The Bolles Bugle: Quarter 2 2023

THEB GU Issue

L E

Student Life

Table of Contents

Fight Against Hunger feeds families one set at a time

Hailey Christy

The Woodland Acres Food Drive

Ava Cheng

Candy Cane Lane

Jack Laufer

The Community Connections

Halloween Carnival

Ava Cheng

Swim & Dive’s hair flair

Ellie Stewart

Rumpcas the baby squirrel

Ellie Stewart

Top 5 Off-Campus Spots

Amber Bansal

The college journey

Hailey Christy

The non-educational side of Bolles

Ty Neal

Let’s recycle at Bolles (and here’s how)

Ty Neal

Halloween Candy Bracket

Jack Laufer

No Shave November

Tristan Schneider

Senior Sentiments

Senior Sentiments #2: To ED or not to ED?

Amber Bansal and Isabel Bassin

Senior

#3: The struggles of a student athlete

Sports

This year’s team is a slam dunk! Girl’s basketball stronger than ever Isabel Schimpff

The Bolles

Bugle Staff

Co-Editors-in-Chief:

Amber Bansal

Isabel Bassin

Online Editor: Caylee Padgett

Copy Editor: Ellie Stewart

Social Media Editor: Kate Youell

Coffeehouse Editor: Isabel Schimpff

Design Editor: Ava Cheng

Contributing Writers: Hailey Christy

Jack Laufer

Ty Neal

Tristan Schneider

Editorial Policy:

Advisor: Ms. Gastaldi

Editors’ Letter

Dear Reader,

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

This quarter, we had the pleasure of putting on our biannual Coffeehouse. Thank you to everyone who performed and attended!

The beats in this issue are Student Life, Senior Sentiments, Sports, Academics, Arts and Op-Ed. Some featured stories include rundowns on charity events and holiday traditions.

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 as well as fun photos and videos. Thanks for sticking with us, and welcome to the Quarter 2 edition for the 2023-24 school year!

Sincerely,

Amber Bansal Co-Editor-In-Chief

Isabel Bassin Co-Editor-In-Chief

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 2009-2024, The Bolles Bugle

Student Life

Fight Against Hunger Club feeds families one set at a time

To provide Thanksgiving dinners for underprivileged families in Jacksonville, the Fight Against Hunger Club hosted a fundraiser in the form of a volleyball tournament. This year was the second year of the tournament, after club copresidents Bella Bergeron ‘24 and Macy Pargman ‘24 founded the Fight Against Hunger Club last year.

Seven teams played in a knockout-style tournament where they played short games to twelve points. Both students and faculty showed their support for the Jacksonville community by participating in the tournament as players, line judges, commentators, and spectators.

The tournament grew even more from last year with the addition of a teacher team. Pargman knew the addition would “raise more awareness, and more people will show up.”

Mrs. Willis, who was a member of the teacher team, added how she was “excited to play since I play beach volleyball regularly and this was an opportunity to play with other faculty members for a good cause.”

“The overall goal of our club is to help limit food poverty in our community, especially in Jacksonville because a lot of people are homeless in Jacksonville.” The tournament that they hosted raised $500 to provide Thanksgiving dinners to those in need.

The money went directly to buying food, which was then donated to a local organization near school. Bergeron recognizes that “a lot of people don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” which is why she is dedicated to feeding the Jacksonville community.

Bergeron and Pargman have both been members of the Bolles Varsity Volleyball team since their freshman year, which is why they decided to use their love of volleyball as a way to help out their community. “We love volleyball. Other people love volleyball… and we were like, why not make it a fundraiser?” stated Bergeron. They knew the tournament would be a fun alternative to the usual bake sale fundraisers that other clubs often host.

“It was fun to see so many teams participate, and others come out to watch,” Willis said.

Bergeron is hopeful that other people in the club will continue the tournament in the following years after she and Pargman graduate. Through the continuation of the tournament, the Fight Against Hunger Club hopes not only to help out people in need during the Thanksgiving season, but also bring the Bolles community together through a series of fun volleyball games.

Hailey Christy Contributing Writer

Mr. Lyons begins the tournament. Credit: Hailey Christy

Captains decide who serves first. Credit: Hailey Christy

Three players go up for a spike and block. Credit: Hailey Christy

The Woodland Acres Food Drive

Bolles students come together for annual food drive

EAva Cheng Design Editor

very November, families take some time off to give thanks and enjoy feasts full of turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, but not everyone has access to those foods. With Thanksgiving around the corner, Bolles students work across campuses to gather food for the annual Woodland Acres Food Drive.

Each of the Bolles campuses hosts the drive for around three weeks before the collected goods are brought to the Woodland Acres Elementary School. Those who volunteer meet to pack the food into boxes and load them into buses before stopping by the middle school campus to pick up their collection as well.

“At the start of the drive every year, we put together a schedule for pickup, when it’s going to start, what date it’s going to conclude,

who’s going to be picking up on a day-to-day basis,” explained Raina Swani ‘24, who has been a chairman for the drive since last year. “Pretty much, it’s just a lot of planning.”

“They do a really good job holding the food drive on the other campuses and pack everything up for us,” said Swani. “So the only time that we really have to coordinate with them is when we plan it at the beginning of the year, and then on the day that we visit the school.” With more food and volunteers, the group heads over to Woodland Acres for delivery.

“We help load all the food into their storage room and repackage it so it’s easier for the kids to take home,” explained Ava Mariotti ‘25, who’s been involved in the drive since last year. “Once we’re done with that, we usually hang out with the kids for a little while and do little classroom activities with them.”

Whether drawing together or helping with the alphabet, Bolles volunteers enjoy taking the opportunity to connect with the students. “Interaction of the kids is a lot of fun. They’re very, very sweet. They’re very grateful. It’s a lot of fun,” said Swani. “So usually we’re with kindergarten through fourth grade. We’re doing activities with them, just very simple and very fun.”

“It’s a great experience to be able to help people, and I love when we go and deliver the food because you can actually see the faces of all the kids and get to help in their classrooms,” said Mariotti.

“The food drive is a great opportunity for all of the students to get together and help to do something for our community,” Swani said. “I think it’s also important because it’s just a good community builder for everybody, both with helping people outside our community, building a strong community within Bolles and bringing everyone together to participate.”

From left to right: Grayden Bouchard, Sam Nelson, Macy Pargman, Raina Swani, Zee Curtis, Alexiya Downer, and Ava Mariotti visit Woodland Acres. Credit: Ava Mariotti

Food collected by Bolles students is organized in the Woodland Acres pantry.

Credit: Ava Mariotti

Candy Cane Lane: A special Christmas tradition for Dawson Brydges ‘27

CJack Laufer Contributing Writer

ommunity Peds Care, a pediatric palliative program and hospice program for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, hosts a holiday event for their patients and families called Candy Cane Lane on a weekend before Christmas. This year, the event landed on December 16.

At this event, cars drive through a designated route called Candy Cane Lane, where children play games and collect goodies and gifts that have been donated to the organization. At the end of the drive, all cars get greeted by Santa Claus and are allowed to take pictures with him. Community Peds Care gave gifts to more than 350 different cars in 2022, offering a variety of gifts ranging from interactive light up toys to stuffed animals. Children receive gifts based on their age, abilities and interests. Since every child is unique, they hand select toys to give to each child so everyone is happy.

“It is simply magical; a moment to remember and a time to smile.”

— Patrice Austin

This event means a lot to the director of PedsCare, Patrice Austin. When Partice was asked about Candy Cane Lane, she said, “We will shine on for our pediactirc families and join them during this holiday time; joy, love, and celebration means everything to all of us and their appreciation is priceless.”

Dawson Brydges ‘27 is an active member in the Bolles community. He is on the JV Football team and plays the alto-saxophone in the band. Brydges rarely has free time, but when he does, he loves to spend it with his family. This is Brydges’ third year volunteering at Candy Cane Lane, where he helps set up the event by wrapping all the trees with lights. He also gets the privilege to give children gifts and interact with the children and the parents. Brydges’ favorite memory of the event is hanging lights with one of the Peds Care kids and getting to know a lot of amazing children.

There is one kid that attends the event that is particularly special to Brydges: his brother, Dalton. Dalton is 17 years old and has cerebral palsy, along with many other medical conditions.

Dawson Brydges loves volunteering at the event. “Volunteering at Candy Cane

Lane has become very significant to my holiday traditions. Candy Cane Lane exposes me to life lessons that can’t be taught in a classroom, while simultaneously I get to make my brother special.”

Sadly, this organization cannot purchase all 381 gifts by themselves, which is why it relies on donations from people like us. If you would be interested in purchasing a brand new toy for a child, please click on the website here, or visit 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32257 to drop off the present. Information about what to donate is located on the website.

If you fear that you may be on Santa’s naughty list this year, you should donate a gift to a child who isn’t as fortunate. Like Buddy the Elf once said, “There’s room for everyone on the nice list.”

Santa gives gifts to children in cars. Credit: Dawson Brydges

The Community Connections Halloween Carnival

HAva Cheng Design Editor

alloween is a day for trickor-treating, candy, and fun that many look forward to for months. For the kids visiting Bolles from the Sanctuary on 8th Street, the Community Connections Halloween Carnival is a place to experience all those things in one place.

The Community Connections Club at Bolles works with the Sanctuary on 8th Street, a local organization centered around providing opportunities to youth and families in need. “Once a month we organize an event with [the Sanctuary] and they come to our campus,” explained Ms. DuChanois, one of the club’s sponsors.

“This is my second year as faculty sponsor of Community Connections, but I’ve been connected to Sanctuary on 8th Street for many, many years,”

said DuChanois. In the Sanctuary’s early years, DuChanois worked as its first homeschool teacher for about five high school students. Today, the Sanctuary’s focus is on after-school and summer programs.

The event was held on Wednesday, October 25, a week before Halloween. While Community Connections has its own relationship with the Sanctuary, they worked alongside several other clubs and student organizations to set up the carnival with booths full of activities for the 43 elementary and middle schoolers who visited.

The booths were each set up by a different club, with games ranging from trivia and coloring to pieing upper school students in the face—and of course, each table had lots of candy for the kids.

“It’s a lot of candy. A lot of sugar,” responded six-year-old Davon when asked about his favorite part of the event. “And this place is a really cool high school and it feels like a roller coaster. I just love coming to the school. It’s like the best high school ever.”

