The Bolles Bugle: Quarter 4 Issue 2023

THEB G U

LE

Local Student Life

Sports Op-Ed

The Bolles Bugle Staff

Co-Editors-in-Chief: Cameron Gratz

Amber Bansal

Online/Sports Editor: Caylee Padgett

Copy Editor/Online Editor: Sara Wasserman

Social Media/Arts Editor: Aisha Hasan

Public Relations/Local Editor: Kate Youell

Multimedia/Op-Ed Editor: Isabel Bassin

Design/Academics Editor: Simran Naval

Contributing Writers:

Kathryn Arrowsmith

Ellie Stewart

Tristan Schneider

Sophie Lankarani

Isabel Schimpff

Ava Cheng

Grace Albough

Advisor: Mr. Stam

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.

We at the Bugle strive to bring you high-quality journalism highlighting student life, academics, athletics, opinions, and arts here at Bolles, as well as events in the Jacksonville community.

We hope you’ll enjoy reading about the tennis and lacrosse teams, new police officers on campus, and this spring’s production of Space Princess Wars.

Also check out profiles of hockey player Abby Bradley and photography teacher Ms. Westerlind, as well as new opinion pieces and cartoons.

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 4 edition for the 2022-23 school year!

Sincerely,

Editorial Policy:

The Bolles Bugle is the news magazine created by the journalism class at The Bolles School. Our publication focusaes 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, Mr. Stam, with any questions or comments. He can be reached at stams@bolles.org or at bollesbugleonline@gmail.com.

Copyright 2009-2022, The Bolles Bugle

Tikka Bowls and Tacos

Sophie Lankarani Contributing Writer

Tikka Bowls and Tacos is a restaurant which serves tacos, bowls, samosas, burritos, quesadillas, and many more options. The restaurant’s home made style of warm food, and fusion of Mexican and indian cuisine makes for the perfect midday lunch option.

Tikka Bowls and Tacos is a restaurant chain with two locations in Jacksonville. One at 4820 Deer Lake Drive West, D13, Jacksonville, FL and the other located at 155 Fountains Way suite #4, Jacksonville, FL.

Tikka Bowls and Tacos serves several different kinds of bowls and tacos with a variety of fresh ingredients and sauces that can be added. For the bowl option, customers can choose what kind of rice, protein, curry, and other

Iso Iso

Sophie Lankarani Contributing Writer

Iso Iso is a restaurant which serves bowls of noodles, rice bowl, gyoza, boba tea, and is most famous for their ramen. The restaurant’s sweet drinks, warm food, and friendly environment is perfect for a dinner with friends or family.

Iso Iso is a restaurant chain with locations all over America and one at 11105 San Jose Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32223. It is open from Sunday through Saturday from 11:00am to 9:00pm. Iso Iso serves several different kinds of ramen with a variety of fresh ingredients that can be added. The Shoyu and Spicy Iso Iso Ramen are the most popular items on the menu which are

toppings they would like to add. This restaurant caters and food is prepared fairly quickly and made with care and effort. The food at Tikka Bowls and Tacos can be best described as Tacos with a twist of Indian cuisine to the curry that can be added to the food. This fusion of cultures creates a flavorful experience.

a combination of broth, meat, vegetables, noodles, and several spices.

“Iso Iso” translates into cheerfully and excitedly. The restaurant started in 2021 by seven friends with the mission of creating ramen with quality and flavor while still being an accessible price.

Overall Iso Iso was a fun experience, the customer service was great and the food was fresh

Nekter

Kathryn Arrowsmith Contributing Writer

Nekter is a juice bar that currently has 184 different locations in a total of 22 states. They offer a variety of juices, bowls, and smoothies so every customer’s taste is accommodated for. Some fruits include mango, dragonfruit, and berries.

Not only does the smoothie bar offer online orders and pickups, but all of their smoothies and bowls are served in plastic reusable plastic containers so it is easy to not only eat in store but to take it to go.

When opening in 2010, Nekter had the goal to serve healthy and affordable food. They pride themselves in their customizable food options so customers with

Bakkal

Kathryn Arrowsmith Contributing Writer

Bakkal is an international fine foods and grill restaurant that specializes in Persian cuisine. They offer a variety of food including salads, pide, wraps, sandwiches, and kebabs.

The word “Bakkal” translates to “general store” which explains the grocery attached to the restaurant. The grocery has Persain products available for purchase so not only can you go and enjoy your meal but you can also buy products to take home.

allergies and dietary restrictions can still enjoy their products. Overall, the homey feel and easy ordering process makes Nekter the perfect place to grab a snack.

MOCA

A look at the some of the current exhibits at the Museum of Contemporary Art

Project Atrium: Yūrei (Ghosts)

Hironi Moneyhun is a papercut artist who intends to bring attention to the ocean thorugh her unique technique. Her piece draws atteniton to human’s negative effect on their nevironment and specificially, the ocean.

Stereotyped Ordinary Artist: Sangmi Yoo

Topography of Memory, 2019-2022

Artist: Kenny Nguyen

Cargomobilities, 2016 Artist: Joelle Dietrick

Film Projector Artist: Imin Yeh

Sound Artist: John Cage

Grace Albaugh

Contributing Writer

Metal Meditations

Artist: Philip Corner

The First Line (Sounds for Drawing)

Artists: Andrew Deutsch and Ann Hamilton

HPSCHD, 1969

Artist: John Cage

Deflated Trabant and Pile up, 2011 Artist: Raluca Iancu

Catching Flies

Artist: J. Leigh Garcia

For Maude, 2019

Artist: Melissa Harshman

Cava Craze

Ellie Stewart Contributing Writer

Quick, easy, and exotic are all adjectives that describe Cava Grill. Cava is a Mediterranean restaurant who recently bought out Zoës Kitchen in 2018, and is thriving due to their exotic flavors, Chipotlestyle serving, and explosion over social media. These factors provide a sense of distinctiveness in the fast-casual food industry, contributing to their current exponential growth.

Cava is well known for their customizable pita and bowls, and so, I ordered a build your own pita. The pita was very good, and there was a variety of spices in the meat and the dip. However, the rice balanced out the flavors, which served the dish well.

I also tried the popular “Chicken and Right Rice” bowl, and this was my favorite dish. It was filled with Greek flavors, and

the Mediterranean spices complemented it nicely. Overall, this dish was a 9/10.

Now for the reasons why it is taking off. Cava Grill has only been around since 2011 when its first restaurant opened. However, it has gained an abundant amount of traction in recent months. After being in business for 12+ years, why, you might ask, is it just now taking off?

There are many speculations regarding the craze over Cava. Many people believe that the multifarious flavors are the reason for its success. Cava Grill incorporates its Mederetanian culture through its food by adding a wide variety and abundance of spices, following many of the current food trends, which in turn, contributes to its sudden blooming.

