2017-2018 Issue 5 (January 23, 2018)

50 Pa years nthe r P of ride

PANTHER

PROWLER Tuesday Jan. 23, 2018 • Issue V • Newbury Park High School 456 N. Reino Rd., Newbury Park, CA 91320 • pantherprowler.org

IN THIS ISSUE: 2 3 4

7 Banned Words Key Club 8-9 Thomas Fire Literary Magazine 10 Early Graduates Solar Panels

@npprowler

12 14 16

Star Wars Movie Pool Closing Girls’ Soccer

2 Solar power can light up the school staff editorial

Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

Solar is often seen as uneconomic and unviable to the consumer. It is expensive to install the panels, especially over a larger surface area. To a school district with thousands of square feet of flat roof space, installation of solar seems like the ideal dream that is as impractical as it is wonderful.

However, converting at least partially to renewable energy, especially solar, is much more feasible than meets the eye. Solar energy in Southern California has the potential to drastically decrease the state’s carbon footprint and exploring solar on the NPHS campus would be a step in a positive direction for the school and the district.

West Sonoma County School District started looking into solar during a fiscally dark period.

Conventional electricity may be easy to access, but it is cumulatively expensive and the district found a way to save money in collaborating with the SunPower Corporation to install panels in various locations. Seventy-five percent of the energy used in the district today is from the sun, and the investment is expected to save the school $9 million in the next two decades. If our school was to adopt this same practice, we would save money as well as become environmentally-friendly.

A solar project is more complicated than it seems on the surface; the school would need to find a time to install the panels when it would not disrupt the learning environment. Additionally, as this is a public district, the initial expenditures for the project would have to come from the district fund.

However, at some point there needs to be a deep cost-benefit analysis on what solar would do not just for our school but also for our planet.

Our school has flat rooftops and is well-funded, meaning that we are in prime shape for building solar panels. Panels have also slowly became less expensive to install as the power of the sun has been realized over time. Solar loans are popular for housing communities, and companies like Solar City have installed panels for free and sold the energy back to the consumers for a lower price; a good way for the company to sell excess energy back to the grid.

In 2010, many solar companies began advertising a new program. Companies would install solar panels for a school or large enterprise for free, and the school would buy back energy from the solar company for a lower price than what is payed to Edison. This process was beneficial both for the school, which was projected to save money in the long run and which would reduce its carbon footprint, and for the company that installed the panels. If we could utilize these programs, we would contribute to sustainable energy industries.

Despite the initial cost of these panels, the amount of energy, and subsequently money saved would benefit the school in the long run.

This is true for Oak Park school district, a smaller coalition than CVUSD, that started their transition to solar in the spring of 2017. In an interview with the Ventura County Star, district superintendent predicted the savings for the district per year to be close to $360,000, with a $6.8 million flat deposit.

It is naive to assume that converting to solar would be easy. It would not be easy; it would take a tremendous amount of district time and effort. However, in the world’s current environmental state, easy choices are no longer fitting the bill.

Solar panels are a completely renewable source of energy, meaning that aside from production, they create zero carbon emissions. Converting to solar power would reduce the school’s carbon footprint and set a good example for other schools to do the same.

We must stop thinking in the short-term. The immense threat of climate change is often set aside, however, it cannot be ignored any longer. We as consumers and inhabitants of this planet must maintain our world. When students walk onto campus and understand that their education is no longer reliant on fossil fuels, they will finally appreciate the sun’s shine.

Alyssa Boedigheimer/Prowler

PANTHER PROWLER

2017-2018 staff

Editors-in-Chief Caitlin Henderson Lindsay Filgas

Sports Editors Gianna Longo Clare Wang

Entertainment Editor Kessa Chavez

DPS Editor Alyssa Boedigheimer

Copy Editors Gianna Longo Emily Nagamoto Jaycen Sussman

News Editors Connor Keep Nidhi Satyagal

Cover Editor Jaycen Sussman

Features Editor Angela Swartz

Online Manager/Angela Swartz Daria Azizad Clare Wang Staff Writers James Pratt Rahul D’Souza Aditya Vunnum

Ad Managers Manger/Nidhi Satyagal Broadcast Maya Chari Manager/Jaycen Sussman Daria Azizad Graphic Artist Alyssa Boedigheimer Alyssa Boedigheimer Connor Keep Angela Swartz

Opinion Editors Daria Azizad Kavita Rai Photographers Chief/Megan Vlietstra Sarah Lu Emily Nagamoto Logan Nichols Maya Chari Adviser Michelle Saremi

The Panther Prowler is the official publication of Newbury Park High School, and is created and produced by the Advanced Journalism students. The newspaper is funded by advertisements from local companies. The Panther Prowler staff makes all final decisions on information published in its newspaper, its website and its publishing in other social medias. While Mrs. Michelle Saremi advises the Advanced Journalism students, the staff is solely responsible for what is printed.

The Panther Prowler is published every three weeks throughout the school year by American Foothill Publishing Co. For advertisement information, visit www.pantherprowler.org.

The Panther Prowler is accepting letters to the editor. To submit your feedback, please provide your full name, email and a letter about 300 words in length. Letters are subject to discretion and editing for taste, length and libel. Letters can be submitted to the email posted below.

Newbury Park High School 456 North Reino Road, Newbury Park, California 91320 (805) 498-3676 x 1110 prowler.newspaper@gmail.com

news

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Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

Teachers implement opt-out policy Maya Chari Photographer Last semester, the CVUSD school board approved an opt-out policy that directly alerts parents of any explicit sexual or violent themes in core literature books and provides an alternative assignment. This semester, the issue as to when the policy will be implemented into the curriculum and what exactly it will entail is on the community’s mind.

The board meeting held on Jan. 9 was less bustling than meetings have continually been for the past few months. Two prominent community groups, Unified Conejo and Unified Association of Conejo Teachers (UACT), also did not have as large of a presence at the meeting.

Only one community member spoke: Bill Gorback, who has consistently addressed the issue of the opt-out policy over the past months. Gorback pointed out the divergence from the initial plan of having a committee of teachers write the opt-out policy, a grievance that has remained unsolved as the policy has been rushed through formalities.

“Limiting educational opportunity instead of expanding educational opportunity hurts our students’ critical thinking, lessens their appeal to colleges, and lowers the quality of education,” Gorback said. “Don’t restrict learning opportunities for our students.”

The new policy involves a teacher written rationale justifying the use of required reading books in the classroom. It also includes four forms for teachers to fill out that include questions addressing whether the title “meets an appropriate instructional purpose,” and if it has “literary or curricular merit.” This aspect of the new implementation is still ambiguous and discussion will continue into 2018.

The policy went into effect on the first day of the new CVUSD semester, and will apply to all classes, including year long classes. Teachers attended an hour-long training session on Jan. 22 to learn how to implement the policy in the classroom and will develop alternative assignments for students who now have the open choice to opt out.

The quality of education with this new policy will show through how many kids choose to optout. Although the level of difficulty will be maintained over assignments, students who opt-out of reading certain material will also be opting-out of class discussion about the chosen class novel.

Some teachers are questioning the legality of pushing this policy through so fast, with careful examination of the Brown Act. At this time, any questions about the specifics of the policy will be handled directly by administration.

Parents’ Rights- Conejo Unified member protests at the Nov. 14th meeting, in support of the opt-out policy. The policy, which is not in action across high schools in CVUSD, supports a parent’s right to withhold their child from learning about questionable themes in English class. Maya Chari/Prowler.

Narwhals volunteer: Key Club decorates Rose Parade floats Angela Swartz Features Editor

Rose Parade Float- Hannah Sanders, junior, Emily Flores, senior, Gus Gress, freshman, Lois Bai, senior Front row: Avery Ellowitt, junior, Matthew Rens, junior, Richard Kick, adviser, Grace Hsu, senior, Julianna Chew, senior, Sally Lee, junior. The Key Club volunteers to help the Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA. The parade took place on Dec 23, 2017. “It was a lot of work and needed insane precision, like glueing rice onto the dolphin, but it was so much fun and I loved spending time with all the members of the club,” Emily Flores, vice president and senior, said.The Key Club has volunteered to help with the Rose Parade since the club was started at NPHS. Richard Kick/With Permission.

Annually, the Key Club assists with the Rose Parade decorations at the Phoenix Decorating Center in Irwindale. Along with other Key Clubs in the surrounding counties, members spent the whole day on Dec. 23 to decorate the floats as instructed.

“We help decorate floats funded by companies such as Western Asset to bigger companies like Trader Joe’s and Honda,” Julianna Chew, president and senior, said.

This year, members were expected to directly embellish the floats by placing paint and other decorations on them. In comparison, last year’s students spent the whole day cutting roses in preparation.

