2019-2020 Issue 7 (Mar. 6, 2020)

PANTHER

PROWLER

Friday, Mar. 6, 2020 • Issue VII • Newbury Park High School 456 N Reino Rd, Newbury Park, CA 91320 • pantherprowler.org

Breaking the barrier

2 Editorial 3

4 Speech and Debate 5 WASC 6 Caroline Flack 7 Sophomore books 8-9 ELL 10 Robotics 11 Tea time 12 Talent Show 13 Bollywood 14 Skateboarding 15 Girls’ Lacrosse 16 Dance for Hope Mock Trial

2

staff editorial Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

ELL students deserve more attention

10 percent of the CVUSD student population, according to the district website, is comprised of English Language Learners (ELL students), many of whom benefit from additional support to be successful in the Englishdriven curriculum and academic environment. While these efforts have proven to be beneficial, there is so much that can be done in this area to maximize learning and inclusion for these students who make up this portion of the district’s population, specifically within our school.

Through our investigative reporting, we learned about our ELL program and the students’ everyday lives and struggles. Many of us were not aware of this segment of the student population and the programs provided for them.

Throughout the years, improvements in the ELD (English Language Development) program have been made; the school now provides more classes and help centers for those starting to learn English. “Alongside the additional classes, we’ve actually been able to add a second pair of professionals to help support the students throughout the day, not only in their English class, but their other classes as well,” Principal Stephen Lepire said.

“We’ve actually opened up a brand new Tutoring Center at lunch, Mr. Ireta has kind of spearheaded that.”

The tutoring center is located in E-4, a tiny classroom in a corner of the school. When we walked into the classroom, it was shocking how small and cramped this center was, providing an uncomfortable environment that makes it difficult to promote learning. At any given lunchtime, the ratio of students to tutors is about 3:1, which makes it difficult for the students to learn and the tutors to teach. Ideally, each student would have their own tutor to personally help them. Because of this, the center is looking for new tutors, regardless of bilinguality. For those considering it, volunteering in the center also qualifies for CAS hours and other volunteer hours.

There also is not enough time devoted to the center.

ELL students can only go to the center during lunch, only getting 35 minutes out of their day to practice their English with others. Many students show up throughout the week, indicating that they are putting an effort and want to learn. The English classes they take, unfortunately, are not enough because students need more immersive

conversations in English with peers to be really receive the practice they need.

Expanding the hours of the center and providing possibly a class that focuses solely on language practice similar to a speech and debate class would provide that very type of necessary practice. This would allow students to more efficiently grow their language skill, receiving even more help with their language development in a one-onone environment.

In addition, encouraging more socialization with ELL students and native English speakers would help to build a more welcoming and comfortable student community.

Currently, many of these students tend to socialize mostly with fellow Spanish speakers as opposed to English speakers. Although conversing with others of whom have had the same experiences is great, it would also be advantageous to expand the social sphere of these students.

The best way to approach this would be through clubs and interest groups; holding a book club, for example, for both ELL students and students in other English classes, would boost exposure for both groups alike. Incorporating ELL students into social clubs similar to lunch crew, and using platforms such as PTV and having the information spread by teachers, counselors and administrators would highlight the voices of these students and promote overall inclusivity.

ELL students have been overlooked. These students, although receiving some help from the school, need more of a welcoming, well-developed environment in order to properly thrive academically. What we learned about through the process of interviewing ELL students and becoming familiar with the program is that this facet of our campus needs more support and student body awareness. (in regards to the volunteers)“it’s helping us to move more towards that building community...to make them feel more included, I guess, in the school and you know, make them feel like they belong here and stuff by having them talk to more students than just the ones that speak Spanish.”

Para ver una traducción al español del artículo, visite nuestro sitio web en pantherprowler.org.

PANTHER PROWLER 2019-2020 staff Editors-in-Chief Emily Nagamoto Aditya Vunnum

Cover Editors Emily Augustine Jacob Malone

Entertainment Editor Manas Khatore

Features Editor Prasheetha Karthikeyan

Copy Editors Emily Augustine Carter Castillo Prasheetha Karthikeyan Manas Khatore

News Editors Sarena Kabir Emma Schoors

Sports Editor Clarissa Shin

Opinion Editor Carter Castillo

DPS Editor Jessica Zhou Online Carter Castillo Rahul D’Souza Prasheetha Karthikeyan Jessica Zhou Staff Writers Gwen Buchanan Abby Gorman Anna Johnson Adalia Luo

Photographers Chief// Rahul D’Souza Reese Kelem Jessica Zhou

Graphic Artists Emily Augustine Clarissa Shin

Adviser Michelle Saremi

Leer - An English Language Learner reads a childrens’ book. Reading is one of the key foundations of learning the English language and building up vocabulary skills. Reese Kelem/Prowler

Front Cover Caption: Engage - John Abney, English teacher, works with two students in his English Language Learners (ELL) class. “We have meetings once a month with our ELD teachers to see how things are going, how we can support them,” said Stephen Lepire, principal. The ELL program contains classes like English, math, and science geared to those learning English.. Reese Kelem/Prowler

For the record in Issue VI...

Naya Lunney is spelled incorrectly in “Students share talent in Panther Pageant” Hanson Xu is pictured in “Flaherty’s fencers fight for fun” Vinni DeVetis and Declan Debler are spelled incorrectly in the caption for “Vinni DeVetis swims his way into the waters”

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 Valley Press 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 • Mar. 6, 2020

3

Mock trial competes in regionals Aditya Vunnum Co-Editor in Chief both of their trials. On the second day, the Gold In preparation for the competition, both team won both trials but the Panther team lost teams began practicing in early September. both of their trials and were eliminated from the Anandi Kavuri, junior, portrayed the role competition. of an forensics expert witness during the Mina Nguyen, freshmen and Panther trial and spent months familiarizing herself prosecution attorney, enjoyed the experience of with the role. competing even though the Panther team did “While preparing for the trial, we got not move on to the semi-finals. “The top eight to go to the Santa Barbara courthouse teams go on to the third day, then the top 4 go to participate in practice trials called on to the next day, and the 2 winners of that go ‘scrimmages’ against other schools. They to finals, the winner goes to state,” Nguyen said. really help with getting into character and “Even though the Panther team did not move mimicking what would happen in an actual on, it was awesome supporting the rest of our trial,” Kavuri said. team.”

This year, the case was called “People On Wednesday morning, the Gold team vs. Matsumoto” in which the defendant, was notified that they would be moving on to Bailey Matsumoto, was the founder of a startup that produces autonomous semifinals, seeded in third place based off of technologies. Matsumoto is charged with points assigned from judges. In their first trial, killing their spouse, who started a political All in this together- From left to right: Julia Zhang (Dr. Jules Jackson), junior, Katie Wu (Casey Silber), junior, Sarena they went against the sixth seed, the Santa movement against these technologies.

Kabir (Clerk), sophomore, Apala Bhunia (Desi Kunstler), sophomore, Carter Castillo (Prosecution Pretrial Attorney), Susana Lincoln team. After losing, they faced “Every school in the county participated sophomore, Zachary Logie (Prosecution Attorney), senior pose together after their first round of the competition. “The Oaks Christian, and ended up placing in fifth in the competition for two days straight competition went really well, we worked really hard and put in the work,” Logie said. The Gold team placed fifth and overall. Many members won individual awards regardless of how they do, although it would the Panther team placed 12th out of 33 teams in Ventura County. Aditya Vunnum/Prowler for their respective positions, including: Kian determine whether or not they would make Alamir, Robert Ramirez and Andrew Young, it to the semi-finals on the next day,” Zakary seniors.

“I thought we would go to state, especially with all of the work our team put in,” Logie said. “But Logie, senior and lead prosecution attorney on the Gold team, said.

On each day of competition, mock trial members had to be at the school in business attire by what makes our team great is not just their minds, but the exemplary character they demonstrated 3:00 p.m. to be bused to the courthouse. On the first day, the Gold and Panther teams each won throughout the competition. I am happy with how we did.”

International day inspires global awareness Adalia Luo Staff Writer

Prasheetha Karthikayen Features Editor

Every year, the IB program works hard to put on a week of cultural appreciation, culminating in International Day. This year, the students did everything from hosting dances from cultures all around the world to decorating the campus, all leading to the celebration at lunch today, where clubs are selling food from all around the world.

“International Day is a time to celebrate the rich cultural diversity we have on campus as well as a time to bring awareness of global issues,” said Debbie Dogancay, IB coordinator. “The message [is] that we are better together,” Riya Hundal, junior, added.

“My goal is that students here have more of an intersectional view of the world after International Day,” Gus Gress, junior, said. “This is something our teachers care about, and they’ve been really pushing us to be involved in. I really appreciate knowing that a lot of our teachers here on campus also understand the concept of intersectionality, global awareness and global mindedness.”

While many staff and faculty provide support, International Day is primarily driven by students.

“This is a campus-wide event that is intended to bring all NPHS groups, clubs, and classes together with a common goal,” said Dogancay. “All groups are welcome to participate in ways that promote the spirit of internationalism and global awareness.”

Beginning with Europe and Australia Day on Monday, the students organized playlists of popular European music to play at lunch. On Tuesday, Asia Day, two Bollywood routines were performed in the quad during nutrition by IB Dance and the trend of international music, specifically Asian music, continued at lunch. On Africa Day, traditional West African dances were performed on Wednesday by the IB dance class. Finally, on Thursday, Americas Day, IB dancers performed Hula and Latin dance routines. Later at lunch, international music of the Americas played in the quad alongside breakdancing performances.

“I have a passion for dance and I want students at NPHS to enjoy and learn about other cultures,” said Hundal, who coordinated the dances leading up to Friday. “[I hope they] teach people to appreciate what other nationalities and cultures have to offer. I love that we as a school can come together to celebrate different cultures.”