Another conjecture about Cava is due to its Chipotle-style serving; another trend in the

food industry in which Cava is observing. Cava Grill is famous for its build-your-own-bowl options, allowing customers to completely customize their order. This bestows the customer with infinite food options, providing something for each customer to enjoy.

While these factors certainly contributed to Cava’s success, social media seems to be the primary cause for its popularity. In recent months, many influencers have turned their attention to Cava Grill and have posted their opinions on the Mediterranean restaurant, heightening Cava’s virtual fame.

I recommend Cava Grill to anyone looking for a new restaurant to try. This restaurant has spread as a wildfire over social media platforms, and it seems as if it will continue to prosper in the future.

Picture of Cava Grill. Credit: jaxdailyrecord.com

Photo taken of the counter. Credit: happycow.net

Photos of handspun drinks and menu items.

Credit: Ellie Stewart

Mayoral

Candidate Rundown 2023

Jacksonville Mayoral Election Continued

Isabel Schimpff Contributing writer

After the dust settled during the race for Jacksonville’s next mayor on Tuesday, March 21st, 2023, Donna Deegan (D) and Daniel Davis (R), were the two candidates remaining.

After the voting on Tuesday night, all precincts reported Deegan capturing 39.4% of the votes, and Davis with 24.7%. Because no candidate cleared 50% or more of the votes, these two competitors will continue to the May general election and the winner will take office on July 1st.

Davis leads his campaign focusing on education, infrastructure, economy, and safety. He is a former Jacksonville City Council Member from 2003 to 2010 and former president of the Jacksonville City Council from 2007-2008.

“We can celebrate tonight, but it’s just tonight. Tomorrow, the work continues because, like you, I believe Jacksonville is worth fighting for”, Davis told his own supporters.

Deegan leads her campaign focusing on infrastructure, health, and economy. Coming in with the majority votes in March, Deegan accomplished the feat of becoming the first woman to make it to a Jacksonville mayoral runoff.

“I am beyond thrilled tonight to say that we are moving on. We are moving on as the heavy frontrunner into round two”, Deegan told her supporters at the election night gathering.

Cadidates Donna Deegan (left), and Daniel Davis (right)

Daniel Davis (R)

Donna Deegan (D)

Student Life Student Life Student Life

What are you looking forward to next year?

Kate Youell PR editor

“I’m looking forward to being a Junior and starting the application process.” -

‘I’m excited to take honors classes and experince higher levels.”

“I think having one year under my belt I know how the school operates and I’m looking forward to using that next year.” - Mr. O’Neill

“I’m looking forward to having a free period next year.” - Olivia Clontz’25

Alexiya Downer’25

- Grace Kramarich’26

As the 20222023 school year quickly comes to an end we asked various students what they are looking forward to in a journalistic style called MOTS. MOTS or Man on the Street is a style where you stop random people on the street and ask them random questions and these were the answers we got.

Man On The Street

“I’m looking forward to trying to get better grades.” - Micheal Shad’26

“I’m looking forward to college and living in St. Augestine.” - Livvy Edwards’23

“I’m excited to finally be a senior”

- Ellion Doyle’24

“I’m exicted to dress up for Senior Breakfast next year.”

- Sam Nelson’24

“ I’m excited really to be in college and everything that brings.”

- Campbell Ford’23

“We’re both excited for college and to be finally out of highschool.”

- Maggie Boyd’23 and Alida Cucoranu’23

Culture Fair 2023

Culture Fair took place on April 6th this year, and a grand total of 23 countries were represented out on Bolles Courtyard. Countries were represented by clubs associated with a certain nation, and many of these clubs held booths with special treats and traditions relating to cultures of these countries.

The performances in front of the Bent Center included everything from dances, to fashion shows, to poetry reading. These demonstrated many of the different cultures shown at culture fair.

Ellie Stewart Contributing Writer

Students at the Culture Fair represent the United States.

Credit: Ellie Stewart.

Junior Mentors Make Connections

Sara Wasserman Copy Editor

Each year, juniors volunteer to act as mentors to 5th graders as they approach middle school. They make the transition to middle school as seamless as

“Junior mentors are a group of high school juniors that get to go to the middle school for a day during the second semester and discuss mature topics with the 5th graders as they prepare for middle school.”

possible by planning fun activities while at the same time, discussing serious topics.

Catherine Hunt ‘24, a junior mentor, describes the role of the group: “Junior mentors are a group of high school juniors that get to go to the middle school for a day during the second semester and discuss mature topics with the 5th graders as they prepare for middle school,” wrote Hunt.

kids and being silly while also giving our message. I also love playing the games and getting to just hang out with them.”

Junior mentors play a memorable role in the lives of younger students as they take the next step of their education into middle school. Hunt describes the joys of being a junior mentor. “My favorite thing is talking with the kids and being silly while also giving our message. I also love playing the games and getting to just hang out with them.”

“I would totally recommend every junior to join Junior mentors, it is such a fun program that allows you to reflect on middle school as a high schooler. It is also totally worth all the work to see the joy on the kids’ faces!”

When asked why she decided to join junior mentors, Hunt writes, “I love being with kids and I wanted to make a difference.”

Hunt encourages rising juniors to join the group. “I would totally recommend every junior to join Junior mentors, it is such a fun program that allows you to reflect on middle school as a high schooler. It is also totally worth all the work to see the joy on the kids’ faces!”

—Catherine Hunt ‘24

“My favorite thing is talking with the

—Catherine Hunt ‘24

“I love being with kids and I wanted to make a difference.”

—Catherine Hunt ‘24

—Catherine Hunt ‘24

Maintenance Spotlight

Ander Daniels

Years at Bolles: 8

“My funniest story from working at Bolles is when I was underneath the bushes and a snake was laying on the branches and he was looking at me and I was looking at him and every time I moved he moved.”

Swanner

Years At Bolles: 33 “My funniest stories from working at Bolles are all the snakes I’ve had to run down over the years.”

McCloud

Years at Bolles: 10

“About two years ago we were getting ready for the hurricane and I was passing the boat dock and I noticed a boat was sinking so I went down there to grab hold of it and I had the boat in one hand while I was using the other hand to call people on the radio and it went down anyways.”

Billy

Charlie

The maintenance team at Bolles keep this campus looking nice

Grace Albaugh Contributing Writer

Police Officer Spotlight

Officer Kevin Jarrell

Amber Bansal Co-Editor-In-Chief

Due to a new school policy by the Board of Trustees, police officers are now present at all 4 campuses for “security.” When asked about this policy, the Assistant Director of Safety, Security, and Transportation, Mrs. Stone said this was “out of an abundance of caution.” All of the officers around campus work on their days off for extra income.

Officer Kevin Jarrell, one of the officers who patrols on campus, averages six days a month of “off-duty work” at Bolles. Jarrell has been with JSO for 12 years and has been a patrol officer for 11 of those 12 years. As of five years ago, he is also a K-9 handler with his partner, Rico. Jarrell underwent over a year of training for his patrol officer position and a year and a half of full-time school with Rico for K-9.

