B G U L
Student Life
Camp College helps seniors prepare for next steps
Ty Neal
Senior women welcome Little Sisters
Thomas Catto
Student leaders host Club Day 2024
Wes Coughlin
Fabrication Lab in the CFI will nurture innovators and creators
Zara Touheed
Schultz Hall gets a longawaited makeover
Jack Laufer and Wes Coughlin
Boarding students enjoy independence and sleeping in Leah Chin
Sophomore representative shares Student Council mission
Brady Pratt
Bulldogs celebrate a belated Homecoming
Henry Leslie
2028
Alam
Bolles academics switches from MyBackpack to Veracross
Zipf Pedrick
Bolles swimmer races for Guatemala in the Olympics Leah Chin
Coach Emmy makes a splash Jolee Abbey
Instagram creator and former Bolles swimmer rises to Varsity Head Coach
Ellie Stewart
Swimmers represent Bolles at Olympic Trials and other national meets
Jolee Abbey
Coach Jump becomes Cheer Coach Jump
Ty Neal
Return of the Mac
Nick Azevedo
Doghouse gives Bulldogs a place to rest
Akin Akande
Basebal phenom looks forward to the majors
Henry Leslie
Football season off to a great start
Henry Leslie
FHSAA approves NIL deals for athletes
Dawson Brydges
Look good, feel good, play good
Nick Azevedo
Academics
Derosiers joins science department
Jaxson Richter
Gentry joins world languages department
Thomas Catto
Ava Cheng
Akin Akande
NFL
off new kickoff rules
Dawson Brydges
Satire: The college process
Kate Youell
Freed between the lines
Isabel Schimpff
Cartoon: This NYT game is infuriating
Ellie Stewart
Cartoon: Campus speakers
Jack Laufer
Cartoon: Navigating the lunchroom labyrinth
Isabel Schimpff
Video: New phone policies
Alastair Thompson
Video:
The Bolles Bugle Staff
Editor-in-Chief: Ava Cheng
Co-Online-Editors-in-Chief:
Isabel Schimpff Kate Youell
Design Editor: Ellie Stewart
Co-Sports Editors:
Nikolas Azevedo
Jack Laufer
Co-Coffeehouse Editors:
Ty Neal
Tristan Schneider
Contributing Writers:
Jolee Abbey
Akin Akande
Sree Alam
Dawson Brydges
Thomas Catto
Leah Chin
Wes Coughlin
Jake Forrest
Henry Leslie
Zipf Pedrick
Hudson Powell
Brady Pratt
Jaxson Richter
Alastair Thompson
Zara Touheed
Advisor: Ms. Gastaldi
Editorial Policy:
The Bolles Bugle is the news magazine created by the journalism class at The Bolles School. Our publication focuses on increasing community awareness of in-school events and topics relating to the five news values: relevance, proximity, timeliness/novelty, conflict/controversy, and human interest.
Content in the Bugle is the responsibility of the editorial staff and not meant to reflect the views of the school’s administration or the faculty advisor. Please reach out to our faculty advisor, Ms. Gastaldi, with any questions or comments. She can be reached at gastaldie@bolles.org or at bollesbugleonline@gmail.com.
Copyright 2009-2024, The Bolles Bugle
Editor’s 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.
In this issue, we are excited to feature 15 talented new staffers and their first pieces for the Bugle alongside our eight returning staffers and their work for the issue.
The beats in this issue are Student Life, Sports, Arts, Academics, and Op-Ed. Some featured stories include coverage of new upper school construction and a profile of Olympian Lucero Mejia ‘26.
We are also very grateful to Mike Hughes ‘87, who generously donated cameras and photography equipment to our staff this year. Make sure to check our Instagram for new photos from The Bugle.
The Bugle exists to inform the student body of current events in the Bolles community and in the greater global one. Our mission is to encourage student awareness of the world around us. We value journalistic integrity and respect above all else. The Bugle also appreciates student engagement - leave us a story idea through the form on our website, or send us a direct message with any questions, comments, or concerns.
If you enjoy this issue and want more Bugle content, check out our website www.bollesbugleonline.com and follow us on Instagram @thebollesbugle for early article releases as well as fun photos and videos. Thanks for sticking with us, and welcome to the Quarter 1 edition for the 2024-25 school year!
Ava Cheng Editor-In-Chief
S U E T T D N L F I E
Camp college helps seniors prepare for next steps
Ty Neal Co-Coffeehouse Editor
On Friday, September 6, the seniors of Bolles were excused from all classes so that they could participate in a school held event known as Camp College. This day includes many activities and fun events for the seniors to move further along in their college application process. The seniors started the day by arriving to school dressed in their designated color based on their college advisor. They sat in groups of eight to ten students in Cain Gym and made flags with their key values in a college as the design.
Mya Bridgewater ‘25, a senior that participated in Camp College, believes overall, the day was helpful and necessary for the strenuous task of applying for college. “I had a lot of fun in the day because it wasn’t all boring
The seniors making friendship bracelets.
Credit: Kristen DeSmidt
and all work,” she said.
Values students chose ranged widely from peace, grace, accountability, and even sleep. “A lot of people chose happiness as their key value but mine was peace,” Bridgewater said.
“We encouraged the students to add the values that they’re looking for to help them further and embrace what they’re looking for in their college process.”
— Ms. DeFalco
The seniors continued throughout their day with other activities such as puzzles, meditation, gaga ball, and more. Sprinkled in between these fun activities, the seniors sat in a designated area with their college advisors to work on the college application process.
“Students just need a break
sometimes, and it helped,” Bridgewater said.
College Counselor Ms. Genna DeFalco expressed great admiration for the day and is excited to continue with more camp college days in the future. “Camp College part two will be in October on Spark day, so we’ll be with our seniors all day again,” she said.
“We wanted to strip the stereotype and reputation with certain colleges being the ones that students are only hearing about. Instead of just having you fill out your college pennant with a college name, we encouraged the students to add the values that they’re looking for to help them further and embrace what they’re looking for in their college process.”
At the end of the day, the seniors gathered in Cain to make friendship bracelets. Although it may seem frivolous, Bridgewater said, “people would have gotten bored if it was only college counseling stuff the entire day, so I feel like it was necessary to have the fun parts.”
The college counselors. Credit: Kristen DeSmidt
Senior women welcome Little Sisters
Thomas Catto Contributing Writer
Starting last year, Bolles introduced the Big Sister Little Sister program to help freshmen girls get to know the seniors and become more comfortable at Bolles.
The seniors decorate Ulmer in preparation for the freshmen.
Credit: Violet Herbert
One of the seniors that greatly helps this program is Eve Surface ‘25. Surface feels very positive about the program and its effect on the freshman girls.
“It’s going really well. We have received mostly positive feedback from the freshman girls,” she said.
Surface explained how the program works, with the goal of bringing freshman girls, who for
“It’s going really well. We have received mostly positive feedback from the freshman girls.”
— Eve Surface ‘25
the most part do not know the seniors, closer to seniors. “We didn’t go to middle school with this freshman class,” she said.
“We have never met them, so I think it is a good way for the freshman girls to meet the senior girls.”
Surface described their first event, when the seniors decorated Ulmer and got it ready for the freshman’s arrival at the very beginning of the year. The seniors were then paired up with freshmen and made welcoming signs for them. “There will be events throughout the year,” Surface said.
The Big Sister Little Sister program is an excellent way to bring two classes together that do not know each other well. “All but a few of the senior girls participated,” Surface said.
Seniors decorate signs for the freshmen’s arrival.
Credit: Violet Herbert
Seniors with signs made for the freshmen.
Credit: Violet Herbert
Student leaders host Club Day 2024
Wes Coughlin
Contributing Writer
Club Day has been a yearly Bolles tradition that is widely loved by all students. On this day, clubs present their ideas to students to recruit as many members as possible. They do this by usually having good energy, providing food for people who sign-up, and more. This year, 64 clubs participated in the event.
Sofia Jatskevich ‘25 and James Barger ‘26 of Bolles Buddies
Wes Coughlin
120 students signed up for the Bolles Buddies Club, led by James Barger ‘26 and Sofia Jatskevich ‘26. Their mission is to “help bring awareness to and support for children and adults with special needs.”
The Young Life Club, led by Saylor Swartz ‘25, strives to “provide a place where students find friends that they can relate to as Christians in a diverse school.”
Isabella Lee ‘25, and her Surfrider Club wants to teach people about the impact of plastics on the marine environment and clean the local beaches.
Katherine Libby ‘26, Davis Roberts ‘25, and Saylor Swartz ‘25 of Young Life Credit: Wes Coughlin
A new club this year that participated was the Animation Club. 29 students signed up for this club, which is led by Tristan Schneider ‘26 and Dante Camarada ‘26. “The Animation Club wants people to express themselves,” said Schneider, “and support the love and support about animation through Bolles.”
Anya Shah ‘27 has brought attention to the topic of underprivileged kids through Kids Club. Shah wants to “help kids with food insecurities, illness, homelessness, and those in foster care.”
Sally Cleland ‘25 and Isabella Lee ‘25 of Surfrider Foundation
Credit:
Credit: Wes Coughlin
Camarda ‘26 and Tristan Schneider ‘26 of Animation
Operation Smile is led by Gaston Friedline ‘25 and Luke Kunkle ‘25. Operation Smile has a mission is to help people with facial deformities, and they are supporting the parent-led organization with the same name.
Club Day this year had an outstanding turnout. All of these students put great effort into these clubs and are the true reason why Club Day was so special. The hope is that with this impressive turnout, these clubs will continue to succeed throughout the year.
Luke Kunkle ‘25 of Operation Smile
Credit: Wes Coughlin
Anya Shah ‘27 of Kids Club Credit: Wes Coughlin
Dante
Club Credit: Wes Coughlin
Fabrication Lab in the CFI will nurture innovators and creators
MZara Touheed Contributing Writer
r. Nick D’Angelo is the head of construction and faculty for the new Fabrication Lab. “The lab is mainly going to be used for servicing any kind of club or team here,” he said, “as well as any kind of classroom or faculty member who wants to incorporate it into their class”.
The Fabrication Lab is a new space that will be opening up in the Center for Innovation (CFI), hopefully by next semester. This lab is going to be used for creating projects and allowing students to have access to tools that they wouldn’t usually have.
D’Angelo has hopes that students will be able to use these machines to perform experiments or possibly be implemented into robotics, and both the CNC mills and routers will be useful to create precise cuts for student and faculty projects. Laser cutters will allow students to carve out specific pieces for projects, and have the artistic liberty to laser on designs.
Several classes are going to be using the new lab, such as CAD Modeling, engineering programs, and the Bolles Robotics team. Eventually, D’Angelo wants to see students using the lab during their free periods, and teachers using it as well to demonstrate lesson plans.
“We want students to be able to come in and use the space for work on capstone projects or engineering projects,” D’Angelo said, “as well as the robotics team to be able to create custom parts The lab will have Computerised Numerical Control (CNC) mills and routers, several 3D printers, a laser cutter, an in-progress welding machine, and possibly robotic arms which students can program to do tasks.
There will be two types of 3D printing in the FabLab: resin and Fused Deposition Model (FDM) printing. This is extremely useful because it allows for quick and intricate 3D printing. Resin printing allows for smooth and highly detailed works, while FDM printing can be used to print larger scale models, allowing for more durability and quicker results. The printing processes themselves are also different. Resin printing is done by using liquid resin that is cured by a UV light in layers. While FDM printing, a nozzle will squeeze out filament, a plastic with a low melting point, to create a model. Finally, the CNC Taper Mill is going to be used to cut and mill all sorts of plastics, metals, and wood.
