2021 Special Edition Magazine (June 4, 2021) by NPHS Panther Prowler

PANTHER PROWLER

Friday, June 4, 2021 Special Edition Magazine Newbury Park High School 456 N. Reino Road Newbury Park, CA 91320 pantherprowler.org

Table of Contents 03

News

Editorial

06-09

10-13

Senior Spotlight

Senior Quotes and Map

14-19

Mental Health

Caitlin Meaney

Equity Task Force

Column

Fashion

Artists

Cultural Club

Swim Record

Humans of Newbury Park

Colin Sahlman

Letter from the Editors We did not foresee that we would once again create our annual special edition magazine remotely. This past year has been an undeniably challenging year, but it has also been a year full of reflection, growth and empathy. We wanted our eighth magazine to highlight the tests that students have faced mentally, as well as the passions and triumphs that many have made despite the circumstances. On pages 4-5, you can find our editorial on the current CVUSD DIS counseling situation. It is crucial to emphasize the importance of mental health in a year like this one, so we start off by advocating that the district provide quality, professional mental health services to students who need it the most. We included a series of features around our seniors’ postgraduate plans on pages 6-9. On page ten are our senior quotes, followed by our much anticipated Class of 2021 senior map on pages 11-13. Our mental health theme continues on pages 14-19 with our mental health cover story, which includes student and teacher testimonials and a reflection on our district’s mental health resources. We wanted to record the personal stories from our students and community to raise awareness and eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health issues. We dedicated pages 20-21 to Caitlin Meaney, an NPHS alumna who impacted many with her bravery, contagious smile and strong determination. Her story of resilience while fighting osteosarcoma before and through the pandemic will continue to inspire Newbury Park. The pandemic has not stopped NPHS students from making incredible athletic achievements. On page 29, you will read about the comeback story of the NPHS boys’ swim team and senior Wonjin Ko, who have consecutively broken two school records. Our back cover highlights the accomplishments of junior Colin Sahlman, who won the 2021 Gatorade California Cross-Country Player of the Year award, continuing the legendary reputation of our cross country program. It has been an honor to be with our staff in a year like this one where we pushed our limits and explored new ways of reporting. Thank you for your endless support and we hope that you will take away a memorable story from our final issue.

Manas Khatore Editor-in-Chief

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

Jessica Zhou Editor-in-Chief

News in Brief Parker Bohl

McGlauthon Fleming IV

Carter Castillo

Ireta says goodbye to NPHS On June 11, NPHS counselor José Ireta will bid farewell to the school. Ireta has been a counselor at NPHS since 2009. Ireta described how the demands for his position have changed. “The district wants us to do more direct intensive servicing or DIS counseling, and I’m not a therapist,” Ireta said.“I know there’s been a greater need, and

so I think somebody else [getting] to fill that need is good.” Ireta has decided to leave California and seek out life in Texas. “Things have been changing quite a bit and I want to be able to focus on getting my kids through school and enjoying life.” Jose Ireta/With Permission

Hall of Famer teaches class

Parker Bohl/Prowler

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Little Steven visited Richard Bradley’s Comparative Religions course on May 27 as a part of “Little Steven’s Virtual Classroom Tour” put on by the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation. In a section of the Comparative Religions course, Bradley focuses on the relationship between religion and rock music, notably the Beatles. Little Steven recently embarked on a

project to use music in the school curriculum to engage students. Only 11 classes in the U.S. were chosen for Little Steven’s Virtual Classroom Tour. “I think what makes it so interesting is this is so outside the box what we’re doing.” Bradley said. “It’s not happening anywhere else, you know, in the school, or really the school district.”

Dress code policy changed The CVUSD school board unanimously approved a new dress code that will be effective for the whole district on April 20. The proposal was drafted by Abigail Fitzgerald, an eighth-grader at Los Cerritos Middle School, who worked with the Student District Advisory Committee to create a proposal for the school board. “The dress

code is very discriminatory... it sends a lot of the wrong messages to students and teaches them the wrong things. I wanted to change that... since I saw the impacts of it,” Fitzgerald said. The new dress code removes consequences for bare shoulders and legs and drops the word “appropriate” from the policy language, as it seems subjective.

Abigail Fitzgerald/With Permission

School board trustee Fitzgerald resigns

Jenny Fitzgerald/With Permission

Jenny Fitzgerald, CVUSD school board trustee for area two, publicly announced her resignation on Facebook and Twitter on May 20. She is leaving the Conejo Valley due to family circumstances. “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity I had,” she continued, “to serve our community and represent you this past

few years in the place that has been our home,” Fitzgerald wrote. The board has 60 days from May 20 to decide whether to fill the vacancy themselves or hold a special election. If the board fills the vacancy, the voters of area two will have the right to petition the appointment and request a special election.

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School counselors should not be responsible for DIS services At the beginning of the 2020-2021, a decrease in the the DIS service to students,” a district official* said. number of returning Intensive School Based Therapists However, DIS counseling serves a very specific role in (ISBTs), led the district to shift some of the workload of these the lives of the students it services. While regular counselors employees to typical school counselors. This decision has may have qualifying credentials, they have not received any placed responsibilities on counselors who are not best suited necessary additional training nor have experience providing to fulfill them and has the potential to negatively impact the DIS counseling. Take the idea of dentists and orthodontists; students who receive Designated Instructional Services (DIS) while both handle oral care and hold similar credentials, one counseling from ISBTs. would not go to the dentist to get braces. Orthodontists receive The Prowler spoke with several counselors, ISBTs and extra years of training for their specialization, but our school district officials on this matter in the process of writing this counselors do not have the extra training that ISBTs do. editorial. Names were left out to protect the privacy of those There are also flaws within placing the responsibilities of interviewed.* managing academic and social-emotional needs on the same ISBTs and school counselors objectively fulfill different individual. “I think it can be a conflict of interest to have a roles for the students they aid. “Our counselor do academic counseling, and duties are really to provide support, also help kids get into college, and help emotional support, mostly for kids in them deal with these emotional issues special ed that have either independent that they’re really struggling with, counseling or more intensive counseling especially since the counselor has a bit on their IEPs,” an ISBT* said. “That of responsibility to the parents as well,” usually looks like having sessions... a therapist* said. and making sure we have given them This transfer can have adverse the support that they need in order to effects on the students who benefit from be successful at school.” Many ISBTs DIS services. Maria Hernandez, a WHS are Associate Marriage and Family graduate and student who received DIS Therapist (AMFTs) and Alternative services, spoke at the March 16 school Social Workers (ASW) graduates. board meeting on the importance of Alternatively, school counselors having both counselors. “You can’t just only require a bachelor’s degree and give a student who has issues that needs some experience within a program to be worked on and that needs to find NPHS School Counselor* specializing in school counseling. coping skills and needs to find any type While school counselors are capable of help to a normal guidance counselor of assisting with social-emotional needs, they do not have the when they’re not prepared for that,” Hernandez said. availability to take on additional students given their current Expecting school counselors to take the place of ISBTs workload. “Even if we’re given one student on our caseload compromises the quality of DIS counseling students can receive. for DIS, let’s say [meetings are] an hour a week...that’s 36 less As a district, more needs to be done than the bare minimum of hours of the year that we don’t have to work with any students,” these services to ensure the needs of all. Giving more work to a counselor* explained. This estimate does not even account our counselors without proper training or helping hands in the for their additional clerical work counselors would have to form of clerical assistants or an additional counselor per school complete outside of weekly sessions. site will not help. In order to best serve every student on our The district believes it is beneficial to have school counselors, campus, the district needs to have both school counselors and a who are already familiar with students, perform the DIS sufficient number of ISBTs as our school counselors do not have counseling. “Knowing [that school counselors] have the right time, experience, or therapy licenses to serve the role of ISBTs. credentials to provide the service, and that our counselors… [have familiarity] on the campus could really assist in providing

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Even if we’re given one student on our caseload for DIS, let’s say [meetings are] an hour a week... that’s 36 less hours of the year that we don’t have to work with students.

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

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DIS counseling in CVUSD: All statistics relating to CVUSD schools were taking from district and school websites, as well as interviews with district officials and counselors.

** ***

**From the American School Counselor Assocation

***From EdSource

PANTHER PROWLER Editors-in-Chief

Manas Khatore Jessica Zhou

Writers

McGlauthon Fleming IV Sera Mohammed

Graphic Artists

Carter Castillo Prasheetha Karthikeyan Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza / Tea Sklar

Photographers

Chief// Reese Kelem Parker Bohl

Editors

Carter Castillo/Prowler

2020-2021 Staff Karyss Amato Parker Bohl Gwen Buchanan Carter Castillo Abby Gorman Anna Johnson Sarena Kabir Prasheetha Karthikeyan

Managing Editor Adviser

Reese Kelem Adalia Luo Hayden Meixner Allison Nguyen Dhruv Patel Nandini Patro Emma Schoors / Tea Sklar Deepa Venkat