During his working days, Jarrell assists with patrol. For example, if somebody runs, he helps to find them. Also, his partner, Rico, is a bomb dog so Jarrel does bomb sweeps for the Jaguars stadium and for any dignitaries that come to town.

While stationed at the Upper School Campus, Jarrell is also responsible for the Whitehurst Campus, so he relies on radio to cover the entire area because he is just one person.

In light of the recent gun violence in schools, Jarrell has noticed “it is starting to be more common” to have officers on campus because “it seems to be the way the country is going.” He continues, “it’s a great thing [Bolles] is

Jarrell says his favorite place on campus is the Bolles Hall Courtyard and that the cafeteria food is good. He encourages students to converse with the officers and says, “I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about our job as a whole. And I think people are kind of afraid of us in uniform. You kind of stand out, but it’s not the case.” He continues, “we are not here to police [the students], we are here to keep the bad people out.” But so far student interactions have been “very, very polite, it’s nice when people walk by and say Good Morning, or hi, or whatever.”

Jarrell describes his job on campus to be “security” and “keeping the bad people out.” He goes about this by watching for “things that just don’t belong” like certain people or behavior. When asked how students can help, he said to notify a teacher, counselor or the police about any suspicious activity and lock the doors if a student is ever in a dangerous situation.

hiring us” because “time is of the essence and even minutes are a very long time” in a dangerous situation. He is confident that he can be anywhere on campus in “less than 30 seconds.”

A normal day on campus starts when he arrives at 7:30 am. He parks in front of the gate so that entering cars can see he is there. During the day, he walks and drives around to “make his presence known.” Lastly, at around 3:00 pm, he returns to the front gates to ensure people see him once again. His day on campus ends at 3:30 pm.

“We keep the bad people out.”

— Officer Kevin Jarrell

Photo of Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Shield (Left) and photo of Officer Jarrell on campus (Above)

Credit: Jacksonville Sheriff’S Office (Left) and Amber Bansal (Above)

Planning for Prom!

This is an Optional Subheader

Prom season is in full swing! The prom is planned to happen May 13th, it starts at 8:30pm with a lockdown from 9:00 pm to 11:00pm.

The prom committee and their co-chairs, Maddie Weiner ‘23 and Macarena Padilla ‘23 have been diligently working to put on a successful prom. Padilla revealed, “We started planning in October and have slowly been meeting to prepare for prom.”

In order to have a successful prom, Padilla and Weiner have to “organize many things, including the games, the DJ, the decorations and the food.” They announced the theme as 1920’s Hollywood

during a recent convocation. Weiner said, “It’s the 95th anniversary of Bolles so we decided to do a decade themed prom.”

This year the prom is being relocated to UNF. Weiner revealed, “The city was actually using the Jags stadium that week and some people were saying the venue was too big last year.” With a smaller, less expensive space the prom committee is able to spend their money elsewhere. Weiner stated, “Right now, we are figuring out what to order for decorations. We are also in contact with Bolles PR representative.”

With a bigger budget this year the prom committee announced the tickets would be free for Bolles juniors and seniors. Padilla said, “Most people do not have to pay

for tickets unless you are an underclassmen or guest to prom.”

One of the main focuses for the prom committee is the music. Weiner said, “We’re working on the music playlist as well. We sent out a survey online and will hopefully get answers soon.” Additionally, they have reached out to a DJ to

“We started planning in October and have slowly been meeting to prepare for prom.”

— Macerena Padilla

Aisha Hasan Social Media

Editor

Maddie Weiner and Macerena Padilla, Co-chairs of Prom Committee, oversaw all the prom planning. Credit: Maddie Wiener and Macerena Padilla

help organize and coordinate the music.

In terms of the games set at prom, Padilla revealed, “We’re still keeping blackjack and poker.” But they also plan to include a few new ones such as roulette. Finally, Weiner exclaimed, “We hope to see everyone there. Stay tuned for a great prom!”

Iconic games like blackjack and poker were played during Prom Credit: Aisha Hasan

“It’s the 95th anniversary of Bolles so we decided to do a decade themed prom.”

— Maddie Weiner

Prom Committee set up stars for the seniors with their names on them. Credit: Aisha Hasan

“Most people do not have to pay for tickets unless you are an underclassmen or guest to prom.”

— Macerena Padilla

English Poll

Are English III and IV Honors really worth it?

Caylee Padgett Online/Sports Editor

Asurvey was given to the classes of ‘24 and ‘25 on what English level course they are going to take next year. Despite what some teachers might think there is a a pretty even split between the forty people that were surveyed. Students want to take higher level classes to “boost GPA,” ‘do not want the intense workload of an AP English class, but I want to be challenged in English next year, so I am taking Honors,” and even because it would fit best with someone’s focus in college.

Some people are concerned about whether or not it is worth teacher’s effort to put in the new levels of honors, but the students have spoken. Thi is a great alternative for students who want to boos their GPA without the pressure of an AP exam. This is a great in between for people who have stuggled with AP classes, but still want the GPA boost.

These classes are a great resolution for all students and despite some worries that there are not enough students to take the Honors level courses, looking at the results of the survey says otherwise.

Pie chart of which classes students are taking next year for rising Seniors.

Pie chart of which classes students are taking next year for rising Juniors.

Academics Academics Academics

Welcoming Westerlind

New Yearbook, Photography Teacher Enters Arts Scene

One challenge of Westerlind’s short time at Bolles has been getting the yearbook finalized, as she arrived with only a few weeks before the final deadline. But, she said, “The kids who were on staff knew exactly what they needed to do. They were on a roll. Oh my goodness have they ever wowed and amazed me, they’re just a phenomenal group of kids.” She also expressed gratitude to representatives from Herff Jones and Cady & Cady, saying, “They treated our school and our account almost as if they didn’t have any others. They were here far more than they really needed to be. They went above and beyond the call of duty.”

Billie Westerlind first learned of a job opening for a photography teacher at Bolles from a former colleague from St. Johns County who now teaches art at the Ponte Vedra Campus. Westerlind recalled that the first words of the conversation were, “How do you like your new career?” rather than “Hello.”

In addition to photography, Westerlind has previously taught fashion and fashion marketing, drawing, painting, sculpture, and art history. She also taught media arts for close to 20 years, which she described as, “a combination of video and video editing, animation, and photography and photography editing, and 35-millimeter photography and the dark room,” as well as “one of my very favorite classes to teach.”

When she first came to Bolles, Westerlind reviewed curricula from previous photography classes shared with her by Fine and

Performing Arts Department Chair Laura Rippel and was pleased to find that “a great many of the projects that the former teachers had taught were actually projects that will be similar to projects that I’ve taught during the course of my career. I kind of tweaked things a little bit and gave them my personal touch.”

In addition to skills taught by previous teachers, Westerlind is working to add photography history to the curriculum, “introducing my students to current photographers and photographers throughout history, and associating their projects with the knowledge that they’ve gained” as well as completing ‘inspired’ projects.