D’Angelo will be in the lab all day, helping and assisting students with using equipment and designing projects themselves.
New machines the FabLab is using. Credit: Zara Touheed
Mr. D’Angelo works in the FabLab. Credit: Zara Touheed
The new CNC mill in the lab. Credit: Zara Touheed
Schultz Hall gets a long-awaited makeover
Jack
Laufer Co-Sports Editor
Wes Coughlin
Contributing Writer
Bolles’ state of the art building, The Center for Innovation (CFI), opened this year to great fanfare. But, there is more work to be done.
“I miss being able to walk out every period and see every student at the school in a seven day cycle. I could always say ‘hi’ to former students, or current students... over here, I feel out of it.”
— Mr. Stam ‘00
Since the first of June, Schultz Hall has been under renovations. The goal for this construction is to be completed when we return from Spring Break.
Schultz Hall was built back in the 1950s and hasn’t had any major rennovations until this one. The space has long hosted Bolles Science and English departments. Science instruction now occurs in the CFI, and English teachers have had to pack up their things and move to the second floor of Bolles Hall until the construction is over.
When this happens, Bolles will tear down the classrooms to the right of the main stairs in the south wing and add 20 dorm rooms to house 40 more boarding students. Bolles plans on starting demolition
as soon as summer starts, hoping for the project to be completed by the 2025-2026 school year.
The reason behind these renovations to Shultz Hall: classroom space. Though these new renovations will not add anything to the actual building, the classrooms will become more spacious. Now that all Science classes have been moved to the CFI building, English classes and the Deans’ office will be moved downstairs. Students and faculty can expect classrooms to be updated with the latest technology and more than double in size.
Many English teachers are excited for these changes. Mr. Steven Stam ‘00 taught in Schultz Hall for 16 years. When asked what he misses most about Schultz, Stam said, “I miss being able to walk
out every period and see every student at the school in a seven day cycle. I could always say ‘hi’ to former students, or current students… over here, I feel out of it.”
Along with teachers, students are looking forward to the renovations. Dylan Gatlin ‘27, had Mrs. Roland last year in Schultz. Gatlin thinks that making classrooms larger in Schultz can have a very strong impact on learning for students. “The classrooms last year were pretty packed, and not a lot of room to move around. So I do think that we can benefit from having larger classrooms” he said.
“You need to have a comfortable environment because if you’re cramped, you’re less focused on what the teachers are teaching.”
Schultz Hall undergoes construction. Credit: Jack Laufer
Boarding students enjoy independence and sleeping in
Leah Chin Contributing Writer
Some Bolles day students may not know, but there are people who board here and live on campus, and I am one of them. About 78 students from around the world board at Bolles, making up about 10% of students.
Many people enjoy boarding because it allows them to develop strong personal qualities they will need for the future. Living away from your parents at such a young age is a big change and not easy. But boarders do get to sleep a little later than day students. “It’s so much more convenient,” one boarder said. “Having no commute and easy access to my room saves so much time.”
Being away from parents pushes students to be more independent. They don’t have the support of parents doing everything for them, and so it’s up to them to figure out how to do everything, such as simple things like buying groceries and doing laundry. “You have to learn to live away from your family and you learn to take care of yourself and manage yourself with the help of the dorm parents,” one boarder said. But they can’t do everything for you like some parents would.”
Being a boarder in high school
can prepare you for dorm life in college. “It’s really fun,” one boarder said. “It also prepares you for college and to live independently and be responsible.”
The majority of boarders appreciate the fact that they can wake up later for school or morning practices, seeing that they live on campus. Also, getting ready for sports practice after school in your room is more comfortable than getting ready in locker rooms. The dorm rooms are spacious and nice compared to other boarding schools. Two people live in each room, and girls have their own bathrooms. Some boys have their own bathrooms as well, but most share communal bathrooms.
The dorm parents, who are Bolles teachers and coaches, live with us in the dorms and take over parental roles while we are here, and they try hard to make our experience here enjoyable and keep us entertained. Common areas are a place for us to relax and have fun together so we aren’t in our rooms all the time. They feature video game consoles, TVs, ping pong tables, board games, puzzles, and a pool table.
Food is sometimes a sore spot
with boarders, who often have to adjust to foods they are not accustomed to at home.
We also have to go through a process of signing in and out anytime we leave campus. This is called a “Reach,” named for an app where boarders log where they are going, who they are going with, how long they’ll be gone, and so on. Some boarders have expressed that it can be a bit annoying, but we are aware that it is for our safety, so the dorm parents know where we are at all times.
Living with some of your friends can also be a plus because you never really feel alone living in the dorms. If you are social, there are always friends around. However, that can be distracting when it’s time to do work. It is tempting to socialize rather than focus on a task you have to do.
Boarding is definitely different from what we are used to in our homes, but all boarders are here for a better education and the majority are also here for a sport. Overall, boarding at Bolles is a good experience, especially when you sleep in until 8 AM and still have time to make it to class at 8:30.
Boarders play a fun trivia game. Credit: Mrs. Ezzell
Boarders jump off the dock Credit: Mrs. Toblin
Sophomore representative shares Student Council mission
Brady Pratt Contributing Writer
Participating in Student Council is both demanding and important. Representatives and executives must be motivated and detail-oriented in order to make their mark on Bolles culture.
“My position in the council is a tenth grade representative,” said Chase Rathet ‘27. “I was elected by the Student Council two weeks ago and officially started September 9, 2024.”
Rathet has spent his first few weeks as a representative learning how to present plans for school change.
“In order to get my ideas approved as a lower class representative, I have to propose my ideas to either higher class representatives or the class president,” he said.
“The main purpose of the Student Council is to listen to the voices of the student body and take action on the requests to improve the Bolles community.”
- Chase Rathet ‘27
Student Council is a group of students who take charge to make school a more enjoyable place for others. They work hard so others can be excited when coming to school, giving up their own free time so we can enjoy ours.
“The main purpose of the Student Council is to listen to the voices of
Student Council Speech Credit: The Bolles School
the student body and take action on the requests to improve the Bolles community.”
Students in any grade can join and the freshmen have the opportunity to run in December. First, they must write a well prepared speech that explains to the school why they should be the ones representing the student body.
To make sure each member of the council is being heard and others are listening to their new ideas, executives take a vote, making sure each member feels positively about the new proposal. When the proposition is agreed upon by the lower order, it is then passed onto the higher ups.
If someone within the council doesn’t agree with the new proposal, they have an opportunity to speak their mind and give their opinion on the matter.
“In order for a change to be made within the school the majority of the student council must agree,” said Rathet.
“Meetings for the Student Council are important to reflect on the possible changes to be made within Bolles and take action on them getting these changes made as quick as possible for the students to have a more enjoyable time at school,” said Rathet.
The student representatives take time to prepare these proposals and run them by the representatives above them. These meetings are a place of no judgment and anyone can speak out for new ideas.
“I attend weekly meetings in the Varn Board Room where I get to speak my voice on the issues around Bolles,” said Rathet.
Student Council demands a lot of time and effort. One must have an open mind and be able to take in what is said around campus and bring students’ concerns to light, Rathet said. Participating in the council means taking sacrifices in order to improve the experience of Bolles for everyone.
Bulldogs celebrate a belated Homecoming
HHenry Leslie Contributing Writer
urricane Helene delayed but couldn’t stop the Bulldog spirit. Bolles Homecoming is always a special event, filled with lots of fun games and events to keep the
school spirit electric. Dodgeball, cheerleading, and the dance team performances were among events that took place during the week. Rylan
Perales ‘25 was named Homecoming King and Abby Bradley ‘25 Homecoming Queen. The dogs capped off the homecoming night with a blowout win beating Baldwin 35-0.
Checking in with the Class of 2028
How is freshman year going?
Sree Alam Contributing Writer
Meet some of the new ninth graders of the 2024 to 2025 school year and get to know how their year has been going so far!
Q: What do you miss most about middle school?
A: “It was so much easier. I miss some of my old teachers but I’m honestly glad I’m at this campus.”
Q: What are you not looking forward to in the school year?
A: “Midterms and the end of the year exams.”
the river and I can just chat with my friends peacefully.”
Q: What are you most looking forward to this year?
A: “I’m really just trying to get through freshman year as quickly as possible, and I am really excited for the end of the year.”
Q: How’s your school year going so far?
A: “You’re trying to survive every week. And you manage. Really as a whole, it’s been really busy but on the flipside really fun.”
Q: What are you looking forward to in your freshman year?
A: “Well I run cross country and we got the state’s series coming up in November, and I’m excited for that.”
Q: What is your favorite place on campus?
A: “I absolutely love the river campus. It has fantastic views of
Q: What has been the hardest part of the school year so far?
A: “Definitely having to navigate through the weather. The rain’s been a pain so it’s kind of hard ducking under all of that and going to class.”
Q: What’s has been your favorite class?
A: “Honestly, I love my study hall, it helps me catch up with my class.”
Q: How would you say is your school year going so far?
A: “It’s going pretty good. I’m doing all right in all of my classes so far.”
Q: What do you think is the hardest part about being a freshman?
A: “I think being the little ones on campus. It’s kind of hard but it’s refreshing from being at middle school for three years.”
Julanne McCranie ‘28
Austin Davis ‘28
Vincent Barragan ‘28
Claire Ezzell ‘28
Francesca Tapley ‘28
Is Bessy still a useful website?
Hudson Powell Contributing Writer
Bessy is a website that can calculate your grades. It became popular last school year among students. However, it is not the only platform capable of grade calculation.
Last school year was the first year upper school Bolles students could view course grades on Schoology. However, students can only see letter grades, not percentages. Bessy enables students to see percentages instead of just letter grades.
This is why Freshman Hudson Stuzman ‘28 likes Bessy. He has been using Bessy since last year. “I use Bessy because it projects the percentages of my grades,” said Stutzman.
Another big feature of Bessy is that it allows students to put in grades and see what they need to get on their next test or quiz to move up to an ideal grade. This is a feature students like.
Freshman Owen Goldstein ‘28 enjoys this feature and has been using it for two years. “Bessy has
An overview of grades in Bessy. Percentages and a letter grade are shown for every class. (Note: These grades are not affilated with any Bolles student.)
Credit:
Hudson Powell
the ability to put in grades so you can calculate what you need to get on an assignment to improve your grade. It is very useful,” he said.
This helps motivate students to study hard because they have a set goal in mind.
While Bessy seems to have many positive features, there has been a flaw discovered about the website. The biggest one is that grades
can be wrong. If a teacher inputs a letter grade, Bessy has a default percentage for that letter grade. For example, if a teacher puts in an A into the gradebook and the A is a 93, Bessy calculates it as if it were a 95. This can cause percentages to be off. Schoology is a more reliable source if a teacher uses letter grades instead of percentages. While Bessy seems to have some flaws, the site is still useful because of its interactive features that students can use.
The “Add Assignment” tool allows students to see their projected grade given a grade they get on a future assignment. To use, students click “Add Assignment” and modify the grade to get projected grades.
Credit: Hudson Powell
Bolles academics switches from MyBackpack to Veracross
Zipf Pedrick Contributing Writer
Recently, Bolles made the switch from My Backpack to Veracross. These are school management systems that manage student grades, classes, schedules, etc.
Lots of planning and consideration goes into making a transition like this. Ms. Moya Marks, the head of the upper school, explained the school’s decision.
“There was a task force set up to look at the various SMS, School Management Systems,” Marks said.