For the students and faculty planning the carnival, the event isn’t just about the games and candy.

“The more fun activities we can provide the better,” said Coach Angie, who has been a staff member for the Sanctuary on 8th Street for around three years, working with the kids during after school programming and the sixweek summer camp. “This was a perfect opportunity to take [the kids] to do something fun on a day that normally kind of drags

Credit: Ava Cheng

on with other things like homework help, yoga, coding, arts and crafts.”

“But I think it’s also important for them to see a high school, to see the types of places they might want to imagine themselves in the future,” she said.

For the upper school students who volunteered, the Carnival was just as important: around 100 Bolles students helped create the experience. “They were enjoying it just as much,” said DuChanois.

“This is an important event to show kids what it’s like to be a leader,” explained Anjali Gusani ‘25, who volunteers with the Sanctuary every week. “And to inspire, you know, they want to be us and they want to be leaders. We had it done for us and they’ll do it for others, pass it on.”

Credit: Ava Cheng

Upper school students prepare tables for students from Sanctuary on 8th Street.

Sanctuary on 8th Street kids play games and get candy at the Halloween Carnival.

Swim & Dive’s hair flair

The Bolles Swim & Dive team has once again made it to the grand finale of their season, and the athletes were excited as always to show their team spirit for the state championship. Many of the members of both the boys’ and girls’ teams celebrated the season by either shaving or braiding their hair.

In the past, the boy swimmers have been known to shave their heads on the weekend leading up to the state championships. However, in more recent years,

handfuls of male athletes wanting to shave their heads have taken a more eye-catching way of prepping for the hair removal by bleaching and shaving radical patterns into their hair. These patterns include, but are not limited to racing stripes and tictac-toe boards, as well as random sparse sprouts of hair.

These hairstyles are worn for roughly a week leading up to the weekend before states, when many athletes completely shave their heads. Head shaving is a popular practice among many high school sports teams, both in and out of Bolles, as many male

athletes shave their heads as a way to show team spirit. As for the girls’ team, many of the athletes braided orange and blue beads or hair wraps into one another’s hair as a fun way to show off Bolles spirit. These girls wore their braids and hair wraps for the week leading up to states.

While the head shaving and hair braiding is not officially associated with the Bolles Swim & Dive Team (or its coaches), there were still athletes who wished to participate in these hair styles as a way to celebrate the state championships.

Ellie Stewart Copy Editor

Bolles Swim & Dive teammates shave and braid hair outside of the locker rooms.

Credit: Ellie Stewart

Rumpcas the baby squirrel

Ellie Stewart Copy Editor

Ella Gotham ‘26 and her family rescued an abandoned baby squirrel after the storm in September of 2023.

Gotham’s family is known for rescuing animals, and so their house has a wide variety of pets. “I have a dog, two cats, a bunch of chickens, fish, and shrimp, and seven guinea pigs,” Gotham says. The baby squirrel and the other animals do not interact much, with the exception of one of her cats. “He likes to sit at the bottom of the cage and just stare at [the squirrel]. I don’t know what he’s thinking, because he’s not getting into the cage.”

The reason Gotham and her family decided to personally take care of the squirrel is their love for all animals. “It’s just a thing that my family does,” Gotham says. “We were thinking ‘who else has a squirrel? We should just keep it.’”

The squirrel’s name, Rumpcas, has a funny backstory. “My friend Arlee and I were scrolling through our TikTok and we kept getting edits of Rumpelstiltskin from Shrek. So, we gave it the nickname Rumpcas,” Gotham says.

Rumpcas is now two months old, as the Gotham family believes that he was born sometime in

the beginning of September, a few weeks before they rescued him. Because Rumpcas was so young when he was abandoned, Gotham and her family had to take special care of the squirrel to ensure he was healthy as possible and recieved all the nutrition he needed.

the house. Gotham says that he especially loves the top of his cage and the wall of the fireplace. “He will jump on our fireplace and will sit hanging onto the wall,” Gotham says.

Raising Rumcas is evidently very different from raising any ordinary pet. “He’s wild. It’s like raising a kitten that continually stays in a kitten phase,” Gotham says.

Against all odds, Rumpcas is healthier than ever. Gotham feeds the baby squirrel “a variety of foods like nuts and pumpkin seeds.” Funnily enough, he also loves grapes and watermelon, and will go crazy when he eats them.

The baby squirrel stays inside the house and lives in a three tiered cage with ample room to run around. In it, he has places and room to sleep, climb, hang, and eat.

When Rumpcas is not eating or sleeping in his cage, he enjoys sitting on the shoulders of the Gotham family. He especially likes running up and down their arms as they walk around.

Another trick the squirrel loves is hanging upside down around

The Gotham family finds joy in taking care of all animals, especially if they are in need or trouble. They intend to care for Rumpcas for his whole life.

Rumpcas plays with Gotham’s mother.

Credit: Ella Gotham

Rumpcas sleeps on a towel. Credit: Ella Gotham

The cage Rumpcas lives in has ample room to eat, sleep, hang, and run around in.

Credit: Ella Gotham

Rumcas enjoys climbing on the shoulders of family members as they walk around the house. Credit: Ella Gotham

campus locations A frequent study spot with a guaranteed minimum of two Bolles students in the coffee shop at all times, Starbucks provides a boost of energy during the day with seniors ordering everything from chai lattes to chocolate cream cold brews

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STARBUCKS

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Located just a mile away from school, Starbucks takes the number one spot for senior offcampus locations A frequent study spot with a guaranteed minimum of two Bolles students in the coffee shop at all times, Starbucks provides a boost of energy during the day with seniors ordering everything from chai lattes to chocolate cream cold brews

Located just a mile away from school, Starbucks takes the number one spot for senior offcampus locations. A frequent study spot with a guaranteed minimum of two Bolles students in the coffee shop at all times, Starbucks provides a boost of energy during the day with seniors ordering everything from chai lattes to chocolate cream cold brews

Top 5 off-Campus spoTs

STARBUCKS

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Located just a mile away from school, Starb k takes the number one spot for senior offcampus locations A frequent study spot with a guaranteed mini f t B ll tudents in the coffee shop a ks provides a boost of energy h seniors ordering everyth to chocolate cream

Located just a mile away from school, Starbucks takes the number one spot for senior offcampus locations. A frequent study spot with a guaranteed minimum of two Bolles students in the coffee shop at all times, Starbucks provides a boost of energy during the day with seniors ordering everything from chai lattes to chocolate cream cold brews

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CHICK-FIL-A CHIPOTLE

Amber Bansal Co-Editor-In-Chief

Taking the second spot is Chick-fil-a, an easy, breakfast and lunch spot for students durin school day Students’ favorite breakfast orde chicken minis and frosted coffee, and their fa lunch orders are chicken nugget meals with frie the signature Chick-fil-a cobb s

CHICK-FIL-A

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IL-A

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Taki is Chick-fil-a, an easy, quick b spot for students during the sch avorite breakfast orders are chicken minis and frosted coffee, and their favorite lunch orders are chicken nugget meals with fries and the signature Chick-fil-a cobb salad

CHICK-FIL-A

Taking the second spot is Chick-fil-a, an easy, quick breakfast and lunch t f tudents during the school day Students’ eakfast orders are chicken minis and fros , and their favorite lunch orders are chicke eals with fries and the sign k-fil-a cobb salad

CHICK-FI

Taking 3rd place is Chipotle, another U Blvd favorite located just next door fro place Chick-fil-a Another quick lunch spot, Chipotle offers a fast yet filling lunch for seniors whose favorite dishes are the quesadilla and burrito bowl

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CHIPOTLE

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Taking the second spot is Chick-fil-a, an easy, quick breakfast and lunch spot for students during the school day Students’ favorite breakfast orders are chicken minis and frosted coffee, and their favorite lunch orders are chicken nugget meals with fries and the signature Chick-fil-a cobb salad.

Taking the second spot is Chick-fil-a, an easy, quick breakfast and lunch spot for studen school day. Students’ favorite breakfa chicken minis and frosted coffee, and lunch orders are chicken nugget meals w the signature Chick-fil-a

CHIPOTLE

Taking 3rd place is Chipotle, another University Blvd favorit d place Chick Chipotle off seniors who quesadilla a

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TIJUANA FLATS

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Taking 3rd place is Chipotle, another University Blvd favorite located just next door from 2nd place Chick-fil-a Another quick lunch spot, Chipotle offers a fast yet filling lunch for seniors whose favorite dishes are the quesadilla and burrito bowl

CHIPOTLE

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TIJUANA FLATS

In 4th place is Tijuana Flats, another short drive from school and d street from Starbucks Seniors ca ed there for a tex-me es being the ch eak flautas

TIJUANA

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Taking 3rd place is Chipotle, anoth Blvd favorite located just next doo place Chick-fil-a Another quick lun Chipotle offers a fast yet filling lun seniors whose favorite dishes are the quesadilla and burrito bowl

CAVA

Taking 3rd place is Chipotle, another University Blvd favorite located just next door from 2nd place Chick-fil-a. Another quick lunch spot, Chipotle offers a fast yet filling lunch for ose favorite dishes are the and burrito bowl.

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In 4th place is Tijuana Flats, another short drive from school and directly across the street from Starbucks Seniors can always be spotted there for a tex-mex bite with favorites being the chimichanga and steak flautas.

TIJUANA FLATS

In 4th place is Tijuana Flats, another short drive from school and directly across the street from Starbucks Seniors can always be spotted there for a tex-mex bite with favorites bein chimichanga and steak fla

TIJUANA FLATS

Lastly is Cava, more of a trek from school, but still a fan favorite The Mediterranean fast food restaurant keeps students coming back with their menu variety and health focus The greens bowl and build-your-own-bowl entrees ranked first among students

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In 4th place is Tijuana Flats, another short drive fro directly across the street from Starbu an always be spotted there for ex bite with favorites being the chimichanga and steak flautas

Lastly is Cava, more of a trek from school, but still a fan favorite. The Mediterranean fast food restaurant keeps students coming back with their menu variety and health focus The greens bowl and build-your-own-bowl entrees ranked first among students.

