Johl: A Gentleman and a Scholar
By Mae

“Wartime.”

When asked what sort of history interests him the most, Johl responds, “Wartime.”

Today I’m interrupting Johl in the middle of his Napoleonic video game on Roblox. (On the record, he is disappointed at how “underrated” Roblox is among his preteen peers, since it has so much to offer and is such a fun platform). He is gracious and doesn’t hesitate to meet me in the hall to converse.

Asking Johl if he wants to discuss history (particularly historical wars) is like asking a musician about their instrument of expertise. Johl doesn’t waste time in giving me an earful on the era he’s most interested in - late 18th century to the early 20th century. World War I is his favorite. He points out to me that “it was at this point that line warfare was just completely obsolete.” I try to keep up, but mostly I just appreciate his slow, methodic cadence as he describes the ills of war to me. He paces around as we converse. His posture and stride are consistent, somewhat soldierly.

Johl regularly wears historical military uniforms to school. Most days he’s in full fatigues complete with boots and hat. On occasion he accessorizes with a giant flagstaff flying a French flag. He mentions that he has about 5 different uniform coats and pants to choose from on any given day. His favorite at the moment is an Uhlan uninform - which is a WWI Germany cavalry uniform. An Uhlan is a type of Polish soldier, one that wears an impressive cap/helmet. I once observed Johl spend hours trying to construct an accurate design for a uniform cap, so I know he’s meticulous when it comes to the design in a helmet.

Johl takes a seat next to me before telling me that he’s currently creating a game around his interest in wartime history. The name of the game is Naval Warfare: WWI edition. I’m told it’s in the very early stages of development. I admit that I’m not at all a history buff or a wartime researcher, but I can’t wait to test Johl’s game with him. His passion for his project is contagious.

Johl’s been a student at Sudbury for over a year and a half. Before enrolling at Sudbury, he was at a public school. “It was a completely different experience,” he says. “I remember mostly that I didn’t feel that free… and I felt bored all the time. I memorized a lot of things, but once I completed things it was just kind of all gone. And I couldn’t remember anything that I spent a bunch of time on in school.”

At Sudbury Johl feels more free, in part because he gets to spend his time however he wants. He doesn’t work on things he doesn’t care about (only to forget the information immediately), but spends hours looking up historical information that’s of interest to him, playing video games, and talking to his friends.

He mentions that he has advice for new students coming into Sudbury, which is simple: Hang out. “Hang out with staff. Hang out with students. Hang out with volunteers.” Start where you feel safe until you “drift off” to other things and people, he says. At Sudbury, Johl is recognized by everyone and is comfortable moving about the space freely. Sudbury is his stomping grounds; when asked how he views Sudbury, his response is, “This is my territory.”