2018-2019 Issue 6 (Feb. 8, 2019) by NPHS Panther Prowler

PANTHER

PROWLER Friday, Feb. 8, 2019 • Issue VI • Newbury Park High School 456 N. Reino Rd., Newbury Park, CA 91320 • pantherprowler.org

2 7

Westboro Baptist Church

Mayor, Rob McCoy

8-9

Science Olympiad

Government Shutdown

Bikes Fundraiser

Comp Sci

CVS Backpack Policy

Dance For Hope

Dance Team

editorial Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Leave us alone, Westboro Baptists

The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is coming to town. The easiest way to summarize the WBC is simply by attempting to visit their website under the CVUSD firewall. Type in “Westboro Baptist Church” and click the first link you see -- the organization’s official homepage. The site, which you will notice has the url “godhatesfags.com,” is blocked by the district for obscenely violent content. The group sent out a news release on Feb. 4, reading, “With praise and Thanksgiving on our lips, the followers of the one true Christ will preach his word and message of repentance to the students and faculty of Thousand Oaks High School after the mass shooting in November.” This was followed by another message, that read “God sent the shooter.” This is a group that will be preaching to a group of students and teachers outside of Thousand Oaks High School, many of whom have ties to people involved in the Borderline shooting. This is a group that travels around with signs that say “God hates [...]” and “Thank God for Dead Soldiers.” It is the epitome of hate speech; the kind of hate speech that makes us question whether the first amendment should have limitations. Be mindful of the people in your community. Be aware that in Thousand Oaks on Feb. 11, one of the most homophobic and anti-semitic extremist groups will be exercising its right to free speech, to teachers and students of the CVUSD. Be aware that this is a group that compares homosexuals to Nazis, and that has been cited for relentlessly harassing gay and lesbian store employees. Be aware that in their promotional flyer for their event at

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TOHS reads, “The wildfires that ravaged Thousand Oaks in November, as well as the shooter that same month, are manifestations of God’s wrath against this evil place.” Forget personal political affiliation or religious ties or any other societal aspect that we constantly find dividing our community, pitting one side against another. When a group like the WBC drops in on a wounded community to incite conflict and to spread pure, unadulterated hatred, we are reminded that truly horrible people aren’t those who supported a different candidate in the 2016 election or who stand for different local school board policies. We are allies who elevate each other and our communities, and we need to recognize who is the true evil.

Front Cover Caption:

Closed for business- Failing to come to a compromise for the 2019 budget, the government experienced the longest shutdown in United States history, lasting 35 days. It affected people beyond Washington’s borders, including here in Newbury Park. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

PANTHER PROWLER

2018-2019 staff

Editors-in-Chief Connor Keep Clare Wang

Entertainment Editor Daria Azizad Copy Editors Emily Augustine Kessa Chavez Marli Davis Kavita Rai Nidhi Satyagal Cover Editor Rahul D’Souza

Features Editor Kavita Rai

DPS Editor Kessa Chavez

Sports Editor Emily Nagamoto Jaycen Sussman Aditya Vunnum

Online Manager// Daria Azizad Maya Chari Kessa Chavez Rahul D’Souza Emily Nagamoto

Opinion Editor Nidhi Satyagal News Editor Emily Augustine Marli Davis Ad Manager Gianna Spiro

Photographers Chief// Emily Nagamoto Maya Chari Rahul D’Souza Sarah Lu Clarissa Shin Aditya Vunnum Jessica Zhou

Graphic Artist Emily Augustine Marli Davis Gianna Spiro

Staff Writers Carter Castillo Brian Fang Hannah Gross Serena Kabir Prasheetha Karthikeyan Manas Khatore Jacob Malone Emma Schoors Hailey Washington Adviser Michelle Saremi

The Panther Prowler is the official publication of Newbury Park High School, and is created and produced by the Advanced Journalism students. The newspaper is funded by advertisements from local companies. The Panther Prowler staff makes all final decisions on information published in its newspaper, its website and its publishing in other social medias. While Mrs. Michelle Saremi advises the Advanced Journalism students, the staff is solely responsible for what is printed. The Panther Prowler is published every four weeks throughout the school year by American Foothill Publishing Co. For advertisement information, visit www.pantherprowler.org. The Panther Prowler is accepting letters to the editor. To submit your feedback, please provide your full name, email and a letter about 300 words in length. Letters are subject to discretion and editing for taste, length and libel. Letters can be submitted to the email posted below. Newbury Park High School 456 North Reino Road, Newbury Park, California 91320 (805) 498-3676 x 1110 prowler.newspaper@gmail.com

news Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Science Olympiad finds success Manas Khatore Staff Writer The NPHS Science Olympiad flocked to Antelope Valley College on Jan. 26 to compete in the 33rd Annual Science Olympiad. For hours, the team tested their scientific knowledge against over 25 other schools from the Los Angeles region. In small groups, students participated in categories ranging from astronomy to forensics, with their scores contributing to the overall school ranking. Victoria Dzieciol, senior and co-president, has participated in Science Olympiad since her freshman year. This year, however, she believes that the team was at a disadvantage. “With the fires and everything we kind of got a late start,” Dzieciol said. “We really started studying and having study sessions in December.” She participated in the water quality, dynamic planet and code busters categories. Eugene Han, sophomore, competed in the astronomy, protein modeling and write stuff events. Categories either consist of building or written tests. While written tests are paper and pen exams, building tests entail constructing a model based on the category. “In the case of protein modeling, you’re given a protein and you just have to build it. You have to use different materials to make one,” Han said. Emily Ho, sophomore and secretary, explains that preparing for the competition is intensive and time-consuming. “(Preparing consists of sitting) at a computer for hours at a time and just doing research,” Ho said. There is an element of uncertainty in preparing, as the coordinators for the regional event do not closely adhere to the Science Olympiad official rulebook. “(Teams) kind of have to go based on other people’s experiences and just pray that you have everything,” Ho said. After a day of competing, the NPHS branch ranked seventh. The team was pleasantly surprised with the results, due to the difficulties that the team faced in preparation. “I am impressed with how well we did. I honestly thought it was going to go worse,” Dzieciol said. The success was attributed to strong team cohesion, as well as effective last-minute studying. Ho believes that there is still room for improvement from this year. “We should probably have a lot more study sessions and we should probably make it mandatory

for people to attend a certain number of them,” Ho said. With a lot of seniors leaving this year, the team hopes to attract members studying higher level sciences in the future. “If

Studying Hard- Andy Shi, junior, looks over his Chemistry Lab cheat sheet before his competition. The competition was at Antelope Valley College on Jan. 26, with 29 schools competing in a variety of science related topics. The NPHS team scored 11th in the event. “The competition was as I expected, however I wish I had more time to prepare,” Audrey Washington, senior and Shi’s partner, said. The team scored in the top three for almost a third of the events they competed in. Sarah Lu/Prowler

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Westlake forum calls for action Jessica Zhou Photographer Feeling deeply affected by the tragedy of the Borderline shooting, students took action by hosting a gun violence forum at Westlake High School. Families of Borderline victims, politicians, law enforcers and student activists took the stage to spread their words on better gun management, and to advocate for a better and safer nation. Looking at all the action taken place after the Borderline shooting, young people have proven their determination and capability of making a change. Gracie Perkul, a 17-year-old resident of Simi Valley, shared her painted portraits of the victims of the Parkland School shooting to the audience. A smile on every face of a painting, Perkul captured the beauty of these young lives and revealed the pain of having to lose them to the violence of a bullet. “I drew these 17 portraits because I wanted the world to see what we lose every time innocent lives are taken from us at the hands of gun violence. I wanted to show their faces and tell their stories and make the statement that you will never be forgotten,” Perkul said in her speech at the forum. Politicians and lawmakers such as Congresswoman Julia Brownley also delivered a speech at the forum. Brownley called for action from our leaders, for gun violence issues to be addressed in the White House and for legislations to be made on gun safety. In addition, Brownley introduced an agenda of

you’re in IB Chemistry or Biology, then you should definitely join us,” Ho said.

legislations that democrats are working to push forth. The first priority is Bipartisan Background Check Act named the HR8 bill which closes the dangerous loopholes in the background check system. The second priority Brownley introduced was to fully fund and make mandatory gun violence research at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. “It is critically important for Democrats to demonstrate to the American people who are crying for action that we do have common sense solutions and we will put forward an agenda for the American people to see and we will fight mildly,” Brownley said in her speech. Furthermore, Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett touches on the topic of gun show culture in America. To prevent people from seeing gun shows as a normalized culture of America, Bennett calls for the cities of Ventura County to demand the fairgrounds board to ban gun shows from Ventura County fairgrounds. He encourages people to stand up to their wishes and to take a step forward in building up political momentum to demand state legislatures and political authorities to establish gun control legislatures. “If more guns in our nation would make us safer then we would be the safest nation in the world,” Bennett said, “We are not.”

