Volume 11 Issue 1 by Geneva Quarterly

MISSION STATEMENT CONCEPT MISSION STATEMENT CONCEPT

Geneva Quarterly, a student-led publication of Rhetoric School, serves to provide Geneva and the surrounding community with relevant and accurate news, opinions and entertainment centered around our student culture. Our staff strives to instill boldness, creativity and excellence through our published work. We aim to discover truth laced into our community with integrity and to write all pieces from a biblical worldview to the glory of Jesus Christ.

Senior Lindsay Lee traveled to Enchanted Rock alongside senior Hailey Kirchner and junior Maegan Riebel with hopes to capture the spirit of adventure. Riebel showed off her impressive rock climbing skills, allowing Lee to get the perfect shot. Lee was able to bring her vision to life, displaying the beauty of the desert and artfully conveying themes of warmth in nature.

THIS PUBLICATION IS FOR:

Geneva School of Boerne 113 Cascade Caverns Road Boerne, Texas 78015

830.755.6101 genevaschooltx.org

SCHOOL INFO:

The Geneva School of Boerne exists to provide a classical education from a biblical worldview, to equip students for a lifetime of learning, service and leadership to the glory of Jesus Christ.

Rhetoric School Population: 199 Rhetoric Faculty: 31

COLOPHON:

All verbal and visual content is solicited and selected by the Quarterly staff. Approval is garnered from our adviser, Emily Rawls, and from our headmaster, Matt Donnowitz. All bylined writers are held accountable for their work.

CONTACT:

To purchase an advertisement, contact: erawls@genevaschooltx.org

For questions or comments, contact: erawls@genevaschooltx.org

AFFILIATIONS:

We are proud to announce our eight-year membership with the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, where we have won a silver Crown Award and six gold Crown Awards and received a Gold Medalist Rating. We are also members of the Texas Interscholastic Press Association, where we have received the highest rating of Distinguished Merit. In addition, we have been members of the National Scholastic Press Association the past several years and have been named a Pacemaker Award finalist. This is our fifth year to be members of the Quill & Scroll International Journalism Honor Society.

MAGAZINE SPECS:

Created in Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator and printed by Minute Man Press in Longwood, Florida. Font Families: Harmonia Sans, DIN Next and Arno Pro

dear reader, dear reader,

We are so excited to share this Volume 11 Issue 1 with you. This our second issue as executives, but our first with the design, concept and content of our choosing. Some of us have been looking forward to being at the helm of this publication for four years and for all that time we have been brainstorming and picturing what it would be like to build a product with our own ideas. We spent a lot of time working over the summer to plan and prepare for this volume, and the entire staff has worked so hard in quarter one to bring you this magazine. This year, we will focus on the beauty of nature and explore specific elements of the Earth each issue. In Issue 1, we will explore the rustic and sandy tones of the desert– very familiar to us in Texas.

We, as executives, hope to lead well with all the knowledge and experience we have gained in our years on staff and strive to honor the traditions of this publication well. Without further ado, we are proud to present: Volume 11 Issue 1

Hailey Kirchner Claire Coultress

Lindsay

Graphic

Jacob Goodman

the events and ideas that shape our

reality. reality.

IT’S RAINING IT’S RAINING

A look into hurricanes and the inspiring stories surrounding them

From June 1 through November 30, America faces what she likes to call “Atlantic Hurricane season.” When summer comes, tropical waters warm until they reach a temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point humid air collects over the surface of the water. As the process perpetuates, thunderstorms begin to brew. Upper-level and surface winds then combine as they create a tropical depression, or what is more commonly known as a hurricane.

That is the basic understanding of a hurricane, but not all hurricanes are created equal. While at wind speeds of 39-73 mph, there is no hurricane yet; extreme weather still falls under the category of tropical storm. It’s not until wind speeds reach 74 mph or greater that a storm can be deemed a hurricane. Furthermore, hurricanes may be categorized on a scale of one to five based on their wind speeds. Category one consists

of storms with wind speeds of 7495 mph, category two with those of 96-110 mph, category three with 111-130 mph winds, category four 131-155 mph winds, and lastly, category five with wind speeds of 156 mph or greater.

It’s no surprise that hurricanes don’t make for an especially light hearted topic. Nonetheless, some pretty inspiring stories have arisen from these natural disasters. First off is “Mattress Mack’s” tale (formally known as Jim McIngvale). In the throes of Hurricane Harvey, Houston residents are encouraged to evacuate their homes as a result of severe flooding. However, some residents have no better option elsewhere, nor the means to pack up and leave immediately. As Mattress Mack observes his disaster-stricken town, he decides it is time to act. He opens up two of his spacious furniture stores to the public, providing beds, food, and water. He even offers to house residents’ pets. All in all, over three hundred locals benefit from Mattress Mack’s generous accommodations.

Words

Emma Malkowski

Design

Caroline Pickle Graphics Jacob Goodman

CATS & DOGS CATS & DOGS

But wait, there’s more. Hurricane heroes strike again in Harris County. As flood waters rise rapidly in a Houston neighborhood, Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Johnson travels door to door, offering his service in whatever way is helpful. Through waters already knee deep, Johnson carries two small children to safety while their parents continue to gather belongings.

Need an air-boat? Shadrea Harrison and her three-week-old baby certainly do as Harvey begins to flood their home. Lucky for her, a friendly neighbor patrols the flooded streets with his air-boat, looking for evacuees. He spots Shadrea and her newborn and proceeds to deliver them to safety.

Throughout Hurricane Harvey, not only does the state of Texas bind together, but relief from out of state floods in as well. Folks from Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, and elsewhere join forces. Together with their boats in tow, they comprise the “Cajun Navy,” ready to brave the storm’s residual flood water.

This brings us to the final story, courtesy of Hurricane Florence. In Tennessee, resident Tony Alsup converts a school bus into a rescue for fifty-three dogs and eleven cats.

After the storm, he drives the bus to Alabama to give the animals a more permanent place to stay.

So, though hurricanes have a way of breaking down buildings and infrastructure, they seem just to strengthen the resolve of impacted

Is it ethical to modify dog breeds?

PERFECTING THE PET

In a world where ethics often tangles with scientific progress, the pug emerges in the ever-evolving debate on dog modification. With their squished faces, expressive eyes, and curly tails, pugs have become the poster children for this discussion. With that said, let’s talk about the ethics of modifying pugs, all while poking gentle fun at these creatures.

Pugs, those lovable canines, have been a subject of fascination for centuries. They have been at the forefront of canine transformations, all the way from cross breeding to quirky modifications. Their distinctive features make them prime candidates for observation. Pugs have already been at the mercy of human whim for their whole existence, must they endure more? Imagine, if you will, a fictitious contraption designed to elongate pugs’ legs, making them appear more elegant and statuesque. While this may sound amusing, it brings us to a vital ethical question: where do we draw the line between enhancing our furry friends’ lives and turning them into something that resembles less and less of their former selves?

