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“Let us make our future now, and let us make our dreams tomorrow’s reality.” -Malala Yousafzai
August 22, 2018
New administration: from phoenix to football Lola Bobrow Before replacing Susan Eberhart in the position of assistant principal in charge of discipline and administration at VHS, Desmond Webster worked as assistant principal of Rio del Valle Middle School in Oxnard for two years. Before that, Webster spent 20 years working with specialized populations at the Ventura County Office of Education. What this specifically means is that he worked with students at Phoenix Community Counseling in San Bernardino, an alternative placement high school for students expelled from their previous districts. Webster described his job as: “counseling and teaching emotionally disturbed students.” When asked about his upcoming goals for the school year, Webster mentioned communication: “In terms of discipline and guidance, [I’d like to
be] avoiding bad experiences and having the journey be smooth. I never want to be that person and I never want to see a person who is a negative impact on the student. I never want to be [that], whether it be an activity club or class. If you can avoid [butting heads] by making that smoother, that’s the goal.”
Webster isn’t new to VHS or VUSD. Under head coach Dan Smith, Webster coached JV football at VHS for three years. In addition, he coached at Buena High School for 17 years. He stated his favorite sports he coached at BHS were “football for six years, girls basketball for three years and softball for three years.”
Webster is now in the office once occupied by Eberheart. Students can find the assistant principal here during most school hours. Photo by: Lola Bobrow
As a student at Santa Clara High School, Webster lettered in football, basketball and track. He stated that his favorite part about high school was the relationships he made, saying, “In college you don’t build relationships… you go to class, you’re thinking about the future. You still have an atmosphere, but high school is more bonding. I think those are more lifelong relationships.” When asked about his role as a person of color in a position of power, Webster said, “I don’t think it is specifically my role, but I am an African American person who has this role [as an administrator] as a role model for students. That’s responsibility to be fair to everyone. It’s a responsibility to understand everyone. Coming from that perspective and seeing and knowing history in terms of any race, you have a background. When [I] see an injustice… something that doesn’t look right, I feel like I have more of a perspective.”
Meet the 2018/2019 ASB class Archer Herring Brock Donaldson Q: What is your title in ASB? A: [Associated Student Body] President Q: What are you in charge of in ASB? A: This year I’m in charge of a lot of things like student senate, student section, representing the school at all meetings, but my main job is to make sure the class runs smoothly and does a good job in all events that they are in charge of. Q: What are you looking forward to most in ASB? A: I think I’m most looking forward to our first day of school as a new class with almost all different people. Q: What events do you plan? A: I don’t plan many events alone, but I work with all of the other committees to plan every event on campus. Q: What is your favorite event that ASB does? A: My favorite event that ASB does/hosts are ASB holiday reunions where ASB kids from past years come to the school and have lunch with us a few times a year. Q: Why is ASB important to you? A: ASB is important to me because I have been in it since freshman year and have made a special bond with the class and all of the people in it. I enjoy surrounding myself with selfless kids who are truly dedicated to improving the school. Q: What are some of your other hobbies? A: My hobbies are running, surfing, golfing and playing the piano.
Sydney Votruba. Photo by: Hayden Ijames
Sydney Votruba Q: What is your title in ASB? A: ASB [Vice President] Q: What are you in charge of in ASB? A: ASB Class as a whole and all it’s responsibilities Q: What are you looking forward to most in ASB? A: I have created new ideas and events for the students to enjoy and I’m excited to put them into play this year. Q: What events do you plan? A: Neon Dance and the ASB class responsibilities. Q: Why is ASB important to you? A: ASB is important to me because I enjoy being involved in school and making the school as fun as possible. I also will benefit from the class in the future. Q: What are some of your other hobbies? A: I play ukulele, backpack, and travel the world doing service projects. River Winn Q: What is your title in ASB? A: Entertainment Committee President
Q: What are you in charge of in ASB? A: Planning the talent show, rallies, and spirit weeks. Q: What events do you plan? A: Planning the talent show, rallies and spirit weeks. Q: Why is ASB important to you? A: Because they plan all the events throughout the school year that get kids into school spirit. Q: What are some of your other hobbies? A: Breakdancing, running, and hanging with friends.