In 4th place is Tijuana Flats, another short drive from school and directly across the street from Starbucks Seniors can always be spotted there for a tex-mex bite with favorites being the

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CAVA

The college journey

FHailey Christy Contributing Writer

rom seniors who are almost done with high school to freshmen who are just getting started, all high school students are to some degree worried about college. There are so many questions to figure out. Where to go? What to study? How to get in? The road to college may be rough and winding, but luckily at Bolles, there are plenty of resources to guide you on this journey. The best resources: College Counselors and seniors. College counselors, of course, because their entire job is helping students through their journey into college, and seniors because by this time of year most of them have already applied to colleges and have learned a lot about the application process.

Where to go? There are over 5,000 colleges just in America alone, leaving high schoolers with the task of somehow narrowing 5,000 down to one. Luckily, seniors have already begun this process of narrowing colleges down.

Are you applying in state or out of state?

For starters, 71% of surveyed seniors stated that they planned to stay in-state for college. Staying in-state narrows down the

list of 5,000 colleges to a meager 171. Between the benefits of being close to home and getting instate tuition, staying in Florida seems to be the most logical decision for most seniors. However, even though staying in-state is the best option for a lot of students, Florida is not perfect for everyone. It is important for students to weigh all their options to figure out where is best for them.

Most important factors to consider when applying?

Out of all the factors that students must take into account when deciding a college, location was the number one most important factor for seniors this year. Location means much more than just a dot on a map. Location can determine how close you are to home, weather, cost of living, lifestyles, and countless other factors. Some people prefer being in a city while others prefer the rural countryside. Some prefer the cold weather, while others prefer to stay warm. What state or environment someone studies in really just comes down to personal preference.

So if it is all up to personal preference, how does someone know which type of environment they personally would prefer?

Well, our seniors can help us out on that question too. Surveyed seniors agreed that the best ways to decide if a college is a good fit is by going on guided tours and doing online research. Guided tours are a great way to figure out if you like a college because not only do students get to walk around the campus, but they do so while getting to learn more about the college from a student that actually goes there. This method allows students to actually interact with people who are a part of the college, which creates an environment where they can ask a lot of questions. While online research does not allow people to actually be on a campus and soak in the environment of a college, it still is a very useful tool, as students can learn what types of programs and opportunities a college offers.

Best way to decide if a college is a good fit?

Another important factor for seniors when deciding where to go to college is academics and programming. Depending on what someone wants to study in college, some colleges might be better than others. If you want to study engineering you should look at good engineering schools, if you like business you should look

at good business schools, and if you don’t know what you want to study, maybe look at a liberal arts school. If you’re in this latter category and don’t know what you want to study, don’t worry, because you’re not alone. The reality is a lot of people are still trying to figure that out. Even as seniors who are about to go to college, 20% of them do not know what they want to study.

As students begin to narrow down their college choices, it’s important to remember that you do not really have to narrow it down to only one college until the end of your senior year. As far as applications go, most seniors stated that they applied to six colleges. Some of these schools will be safety schools while others will be far reaches, but it is important to keep your options open. And if you’re on the more indecisive side, don’t worry. Multiple seniors this year are applying to over 15 colleges. Navigating the journey into college is no doubt a daunting task, but students have plenty of resources to help them along the way.

How many colleges are you appying to?

Do you know what you want to study ?

Are you applying early decision?

How many colleges are you appying to?

The non-educational side of Bolles

Ty Neal Contributing Writer

Here at Bolles, like every other school, we have faculty members around campus who aren’t our teachers. They help keep Bolles clean and make it a safe learning environment for the students. They contribute so much to the community but often go unnoticed and underappreciated.

“The kids over at the elementary school, they call me shorty.”

— Steve Tutsan

Every time you enter Bolles, you see the energetic guy in the traffic vest pointing and directing traffic. He goes by the name Steve Tutsan. Tutsan is a security guard and loves the community he is surrounded by at Bolles.

“The kids over at the elementary school, they call me shorty” Tutsan says, which is funny because he is so tall. “And they always want to give me high fives.” He is retired but works here for his enjoyment and to give back to a loving community that this school has created.

Tutsan has history in management so he is very qualified for the job. He says, “I never envisioned myself being a security guard, but I enjoy it.” Tutsan goes where life takes him and we are so glad that it has taken him to Bolles.

Make sure if you see him around campus to give him a warm greeting and thank him for

Steve Tutsan gives his signature point to the camera. Credit: Ty Neal

helping Bolles maintain a positive and welcoming community. He has said himself, “I’m a people person. And I love the energy here.”

Tutsan works from six in the morning to two in the afternoon but often finds himself staying after school to enjoy Bolles sporting events. He says his favorite part is, “I get a chance to interact with the athletes and attend a lot of the functions.”

Tutsan played basketball in college and attended Raines High School so he is quiete familiar with the Jacksonvilles area and loves supporting the community any way possible.

“I’m a people person. And I love the energy here.”

— Steve Tutsan

If you play basketball, like Tutsan did, or any other sport at Bolles,

you have probably come across Thomas Gorman, the athletic trainer. His responsibilities are “to keep all the athletes and the student body as safe as possible.” Gorman, along with his colleagues Katelyn Dye and Olivia Duvall, can be found in the training room from activities period until all sports are done at the end of every school day.

Gorman has a lot of experience in sports medicine. He worked at several schools including Florida A&M University, University of Texas, and Brown prior to coming to Bolles. This experience assures athletes that they are in very capable hands when they walk into his training room. Gorman is also very personable and would love to have a chat with anyone about anything. He is not only good at his job, he also loves doing it.

“I love seeing how hard the kids work,” he says. “And I like to be a part of getting them back onto the field, court, or whatever it

may be.” Gorman’s number one priority is each athlete’s health, and he will make sure to take care of any student or even faculty members who walk through his two blue doors.

“I like to be a part of getting them back onto the field, court, or whatever it may be.”

— Thomas Gorman

These faculty members at Bolles strive to improve the lives of students and truly love doing it. Without the people behind the scenes, Bolles would not be able to function at the level that it does. Next time you see them around campus, greet them with a warm welcome and make sure to thank them for what they do for our community.

Athletic trainers Thomas Gorman, Katelyn Dye and Olivia Duvall in the trainers’ room. Credit: Ty Neal

Let’s recycle at Bolles

...and here is how

ITy Neal Contributing Writer

am sure, as a student, you have seen the blue bins and the mixed recycling section of the trash cans around campus. Have you ever wondered where the contents of those bins go?

“Every year they have to buy about $2,000 worth of silverware.”

— Holden Edgecombe

Many people throw recyclables in the trash because they may assume that Bolles does not recycle, but we do.

According to a student in environmental science, Holden Edgecombe ‘25, the recycling bins around campus are not always recycled. When items are placed in a recycling bin, they are discarded with the trash around campus, “if it is more than a third contaminated.” When the recycling bins are pulled by the maintenance crew around campus, they have to “eyeball” how much trash is in with the recyclables. Only if the bags have less than a third of trash in them can they can be disposed of accordingly.

The problem that arises with this is students do not always put their trash and recyclables into the correct bin. Oftentimes, students will put trash, food, reusable plates, and even metal utensils in the recycling bins. This puts Bolles in a position they do not like, because, as Edgecombe states, “Every year they have to buy about $2,000 worth of silverware.” Jeff Role is the chief finance and operations officer at

Bolles. Regarding the best way to promote recycling around campus, he says we simply need to educate more people. “We can start recycling more efficiently when things are just being disposed of properly.”

Indiscriminate disposal of trash and recyclables in a recycling bin.

Credit:

Ty Neal

Not only are students not always abiding by the recycling rules, but they may even throw away their plastic bottles and other recyclables into the trash. This is bad for the environment because it creates microplastics. This can easily be avoided if we just recycle responsibly.

Microplastics are small plastic particles less than five millimeters long which accumulate in the environment as discarded plastics (like discarded water bottles) break down. Organisms inadvertently ingest them, and scientists have found that they can be harmful to not just humans but other animals too. While all effects of consuming microplastics are unknown, we do know they are harmful. The lack of research on the topic is concerning and proves

just how dangerous not recycling properly is.

“We can start recycling more efficiently when things are just being disposed of properly.”

— Jeff Role

The COP28 is the 28th annual meeting of the United Nations that addresses the climate crisis and the best strategies to fix the world’s carbon footprint, and is going on right now. You can help support this by simply disposing of your recyclables properly.

If you would like to contribute to a more eco-friendly environment at Bolles, think before putting anything in the trash or recycling bins around campus. Dispose of your waste responsibly.

Credit: Ty Neal

If you or a friend plans on recycling, make sure to empty the object’s contents before placing it in the recycling bin, make sure the object is of recyclable material, and encourage others around you to recycle as well.

Proof that the recycling bins occasionally contain trash.

Halloween Candy Bracket

Jack Laufer Contributing Writer

After days of taking surveys of the Bolles student body, the winner of the best Halloween candy has been chosen.

Drumroll…..the winner is TWIX!!!

Round of 16

Final Four

Elite Eight Championship

No Shave November

Students grow mustaches to help fight cancer

DTristan Schneider Contributing Writer

uring the month of November the Bolles school enacts a challenge to all male students: No Shave November. This has been a yearly tradition for many years across campus, letting male students grow out their facial hair. It is used to raise awareness for men’s cancer, specifically testicular and prostate cancer, with all the money raised going towards research for the disease.

This year the event is run by Joey Schellenberg ’24, with help from the Dean’s Office. This is Schellenberg first year running No Shave November. When asked about why he decided to run it this year, Schellenberg stated,“I went up to Dean Wellington in the canteen, because I know that it’s been running for years, and I was like is anybody doing No Shave November this year? He’s like, no, you want to? After that interaction Schellenberg talked with Dean Wellington more about the event and got the Schoology post up.

This is the most common cancer in men, so I think it’s important.

— Joey Schellenberg

The goal is to raise as much money as possible to go towards the research, which seems to be going well. Schellenberg has recieved around 12 donations personally, with many more recieved at the Dean’s Office with

Credit: Tristan Schneider

Dean Wellington.

It’s important to recognize these cancers because they affect many people in the United States and the world. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2023 alone there have been 9,190 new cases of testicular cancer in men, and 288,300 new cases of prostate cancer, with 34,700 of those people being killed by the disease.

Bolles’ No Shave November is a good and fun way to raise money for research for these cancers and by allowing male students to let them grow out their facial hair which gives them another reason to donate to the cause. There is a reason why this event has been going on for as long as it has, and it probably won’t be going anywhere in the future.

Antonio Falcao shows off the mustache he grew during the No Shave November event.

To EDornottoED?

The strugglesofastudent

athlete

Midtermtips andtricks

To ED or not to ED?

