The Bolles Bugle: Quarter 3 Issue 2023

THEB G U

LE

Local Student Life

Sports Op-Ed

2023 Fashion Trends

Congress

Bolles

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 Jacksonville’s upcoming mayoral elections, a spotlight on college athletic commitments, and the inside scoop on the two new senior English classes offered this year.

Also check out profiles of teachers retiring this year, recommendations for places to eat in Jacksonville, and photos from our past Winter Coffeehouse.

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 3 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

Magic Waffle

Ellie Stewart Contributing Writer

Magic Waffle is a waffle and boba restaurant, popular for not serving your typical waffle. Magic Waffle has a variety of sweet foods and drinks and never fails to disappoint.

Magic Waffle is located at 11362 San Jose Blvd Suite 15, Jacksonville, FL 32223, just off San Jose Blvd.

The most popular waffle on the menu is the Magic Waffle, named after the restaurant. The Magic Waffle is a fluffy waffle topped with berries and drizzled in caramel, milk, white, and dark chocolate.

Having something to drink, like Magic Waffle’s boba, compliments the waffles’ sweetness. The flavors vary from Milk Tea to Matcha

3

Natives

Ellie Stewart

Contributing

Writer

3Natives is a restaurant located at 11362 San Jose Blvd Ste 4, a short walk from Magic Waffle. Known for its acai bowls and smoothies, 3 Natives provides healthy options for customers to enjoy.

The acai bowls consist of various berries, granolas, and other toppings. I ordered The Local, which has an acai base with granola, strawberries, blueberries, and banana, drizzled with honey. 3 Natives also has paninis, salads, and wraps as other foods consumers may choose from. Together, these foods serve as healthy, quick, and affordable options for the consumer.

As for beverages, 3 Natives has smoothies, juices, and shots. These are made of vegetables,

Green, so there is something for everyone to drink. If you are not a boba fan, Magic Waffle also has a wide variety of fruit teas, coffees, and milkshakes to try.

Overall, Magic Waffle was a pleasant experience, and I would definitely visit again. While the customer service was not ideal, the food was delicious. 8/10.

fruits, and other ingredients like almond milk.

Overall, 3 Natives was a fun experience, and I would definitely visit again. The customer service was great, as well as the menu. 9/10.

Photos taken of the Mini Magic waffle, Build Your Own waffle, and Magic Waffle. Credit: Sara Wasserman, Amber Bansal, and Ellie Stewart (from left to right)

Photos taken of 3 Natives. Credit: Sara Wasserman (top) google.com/maps (bottom)

Happy Grilled Cheese

Sara Wasserman Copy Editor

Happy Grilled Cheese sells delicious grilled cheese sandwiches, fries, tomato soup, and more. Located at 9965 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32257, Happy Grilled Cheese has locations in Mandarin and Downtown (photos show the Mandarin location). I tried the Happy Melt, their classic grilled cheese sandwich. The food was excellent, and we would highly recommend trying it!

Le Petit Paris Cafe

Sara Wasserman Copy Editor

Le Petit Paris Cafe, located at 9965 San Jose Blvd Ste 46, Jacksonville, FL 32257, is a french cafe selling sandwiches, croissants, desserts, and more delicious treats. I tried the tomato, mozzarella, and pesto toasted croissant, as well as their chai latte. The outdoor seating was great as well. The croissant sandwich was amazing, and I look forward to returning!

Photo Caption (above): Happy Grilled Cheese Storefront

Photo Credit: Amber Bansal

Photo Caption (left): Closeup of the Happy Grilled Cheese restaurant window

Photo Credit: Amber Bansal

Photo Caption (above): Interior of Le Petit Paris Cafe

Photo Credit: Amber Bansal

Photo Caption (left): Le Petit Paris Cafe Storefront

Photo Credit: Amber Bansal

A Guide to Jax Art

Murals throughout Downtown, Riverside, and San Marco

Grace Albaugh

Contributing Writer

829 Riverside Ave Artists: Shaun Thurston and @_centism

123 N Julia St.

Artist: David Patroni

192 Riverside Ave

745 W Forsyth St. Artist: Astro Odv

245 Water St. Artist: James Reka

1025 Museum Circ. Artist: Shaun Thurston

41 E Duval St. Artist: Youri Mantra

315 W. Forsyth St. Artist: Waone Interesni Kazki

21 E Adams St.

San Marco Theater Finale

Movies and Magic From 1938 to 2022

Isabel Schimpff Contributing Writer

In 1938, the San Marco movie theater opened its doors. A theater in the heart of the San Marco Square, it offered food, movies, and a good time. The theater has been a staple in the neighborhood, and its memorable architecture allows us to picture it now.

The theater has gone through several owners in the past 84 years. In 2019, former owner David Blue sold the business to Frank Sanchez, Andrew Oetjen, and brothers Ryan and Jonathan Davis. The four were San Marco residents, and Oetjen was formerly the manager of the movie theater.

The most recent handoff in owners happened in late 2022 when the business was sold to TSG Realty company. TSG has yet to make their plans for the building

clear, but many locals hope they keep the structure that has become incredibly recognizable.

On December 28th, 2022, the San Marco Movie Theater Facebook announced it would be finished showing movies at the start of the new year. Owners and

locals say this was a long time coming, and both COVID-19 and new streaming platforms made the last two years particularly challenging. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu have dramatically damaged the industry everywhere. When was the last time you went to see a movie in a theater? Now, when was the last time you saw one in your own home?

On December 31st, 2022, the historic theater officially closed its doors.

Outside of the theater

San Marco Theater close up Credit: Greg Hager

Theater front in the 1990’s Credit: Texas2step

Inside of theater before big renovation

Credit: elmorovio

Close up of theater front

Credit: Greg Hager

Theater after new paint job in 1990’s

Credit: Ken Roe

San Marco residents fill movie poster frames with notes supporting the theater.

Cedit: Isabel Schimpff

Theater playing “The Goonies”

Credit: state archives

Event at the theater

Credit: elmorovio

Don’t call it a comeback, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are on the road to recovery and, hopefully, the Super Bowl. Since the founding of the Jags in 1995, they have yet to make it to the Super Bowl. But with the progress made this season, the Super Bowl dream is closer than it seems.

After the 2017 playoffs upset against Tom Brady (Myles Jack wasn’t down) and the Patriots, the Jags have been in a bit of a slump, with their past two records being 1-15 and 3-14, the worst in the AFC South division and in the NFL for two years in a row. The problem stemmed from the lack of a coach and quarterback.

The Jaguars have been through three coaches in three years. Urban Meyers was highly controversial and fired midway through the 2021 season, leaving their rookie quarterback Trevor

IWATJ

IT WAS ALWAYS THE JAGS

Jaguars had a 4% playoff chance, and very few believed. But “It was always the jags,” and they came back after the second half and beat the Cowboys and the Chargers.