“Newbury Park Key Clubbers worked on an underwater-themed float, helping paint whales, dolphins and a giant octopus,” Lois Bai, senior, said.

Members were expected to complete everything to precision for hours at a time.

“The Rose Float committee is very strict on how the float looks, you had to redo sections if they didn’t like the way you painted,” Bai said. “Overall, I feel like it wasn’t too hard, but it definitely requires endurance and concentration for long periods.”

As the event was held over winter break, only a handful of Key Clubbers helped out, however, Bai claims that this made the volunteering more memorable.

“I feel like this year was also really enjoyable because we went as a smaller group and had a great time getting to know each other as we were working on the floats,” Bai said.

Chew agrees that it was a rewarding experience.

“It’s one of those experiences you can’t pass up. For me at least, being a part of such a large operation like the Rose Floats is really cool, many never see the floats up close and personal but when you are decorating them they are really, quite literally, right in front of your face,” Chew said.

“You saw them, and you helped make them. You kind of get this wonder when you see them up close and see how big these things really are.”

Emily Flores, senior, appreciated the time.

“I really loved it and I’ll miss being able to decorate the Rose Floats,” Flores said.

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news Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

Literary magazine provides a “safe space” for LGBT community Nidhi Satyagal News Editor With an expanding ability to express themselves, a new literary magazine, “Safe Spaces” was introduced to allow LGBT students an outlet to showcase their perspectives in a safe environment.

Lucia Lemieux, English teacher and GSA adviser received a grant in honor of Guy DeRosa, one of the first LGBT educators, with the goal of starting a literary magazine specifically dedicated to LGBT students from all the CVUSD high schools.

Lemieux aims to publish an issue by the end of the school year. “I’ve been putting the word out and asking all the GSAs for submissions, and we have some but we need a few more,” Lemieux said. “It always takes awhile to get things going.”

Lemieux has received submissions from students from NPHS, TOHS and WHS. These submissions include both written and art pieces; however, she is specifically looking to receive more written pieces.

“Safe Spaces” accepts submissions from members of the LGBT community as well as allies. The submissions can be

anything the author would like-- poetry, short fictional stories, personal stories-- and the topic of writing is open for the author to choose. “Some of the submissions have been about LGBT issues and some are just about adolescence in general,” Lemieux said.

Natalie Jiminez, sophomore, is one of the students who has submitted her written work to “Safe Spaces.” After hearing about the magazine in GSA last year, she decided to submit her short story.

Jiminez’s interest was sparked when Lemieux mentioned they could submit short stories. “I already like to write stories as a hobby of mine,” Jiminez said. Her story is about a girl who is a member of the LGBT community and her desire to live her truth, regardless of her previous battles with her identity. “In the story she soon finds a place where she can feel comfortable and be free to express herself anyway she wants despite having prior doubts about ever finding such a place,” Jiminez said.

Juliet Balkain, senior at Westlake High School, also submitted to “Safe Spaces.” After hearing about the magazine from her GSA adviser, Balkain felt compelled to submit to the magazine. “I had recently come out to my friends and accidentally to my mom, and I just felt like I had to get my emotions out,” Balkain said.

The inspiration for Balkain’s explanatory poem, which she formatted to emulate changing gears in a car, is her mother’s reaction to Balkain when unintentionally came out. “She was reviewing my CSU application and called me over when she saw I had put ‘bisexual’ under the sexual orientation box,” Balkain revealed. “She wasn’t insulting. She didn’t have a loud reaction, but she was uncomfortable and in disbelief.”

Jiminez stress the importance of being involved. “It’s important to participate and do some different things once and a while.” Jiminez said. “I wanted to have a story that would let people know that GSA is truly a safe space.”

News Briefs English department grieves another loss

Past Panthers return with college advice

Gianna Longo Sports Editor

Jaycen Sussman Cover Editor

Sandra Rayl, English teacher, passed away from her battle with brain cancer on Jan. 12. Her experience teaching at the school has left a lasting impact on many of her students and colleagues.

Christine Hodson, English teacher, first met Rayl when she transferred to NPHS in the fall of 2005. “We collaborated when we taught English 10 Honors together and we became closer colleagues and friends over time. I think there was a real connection for us with motherhood that our kids were very close in age and our passion for teaching English,” Hodson said.

Along with teaching, Rayl was a part-time writer and used her passion for English to influence other students and bring out their individuality.

“She could always recognize the individual in each student and recognize their capacity for growth. That is what our mission is as teachers, is to be able to nurture that growth and help people discover in themselves (and) what they have the power to do with the rest of their lives. I saw her really encounter each and every one of her students in that fashion,” Hodson said.

Rayl even taught Moorpark Community College where students who did not get to have her in high school were able to have experience her teaching in college. Battling brain cancer throughout her teaching career, she still was determined to teach at two schools through her love for English, while appreciating each student’s own potential.

“For me, I will always think the hallmark of her teaching career was nurturing thinkers and writers.” Hodson said. “I am really honored that she was my friend. I learned from her incredible generosity and (an) amazing sense of sisterhood, what it is to not be judged and not judge other people, and I find myself now, having just lost her on Friday, that virtually everything I do, I’m thinking ‘what would Sandra do’ and finding myself wanting to celebrate her spirit.”

Rayl’s memorial service will be held on Feb. 3 in San Marcos at Grace Episcopal Church.

On Jan. 9, the NPHS Annual College Forum was held in the Performing Arts Center. The conference allows for current high school students to ask questions and hear about past recent Panther graduates’ experiences in college.

Jordan Jomsky, alumni, served as a panelist at this event, answering the questions of current panthers.

“Well I’ll say that I was so inspired by the sophomores that attended the presentation. I’m happy that everyone got something out of my experiences as well as my peers,” Jomsky said.

With the event being run in a ‘Q and A’ form, Jomsky was excited that he was able to inform future college students on his experiences and what to expect in the coming years and offered advice to all students who will someday go to college. Jomsky made sure to talk about what he would have done if he could go back and informed his peers. “(I) definitely talk(ed) about keeping your options open and investing in your future and happiness over college ranking,” Jomsky said.

Making sure to advise all to learn from what he experienced in high school, he left some strong advice to those in attendance.

“Always get back up after any bad test, grade, or experience. There is literally nothing that can happen that can stop you as long as you can keep trying,” Jomsky said.

Another one gone too soonSandra Rayl, English teacher, recently passed due to brain cancer on Jan. 12. Her passion for English influenced many of her students and teachers she worked with. “‘I think that Mrs. Rayl had an infinite capacity for hope and optimism for herself and her students,” Christine Hodson, English teacher said. Rayl will be dearly missed by many, including the close colleagues she worked with. Lucia Lemieux/ With Permission

Broadcasting 1 shines in the spotlight Jaycen Sussman Cover Editor In Broadcasting 1, a class available for students for the first time this year, students learn in-depth the skills it takes to become an on-air journalist. As their class wraps up for the semester, they will apply their skills as they fill in for the current Panther TV members for one episode.

Brian Russell, senior, will be anchoring this episode along with three other students in the class: AJ De Vos, Paige Hajiloo and Peyton Tovey, sophomores.

“To prepare for the episode, everyone in the class worked together to decide on our stories,” Russell said. “We incorporated school announcements with packages made by our class… Our previous project was a fake episode of PTV, and that has really helped us to prepare.”

PTV will be integrated as a second year broadcasting class, giving students an interesting career oriented technical education class to pursue if interested in broadcast journalism.

Tovey will be anchoring the episode along with Russell, and although it is a fun activity for the Broadcasting 1 class, Tovey learned how much work it takes to put together a single episode.

“I would love people to know how much time, work and effort goes into the making of the episode and that it’s the jobs of the people behind the camera that are the hardest and most crucial,” Tovey said.

news Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

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Pranks, acting, sports: some things never change Alyssa Boedigheimer DPS Editor The year was 1987. The then-new Red Hot Chili Peppers had been touring California, and even had a concert on the UCLA campus. Lampost Pizza (also known as the pizza shop with the squishy pencil toppers) was hiring.

As the Panther Prowler celebrates its 50th year of being published, let’s take a walk down memory lane to the 1987 issues.

The senior prank turned sour when the nine seniors who took part were arrested for cutting off 110 feet of the wire fence from around the school and moving it to the quad. The cost of the repairs totaled in at $300 and the students had senior privileges revoked.

The late stages of planning for the Teen Center were proposed and the final location was moved from behind the old Thousand Oaks Library to beside the new Thousand Oaks Library. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Oct. 13.

Some things never change: the CVUSD School Board was reviewing the possibility of removing off-campus passes, due to tardy or truant students.

Teri Dunn, former ASG adviser, proposed the idea of starting a new chapter of Students Against Driving Drunk to senior, Jeannine Cormier, who started the club and George Hurley agreed to become the adviser of the club.

