she said.

Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii Credit: Spotify

The biggest shock in my eyes was the Rap Album of the Year Award. Doechii received the award for her album Alligator Alligator Bites Never Heal Spotify Bites Never Heal. I think she’s a great artist and this album gave her a significant boost in status, but I do not believe that album can compete with some of the other nominations. I believe We Don’t Trust You by Metro Boomin and Future was the clearcut winner out of the nominations with three songs debuting in the top 100. The song “Like That” was even nominated for Best

Rap Performance and Best Rap Song, while Doechii’s lead single was only nominated for Best Rap Performance and has had zero hot 100 songs since 2023, making her award a little questionable. In my opinion, numbers aren’t everything, but if your music is as good as you think, you will lead the charts.She currently sits at an impressive 29.7 million monthly listeners and her biggest hit in 2024 totalled 133 million streams. Sounds great until you hear Lamar with 101.4 million monthly listeners and “Like That” reaching 683 million streams.

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The Downfall of Marvel Studios Tristan Schneider Co-Coffeehouse Editor Tristan Schneider is the CoCoffeehouse Editor of The Bugle. The opinions expressed here are solely his own and are not meant to reflect views of The Bugle staff or The Bolles School.

t’s no question that Marvel Studios dominated the movie industry and box office in the 2010s, with billion-dollar movie after billion-dollar movie they were basically untouchable—until they weren’t. When COVID-19 hit, Marvel, like many other film studios took a break from filming due to the ongoing pandemic. But when they came back in 2021, they struggled to grab the audience like they used to. Marvel has had a rough couple of years lately. Before 2021, Marvel’s releases would usually be met with good reviews and high box office numbers. Through 2021 to 2024 they have been more hit or miss with their projects. There have been successful films and shows such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, and Loki; but it’s too far between. The biggest factor into the recent failings of Marvel can be seen in the idea of quality over quantity, which Marvel Studios ignored completely. A normal year before the pandemic, Marvel Studios would release around two to three movies per year which worked to keep them relevant to moviegoers but not overwhelm them. But then in 2021, Marvel Studios released nine projects which included four movies and five shows. They tripled their output but didn’t triple the amount of effort into each project.

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Marvel released 23 movies in 11 years between 2008 and 2019; then from 2021-2025 released 22 projects. They basically put out 11 years worth of content in three years. A problem with this is that many of these projects are shows on Disney+, which seems like a good idea at first, but the execution fell flat. Marvel put out too many mediocre shows on their streaming platform which dragged the company’s reputation in the dirt. A reason for the recent lack of quality has been that Marvel VFX has been overworked and stretched too thin, causing Marvel to release films with quite frankly horrible digital and special effects. This makes the movies look laughably bad and shows a significant downgrade in quality from their earlier years where they had great CGI and special effects. The whole new concept Marvel has implemented has led to the loss of people’s interests in the franchise. In the first saga the overarching story was about the Infinity Stones, which would appear throughout films as either weapons or macguffins, a plot device that drives the story. The new storyline is all about the multiverse, the concept of infinite versions of everything and everyone (parallel universes). This is a cool concept, if done correctly, which it has not been. The multiverse has only really been used for nostalgia with cameos from older films and actors like Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Men. It is neat seeing older characters if they are used well, like the Spider-Man actors, but for the most part the cameos act like cannon fodder to be used as shock. One of the reasons Marvel

became so popular was the interconnectivity between films. It was the idea of creating a shared or cinematic universe which at that point, never been done before. It was easy for audiences to keep up with the storylines too, as all they had to do was go watch the films in the theaters, which changed when they launched Disney+. Now instead of just going to the movie theaters to understand the story, an audience member would have to sign up for Disney+ to keep up with the story. This alienates audience members who don’t want to pay $9.99 a month (that’s the cheapest plan, the one with ads—if you want to watch TV without the endless barrage of ads, you would have to pay $15.99 a month) to keep up with the movies. If you are going to have a TV show along with your movies, they should be companion pieces that are not be integral to the movies. Another reason the interconnectivity has been so bad is that characters rarely show up in more than one show or movie. In its prime, Marvel would have its main characters appear in multiple films, even if it wasn’t their own movie. This was done to establish them as the main faces of the brand, and to get audiences to care and like them. Lately characters don’t appear much, instead Marvel just bombards audiences with new character after new character. These new characters only ever really appear in their own show or movie and that’s it. To compare, the Captain America played by Chris Evans would appear either in his own movie or an Avengers movie on the regular, with the largest gap between movies being two years. This allows people to care and build a connection with the character since he appears so

often. The new Captain America, played by Anthony Mackie, was introduced as Captain America in his show in 2021, and is reappearing in his own movie this February, four years later. This may not seem like that much time, but Marvel has released so many projects in that four year span that people have forgotten about Captain America, which shouldn’t be happening with a main character. It seemed that Marvel was going to course correct this after three years of releases and diminishing returns, with the CEO of Disney Bob Iger stating that “We’re slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two, or a maximum of three.”. This quote was from an interview Iger

“We’re slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two.”