They advanced to the playoffs and made it to the divisional round against the Kansas City Chiefs, where they lost 27-20.

Lawrence and the team in shambles.

However, with a successful offseason and the addition of the two-time Superbowl champ Head Coach Doug Pederson, the

Even though the season has ended, the team’s impact on “DUVAL” hasn’t. The Jaguars Foundation is a nonprofit sector of the team. The Foundation works in the community to support military, education, and other efforts to improve the founding town of the Jaguars. Their mission states, “Believing that youth represent the community’s future, the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation is committed to supporting programs benefiting economically and socially disadvantaged youth, families, and other NFL and team charitable initiatives.”

Projects the Foundation works on are writing grants, Turkey Time with the O-Line, football camps, and many others.

The Jaguars are a big part of the Jaguars community both on and off the field and will continue to be for many seasons to come.

And you never know…Super Bowl LVIII?

Jaguars had a comeback season. The 2022 season didn’t look great, with a five-game losing streak. But even when they were losing, the Jaguars looked like a winning team and proved that when they won the important games. At the beginning of December, the

“We have not quit. You can call that cliche if you want, I don’t care.”

— Trevor Lawrence

Kate Youell

PR Editor

Man at last homegame of the season.

Credit: Kate Youell

After the AFC South game.

Credit: Kate Youell

Instagram posts reflecting on the season

Credit: Jaguars

Mayoral rundown Candidate 2023

Donna Deegan (D)

Deegan is a Jacksonville native that attended FSU before becoming a broadcast journalist for First Coast News. She started the DONNA Foundation to support others affected by breast cancer. She ran for the House of Representatives against John Rutherford in 2020, but lost. Now she is running for mayor with a focus on Jacksonville’s infrastructure, health, and economy.

Audrey Gibson (D)

Gibson is a Jacksonville native that graduated FSCJ then FSU with a degree in criminology. Currently serves as a member of the Florida Senate for the 6th district. She has been involved in politics at the state level since 2002. Her campaign focuses on infrastructure, transportation, housing, health care, the economy, and crime.

Omega Allen (NPA)

Allen is a Jacksonville native who served as the Chair of the NW Jacksonville Economic Development Trust Fund that helped small businesses with their projects. She also managed the Neighborhood Stabilization Program that assisted community members after the housing market crash. Previously, she was a teacher for Duval County. Her campaign focuses on uniting Jacksonville as a city which aligns with her decision to run with no party affiliation.

Amber Bansal Co-Editor-In-Chief

LeAnna Cumber (R)

Cumber, originally from Michigan, recieved a law degree from USC and practiced as an attorney for years. Later she worked for the senate and currently she serves on the Jacksonville City Council representing District 5. Her campaign focuses on lowering taxes, public safety, infrastructure, and education.

Daniel Davis (R)

Davis, originally from Indiana, was a former Jacksonville City Council Member from 2003 to 2010 and served as president from 2007 to 2008. Additionally, he was a Florida House of Representative member from 2010 to 2014. He plans on implementing Conservative measures focusing on education, infrastructure, economy, and safety.

Al Ferraro (R)

Ferraro has served on the Jacksonville City Council since 2015, representing District 2. He began his career by starting a small business, then transitioned into politics at the local level. His campaign highlights his focus on public safety, development, Christian values, taxes, and parental influence in education.

Frank Keasler (R)

Keasler is a Jacksonville native holds various degrees in law, business, and accounting. He wants to make schools teach golf to the students once a week, enhance public safety, abolish recycling, and reform taxes.

Election Information

Taking place on March 23, 2023, 7 candidates are in the running as of now for the mayoral race. The incumbent, Lenny Curry, is term-limited and cannot run for a third term in office. Due to Jacksonville’s system, all candidates will appear on the same ticket no matter their party affiliation.

Photo Credit: Google Images

Riverside Arts Market

Sophie Lankarani Comtributing Writter

The Riverside Arts Market is a marketplace of small businesses held in Historic Riverside. Every Saturday from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M., a group of vendors gathers under the Fuller Warren Bridge to sell handcrafts, fresh produce, and other handmade products. Some merchandise sold in the market includes honey, fresh soaps, sun catchers, plants, necklaces, bean sprouts, and so much more. The Riverside Avondale Preservation Inc. hosts this group of vendors to support the small businesses of Jacksonville, Florida. The Riverside Arts Market promotes its values with the motto “Loyal to local.” This display of small businesses promotes community by showcasing a variety of unique products made by independent vendors. This display of merchandise made by artists, artisans, farmers, jewelers, and craft-makers is held at 715 Riverside Jacksonville, FL 32204.

Student Life Student Life Student Life

Unpopular Opinions

Man on the Street

Food, Music, Movies, and more, here are some of your classmates’ and teachers’ unpopular opinoins!

Isabel Schimpff Contributing Writer

What’s an unpopular opinion you have about MOVIES?

Tristan Schneider Contributing Writer

“Jack cannot fit on the door” Schreiber, Jacob

“If you are looking at the movies of Star Wars, then it’s not a good franchise, but if you’re including the shows than it’s good” Schellenberg Jeremy

“That movies, at least modern cinema is more than pleasing the crowd and real cinema is more about pleasing the people at the Oscars” Sogueco, Raphael

What are your unpopular opinions about MUSIC?

“NewMagicWand” off of Tyler, the Creator’s Igor is not the best song on the album” Falcao, Antonio

“Worship music is the best” Carter, Trent

“Pop is overrated” Jain, Parth

What about FOOD?

“Arby’s is underrated” Adams, Lance

“No Cardi B music” Hogan, Tanner

“Vanilla tastes like air”

“Red sauce in pizza is so bad, just awful”

- JP Fonseca Nogueira

“I hate beans. I hate the smell of them, I hate the taste of them. Don’t give me beans”

- Sean O’Neill

“The Kraft Mac and Cheese is terrible. It’s just like chemicals”

- Lara Kohl

“I hate hot dogs. Like what are they even made of?”

- Alexia Downer

“I eat sour cream with everything, it’s so good”

- Alida Cucoranu

“I think chocolate is overrated”

- Anaiya Nahar

“Peanut butter is objectively terrible. The texture is terrible, just every aspect of it is terrible”

- Brody Mills

“I’ll say that oatmeal is better than grits”

- Liam Schilling

“I think that crust of bread is good”

- Jonah Landis

NFL Superb wl XVII Predicti ns

The Super Bowl is an exciting time of year. NFL teams from all over the country compete to have a chance to make it to the national championship, so it is not uncommon for unexpected upsets to occur. We polled the Upper School three times over the course of three weeks, and these were the most popular predictions for Super Bowl XVII.