“We looked at which would be most user-friendly for families, students, and faculty. That’s how we landed on Veracross.”
Veracross was the best option due to its ease of use. Veracross’s interface has everything you need in one place. “For families, it is like
one-stop shopping,” said Marks. Veracross is better for faculty because it shows connections between different students. Before, faculty couldn’t see if students were siblings or cousins or related in any way.
The switch from My Backpack to Veracross started back in January. Once the contract with Veracross
was signed, the years of records began migrating over to the new system. Marks mentioned that the switch is “still a work in progress and “complicated.”
The switch is still ongoing and it will take some getting used to, but the administration is confident Veracross is the school’s best option.
Student looks at his classes on Veracross. Credit: Zipf Pedrick
The Veracross login page where you sign into your account. Credit: Zipf Pedrick
Hurricane Helene hits Florida
Zipf Pedrick Contributing Writer
Recently, Florida was hit by a category 4 hurricane, Hurricane Helene. Well in advance of the storm, Duval County Public Schools canceled school on Thursday and Friday, September 26-27, leading many Bolles students to wonder if Bolles would cancel Thursday and Friday as well.
However, private institutions like Bolles do not double as public shelters in the case of an emergency, so Bolles only canceled school on Thursday. Students and families went to sleep Thursday night thinking they would be at school the next morning.
However, the San Jose campus lost power early in the morning Friday, thus the emails and calls
Jake Forrest Contributing Writer
Hurricane Helene hit Bolles on Thursday, September 26. All four of Bolles campuses were closed down for the remainder of the week. For high school students, this meant the much anticipated homecoming week being cut short. It often feels like hurricanes cancel plans on purpose and strike at the most inconvenient times. The cartoon personifies a hurricane with an agenda that includes postponing Homecoming, cutting power to the school and more. All in all, the Bolles community was fortunate to not suffer significant damage.
went out at about 5:30 AM that Bolles would be closed Friday after all.
The hurricane led to important school events being postponed or canceled, such as the pep rally, festival, and the homecoming game. The homecoming game was moved to Monday, September 30. The pep rally was moved to Friday, October 4. The festival, which occurs after the pep rally, was unfortunately canceled.
While most students got to stay at home for those two days off, the boarders, who live at school, stayed there.
Nolan Preston ‘27 has been a boarder here at Bolles for three hurricanes. “It’s pretty relaxed, most boarders just hang out in Bolles Hall or upstairs in the common area and play video games, watch movies,” he said.
Preston’s favorite activity to do during a hurricane is to “take skimboards to the football field and skimboard on the field because it’s usually flooded.” The school is “pretty empty” aside from boarders and dorm parents after maintenance comes, he said.
The downside of hurricanes, according to Preston, is “sometimes the power goes out,” but he also mentioned that their rooms still have power when that happens. Bolles Hall has a generator as back up for the building so the boarders and dorm parents still have power when it goes out for the rest of the school.
Many people in Florida lost power because of the hurricane but the boarders here at Bolles had power the whole time.
S P O R
T S
Bolles swimmer races for Guatemala in the Olympics
LLeah Chin Contributing writer
ucero Mejia ‘26 represented Guatemala in the 2024 Olympic Games held in Paris. While she was excited to go, she was not originally guaranteed a spot on the team and had to work very hard to get selected.
In Guatemala and other smaller countries, swimmers with the highest FINA points are the athletes who are selected to compete. FINA points are assigned according to a swimmer’s performance. The faster you are, the higher your points are in an event. The swimmers with the highest points total in an event are selected.
Mejia was ranked number one in her country going into the season, but that took a turn when she was suddenly bumped down to number two by another swimmer. Mejia began to doubt herself.
“I thought, ‘I’m not going to make it anymore,’” she said. She had a month to improve her times to get back her number one spot and go to the Olympics.
“I trained very hard, I was very disciplined, and I was on the right track again.”
Mejia always thought she would be going to the Olympics for the 200 freestyle, but she soon realized she wouldn’t be able to make it for that event. “I was not improving my time in the 200 freestyle and had a mental block, but then we saw another opportunity in the 100 back. So that’s why we went for it.”
After months of training and staying dedicated she got an unexpected but highly anticipated call finding out that she was selected. “My parents called me
and we were all on the phone crying. We were very excited,” Mejia said. “I was hugged by a teammate, and it was a really wholesome experience.”
Fast forward to July 2024, Mejia arrived in Paris, “My favorite part was definitely the opening ceremony, because there were so many people, and it was so hyped up,” shesaid. She also shared how she liked the diversity and the different cultures represented in the Olympic Village.
There was a lot of controversy about the facilities in the Olympic village, but Mejia had a different look on it. “The room was very spacious. There were six people in one room so it was pretty nice. There was no air conditioning, but it’s whatever, I’m in the Olympics, so I’m just glad to be there.”
After the excitement of the opening ceremony and meeting new people, the time came when she had to get ready for her race and focus on her swim.
“There was a moment in the blocks, I was just telling myself,
‘this is what you’ve trained for.’ One of the reasons I came to Bolles was to make the Olympics.”
A tradition that athletes in the Olympic village do is trade pins, Mejia traded about 50 pins with different athletes from all around the world. “It was actually a nice experience. You can talk a little bit with that person, and learn what sports they do and where they come from. And it was nice meeting new people.”
After she competed, she celebrated by eating. “I basically ate all the chocolate muffins,” shesaid. “Then I got to go out one day with my family, so I visited the Palace of Versailles.” She enjoyed getting to go out with her family to explore Paris.
When looking back at the Games, Mejia doesn’t think about the stress. “I cannot even remember that feeling right now because the only thing I can remember is going to the Olympic Games. I’m just thinking about the happy times” Mejia said. She hopes to do this all again for the Olympic Games 2028.
Lucero Mejia ‘26 during the opening ceremony. Credit: Lucero Mejia
Coach Emmy makes a splash
CJolee Abbey Contributing Writer
oach Emmy Sehmann is our new enthusiastic swim coach at Bolles, with years of background experience on the pool deck. Sehmann comes from the midwest area and swam there in high school and in college for the University of Wisconsin. Sehmann first started coaching to provide swimmers with positive experiences and to “avoid past missteps” and give her athletes experiences she wished for in her past swimming career. She was over the moon for the opportunity to coach at Bolles when it came to her.
Credit: Coach Sehmann
“I was really excited about being a part of a successful program that believed in holistic values,” Sehmann said. She also recalled believing that getting a coaching job for Bolles would make her feel “really successful about where I was at, because it’s one of the top teams in the nation.”
Sehmann says that her favorite part about Bolles so far is definitely getting to know all of the swimmers and their different personalities. “There are people not only from all around the United States, but all around the world. It’s fun to be a part of something that’s just so much bigger than myself.”
Some of her core values include discipline, hard work, grit, and she really believes in empathy. “Being able to step into somebody’s shoes and fully understand where they’re coming from is something I really like to do,” Sehmann said.
“I was really excited about being a part of a successful program that believed in holistic values.”
- Coach Sehmann
She also believes in having trust as a main core value. She wants to build trust and a stronger bond with her athletes, so that she can coach them on a deeper level. Overall, Sehmann uses trust to be the best version of herself when conversing with fellow coaches and all athletes.
Sehmann’s current favorite stroke to swim and to coach seems to be freestyle, as that was her goto event in her swimming career. “Freestyle is my favorite, just because that’s what I’m best at, and what I seem to understand the most,” Sehmann said. A close second for her is breast stroke, “I like it a lot. I think that was one that I got a lot better at throughout my years, but there
wasn’t as much pressure, because it wasn’t my best stroke.”
Sehmann says her favorite drill to coach is the six-kickswitch freestyle drill, because it aids swimmers of all ages to strengthen key details in the foundation of freestyle form.
“It really helps with rotation, staying long, and head position, especially when done with a snorkel,” Sehmann believes.
Overall, Sehmann is an uplifting spirit to see often walking around the pool deck, with her contagious smile. Despite any bumpy roads she had to overcome in her past swimming career, she uses this to apply to her own coaching values and give her own swimmers
Coach Sehmann takes on her coaching role at Bolles.
Credit: Coach Sehmann
the best opportunities and experiences. Sehmann is already enjoying the environment of the school and her time here at Bolles, and can’t wait to see what more the future holds.
Coach Sehmann in her hometown, in Wisconsin.
Instagram creator and former Bolles swimmer rises to Varsity Head Coach
Coach_Jake_Swim
Ellie Stewart Design Editor
Coach Jake Gibbons ‘15, also known as @Coach_Jake_ Swim among his Instagram followers, becomes Varsity Head Coach for the nationally ranked Bolles swim team, while also closing in on 30,000 followers on his coaching page.
Gibbons accepted the promotion at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, but his connection to Bolles goes back to his high school years. Gibbons first joined The Bolles School when he moved from Connecticut and began competing for the swim team. From there, he signed to continue his athletic career at Yale, but quickly found the Ivy Leagues
were not what he was looking for in a school. Halfway through his first year, Gibbons transferred to Texas A&M and immediately knew he belonged there.
At the time, Texas A&M was at the bottom of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), but by the end of his first year the program began to rise. Gibbons began taking every opportunity to guide the team to excellence, and by the end of his first year, the team’s intensity and enthusiasm was unparalleled.
“We went from seventh my freshman year to second my sophomore year,” Gibbons said. At the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships, Gibbons helped
lead Texas A&M to finish third overall, paving the way to many more wins for the team.
Coming out of college, Gibbons had no intention of going into coaching. Instead, he looked to become a college athletic director, working with athletes searching for professional job opportunities. However, by graduation, COVID-19 had limited most of the jobs in that field. Fortunately, he was offered a volunteer coaching position at Texas A&M that allowed him to “stay close to the people that supported me.” And so, the following season, Gibbons returned to the swim team— this time, as a coach.
A few years later, Gibbons accepted a job offer back in Jacksonville working to help athletes enter professional careers. Seeing how his job brought him “right down the road from Bolles,” he soon connected with Head Coach Peter Verhoef and began coaching the club team.
Gibbons with his wife and dog. Credit: Jake Gibbons
“It was an opportunity for me to stay connected to the sport and coaching,” Gibbons said. “Despite working full hours at my regular job, I was still excited to come work another three hours at night. The best part of my day was finishing at Bolles.”
After working both jobs, and despite support from both organizations, Gibbons decided to leave his “regular job” and committed fully to Bolles swimming. “It wasn’t an easy decision to switch to full time coaching. But as soon as I did, there was a sense of ‘oh my gosh, now I’m in the right place,’” Gibbons said.
Since rejoining Bolles, Gibbons has been implementing values in his athletes that he learned throughout his swim career— the most important of which he believes is selfless service. For a team to pursue excellence, Gibbons emphasizes how each person must not focus on their own personal performance, but rather aim to contribute to the development of the team as a whole.
“I began to learn that lesson here at Bolles when I realized that my leadership and ability to influence my teammates was going to have a big impact,” Gibbons says. “We pride ourselves in winning the state championship and chasing national championships… I’m glad to be back at Bolles where people buy into that.”
Not only does Gibbons have plans to grow and represent the team on deck, but also online. Gibbons first began his Instagram page when he wanted to document his swimming travels on a page that was not his personal account.
When Gibbons first started the account, many of his swimmers called it “boring” and said he should have “more fun with it.” Now, his Instagram page includes videos teaching drills, techniques, set structures, and much more while putting his own twist on it.