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news Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Students’ Election Guide 2020 presidential race Kavita Rai Features Editor Nidhi Satyagal Opinion Editor Carter Castillo Staff Writer The Democratic primary field for President is growing with more and more candidates announcing their intentions to run. The primary field is already much larger than it was in 2016. Since 2016, the Democratic party has seen more and more candidates endorsing Medicare for All plans, as well as the increasing pressure for candidates like Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a self proclaimed democratic socialist, to declare their 2020 intentions.

According to the LA Times, the 2020 election already has a wide array of diverse candidates including toptier household names, entrepreneurs, congressmen and state level officials. Many others are still speculated to announce their run. According to the LA Times article, people should look out for “Iowa visits,” “exploratory committees,” “(inclusion) in polls” and “recent or upcoming books.” With this in mind, we have compiled a list of the

current candidates who have announced their campaign or their intent to run: Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Tulsi Gabbard, Julian Castro, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, John Delaney, Andrew Yang, Marianne Williamson, and Cory Booker. This primary cycle has a record amount of women running for president. Many other female candidates have been speculated to run, like Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar who will make her announcement on Sunday, February 10.

Tulsi Gabbard •

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Gabbard announced her intent to run Jan. 11 on the Vans Jones Show. Gabbard released her campaign video on Jan 24. Gabbard became the youngest person elected to the Hawaii state legislature at age 21. Gabbard is also a veteran, having been deployed to the Middle East twice. She is endorsed by David Duke, former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan , though she immediately denounced his endorsements.

Julian Castro

Pete Buttigieg

Elizabeth Warren

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Castro was raised in San Antonio, Texas,and later became it’s mayor, and then former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Barack Obama. Castro’s Grandmother was an immigrant, and has made immigration the center point of his campaign.

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Buttigieg is a former mayor from South Bend, Indiana. His husband is Chasten Glezman, a junior high humanities teacher. Buttigieg is 37 years old. Buttigieg supports a medicare-for-all plan, but does not believe that it will end private insurance.

Marianne Williamson John Delaney • •

She was the “Spiritual advisor” for Oprah. Williamson is a New York Times bestselling author who writes all of her books on a basis of spirituality.

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Delaney is a former U.S. representative from Maryland. Delaney grew up in Wood Ridge, New Jersey and his grandparents immigrated from Ireland and England. Delaney announced his candidacy on July 28, 2017, making him the first federally elected official to officially begin their campaign.

Senator from Massachusetts. She grew up in Oklahoma. Warren was a law professor who worked with then President Barack Obama before she became a senator.

Kirsten Gillibrand • • • •

Gillibrand is the junior senator from New York. Gillibrand was born and raised in Upstate New York. She ran for a congressional seat in a heavily conservative district, and won. Her positions have shifted further to the left throughout her senate career compared to her time as a representative.

Andrew Yang

Cory Booker

Kamala Harris

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Andrew Yang is the founder of the American Company Venture for America. He was born and raised in Upstate New York by Taiwanese immigrants. Yang earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Brown University and then went to Columbia University for law school. Yang believes in creating a universal income, paying every citizen over the age of 18 $1,000 annually. Yang’s central message is to create a safety net for when automation takes the majority of blue collar jobs.

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Cory Booker is currently serving as a senator from New Jersey, the state he grew up in. Booker was raised in a poor area of the state. His campaign slogan is “We rise.” Booker attended Stanford, where he played football, and then Yale for law school. He later moved to Newark, New Jersey, to represent tenants who had landlords that only cared about profits and not their tenants. Booker supports a Medicare for All plan. Booker has also stated that “environmental justice” will be one of the cornerstones of his campaign. With the help of senator Kamala Harris, Booker helped pass the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018, which is the first time that any federal anti-lynching laws have been passed in US history.

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Harris was born in Oakland, California. Harris announced her run Jan. 21 on Martin Luther King Day. Harris is a Senator from California. Prior to her time in Congress, Harris served as a prosecutor and the Attorney General of California. Her campaign slogan is, “For the People”. Harris is endorsed by Jacqui Irwin, who represents the 44th California assembly district, which represents the majority of Ventura County, including Thousand Oaks. With the help of senator Cory Booker, Harris helped pass the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018, which is the first time that any federal anti-lynching laws have been passed in US history.

news Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Students send bikes rolling to Africa

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Emily Nagamoto Chief Photographer What started as a simple promise to help has become a collection of around 350 bikes, 15 wheelchairs and 60 crutches. Providing bikes for children in need may seem like a lofty goal, but for Mary Grosswendt, junior, and peers from across the district, it was a challenge they had to accept. On Jan. 27, Grosswendt and her team of almost 20 volunteers collected new and used bicycles and bike accessories for the non-profit Wheels to Africa. The organization, founded in 2005, collects bikes and distributes them to families in Africa; and in the month of January, the first ever California fundraisers collected bikes at three different schools: Westlake High School, Viewpoint School and Newbury Park High School. “It was very successful,” Grosswendt said. “When they had it at Westlake last Saturday, they got a little over 200 bikes which was awesome, and they also got a lot at Viewpoint School. Then when we had it at Newbury Park, it was a little rushed and later planning-wise, so it wasn’t as successful but we still got probably around 70 bikes. So altogether we had a really

good turnout.” Grosswendt acted as the conduit between the other schools and NPHS, learning about the charity from a family friend and planning the collection here. The message spread, and Isabella Steele, junior, soon picked up the cause too. “I heard about it though Mary, who asked me if I would like to help her organize the event at NPHS. I knew it was a small foundation that could use all the help they could get, and I thought the cause was great,” Steele said. Though the event had to be postponed until January, collection day was busy from the start. Volunteers got to school early for set up, and from there were busy interacting with community members who donated bikes, disassembling bikes for easier loading onto the trucks and shipping. For Steele, meeting the donors was what made the event memorable, on top of being able to give back to the global community. “We were able to meet and talk to the kind people in our community who donated, which was really enjoyable.

Support the NPHS music department!

Bikes on bikes on bikes- At the close of the bike collection at Westlake High School, volunteers celebrate the amount of donations they received: around 200 bikes. NPHS also held a bike collection, on Sunday, Jan. 27, for the non-profit Wheels for Africa, and volunteer Isabella Steele, junior, just wants to thank everyone. “Thank you to everyone who came out and donated, every donation made a difference,” Steele said. The organizers are planning to have the fundraiser again next year, hoping to beat this year’s collection of 70 bikes. Mary Grosswendt/With Permission

Events like this are so important because they allow us to repurpose items, like old bikes that we may not be using anymore, and give them to those who have a need for them. Also, they help everyone in our community connect and do something good together, which I think is really important,” Steele said. Community members from all over came to support, including some very special guests. “A fun thing that happened was some firefighters from the local fire station came by in their truck and dropped off a bike. We got to talk to them and share the purpose of Wheels to Africa,” Steele said. The event at NPHS was sponsored by the Hands on Earth club, and Brianna Harris, biology teacher and club advisor, also volunteered at the event, helping to dismantle the bikes.

“We had to tilt the handlebars and remove the pedals to make the bikes more linear so that they would stack easier in the big shipping crates,” Harris said. “I feel like I learned so much about bikes, and I came home very dirty and greasy, but it was good.” After learning more about the organization, Harris said “it was really eye opening,” to see how much these children needed the bikes, for protection, to get to school, etc. Although the Thousand Oaks bike collections are over, the bikes will not be shipped until April, so Wheels to Africa is still accepting donations of bikes, helmets, wheelchairs and crutches. The bikes can be new, used or in parts, as long as there is no rust. Contact them via their Instagram, @wheelstoafrica. ca, for more information.

opinion Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Backpack policy leaves a bitter taste

Sarah Lu/ Prowler

Marli Davis/ Prowler

Hannah Gross Staff Writer On my last trip to CVS, there seemed to be a giant elephant in the room. Or rather, a giant mountain of backpacks. CVS has recently implemented a new policy requiring students to leave their backpacks by the door while they shop. They might as well have installed a flashing neon sign that says “we don’t trust you.” While adult customers are still able to hold onto their purses or bags while shopping, students are not permitted to do the same. The policy leaves students’ possessions in a vulnerable position. Some students keep valuable, expensive items like laptops in their backpacks-- items that will set them back far more than that $2.50 bag of Sunchips someone might steal would affect CVS. There is also the possibility that someone may take the wrong backpack when they leave the store. The policy is also ineffective. If someone intends to shoplift, they would still be able to put small items in their pockets.