Ellie Stewart Contributing Writer

Sophie Lankarani Contributing Writer

Song Predictions

Guest Artist Predictions

Playoff Predictions #1

Playoff Predictions #2

Superbowl XVII Predictions

Bolles Delicacies

Student Favorites and Review on New Canteen Food

Caylee Padgett Online/Sports Editor

Ever since a new Canteen chef brought in some new “Finger Lickin’ Good” food this year, students have seen improvements in the food quality and options. Before, eating lunch for a week in the Canteen mainly consisted of dry burgers to chicken tenders. Now, students can see options from breakfast sandwiches all the way to the classic cheeseburger.

Some of the top favorites include the honey chicken sandwich, according to Alyona Chugay ‘24, and the quesadilla, according to Sophie Busker ‘24. These are just a few of the new lunch items you can find.

A popular new addition is the dessert variety, “the doughnut holes,” Asha Gopal ‘23 said. Ever since the Canteen started frying doughnuts, you can see them in just about every classroom after activities.

Another side item that has changed a lot is the fries. The seasoning has changed from just salt to salt and garlic, and sometimes even cajun fries to accompany a fish sandwich.

Although there are many improvements, students say they want the chicken tenders back and the chocolate chip cookies. Despite the two small wanted improvements, the Canteen food has upgraded from a 6 out of 10 to a 10 out of 10.

Depicted Left to Right: Asha Gopal, Land Johnson, Rileigh Brown, Helen Commander

Photo Credit: Caylee Padgett

Photo Credit: Caylee Padgett

Commander Padgett

Getting Down to Business

Diya Patel and the Bolles Future Business Leaders Club

Among the guest speakers who visited was Mr. Kaufmann, the CEO and majority owner of the Jacksonville Icemen hockey team. “He came and talked to us about his journey in the business realm, and through different hardships and taking calculated risks, he overcame everything, and was able to own the sports team.”

Ava Cheng

Contributing Writer

Founded in the 2021-2022 academic year, the Bolles Future Business Leaders Club has taken strides to educate the community on business leadership and local businesses.

Diya Patel ‘23, the club’s founder and president, explained that her interest in business prompted her to found the club, despite already being busy with playing soccer, fencing, and participating in other clubs and activities. “I was really intrigued. I’m really interested in learning more about business, and there weren’t any businessrelated clubs at school. So I just started from there and decided to found the club.”

As president, Patel presides over meetings, contacts guest speakers, and organizes activities for the club. Last year, the Bolles Future Business Leaders Club

was awarded the Bolles School Activities Award for a new club or organization that demonstrates the most activity during the school year.

Through its speakers and meetings, the club also educates about diversity, inclusion, and sustainability in local businesses. “We also just have a lot of meetings and discussions about future projects, which we’re implementing this year.” Now, the Future Business Leaders Club is teaming up to collaborate with the Art Club in hopes of donating student-made art to local businesses. “We’re thinking of a theme to the art, probably diversity. We’re going to make art pieces that have symbols and concepts that represent diversity to promote that specific topic in the business.”

This year, Patel graduates with hopes that an underclassman participant in the club will step up and take over the club, bringing new guest speakers, promoting businesses, and advising new members each year.

“We were really on top of getting guest speakers, having club meetings, engaging in conversations to kind of learn more about the business area. We had four or five speakers come to speak, with an average of like 20 to 25 students coming and filling up the conference room, it was just kind of fun.”

The Bolles Future Business Leaders Club held meetings in the conference room.

Photo credit: Diya Patel

“The club helps students by allowing us to gain knowledge and advice from local business leaders in our community.”

— Diya Patel ‘23

The Bolles Future Business Leaders Club made a sign with their mission statement.

Photo Credit: Diya Patel

Sridhar’s Summer in Ghana

President’s List Profile

helping in urban hospitals, where the volunteers helped in the ER, OR, and intensive care unit. The second stage took place in more rural areas, helping wherever they could. The last was in the heart of the village, where the group helped survey for Malaria, HIV, and Covid. They took people’s blood pressure and other vitals and even helped to educate people on how to live healthier lives.

Isabel Schimpff Contributing Writer

Many Bolles students spend their summer doing volunteer work in some shape or form. Among these students is junior Akash Sridhar. Sridhar spent his 2022 summer traveling to Ghana and India to lend a hand to medical communities in both countries.

Sridhar hopes to be pre-med in college and is fascinated with neurosurgery, plastic surgery, and orthopedics. His dream is to one day specialize in one of these three fields of medicine. Sridhar is interested in neuro because his grandfather was in a car accident, leaving him with brain damage. His interest in plastic surgery comes from an intrigue in reconstruction. Sridhar is impressed with the advancements “in the plastics” and would like to work in reconstruction rather than cosmetics. Finally, his passion for orthopedics stems from his love of running.

“I run, and I get injured a lot of the time,” Sridhar said.

Sridhar has volunteered in local hospitals around Jacksonville. He has taken part in the Baptist Beaches program, a volunteer opportunity for Baptist Hospital. His father works at Baptist as an oncologist, inspiring Sridhar to become a doctor and begin volunteering. While working at Baptist Beaches, he worked in postop, helping to set up beds and other clinical work.

He was interested in doing more “hands-on” work in the hospital, and that’s when he found an opportunity to travel to Ghana to help in both villages in rural areas. Before he left, Sridhar asked doctors at Baptist to donate scrubs to his program in Ghana. His scrub drive collected around forty scrubs.

Sridhar flew to JFK airport by himself and then met up with other kids who would be volunteering with him along with two chaperones. They all flew to Ghana together and began work. The program was broken up into three stages. The first stage was

The biggest shock to Sridhar was the lack of sterilization used in hospitals and villages. He learned that hospitals would reuse bags of saline for IVs, and the infection rate after surgery was extremely high. Death was not a super uncommon phenomenon that the group experienced with patients already being treated. To keep their spirits up, the volunteers would play soccer with little kids in the village. Sridhar recalls this to be the happiest part of his trip and the most rewarding experience.

After Ghana, Sridhar flew to India with his family in late July. He has been going to India frequently since he was one and even spent his first birthday there. His father did part of his medical school there so it was much more familiar to Sridhar.

Sridhar still keeps in contact with other volunteers from his trip and has even received messages from Ghanaians. He has no plans to travel this summer but hopes to engage in medical research.