Senior Sentiments #2

PAmber Bansal Co-Editor-in-Chief Isabel Bassin Co-Editor-in-Chief

icking one school and risking everything. It sounds like a dream to some people: one and done in the college admissions process. To others, it’s entirely unfair and feels wrong.

On the outside, Early Decision markets itself as a helpful way for applicants to demonstrate to colleges that they are undoubtedly the applicant’s number one choice. And for some kids, that is completely true. But for a majority of 17-18 year olds, it’s extremely difficult to decide where you want to spend the next four years of your life. Especially by November 1 of your senior year. Of course undecided kids have the option to not ED. But they’re putting themselves at a natural disadvantage. They have the opportunity to greatly increase their admissions chances to a competitive school, and they are not taking it. So what’s a senior to do?

Amber’s take:

With some institutions filling 50% of their incoming class with ED applicants, ED provides a significant advantage to students who apply. What does that leave students who don’t want to make a legal commitment because they aren’t sure of the best school for them?

– an extremely low acceptance rate for regular decision applicants and a much higher rate of rejection.

The inherent advantage of ED makes it hard to refuse the opportunity, but the purpose of ED is for students to show interest in their dream school, not to apply just to land at the highest ranked institution. For those who don’t have a number one choice or don’t want to make a commitment, the pressure of ED isn’t fair.

For institutions, ED admissions are guaranteed money since the students are bound to the decision. And for some students it works: they can live with their commitment and be at peace with the result. For others, the whatifs loom large and create doubt and regret.

Asking 17-18 year old kids to stake their future on a decision isn’t right. What happened to having options –getting to choose where you want to enroll in college?

I didn’t ED anywhere… I couldn’t. I didn’t find a school that offered ED

that I loved – and trust me, I looked for one. I found an REA school that I loved and applied, though I don’t get an advantage applying early.

I always looked forward to the college admissions process knowing that for the first time I would get to choose my future. I couldn’t take that choice away by EDing somewhere I wasn’t sure about.

Looking back, of course I have second thoughts. I wonder if I missed my shot to raise my chances at getting into a better school. But I also know that if I ED’ed and ended up somewhere I didn’t love, I wouldn’t be happy. Making the decision was hard because everyone I talk to says it would be stupid not to ED because I’d give up such an advantage. I look at others around me and wonder if they played the game of college admissions better than I did.

Isabel’s take:

So what do you do? You take the opportunity. You waive a piece of your freedom in exchange for a higher likelihood of admissions to a specific school. Yes, you get to choose where you ED, but that’s about it. Unfortunately, not all students can choose where to ED based on their top choice. Some choose to ED to a school they know they’ll be admitted to. Better to raise chances at a slightly less prestigious institution than at a more prestigious one a student is almost positive they won’t get into, ED or not.

Additionally, ED is another privilege that wealthy students have over low income students. Many low income students can’t ED because they can’t commit to attending one school without knowing what financial aid or scholarships they will receive.

So how do we fix this? Short answer: we don’t. The longer answer is a bit more complicated. My intention isn’t to petition end ED. It’s to empathize with those struggling.

What do we do if we don’t get into our ED school? We spend the six weeks between November 1 and December 15 daydreaming and stressing and hoping and shaking that we get into our choice. It’s such a bold thing to declare your number one choice. It’s like when you ask a girl out and get rejected. “Whatever bro, I didn’t even like her that much anyway.” We can’t say that when we submit an application two months early and contractually obligate ourselves to attend the school if we get in. Getting denied from an ED is so much more embarrassing

and painful than being denied RD. We put ourselves out there, bought a bouquet of roses, only to watch them get stomped on and laughed at. Ok, maybe that’s a bit extreme, and I have faith that college admissions officers are respectful and appreciative of applicants demonstrating that level of interest, but still – you get my point.

Luckily for me, I have a clear school that I’ve wanted to attend since the 7th grade. I’m excited to take the opportunity to show the school that they are truly my number one choice. But at the same time, I feel a twinge of doubt. What would it be like to go to my number two or number three school? What would it be like to have time to weigh my options and follow my instinct? I made the decision now, despite the fact that my desires could change in the future.

But if I don’t ED, I probably will not get into any of my three top choices. I made the decision, and I don’t regret it. But what about people who do? I used to have a close friend who ED’ed to a school, got in, and absolutely hated it. So she transferred after her first semester. Then transferred again after her second. This is the fear that paralyzes me. What if the place we decided we wanted to go when we were 17 and seniors in high school is not the place we’re meant to be when we’re 19 and a freshman in college.

I feel like everyone is looking at me to get into my ED school. Sure, I suffer from the fishbowl effect, and in reality everyone only cares about themselves. But every time I bring up the school I applied to around my friends, I’m hit with a chorus of “You’ll get in.” Certainly supportive, but makes me feel even more anxious. The odds are on my side for acceptance, so isn’t it even more of a failure if I’m rejected?

Closing:

At the end of the day, it’s clear that the student body has differing views on ED. There are probably some who don’t care enough to have these debates. We’ll acknowledge that this article is written by two high-stress, overly competitive students – but isn’t that the way the college admissions process has swayed?

You can’t blame yourself for any decisions you make when submitting applications to various rounds of admissions. Just be at peace with your decision, and focus on moving forward, no matter the result. Finally, remember that college admissions do not determine your self worth.

The struggles of a student athlete

Senior Sentiments #3

WHailey Christy Contributing Writer

aking up early, staying up late - this is nothing new to student athletes. Sports will bring you to incredible highs and incredible lows.

My name is Hailey Christy and I have been a member of the Bolles varsity soccer team for the past four years, and I also play soccer with the United Soccer Alliance. I have played soccer my entire life, so needless to say I understand the struggle of juggling school, sports, and everything in between. But even though I know the struggle of managing all these things, I also know the joys that come along with it.

Quite often when I’m running around the soccer field, tired, out of breath, my legs aching, I find myself asking, why? Why do I willingly go run around a field kicking a ball at six in the morning? Why do I play until 9:30 at night when I could just go home? When I really look back at all my experiences in soccer I find my answer: because I love it. Even through the heartbreaking losses, long nights and early mornings, broken bones and bruises, the truth is I play soccer because I love it. And while soccer has caused me endless headaches, it has also given me some of my best memories. And, on top of this, it gave me a family, a family I will forever be grateful for. But soon I will be hanging up my cleats, possibly never to pick them back up again.

The point I’m getting at is that you should enjoy high school sports while they last, because even after years of complaining, one year you will be wishing that you could go back. So soak in every bus ride home and everyone minute on the field. It is those small moments with your team that you will cherish the most. So although sometimes it’s rough, when I look back at my favorite moments from high school, a lot of them come from sports.

Sports can really take a toll on you physically and mentally. Between practices, games, team meals, and

tournaments, it can feel as if you have no free time. Even after all of this, you’re somehow expected to find the time and energy to do all your homework, study for tests, and create some sort of social life. Sometimes it’s hard to put the student in student athlete. I personally find myself falling behind in all my classes and losing motivation to do work as my free time dwindles and my sleeping schedule falls apart. But, throughout my years of high school, I have found some tricks to somehow make it all work even with a busy schedule.

Although the afternoons of student athletes may be filled with sports, there is plenty of time to get work done during the school day. Between zero hour, activities, and breaks in between classes, there is about two hours of free time that can be taken advantage of. Does this mean you should go lockdown in the library anytime you have free time during school? No. You should still hang out with friends and have fun during your free time. However, you can still get work done when talking and laughing with your friends. Sometimes it’s nice to have your work open when sitting and talking with your friends. Do a couple problems, crack a couple jokes, do a few more problems, make a couple comments. Getting work done while surrounded by your friends is more fun than doing it alone anyways. So, instead of having to stay up late at night doing homework after a game or practice, do yourself a favor and get it done beforehand.

One of my biggest tips for student athletes is to make good use of your weekends. While you may find yourself overwhelmed with games and practices during the week, the weekend is a good time to catch up on everything. If you dedicate just a couple hours over the weekend to getting work done, it will make the rest of your busy week much easier. If you have a project due on Wednesday, and you know you are going to have a game and practice on Monday and Tuesday, just go ahead and get the project done over the weekend. In the moment it may seem annoying, but your future self will appreciate it.

And if you don’t already play a sport, do not be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. It is never too late to pick up a sport and try something new. Before sophomore year, I had never picked up a softball bat, but since I couldn’t get a ride home after school until 5:30, I decided to pick up softball instead of just sitting around until I could get a ride. Although my season was cut short by a broken collarbone, being a part of the softball team was still a fun and rewarding experience. And even though I couldn’t hit the ball as far as everyone else or throw as accurately, I still made a lot of good memories and it was a lot more rewarding than just sitting around. Even if you do not play a sport now, it is never too late to start.

Girls varsity soccer team poses after winning districts.

Credit: Hailey Christy

At times sports will be exhausting, and when times get rough you may question why you started playing in the first place. When you’re feeling worn down, just remember that sports will also bring you some of your best memories, so just keep pushing even when it’s tough. The truth is, sports teams create an amazing environment that you cannot find anywhere else. As someone who has committed myself to soccer for twelve years (with this year possibly being my last), I can assure you that the joy, family, and memories I found in soccer completely outweigh all of the hard times.

Midterm Tips and Tricks

Senior Sentiments #4

MCaylee Padgett Online Editor

idterms are stressful. The schedule is sent out months ahead, teachers don’t talk about them until a week before, and you probably just figured out how to study for the class.

I have spent years learning the best way to study and take midterms, and here’s what I’ve learned:

Break it up:

The most important advice that I can give you is to break it up. Whenever you start studying for your midterms, identify which class you struggle with the most and then work down from there. After you identify which classes to prioritize, move on to identifying which topics in those classes you need to study.

Of course, teachers give you homework the week before exams and you may have tests and quizzes to study for, but try to set aside at least an hour that you break into 20-minute sessions to study overall topics for classes.

Studying for your AP midterms may be stressful, especially in science APs because teachers commonly put material that you haven’t yet learned on the exam. Take these as a practice test: don’t stress about the effect on your grade, but approach the exam as you would the final.

Another nice way to break up studying is to study with friends. Now, of course, you and your friends are going to get distracted, but you are also motivated to do well on your exam, so side conversations provide a nice break during a four-hour study session.

