Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE
Outlining application requirements for the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Admissions Manager Shanelle Harrison engages with digital arts and photography senior Magdalene Mika and other students.
College Visits Provide Insight into Admissions and College Culture
Speaking into the microphone, school counselor Olga Middleton discusses the LAUNCH event’s agenda with attendees. The LAUNCH event (Linking Access, Unity, Networking, Collaboration, and Higher Education) was held in Meyer Hall and the cafeteria on August 27.
The LAUNCH to College
Leading a “Lighting Round” activity, student volunteers answer commonly asked questions, providing tips and sharing their experiences on campus.
Dreyfoos Compass Points the Way to Arts Education
Graphic courtesy of The School Counseling Team
[Brief] Dreyfoos Compass Offers Support to Students New to an Arts School
Participating in icebreakers, rising communications freshmen play a game of bingo as a way to get to know each other. Bingo questions varied from finding someone who has “starred in a short film” to "proficiently plays an instrument.” “You get to see what Dreyfoos is about and it's so far been really fun,” said communications freshman Arjun Kuturu.
First Steps into Something New
Huddling up, digital media senior Joshua Molnar communicates game plans and strategies with the boys volleyball team. “The most challenging part this year was finding ways to stay connected and motivated when we hit a slow patch mid-season or end season," Molnar said. "We weren’t clicking as a team for a while…I tried to help by setting the tone in practices, bringing the energy even on the off days and making sure no one felt alone in the struggle.”
Serving Up for Senior Night
Holding hands, theatre freshmen Sofia Carbone and Kayla Brown perform their musical theatre piece, “Who Will Love Me As I Am” by Henry Krieger and Bill Russel.
Welcome to the Final Show
Graphic by Maja Milovanovic
The Art of Testing
Jumping into the air and kicking his legs out, theatre freshman Devin Jackson, playing the character Mike, explains his backstory.
‘One Singular Sensation’
Dance junior Arielle Montopeirous poses during the finale of the in-school performance of “Be Our Guest.”
Springing Onto the Stage
Performing an 80’s style dance routine, dance senior Parker Sheehan participates alongside other senior dancers during Generations Day.
A Step Back In Time
Visual senior Angelina Gustafson reflects on her journey in the visual arts department and the impact of drawing on her social life. “I've always had a love for illustrations and everything like that,” Gustafson said. “It's always just been something that I cared about and liked doing. Being surrounded by so many people who are also my friends, it's hard to even think of them as competition. I always find myself rooting for them and hoping for their success.”
4 Years in the Making
Politics is BRAT
Politics is BRAT
Located at the back of the beach, the lifeguard tower at Ocean Reef Park oversees visitors both on land and in the water. Lifeguards on this beach work for the Palm Beach County Ocean Rescue division, which is USLA (United States Lifesaving Association) certified. USLA’s website reports that the “chance of drowning while at a beach protected by USLA-affiliated lifeguards is 1 in 18 million.”
Finding the Perfect Palm Beach
Holding up “Ws,” the class of ’25 cheers and celebrates after winning the Mario Kart game.
Terrifically Themed Teams
Illustration of Liliana Kirby surrounded by book pages.
We’ve Lost the Plot
We Have No Shock Left
We Have No Shock Left
Two girls record themselves using TikTok, a social media platform. Under House Bill Three (HB3), children younger than 14 are outlawed from using TikTok and 14 and 15-year-olds need parental consent to use it. Photo courtesy of Reuters (Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles, Nandita Bose on Air Force One, Kanishka Singh and Jeff Mason in Washington; additional reporting by Milana Vinn; Editing by Matthew Lewis, Chizu Nomiyama, Kenneth Li and Christian Schmollinger)
[EDITORIAL] We Need Access to Social Media — It’s No Surprise the Florida Government Wants to Take It Away
Huddling up, digital media senior Joshua Molnar communicates game plans and strategies with the boys volleyball team. “The most challenging part this year was finding ways to stay connected and motivated when we hit a slow patch mid-season or end season," Molnar said. "We weren’t clicking as a team for a while…I tried to help by setting the tone in practices, bringing the energy even on the off days and making sure no one felt alone in the struggle.”
Serving Up for Senior Night
Tennis Team's Senior Night
Tennis Team’s Senior Night
Crossing the ball between his legs, dance junior Zackary Chodor plays basketball as one of the members of the recreational sports club. The club, led by band senior Drew Arfa and theatre senior Kenneth Quinter, meets monthly to play sports.
Lunch League Of Their Own
Patel, Pacheco, and Burgess pose for a photo. While they all discovered basketball at a young age, Patel and Pacheco began their journey playing recreational basketball throughout elementary and middle school. Burgess started playing her freshman year on the team but grew her skills over the years with the help of her teammates.
Dribbling Through Time
Jumping toward the net, girl's basketball coach and math teacher Joshua Millstein attempts to dunk the ball.
King of the Court
Surrounded by players, tennis coach and Spanish teacher Marina Ratchford talks about pre-practice plans, upcoming games, and match-ups between students in determining game-day lineups for both the boys and girls teams.
‘Keep Your Head in the Game’
Posed headshot of Summer Wadleigh.
A New Season of Support
Hosting a lunch study session, math teacher Joshua Millstein explains how to calculate equations to his students. Outside of class time, Millstein hosts study sessions for students during lunch, in which he targets their shortcomings.