On the state level, the California State Legislature had approved a law preventing doctors from performing abortions

on girls under 18 without the permission of her parents or a court.

The athletic trainers, a present force during all NPHS sports event, were just starting their fourth year of the program. Now, they are nearing their 35th year of helping athletes with injuries, and are an established presence on campus.

The boys’ volleyball team was just starting to be proposed, with plans to be properly formed in 1989. Today, not only do we have volleyball teams for boys and girls; passionate volleyballers can also join the unofficial beach volleyball team which was formed this year.

As a fun fact to tell your friends and family, actress and dancer Tricia Bartholome attended Newbury Park as a junior in 1987 with parts in “Who’s the Boss?”, “Father Murphy” and “The Explorers,” along with several commercials.

For all those throwback music fans, some still recognizable songs were trending. By December, the soundtrack of Dirty Dancing was ranked number 1 and had been on the charts for 11 weeks. It was followed by Bad, by Michael Jackson, Tunnel of Love, by Bruce Springsteen, Whitesnake, by Whitesnake, and A Momentary Lapse of Reason, by Pink Floyd, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Lights, camera, action- Tricia Bartholome attended Newbury Park High School in 1987 as a junior, and performed in several movies and TV shows. These included “Who’s the Boss?”, “Father Murphy” and “The Explorers,” along with some commercials. Her acting career continued throughout the ‘80’s, and she appeared in the movie “Sid and Nancy” and the show “The Twilight Zone.”

PANTHER PROWLER’S CAPTION CONTEST #5 This cartoon needs a caption- by you! Each month, the Prowler presents a new cartoon on our website where you can submit your most clever caption ideas. The top three captions will be voted on by the Prowler staff, and the winning caption will be present in the following issue of the Panther Prowler. You can submit a caption by visiting our social media pages or emailing prowler.newspaper@gmail. com with the subject “Issue V Caption Contest.” Remember to submit your name and keep your caption under 250 characters. Any person of any age is welcome to participate.

Best of luck!

Maya Chari/Prowler

MAKE A SUBMISSION @npprowler on Instagram

Maya Chari/Prowler

Issue IV Winner: “I don’t really know how I got my colors... my mother married an elephant and well, here we are!” Mandy de Vos.

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opinion Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

The school funding system is unfair

Sarah Lu/Prowler

Daria Azizad Opinion Editor Like any other sane human in the world, I consider anything involving school funding to be mind-numbingly dull. However, sometimes it is necessary to be informed about what is actually going on-- especially when it affects students and teachers.

In California, public schools are funded based off of their Average Daily Attendance (ADA), which is the total number of days of student attendance divided by the total days of instruction.

In other words, it means that when students are not in school, the school loses funding. Yes, even on days the school closes for an emergency. Any day without school is a day that is not funded.

This policy was implemented in 1970 after the courts ruled that funding based off of property taxes is unfair because it disenfranchised poorer communities.

Like any other business, schools want to maximize funding. Usually, this is not

a problem for us students. We do not have problems that usually shut down schools like heavy snows, storms or tornadoes like in other parts of the U.S.. However, with the massive fires and mudslides that were spreading through Southern California, the faults with ADA became apparent.

Schools are generally more reluctant to shut down because less school means less funding regardless of the circumstance.

This funding system also invalidates all the hard work that teachers have to put in to bring absent students up to speed when they return. Earlier this month, I had the flu and was absent. Our state considers this a failure on the part of our school, and punishes it in the form of withholding compensation. Although ADA intends to incentivize schools to keep attendance high, the only thing it actually does is misconstrue reality.

The system does not take into account that now teachers have to work extra to

check my homework, explain the lesson I missed and bring me up to speed about the group project coming up.

Although ADA is an improvement compared to the prior system, it is still inadequate and unfair. Schools do not have any control over whether a student gets sick or how good the air quality is.

The influence schools can exert over truant students is minimal as well. The state should not punish schools for things that are mostly out of their control.

Megan Vlietstra/Prowler

We should not expect thanks Lindsay Filgas Editor-in-Chief The whole point of volunteering is to do something good with the expectation of nothing in return, and yet we constantly expect to be thanked for volunteering. Whether it’s a t-shirt or a volunteer lunch, we look for opportunities where our efforts are rewarded.

I love to be thanked for things I do. But when we volunteer, we should not expect to be celebrated. In fact, celebrating volunteers is counterproductive.

There is a culture of validation where we like to posts pictures of us volunteering or tweet a link to a petition or a number to call your senators. While it is good to do these things, they fill our “community service quota,” often without really accomplishing anything. If we just volunteer

so we can post a pic and show all our friends (and let’s face it, colleges), we are not really doing it because we care. So what happens when we are asked to make an anonymous donation to the same cause? We’re less likely to do it because we won’t be able to share it and get the reward or validation.

Instead of incentivising volunteer work, we should promote volunteering simply because you are a kind person and you care about a cause. Volunteering for a reward or the validation that you are a good person causes you to only volunteer when you will receive something.

I could go on about whether or not there is such a thing as true altruism, but here’s my point: we should promote kindness as normal, not as something exceptional.

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Stop calling me a coconut Kavita Rai Opinion Editor We all have certain images that come into our head when we think of a concept. For some people, balloons pop into their head when they think of birthdays, for others picture books when they think of libraries. But what picture comes to mind when you think of the word “Indian”?

I never really had to think about the meaning of the word. I knew being Indian was a part of me, but I didn’t have a preconception of how one was supposed to look or act. For most of my life, I always just did what I liked-- I watched Disney Channel when I was seven, I was obsessed with One Direction when I was 12, but I also liked to dress up in Indian clothes and go to Indian weddings.

I never thought of myself as too white for my culture. It did not occur to me that my likes or dislikes were confined to my ethnicity. Growing up, my Indian culture was always mixed with western culture, but I never felt embarrassed of who I was.

It was not until middle school when a girl told me, “You are a white girl stuck inside of a brown girl’s body.” I looked at her puzzled; her voice was almost implying that her remark should be taken as a compliment. I remember thinking to myself, ‘how can a person who doesn’t know my culture judge how Indian I am?’

From then on out, the color of my skin seemed to stand out more, my curly hair started to appear unruly to me, and I became consciously aware of how I acted. The girl from middle school was able to make me feel different, embarrassed, of who I was. By labeling me as a white girl, she made me feel like my culture was not something that I should be proud of.

The more I tried to suppress her words, the more the issue seemed to resurface. I have been called a coconut-someone who is white on the inside and brown on the outside-- many times. I never know what people refer to when they say this. But each time a person has called me this, they have not mentioned what about me makes me so “white.” Is it because I like to keep up with trends, or that I like to go shopping? Or is it the fact that I like English instead of math? If you have not noticed already, these are normal attributes a person can have, so stop labeling them “white” attributes.

Before you tell someone that they are too “white” for their culture, think a little harder about the meaning of your words. You are implying that certain characteristics are inherent to people of certain skin colors.

The sad truth is that when people picture an Indian, they seem to have stereotypical ideas of what an Indian is supposed to act and look like. I should not have to prove my ethnicity to anyone, and it’s a shame that I have to explain why.

opinion Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

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CDC restricts seven words Kavita Rai Opinion Editor Under the Trump Administration, the words: “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based” and “science-based,” are strongly advised not to be used by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for 2019 budget documents.

CDC director Brenda Fitzgerald assures that these words are not banned from use.

However, budget analysts were reportedly given alternative phrases to use in replace of the listed words. This was said to be done to gain approval from Republicans on the 2019 budget.

Whether or not the list of words is an outright ban or just a strong suggestion, the list encourages a restrictment of language in our society. It is an example of a higher authority using power to control common language use for their own agenda. While we may not be at an Orwellian societal level just yet, the list of words certainly portrays a dystopian sentiment.

The Trump Administration’s decision to add “evidence-based” and “science-based” to the list of words not only undermines the works of scientists, but it also comments on how the government politicizes science and its validity. In addition, words such as “diversity” and “transgender” should not be omitted from official documents just for the comfort and approval of social conservative supporters.

Omitting these words further marginalizes already vulnerable groups in society.

This is not just a list of random words. There is an strong conservative influence on the word selection. Regardless of your opinion on these words, we should be able to agree that the government cannot restrict certain words in society for their benefit. While that is a loose representation of what is happening to the CDC, the fundamental idea is evident. It is not right to cherry pick words that seem “unfit” for official documents.

Daria Azizad/Prowler

Celebrities’ lives should not be paraded Angela Swartz Features Editor *Gasp* Wow did you know that *insert celebrity name here* buys groceries? No way, it’s almost as if they were normal human beings like you and me!

Clearly the media has not caught the drift, because all over the Internet and television, celebrities’ daily lives are flaunted and gawked at. I cannot go on Snapchat without seeing pictures ogling at the Kardashians or Ariel Winter going to the movies or to workout-- something that everyone does. Somehow when celebrities do mundane tasks, they are suddenly considered interesting and even subject to criticism.