Today, International Day, the quad is strung with flags, posters and positive messages about unity and internationalism. During third period, there was a trivia contest, and a special International

Namaste- On Tuesday, March 3, the IB Dance performed their rendition of a Bollywood routine in the quad. This took place during nutrition, and not only did they perform one routine, they performed two Bollywood routines in honor of International Week. Debbie Dogancay, the IB coordinator, was one of the people who helped set up International Week. “International Week is a time to celebrate the rich cultural diversity we have on campus as well as a time to bring awareness of global issues,” Dogancay said. With the different types of dances being performed throughout the week, people are able to acknowledge the dances that are specified to its culture.

Aditya Vunnum/Prowler

Day PTV episode. Like the other days of the week leading up to Friday, music will be playing in the quad during lunch with emcees, as well as booths ranging from cultural food sales by clubs and interest groups, to a live demonstration of the European art of fencing by our Fencing Club.

“It’s important to have an understanding of the world and other groups of people outside of our small little suburban region here,” Gress said. “I think it’s really important for all of our clubs on campus to realize how the work they’re doing might impact the world on a global scale.”

4

news Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

Speech and Debate succeeds at state qualifiers Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor

Flow- David Sullivan, sophomore, takes notes as he follows the course of the debate during his partners speech at a practice. Sullivan recently competed in a state qualifiers tournament, in the Parliamentary Debate category. “I enjoyed doing [debate] in middle school but was so busy. When I heard about this format, I just got excited to join,” Sullivan said. Of the four competitors in the tournament, two sophomores, Adalia Luo and Carter Castillo, qualified for state.

Carter Castillo/Prowler

Students from the Speech and Debate club participated in the Tri-County Forensic League state qualifiers on Feb. 29. The event was held at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, where students competed in various categories of speech and debate in hopes of qualifying for the state tournament.

Four NPHS students competed in the parliamentary debate category, in which teams of two students are given a topic at the tournament and must prepare an argument in 20 minutes.

After five rounds of competition, Carter Castillo and Adalia Luo, sophomores, made it to the state competition.

David Sullivan, sophomore, competed at the state qualifiers as well. Sullivan was attracted to the parliamentary debate format due to the fact that students do not have to prepare a speech beforehand. “I enjoyed doing [debate] in middle school but was so busy,” Sullivan said.

“When I heard about this format… I just got excited to join.”

Phillip Feinbloom, sophomore, was Sullivan’s partner for the tournament. He decided to join Speech and Debate because he is involved in other activities that involve public speaking.

“I do Mock Trial as well and I think they’re kind of related. But speech and debate is a good tool for speaking in public,” Feinbloom said.

He was excited to get experience competing against other talented students at the competition. “Because I’m a first year person in debate, it’s always nice to go up against better people than me and learn and practice,” Feinbloom said.

Benito Canepa, sophomore, did not compete but helped his teammates prepare for the tournament. “We’re just focusing on how well [they] can talk and how well we can debate in general,” Canepa said.

As an active member of the club, Canepa is excited to have two people from NPHS compete at the state contest. “Most of the debaters that do make it are normally from private schools who have gigantic clubs, and it’s really nice to have a smaller group making it,” Canepa said.

The club hopes to increase its membership and send more students to the state tournament in future years. “It helps you practice speaking skills, it helps you come up with arguments… and it’s a lot of fun,” Feinbloom said.

Joe Biden surges on Super Tuesday Carter Castillo Opinion Editor On March 3, 2020, commonly referred to as “Super Tuesday” due to the large amount of Beto O’Rourke, senator from Minnesota Amy Klobuchar, and former mayor of South Bend, states that hold their primary elections on this date, former Vice President Joe Biden won the Indiana Pete Buttigieg. Klobuchar dropped out on March 2, and Buttigeg dropped out on March states of Alabama, Arkansas, Maine, 1. Former mayor of New York Massachesetes, Minnesota, North Michael Bloomberg dropped out of Carolina, Oklohama, Tennessee, Texas, the campaign on March 3, and has and Virginia in his campaign for the also endorsed Biden. Bloomberg democratic nomination for president. had spent 500 million dollars on “It’s a good night, and it seems to his failed presidential campaign. be getting even better,” Biden said in a Biden’s victory comes right off the speech to his supporters in California heels of the South Carolina primary, after many of the results from Super where Biden won 48.4%, defeating Tuesday started coming in. “For those of his next closest competitor Sanders you who have been knocked down and who received 19.9% of the vote. out, left behind this is your campaign,” Senator Elizabeth Warren of Biden said.

Massachusetts announced on Biden’s main opponent, Vermont March 5 that she was ending her senator Bernie Sanders, won the states presidential campaign, however she of Colorado, Utah, Vermont, and has yet to endorse anybody.

California.

According to the Associated Sanders gave a speech as well to his Press, as of March 5 Biden has supporters in Vermont saying, “When the most number of delegates we began this race for the presidency in the Democratic convention everybody said it couldn’t be done. that will vote for him to become But tonight I tell you with absolute the Democratic candidate for confidence we are going to win the president, with 627. Sanders follows democratic nomination, and we are with 551, and finally is Hawaii going to defeat the most dangerous congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, the president in the history of this country.” only other candidate still running Biden’s victory came after three Every vote counts- A sample ballot is filled out, picking Joe Biden as their United States President choice. Every four years, the US with any delegates, winning her major endorsements from his former chooses a President, who takes on the duty as commander-in-chief. Every four years, the US chooses a President, who takes on the only two delegates from American competitors, former Texas congressman duty as commander-in-chief. In November of 2020, America will choose the next President. Emma Schoors/Prowler Samoa.

news Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

5

WASC focus groups begin their collaboration Carter Castillo Opinion Editor For the past couple weeks, teachers and faculty have been working in groups to compile a report of the school to WASC, Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The purpose of the report is to demonstrate the school’s progress on educational and facility goals that were established by the school during the previous WASC report.

WASC is an association that “helps schools identify and implement school improvement needs and supports accountability,” according to the WASC website. The most important thing about WASC accreditation is that it proves that the high school classes create college readiness.

According to Principal Stephen Lepire, “the classes that you take and you put on a transcript actually will be acknowledged by colleges, so that’s the most important thing on that,” He also said “we actually have some schools in the area that are not accredited and we had students come from them and have to help them [...] recover their credits because [...] they’re not from an accredited school when they transfer into us and so those credits would not count towards like a UC or Cal State eligibility or any type of eligibility that a college requires in terms of either application or for acceptance.”

The reason behind the creation of the focus groups was to divide the faculty up so that there would be an equal representation of every department and program on campus to ensure that all criterion are addressed by all staff members.

The groups were decided on several factors, as Lepire said, “we mix people up by departments and expertise.” Groups are also determined by expertise, “We don’t want to have a group of people that have never worked on a WASC before...so we also look at experience within that focus group,” Lepire said.

There will also be students and parents that participate in the report via surveys in order to provide real feedback on student and parent needs and concerns as well as areas they pleased with.

Greg Coull, English teacher, is one of the WASC coordinators who presents the report in written form and in person to the WASC review team. The focus groups are a mash-up of different faculty members designed to “engage participants in genuine self-reflection and self-evaluation school-wide which focuses on both our successes and opportunities for continual improvement.

It is an accountability process; however, the practice allows us to celebrate our current and past successes and plan for our future achievements,” Coull said.

Kelly Welch, Assistant Principal of Attendance, said that NPHS was “given the highest level of accreditation which is a 6 year [period] with a mid-term review” in 2014. This status means that a two person team from WASC will come by to examine the school and its reports to verify that the school still meets its standards.

Welch’s job as administrative coordinator is to “work with [the focus groups] to keep groups focused and on task with our timeline. We will offer assistance and direction when needed, answer questions that may come up, and work to finalize the report in the fall for presentation to the WASC visiting committee,” she said.

In response to the WASC review, the school has to submit a report every six years. Coull and Welch have been established as WASC coordinators by Lepire for this report who “work together to organize and facilitate a self-study process and then review all materials, ultimately culminating in producing the final WASC report that is submitted,” Coull said.

The accreditation is important for the school because it “helps to assure the school community that the school’s mission is being accomplished through a viable educational program that aligns with both local and state guidelines,” Coull said.

Welch feels the work generated from the first collaborative meeting was really positive. “We are making good progress. Focus leaders are putting in a lot of extra effort and we will be ready for our 2020 visit,” Welch said.

Jacob Malone/Prowler

Acacia elementary students study science Abby Gorman Staff Writer On Friday, Feb. 28, students from Acacia Magnet School’s Enrichment Clusters program came to Newbury Park High School for an immersive experience to learn more about a subject they show interest in, including visits to the physics, culinary arts, broadcasting, and strings classes.

Students who chose the science track with the AP Physics class participated in three activities at the event: making a catapult, creating a raft to support pennies and observing mealworms through a microscope.

“I hope they learn some problem-solving skills, and make some good observations from their setups and adjust them to make them better,” Darin Erickson, a NPHS science teacher who assisted with the event, said.

“That’s what STEM is all about.”

The program is about more

than just the educational aspects, as it also brings students from across different grade levels together. “It makes the kids interact with the other students because I don’t think they all know each other,” Michelle Colvin, senior, said while assisting during the event.

“They’re building bonds with each other and learning at the same time.”

Through the activities that were held on campus, the Acacia staff strived to expose the students to different skill sets and career possibilities early on. “We’re really hoping that they find a passion and explore that later on their own and that they really have a love for science,” Lacey Garl, an Acacia Academic Specialist, said.