For example, Westerlind’s class recently learned about Jerry Uelsmann, a photographer known for using multiple negatives to fuse different images together. Many of these time-intensive techniques have now been eclipsed by editing software like Photoshop.

Westerlind’s affinity for art began in eighth grade when she took AP Art. “And one of the perks of that course was that the teacher had a dark room,” she said. “So if you were interested in photography, you know, she would allow you to learn it basically. So I had my first darkroom experience in eighth grade. And I was absolutely hooked.” She continued photography, drawing, and painting throughout high school before enrolling in college at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, where she majored in sculpture.

After teaching photography and sculpture in New York, Westerlind became an educational photographer for a yearbook company, traveling around Florida and Georgia, teaching other teachers and their students about layout, design, and photography.

Despite the initial challenge of the rotating schedule, Westerlind has not found the career transition too difficult. “Everyone has been very welcoming and very helpful,” she said. “And it’s really felt like coming home in a way.”

Cameron Gratz Co-Editor-in-Chief

Westerlind incorporates the work of renowned photographers such as Jerry Uelsmann into her lesson plans.

Photo via Cameron Gratz

AP EXAMS

Online or Paper?

Sara Wasserman Copy Editor

After the Covid pandemic forced a remodel of the traditional AP Exam, a question was posed: how will we return to a post-pandemic test format? This year, students were presented with the option to take the test online or on paper, creating a difficult decision to make.

For some students, spending the duration of the test looking at a screen can cause fatigue. Upwards of three hours long, the prospect of staring at a screen while taking these exams may cause some students to opt for the traditional paper format. An additional challenge of online testing is the possibility of technical difficulties. A device dying or freezing during an exam poses a risk that paper exams don’t. For these reasons, many students decide to trust in the tried-and-true paper exam format.

Despite the fact that paper exams have been used for years, many students choose to embrace the new online format offered. Many students feel that they are able to type faster than write, making online testing a more advantageous choice. Furthermore, many classes utilize the AP Classroom resource to practice test questions, simulating the format of the online AP test. For this reason, many students

may feel that they will perform better in the format they are used to after practicing it all year long.

Overall, both testing formats offer their own advantages. Either option is not better than the other. Instead, different options are optimal for different students. The choice in exam format allows students to choose their best personal environment to showcase their knowledge on their test.

Language Clubs

A look at the Chinese, French, and Latin clubs at Bolles

the rabbit. Around twenty of the club members participated in a Chinese song and dance, and got to experience performances from other members of Jacksonville’s Chinese community. Qin, along with Luke Li ‘25, were granted the President’s List award for their involvement with the club activities and performance.

The Bolles upper school offers a variety of languages to learn, from Latin to Arabic. Each of these languages has corresponding clubs, and this semester, the Bolles language clubs have been especially active on campus.

The Chinese club, sponsored by Mrs. Rothschild, holds frequent activities, usually in one of two forms. “One is to have a meeting to inform us of recent activities, such as Chinese New Year and Chinese Week,” explained Alston Qin ‘25, the club’s vice president. “Also, we play some interesting games. For example, there are many interesting games in some Chinese entertainment shows. We adapt them so that the students in the club can learn Chinese in another way.”

At the beginning of the third quarter, the club hosted Chinese

Week, leading daily activities and hanging decorations to celebrate the Lunar New Year. These activities included papercutting, calligraphy, tai-ji, and sports, as well as a fundraiser selling homemade food to donate money to a welfare home.

Apart from its on-campus activities, the club headed off campus to perform at UNF for a gala to welcome the year of

For Chinese Week, the Chinese Club hosted various activities, like calligraphy.

Photo Credit: Alston Qin

The club continues to plan exciting activities, including embroidery and a fashion show for traditional Chinese clothing. According to Qin, the club is important because it allows students to learn about culture through its various activities. “I’m from China, and I want to let more people know about Chinese culture through the club, so it is very important for me.”

The Latin Club has also been active this semester, holding Chick-Fil-A sales during the third and fourth quarters. “Using the money we got from the fundraiser—which was over $150 in profits—we created care packages for the homeless as part of the regional forum service project,” explained Sarah Park ‘25, the

I hope that there can be more of a school involvement so we can spread awareness of Roman culture and Latin because it still has an impact on English today.

— Sarah Park ‘25

Ava Cheng Contributing Writer

The Chinese Club performed a dance at UNF for the 2023 Lunar New Year.

Photo Credit: Alston Qin

club’s treasurer.

Additionally, the majority of the Latin Club’s members are students learning the language at Bolles, many of whom attend Latin Forum every year. “The competition’s where we all come together, take academic tests about Latin, and make projects and do creative stuff to try and win,” said Billie Nimnicht ‘24, vice president of the club.

“There’s a lot of other activities going on,” said Park, “like a Kahoot game or the service project I was mentioning. We all dressed up in Roman outfits. There’s a huge variety of things you can participate in at both regional and state.”

Despite Latin not being a spoken language, Park and Nimnicht explained that the Latin Club’s role in spreading Roman culture is important. “For the fundraising reasons and to help with money for the community I think it’s important, but it’s really a cultural

“There’s a lot of different categories for projects [at Latin Forum]. And they’re all displayed in the library.”

club. Ours is a pretty past culture, but there’s a club atmosphere,” said Nimnicht.

“Latin club is really important in spreading awareness for Latin and Roman cultures, because they kind of give us an insight into where Western cultures originated from,” explained Park, “it’s a really nice insight into our history, and the origin of the cultures and the languages.”

The French club aims to share Francophone culture with various sales and activities. In November, the club held activities like Mancala and Moroccan style tea, along with popular crepe sales. The club focuses on sharing culture from all French-speaking countries, not just France. “We focus on any country that’s been touched by France, whether it be through colonization or other cultural spread, like Quebec, Haiti and all the African countries… It’s mostly Europe, Africa and the Americas,” said Maggie Boyd ‘23, the club’s secretary.

“Our goal is to try and spread Francophone culture and educate people on it and also to raise money for Doctors Without Borders, which is actually a French founded organization,” said Boyd. The club emphasizes the importance of sharing how widespread the language is, and its worldwide cultural impact beyond France.

While all of these clubs celebrate different countries and languages, each emphasizes the importance of sharing the cultures and their history.

Photo Credit: Sarah Park

The Latin Club held a Chik-Fil-A sale at Bolles this semester.

Photo Credit: Sarah Park

A lot of people don’t realize that French isn’t just a European thing. It’s all over the place. I think it’s important for French club to help people understand how widespread this language is and how it has a worldwide cultural impact for all of us.

— Maggie Boyd ‘23

Bolles’ FBLA Goes to States

sani added, “The events ranged from a written test, an interview, to a project turned in beforehand.”