Materials:

Teachers will always tell you to bring a couple of things, so here’s a reminder and what I bring to exams. I always make sure I bring multiple pencils that are all sharpened and have an eraser. Some teachers ask that you use a pen on certain parts of the exam, so make sure that you have a blue or black ink pen that is new, so you don’t want to run out of ink halfway through your DBQ. Bonus points if you use erasable ink.

Some exams are in an online format so make sure you charge your computer the day before and bring your charger to the exam just in case. One more item you should be sure to charge is your graphing calculator.

Bring a copy of your exam schedule with you as well to double-check what exams you have that day and where they are.

Extra Tips:

Write up your own personal cheat sheet. Make one of these for each of your classes and include equations, key terms, timelines, and topics you struggled with while studying.

Creating these and bringing them to your exams helps get your brain thinking and not have to worry about scrambling to switch from one exam topic to the next. Just make sure these cheat sheets don’t find their way into the exam room!

The day before your exam, be sure to get a good night’s rest and don’t cram all of your studying that night. When you wake up, eat a nutritious breakfast and get to your exam at least 10 minutes

early so you have time to prepare.

To reduce any stress that you might have, try box breathing. This is a great technique to calm your nerves incognito. Simply breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts, breathe out for four counts, and hold for another four counts. You can repeat this as many times as you need until you feel calm.

And remember, don’t stress. It may seem like a lot of pressure to do well on your midterms, but you still haven’t learned everything. Using these skills is great practice for when you have your finals at the end of the year and in college. And finally, good luck on your exams. There is no reason why your shouldn’t do great if you implement some of these strategies.

This year’s team is a slam dunk!

Girls’ basketball stronger than ever

Credit: Dylan Schwartz

YIsabel Schimpff Coffeehouse editor

ou have heard “practice makes perfect” especially if you are an athlete, and there are few teams on campus that live by that more than the girls’ basketball team.

For the team, an average after school practice means repetition and work.

“They’re running the floor hard. Doing drills that are pretty, pretty tough, but that’s what makes them better,” head coach Kelly Stevenson says.

Then, they do it all again in their club team practices at AAU. If the team has a game the next day,

they go over the game plan again and again in order to perfect their strategies and play the hardest they can.

It can be easy to say that practice makes perfect, but when there are so many variables in sports, the practice and repetition that makes a team “perfect” might be thrown off by new players, coaches, or new teams in the area.

However, the girls’ basketball team has perfected their strategies over the years.

That all starts with the coaching staff, which has been working together for what seems like forever. Stevenson continues to serve as the head coach and has been at Bolles for the last 18

years. Her assistant coach, Tia Scott, joined in 2008 while Jessica Pierce joined in 2018 and Jennifer Cleek in 2021. Because the staff has been working together for so long, they can comfortably share the “good cop, bad cop” roles for the players.

“That’s what assistant coaches are there for, obviously, to give me help with the kids, especially with the players because sometimes that can be hard as the head coach. So they come behind and, and, you know, give them a pat on the back,” says Stevenson.

The amazing chemistry of the coaching staff trickles down into the players and they mirror the same connective energy. This comes as a result of playing

Above: Girls’ varsity basketball team poses with head coach Kelly Stevenson. Below: Team poses on picture day.

together for so long. The 20232024 team is similar to the last season’s, minus the three seniors that the program graduated last spring. Sophomore and newcomer Terrell McCoy has come from the Bahamas to play for the team and is its only new addition.

The players have been through countless practices and scrimmages together so they know what each player’s strengths and weaknesses are and are able to fill in and help them out in order to make their teammates look good. The team also can see when a player is down and knows how to pick them back up because yes, they don’t want their negative emotions to affect their performance, but also because the team cares about one another on a personal level.

The pride the girls show in the teams and in one another is obvious to spectators of their games and also to their coaches.

“The team chemistry is unbelievable. They get along, they love each other, and they play hard for each other. And as a coaching staff, it’s so great. It’s so fun to coach when not only are they talented, but they get along and they work hard, and they hold each other accountable. I mean, they’re everything,” explains Stevenson.

It’s clear that every player on the team values the sport to an incredible extent. So much that

almost all of them go on to play basketball in college. In their junior year, players make a list of 20 schools, five schools that a player would love to play at, 10 that they know they could play at comfortably, and five schools that seem like a reach but might be achievable. Then, the coaches personally reach out to every school’s coach either by email or phone. The coaches also place players at tournaments that they know recruiters will be at and encourage players to reach out to the schools they are interested in.

Even though the players spend so much time and energy playing basketball, many of them are dual athletes with some players playing softball, lacrosse, and track. This is actually encouraged by the coaches because this allows them to “help the school in other ways,” and it allows the athletes to use muscles and skills that they don’t use often in basketball. When the basketball season picks up again, the players feel excited and eager to play the sport again instead of feeling burned out.

“I can want it for the girls but the girls gotta want it and I can try to lead them but this team right here has leaders on the team, and that’s what makes an elite team.”

— Coach Stevenson

When asked what the biggest obstacle for the season was or what the team needed to change, the head coach responded with only praise for the team.

“I think we’re one of the top teams in Jacksonville, if not Florida. And we just can’t beat ourselves. Because we are so talented. And we’re playing so well together right now that we don’t need to worry about anybody else. We just need to keep taking care of each other…this is one of the most talented teams I’ve ever had.”

Signing Day

NIsabel Bassin Co-Editor-in-Chief

Ellie Stewart Copy Editor

ovember 8 marked a momentous day for a few of our student athletes, as 16 seniors were celebrated for signing to continue their academic and athletic careers at the college level.

Baseball player Chayce Kieck signed to Clemson University. Kieck talked about why he chose the school over others. “The coaching staff, baseball program, academics, and campus felt like a perfect fit and somewhere I felt at home.” He felt grateful for the opportunity and believed signing is “another big milestone in the process.” His teammate Spencer

Stephens signed to the U.S. Naval Academy because he felt drawn to the serious environment . “It was relieving to sign and know that I will be calling The Naval Academy home for the next 4 years.” He was grateful to sign due to the stressful application process. To apply for the school,

Stephens needed “4 nominations from Representatives Rick Scott and John Rutherford, Senator Marco Rubio, and Vice President Kamala Harris.” However, he looks forward to attending the U.S Naval Academy. Additionally, David Martin signed to Samford University for baseball.

Chayce Kieck ‘24 talks about his commitment to play baseball at Clemson University. Credit: Isabel Bassin

Simany Lee ‘24 talks about her commitment to swim at the University of Georgia. Credit: Isabel Bassin

Cross country and track runner Chris Joost signed to Boston College.

Lacrosse player Gavin Boree signed to High Point University because he “liked how much they made being a winning team a priority.” He was excited to sign as he felt that this process has proven to be motivating and rewarding. His teammate Daylin John-Hill signed to Jacksonville University “because of the lacrosse program and the people involved in it.” He is excited for the academic aspect as well, and can’t wait to study around the campus. Finally, Parker Kane signed to Florida Institute of Technology for lacrosse.

Swimmer Seth Tolentino decided to sign to Texas A&M University due to its proximity to home, as well as its competitive atmosphere. “It feels good and is a relief to make it official where I want to study and swim for college,” Tolentino said. Twins

Alex and Kate Meyers-Labenz both signed to swim at Duke University. Alex Meyers-Labenz looks forward to attending the school and explains why it is the right fit for him. “It has both exceptional academics and athletics, and I want that balance in my college experience.” He

said that the balance between the two is what separated Duke from many of his other choices. Kate Meyers-Labenz also chose Duke University because of its emphasis on both the classroom and pool. However, she highlighted the importance of the community in her decision. “Because Duke attracts many different people from around the world, it is an amazing opportunity to meet and engage with a diverse community of students,” she said. “It was also super special to be able to sign right next to

my best friend and twin brother, Alex, who I get to spend the next four years with.” Additionally, swimmers Landon Kyser signed to University of Wisconsin, Sophia Joos signed to Emory University, Carter Lancaster signed to the University of California at Berkeley, Simany Lee signed to the University of Georgia, and Julia Murphy signed to Virginia Tech.

Volleyball player Ashlyn

Anderson signed to Kennesaw State University, which she chose over many other colleges because she believed that the coaches there align best with her plans for her future. “I share similar core values as the coaches, and we seemed to be on the same page about what we wanted for my volleyball career and their program,” Anderson said. She feels that signing is “a dream come true” and looks forward to studying at the school. Teammate Bella Bergeron signed to Denison University because she “loved everything about the school; from the campus, the class size and the location.” She can’t wait to attend, play, and study at the school.

Congratulations to all of the seniors who signed on November 8th! We can’t wait to follow you through your college career.

Credit: Isabel Bassin

Seth Tolentino ‘24 talks about his commitment to swim at Texas A&M University.

Twins Alex and Kate Meyers-Labenz ‘24 talks about their commitments to swim at Duke University.

Credit: Isabel Bassin

Bolles Girls Lacrosse participates in Super Girl Surf Pro Lacrosse Tournament

OCaylee Padgett Online Editor

n November 12, members of the Bolles Girls Lacrosse team participated in the Super Girl Surf Pro Lacrosse Beach Tournament.

The tournament has been “developed as a celebration of female strength and empowerment” according to the mission statement on the Super Girl Surf Pro’s website.

Beginning in 2007, “The Super Girl Surf Pro Series is the only largescale all-women’s action sports, esports, and lifestyle series in the world.” The four festivals are “centered around providing social, athletic, cultural, educational, business, and entertainment opportunities for young women in areas where they are traditionally underrepresented.”

Six girls on the Bolles lacrosse team joined the tournament this year as a form of team bonding before their spring season. The tournament is played on the beach where there is soft sand that beachgoers know is hard to walk in. To prepare for the terrain, the girls had a beach practice to learn how to navigate the difference between sand and turf.

The team members included Emily Commander ‘24, Brooke Trager ‘24, Abbey Wohlgemuth ‘26, Saylor Swartz ‘25, and Avabelle Hubbard ‘26.

The girls enjoyed the challenge of the game and Hubbard took away that “it is a fast-paced game, and you always have to be aggressive and ready to switch the fields on transitions as it is a very transitional game.”

The girls faced many challenges during the games, but the biggest was the weather. Commander said, “The competition was played on a very very cold and windy day at the beach, making it hard to not focus on how uncomfortable we were.”