Sridhar hands over donated scrubs Credit: Akash Sridhar

Sridhar records medical records Credit: Akash Sridhar

Bolles BSU Holds Black Business Expo

Sara Wasserman Copy Editor

On Friday, February 24th, the Bolles Black Student Union held the annual Black Business Expo, where several food trucks lined up during activities and lunch to sell delicious treats and foods. Four blackowned businesses were vendors for the expo: Icescapades Frozen Treat Co., Tough Guy Cookie Shop, and Twisting Roots. Bolles BSU President, Breeland Madison ‘23, describes the process of choosing vendors for the event. “We chose companies by browsing a list of Black-owned businesses in Jacksonville and decided to invite companies whose products were not only appropriate to be sold on campus but fitting to the Bolles community,” said Madison.

Photo Caption: Bolles students with their treats from Icescapades Frozen Treat Co.

Photo Credit: Sara Wasserman

Photo Caption: Bolles students in line at Icescapades Frozen Treat Co.

Photo Credit: Sara Wasserman

Photo Caption: Bolles students in line at Tough Guys Cookies Food Truck

Photo Credit: Sara Wasserman

Photo Caption: A delicious cookie with ice cream from Tough Guys Cookies Food Truck

Academics Academics Academics

Lipp to Retire after 39 Years

college. “I’ve always been involved in theater and music,” he said. Lipp often combines his artistic and scientific interests through projects like his performance as Galileo Galilei on February 28th, whom he researched on his trip to Italy on an Ottenstroer Grant from Bolles.

With his newfound free time, Lipp plans to travel more, as well as continue playwriting and theater. Other possibilities include volunteering at the zoo or the planetarium, as well as improving his skill on the piano and guitar. Throughout his teaching career, Lipp said that his most valuable takeaway has been, “students will rise to your level of expectation. Try not to lower my expectations. Keep the expectations high, and students will usually rise to it.” He also values fairness in the classroom, saying, “If I want students to believe anything of me, it’s less of what they learned, and more that I was fair.”

This year, physics teacher Michael Lipp will conclude an expansive 39-year career in education. Lipp began teaching chemistry and earth science at Englewood High School in 1984, before becoming one of the inaugural faculty members at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (DA) in 1985.

While at DA, Lipp taught, “just about every science class and just about every math class all the way through AP Calculus,” as well as musical theater. He then spent two years working in computing and three years at Paxon School for Advanced Studies before returning to DA, where he stayed until his retirement from the public school system after 33 years in 2017.

A job offer from Bolles led Lipp back into teaching, which was

appealing because “You don’t have to worry about standardized testing. Classes are smaller. The students are more focused academically, at least the ones I teach…more of a family feel than the public schools.”

While he originally planned to be a physician or biologist, Lipp found a love for teaching as a lab teaching assistant during his college and graduate school years at Trinity College and Vanderbilt University, respectively. “I found as I was doing the teaching assistantships that I liked that more than research in the lab. I didn’t care much for that research and still don’t,” Lipp said. “Once I started doing teaching assistantships in college, I realized that teaching was the thing I wanted to do.”

In addition to science, Lipp was also involved in band, chorus, and theater in high school and

Lipp also enjoys hearing from former students who say “that their college physics class is so much easier, because they had this one. They see other physics students at the college struggling terribly, and they don’t have to struggle.” He also reflected on the number of students he has taught, which he estimated to be about 5000 or 6000 over his career, owing to its duration. “I made the decision to give it this year and that’s it,” he said. “39 I thought was enough.”

Cameron Gratz Co-Editor-in-Chief

Lipp maintains a countdown of school days remaining this year.

Photo via Cameron Gratz

“Once I started doing research assistantships in college, I realized that teaching was the thing I wanted to do.”

— Mr. Lipp

After 41 Years, Soud Retires

At the end of this year, teacher Señora Soud will be retiring. Señora Soud said, “I will miss the students, and I will miss some of my colleagues.” One of her favorite parts of Bolles is enjoying the events we have yearround. Soud revealed, “seeing all the scholars from ninth grade up to 12th grade and seeing where the seniors are going to college, I always enjoy that.”

Soud gained her passion for teaching Spanish in college. Soud stated, “My father told me when I went to college, he said, you should keep studying what you’re good at.” She continued to take Spanish throughout college, furthering her passion.

Throughout all 41 years, she has

taught Spanish. She revealed, “When I first started teaching, a person would go on a trip, and they bring back a bunch of magazines they bought in the country.”

department. Soud stated, “You can do things at home, there is much more flexibility. Although, there’s still a value in just having people just speak in class.”

Soud thought about retiring last year, however, felt it was the wrong time. Soud said, “COVID really was hard on a lot of teachers. I didn’t want to retire right after COVID because I wanted to retire after having a normal year.”

As a teacher, Soud has experienced how teaching Spanish has changed. “The technology has really helped in terms of speaking and listening.”

She also elaborated on the expansion of technology in the Spanish

The time has finally come for Soud to retire, and she is ready. Soud states, “I want to spend some time with my granddaughter. And then I want to travel a lot. And I want to read a lot.” She also wants to keep her connections with Bolles by subbing every now and then. Finally, after working for 41 years at Bolles, Soud reveals, “It’s always been Bolles.”

“Just like the Jacksonville Jaguars, It’s always been Bolles”

— Sra. Soud

Aisha Hasan Social Media Editor

Sra. Soud from the 2000 yearbook to now.

Credit: Aisha Hasan

New English Classes

Grace Albaugh Contributing Writer

Magical Realism

Magical realism is one of the new English classes offered at Bolles. This type of class originated in the 1940s from Latin America and “seeks to blend the real with the fantastical and the imagined with the concrete.”

It is a literary style that discusses and explores the existence of a multiverse along with the possibilities within.

Within this class, students study authors such as Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, Yuri Herrera, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia. These authors represent different cultures along with the style of magical realism, encouraging risks and defying order.

Senior Alida Cucoranu takes magical realism and described her favorite part of the class as “the way the books make me think and reflect on my life and experiences.”

World Poetry

World poetry is a class that tries to make meaning of poetry by reading poems from every continent.

Within this class, students will use creative techniques for analysis, learn poetic forms from around the world, and explore how poems “work their magic.” Students also examine how social change can be made around the world through poetry.

The goal of this class is to leave students with a newfound confidence in reading poetry and possibly find a few favorite poems along the way.

Senior Annalise Cannada stated what she enjoys about the class,

- Annalise Cannada ‘23

She also stated,

Alida Cucoranu’s Top 10

Cucoranu’s ‘23 favorite books within Magical Realism

The Heealth of the Sick by Julio Cortazar

Finally, Cucoranu loves that the writers within this class “blur the line between reality and imagination.”

- Annalise Cannada ‘23

“I also love how the class is discussion based and how Mr. Stam will show us parts of films to give us visuals,”

- Alida Cucoranu ‘23

“I like that poetry is more intimate and interesting than some books or novels.”