The students participating enjoyed the atmosphere they

The Future Business Leaders of America (FLBA) is a new club this year, organized by sophomore Anjali Gusani ‘25. Gusani explained, “It’s an organization that provides kids all over the world with opportunities to learn about business and technology.”

Before attending Bolles, Gusani was exposed to FBLA at her old school. Gusani said, “I was affiliated with it at my middle school and knew I had to continue the program at Bolles.” With the help of the FBLA advisors, Dr. K and Mr. Rosas, FBLA has grown into an established club at Bolles.

Recently, the Bolles FBLA chapter competed in a state-wide competition. Gusani stated, “To compete in the state-wide competition, we had to participate in the HR fall rally in October.” During the HR fall rally, Bolles students had to

complete exams covering different business topics. “We had nine kids qualify for states and eight went,” Gusani revealed.

The state-wide FBLA competition requires a lot of preparation and practice. “FBLA provides some resources, and we found some online resources to learn the topics our chapter was assigned,” Gusani explained. Each topic has a different type of event to complete during the competition, Gu-

experienced during the competition weekend. Gusani said, “It was really cool to see as the whole competition is student-run. There were about 5000 students participating as well.”

Out of the eight people that competed, one Bolles student qualified for nationals, Esha Kasavaraju. Gusani has high hopes for FBLA in the future as they have learned from this year’s experiences. Gusani explained, “There really is something for everyone at FBLA and we hope to recruit more members for next year.”

Aisha Hasan Social Media Editor

Eight Bolles’ students competed in the FBLA state competition.

Credit: Anjali Gusani

This is a Pull Quote. Tio ut harci dolorerum nihil ipitectorro mos magnis es quiam adipsandi officidi im quas molorempeles.

— Anjali Gusani Year

Sports Sports Sports

The Jacksonville Icemen

The ECHL Minor League Ice Hokey Team

Sophie Lankarani Contributing Writer

The Icemen of the ECHL are the Jacksonville minor league ice hokey team. Practice and home games are held at the VyStar Veterans Memorial

The team was founded in 1992 under the name “Muskegon Fury.” In 2008 they changed their name to the “Muskegon Lumberjacks” and again in 2010 to “Evansville IceMen.” They finally switched to the “Jacksonville Icemen” in 2017 and have stuck with the name ever since.

One of the current head coaches of the team, Nick Luukko, has been obsessed with hockey ever since he was a kid. His first season coaching on the team was in 2020-21 making this year his second season.

This year, the Icemen are going to the ECHL 2023 Kelly Cup playoffs after defeating the Atlantic Gladiators. The Icemen also qualified for the playoffs in the 2018-19 season as well as the 2020-21 season.Walking into an

Iceman game you can hear music blasting through the speakers and when goals are scored train horn wail throughout the stadium. The environment at Icemen home games are always fun with fans yelling chants throughout the games.

Icemen Players

https://www.jacksonville.com/ story/sports/nhl/2021/04/28/jacksonville-icemen-build-2021-echlwinning-streak-overtime-

Icemen games are great experience and the perfect activity for a night out with family or friends with ticket prices ranging from 20 to 50 dollars.

JAX Women’s Hockey

Abby Bradley’s journey to the underrepresented sport

they’re like, they’re still like later in life so coaching happy and so loving and I think that’s really inspiring,” Bradley comments.

“I would say that they just have a really big passion for it,” comments Bradley, “a lot of memories people had playing hockey in college and come back.”

Bradley expressed her love of the sport commenting, “‘It’s just a good way you know actually after a long day of school, just to go and get all your anger out in the most physical way possible and you’re not worried about getting hurt, you know aren’t gonna hurt anyone. And I’m really I really new to hockey, but I’m really excited to learn more.”

Caylee Padgett Online/Sports Editor

From figure skating to hockey playing, Abby Bradley is exploring the sport with Luna’s Training Club. She started figure skating at 3 years old, but after 13 years of the sport she felt a change was necessary, and she decided to start playing hockey.

Since there is no official girl’s hockey league in Jacksonville, girls of all ages join Luna’s Training Club to participate in the sport. Despite this underrepresentation of the sport Bradley takes this an optimistic viewpoint, commenting, “it’s kind of cool how a lot of people have their different stories, and then mixed with a wider range of ages, which has been really cool to kind of hear their perspective.”

Figure skating has helped Bradley adjust easier to hockey, but she still had many rules to learn. She reflects on one of her mistakes

and what she learned from it, “...during the first few days of training, there’s this offsides, which is like whenever, you’re on offense, and you’re going to score, you can’t go in front of the puck, like cherry picking.”

“And also, no one really explained it to me. And so then I got called on it multiple times. And everyone was getting so annoyed with me.” Finally it clicked for Bradley, “ And I was like, ‘Oh, oh, I get it.’ So now I know. Don’t go offsides. It’s like, it’s definitely a thing people do a lot. But, I know that you have to pay attention to where the puck is.”

Bradley hopes to continue hockey for the rest of highschool and into college. She thinks that the sport is important, especially for women’s representation in the sport. One of her coaches talked to her about why hockey was important in her life. Her coach was offered to play in the Olympics in Philadelphia, “not that all the coaches have the similar story, but the fact that

If you are interested in trying out hockey or want to learn more about the Luna’s Training Club, scan the QR code above!

It takes over 15 minutes for Bradley to put on her gear before practice.

Photo credit: Abby Bradley

Spring Winners

Overview of Tennis and Lacrosse’s seasons

vastly improving. Going from being 81 in the state last year to 31 this year.

The improvement is thanks to the hard work of the players and the coaching staff. Selah Brown, a 6 year lacrosse player and an attacker on the varsity team stated, “The coaching staff is doing amazing for coming into a program that was being run into the ground.”

From the major wins, to the bus rides and overnight trips to Orlando the team is working hard to create lacrosse champions and connections.

The Tennis courts have been busy with renovations and so has the team.

This season has been sort of a down year, taking time to strengthen their up and coming players and improving the team has been the main focus of this tennis season. Sohan Gummadi Boys Tennis team Captain stated “We have a lot of really strong players and I think with hard work we can go far in the postseason.”

The postseason dream has only been attainable through fun but rigorous practice. Gummadi commented, “I try and make practice as fun as possible. Because especially later in the season, it’s pretty tough during practice. So I think lightening up the mood everyday is a great way to get all the teammates to, you know, still enjoy playing tennis.”

At the beginning of the season the Tennis team was in for a challenge when the renovations on the tennis courts were not complete. The team had to adapt and started playing at the Ponte Vedra campus’s 2 tennis courts which was 12 guys on two courts. But the team was able to overcome the crammed space and practice enough to become District Champions.

Not only is Tennis a winning team but also they have fun while doing it. Gummandi stated “ I think we’re a very fun team. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. But when it comes time for the match, we know when to focus up and do our best.”

Another Bolles team has also had a busy season, The Girls lacrosse team has been working hard to move into regionals with a record of 14 win and 3 losses.