Here to learn - Teacher Darin Erickson talks to the Acacia students at the start of the Feb. 28 trip, in which they conducted several experiments with the aid of the 3rd period AP Physics class. “The second trimester we try to do a field trip to really engage them in what we’re learning,” Lacey Garl, Academic Specialist, said. Science is one of the Enrichment Clusters that is available at Acacia, which occurs the first hour of every Friday. Abby Gorman / Prowler

6

opinion Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

We should decide what we are defined by

Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Adalia Luo Staff Writer On the morning of Feb. 15, 2020, the world was hit with the remembered by her time pioneering the popular British dating impact of British celebrity Caroline Flack’s tragic suicide. The show “Love Island,” and if so, all power to her, but the media’s limitless free agency to spin her life, career, and identity, evidences news headlines and social media posts that ensued encouraged the influence we give them over the legacy we leave. being kinder, more conscious and respectful of the quiet Each and every single one of us has the potential to suffering everyone faces. Yet, every headline or post be empowered, to be remembered and to leave an always seemed to precede Flack’s name with “Eximpact on our own terms. Our livelihood should Love Island host” or “Harry Styles’ ex-.” not be determined by a public that doesn’t care While it is not to say that the full story is until we leave, and a society that doesn’t reach not always pertinent, headlines like these draw out until it’s far too late. attention from the intended message that these One thing is certain: Caroline Flack will articles, tributes and posts, should be sending. be missed. Her humor, presence, personality, As humans, we are more than one thing. and whatever other nuances that defined Our identities do not necessarily revolve her, will be held in memoriam for ages to around our biggest accomplishment, our come. May she find her peace, whether dating history or our friends, yet too often it be as ex-Love Island presenter, Harry we allow ourselves to be defined by the Styles’ ex-girlfriend or loving friend. parameters of others. No matter who we May she rest, and do so on her own are, what we come from or who we know, terms. our legacies should be in our control.

Perhaps, Caroline Flack wanted to be Clarissa Shin/Prowler

Stop claiming you have mental issues Reese Kelem Photographer

Anna Johnson Staff Writer

As our society evolves and advances, stress and anxiety levels have rapidly increased, leading to mental illnesses and the struggles that come with them. According to Recovery Village, one in five Americans today suffer from mental illness. This era has brought awareness about mental health disorders and its treatments, as more students and adults alike are diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, OCD, depression and millions of other illnesses. Unfortunately, with this comes discrimination and trivialization of the matter.

Since this day and age has allowed more people to become transparent with their disorders, some may feel they can say they have them too, without any actual diagnosis. In reality, they may have never felt the pain of actually having one. There are many students at our school who are diagnosed with anxiety and depression who go through dark periods where talking, eating and getting out of bed is a feat. They are left grappling with their own mind, trying to escape the horrible thoughts that they try to push out of their head. Everyone is different in their experiences, so some may actually be okay with going public with their struggles and get the reassurance they need on social media, but sometimes it can be hard to tell if their message is genuine, as social media makes it hard to see their true character.

Unfortunately, some believe that it is acceptable to selfdiagnose themselves with certain mental illnesses. People can read about symptoms online and believe that they too have a mental illness, but are unaware of the timeline needed for a diagnosis. For instance, a person cannot say they have a headache and then claim they have brain cancer. A common example of this misuse is when another student says, “I’m sorry I’m so organized, this gives me OCD.” OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is an anxiety disorder in which people have recurring, unwanted thoughts or ideas that make them feel driven to do something repetitively. People using these terms may claim that they have OCD because they are “organized,” but many haven’t gone through the experience of being diagnosed, struggling

Emily Augustine/Prowler

in their day to day life, or having to see a therapist for these conditions. Though some with this disorder may feel the need to be organized, the disorder can surround so much more than that, and should not only be interpreted this way.

Ignorance breeds intolerance, so bringing awareness to the actual symptoms and process of diagnosis is the key to creating an inclusive environment for those who have mental disorders.

Those diagnosed with disorders like anxiety, ADHD and depression face years of struggling through therapy and fighting against their own mind, but this is sometimes lost amongst students and adults alike. If they were to be informed about mental disorders, they would also learn about how their lack of understanding can offend those who face the real struggles of mental illness every day.

Self diagnosing and trivializing mental illness feels like a slap in the face to those who work hard constantly in their everyday battles with disabilities. Yes, people experience natural feelings of depression and anxiety in everyday life, but just because one feels these emotions occasionally does not necessarily mean they have a mental illness. More education and awareness is a simple fix to these issues.

Baking is bittersweet Anna Johnson Staff Writer As a child, I would watch my grandma as she made all sorts of cookies and pies, wanting to be as skilled as her. I remember how I would help her make pie crust, laughing at her curse as she struggled with the dough.

She helped me learn how to bake, showing me how to make the dough and cleaning me up when I got flour all over me.

My mom later helped me find baking classes that would develop my skill. Along with friends, we attended a class at Sur La Table for baking, learning the precise techniques to make dough and finicky macarons. With the help of youtube videos, my skill has grown even more. Now I can give tips to my grandma on recipes she struggled with thanks to all the videos I’ve watched and classes I’ve taken.

Baking is relaxing but also infuriating. Exact measurements and instructions appeal to my tightly strung nature, but at the same time, if I mess up, I curse like a sailor. A couple of years ago, I tried to make caramels, which involves heating sugar and butter in a saucepan until it turns auburn in color. Halfway through the process, the caramel dripped over the pan and was attracting the flame, so I stupidly tried to clean it up with a paper towel. The napkin immediately caught on fire, and I then had to hurriedly toss into the sink to drench with water. I then sat on the floor and cried, scared of how quickly everything went wrong. But from failure you can only get better, so this past year I tried to make caramels again, this time without a fire scare.

Orderly chaos is how I live my life, so fine-tuning my baking abilities is what keeps me calm. I know exactly what I’m supposed to do, and I’m first to witness the product of my hard work. It’s rewarding to know that all the stress paid off and that my friends and family can appreciate it too. Friends appreciate baked goods more than I do, not expecting to receive the gift. Biology was a rough class last semester, so I would bring in cookies or caramels to help my friends keep up their motivation and get through the class. Simple gestures like giving someone a cookie can help people to get through the day, however difficult.

I never really considered baking as anything more than a hobby until this year. I have become more adventurous in my baking practice, putting my own twist on recipes. Maybe someday I’ll open my own bakery, an environment where students feel comfortable to stay, work, eat treats and enjoy a drink: a safe haven away from home. I’m still figuring things out, but providing the same safe space that my grandma made for me would be so gratifying. And hey, free therapy.

opinion

7

Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

Tired of the same old message Anna Johnson Staff Writer

On the morning of Feb. 15, 2020, the world was hit with the impact of British celebrity Caroline Flack’s tragic suicide. The news headlines and social media posts that ensued encouraged being kinder, more conscious and respectful of the quiet suffering everyone faces. Yet, every headline or post always seemed to precede Flack’s name with “Ex-Love Island host” or “Harry Styles’ ex-.”

While it is not to say that the full story is not always pertinent, headlines like these draw attention from the intended message that these articles, tributes and posts, should be sending.

As humans, we are more than one thing. Our identities do not necessarily revolve around our biggest accomplishment, our dating history or our friends, yet too often we allow ourselves to be defined by the parameters of others. No matter who we are, what we come from or who we know, our legacies should be in our control.

Emily

P

stine/

Augu

Perhaps, Caroline Flack wanted to be remembered by her time pioneering the popular British dating show “Love Island,” and if so, all power to her, but the media’s limitless free agency to spin her life, career, and identity, evidences the influence we give them over the legacy we leave.

Each and every single one of us has the potential to be empowered, to be remembered and to leave an impact on our own terms. Our livelihood should not be determined by a public that doesn’t care until we leave, and a society that doesn’t reach out until it’s far too late.

One thing is certain: Caroline Flack will be missed. Her humor, presence, personality, and whatever other nuances that defined her, will be held in memoriam for ages to come. May she find her peace, whether it be as ex-Love Island presenter, Harry Styles’ ex-girlfriend or loving friend. May she rest, and r do so on her own terms. rowle

Barre class blows our minds Reese Kelem Photographer

Clarissa Shin Sports Editor

The term “barre” is not commonly heard of, yet taking a barre class is one of the most exciting activities to try. Barre is a workout mixture of ballet and pilates, and is a class taken while using a ballet barre for the guidance of certain movements. Studio Barre, located in Newbury Park, offers barre classes to many: ranging from people who have never taken a barre class in their life to people who have been ballerinas since age three.

Regardless of your physical shape, workout endurance or ballet barre experience, Studio Barre welcomes you with a smile and a walkthrough of the studio. The staff is kind and gives you all the guidance you need to conquer your first class. Before the class, the instructor was kind enough to introduce herself to us and welcomed us to the barre community.

The atmosphere when you walk in is open and homey, with a coffee machine, cute couches and a workout clothing boutique.

The color scheme of white and light colors is inviting and towards the back of the studio, there are cubbies where you can conveniently store your belongings as you take a class.

The barre class itself is challenging and offers a workout unlike any other. The class consists of a warm-up, arm, hamstring and leg exercises, and concludes with an ab workout and stretch. Each set of exercises varied in movement and intensity, and a set of weights,

band, barre or small ball were utilized during almost every exercise.

By the end, our muscles were shaking.

The music played throughout the entirety of the class was fastpaced and had a good beat. The instructor counted the exercises to the beat and it was fun following along to songs that were familiar and helped motivate you to get through the exercises.

Our favorite set of exercises were the ones in which the barre was used, because it allowed us to feel like the ballerinas we never were. The barre exercises also were extremely difficult and took practice to get the shape and technique correct. While on the barre, the greatest challenge was not putting all our weight on it and using it more than a light touch.

The studio gave us a killer workout and it was a unique experience in which every exercise focused on mind-muscle connection and the small subtle movements that make a difference in which muscles are working. The common term, “Rise to Relevé” was repeatedly used to intensify the workout by bringing yourself to a higher point as well as empowering your body . We highly recommend this studio to all people who are interested in getting a one of a kind workout, learning more about how to use the barre to benefit their bodies and most importantly having fun.