Pug enthusiasts argue the ethics of modification hinge on the well-being and happiness of these lovable canines. After all, if the pugs could voice their opinions, they might just request extra inches on their legs to see what it’s all about. But do they really need it? Is it ethical to modify their appearance for human amusement? One might also consider the “Pugolution” theory. Imagine a world where pugs evolved to become masters of disguise,

ethics of tampering with nature. Are we robbing pugs of their uniqueness by trying to make them blend in?

In the end, the ethics of modifying pugs are best approached with a light-hearted perspective. Pugs, with their tendency for rolling on their backs and snorting like disgruntled old men, remind us to cherish their inherent goofiness. They’re perfect just the way they are, and any

theE R A S

Taylor also plans on attending an International tour where she will perform in Mexico, Japan, the U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands. Chris Leyden, director of growth marketing at SeatGeek writes, “She’s not just a performershe’s an economic phenomenon.”

After learning how many tickets were sold for this tour, you may be wondering how someone could even be able to get a ticket in the first place. Swifties went through the Great War, literally. They had the opportunity to receive a presale code from Ticketmaster purely by luck. If one was lucky enough to get a code, they had first pick on tickets. Ticketmaster let way too many people obtain these codes, which led to the system breaking down and glitching out completely when millions tried to purchase tickets.

Taylor Swift has transformed the music industry and our world today. The Eras Tour is one of the most profitable tours in history. To put this into perspective, $2.2 million was spent on tickets in North America alone. Based on just ticket sales, the Eras Tour is the highest grossing tour ever recorded. On August 31st, 2023, $26 million worth of tickets were sold, which broke records for the total amount of money spent in a single day, solely on tickets. Now, if you are wondering about Taylor Swift’s personal gain from this tour, let’s just say she is making a guaranteed $300 million, not including the millions of streams she receives per day. Swift has a whopping 68 total shows in North America where she plays for multiple nights, each one of them sold out.

T O U R

An explanation of Taylor Swift’s rising success and profit in the music industry

This was very chaotic, ruining many fans’ chances to attend. However, Taylor Swift did not let this slide, making sure fans around the world would still be able to see her. She is even returning back to the United States for a second round of tours in different cities. The world renowned superstar also created “The Eras Tour ‘’ documentary, which will be shown in AMC theaters across the globe starting in October. According to AMC Theaters, the revenue from the Eras Tour production has surpassed some of the biggest selling movies in our generation, such as “Spiderman No Way Home”.

“What’s so special about Taylor Swift?” you may be asking yourself. First of all, her ability to convey a particular message to her fans through her songs really resonates with listeners. Taylor has impacted so many lives through her music, which is truly remarkable. She is the first, and only, woman to win the Grammy for Album of the Year three times in a row. She has been successful in multiple genres such as country, pop, and alternative/folk. Even her biggest haters must agree that she has talent. Not only is she successful, but this kind hearted and generous celebrity uses her success for good. She is well known for donating millions of dollars to different charities and organizations. An example of this is from the Eras Tour, when she willingly gave her dancers, band, and the people who made the show happen a charitable raise.

Swift’s journey through fame hasn’t always been smooth. In 2009, Kanye West interrupted her speech at the MTV Video Music Awards. As Taylor was accepting the award for Best Female Video, he jumped on stage and stole the microphone, saying how Beyonce should have been the one to receive the award. Kanye said “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time.” He also continued to say that because he interrupted her interview, he was the result of her fame. Fortunately, even through all of the hate, not just from Kanye but from the outside world and the media,Taylor kept writing, and look who’s still winning the awards. Her writing speaks to people, which is a beautiful gift. She makes her fans feel seen through their circumstances. This is why people choose to support and encourage her work.

I had the privilege to attend Houston Night 2 of the tour with my best friends. We have always been huge fans of her music, but even my mom, who wasn’t a huge fan, said that seeing Taylor Swift live made her realize how great of an artist, and person, she really is. This was my first concert, and I don’t know how my next one can compare. Seeing Taylor perform flawlessly for 3 and a half hours straight with little to no breaks blew me away. She really was born to perform. There are a few familiar faces on Geneva’s campus who also got the opportunity to attend the tour. Senior Sofia Griffey says, “The Eras Tour was the best overall concert experience I have had. She is so hardworking and there was not a dull moment.” 10th grader Harper Deimund also shared, “Seeing her live right by my best friends, as swifties, created so many memories that we will never forget.” There are many other examples of incredible experiences from this tour and memories made from attending.

The Eras Tour will forever be remembered in history as one of the most memorable tours. If you want to have a feel for the concert, definitely make sure to purchase a ticket for the Eras Tour Documentary through the AMC website; you won’t regret it!

life is better in boots.

by Lindsay Lee

An exploration of the desert life

making serves, breaking records

The Nebraska volleyball team breaks the world record for women’s sports attendance

Can you imagine 18,000 fans at a college volleyball game? Now try to imagine the latest world record, 92,000 fans attending the Nebraska and Omaha match. This is not only the attendance record for college volleyball, but for all women’s sporting events in history. Nebraska’s head coach, John Cook, had set a goal to break a historical record for women’s sports. This dream first began in 1976 when he took over Nebraska’s basketball stadium and transformed it into a volleyball stadium. As time went on, Wisconsin eventually broke Nebraska’s original record, with 18,000 fans. This only incentivized Cook to surpass the record by an unbeatable amount. The head coach decided to hold this special game in Nebraska’s football stadium, the Memorial Stadium, so that more fans had the opportunity to watch with the possibility of breaking the record.

The match was outdoors, and the tickets were sold out within 48 hours. There were 82,000 seats available at the Nebraska versus Omaha game, however this wasn’t enough because Cook had sold 92,003 tickets. This insane number has beaten all women’s professional sports attendance levels. The world record for women’s sporting attendance was set in 1999 at the Women’s World Cup, with an attendance of 90,185 watching the U.S. women’s team versus China. As Nebraska volleyball has grown, so have their fans. This game was not just focused on supporting the Huskers, but also being a part of history. Nebraska sophomore Bekka Allick says, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, it honestly leaves me speechless…It’s hard to grasp 94,000 people.” The Huskers swept Omaha in 3 sets, 25-14, 25-14, and 25-13.

Words

The support of their fans pushed them to strive to do their absolute best and play to their full potential. Having the support from friends, family, and classmates is so important in sports. This match between the Nebraska Huskers and Omaha is a crazy kick start to the college volleyball season. Nebraska is ranked number four in college volleyball, and the program has a great season ahead of them, with supportive fans to carry them to success. The Nebraska community and fans are beyond excited to see how far the team will go, especially with this unbelievable start!

Ella Grace Owens

Design

Caroline Pickle

Graphics

Jacob Goodman + Malyn Arnold

LET’S TAKE A TRIP LET’S TAKE A TRIP

Sports

-Usain Bolt completes a record 100m dash, with a time of 9.69 seconds, at the Beijing Olympics.

-Rafael Nadal defeats Roger Federer at Wimbledon and claims the #1 spot.

-Detroit Lions lose all 16 games they play during the season.

Innovation

-Genetic testing service, Retail DNA, makes it possible to discover personal heritage from one’s own home.

-Tesla comes out with their “Roadster” model.

-Hulu launches, joining the pool of streaming services.

