The Cougar Press
Ventura Unified School District teachers protest, chal-lenge and dispute one percent raise
“If you want s***** teachers to do this, give s***** pay. If you want teachers who give a s*** and are here for the kids and work hard, pay more,” said an anonymous VUSD teacher degree in education. I have to work a second job to afford food and a mortgage. I have put off having kids because my husband and I are not sure we can afford daycare and now with inflation it’s even worse,” said a anonymous respondent who would not accept the raise.
On Aug. 23, 2022, Ventura Unified School District employees gathered for VUSD’s annual Welcome Back Celebration. While the event was intended to celebrate the new school year, many VUSD employees wore red in order to protest their pay raise of one percent, although VUSD received a 13 percent budget increase.
On arrival Ventura Unified Education Association [VUEA] members passed out red posters which said, “We LOVE the kids, For ALL were worth,” “Financial Stability = Emotional Health,” and more.
Ray Stevens, a VUSD teacher at Portola Elementary, wore red at the celebration. She said, “[I’m wearing red] because the district is offering us a one percent raise which is ridiculous in these times and the fact that they got 13 percent [raised]. So we’re like really? That’s what we’re worth? We’re trying to band together and show support for our students, for our teachers, for our cafeteria workers, for everybody.”
“We’re hoping that [VUSD admistration] get back to the tables and have a negotiation that makes sense. We’d like a 12 percent raise, but they’re offering us one percent. We need [our salaries] to move up and we need it to move up significantly. This is not a time for [administration] to be like ‘teachers don’t matter, we’re dealing with stuff with COVID[-19].’ Parents and families are all having trouble with getting back into the school system and the teachers are the ones in the trenches. We’re out there everyday and we’re doing it for the kids they deserve to be paid,” said Stevens.
“Teachers and school
staff, dressed in red, carrying signs and banners, chanting and proclaiming their outrage and disappointment at the district’s failure to honor, appreciate and respect their work [at VUSD’s Welcome Back Celebration],” said VUEA Vice President Sebastien DeClerck in a letter to the editor published by the VC Star.
According to the VUEA website page “All is not well at VUSD: where we are Fall 2022,” “VUSD has received a funding increase of over 13 percent for the school year 2022-2023 [Summer 2022]. VUSD has offered the workers of the district, both certificated and ESP [Education Support Professionals] a one percent on-going increase and a four percent bonus [Summer 2022].”
“Many VUEA members are angry at the difference between what VUSD has received and what they are willing to provide to the employees. Why are we angry? Inflation has hit all of us. Rents are high and getting higher. Food, gas, utilities: it’s all going up and out of our reach,” according to the site.
“[The raise is] disrespectful and a slap in the face, after years of COVID[-19] and extra work we’ve been putting in and the surrounding districts getting paid six to 12 percent more. [For VUSD] to retain quality staff you have to have a decent living wage. It is expensive to live in Ventura, and Oxnard is making 109 [thousand] at year 10, when at VUSD will never get there. Our highest wage is at 20 years which is like 95 [thousand],” said a VUSD teacher at the celebration who remains anonymous.
At VUSD, the highest salary is from a teacher with a “Bachelor Degree plus 75 Sem
Units and Master’s Degree,” they would make $98,645 after 25 years according to the 2021-22 Certified Salary Schedule from VUSD. While at Oxnard School District, including Oxnard elementary and middle schools, the same teacher with the same credentials and years, would make over $14,000more per year, at $112,721 according to the 2021-22 Salary Schedule from OSD.
From a spreadsheet
“VUEA members want to help kids and families. That’s why we got into education in the first place. Kids need a lot right now, and
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shared by DeClerck, data shows that VUSD has received a “Total Salary Raise” from 2014-2015 to 2021-2022 of 14.5 percent, while other Ventura County districts received as much as a 23 percent increase.
“This [raise] is a f****** INSULT! Our district sees NO worth in its employees who are not principals or ‘higher up.’ I’m disgusted to have worked for this district for the past 35 years. Should have gone to Oxnard when I could have,” said an anonymous respondent from the VUEA Negotiations Survey.
The survey asked one question; “If you had to vote on this today, would you ratify [or accept] one percent on-schedule and four percent off-salary schedule?” Out of the 257 VUSD teachers who responded, 249 would not accept, while eight would.
One anonymous respondent that would accept said, “Health care is very important to me.” Another anonymous respondent said, “I have found my salary to be adequate for our families needs. Of course, I would accept more, but I do not feel the demand more at this time.”
“This is my ninth year in the district. I have a master’s
the classroom teachers and the counselors are there for all kids. However, we can’t help kids if VUSD won’t help us. VUSD has received a funding increase of over 13 percent for the school year 2022-2023 [Summer 2022],” said VUEA on their site.
VUSD held their monthly board meeting on Sept. 13 where the budget, salaries and more was discussed. “[VUEA] estimated more than 200 of their combined 1,600 members attended the meeting,” said Isaiah Murtaugh in the VC Star article “Ventura educators pack school board meeting over pay dispute, living cost increase.”
VUSD will return to negotiations later this month with revised data that will include 8.7 percent more than the 2021-2022 school year’s base funding. At the meeting, Ventura Unified School Board President Sabrena Rodriguez said that stipulations came with some of the new money VUSD received, and that VUSD is still researching in order to see if it is eligible to go to teacher salaries.
Article is updated as of Sept. 26. An updated version is available on thecougarpress. org.