Relevé- Several women of the community attend a Barre Studio Class in Newbury Park. Barre studio came to Newbury Park in 2014 as a dancebased workout spot owned by Cini Garabedian.“One of my favorite things about barre (besides the killer workout) is the people it attracts. I have met some of the most amazing, inspiring women through this studio” said Garabedian. Reese Kelem/Prowler

Sonic dashes his way onto the big screen Rahul D’Souza Chief Photographer

Emily Augustine/Prowler

As videogame movies go, Sonic is just your average live-action adaptation, nothing special. In terms of Hollywood, however, Sonic is entirely unprecedented.

Never before has a movie been completely revamped due to input from fans. Most of the time the studio just goes ahead and disappoints everyone. This time, after a couple of months of social media backlash, Paramount delayed the project an entire six months just to redesign the blue hedgehog.

The story follows Sonic, voiced by Ben Shwartz, accidentally transporting himself into Montana. He quite literally runs into Tom Wachowski, played by James Mardsen, but it takes some time for the two to warm up to each other.

Eventually, the bickering pair is confronted by Dr. Eggman, an evil mad scientist, played by Jim Carrey, bent on stealing Sonic’s powers and taking over the world. Sonic and Tom must put their differences aside if they hope to survive.

Although the CGI character himself looks great, his development in the plot could use some work. Sonic begins as a happy-go-lucky, rebellious teen type of hedgehog. As we see

later on, however, he has strong emotions, strong enough to cause power outages if he’s really angry. By the end of the movie, he is more mature but the transition seems quite forced, as there is nothing to cause the transition aside from battling Eggman.

Albeit, it’s also a children’s movie so the character development isn’t meant to be amazing.

Aside from that, Sonic is charming and at times absolutely hilarious. Furthermore, the chemistry between James Mardsen and CGI characters is incredible. Talking to a green screen as if it were a real person is no easy task, but Mardsen makes it look good.

Jim Carrey was an absolutely perfect choice to play Dr. Eggman. His costume design lacks the plumpness that the video game character iconically held, but his acting more than makes up for it. Combining aspects from his past characters in films like “The Mask”, or “Ace Ventura”, Carrey delivers a quirky and hilarious, yet definitively evil performance.

All in all, Sonic is a funny, family-friendly movie, but isn’t great past that. It probably wouldn’t be worth watching unless you are a child or you grew up playing the original game.

8

ELL Students

ELL Students

Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

9

School support

Carter Castillo Opinion Editor

Reese Kelem Photographer

High school is never an easy experience, but for some students, the language barrier they face everyday makes the whole experience that much more difficult. According to the Conejo Valley Unified School District website, ten percent of the student population in CVUSD is made up of students who are learning English on various levels ranging from a new English speaker to a almost-fluent speaker. These students are emergent bilinguals, or English Language Learners (ELL), who face the same struggles as most high schoolers. However, they must deal with the added challenge of going to a school that predominantly speaks English.

Struggles in school Learning the English language itself comes with it’s own slew of difficulties. “English is such a Learning English itself comes with its own slew of difficulties. “English is such a conglomerate of languages, and so it is really difficult to learn,” said Julie Tan, Spanish translator and bilingual facilitator for NPHS. “I am so proud of the kids that accomplish that, that are able to go through this program and move out of it having learned a level of proficiency where they can get it. They can understand, and that is the goal,” she said.

Santos Mejia, senior and ELL student, explained how he found school to be more challenging.

“My classes, they speak fast,” Mejia said. “I’m not really good at English, not yet, so if [the teacher is] talking to me fast, I’ll tell him to talk slow to understand. That’s a difficult thing.”

Emma Schoors News Editor

Adalia Luo Staff Writer

Not only do ELL students have to face learning a new language, but many of them are also forced to handle gaps in their schooling. Carolina Rodriguez, California Lutheran University intern who works with the ELL students and former ELL student, explained that many students have an interrupted education. An interrupted education is for example “When you go only to fourth grade and then you don’t go [to school] for like two years,”Rodriguez said.

Tan provided information as to the background of some of the ELL students, “There are students here who have not been in school since third grade... a lot of them don’t have any math background, any English background [or any] science background.”

Principal Stephen Lepire explained that teachers work with all levels of students, sometimes within one class depending on their skill level. This is because many ELL students have varied backgrounds when they come to the school sometimes ranging from only a little schooling to a consistent education. “[Some ELL students] [...] haven’t had school anywhere from one to five years, or have never been to school, and they’re 17 years old,” he said. This is what makes the program so crucial for students before they reach their senior year, in order to graduate.

Although the challenge of achieving proficiency in a new language is difficult to overcome, many students reach success. “When the students meet all the requirements to exit the ELD program, they have to take certain tests,” explained Tan. When they pass, they can be exited from the program as English proficient. “There’s just a smile on their face,” Tan said. “[It’s] one of my favorite moments… I don’t think the student body here at the school really appreciates how hard that is. So it’s really nice for me to be a part of that.”

Study- Students attend the tutoring center for English Language Learners (ELL).

This center held by Mrs. Tam, bilingual facilitator and English Translator.

Some students have a lot of personal trials that make it difficult for them to feel successful in school. But by working with them, you see their small successes are really big,” said Tam. Reese Kelem/Prowler

Read- A tutor in the ELL tutoring center helps a student practice reading English. ELL students not only work to learn a foreign language, but may have to catch up in their education due to limited education in their native countries. “We have a lot of countries in Central and South America who have a lot of economic difficulties, and a lot of students have not been able to go to school there for various reasons,” said Mrs. Tam, Spanish translator. Reese Kelem/Prowler

Personal struggles Taking general education courses while also learning a second language, ELL students have to contend with day-to-day challenges that are often second-nature to a native English speaker.

Christian Escobar, senior, is a former ELL student. He explained difficulties that come with both trying to speak and understand English simultaneously. “[The ELL class] helped me with vocabulary, how to pronounce some things, being more fluent,” Escobar said. “I think the hardest thing is how grammar works, and that’s the hardest part about learning.”

Despite how difficult it is to learn, students are motivated to learn and take advantage of the program facilitated by Tan. Tan recalls one of her favorite experiences when “a boy came to me and asked me how to ask the girl out on a date in English. And it was just, you know, a melt your heart moment.” It shows that the ELL students “want to learn English, they want to participate, just like all the other kids and it was just really sweet.”

Dealing with exclusion from the rest of their community, as well as being harassed for their differences, are two main struggles ELL students face. “People used to make fun of me when I didn’t say the word correctly. So I was very shy and I was afraid to speak up because then I felt like people were just like listening and then laughed,” said Rodriguez of her past.

“I want to say from personal experience that it’s hard for them probably to talk to other students that only speak English,” she said. “Because, yeah, we’re afraid we can’t communicate with you.”

Moreover, these students still have to face the problem that everyone does: growing up. “We’re talking about teenage years and a lot of things are changing hormonal changes and everything is happening,” Rodriguez said. ”So, [life] is very difficult.”

Through all of their struggles, ELL students are just like the rest of the school. They are not only capable of doing anything the English speaking students can, but they also bring different perspectives into the school. “Some people think that, ‘Oh you know they don’t listen,’ ‘They say bad words,’ they say all these things. But in working with the students, I really think they want to graduate,” said Rodriguez. Though ELL students face definitive struggles, they come out on top and succeed. “You see their small successes are really big,” said Tan.

On top of the ELL teaching staff, students are offered a tutoring center at lunch during the week. “I really like the lunch student program because it really encouraged you to go.

And my teachers always had an open door policy... So the help was there. And they went the extra mile to make us feel welcome,” said Rodriguez. Furthermore, Tan mentions “we also have a Latino Club, and they also are trying to help to bridge that gap and give people awareness of their culture and give the students a place where they feel like they welcome.”

The school has been trying to improve the situation for ELL students. “We’ve actually had some new classes this year...there’s technically three levels of ELD, one, two and three, we’re actually able to split them up into smaller class sizes. ...we’ve actually been able to add a second paraprofessional to help support the students throughout the day, not only in their English class, but their other classes as well,” Lepire said.

Lepire further pointed out that the school effort is made up of many individuals. “Mr. Soto had [some ELL students] for math and provided them support in math class. Mrs. Rodriguez Martinez, one of our Spanish teachers, is running a Spanish class for those students...every situation is a little different in the sense of when [the ELL students] come to us. Mr. Ireta does a really good job of looking at their transcript and seeing what their previous education is.”

Despite the efforts within the school to help, there is a dire need for more volunteering.

“We definitely need more volunteers, students who are willing to work with students. Like I said, I don’t even need to know Spanish to help them out. Just to read, and they love it,” said Rodriguez. Although the majority of students aren’t fully bilingual, the help of just reading to them is appreciated. “[The students] come to me, they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, the reading is helping so much’ because she speaks such good English,” said Rodriguez. She also mentions that this volunteering can be used for Creativity Activity Service (CAS) hours.

“With the start of these tutoring programs, I think we are moving towards providing more support for students,” Rodriguez said. “[The students are] willing to put in the work.

And I think that’s important.”

10% of CVUSD students are not fluent in English Chatting - Michelle Villegas and Odaly Garza, freshmen, volunteer to tutor at the ELL tutoring center in E4. The ELL staff, including intern Carolina Rodgriguez, has set up a tutoring center for students in the process of learning English. “They’re learning English, so what they do is they read books and you just correct them. But it looks good for applications, if you need to apply for college, scholarships, and all that,” said Rodriguez.

Anyone can apply even if you aren’t bilingual as long as you are capable of reading English.