Fashion

-Trends include: Baby-doll tops with shorts, black tights layered under all outfits, tank tops with mini skirts, fringe moccasin boots, spray tans, boho headbands, more fringe, and “the boho fedora”...yikes.

DOWN MEMORY LANE

Exploring what life was like in 2008 and 2009– the year our freshmen were born!

DOWN MEMORY LANE

Books

“Double Cross” by James Patterson

“A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini “Plum Lucky” by Janet Evanovich

Births

-Princess Eléonore of Belgium

-Maddie Aldridge, daughter of Jamie Lynn Spears

-Bo Diddley

Deaths

-Yves Saint Laurent

-Dick Martin

-Sydney Pollack

-Eddy Arnold

-Arthur C. Clark

-Margaret Truman Daniel

-Heath Ledger

-Bobby Fischer

Memorable Events

-Barack Obama is elected president.

-The Hardon Collider is enacted.

-Summer Olympics commence in Beijing.

Words

Photo Mazzy Horn-O’ Brien

community. community.

the people and places at the heart of our

130 YEARS AND COUNTING

The storied history of our new Rhetoric School bell

You may have noticed something a little different about the boardwalk this year. We now have a huge old-timey bell hanging in the middle of campus. Even if you somehow haven’t seen it, you’ve definitely heard it. So, where did this bell come from? I talked with Mr. Donnowitz to learn the full story of this family heirloom.

It all starts with the clubhouse of a golf course right on Lake Michigan. Built in 1890, the clubhouse had our beloved bell hanging on the outside wall. Here we find our bell’s first known purpose. It was most likely used by golfers to communicate with others which hole they were on. It’s an old tradition for golf courses to have bells to be rung after finishing a hole to let other groups know when to start. As time passed, this clubhouse was eventually converted into a beautiful white cottage. Mr. Donnowitz’s grandfather-in-law, Jack Ammon, would end up buying this cottage, including the bell. In the 1970’s, Ammon built another cottage right next door to the white clubhouse-turned-cottage. When they sold the white cottage, they decided to keep the bell and hang it on the back outdoor wall of their new cottage. This is how the bell came into Mr. Donnowitz’s family.

The bell became especially significant when it was rung at the wedding of Bill and Gail Lotak, Mr. Donnowitz’s parents-in-law, in the backyard of the cottage in 1975.

This became a family tradition. The bell rang in 2012 at Mr. Donnowitz and his wife’s own wedding, and again in 2014 at his brother-in-law’s wedding. As this bell is obviously very important to this family, when they sold their cottage they decided to take it with them, and it ended up in the hands of our very own headmaster.

As you would expect with a huge old-timey bell, the Donnowitz family didn’t have any particular use for it at their house. Mr. Donnowitz always thought that it resembled a school bell and that it would be wonderful to use it at a school, so he brought it to Geneva because it can be appreciated and used for an intentional purpose here.

So, we know that our Rhetoric School Bell is at least 130 years old since it can be traced back to the clubhouse built in 1890. However, there is a possibility that it was originally a schoolhouse bell even before it was at the golf course. So who knows? It could be 130 years old or perhaps even more. The important thing is that this bell has so much character to it, and it is remarkable that the next chapter of its interesting journey is here at Geneva!

Words Claire Coultress

Design Emrey Taylor

Photos Submissions

The first wedding the bell was rung at!

Mr. Donnowitz and his wife’s wedding in 2012! ...and his brother-in-law’s wedding in 2014!

“...the next chapter of its interesting journey is here at Geneva!”

IFishing for Fears

Breaking down the newest freshman’s biggest fears

“one of the more deeply rooted fears is the notorious upperclassmen”

’m sure we all remember the jump from middle school to high school being frightening, to say the very least. A new campus, new friends, new teachers, and new classes can be extra intimidating for any soon-to-be-freshman. For me, any big change can cause some anxiety, but what makes Geneva’s incoming freshmen most uneasy about entering high school? Is it the increased homework load? Not knowing people? Friendships changing? Caleb Baggs eating them? The boardwalk collapsing? This story will try to get to the bottom of freshman’s biggest fears.

I remember getting ready for my first day of high school, looking in the mirror, being terrified of hair number 5,369 on my head being out of place by 2 degrees north latitude. I thought to myself, “I can’t have ANYONE notice that!” This is high school; appearance is everything, right? Soon, I settled into my first class and that’s when the real fear began. “This is hard! Oh no! Am I going to make good grades? Am I going to graduate? Am I going to get into college?” It’s not a big surprise that the number one fear of almost any freshmen is centered on grades. Every assignment, quiz, and test is calculated into your GPA. This is unexplored territory for freshmen, for whom grades previously only mattered when it was time to show mom their report card. Thus, the pressure is on to excel academically. This includes completing homework on time to escape the treacherous late grades and cramming vigorously the night before big exams. It’s easy to get caught in the busyness of life and forget to keep up with the fast paced nature of Geneva’s classes. This is a very reasonable fear that most new high school students experience, but it is not unsolvable. As long as you stay organized and don’t fall behind, all there’s left to do is pay attention in class. How hard can that be, right?

The second greatest fear comes from the freshmen who are athletes, which revolves around their new teammates and coaches: where will they fit into the lineup, and how will they perform at the high school level? More intense sports constitute more expectations and responsibility, which can be an abrupt transition coming from lower levels of play. Also, freshmen who play on varsity teams have to face opponents who are up to four years older than them! I remember my freshman year when Karynn Garrow was the star senior on the Geneva volleyball team. One day, I didn’t have a warm up partner at the beginning of practice. Guess who didn’t either? Karynn! I was partnered with the six foot, D1 commit athlete who was about to crush my soul in warm-ups… or so I thought. Karynn made it genuinely fun, and I realized that interacting and competing with good players in high school is challenging, but much more rewarding than avoiding it altogether.

The least commonly mentioned, but I’m sure one of the more deeply rooted fears is the notorious upperclassmen. There’s a certain stereotype surrounding the relationship between upperclassmen and freshmen. Needless to say, freshmen are pinned as a little bit clueless, immature, and annoying. This is not true of everyone, but the labeling has become the norm for most high schools. No one wants that reputation, so the fear of not being liked by older high schoolers is very valid. It’s difficult to no longer be the big dogs of Logic School and conversely become the measly fish of high school. It’s like going from first place to last! Freshmen will do anything to win approval and appreciation from their elder peers, almost to the point of embarrassment. This sense of needing to prove oneself is admirable, but when taken too far, it can seem ungenuine and becomes irritating. To get over the fear of being disliked and help calm anxiety, the freshmen can remember, every upperclassmen was once in their shoes. We’ve all had our first year of high school, in which we were also unsure and panicked about the upcoming four years. We’ve all gone through awkward phases, first school dances, and new friendships. Even if the boardwalk has not collapsed yet, almost every other high school stereotype has, so you are not alone in your fear.