Cynthia Gao Michelle Saremi www.pantherprowler.org

Seniors commit to a unique program Hayden Meixner

Dhruv Patel

And why does He do the things he does?’” DeVetis said. DeVetis has spent his whole life surrounded by Catholicism and has regularly helped out at his church, which helped to influence his decision to major in theology. “[Priests at the church] being so supportive, and by my side throughout the entire way, it was the biggest help I can get and the biggest influence,” DeVetis said. After college, DeVetis plans to become a Catholic diocesan priest in Los Angeles, and he is very excited to start helping people Sarah Kim/With Permission Mia Woomer/With Permission who are exploring Catholicism. Inspired by her parents’ love for the job, Mia Woomer, senior, has decided to major Heal- Sarah Kim will attend the University of Heal Design- Mia Woomer is going to Cal Poly San Design in urban planning at California Polytechnic Alabama at Birmingham in their BSMD program. Luis Obispo and majoring in urban planning. State University, San Luis Obispo this fall. “My mom works in city hall and helps In the months leading up to graduation, every senior has a approve plans for developers and my dad has a company, lot of decisions to make regarding their futures, and choosing Diamond West, where he works with private developers and a major is one of them. While majors like computer science, designs site plans,” Woomer said. biology and engineering are popular, many NPHS seniors have Urban planning involves designing plots of land, making sure chosen to specialize in something more unique. buildings abide by code and many other aspects of a city that Sarah Kim, senior, knew she wanted to be a doctor after most people do not think twice about. “Urban planners play a being inspired by a nurse at the Westminster big part in how cities are developed… They work Free Clinic, who told Kim to choose a career with the community to make sure You want to spend collaboratively path that she would enjoy spending her time that a proposed development meets the needs of your time doing the community,” Woomer said. in. “That just really hit me in a way that I never approached looking at a career path Woomer is something... that notWhile or a college path before,” Kim said. Kim totally sure what can make you feel she wants to do will be attending University of Alabama at Birmingham’s eight year BSMD program, out of college, fulfilled. which is a program that immediately puts there are a lot of undergrad students into medical school. options for her with Kim felt compelled to take this path after an urban planning countless hours of volunteering at Westminster and felt that the degree. “Planners can work for the fast track the BSMD program offered would help her reach her government, nonprofits and private goals as quickly as possible. “I just love to work with people and companies. Private companies can be getting to know different people and I feel like being a doctor... real estate developers or a design firm,” part of the job encompasses getting to approach different Woomer said. problems every single day,” Kim said. Majoring in the more While religion is a part of many people’s lives, few people unknown can be scary to devote their college experience to studying it. Vinni DeVetis, some, but Kim, DeVetis and senior, took a different path than Kim, deciding to major in Woomer do not back down to these theology at Marymount California University, a small Catholic pressures. They have embraced college in Palos Verdes. DeVetis will mainly study Catholicism, their passions and are looking along with some of its questions. “[Theology] basically asks the forward to the next four years. simple question or questions, ‘Who is God? What does He do?

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- Sarah Kim

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

Vinni DeVetis/With Permission

Students prepare to join the military Abby Gorman

Gwen Buchanan

While most seniors are busy studying, Base in Northern Texas after basic reaching out to colleges and critiquing military training.” their applications, a few students at For others, like Joel Botello, senior, the NPHS have been working on both their military was not the path they expected academics and physical ability as they to follow. “I never really pictured myself prepare to go into the military. joining, but I talked to the recruiter and For Ryan Collier, a senior going into he told me how everything was going to the Air Force Academy in Colorado go and I saw that it was going to improve Springs, entering the military has been myself and help me learn new skills. I a goal for many years. “I really started found myself getting too comfortable in to get into it when I started to figure out life and I knew I needed to get out of my where I wanted to go for college,” Collier comfort zone,” Botello said. said. “I’m also graduating to become Botello had the opportunity to get a second lieutenant. You take classes, ahead by attending boot camp last you receive your degree, it’s four years.” summer in order to head straight into six Collier is planning to take biology classes weeks of Advanced Individual Training at the academy as well (AIT) this July to as military training. become a Transportation The military requires M a n a g e m e n t There are so many Coordinator. “Whenever an entirely different skill set from other post- opportunities in the a unit deploys, you graduation careers. just make sure they get military that you all their equipment, “Physical training and learning how to be in wouldn’t necessarily whatever they might the military is kind of need,” Botello said. get in the normal a shock to the system… Camaraderie and that’s what’s different establishing relationships world. about the academy is one of the most than going to a normal important lessons for college,” Collier said. many during their Rohan Solanki, service. “I was put in with senior, is also heading to all types of people. You’re the Air Force and is currently awaiting his living for them for ten weeks, so you have call date this summer through a Delayed to get along with them,” Botello said. “But Entry Program (DEP) “During this time, when you’re there you make friends, and DEP recruits like myself do training, since you’re all going through it together physical workouts, memorize some of the you really bond.” important work that will be done at boot The day-to-day lifestyle of the military camp, basic military training,” Solanki is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that said. gives people the chance to have a wider Even within the same branch of the view of the world. “There are so many military, the process can vary vastly opportunities in the military that you depending on a recruit’s assignment. wouldn’t necessarily get in the normal “After boot camp, you have your job world,” Solanki said. “One of the major training, which will be about two to three takeaways is being able to understand months, and that can be anywhere in the life outside of the bubble you lived in as country,” Solanki said. “I got assigned a child.” as a drone pilot, which is called a UAV operator. We’ll go to Randolph Airforce

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- Rohan Solanki

Join Joel Botello, senior, is joining the army. Joel JoinBotello/With Permission

Fly Rohan Solanki, senior, is joining the airforce. FlyRohan Solanki/With Permission

On his wayway Ryan Collier, senior, is appointed to the U.S. Air Force Academy. He will get a full tuition scholarship. Panther TV/With Permission

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Seniors take on a career in the workforce

Anna Johnson

College may feel like the default plan for people in their Vienna… so my dad asked him about a job opportunity...he got senior year of high school. However, many choose to enter the me this internship and I couldn’t pass it up,” Memarzia said. workforce directly and get hands-on experience in the field that Memarzia is planning on going to Oregon State University, they are passionate about. but is taking this time after graduation to prepare for his Vincent Addieg, senior, takes an interest in music, and internship, having to get ready to move to Vienna, Austria. wants to find a job in sound engineering after high school. “I “I’m nervous because I need to take language classes to learn was told by a lot of people that I’ve worked with in the past that some German... I also don’t know anyone so I’ll be completely it’s smart to kind of get your own experience doing it rather alone,” Memarzia said. than go to school, so I figured I would take at least take one gap Some seniors work in order to save up for their future plans. year to work so I can figure out if I’m even Sam Newberry, senior, plans to continue I just have to keep reminding working to pursue a career in firefighting. going to go to school,” Addieg said. myself that school isn’t Addieg furthered his understanding in “[Being a firefighter] has been something sound engineering and music production necessarily for everybody… you I have thought about since I was very little through classes he took at Music Freaks in but taking GIS this past year and seeing can find your own way. Camarillo. “It was kind of just something videos of firefighters doing their job just had - Vincent Addieg that clicked with me… and that sort of me thinking that that would be something I made me realize that’s what I wanted to go into,” Addieg said. would want to do and to just help people in a different way,” Addieg believes that the fear of missing out on college life Newberry said. should not stop people from taking a nontraditional path. “It Newberry dreams of maybe moving to Australia. “Australian has been very weird seeing all my close friends get accepted firefighters come here to help us so I thought I would go over to all these different colleges, but honestly I just have to keep there to help them,” Newberry said. reminding myself that school isn’t necessarily for everybody… Newberry encourages those wondering if college is you can find your own way,” Addieg said. not for them to take the risk and enter the workforce Kamran Memarzia, senior, is taking his time off from right after high school. “Everyone thinks you need school to intern at the United Nations (UN), and to learn about college but you don’t need to put yourself in debt international business. “My uncle works at the UN building in when you can go ahead and work out of high school.”

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Compose Vinny Addieg practiced sound Composeengineering while volunteering at Music Freaks. This hobby soon turned into a passion. “I never really had a hobby or anything like that, so finding music...made me realize that’s what I wanted to go into.” Vinny Addieg/With Permission

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

Brave After saving enough money, Sam Newberry Braveplans to become a firefighter. Unlike others, Newberry is not scared of the future. “I kind of grew up more independent than most people did, so I’ve already had some experience of just being on my own.” Sam Newberry/With Permission

Move Kamran Memarzia is moving to Vienna to Moveintern at the United Nations and will be taking time off from school. He hopes to follow in his uncle’s footsteps, who works for the UN as well. “I want to do something with international business [like him].” Kamran Memarzia/With Permission

Buckley and Lewis head back home Carter Castillo

Cynthia Gao

Emer Buckley and Ella Lewis, seniors, persevered through their high school years at NPHS, an ocean away from their respective homes. Now that the time to start a new chapter is on the horizon, the two are heading home.

Across the Atlantic Buckley will be attending Trinity College of Dublin in Ireland this fall. “I was actually born [in Ireland] myself and my whole entire family is there. My parents and I and my sister moved here when I was ten,” Buckley said. Buckley’s mom works at Amgen, the main reason why Buckley moved with her family to California. “Initially it was temporary...then it turned out that I’d be finishing high school here,” Buckley said. Her whole family plans on eventually moving back. “My sister is already back there, she graduated [NPHS] in 2018 and went back for college...my parents will be looking to make it back eventually, but...it’ll take them a while to figure things out here and slowly transition back to Ireland,” Buckley said. One of Buckley’s favorite experiences in the US is cheerleading. “In Ireland we don’t have cheerleading but obviously here cheerleading is a huge thing so I was determined to at least try it...I did Steelers cheer for two years and then I’ve done high

school cheer for three, so I think that was a fun experience because I never would have gotten that before,” Buckley said. Although Buckley is ready to go home to Ireland, she wouldn’t take the American experience back. “Ireland is a very small island country, very small town community. I think it’s so cool that I even got to have...eight years here and just experiencing a whole different way of life and culture and everything so I’m definitely super grateful that we got to move here and experience life here,” Buckley said.

From the Atlantic- Emer Buckley, senior, is excited to return to Ireland for many reasons, one of which is the food. “I don’t know if you guys have heard of Cadbury chocolate, but it is so good,” Buckley said. Emer Buckley/With Permission

Across the Pacific Lewis is from Adelaide, Australia and her dad works in the Australian Defence Force. “They are currently working alongside some of the American defense was here. So they gave him the opportunity to have a press [job] here for a few years.

I’ve grown as a human being. I wouldn’t regret that aspect of that.”

- Ella Lewis

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He took it, and it was based in Newbury Park. And so we all decided to move together as a family,” Lewis said. For Lewis, one of the greatest culture shocks of coming to the USA was the education system itself. “I think just the education

system in general, is very different. I came to America from an all-girls Catholic school. So, coming to a public school in America, my Catholic school had just about 400 students...That was a very big thing for me and just trying to adjust to different educational systems, different curriculums and trying to figure out what I’d missed, what I need to catch up on,” she said. Coming to the U.S. certainly had many challenges for Lewis, “I miss my family to death, or I just want to talk to a friend that I haven’t been able to talk to in a long time. I wish that I was at home, and I kind of wish that I never left,” she said. Despite all of the challenges it may have brought, moving to the US served many positives for Lewis. “It’s given me a greater world perspective has been able to meet a lot of different people. So in that regard. I’ve grown as a human being. And so I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t regret that aspect of that,” Lewis said.