This year the team has been

The team has not only been working on building their lacrosse skills but building a supportive family dynamic in the team. Brown commented “The team dynamic is truly one of the best, we are basically a big family.”

Kate Youell PR Editor

Team capitan Sohan Gummandi after winning.

Credit: Sohan Gummandi

Girls lacrosse team before a game. Credit: Bolles Girls Lacrosse Instagram

Arts Arts Arts

Space Princess Wars

the show has to be after spring break, which means you work for five weeks on something and then you go away for seven days and literally forget everything so that you have to come back and remind yourself of all the stuff that you’ve done”.

Although the actors and stage people didn’t have as much time to practice, everyone’s performance was fantastic. It was noticeable that the audience was having fun and enjoying every second of it. Nitin Davuluri stated, “I memorized my lines but just shut my brain off and just kind of went with the flow and it was fun.”

Comedy is a very hard genre to pull off in general, let alone a play. Art itself is subjective, not everyone will like the same thing the same way. Comedy is the most subjective since it depends on the person’s taste and preference, so it is extremely hard to do.

However, Comedy isn’t impossible. The new Bolles play performed earlier this semester, successfully catching the attention of the audience. The audience enjoyed all of the jokes and the hilarious scenes.

Following the “Murder on the Orient Express” school play, the Art department needed to come up with a spring play, and they decided to perform “Space Princess Wars”. This is a combination of Star Wars and the Princess Bride, creating a very unique experience.

Surprisingly, this play was supposed to be the spring 2020 performance but it was eventually canceled due to Covid-19. “We had the sets, we had the costumes, we had the props. We were going to do it two weeks after spring break, but we never came back to school.” explained Mrs. Rippel. Years after the play got canceled, Mrs. Rippel decided to try to do it again, with a whole new crew.

“Space Princess Wars” has a more comedic effect instead of a very serious play like “Murder on the Orient Express”. The play is riddled with jokes in every corner, and the actors played them off very well.

Compared to the last play, this one had a shorter amount of time for rehearsals and practices. Mrs. Ripple described, “Our spring schedule is that where spring break falls and our schedule for the last couple of years has been very early, which means

Many characters played multiple roles to fill in the entire performance. Some would have one or two, and some have up to seven roles. This might sound confusing, but it was not distracting nor did it take you out of the story.

Not all the actors played character roles though. There were many actors who were responsible for sound effects, background music, and planetary changes. “This little baggie is full of red rubber balls. And so if they say like, cut to this planet, I’m centerstage rotating a bouncy ball. Yeah, I have four lines. My character is kind of like just a meta joke, I guess.” revealed Dante Camarda, an actor. He was responsible for the transitions to other planets, which

“I memorized my lines but just shut my brain off and just kind of went with the flow and it was fun”

- Nitin Davuluri

Tristan Schneider

Contributing Wrtter

.Group Picture of the cast Picture taken by Bugle

was demonstrated with a toy spaceship and a ball.

The play’s success was not only due to the actors but also to the stage crew. The stage crew played a vital part in the mood and setting of the play, tinting the lights with different colors to show times of day or changes from planet to planet. They were also responsible for quickly changing the set to make transitions smoother and believable that the characters were in a new location.

Overall, the success of the play was due to the parts of the actors and stage crew and all their hard work. When asked about their experiences in the play and their fellow classmates and they all had roughly the same answer, They all said that they had a great and fun time working on the play and with everyone. “It was a great way to meet more people and really get into the theater side.” Andrew Wolpoff explained.

The Father and Daughter of the play. Picture taken by the Bugle

A giant cat Picture by Bugle

Bolles End of Year Art Shows

Even as the Year Wraps Up, the Gallery Showcases Stunning Student Work

Isabel Schimpff

Contributing writer

Quarter Four Show

The quarter four gallery show on March 24th was the last of the year of quarterly art shows. It was the first art show to feature photography work done by students under the new photography teacher, Mrs. Westerlin. The show also feautured The Memory Project. Founded by Ben Schumaker in 2004, has the mission of connecting youth around the world through art to build cultural understanding. One way they do this is through taking pictures of children in children’s homes and have students recreate the pictures encapsulating aspects of the child’s youth, such as their favorite color or a hobby of theirs.

Work for the -- project.

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Mixed-media sculptures

Credit: Isabel Schimpff on.

Ceramics case

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Sketches and water sculpture

Credit: Isabel Schimpf

Mixed-media ski slope sculpture by Bubbie Brown

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Paintings and mixed-media Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Photography wall Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Mixed Media peice Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Ceramics Case Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Award-winning sculpture Credit: Isabel Schimpff

End of Year Show

The end of year show on April 28th, is one of the highlights of points of the year for the Bolles art department. Unlike the quarterly art receptions, the end of year show features work from all four campuses.

The pieces are looked at by judges from the Jacksonville community and award prizes for winning pieces for top middle school piece, 3D, 2D, and photography for upper school. This year our judges were Jenn Jones Murray the JAA Arts & Culture Program Manager, Jesse Brantman a local photographer from CoRK, and Dustin Harewood a Professor of Art at FSCJ.

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Audience at the 10:35 art reception

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Best in show piece

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Art work inspired by robots

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Credit: Isabel Schimpff

Ceramics case with pieces from this school year

Mixed-media bust

Paintings by students

Drawings resembling food

Award winning photo

Op-Ed Op-Ed Op-Ed

Trans Men’s Education

Isabel Bassin Multimedia Editor

In 1870, women couldn’t vote. They couldn’t receive an Ivy League education, progress in the white collar workforce, or even join the military. So, institutions like Wellesley College were founded to “provide an excellent liberal arts education to women who will make a difference in the world.” Women’s colleges are for women, and should only accept female applicants - which means they should deny transgender men.

Over the last decade, trans and non-binary people’s presence in society has grown exponentially. Yet, there is still a long way to go before they are as equally accepted as their cisgender counterparts. The most important idea to push to people unwilling to accept their gender identities is that trans men are real men, and trans women are real women. Thus, trans men should be treated the same as cisgender men, and trans women should be treated the same as cisgender women. If trans men are allowed to attend an all women’s college, then is that not a direct statement that the institution does not see them as “real” men?

Admitting trans men to all women’s colleges further ostracizes them from their cisgender counterparts. By attending an all women’s college, trans men are restricting themselves from fully integrating as men into society. They are in an environment curated towards the gender they were assigned at birth, not their true identity.

Additionally, admitting trans men to an all women’s college undermines the school’s entire purpose. They are supposed to elevate and uplift women by

educating them in a comfortable environment and validating shared experiences with their female peers. Accepting men of any kind, trans or not, violates the sanctity of the institution for the female students who chose the college specifically for its gender specific environment.

However, there are students who apply and enroll in the college while identifying as female, but then transition later in their undergraduate career. If a student decides that they wish to identify as a gender other than female after already attending the school, then that should be respected by faculty and peers. Though they should be encouraged to transfer to a coed school (and be aided in that process by administration), they should not be required to unenroll from their school.