“I love that you can uncover so much from simply one stanza of a poem.”

The Island at Noon by Julio Cortazar

The Night Face Up by Julio Cortazar

The Southern Thruway by Julio Cortazar

The Garden or Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges

Death and the Compass by Jorge Luis Borges

The Secret Miracle Jorge Luis Borges

The South Jorge Luis Borges

The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges

The Babylon Lottery by Jorge Luis Borges

Mr. Curran Arrives at Bolles A New Addition to the Math Department

Sara Wasserman Copy Editor

Mr. Curran joins Bolles this year after spending 13 years at Bishop Kenny High School. Teaching Accelerated Precalculus, AP Calculus AB, and Algebra II Honors this year, Mr. Curran has an extensive mathematics background. After originally working as an engineer, Curran opted for a change and began his teaching career.

After coaching cross country and track at Bolles in the past, Mr. Curran returns here to continue teaching mathematics. “Having a connection with coaching here… it felt like a good place to make that change. And, you know, the

academic community is great here. And that how they treat the teachers is great as well,” said Curran.

Aside from athletics, Curran also has a passion for music, specifically guitar. After starting to play guitar in middle school, he continues to play the instrument today. Curran states that he started to play the guitar after seeing his family play the instrument and started to learn songs that interested him.

Overall, Mr. Curran speaks positively of the Bolles community. “The community and togetherness has been great,” said Curran.

“Having a connection with coaching here…it felt like a good place to make that change. And, you know, the academic community is great here. And that how they treat the teachers is great as well”

— Mr. Curran

Photo Caption: Mr. Curran’s classroom wall

Photo Credit: Sara Wasserman

Bolles’ World Affairs Council

“Right now, we are working on the strategies that you are going to use in the competition.”

There are three things that the teams tried to focus on, “The import thing is that you are able to, A - talk to your team, B - not having one person who is going to take the lead and not talking with anyone else, C - to always talk with your team before responding,” Aycart said.

Four students lined up, ready to answer the question, “What is the process that caused the concentration of a substance to increase as it moved up the food web? a. Absorption, b. Radiation, c. Transference, d. Bioaccumulation.” The GloBolles tapped the buzzer to answer, “D.” The teacher answered, “That’s correct!” and the practice continued.

The World Affairs Council (WAC) competition was on February 9th, from 5:30-8:30 at the UNF Adam W. Herbert University Center. Multiple teams from schools all across Jacksonville competed. Of those teams, three will be from Bolles, the GloBolles, the United Educations, and The Aukaravan.

Practice for the competition has occurred during activities where the three teams practice the mock competition in different scenarios.

First, they practice with 15 seconds of discussion on multiple-choice questions. Then they go down to 10 seconds of discussion, then eight seconds.

In the competition, each team will be asked to answer a multiplechoice question based on a world topic. These possible topics could include “Economic Sanctions - A Double-Edged Sword” and “Great Decisions.”

The teams don’t know the topics ahead of time but are given study material that is connected to questions that the judges may ask. With this pressure and time crunch in competition, Aycart said,

Some of the difficulties that can come from this factual and stressful competition can be that one person answers without consulting their team members, causing them to make a mistake. Aycart said that when mistakes are made, “Make sure you are helping that person to get out of that hole really quick, because you want that person to still be engaged, instead of punishing her or him.”

A team member of the GloBolles, Madeline Kaiser ‘24 said, “I look forward to the opportunity to compete against other schools in the Northeast area.”

The teams competed at UNF Adam W. Hearst University Center, and although they did not win the competition, they increased their knowledge of global issues that are not highly known.

Example question from the the category, “Securing the Future of the World’s Wildlife

Photo Credit: World Affairs Councils of America

Caylee Padgett Online/Sports Editor

Front Row: Esha Kasavaraju, Mayra Grajales, Alyona Chugay, Cyrus Vaghefi, Abby Bradley, Madeline Kaiser, Souyma Kondu

Back Row: Roman Pleasant Davis, Campbell Ford, Daniel Waheed, Ashkon Shirazi, Christina Dovellos | Photo Credit: Natalia Aycart

Sports Sports Sports

Commitment Season!

2 Bolles Seniors have Committed to Playing Sports in College

Annalise is on the Bolles Varsity Soccer team and has been playing soccer since she was three. She commented, “When I was little I was trying out every sport, and then that one kind of just stuck.”

Cannada contemplated between different offers and eventually committed to continuing her soccer career at The University of Kentucky. Cannada stated, “I really liked the coaching staff and the environment and all the girls that were there and everything about it. ” She continued, “the school was great.”

Her favorite memory from high school soccer was “probably winning states freshman year,” she stated.

Kate Youell PR Editor

College commitment season is in the air, and Bolles is a big participant. 34 seniors have committed to playing sports in college. These students play a large variety of sports, from football to swimming to lacrosse. Colleges include Boston University, Emory, Kentucky, and Princeton.

Both Annalise Cannada and Kavon Miller have decided to play athletics in college at the second signing of the season on February 1st.

Kavon Miller

Miller plays free safety for the Bolles varsity football team and runs track. He has been playing football for around 13 years and started playing because “ I was a kid and I liked playing with footballs and that’s something that always interested me. And then my dad finally signed me up.”

After offers from over 20 colleges, Miller decided to commit to Princeton University and play football there. Miller commented, “I chose Princeton because overall, it was the best fit for me. Like academics and sports, it had a perfect mix of both.” He continued, “There’s no way I could say no.”

Even though collegiate and high school football is the same sport, they are in two different ballparks. Miller thinks, “College football is going to be more of like a business instead of like something to do for fun.”

Miller is looking forward to the freedom that comes with college and being on his own. His favorite memory at Bolles is beating Trinity at a home game last year.

Annalise Cannada

Another student pursuing athletics in college is Annalise Cannada.

Miller and Cannada are just a few examples of Bolles students committing to excellence in the future.

Kavon Miller at the signing cermony Credit: Ty Neal

Annalise Cannada playing soccer in Bolles games.

Credit: Annalise Cannada

Winter Sports Wrap Up

The boys Bolles soccer are happy with how they performed and look forward to their next season.

The Varsity girls soccer team finished 15-3-7 this season. They also made it all the way to the State Semi Finals, serving as an astounding season.

Ellie Stewart Contributing Writer

Winter sports are always fun to watch. However, this season at Bolles has been especially exciting. From soccer, to basketball, to wrestling; Bolles continues to strive in all areas of athletics.

The Varsity boys soccer team finished 11-2-8 this season, making it to State Semi-Finals. Dr. Jim Lieb, the head coach of the boys Varsity team, says that the players and their environment was what brought them this far into the season. “So the formula is pretty standard in the sense that you try to pick the best players to try to instill a culture within the program that understands that it’s a team game, and you have to do things that are in the best interests of the team,” Lieb said.