Some argue that because a backpack is big, it is reasonable to ask that it be left at the door. However, a significant amount of customers are students walking to CVS from NPHS, who are likely to have backpacks. Some other stores require customers to leave their bags at the register, but this is typically only the case in thrift stores, not in a CVS in the suburbs across the street from a high school. Maybe at a small family-owned store this would seem more plausible, but CVS is a massive chain. It’s like in school, when one student is using their phone so everyone gets their phone taken away. That type of policy may be okay in a classroom, but it’s not okay in the real world, and it’s not an ideal way to treat your customers. People have the right to be treated with dignity, and there’s nothing more undignified than being treated this way. It’s awkward, it’s uncomfortable and no one should feel that way as a paying customer. No shoplifting incidents at this CVS are

listed in the Acorn’s sheriff blotter. A manager said that although the store has had issues with shoplifting, they were not reported because the items were inexpensive, $15 or $20, and shoplifting is not a top priority for police. These incidents have led CVS to view students as potential criminals. Students should consider the reputation that’s being created if they shoplift. Even so, all students should not be punished for the actions of one group. From a legal standpoint, CVS does have the right to ask customers with backpacks to leave them at the door, as the store is private property. However, even if a business can legally do something, that does not make it any less alienating. Although there is an argument for the policy, it leaves a bad taste. Can I get the same cheap iced coffees at Trader Joe’s? Not really. But at least I won’t feel like I’m violating parole when I carry my belongings while I shop.

AirPods are not that good Aditya Vunnum Sports Editor Ever hear someone walk into a room and scream, “It smells like broke in here!” They were probably wearing AirPods. If you didn’t hear them, you were probably wearing AirPods too. The newest fad of 2019 is Apple’s $159 wireless AirPods. Before Christmas, mainly mediocre basketball players and rich kids who wanted other kids to know they were rich would wear them around. But after everyone opened their gifts, practically everyone would have them, from 7-year-olds to 40-year-old dads that want to seem young. Even worse were the people who would spend money on another case to surround the already existing case for the AirPods, inadvertently reducing their clout level by 14000. The wireless earbuds have also become one of the biggest memes of the year. Multiple YouTubers and Vine stars have made videos poking fun at AirPod users, such as claiming AirPod users are the richest people in the world, and then Jeff Bezos after them. Since their release in 2016, AirPods have become a “hype” item, similar to the hype surrounding Jordan’s but not on the same

level. The price and demand are not justified by the quality or the features. AirPods are practically the same thing as Apple’s wired earbuds but with a couple extra features, including one touch pause, play and skip. Users have an array of controls at their fingertips with just a couple taps. But at the same time, people with regular earbuds have the same controls by simply taking half a second longer to open their phone. Nobody seems to realize that, or they just have a lot of money to waste because Apple sold 14 to 15 million pairs of AirPods last year, and is projected to reach 50 to 55 million this year. If every pair is bought at the price labeled on Apple’s website, that totals to about $8 billion that people are spending on AirPods. The sound quality is practically identical and even if it was better, most of the people using them wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. They’re a complete waste of money when wired earbuds are a perfectly viable alternative. If Bluetooth is that much of a desirable feature, then there are other wireless earbuds on the market at half the cost that are higher quality.

Sarah Lu/Prowler

I am the girl who does not understand girls Emily Augustine News Editor “Girl Power” is only powerful if ALL girls stick together. When girls criticize each other, subtly or overtly, behind each other’s backs or to their face, it weakens our cause altogether. When guys have a problem with one another, they hash it out and get over it pretty quickly. In my experience, women are not as direct. It is unfortunate that girls are so mean to each other, and I hate that my past experiences with girls have made me bitter. It saddens me that girl-on-girl hate happens as far back as Kindergarten. My mom teaches a Kindergarten class and she observes this excluding behavior even in her five-year-olds. The little girls whisper behind each others’ backs and come crying to my mom because they have been hurt by someone who they thought was their friend. I have had primarily male friends my whole life, so I am just not used to the girl world, and quite frankly, I am not strong enough for it. I care too much about what people think, and as soon as a “friend” maliciously hurts me, I am gone. It just so happens that girls have hurt me more than guys. I either say nothing or say something blunt. That is just how I am. It is a big part of my humor to say what most people are afraid to say. My peers’ feedback indicate that mostly guys appreciate the way I am. For some reason, girls are a tough crowd. Maybe I am the reason why girls do not like me. It seems like no matter what, I do not please the female crowd. I just have to realize that pleasing people is not always important. The most important thing is trying to be the best person I can be, and ignoring those who put me down. Girls are doing their thing, and that is ok. I just have trouble understanding the way it works from their point of view. You would think that being a girl would help, but it does not. Although I have not figured it out, I am hoping it will all be clear to me later in life. For now, I will stick to what I know best.

opinion Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Mayor McCoy, keep your church out of my state

Marli Davis News Editor Daria Azizad Entertainment Editor

Thousand Oaks Mayor Rob McCoy believes justice comes from God. He believes that all rights are granted by God. He believes morals are based on God. He does not believe in the separation of church and state. Religious beliefs are not shared by everyone, but the First Amendment applies to all. However, McCoy seems to think his religious beliefs should apply to all, and that the First Amendment only applies if it fits his goal. Now, there is not necessarily a problem with having a religious figure as a mayor. However, when that person intends on inspiring a religious revival through his mayoral position, there definitely is. In an interview with the Church and Liberty Coalition, McCoy said that the reason he joined the political arena was to inspire disciples to follow his path and teach the American people morals. He also told the interviewers that people are “inculcated” to believe in the separation of church and state, “which does not exist.”

Further, at an American Legacy lecture at the Godspeak Calvary Chapel, he said, “Progressivism is a religion disguised as a political movement while Islam is a political system disguised as a religion. Christianity is counter-culture. The push (must be) to change (or) transform culture” even when it goes against what is politically correct. If McCoy cannot take his religious preference out of the City Council, then there is a conflict of interest that compromises the integrity of the City Council. While all views should be respected, there is no need for any certain religion to be touted in disproportionate favor. The First Amendment of the Constitution, in guaranteeing religious freedom, also gives the basis for the separation of church and state. However, many believe that just because the Constitution does not explicitly say the words separation of church and state, it is perfectly okay to legislate religious-based precepts. However, in the case Town of Greece v. Galloway,

which the Supreme Court upheld in 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that “the First Amendment ensures both that the government does not show preference to a certain religion and that the government does not take away an individual’s ability to exercise religion. In other words, the church should not rule over the state, and the state cannot rule over the church.” Keeping religion out of legislation and vice versa is supposed to be an American guarantee. The fact that McCoy so flippantly disregards the Constitution and Supreme Court shows that either he is ignorant or simply does not care. If he wants to inspire a moral community, he has the right to do that within the walls of his church or in a public space. But using a position of authority to legislate and indoctrinate a community with a particular religion’s belief system is unethical and an abuse of power.

Let transgender people serve Manas Khatore Staff Writer President Donald Trump tweeted a proposal to ban transgender military service in July 2017. A year and a half later, the Supreme Court condoned this decision. On Jan. 22, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to uphold the ban, reversing a policy that former President Barack Obama made allowing transgender people to serve. Not only is this a mistake on the part of the Supreme Court, but it represents a major change in the direction of equality for all citizens. First of all, let’s take a look at how transgender people are a “burden” to the military. Trump’s tweet stated that transgender people contribute “tremendous medical costs and disruption” to the US military. However, the use of the word “tremendous” is misleading here. According to a 2016 Defense Department study, the costs for transgender hormonal treatments and surgeries are very minimal compared to the total costs of military health care. Additionally, the National Transgender Discrimination Survey

Gi Pr ann ow a S ler pir

Video games promote

Prasheetha Karthikeyan Staff Writer

found that transgender people are twice as likely to serve in the military than the general population. Placing a ban just stops that many people from potentially serving. So why was the ban created, and more importantly, why was it approved by the Supreme Court? This simply reflects the views that the Trump administration has on transgender people. Even though there is a lack of evidence supporting their point, they believe that transgender people should not serve… just for being who they are. In regards to the policy, the Pentagon stated, “(The policy) will ensure that the U.S. Armed Forces remain the most lethal and combat effective fighting force in the world.” Are they assuming that transgender people are incompetent? We must remember that transgender people complete the same military training as everyone else and would reasonably be as well-prepared as other recruits. Making this statement is discriminatory and is dangerous to the perception of transgender people nationwide.