Janelle Chavira. Photo by: Marea Gordon
Janelle Chavira Q: What is your title in ASB? A: Senior Class President Q: What are you in charge of in ASB? A: I’m mainly in charge of any senior events: graduation, senior ball, we organize all blood drives. Q: What are you looking forward to most in ASB? A: I’m looking forward to working with my team --Marea, Hayden, Bryce-- and just planing the senior stuff. I think we have a really cool opportunity to make all the senior
events memorable and fun. Q: What events do you plan? A: We plan all the blood drives, senior ball and graduation and senior events. Q: What is your favorite event that ASB does? A: I think my favorite ASB event is the ARC gifts, I love the aspect that we, as a school, collectively get to give back to our community. Q: Why is ASB important to you? A: ASB is important to me because it gives me the opportunity to actively make a difference in our school. I love being able to ask people what they want for our school and then apply what they say as best [as] I can into the events we plan. Connor Stevenson Q: What is your title in ASB? A: President of Extracurricular Committee Q: What are you in charge of in ASB? A: I’m in charge of cardboard boat races, powderpuff and intramural sports at lunch. Q: What events do you plan? A: Cardboard boat races, powderpuff and intramural sports at lunch. Q: What is your favorite event that ASB does? A: Cardboard boat race is my favorite thing that ASB does. Q: Why is ASB important to you? A: [To] meet new people Q: What are some of your other hobbies? A: My hobbies include long walks on the beach, [woodworking, running and surfing].
Volume 71 Edition 01
Taking a seat in Senate Sailor Hawes Sarah Clench
Each year, at many high schools across the country, one girl per high school is chosen to go to Girls State. This year, senior Jezel Mercado was chosen to represent Ventura High School for Girls State at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. When asked to describe Girls State, Mercado said, “Basically it’s a leadership and citizen camp sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary and it shows girls the importance of citizenship.”
“I have never experienced that amount of support and encouragement from a ginormous group of girls,” -Mercado Mercado spent six days at Claremont McKenna where she was elected Senator. The role of Senator allowed her to present, debate and vote on which bills to pass in the Senate. While at Claremont McKenna, Mercado met Connie Leyva, the representative for the 20th Senate District, and saw Corey Calaycay, the mayor of Claremont. Throughout her time at Girls State, Mercado noticed how much all the girls supported one another. “The entire program was filled with girls encouraging one another, and supporting each other for whatever position we wanted to run for. I have never experienced that amount of support and encouragement from a ginormous group of girls,” stated Mercado. Mercado explained what she learned and took from being surrounded by such a large groups of girls: “I learned that failing is okay, and the most important thing women can do is encourage one another, because one woman’s success is all women’s success.”
Mercado (right) sat next to Caitlin Herring (left) in the Senate, who went on to represent California in Girls Nation. Photo from: Jezel Mercado
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Calendar
Letter from the Editors Ryan King Avenlea Russian
On behalf of The Cougar Press, we would like to welcome all Ventura High School students back for the 2018/2019 school year. We hope for a supportive and joyful year. The Cougar Press is a student-run public forum of the VHS community. We support free student speech and our mission is to present all sides of issues fairly and without bias, along with being a resourceful outlet to anyone who reads our paper. Along with our now monthly paper, we rely heavily on multimedia. You can find our website at thecougarpress.com, and we are on many social media platforms -- you can find our usernames on the front page. Feel free to check us out and follow our accounts for daily
updates on VHS-related content. From time to time, we do make an error. When this happens, we try to correct it as soon as possible and to cause no harm. The Cougar Press is only as good as the community support it receives. Any community member open to sharing and contributing a letter, article or work is welcomed to do so. You may email us at thecougarpressvhs@gmail.com. Your submission may be edited for clarity and brevity. If you want to join The Cougar Press, we welcome any student who is interested. You can find us in room 104/5 during sixth period. Thank you, Editors-in-Chief Ryan King and Avenlea Russian
Infographic by: Lola Bobrow
Check out a video on hiking Mt. Whitney by Ryan King.