Reese Kelem/ Prowler

8

ELL Students

ELL Students

Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

9

School support

Carter Castillo Opinion Editor

Reese Kelem Photographer

High school is never an easy experience, but for some students, the language barrier they face everyday makes the whole experience that much more difficult. According to the Conejo Valley Unified School District website, ten percent of the student population in CVUSD is made up of students who are learning English on various levels ranging from a new English speaker to a almost-fluent speaker. These students are emergent bilinguals, or English Language Learners (ELL), who face the same struggles as most high schoolers. However, they must deal with the added challenge of going to a school that predominantly speaks English.

Struggles in school Learning the English language itself comes with it’s own slew of difficulties. “English is such a Learning English itself comes with its own slew of difficulties. “English is such a conglomerate of languages, and so it is really difficult to learn,” said Julie Tan, Spanish translator and bilingual facilitator for NPHS. “I am so proud of the kids that accomplish that, that are able to go through this program and move out of it having learned a level of proficiency where they can get it. They can understand, and that is the goal,” she said.

Santos Mejia, senior and ELL student, explained how he found school to be more challenging.

“My classes, they speak fast,” Mejia said. “I’m not really good at English, not yet, so if [the teacher is] talking to me fast, I’ll tell him to talk slow to understand. That’s a difficult thing.”

Emma Schoors News Editor

Adalia Luo Staff Writer

Not only do ELL students have to face learning a new language, but many of them are also forced to handle gaps in their schooling. Carolina Rodriguez, California Lutheran University intern who works with the ELL students and former ELL student, explained that many students have an interrupted education. An interrupted education is for example “When you go only to fourth grade and then you don’t go [to school] for like two years,”Rodriguez said.

Tan provided information as to the background of some of the ELL students, “There are students here who have not been in school since third grade... a lot of them don’t have any math background, any English background [or any] science background.”

Principal Stephen Lepire explained that teachers work with all levels of students, sometimes within one class depending on their skill level. This is because many ELL students have varied backgrounds when they come to the school sometimes ranging from only a little schooling to a consistent education. “[Some ELL students] [...] haven’t had school anywhere from one to five years, or have never been to school, and they’re 17 years old,” he said. This is what makes the program so crucial for students before they reach their senior year, in order to graduate.

Although the challenge of achieving proficiency in a new language is difficult to overcome, many students reach success. “When the students meet all the requirements to exit the ELD program, they have to take certain tests,” explained Tan. When they pass, they can be exited from the program as English proficient. “There’s just a smile on their face,” Tan said. “[It’s] one of my favorite moments… I don’t think the student body here at the school really appreciates how hard that is. So it’s really nice for me to be a part of that.”

Study- Students attend the tutoring center for English Language Learners (ELL).

This center held by Mrs. Tam, bilingual facilitator and English Translator.

Some students have a lot of personal trials that make it difficult for them to feel successful in school. But by working with them, you see their small successes are really big,” said Tam. Reese Kelem/Prowler

Read- A tutor in the ELL tutoring center helps a student practice reading English. ELL students not only work to learn a foreign language, but may have to catch up in their education due to limited education in their native countries. “We have a lot of countries in Central and South America who have a lot of economic difficulties, and a lot of students have not been able to go to school there for various reasons,” said Mrs. Tam, Spanish translator. Reese Kelem/Prowler

Personal struggles Taking general education courses while also learning a second language, ELL students have to contend with day-to-day challenges that are often second-nature to a native English speaker.

Christian Escobar, senior, is a former ELL student. He explained difficulties that come with both trying to speak and understand English simultaneously. “[The ELL class] helped me with vocabulary, how to pronounce some things, being more fluent,” Escobar said. “I think the hardest thing is how grammar works, and that’s the hardest part about learning.”

Despite how difficult it is to learn, students are motivated to learn and take advantage of the program facilitated by Tan. Tan recalls one of her favorite experiences when “a boy came to me and asked me how to ask the girl out on a date in English. And it was just, you know, a melt your heart moment.” It shows that the ELL students “want to learn English, they want to participate, just like all the other kids and it was just really sweet.”

Dealing with exclusion from the rest of their community, as well as being harassed for their differences, are two main struggles ELL students face. “People used to make fun of me when I didn’t say the word correctly. So I was very shy and I was afraid to speak up because then I felt like people were just like listening and then laughed,” said Rodriguez of her past.

“I want to say from personal experience that it’s hard for them probably to talk to other students that only speak English,” she said. “Because, yeah, we’re afraid we can’t communicate with you.”

Moreover, these students still have to face the problem that everyone does: growing up. “We’re talking about teenage years and a lot of things are changing hormonal changes and everything is happening,” Rodriguez said. ”So, [life] is very difficult.”

Through all of their struggles, ELL students are just like the rest of the school. They are not only capable of doing anything the English speaking students can, but they also bring different perspectives into the school. “Some people think that, ‘Oh you know they don’t listen,’ ‘They say bad words,’ they say all these things. But in working with the students, I really think they want to graduate,” said Rodriguez. Though ELL students face definitive struggles, they come out on top and succeed. “You see their small successes are really big,” said Tan.

On top of the ELL teaching staff, students are offered a tutoring center at lunch during the week. “I really like the lunch student program because it really encouraged you to go.

And my teachers always had an open door policy... So the help was there. And they went the extra mile to make us feel welcome,” said Rodriguez. Furthermore, Tan mentions “we also have a Latino Club, and they also are trying to help to bridge that gap and give people awareness of their culture and give the students a place where they feel like they welcome.”

The school has been trying to improve the situation for ELL students. “We’ve actually had some new classes this year...there’s technically three levels of ELD, one, two and three, we’re actually able to split them up into smaller class sizes. ...we’ve actually been able to add a second paraprofessional to help support the students throughout the day, not only in their English class, but their other classes as well,” Lepire said.

Lepire further pointed out that the school effort is made up of many individuals. “Mr. Soto had [some ELL students] for math and provided them support in math class. Mrs. Rodriguez Martinez, one of our Spanish teachers, is running a Spanish class for those students...every situation is a little different in the sense of when [the ELL students] come to us. Mr. Ireta does a really good job of looking at their transcript and seeing what their previous education is.”

Despite the efforts within the school to help, there is a dire need for more volunteering.

“We definitely need more volunteers, students who are willing to work with students. Like I said, I don’t even need to know Spanish to help them out. Just to read, and they love it,” said Rodriguez. Although the majority of students aren’t fully bilingual, the help of just reading to them is appreciated. “[The students] come to me, they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, the reading is helping so much’ because she speaks such good English,” said Rodriguez. She also mentions that this volunteering can be used for Creativity Activity Service (CAS) hours.

“With the start of these tutoring programs, I think we are moving towards providing more support for students,” Rodriguez said. “[The students are] willing to put in the work.

And I think that’s important.”

10% of CVUSD students are not fluent in English Chatting - Michelle Villegas and Odaly Garza, freshmen, volunteer to tutor at the ELL tutoring center in E4. The ELL staff, including intern Carolina Rodgriguez, has set up a tutoring center for students in the process of learning English. “They’re learning English, so what they do is they read books and you just correct them. But it looks good for applications, if you need to apply for college, scholarships, and all that,” said Rodriguez.

Anyone can apply even if you aren’t bilingual as long as you are capable of reading English.

Reese Kelem/ Prowler

10

features Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

Robotics club participates in competitions Gwen Buchanan Staff Writer

Click- Max Soury, Junior, and Vice president of the robotics club operates on the team’s robot during the competition last Sunday at Mamba Sports Academy. “Hopefully we might make it to worlds, because maybe we might win the regional” said Tally Heyes, sophomore and machinist in the robotics club. Emily Nagamoto/ Prowler

Machinery, Physics, coding, and a team here at NPHS all work together to create high functioning robots.

Robotics club meets every day after school and some

Saturdays, preparing and building an advanced robot for their big competition every year.

This year, the challenge is to build an infinitely recharging robot that performs various tasks including shooting balls into a goal, rotating a wheel, and also being able to function completely on its own for a set amount of time. “Fifteen seconds of time that is montonomous,” Tally Heyes, a sophomore and machinist on the robotics team said. “It’s basically hands off. The code does it by itself, the robot runs itself. It’s really scary.”

The team receives a challenge every year in January at the end of winter break “it sends out a challenge nationwide, globally, and our job is to build a robot that will accomplish that challenge and hopefully win” Heyes said.

Last Friday through Sunday, the global robotics competition was held at Mamba Sports Academy, where 44 robotics teams from around the world competed. Each team gets assigned a number based on when they joined the competition. The NPHS robotics team have been involved since 2011, and they’re team has the number 3863. Based on they’re robot’d performance, the club has currently made it to the quarter finals. They’re next regional will be held March 12, 13, and 14.

Heyes explored Robotics in middle school, and joined the club freshman year after attending a summer camp hosted by the school. Along with hard work, the club is rewarding, “Just using the computer and just watching it go and do this job was just like, wow this is so cool” Heyes said.

Matthew Shen, senior, joined Robotics freshman year and is now club president. While it was not something he was engaged in immediately at the start, Shen developed a passion for it after

he experienced the satisfaction from creating an operating robot from scratch.

“You go through a lot of pain and suffering because nothing works ever. But when it actually does, it’s some of the best feelings in the world because you look at what you have done and you see I somehow went from a pile of metal to this thing” he said.

In order to build an operating robot, you need to know a range of skills from programming to engineering. All of the members are taught from the basics at the start of the year as they prepare for the competition.

“Robotics gets a reputation for being really hard, but it’s all just a collection of simple stuff. Programming is complicated but you just need to practice a bit and it’ll eventually come to you,” Shen said.

Not only do the team members get to learn about the basics of robotics, but they also learn how to take those skills and apply to many more areas in everyday life. “The biggest thing I learned was how to think and visualize solutions to problems, either if that’s how to fix something in limited time with limited resources, or larger scale things like envisioning the strengths and weaknesses of different mechanisms,” Max Soury, junior and vice president of robotics said.

The robotics club is a great way to learn how to work with machinery and coding, acquire problem solving skills, and prepare for competitions “Hopefully to get our robot running and to go to competition ready and confident that we can do our best” Heyes said.