Thankfully, there are many others who share this opinion. On Feb. 7, lawmakers introduced bipartisan bills that seek to override Trump’s policy. This legislation was introduced by Kirsten Gillibrand, Jack Reed and Susan Collins. Gillibrand referred to Trump’s ban as “an insult to the brave and patriotic transgender Americans who choose to serve in our military.” In addition, millions of Americans are speaking out against Trump’s policy, using the hashtags #ProtectTransTroops and #TransRightsAreHumanRights. However, the earliest the Supreme Court could examine the ban’s constitutionality would be next fall. Until then, we must not be complacent towards this pressing issue. Although it affects a small fraction of citizens, the ban represents a definite step away from the progress that has been made towards equal rights. In light of marriage equality and the first transgender congresswoman, it feels like we’re regressing in time.

Every year, there always seems to be a new, more popular video game -- Fortnite, Call of Duty, League of Legends. The list only continues. As these games develop, controversy regarding the effects of them arise, but one effect outweighs the rest: their promotion of sexism, a disastrous concept which will be embedded in consumers. The audience for these games tend to be adolescent males, so companies try to appeal to them. The result? Heavily sexualized women who are portrayed as helpless and provocative, an unrealistic expectation that creates unnecessary societal unrest. Satisfying these hormonal teenagers and young adults is damaging for both ends of the spectrum. A study from Stanford University concluded that because of female depiction in these games, “women may be at risk for experiencing self-objectification and developing greater rape myth acceptance.” Likewise, women were found to be more self conscious of their own bodies after viewing video games with sexualized avatars.

Men are also negatively impacted. Another study, as quoted as evidence in the Stanford study, found that men who play video games that contain objectified female characters had a greater probability of sexually harassing women than men who did not play those games. Even seemingly harmless games can be inherently sexist. For example, Princess Peach in the famed “Mario” series appears as nothing other than a secondary character, the “damsel in distress” with blonder hair, blue eyes, and a pink dress. Furthermore, in 13 out of 15 games, the objective of the game is to save her. The effect on both sides is prominent and will translate into younger generations. This effect does not correlate core values, which could end up teaching the wrong idea to the generations of tomorrow, with the logic of that if a video game can get away with it, why can’t we? Video games need to adhere to their entertainment purposes, not try to downgrade women to nothing more than unattainable bodily standards, and convince men that it is okay to perceive them as that.

Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Shutdown at a glance

Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019 Marli Davis/Prowler

government shutdown

Government shutdown

Winter time is usually the season for celebrating the holidays, the new year and going on a vacation. Winter time is usually the season where people are worrying what presents to gift to their friends and family. Winter time is not, however, usually the season where people are worrying about how they will pay for their next meal. In November, President Donald Trump stated that he would be “proud to shut down the government for border security.” On Dec. 22, 2018, he did just that. At 35 days, this shutdown was the longest shutdown in United States history, passing the previous record after 22 days on Jan. 12, 2019. Government shutdowns occur when Congress cannot agree on how to appropriate funds. In this case, the Democrats and Republicans reached an impasse on how to approach border security. Trump advocated for several billion dollars to go into funding a border wall, which he believed would cut down the number of immigrants trying to come into the United States from Mexico. However, the Democrats believed that that money could be spent on improving the border security that is already present now. Eventually, it became clear that a compromise would not be reached, and the government shut down. During a shutdown, federal programs deemed non-essential close. “We’ve had shutdowns before and employees have had to even work without pay or go without pay and stay home,” Steve Johnson, history teacher, said. “It seems like as our two political parties have become much more partisan that they’re looking for different tactics to try to advance their agenda.” While there have been government shutdowns before, this shutdown lasted the longest and did the most damage to workers for the federal government. During this shutdown, 800,000 of the 2.1 million workers employed by the federal government were affected in some way. Some workers were sent home with no work or money, while others were brought back to work without pay. National parks and museums closed, and programs like the Transportation Security Administration had workers work without pay. Some TSA employees participated in a “sick-out,” calling in sick so they would not have to work without pay. The Food and Drug Administration stopped its inspections of seafood, fruits, vegetables and other foods that are easily contaminated. Most Internal Revenue Service operations also stopped during the shutdown. Trump gave the impression that the shutdown could last months, even years, but luckily it ended much sooner, on Jan. 25, 2019. Air traffic controllers at LaGuardia Airport in New York, one of the busiest airports in America are speculated to be the reason for the temporary lift of the shutdown. Too many controllers called in sick, and the airport was forced to stop all flights because there were not enough workers to ensure that the planes would land safely. This caused a chain reaction, and many flights were delayed all across the East Coast. Shortly after, Trump agreed to temporarily lift the government shutdown. He signed a resolution that keeps the government open until Feb. 15. With the government reopened, workers are starting to get their money back. However, many of them were not required to work without pay, so they do not get any money from the time. There are also many longer lasting effects of the shutdown. Some court cases that had to be postponed because of the shutdown may not be heard for years. Areas of national parks were destroyed from an overflow of waste and vandalism because there weren’t any workers maintaining them. In the long run, Johnson believes that this shutdown will have severe consequences in the future. “I think a lot of times people take a pretty big pay cut to do government. They are sacrificing to serve our country and they could be making a lot more money, in many cases in the private sector,” Johnson said, “This may discourage them to think that something out of their control could cause this calamity to happen.” Although it may seem like the shutdown is now over, there is still the possibility that after Feb. 15, Trump may decide to shut the government down again to try and push for funding for the border wall again.

Food inspection, airport security, medicare, almost all the functions of the government basic to people’s everyday life was on shut down. For 35 days, over 800,000 government employees ranging in nine federal departments no longer received pay. All of these people lived in the stress and pressure of not knowing when the government would reopen. One out of the 800,000 was Andrew McCurdy’s, junior, father. Andrew’s father works in the FBI and worked without pay during the shutdown. As their financial income came to a halt, expense became a prior and concerning issue. “My mom has definitely been a lot more careful with food. Now, she plans out what we are going to eat and on what days. She makes it a plan and hangs it on the fridge and would even make meat for the whole week,” McCurdy said. While the government has been through partial shutdown in the past, this shutdown became the new record-holder for the longest U.S. government shutdown in history. Waiting became the main job for many of these government workers. “I knew (my dad) was really worried. One day he had me skip school just so we can go do something fun because he was stressed out about it,” McCurdy said. The government is now reopened for three weeks while President Trump continues to make negotiations with the Democrats on the funding of the border wall. In this uncertain and unstable circumstance, the families of those who were affected by the shutdown continue to prepare themselves for a future shutdown. “We have basically put all major expenditures on hold and are only buying necessities until things are a bit more stable,” McCurdy said. The local national park, the Santa Monica Mountains, and its many workers were also affected by the shutdown. Services and programs throughout the park were suspended, causing park rangers, volunteers and interns to be temporarily out of work, without pay. “It really sucks,” Fairy Noorzay, junior and volunteer with the Parks Service, said. “I feel like the shutdown itself was a little bit pointless and it sucks that it went on for that long and that it lead to all this with the vandalism of the National parks because they’re beautiful places.” National Recreation areas such as Joshua Tree were unregulated during the shutdown, leading to the accumulation of trash in natural sites and the burning of native plant species. Trail posts and boulders throughout the Satwiwa National Recreation Area, Newbury Park’s local national park, are now covered in graffiti. After recent fires swept through the Santa Monica Mountains, obliterating 90% of the land, several regeneration projects were scheduled after the burn to help foster native regeneration

What else does the government shutdown affect?

“They will be closed, leaving no one to answer questions or assist farmers in signing up for programs under the Farm Bill recently approved by Congress.”

“Some food safety inspections will also be delayed. The Food and Drug Administration in past government shutdowns had to delay some not non-essential inspections.”

“It's not only services. Funding for the Violence Against Women Act stopped with government shutdown, according to Roll Call. The law, considered a landmark bill in 1994, expired along with funding for other government agencies.”

“Americans looking to buy a new home or refinance a mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration will be put on standby.”