The first Cougar Press broadcast was posted today.
Infographic by: Lola Bobrow
Table of Contents Front Page.........................................1 Calendar.............................................2 Features..............................................3 Map....................................................4
Staff Miles Bennett Lola Bobrow Sam Coats Archer Herring Sam Hicks Lily Lara Tatum Luoma Caroline Marsden William Maxwell Ian McWeeney Jezel Mercado Sally Niebergall Diego Roberto Kaylie Thompson
Editorial Staff
Photos by: Ryan King
Editors-in-Chief Ryan King Avenlea Russian (Not pictured)
Managing Editors Sarah Clench Bailey Peck
Assistant Editor-in-Chief Lola Bobrow
Print Editor
Online Editor Micah Wilcox
Video Editors Acacia Harrell Summer Yovanno
Sailor Hawes
The Cougar Press is a student-run public forum of the VHS community. We strive to present all sides of the issue fairly and without bias. From time to time, we make an error. When this happens, we try to correct it as soon as possible. Students and community members are encouraged to write letters to The Cougar Press. We welcome all letters, but may edit them for clarity and brevity. This public forum is only as good as the community support it receives. Any letter submitted also may be published on our website www.thecougarpress.org. Send letters to: Editor, The Cougar Press, 2 N. Catalina Ventura, CA 93001. The Cougar Press supports student free speech.
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Features VHS students FAIRed well this summer
Sam Coats
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Whether visiting colleges or family, three Ventura High School students made use of their summer vacations to travel out of town. Junior India Hill spent a week at the Sacramento Trad Jazz Camp, where she worked with professional musicians to improve her jazz skills in the forested foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. “I definitely enjoy traveling,” stated Hill, “Although sometimes it can be hard to leave for longer periods of time, because I might get home sick, or just miss my cat a lot, the pros of getting to know new places, people and cultures definitely outweigh any of the cons of traveling during summer.” According to a 2018 AAA survey, 88 million Americans -- some one in every four -- plan to take vacation with their family
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VHS students travel the country
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at least 50 miles away from home sometime this year. The most common considerations when choosing a destination, reportedly, were relaxation (56 percent of respondents), sightseeing (59 percent), and “beaches and mountains” (61 percent). Senior Jordan Fortunati was one of the many travelers who sought out natural beauty on his family vacation. “I went to Napa Valley this summer, [which is] about six hours away from Ventura,” said Fortunati. “We had a house well into the country, and the stars were incredibly visible. You get consumed by all of these problems and [then] you see the stars... I don’t know, it was just something I really liked,” Fortunati stated. Senior Samantha Pedersen, however, preferred sightseeing in the concrete jungles of New York City, after watching her brother compete in a baseball tournament upstate.
1. Juniors Olivia Jacobson, Bella Wray, and Eden Thasiah 2. Juniors Alyssa Cornwell and Julia Davies. 3. Seniors Paris Carmody and Hailey Cox.
Senior Sammy Pedersen looks out on New York City from the Staten Island Ferry. Photo from Instagram: @samanthaa.christine
“We walked down Wall Street, took a ferry out to the Statue of Liberty and Staten Island, saw the 9/11 memorial and toured the museum and ended the trip with a Yankees game,” Pedersen said, “I love traveling.” Senior Micah Wilcox, California’s sole representative at the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference, spent a week in Washington D.C. with 50 other students from across the country learning about both journalism’s value and how to be a better journalist in 2018. “Not only [did I leave with] the conference with empowering tools and hightech skills as well as a group of lifelong friends, I am also walking away with a new faith in myself and journalism overall,” Wilcox said. Read more about Wilcox’s experience on thecougarpress.org.