Not only is Marvel having one of its biggest release years ever, the content is also important, as the first Fantastic Four movie in a decade will be released in summer. If you are not aware, the Fantastic Four is considered one of Marvel’s biggest properties, and nicknamed “Marvel’s First Family” as it was basically Marvel’s relaunch in the sixties by Stan Lee. There are high expectations for this film by fans, which is creating massive pressure on Marvel Studios’ for this year. Additional pressure would come from their top competitor DC Studios run by former Marvel director James Gunn. Gunn previously directed the well-liked Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy for Marvel before becoming the head of the newly formed DC Studios in late 2022. Historically, DC throughout the 2010s spent time trying to catch up with Marvel with their own cinematic universe, which varied in quality between films. This allowed Marvel to operate with relatively light competition throughout their first ten years. This has

slowly begun to change, with DC releasing some massive hits in the last couple years such as The Suicide Squad and The Batman, and now they have completely rebranded with a soft launch with Creature Commandos on the Max streaming service during late 2024, and their big launch with Superman this July. Creature Commandos came out with good reviews; 95% from critics and an 80% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Following up the success is the said Superman film directed by James Gunn, so DC seems to have a bright future. This means that Marvel has competition again, they are not the only ones making good superhero films so they can’t just coast around releasing half-baked products. Marvel is desperate at this point. If they mess up this year, they will be left behind and forgotten. Marvel will be overtaken by the competition if they continue their trend of releasing disappointing films and shows, with bad effects and worse writing unless they get

— Bob Iger had with Variety in early 2024, after a disastrous release of the Marvels in November 2023. In the beginning, they kept their word with 2024 only having one film release and three TV shows, a nice break for audiences. Although Disney said that they would be working hard on keeping projects to a minimum, the 2025 Marvel slate seems to be going in the opposite direction. In 2025 alone there will be nine total projects released, which is tied with 2021 with the most amount of projects released. This is a complete 180 of the said plan established only a year ago, which is very risky.

The cast of Avengers: Endgame at the movie’s premiere. This photo was taken at Marvel’s peak in pop culture and dominance over the box office. Credit: Flikr

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Ellie Stewart Design Editor

Students layer up for cold weather (or not)

hether you’re from Canada or a Florida native, everyone can agree that this winter the temperature was undeniably cold—at least for those two weeks. Students around campus coped with the unprecedented weather in different ways. Some of our Carribean friends bundled up in every layer from their closet. Others pretended to be unbothered by the temperatures and wore short sleeves like that group of boys from elementary school (*cough cough Canadians*). Some got creative and wore sweatpants under their skirts. And some Floridians don’t even own a winter coat.

Leah Chin Contributiing Writer

The trek to the towels

old winter is rough for many sports, but for swimming the situation is not as you would expect. Because the pool is heated, swimmers prefer being in the pool rather than standing on deck in the cold. The worst part about the experience is getting out of the pool into the freezing air and sprinting to your towel.

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Jack Laufer Co-Sports Editor

Who will win the Super Bowl?

Nikolas Azevedo Co-Sports Editor

his Februrary, the Bugle Sports Editors went around the campus asking fellow Bulldogs who they think will win the Super Bowl and why. After polling 11 students, the Chiefs came out on top winning in a 6-5 vote.

Use the QR code above to link to all our videos on The Bugle’s YouTube channel.

Tristan Schneider Co-Coffeehouse Editor

Chatting with Champ

Jack Laufer Co-Sports Editor

he Bolles Bugle set out to interview our beloved mascot Champ the Bulldog in this video.

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Tristan Schneider Co-Coffeehouse Editor

How to survive a horror story

ello all horror novie enthusiasts! have you ever wanted to know what to do if you are stuck in a horror movie? Well you’re in luck becasue in this video the Bolles Bugle goes through many horror scenarios to ensure your survival. Go to The Bugle’s YouTube channel (link on page 65) to watch the full video. Written by Hudson Powell ‘28 Animated by Tristan Schneider ‘26 Voiced by Sree Alam ‘28

Where are Bulldogs going for spring break?

Kate Youell Co-Online-Editor-In-Chief

onduras, Morocco, and Spain, oh my! Spring Break is a fun-filled time where students and teachers alike get a break from learning and teaching and get a week of relaxation. Whether that relaxation takes place in Jacksonville or abroad everyone looks forward to the week in March. The Bolles Bugle asked several students where they are traveling this Spring Break. Go to The Bugle’s YouTube channel (link on page 65) to watch the full video.

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