While the season was exciting, Lieb encourages looking past the scores and looking at the overall

experience. “I want the players to feel like their participation in the team was worthwhile, that they learned something about themselves about being part of a team and got better as an athlete and as a person,” Lieb said. He believes that athletes learning from a season is very important because it allows them to grow.

This season, the soccer team has been focusing on making it as far as they can in the postseason, as well as focusing on connections on the team. “We do find time for some basic team bonding activities… we try to make sure we’re keeping everybody together,” Coach Tracy, head coach of the soccer team, said. He believes that by having better relationships on the team, the players are better able to communicate with one another while in a game, for example.

The boys wrestling team had a brand new roster, but persevere through the season. “We even had more middle schoolers than high school wrestlers at one point.” Thomas Holt, captian of the wrestling team, said. “The amount of growth the new wrestlers had

I want the players to feel like their participation in the team was worthwhile, that they learned something about themselves about being part of a team and got better as an athlete and as a person.

— Dr. Lieb 2023

Girls Varsity soccer make it to State Semi-Finals.

Credit: Bubbie Brown

“Obviously within a family there can be obstacles, but we do our best to lookout for one another... Our team does a great job on checking in with everyone everyday, and we all bring out the best in one another.

— Georgia Avret 2023

was very impressive.”

The boys Varsity basketball team finished 13-11 this season, making it to the playoffs. They look forward to learning from this season and translating that for the next.

The girls Varsity basketball team had a tough schedule this season, however, Georgia Avret, a member of the team, believes that they had a good season overall. Because of their perseverance, the team made it all the way to the Region Quarter Finals.

Avret believes that the team dynamic has helped how they play this season. “We are so much more than just a team on the court, we are a family on and off the court,” Averet said. By creating this team environment, they are better able to play to the best of their ability.

Making it to Region Quarter Finals is a huge feat for the girls basketball team. They look forward to seeing how far they can go next season.

Overall, the winter sports this season have continued to improve in their performance, and look forward to learning from this season and translating it into next.

Photos taken of winter sports. Credit: bolles.org

Winter Sports

Arts Arts Arts

Scholastic Awards

Every year Bolles students enter the Scholastic Arts and Writing contest and receive many awards for their works of art. This year’s award ceremony had many Bolles’ students win gold key (the highest award). Here are some of those artworks.

Tristan Schneider

Contributing Writer

Scholastic Arts and Writing displayed work

Photo Credit: Tristan Schneider

Artist Spotlight: Ashvatha Arun

Artist Ashvatha Arun ’23 pursues her passion for art through multiple mediums. She started producing art at a young age. Arun revealed, “I was constantly making things with like any material I could find, whether it be candy wrappers or pistachio shells. I would just pick it up and try to create something out of it.”

As of right now, painting continues to be Arun’s favorite form of art. Arun said, “I love clay too. But painting, I just feel like I can really get my ideas down in a way that is received by people well.” She just submitted six art pieces to the Scholastic Art Awards. Arun stated, “I got a gold key for my art portfolio from that.”

Much of her art incorporates her Hindu religion and Indian culture. “My AP art portfolio connects an-

cient Indian stories with modern or contemporary ideas. I like taking the ancient aspects of that story and then mixing it with contemporary objects.” Her latest piece illustrates a deer. Arun explained, “It depicts the story of Ramayana, which is a Hindu mythological story.”

Not only does Ashvatha create art for others, but she helps others create art with the nonprofit, Enchanted. Arun said, “I first started in Etsy in commissions to gain funds to like support, like the underfunded art programs in schools in India.” She continued to donate money and supplies to the schools in India.

Last summer, she hosted a contest and received submissions from all the schools in India she donated to. Arun revealed, “The theme for the contest was inspired by their village, called tear garden. Specifically, we asked them to paint

a picture to depict the regional beauties in their area. After receiving about eighty submissions, Arun stated, “My family and I went to India, went to the schools and we hand delivered their gifts to the winners.”

Finally, Arun commends her teachers for her extravagant work. “I think I would not be able to create the art that I create today without all of them.

“Art has always been an outlet for me to express my emotions. I always want to have that in my life.”

— Ashvatha Arun

Aisha Hasan Social Media Editor

In college, Ashvatha plans to either minor or double major in art with biology as her other major.

Credit: Ashvatha Arun

Bolles Dance Takes a New Turn

Dance is something Peyton Blair does to inspire others and hopes that others will do the same. She explained that the advice that she would give to aspiring dancers is, “Just start. Get in a class. Get in multiple classes. And start, realize that you’re starting with the foundations and, and that you’ll build up from there.” Blair has a history of pursuing dance as one of her greatest passions, and her most recent accomplishment is becoming the new Bolles dance teacher for high school students.

Blair explains that she “started dancing when I was about two years old, in a preschool dance program. From there, I transitioned over into a dance studio local in my area.”

After, Blair explains that she “then moved up to not only dancing at the studio, but dancing with the Nashville Ballet for a few years in a modern company in Nashville” . . . “I trained in everything growing up, so that’s tap ballet, jazz, contemporary, and modern.”

Furthermore, she explains, “The company that I was a part

of in Nashville was called Mo Movement. And we just did gigs around Nashville— some of them would be at the Belmont theater, or Live on the Green.”

When asked about her favorite style of dance, she added, “I think modern is my favorite, there’s just a little bit more artistry and a little bit more meaning behind what you’re doing.”

For the past few years, Blair has been teaching at the Bolles Lower School. So when asked about how she applied for the high school dance teacher position, she said, “when the job got posted, and the news was out that there was a position opened, it was very easy for me to just approach Mrs. Rippel and say, ‘Hey, is this something that I should look into and apply for?’ And she said, ‘Yes.’ And so then we went from there.”

She mentions that in the future she hopes to continue choreographing at the middle or high school level. She wishes that she can “continue to create art and not only put my art on students, and you know, dancing adults, but collaborate with dancers, to make something together as a choreographer and a dancer to create a full, wellrounded piece that showcases

both sides.”

For a more experienced dancer, she says, “I would say get in as many performances as you can, get exposed to as many types of teachers and choreographers as you can, and then take master classes like crazy. Any type of master class or convention you can go to to get more experienced picking up choreography quickly, is going to help you tremendously at the collegiate or professional level.”

Lastly, Blair shares that one of the

most important ways dance has shaped her is that, “I just come from a very charismatic approach when it comes to training and molding dancers, which I think brings a level of respect.” She continues to say, “I respect my students and their bodies” . . . “There’s a level of respect that goes both ways.”