Graphics

Hailey Kirchner

ALL HAIL OUR NEW QUEEN

Our new journalism advisor, Mrs. Rawls, details her journey on coming to Geneva

Mrs. Rawls, one of Geneva’s recently added teachers, has been interested in journalism from a young age. She recalls stealing her brother and sister’s old yearbooks, just to see the treasures inside. From starting out studying journalism at Baylor, but soon switching to communications, her journalism prowess has come full circle. Mrs. Rawls finds it ironic that after switching her major to communications, she has entered right back into journalism’s enticing grip. She counts herself lucky to be part of such a vital team that records entire school years in such an important book. She sees photography to be an evermore important industry, as pictures are always chock full of stories and memories. Mrs. Rawls has always imagined herself working at Geneva, and is happy to be in Boerne working here.

Mrs. Rawls, as stated previously, is a Baylor graduate who started out studying journalism; however, she eventually chose to switch her major to communication. She grew up in Boerne after moving here from Virginia in kindergarten and was on the Boerne High School yearbook team her senior year before graduating in 2004. However, after college, she resolved to move back to Boerne in 2009. She has always had a passion specifically for journalism, but also loves math, and it would be a joy for her to crunch numbers all day. One of her main goals is to get Geneva students into typing, as she herself can type a whopping ninety to one hundred words per minute. For reference, the average words typed per minute in the world is just forty, and an efficient typing speed is considered to be sixty five to seventy words per minute. While the world record WPM is 212 by Barbara Blackburn, Mrs. Rawls is not among many with her typing skills and abilities. As you can see, she is a teacher with many interests and talents whom Geneva is proud to call one of our own.

After moving back to Boerne in 2009, Mrs. Rawls was reminded of the charm of the Geneva campus. She had always wanted to pursue a career at Geneva, and with background ties to our school, she ultimately joined our community. Mrs. Rawls’ aunt and uncle, Joanne and Robert Thornton, helped found Geneva all the way back in 1999. In fact, her aunt and uncle are among slight company, as they are one of the three couples who kicked off our great school (those being Cindy and Brian Fowler & Paula and Bret Wacker). After watching her cousin Nick go through Geneva K-12, she dreamed of one day sending her kids there. Now she has three kids, June (9), Johnny (7), and Judson (4), two of which attend Geneva today. June is in the third grade, and Johnny is in first grade. She married her husband, Andy Rawls, in 2010, and is happy to have resided here in Boerne with him and her three kids ever since. Mrs. Rawls is a blessing to our Geneva campus, and I encourage you to get to know her at some point this year!

A deep dive into the best (and worst) coffee shops in Boerne

BOERNE RUNS ON COFFEE

I know many of us love our coffee at Geneva. After taking a poll of random students on the boardwalk, the statistics show the most liked Boerne coffee shops are Starbucks, On the Grind, and Black Rifle. All of these places have provided us with some great tasting beverages. Let’s compare them based on their unique drinks, pricing, and overall atmosphere.

Now, I know for a fact that sometimes it’s fun to get a little adventurous with our orders; secret menus do a great job of fulfilling that desire. Let’s start off with our most liked coffee shop, Starbucks, which has some extremely creative creations. Some of these items are the Strawberry and Cream Refresher, Oatmeal Cookie Latte, Cocoa Puffs Latte, Cinnamon Roll Cold Brew, Gummy Bear Refresher, Springtime Tea, the Purple Drink, and the Butterbeer Frappuccino, all of which sound extremely appetizing.

Next on our list is the famous On the Grind. Now, I had to do some digging to find out if they had a secret menu. I am pleased to tell you that they do; however, it is certainly not as lengthy as Starbucks’. In fact, they only have three items on their secret menu. These items are the Jaws inspired Red Bull, the Barbie themed drink, and the Pixie Stick beverage. These three drinks sound spectacular.

Next in line is Black Rifle. Unfortunately, they do not have any existing hidden menu. After taking a look at the secret menus the shops provide, I encourage you to make your own ranking on which one you would choose to explore.

Words

The time has come to compare the different pricing of these three well favored coffee shops. I resolved to buy a White Chocolate Mocha at the establishments to compare all the varying prices. Keep in mind all these places have a small (12oz), a medium (16 oz), and a large (24 oz) sized drink. Firstly, let’s start from the top with Starbucks. A White Chocolate Mocha costs $5.65 for a tall, $5.95 for a grande, and $6.45 for a venti. Next up is On the Grind. A White Chocolate Mocha costs $4.60 for a small, $5.10 for a medium, and $6.10 for a large. Lastly, we have Black Rifle. Their White Chocolate Mocha costs $4.65 for a small, $5.35 for a medium, and $5.85 for a large.

Across the board, Starbucks costs significantly more than the other two, whereas Black Rifle is the friendliest while on a budget.

Finally, we will compare the ambiance provided by the shops, along with their overall environment and atmosphere. To start, Starbucks has plenty of tables and chairs, a bar height counter, and a secluded study space with extra comfy chairs. On the other hand, On the Grind is a drive-thru only, so there is no space available for customers to hang out. To end, Black Rifle has plenty of tables with chairs for people to enjoy their various beverages. They even have a couch! Go find your perfect, creative, cost appropriate, and comfy coffee spot.

Teacher Tales

Mr. Poole recounts a few of his best stories from his time before Geneva

Many of us may think we know our teachers pretty well. I mean, we see and talk to them every single day! However, many of them have been on some wild and exciting adventures from back before their teaching careers. This quarter, I talked to our very own Mr. Poole, who is known for his riveting stories. He has lived on the road and even raced cars (sort of). He has so many fascinating experiences, that it was hard to just pick a few. Nonetheless, without further ado, here’s a couple of stories from a teacher you thought you knew so well.

Mr. Poole: When I graduated college, I moved to Nashville with hopes of doing the singer songwriter thing. I had about $600 to my name.

My first job was as an assistant lighting technician for Tanya Tucker. However, being a roadie is not terribly glamorous. It’s a lot like being a mover with a moving truck. You are just moving stuff for famous people every single day of the week; you tear it down, set it up, move it to a different town, and do it all over again. I’ve even compared it to the modern day equivalent of being on a pirate ship, because you’re with some weird people.

Anyways, when I first got the job, I thought, “I’ve done lights in college at plays and I’m an assistant lighting tech, how hard could it be?” But, on the first night, the lighting tech called in sick. And so, I was sitting in this light booth that’s about 30 feet long, full of red blinky lights, and I have no idea what I’m doing. Everyone was screaming at me over the headset, and I was looking out a little tiny window on this arena. The lights were all doing crazy things before the show. However, there was a man there who was the lighting designer for Garth Brooks who was just hanging out. So, he came up to the light booth and asked me if I was ok. I said no, I have no idea what I’m doing. He ended up running the lights for me while wearing my baseball cap in the little window so I didn’t get fired. Afterwards, I had to buy him a steak and lobster dinner with my last $30. However, I didn’t eat dinner myself. I just watched him eat.

The only trouble I ever got at this job was using Tanya Tucker’s bathroom. I was looking for a place to use the bathroom, and I found this bathroom no one was using. But when I came out, the tour manager started screaming at me saying, “You just used Tanya Tucker’s toilet!” And I just replied, “That is alliteration.”

As for high school, my best friend Ray had this red Honda Civic that was a three cylinder. It should have been a four cylinder car, but one of them was burned out. So it was this tiny little car, and it did not go very fast.