“It’s definitely challenging. The organization that holds these competitions has called it ‘the most difficult fun you’ll ever had’

Club knits for cancer patients Adalia Luo Staff Writer

Abby Gorman Staff Writer

For students interested in service and creativity, Knitting is Giving is the place to be. In D-8 at lunch every other Monday, club members meet to knit all kinds of things for kids with cancer.

All students are welcome to join, no matter their experience level. Riya Bhamre, sophomore, joined the club at the beginning of her freshman year without even having picked up knitting before. “The people in charge are really nice about it and teach you really well,” Bhamre said. “It’s pretty laid back, you just grab something to knit and do as much as you can.”

Sarah Kim, junior, and president of

Knitting is Giving, holds a special spot for the club in her heart. “You just get to be with your friends at lunch and knit hats,” Kim said. “School can be very stressful and knitting helps to really destress and it helps to have something little to focus on, even though you have many things going on around you.”

One of the highlights is their annual end-of-year trip with the products of their hard work. “When we donated the hats and scarves to the American Cancer Society, they were extremely happy and thankful,” Kim said. “It was very rewarding to know we would be giving handmade gifts to cancer patients.”

Adviser Brianna Harris took on the club a couple of years ago and praises their consistent dedication over the course of the year. “I think it’s just a really admirable way they spend their lunch,” Harris said.

“They come and get to work right away, and they never miss a meeting. Everybody is so excited to be there and be involved in the club.”

The perfect combination of community service and fun with friends, there’s practically no reason not to attend a meeting.“Everyone should join Knitting Club, it’s a really great place to be and we welcome everyone,” Kim said.

Just Dance- Knitting is Giving members pose outside the American Cancer Society last June after donating their year’s worth of knitted accessories. “I like how you get to help out with the community and also have fun,” Riya Bhamre, sophomore, said. Sarah Kim/With Permission

Students work at the primary election Abby Gorman Staff Writer Mar. 3, 2020 marked the most recent primary election day in California. Voters flocked to the polls to cast their votes for several public office positions, including the primary presidential elections, superior court, state senate, and assembly, as well as on Proposition 13.

However, with nearly 20 million people registered in California alone, the voting process requires the efforts

of many people to become a reality.

Many citizens’ can work for the day and assist in the polling process, an opportunity also open to high school students who are at least 16 years old and are interested in having an integral role in the election process.

To prepare for the position, workers attended a training session held a few weeks prior. “They taught us how to set up the voting area, what to do with all the forms, and what

to do in different situations with a variety of people,” Josephine Duc, senior, said.

On the day of the election, poll workers reported to their designated center at 6 a.m. to begin setting up, where they stayed until after polls closed at 8 p.m. Their specific responsibilities varied, but included “directing people where to turn in their ballots, collecting all the mail ballots, helping people who wanted

to vote electronically and fill out provisional and conditional forms, etcetera,” Paige Nelson, senior, said.

Although election day can seem formidable, working the polls helped many student workers familiarize themselves with what happens from both sides of the booth.“ Voting for the first time can seem quite intimidating if you aren’t sure what to expect, and this experience really helps get you acquainted with the process,” Sprihi

Yendamuri, senior, said.

Being a poll worker was undoubtedly a worthwhile experience. “It was cool to be a member of democracy indirectly, and to help people,” Duc said. “It can teach you what each ballot means and what your party association does in regards to primary elections,” Nelson said. “You also get to be an active part of your community while gaining invaluable experience.”

features Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

with

11

Kenneth Kremer

Gwen Buchanan Staff Writer

Kenneth Kremer, senior, is a beloved member of choir and theatre, a hard worker with charisma and a kind spirit. I got the opportunity to chat with Kremer over a cup of tea.

When and why did you start theatre?

What’s your favorite color?

“It all started back in sixth grade, when I went to middle school. I was usually a shy kid- I still am now, I don’t like to start conversations. When I saw this poster saying ‘Hey we have auditions for this new show: Willy Wonka Junior, and I was like, ‘you know what, that would be kind of interesting.’

So, I auditioned, and I got the part of Charlie Bucket, which was super exciting and my first ever opportunity to do something like that. Being able to collaborate and just help each other [the other actors] improve over the process; it was just an amazing feeling, which is why I keep doing it every single year.”

“It changes all the time, but right now it’s orange.”

What is your go-to feel good song?

“As a theatre kid, I’m always into musicaltype songs, so I usually stick to albums like Newsies and Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton, and stuff like that. They’re always very catchy, especially when you listen to them so many times that the lyrics are stuck in your head.”

What advice do you have for high schoolers as a senior?

“As a senior, I’d probably say: don’t waste your time here. If you hate going to school every day, then try to find as many opportunities as you can. Go to a whole bunch of clubs, take different classes that interest you the most, because you’re gonna look back at school and you’re gonna think: ‘I did not enjoy this procedure, because I learned a lot, but I don’t know what it’s gonna help. It wasn’t fun.’ But, if you find stuff that you enjoy, then do those things, because you’re going to find friends within those clubs that match your same interests, and you’re gonna have closer bonds with them, and that makes the experience more fun.”

What is your favorite part about acting?

“I’d probably say that I have two favorite things. Number one is being able to know exactly what you need to say because sometimes I don’t know exactly how to say certain things in normal conversations. But if you are reading a script, you have the exact words that you need to memorize.

I’d say the second thing is being able to work with different characters. It’s just a very flexible process that you get to accomplish because it’s your character, like how he or she acts, it’s all in your Jacob Malone/Prowler free thinking. The limit is your imagination.”

Drama performs Mystery Dinner Theater Gwen Buchanan Staff Writer The drama department recently put on one of their most beloved performances, Mystery Dinner Theater, in the cafeteria.

An audience-interactive murder mystery performance, it is put on while guests are served dinner. Variety acts are performed in between scenes and during meals, and the night is topped off with waiters serving the audience throughout the night.

This year, the show was directed by Gus Gress, junior, and theater department thespian. “It’s really fun because we have our cast of six people that perform the show, but then we also have lots of other students volunteering,” Gress said.

The play had a theme of I Love Lucy, and encompassed the murder of Mr. Mooney, played by Justin McAlister, senior. “It was cool and it wasn’t too difficult,” McAlister said. “A lot of people would imagine it to be really hard to stay in character, but once you master the mindset of your character, then it’s real easy.”

Alongside McAlister, the nights contained many talented actors including Charlotte Weymer as Lucy, Sam Cervantes as Carolyn, Emilio Carreon as Ricky Ricardo, Grace Rebbe as Ethel, and Jack Eaton as Fred. Connected to Mr. Mooney in some way, All the characters underwent

an interrogation after his death. They were questioned by one other and the audience who later got to accuse a character of the crime.

“There was a very heated debate at my table about who the murderer was, and I personally did not guess correctly but a couple of my friends got it right on,” said Tiana Hoang, sophomore, who attended the show’s premiere.

At the beginning of the show, the actors began to dance as if they were in a Cuban club, and pulled viewers out of the audience to form a conga line. “It was just really fun to have the audience get out of their chairs and kind of like, breaking the fourth wall,” Tiana Hoang said. “Just actually feeling like you were in a cuban club. It was really fun.”

Before the nights of the performance, actors attended rehearsals and servers went through a brief training. “We would meet about once a week and there was one week leading up to the show where we met a few times, and we only have one day of tech rehearsal and then we have our two performances” Gress said.

In addition to a great show, variety acts including singing, dancing, and playing instruments were performed in

between scenes and during the dinner.

Casey O’Brien, sophomore, a waitress, also played part of Seitz Concerto No. 5, a violin piece, as a variety act.

“There’s this certain headspace that you get in,” O’Brien said. “You just kind of feel free and like you’re able to express things through the music that you can’t express with words,” O’Brien said after her first performing night.

O’Brien was but one of many variety act performers. “They were all very talented and there was a lot of singing and it was just something nice to listen to,” Hoang said.

Unlike actors and servers rehearsal, variety act preparation depended on the performance. “For my own piece, I had been working on that for a little bit, just over a month with a private teacher.”

O’Brien said.

Mystery dinner is a fun way to spend your night, and support the theatre department at the same time. “It’s really nice for our department to know that we’re supported by our schools community as a whole and not just our own theater community,” Gress said.

Not so fast- Emilio Carreon playing Ricky Ricardo, left, points accusedly at Charlotte Weymer, right, playing Lucy, Ricardo’s wife.

“It was a really good show, just in general, just really funny, and it was really interactive, and I thought that the plot was really interesting and the acting was also really good” said Tiana Hoang, a sophomore who saw the show opening night. Gwen Buchanan/Prowler

12

entertainment Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

Students seize the spotlight Sarena Kabir News Editor ASG held the Talent Show on Friday, Feb. 28, hoping to showcase students and their special talents.

From singing to dancing to comedy, students battled it out to win cash prizes. Only three people were able to take home the money and they were: Gabrielle Elias, sophomore, who won $300, Marie Amelle-Thenoz, senior, who won $200, and Nikki Usares, senior, who won $100.

The Talent Show would not have occurred if it were not for the people who put it together. Paige Hajiloo, senior, was one of the main coordinators of this year’s talent show. “Many students practice singing, dancing, etc. on their own time and not through or for the school, so it is so amazing to watch some of your fellow peers perform and do such a wonderful job on stage,” Hajiloo said.

Previously, Hajiloo was on the commission that had run the talent show, and now as ASG President, she took charge and led the same commission this year leading into the show. “After

meetings and rehearsals, everyone involved - performers, ASG members that planned the event, and tech theatre - you really form a family bond. When people walk on stage, you cheer them on, and when they are walking off stage you, congratulate them.

It’s such an amazing experience,” Hajiloo said.