State and local farm service centers

Food inspections

Violence Against Women Act

Small business owners

has lasting effects Maya Chari Photographer

Government workers affected

Hannah Gross Staff Writer Sarah Lu Photographer Jessica Zhou Photographer

March- Protesters gathered at the Los Angeles women’s March to speak out against various issues. A protester holds an anti- wall sign, a debate to which the shutdown can be attributed. Trump’s demanded $5 billion to fund the US-Mexico border wall was not passed by the necessary legislative bodies, resulting in the current partial reopening. No resolution has been made. Maya Chari/Prowler

in the park. However, with the government shutdown, projects such as these were suspended. “I was sad, because It’s really fun to work by Boney (mountain) and to be going to Satwiwa every week,” Noorzay said. She is happy to have returned to the ranger station, but as the government is only open for a few weeks, she and her co-workers remain unsure about their positions in the parks. Students at NPHS also felt the effects of the shutdown, as several governmental sites such as NASA and NOAA were out of service during the month-long period. Victor Ke, senior, was unable to do his environmental science homework because the NOAA database was not available.”

Going forward

SHUTDOWN

Although the government reopened on January 25th, the discussion surrounding the shutdown is far from over. During the shutdown, on January 16th, Trump signed the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019. This legislation was intended to ensure that workers receive compensation after the shutdown. Now, workers are receiving back pay for the work they completed during the shutdown, and furloughed workers will be paid as well. “They gave us a lot of promises like, we’ll pay for your part of your gas or part of this, part of that,” McCurdy said. However, the unprecedented length of this shutdown has led several Senators to search for solutions to prevent future shutdowns. “Both parties have been talking about legislation to make sure that a shutdown would not harm any workers or prevent government services from being offered should a budget impasse happen again, and that way eliminating it as a tactic to gain advantage,” Johnson said. Such legislation has been proposed by those on each side of the political spectrum. Republican Senator, Rob Portman of Ohio proposed the End Government Shutdowns Act, while Democratic Senator, Mark Wagner of Virginia introduced the Stop STUPIDITY Act, or Shutdowns Transferring Unnecessary Pain and Inflicting Damage in the Coming Years. A group of bipartisan lawmakers proposed the Solidarity in Salary Act of 2019, and a group of House freshmen Democrats introduced the Shutdown to End All Shutdowns Act. Most of these bills involve stopping funding at a set point, then slowly decreasing it over time. Others recommend a series of punishments for congressional lawmakers and the president

Closed indefinitely- Ranger stations all over the country were closed to visitors, leaving the national parks without maintenance and law enforcement. The Rancho Sierra Vista Satwiwa Center in Newbury Park, usually open on weekends, was closed as well. Rangers temporarily returned to work on January 10th. Maya Chari/Prowler

as a shutdown continues, while another suggests suspending payment for lawmakers and the president. The House majority leader, Steny Hoyer, democrat, suggested making it illegal for federal workers to work without pay. While there is no shortage of potential legislation on how to approach government shutdowns, the position of workers and the government remains uncertain, given the Feb. 15 deadline. Morale is also steadily declining among federal workers, leaving some with concerns about future recruitment.

Source: usatoday.com

Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Shutdown at a glance

Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019 Marli Davis/Prowler

government shutdown

Government shutdown

What else does the government shutdown affect?

“They will be closed, leaving no one to answer questions or assist farmers in signing up for programs under the Farm Bill recently approved by Congress.”

“Some food safety inspections will also be delayed. The Food and Drug Administration in past government shutdowns had to delay some not non-essential inspections.”

“Americans looking to buy a new home or refinance a mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration will be put on standby.”

State and local farm service centers

Food inspections

Violence Against Women Act

Small business owners

has lasting effects Maya Chari Photographer

Government workers affected

Hannah Gross Staff Writer Sarah Lu Photographer Jessica Zhou Photographer

Going forward

SHUTDOWN

Source: usatoday.com

features

Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Students shred Australian waves Emily Augustine News Editor Over the course of the holiday season, five CVUSD students traveled to Australia to take part in a surf lifesaving program. On Dec. 27, the Leo Carrillo Junior Lifeguards Lifesaving Team based in California departed for the Maroochydore Surf Lifesaving Club in Maroochydore, Australia. The team consisted of Sam Manzano, Hudson Eskigian, Cameron Habib, Miller Meinhart and Mason Meinhart. They home-stayed at several family homes of members from the Maroochydore team giving them the opportunity to bond with their friends from the Australia team and visit the local tourist attractions. Tim Harvey, director of the Leo Carrillo Junior Lifeguard Program, planned the trip and helped chaperone the kids attending. Although the trip was an opportunity for the team to gain experience in the water, the cultural differences between California and Australia were present. “The Australians have a much deeper cultural tradition in surf lifesaving, so they tend to train more at an earlier age. They then aspire to greater success as they get older, often training year round for the summer surf lifesaving season. We simply don’t have as strong a cultural tradition and tend to put our kids in other sports at an earlier age,” Harvey said. An itinerary was made so each member of the team was upto-date on their day-to-day schedule. Sam Manzano, freshman, has been surfing since he was four years old. “If I could describe my trip to Australia in one word, the word would be independent...because throughout my trip I had to be able to get myself to the trainings and figure out all my flights and be responsible for myself,” Manzano said.

things

5 yo u d id not know ab out

Find out more information about The Leo Carrillo Junior Lifeguards Lifesaving Team on their Instagram page: @leocarrilloexchangeteam.

Other side of the worldworld After their trip to Australia for a surf lifeguard program over winter break, five CVUSD students from the Leo Carrillo Lifeguards program pose for a photo as they remember their journey to the other side of the world. Hudson Eskigian, center and junior at Century Academy, thoroughly enjoyed their trip. “It’s a wonderful place to go and visit, just from the people you find, and the weather is amazing, the water is super warm and the surf is super good,” Eskigian said. The team was able to stay with friends and family members, allowing them to be able to see the sights of Australia in addition to their long days of training. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Asian Culture Club celebrates Chinese New Year Aditya Vunnum Sports Editor

Sarah Lu/Prowler

Marissa Schaefer Carter Castillo Staff Writer

Manzano also learned some valuable lessons about what motivates him to pursue surf lifesaving. “I have learned that you really, no matter how sick or sore you might feel, still have to show up to practice even if you’re not getting in the water...and it’s all about perseverance and teamwork,” Manzano said. Although they had the opportunity to experience Australia, the trip took a large portion of time away from the team members’ education. Hudson Eskigian, junior at Century Academy High School, missed three weeks of school and had to keep up with her make-up work. “I missed heaps of school, actually. I didn’t do any school for three weeks,” Eskigian said. The trip challenged the students to practice surf lifesaving in conditions rougher than they are used to. The team pushed through and was able to get used to the surf by the second week of their stay. “Every day we had different training sessions. Sometimes it would be going in and out of the surf constantly for an hour, just learning from the kids that have been there for years and what their strengths are. Their surfs are so much different than ours -- it’s a lot heavier -- and the currents are just so different, being in different conditions and learning how to deal with that,” Eskigian said. The teams experienced the differences and similarities between Australian teams and their team. “My favorite part about the Australia trip was being able to see how the Australians work in the water and being able to become more adaptive in the ocean,” Manzano said.

Schaefer became a teacher to inspire students and help them grow not only academically, but also by pushing them beyond their boundaries.

Schaefer does not have a lot of free time, but when she does, she wants to explore the beauty of California.

If Schaefer could be any celebrity for one day, she would be Michelle Obama.

Schaefer’s spirit animal would probably be either a unicorn or a hippopotamus.

If she could only eat one food for the rest of her life, she would eat sushi.

Some of us run away from our culture, some of us are ignorant of our culture and some of us throw chow mein parties. Every other week, the Asian Culture Club meets to promote their culture with food and games. On Feb. 6, the club invited students to celebrate the Chinese New Year with free chow mein and rice for anyone who came to the meeting. The event started off with a presentation, including an informational video about the significance of the lunar calendar and announcements of upcoming events, such as the annual Civic Arts Plaza Chinese New Year performance. After weeks of planning, Tiffany Hsu, junior and president, was thrilled by the outcome of the event: “The meeting was very successful. Our club had great energy all throughout the meeting and had a fun celebration,” Hsu said. “The turnout at the event was amazing with over 60 people showing up. Lots of members of the club -- old and new -- joined our celebration of the new year.” Nikki Usares, junior and vice president, plans to build off of the success they had and hold more events to celebrate the new year. “We plan on volunteering at Chinese events at the Civic Arts Plaza because there’s going to be a lot in the coming weeks where we can help.” The club was founded by several students in the Chinese language program, including Stephen Liu, junior, after they realized that there were currently no clubs that represented what they were looking for. “What we want to do in this club is to acknowledge and promote the many aspects and quirks of Asian culture in our school, as the name implies. We want to bring together as many people as possible in a culturally rich environment,” Liu said. The club is certainly not exclusive to the Asian community either. Of the 25 regular members in the club, there are several who aren’t Asian, including a Hispanic board member.