From the Pacific- Ella Lewis, senior, believes that there’s more to Australia than one might think. “If anyone has the opportunity, I greatly recommend Australia. There’s a lot of different pockets to it, it’s not just all beaches and spiders. It’s got a lot of fun activities that you can do and, yeah, fun foods as well,” Lewis said. Ella Lewis/With Permission

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Addieg, Vincent: “It’s just one of those days where you just don’t want to wake up.” (Fred Durst) Adegoke, Kylie: “In a school full of Cardis, I am the NICKI.” Alvarez, Jonathan: “My mom always said life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.” (Forrest Gump) Aponte, Jose: “I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, I’d like to take this chance to apologize… to absolutely nobody!” (The Notorious Conor McGregor) Ashamalla, Morgan: “This is the show where we talk about whatever we want.” (Trixie Mattel) Balam, Yajayra: “It’s pronounced Ya-high-ra.” Barrinuevo, Amauri: “The choices we make dictates the lives we lead.” (William Shakespeare) Bennetzen, Lucas: “I thought we cancelled senior quotes???” Benny, Hitesh: “All things transitory, are but parable.” (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) Bentley, Quincy: “We all have self-doubt. You don’t deny it, but you also don’t capitulate to it. You embrace it.” (Kobe Bryant) Botello, Joel: “If I got any cooler I would freeze to death.” (Yeezy) Bridge, Blayke: “The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.” (President John F. Kennedy) Brown, Lena: “The sky above you is a hell of a lot prettier than looking at your feet when you walk.” (Lightbulb) Buckley, Emer: “Dinner doesn’t wait for people, people wait for dinner.” (Stephen Buckley) Buenafe, Apreal: “No matter how hard life gets, never regret anything that made you smile.” (“18 Again”) Cameron, MacKenzie: “We did it.” (Dora the Explorer) Carrathers, Phoebe: “You nice, keep going.” (BTS Jimin) Carrillo, Kevin: “14 years of education and I still don’t know Obama’s last name.” Carter, Cameron: “A day may come when the courage of men fails...But it is not this day.” (Aragorn) Castaneda, Karina: “Mad I couldn’t find music room #3 to break a vase in.” Cervantes, Samantha: “Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss.” Chaney, Jenna: “I’ve moved on to bigger things, bigger diamonds, and bigger rings.” (Elle Woods) Chay, Jordan: “Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives. And we’re going to win. Whatever it takes. Good luck.’’ (Captain America) Cheng, Amy: “Calm yourself, have some blue.” (Ghostbur) Ciolino, Piero: “I live my life a quarter mile at a time.” (Dom Toretto, “The Fast and The Furious”) Clark, TJ: “No matter where life takes me, find me with a smile.” (Mac Miller) Cohen, Sarah: “Everybody is the hero of their own story right? Everybody’s got a story, everybody’s got something to say. So, who wants to go next?” (Joey Graceffa) Collier, Ryan: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift that is why it is called the present.” (Master Oogway) Collins, Brooke: “Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning of life.” (Google) Cosme-Reyes, Sebastian: “Maturing is knowing that rags and riches mean nothing in the hands knowledge and wisdom.” Cotone, Jahnelle: “Cream cheese in bulk?” (Schmidt) Crosby, Jocelyn: “Don’t cringe at your past; as long as you were having fun and not hurting anyone, it was worth it.” Crosby, Talon: “E nai wale n’ ‘oukou, i ku’u pono ‘a’ole pau.” (King Kamehameha I) Dagan, Trent: “Be silent and observe. Two ears and one mouth, you got it for a purpose.” (JID) Deng, Elena: “Seize the moment.” DeVetis, Vincent: “Now that we’re men, I changed my underwear!” (Patrick Star) Doherty, Robert: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) Eaton, Victoria: “I believe in you. But I also believe in Bigfoot so don’t get too excited.” (Rebel Circus) Etcheverry, Lander: “Because it’s our show, and not yours.” (Katya Zamolodchikova) Evans, Leah: “You have light and peace inside of you. If you let it out, you can change the world around you.” (IROH) Fernandez, Brandon: “Couldn’t test me, even if they name was POP Quiz.” (Onika Maraj) Figueroa, Julian: “Not.” Filgas, Michael: “I’m freezing.” (Jeremy Stein) Foldes, Charlotte: “I have dance.” Fox, Trevor: “We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” (Ronald Reagan) Frase, Amanda: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.” (Ferris Bueller) Garcia, Katelyn: “Goodbye everyone, I’ll remember you all in therapy.” (Plankton) Gordon, Spencer: “My glasses are dirty.” Grabow, Mason: “Mamba Out.” (Kobe Bryant) Gralnick, Michael: “If my grades from this year had a soundtrack, it would be ‘Stayin Alive’ by the Bee Gees.” Gress, Gus: “Stand up for the stupid and crazy.” (Walt Whitman) Grieder, Benjamin: “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Gromlich, Victoria: “Life’s a climb, but the view’s great.” (Miley Cyrus) Guerra, Nathan: “Sometimes I wonder if all this is happening because I didn’t forward that email to 10 people.” Gutfleisch, Alex: “Stay positive and lucky in everything you do and stay positive and never be negative.” Hagge, Madison: “I’m not convinced I know how to read; I’ve just memorized a lot of words.” (Nick Miller) Han, Eugene: “Bet.” (Mason Pan) Harold, Mary Grace: “I may not be special, but my needs are.” Hawkeswood, Devin: “Yeah.” Hernandez, Alana: “I’m the perfect storm of caffeine and genetics.” (Lorelai Gilmore) Hernandez, Andy: “Victory is a thousand times sweeter when you’re the underdog.” Hernandez, Cooper: “When I sneeze people don’t say ‘bless you’, they just scream.” Ho, Emily: “I want to be a rock in my next life.” (Suga) Huckans, Isabel: “A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” (Eeyore) Hudgins, Nathanael: “Finally outta here!” Hundal, Riya: “I’m thankful because all the hard work and sacrifices were worth it in the end.” (WizKid) Imber, Faith: “It sucks sometimes, but it’s my life.” (Matt Donavan) Jacob, Milo: “Failure is the best teacher.” Jacobson, Rebekah: “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” (William Shakespeare...Isaiah 58:11) Jafari, Yasamin: “I knew exactly what to do… But in a much more real sense I had no idea what to do.” (Michael Scott, “The Office”) Jeyakumar, Sadhana: “Knowing that things could be worse should not stop us from trying to make them better.” (Sheryl Sandberg) Kamal, Adam: “Experimentation requires failure.” Kammerichs-Berke, Josh: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why it’s called the present.” Kelly, Finn: “They said just a week off....” Kessler, Cole: “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” (Walt Disney) Khokhar, Zeyad: “Have a weekend and look both ways.” (Mr. J) Kim, Joseph: “2020 was like looking at both sides of the street before crossing and then getting hit by a submarine.” Kim, Sarah: “What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what sort of person you are.” (C.S. Lewis) King, Race: “I don’t want to be just another fighter without fire” (Last Dinosaurs) Kitchell, Steven: “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” (Teddy Roosevelt) Ko, Wonjin: “KACHOW” (Lightning McQueen) Kodimer, Emma: “I’m so done with suburbia.” Laina, Dominic: “Hey, you wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world? EEEEEHHHH!” (Lloyd Christmas) Lee, Jennifer: “Here’s a penny for your thoughts, and a quarter to not tell me them.” (Some dude’s kid) Lewis, Ella: “Is graduation a finish line or another gunshot that goes off to mark the start of a new journey?” (3RACHA) Longenecker, Alyssa: “Being loved by the youth is overrated, being feared... that’s priceless.” (Grunkle Stan) Lopez, Mario: “I II II L” Lopez, Nicholas: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” (Wayne Gretzky) Lucas, Madeleine: “Stream ‘Turn Off Your TV’ by Sik Sik Sicks on all music platforms.” Lynch, Denis: “You miss all of the shots you don’t make.” MacLean, Lauren: “You’re standing on a bridge watching yourself go by.” (Ram Dass) Maharaj, Elise: “You will never influence the world by being just like it.” (Kay Marshal) Mahon, Kyle: “I am ready to face any challenge that might be foolish enough to face me.” (Dwight Schrute) Makarov, Evan: “Evankas Lemonkas” Margaryan, Margarita: “Spent more time laughing than anything else at the library.” Markus, Lauren: “Don’t try to make me grow up before my time.” (Louisa May Alcott) McMahon, Shannon: “No matter where life takes me, find me with a smile.” (Mac Miller) Mendoza, Angel: “I’m not here to comfort, I’m here to tell the truth.” (Vinni Devetis) Miller, Daniel: “Two turnips in heat.” (Ricky) Millikan, Gabriel: “It takes 4 wipes to realize you only needed 3.” (Akhenaten) Miranda, Erick: “Maybe the real senior quote is the friends we made along the way.” Mohammed, Sera: “Language!” (Steve Rogers) Moya Cruz, Angela: “Goodbye!” Muzzin, Michael: “Cohort B sucks.” Newton, Zach: “LS swap the world” Nez, Zane: “Wack.” Nguyen, Alyse: “I was feeling epic.” (Stefan Salvatore) Nguyen, Nicholas: “Every day is a great day, you just have to figure out why.” Nielsen, Alessandra: “What’s the point in writing a quote if you have to write something appropriate?” Ochoa Sofia: “Lost and found, city-bound in my dreams” (Green Day) Pace, Danielle: “Have courage and be kind.” (Cinderella) Patel, Om: “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.” (Marshawn Lynch) Patel, Umang: “The class of 9+10.” Pemberton, Kaiden: “Must there be all these colors, without names, without sound, baby?” (Jimi Hendrix) Peniche, Monica: “Everything happens for a reason.” Perl, Aidan: “Album tiene acento aquí, en la ‘a’” (Sr. Geher) Peterson, Carter: “Lately I’ve been prayin’, God, I wonder, can You hear me? Thinkin’ ‘bout the old me, I swear I miss you dearly.” (Polo G) Phillipps, Elizabeth: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Pineda, Angel: “THEY SAY YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT BUT I DONT REMEMBER EATING A GOAT.” Popalzai, Junaid: “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” (Muhammad Ali) Purcell, Aidan: “I am one letter away from being a bottle of hand sanitizer.”