One night, we were coming home late in this tiny car and we were at a red light. These guys in this big souped up Camaro pull up at the light next to us, rumbling and revving their engine. They were acting like they wanted to race us and we were all confused. So Ray stepped on the gas of his little car and revved his engine. We both keep revving our engines back and forth until the light goes to green and they just leave a cloud of smoke and burning rubber. We are just sitting there not moving at the light and watching them go down the road. And then that is when we hear a police siren and this cop goes chasing after them and pulls them over. About four or five minutes later we catch up to them. We’re driving very slowly past and then they looked at us, so Ray revs his engine at them one last time.

Young Mr. Poole

Graphic

Hailey Kirchner

the determined and strong shine through their

activity. activity.

Recently, Coach Victoria Mayfield has joined the Geneva community as the new head coach of cross country. Her dedication to the sport itself and to her athletes is outstanding.

Q: What brought you to Geneva?

A: “The short answer is the Lord. I was on staff for the Bible Study Fellowship committee, for the children’s program, and the Lord gave me a huge passion to minister to young lives. So, as my daughter entered kindergarten, the Lord opened a door for me here at Geneva to do what I love the most.”

Running Into a New Coach

Getting to know a little bit more about Coach Mayfield

Q: What do you love about cross country?

A: “I love cross country because the endurance training component of the sport gives insight on our spiritual lives. I continue to tell my runners that it is not a coincidence that the Apostle Paul talks about running as a metaphor for life. Also, I absolutely love the time on the trails that we can just completely empty ourselves physically so our souls are just left with the Lord. When this happens, a beautiful connection forms.”

Q: What sports did you do in high school?

A: “I was a professional speed skater competing in indoor and outdoor inline speed skating. Also, I ran cross country all four years on the varsity team. I also ran track as a distance runner participating in the 800m, 1600m, and 4x4.”

Q: What are you most looking forward to this season?

A: “I love bringing runners from an area of selfdoubt to a place of satisfaction. I believe running is such a mind sport, that you either are forced to give up on yourself or are pushed to extend your boundaries. So, for me, I desire to help these athletes allow Christ to be a part of that experience, and not only apply that to their running, but also to their daily lives.”

Q: Did you continue to run competitively in college?

A: “I did not run in college, however, I continued to speed skate. Since I began competing in speed skating at age five, my middle school coaches started to realize that I was fast. So, they encouraged me to join cross country. I actually held the record at my middle school with a six minute mile.”

Q: Can you tell me about your experience as a pro skater?

A: “The best part was the amazing opportunities that were provided. I loved being able to travel across the world, see God’s creation, and compete at an international level.”

Q: What did you do between college and Geneva?

A: “After college, I owned a clothing store located in San Antonio, but when my daughter turned eighteen months old, I sold the business to spend more time with her. I then got into Bible Study Fellowship and was on staff for three years. God then called me to Geneva.”

It is clear that Coach Mayfield is a great addition to the Geneva cross country team. Join me in welcoming her to this new position.

Q: What has the sport taught you in life?

A: “It has taught me numerous things including loyalty, perseverance, and sacrifice. Not only that, but it has made me aware of what a huge blessing it is to have an able body. I also believe that when you participate in a sport, you should transfer that into adulthood in order to have a healthy lifestyle, so that you can use your body for what God intended for you to use it for.”

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

A wonderfully quirky read featuring bubble football, competitive eating, and Yukigassen.

Before you assume that this story is basically a follow-up of my weird sports series last year, it’s not intended to be. This is about organized professional leagues or competitions in particular, whether sports or not. I came up with this idea soon after I heard about a rapidly growing tournament for my second favorite board game, the epic space battle “Twilight Imperium.” This got me thinking, what exists out there that would surprise me? I’ve done some research, and I’m glad to have the chance to share it with you.

Some of these are just organizations of some of the sports I covered last year, but others are quite different. Enjoy!

Major League Eating: This and the International Federation of Competitive Eating are two worldwide organizations that hold competitions around the globe. The sport of eating as much as possible is pretty well known, but perhaps it’s more common than you realized.

World Chess Boxing Association: Chess boxing is another sport that is somewhat well known, but there are enough boxers who are good at chess or chess players who are good at boxing to make a league of this.

World Adult Kickball Association: This one needs no introduction! Unfortunately, they haven’t made the global stage yet; they’ve only had events in 35 of the US states.

Bubble Football League: This involves zorbs, the large rubber inflatable balls you see people wearing between innings at baseball games. I guess somebody thought, “Why not play soccer in these?”

“I guess somebody thought, ‘Why not play soccer in these?’”

Yukigassen Federation: Yukigassen is basically a Japanese form of snowball fighting, complete with pre-made snowballs and a game of capture the flag.

World Beard and Mustache Championships: This is one of my favorites. It takes place annually in a different place each time. The competition is divided into three parts: mustaches, partial beards, and full beards.

Tar Barrels: Several competitions are held throughout the United Kingdom, in which competitors carry tarred and flaming barrels through the streets.

The Great Knaresborough Bed Race: Sign up for this competition in the UK if you like pushing beds for almost 2 and a half miles with five other people and a passenger as well.

The World Bog Snorkeling Championship: Who would’ve thought? Fun fact: swimmers often wear costumes as they swim through the murky waters.

World Peashooting Championship: This annual English competition has been around for over 50 years.

Swamp Soccer World Championships: The idea came about because Finnish crosscountry skiers head to the swamps to build endurance, so in 1998, people crossed this unique training setting with the most popular sport in the world. The Finnish resort where this event is held also hosts the Snow Soccer Championships.

MINISTRY IN MOTION

New head of Football, Coach Gaston, details his football career and walk with Christ

Geneva has welcomed a new coach to our school, Coach Gaston! He is now Geneva’s head football coach. To help us become more familiar with him, Coach Gaston has answered a few questions and shared some insightful information.

1- What brought you to Geneva?

“The Lord has been moving me towards full-time ministry through coaching for a while now. Over the past year, God really started opening up doors and making it clear that the time is NOW to take the plunge and change careers from law to ministry through coaching and mentoring students and athletes. I fell in love with Geneva as I began researching the school and throughout the interview process, and I could tell that God was guiding me here. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God orchestrated all things to bring me to Geneva. I’m excited to be of service for the Geneva community and especially for our players!”

2 - What is a favorite memory you have from when you played football?

“For me, it was the camaraderie - playing together with friends and teammates, through the heat and through the tough practices, the road trips, the wins and the losses. It forged us into an inseparable band of brothers. Over time, some of the ‘plays’ or ‘games’ fade from memory – but the bonds made remain as strong as ever.”

3 - Do you have any stories of a player/players that have impacted your life, either through coaching them or playing alongside?

“Every player I’ve had the opportunity to coach has impacted my life in some way! I continue to stay in touch with as many of my former players as I can. One great thrill for me is when former players serve alongside me as coaches at camps or when they move on to full-time coaching elsewhere. It is important to me to build a ‘coaching tree’ where our players and coaches branch out and take the lessons, methodologies, and the Gospel ministry wherever they go. Just like in Acts 1:8, I love seeing our coaches be witnesses in ‘Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth!’”