“From there, it started to pick up a little bit of traction. I started making videos and realized that there was a whole audience of swimmers, coaches, and parents that were interested— not necessarily in what I was personally doing, but what Bolles was doing,” Gibbons said. Gibbons created his favorite
Murremand warming up to race.
Credit: Jake Gibbons
video when one of his swimmers left her good-luck teddy bear, Murremand, in the dorms on the way to a swim meet. When she asked if he could drive Murremand down to Ocala, he responded with “say less,” so long as he could document its travels. “We had a sleepover, I fed the bear breakfast, I let it drive the bus…. The last picture is him reunited with his mom,” Gibbons said. “That video blew up.”
Gibbons most enjoys creating content that says more about the team culture than the work side of the program. “It shows that we are more than swimmers and coaches. There’s relationships and love behind all of that,” Gibbons said.
Gibbons’ responsibilities as head coach include calculating meet entries, handling eligibility issues, and regulating early dismissal. Previously, as assistant coach, Gibbons enjoyed managing the logistics of the team and looks forward to being fully in charge of the technical side. “It’s a little bit of science and a little bit of art,” Gibbons said.
Gibbons describes his most important role as Varsity Head Coach as supporting Coach Peter and making himself available to every athlete. “If I can be the best coach and the best leader I can to
each individual, then I can provide the best opportunity for the team to rise,” Gibbons said. “There’s no magic trick that I can pull to make everyone better at once, but if I’m more available to everybody, that will have lasting effects.” Putting emphasis on each individual on the team is how Gibbons plans to continue the tradition of excellence.
Gibbons finds that one of the most challenging parts of the job is calculating meet entries— especially for select meets. “About 90% of our swimmers on our high school team would make the state roster for any other high school in Florida,” Gibbons said. “With our team, that’s not the case… We have to leave people off the state team that have the talent to compete at that state level.” Much collective planning between the coaches goes behind select meets, ensuring the team can earn as many podium spots as meet regulations allow.
This year, Gibbons plans to defend the state championship titles for the 37th (boys) and 34th (girls) year consecutively, while also placing in the top three high school swim teams in the nation. He describes the best way to achieve this is to “pour into every individual.”
Pouring into each athlete looks like establishing strong relationships between swimmers and coaches. “Trust that is built over many personal interactions will mean that when that swimmer is feeling something or needs something from me, they’re more likely to seek my help, and then I can be a coach.”
Gibbons has many plans to grow both his Instagram page and the Bolles Swimming program while looking to become more readily available to any swimmers at all times. Gibbons has been drawn back to Bolles time and time again and is ready to see where the next years as Varsity Head Coach take him and the team.
Swimmers represent Bolles at Olympic Trials and other national meets
Jolee Abbey
Contributing Writer
Tristan Dorville ‘25
Credit: Tristan Dorville
Bolles swimmers from Canada, Greece, Guatemala, and Caribbean islands represented their home countries with pride at different Olympic trials meets this past summer.
The first trials meet was the Canadian trials this past May in Toronto. Here, Lila Higgo ‘25, Neala Klein ‘25, and Victoria Edgar ‘26 raced their hearts out. Klein said the meet was a lot of
fun and she really enjoyed the pool. She will always remember feeling the support of her family even from far away and the feeling of “walking out to the blocks and my family seeing me on TV,” making for an unforgettable experience in her swimming career.
Edgar’s main goal going into this Toronto meet was to make a junior team through success in her 100 breast, but she unfortunately
“I had a little bit of health issues at the meet, but I still tried my best which is honestly the only thing I could I ask for.”
— Victoria Edgar ‘26
became sick. “I had a little bit of health issues at the meet, but I still tried my best, which is honestly the only thing I could ask for,” she said.
The next major trials meet for Bolles swimmers was the Central American and Caribbean Swimming Championships, (CCCAN), which was a meet for all swimmers from Caribbean islands and Central American countries. This meet took place in Mexico in June. Although the swimmers were excited for their races, the meet did not turn out as expected due to Hurricane Alberto canceling a full day of racing. At this meet, Bolles swimmers Tristan Dorville ‘25, Antoine Destang ‘25, Liam Carrington ‘26, Lucero Mejia ‘26, Marleigh Howes ‘26, Riley Miller ‘26, and Heidi Stoute ‘27 competed.
“You can’t just assume that conditions are going to be good. You have to be able to perform under
any circumstances, even if they’re not suitable or reasonable.”
— Tristan Dorville ‘25
Mejia, despite the bad weather overall, had the most unforgettable experience of all the Bolles swimmers at CCCAN, and will continue to relish the moment that the rain cleared and cleared her path to the Olympics, by swimming her best event, the 100 backstroke. “The weather was not great, there was a literal storm coming in, and there was a point where they said the meet was gonna be canceled but thank god it wasn’t and I got the opportunity to swim and get my cut.”
Dorville did not qualify for the Olympics at CCCAN as he had hoped, but the meet was still an amazing learning experience.
Lucero Mejia ‘26 after qualifying for the Olympics in th 100 back at CCCAN.
Credit: Lucero Mejia
Dorville grew from the challenges he had to face at CCCAN, and while recalling this said, “I don’t like to blame my outcomes on other sources but, you know, there were some environmental issues, so I’m not gonna berate myself.”.
“You can’t just assume that conditions are going to be good. You have to be able to perform under any circumstances, even if they’re not suitable or reasonable,” Dorville said. Dorville plans on implementing these things in his training and learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Carrington had a good experience in the water during the meet. Carrington’s hopes for the meet were to, “drop time and race my best. I think that goal was accomplished.” He also went into the meet with details to implement into his swimming of the 100 backstroke, and carried that goal out too.
George Dovellos ‘26 swam for his home country at Cyprus Trials in Europe in June. Going into this
“It was really cool to see the similarities and differences that took place there, from different languages for take your marks to swimming in hot water while racing.”
— George Dovellos ‘26
meet, he wanted to improve his times and learn how meets overseas were run. Overall, Dovellos feels he achieved this goal, as he quickly developed a feel for the unfamiliar meet style. “It was really cool to see the similarities and differences that took place there, from different languages for take your marks to swimming in hot water while racing,” Dovellos said.
Despite any and all challenges that these swimmers faced, they represented Bolles well and took advantage of better opportunities that arose. The swimmers learned valuable lessons from these Olympic trials meets.
Lila
Higgo ‘25 and Coach Jake at the Canadian Trials.
Credit: Jake Gibbons
Coach Jump becomes Cheer Coach
MTy Neal Co-Coffeehouse Editor
r. Tyler Jump was a history teacher and an advisor, and now, along with this, he has become a weightlifting coach and cheer coach at Bolles. Jump, who has taught at Bolles for two years, aims to give more to Bolles than a teacher and advisor can give.
Previous to Bolles, Jump was a cheerleader in high school and college.
“I was a cheerleader in high school for all four years,” Jump said. “My previous cheerleading experience is from the University of Florida, where I was a cheerleader there for four years, and I went all throughout the country cheering at Elite Eight basketball games in Madison Square Garden to cheering as far away as Missouri and Kentucky and even Louisiana.”
continue to grow the cheer community at Bolles, and he is excited for cheer’s brand new uniforms. These new uniforms are all orange much like the orange jerseys the football team wears for special games.
Being a male cheerleader is quite uncommon at Bolles, but Jump wants to encourage men to join.“We’re just trying to break into the culture at Bolles and kind of reintroduce male cheerleading to this school, because we have had male cheerleaders before.”
“We’re just gonna make small, incremental improvements for the future, such as improvements in how we are on the sidelines.”
— Mr. Jump
“We’re ordering some new flags. They’ll be here by the playoff games because they’re hand stitched, and they take a very long time for a couple of people to hand sew them, but they’re high quality. They’ll last for about 10 to 15 years. And so we’re going to start that tradition at Bolles, similar to what you would see on a collegiate sideline.”
Jump’s experience in the cheer world gives Bolles hope to
This year, Jaice Wilkins ‘25 is the only male cheerleader on the team. Jump looks to expand this number and in general looks to turn the high school cheer team closer to that of a college team. “We’re just gonna make small, incremental improvements for the future, such as improvements in how we are on the sidelines.”
Jump looks to improve the cheer team as a whole with new routines and other traditions like flying the flag across the field after all of our touchdowns.
“We’re just trying to break into the culture at Bolles and kind of reintroduce male cheerleading to this school, because we have had male cheerleaders before.”
— Mr. Jump
Overall, Jump looks forward to what the future of Bolles cheer holds. He is also excited to continue new traditions such as running the flags across the endzone after we score and other things you would see at a college level.
Coach Jump on the sidelines.
Credit: Nikolas Azevedo
Anderson Chambliss ‘27 and Sloane James ‘27 smile for the camera.
Credit: Nikolas Azevedo
Return of the Mac
Quarterback Mac Jones returns to his home town
Nikolas Azevedo Co-Sports Editor
Bolles has produced many great athletes through all of their sports. One of the most successful names is Mac Jones ‘17. Jones played all four years of high school football at Bolles before continuing his collegiate career at University of Alabama.
Jones played for three years at Alabama under the legendary head coach Nick Saban. One of his years included a 2020 campaign in which he led the Alabama squad to a National Championship Victory. In that 2020 season, Jones threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns.
After his junior season, Jones declared for the NFL Draft in which he was selected 15th overall by the New England Patriots. Jones had big shoes to fill with the absence of legend Tom Brady. In his rookie season, it seemed that New England had found their quarterback of the future.
“I definitely loved growing up here and it’s a kid’s dream to be able to play for an NFL team and specifically their hometown team.”
— Mac Jones ‘17
In his rookie season, Jones led the Patriots to a 10-7 record and a playoff appearance. Jones threw for 3,801 yards and 22 in the regular season along with 232 yards and two touchdowns in his
lone playoff appearance against the Buffalo Bills. This early success landed Jones in the Pro Bowl and he was a runner up for 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
After three seasons up north with the New England Patriots, Mac Jones was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars on March 13, 2024 the first day of the New League Year in the NFL.
Jones is excited about his fresh start in his hometown. “I definitely loved growing up here and it’s a kid’s dream to be able to play for an NFL team and specifically their hometown team,” he said, “so I’m excited to learn from the QBs and everybody and get into a room and just help however I can.”
Jones has had several great coaches at all three stages of his football career: Corky Rogers (Bolles coach), Nick Saban (U of A), and Bill Belichick (NFL) and he is excited to work with his new coach Doug Peterson. “Coach Peterson, I’ve heard great things about him, obviously played the position... Coach Taylor and Coach McCoy and everybody so it’s good to talk with everybody and learn their stories a little bit,” he said.
“I’m just excited to work with a
Mac Jones at Jaguars media day.
Credit: Aaron Berkshire
Mac Jones ’17 at Jaguars practice. Credit: Aaron Berkshire
very good offensive knowledge coaching staff who knows a lot about quarterback play. It’s pretty cool to have a coach that’s like been there, done that before and been in that position.”
After his 2023 campaign, Jones hoped to get his career back on track and is confident in his ability to do so. “I think it’s a great opportunity for me to get the train back on the tracks and I feel like I played good football in the NFL, but obviously I need to do a lot of improvement and this is going to be a great spot for me with a great coaching staff and a great quarterback to learn from in Trevor.” Jones showed a glimpse of what his future could be when he played in his first three preseason games with the Jaguars. He threw for 421 yards and three touchdowns. Next time you are at a Jaguars game, keep an eye out for former Bolles quarterback Mac Jones.