Kathryn Arrowsmith Contributing Writer

The Bolles Dance Company poses by the Bolles Hall fountain. Credit: The Bolles School

“There’s a level of respect that goes both ways.”

— Peyton Blair

Golden Age of Goth

Modern and older Goth culture

Wednesday didn’t invent Goth, she’s a good representation of the culture. From her dark wardrobe to her playing “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones, she embodies what the modern Goth is. Hopefully, the popularity of the show will cancel out the heavy stigma that follows the goth community.

Goth culture has been around since way before the Addams Family, and the popularity that followed “Wednesday ‘’ proves that it is not going away for a long time.

Brings you to a Goth Playlist. Playlist created by Kate Youell Cure album cover

Kate Youell PR Editor

Black makeup, hardcore music, and the obsession with the dark and mysterious are all synonymous with Goth. Wednesday, a recent adaptation of The Addams Family, repopularized Goth culture. Even though the show brought Goth style to light, it definitely didn’t invent it, and the small but mighty niche was full force way before the show.

The term Goth was first used to address Germanic people that overtook the Roman Empire. This led to the Gothic period of art, which included creating large and ornate churches and dark and eerie religious paintings. Now, Goth takes on a different meaning. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Goth means “A person who wears mostly black clothing, uses dark and dramatic makeup, and often

has dyed black hair.”

Gothic music tends to reference dark subject matter or have a more spooky sound to them. Gothic bands include The Sisters of Mercy, Skeletal Family, and Joy Divison. All these bands were popular much before “Wednesday” was invented.

Clothing is another big part of Goth culture. Dark colors, chains, and skulls are all prevalent in their wardrobes. The most popular Goth store is definitely Hot Topic. Goth style is not to be confused with Emo style, which is more emotionally hardcore, hence the name Emo.

The Goth community gets a lot of hate. It’s continuously connected to being overly emotional and constantly sad, which is not an accurate description of the style. It’s more about being interested in darker styles and ideas.

Even though the character

Credit: The Cure Youtube

Goth Playlist Credit: Kate Youell

Goth Playlist

Credit: Kate Youell

Diagram of what Goth Characteristics Wednesday has

Credit: Netflix edited by Kate Youell

2023 Fashion Trends

The Bugle’s predictions for upcoming fashion

Kathryn Arrowsmith Contributing Writer

Ava Cheng

Contributing

Artist

2022 has been a revolutionary year for fashion. It had its highs, but it definitely had its lows. From low-rise jeans to croc heels, it’s clear that 2022 has seen it all. Here is a list of fashion trends that need to go, as well as some that we hope to see in the future.

predict that it will be crushing the competition.

Another fashion trend that should be left behind in 2022 is low rise jeans. Low-rise jeans made a comeback after their popularity in the 2000s and have been a trend that has received much backlash and hate during 2022. Despite the hate, many celebrities, such as Dua Lipa and Julia Fox, continued to wear them, which inspired others to do so. Although these jeans have potential, it does not take away from the fact that they are incredibly difficult to style.

To replace low-rise jeans, we predict that sweatpants will take over. Not solid color sweatpants, but a more fashion-forward style of sweatpants such as a patchwork style. Not only are sweatpants appealing due to their comfort, but they also can be utilized in different environments, such as the gym or around the house.

many common shoes added a platform option. From high heels to sneakers, it was almost impossible to find a brand that did not make a shoe without a platform. These shoes were quickly overworn and therefore needed to be left in 2023.

Instead, we hope to see Mary Jane Buckle shoes rise to fame. Although they have a minor platform to them, it is significantly less than those worn in 2022. Also,

To lead the list of impractical fashions, we have micro purses. This style reached its fame when Lizzo accessorized her outfit at the 2022 American Music Awards with one. Soon after, they trended on the market due to the several celebrities who sparked their popularity. But when analyzing the bag with a critical lens, it’s obvious that the bag only serves as a fashion statement and not for practical reasons. Little to nothing can fit in the bag and, therefore, should not continue to trend in 2023.

Instead, we predict that the Dior Saddle Bag will take the lead in the purse industry. It has already been seen being used by multiple celebrities, and due to its larger size and unique look, we

Along with specific fashion items, color palettes play a major role in style. During 2022, neutral took center stage with browns, blacks, and white. Although these colors were useful due to their ability to match anything, they often left an outfit looking bland and empty. Instead, in 2023 we predict that bold colors will replace the neutral palette. These colors may include deep reds, blues, and purples. These colors allow people to tap into a bold side of fashion that has been absent in the past few years.

Lastly, the popularity of platform shoes needs to decline as we enter 2023. Platform shoes reached their height in 2023 when

these underrated shoes have had little exposure to the shoe market and therefore have the potential to shy rocket in 2023.

Although 2022 marked some major firsts in fashion, we should look at 2023 as a new page in fashion history and make choices that will make this year stand out from the rest. Bold choices, new styles, and a new outlook on the way we view clothes can help us accomplish these goals. As the fashion industry quickly changes to accommodate for the new 2023 styles and looks, it is important to acknowledge the trends that could make lasting impacts for the better and those that should not last.

It is important to acknowledge the trends that could make lasting impacts for better, and those that should not last.

From low rise jeans to croc heels, it’s clear 2022 has seen it all.

Congress Forgets Which One is the State of the Union

with us, it would make the Constitution explode! We could call Rihanna though.”

Rihanna did not answer the phone, so Congress moved on, dejected.

“Wait, it’s called the State of the Union, right?” chimed Rep. George Santos (R-NY). “So don’t we need to, like, pick a state to be the State of the Union? And then we can find the State of the Union’s address!”

“Oh, like Miss America!” added former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (DCA).

Definitely not George Santos with a Fake Mustache

On Tuesday, February 7, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was reviewing his legislative agenda for the day when he found an unfamiliar item on his calendar. The State of the Union Address.

The phrase sounded familiar, but the Speaker just couldn’t put his finger on exactly what those words meant. And, upon mentioning it to his colleagues, no one else could remember either. So, a joint emergency session was held to investigate.

“Does anyone recall if we need any special supplies for this thing?” the Speaker asked.

“Oh, I know! There was that little hammer thing!” interjected Rep. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). “I think it started with a ‘G.’”

“Jesus!” shouted Sen. Mike Lee (RUT). “You always need Jesus.”

“I remember! It was gravel,” added Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD). “I move to procure gravel.”

A murmur of agreement spread throughout the chamber. Rep. Raskin’s movement was seconded and thirded and passed unanimously. Some poor junior representative was tasked with searching the phone book for a gravel company and ordering some to the Capitol. Congress took a recess and returned a few hours later, trudging to their seats through knee-high piles of little rocks.