4 - And lastly, some fun facts:

“My high school football number was 31. I played Running Back and Linebacker!”

“My favorite college football team is the fighting Texas A&M Aggies, and my favorite NFL team is the Tennessee Titans!”

Geneva is so happy to have Coach Gaston in our community. We look forward to all that he has to offer in football and more.

Deimund

SEIZE THE DAY

Tag along for a full day in the life with these senior

Cammy Curtis Volleyball

5:00 a.m. - Wake up to the most frightening alarm Apple has to offer

6:00 a.m. - 7:00 a.m. - This is the prime time of day for a morning person like me. It includes coffee, a superb omelet making session, and staring at the sunrise for no less than 57 minutes

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Go to Geneva School of Boerne and have my mind enriched in a way only Tolkien can

12:00 p.m. - Go to Cava for lunch and of course bring my own beets

2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Go get more of that classical education

4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Practice the beloved game of volleyball. If we’re lucky and Coach is in a good mood, we’ll get to do some hips to the ground and touch sixes to the anthems of One Direction

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Drive around Fair Oaks blaring Luke Combs and hitting deer along the way

7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Must prepare to make the morning omelets… must allot extra time here for the occasional finger stitches at the local ER

8:00 p.m. - Sweet dreams

Cross-Country Will Muck

4:45 a.m. - Wake up in a daze trying to remember what in

4:45 a.m. - Wake up in daze trying to remember what in the world is happening

5:10 a.m. - Answer life’s most difficult questions & roll out of

5:10 a.m. - Answer life’s most difficult questions and roll

5:30 a.m. - Feed a strange assortment of animals

5:45 a.m. - Rock out in my mini van on my way to school

6:10 a.m. - Rethink my life choices during 95 minutes of XC practice

8:00 a.m. - Shower and head over to Mr. Johnson’s room to hang out before school

8:30 a.m. - Try to stay on top of a morning of classes

9:45 a.m. - Glance over the announcements while trying to figure out the plan for assembly

9:45 a.m. - Glance over the announcements while trying to figure out the plan for Assembly

12:35 p.m. - Drive Mr. Bradshaw crazy during our science team meeting

12:35 p.m. - Drive Mr. Bradshaw crazy during our Science Team meeting

1:25 p.m. - Desperately use whatever means necessary to stay awake for my last two periods

3:50 p.m. - Quickly race over to find a room to teach some piano lessons in

1:25 p.m. - Desperately use whatever means necessary to stay awake for my last two periods

6:00 p.m. - Somewhere in-between, I eat a quick dinner and I head over to musical practice

3:50 p.m. - Quickly race to find a classroom in which to teach some piano lessons

10:00 p.m. - After being held way overtime by Mr. Vis, I finally drive home

6:00 p.m. - Eating a quick dinner. Somewhere in-between I head over to musical practice

10:45 p.m. - Drag my show goat around who refuses to walk

10:00 p.m. - After being held way overtime by Mr. Vis, I finally drive home

11:00 p.m. - Finally start on my homework from five AP classes

10:45 p.m. - Drag around my show goat who refuses to walk

11:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. - Somewhere in there I set a four hour timer and pass out

11:00 p.m. - Finally start on my homework from five AP classes

11:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. - Somewhere in there I set a four hour timer and pass out

6:00 a.m. - Wake up

6:06 a.m. - Eat breakfast

6:10 a.m. - Wash my face and brush my teeth

6:42 a.m. - Arrive at practice

6:50 a.m. - Lift weights

8:00 a.m. - Shower and wash my face

8:03 a.m. - I fell in the shower

8:30 a.m. - Go to Calculus with my bestie Walker

9:25 a.m. - Go to Government and sit right next to Walker

9:30 a.m. - I listen to Mrs. Georgelos in Government (I’m very studious)

10:30 a.m. - I go to thesis

10:32 a.m. - Gratitude circle. I am grateful for Walker

10:40 a.m. - I present my thesis and everyone claps really loud for me

11:30 a.m. - Go to Sam Cress’ house and hang with my boys

11:43 a.m. - Stephen tries to touch my face with pizza grease. I wash my face.

12:45 p.m. - Time to go back to school. Me and Walker get Seby on the way.

Jake Plesko Football

1:00 p.m. - I go to Physics and have so much fun with Mr. Naiser

2:00 p.m. - I am done for the day, but I’m sad because I love school

2:03 p.m. - I go back to Sam’s with my buddy Walker

2:10 p.m. - I sit on my phone to waste time before football

3:30 p.m. - Me and my boys suit up for practice

4:00 p.m. - Go to practice because football is life

4:30 p.m. - I am so happy to see Grant Morgan

6:10 p.m. - Practice is over!

6:12 p.m. - Sprint to go shower and wash my face before Stephen tries to touch it again

6:30 p.m. - Drive home

7:00 p.m. - Get home and eat dinner with my mom

7:30 p.m. - Do not do any of my homework

8:00 p.m. - Practice my football tackles on my dog

8:13 p.m. - My dog gets mad at me

8:30 p.m. - Facetime Walker

9:30 p.m. - Go to bed and get a good night’s rest

Words

Lindsay Lee

Design

Ella Grace

Graphics

Hailey Kirchner

How the Games

In a blast to the past, we examine the evolution of sports over the years

Sports are a huge part of today’s world and influence much of popular culture. Looking back on sporting events of the past and comparing them to the modern day sports events, a lot of differences can be spotted. An obvious, major change within stadiums is the technology advancement. There are so many forms of technology employed today that were absent in the past. Today, a person looks around a stadium and sees all kinds of screens and cameras everywhere. From live-streaming a game on your phone to using Apple Pay at concession stands, mobile devices have changed the involvement of spectators tremendously. Technology not only changes the experiences of spectators during sport events, but also what is going on in the game itself. One of the most significant benefits of using technology for athletic performance is the ability to collect and analyze data. Calls made during games can be much more accurate nowadays with the instant replay and zoom in features technology provides.

“Today, a person looks around a stadium and sees screens everywhere”

Mazzy Horn-O’ Brien cheering in 2023

Have Changed

In addition, there has been a huge improvement in security measures and protocols for spectators. Because of past incidents like 9/11, individual sports venues have taken a closer look at their security policies. Crowd control is necessary to prevent injuries of players and attendees. Walk-through and handheld metal detectors have become so common in sports venues that most spectators don’t even think about them any more. These systems inhibit attacks with physical weapons.

Furthermore, because of the rise in professional sports players’ salaries and the construction of expensive stadiums, prices for admission to sporting events are 123.43% higher in 2023 versus 1997. Even if a ticket is affordable, parking, concessions, and souvenirs drive up the cost of the experience of attending a sporting event. Unfortunately, this generation prefers to watch sporting events on the go instead of at home or attending an actual event, missing out on the amazing experience of one of today’s greatest attractions. People all around the world should have the opportunity to experience sporting events.

Words

Emrey Taylor

Design

Ella Grace Owens

Photos Mazzy Horn-O’Brien

Mazzy’s grandma cheering in 1970

Photo

Abigail Bussey

creativity. creativity.