Senior Quotes

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

CALIFORNIA UC Davis

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Lucas Bennetzen River College Rohan Jhingan Hayden Richardson Nicholas Leehey

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Raduziner, Elle: “Never say never.” (Justin Bieber) Ramirez Alexander: “Flexing so hard I might pull a muscle.” Rebbe, Grace: “You can’t trust men.” (Lady Eboshi) Rickert, Chase: “What’s cooler than being cool?...” Rippee, Mathew: “I still don’t know where I got the name Farmer Mat from.” Rippon, Haley: “Thank you, next.” (Ariana Grande) Rivas, Andrew: “Wish you were here.” (Travis Scott) Rodriguez, Itzel: “A smile is the best way to get out of a tight spot, even if it is a fake one.” (Sai) Rudin, Ryan: “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Yet I can’t run either.” Rojas, Dilan: “No matter where you go in life there’s always going to be the one person that wants to bring you down, so stay strong and face your problems instead of running away.” (Superman) Ryan, Jadyn: “...ice cold.” (Outkast)

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Sanchez-Rivera, Gabriel: “Puede que, es una palabra culta Aidan.” (Sr. Geher) Sanchez, University of University of Harol: “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you Puget Sound Washington are and change the ending.” (Johnny Sins) Santana, Alberto: “Daddy chill.” (TikTok Jenna Mahoney Ethan Baker video) Saputo, Gianna: “I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I Grant Rousseau Daniel Miller like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.” (Bilbo Baggins) Sathre, Michael: Tanner Prescott Dina Tyo “You know what they say...” Shubin, Logan: “Trust the process.” Silva, Nathaly: “Keep Seattle University University of Oregon Jade Hatzinger your friends close but enemies closer, you never know who’s listening.” Singh, Tegvir: Emma Bynder “Loyalty outvalues everything.” Solanki, Rohan: “All this nothing has meant more to me Emma Ing than so many somethings.” (Kathleen Kelly from “You’ve Got Mail”) Soury, Maxwell: Lauren MacLean “Did you know that every planet in our solar system is named after a god, except Earth, Tyler Palmer which is named after all that stuff on the ground?” Souza, Brianne: “We have a choice Christian Simone every single day that we wake up of what you can put in the world, and I ask that you Oregon State University choose love every single day.” (Harry Styles) Stubblefield, Andrew: “You miss 100% of Luke Caulfield the shots you don’t take. - Wayne Gretzky” (Michael Scott) Tenenbaum, Elan: “Learn Kamran Memarzia life.” Thomas, Ashlyn: “The struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for Pacific University your purpose” (Chadwick Boseman) Truong, Katelyn: “Yuh.” (Ariana Grande) Tyo, Trent Dagan Dina: “Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage.” (“We Bought A Zoo”) George Fox University Rebecca Kozak Ukkan, Ramya: “The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.” (Rafiki, “The Lion King”) Vallance, Robert: “Once you hit rock bottom, the only thing to do is keep digging.” Wallace, Jadyn: “...was released from her University Uni versity of Nevada, Las Vegas 4 year sentence.” Weymer, Charlotte: “Why? Why not? One day...” (anonymous) Sofia Morales White, Brenna: “Let your smile change the world but, don’t let the world change your smile.” Williams, Ty: ”It’s a little childish and stupid but then, so University of BYU Provo Utah Valley is high school.” (Ferris Bueller) Wilson, Austin: “It was a good run.” Luke Benson University Wu, Kathryn: “Wait a second. No one else is gonna deal with the fact Utah Joshua Jackson Emma Blatter Elisabeth Goldston that [Sera] just said ‘language?’” (Tony Stark) Yousefi, Jonny: “NO! Carter Busch William Hunter Milo Jacob ESO NO ES! ESO NO! ESO NO ES ‘RATED G!’” Zager, Stephanie: Trista Johnson Jennifer Finger Michael Lish “Vegans be like...” Zhu, Leonard: “Stevie Wonder, if you’re watching Nicholas Lopez Avie Garrett this.” (Jacob Collier) Zollinger, Elijah: “Be excellent to each other and Aiden Marchlik Danielle Pace Hunter Milbourn Tyler Seay party on dudes.” (Abraham Lincoln)

Simon Fraser Unversity - Canada Julia Richey

Trinity College Emer Buckley

University of Oxford Gabriel Millikan

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Miranda Kolb

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Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

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M AN AGIN G M E N TAL HEALTH Content warning: The following article contains material that may be upsetting for some readers, particularly those with traumatic experiences. Reader discretion is advised.

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

REESE KELEM ADALIA LUO SARENA KABIR ABIGAIL GORMAN EMERSON FUENTES-ALABANZA Parker Bohl/Prowler

As people experience online school, social injustices and loneliness through the pandemic, mental health has been severely impacted. Although we have come a long way in deconstructing the stigma behind mental illness, student voices have shown that there is still more work to be done. Mental health is not a binary issue, and each student has their own unique experiences. The best accommodations cannot be made without a true understanding of the hardships students are facing today. Below, several members of our campus shared their stories with the Prowler. Names* have been changed upon request.

Parker Bohl/Prowler

they/them

Sam*, sophomore, faces the normal teenage pressures of schoolwork while also facing discrimination since coming out. “Certain people at school have outed me about my sexual identity, as well as my gender and pronouns, and it did not [end well],” Sam said. “It was really interesting going back to school and seeing people after a year and them just being completely different, treating me horribly because of something that I don’t feel the need to fake or control.” Earlier this year, Sam received a number of death threats from peers to discourage their participation in a school activity. “I got a bunch of messages from the same Instagram accounts saying ‘if you look like that,

you’re obviously depressed, which means that you self-harm’ and ‘that’s why you wear long sleeves all the time, you’re so depressed, just go kill yourself already,’” Sam explained.

“

A lot of people have shown their true colors and that really hurts.

“

SAM*

Like many LGBTQ+ students, Sam turned to social media in the face of adversity from peers, which has become somewhat of a safe haven for them. “Most of my friends are online because it’s easier for me to get along with people that I know are kind of like me,

based on how they present themselves and what they say or post about,” Sam said. “In school, it’s kind of hard to find those people.” Sam expressed hesitance using school resources, citing confidentiality as a major point of concern. “I feel like everything I say will eventually get back to someone else. Even when I specifically asked for something not to be released out publicly, where it doesn’t have to do with me being potentially dangerous to myself or others, it still seems to make its way out,” Sam said. Sam advocates for those silently struggling like them and encourages people to not make assumptions about the mental states of others. “Anyone can have bad mental health but a lot of people hide it pretty well. You might not even know if your best friend or family members have really bad mental health just because they don’t show it.”

www.pantherprowler.org

E VA*

she/her

The recent rise in Asian hate crimes has led to the deterioration of the mental and physical welfare of Asian Americans. Eva*, junior, a first-generation Asian American immigrant, has been forced to remain permanently fearful of the dangers her family and their small business face from not just the COVID-19, but prejudice and hate. “My parents, they just try to protect me as much as they can, they only bring it up momentarily. And they’ll try to switch conversationsI think that just goes to show how it’s affecting them, too. But I know, as a family member and as their daughter, it’s something that they’re definitely fearful of,” Eva said. “With my grandparents, language barrier is kind of hard to overcome when trying to talk about these topics- trying to tell them ‘don’t go outside alone,’... ‘always try to be with someone.’ Trying to relay those messages was super difficult.” The worry is just as persisting for herself. “My mom sent me [a video], and it was like this girl, getting abused and hit in an elevator, and

she was alone. My mom was telling me, ‘Don’t get into an elevator alone, never be in an elevator alone, instead of taking the elevator, take the staircase’ and I was just like, ‘What’s safer? They could both equally be harmful,’” Eva said. “In any place, you can equally be unsafe or just hurt.” The anxiety comes in waves, Eva explained, but social media no longer serves as a safe escape. “Going online is definitely a thing that has been increasingly more difficult recently. You kind of see all these happy people. And then, you see these devastating stories of all of these people getting hurt,” Eva said. “Every time I see it, I end up just kind of skipping through the story just because I don’t want to live it through the experience of just going through that same fear and trauma again and again.” Each story reminds her of the dangers her own family faces. “Seeing [these stories constantly] triggers a different stress and a lot of fear of the world, and living in it,” Eva said. “It’s really scary, seeing these people [who have] worked so hard for us, immigrants, like me, and others... It hurts seeing them be targeted and abused.”

l/Prowler

Parker Boh

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

L I AM*

he/him

Liam*, an NPHS teacher, has had to deal with numerous internal battles. “I’ve gone through periods of second-guessing myself and not knowing if I’m doing the right thing for my kids or my family,” Liam said. “[There was] stress of not knowing whether I was doing the right thing by my kids by keeping them home and having them learn online and worrying about what my retiree parents were doing, [or] whether they were taking it seriously and wearing their mask for God’s sake,” Liam said. “It was just a very worrying time.” Remote and hybrid learning only complicated the issue. “[There] was a very heightened level of stress because [of] the district mandated virtual classes. They were basically just thrown at teachers with little guidance and little time to figure out how to do things,” Liam said. “There were some district mandated training sessions that were, in my opinion, very inadequate.