With a simple click of a button, you can find out where hundreds of celebrities buy their clothes and what exactly they buy, fit with hundreds of creepy paparazzi pictures for your liking.

Just because they are famous does not mean that they are

perfect, yet every wrong action or poor clothing choice is blown up. So what, Julia Michaels was not exactly the best dressed at the AMAs, it does not and should not diminish her status as an artist.

Why can we not just let celebrities live their lives? They are just normal people. Yes, we should appreciate the professional work they do, however, once they are off the clock, what they do should not be paraded for the whole world to see. Private lives should be kept private. They should be allowed to go on vacation or visit friends without a string of cameras trailing behind. We cannot criticize celebrities for hiring bodyguards and seeming distant from fans when we have created the culture to be this way.

Logan Nichols/Prowler

Rumor blogs only serve to separate the fan and the celebrity, not bring the two closer together. Some of the biggest fans are the same ones spreading lies about their idol secretly being pregnant or even cheating on their significant other. While it seems like one is getting closer to their favorite celebrity by knowing more about them, they are in reality feeding the rumor mill. It only creates a toxic environment and generates insecurities that may not be previously known. A-Listers are instead isolated from sharing details of their lives with the public, out of fear of spreading even more rumors, and forced to be more reserved.

We should be content with our own everyday lives and should not be so consumed in that of others. Save the intrigue for the next movie or song release instead.

Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

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n the duration of four stressful days, thousands of families were forced to evacuate from their homes. Several of these families never returned. As the Thomas Fire spread across Southern California, 765 homes were destroyed. On Dec. 5, Jerry Brown, California governor, declared a state of emergency.

The Thomas fire was the most destructive fire Southern California has ever seen, with just over 280,000 acres burned. However, five other different fires erupted during the month of December: The Rye and Creek fires, the Skirball fire, followed by the Liberty and Lilac fires.

Families from all regions of Southern California were affected in some way.

Due to the strong w i n d s , 85,000 p o w e r outages were in affect.

Schools in the Oxnard U n i o n District were shut down for nearly four weeks due sen to poor air quality.

Conejo Valley schools were shut down on Dec. 6 to avoid poor air quality.

When students came back from the day off, many were still worried about the safety of their friends and family. Students were constantly checking their phones for alerts and updates about how far the fire had spread, and if their houses were still intact. With news that the fire was showing no signs of slowing down, many found it hard to focus. “(I was) a little anxious that the fire could be spreading to my home and other peoples’ homes,” Katie Rose, junior, said.

The Thomas fire grew extremely quickly, and 230,500 acres were

“

burned in less than a week.

Katie Melchor, senior, lives in Oxnard, about 10 miles from Ventura, and could feel the effects of the fire. “It was a lot of smoke, and you could smell it, and you couldn’t go outside for the longest time.

Everybody was wearing masks 24/7… It got inside my house, you could smell it in my house, so I was covering my mouth in my house, because we didn’t have any masks,” Melchor said.

When she first heard about the fire, Melchor was shocked. “So many people are going to lose their homes, I felt so bad, it was almost Christmas.”

Shane Everitt, senior, had the same reaction. Living in Ve n t u r a , she was much closer to the fire, and could see “a wall of flames barreling down” from her house window.

We g a v e t h e m o u r c l o t h e s , w e gave them as much as we could, but we can not give them all their items back.

“

8

fire

H o w e v e r, Everitt was not close enough r to the fire to have to evacuate her house. “We were taking precautions, thinking about what do we need to grab if we do need to evacuate, but we weren’t super worried about evacuating… we were more concerned with the people on the hills, because their houses were burning down.”

Eric Martinez, senior at Ventura High School, lives about two blocks away from where the fire burned. The night the fire started, he had to evacuate his home because his house was right in the fire zone. “I was pretty scared and freaked out, but honestly it was more just surreal, like there’s a fire, and it’s about to roll through here. So when we left my house, I looked back over the hillside, and I could see

A L I S H A PAT E L io

Nivi Shaham/With Permission

houses around my neighborhood burning just honestly really surreal and creepy to se Martinez said.

He actively fought the fire when it wa I were driving around to other friends’ ho fire zones, and driving past the police and up on the houses, turning on the sprinkl Martinez said.

In addition, him and a few other peop in Ondulando, Ventura, and “we were just areas that were still burning embers, and w through and just turning those over and cl said.

Olivia Jacobson, sophomore at Ventura in the fire the first night it started. Her fa after seeing how close the fire was to their h things, not thinking that their house would finding out about her house, Jacobson was “I thought that when they said my ho saveable, maybe it was just the garage that w bad as it was,” Jacobson said.

After losing their house, Jacobson and houses. Even when staying with close frie a time for Jacobson to relax. “You would or you have to be entertaining, or you hav you’re not by yourself. We didn’t have a pla and just be, because we didn’t have a house After the fire, “there was a lot of unimportant, it had lost its importance importance heightened… I totally forgot the large things that I really cared about. priority,” Jacobson said.

The fire was finally contained on Jan. acres burned in both Ventura and Santa the largest wildfire in California history. H was not the end of the natural disaster. C heavy rains. The fires burned many plants to become loose, and this loose soil combin mudslides, which killed 17 people, injured missing. More people died from the mudsl While mudslides in Ventura were more residents in the area. “They closed the fr because they were more concerned about i and they wanted to make sure no one w area,” Everitt said. “I’m scared to see what just because everything is loose now from know what’s going to happen.”

Sabrina Hamor, senior at La Reina Hi Sawyer Corey, 12, and Morgan Corey, 25 their house in the middle of the night on J for four days until her body was found on Summer, and their mother, Carrie Baker were found and are currently in the hospit “It affected my entire family and als obviously I was really close with them, esp go to Christmas parties with them when I “It’s just really hard to imagine somethin someone close to you. I was shocked bec don’t see happening to you. You just see shook me to the core.”

Even after the fires have been fully c still unsafe. They have lost their homes, c their friends and family as well. Howeve California have come together to help tho

to a neighborhood out hot spots in the a whole day going hings up,” Martinez

hool, lost her home d already evacuated t only packed a few burn down. Upon . burning that it was ng, that it wasn’t as

r stayed at friends’ re was never really be good company, ays be on the job if relax and sit down on said. found that were r things had their mall things. Only me a good sense of

a total of 281,893 County, making it containing the fires a soon experienced in turn caused soil rain caused serious caused more to go n the fires. d, they still affected ff through Ventura, down the freeway, through that mud f more rain comes, st rain, but I don’t

ol, lost her cousins, udslides that struck organ went missing awyer’s twin sister, missing as well, but

ommunity because my mom. I used to nger,” Hamor said. is happening with is something you news. It more just

, many people are nd some have lost ns across Southern d.

W

ithin our school community, NPHS students have come together to help families who have been affected by the December fires.

The last fire the Ventura County community experienced was the 2013 Springs fire in Newbury Park and Camarillo. However, those fires only spread about a fourth of the area that the Thomas fire spread.

Olivia Johnson, senior, initially thought of the fires that happened four years ago when the Thomas Fire first erupted. “I thought it would be mild, and it would not be as severe as it turned out to be, so I think I became really shocked, when a day later, so much damage was caused,” Johnson said.

However, after being shocked and horrified by the damage the Thomas fire caused, Johnson teamed up with her friends Lindsay Filgas and Alisha Patel, seniors, to help those affected by the fires.

They organized a donation drive in Steve Johnson, history teacher’s, classroom where students could bring toiletries, feminine hygiene products, hoodies, socks, and other types of warm clothing, as well as packaged food items and money.

Patel initially thought of the idea to do a donation drive when she had a family, who had lost their house in the fire, stay with in her home.

“It felt good to do something to help, because (the family) did not really have anywhere else to go, but I also felt very helpless; we gave them our clothes, we gave them as much as we could, but we can not give them all their items back,” Patel said.

Johnson and Patel did not realize how many donations they would receive. After collecting for two weeks, they dropped off the donations at the Red Cross and a local church in Ventura.

“I think it shows the value of what real community can do, to be able to work around the community and give people necessities that they need and at a huge supply is really awesome.” Olivia Johnson said.

Also feeling compelled to help those in need, Mandy DeVos, senior, organized a car wash at her church, raising $600 for fire relief. The proceeds went to Mission Church, who then distributed the money amongst victims. While the fires ended in December, the damage caused is still prominent, and donations can still be made.

“I think anything helps. It can be physical effort, it can be monetary effort, it can really be anything because families who have lost everything-- clothes, pets, furniture, and so many more prized possessions. So any kind of donations help,” De Vos said.