Ratingthe soundtracks of famous Disney movies

Beauty and the Beats

Most people have grown up watching Disney movies. Maybe you still watch some from time to time. You really can’t go wrong with a classic Disney movie. And of course, it’s impossible to forget about the amazing soundtracks. I’m sure there’s been at least a few songs you still remember from your childhood. So, I thought it would be fun to go back and pick some of the very best Disney soundtracks. Four different soundtracks were picked by some Disney fans. The soundtracks chosen were from the Princess and the Frog, Hercules, Tangled, and The Little Mermaid.

4th Place– The Little Mermaid: 6/10

The Little Mermaid takes you on an underwater adventure with Ariel and Flounder. The songs are classics, including “Under the Sea” and ”Part of Your World.” My favorite song from this movie is “Kiss the Girl.”

3rd Place– Princess and the Frog: 7/10

The songs from this soundtrack have a very jazzy feel for the most part. But Facilier, aka

the Shadow Man, definitely had the best villain song out of all the Disney soundtracks. The most catchy song from this soundtrack is “Almost There.”

2nd Place– Hercules: 8/10

This movie has so many good songs in it like “I Won’t Say I’m In Love” and “Go The Distance.” They’ll definitely get stuck in your head after listening to them. However, I think the top song from this soundtrack is “Zero To Hero.”

1st Place– Tangled: 10/10

Tangled’s soundtrack takes you on a journey along with the movie’s characters. It’s difficult to pick just one song from this movie since it has so many amazing songs like “When Will My Life Begin?” and “I See the Light.” However, the best song from this soundtrack is “I’ve Got a Dream.”

Words Mazzy Horn-O’Brien Design

Ella Dillinger Graphic

Malyn Arnold

Flavors of the Desert

A prickly pear “mocktail” with a memorable desert-y flavor

This refreshing mocktail is the perfect drink to sip on in the desert heat. It features two ingredients native to the desert biome: prickly pears from cactuses and agave syrup from the agave plant. This drink will totally refresh you if you ever find yourself in the desert or wanting a fun desert drink.

“This refreshing mocktail is the perfect drink to sip on in the desert heat.”

Ingredients: ginger beer

1 oz prickly pear syrup

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp grapefruit juice

1 tsp agave syrup

1 rosemary sprig

Method:

!. First up, if you’re feeling fancy, you’re going to want to smoke your glass with rosemary first. This will give a deep and complex flavor to your drink right away. You do this by using a lighter or torch and carefully toasting your rosemary sprig until it starts smoking. Then quickly, take your glass and place it upside down over the rosemary on a fire safe counter so the smoke is going up into the glass.

2. This next step is a lot easier. All you have to do is combine the syrup, lime juice, grapefruit juice, and agave syrup in your glass. Make sure to mix well into a homogeneous mixture.

3.Now, add ice and top with that ginger beer.

4.Garnish with the rosemary sprig and a lime peel (make sure to extract it first). Enjoy!

Words Suzi Nilsson

Design

Ella Dillinger

Photo

Lindsay Lee

How to Tame the Mane

Tips and tricks for styling curly hair

The curly hair community at Geneva seems to never have a bad hair day, begging the question— what secrets and tips hide beneath their fabulous curls? We’ve interviewed some students with textured hair to get the inside scoop.

Claire Coultress

Claire’s Recommendations:

“I use the Shea Moisture Curl Smoothie and an Herbal Essences mousse if I’m feeling fancy.”

“Use silicone free Love, Beauty, and Planet shampoo and conditioner”

“Use a silk pillowcase.”

“When I had long hair I would diffuse it, but ever since I cut it shorter, I just let it air dry.”

Claire’s Morning Routine:

“I just flip my head upside down and fluff my hair up a little in the mornings, then I am good to go.”

Suzi Nilsson

Suzi’s Recommendations

“Be sure to invest in good shampoo and conditioner.”

“If you play sports, find a daily shampoo and conditioner that moisturizes well.”

“I recommend Shea Moisture Hibiscus and Coconut Shampoo and Conditioner, as well as Moroccan Hair Mousse.”

“Use a clarifying shampoo once or twice a week to rid your hair of product buildup and make your hair feel nicer, smoother, and lighter.”

“Do not scrunch your hair immediately after the shower, instead wait a bit before applying curl cream to the wet hair and then scrunch the remaining water out. Then lather the hair with mousse and scrunch it in. If you have a hair diffuser, use it now to dry your hair. If not, use a ‘curly hair friendly’ towel or a cotton tee shirt (though cotton tee shirt use has become controversial in the Curly Girl Community).”

Suzi’s Thoughts on the Curly Girl Hair Community:

When asked whether or not she believes wavy haired people belong in the Curly Girl Community, Suzi replied, “I would say so, just because they have to take the same steps to keep their hair from getting frizzy.” However, Suzi describes the Curly Girl Community’s demeanor as “competitive” and “toxic” toward those deemed “not curly haired enough”.

“Cotton tee shirt use has become controversial in the Curly Girl Community.”

Mrs. Georgelos

Mrs. Georgelos’ Morning Routine: “I use anti-frizz serum and leave-in conditioner, as well as curly-hair-specific shampoo and conditioner.”

“I spend as little time as possible on my hair in the morning— probably like 5 minutes.”

Jacob Goodman

Jacob Goodman’s Morning Routine: When asked for his curly hair secrets, Jacob replied “Water. Water and genetics.”

Words Hailey Kirchner Design

TACK LING THE ELEM ENTS

Can we make it through 12 hours at Bass Pro?

Are we crazy for spending 12 hours straight in Bass Pro Shop without leaving the premises? Maybe. But did we stick it out and pull it off? You had better believe it! Three of our magazine editors, Emma Malkowski, and Mazzy Horn-O’Brien, and myself, Ella Dillinger, decided we wanted to tackle (haha get it?) a whole Saturday in a hunting and fishing goods store. Unfortunately, our very own Jacob Goodman, who is editor of the graphics department, was not up to the challenge. Instead, Grace Detterick, our Jacob 2.0, was excited to take his place. Jacob decided to spend his time playing video games instead of braving the Bass Pro. Sadly for him, on a scale from 1 to grill for Bass Pro manliness, we will have to rank him negative grill (moment of silence for Jacob). Now, as I’m sure you’re anxious to get to the good stuff, here’s the hour by hour catalog of our adventure:

9:00-10:00: As the group slowly trickled into Bass Pro, we started to realize exactly what we had gotten ourselves into. We spent the first hour getting a feel for the layout of the store and planning how we were going to spend the next twelve hours of our life.

10:00-11:00: If you have ever been to Bass Pro, I’m sure you have noticed the animal prints on the floor. So, for the next 30 minutes, we meticulously followed the footprints to see where they led. It turns out, they do not lead anywhere interesting. Then, we took a little break to recharge for the next hour.

11:00-12:00: We decided to go on a Bass Pro boating adventure and also test drive some ATVs (kind of). We also rated the bathrooms, and we have to say, while a little smelly and dimly lit, the Bass Pro bathrooms are a solid

12:00-1:00: Victoria Allen and Hannah Reyes decided to join our posse to help us brave the indoor outdoor world. Once they arrived, we figured it was high time to start our Bass Pro scavenger hunt. We broke up in teams of two (Grace and I, Mazzy and Hannah, and Emma and Victoria) and set off to complete our lists.

