VHS Journalism
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February 1, 2019
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” - Robert Frost
Is senior ball only for ballers?
Senior Ball 2019
As Senior Ball is approaching, twelfth graders need to consider: Is spending over $100 on a school dance worth it? Avenlea Russian Summer Yovanno For a couple ticket, it is 125 dollars and ten dollars off with an ASB stamp. A single ticket is 70 dollars and with an ASB stamp, it is 65 dollars. But what if that is too much? To put it into perspective, the ball is hosted at Spanish Hills Country Club, an elegant venue that is also providing food. The menu for the evening is a choice of salad, entree and side. Comparing the meal to a nice restaurant in Ventura, you would be looking at 30 to 50 dollars alone. Along with this, one must consider the preparation to attend. We are going to look at the cost of a formal dress, a tuxedo, shoes, hair, makeup and a corsage and boutonniere. We went down to Santee Alley in the Los Angeles Fashion District. There we found “ideal” dresses from 80 to 180 dollars, depending on the complexity of the gown. One must take into consideration the drive and time to
find a dress down there. Senior Olivia Monarres shared, “I went to Macy’s with my mom in the [Thousand Oaks] mall and I have to pay for 200 [of my dress] and my mom is paying for the rest.” Alternatives would be borrowing a dress from a family member or friend or thrifting a second hand dress. Senior Paris Carmody bought her dress from a thrift store downtown for only five dollars while senior Claire Ortiz got her dress for 30 dollars off Depop, a mobile app where you can sell and buy used clothing. If you are looking for a tuxedo, the Senior Ball ticket came with a coupon for a 59 dollar suit or tuxedo rental at Mission Tuxedo that includes a coat, pants, a shirt and a tie. But you can also rent a tux, for 100 dollars or more without a discount. Another small thing to consider is corsages and boutonnières. In the Senior Ball ticket envelope there was another coupon for five dollars off a set, three dollars off a corsage and two dollars off of a boutonnière. If this extra bit of
Infographic by: Avenlea Russian
Eras of Education Acacia Harrell Archer Herring The high school experience… a pillar of American education. Many students experience similar things throughout their high school years, but the experiences are all different depending on the years they grew up.
money doesn’t seem worth it, the easiest alternative would be to not get them. They aren’t anywhere near essential. Other things to consider are shoes, hair, makeup and gas. These can all add up. On average, the cost of a pair of heels at Charlotte Russe is around 20 dollars. Charlotte Russe is a convenient option to shop from, considering it’s in the Pacific View Mall, a mile away from Ventura High School. If you are looking for dress shoes, a brand new pair of Vans is about 50 dollars but for more of a “classy shoe,” Macy’s sells some averaging the cost of 100. Senior Kaitlyn Berry went to Senior Ball last year, she shared, “[Last year] I went to Michael Kelley [Salon] for both hair and makeup. Hair was 50 [dollars] and makeup was 60 [dollars],” Berry concluded, “People have the choice to do it themselves, which could save a lot of money, [but the price] was worth it in my opinion because doing it myself would just stress me out, and it’s easier for someone to just do it for you.” For someone who gets a dress, gets their hair and makeup down and gets a single ticket, this may average out to 300 dollars. For someone with a tux and a single ticket, it may be 200 dollars. VHS students share their own opinion on the price of the whole event, Monarres commented, “It’s difficult because I have a boyfriend who won’t let me pay for half, and it just makes it harder on him to pay for the whole price so it’s [kind of] unfair in a way.” continued on... thecougarpress.org
Photo by: Jezel Mercado (From left To right) Seniors Kyle Schneider and Paris Gaston smiling after receiving their senior best award for “Biggest Flirt.”
Volume 71 Edition 05
Photo by: Jezel Mercado (From left to right) Seniors Peyton Erickson and Eddie Pacula. “The tri-tip was really good,” commented Pacula. Photo by: Jezel Mercado
Photo by: Jezel Mercado (From left To right) Seniors Kylie Garcia and Cassidy Hubert. “I thought it was really fun, the venue was really nice, the food was good and the music was good too.” commented Garcia.
(From left to right) Seniors Mary Sinclair and Bryce Weinell smiling after receiving their senior best award for “Cutest Couple That Never Was.” Photo by: Jezel Mercado
Photo by: Jezel Mercado (From left to right) Seniors Cy Tritschler and Tatum Teel. “The food was really good! I loved the potatoes and the veggies were bomb, and I had three pieces of bread.” Commented Teel on the food that was served.
(From left to right) Seniors Ian Mcweeney and Serena Ropersmith. “I thought everone looked really good and I liked how a lot of people wore what they wanted even if it was different than the typical long dress of suit.” commented Ropersmith.
VHS teacher on leave after arrest for alleged sexual battery
VUSD appoints Dr. Roger Rice new Superintendent
Swinging into the new year: three ensembles showcase their jazz
Listening to music in class: helpful or a disruption?
Miles Bennett
Sam Coats
Lola Bobrow
Trinity Taylor
On Dec. 30, Ventura High School German teacher David Reich was arrested for alleged sexual harassment of a 22-year-old employee at Industry Horror, a clothing store in Downtown Ventura.
The Ventura Unified School District Board of Education unanimously voted Tuesday, January 8, to select Dr. Roger Rice, the current Deputy Superintendent for Student Services at the Ventura County Office of Education, as VUSD’s next superintendent.
On Jan. 16, 2019 VHS and BHS’s music departments showcased their three jazz ensembles. This was the vocal jazz ensemble debut performance featuring soloists junior Molly Sturgeon, senior Mikayla Williams, and El Camino senior Bridget Boland.
Go to thecougarpress.org to read the full articles!
For me, music has always been an essential part of studying. It helps me focus during long hours of homework and keeps me awake when I’m studying late into the night.