After practice, multiple games, and lots of teamwork, they were able to pull through and win the entire competition. “We didn’t expect to win,” Trager says, “but went into the comp with a positive mindset, worked as a team, and ended up winning the whole thing.”

“I think if we did it again we could have practiced more on moving the ball around in such a tight space so that we could work the field more efficiently and not tire ourselves out too much,” Commander says, “But luckily, we pulled out with a win and a really cool experience, making our team chemistry even stronger!”

At the end of the competition, the players even got a chance to meet professional women’s lacrosse player Sammy Jo Tracy, a two-time national Champion and All-American at UNC. If you want to learn more about the next tournament and become involved, visit the Super Surf Girl Pro website by scanning the QR code below or going to https://supergirlsurfpro.com/.

The team was able to work well together and improve their cooperative dynamic, which were their two main goals. Of course, in the actual gameplay, there are always elements that they can improve.

A dip in the ocean after practice

Credit: Brooke Trager

Watching the sunset together

Credit: Brooke Trager

4 vs. 4 practice prep for the tournament

Credit: Brooke Trager

BollesmakesaGreatDecision

Bolles launches Taiwan program

Kate Youell Social Media Editor

This year, Bolles is giving many opportunities to travel both abroad. The inaugural trip to Taiwan is not only an opportunity to see the country but also learn the language. Anyone who is in 9th-11th grade can participate, and no former Chinese language experience is required. Students will be immersed in two weeks of Chinese classes at Chung Yuan Christian University.

CYCU is a well-established and leading university located close to Taipei City. The actual language immersion element of the program is held within the university where the students will also be staying in the guest house on campus

Accompanied by Bolles Chinese teachers Mrs. Rothschild and Ms. Li, the trip is made to allow students to experience an educational, cultural and eye opening experience while interacting with their fellow students and people in Taiwan.

“I want students to be able to see the things I can’t show them. I can’t show them the smell of the food,” said Rothschild.

On the second day of the trip students will take a Chinese placement test in order to decide

“You have to walk on the street, smell the air, and actually experience Taiwan first hand.”

— Mrs. Rothschild

what class they will be placed in. Participants in the program will also get to experience one-onone tutoring in order to get the most out of the language element of the trip. The classes will also include projects, group work, and cultural courses that will give students a rich understanding of Taiwan.

People already taking Chinese will be able to improve their proficiency and those who aren’t will get a two week crash course on the language. Along with learning about the lives of people in Taiwan they will also learn activities such as calligraphy and making Chinese paper cutting.

At the end of the course they will take a test to see how much they

learned over the two weeks. The test will be either in the traditional test format or it can be in the form of a project.

The trip also allows for a more hands-on experience. Students will be able to talk to tea factory workers and visit the homes of locals.

Outside of class they visit Tamsui Old Street, Taichung Park and will meet with the Nantou Indigenous People.

Rothschild commented, “The most important element of this trip is allowing people to step out of their comfort zone and go to a country where there are no similarities with their own and to see different people’s way of life.”

Right: The outside of CYCU

Credit: Taiwan presentation

Left: Accomodations at CYCU Credit: Taiwan presentation

Top: rough schedule of activities for the students

Credit: Taiwan presentation

Bolles makes a Great Decision to implement cultural conversations

Kate Youell Social Media Editor

The world is currently in a state of conflict. There is a rise in global controversies and battles. From the war in Ukraine to the Israel-Palestine conflict, global competency and understanding is more important than ever.

A long time organization (but new addition to Bolles) facilitates a place to have these necessary conversations about the state of the world. This organization, which is connected to Jacksonville’s World Affairs council, is the Great Decisions program.

“I enjoy getting to learn and ask questions about issues happening on a global scale.”

— Abby Bradley ’25

This group is a combination of students from all grades, along with the sponsor, Ms. Edmonson, and the conversation mediator, David Schwaim-Baird, a former professor of International Politics at UNF. They meet once a month in order to discuss a certain topic, and so far this year there have been two meetings. The first discussed oil and the economy around the world and the most recent conversation discussed China and its relationship with the U.S.

In order to prepare for each meeting, the students read short articles from FPA (Foreign Policy Association). These articles give background information and a basic foundation for the meeting’s conversation.

During the meeting’s discussion on China, the participants talked about various subjects from political and social issues in Hong Kong to the possible invasion of Taiwan, all while connecting topics back to the U.S. and how they will affect day to day life.

“We will be able too address the issues effectively and solve the issues efficiently.”

— Alexiya Downer ’25

Musk’s effect on the world. Abby Bradley ‘25, a member of the Global Scholar Program, mentioned why she thinks this program is important. “These conversations are vital to have if we want to make a positive impact in the world because the first step to solving any problem is actually knowing the problem and any context.”

Bradley also commented that the appeal of the program stems from the desire for a greater global insight and being taught about different perspectives.

Participant Alexiya Downer ‘25 said, “I believe that having global conversations is important because if we can understand what is happening around the world and why, then we will be able to address the issues effectively and solve the issues efficiently.”

Outside of the monthly meetings, there are opportunities for a more panel-like discussion. The program provides students the opportunity to attend discussions led by speakers on a variety of topics. The talks are mostly led by authors or experts on the topic. During these conversations, the speaker presents topics giving the students a deeper understanding of topics that might be discussed in future subjects.

The first out of school conversation was with author Walter Isaacson and his book Elon Musk. He discussed his book and

Click the QR code to be taken to the World Affairs Council website.

Arts

Addams Family play was to DIE for!

OIsabel Schimpff Coffeehouse editor

n November 9, the curtains rose on the dark and hilarious Addams Family musical at the Betsy Lovett Art Center.

Back in April of 2010, the Addams Family musical opened on Broadway. The twisted yet humorous play follows the story of the Addams family and their daughter’s boyfriend. The show featured classic characters from the 1964 TV show, including Wednesday, Pugsley, Morticia, Gomez, and Grandma Addams.

Every year, the upper school Performing Arts department puts on two performances, one first semester and one second. Each spring before the upper school play, the Performing Arts teachers come together to pitch and debate shows. They look for how many characters the show includes, how heavy the music and vocals are, the dance numbers, and what they think students will be excited about. After composing a short list, the teachers then vote.

“I think the thing that stood out to us about Addams Family was the music and the themes of the show. It was also a popular show with students,” says Laura Rippel, head of the Performing Arts department.

Rippel was excited to begin preparations for the show, and it all started with the audition process.

“During auditions we first have all the students sing a short selection from a modern musical of their choice. Then we teach a selection of choreography

and have them perform it in small groups. After the initial audition we have ‘call backs,’” said Rippel.

The committee, made up of Ms. Mormon, Ms. Blair, and Ms. Rippel, then decides what roles go to which students.

The final cast was made up of almost 50 upper school students. Freshmen through seniors made up the cast with the addition of one 6th grader, Liam Phillips, who played the mischievous little brother, Pugsley.

“The majority of students have done a show either in middle school or high school, but we have a few students for whom this is their first experience performing in a musical” said Rippel.

The Addams Family is also the “newest” show the Performing Art department has put on, making the experience even more exciting for fans of the musical. It was also the first time Rippel and Mormon have collaborated with Blair on the show,as it was her first official year at Bolles.

Another “first” for the Addams Family was the set. Normally, the sets for the musicals are built and assembled on campus. However, because the fall middle school play and the high school musical share the same space and fell so close together this year, the department made the decision to rent the set.

The show was a great success but like any other show, it did not come without its challenges. The costumes and many of the props for the performance were bought through a company that the department had not used in the past.

“I found a great costuming company that rents higher end costumes and puppets for community theaters, and they had great puppets and costumes for this show. However, when our costumes were due to arrive, only two of the three boxes that they shipped arrived, and they arrived three days late. It is incredibly frustrating, but it is a good example of the show must go on,” said Rippel.

Play rehearsals can sometimes be

called messy and chaotic because of the amount of moving parts there are. Cast members had to memorize choreography, song lyrics, and blocking, and had to manage quick costume changes, and remember props. Play rehearsals normally continue for weeks until the dress rehearsals being, which are most crew member’s favorite part, including Rippel.

“Things start to fall into place and the students get a sense of confidence in what they are about to attempt.”

The cast and crew are rewarded for their dedication when they see a packed house on opening night. The Performing Arts department has such a stellar reputation that the theater is almost always full, which led to a system of reserving tickets. Rippel has decided to require tickets to be reserved to prevent someone showing up to a “sold out” show.

“Historically we almost always ‘sell out’ of seats and I hate for someone’s grandmother to fly from Michigan to see them perform only to arrive and have nowhere to sit, or be unable to sit together.”

Finally, the cast was ready to open. Much like being on a sports team, there is something incredibly rewarding about succeeding with a group of people that you have trained with and depended on for weeks and knowing they will back you just as you will back them. Every student working to make the musical possible wanted to be there and it showed, which just made the experience that much better for both the audience and the performers.

Stage crew sets up microphones. Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Trayson Bonnett performs solo as Uncle Fester in the opening act. Credit: Isabel Schimpff

MEET THE CAST

“I decided to do the play because I wanted to experience something different at Bolles and I knew the Arts Program was really good. I wanted to make new friends too and I actually have, I love everyone in the cast.”

— Sofia Brieva

“This is my favorite play that we have done because I love the aesthetic of it. I also really love the music, it’s super interesting and it was really hard to learn, I can’t lie, because it is so unpredictable.”

— Isa Landa

“I play Gomez and other than myself, my favorite character is Fester because he has really funny lines and he’s the guy who runs everything behind the scenes and he’s responsible for the plot..”

— Ashkon Shirazi

“My favorite part about the play is just having something to do after school, and I really like the community and handling all the props. My favorite prop is either the pram or the remote controlled Rat.”

— Sarah Thomas

“My favorite character is Morticia. She’s a total girl boss. My favorite song is Full Disclosure. Crazy Than Me makes me crazy, so I like Full Disclosure.”

— William Schilling

“I’m on the tech crew and I really like being able to experience the show and all the people and community without the pressure of having to be on stage all the time. My favorite prop is the giant monster snake - it’s so cute, I love it!

— Olivia Ebeling

Cast poses in the dressing room. Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Crew runs though light sequences. Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Morticia and Gomez tango. Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Cast puts on stage makeup to get ready for a run through. Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Cast sings the brother- sister song, “Pulled.” Credit: Isabel Schimpff

A decade of Deck the Chairs

If you happen to visit Jacksonville Beach this winter, you’ll find the area donned with lights, music, and decorative lifeguard chairs that attract tens of thousands of visitors every year. Holiday spirit fills the air and colorful decorations set the area aglow—but the beach wasn’t always this festive.