In order to put on the show, a lot of work had to be put in by the whole talent show committee. Jackson Cornett-Coert, junior, was also on this committee. “The maximum amount of effort was put into the show. I cannot even begin to tell you how many hours ASG members have put into putting on the best show for the students at Newbury Park,” Cornett-Coert said.

Hard work can mean long hours, and this was definitely the case. “We have dedicated many hours after school and before school just to have things run smoothly for the big night. The show looked amazing with all the decorations we put up and it was great due to all the practice we put in. Without the rehearsals and practices I assure you we would not have had that good of a

show,” Cornett-Coert said.

Nikki Usares, senior, also helped out with running the talent show. For several years, the NPHS Talent Show had teachers judge and this year was no different. “Mrs. Magnante judged last year, and we wanted someone with experience to do it, so we asked her to do it this year as well. Ms. Denchfield was one of the teachers that came to mind when the commission was brainstorming which teachers to ask, fortunately she was very enthusiastic and very excited to judge this year. As for Ms. Keeler, she was our stand-in ASG advisor for the first semester, and we just thought she fits right in as a judge,” Usares said.

The Talent Show gave people the chance to truly showcase to their peers what many of them do not see on a daily basis. “It gives them the opportunity to share their talents to other people, as well as boost the students’ confidence,” Usares said.

Pose- With delicacy, Marie Amelle-Thenoz, senior, dances her heart away, bringing joy to many. She dances to a Variation from La Bayadere, leaving the judges astonished with her talent. Thenoz wins the second place prize of $200. Sarah Bean/Pawprint

Surprise- Singing “She Used to be Mine,” from the hit musical, “Waitress,” Gabrielle Elias wins first place at the talent show. Elias shared her story via video before her performance, mentioning that before she could even talk she regularly sang. The audience broke into a deafening round of claps after she finished. Sarah Bean/Pawprint

Sing- Nikki Usares, senior, sings “All I Want” by Kodaline, winning the third place grand prize of $100. She sang her heart out during her emotional performance, drawing loud cheers and claps from the crowd, consisting of her supporters and friends. Sarah Bean/Pawprint

Alyssa Boedigheimer/Prowler

Music Corner!

Emma Schoors News Editor February was a lively month for music.

Cold War Kids returned on Feb. 11 with their latest single “Who’s Gonna Love Me Now”, and played a show at The Novo in Los Angeles shortly after, on Feb. 21. The rock band has an impressive 16 years under their belt, and they have explored many genres successfully: punk, blues, alternative and more. This latest single is more proof of their ability to write great music across many genres.

Sharon Van Etten is back with “Beaten Down”, which she released on Feb. 9. The singersongwriter is known for her novelistic lyrics and acoustic guitars, but in recent years she has

ventured into more electric territory. Her most recent album, “Remind Me Tomorrow”, is the most notable example of this change, with much more variety in her sound.

Hockey Dad has definitely stepped up their game with their most recent singles “I Missed Out” and “Itch”, the ladder of which was released on Valentine’s Day. “I Missed Out” is a shining point for drummer Billy Fleming. The band is going out on a US/UK/Europe tour in April and May, stopping by The Roxy in Los Angeles on Apr. 3.

The year is looking bright for the alternative and rock genres, and March will surely see this trend continuing.

entertainment Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

13

Bollywood brings the heat Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor Prasheetha Karthikeyan Features Editor It goes without saying that Indian food is amazing. Whether it be through curries or rice dishes like biryani, the cuisine offers something for everyone. This is why we were excited to hear that a new Indian restaurant popped up next door. Bollywood Spice Indian Cuisine opened up next to the Trader Joe’s by Reino Road, replacing Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine. Since we have grown up eating homemade Indian food, we decided to give Bollywood a try to see if it met the bar.

Most of the negatives of Bollywood revolve around its decoration and location. It is tucked into the corner of a strip mall and is hard to see while driving by. Walking into the restaurant, we noticed that the decor was very sparse and the layout was a bit confusing, which is understandable since it’s a new restaurant. When we tried to find a restroom, we ended up walking into a pantry. Despite these “obstacles,” our food came quickly and provided a very different story.

The chicken curry we ordered smelled terrific and gave a good impression even before we tasted it. The goat curry came shortly after. Surprisingly, both dishes included a significant amount of meat, contrary to most Indian restaurants that will skimp out on meat and deliver mostly curry. However, their meat to curry ratio was terrific and the dishes tasted great with naan. We also ordered the vegetable biryani, a rice dish that is cooked with many spices and vegetables. The dish was flavorful and surprisingly spicy, as most restaurants in the area tone down the spice to accommodate a larger group of people.

The prices for the dishes were pretty decent, with the curries being below $15 and the biryanis being under $10. The portions were plenty to share, and most of the dishes came with rice. The whole process, from ordering the food to paying, took about an hour, and we left the restaurant feeling extremely satisfied.

Bollywood is definitely one of the better Indian restaurants in Ventura County and deserves more attention. Seeing as it is a new restaurant, hopefully business will pick up once people become aware of its opening. Although the aesthetics of the restaurant were lacking, the food that we had was stellar, and we would recommend Bollywood to anyone craving a trip to India.

Spice, spice, baby- Garlic naan and chicken tikka masala are a staple to Indian restaurants. Bollywood’s preparation exceeded our expectations and cost less than $15. Manas Khatore/Prowler

Farmer Boys fosters fresh food Clarissa Shin Sports Editor Growing up in Ventura County, I have always loved getting produce from the farmers market because of how fresh and healthy it was, coming right from the agriculture grown and immersed within our community. Health and nutrition are hard to balance with the vast majority of fast food chains, but luckily, Farmer Boys recently opened their doors.

Farmer Boys is a fast food chain that serves farm fresh produce and 100 percent USDA pure beef. It is so neat being able to buy meals, including breakfast, burgers and sandwiches that are made straight from Californian farms.

Walking into the restaurant gave me a nostalgic feeling of childhood. Living next to the farm fields, there were always tractors and colors of green everywhere I looked.

I loved how the interior of the restaurant incorporated designs relating to farms because it reminded me of where I live and how special it is to be able to eat food “right out of my backyard.”

The California BLT was a delicious lunch and satisfied my craving for a savory meal. The size was perfect and the balance of avocado, lettuce, tomato, bacon and sauce was just right. The presentation of this sandwich was neat and there was perfect separation between each of the items included.

This restaurant is convenient for those on-the-go because there is also a drive-thru. To my surprise, I observed the line of the drive-thru move quickly and after ordering, I received my food in a quick and timely manner. Farmer Boys has efficient and effective customer service and the employees were kind and friendly.

Compared to other fast food chains, Farmer Boys has higher quality products on their menu.

Besides being a healthier option, this restaurant has significantly better quality meat, noticeable in how juicy and tender it was. Although I did not try how the meat tasted, observing the burgers sitting on the plates of many customers at the restaurant, the first thing that stood out was the thickness and dark color.

I enjoyed getting to experience the taste of California’s farm fresh produce and encourage others to head on over to Farmer Boys. The service, staff and most importantly, food are all aspects of this chain that contribute to making it a wholesome and happy place to be. Farmer Boys will open your eyes to the agricultural industry and how you can fuel your body with healthy and fresh food straight from the heart of Ventura County.

Drive-thru- Cars pack the drive-thru at Farmer Boys, the newest fast food joint in Newbury Park. Located by L.A. Fitness near Wendy Road, Farmer Boys has attracted attention for its use of organic products in fast food.

Jacob Malone/Prowler

14

sports Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

Students kickflip into skateboarding Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor

Upside down with the board still on their feet, skaters are able to do things that make others jealous. The board designs, complicated tricks and oversized hoodies all give off a feeling of swagger. However, there is much more to skateboarding than fits the stereotype, as students have perfected the craft in many ways.

Skateboarding often serves as a distraction for the problems that skaters face. Shandin Sorrell, freshman, decided to start

skateboarding two years ago because of what was happening in his neighborhood in Oxnard. “There’s a lot of gang violence in Oxnard, [so] me and my [friends] decided to start skating,” Sorrell said. He mostly skateboards in downtown Los Angeles, his favorite part being learning and performing tricks. “Just the feeling of it… like, I really just did that,” Sorrell said.

Although students like Sorrell do tricks, others use the skateboard as a mode of transportation. Nathan Bentley, sophomore, gets around town on his skateboard. “It’s just a fun way to get places. You get there faster,” Bentley said. However, Bentley has become interested in learning tricks and wants to improve his performance. “I just want to get higher off the ground [and] have a higher percentage of success when I try and just expand my arsenal,” Bentley said.

Joah Ditto, sophomore, decided to get back into skateboarding after taking a break for a couple of years. He decided to pick it up as an activity to take his mind off of academics. “I think it’s a stress reliever as well. It’s something that I picked up to sort of distract myself from school,” Ditto said.

Ditto uses skateboarding to travel places, but enjoys going to the skate park regularly to practice tricks. “I like the park a little better Flip- Shandin Sorrell, freshman, performs a trick at Borchard Community Skatepark. He enjoys the feeling because it’s a designated area to of performing tricks and is motivated to keep on improving. “Just the feeling of it… like, I really just did that,”

skate around, and there’s not very many skate sports around,” Ditto said.

Those who skateboard encourage other students to pick up a board, whatever the reason. “You can sort of pick and choose what groups you hang out with, and the skating community here isn’t toxic. It’s pretty supportive,” Ditto said.

Grind- Shandin Sorrell, freshman, goes down the railing at Borchard Community Skatepark. Sorrell started skateboarding because of the unique circumstances that he faced in his neighborhood. “There’s a lot of gang violence in Oxnard, [so] me and my [friends] decided to start skating,” Sorrell said. Sorrell has been skating for three years and has extensive experience practicing and performing tricks. Reese Kelem/ Prowler

Sorrell said. Reese Kelem/Prowler

Boys’ Volleyball slaps their way into season Rahul D’Souza Chief Photographer The grind never stops for our Boys’ Volleyball team. As soon as the last school bell rings, the nets come up and the gym comes alive with the slaps of volleyballs flying around the court.