Yum Janice Guzman, junior (left), and Melanie Masson, junior Yum(right), fill their plates with chow mein in celebration of Chinese New Year in B-11. “Our primary goal is to celebrate the different Asian cultures, because it seems like Asian cultures are almost the same but they’re not. There’s actually a lot of diversity and we want to spread the knowledge about it,” Usares said. The club meets every other week in room B-11. Maya Chari/ Prowler

“If you think the club is exclusive to only Asians, you misunderstand our message and our goals. Yes, while our focus is primarily Asian, we encourage people of all races, nationalities and ethnicities to come by and celebrate the culture with us. If you want to join the club, you’re always welcome to,” Liu said. For updates and additional information regarding the club, visit their instagram @npacc2019. “To any student not in Asian Culture Club and is curious to learn about Asian culture or eat yummy foods, come.” Hsu said. “You won’t regret it.”

features Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Student Abby Gorman/Freshman

1 What low budget movie featuring Paul Walker was filmed at the NPHS gym?

Gorman: I don’t know Weingarden: I don’t even know who Paul Walker is A: Tammy and the T-Rex Looks like this school is in serious need of Paul Walker fans. 0-0

VS Carter Castillo Staff Writer

Teacher Mr. Weingarden/Math Teacher

What do you call a group of crows? Gorman: A murder, I’m sure about that one! Weingarden: I don’t know, these are tough questions! A: murder A grim answer, but with that Gorman and Weingarden are tied! 1-1

3-1 Gorman Wins!

What is the most liked photo on instagram of?

What is the capital of Wyoming?

What is Scotland’s national animal?

4 What is the state beverage of Oregon??

How many muscles does a cat’s ear have?

does bubble (boba) tea originate from? 2 Where Gorman: Japan

Gorman: The egg Weingarden: I thought it was one of the Kardashians A: An egg Gorman is obviously a memer, so now she takes the lead! 2-1

Weingarden: Samoa A: Taiwan We are still tied with a whopping score of zero to zero. 0-0

Gorman: That’s a tough one Weingarden: It’s Cheyenne A: Cheyenne Someone did their geography homework! 0-1

Gorman: I’ll go Root Beer Weingarden: Beer A: Milk Can Gorman tie this game? 0-1

Rahul D’Souza/Prowler

Gorman: I’m going to guess a unicorn Weingarden: Nessie A: unicorn And with one wild guess, Gorman is dominating the competition. 3-1 Gorman: 43 Weingarden: 30 A: 32 And with that the score is tallied, and Gorman wins! 3-1

Computer Science courses prepare students Jacob Malone Staff Writer The symphonious sounds of mouse clicks and keyboard clacks fill the air of the Panther Lab as students are meticulously pondering a task on the front board. It is in this room that students are learning how to problem-solve and embrace their creativity, all the while being educated in AP Computer Science. AP Computer Science is a class in which students are taught about how the systems of computers work and program development. There are two AP Computer Science classes available on campus: AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A. Richard Kick is the school’s main computer science teacher. “I’ve been teaching Computer Science A since 1984. I’ve been teaching Principles for the past nine years,” Kick said. Along with teaching both classes, Kick has also played a large role in the development of the AP Computer Science Principles course curriculum. “I very strongly recommend people to take (AP Computer Science Principles) because it was created so everyone could have an opportunity to understand what computer science is, even if they have no experience whatsoever,” Kick said. Many students are taking this opportunity to experiment with computer science and prepare for their futures. Alex Sobierajski, junior, is taking Principles because he believes it will help him in his career later in his life. “Well, in the future, I would like to major in

engineering, and knowledge in computer science would be of great use in this field,” Sobierajski said. Meanwhile, Stephen Liu, junior, decided to take Principles in order to improve his critical thinking. “The skills learned in this course are extremely important and are necessary for the future, not to mention that the problem-solving skills and creativity acquired will be of use in any profession,” Liu said. “The job market for computer-based jobs is going to rise.” Liu is really interested by the class, and plans on pursuing a career in computer science. While many people might not be planning on following a computer-based profession, Kick still encourages students to take the class. “Early on in education, we understood the importance of English, mathematics, history and science, and we’re learning that computer science is going to become an essential skill for everyone in everyday life,” Kick said. Coding hardhard Computer science students are trained to analyze long strings of code as well as create their own, training to apply these skills to any field of interest. Richard Kick, computer science teacher, has been teaching kids how to code for nine years, and believes it is an integral part of daily life. “I use computer science skills everyday. Most people don’t recognize that they’re using computer science skills to interact with the web to gain new knowledge,” Kick said. There are two computer science courses offered at NPHS, AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

entertainment Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Dance for Hope performers boogie for American Cancer Society Brian Fang Staff Writer

Big fan- XueQing Li, Xing Chen, Hong Yu and Fei Wen performed a Chinese folk dance for Dance 4 Hope. “I feel very happy that our dance can help others,” Wen said. They are a small informal dance group who prepared dances for Lunar New Year. Jessica Zhou/Prowler

The lights dimmed in the Newbury Park Performing Arts Center on Feb. 1 for the 10th annual Dance for Hope concert. The curtains opened, and the crowd clapped and cheered as music filled the auditorium. The performers smiled. Dance for Hope is a multicultural dance event in which people from around the community come together and raise money for cancer research. Hosted by the Interact club, dancers from the Dance team, a Chinese Dance Troupe, Aspire, Thrive, Academy of Dance Westlake, Zumba, IB Dance and the Bollywood group performed. Enthusiasm and sweat was put in by the dancers to make the event a success. Zain Kazi, senior, helped the bollywood boys bring out more emotion. “I make sure to model my techniques in a way that I’ve always been an advocate for. I’ve seen multiple situations where people I have danced with have been discouraged because they were laughed at or moved to the back row of the dance,” Kazi

said. “This year, I made sure to find the best qualities in each dancer, motivate them and boost their confidence which allowed them to shine.” Priya Setty, senior, also had to take on more responsibility as the leader for the bollywood girls this year. “ The past few years...I was just responsible for making sure I knew the dances and performed well. But being in charge of the dance I have to choreograph the steps, teach the dance, move around practices to fit everyone’s schedules, organize formations for the stage and (much more).” To give the audience a more engaged experience, performers further went out of their way to take more risks. “This year I took a different approach than the past few years. I tried to incorporate some modern hip hop with the Bollywood mixes in order to bring the crowd to life. I felt that the fusion of the different types of music appealed to both the dancers and audience,“ Kazi said. Amiya Prasad, senior and president of the Interact club, is proud of letting our community express their varied backgrounds. “I think this event helped our community as a whole because it brought together people of different cultures and made them more aware of how diverse our community is,” Prasad said. “They were willing to help at every turn and showed how strong our community really is.” The benefit raised $3,100 in the end, including a generous donation of $1,500 from the NPHS American Cancer Society club and event proceeds. Additionally, a volunteer match program is currently in the works with the help of a dancer who works for Amgen. “It took so much work and effort from so many different organizations to put this show together, but the overwhelming support and the contributions to American Cancer Society made it so worth it,” Setty said. Work it- Varna Kanapuram, junior ar NPHS, and behind, Humna Ahmad, senior at Royal High School, strut their stuff as they perform a Bollywood dance routine at Dance For Hope. Together with students from across CVUSD, the Bollywood group was the finale performance for the benefit dance concert, which is in its 10th year. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Netflix’s documentary is Fyre Hailey Washington Staff Writer During our last four-day weekend I decided to watch a few documentaries, and upon strolling through Netflix I found “Fyre-The Greatest Party That Never Happened.” Both Hulu and Netflix created documentaries based off of this event. The Hulu documentary is called “Fyre Fraud” and the Netflix documentary is called “Fyre.” This a small difference, but the documentary styles and approaches are quite different. When I watched the Netflix documentary, my initial reaction was “Why?” Why would anyone go on a trip if someone like JaRule is involved. There are many failed businesses run by rappers, but others become the face of the project when it succeeds. Take the rapper Soulja Boy and his “new” game console, SouljaGame Console, from last year. We all knew that was not going to be successful. My point is that the people who bought the tickets to go to this “festival” were easily tricked. However,