Recreating how teachers teach all of our classes in a couple of weeks was very stressful.” Alongside many other teachers, Liam has not felt heard or supported by the community. “For me, as a teacher and as a parent, [I did not feel] like my concerns or frustrations have been heard, addressed or really understood by the admin, or even the district...I’m not sure that any of my concerns really ever mattered, not even to my own [teacher’s union],” Liam said. “I’m not saying that anybody was having nefarious motives. School had to be done virtually... the district tried to train us as best as it could within that two week period... But, I wish we would have known earlier and I don’t really hold anybody at fault.” However, for Liam, there is light at the end of the tunnel. “As things have improved numberswise and infection rate wise, a lot of progress is being made now, and I am not as stressed out or I don’t feel like I did in the beginning,” Liam said.

she/her

Mental health resources have been an asset to many within the past year, including Jeanette Zollinger, an NPHS teacher. “I actually had been on medication for multiple years and I have done therapy... I reached out to my therapist again during COVID,” Zollinger said. Being able to connect with a therapist allowed Zollinger to hear another perspective and learn skills to improve and manage her mental health. “She just really helped me put into context that I wasn’t alone, that everyone else was struggling too, and that gave me comfort,” Zollinger said. “But also, she just gave me little, small tasks to do, and as I built up on those small tasks I started feeling better and better.” Zollinger expressed her gratitude for being able to return to the therapist she worked with in the past. “One of the big blockages for me was not wanting to start over with another therapist. So I’m really grateful for telehealth because it allowed me to pick up where I was with someone who already knew me,” Zollinger said. She stressed the importance of finding a compatible therapist. “Finding the right therapist is like dating, and you can absolutely fire your therapist. You should be dating around until you find a person who really understands your values,” Zollinger said. “It is hard to do, but just be patient because the right person can be life-changing for sure.” Through her own experiences with mental illness, Zollinger has strived to create a supportive classroom environment for her potentially

struggling students. “I volunteer for AFSP, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and I am one of the co-chairs of the Central Coast chapter, so I am always telling my students that I want to be a safe space for anyone who needs that,” Zollinger said. “We really just have to keep repeating it, so if a person is in a dark space and needs help, they know that there are people they can reach out to.”

“

Just be patient because the right [therapist] can be life-changing for sure.

“

J E AN E T T E

M ONI C A

she/her

Monica Reverente, junior, has struggled with distance learning, family conflict and social life. “I kind of alienated everyone...I remember not being able to get out of bed, and my mom was worried that I would get bed sores because I would barely get up to eat. I wouldn’t really shower, I would stay in my room, and I would just sleep all day,” Reverente said. “My teachers were starting to get really concerned, they’d started emailing me and emailing my mother.” Things got harder in September 2020. “I had gotten into a fight, and I ran away from home...Whenever I wasn’t

Reese K

elem/Pro

wler

doing well in school, it would put a lot of stress onto my mom, but because of her, and the way that she would deal with that stress, it would bounce back like a mirror,” Reverente said. “[She] would end up with outbursts of anger, and I would be on the receiving end of that. [She would say,] ‘Why are you not doing enough? Why are you sitting around being sad? Other people have it worse than you. You’re not allowed to feel this way, you have responsibilities.’” Away from home, Reverente ended up staying with a friend’s family. “[They were] very welcoming...the atmosphere was always so loving. I would always compare her family to mine,” Reverente said. “I would tell that to my mom. I’d be like, ‘Why, why are they not aggressive? When they interact with each other, it’s with warmth, it’s kindness, listening, forgiveness, it’s not always about expectations and not meeting that expectation.’” After a few days, Reverente came back home to her family. “I felt a lot of shame for running away, but at the same time, I knew I needed space from what was happening,” Reverente said. “Things slowly got better, and my mom started to listen more and be more understanding.” Reverente’s mental health has since improved with the support of her friends and therapists. “Something I didn’t know before all of this happened, was that you can reach out to people,” Reverente said. “You should let people around you support you. It doesn’t make you weak to ask for support. Let people around you listen and support.”

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T h e s t at e o f m e n t al h e al t h

EMERSON FUENTES-ALABANZA for all graphics

A recent survey the Panther Prowler sent out to students in classrooms, Zoom chats and across social media received 207 responses. A similar survey was sent out to faculty through email and received 54 responses. Have you ever struggled with diagnosed mental illness?

Prefer not to say 13.5%

Has COVID-19 affected your mental health negatively or positively?

Have you ever struggled with diagnosed mental illness?

Has COVID-19 affected your mental health negatively or positively?

Prefer not to say 9.3%

Positively 15.5%

Positively 9.3% No change 29.6%

No change 15%

Have you ever reached out to a counselor or used school/district mental health resources?

Yes 9.2%

Prefer not to say 3.4%

Do you believe the current school/district resources for mental health/counseling are sufficient?

St u d en t Res p on ses

Other 11.1%

Yes 13%

Facult y Res p on ses

No opinion 29.6%

S t u d e n t o p in i o n A majority of students continue to face mental health struggles, but have not reached out. Ariela Behar, freshman, is one of these students. “Maybe it’s just because I don’t know too much about [school resources]. But also, I don’t know the people who work there, or what the experience is like. Do they just say, ‘Oh, this will help,’ but they don’t really give much detail?” Behar explained. “I guess it makes me kind of unsure.” Tiana Hoang, junior, says she knows about the resources the school provides, but has never felt comfortable using them. “I know it’s an option, but the reason I don’t go is that I haven’t heard a lot of good feedback,” Hoang said. “My counselor is not even approachable for things within scheduling. I’m sure she has a lot of responsibilities…[but] I really talk to her about as minimally as I can.” However, a handful of students have expressed positive experiences after reaching out or using existing resources. Evan

Bolanos, senior, has spoken with his counselor multiple times. “With school in general, and just some of the classes I would struggle with, it was just definitely nice to have her support,” Bolanos said. “I’m very comfortable with her. I think she’s like, amazing. I’ve nothing but positive things to say about her.” Kalea Villanueva, junior, recieved a mental health diagnosis after reaching out to her counselor. “I didn’t feel comfortable at first,” she said. “Reaching out to an adult when you don’t know what’s going on with you can be scary, but afterwards I realized they’re there to help you, so it’s definitely worth reaching out and trying to get more comfortable with it.” Villanueva shared a couple of tips for students just getting comfortable. “You don’t have to do it face-to-face at first, which is one of the scariest things,” she said. “Just emailing them, or not doing it face to face can make it a lot less intimidating.”

My counselor is not “ even approachable for

things within scheduling.

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

“

- Tiana Hoang

D i s t ri c t s u p p o r t sys t e m s CVUSD campuses have made efforts to prioritize mental health. One major step taken within SDAC was the creation of a mental health subcommittee, led by Michael Lindroth, junior. This year, they have devoted themselves to multiple projects, including increasing the visibility of mental health resources. “We’ve been sending the information out in newsletters and trying to get teachers more aware of them as well so they can communicate that to students,” Lindroth said. More recently, students in the subcommittee have been giving presentations about mental health. “We’re working with staff members in our district to give

them a student perspective on mental health and communicate with them what students need to be supported in mental health situations,” Lindroth said. Another major initiative they have undertaken has been to make existing resources more accessible. “We have a very high student-to-counselor ratio in our district and because the counselors have to help so many students, it can often be difficult for students to get as much attention as they maybe deserve,” Lindroth explained. “We’ve been trying to improve the relationship between students and counselors...making them less of an academic resource and more of both an academic and

Students were asked to rate their knowledge of campus/district mental health resources on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being poor and 5 being well-educated.

mental health resource.” CVUSD counselors aim to make themselves available to students. “We’re advocates for kids... if we think a kid needs something, we’ll do what we can to help them get it,” a CVUSD counselor said. “[Our duties cover] pretty much the entire gamut of social-emotional development and academic and career.” In response to concerns students raised, counselors expressed the difficulties with walking the line of confidentiality. “If you’re hurting yourself, or you’re thinking of hurting others, or somebody’s hurting you, those are three things that we have to let people know,” one counselor clarified. “But, we try to work with the students and ask, what can we do to help?” Counselors the Prowler spoke to were focused primarily on student comfort. “If we had less kids on our caseload, and we were able to...introduce ourselves...I think that would probably make a lot of kids more comfortable,” one counselor said.

HOTLINES National Suicide Prevention Hotline

1-800-273-8255 National Eating Disorder Association

1-800-931-2237 National Alliance on Mental Illness

1-800-950-6264 National Sexual Assault Hotline

1-800-656-4673 National Child Abuse Hotline

1-800-422-4453 National Domestic Violence Hotline

1-800-787-3224 National Human Trafficking Hotline

1-888-373-7888 Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741-741 The Trevor Project (LGBTQ+)

1-866-488-7386

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Caitlin Meaney loved Gwen Buchanan

Karyss Amato

Caitlin Meaney was known for her red hair and her beautiful soul, always keeping her head held high no matter what challenges came her way. After her five years of battle against osteosarcoma, she peacefully passed away on April 24 in Cedars Sinai Medical Center. Meaney touched the hearts of many and her legacy will leave a lasting impact on the community.

As a Student During her years at NPHS, Meaney was beloved by all of her teachers. Even though she was in and out of the hospital because of her treatment, Meaney was able to form inseparable bonds with those on campus. Whether she was at school, home or in a hospital bed, Meaney was always an enthusiastic learner. Lucia Lemieux, an English teacher, taught Meaney as a sophomore. “I just thought she was adorable, really. She just had this great smile and pretty red hair, and she was very friendly to everyone,” Lemieux said. Lemieux recognized Meaney as a gifted and hardworking writer, and encouraged her to submit her work in a writing contest for high schoolers who had battled cancer. “She had won, and she was so excited and she told me how healing it was for her to do that,” Lemieux said. During her freshman year, Meaney worked with Richard Bradley, math teacher, at home and at the hospital to keep up with algebra. “I just remember her attitude. She was positive, she was upbeat and she was smiling, which immediately made an impression on me that this kid is special,” Bradley said. Bradley admired Meaney’s bravery when it came to opening up about her cancer. “She had her entire right arm rebuilt, so she had a scar that ran from her shoulder all the way down from the inside of her elbow, yet she always wore tank tops,” Bradley said. “She never ran from it.” Along with Lemieux, and Lynn Baum, a health teacher, Bradley nominated Meaney for the Student of Character Award. During the night of the award, Bradley gave a speech for Meaney’s nomination.

