Cameron’s Column

Coco Bose ‘26 is the subject of The News’ fourth Cameron’s Column, the first of the 2025-2026 school year.

John: What are you most excited about for this school year?

Coco: I think going into senior year, I am most excited about how tightly knit our class is going to become as the weeks and months progress. Hopefully, we can all say we’re a very close community by…January. I’d be very happy with that. Secondly, I’m excited to see all of our classmates make their college decision and see where they’re going, to be able to celebrate with each other as we make a big step in our lives and careers.

John: What are your thoughts on cellular respiration?

Coco: I’ve done some thinking. I’ve sat with this question for a few hours. I’ve come to the conclusion that there can be no thoughts on cellular respiration, because without it, we wouldn’t be able to function. This is one of those existential questions. You have “What is the meaning of life?” and “What is the purpose of life?” and “What are your thoughts on cellular respiration?” All of these questions are something that you need to think about throughout your whole life, really. Let’s leave questions like these for philosophers.

John: How surprised would you be if it snowed on the first day of school?

Coco: I’d be completely shocked if it snowed on the first day of school. Snow usually comes when it’s cold out, and it’s not usually cold in August. It’s not even cold in October.

John: On a scale of 1-10, what is your favorite animal in the African Savannah?

Coco: When you think about the African Savannah, you have the lion, the giraffe…you got the cheetah. You got all these predators and prey: beautiful, elegant creatures. Don’t even get me started on the landscape. But, um, if I had to pick a favorite animal on a scale of 1-10, I have to say 8. Nothing else would do it justice.

John: What is not your defining characteristic?

Coco: There are many things that define me, but one thing that does not is being narrow-minded. I don’t think I’m closed off in any way. Well, obviously, there are some things that you don’t want to be too open about. Other things that don’t define me might be WWE wrestler, MMA fighter, jiu jitsu master, things like that.

John: What emotions will you feel on the first day of school?

Coco: On the first day of school, I think I will be flooded with emotions. I’ll be excited for the new school year to start, with all these opportunities arising. It’ll be the last first day for us. That will definitely make me sad. It’ll be a bittersweet moment, but ultimately, I’ll be happy for the joy to come!

John: Do you brush your teeth?

Coco: To put it simply, I do. There are some rumors floating around, but I do.

John: What emotions will you not feel on the first day of school?

Coco: I will not feel scared, I will not back down. I will not feel disappointed or sad. I’m very much looking forward to this upcoming school year, for us seniors especially. There’s not a lot not to be excited for. So saying I’m not going to be sad is probably 100% accurate.

Editor’s note: (This response is somewhat confusing, as Coco just said he would be sad on the first day of school two questions above.)

John: What chemical phenomenon most excites you?

Coco: I’ve got to say combustion. I like a solid fire. I like campfires, you know. I like cooking with fire…on a stove. I like the experiment where you put a match inside a beaker and it stops because it loses the oxygen. It’s a pretty interesting one. So yeah, combustion.

Editor’s note: (In the last edition of Cameron’s Column, Matthew Feola ‘25 also expressed his fascination with combustion, particularly citing the phlogiston theory. Keep up the good work, Mr. DeWeese! (‘11))

John: Do you believe in the existence of the mythical creature, the abominable snowman?

Coco: Yes. You can’t just make something up like that. I think of something foolish like Big Foot, maybe the Easter Bunny. Actually, scratch the Easter Bunny, he’s real too. But Big Foot, the Loch Ness monster, that’s child's play. Anybody can make that up. But how are you going to make up the abominable snowman? You can’t. It’s an upper echelon of human thought; you just can’t reach it. I don’t know when the first sighting was or where he currently lives, but the abominable snowman is certainly real.

Coco has a lot of things to say, and some of it should be listened to. I hope you enjoyed this fourth edition of Cameron’s column, and stay tuned for the next issue, which will feature another very special guest.