Martinez agrees. “The best thing you can do as a community is to just donate and show your love and support for the people who are affected by it… a lot of these people are kids who lost their childhood home and they lost everything in it,” Martinez said. “It was really really impactful and touched pretty much everyone in Ventura, everyone knows someone who was affected... donating money and clothes and being supporting of people who lost things like the best thing you can possibly do.

The reaction to the fire and the mudslides in Ventura has been one of strength and support.

“There’s signs on every tree, on every palm tree, on every fence, and it’s like ‘hug your neighbor’, ‘stay with your neighbor,’ ‘be kind to others,’ ‘we’re all in this together’ kind of thing,” Everitt said.

“Ventura likes to think of it as, this is not something we want pity for. We almost want to move past it, and from there we’re gonna be stronger as a community. It’s crazy to think that we all are in the same situation, but somehow we feel stronger than being by ourselves, because we are all in this together… the town has been taking it on by storm, and they’ve literally been so strong, and it’s been insane.”

9

Sarah Lui Photographer Kavita Rai Opinion Editor

in ventura county Thomas Fire

g. “My friends and t we knew were in and going to check g things like that,”

Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

100% contained

1,062 buildings destroyed

281,893 acres burned *sourced from CA.gov

Creek Fire

rything, and it was ole hillside on fire,”

fire

100% contained

60 homes destroyed

15,619 acres burned *sourced from Los Angeles DailyNews

10

features Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

Early graduates get a jump start on their futures Clare Wang Back Cover Editor After students got a much-needed rest during Winter Break, the last thing they want to do is return to school. While most students have to prepare to endure another six months of school, the few early graduates have had or will have a much shorter wait.

Cameron Rising, senior, graduated on Dec. 21 and attended University of Texas Austin just three weeks later.

Roshan Raj, senior, graduated on Jan. 19 and is working full time before he heads off to Arizona State University in the fall.

Nikki Mack, senior, will be graduating in June, however she is still a full year ahead of schedule, seeing as she skipped tenth grade.

Although all three have differing reasons for minimizing their time spent in high school, they can all agree that it was the best decision for them.

“It’s so big of an advantage playing football. I get the chance to learn everything, get adjusted faster, and it just sounded like a better idea,” said Rising.

Not only will this course of action benefit Rising’s football career, but will also expedite his academic path. “I’ll be taking my core classes (at the beginning of the year), so I will be ahead and I’ll be able to graduate (from college) in three years.”

“I’m a future marine, and I didn’t necessarily need to graduate early or a college education for that, but after talking to my recruiter, we decided that I could go to college and then commission as an officer,” said Raj. Although it was not his intention, Raj’s decision to graduate early indirectly impacted his social interactions. “I was in IB and honors classes and now I’m in CP, so I’m exposed to a whole lot

you did not know

things

5

Logan Nichols/Prowler

a bout

Cindy Wade // World and US History Logan Nichols Photographer

1 2 3 4 5

One place she has never been to, but has always wished to, is the Caribbean.

She loves Spam. Her mother makes the best Spam and cheese sandwiches.

Some of the most bizzare foods that she has tried are oxtail, fried alligator and wild boar.

Out of all the shows her kids watched when they were little, her personal favorite was Jimmy Neutron.

The most rebellious thing she did in her teenage years was going out with friends and trying to toilet paper Richard Nixon’s house.

of different people and I’m separated from my friends in terms of classes. It’s definitely different, but it’s nice getting to know people that I normally wouldn’t.”

“I was actually supposed to graduate another half a year early, but then I realized I did want to go to graduation, so I ended up staying the whole year,” said Mack.

Having skipped a grade, Mack is nervous about how her future classmates at college will react to her younger age. “I feel like since I am so young, it’s going to be hard going into college because I’m scared that people are going to be like ‘Oh I don’t want to hang out with her, she’s so young compared to us.’”

Each early graduate had their individual academic path in high school, so each had their own plans tailor-made by their counselor to allow them to graduate early.

“I’m doing the same classes (as other seniors) right now, but I just have to take my finals early,” said Rising.

“I have all my credits because I loaded up the three previous years, so I’m way over. Now I’m just finishing up my required courses. I just need my last social studies and English class and then I’m good to go,” said Raj. “ I do still have to take my tenth grade classes that I still am not done with, so right now I’m finishing World History at Moorpark college and then next semester I have US History at Ventura college. I still have those classes but other than that I’m all caught up and I’m in senior classes this year,” said Mack.

Rising, Raj and Mack can attest to the extra work that goes into accelerated curriculums and the sacrifice of missing a few high school traditions, but all would still recommend graduating

early to those who feel it would be a good fit.

“I’m going to be missing out on some of the senior experiences, but I’m happy I’m doing it. I’m excited for (college),” said Rising.

Smiling for early graduation- While most students graduate once they have spent four years in high school, three seniors are graduating early: Cameron Rising, Roshan Raj and Nikki Mack. Both Rising and Raj graduated before second semester, and Mack skipped tenth grade, deciding to graduate with the rest of the seniors in June. “It’s not as hard as it seems, but it is still a lot of work,” Mack said. “Overall it’s been a really good experience and I’m ready to start my life and if you’re ready to do that, you might as well go for it.” Rising is going to college in Texas, Raj plans to go to ASU in the fall and Mack is deciding between Oregon State University, APU (Azusa Pacific) and USC. Emily Nagamoto/ Prowler.

50th Anniversary yearbook includes video Gianna Longo Sports Editor Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the famous Pawprint Yearbook, yearbook staff decided to add new features from their yearbook provider, Josten’s, for students to enjoy when the year comes to an end.

“Josten’s has this feature where you can put an indicator over a photo, and then you can link that photo to an aurasma,” Michelle Saremi, Pawprint and Panther Prowler adviser, said. An aurasma is a digitally enhanced way of viewing an image.

“You take your phone and scan the picture with the indicator and it is going to link to a video that we linked to the aurasma account through Josten’s, and then it pulls up the video on Youtube,” Saremi said.

Because the indicators within the yearbooks can access videos taken from any time throughout the year, footage from Panther TV can accessed for the school to see.

“They have great coverage of homecoming game and prom, which is something we don’t get to cover in the yearbook because we have to submit our pages before then. So we can put an

indicator and still cover prom,” Saremi said.

“We have been talking about it for a few years because it is the latest yearbook technology, these are what the really good yearbooks are doing. It’s a lot of work though, because you have to make sure you get the film, and we personally didn’t have any video cameras, so that’s why working with PTV is really good for us,” Rachel Grennan, senior and yearbook Editor-in-Chief, said.

Mr. Grimes, video production teacher, who also runs our Panther TV, is using the new feature to bring in new and old footage made from students for the Yearbook.

“I think this shows that our yearbook is really thinking outside the box. The whole staff is thinking outside the box and doing things to make the yearbook a lot more interactive and not just a book where you just flip pages,” Grimes said.

“We think it’s a really good way to provide a better recall of the event. We can only get so many pictures and videos are awesome for covering it, like football games and stuff,” Grennan said.

Adding this new feature to the

yearbook allows more students to become involved and aware of important events covered throughout the year.

“The staff is doing such an amazing job, which is a relief. We have basically an entirely new yearbook staff,” Saremi said, “and when you have a new staff, the cool thing about it, they have a lot of new ideas.”

Aurasma- Because of tghe 50th anniversary of the schools opening, the Pawprint is introducing a new feature in the yearbook: an aurasma.

Students scan the icon in their yearbook with the aurasma app to access the live videos. “It’s adding a really cool element that allows the students to see the event live as opposed to just a still picture,” Michelle Saremi, yearbook adviser, said. The Pawprint decided to include video footage after being taught how to include the footage from Jostons. Megan Vlietstra/ Prowler

features Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

Student Allison Gennette/Senior

1

What was Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street’s original color?

Allison: The OG color was green Halpert: Blue Answer: Orange Well, Gennette, turns out the ‘OG’ color was not green.

0-0

VS Logan Nichols Photographer

4-4 It’s a Tie!

11

Teacher Jennifer Halpert/ASG adviser is the name of Shrek’s 5 What princess?

Allison: Fiona Halpert: Fiona Answer: Fiona As Gennette gets her first question correct, the battle becomes heated.

1-2

is the little guy on the BIC 2 What pen logo’s name?

share their DNA with 6 Humans what fruit?

Allison: No clue Halpert: Little Guy; I don’t know Answer: BIC Boy

Allison: Banana Halpert: I want to be a strawberry Answer: Banana

He’s a real BIC boy.

0-0

Unfortunately, Halpert, we cannot all get what we want.

2-2

is the strongest muscle in 3 What the human body?

7 What is the fastest land animal?

Allison: Heart Halpert: The tongue Answer: Masseter (jaw)

Allison: Cheetah Halpert: Cheetah Answer: Cheetah

Yes, turns out that the jaw can close a force as much as 55 pounds.