“In the wintertime it’s quiet and almost goes dead. In fact, in 2012, there were no lights, no decorations, no anything,” said Kurtus Loftus, the founder and Executive Director of Deck the Chairs.

Loftus came up with the concept for the organization a decade ago, while on a morning run. “It was July of 2013. I’m looking at these big tall red lifeguard chairs and as I’m running down the beach I’m thinking about what the symbolism means. How important the story is, from the volunteer lifesaving corps to the beaches— everything about those chairs was

speaking to me.”

At the time, Loftus had his own business: the Kurtis Creative Inc. worked in advertising, focusing primarily on design illustration. Drawing inspiration from his creative background and a previous event, Loftus began to form the idea that lies at the heart of Deck the Chairs.

“For the Otis Smith Foundation we painted these manatees and we put them all over the city downtown, and it was cool because it brought art into the public spaces and helped promote the businesses,” recalled Loftus. “Those chairs, like the manatees, spoke to me about the culture and the space in which we can decorate them and that’s exactly how it was formed.”

Loftus took his idea to the businesses and civic leaders in the area, and with their support began working on Deck the Chairs in August 2013. By November of that year, the organization had set up 16 chairs in the park space at the beach. “It was that simple,” said Loftus.

Of course, it wasn’t really that simple: the first event took four months of planning from thinking of the idea to pitching it, and Loftus was building the idea from the ground up. “It’s a ton of stuff to think back on and go, ‘I actually started this from scratch.’”

Ava Cheng Design Editor

The Bolles chair on display at James Weldon Johnson Park. Credit: Ava Cheng

Deck the Chairs attracts hundreds of visitors at the beach.

Credit: Kurtis Loftus

While a large number of people, ranging from beach residents to the city mayor, came on board with their approval, Loftus faced his fair share of scrooges. “No one had ever done anything like decorating lifeguard chairs and there were a lot of people that laughed at it and a lot of folks that looked at it as just a crazy idea. Thinking back you can certainly see why someone would go decorate lifeguard chairs? What the heck does that mean?”

Nevertheless, Deck the Chairs was a success, with small businesses coming together to share their stories through their decorations. “Each business, nonprofit, had their own story. You can imagine the exhibit takes on this really wonderful quality because it’s not just light lights on the chair. It’s storytelling.”

student-decorated chairs.

By involving students in the exhibits, Deck the Chairs has uplifted art and STEM programs at various schools around Jacksonville. “It doesn’t have to be strictly art,” Loftus said. “It’s getting the kids engaged and inspiring them, helping them understand how they can tell a story and then putting it all together into this public space.”

At the Bolles upper school, students from the Honors 3D Art class created a design that students from the art classes and club executed over the course of 40 hours. Entitled “Love is the Gift,” the Bolles project was inspired by elves preparing presents for the world.

A decade later, the nonprofit has grown to become nothing less than the pinnacle of holiday spirit at the beaches. “It was a slow build, getting people to understand why we were there, who we were raising money for, where the money went, all of that stuff. Took a lot of years to really make the mission concise and get people to understand that our goal is our children and what the next generation is going to have. It doesn’t matter who they become, but promoting arts education, promoting creativity, and inspiring our kids is what it’s about.”

The placard in front of the display reads, “The final design represents the symbolism of gifting as an expression of love. Love is the real gift, uniting us all in its light.”The project is lit up and adorned with beach balls, gift boxes and handpainted hearts, embodying this year’s theme: “unite, or unite with light.”

On Wednesday, December 6, visitors came together at James Weldon Johnson Park to enjoy an annual tree lighting, City Hall Open House, and of course: Deck the Chair’s newest student exhibit, where Bolles’s chair now stands.

Now, Deck the Chairs is thriving with involvement from the Cultural Council and partners like Publix and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The area receives over 100,000 visitors over the six weeks the chairs are on display, with hundreds of performers—the event is so popular that the organization now has a waiting list to decorate chairs.

Deck the Chairs expanded from its initial focus on local businesses to include student exhibit spaces. This year, the nonprofit opened a new display at James Weldon Johnson Park, solely featuring

To embody this year’s theme and “unite with light” this winter, make sure to stop by Deck the Chairs at the beaches or downtown, where the displays will be up until early January.

Bolles’ Deck the Chairs design on display in the gallery.

Credit: Ava Cheng

Students from various classes paint hearts to decorate the chair.

Credit: Ava Cheng

Deck the Chairs welcomes visitors at its downtown student exhibit. Credit: Ava Cheng

What’s up with the band?

TTy Neal

he Bolles Band has made many improvements throughout the year and looks to continue to surprise us with the Symphonic Band’s performances, the Jazz Band’s solos, and the Drumline’s jams.

“I will definitely continue playing music off to the side because it’s my thing, but just not on a professional scale.”

— Tim Groover ‘24

The band president this year, Timothy Groover ‘24, participates in Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, and the Drumline. He has been in a band for seven years, playing the trumpet, tuba, trombone, and more recently the drums, with his main instrument being his trumpet. Groover is a part of a seven-man band outside of school called the Groover Boys. “We play mainly for like pastor anniversaries and church events, also in Orlando to play for our congregation, We even went to Baltimore one time,” he says.

This year the Drumline is new, and you may have seen Groover in the front with his jaw-dropping solos at the homecoming pep rally and senior night for the football team. As band president, Groover is expected to manage all subsections of the band to move them in a forward direction throughout the school year and prepare them for future years as well. Some examples his plans for change after his graduation are to make the Drumline larger and to grant sports credits to the members. The Drumline has

been fun to see and hear at homecoming and senior night for the football team.

After high school Groover does not plan to play music professionally or academically. Instead, he sees music as a fun pastime and hobby that has become a big part of his life and how he defines himself. Groover says, “I will definitely continue playing music off to the side because it’s my thing, but… just not on a professional scale.”

This year’s band concert took place on December 5 and was holiday season themed. Band director Ms. Vance led the event

“Anything worthwhile is going to take time. Anything worthwhile is going to be challenging. So stick to it.”

— Ms. Vance

at the middle school campus, with performances by the Beginning Band, Concert Band (middle school), and Symphonic Band (high school). Vance hosts two of these all-band concerts a year along with a few other auxiliary performances.

Vance manages the bands, not

just for the high school, but for all grades across Bolles. The high school jazz band has performed this year at several retirement facilities and at SeaWorld Orlando. “I just want to keep performing and get better at performing all around,” Vance says.

Credit: Ty Neal

Vance pushes her students to achieve and makes sure to practice what she preaches. Like the band president Groover, Vance also participates in band activities outside of school. She has demonstrated her outstanding trumpet prowess by playing at ceremonies and veteran funerals free of charge. She encourages anyone who can to sign up for these events as well. “Anybody can sign up for it if you send in an audition, and they approve it. Students can do it as well.”

Vance is an inspiration to her students and helps them improve not just their instrumentation skills but also their time management, their ability to set goals, and their overall self confidence. If she had one thing to say to people just starting a new instrument she would say, “it takes time. Don’t give up on it. Anything worthwhile is going to take time. Anything worthwhile is going to be challenging. So stick to it.”

Contributing Writer

Tim Groover ‘24 playing the trumpet Credit: Ty Neal

Ms. Vance introducing the band to the audience

TheJacksonville Jaguars are contenders, not pretenders

Disney killed Star Wars

What

other students think of Bolles

We need to respondto t he

Disney Killed Star Wars

Tristan Schneider Contributing Writter

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Star Wars Return of the Jedi, which in past years would have been celebrated by all Star Wars fans, but now is met with eye rolls and sighs. Back in 2012, George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars and Lucasfilm, sold his company to Disney for 4.05 billion dollars. Ever since then, Star Wars as a franchise has been on a downward spiral with very derivative stories, inaccurate interpretations of characters, and infighting.

Disney didn’t have a concrete plan

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy is the most to blame for the mishandling of the franchise. Since the Star Wars acquisition in 2012, Kennedy has fired 18 writers and directors on their films and TV shows. Some notable directors that were fired were Phil Lord and Christopher Miller for Solo, best known for both Spiderverse films.

“Unfortunately, our vision and process weren’t aligned with our partners on this project,” Lord and Miller told Variety magazine. “We normally aren’t fans of the phrase ‘creative differences’ but for once this cliché is true.” They were fired from the project after many months of arguing with Kennedy.

Letting go of a director in the middle of production leaves the film in poor condition. When a new team of directors and creators comes in they try to fix the movie with reshoots and sometimes entire script changes, which will leave the finished project a jumbled mess, and one that people will not go to watch. Case in point, Solo was the first and only Star Wars movie to lose money.

To make things even worse, when Disney was working on the sequel trilogy (The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker), there were no concrete plans for the overarching story. The biggest offenders were director JJ Abrams and executive Kathleen Kennedy when they brought the Emperor back in Rise of Skywalker. The Emperor was killed by Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi, and not in a way that he could come back from. He was thrown down thousands of feet into a pit, and then experienced the Star Wars equivalent of a nuclear bomb. The return of the Emperor completely ruins Darth Vader’s redemption and further demonstrates how Disney did not have a general plan for the three movies, as this was a last minute act.

The actor who played the Emperor, Ian McDiarmid, was shocked when he was called onto the project and calls it a “total surprise” in the documentary

The Skywalker Legacy. If Disney had the plan to bring back the Emperor originally, then they would have contacted McDiarmid back when they were starting

The Force Awakens. Instead, they contacted him a year before filming The Rise of Skywalker. The Emperor’s resurrection was a rush job, not the result of careful consideration.

The new movies are derivative

The whole sequel trilogy is just a worse version of the original trilogy. For example, the basic plot of The Force Awakens is almost the same as A New Hope. Orphan + droid + run + blow up big space station is the basic formula for the two movies. Disney was trying to create a safe movie that brought people back into Star Wars, but the product came out as an uninspired corporate retelling of

the original Star Wars story.

Disney’s new movies and shows do not have many new ideas. The Empire fell in Return of the Jedi back in 1983 yet shows and movies are focusing on characters fighting them. The audience already knows how it’s going to end, so why is Disney telling the same story all the time? And even in the new movies they use Stormtroopers, Tie Fighters, X wings, etc.