Senior Jordan Fortunati (center-left) was with his siblings in Napa Valley. Photo by: Julie Fortunati
4. Seniors Tate Billings and Sammie Nolan.
Controversy Corner
Should VHS students be allowed to raise the Confederate flag? Against Acacia Harrell
Q: What do you hope to accomplish this year that you couldn’t the other years? Emily Dahm (junior): “My goal for this next school year is to not procrastinate and put 100% effort into the work that I do.”
Q: What do you hope to accomplish this year that you couldn’t the other years? Jacob Duarte (junior): “I hope to actually do well in swimming this year and hope to actually learn rather than caring about the grade.”
Q: What do you hope to accomplish this year that you couldn’t the other years? Anuhea Reed (junior): “[I hope to] pass without procrastination and be happy with all my classes.”
Freedom: what does that mean in America. You can start your own business, you can go out on the street and protest. But can you can’t falsely scream ‘fire’ in a crowded theater. Though the First Amendment protects freedom of expression, it doesn’t protect forms of expression that are likely to cause harm. I think this idea definitely applies to one’s “right” to fly the confederate flag. According to the Los Angeles Times, “California’s 2014 law says the state cannot display or sell the Battle Flag of the Confederacy or any similar image unless it appears in a way that serves an educational or historical purpose.” However this does not apply to individuals. I believe people should have the right to possess it, but should not be granted the right to fly it in public places due to what the flag truly stands for and its ability to not only cause offense, but its ability to instigate hate crimes and cause harm. The goal would be for that flag to only be used for educational purposes. So what does this flag really stand for? Some try to justify it as a way to show rebellion, but that logic lacks a lot of history. The Confederate flag is a symbol for many groups
such as the KKK and the National Socialist Movement, who have white supremacist and neo-nazi ideologies. It’s a representation of a time when our country was split and the Confederates rebelled against the Union, they launched several terrorist attacks, killing about 500,000 American soldiers. This was all because the Southern aristocracy panicked when the Union was trying to stop the expansion of the inhumane practice of slavery. Some say that the Confederate flag didn’t start out racist and that the Confederates were fighting for state’s rights rather than slavery. However the Confederate Constitution is very similar to the US Constitution besides ONE major line, that line says, “No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law denying or impairing the right of property in negro slaves shall be passed.” They could not have made it more clear that they were fighting to keep slaves inevitably. I don’t want to walk around and see a flag that represent sall the things I just stated, do you? I want to feel safe in my own country. We have evolved so much as a nation and every time I see that flag it brings me right back to our ignorant beginnings.
For Diego Roberto A flag is a flag. I understand that to many people around the United States, and around the world for that matter, believe the Confederate flag holds a symbol of racism. However, almost single flag, from almost every single country holds a certain type of unsettling image behind it. Yes, the Confederate flags is from a time in history where the flag represented a “country” that’s full focus was on preser ving slavery. But what about the United States flag? It holds the image of killing thousands of Native Americans to steal their land, and the United States during the Imperialistic era of trying to control Cuba, the Philippines and Hawaii. But for some reason no one hates raising the American flag, and it is due to the large amounts of patriotism. People from the South see the Confederate flag as a sign of patriotism towards a time when they were independent. Nothing is stronger in the United States than Patriotism, so why make
a such a big deal of a flag. In a poll done by CNN, 57 percent of Americans believe it is a symbol of Southern Pride. 72 percent of African Americans see it as a symbol of racism, while only 25 percent of Southern Whites agree with that. At the same time, 51 percent of college educated whites believe that flag symbol of pride and 41 percent of it see it as a sign of racism. Junior TJ Barlow stated, “I don’t think the Confederate flag is a bad thing. Some people just say the flag is only used by racist people. I think that’s completely wrong. I think that the flag should be able to be flown. You would just get a lot of hate since we are in California.” In the end I don’t believe that the flag is a sign of racism personally, but in the end, I don’t understand why it is a big deal. People raising the flag shouldn’t be censored because it is their First Amendment right to believe in what they want and how they show that. If people’s beliefs are concerned, then rights are being infringed.
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