Hulu’s documentary changed my view on these people. Hulu’s viewpoint was that all these people bought tickets thinking they would be missing out on the biggest festival to ever exist, and ads for the festival were no help. Displaying famous models like Bella Hadid and Elsa Hosk just fueled the perceived need for people to go this event. In this way the Hulu documentary was better. They had a better perspective on the consumers of the festival. However, the Netflix documentary did an overall better job. Not only did the Netflix documentary have better cinematography, there was a better perspective on the people who worked on the festival itself. Take Billy McFarland’s angle, the co-founder of Fyre Festival. The Netflix documentary displayed him as a charismatic businessman who seemed to be able to accomplish anything -- even giving personal accounts illustrating festival workers’ feelings about how they could somehow pull a

win, because of him. Hulu didn’t even try to answer the question of why they would continue doing the festival knowing it would fail. To add to this, Hulu interviewed Billy McFarland and it was very weak without any new information being added. The Netflix documentary was able to better incorporate footage from the festival than the Hulu documentary. When watching the video I noticed that the Hulu documentary often used video footage that was only partially related to the festival, in order to fill in gaps. For example, they included footage of a random bank or of random stacks of cash. Netflix didn’t do this; they stuck to footage from the Fyre Festival itself and Billy McFarland’s other business ventures. Overall, the Netflix documentary was far better than Hulu’s. So, if you want to find out more about the Fyre Festival scandal, I would stick to your Netflix subscription.

entertainment Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Get ravenous at Taiyo Ramen Hailey Washington Staff Writer On a Sunday afternoon I walked into the restaurant Taiyo Ramen, which is across the street from The Lakes shopping complex. On the left there was a wall of bowls forming a wavelike image and on the right a wall of mirrors to open up the small space. In front of me was three TVs, one playing football and two playing anime. Overall, I feel that the “look” of the place was very appealing, but not really authentic to what I would expect a ramen place to look like. Since I went during a time is wasn’t busy, the place was quite empty and there was not any customers around. However, I also went on a Friday night and the place was completely packed. Like I said before, the space was small, so when it was full it just felt smaller. Though the place was full, it didn’t stop the restaurant from providing great service. I only waited for ten minutes on a busy day, and 7 minutes on the day that it was empty. So their service, at least to me, was very efficient. Next, I would like to talk about the food. When I went on Sunday I bought two things: Spicy Tuna Over Rice and Miso Tonkotsu (Pork) Ramen. The Spicy Tuna Over Rice was just like it sounds, raw spicy tuna on top of plain rice. Personally, I didn’t like it was much as my sister and my mother did when we went. However, in hindsight I don’t even like spicy tuna, so I feel that

Bowl of joy- The Tokyo Tsukemen Ramen is a specialty ramen of Taiyo Ramen. A bowl of soft dry noodles in dry fish-based dipping sauce, with chashu pork, egg, lime, roasted garlic and green onions. Jessica Zhou/ Prowler

if you like spicy tuna sushi you will really like the Spicy Tuna Over Rice. Another part of the restaurant that I found intriguing was the snacks in the front of the room. When I entered the restaurant I really wanted to eat them, however, by the time I had finished my meal I was so full I could barely look at them. So though having them is somewhat a good idea, I don’t think people will be buying them that often. Finally, let’s talk about the ramen. The options that are given include Tonkatsu (Pork), Chicken and Veggie. The soup can be either Shoyu (Soy Sauce), Miso or Spicy Miso. I choose the Miso Tonkotsu Ramen and it came with both good and, a few, bad things. Personally, I thought that the meat was somewhat lacking flavor and there was a bit too much green onion in the soup. However, these small faults didn’t really affect the overall quality of the ramen. The noodles were much thicker than a typical Top Ramen and absorbed most of the flavor. They were the best part of the ramen. The next best feature was the egg, it was cooked to be soft-boiled and contained a runny yolk, which made the ramen even more delicious. Overall, the restaurant is inviting and the small space doesn’t limit your experience. Taiyo Ramen is a great local restaurant to begin your ramen experience.

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sports Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Dance Team leaps to victory Jaycen Sussman Back Cover Editor

Among the Newbury Park Athletic teams, the NPHS Dance Team has solidified itself as not only one of the most successful in the school but one of championship caliber. Over the course of three months ( January-March), the team commits itself to what they call “comp season,” or competition season, where the team performs and competes against various schools in Southern California with their eyes set on Grand Champions. Third year dancer and Team Captain Peyton Tovey, junior, went over the team’s philosophy as they finish the first three weeks of competition season. “Going into comp season you really can’t set expectations for how you want to do because dance is so subjective and you go into it kind of hoping that the judges like you. This year we have a lot of potential and have been doing very well at each competition, but we don’t let the results from the previous comp affect our performance for the next. We always keep an open mind and go into it working harder than the last,” Tovey said. Since the end of January, the team has competed in three competitions and dominated their competitors. Dance Team has earned the title of Grand Champions in two out of the three competitions thus far, and second runner-up for the other. The group also took home various awards such as best technique, best showmanship, best choreography and a total of 16 first places. With the several awards obtained so far in competition season, Shyah Butcher, junior, earned the Dancer of the Year Award all three weekends. Butcher explained that as satisfying as it was winning the award, it took an immense amount of time to get there. “It’s been pretty crazy, I wasn’t expecting to win not only once but all three times… I’m really hard on myself personally to be the best I can be and to work hard no matter how I’m feeling that day because I know there’s somebody else who wants

it just as much as I do, and if I’m not giving it my 110% each time I’m aware that somebody else sure is,” Butcher said. Looking forward, the team is preparing for Nationals, a nationwide tournament. With hopes to win National Champions, Team Captain Rhea Vermani, senior, assures her team that although winning is nice, they must keep their foot on the pedal. “We keep trying to remind ourselves that we can’t sit back and relax. It’s fun to win, but it also means that most other teams are really going to want to beat us going forward, and we have to show the judges that we’re still working to get better. We usually will watch videos and try to fix our dances with things that judges give feedback on, and spend time with our teammates having fun too so that we can go into Nationals with a good attitude,” Vermani said. The team members rely on each other for support while they work hard towards their goals. They realize the importance of staying focused and having a good work ethic. “The dedications and commitment of our team is unreal and I wouldn’t be able to make it through all the practices without them. We all push each other and have a lot of fun and our goal is to win Nationals this year, so we all have been pretty hard on each other and making sure each rehearsal we are completely focused so we feel absolutely the most prepared for when we go to Nationals,” Butcher said. The team feels that it is truly a team effort with each member giving it their all. Obviously, their hard work does not go to waste as it shows in their results, winning competition after competition, never taking a break from the grind. “Winning feels so rewarding because each person gives up so much for this team, and coming together and winning it all is so awesome especially when you don’t expect it,” Tovey said.

Let’s Dance- Arianna Mah, senior, performed her solo at the West Coast Elite Dance Competition. The competition was hosted in Thousand Oaks High School on Saturday, Feb. 2. “Doing a solo can be really nerve racking but having your team there cheering you on and supporting you is the best feeling ever,” Mah said. Mah danced to the song “The Weight” by Amber Run. Jessica Zhou/ Prowler

Y Stand- Catie Parker, senior, performed a solo routine to the song “Dancing” by Elisa. This is the fourth year Parker competed in the West Coast Elite dance competition. “We’ve put in a lot of extra time and effort preparing for competition this year and it’s a great feeling to walk out on the gym floor and show the audience what we’ve been working on,” Parker said. Parker is now preparing for the oncoming CADT and nationals dance competitions. Jessica Zhou/Prowler

Los Angeles Rams tackle hunger Gianna Spiro Ad Manager Recently, the Los Angeles Rams participated in the “Souper Bowl of Caring,” a national nonprofit aimed to use the energy surrounding the Super Bowl and transform it into a time of giving and caring for poverty and the food insecure. The Rams used Food Share, the food bank of Ventura County, as another facilitator and resource for community outreach. Food Share is a member of the Feeding America network, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. The nonprofit is dedicated to feeding, nourishing and educating the hungry residents of Ventura County, educating the community on those who are hungry, and advocating a reduction of this issue. The nonprofit have continually fed 75,000 people each and every month. Food Share has been partnered with the Rams for about two years. “We love partnering with the Los Angeles Rams. From the moment they arrived in Ventura County, they were looking for ways to support. Their excitement for helping the community is contagious,” Monica White, President and CEO of Food Share said. Jennifer Caldwell the Director of Marketing for Food Share was also enthusiastic about the Rams participation. “We are