The movies were met with a mostly negative response at the end, especially the 51% critic score for the last movie. Disney switched it up and started making Star Wars Disney+ shows, which started off strong with The Mandalorian, which had a semi original idea and premise, but a very strange trend started to appear later. The Mandalorian is about a protagonist who must take care of a child and fight the Empire. Obi Wan Kenobi and The Bad Batch also have this concept, and the idea gets worse in each installment.

The bastardization of established characters

Disney loves using old characters to boost their stories (even if those old characters don’t need to be in the new story). The audience would hope that Disney would be good at using older characters to evoke nostalgia, but they are REALLY BAD at it.

For example, Luke Skywalker in the newer Star Wars movies is a complete change from the original depiction. The original Luke would rather die to save his father, Darth Vader, the most evil man in the galaxy, but in the new movies he is willing to kill his own nephew because of a bad dream. Even the actor Mark Hamil thinks that Disney dropped the ball on his character.

The audience could tell that there is something wrong with Luke. Instead of believing in hope and fighting for what’s right, he becomes a hermit on some remote planet and when people need his help, he refuses. And then there’s Boba Fett,

“Well, in this version, I’m talking about the George Lucas Star Wars. This is the next generation of Star Wars. I almost had to think of Luke as another character. Maybe he’s ‘Jake Skywalker,’ he’s not my Luke Skywalker.”

— Mark Hamill

the cold ruthless bounty hunter. Nowadays he is an old, compassionate man who loses every fight he is in and fights for what’s right. These are two completely different interpretations of the same character.

And then there is the creepy CGI dead zombie problem. For pisode 9, the late Carrie Fisher was brought back from the dead using unreleased footage after the actress died in late 2016. In Rogue One they used CGI to bring back Peter Cushing for Grand Moff Tarkin; Peter Cushing died in 1994, 26 years before the movie was released. Disney executives could have just recast the roles. The use of zombie actors and actresses should be considered inhumane and should not be practiced in film. There are so many other options for roles that have had their actor die, recast them or just dont use the character. There is no need to dig up dead actors for their roles.

The effects of Disney on Star Wars

On the critical side of Star Wars, it is really hit or miss for the franchise. Disney will have a great hit like the first two seasons of The Mandalorian but then follow it up with The Book of Boba Fett and Obi Wan Kenobi which were two of the most disliked Star Wars Television projects ever, earning

ratings in the low 50s and 60s on Rotten Tomatoes.

Star Wars has never been in a more terrible position (not even when the prequels came out). Disney keeps on making the same mistakes over and over again. Most of the films and shows have nothing to do with each other and it seems that Disney is throwing out content at random to see which gets well recieved. This could ruin the Star Wars brand further if the projects turn out to be dumpster fires. They already started off strong with the announcement of a new Rey Skywalker movie, which is surprising since she is one of the most unpopular parts of the last trilogy. It seems that Disney keeps making the same mistakes with Star Wars movies and expecting the outcome to change.

Over the past decade, Disney has successfully killed Star Wars for most audiences, and frankly, the best thing for Star Wars might be to just stop. Disney needs to stop making more content because when they do, they make it worse.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are contenders, not pretenders

IJack Laufer Contributing Writer

know, I know. The loss to San Francisco recently was bad... really bad. I was straight up embarrassed to wear my Trevor Lawrence jersey that day. However, as bad as it was, the massacre that happened didn’t even crack the top ten worst losses of all time in Jaguars history. But losses of this caliber shouldn’t feel new to any true Jaguar fan. We know loss. We know humiliation. In fact, the only things that we Jaguar fans are familiar with winning are top picks in the draft. As a lifelong Jaguar fan whose first words were “Duuuuval,’’ I’ ve long stood strong with the team, through the good, bad, and the ugly. I hung with this team during the sad Gus Bradley era, the gloomy Doug Marrone era, and the horrid, short lived Urban Meyer era.

I’ve always found excuses to distract me from the reality of our sad football team. “Jaguars vs. Refs!” “Refs got paid off!” “Next season is our season!” But this season… is this actually our season? Something this year is different. We’re a little over halfway through the season, and instead of fighting for the #1 overall pick in the draft, we are fighting for the #1 seed in the AFC. Currently the Jaguars have a 8-3 record, sit atop the AFC South, and have a respectable spot in the playoffs. So, should Jaguar fans buy into this hype, or should we lower our expectations so we aren’t let down like we have been many times in the past?

I think we should buy into this hype and expect us to keep performing at the elite level we are playiqng at right now, and here’s why:

Diversity has always been present in Jacksonville. In recent memory, it has seemed that dealing with adversity is our biggest struggle. What makes coach Doug Pederson is so special because he has experience with it in his past. During his tenure coaching the Philadelphia Eagles, he took on a struggling team and won a Super Bowl ring doing it. When Coach Pederson arrived in Jacksonville, he preached three things to his players in his meetings: effort, adversity, and winning. And for the first time in a while, winning is what we did.

After the brutal 34-3 loss to San Francisco, the media quickly overreacted and changed their projection for Jaguars from Super Bowl contenders to Super Bowl pretenders. Everyone jumped to the conclusion that the Jaguars aren’t as good as their record indicates. Sports expert Craig Carton said, “With all due respect to the Jacksonville Jaguars… they are not one of the elite teams in the AFC.”

Why not? They are tied for the third best record in football. This team is top twelve in points per game, touchdowns, defensive takeaways, and points allowed. Also, the Jaguars are the last team in the NFL to be undefeated on the road.

The Jaguars are one of the elite teams in the AFC, yet people are still not taking them seriously.

Unlike in the past, the Jaguars have handled this recent adversity very well. In the past two weeks, the Jaguars balled out posting a +23 point differential, +1 turnover differential, and most importantly winning both hard earned games vs.

the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans. QB Trevor Lawrence also has taken the media’s criticism well, posting career numbers in the past two games, throwing for a combined 626 yards, 3 passing touchdowns, and three rushing touchdowns. After the 34-14 victory over the Titans, Trevor tweeted “Y’all keep your opinions and we’ll keep finding ways to win.”

Now looking ahead, the Jaguars only have six more games left in the regular season. The combined record of the remaining teams is 30-37. The Jags play a backup, two rookies, and a rookie backup. In those six remaining games, our toughest matchup (Ravens) is at the bank on Sunday Night Football. The last time the Jaguars played the Ravens, the Jags prevailed in an overtime thriller that sparked a lot of momentum during crunch time of our playoff push.

Am I saying that I am confident the Jaguars will finish the season 6-0 and win the Super Bowl? No, but, I really wouldn’t be shocked if we did. We know what this team is capable of, and we know we can compete with any of the other 31 teams in this league.

Legendary FSU coach Bobby Bowden once said, “First you lose big. Then you lose close. Then you win close. Then you win big.” I think that sums up the state of the Jaguars currently. Right now is the time for the Jaguars, and the media isn’t ready to admit it.

So Jags fans, please don’t expect us to continue with our old ways, because it was always (and still is) the Jags!

Caylee Padgett Online Editor

Fall Coffeehouse 2023

An inside look at the annual fall Coffeehouse by The Bolles Bugle

Isabel Schimpff Coffeehouse editor

The Bolles Bugle organizes and hosts the biannual Coffeehouse performance. Coffeehouse is an event for students to showcase their talents and skills. Performances have ranged from fire juggling to dramatic readings of original stories. This year’s fall Coffeehouse was held in Lynch Theater on October 27 with the crucial help and support of the Arts Department members Laura Rippel, John Jenkins, and James Rubia.

Coffeehouse is always a fun-filled night that attendees and performers alike look forward to. While the Bugle staff loves comments from students about how much they loved the night or how much they are looking forward to seeing the acts, most students do not realize the planning, attention to detail, and last minute Publix runs that the Bugle staff puts in prior to the event. It is certainly a whole staff effort with every member contributing to MC-ing, bringing food, providing decorations, or choreographing the dance-along.

The hard work certainly paid off because our Haunted Coffeehouse was a night to remember! With performances by Ty Neal, Tristan Schneider, Luke Meyers, Melody Cherry, Kate Youell, Sawyer Schimpff, John Cusick, Alex Boutwell, Esha and Luke Meyers, Jaina Neal, Ashkon Shirazi, Brooks Baker, Isa Landa, Akshay Ketty, and Sam Greenhut. Performances included singing, skits, drumming, story telling, displaying video game skills, and violin playing.

Ty Neal ‘25 and Tristan Schneider ‘26, act as Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Perry the Platypus from the popular Disney cartoon “Phineas and Ferb.” Neal backed Schneider on the trumpet while Schneider sang the theme song of everyone’s favorite semi-aquatic egg-laying mammal. The two are both contributing writers for the Bolles Bugle but first-time Coffeehouse performers.

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

The audience watches as Jaina Neal ‘27 delivers a touching performance of “Flesh and Bone” by Black Math. This was the freshman’s first time at Coffeehouse but not her first time singing. Neal is a part of the Crew and Girl’s Weightlifting Teams but still finds time for the performing arts and loves to sing for her older brother, Ty.

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Bugle staff member, Ellie Stewart, passes the microphone to a lowerschool audience member as the staff leads the singalong. The singalong is a Coffeehouse tradition in which the entire theater joins in singing a karaoke version of a song that fits our theme. This year, the song was “The Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett.

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Credit:

The staff of the Bolles Bugle set up a spooky display of snacks and beverages for the audience and performers. All staff members contributed to the food provided as well as the decorating of the Lynch Theater, the venue for this year’s Fall Coffeehouse.

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Brooks Baker ‘24, singing “My Way” by Frank Sinatra. Baker sang this solo with Akshay Ketty and Sam Greenhut backing him on drums and guitar.

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Isabel Schimpff, the Bugle Coffeehouse editor, leads the audience in a game during intermission. Four teams of three were picked from the audience and competed against one another for the prize of high end chocolates. Each team worked together to turn one member into a mummy by wrapping two roles of toilet paper around their person.

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Isa Landa ‘24, plays guitar as she sings “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaac. This was Landa’s first time performing at Coffeehouse but not her first performance. Landa has been an avid member of the Bolles performing art department. Landa has recently been a part of the all school musical, “The Little Mermaid”, and this year’s upper school show, “The Addams Family”.

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Isabel Bassin and Amber Bansal help decorate before the show.

Isabel Schimpff

The front row of the Coffeehouse audience shares a laugh as the show gets ready to begin.

Credit: Isabel Schimpff