0-0

And the score is still a tie- only one more question left. Who will win?

3-3

was the British king who 8 Who beheaded his wives?

is the largest continent in 4 What the world?

Allison: Asia Halpert: Antarctica Answer: Antarctica

Allison: King Henry VIII Halpert: King Henry VIII!!!

Answer: King Henry VIII

Seems like you had nothing to fear, Halpert; you know your continents.

1-0

And European history continues to wow the world with its in depth murder mysteries.

4-4

Megan Vlietstra/Prowler

Seniors take advantage of early action applications Jaycen Sussman Cover Editor Senior year comes with a lot of pressure; people are applying to college, trying to figure out what they want to do, yet in the midst of all the chaos, some have it all taken care of.

Early action and early decision are two important components that fall into place when making an informed college decision. Making the move to apply early action comes with early results that are non-binding, meaning the student does not have to commit to the particular school if admitted.

On the contrary, early decision consists of a binding contract between the student and school, meaning that the student must attend the school if they decide to take this pathway.

Rindi Kessler, senior, was admitted to Texas Christian University with early decision and had no regret with having a single choice when admitted.

“I would say the main factor (to apply early decision) would

be that I was very driven to go there, so I knew that’s what I wanted to do and that little push, that little help going to school and emphasizing ‘I want to be at your school,’ so I think that was the main push,” Kessler said.

Christopher Osgood, another senior who chose to apply college early, was admitted to Stanford with early action.

Osgood plans to compete competitively with Stanford’s gymnastics program.

“Early action has double the acceptance rate. I think it has 10%, whereas overall it is 5%, so that helps, “Osgood said. “The stanford head coach for gymnastics gave me like a letter of support and that letter of support might only work with early action.”

Though Kessler and Osgood know where they will be attending, many seniors still await application feedback.

Olivia Johnson, senior, opted not to apply with early action or early decision, but knows she made the right choice.

“I really weighed my options through early action. I obviously don’t want to rush but also I compared both the possibilities of if I did early action or I didn’t, what would have been better? The difference wasn’t that drastic at all. With early action, I wasn’t really gaining a head start anyway,” Johnson said.

No matter what a senior decides to do, Kessler offered advice to future students that will endure this process in coming years.

“Early decision is hard, because you need to know you want that school, so I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. Especially if you don’t know where you want to go or what you want to do, but I would definitely recommended early action for students, because it helps with your stress level and it can definitely be a more fun process in the long run,” Kessler said.

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entertainment Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

Shop at local businesses Angela Swartz Features Editor Instead of PetSmart or PetCo, stop by Healthy Pet to pick up your pet supplies. They 67 N REINO RD have three locations in Ventura County currently and can provide the same food, supplements, and toys that the other stores offer. They are focused on pet health and wellness, and the staff is willing to help find any supplies needed.

Healthy Pet

For any biking fans, Worldwide Cyclery offers any bike parts, 3481 OLD CONEJO RD STE 105 accessories and apparel that one could need. They also have a website where they sell their products along with providing free US shipping and easy returns. Be ready to zoom around Newbury Park in style.

Worldwide Cyclery

Ragamuffin is one of those small yet cozy coffeehouse environments that you can get your homework done in 111 N. REINO RD or start reading a new book. They also have a website where they sell their products along with a monthly coffee subscription.

Ragamuffin

There is an endless variety of big brand name stores, but supporting local businesses provides a different shopping experience and helps those in the community. Here are some local businesses in Newbury Park to check out.

Country Harvest is an old fashioned eatery for country style meals. They offer 3345 KIMBER DR the real American lifestyle feel with their home cooking, family friendly environment and decorations. Stop by for a family meal.

Country Harvest Restaurant

Polish’d is not only just a nail salon but also specializes in full body waxing, 119 N REINO RD makeup application and clinical skin care; including microdermabrasion and peels. They offer name brands such as Organic Farmhouse Fresh, Fiji Organics, IMAGE Skincare, Novalash, Senna Beauty, Nailtiques, OPI, Gelish, CND and YoungNails.

Polish’d Nail Bar

Beating the crowd: 13106 brings a new view to music

Prowler Graphic

Jaycen Sussman Cover Editor It takes time and effort to rise to the top and live reality as a dream. Amongst the rising stars, a local group by the name 13106 has emerged into the public eye and intends to one day make a name for themselves in the everlasting music industry.

A self-produced rap group, 13106 creates everything they work with from scratch. Guitarist Roman Blaze, senior, along with co-producer and mixer and master Marvin Coti, senior, combine ideas to assist in creating beats used in each song.

Producer, Erik Uriostegui, senior, creates the music used in each song. Spending countless time using and perfecting the utility of the Apple software Logic Pro X, Uriostegui has trained to one day become a producer and quickly learned what skills it takes to succeed in this career path.

“Sixth through eighth (grade) I took percussion and marching band… so I have rhythm, you know you gotta have rhythm, you gotta have balance,” Uriostegui said.

Between the talents of Blaze, Coti and Uriostegui, top

The gangs all herehere-13106 13106 poses in front of a vehicle all together as a group.

The group unites to produce rap music available on SoundCloud.com. Rapper Luey, middle, suggests one reason they stick out is because of their age. “Well, we’re really young for what we’re doing right now,” Luey said. The group’s unique style in music contributes to their success as artists. Erik Uriostegu/With Permission

quality music is produced, but every group needs a voice. The sound of 13106 comes from rapper Lucas “Luey” Nelsen, senior, who adds the cherry on top in separating the group from their competition.

“We’re really young for what we’re doing right now. The views that we’re getting and the support we have, it’s pretty amazing. You don’t see many high schoolers taking on this industry, so we can connect with the younger generation much better than,” Luey said.

The independence that 13106 has is one of their greatest assets being in the music industry.

“Something I think that separates us is we do everything.

We make the beat from final mix to final vocal wave. We don’t need help from outside sources,” Coti said.

A unique sound is crucial in order to keep their growing audience, and with their hard rap atmosphere, the group surpassed 25,000 listens on SoundCloud. To listen to 13106, visit SoundCloud.com/13106 for their latest tracks.

entertainment Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

13

The name is sweeter than the cake Emily Nagamoto Photographer I have wasted many afternoons sitting on I mean why else would a name matter if no the couch, mouth watering, watching “Cake one was going to see it?

Boss.” For those that don’t know, “Cake Boss” is It was time for the actual taste test. a television show on TLC network that features Slicing both doughnuts in half, thick cream Buddy Valastro’s world-famous bakery, Carlo’s spilled out of the centers. I lifted the hefty Bakery, in Hoboken, New Jersey. It follows doughnut and took a large bite, luscious, Buddy’s masterful, inventive and expensive sugary sweetness exploding in my mouth. creations, many of which I have dreamed were The dough was dense, not light and airy like mine. a doughnut should be, but it tasted doughy Of course, even if I paid the hundreds of and perfectly acceptable. The icing was dollars to fly across the country, the cake would sickly sweet, but it was the fillings that made probably cost just as much. Their website claims these dough balls delicious, lavish centers of that cake consultations cost $100; I can’t imagine milky, creamy goodness. what the cake would cost.

Were they yummy? Yes. Were they But there are so many reasons for someone to worth the actual cost? Considering they get a cake from Carlo’s Bakery, or so I thought. were about $3 each, that is debatable. On The goods at Carlo’s Bakery are amazingly one hand, those flavors are unique, tasting decorated, after all that is what the show is about, and looking good. On the other, I know and supposedly taste just as good. of cheaper places to get doughnuts, like It is also famous. Getting a cake from Carlo’s Rolling Pin Donuts, albeit they are more Bakery would be like having a purse from Michael traditional. Obviously Carlo’s Bakery is not Kors or leggings from LuluLemon. Everyone known for their doughnuts, but as a worldwants the brand name. famous bakery they should be top notch in Sweet eating-After eating-After opening on Nov. 18, 2017, Carlo’s Bakery in Santa Monica offers a plethora of sweets However, the question is: is it worth it? Is many seen on the show “Cake Boss,” which features the original location in New Jersey. It’s popularity was everything they produce, especially if they spending extra money for a simple name worth evident on it’s opening day, with lines wrapping around the street; but whether or not it is worth the wait, and the are charging a high price. the cost? At least in the case of Carlo’s Bakery, I cost, can be hard to determine. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler It is just like the example of purses or was going to find out at their new storefront in leggings. The saying goes, “You get what Santa Monica. It was time to test whether buying the name was really worth it. you paid for,” but that is not always the case; a pricier brand name does not make it any From the outside, the bakery looked like any other, different only because of Buddy’s picture. better than something less well-known. That is not to say that some brands aren’t better than Walking through the front door, it is like I took a step into New Jersey, albeit a much smaller version. others, or that all brand name products are inferior, but a name should not make the product The smells were luscious and creamy, gently enveloping me as I walked inside. immediately worth five times more. You should choose a brand not because of its name, but I knew I was not getting a cake, but I considered my other options. While I was completely open because you have a genuine preference for their product. to eating a cupcake for breakfast (for the sake of journalism of course), I opted to go with something As for Carlo’s Bakery, I will admit, their doughnuts were good and honestly cheaper than more socially acceptable for breakfast: doughnuts.