Doghouse gives Bulldogs a place to rest
TAkin Akande Contributing Writer
he football program at The Bolles School has a history of success dating back to 1983 when the Bulldogs won their first state championship. Ever since then, Bolles football has grown and is well known across the United States. Bolles has won eleven state championships. They also send many athletes to play at the collegiate level every year and many go on to play professionally.
To celebrate the continued success of the football program, the community now has their very own “Doghouse.” The Doghouse is a great environment for Bolles football players to relax, do homework, eat, and hang out with their teammates. The Doghouse is owned by the parents of Luke
Toland ’28 and is available to Bulldog football players Monday through Friday, before or after practice.
When players arrive at the Doghouse, they must leave their shoes at the door. When they walk through the door they are immediately fed with full meals and not snacks, because very often the first thing on your mind after practice is food. Toland’s mother is the main caretaker of the Doghouse. She takes care of everyone in the Doghouse as if they are her own family.
Football players are welcome to stay the night and are always under parental supervision. The Doghouse is an eight-bedroom house.
Dawson Bridges ‘27 says his favorite thing to do at the
Doghouse is to “hang out with the guys, and play NCAA College Football 25.” He also says, “The dining room is the best place to study.” On average, after practice there are about 20-25 players at the Doghouse.
Overall, the dog house is a place for football players to hang out with each other and bond as a team.
“The Doghouse is a place for the Bolles football team to feel welcome. It is our home as a family.”
— Coleman Spencer ‘25
The Doghouse living room. Credit: Dawson Brydges
All images feature the inside and outside of the Doghouse.
Credit: Nikolas Azevedo and Dawson Brydges
Bolles baseball phenom looks forward to the majors
BHenry Leslie Contributing Writer
olles Alum Hunter Barco ‘19 is one of the most dominant athletes to come out of Bolles.
His success began early in his career when he played varsity baseball in eighth grade and committed to the University of Virginia at age 14.
“That really lifted the pressure off me because I knew I was going to play in college. I could just have fun playing the game I love without wondering what was next,” Barco said.
He ended his freshman year with a 12-0 record and a 0.53 ERA (Earned Run Average), meaning he gave up 0.53 runs per full game. This success led to him winning the Florida Times-Union Player of the Year. This was an incredible accomplishment, making him the best high school player in Florida.
“Coach Boswell really took me under his wing along with the other varsity players,” Barco said. “They all made me feel like I belonged on the field and that gave me the confidence that I could compete with them.”
He continued this success throughout high school, ending with a 35-4 record, a 1.53 ERA, and 336 strikeouts. Not only was he successful on the mound but also as a hitter, launching 13 home runs and batting .299. This success contributed to back-to-back state championships in 2016 and 2017, making him one of the best baseball players to come out of Bolles.
“Bolles baseball taught me discipline as a player and person. Everything had to be done the
right way, and we were taught that every little detail matters. Learning that early in my career was crucial not only in baseball but also my life.”
Barco was viewed as a top MLB Prospect for the 2019 Draft, but after sliding to the 24th round to the New York Mets he decided to pursue his strong commitment to Florida.
Hunter Baro drafted. Credit: Hunter Barco’s instagram
“Once my senior year came around I realized that Virgina, although it is an incredible program, might not be the best fit for me. I made the switch to the University of Florida due to it having such great academics and a great program,” Barco said.
“I decided to go to Florida because I knew what my price was to go pro instead of going to school, and we were unable to come to an agreement so I chose to get an education and play great college baseball.”
In 2020 Barco capitalized on his opportunities, pitching 19 innings with a 2-0 record and a 1.40 ERA before the rest of his season being canceled due to Covid.
In 2021 he continued to make his name known starting 16 games going 10-3 with a 4.01 ERA. Following the season, he was selected to represent the USA Baseball National team where he competed against top level talent from around the world.
Junior year, Barco faced some adversity dealing with some elbow discomfort. It was announced that he would have Tommy John Surgery, meaning he would have surgery on his UCL and would not return that year.
Despite Barco sitting out most of his junior year, scouts believed in his potential from previous years. Barco was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates as the 44th overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft.
Following being drafted, he showed how electric he was despite his surgery. He has climbed up the minor league system currently playing on the Double A Greensboro Grasshoppers.
The Pirates view Barco as a valuable asset in their organization as their 8th ranked prospect overall. This projects him to be in the Major League by the 2025 season.
Barco had some great advice for younger players.
“My advice to a high school player is just to have fun. Don’t take your friendships with your teammates for granted because those will be your friends for the rest of your life. Baseball after high school is still a lot of fun, but it is more of a job and very success driven. High school baseball is all about having fun with your friends and enjoying the time you have with each other.”
Football season off to a great start
Henry Leslie Contributing Writer
Week 1 vs Raines. The dogs took a tough loss to a very talented team with a final score of 32-23.
Week 3 vs Bishop Kenny. The rivalry game is always very important. Bolles took care of business winning 35-28 in a second half masterclass.
Week 2 vs Trinity. The dogs had a bounceback game defeating Trinity 41-7 in a blowout win.
Week 4 vs Oakleaf. The dogs got their second chance to compete against a top notch program. Bolles defeated Oakleaf 57-50.
Week 5 vs Baldwin. Bolles did not let the hurricane ruin their homecoming game. They defeated Baldwin 35-0.
FHSAA approves NIL deals for athletes
ODawson Brydges Contributing Writer
n July 24, 2024, The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) adopted a rule allowing athletes to accept money from NIL deals. NIL stands for Name, Image, and Likeness. Before, Florida high school athletes couldn’t make money off their name, image, or likeness. Now they can, with deals that come in the form of sponsorships from companies like Nike, Under Armour, and Adidas. NIL deals provide athletes with great opportunities. However, many think this change is starting to turn high school sports into a non-authentic business opportunity.
At Bolles, many top athletes are exposed to these deals. One of these athletes is Simeon Caldwell ’26, a top linebacker in his class. Caldwell supports NIL deals for high schoolers. “I think it’s a good opportunity for some of the top prospects to earn money in high school. High school is becoming more of a job now. Like any job, you want a reward for it.”
Although Caldwell has been offered potential NIL deals, he has declined them. “I didn’t take the deals,” he said. “It’s not too
“It’s not too important to me right now. I just want to focus on helping the team win and being the best version of myself.”
— Simeon Caldwell ‘26
important to me right now. I just want to focus on helping the team win and being the best version of myself, I don’t want to get too caught up in that because it’s a distraction and takes away from our team goal.”
This narrative about NIL has been around for a long time before it entered high schools. Legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban shared his thoughts on NIL deals when he visited Capitol Hill in early March of this year. Saban supported the idea of athletes making money before going pro, but he also explained his concerns about athletes getting caught up in money and losing sight of what is important. Saban said, “All they care about is how much you’re going to pay them. They don’t care about how we’re going to develop them.”
“All they care about is how much you’re going to pay them. They don’t care about how we are going to develop them.”
— Nick Saban
NIL can provide high school athletes with great opportunities, especially for those who are less fortunate. However, as a high school athlete, the money can be distracting. It is vital for high school athletes to keep their minds on the game and not on the dough.
Simeon Caldwell ‘26 watching on the sidelines. Credit: Dawson Brydges
Look good, feel good, play good
Bolles Athletics switches from Under Armour to Nike
WNikolas Azevedo Co-Sports Editor
ith a new school year comes new seasons for all of the Bolles Sports teams. With the Bulldogs football season underway, there has been a noticeable change in the teams’ uniforms.
Before the season started, the Bolles football team made the
“I think the kids really love wearing it, especially at the high school level, and I thought it was a great idea.”
— Athletic Director Rock Pillsbury
switch from being represented by Under Armour to Nike. Bolles has been partnered with Baker Sports for several years; the change of brand was not the one of Athletic Director Rock Pillsbury. Pillsbury said, “It wasn’t my decision. It was done before we got here and it’s really a factor of the company
that we deal with, which is Baker Sporting Goods. They have never had Nike, and they just recently picked up the brand…As Coach Toblin believes and Coach Hoekstra, I believe that Nike is the better brand. I think the kids really love wearing it, especially at the high school level, and I thought it was a great idea.”
Simeon Caldwell ‘26 gets set. Credit: Nikolas Azevedo
Along with the switch to Nike, the football program received a gift from former quarterback Mac Jones ‘17, who is now with the Jaguars. “We have a new set of uniforms this year that were given to us by Mac Jones, an orange set of jerseys. So, we have three sets now, so we’re really excited about them,” said Pillsbury.
Football is not the only sport that will be receiving new uniforms for the 2024 season and beyond. “Volleyball, I know for sure got three new sets this year, a blue, a white, and an orange as well… I know wrestling was looking into it, so it’s just on a case-by-case basis.”
Pillsbury noted that the decision comes down to what the coach wants. Each coach can decide what uniform style they want, if they do in fact want to change. “I totally agree with the decision,” Pillsbury said. “In California, I come from a Nike school as well. And so I love the brand. I’ve worn Adidas, Under Armour, and Nike, and I like Nike the best.”
Bolles’ kickoff team gets ready. Credit: Dawson Brydges
Boys golf is a hole in one
Jake Forrest Contributing Writer
The boys golf team here at Bolles practices hard every season in order to win as many matches as possible and then on to districts, regionals, and hopefully states. Last year’s team built a strong foundation, and this year’s has an opportunity to build on that success and win it all.
Golf team after a day of practice.
Credit: Enzo Martinez
According to the head coach, Coach Trey Leonard, “This year, we’ve got a good group of guys returning, and a good group of young guys coming in.” With no lack of talent and with lots of potential, the ceiling for this team is sky high.
“This year, we’ve got a good group of guys returning, and a good group of young guys coming in.”
— Coach Leonard
Hills Golf Club.
“Certain days we will go out and we’ll play on the course,” said Coach Leonard. “We may also do a par three course. Short games work for sure. And then sometimes we’ll just go and use the practice area, so we’ll do the driving range, putting, chipping.”
The boys golf team stays busy on days without a match, which foreshadows their probable success this year.
When the boys golf team doesn’t have a match, they practice either at San Jose Golf Club or Hidden
Credit: Coach Leonard
Recently winning the Lakewood Invitational in august which consisted of 20 teams, the boys golf team is already off to a hot start.
“The goals for the team this year would be to compete for a championship,” said Coach Leonard. “We want to go and be able to win the district and win the region and compete for a state championship.”
Not only is the coach passionate about this season but the players
Credit: Enzo Martinez
are too. Enzo Martinez ‘25 has a real love for the game.
“I love it, and my dad is the one that made me start playing. One of the main reasons I came to the states was to be able to study and play golf at the same time,” said Martinez.
Bolles boys golf team posttournament.
Credit: Enzo Martinez
Photo from the Lakewood Ranch Invitational.
Enzo Martinez ’25 hits onto the green.
S I E A A C D M C
Desrosiers joins science department
MJaxson Richter Contributing Writer
r. Kevin Desrosiers is an energetic new chemistry teacher at Bolles. Derosiers was originally from up north.
“I was originally from Massachusetts, then I moved to Orlando and then to Jacksonville,” he said.
Desrosiers was very busy and occupied from a young age. He was involved in sports early in his childhood and through high school.
“I had a very busy life and played a lot of sports like baseball, basketball, bowling, soccer, and golf,” he said. “When I was inside I loved to read and play Pokemon.”
“Around high school, when I was taking chemistry is when I first started my love for teaching. I was used as an in-class tutor to help other students and realized I loved helping others.”
Not long after, he made a move down south to Orlando, Florida. There, he started his dream career teaching.
“My first year of teaching was 2014-2015 at Freedom High School in Orlando, I loved it there because their mascot was a patriot and the Patriots are my favorite football team.”