Inspire- Caitlin Meaney takes part in the NPHS Class of 2020 graduation. She loved learning and took pride in her work. “She really took her schoolwork seriously. She was always studying,” Jessica Meaney, Caitlin’s mother, said. Lucia Lemieux/With Permission

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

Laugh- Caitlin Meaney found a way to spread joy wherever she went. “She was definitely comfortable in her own skin,” Jessica Meaney, Caitlin’s mother, said. Paige Householder/With Permission

“I started my talk with, ‘Being a scrawny little freshman is tough enough; now imagine being a freshman being told you have bone cancer,’” Bradley said. “There wasn’t a dry eye in that cafeteria. Actually, there were two, and the two were Caitlin’s because she was smiling.” Michelle Saremi, an English teacher, taught Meaney during her junior year while she was undergoing treatment. Despite the circumstances, Saremi said that Meaney never let her cancer get in the way of her academics. “One of the first things she said to me was that she didn’t want any special treatment. I feel like a lot of people want to be the victim, and here’s a kid that just wants to be a regular student; she had an ability to really put things in perspective in a special way,” Saremi said. The resilience and desire to learn that Meaney showed left a lasting impression on those who knew her. “She’s the toughest person I’ve ever met in my life,” Bradley said.

fish tacos and life As an Explorer

Cancer Journey

Meaney always had a passion for medicine and dreamed of becoming a nurse someday. In 2019, she joined the Ventura County Medical Explorers Post 911 program as the sergeant of arms and was one of the founding class members. The Medical Explorers Post 911 is a program that helps teenagers to explore their passions in different medical careers. Evan Hess, the program advisor, was inspired by the way Meaney presented herself as a leader and educator. “I changed as an advisor because of interactions I had with her. She was a shining example of everything that we strive to accomplish in the program in one individual,” Hess said.

After losing so much of the normal teen experience to her cancer treatment, Meaney took advantage of all of the opportunities she could get. “Once she got to go back, she was like, ‘Bring it all on, I want to do everything.’” Jessica Meaney, Caitlin’s mother, said. Despite being so young while dealing with cancer, Caitlin was involved with all the decisions of her treatment. “She became good friends with her nurses and her doctors. She could sit there and discuss treatment and everything like an adult even when she was only 15, 16 years old,” Gage Meaney, Caitlin’s brother, said. “She really took ownership in her treatment,” Jessica agreed. From the start of her diagnosis, the Meaney family worked as a team to battle Caitlin’s cancer. “It was never like we were doing this for her, or we were doing anything or hiding information from her, she was involved in everything from day one,” Rob Meaney, Caitlin’s father said. Even through her treatment, Caitlin constantly seemed to keep her hopes high. Rob was always impressed with her positive attitude. “She never gave up, she never complained really and she never sat around feeling sorry for herself,” Rob said. Caitlin spent every living moment she had leaving her mark on the world. Although she was young, she possessed a wisdom that impacted so many people. Bradley shared some of her words at her funeral service on May 15. “‘There’s going to be very painful moments in your life that will change your entire world in a matter of minutes. These moments will change you. Let them make you stronger, smarter, kinder. But don’t you go and become someone you’re not. Cry. Scream if you have to. Then you straighten out that crown and keep on moving.’”

“

If Caitlin can love everything about her, I can love everything about myself

“

- Evan Hess

Paige Householder, senior, was a fellow Explorer and friend to Meaney. They shared many memories together and became inseparable. “We would always make sure we had enough time to blast music in the hospital’s parking lot before meetings and scream all of the lyrics,” Householder said. “I’m sure a lot of the hospital visitors and employees were not too thrilled about the volume we had the speakers at, but it was so worth it because those nights were some of the best nights of my life.” While in the program, Meaney won several awards, including the national Exploring Leadership Award. “Caitlin was the very first to volunteer and first to show up for the activity, and the very last one to leave at the end of the day,” Hess said. Aminah Ghanem, an NPHS alumna, met Meaney at the Explorer training academy. Ghanem was inspired by Meaney’s strength and charisma. “As teenagers, most of us are unsure of who we are, but Caitlin was always so confident and sure of herself,” Ghanem said. “She set an example to us all and taught me the importance of confidence and assertion in even the most intimidating situations.” Meaney’s mission was to inspire others to be kind. “She reminded me constantly to love myself for who I am and embrace myself for who I am. If Caitlin can love everything about her, I can love everything about myself,” Hess said. Remember- Friends and family give a standing ovation to Caitlin Meaney during her May 15 memorial service. “Once you meet her, you will never forget her and she will never forget you. It didn’t matter how close you were with her,” Paige Householder, Caitlin’s friend, said. Michelle Saremi/Prowler

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Equity Task Force aims to diversify district McGlauthon Fleming IV

Emma Schoors

The Equity Task Force (ETF), one of CVUSD’s newest initiatives, is working towards ensuring equity, diversity and progress within the school district. Made up of 15 members, each coming from a different background and with a unique perspective, they meet biweekly to discuss how the Conejo Valley public school system can become more inclusive and better serve students of all racial groups. These measures include diversifying school curriculum, assessing student achievement and addressing racism on campuses. Lisa Miller, assistant superintendent of student support services, oversaw the formation of the task force at the start of this school year. “Because our school district primarily has leaders that are white, we knew that we needed to engage with other educational leaders that are diverse to help guide us on the formation of an Equity Task Force,” Miller said. “We have to be aware of the uniqueness of individuals or the uniqueness of communities, and that what one individual or community needs, could very well be different than what another individual or community needs.” Catherine Xu, junior at Westlake High School, is a student representative on the task force. The group has established hiring practices that require prospective applicants to have an idea of educational equity and be willing to learn more. “We have also helped to make the hiring practices more diverse and inclusive with the inclusion of some hiring questions that the Equity Task Force created, now being mandated at the interviews for staff in the district and at schools. We are also working on recruiting from more diverse areas and including terms that foster inclusivity into the job descriptions,” Xu said. They are also working toward an inclusive learning environment through implementing new curriculum. “ETF is working on implementing a mandatory ethnic studies course, and we are working with Instructional Services to develop the curriculum for that as well as working with teachers to add more curriculum K-12 written by and about an author/experience of an underrepresented group,” Xu said. “Students can learn to be more understanding of diverse cultures and these groups and

Team- Catherine Xu, junior at Westlake High School, is a part of the Equity Task Force. “I think I joined because of a passion and really trying to achieve a more equitable society in our community and in our school district as a whole,” Xu said. Catherine Xu/ With Permission

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

“ What one community or individual needs, could

very well be different than what another individual or community needs. -Lisa Miller Téa Sklar/Prowler

”

some can even relate to the experiences of the characters.” Working with other student initiatives is part of what has helped the Equity Task Force progress to the place it is today. Roshnee Moorthy, senior, is an active member of the task force and enjoys collaborating with other student groups in the district. “We have worked with the Latinx Student Union in Thousand Oaks High School,” Moorthy said. “We have also worked with the Black Student Union in Westlake High School, and we also worked along with the SDAC, or Student District Advisory Committee.” The difference between equality and equity is essential to the members. “I feel like equality is really about having everything be equal, so like every single group gets their share of the same piece of the pie… but in reality, I feel like equity is more reasonable and I think equity is what we are trying to achieve here,” Xu said. “It is really important to me because I feel like if you don’t have equity then you can’t achieve equality, and I think that a lot of this applies to education specifically.” An initiative by the task force that has striked success is the incident reporting system. This service is open for students to anonymously report instances of discrimination. “We have established this anonymous system on our own website where students can submit and we take action to ensure that the district, who prides itself on inclusivity, is living up to that,” Moorthy said. While the goal of making CVUSD more racially equitable is a lofty one, members feel that ETF has made great strides in its first year. “We have made a lot of progress and while establishing equity within the entire school district is a process, we have made significant progress in that cycle,” Moorthy said. “I do believe that it is approaching the precipice of accomplishing that goal.”

My journey through mental illness “It feels like I am in my own mental prison, I can’t escape the thoughts inside my head.” That’s what I wrote in my journal from last summer. I am not the same person from a year ago. Although my anxiety and depression can still feel like a battle, it no longer feels like a prison. But people should know, mental illness is crippling. This leads to further isolation from others, as you never want them to see the “abnormal” side of you. However, seeking help made me return to a life I thought I was never going to get back. And now that I am stronger, I hope sharing my experience can help others. Freshman year was when my intrusive thoughts and general anxiety started to ruin my life. Every day I woke up with the same cold, empty feeling in my chest, fearful of myself and just wanting to stay in bed. In response, I set out to fill my life with distractions, but it wasn’t enough. There were three lows that led me to seek out help. That summer, I would not leave my bed—anxiety, intrusive thoughts and my depression chained me to one place. I stopped eating, causing me to faint. Soon after, I had a panic attack, screaming and crying because I couldn’t handle the mental battle anymore. I didn’t mean for my mom to see my pain and I saw how scared she was. It was then that I was able to summon the courage to ask for help, and once I could do that, life started to get

Parker Bohl/Prowler

“

I had a panic attack, screaming and crying because I couldn’t handle the mental battle anymore.

“

Anna Johnson

better for me. I began attending therapy to specifically address my depression and anxiety, and I remember how hard it was to break down the barriers I put up for myself to hide my pain from others. But after I took that first step, working with my therapist released all my pain I had been hiding for over a year. One turning point that made a positive difference in my battle in mental illness was when my doctor decided that I should go on medication. This was a difficult part of my journey because it took months to find the right balance and weeks for the medications to take effect. Fortunately, my family worked hand in hand with a full understanding of my battle ahead of me, and worked to break down all my thoughts that controlled me. I am fortunate to have a strong support system and I want to encourage everyone to find theirs. With my support system, I have learned techniques and coping mechanisms to use while continuing my medications so that I can live my life again. It is also important to know that anxiety and depression is a constant battle, but it is a battle worth taking on. I look at myself now and can’t believe how much I have improved over the years. I am controlling those irrational voices in my head, and I am enjoying the life that I am living. If you can relate to my story, or struggle with your own mental illness, just know it does get better. Please do not subscribe to the same mindset as I and many others did, thinking that you can control it on your own. Reach out for help, it really does make you feel better, and you will be surprised how many people can relate to you. Take the first step, and you can breathe for the first time.