While this situation becomes more and more complex by the fluidity of gender expression and the varying timeline of self-discovery and gender identification for each student, one thing is clear: if someone identifies as a man, then they should not apply to an all women’s college. It is unfair to the women whose spot they could potentially take, and unfair to the students who desire a male-free student body.

If all women’s colleges are to be preserved and transgender people are to be accepted in society, then it is a clear decision to deny them from the schools. Trans men are real men - and men don’t belong at all women’s colleges. It is unfair to the students of the school and the trans men fighting for a place in the world alongside cisgender ones. We must protect colleges like Wellesley while simultaneously supporting transgender men.

Glossary

Cisgender - someone who indentifies with their gender assigned at birth

Transgender Man - someone who was assigned female at birth and currently identifies as male

Transgender Woman - someone who was assinged male at birth and currently identifies as female Non-Binary - someone who does not identify as male or female

All Women’s College - while specific rules vary school to school, they are institutions that provide higher education to cisgender women, transgender women, and non-binary students (assigned female at birth)

Image below courtesy of Vanity

Where they should (and shouldn’t) pursue it

Transgender Men at Women’s Colleges

Why they should attend a “Women’s” education

Sophie Lankarani Contributing Writer

The first women’s college opened its doors in 1836 opening up new opportunities for women’s education. This achievement created safe environments that nurtured learning without the worry of discrimination against women receiving a higher education. However in 2023, traditions of sexism against women have dropped allowing women to attend most colleges without the fear of sex based prejudice.

This idea of a safe space for education should be applied to transgender men- which means transgender men should be accepted into all women’s colleges.

As the number of transgender identifying students rises every year, many transgender men are now facing inequity, especially in higher education environments. New laws, such as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill passed in Florida, are constantly being argued about invalidating transgender men’s identity. More than 400 bills have been proposed debating the validity of LGBTQ persons. By allowing transgender men to share educational and social environments created to be open and accepting, transgender students can pursue educational pursuits without the fear of people unable to accept their true gender identity.

A New York Times article written about Wellesley College mentions “Trans students point out that

they’re doing exactly what these [women’s] schools encourage: breaking gender barriers, fulfilling their deepest yearnings and forging ahead even when society tries to hold them back.”

Most transgender men also face other issues based on their gender identity including rejection from family or loved ones, body image issues, or low self esteem. This leads to transgender students having a higher risk for anxiety, depression, and even suicidal tendencies. With all these

challenges and many more, transgender students need safe and accepting environments, which women’s colleges have traditionally supported.

Most women’s colleges allow transgender students to graduate if they have transitioned after they enrolled into the school. This includes Barnard College, Hollins College, Simmons College, Wellesley College, and many more ‘all women’s colleges.’ For this reason, transgender men should not be denied from women’s colleges since most of them already have many students that identify as transgender.

After a survey was published from Wellesley College an article by the New York Times wrote “Students at Wellesley College... voted to make transgender men and nonbinary students eligible for admission in a nonbinding ballot initiative.” The student body at Wellesley College, the leading all women’s college in America, even voted that cisgender men and other gender identifying students should be allowed to apply and attend their college although it was a student ballot initiative that has no effect on policy.

A women’s college experience for transgender identifying men is not meant to restrict them from their true identity but only nurture them as they transition by giving them a safer and more accepting environment. As the world comes to accept transgender men for who they truly are cisgender students should be able to receive an accepting education at women’s colleges.

Equality On and Off the Field

Kathryn Arrowsmith Contributing Writer

Equality in sports has always been something women have fought for. But sometimes, the greatest contributions to this cause occur off the field. One specific example is the locker rooms at Bolles.

are three; basketball, swim, and field. Both genders have a locker room specifically for swimming and basketball but the difference lies when it comes to the field sports. While the boys get three locker rooms to divide their field sports, girls only get one.

Currently, there are five boys’ locker rooms. These are the basketball, swim, baseball, football and lacrosse, and JV locker rooms. For the girls, there

Although it does not seem like much of a problem due to the rotation of the seasonal sports there are times where one locker room is not enough. In the fall, the large cross country team is packed in there with the cheerleaders and in the spring, soccer, track, and lacrosse are all crammed together. Additionally, many middle school girls participate in sports so not only is this single locker room for high school athletes, but for middle schoolers too.

Another major concern is the quality of the girls locker rooms. Some advantages of the boys

locker rooms include actual lockers to keep their bags and items safe and the keypad on the doors which allow them to have access to the room at all times given they have the code. For the girls, this is not the case. The lack of lockers causes many girls to store their items in their car and for girls who can’t drive, store their belongings in another person’s car. From shoes, to money, to clothing, many items have been

“Equality in sports starts off of the field and looking at the current locker rooms at Bolles, we are not there yet.”

“Hopefully, in the near future we can be aware of these situations and make decisions that will treat everyone equally no matter their gender.”

taken all because proper storage has not been provided. All there is offered for storage are open cubbies that do not prevent stolen items.

One measure taken to prevent this was by locking the locker rooms before and during school hours but this only resulted in greater problems. Since the girls do not have a keypad on the door, they have no access to the room outside of the brief changing period before sports. This has left many athletes who attend morning practice stranded and calling security at 6 am in the morning so they can shower and change. Also, any time personal belongings are left behind in the locker room, they cannot be easily retrieved due to the hours in which the room is locked.

Ove final problem that the female athletes faced this year was

using the locker that was located right next to the new walkway construction. Although this project was supposed to take place over the summer and wrap up in the beginning of the school year, it actually was not finished until late spring. Because of this, any items such as bags, clothes, and other belongings left on the patio of the locker room were covered in dirt and debris from the project.

Equality in sports starts off of the field and looking at the current locker rooms at Bolles, we are not there yet. Hopefully, in the near future we can be aware of these situations and make decisions that will treat everyone equally no matter their gender.

Bolles Girls’ Locker Room Before Construction

Credit: Kathryn Arrowsmith

“Equality in sports has always been something women have fought for. But sometimes, the greatest contributions to this cause occur off the field.”

The Oscar’s Disrespect Towards Animation

Tristan Schneider Contributing Writer

the Oscars have been around since 1929. This ceremony is meant to celebrate and award the great films that come out each year and the hard work and dedication filmmakers put into them. However, one type of film is always treated as a cheap joke by the Oscars: animation.

Animation as a type of film has been around since the early 1900s and takes a massive amount of time and energy to create. This doesn’t stop the Oscars from treating them like secondary films. All they see in animation are silly characters, juvenile jokes, and plots meant for children. That is simply not true. Animated movies often have very mature themes and elements that make them great. Movies like “Up,” “Soul,” and “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” are great examples of animated films that have mature and adult themes, not just ones for children.

The Oscars often ignore great animated movies. This is very noticeable in the fact that in the almost 100 years of the Oscars, an animated movie has never won Best Picture. That is beyond crazy. Either none of the animated movies are as great as the live action movies in that year, or the members are deliberately not picking them.