Where the Classroom Meets the Court
Between School and Sky
Between School and Sky
Patel, Pacheco, and Burgess pose for a photo. While they all discovered basketball at a young age, Patel and Pacheco began their journey playing recreational basketball throughout elementary and middle school. Burgess started playing her freshman year on the team but grew her skills over the years with the help of her teammates.
Dribbling Through Time
Band junior Anderson Spellman poses with his tenor saxophone.
Spellbound by Jazz
While participating in a lunch practice for Powderpuff, juniors put their hands up as a part of their choreographed dance.
Powderpuff: A Different Rhythm
Musele: 9/15/25
Musele: 9/15/25
Musele: 9/7/25
Musele: 9/7/25
Musele: 9/1/25
Musele: 9/1/25
Musele: 8/25/25
Musele: 8/25/25
Musele: 8/18/25
Musele: 8/18/25
Tennis Team's Senior Night
Tennis Team’s Senior Night
As newly built sets and colorful lights fill up Meyer Hall for the opening of “Cry-Baby: The Musical,” audiences listen to voices rise in vibrant numbers full of comedic storytelling. The original Broadway cast of the performance released a recording of the soundtrack, which was written by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger, on Oct. 7, 2015. The soundtrack is available on various music platforms, including The Muse’s Spotify account. Listen to the recording below and see Dreyfoos students make it their own on the last weekend of October and the first weekend of November.
PLAYLIST: CRY-BABY THE MUSICAL
VALENTINE'S DAY PLAYLIST
VALENTINE’S DAY PLAYLIST
THE VOICE OF DREYFOOS: EPISODE 2
THE VOICE OF DREYFOOS: EPISODE 1
THE VOICE OF DREYFOOS: EPISODE 1
Alex and Shane's Fantasy Filler Week 4
Alex and Shane’s Fantasy Filler Week 4
Every year as summer arrives, new songs become trendy among the social stratosphere.
SONGS OF THE SUMMER
Muse Talks: Backstage Access
Muse Talks: Backstage Access
Muse Talks: Love Through the Lens of Culture
Muse Talks: Love Through the Lens of Culture
Muse Talks: The Ivy Illusion
Muse Talks: The Ivy Illusion
Muse Talks: Lovesick or Sick of Love
Muse Talks: Lovesick or Sick of Love
On the Double: His Class is like a Movie
On the Double: The Race for No.1
On the Double: The Race for No.1
Musele: 9/15/25
Musele: 9/15/25
Musele: 9/7/25
Musele: 9/7/25
Musele: 9/1/25
Musele: 9/1/25
Musele: 8/25/25
Musele: 8/25/25
Musele: 8/18/25
Musele: 8/18/25
Muse Connections: 3/19/2025
Muse Connections: 3/19/2025
Standing in third position, theatre sophomore Sophia Caputo smiles toward the audience in the theater. From April 9-12, the musical’s showings took place in the Kravis Center Helen K. Persson Hall theater. “My favorite part of being in ‘A Chorus Line’ was all the rehearsals and learning all the choreography,” Caputo said. “It was so fun being able to put on this amazing show, with an amazing story, with all of my friends. And I just love doing it so much, especially in theatre performance.”
Photo of the Week 4/10
Holding each other’s hands, theatre senior Guilbrhea Pacheco and communications junior Micaela Suage dance together at Prom. Hosted by the junior class council, the 2025 Prom was held at the Palm Beach Convention Center. The theme for the dance was “A Party at Gatsby’s” based on the novel “The Great Gatsby.”
Photo of the Week 4/5
Attending the communications department film event Streaming Canvas, visual sophomore Marcalix Lemene watches a silent film titled “Return of Silence” created by communications senior Isabella Ward and starring communications seniors Daniela Peñafiel, Jason Monaco, and communications junior Carter Dytko. The event took place Friday, March 14 with students, staff, and family in attendance to watch student-made films on the big screen in Meyer Hall. “It was really cool to see this kind of work from the communications department,” Lemene said. “The event brought light to their hard work and dedication.”
Photo of the Week 3/14
Yelling into the microphones, communications freshmen BellaDonna Petersen and Monica Chirolde perform their speech “Playground” at the Figure of Speech showcase on March 6. In this speech event, called Duo Interpretation, participants base their performance on a previously written piece of work of their choosing.
Photo of the Week 3/6
The rock band "The Interlude" — featuring communications sophomore Carly Cantor as the vocalist, visual freshman Emmy Harkin as the bassist, visual sophomore Christina O'Grady as the guitarist, theatre freshman Callahan Fernandez as the drummer, and founder of the band and vocal senior Isabella Besin as the keyboardist — practices the Arctic Monkeys’ song "505" in Principal Blake Bennett’s office. Besin had established the band as a club this year. “I’ve always had a love for performing and listening to live music,” Besin said. “So I wanted to give students at Dreyfoos the opportunity to perform (in a band). (Principal) Bennett loved the idea of putting a group together and offered us the front office to practice whenever we needed (it).”
Photo of the Week 2/28
Being held in the air by ensemble members, theatre seniors Melanie Simmons and Shane Rainsburg look at each other while performing the Greek tale of Ceyx and Alcyone in the spring play “Metamorphoses.” Opening night took place Feb. 21 in Meyer Hall, and the show portrayed Greek myths and legends such as those about King Midas and Erysichthon and his Mother. “I love it (the show) so much,” ensemble member and theatre junior Kylie Mraz said. “Portraying (the) magic of Greek gods and goddesses into lights and sound was so difficult but so worth the effort.”
Photo of the Week 2/21
  • Club Rush: September 19
  • Voter Registration: September 17
  • Visual/Digital Fall Exhibition: September 17
  • Hairy Details: September 16
  • Pulsera Project: September 15
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE
Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE
Gavin Leser