Desrosiers taught at Freedom High School for years, then moved to Jacksonville to teach at Mandarin. There, Mrs. McLeod, a former teacher at Mandarin and friend of Derosiers, notified him of a job opening at Bolles. He was ecstatic about this opportunity.
“I decided around June 2024 to come to Bolles,” he said, “it was a no-brainer to take it, especially with zero hour and activities as well as the tradition and prestige of the school.”
His first weeks at Bolles have been great.
“It’s been fantastic here, I always tell my friends over at Mandarin that I’m spoiled to teach here at Bolles.”
Desrosiers has had to adjust and adapt his lesson plans and teaching style with the current students and curriculum.
“I’m trying to move a lot more to interactive lessons than lectures.
Mr. Desrosiers golfing.
Credit: Facebook
A lot depends on the level and how you can explain and teach different students.” Desrosiers has had a lot of good moments and memories from teaching over the years.
He loves teaching AP classes and helping students do well when they didn’t think they’d pass. He loves to connect with his students.
Although he was busy, he never shied away from giving a helping hand and discovered his desire to teach early on.
Nonetheless, teaching at Bolles is different from teaching in public schools. “Seems like grades have been a big difference,” he said. “The plus and minus system is a big difference. At public schools 90% is an A.”
“My favorite part of teaching is probably building relationships with the students, even though chemistry is cool, not all students are interested and that’s fine.”
“Some teachers are very rigid and strict, but I’m more interested in not overloading a student.”
Mr. Desrosiers and his wife.
Credit: Mr. Desrosiers
Gentry joins world languages department
OThomas Catto Contributing Writer
ne of Bolles’ newest teachers this year is world languages teacher Ms. Elizabeth Gentry.
Gentry, who is very passionate about Latin, is now a major part of the Bolles Latin program.
At her old school, Gentry taught English and had not taught Latin in a while, she said. Latin is what she went to school to teach and is her passion. “The opportunity to teach Latin full-time is a dream for me,” she said.
“The opportunity to teach Latin is a dream for me.”
— Ms. Gentry
Bolles’ Latin Forum Awards.
Credit: Thomas Catto
also beginning to fade away. This is due to the lack of Latin teachers that are available. There are many students wishing to take Latin but not enough teachers.
However, there is hope for Latin in other schools. Gentry does not believe Latin will continue to shrink.
“There will come a time when people will realize the value of Latin and there will be a resurgence, and you will start seeing those numbers go back up,” she said.
However, in recent years, some schools have stopped attending due to their Latin programs ending. However, Gentry believes that this year, some schools that have strong Latin programs will attend for the first time.
Overall, Gentry believes that encouraging more schools to attend Latin Forum could help with the issue of Latin programs fading away.
“If we get people to come and see it,” she said, “a lot of students once they attend it, realize how fun Forum is.” Forum is something to look forward to and place to explore and have fun, she said.
Gentry is impressed with Bolles and Bolles students. She describes the students as “kind, thoughtful, and courteous.”
A big concern with Latin instruction today is its decline. The popularity of the language has trends and constantly goes up and down depending on the time and current events, Gentry said.
Numerous schools are struggling with their programs such as Wolfson and Paxon. Other Latin programs in Northeast Florida are
Latin to her is very important and she has a deep passion for the language.
Locally, Latin Forum is a major event in the Latin community. Latin Forum is a gathering of many schools to compete in Latin-based events and tests. It has been hosted at Bolles for many years and is a strong Latin tradition.
Latin Forum project.
Credit: Thomas Catto
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How is student integrity affected in the age of AI?
How is student integrity affected in the age of AI?
IAva Cheng Editor-in-Chief
n a digital landscape where artificial intelligence can craft essays, solve equations, and even engage in sophisticated academic discourse, the challenge of maintaining student integrity has never been greater. As AI tools become more adept at mimicking human thought, educators face the daunting task of distinguishing between genuine student work and AI-assisted submissions.
The paragraph above was generated by ChatGPT. But without being told, would you have guessed that AI was in use?
For many, separating student work from AI-generated writing has become increasingly difficult as commonly used programs like ChatGPT continue to improve. But according to Dr. Halloran, Head of the Honor Council, certain steps are taken to detect AI usage and maintain students’ integrity.
“If a student turned in something that was AI or plagiarized, probably their teacher caught it on Turnitin or some other source, and then they sent it to me,” explained Halloran. After she receives the work, she runs it through several other AI checkers to ensure the legitimacy of the accusation.
While a single checker may be untrustworthy, Halloran believes using several provides a reliable report. Some programs report the probability that the work contains AI, while others provide a percentage of how much AI has been used.
“So you could get different numbers because they’re reporting different things,” Halloran said. “If something like that was happening, I would check paragraph by paragraph, and usually I find out that it’s one or two paragraphs that are the offending thing, and the rest might have been handwritten.”
Apart from AI checkers, certain word usage and writing styles often signify AI usage. “Very often, the two biggest indicators are made up citations and made up quotations.”
But despite AI becoming more advanced, Halloran states that the overall number of cases that face the Honor Council hasn’t increased. “Do I see an increase in the percent of Honor Code breakages that are AI, yes. Am I seeing an increase in Honor Code breakages overall? No.”
“What’s happening is that a student gets desperate or maybe even a little bit lazy. We’ve all had those days when we’re rushed to the last minute and didn’t get around to it,” said Halloran. “They take shortcuts. And what’s changing is the nature of the shortcuts in some cases, but I think almost no student in this school sits down and says, ‘I think I will cheat today.’ ”
The heart of the Honor Code still hasn’t changed: turning in unoriginal work results in an Honor Code violation no matter the source.
“What has changed is that, in some cases, students don’t realize that they’re using AI. When Microsoft first came out with Cortana, a lot of kids didn’t realize that it was AI and it would give you AI generated information,” said Halloran.
While Cortana, Microsoft’s “personal productivity assistant,” was deprecated in 2023, it was previously integrated into the Windows search bar, providing easily-accessible answers from Microsoft Edge. With the search bar located right at the bottom of the computer screen, Cortana was a convenient source of information that might not have been as easily recognizable as AI. “And so part of the thing that has changed is the lengths we have to go to to educate students that if it’s not yours, it’s still not your work.”
Overall, the Honor Council serves to remind students of the importance of academic honesty and personal integrity, values that are more important than ever. “You need to have a culture where people are trusting one another,” said Halloran. “We, as teachers and students, all have to be careful it’s not a mindset of, ‘Oh, can we cheat better than you can catch us?’ Nobody wants to play that game. I mean, our teachers want to get the best out of the kids.”
As technology continues to develop, Halloran foresees the possibility of AI causing changes to the Honor Code or Council. However, she’s optimistic that these changes will be for the better. “There’s certainly lots of creative uses for AI, as long as you’re citing it,” said Halloran. “I think as we all get more used to it as a tool, we’ll be able to be more responsible, and that should actually make things easier on our council.”
“I think almost no student in this school sits down and says, ‘I think I will cheat today.’ ”
— Dr. Halloran
For the time being, Halloran encourages students to stick to their own ideas rather than face the consequences of an Honor Code violation, but she also understands that mistakes happen.
“Making one mistake does not define you. We treat coming before the Honor Council once as a learning process,” said Halloran. “That’s one reason we’re so super careful about how confidential we are—because mistakes shouldn’t define anybody, especially a teenager.”
New Legal Studies class at the Bolles School
Akin Akande Contributing Writer
In addition to the new Center for Innovation and new teachers at Bolles, we also have new courses for students to choose from, like the Legal Studies class taught by Ms. Kimberly Dividu.
“I believed that the Legal Studies course would give our students a place, in the school day, to study the concepts of law, trial preparation, and delivery.”
— Ms. Dividu
Legal Studies is a great topic that can teach people important skills. Legal Studies comprises the values and practices of law and legality. In this class, students will learn about criminal justice and gain a deeper understanding of Legal Studies.
Ms. Dividu “was inspired to start this class because of the hard work and dedication of her mock trial team.”
“Legal studies is a semester-long course that will cover topics in criminal and civil law,” said Dividu. “It will also cover the steps in trial preparation and delivery, and finally students will learn how to examine a fact pattern, analyze evidence, construct opening and closing statements, direct and cross-examinations of witnesses, and objections to testimony.”
“I look forward to hearing the varied perspectives and methods for examining the facts and developing a winning case.”
— Ms. Dividu
Dividu says she “is looking forward to the creativity, inquiry, debate, development, and comradery the students enrolled in this class will experience. I want the students who are enrolled in this class to have an interest in the legal field. Moreover, I would like students to have a place to think analytically,
The Mock Trial team at the courthouse last year. Credit: Bolles Mock Trial
Bolles launches Watersports class for upperclassmen
Brady Pratt Contributing Writer
Bolles has announced the arrival of the new Watersports class, mainly targeting the senior class while lowerclassmen are still enduring language classes during their freshman and sophomore years. This class gives the upperclassmen a fun new experience before they head off to college.
Many students were surprised that a class like this could be taken during the normal school day. Students can go out on the water just after academic classes like English or Math.
“When I heard about the release of this class I knew I had to sign up. The water is one of my favorite places to be and this gives me the opportunity of doing what I love at school.”
— Jake Pratt ‘25
Jake Pratt ‘25 just joined the class. Pratt already enjoyed wakeboarding and fishing, so when he learned about this class, he was determined to join.
“When I heard about the release of this class, I knew I had to sign up,” Pratt said. “The water is one of my favorite places to be and this gives me the opportunity of doing what I love at school.”
Students love being able to go down to the boathouse and get
in the water, especially when they are having a rough day at school.
“When you get down to the boathouse, the students change into their swimming apparel including swim trunks and a swim shirt if desired,” said Pratt. “There is an option of either taking the kayak or the paddle board out depending on your preferences.”
The Watersports class doesn’t involve anything like quizzes, tests, and homework. It is just for the students to get out of the classroom and have a fun hour of their day to enjoy themselves.
This class does involve using motor-powered boats. However, students get to use kayaks and paddle boards at their own will. Motorized boats could be too much of a hazard for injury and some students do not have the experience that is required to drive a boat. And in order to operate a watercraft, you need to have a boater’s license.
“Some sort of footwear is required,” Pratt said. “Many of the
students decide on either water shoes or flip flops to keep their feet protected from things like oysters and rocks that can cause serious injury.”
Watersports class canoe and CFI.
Credit: Brady Pratt
The Watersports class is a sweet relief from the stressful school day. It is a relaxing way to end your high school years and get ready to move onto the next chapter, especially if you have an interest in the water. Grades in the class arey based on participation as there are no assessments and no homework.
Student kayaking.
Credit: Brady Pratt
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Fine Arts prepares Almost Maine production
Zara Touheed Contributing Writer
Coming November 14-16 to the Bartram stage is a new production about love found in a small town through eight stories. Almost Maine was written by John Cariani.
“It’s set up as a vignette play in which there are eight scenes that are all happening at the exact same time,” said Laura Rippel, the Chair of the Fine Arts department and director of Almost Maine.
“Your moment will come when it’s meant to.”
- Francesca Tapley ‘28
“All of these eight different couples are having this moment all at the same time. And it’s kind of a comedic and dramatic examination of the different types of love and stages of love.“
- Director Laura Rippel
“I liked it because it really is an interesting way of examining the human experience. In my opinion, all art is about people. That’s the number one rule. All art is about people. And I’m very interested
in people, and so having the opportunity to try on different experiences and different lives. Human lives are exciting to me, because I’m just really interested in different people’s experiences.”