After winning league champions last year, the team is chasing that glory again. The team believes they have the talent and experience to do so, but their ambitions go even farther, expecting to compete at an even higher level.

“I also strongly believe that we can defeat many of the top high school teams in SoCal and even the nation. Our players, coaches, and all our supporters are definitely some of the best around and it’s amazing to be a part of,” Luke Benson, junior, said.

The team is going into the season with their confidence running high. After winning the league

championships, the boys hope to go far in CIF as well. Practices are run “at a very high level,” according to Benson, helping the players hone their strengths and refine their weaknesses.

“Our strengths are definitely attacking, we can put a ball away no problem. As for weaknesses, sometimes our passing can be off, which just starts small unforced errors,” Huntley Bensink, senior, said.

With help from their coach, Jorge Ostrovsky, Bensink and the others slowly piece together their game, implementing small changes and new information to improve in every way they can. “We are all working 110% in practice constantly preparing for the season,” Bensink said.

Outside of league matches, the team also participates in

tournaments to have more experience in match play, putting together everything they work on at practice. After claiming first place in their last tournament, the players are roaring into the next, ready to plow through every team coming their way. “[We participate in] tournaments that expose us to some difficult teams that show us what we need to work on. Along with this, we are proving to ourselves that we can play with the best of the best and hope to make a deep run in the playoffs,” Dean Magnante, senior, said.

With a preseason record of 3-1 and another tournament today, things are looking up for the boys.

“As long as we play our game and keep our intensity up, this team has a lot of potential,” Magnante said

Victory- (Left to right) Benny Grieder, Luke Benson, and Leonard Zhu, all juniors, cheer as they score a point in their first game. “The biggest strengths of our team would have to be attacking and blocking. Our passing and defense definitely needs work,” said Benson. As seniors including Benon prepare for their last season at NPHS, they are also getting ready to transition into College, and Benson will be playing at Brigham Young University. Reese Kelem/Prowler

sports Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

Girls’ Lacrosse prepares for CIFs

15

Sarena Kabir News Editor Starting back in September, the girls’ lacrosse team has put in a gruesome amount of time on the field preparing for their CIF season.

Erin Duff y, senior on varsity, has specific goals while also preparing for college lacrosse. “This season, I’m focused on

getting ready to play next year in college and working on my conditioning and speed even more to be ready for that transition.

I’m super excited to be a part of the program at UC Davis,” Duff y said.

Duff y uses lacrosse to her advantage in becoming a stronger person. “To me, lacrosse is all about setting goals for yourself and following through on what you need to do to meet them. It also means being able to face adversity and to push past those obstacles and become stronger because of it,” Duff y said.

Daniella Guyette, sophomore, also on varsity, tries her best to lead her team to victory. Being a sophomore on a team full of seniors, she wishes for them to end the season on a good

note. “I hope to see the team travel as far as we can go in our schedule, hopefully to win a CIF title. This year we have a solid set of seniors that I would really love to get them a title. I would love to achieve [her own] CIF MVP or get a shoutout,” Guyette said.

Prior to lacrosse, Guyette used to play baseball, and soon stopped playing for her younger brother to catch up to her league and play with her. During her time off of baseball, she started to play lacrosse and soon fell in love with it.“[Lacrosse] combines a lot different aspects of the past sports I have played, the crucial plays in baseball whether it be hitting or pitching and where the toughness of football translates to my position, goalie,” Guyette said.

Being one of the upperclassmen, Emma Ing, junior, hopes to help the players across the teams. “Lacrosse is one of the most important things to me and I play it everyday. I’ve set really high goals for myself, and once I meet those I set new ones. I am a super competitive person and I absolutely hate to lose, so it’s an outlet for me to compete,” Ing said.

After many hours of practicing during their off-season, the girls’ lacrosse team hopes to win the CIF title.

Sticking itit Erin Duffy, senior, gets a hold of the ball during one of their games, trying to bring the ball closer to their goal to shoot a goal. For Duffy, lacrosse means a whole lot for her. “Lacrosse is all about setting goals for yourself and following through on what you need to do to meet them. It also means being able to face adversity and to push past those obstacles and become stronger because of it,” Duffy said. Without lacrosse, Duffy would not be the same person she is today as it has stuck with her for a long time. Emily Nagamoto/ Prowler

Softball players hit it out of the park Anna Johnson Staff Writer Softball is a game of anticipation, players holding their breath at every hit of the bat, every stealing of a base, especially when all bases are loaded. Many students have joined the team, adding to the thrill and excitement of the game.

Alexa Paradis, sophomore, has been playing softball for seven years and loves the experience and the people she has met throughout the years.

During games, there can be periods that seem to drag on, but the recovery remains exciting and is Paradis’s favorite part of the game. “Getting out of a hitting slump is a hard feeling to beat. But as a whole, the energy surrounding the team is good especially after a big win,” said Paradis.

Paradis and the rest of the softball team are under the direction of Coach Mike Dagan. Dagan has been coaching softball for 15 years, nine of those spent at NPHS. Dagan stuck with the sport because “softball is just different. It’s quick, it’s fun and exciting to watch.”

During practice Dagan has, “a trainer come out twice a week and workout the girls with conditioning and agility exercises along with weight training,” Dagan said. “The players have to feel they can trust you in any situation, that you have their back no matter what. If they don’t, they won’t be able to give you their best effort.”

Veda Palaparty, senior, is on Dagan’s softball team. She has played for twelve years, loving the game and her team. “I love the great friends I’ve made, and the fun we all have together,” said Palaparty.

As a pitcher, she likes to get in as much work as she can everyday, much like Paradis. Although she loves the sport, Palaparty is disappointed in the path softball leads. “I really don’t like that there really is no future for softball players outside of college, unless you go to the Olympics,” Palaparty said.

However, when she’s disappointed in a game she remembers why she plays. “The point of softball is to have fun and make good memories,” said Palaparty.

In games, Palaparty enjoys when she aids her team. “My favorite moment is when I’m pitching and we get an out, so the infield throws the ball around and all comes in for high-fives,” said Palaparty.

Neither her nor Paradis let the game interfere with their schoolwork, completing their academics whenever they can. “I try to be proactive so I have time for softball, and to enjoy my last year of high school before I graduate,” said Palaparty.

Dagan is proud of the progress that the team has made so far. “I just ask the girls to get better everyday and positive things will happen.”

Strike Paige Henry, sophomore, pitches the ball effectively to strike out her Strikeopponent. Practicing everyday, players like Henry, Alexa Paradis, sophomore, and Veda Palaparty, senior, have developed their skill to dominate games. Throwing, catching, and hitting balls, they know how to keep the bases loaded and keep the home runs coming. Aditya Vunnum/Prowler

16

sports Panther Prowler • Mar. 6, 2020

The NPHS K-pop dance interest group danced to the song “Monster” by EXO. In a short five minutes, the dancers were able to spread their energy throughout every corner of the PAC. Adding on to the diversity of dance types and culture present in the show, the K-pop club successfully introduced a new type of the dance to the community. Jessica Zhou/Prowler

Tip-toe- Dancers from Thrive Dance Studio performed a tap dance to the song “Jump Jive”. The crowd couldn’t help but sway along in their chairs after seeing their bright-colored dresses, smiling faces and hearing the rhythm coming from the bottom of their heels. Jessica Zhou/Prowler

Jessica Zhou DPS Editor Dance for Hope is an annual dance fundraiser for American Cancer Society. This year, it was another full house as students and family from all over the community gathered in the PAC on Saturday night, Feb.29.

Interact Club is a fundraising and volunteer platform for all different kinds of community service. Every year two members on the Interact board are in charge of putting together Dance for Hope and this year the co-community chairs, Maya Patel and Varna Kanapuram are the main organizers. “The most challenging part about (Dance

Pose- Nathalie Jimenez, and Nicki Usares, both seniors, showed off their moves with the K-pop club as they lit up the stage with their performance. The members of the K-pop club spend time together at school to learn cover dances of K-pop songs. Jimenez started dancing freshman year when she took beginning dance. Since then, she has been learning many contemporary and hip hop dances and began her interest in k-pop dances sophomore year. “My favorite part about performing in Dance for Hope was feeling the excitement people felt for the K-Pop group. It wasn’t something I expected but it felt amazing to perform live and our hard work be seen,” Jimenez said. Ramya Ukkan/Pawprint

for Hope) is organizing the dance companies, you’re like balancing eight different groups at the same time. Varna and I, we were constantly adjusting our program basically to the day of,” Patel said.

Many different groups from the community came together that night to put on the show. Dance companies such as Thrive Dance Studio and Aspire Dance Studio showcased contemporary dance performances, while the Hula Dance Group brought Hawaiian dances to the stage.

Students from NPHS also took on a major role that night

as the K-pop dance group and ballerina Marie AmelleThenoz captured the spotlight.

The crowd gave their last applause as the curtains closed on the finale. As the show ended, performers were greeted by their family and friends with congratulations for another successful night. This year a total of $3,322 was raised and donated to cancer research in the name of Teri Sanders, a beloved English teacher who passed away in November from stomach cancer.

Grand Finale- Performers in the Bollywood dance take over the stage as the night comes to the end. The Bollywood finale is one of the biggest Dance for Hope traditions as well as one of the most anticipated dance performances. Every year two students choreograph a Bollywood dance that would be performed by multiple students. This year, the finale consisted of a total of eight dances. “I think the most rewarding part was everyone having fun on stage and seeing the reaction that we got from it after, and knowing that the audience enjoyed it as much as we did,” Varna Kanapuram, senior and one of the choreographers of the Bollywood dance, said. Ramya Ukkan/Pawprint