Gavin Leser, Content Team Editor

Gavin Leser is a 2 year staffer and Content Team Editor on The Muse. He loves playing with dogs and watching WWE, and hopes to be a filmmaker one day. He loves writing opinion pieces and reviews, and joined The Muse because he loves writing. He looks forward to managing his team this year, Team Goobers.

All content by Gavin Leser
This photo illustration, of the opinion story writer Gavin Leser, is meant to highlight how society pressures people to seem happy even when they don’t feel that way. Often someone’s external positivity may contrast their inner feelings.

Don’t Smile Through the Sadness

Gavin Leser, Content Team Editor
February 29, 2024
Saw X movie poster from Lionsgate.

You’ll Never Believe What I Just SAW: “Saw X” Review

Gavin Leser, CTE
November 5, 2023

Man Versus Machine: The Answer

Gavin Leser, Writer
May 10, 2023
From top left to bottom right, Ant-Man from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” Thor from “Thor: Love and Thunder,” The Wasp from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” Jane from “Thor: Love and Thunder,” and Shuri from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” all characters from the MCU’s most recent phase.

The Decline of the MCU

Gavin Leser, Content Team Editor
May 1, 2023
Raised in the air, Principal Blake Bennett sings in the teachers’ dance during the Pep Rally. Ms. Bennett and other staff members recreated Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl Halftime performance.

Pep Rally Through the Grades

Gavin Leser, Writer
March 17, 2023
Digital media junior Coral Johnston plays the drums as her band rehearses “Can I Call You Tonight?” by Dayglow in preparation for the Battle of the Bands competition.

Drumming up Excitement

Gavin Leser, Writer
March 13, 2023
During Scholastic Journalism Week, The Muse staff attended a proofing stay-after for their upcoming third issue on Feb. 21 after school. The staff edited proofs — large, printed versions of the pages. This process allowed everyone to provide feedback on designs, photos, and stories before sending the issue off to print.

The Importance of Freedom

Gavin Leser, Writer
February 23, 2023
In addition to nine arts programs, Dreyfoos also provides students with the opportunity to take part in sports and academics.

The Dreyfoos Difference

Gavin Leser, Writer
February 15, 2023
Theatre freshman Alina Wester and dance junior Trinity Smoot Ford sit back to back on Freshman Hill during Black Student Union’s (BSU) Unity Day picnic. Unity Day kicks off BSU’s Spirit Week for Black History Month, which consists of a new event for each day until Friday, Feb. 10.

The Beauty of Unity

Jeremiah Alondra and Gavin Leser
February 6, 2023
After giving her junior to senior speech, theatre junior Adaleigh Wagner hugs visual senior Zofia Killeen. This annual tradition allows a junior to write a speech for a senior they are close to. “(Wagner) and I have been playing together for two years, and we have become such good friends,” Killeen said. “It meant so much that she made my speech, and it made my eyes water a little bit.”

Senior Night Lights

Aidan Smith and Gavin Leser
October 9, 2022
[BRIEF] Lightning Strikes Campus Wildlife

[BRIEF] Lightning Strikes Campus Wildlife

Gavin Leser, Writer
September 17, 2022
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