Giving Back- While partnering with Food Share for the Souper Bowl of Caring two week food drive; the Los Angeles Rams donated $10,000. From left to right: Napoleon, Rams, Cheerleader, Randy Hinton, FOOD Share Board Member, Joe Schroder, Food Share Board Member, Lysa Urban, Food Share Board Member, Monica White, Food Share President & CEO, Rampage, Rams Mascot, Stephanie, Rams Cheerleader, David Bayer, Food Share Volunteer, and Jenny, Rams Cheerleader. Jennifer Caldwell/With Permission

lucky that Food Share was one of the people that they wanted to partner with, this is the first time they wanted to partner and do a specific event. On top of the collection, they also gave us a generous $10,000, which was pretty incredible,” Caldwell said. A big fan of the Rams, Randy Wright, senior, feels like he has been supporting the team with good morals. “The team is super fun to watch and I think they’re great people on and off the field and I’m really glad they came to LA because it’s just another sports team that I can cheer for,” Wright said. “The food drive shows that they care about the community and food insecurity is a big problem, but it’s nice to see that people with that much money can help out the community and have a positive impact.” Besides the recent food drive, the Rams have been very active in the Ventura County community. “Most recently we honored first responders and people affected by recent tragedies in the community at our Monday Night Football game in November vs the Chiefs,” David Weingarten, Community Affairs and Engagement Coordinator for the Rams said. The food count total has yet to be determined but so far the partnership created over 1,000 pounds of food.

sports Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019

Panther wrestlers grapple to gold Jacob Malone Staff Writer As the wrestling season comes to a close, Newbury Park walks away with the title of Marmonte League Champions. Now, the Panthers have time to reflect on the season and how they got where they are now. After defeating Thousand Oaks by 12 points in a 43-31 victory on January 19th, the Panthers were able to capture the Marmonte League title, their second title in two years. “This is the second year in a row in which we are league champions, so back to back league champions, and it’s just a testament to their hard work, setting a goal, and working toward that goal as a team to achieve it,” Chris Kilbane, coach, said. “We competed in CIF team duals and we made it to the semifinals which is the farthest any Newbury Park team has advanced to.” Kilbane has been coaching the team for the past few years, and is extremely happy with the team’s progress and how they reached their goals. While the wrestling season was quite tough, Kasra Memarzia, junior, was proud of his personal accomplishments. “My goal was to make it through the season, and see if I would like it enough to do it again. I also wanted to have a positive win to loss ratio, and I achieved that,” Memarzia said. Memarzia also believes that the wrestling season has helped him build his teamwork and leadership skills.

“To see leadership in another sport and another group, it changes the way I can help others as well as showing work ethic and commitment,” Memarzia said. While some wrestlers mainly enjoy the leadership of the sport, other wrestlers, such as Urias Merlo, senior, participate for a different purpose. “It’s honestly an interesting, complex and trying sport where your strength is tested a great deal and the bonds made with teammates run deep,” Merlo said. “I’m very proud of the team, both JV and Varsity.” Merlo also played his part in the team’s title this season, pinning several opponents across a variety of teams. He also believes that wrestling has helped his character develop. “As a person I think wrestling has made me a lot more humble. You realize that there are people who are better and know a lot more than you do, coaches being a prime example, but also people that you compete against in wrestling,” Merlo said.” To Merlo, wrestling is more unique than any other sport due to the companionship between teammates and the competition one can find on the mats. “Wrestling has also made me a lot more disciplined, it makes you come to the realization that things are never given,” Merlo said. “Like Tom Brands said, ‘You don’t get what you deserve, you get what you earn.’”

Focus Getting ready to begin the drill, senior (left), practices at TOHS. The wrestling team has Focusselect members continuing to practice after season due to the upcoming CIF matches. “It’s honestly an interesting, complex and trying sport where your strength is tested a great deal and the bonds made with teammates run deep,” Merlo said. The practices last for two hours and consist of strength and endurance training. The team has been practicing with other Marmonte League champions in preparation for their final competition.” Clarissa Shin/Prowler

Nico Young travels to Boston to race Sarena Kabir Staff Writer While some people struggle with running, Nico Young runs the mile with a time of 4:14, an attribute he has worked on tirelessly over the years. Young has been running since he was five years old in youth track and field. When he reached high school, he joined the cross country and track team his freshman year and has been improving ever since. With the help of his coaches and fellow teammates, Young was able to be invited to compete at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, an indoor race, in Boston. This was Young’s first time ever racing on an indoor track and he could feel the difference in racing terrain. “The positioning is so hard on such a short track,” Young said. Even through Young’s struggles and naivete, he was still able to manage a time of 4:14, place 8th in the race and set a personal record for himself in the mile. Sean Brosnan, the head coach of track and field and cross country, has guided and supported Young in every one of his moves. “I have been able to bring Nico to this level slowly and progress him in a manner that works best for Nico,” Brosnan said. Brosnan’s intentions are to never

overwork his athletes and train them in a way that would maximize benefits with mitigating the harm of injury. Young and his team have extensive routines to stay healthy throughout their long season.

Zoom- Nico Young, junior, poses in front of the track in Boston before running amongst the best in the country. “I felt honored to be able to go there because it was such a big event and it was a lot of professional runners just between a few high school races so i was hoping to have a very good experience,” Young said. Young came into the race after placing fourth in the country in the three mile. Nico Young/With Permission.

“We run seven days a week. Two to three of those days being harder workouts, long run on Saturdays and recovery and training runs sprinkled in throughout the week,” Ethan Ronk, senior and team captain of the track team, said. Young has put his blood, sweat and tears in for running. Nonstop practicing, an extensive devotion and his peers are the main factors that have drove Young to reach the level he is at. Not to mention, Young now carries the second fastest mile time in Newbury Park history. “I would definitely like to go back. They told my coach that they would like to see me again next year at all possible (events), and I’d definitely like to go. I think I learned a lot about indoor racing so next time I’m going to be able to do better,” Young said. As a junior, Nico Young has achieved many accomplishments and with the rest of this school year to come there is still a lot of time for him to make even more. There are no secrets to improving in the future. Everyone just needs to do all the things required to stay healthy and run fast,” Brosnan said. “In high school the athletes have too many races on the schedule in a single season. I feel we as coaches need to pick our battles wisely and choose what’s best for our athletes.”

sports Panther Prowler • Feb. 8, 2019 Simone Overbeck/ With Permision

Juggling athletics and academics is never easy, but Simone Overbeck has it covered. Challenging herself is what she enjoys. “I want to be competing with the best of the best, even if that means I have to be challenged,” Overbeck said. Her advice to other athletes is “to find your drive and what pushes you, whether its family, or wanting things for yourself. You just find your drive and just push for what you want.” Sarah Lu/Prowler

Eden Quiroz/ With Permision

Even at three years old, Eden Quiroz knew what she wanted. Soccer has been her passion ever since she started, and now she hopes to be able to start for San Diego. Being recruited is something that all should be proud of. “If you work hard, pay attention to what your coaches tell you and have a good support system, if you have that with you along the way, you can be whatever you want to be. Just keep pushing.” Sarah Lu/Prowler

Sarah Lu/Prowler

Not many people can get into UCLA, let alone on almost a full ride scholarship. However, Gino Cruz did it for track and field, specifically discus. “I’ve always wanted to play a sport in college, because I like the idea of a student athlete,” Cruz said. Cruz contacted colleges during his junior year, and recommends it to others as well. “Know how to talk to coaches, how to address them and continue to put yourself out there.” Sarah Lu/Prowler

Sarah Lu/Prowler

For 12 years, Chase Knapp has been playing softball. It’s finally paid off. “You obviously have to put in all the work. Hitting lessons, fielding lessons, workout. You can’t really slack off,” Knapp said. “If it’s something that you really want, you just have to put 110% effort until it pays off.” During recruitment, “it’s so easy to get discouraged, but you just have to believe it’s gonna happen, no matter what.” Sarah Lu/

After playing on South Coast Aquatics for six years, Bailey Stubblefield, senior, got recruited by San José State University for water polo. “Overall San José just felt right. Not just for the water polo, but academic wise as well,” Stubblefield said. “You have to be dedicated and committed to working and training hard.” For Stubblefield, “(water polo) was just something that I couldn’t see myself not doing.” Sarah

Prowler

Lu/Prowler

Other students committed for athletics: Robert Sharrar, Ethan Ronk, Kyle Stanbeck, Alexa Solomon, Carley Balachio, Kaitlyn McKeown, Carly McConville, Cory Carillo, Kayla Eggly, Abigail Buckley, Jarrod Norton and Madison Schwartz.

2018-2019 Issue 6 (Feb. 8, 2019)

Articles inside

Schaefer’s spirit animal would probably be either a unicorn or a hippopotamus

If she could only eat one food for the rest of her life, she would eat sushi

If Schaefer could be any celebrity for one day, she would be Michelle Obama