I thought they would be, plus all of their other baked goods looked delectable as well. Am I They only had a couple doughnut options, but the workers recommended one in particular: the going back? No. The brand name was what drew me to Carlo’s bakery in the first place, and oreo doughnut. Oreo pieces on top, oreo filling in the center-- this doughnut was a thing of cookie although in some regards the place lived up to my expectations, it seemed obvious to me that wonder. I bought this one and a cannoli doughnut, arranging them on a table with the Carlo’s logo I could get a similar item closer to home. Perhaps other big names are just as great as their behind and took out my phone to take a Snapchat. logos suggest, but it should depend on the customers desires, not those of society around Social media plays a big role in this brand name culture, showing off what you have and its logo. them.

“Star Wars:The Last Jedi” brings the past and present together Rahul D’Souza Staff Writer The latest installation in the Star Wars saga, “The Last Jedi,” left some audiences speechless while leaving others simply disappointed. However, the film succeeds in honoring the past as well as moving towards the future, bringing back characters from previous films and introducing new ones to transition away from the old films.

Mark Hamill makes his return as Luke Skywalker, who had an iconic 20 seconds of screen time in the previous film. Other old faces such as Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), R2D2 ( Jimmy Vee), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), and none other than Chewbacca himself ( Joonas Suotamo) also made nostalgic returns to the screen. The audience finally gets to see the heartfelt reunion between Luke and his old friend R2D2, as well as see Luke take on the role of a Jedi Master for Rey. Yoda, yet another old face, took on this role for Luke many years ago in the original films and continues to offer his wisdom to him.

Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver reprised their roles as Rey and Kylo Ren, respectively. Introduced in “The Force Awakens,” the two constantly follow a battle between the Light and the Dark Side, with neither really winning. They develop an unexpected, yet quite complicated relationship. Finn ( John Boyega), a stormtrooper turned to the Light, plays a much more important role in the Resistance now and gains the trust of a new character, Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran). By the end of the movie, each character has been well-developed and play integral parts in the film. Overall, the actors did a great job of bringing the audience into the movie. The connection that forms between Rey and Kylo can be tangibly felt, forming two halves of a very powerful whole. Rose Tico radiates her anger at the wrongdoings of society throughout the universe.

The new director, Rian Johnson, does a great job of moving away from the nostalgic ways of JJ Abrams, the last director, and

past movies. He moves toward a modern aspect of drama and plot development rather than the gripping intensity used in the older movies. The audience can truly feel the call of the Dark Side for the first time. Johnson also brought back John Williams, the famous composer responsible for score of the previous movies.

His music captivated audiences while also adding to the feelings meant to be conveyed by the scenes.

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” received a 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes but a 7.5/10 on IMDB. The movie was well-written and had good acting, but not good enough to warrant a 90 percent. On the other hand, it wasn’t bad enough to deserve a 7.5/10. A score between the two of an 8/10 seems more accurate.

The movie lacked the intensity of the past Star Wars films but still had good plot development and acting.

14 Pool closing disrupts sports sports

Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

Clare Wang Sports Editor Kavita Rai Opinion Editor Girls’ water polo will not finish out their season in the pool, while swim team will not be able to use the pool at all for the duration of their season. On Feb. 1, the pool will be closing for reconstruction to replaster the pool and repair the deck.

Steve Lepire, NPHS principal, explains that the pool renovations have an estimated cost of about $1.3 million. The reconstruction is funded through Measure I, or money that each school receives for projects, repairs and modernization.

“The plan is to reopen early June, before the start of all the summer activities that take place for Conejo Parks and Recreation, so early June. So that’s why we have to shut the pool down now, in order to get all the work done,” Lepire said.

“Even though it is obviously a major inconvenience on the swim team, we made arrangements for practice sites, all their meets are going to be off-campus, and the district is picking up the extra transportation cost for the extra swim meets that they have to travel to.” Conejo Parks and Recreation will pay for 25 percent of the cost.

Aside from the pool, basketball courts behind the pool will be closed off for contractors. Physical education teachers were also notified of the plans and prepared a replacement program for the swim unit.

“There’s going to be locker room work that’s done, but it won’t displace students, maybe for a day or so, but other than that not much,” Lepire said.

Since Advanced Placement testing usually takes place in the gym and GAR, their proximity to the construction site raised concerns.

“Anything that requires a lot of noise, the digging and stuff, will take place early enough that we don’t anticipate that being an issue, and we’ll give (the contractors) the time reference schedule of when we’re using the gym, so it won’t be an issue,” Lepire said.

Keith Brock, swim coach, was not informed of pool

Pool Closed- The JV girls water polo team practices sprints at the pool. The pool is only in use until Feb. 1, when it will start to undergo construction, and neither girls’ water polo or swim will be able to use the pool for the rest of the year. “With the whole new practice schedule, we have to go a different school or we have to practice with our own clubs,” Jacqui Pluckrose, senior on the water polo and swim team, said. There are several club teams that students can join to practice if they cannot practice during the times at TOHS, including Pleasant Valley Swim Team and CLASS Aquatics. Sarah Lu/Prowler

reconstruction prior to this fall. “I was surprised that, to the best of my knowledge, nobody that works in the whole aquatics area -- P.E. teachers, water polo coaches, swim coaches, the pool man- was consulted on this project.”

However, to Brock’s knowledge, the Health Department has

been citing the pools for 10 years. “For 10 years there have been a lot of issues with the pools that have not been addressed,” Brock said. Despite this, Brock still believes the job could have waited until this summer, after the swim team’s season.

Having to rearrange the swim season’s practice schedule makes Jacqui Pluckrose, senior and swim team co-captain, worried for the season ahead. Pluckrose received the news during the beginning of the year but still feels frustrated that she will not be able to finish her last swim season in her school pool.

“When I first heard about the (pool closing), I was pretty upset just because it’s our sports season, and we are not able to practice in our own pool. We will have to find somewhere else to practice,” Pluckrose said.

In addition to practicing with their individual club swim teams, swim members are obligated to practice three times out of the week at Thousand Oaks High School.

Pluckrose believes that the different swim schedule will affect the team dynamic as well as the performance of the team. “A lot of the team bonding is just being able to practice with each other,” Pluckrose said.

Girls’ water polo will be displaced for less than one week, having to adjust their home games and remaining practices to be off-campus. However, Bailey Stubblefield, junior and varsity water polo player, will miss the home-field advantage their pool provides.

“It’s nicer to be able to practice at your home, especially for games, having home games is nice too,” Stubblefield said.

The school plans to coordinate with parents to ensure all athletes make it to the practices. “(The pool renovations are) displacing a lot of people, but in the grand scheme of things, in order to get it done in the best time with the least amount of time taken out, this was the best scenario,” Lepire said.

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Athletic trainers and wrestlerettes:

Proving they are truly team players, even from the sidelines Kessa Chavez Entertainment Editor While athletes are playing their games on the field, other students stand waiting on the sidelines, prepared to help their peers. Although they may not be wearing helmets, these select students are a vital asset to all sports teams.

A group of these students come from the athletic training program offered to those eager to be involved in sports medicine.

These students work one-on-one with athletes to ensure their safety and prepare them for games.

Lauren Armedilla, sophomore, has recently joined the program and enjoys that the program offers her an opportunity to get ahead. “(Athletic training) is giving me real-world experience for a career I hope to pursue. “Also, I get to touch on a little piece of everything in this program,” Armedilla said.

Another group on campus known as wrestlerettes, or stat girls, assist the wrestling team by recording scores and keeping track how members from the team earn points throughout matches.

Nikki Usares, sophomore, first heard about the program in middle school. “I used to be in ASB and we volunteered during the tournaments. I started out as a timer, hitting the referee lightly with a sock baton when the time was up. I volunteered every year for three years for the big tournaments and now I’m taking stats for the team,” Usares said.

Usares was further encouraged to become involved when her friends shared their exciting experience with the program. “They said it was really fun, and would be a good idea if we could do it together, so I signed up. And it is really fun and exciting,” she said.

Both of these programs allow students to become more involved with school and the activities that go on daily.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that employment opportunities for athletic trainers is expected to grow 21 percent between 2014 and 2024, according to learn.org.

Eathyn Peterson has been working as the head athletic trainer this past year after almost five years of past experience.

He encourages all students to become involved in the program if they would like to learn more about sports medicine.