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Students showcase their fashion Deepa Venkat

Sera Mohammed

Fashion is defined by each individual. It is made up of accessories, staples, aesthetics—all put together to create a personalized, picture-perfect outfit. NPHS is home to many students with unique outfits and styles, who take inspiration from several different people and give fashion a whole new meaning.

Householder creates an aesthetic Paige Householder, senior, switches up her looks everyday and refuses to be categorized under one aesthetic. “I like to experiment and just wear whatever I think is cool. I don’t like to put my style under a certain category because it feels very limiting to stick to one overall theme,” Householder said. Householder loves to find one of a kind pieces, the kind that one would not just find at a standard store at the mall. “I love going into thrift stores not knowing what I am going to find, and I put together fun outfits with the treasures I find. Everything I own is second hand because the pieces tend to be more unique, and it is also a lot better for the environment than buying from fast fashion stores,” Householder said. Like many on campus, Householder’s looks are inspired by influencer and business owner Devon Lee Carlson. “She has a really unique style, and

any time I find a cool piece of clothing I think about how she would wear it.” Householder’s outfits consist of a mix of staples and classics. Everytime she puts a look together, she incorporates some of her closet essentials. “Some must-haves for me are different colored tank tops, a pair of platform shoes and a good pair of jeans because these pieces are so versatile.” To complete any outfit, Householder uses an array of accessories, treasures that she finds from all around the world that hold a lot of meaning. “I wear at least one ring on every finger at all times. My rings come from handme-downs from relatives to shacks on Hawaiian beaches. [I’m almost always] wearing my heart shaped Gucci necklace that my boyfriend gifted me. It’s a super cute and simple piece that matches everything,” Householder said.

Contrast- Paige Householder, senior, models one of her favorite thrifted outfits that she picked for the summer. “I love the little details, and I think that pink and red is such an underrated color way.”

Paige Householder/ With Permission

Hurd explores new styles Pose- Natalie Hurd, senior, splurges on crochet jackets to personalize her everyday outfits. “They’re so cool and unique, and they’re really fun to style and you can like dress them up or down.” Natalie Hurd/With Permission

Natalie Hurd, senior, defines her aesthetic as indie basic, but she always loves to try out different styles. “Sometimes I’ll go more girly or other times, a little more edgy with darker colors, but I really like to be able to just switch among styles,” Hurd said. Her fashion consists of her own signature outfits inspired by icons Bella Hadid and Devon Lee Carlson. “They’re just so unique and quirky, and I like that they are very open about trying new things and being able to wear certain items that I would never think to pair together,” Hurd said. Hurd created an eccentric style with her purchases from thrifting. Rather than retail shopping, she enjoys finding all sorts of different pieces by thrifting. “I’m really into thrifting and buying secondhand off of Depop or Poshmark or Ebay,” Hurd said. “I

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

especially like being able to get items that basically no one else will have, because they’re vintage or older.” From all kinds of thrift stores, Hurd searches for various types of clothing, from baggy graphic tees to crochet jackets. “I’m really into just basic graphic shirts, because they’re easy to layer or just wear by themselves. And I love crochet jackets,” Hurd said. She also likes to accessorize her outfits with minimalistic pieces, but her favorite ones are from her grandmother, so she adds sentimentality to her outfit wherever she can.

Taggart expresses through fashion Accessorize- Cal Taggart, sophomore, throws on the perfect accessories to style any classic outfit, from bandanas to bags. He pairs all of his outfits with a tote bag that compliments anything. Cal Taggart/ With Permission

Cal Taggart, sophomore, believes that fashion is beyond just an outfit. “Style is obviously a way of expressing yourself, but it’s also like a universal language. I kind of think of it that way because there’s no words, so anyone who sees your style can understand it,” Taggart said. Taggart does not conform to just one style; he switches between them and keeps all his friends on their toes. He could go out one day in a chain and joggers with more of a streetwear inspiration in mind, but completely switch it up the next, wearing pearl necklaces and collared shirts to give more of a soft boy aesthetic. Taggart creates his own outfit out of aspects he enjoys from pictures on social media and clothes he sees celebrities wearing on the regular. He looks for clothes that can help him put together outfits that have a mix of comfy and

classic. “I think my go-to outfit would be some type of jeans with an oversized graphic shirt and possibly some type of sweater or sweatshirt over that,” Taggart said. No outfit is complete without the perfect accessories to match, and accessorizing is one of Taggart’s favorite aspects of fashion. “I love accessories. Usually I go for... a small necklace or chain or rings or bags,” Taggart said. People find accessories everywhere from malls to flea markets to their friend’s collections, but Taggart personally enjoys using homemade items and gifts rather than shopping for new ones. “People just give me stuff. My friend makes me some stuff, so I like to wear them. I don’t think I have a specific store to get them at,” Taggart said.

Snodgrass breaks the binary which is what Snodgrass tends to integrate into their outfits. “A lot of Goodwills actually carry products that might show up at retail stores, because usually they sell them a lot of their clothes to companies,” Snodgrass said. Gender stereotypes have built the impression that dresses are for women while suits are for men, but Snodgrass makes a statement by wearing outfits that break these norms. They define their style as “non-binary fashion, and trying to make a style where it’s not conforming to either and that brings the best part of both worlds, masculine and feminine.”

It’s bringing a “part of [the] best of both worlds, masculine and feminine - Micah Snodgrass

“

Micah Snodgrass, sophomore, has a style which incorporates all different types and textures of clothing, ensuring inclusivity in everything they wear. Snodgrass is inspired by the expressionist styles from Egon Sheile and Gustav Klimt and is also heavily influenced by fashion from different time periods. “Time period-wise, what I really like is the fashion around the 70s because the 70s influenced fashion all the way to the 90s, so a lot of what we wear today, because 90s fashion is coming back, is really just 70s fashion,” Snodgrass said. Like many people from Gen Z, Snodgrass enjoys shopping at thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army to get unique pieces at an affordable price. Thrift stores are also good places to get vintage clothing,

Mix and Match- Micah Snodgrass, sophomore, mixes the perfect combination of dressy and casual to create an outfit for the spring. They do not mind exploring all types of clothing and incorporate any and everything they think will match their vision. Micah Snodgrass/With Permission

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Jill Walker paints through senior year Allison Nguyen

Nandini Patro

For some people, art is just a hobby or something pretty to look at; for senior Jill Walker, art is the passion that has never left her. Ever since Walker was little, creativity has never abandoned her mind. “I’ve been drawing pretty much ever since I was capable of holding a pencil. My dad used to draw with me all the time because that was like the only way to get me to focus when I was a kid,” Walker said. Jason Walker, Jill’s father, was a major influence towards her love of art throughout her life. “I would draw pictures of dinosaurs that [her brother] liked. He would color them, and then, as Jill came into the picture, she did the same thing… As they kind of progressed with their art, they started drawing their own, and very quickly got very better than me, quite frankly,” Jason said. Throughout her life, Jill’s art style has gradually changed to more accurately represent herself. “The best way to describe it is very whimsical, and even though I would love to draw realistically, I usually go for a more abstract style or more surreal as well,” Jill said. “My

favorite mediums are painting and drawing and penmanship - I really love pointillism, stuff like that.” Jill has grown up within the nonprofit art program called Art Trek for most of her childhood. Many of the workers, teachers and volunteers there, like Janice Wise, have had an ongoing experience watching Jill develop and grow as an artist. “She used to come to our camps and our different events, and she kind of grew up through the program and then became a volunteer.” No matter what obstacles stand in her way, Jill always stands up to help the people around her enjoy art through volunteering at Art Trek. “Often we will have kids who are either autistic or just need some extra help, and Jill is always the first one to jump up and say ‘I’ll work with that child’...she’s not in any way intimidated or anything like that, she just has a really big heart,” Wise said. “She wants to make art accessible to everybody and has really internalized that message and worked hard to make art something that’s there for everybody and a joy for everybody instead of something that could be frustrating for a child.” While she graduates high school this year and will attend UC San Diego, Jill’s passion for art will never leave her side. “When I retire, I want to open up an art studio, kind of similarly to Art Trek, and start teaching lessons to kids because I actually really love teaching and I think that that would be a fun thing for me to provide to whatever community,” Jill said.

Paint- Jill Walker, senior, has been doing art ever since she could remember. “I started falling in love with drawing and I would always catch myself just doodling in class. I would always have pictures in my brain and it just became a habit,” Walker said. Jill Walker/With Permission

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

Music guides Kate Arnold through life Allison Nguyen

Nandini Patro

Just about everyone enjoys listening to music, but few are capable of making it. For senior Kate Arnold, music has made up her life since she was a kindergartener. Almost 13 years later, her love and passion for music has never faded. Arnold started playing the piano until her middle school orchestra teacher led her to finding the cello. “I heard of the

“ It’s a privilege to have

really talented students like Kate come through this program.

“

- Tina Huang

strings orchestra, so I decided to join that, and I just picked cello because they said we needed more cellos,” Arnold said. This seemingly spontaneous decision presented Arnold with a newfound passion for the cello. Arnold immediately fell in love with the instrument and still practices everyday. “[Practicing] is something I enjoy, something that kind of relieves my stress. It gets me in a good headspace,” Arnold said. Playing cello is an outlet of expression that speaks to Arnold; for her, it comes naturally and allows an escape from reality. But Arnold’s musical journey has stemmed from her friends as well; specifically, senior Tara Avetisian, a fellow musician who motivates and supports Arnold, “We both performed at Carnegie Hall last year, and we will be performing together next summer at the Sydney Opera House in Australia,” Avetisian said. In high school, Arnold used to be a part of the Chamber Honors orchestra, Newbury Park’s most prestigious strings group, but had to stop because of her schedule. However, Tina Huang, the orchestra teacher, immediately recognized Kate’s talent. “She was a very musically mature player, and not only did she have a good tone in her playing, she also had a very clear idea on how she wanted to interpret the music,” Huang said. “It’s a privilege to have really talented students like Kate come through this program.” Arnold now performs with organizations outside of school, such as the Conejo Youth Valley Orchestra (CVYO) and Performance Series, a program that gives students once-in-a-

lifetime opportunities to play all around the world. “I heard about it when I was still in the Newbury Park orchestra...I auditioned for it and then fortunately got in.” Arnold said. From this program that Huang recommended, Arnold has been able to perform in some of the most incredible places that many musicians can only dream of stepping foot in. “I’ve been able to play at Carnegie Hall in New York. I was planning again to perform there this year....I was supposed to go to Vienna, Austria to play this year, as well in the summer but that unfortunately got cancelled as well,” Arnold said. Despite the setbacks due to COVID-19, Arnold continues to grow and use her knowledge and love to give back to her community when she teaches elementary school kids. Currently, all the students she teaches play cello, but she has helped with other string instruments and even taught a student learning piano. “I absolutely love teaching. One of my goals is I hope I can spread that joy and that love for music. I wish that was something every person could enjoy because I know just simply listening to music, a lot of people find a sense of comfort, or sereneness to it,” Arnold said. “Seeing kids have that same feeling is something that I try to achieve every time.”