- Director Laura Rippel
“I like how it’s several different stories that take place at the exact same time, and throughout the story, it’s not really told that, but
you realize it and all the magical moments line up and it just it happens in such an order that works so well.”
- Nate Zerkowski ‘25
Bolles Dance launches Big Sis Lil Sis program
Credit: The Bolles School
BJaxson Richter
Contributing writer
ig Sis Lil Sis is an exciting new program for dance. It is designed to help the middle school dancers get incorporated into the program and adjusted to dancing at school.
“The Big Sis Lil Sis program is where dancers from the upper school get paired with dancers from the middle school, usually one to three since there are more middle schoolers,” said Chi Vo ’27. Its main focus is to help middle school dancers with any problem or provide assistance, and to also
encourage and lift them up.
“Throughout the year we write each other letters of encouragement and about anything else,” Vo said.
At the end of the year concert, the upper schoolers get to meet their middle school sisters for the first time. The program is relatively new for dance.
“It was first incorporated into dance in the mid-year of last year,” Vo said.
The program was ultimately instated to make the middle schoolers feel assisted and to help
them with any challenges, and it’s a very fun activity for the dancers. A change that Vo would like to see to the program would be communicating more with the middle schoolers throughout the year.
“If I could change something it would be that we send more letters to each other. Usually we communicate two to three times a year and then we meet at the concert.”
With this change, young dancers can receive even more assistance and support throughout the year. Overall feedback has been positive on the new program.
Bolles Dancers.
Faculty and fine arts
The first faculty art show held at Bolles
Ava Cheng Editor-in-Chief
For most of the year, the Gooding Gallery displays a variety of student works, giving members of the Bolles community an opportunity to see their peers’ creativity. While these quarterly shows spotlight student pieces, the gallery hasn’t featured faculty art until this year.
Shortly before the school year began, during faculty preplanning, the art teachers from all four Bolles campuses came together to set up their work in a faculty art show.
“It was really fun,” said Ms. Kuonen, who teaches twodimensional art at the upper school. “I think most of our colleagues haven’t seen our own
work. They see our student work all the time, but they haven’t seen our work.”
Kuonen creates what she calls “PLAYNTINGS,” making art through experimentation and exploration.
“It’s kind of the excuse that it doesn’t have to follow the exact rules of painting per se.” Whether a different material or process, Kuonen likes to “mess around” throughout her creative process to create visual depth and engaging pieces.
Alongside Kuonen, upper school teachers Mr. Hicks, Mrs. Gonzalez, Mr. Dickson, and Ms. Westerlind were featured in the show.
“I think that Mr. Dickson probably wins the prize for most people being shocked,” said Kuonen. “Stone carving is a big, impressive
surprise for a lot of people.” As an English and Art History teacher, Dickson was able to showcase his studio skills through his sculptures. After starting sculpture classes six years ago to gain studio experience while teaching Art History, Dickson is learning about the properties of stone and its sculptural qualities.
Dickson’s stone sculptures capture his studio art skills.
Credit: Ava Cheng
Mr.
Ms . Kuonen and Mrs. Gonzalez’s work displayed in the gallery.
Credit: Ava Cheng
“Working on a scale of abstraction, where some works clearly represent actual things, and others push beyond representation just to make intriguing shapes,” said Dickson in his artist statement, “these sculptures are a pleasure to make, and hopefully enjoyable to see.
Dickson’s art wasn’t the only surprise—despite teaching photography, Westerlind opted to include watercolor pieces in the show. According to her artist statement, Westerlind practices a variety of mediums, utilizing nearby materials to express herself when “the need to create strikes.”
Ms. Westerlind’s use of watercolor captures moments from her summer.
Credit: Ava Cheng
Having spent the summer swimming and strolling the local shore, Westerlind appreciated the fluid quality of watercolor and its ability to reflect such moments. The set of pieces featured in the faculty art show are “fragments of a visual journal of sorts,” capturing the essence of certain parts of Westerlind’s summer.
Gonzalez, the upper school threedimensional art teacher, displayed several intricate sculptures. “Clay is made of yesteryear’s giants, the rocks that have succumbed to the forces of water, weather, time and the organisms that once occupied the earth,” said Gonzalez.
Mrs. Gonzalez’s sculptures capture reflection on the passage of time. Credit: Ava Cheng
“Clay reminds us to look long into the past to see the future.” Gonzalez’s pieces reflect this sentiment, capturing the desire for permanence and acceptance of the present and its fragility through her impressive sculptures. Hicks, the current gallery director
One of Mr. Hicks’ works, ‘Kinda Clouds #8,’ displayed in the show. Credit: Mr. Hicks
and another two-dimensional art teacher, helped set up and organize the show. His work included a variety of mediums and series, ranging from vivid pastel cloudscapes to more abstract, geometric pieces.
Hicks expresses “the emotional climate” through his art by drawing, printmaking, and specific mark-making. He depicts the “inner landscape with wind,
rain, and clouds,” translating his inner dialogue into work that will “bring clarity, inspiration, and calm under dense clouds.”
While Kuonen, Gonzalez, and Hicks have displayed art together in off-campus shows in the past, the faculty art show was the start of what will hopefully become a tradition that allows teachers to share their work with a broader Bolles community. According to Kuonen, the gallery is primarily a space dedicated to student work. “But this is a new initiative that we’re hoping to do every four years. That way, in the four year cycle of students, they’ll see it at some point in their journey.”
Another piece created by Mr. Hicks, titled ‘Wavehouse #1.’
Credit: Mr. Hicks
Fine Arts hosts first student art show of 2024-2025
TAlastair Thompson Contributing Writer
he first art show of the 2024-2025 school year took place on September 6 and showcased pieces that interested many.
Drawing 1 artist Rafa Neal ’27 presented a piece in which she reformed our beloved Bolles Hall walkway leading to the river into “train tracks leading into the darkness, surrounded by the iconic Bolles archways around it.”
Henry Camp ‘27 was one of the 16 artists that worked on a lifesized sculpture of a man holding a globe.
Rafa Neal ‘27 portrays Bolles Hall from a different perspective.
Credit: Alastair Thompson
The body of the male sculpted was portrayed as “a representation of all of the different countries Bolles students are from.”
Camp described this piece as “a way to recognize how much diversity is in the Bolles community, and we as students don’t take into account how much that helps us grow as humans.”
This semester-long project was orchestrated by Ms. Gonzalez and is an amazing way to show Bolles is so welcoming to anyone and everyone.
Sculpture 1’s take on Bolles’ diverse community.
Credit: Alastair Thompson
Jack Camp ‘25’s take on patriotism by using the iconic American bald eagle.
Credit: Alastair Thompson
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AI get out of art
Tristan Schneider
Co-Coffeehouse Editor
Terminator,” “I Robot,” “2001: A Space Odyssey”—these are just a few examples of the potential danger of Artificial Intelligence (AI), yet we don’t listen. Luckily AI hasn’t evolved enough to end or enslave the human race, but it has evolved enough to ruin art.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, art is “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form.” The key word in this quote is HUMAN - art is the most human creation. It lets artists express themselves. So why are we using AI in art?
Take the movie “La La Land” for example. The audience can see all the hard work and passion that went into the film in every dance number and somber scene. The film wouldn’t work without the artists putting emotional moments into it - that’s what makes it a great film.
“We are empowering creators and storytellers to use this new technology so the human experience is enriched, and we believe that creatives with limitless imagination will drive innovation.”
— Chris Regina, Chief Content Officer of TLC
AI cannot make a film like “La La Land” because machines do not have emotions. It can make
the same plot, the same story, but ultimately it will feel hollow. Take the ending for example: it’s a bittersweet ending where two characters follow their dreams but by doing that they drift apart. It is a very sad and emotional ending, which requires a person who understands how love and pain works. AI doesn’t have human capabilities that an artist would have. It can’t feel pain or love - it’s a computer.
“Next Stop Paris,” a film fully generated by AI, has already caused controversy. The movie was written by real people (allegedly) but the visuals were fully created by AI. The film will be a standard love story, but the audience can tell it’s made by a machine. The characters look laughably bad, and the dialogue is just cliched lines such as “Wait, don’t go” and “Who’s never sure of what you want even if it’s right in front of you.”
Another example of AI in art is the new AI animation application tools. These new tools such as Kaiber AI and Decohere make it so that people don’t actually have to be good at animating. They could just have a robot do it for them.
And don’t forget about the AI generated pictures that pop up everywhere nowadays. Why paint or sketch something when you
can just type it into your computer and have it generated in mere seconds?
People will defend these new advancements in AI, talking about how great technology is going and all the new cool things it can do. I’m not going to argue with the fact that it’s impressive that AI has advanced as far as it has, with the chat boxes and AI deep fakes, but I will say that it doesn’t need to.
The animation tool can make animations look better and smoother, but then it isn’t art anymore. What makes animation art is the fact that someone spent months working on the project, making it the best it can be. Or someone spent days grueling over a beautiful painting - that’s art. When a program paints something it just isn’t the same. Sure, AI will make the artwork look better, look “cooler,” but the fact remains that it will never have the same emotional impact as a human art piece. A person could stare at an AI generated painting for hours and never find any deep message, emotion, or meaning to it, but if they look at a real painting by a real artist then they will.
So please, keep AI out of art. It doesn’t belong there. Use AI in your phones, cars, essays, vacuum cleaners, just not in art.
AI robot painting. Credit: Tristan Schneider
NFL kicks off new kickoff rules
Dawson Brydges Contributing Writer
For decades, the kickoff has been a staple in the NFL for both fans and players. The kickoff allows teams to turn the page and restart and refocus on the game. But, this year the NFL will be adopting an XFL style kickoff. This rule marks the biggest change to the kickoff ever.
Why did the NFL do this? The NFL said the previous kickoff was too dangerous and caused too many injuries. 49ers running back Trenton Cannon sustained a concussion during a kickoff in 2019. Cannon was later carted off the field by an ambulance and spent a week in the hospital. Studies have shown that the newly implemented XFL style kickoff rules reduce injuries by preventing full-speed collisions. The new kickoff also brings more excitement to the game, with bigger returns.
How does it work?
The simplest way to explain the new kickoff is to say that nobody except the kicker and returner(s) can move until the ball is actually fielded. The kickoff has three parts. The Alignment, with most of the players in the “Set Up Zone.” The Kickoff, when the ball is being kicked. Then, the Fielding, when the ball is in the landing zone.
The new Dynamic Kickoff is a big change in the NFL, so what do fans at Bolles think?
Some don’t like the Dynamic Kickoff, such as Green Bay Packers fanatic William Zebroski ‘28. “I don’t like it at all. There are not as many big hits or returns. As a fan, it’s just not very fun.” However, some people like the
NFL Hybrid Kickoff Layout
Credit: Daily Times News
new rule. “I really like it,” said Bolles baseball player Zach Schaefer ‘27. “It increases the chance of kickoff returns and touchbacks come out to the 30-yard line which makes quicker drives.”
Could we see a dynamic kickoff in highschool football?
Bolles defensive end Asher Ghioto ‘28 does not believe the NFL’s new kickoff rule will come to high school football any time soon. The kickoff rule is new to the NFL and we don’t know how well it’s going to work.
The skill level in the NFL compared to high school is drastically
different. New Jersey high school football coach Dustin Grande explained this to Daily Times reporters. “I understand what they are trying to do. For us, it’s a different beast. We don’t all have kickers able to kick the ball to the end zone. Sometimes, teams are lucky to have kickers that can get it to the 10.”