“Those blessed few returned with what we can only describe as manna from heaven.”

The search consisted of taking pictures doing certain things including wearing 10 hats, meeting a random stranger, and wearing full boating attire. The stakes were high, with the losers having to buy the winners fudge. In the end, Grace and I pulled a win, finishing five minutes faster than anyone else.

1:00-2:00: We were getting a little hungry, so Hannah, Victoria, and Grace went on a Chickfil-a run. Emma, Mazzy, and I stayed behind in dedication to the challenge. Those blessed few returned with what we can only describe as manna from heaven, satisfying the primal hunger that has been nagging at us.

2:00-3:00: Alyssa Rose decided to stop by for a bit. We were all feeling tired so we just hid in a corner of the store and made bracelets while talking for an hour. We even made one for a nice employee who is now our Bass Pro bro.

3:00-4:00: We relocated to a more secluded area where we did homework, played taco cat goat cheese pizza (our favorite game), and did the worm (well, that was purely Alyssa).

4:00-5:00: Alyssa and Grace brought us much needed Starbucks sustenance. Alyssa griddied.

5:00-6:00: We had an intense couple rounds of sardines (for those who have never heard of sardines, think reverse hide and go seek), in which we struggled to find each other. Then, Victoria and Hannah had to leave. Unfortunately, Mazzy was not feeling the best, so she had to dip as well, leaving only four survivors.

6:00-7:00: After seeing just how adorable the baby clothes were, we decided to do a baby outfit contest, in which I judged Alyssa’s to be the finest “fit.” Afterwards, we went to pump some imaginary lead into some taxidermied

“So many cherished memories had been made within this 12 hour period.”

8:00-9:00: For our final hour, we packed in as much as possible. We interviewed an employee about what it’s like to work at Bass Pro, and to that he said that he is a huge fisherman and loves his job. We had a pool noodle fencing war in which Grace took first place. We also got some expert fly fishing advice from another employee and learned that Jonah was eaten by a tarpon fish, which Michelangelo depicted in the Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately, Grace was denied the honor of doing the closing announcement, but hopefully she will recover. Grace and Emma wanted to finish off the day by singing the national anthem from the top floor. As we left the store, we could not help but feel like we were leaving a piece of ourselves behind. So many cherished memories had been made within this 12 hour period that we were almost sad to leave… almost.

Bass Pro dog tally: 14

Words

Ella Dillinger and Mazzy Horn-O’Brien

Design

Ella Dillinger

Photos Mazzy Horn-O’Brien

Students on the clock

School is very time consuming; you know what else is time consuming? A job. So what happens when a partially insane individual decides to do both, on the same day? The answer… absolutely no free time whatsoever. A moment of silence for these poor students. But why, why do this to yourself? To improve your work ethic? Maybe you really like the work environment? When asking some of these students why they would put themselves through this, their simple response was variations of the phrase “gotta get that bread.” Because of course HEB, Freddy’s and many more business in the food industry can in fact supply you with “da bread.”

Students favorite music genre / artist

According to the musical preferences of Geneva school students, it’s clear that they have a diverse range of tastes when it comes to artists and genres. The top artists according to Geneva students are Noah Kahan, Taylor Swift, Drake, Kanye West, Metro Boomin, and 21 Savage. As for music genre, the most popular, to no one’s surprise, is pop. It is followed closely by country and rap with a good amount of indie and a very small amount of metal.

Favorite fall festivities

The fall is many people’s favorite time of the entire year for various reasons, be that the weather, or the colors of the leaves, or finally being able to wear hoodies again. Fall is a very popular season that almost everyone enjoys, but with this fan favorite season comes activities that are just as equally as anticipated. Here were the favorites:

Fright fest and the haunted house

Halloween and trick or treating

The return of pumpkin spice products

Words

Suzi Nilsson

Design

Ella Dillinger

Graphic

Malyn Arnold

1. Hey Driver (feat. The War and Treaty)Zach Bryan

2. Cowpoke - Colter Wall

3. Pasadena - Young Mister

4. Begging for Rain - Maggie Rogers

5. Dark, Dark, Dark - Gregory Alan Isakov

6. La Ciruela - Nico Play

7. Fireside - Arctic Monkeys

8. Cowboy like me - Taylor Swift

9. Lost in My Mind - The Head and the Heart

11. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All RightBob Dylan The musical inspiration behind Issue One

10. Sarah’s Place (feat. Noah Kahan)Zach Bryan

WORDS • MR. DONNOWITZ

As the new Headmaster, I’ve been asked to consider bringing back “The Talon,” a onepage article in the magazine for me to share my thoughts with readers. While I plan to use The Talon for devotionals that, I pray, will help readers live a more fulfilling, Christ-centered life, I want to use this first edition’s article to share a little about myself and what I’ve learned about Geneva after being here a few months. While there’s a lot about the Rhetoric School you can learn by looking at the website or reading official documents, there are some things you can only learn by being present and experiencing them for yourself. I’d like to share just a few (fun) things I’ve learned as a newcomer to the Rhetoric School this past quarter!

RETURNING • EST. 2007

4. Each Rhetoric School House has a unique personality. The House of Lewis has spirit and their love language is gift giving, and for that, we are all thankful! The House of Chaucer, without much fanfare, tends to win, and honestly, I’m not sure how they do it, but I’m impressed. The House of Sayers goes all out and, I’ve been told, dominates quidditch, which I am eager to see. The House of Milton is a dark horse, but hey, I’m ready for an underdog story, so let’s go, Milton!

5. Mr. Egli cooks, on average, three briskets a week for various Geneva events. A huge shout-out and thank you to Mr. Egli as well as Mr. Travis and Mr. Howard for helping us cook at the first-ever off-campus Rhetoric Retreat this past year. Thank you, all!

6. When I tell people at Geneva I live near a monastery, they ask me questions about Montessori education. A monastery and Montessori school are different things.

7. The boardwalk is an incredible place for conversation, games, and seeing students hustle to class when the bell rings. I’ve been so blessed to get to know the students here, and I pray I have been a blessing to them as well.

1. Everyone loves Cava. I have not had Cava yet, and thought it was a country when I first heard it. Being new to the area, I’m learning where to eat, so if you have

2. The level of excitement at football games for the flags is contagious. The first time I saw the color guard take the field at halftime, I thought an A-list celebrity walked out with them based on the reaction of the crowd, the student section in particular. The chanting, “flags, flags, flags!” followed by a massive uproar when the girls took the field was impressive. Truth be told, I was a little taken aback by the sheer level of excitement. But after being there, joining in with the crowd’s resounding chant and applause, all I can say now is, “Flags, flags, flags!”

3. Mr. Naiser and his students enjoy “field experiments.” From time to time, Mr. Naiser will take his study halls or science courses outdoors for a “field experiment.” This experiment involves a 175g disc that he throws through the air with incredible velocity and accuracy to its intended destination unless it is intercepted or obstructed. Yes, I’m referring to ultimate Frisbee, and I hope to join the next match.