Smile- Kate Arnold, senior, shows her cello off, but for her it’s more than a musical instrument. “I find comfort in knowing that I can spread that knowledge and spread that joy that music brings me,” Arnold said. Kate Arnold/With Permission

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Cultural clubs spotlight communities /

Parker Bohl

Tea Sklar

One important way in which students celebrate cultural diversity is through the several cultural clubs present at the high schools. These student groups create an enriched school environment that is more inclusive and representative of the student body. With hope on the horizon, club leadership is planning for their reunions on campus and eventual expansions of their clubs in the future.

Asian Culture Club

What does the Asian Culture Club do? Carter Kawaguchi, junior and president: “We’ll talk about languages, we’ll talk about holidays, culture...It’s a very diverse continent, so we’ll highlight a specific country or holiday. For example, last year we had a Chinese New year lesson where we brought in some food that was usually used on Chinese New year. People obviously like food, so that’s why a lot of them came. So we use that as a platform to educate people about really important parts of not only Chinese culture but Asian culture as a whole.” Carter Kawaguchi/With Permission

Muslim Students Association What is the goal of the MSA? Sara Hamza, junior and secretary: “We want people to be familiar with each other and be okay with talking with each other, and just create a safe place for people to be. It doesn’t matter if you’re Muslim or not, it’s a place to be united. Outwards, for other people, we’ve made plans such as fundraisers to donate to organizations for people that might be in need.” Sara Hamza/With Permission

Westlake Black Students Union How has COVID-19 affected BSU? Abigail Flamer, BSU vice president at Westlake: “In some ways [COVID-19] has been really beneficial. For example, we had a meeting where we were able to invite middle school students, as well as other students from different high schools to help them start their own BSUs. I think that really wouldn’t have been possible if we didn’t have [COVID-19], because now that people are so used to being on Zoom, it’s easy to get people from all over together in one meeting.” Abigail Flamer/With Permission

Latinos Unidos What are your hopes for this club after you’re gone? Leslie Blanco, senior and president: “It is my last year, and we’ve done a lot over the years that I’ve been a part of the board, but I do hope that the club continues in general. We’ve had a really hard time this year, so I just hope that they keep it going, and [I hope] that they continue the college visits and the presentations and just really getting the word out there.” Leslie Blanco/With Permission

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

Boys swim succeeds against the current Manas Khatore

Jessica Zhou We did it- Wonjin Ko (middle), senior, Cameron Habib (left) and Grayson Ing (right), both sophomores, celebrate after breaking the NPHS 200 yard freestyle relay record. Richard Bateman/ With Permission

fighting down to the milliseconds, Emma Lythgoe, the boys swim coach, and the rest of the time could not hold their excitement when they saw the timer stop. “We’re just watching the clock and the minute they realized it was just pure excitement. I can just feel that whole energy on deck,” Lythgoe said. “It was a big redemption moment.

possibly “Thatthewasgreatest

moment of my high school career.

- Wonjin Ko

“

When Wonjin Ko, senior, entered his sophomore year, he had one time in mind. One minute and 31.02 seconds, the record time for the 200 yard freestyle relay race at NPHS. Losing his opportunity to break the 200 yard relay record in last spring, Ko made a comeback with his teammates in his last season by breaking two records within two weeks. Ko, along with Justin Copeland, junior, Cameron Habib and Grayson Ing, sophomores, completed the 200 yard freestyle relay in one minute and 30.17 seconds, beating the previous record by less than one second on April 30 during a home meet against Agoura. It had been a long-term goal for Ko and his teammates to break this record that was set in 2016. “I feel like we have this connection and we were able to, you know, realize how important it was for us to break that record,” Ko said. Although not unexpected, this feat was all the more impressive due to the fact that the swim team had not been practicing for a year. The event requires four swimmers to each swim 50 yards one after the other, so collaboration and careful coordination are key. Watching a race that was

Satisfaction- Justin Copeland, junior, finishes the last lap in the relay race and realizes that his team broke the record. Richard Bateman/With Permission

Copeland was the last one to swim his 50 yards and described it as a nervewracking experience. “If you mess up, you’re not really gonna get the times that you want,” Copeland said. However, when he hit the wall, seeing the joy from the deck and his teammates made the pressure worth it. “Everyone came over and started congratulating us as we went over to cool down… It was great.”

The swim team did not lose their momentum there. After qualifying for CIF, Ko managed to pull a 21.59 second 50 yard freestyle on May 14 during a home meet against Calabasas, passing the 1977 record by 0.01 seconds. “At first, I couldn’t believe it because I was not expecting to break [that] record,” Ko said. The biggest challenge the boys swim team faced was their struggle with confidence after the pandemic hit. “Especially with mostly kids being out of the water, I feel like [COVID-19] made a lot of them just kind of doubt their abilities and … their belief in each other.” Although faced with the same challenges as many other sports teams during the pandemic, the boys swim team continued their pursuit of their longterm goals and successfully made their comeback season. “They’ve been able to push through, persevere and just kind of prove to themselves that their ability way exceeds any previous low expectation that they have,” Lythgoe said. Ko and the rest of his teammates are savoring their successes and looking toward swimming faster and breaking more records in the future. “Oh my God. I mean, that was possibly the greatest moment of my high school career,” Ko said. Going underunder Grayson Ing, sophomore, dives into the water to compete in the 200 yard freestyle relay race in a meet against Agoura High School on April 30. Ing competed in the relay with his teammates Wonjin Ko, Justin Copeland and Cameron Habib. Richard Bateman/With Permission

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#HumansofNP

Prasheetha Karthikeyan

Margarita Margaryan, senior “I definitely spend more time on the things that I used to do, like playing the guitar or drawing. I never had time for that before; I would only do it like once a week max, but with quarantine, there’s so much time to draw, to play the guitar. It’s so easy and you can just do it from home.”

John Adamcyzk, senior “My parents and I got bored, so we decided to try kayaking...It is a fairly relaxing activity, but you also get a slight workout...I had never done kayaking before [but] I quickly figured out that it was something that I enjoyed and...will definitely continue to do in the future.”

Sydney de Vere, senior “I’ve been able to work on my mental and physical health...I feel like I’ve had time to reflect on what’s important to me and what’s not important to me and I think my self worth and stuff like that has developed more...I have just really matured a lot too.”

Yasamin Jafari, senior “I have gotten a lot more into self-care these past months, and started to read a lot more. I also got more motivated to exercise and go on hikes, since there wasn’t much else to do at the beginning of quarantine. I [also] decided to learn how to paint during quarantine, because I always thought painting was very fun but I also wasn’t very good at it. I got to practice this more recently and also enjoy doing it with my friends.”

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021

As reflected by our cover story on mental health, quarantine has been a difficult time for many students, teachers and community members alike. However, many people have been able to adjust positively to the shift in routine that quarantine provides, from spending more time with family, engaging in new activities and developing a new outlook on life.

Kerri Yim, Maple Elementary School teacher “I hope I’ve become more patient, and more understanding [during quarantine]...As a teacher, I’ve learned a lot more about resiliency, about being flexible, about that learning can happen in any environment.”

Sarah Casey, CVUSD parent “As a family, [we have] been camping more. I started a vegetable garden that I’ve been wanting to do for a while and made it happen. I would say those are the two big things. We’ve always camped, but camping more, and getting my vegetable garden finally started.”

Harry Sera, sophomore “It’s not like I’ve never thought this way, but quarantine has furthered my gratitude for how awesome of a life I have and how great of a family I have and how lucky I am to get along with the people I live with and just the people I’m surrounded by.”

Cole Graham, freshman “Since I couldn’t hang out with [my friends] in-person, I’ve had to find ways online to keep connected with them… I’ve had a lot of fun and I’ve actually met a lot of new people because I wouldn’t have normally met them in-person. I think I’ll continue to do it.”

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Gatorade honors Colin Sahlman Junior wins 2021 XC Player of the Year

Karyss Amato Gatorade’s 2021 California Boys Cross Country Player of the Year was awarded to the second NPHS athlete, Colin Sahlman, junior, on April 15. This is Gatorade’s 36th year awarding this honor that recognizes remarkable athletes who are the best in the state.

Pose- As a junior, Sahlman strives to achieve more and is currently working toward his senior year season. His big goal for next year is to hold the national title at NXN. “I kind of feel like I am on the pedestal a little bit. Not very many people get this award, so to have it and be a part of the Gatorade pool, a big part of those people and elite athletes, is just really special,” Sahlman said. Colin Sahlman/With Permission

To the Finish Line- “I have [Gatorade’s 2021 California Boys Cross Country Player of the Year] this year which is just really cool because it is a very prestigious award given out to very few athletes who are the best in the nation and state, so it’s really cool to be recognized for that,” Sahlman said. Colin Sahlman/ With Permission First Place- Sahlman also won Arizona’s Desert Twilight Festival this past season and currently holds a national lead in the 3200 meter and the mile, running an 8:43.42 3200 meter at the 2021 Arcadia Invitational. “I have been running about the level that Nico [Young] has been his [junior year] and to see his success in his senior year and in college, it is just super cool to see that I could hopefully become that as well.” Colin Sahlman/ With Permission

Panther Prowler | June 4, 2021