The new kickoff rule will help keep players safe and still be enjoyable for the fans. However, it is very unlikely that we will ever see this rule at the high school level.
The college process
The ins and outs are a little scary
YKate Youell Co-Online-Editor-In-Chief
ou’re already late. If you didn’t start your college application as you eased out of diapers and into Pre-K you’re behind. It’s important that between snack time filled with apple juice and Cheerios and sleeping during nap time you work on your activities list. Make sure that you already started making connections with your teachers and picking out who is going to write your recommendations. Slime and candy might have worked as currency on the playground but if you haven’t started applying for financial aid and scholarships, you’re too late.
To get into college you have to all but sell yourself to the devil. You go to school for 13 years in order to get into school to go for at least four more. Basically, your whole life is dedicated to learning until you get thrust into the real world and most lessons you learn don’t apply.
The college process includes test scores, essays, more essays, and even more essays. On top of that, no school has the same requirements. You thought filling out the Common App questions was easy. Guess what? Now you have to answer similar but slightly different supplementals on why you want to go to the school and why you would make a good addition to campus. Some schools have interviews, some schools require that you have two recommendations, and some require that you rewrite your transcript and self-report it.
Don’t even get me started on test scores. If you aren’t getting tutored and taking practice tests freshman year you’re too late.
You not only have to learn the material that’s on the test but you have to learn how to take the test. Along with practicing math problems you have to practice answer choices.
For the personal narrative, you have to show the school who you are but you only have 650 words to do so. Basically you must explain your way of thinking, who you are as a person, and what makes you unique in fewer words than any essay you’ve ever written for English.
Activity lists must be diverse but also show a specific interest. Make sure along with speech and debate, pre-college programs, and volunteering that you’re also a student athlete because you
definitely have time to fit all that in with schoolwork. Make sure you’re also doing campus tours. It’s important to show the college that you are interested, so click on those email links, spend money to fly to those places, take those tours and see how the people that got accepted to your dream schools live their lives.
And don’t worry, you have to pay for every application you send in. Not only are you spending endless hours polishing your application to perfection, it’s going to cost you at least $50 to even send the application for review. Now multiply that by the number of schools you have to apply to because two or three is not enough. You have to make sure you get some safety, target, and reach schools to have a well-diversified college list. So basically, you get to pay for them to review your application and maybe admit you but there’s still the possibility of rejection.
The admissions process doesn’t entirely make sense. If people can get rejected from Havard but have a 1600 SAT and a 4.0 GPA WHAT ARE THESE COLLEGES’ STANDARDS?
The college process will make you think “is NOTgoing to college an option?” But rest assured, you’ll get through it. You’ll look back on this time and think “remember when I was so stressed about getting into college?” It will all work out.
Don’t worry. You’ll get in somewhere. And then you’ll be able to go to school another four years and spend at least $40k a year doing so.
How many of these banned books have you read?
Isabel Schimpff Co-Online-Editor-In-Chief
These 15 books are all examples of books that are currently on a banned/challenged book list in Florida. Quiz yourself! See how many you have read.
Brave New World
The Story of Ferdinand
A Court of Mist and Fury Fahrenheit 451
The Diary of a Young Girl
A Wrinkle in Time Animal Farm
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
The Giver Slaughterhouse-Five
The Great Gatsby
Kill a Mockingbird The Catcher in the Rye
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
And Tango Makes Three
Freed Between the Lines
Celebrating Banned Books Week
Isabel Schimpff Co-Online-Editor-In-Chief
It’s difficult to live in Florida without hearing about the book banning craze and even harder to be a student in Florida without being affected by the trend.
In 2022, Gov. DeSantis passed a bill making it extremely easy to “challenge” books taught or read in schools. The process includes any resident of Florida claiming any book is inappropriate for children. After a book is challenged, it must be removed within five school days and must stay removed until the objection is removed. Challenged books soon find themselves on a banned books list.
“It’s so much more complicated than everybody realizes, and the majority of these books are not currently banned. They were just banned at one time. Once it goes on the list, it never comes up.” Explains Desiree Bailey, owner of the San Marco Book Store.
The purpose of the bill was to help parents be more included in their children’s education and to have more of a voice in the discussion of their learning. However, because the bill made challenging books so simple, Florida residents who do not have children can challenge multiple books in a school that they have no ties to.
“There’s a man who lives in Orange Park that has been submitting like hundreds, and they’re pulling them all,” said Bailey.
As many Democrats and Republicans predicted, this was a highly controversial bill and resulted in multiple lawsuits from authors. The book banning craze
has affected the entire country but is especially controversial in Florida. This is because according to the free expression protection non-profit, PEN America, Florida is responsible for 72% of the books that have been pulled from the nation’s schools this year.
“The majority of books that we see being removed are books that talk about LGBTQ+ identities, that include characters of color, that talk about race and racism, that include depictions of sexual experiences in the most broadest interpretation of that understanding,” said Kasey Meehan, Pen America’s Freedom to Read program director.
This has become a very politicized issue but what people often forget to think about is how it affects the students reading these books. In many local public schools, reading curricula have had to be drastically changed.
“I do have colleagues in the
public school system who have mostly been affected by delays in receiving and cataloging materials due to approval committees in place,” said Bolles librarian Brian Nesselrode.
“I feel fortunate to have the administration’s backing in not experiencing such delays at Bolles–allowing our students and faculty timely access to materials they need for their assignments and teaching.”
Because Bolles is a private school, it does not adhere to the same regulations as public schools. The school does not have to change its curriculum due to district or state challenges, but it is not immune to pushback from parents.
We can’t deny that Bolles students are incredibly fortunate not to be as impacted by new legislation as students in other schools and even in other counties. Outside our school bubble, we can see
San Marco Book Store display. Credit: Isabel Schimpff
teachers having to tiptoe around conversations and students missing out on some great books.
Yes, there is an age recommendation for most books, and once you turn 18 books are no longer “banned” for you. However, so many books that we read in our childhood have such a profound impact on us because of how old we were when we read them.
“To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorites of all time. But part of it, I think, goes to the fact that I read it when I was in high school,” said Bailey. “There are so many fascinating things about that book, the father-daughter relationship - she completely idolizes him, and he’s an amazing parent, the situation, and what he chose to stand up for, and all these other things that when I read it in high school, it made such an impression on me. I don’t know if it would have made the same impression on me as an adult when I had more like experiences.”
San Marco Book Store window display.
Credit: Isabel Schimpff
This all means that while there might be a light at the end of the tunnel for older students, the books they are now able to read might not have the same impact. This might be justifiable if the majority of books being challenged are for teenage readers. However, these books have an incredibly wide range.
Banned book tote bag.
Credit: Isabel Schimpff
Books like “If I Ran the Zoo” by Dr. Seuss or “Walter the Farting Dog” by William Kotzwinkle have been challenged.
Why are these books banned if they do not have sexually explicit or LGBTQ+ content? Good question. They can be challenged for any reason. For example, the classic book A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle was challenged once for being too religious and another time for not being religious enough.
While there are many hypocritical examples of book banning, I will concede that there are some books and concepts that are not age appropriate for children. However, teachers are trained to teach specific age groups and
“I almost feel like they should change the name to discouraged books.”
— Desiree Bailey
most teachers are required to follow a pre-approved curriculum, so why can’t we trust them to have these books in schools?
So, if you are a student who wants to read books that you cannot be taught or simply want to know what the big fuss is, you can always get these books from your local library.
“You have the opportunity to go to a public library, to go to the bookstore, you can find what you want to read and it’s also a great opportunity for you to actually go to your parents and say, ‘Hey, let’s read this together,’ and ‘let’s talk about it,’” says Bailey, “they know what you’re reading and it can you can foster all kinds of conversations.”
This banning book craze has affected many students and
Banned books and why they were challenged.
Credit: Isabel Schimpff
curricula around Florida even when its original intent was to protect these students. Many people can be quick to anger when they sit down to think about the complicated system.
However, librarians and book store owners like Bailey have brought a more positive outlook and continue to provide books to all students.
“The good news is, it has brought to light so many of these titles. I’ve also had authors that have said, ‘Hey, can you get my book banned?’ Because it can be good for sale.”
My advice is to follow in Bailey’s footsteps and continue to learn about the problem while being optimistic and raising awareness by celebrating Banned Books week.
TEllie Stewart Design Editor
he New York Times Games are logic-based word games available on the New York Times website, whichhave been played since Wordle came out in 2021. The most popular games include The Mini, Wordle, Connections, and Strands. While the games are typically brief and fun, many struggle on one game in particular: Connections. What started off as a light-hearted puzzle became a battle filled with rage and bewilderment against preposterous categories chosen by the creators. To win this “game,” one must scan the seemingly unrelated 16 words given and put them in groups of four without knowing the classifications. However, the groups become exponentially harder to guess after the first two are created. When you finally give up, a screen appears saying “Next Time!” just to gloat in your defeat. If you think you have what it takes, try this one, but don’t get angry at me.
WJack Laufer Co-Sports Editor
hile walking around the upper school, odds are you have probably heard the speakers playing music from the light posts. If you take a second to think about it, you might wonder, who is the DJ to these tunes? Since this person remains a mystery, who says it isn’t a robot pretending to be a human???
Navigating the Lunchroom Labyrinth
Isabel Schimpff Co-Online-Editor-In-Chief
We are packed in like sardines!
It’s a well-known fact that the earlier one makes it to the cafeteria for lunch, the better. Veterans of the lunchroom line know that it often takes more time getting out of the line than it does to eat their food. Think about it, students get thirty-five minutes for lunch every day and up to twenty minutes are spent on simply getting and paying for their food. For most students, this means being packed in an overcrowded cafeteria fighting for a spot in line with hundreds of other people.
While the lunch line has been a problem for years, it’s particularly bad now. A major factor to the increased volume in the cafeteria is the school’s switch to Veracross. Veracross has replaced My Backpack as the student information system. With this switch, every student on campus received a brand-new student ID number. Of course, these numbers are needed by students in order to pay for their food or supplies at the cafeteria, canteen, campus store, and stadium.
Now, students who have had their student number memorized for four plus years are having to find and memorize new ones. This dramatically increases the time it takes to get lunch and dramatically decreases the efficiency of the cafeteria. Because of this, some students have decided to wait until halfway through lunch to get their food and others have chosen to simply not eat.
As Homecoming season quickly approaches, so do awkward proposals.This skit shows the story of a failed proposal, followed by a happy ending.
Credits:
Percy - Tristan Schneider
Relationship Expert - Ty Neal
Luna - Sree Alam
Percy’s friends - Jack Laufer, Dawson Brydges
Filming and Editing - Kate Youell
SAlastair Thompson Contributing Writer
tudents this year are being asked to put their cellular devices in “phone caddies” before every class period. Let’s listen to what these students and teachers have to say about this new practice and how it affects their daily lives in the classroom.
Mr. Jump
Grace Ross ‘27
Jimmy Hunt ‘28
James Barger ‘26
Bugle Staff
TBugle Staff
he Bolles Bugle enters the animation realm to uncover the terrfifying truths of the Bolles Tunnels.
Two students are sent down into the tunnels, where they encounter a strange secret society made up of lizard people.
The video was created using stop motion animation and used a frame rate of 15 frames per second. (Every 15 pictures equals one second of footage).
Credits:
Writer - Hudson Powell
Voice Actor - Sree Alam
Voice Actor - Zara Touheed
Voice Actor - Tristan Schneider
Filming and Editing - Tristan
Schenider
Set Design and ProductionTristan Schneider
Animator - Tristan Schneider