“These do not look like hammers,” observed Sen. Susan Collins (RME), picking one up. She rapped it on her desk before deciding, “I guess these will work, though.”

“Isn’t someone else supposed to be here for this? Like the President or Rihanna?” asked Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

“Absolutely not the President!” replied Rep. Josh Hawley (R-MO). “What about separation of powers? If the President came in here

This preceded extensive bickering over which state should win, with most members falling into the camps of California, Texas, New York, or Florida. The delegations from Rhode Island, Nebraska, Kansas, and New Jersey left the chamber in protest. Finally, in true Congressional fashion, the pro-

cess was locked in a stalemate.

“I have an idea!” clamored Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). “All of the states win equally!”

Everybody not from one of the four finalist states voted for that proposal, and the States of the Union were decided.

“We do important work here in Congress,” McCarthy told the press that evening. “Legislating is difficult business, but we always figure it out and make the best decisions for the people.”

Paul Ittix

Around midday, workers arrived with Rep. Raskin’s requested gravel.

Photo via C-SPAN

“If the President came in here with us, it would make the Constitution explode!”

— Josh Hawley

ChatGPT The Editorial Staff

ChatGPT is a new AI technology that writes essays in seconds when just a few key words are typed in the website. The technology writes unique responses everytime that are virtually undetectable to plagiarism-checking sites. As pictured here, ChatGPT is depicted as a popular Elmo meme which is rejoicing after the plagiarism-checking site finds no evidence of stolen work. This website and others are extremely harmful to students in school who feel they can avoid assignments and plagiarize work from ChatGPT. Using work from this website and not providing proper citations is not allowed and is a violation of the Honor Code.

Senioritis

Simran Naval Design/Academics Editor

As we rapidly approach the beginning of fourth quarter, the most infectious disease known to high school seniors begins to spread in massive quantities: senioritis. This aggressive disease is known to cause extreme drowsiness, apathy, unwillingness to show up to school, and a hatred for all things academic. In the cartoon, a senior afflicted with the aforementioned disease is hospitalized in the bed while the doctor diligently works to find a cure. Additionally, the patient has three visitors, a junior, sophomore, and freshman, all wearing masks in an attempt to prevent contracting senioritis. Lastly, in the back a member of school administration (without a mask on) is seen yelling about how senioritis is a hoax.

Ironic Pickup Lines

Are you sad and lonely this Valentine’s Day? Are you looking to impress someone special with some fun and innovative pickup lines? Well, this cartoon is for you. Each candy heart is decorated decorated with a pickup line guaranteed to work on whoever you’re looking to impress. And the best part is, if you’re not confident enough to use these pickup lines on people in person, you can simply send them the box of candy hearts for them to read (and eat). Depicted here is a classic candy heart box with the candy spilling out. Written on each candy heart is an ironic pickup line (not to actually be used on people). Lastly, as a backup plan to ensure that your Valentine’s Day is spent well even if that special someone rejects you, scratch off the sticker on the side of the box for a code to win a free dinner for one.

Simran Naval Design/Academics Editor

The Extremist Epidemic

How extremism is infiltrating and destroying democracies around the world

Isabel Bassin Multimedia Editor

Afunctional democracy is a system of government where power is held by the people, who exercise their authority through free and fair elections. There is a respected rule of law that guarantees the protection of individual rights and freedoms.

Additionally, a functional democracy allows for a peaceful transfer of power and provides equal opportunities for all citizens to participate in the political process. Democratic elections are dedicated to transparency, accountability, and a commitment to the common good.

When a democracy is no longer functional, treason goes unpunished and is enabled by governments infected with extremism.

Democracy used to be the epitome of man. Society was perfectable in the state of freedom and equality our founding fathers imagined for America. Now, we stand idly by and allow our fellow citizens to violently disrupt democracy without consequences.

In November of 2020, Donald Trump lost his reelection to Joe Biden. In October 2022, Jair Bolsonaro lost his reelection to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

They then both spent the next two months refusing to concede their elections, attempting to disallow votes on the false basis of voter fraud, and accusing their opponents of winning off of software glitches. And after two months of the protests against their country’s democratic principles of voting, their supporters violently attacked their governments’ capital buildings.

These terrifyingly parallel events could be written off as a coincidence. But in actuality, they have a much deeper meaning.

Democracy is degrading - and it’s the fault of the extremist leaders who amass blind followers on their platforms of authoritarianism and discrimination.

Leaders like Trump and Bolsonaro threaten democracy because they gain supporters for themselves instead of their policies. People back Trump and Bolsonaro for their totalitarian ideas and radical personalities.

So when they grow more and more radical to the point that they refuse to respect the results of a democratic election, their followers let them. Support them. Encourage them. Fight for them. Their followers commit treason by attacking the Capitol building and attempting to destroy their country’s strongest symbols of democracy, in order to destroy democracy itself. And we let them.

Events like these send the alarming message that our society will allow antidemocratic attacks without consequence. It gives Brazilians the idea to do the same thing. And it scares the citizens of both countries into fearful submission.

Straight, white, Christian men committing these atrocities may feel safe, but Jewish, BrazilianAmerican teen girls like myself are threatened by members of both of their societies. I see people wearing 6MWE shirts storming the American Capitol, reminding me that there are those who plan to finish the genocide that their ancestors started. I see people ransack the Brazilian Supreme Court, Congress, and Presidential offices, establishing that no branch of the government is safe from tyranny.

So how do we fix this? We as a society need to restore the democratic principles our country was founded on, enhance the government’s social contract, and promise to serve and protect all people.

Our Freedoms

Tristan Schneider Contributing Writer

Freedom of speech is often a controversial subject, but it really shouldn’t be. Freedom of speech should be straightforward and include the right to protest. To quote the First Amendment of the Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” In other words, Congress cannot make any laws infringing upon freedom of speech in any form, including religion, press, and protest.

An example of a protest that resulted in arrests was the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol. When former president Donald Trump lost his bid for reelection, he claimed that the elections had been rigged. His supporters started protesting at the Capitol after Trump expressed his view in a tweet. These people were not treasonous for exercising their right to protest, a right affirmed by centuries of American history. Many of these protestors were punished for this, with more than 1003 of them being arrested. These people were willing to be jailed so they could protest because they thought their voices were not heard, a clear example of what happens when the government stops protecting fundamental liberties.

In recent years people have had their First Amendment rights violated. This is a disgusting violation of the people’s rights as citizens. The people should have the right to protest whatever they want. The government shouldn’t silence people even if it doesn’t agree with them because free and open dialogue is a critical feature of a functional democracy.

Isabel Bassin Multimedia Editor

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Roaring Coffehouse 20s

Simran Naval Design/Academics Editor