An example of The Oscars’ apathy towards animation is the creation of the Best Animated Feature category in 2002. On the surface, that might seem good for animation. Sure, it only took them 74 years to fully recognize animated movies, but at least they’re trying. Here’s the problem with this creation, though: animation is not a genre. For example, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Shrek are two completely different movies and should not be judged in the same category.

In addition, most categories for the Oscars have a selective group of people voting for the nominees. For example, in the Best Director’s category, only directors can vote for the nominees. This makes sense because they are the ones who understand the category the best. However, in the animation category, anyone can vote.

It is common for a member not to vote in a category if they have not seen all the movies, to keep the voting fair. To quote a member of the academy’s producer branch, “I didn’t see Over the Moon. I skipped [A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon]. Even though I thought Wolfwalkers was seriously great, I went with Soul. What great values worth voting for! It’s beautifully done. It deserved it on many levels.” (Cartoon C Brew). This shows that the people vote anyways even if they didn’t watch the movie. How is that fair to the other animated films running for the Oscar? It should be a concrete rule that if a member didn’t see all the films, then they shouldn’t vote in the category.

Well, at least they voted on something that they really liked, right? Wrong. It is known that voters base their vote off their own children to decide the best animated film. This is apparent of the past winners of the award. Since 2002, Disney has won 15 Oscars in that category. That is unfair to the less popular companies creating animated features because this shows the academy votes for the most popular.

“I only watch the ones that my kid wants to see, so I didn’t see [The] Boxtrolls but I saw Big Hero 6 and I saw [How to Train Your] Dragon [2]. We both connected to Big Hero 6 — I just found it to be more satisfying” (Cartoon C Brew).

The voters don’t only state that

they only vote for the ones their kids watched, they openly joke about it. At the 2022 Oscars, hosts made many jokes about animation such as kids watching them “over and over and over,” (The Claw) and them butchering the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” while dressed up as animated characters.

The Oscars need to change. They started to change for the better with the winner this year being Guillermo Del Toro’s Pincchio, a mix up from the usual Disney film. But this isn’t enough, they need to make stronger rules for voters. They need to stop making jokes about how only kids care about animated movies, and they need to acknowledge animated movies in the Best Picture category.

“I didn’t see Over the Moon. I skipped [A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon]. Even though I thought Wolfwalkers was seriously great, I went with Soul. What great values worth voting for! It’s beautifully done. It deserved it on many levels.”

Which AP Class Are You?

Take this quiz to find out!

You wanted to be understood in all your human complexity by a webpage made by someone you’ve never met while they were on a caffeineinduced tear to finish this article minutes before the deadline.

Cameron Gratz Co-Editor-in-Chief

Which AP class are you? None of them. You’re none of them. Now please go read a real article. Honestly, the damage Buzzfeed has done to journalism.

Oh, what, you wanted a cute little quiz? You wanted to tell me that your favorite font is papyrus and that your favorite book is Percy Jackson just so you could act all surprised when I tell you you’re AP Latin? Papyrus? Really?

Maybe that’s what you think you wanted, but we both already know why ‘What [insert current trend here] are you’ is such a sweet dopamine hit. It’s

because you don’t really know who you are and you want someone to tell you. And you’re prepared to outsource your own individual identity to a ten-question quiz made by an unpaid intern on a website with more ads than content. I would tell you you’re better than this but frankly I don’t know you well enough to judge. You wanted to spend five minutes in the back of your history class answering superficial and very obviously leading questions so that I could use my magic school newspaper columnist powers to sort you into a nice little box that would insightfully encapsulate the breadth of your personality in a way you had never considered before.

If I’m being honest here, it seems like you’re selling yourself awfully short. Like I said, I don’t know you all that well, but it’s hard to imagine that the essence of a human being could be distilled into a three-hour test for credit many colleges won’t even accept. But you are so insecure in your analytical skills that you thought me telling you you were AP Stat was going to heal years of deep-seated anxiety. Or maybe you thought learning that you were AP Lit would validate your need to be seen as wise or witty or worldly. News flash! I can’t do that. That is a you problem.

I know my column is usually pure humor but this will be my final entry, and I wanted to leave you with a little more this time. So no, you’re not AP Chem. I know you bake the best cookies and love fire just a little too much, but that just makes you a baker with latent arsonous tendencies who should really steer clear of New Mexico. And besides, chemistry smells bad. But then again, we still haven’t met, so maybe you do too.

This is an acorn, completely devoid of any other meaning. It is definitely not my attempt to dodge the College Board’s copyright lawyers. Who would even think of such a thing?

Photo via Creazilla.

The Harsh Reality of Life

Simran Naval Design/Academics Editor

On April 1st, an excited student, eager to learn, discovered that he had earned an A+ on his English essay. This rare occurrence nearly caused him to cry out of happiness, excitedly exclaiming, “I never thought it was possible to get an A+ on an English assignment!”. The reality, however, was far more depressing. As part of an April Fools’ prank on her students, Mrs. Toulmin crossed out the original test grade that students received on their essays and replaced it with an A+. After allowing her students to revel in their false sense of happiness, Mrs. Toulmin proudly declared “Happy April Fools, you all failed”. The aftermath of the prank left many students in tears.

The Obstacle Course to Summer

Simran Naval Design/Academics Editor

Each year as students eagerly approach summer, a number of obstacles present themselves. The first obstacle is SAT and ACT testing, which is in the beginning of the month of May, and overlaps with many other important test and review sessions. After jumping off the diving board, the students must swim through the depths of fourth quarter before crawling out and pole vaulting through their finals. Students must then complete their alternate assessments, with many students getting stuck in the endless loop in this obstacle. For the few students who make it past the never-ending circle of alternate assessments, they must lift the bone-crushing weights of crippling anxiety before jumping the last hurdle of AP exams. By the end of this obstacle course, only a small percentage of students make it out alive.

College Board

Amber Bansal Co-Editor-In-Chief

In Spring, students begin to feel the impending doom of AP Exams. The first two weeks of May arrive at a rapid pace after the start of the second semester. Hours of studying, tears, anxiety, and stress await most highschool

students. And who do we have to thank? College Board, of course. The non-profit organization charges $100 for every AP exam, and in return for payment, students receive the gift of a four-hour exam in a locked room with no food or drink. Hundreds of dollars are spent for endless

emotion among students in this competitive environment created by APs and the College Board. In the cartoon, a receipt from the College Board showing payment for AP exams is illustrated. Each emotion, associated with an AP, costs $100, totalling $1200 for this lucky student.

Isabel Bassin Multimedia Editor

Kate Youell

PR Editor

Video the

multiest of all medias

Tristan Schneider

Contributing Writer

Isabel Schimpff

Contributing Writer

Ava Cheng

Contributing Writer

Kathryn Arrowsmith

Contributing Writer

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