“Athletic training is getting huge now, college programs are popping up all over the place… Athletic trainers can work anywhere, they can work in industrial settings, high schools, colleges, professional work and athletic training is going to blow up pretty soon,” Peterson said.

Students can contact Peterson at eathynpeterson@gmail. com if they are interested in the class.

Stat Girls - All eyes are on the two wrestlers, locked in a hold in the center of the gym, and especially focused on the athletes are Amanda Venezuela, left, and Willa Stonecipher, right, both juniors and wrestlerettes. Also called “stat girls,” these students take statistics for the wrestling team at their matches, and according to Nikki Usares, sophomore and first year wrestlerette, watching the wrestlers is the best part. “The matches … (get) really intense,” Usares said. “Keeping stats can be fun and fast pace at times with bodies flipping around all twisted and you really have to pay attention.” In their match, the athletes earn points for certain moves, like “takedowns” and “escapes,” all of which are calculated by the girls.

Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

sports Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

15

Soccer players affected by new Academy rule Sarah Lu Photographer Around 30 or more girls in the Ventura County are no longer allowed to play high school soccer.

Diana Flores, senior, is a player who chose not to go on the Academy at all. This is Flores’s second Players in the U.S. Development Academy, a club soccer program, opened a new highest level for year on varsity, and she misses the Academy players. girls’ soccer. Boys have always had the option to go to the Academy, whereas this is the first year the “I had a lot of friends that played with me last year that aren’t going to get to play with me (this Academy is open to girls. year). A lot of them were our starting lineup, so it was kind of nerve-racking, but then we played last In the new academy, there is an increased focus on training, as well as feedback from the U.S. week, and we did pretty well, all as a new team together, so I’m not so much worried about the team National Team staff. However, these players will not be able to play on high school teams due to a and how we’re going to do anymore, it’s just (that) I miss my friends,” Flores said. rule within the Academy to ensure no distractions from playing.

However, there is still something to be gained. “More players got to play on varsity this year, and The girls originally played with Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) last year, which was the a lot of the juniors and sophomores probably wouldn’t have been on varsity, because there wouldn’t highest division at the time. “Since there’s have been as many spots, so it gave a lot a new highest division, everyone had to more opportunities for people to play at get on the highest team,” Marissa Ray, a higher level,” Flores said. senior, said.

Nutley has benefitted from the Ray is one of the many players affected Academy rule. She is on varsity this year, by the switching over to a new division, as she chose not to pursue the Academy. and can no longer play on the high school “Some of my friends made the team soccer team, where she was in previous this year, which is really exciting, and years, on varsity. they may not have if there wasn’t more “The goal of academy is to become a spots,” Nutley said. professional soccer player, so they don’t As for Ray, “The new rule has helped really want the time off to play high me really focus on club, and since school, because they think that high Academy is owned by the National school makes you worse and you usually Team, three players on my team have are less fit,” Tessa Nutley, sophomore, said. been called up into the National pool, This affects many of the high school so they have the chance to play on the soccer players, as they played on ECNL national team.” and moved up to the Academy. Some of Ray wishes the Academy could have the players chose to play on division two also allowed them to play on the high teams, which are more lenient and allows school team. “High school is what really students to play on their high school makes soccer fun, and if you’re not teams. However, most players on the playing for fun, then it’s just kind of a division one team were part of the varsity burden on you, so I wish they could’ve team’s starting lineup. let us do that.”

Dribble- Caroline Manzione, junior, dribbles down the field practicing keeping control of the ball at the varsity practice before Even though Newbury Park’s varsity Despite the disadvantages of the their game the next day. The team was impacted by a new rule prohibiting Academy players, club soccer players, although starting lineup has mostly gone to the rule, Nutley is still optimistic about the many wish it was not there, including Diana Flores, senior. “For the seniors that only had one more year left, or juniors, they didn’t get to finish out their high school soccer career… that’s kind of disappointing that they don’t get to represent the school Academy, this also affects other schools in coming season. “I still expect us to do anymore,” Flores said. “I wish it wasn’t there.” There are many new varsity players on the team, and so far they are tied in first the league. Ray remains optimistic about really well in this season, and hopefully place in the league. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler the season. “Hopefully this will even out make it to CIF and be just as good as the the playing fields,” Ray said. last team.

Competitive wrestling brings athletes together Aditya Vunnum Staff Writer

Battle - Locked in a hold against a wrestler from Agoura, Urias Merlo, junior, tries to overpower him and win the match. The wrestling team practices everyday, two to three hours a day for their matches, but Aidan Hansmeier, freshman on the team, does not seem to mind. “They can get hard sometimes,” Hansmeier said. “But you keep going, because it is worth it.” Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Everyday after school the close-knit high school wrestling team meets in the athletics room to bond as a team and take their game to the next level.

Kevin Kilbane, sophomore, has been wrestling since the beginning of freshmen year and is now wrestling successfully at the varsity level.

“My dad is the head coach and I thought

it would be interesting,” Kilbane said. “He introduced me to the sport and when I started getting into it turned out to be really fun.”

Kilbane has been successful so far this season, out of eight tournaments so far, he has managed to place at every single one. He has placed second several times and fifth once.

“The competitiveness of the sport makes it really fun. Succeeding at tournaments after

putting in so much work feels really good.

Practices are hard but doing good during season is a great feeling,” Kilbane said.

Aidan Hansmeier, freshman, joined the team this year when he was introduced to some of the members of the team at Future Panther Night during the spring of his eighth grade year.

“My cousin wrestled, so I already knew I wanted to do it. When I went to Future Panther Night last year, I met some guys and it seemed like a lot of fun,” Hansmeier said, “They just asked me, ‘Do you want to wrestle?”

Hansmeier plans to wrestle throughout high school with the wrestling team. Going into high school, he had been playing baseball his entire life, but, after being recruited his freshmen year, his goals completely changed and decided not the play high school baseball.

Raaghuv Sompura, sophomore, is a triple threat athlete who played frosh water polo, varsity swim and wrestled this past season.

“What introduced me to the sport was my freshman year, the varsity wrestlers grabbed me out of the crowd and asked if I wanted a cookie.

I stuck my hand out to grab it but they said they would only give it to me if I tried wrestling so I gave it a try,” Sompura said.

He has been wrestling for the past two years but recently injured his shoulder which hindered his ability to wrestle in the past few tournaments, but he has still helped coach his teammates.

“We practice every day for around two to three hours during season. Practices can get pretty hard sometimes, but you always keep going. It’s a super rewarding sport, you learn to be discipline, you get in shape and build endurance and stamina,” Hansmeier said. “I’m really glad I chose to wrestle.”

According to Hansmeier, several of his teammates share the same feeling and feel as though wrestling has brought them closer together.

“We are a big family and I’m not as close with my teammates in any other sport I have participated in,” Sompura said. “The wrestling team is really close with each other, we are like brothers and our coaches like our fathers.”

16

sports Panther Prowler • Jan. 23, 2018

As the varsity girls’ soccer team gears up for their last six games of the season, they are still seen working just as hard as they were in the beginningstriving for the highest goal: winning the CIF championship.

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Sprinting downfield- Karla Menjivar, senior (left) dribbles the soccer ball down the field with Glory Smith, senior (right) running beside her. Onn Jan. 10, the girls’ varsity soccer team am played against Westlake in a heated game that ended at a 0-0 tie. Logan Nichols/Prowler

Eye on the ballFocusing on her opponent, Tessa Nutley, sophomore, tries to block the advance, anticipating where the ball will go next. At the girls’ varsity soccer practices they try to simulate game play like this drill at their practice on Jan. 11, but Nutley feels that high igh school soccer is about abo abou more than just the games mes and practices. “It is a fun experience, definitely,” Nutley said. “If I didn’t do high school soccer, high school wouldn’t be fun for me.” Currently, they are tied in first place after defeating Oaks Christian on Jan. 12. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Pre-game drive- The girls’ varsity soccer team huddles up before their game against Westlake in order to motivate and prep one another for the ggame ame ahead. a On Jan. 10, the th he varsity vars girls’ soccer team engaged in a heated game enga with Westlake’s team- which, w after a grueling 90 minutes, ultimately finished in a 0-0 tie.

Logan Nichols/Prowler

Headbump- In a drill designed to help elp the the players players aim their header shots, Sierra Ray, hat Tessa T Tes Nutley, sophomore, threw her. As the sophomore, readies herself to hit the ball that i about her expectations for the team. “Last season starts up, Nutley is cautiously optimistic year’s varsity team had a lot of talented players, and not saying this one (doesn’t), but it is just that we have lost a lot,” Nutley said. “And, they did really well last year… so hopefully this year’s varsity team will live up to that.” She invites everyone to watch their games, the next home game being Feb. 2, against Oaks Christian. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler