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October 19, 2018

Volume 71 Edition 03

“We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” - Malala Yousafzai Photo by: Trinity Taylor

Photo from: Sam Coats

Photo by: Gavin Cross

Senior Makoa Gutierrez (number four) passing the ball. Don’t pass by this article without reading (Page 4).

See what senior Luke Pfeifer is singing to in Trinity Taylor’s article about show choir (Page 5).

Take a look at The Cougar Press’s race forecasts, info on the issues, and more in our election section (Page 6).

Ventura Football beats Buena for the ninth straight year

Ian Mcweeney

It was a cold, cloudy night on Friday, Oct. 12 as the Ventura High School Cougars took on their rival, the Buena High School Bulldogs.

This was the 56th matchup between the two teams. The Bulldogs kicked off the ball to start the game. The only scoring came from the Cougars when junior Rourke Rieman (number 18) kicked a 38 yard field goal. At the end of the quarter, the Cougars lead 3-0. As the second quarter got underway, with 7:53 left the Bulldogs quarterback, Devin Morris (number five), ran a one yard quarterback keeper to put BHS up 7-3. A few drives later, with 3:41 left in the quarter, Cougars’ quarterback Carson Willis (number one) threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to Jadon Cline (number 17) to put the Cougars up 10-7. As it seemed that the game was about to go to halftime, the Bulldogs made a long drive that ended in a 33 yard field goal, as

the time ran out, by kicker Taylin Butterbaugh (number nine). At the end of the half, the game was tied 10-10. The third quarter went pretty slowly, as neither team made very much progress. But near the end of the quarter, Buena got a roughing the kicker penalty, which gave Ventura a second chance with a new set of downs. From this they worked all the way down the field ending the drive with a 24 yard touchdown from Willis to Zack Rodriguez

(number 80), Cougars leading 17-10. Ventura kicked off to Buena, and they returned the kickoff all the way to the one yard line. The Bulldogs’ Bruce Powell-Mathis (number two) then ran the ball in for a touchdown, ending the third quarter with the game tied at 17-17. Once again, the quarter started off slowly with no scoring. With 8:15 left in the quarter, Cougars’ Liam McGee (number 26) had a diving interception to halt the Bulldogs momentum, but

Ventura’s spirit section lighting up the field for the Cougars and the Bulldogs. Photo by: Gavin Cross

minutes later Bulldogs’ Morris had an interception at midfield. Buena turned over the ball, and Ventura drove the ball down into the Bulldogs’ territory. With 3:45 left to play, Rieman made an impressive 35 yard field goal which put the Cougars on top 20-17. After this, Buena turned it over again and Ventura ran out the clock to give the Cougars their first win of the season. Regarding how it felt to win the Buena rivalry game, junior Trevor Koontz said after the game, “It feels amazing just when that final clock stopped it was just amazing to get that trophy in our hands and celebrate on the Bulldog.” Koontz said that he thinks they won because “[they] really just had a great practice week and [they] really fought hard and [they] came together as a team.” When asked about how he thinks their last two games will go, he said, “If we practice how we practiced this week and just play together how we usually do, we’re gonna finish the season strong.”

AXE spreads “don’t bully, be a man” message to VHS with their new campaign AXE chose to partner with rapper and Ventura High School alumnus KYLE to bring their Senior Orientation program to Ventura High School. Lola Bobrow This year, AXE chose to partner with rapper and Ventura High School alumnus KYLE to bring their Senior Orientation program to Ventura High School. Last year, the men’s grooming product brand AXE traveled with spoken word performer Carlos Andres Gomez and musician John Legend to Legend’s hometown of Centennial, Ohio to bring a message of inclusivity and self-expression to high school students in their “Find your magic” initiative, aimed at encouraging high school aged boys to accept different definitions of masculinity. On Friday Oct. 5, Ventura High School kicked off anti-bullying month with a rally featuring the two performers. When asked why he chose to accept the partnership with AXE,

KYLE said, “I really only like to do things that I actually… believe in. That’s the biggest reason I said yes to this. This is something I wish I

had when I was in high school.” KYLE mentioned the impact that taking part in the drama department at VHS had on

KYLE pictured with VHS freshman Jada Tubbs before the concert. Photo by: Lola Bobrow

him, saying, “Theatre is the study of expressing yourself. When I was in ninth grade, I was so out of touch with my personality, it was crazy... I was so shy and so quiet. I was afraid to be Kyle. When I went and started spending time in drama class, it was just such a nonjudgemental vibe… It really forces you to come out of your shell. The whole point of the class is teaching you how to be comfortable in front of other people.” He went on to compare it to his time spent with the football team in ninth and 10th grade where “everything said is always tearing someone else down.” After an intro by Gomez, seniors Kaitlyn Hildebrand and Louis Santia performed “slam” poems about their experiences with gender stereotyping and societal pressures. Seniors Josephine Chavez, Sam Coats, Ren Tallent and Micah Wilcox followed with remarks about their

commitments to their individual high school communities, such as the drama or music.

“I was so shy and so quiet. I was afraid to be Kyle.”

-KYLE While this might be the most spectacular part, the rally is only the start of anti-bullying month. “The English teachers are going to be doing anti-bullying lessons from Digital Citizenship and also, all teachers have received information on how to have conversations about [cyberbullying],” said assistant principal Chris Murphy about the month of October.

Features Conservation group sprints to the forefront

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Citizens of Ventura gathered at Topa Topa Brewing Company on Monday night to listen to Dr. Vic Thasiah who is a California Lutheran University’s Chairman of the Religion Department and a selfdescribed lover of running. Micah Wilcox Thasiah’s topic? His new organization, Runners for Public Lands. Thasiah was speaking as part of Topa Topa’s Nature on Tap talks, a series on conservation and environmental themed talks hosted by Topa Topa and the Ventura Land Trust (formerly the Ventura Hillside Conservancy). Opening his speech with how running frees him from his office “cage,” Thasiah extolled the benefits of running: “The more you do it, the more comfortable you feel doing it,” joking that he also runs to “offset the beer” he drinks. The line got a round of laughter from the brewery’s customers. “I’ve been running for most of my life, but maybe in the last ten years I’ve been more into it,” said Thasiah in an interview before his presentation. “In 2010, I ran the Chicago Marathon and I thought, after the race … ‘I’m never going to run again,’ it just completely destroyed me but two hours later I was online looking for my next [marathon].” Thasiah quickly pivoted to conservation: “Running and conservation go together,” he declared. Discussing his experience running in nature, he turned to the main focus of his speech: out of all the outdoor enthusiast groups advocating on behalf of public spaces and the environment, none represents runners.

Seniors Claire Ortiz (left) and Jake Grajeda (right) outside Alicia Verdades’s AP Psychology class gave input on the common trend of deleting social media. Photo by: Janelle Chavira

Patrons of Topa Top Brewing Company listen to Dr. Thasiah’s presentation on Runners for Public Lands and his inspiration for starting it. Photo by: Micah Wilcox

On how he got involved in conservation, “It was a combination of being really interested in the environment and conservation… About a year ago there was an article in Trail Runner magazine, and it was an article that was calling runners to action because public lands were under threat because the federal government was… more interested in selling that land off to various states, particularly in Utah,” said Thasiah. “I heard this call to action, and I thought ‘I love to run, I love open space, I love public lands,’ and so I wanted to get involved and do my part in… trying to protect public lands,” explained Thasiah. Runners for Public Lands was his way to get involved, he continued. With no major groups speaking for runners, he decided he should get involved at the local level by

Thasiah cited an article in Trail Runner magazine as his inspiration, which referred to runners as “freeloaders.” “I don’t want to be a freeloader,” he declared. Photo by: Micah Wilcox

starting such a group for Ventura County. “My hope is that we start here a grassroots movement that would take off across our region and across our country to mobilize runners to do their part in protecting public lands,” he said. “Mountain bikers are great at it, climbers are great at it, kayakers are great at it… but runners as a group, as a collective, don’t have a national platform to really kind of share their enthusiasm for public lands and share their concerns and also sort of work to contribute to protecting more and more land,” he said during the interview. Senior Kate Marsden, who runs for VHS’s cross country team, commented: “I think it’s really… important [to protect public lands], especially to runners, because we need open spaces and so does just [about] everybody.” “At the beginning of the school year,” she added, “The cross country team… we got to check out this new trail with Ventura Land Trust.” “They had this new trail that they let runners try out, and it’s super cool – it’s right by Missionary School and like, we got their permission and we got to check it out,” Marsden said. Thasiah concluded by asking runners, outdoor enthusiasts and environmentalists to get involved with RPL. He again stated his desire for a truly national platform for runners to advocate for public lands, a line met with applause from his audience.

Editorial: what is the trend of deleting social media about?

Social media is a free and open platform that any high schooler with internet can access daily. According to the University of Chicago, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular among teens. Janelle Chavira Whether it be posting pictures, tweeting thoughts or snapping a moment to post and share for others to see in a time frame of 10 seconds or less, the platforms offer a diverse way to share with others. However, in the recent years, deleting social media has become a trend in order for one to reflect on oneself and have a period of time for self growth without the pressures of comparison.

“I deleted social media because it allowed me to see the world and spend more valuable time with the people I love.” - Grajeda Social media can be overwhelming, it’s informative and opinionative, --which has benefits-- but it also holds a lot of control over the youth and their mindsets, specifically in procrastination and the idea of perfection among teens. Of course, it’s not necessarily always what one sees on social media but what some individuals do as well in

Editorial Staff

Editors-in-Chief Ryan King Avenlea Russian

Video Editor Summer Yovanno

Managing Editors Sarah Clench Bailey Peck

Acacia Harrell

Staff

Print Editor-in-Chief

Assistant Editor-in-Chief

Sailor Hawes

Lola Bobrow

Broadcast Editor Social Media Editor Jezel Mercado

regards to posting. Senior Claire Ortiz said, “[Social media] takes away from what you’re actually experiencing when you’re constantly putting it on Snapchat, putting it on Instagram, putting it on Twitter.” Ortiz is somewhat an advocate for periodic breaks on social media, individually she believes it gives her time for “selfgrowth and reflection” from the consuming platforms. She enjoys them, but she also likes the time away for more “focus on the people and things she loves.” It’s a common thing to delete social media for a more peaceful time period with less distractions, as senior Jake Grajeda touched on, “I deleted social media because it allowed me to see the world and spend more valuable time with the people I love.” Social media may not be such a bad thing, it can be a fun thing to get to share with the world, however, it can also be a beautiful thing to be able to focus on what directly surrounds you. The important takeaway from this is to not be consumed by how others live their lives or how they see you, but how an individual chooses to live their own life and view themselves. A person can use that time from social media to take value in what goes on in real life, avoid ing the comparison and of what goes on in others.

Podcast Editor Miles Bennett

Online Editor Micah Wilcox

Our Mission Statement The Cougar Press is a completely student-run public forum of the Ventura High School community. We strive to present all sides of an issue fairly and without bias while being as resourceful to our readers as possible. 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 for the The Cougar Press. We welcome all submissions, but may edit them for clarity and brevity. This public forum is only as good as the community support it receives. You can email us at thecougarpressvhs@gmail.com.

Janelle Chavira

Liliana Lara

Samuel Coats

Tatum Luoma

Gavin Cross

Caroline Marsden

Julia Davies

Nathan Marshall

Saida Delgadillo

Billy Maxwell

Kai Eigenhuis

Ian McWeeney

Hector Heredia

Sally Niebergall

Archer Herring

Diego Roberto

Malik Hibbler

Brooklyn Ross

Samuel Hicks

Doug Sandford

Garrett Jaffe

John Studebaker

Juliana Jacobson

Trinity Taylor

Jessica Johnson

Tanya Turchyn

Features

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Editorial: Nightmare on Main Street: The “Hauntings” of Ventura

Is playing high school sports worth it?

Ventura has quite a few locations that are supposedly haunted or have some weird folklore Sports are known to be time consuming, but many students at surrounding them. Here are just a few of these places and a tidbit of the history behind their Ventura High School participate in school sports for a number respective “spooky happenings.” of reasons. Miles Bennett Bella Maggiore Inn The ghost of a woman named Sylvia Michaels is said to haunt this historic inn built in the 1920s. Some say Michaels was a prostitute while others say she was a struggling writer, either way, the general consensus is that she commited suicide in room 17 of the inn. Throughout the inn, guests report objects moving by themselves, lights turning on and off, and hearing piano music when no one is playing. Moreover, those who stay in room 17, tell of hearing a woman sobbing in the middle of the night, sudden drops in temperature and being awoken by intense nightmares. (Source: www.weirdca.com) The Majestic Theater This reticent piece of 1920s architecture has had visitors report sightings of multiple apparitions that are said to haunt the theater. These spirits include a woman in a white dress who dances on the stage and appears to have had her head cut off and a gangster wearing a pinstriped suit who is often seen smoking a cigarette outside of the men’s bathroom. (Source: www.hauntedplaces.org) San Buenaventura Mission This relic of colonial California is rumored to have a the spirit of a dead monk that stalks around the grounds. Urban legend

Archer Herring

Infographic by: Miles Bennett

tells of a monk who was slain when the mission caught fire shortly after the structure came to be. The charred, malformed ghostly figure of the monk supposedly still haunts the monastery to this day. Visitors also report ghostly chanting that can be heard while walking the grounds. (Sources: www.vcstar.com and www.weirdca.com) The Father Serra Cross The story behind the alleged haunted happenings at this spot is that, in colonial times, a Native American woman was assaulted and beaten to death by a Spanish soldier. The soldier buried her beneath the cross, thinking he’d disposed of her for good. But legend has it that after her untimely death, the woman’s spirit sought vengeance on the soldier and haunted him to the point of insanity, leading him to take his own life. It is said that the woman woefully wanders in the area surrounding the cross to this day. (Source: www.weirdca.com)

Ventura High School Right here at VHS, a common folktale surrounding a ghost named Toby is passed on through each generation of the drama department. There are many accounts of Toby’s true origins. Some say he was a janitor, some say he was a theater department alumni who worked here and some say he was a student. But at the end of every version of the story, Toby dies by falling off the catwalk above the stage. Toby is said to haunt the theater to this day. Most drama students say that he’s a nice ghost that likes messing with students and staff on occasion. Reports range from small pranks to moderate spooks. (Source: Drama Teacher Stefoni Rossiter and various members of the VHS Drama Department) continued on... thecougarpress.org

Senior Hailey Cox said, “Playing sports was fun and even though I was injured [when I played], it was definitely worth it.” Photo by: Archer Herring

What are those reasons and why do students play sports? In the end, was the experience worth it?

“I quit soccer to focus on track. I run track because it keeps me in shape and I like competing.” -Stevenson Senior Grace Miller, who has been playing tennis for all four years of high school said, “I think that it is worth it to play a sport because for a lot of people high school is their last chance to play competitive sports.” Miller went on to explain that it is also a “rewarding and good experience because I’ve made new friends and learned a new sport.”

Although some students end up quitting their sport the experience of the sport is still positive. Senior Hailey Cox who played soccer for three years then ended up quitting commented, “Playing sports was fun for me and it was a good experience, but I ended up quitting because I wanted to work more and I had been playing sports for awhile so I was kind [of] over it.” Rather than being in a sport or quitting, a number of students have quit a sport to join or focus on another. Senior Connor Stevenson stated, “ I quit soccer to focus on track. I run track because it keeps me in shape and I like competing.” Changing from sport to sport is another option to meet new people and get more involved. Participating in sports can be a lot of hard work and can also be a distraction from school work but as we have learned many students believe it is worth it because of the experience. Being involved in sports is not the only way students can participate because there are a number of other extracurriculars that VHS offers.

Miller stated, “I would say [playing a sport] is rewarding and I love being a part of a team.” Photo by: Archer Herring

What is an LCFF?

Ventura High’s newest club: It rocks!

Roughly once a week, senior Ben Maidman can be found scaling A Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) is a formula that determines how school districts boulders, rocks and climbing walls in his spare time. around California get funding from the state government. Tatum Luoma Having been rock climbing for nine years, Maidman made the decision to start Ventura High School’s new rock climbing club. Rock climbing has always been something that Maidman enjoys, and through the rock climbing club, he is hoping to spread that enjoyment to others at VHS. “The Ventura rock climbing club aims to bring a diverse group of people together so they can all rock climb and have a good time,” commented Maidman on the club’s purpose. This new club is a way to meet other students, get involved in something active and fun, and learn a new impressive skill or work to improve it.

we want our next trip to be… it’s [going to] be in places like Santa Barbara, Pine Mountain, [and] Thousand Oaks.” The diversity of places to climb is something especially appealing about this club. The club meets at lunch in teacher Max Miller’s classroom and ‘Remind’ messages are sent out to keep them up to date on the clubs activities. Members of the club travel off campus to take part in an activity that brings people together and gets its members in shape. For those unaccustomed to or nervous about outdoor climbing, “there are also a lot of indoor gyms,” said Maidman. All levels, from beginner to experienced are able to participate. Want to get involved in one of Ventura High’s newest clubs? Rock Climbing Club meets two Thursdays every month in Miller’s classroom, room 275.

Diego Roberto In 2013, Governor Jerry Brown implemented the LCFF program, which uses a formula that is based on regular enrollment plus the enrollment of high-need students to allocate funding. Betsy George, Assistant Superintendent as well as head of the budget department, stated that high-need students include English learners and low socioeconomic students. “It was created to make more equity, [because] previous to that, school districts all got [funding] based on their enrollment,” said George. “So [even] if you were a high-need area, you got the same amount of money as an area that maybe didn’t have high-need

“The Ventura rock climbing club aims to bring a diverse group of people together so they can all rock climb and have a good time.”

- Maidman

“At our meetings we are going to have a vote on where

Maidman explained that VHS’s rock climbing club can climb anywhere and everywhere that members want to go. Photo by: Tatum Luoma

Infographic by: Diego Roberto

[students].” George gave the example of Loma Vista Elementary School as a school that receives more LCFF funds based on high-need enrollment, because it is one of the few elementary schools in Ventura County that offers a English Language Learners program. This allows them to receive more money than schools without these populations of high-need students. Ventura Unified School District has about 16,400 students enrolled, and VUSD gets $4,800 per student. This comes out to around 78.7 million dollars. Added on are the “$1,700 for each of our approximately 9,300 highneed students.” This tacks on an additional 15.8 million, winding up at around 94.5 million dollars. In VUSD’s 2018-2019 budget report

they stated that they brought in 151.1 million dollars from LCFF funds -- the additional 56.6 million dollars comes from alternative sources of funding. VUSD gets paid for the students enrolled in Ventura High School, but VHS doesn’t see this money directly in their budget. The money that VUSD earns based on VHS’s student population is about 11.8 million dollars, but VHS’s total budget for the 2018-2019 school year is only around 117,000 dollars. The money does not go directly into VHS’s budget. If the money went directly to VHS, with 2,427 students enrolled, then the budget would be in between 11.5 and 13.7 million dollars. continued on... thecougarpress.org

Sports

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Student studs commit

Ventura High School’s student athletes have been committing to colleges in order to continue to pursue the sport they’re passionate about. Jezel Mercado Most student athletes that are committed are seniors, which gives these students the liberty to not partake in the stressful college decision process. Senior Kylie Garcia committed to California Lutheran University in the beginning of August 2018. Garcia explains that she had been talking to the coaches at Cal Lutheran for over a year as they had watched her club soccer games and expressed interest in her multiple times. After looking into the school, it became one of her top choices until she finally committed. Garcia explains that Cal Lutheran is perfect for her because “[she loves] the location, the campus, the size, the coaches, the soccer program and the fact that it has a one of the best programs for Exercise Science in California, which is what [she wants] to major in. It’s a great fit all the way around and [she] couldn’t be happier.” Along with getting to continue to play her favorite sport, Garcia is most looking forward to “creating new friendships with the girls on the team as I feel like they will become like my second family while I’m there.” Senior Carlos Aviles currently has a loose verbal commitment to Ohio State University. For Aviles, the recruitment process began a little after his junior year. Colleges began reaching out to him after his success in track and field. Aviles would enjoy attending Ohio State because “there have been some other colleges [that he has toured] but they haven’t given

[him] the same experience that Ohio has given [him].” Aviles is looking forward to creating memories with his future teammates and coach. Senior Josie Ulrich committed to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo on Aug. 13, 2017. Ulrich also was contacting coaches for beach volleyball and started getting offers in the spring of her sophomore year. She explained that she chose Cal Poly SLO because “it was the best athletic and academic fit for [her]. [She loves] the vibe and environment.” Ulrich is looking forward to forming relationships

with her new teammates and coaches and is happy to already have a group of friends going into college. On top of how great she feels her college experience will be, Ulrich is “super stoked to see where beach can take [her].” These student athletes have been committed to their sports and have gone through the college recruitment process to show other VHS students that if they put their mind to it, they too can play their dream sport at their perfect college. continued on... thecougarpress.org

Senior Maddie Halstead pictured mid-serve in one of her sets against Pacifica High School. Photo by: Brenda Ogden.

Girls tennis swings by the Tritons

On Tuesday Oct. 9, the Ventura High School girls tennis team played Pacifica High School at home. Billy Maxwell

“I am looking forward to improving my game and gettin’ sandy,” said Ulrich. Photo from: Josie Ulrich

“I love the sport and couldn’t imagine my life without it!” said senior Sailor Hawes. Photo by: Brad Hawes

“I have been playing soccer ever since I was six years old and I have always been really passionate about the sport, so it has always been a dream of mine to continue playing it in college,” said Garcia. Photo from: @kylie.garcia

“I just can’t wait for the fun experiences I’m going to go through with this team and this coach. I’m excited to continue to compete, especially at a high level,” said Aviles. Photo by: Jezel Mercad

At the end of the game, the Cougars had taken the win 12 matches to six. The Cougars have won 10 of their 12 matches this year. The match consists of three singles matches and three doubles matches, each consisting of six sets. The Cougars swept the Tritons in all of their singles matches which consist of El Camino student Bella Fransis, as well as senior Neela Krishnasamy and junior Nikki Escamillo of Ventura High School. Ventura’s doubles team won all their sets in the second doubles match. The doubles teams are senior Maddie Halstead paired with El Camino student Allison Jones, junior Astrid Dalton paired with junior

Duffy Anderson and freshman Tess Luoma paired with senior Lizzy Tepaske, with senior Grace Miller and junior Ava Gallo as subs. Halstead stated, “We definitely could have improved our strategic shots to win points because most of the games were just rallying back and forth without putting the ball away.” When asked how the season is going, Halstead responded, “We’re playing really well this year and we’re expecting to do great in our league finals during fall break.” Stand out players to keep an eye on are Luoma and junior Nikki Escamillo. The Cougars will conclude their season after the Pacific View League singles and doubles, ending on Wednesday Oct. 24.

Ventura Boy’s waterpolo hands Rio Mesa an L The varsity boys led by head coach Spencer McGrath currently hold an 8-7 record this season, while having a record of 4-0 in league. Gavin Cross

Senior captain Tatum Teel serving for the point. Photo by: Ashlynn Velarde, VHS Yearbook

Ventura volleyball takes Pacific View League championship Ventura High School’s Varsity girls volleyball defeated cross-town rival, Buena High School on Tuesday, Oct. 9 in four sets winning the Pacific View League championship. Malik Hibbler John Studebaker This brought VHS a league championship in their first year in the PVl. The Cougars started out slow, and lost the first set with a score of 23-25. VHS quickly gained back the momentum, though, and tied the score of the match 1-1 when they defeated BHS 25-23 in the second set. The Cougars went on to defeat Buena in the next two sets, 25-17 and 2523. When asked how the team was performing, senior captain Tatum Teel (number 5) said, “I feel like we didn’t play

our best in the beginning, but we executed very well at the end and I’m very proud of how we finished.” With a 9-1 league record, the Cougars qualify for the CIF playoffs. When asked how this win will affect the team going into the playoffs, Teel responded, “I think we will have fun and be prepared for anything. We will most likely be the underdogs because we are a pretty small team, but we are going to fight through the whole thing and not give up.” The Cougars have their first playoff game Thursday, Oct. 18. The time, location, and who they are playing against has yet to be announced.

On Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018, the Cougars faced up against the Rio Mesa Spartans. In the first minute and a half of the quarter, senior Omar Al-Bawab (number three) was excluded twice. During that time junior Evan Moore (number eight) scored the first goal of the game putting the Cougars on top. With 2:35 minutes left in the game, senior Tyler Sehon (number two) scored the second goal of the game. Shortly after, senior Christian Guillaume (number 10) was excluded from the game for neck grabbing, and junior Micah Amico (number 15) was also excluded for pushing a Rio Mesa player under water. At the end of the first quarter the Cougars had a two to zero lead. Twenty seconds into the second quarter, the Spartans scored their first goal of the game. With 5:21 minutes left in the first half, senior Makoa Gutierrez (number four) scored for the Cougars bumping the score up to three to one. During the second quarter, number 21 on Rio Mesa was rolled from the game for trying to kick Moore while he was shooting a five meter. As the second quarter finished up, Moore scored two goals and Guillaume

added another on the scoreboard. Rio Mesa scored three more goals during this time. The second half ended with the the Cougars leading eight to four. During the first two minutes of the second half, Moore scored his fourth goal of the game for VHS. Midway through the third quarter, the Rio Mesa coach received a yellow card for yelling at the referee. He then continued to scream which resulted in a red card and the coach was ejected from the game. Throughout the third quarter, Rio Mesa put up a fight, scoring two goals in less than a minute. With a minute and 16 seconds left in the quarter, the Cougars scored once more, making the score at the end of the quarter eleven to six.

The first goal of the fourth quarter was shot by Moore. Shortly after that, the Cougars goalie was rolled out of the game and a sub was put in. Rio Mesa had an opportunity for a penalty shot but the shot was blocked by the Cougars. With 3:43 left in the fourth quarter, Senior Aaron Payan (number 13) scored another goal for the Cougars. In the last three minutes of the game Rio Mesa scored another three goals and Guillaume scored one more for the Cougars. The final score of the game was fourteen to nine, another victory for the Cougars. Now the varsity boys are 4-0 in league.

Amico pumping back for a pass. Photo by: Gavin Cross

Arts and Entertainment

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Editorial: what VHS students think about pop punk It seems that Ventura High School has a large variation in music fans. I constantly see kids wearing shirts with certain bands or rappers on them, or kids bumping certain music in their cars in the parking lot. Doug Sandford One genre I sometimes see and personally enjoy is pop punk. By definition, pop punk is a genre that blends punk music with pop music. It usually has a fast power chord guitar and intense drumming and bass, mixed with pop lyrics about romance, boredom and other teenage problems. Pop punk became very popular in the 90s, with certain bands leading it to become mainstream music in the 2000s. One of these bands was Blink-182, who has released six albums in total. Senior Levi Payan-Foye commented, “Dude Ranch is the best Blink-182 album and Mark Hoppus is one

of the greatest bassists of all time.” Another very famous band in this genre was Yellowcard, which formed in Florida during 1997, and quickly came to fame. Its hit radio single, Ocean Avenue, received lots of airplay throughout the 2000s, and they became a very well known act in the scene through it. Junior Sage Kirkpatrick, a fan of the band, said, “I like Yellowcard’s first album [Where We Stand]... They are really hesh.” Lastly, another famous band in this scene is Taking Back Sunday, who played a show during Ventura’s Warped Tour this year. Since 1999, Taking Back Sunday has created seven albums and helped with the first two Transformers

Payan-Foye holding his Blink-182 “Enema of the State” and “Dude Ranch” album CDs. Photo by: Doug Sandford

Show choir: a place to shine

soundtracks. The band writes complex lyrics regarding teenage life and other rites of passages. This makes the music they create very enjoyable and relatable to teenagers.

This is the stage progress for the play so far. Stagecraft has been working on it ever since the first week of school. Photo by: Archer Herring

Behind the scenes of “Night Watch”

The fall play that is being performed this year is “Night Watch.” It’s a dramatic mystery that will be performed at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 to Nov. 10, as well as Nov. 15 to Nov. 17, and at 2 p.m. Nov. 18. Archer Herring Kirkpatrick, a Yellowcard fan, is pictured above. Photo by: Doug Sandford

Out of these three bands, I personally would rate Blink-182 as best due to its meaningful and at times comical lyrics about growing up. Second would be Taking Back Sunday, who writes more about love and romance. When I’m having girl trouble, I will always have a Taking Back Sunday listening session. While Yellowcard is a great band, I would place them last out of the three, simply because I don’t often find them in heavy rotation in my music playlist. If you haven’t listened to these bands, I would highly recommend giving them a chance.

Although a lot of work has been put in by the actors, The Cougar Press decided to report on the behindthe-scenes work being put in by the tech crew and stagecraft students of “Night Watch”. Set design, props, lights, sound, construction, decorating, curtains, blocking, marketing, hair, makeup, costumes--stagecraft and tech crew have got it all covered. The stagecraft class mainly focuses on building, decorating and designing the set, while the tech crew is in charge of everything else mentioned. In regards to how the play is going so far, senior and stage manager Kaitlyn Hildebrand said, “It’s going great and I am having a lot of fun watching [the] characters evolve and

change as the cast gets more into their roles.” Hildebrand and her assistant, senior Emily Corney, are in charge of blocking, as well as all light and sound cues for the show. They will also attend every rehearsal and show the drama department puts on for “Night Watch” to make sure the cast knows what to say and do. Rossiter says that the stagecraft class and the crew will try their hardest to make the play directly reflect the atmosphere of the play. Also, every part of the play has had a lot of time and effort put into it and everyone involved does a great job, according to Rossiter. If you want to see “Night Watch” and support the work of the drama department, as well as stagecraft and tech crew’s attribution, you can go to the first show at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 8 or any of the previously mentioned times.

Movie review: film and fear in the flesh

Ventura High School’s show choir is a truly inspiring program 2018 looked as if it was doomed to the same Hollywood tropes that plague the box office with reboots of classic movies such as “Predator” and “Halloween” or new instalments of taught by Heidi House. Students wake up at around atrocious, worn out movies like “The Purge” and “Insidious” franchises. Trinity Taylor

Not only is it a place to dance and sing, but a second-home to the students within the class. Show choir takes place in VHS’ auditorium during zero period (6:15-7:15 a.m.) and welcomes students from all Ventura Unified schools including Buena High School and Foothill Technology . The class was originally an extra curricular program completely separate from VHS. It found its home in Ventura High’s theater in 2010 when show choir director Heidi House and theater arts director, Stefoni Rossiter had the idea to put on a beginning of the year show for all VHS teachers. From there, it evolved into a class that would serve as a safe-haven for many diverse groups of students and Heidi House herself.

Student managers sophomore Pence (left) and senior Kaitlyn Hildebrand (right). Photo by: Alina Calamia

5:00 a.m. to attend class which begins at 6:15 a.m. on the dot. From 6:15 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. students warmup their voices and bodies together through fun and silly exercises such as jumping up and down or singing rhymes. From 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. students separate into their individual singing groups (altos, sopranos, tenors and bases) and practice the songs for their upcoming showcases in November and December. Over the weekend, students must participate in mandatory rehearsals lasting up to four hours full of dancing, singing and coordinating for their future events. Why make the commitment? Not only does show choir give students the opportunity to creatively express themselves but it’s a safe environment for students to be themselves without worrying about the judgement of others. Student manager and sophomore Kylie Pence says, “Company [show choir] has helped me grow so much as a person. I was super shy going into high school and I had a lot of social anxiety and it really helped me become comfortable and confident with myself. There are so many different yet amazing personalities in this group but we all blend together so well and treat each other like family.” continued on... thecougarpress.org

Sam Hicks Garrett Jaffe One movie shone through the manure filled lenses of Hollywood like a diamond in the rough. “Hereditary” released on June 8, 2018 written and directed by Ari Aster and starring Toni Collette, Milly Shapiro, Alex Wolff, and Gabriel Bryen, wowed audiences and critics alike with its mind bending plot and stunning visuals. “Hereditary,” focuses on a family of four, whose secretive, estranged and recently united grandmother dies, leaving the family with many unanswered questions and unresolved grudges formed throughout her mysterious life. Not only does the grandmother’s death cause a resurfacing of her daughter’s long buried feelings of contempt and guilt over her tragic and neglected life, the very grievances the daughter has adopted from her mother have been passed on to her kids. The death of the grandmother causes a resurgence of hatred within the household, creating a feeling of rot and domination within the characters and their relationships which is accompanied if not orchestrated by

a malevolent, supernatural presence that leeches off the family’s history and individual weakness. This all happens as the viewer watches through a looking glass into a doll house of damnation on a platform of hatred and horror created by the charters and transferred to the viewer. “Hereditary” is a true horror film! It is a film that plays off every primal sense in the human body by utilizing stunning, neck snapping, relatable and innovative cinematography, acting, script and audio that turns one’s blood frigid and spine stone cold.

This movie is the human experience of HORROR incarnate and a film that encompases what it means as an animal to feel alive and to KNOW fear without risk or consequence. It gives the viewer a rush not like that of a man made roller coaster with the of assurances of seatbelts. It is a ride with no safety harness or workers readily waiting to press the stop button. continued on... thecougarpress.org

These are these are real results from selected screenings of “Hereditary” audience members Fit Bit information throughout the movies run time. Drawing by: Tatum Luoma

Elections

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Prop 6: Consider both sides before you “speed up, gas pedal, gas pedal, gas pedal!” “We’re just in high school! The majority of us can’t even vote in this upcoming election! Why should we even care what happens?” Infrographic by: Avenlea Russian

Ryan King While naysayers would argue all of these things, the 2018 midterm elections include propositions, city council leaders and school board candidates that will affect our state, community and school district. Although there are many topics being voted on in 2018’s election on Nov. 6, Proposition Six is a particularly public issue. On April 28, 2017, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 became law in California. This act increased the price of gasoline by 12 cents per gallon, increased the diesel fuel price by 20 cents per gallon, created an annual transportation improvement fee and created an annual zero-emission vehicles fee. As a result, California had the means to increase their funding for highway and road maintenance and repairs and transit programs. Proposition Six has reignited that debate, allowing the citizens of California to vote whether they want to save or eliminate the tax increase. The state of California has two excise taxes on gasoline, both primary and secondary excise taxes, from the federal and state government. According to an article from the San Diego Union-Tribune, “How much you’ll REALLY pay in gasoline tax in California,” effective Nov. 1, 2017,

total excise taxes came to 41.7 cents per gallon. Effective July 1, 2019, the excise tax rate will rise to 47.3 cents per gallon. Per the Union-Tribune, the total amount of taxes and fees in California starting in July 2019 will be 58.3 cents per gallon and a total of 18.4 cents per gallon from the Federal government. Overall, people driving in California starting in July next year will be taxed a total of 76.7 cents per gallon. According to the California General Election Official Voter Information Guide, voting “YES” on Proposition Six will eliminate the California tax increase, making gasoline prices cheaper while reducing funding for highway and road maintenance. They argue that by saying “YES,” fuel taxation will be revoked, therefore, gasoline prices will be immediately lowered and

gives voters the chance to approve any future increase on vehicle fuel. Voting “NO” on Proposition Six keeps the taxation increase on fuel passed by legislature, preserving increased funding for highway and road maintenance and transit programs. Opponents of Proposition Six include the California Professional Firefighters, California Association of Highway Patrolmen, American Society of Civil Engineers, and first responders who argue that Proposition Six would “eliminate $5 billion annually in local transportation funding, stopping thousands of road safety, congestion relief and transportation improvement projects in every California community.” Voting “NO” on the proposition would also continue to allow Legislature to not need voter approval for future state fuel and vehicle taxes.

District Elections: It’s voting time

On Nov. 6 2018 citizens all over the country will vote during the midterm election. Sam Hicks Tatum Luoma The city of Ventura has seven sitting members on the City Council: five councilmembers as well as a deputy mayor and mayor. Four councilmember positions are up for election. Kevin Clerici, executive director of Downtown Ventura Partners, a nonprofit business improvement for the district of Ventura, is a candidate for City Council. When asked on his decision to run, Clerici said, “I work daily with over two hundred and fifty small business owners, property owners, residents and stakeholders. I’m on the front lines of our homeless and housing challenges and I feel like my experience has made me sort of uniquely prepared to step in as the representative for District One.”

The Ventura City Council adopted Ordinance 2018-001 in order to transition to district-based elections by Jan. of 2018. This means that voters in each district will elect specific candidates that represent their allotted region. “Their [young voters’] voice matters … perhaps now more than ever before because… [it is] the first time that we’ve gone to district elections,” said Clerici. Now, only voters within the districts can vote so people are likely to win within the hundreds [of votes]. It’s critical that we get people engaged.” Similarly, Councilmember Erik Nasarenko, who is up for reelection, commented, “I would tell our younger demographic to get out and make a change while they can. For example, sixteen and seventeen year olds, if you see a fire station that you want to keep open or something that you know can be improved in our city, vote.”

This year, Ventura has transitioned to district based elections for city council. Photo from: cityofventura. ca.gov

U.S. House and Senate elections approach As the 2018 midterm elections close in, the races for control of the House and Senate are shaping up to be hotly contested as Democrats vie to take back Congress from Republican control. Sam Coats Democrats need to gain 23 seats in the House of Representatives to win control and two seats in the Senate. Republicans, who have controlled the House of Representatives since 2011 and the Senate since 2015, have enjoyed unified control of the elected federal government since President Donald Trump was sworn in in 2017. Since then, the party has accomplished many of the policy goals they campaigned on, cutting taxes and cementing the conservative majority on the Supreme Court by confirming Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Many conservatives also point to the growing economy and President Trump’s efforts to end North Korea’s nuclear threat as reasons to vote Republican. However, Democrats have plenty to campaign on as well. President Trump is historically unpopular, with his approval rating currently at 42 percent in FiveThirtyEight.com’s weighted rolling average of polls. The “trade war” of increasing tariffs that the Trump Administration has entered with several foreign nations has had a detrimental effect on Republican popularity in farm states throughout the Midwest.

Infographic by: Sam Coats

Additionally, liberal candidates are still attacking Republicans for their failed attempt to repeal key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”), the repeal of which they argue would have increased the cost of healthcare and stripped many low-income people of their insurance. Perhaps the defining feature of the 2018 midterm elections will be the disparity between the maps in the House and the Senate. In The Cougar Press’s 2018 midterm forecasts, 190 of the 195 House seats held by

Democrats are rated as vulnerable to a Republican challenge, while 95 Republican House seats have a reasonable chance of flipping blue. However, in the Senate, Democrats are defending 24 of the 35 seats up for election, and nine of those seats are vulnerable while only five Republican seats are. This could result in a scenario where, even as Democrats make major gains in the House of Representatives, they fail to retake the Senate or even lose seats. continued on... thecougarpress.org

Infrographic by: Tatum Luoma and Trinity Taylor

Distractions

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Dare to search for these spooky words! Solve If You Dare M

O W

W M

W W H

Q W Q

W U

Pumpkin Bread scary Trick or Treat

party

blood

Spooky Season candy Visit thecougarpress.org

Wordsearch by: Liliana Lara

Crossword: VHS teachers

Down: 1. French man who teaches Spanish 2. Plays the bass in a band 4. New girls water polo coach 5. Leader of G.W.A.T. 6. New math teacher and assistant football coach

Across: 3. Coaches wrestling 7. Math one and precalculus teacher 8. Used to be a professional clown 9. Loves cows and post-it notes 10. A girls cross country coach

VHS Teachers

Pumpkin Bread Scary Trick or Treat Party Spooky season Blood Candy Jack-o’-lantern Costume

2 3

5 6

Jack-o'-lantern

costume

for our weekly broadcast!

Every Monday we update

you on the latest VHS

announcements and events!

Crossword by: Ian McWeeney

Unscramble these football player names CORANS ILWLIS

Across 3. Coaches wrestling 7. Math one and Pre-calculus teacher 8. Used to be a professional clown 9. Loves cows and post-it notes 10. A girls cross country coach

YBILL ALXWMLE TJ LOWABR KUERRO EAMNIR ACZK ZUDOGRRIE AOHN CONOBY

Down 1. French man who teaches spanish 2. Plays the bass in a band 4. New girls water polo coach 5. Leader of G.W.A.T. 6. New math teacher and assistant football

YECBR WNELIEL GSAE TAELNBR LAEIOGR HAROC AJNDO ILNEC LIECMAH NMRIA Word scramble by: Hector Heredia

Cougar Catnips

KYLE is cool, but celebrity worship is not

Sam Coats

Excuse me, can you not even?

Waste of ******* space!

Candy corn is GROSS

VHS smells!

Miles Bennett

Lola Bobrow

Janelle Chavira

Archer Herring



Infographic by: Sam Coats

Why do we feel this compulsive need to swarm celebrities whenever they’re in our presence? Yeah, I get it. KYLE is famous. And he’s pretty cool too -- his philanthropy has done wonders for the Drama Department. But is that really worth rushing through the hallways at even a whisper that KYLE is around, or pushing people out of the way to follow him back to his bus? It’s okay to be a fan, of course, especially of someone as awesome as KYLE, but what’s not okay is being a jerk to your fellow students in pursuit of celebrity.

Photo by: Sally Niebergall

You know what really salts my apples? People saying “excuse me” and then SHOVING past me like it’s there gosh darn birthright! I already hate it when people I don’t know touch me because it makes me want to eat myself to death. But what makes it worth is when someone affirms their politeness by saying “excuse me” and IMMEDIATELY DESTROYS any semblance of civility, I want to slam my cold and emotionless face into a rusty nail and get tetanus and die. This constantly happens here at school and I want to let you all know to commit to your “excuse me” and stop being icky.

Photo by: Ryan King

You know that little stretch of poli street by the music building. Well that’s my favorite place to park. So convenient. Love. What I don’t love is how some people on that street choose to park their cars with a nice four to five foot gap from where they see the car in front of them. It’s valuable space! I GET a that you might want your “space bubble” for your nice paint job, but that’s two feet MAX. And I KNOW it’s not inexperienced student drivers, because those park in the lot. Y’all are adults. It’s sloppy and inconsiderate. Stop it.

Photo by: Fatima Gallardo

It’s spooky season, that means pumpkin patches, Halloween cookies and bobbing for apples. Everything that alludes Halloween all comes out for the specialist month of the year. However, with all good things, bad things follow. I can’t even began to comprehend how anyone thought it would be appropriate to make such a thing as candy corn. Candy corn is a disgrace. It should not even be classified as a candy it’s that grotesque. Sure it looks cute, it appeals to all things halloween, but it’s only praised for one month of the year for a reason. It’s because it’s gross.

Build your own custom worksheet at education.com/worksheet-generator

Photo by: Ryan King

Why is it that kids at VHS seem to not know how to wear deodorant or smell decent! I’ll be sitting in my ASSIGNED seat and be forced to smell someone’s gross A$$ stank. I mean it’s really not that hard to go to the store, buy some deodorant and lather that S@#% on. Also maybe you should think about taking a shower before approaching school grounds! I mean we are high school students it’s common sense to realize that you need to smell good before you go to school. Keep up on your hygiene folks, it’s not that hard.

VHS on...

Bullying

Senior Nick Landski stated, “I do witness bullying sometimes, and I do feel like it can be a problem, but I don’t think our staff really does much to prevent bullying.”

Sophomore Giselle Gallegos Rojas said, “Bullying is very frequent at our school, but I feel like since KYLE came... some people [will probably] change.”

Photos by: Archer Herring and Billy Maxwell

“I haven’t personally seen too much bullying outside of friends, but I’m sure it exists all around,” said senior Noah Conboy.

Senior Olivia Miller said, “I haven’t specifically been bullied, but I know that there is a lot of name calling.”

Junior Ashlynn Vaglica (left) said, “I don’t really see as much of it, but I hear a lot about it and I know that its happened to me.” Sophomore Anna Grossi (right) said, “I think I see it a lot, but no one really says anything about it, so its kind of a daily thing.”

“Personally, I don’t think bullying is that big of a problem because I don’t see anyone get bullied here at VHS,” stated junior Rourke Rienman. “As people may say it’s a problem at our school, I don’t really see it, but maybe that is just the people I hangout with,” said senior Jason Lowell. Freshman Benjamin Burchett stated, “I say it happens every now and then. Like, I have already seen my first high school fight... I do see it.”

Junior Ashton Sanchez said, “[It happens] specifically with certain students, but other than that it’s not too common.”

Freshman Abby Clobes commented, “Some people do decide to bully others, and I’ve seen it around campus... But its never happened to me here and I love VHS.”

Senior Jackson Ellis explained, “I think a lot of bullying does occur, like cyber bullying. There’s just a ton of random put downs, just everything.”