VHS Varsity Girls Volleyball Team loses to Dos Pueblos
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“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill
On Aug. 23, VUSD employees gathered for the annual Welcome Back Celebration, VUEA members wore red in order to protest their raise of one percent. Photo from: VUEA website
Avery Cameron
Graph displaying data from teacher salaries from Oxnard and Santa Paula school districts, which have higher salaries compared to VUSD. Graphic by: Avery Cameron
Photo by: Alejandro Hernandez
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VHS students take on Europe
Cougars explore a new continent during summer trip Christian Montecino 28 to July 18 in two separate groups. One was with science teacher Karen Reynosa, accompanied by a total of 30 seniors. The other was with math teacher Logan Norris which had about 50 students and five chaperones.
The Ventura High School summer trip returned for its fifth year after a one year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After traveling to places like Costa Rica, Peru and Panama, they headed east for Europe. VHS students took a trip from June
Reynosa’s group traveled to The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, England and France. Norris’s group traveled to England, France and Greece. The reason these two groups were separated was due to Reynosa’s group being unable to do the trip the
On Campus
previous summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reynosa’s group ran into some problems before they landed in Europe. Reynosa said, “We flew into Toronto so we could fly into Amsterdam, but we got stuck in Toronto for two days.”
Rachel Gonzalez ‘22 said, “While we were stuck in Toronto it was very scary. We had no idea if we were going to get on a plane. We spent two nights sleeping on the floor of the airport not knowing if our trip was canceled or not. Many of us tried to stay awake the first night. After hours with no luggage and no direction we gave in and fell asleep.”
Norris’ group landed in England on June 29, and toured the country for four days. They visited landmarks like Big Ben, the Tower of London and the Piccadilly Circus.
“I think that the adults on the trip were very fair with free time and were not overbearing at all. They monitored the group very well,” said Cooper Conrad ‘23.
Once Reynosa’s group landed in Amsterdam
on July 14, they proceeded to explore the city until they traveled to Munich on July 15 to continue their journey.
Reynosa said, “[The Europe trip] was fantastic. It was so cool and seeing it with the kids was just amazing. This group of kids were the best group I’ve ever had.”
Among those in Reynosa’s group was recent VHS graduate Lucy GrowdonStark ‘22. Growdon-Stark said, “My top three moments over the trip were watching the Eiffel Tower light up at night, swimming in a lake in Switzerland and getting lunch with my friends in Innsbruck, Austria.”
Gonzalez said, “Europe was incredible, however the way we traveled was very hard on all of the travelers. We were always on the go. There were some unforgettable moments during the trip. I would say we spent more time traveling than we did in the actual cities.”
Growdon-Stark said, “Even with our struggles in Canada, we all managed to enjoy the trip every possible moment we could. We got to see incredible sites, spend
time with amazing people and get a glimpse of some breathtaking culture that you can’t find in America.”
New state law changes VHS atmosphere with block schedule
I have that extra time to prepare for them. I’m not as rushed throughout my day because when I get rushed trying to do a lot for kids, I could become a little bit of a jerk.”
next day. And teachers, same thing. We only prepare for a couple classes the next day, as opposed to all five or six that we teach.”
As of the 2022-23 school year, Ventura High School has implemented a new schedule in order to comply with federal Senate Bill 328. This bill does not allow high school students to start school before 8:30 a.m. The law went into effect on July 1. Students and faculty alike have had to adjust to the new schedule.
Science teacher Jared McEntyre has loved the block schedule so far. He said, “I am way more relaxed. I have more time to prepare for classes, which is good for students when
The new schedule is set up so that first or second period occur, then nutrition break, third or fourth period, lunch, fifth or sixth period and finally seventh period. This means students have about half the classes they would typically have in the 2021-2022 school year’s schedule.
McEntyre said, “There is not as much wasted time. In the schedule we had last year there was a lot of wasted time in transition. Because we have less transitions, we have less wasted time. I also like [that] students only need to prepare for a couple of classes the
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Many people however, don’t feel as strongly as McEntyre does. Ellie Anestos ‘24 said, “[Block schedule] is fine I guess. Maybe I’ll get bored of it one day, but for now it’s kinda good.”
Anestos said, “You have to sit in a chair for 100 minutes. I don’t like sitting for that long. Some days I get to leave because I don’t have a fifth. So, after third I can leave and go home, but otherwise there’s no other benefits.” she said.
Many students have gap periods, meaning that they now have a 100 minute gap when they aren’t in class. Some students are able to finish their days early, but
those who aren’t must report to the library or the cafeteria.
Throughout the week, VHS librarian Susan Adamich has numerous students spend hours in the library due to the new rule of
reporting to the cafeteria or library during a gap period. Adamich said, “I think there’s way too many students with a gap period.”
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Ava Mohror Avery Cameron Adi De Clerck Sophia Nacu Hansen said, “Normandy, France (pictured) was my absolute favorite place we ventured.” Photo by: Luke Hansen Editor in Chief PrintSocial Media Broadcast Brody Daw Assistant EIC Alejandro Hernandez Managing Editor The new school year brings a new schedule to accommodate state laws; faculty and students share their thoughts on the effects of the new schedule Students with a gap period must report to the library or the cafeteria. Susan Adamich the librarian at VHS doesn’t see any benefits to block schedule. She said, “100 minutes with nothing to do. There are some students who do some studying, but not a lot.” Photo by: Alexis Segovia Isabella Fierros Sophia Denzler Assistant Managing Isabella Fierros Online Staff SummerNameWilliams Miles Newman EllaNameDuncan Alexis Segovia Alex Hoskins Emily NguyenMath teacher John Kim hits the scene
While Kim grew up in southern California, he and his family migrated to Seattle, Wash. during the 1990s, where
Math teacher John Kim is “just happy to be here” as he starts his first official year teaching at Ventura High School. “I’ve [subbed at VHS] for about three years. I was a long term sub from March to the middle of June last year,” Kim said. He subbed for Pierre Chamaa, a former math teacher at VHS, during the 2021-2022 school year.
When Kim joined to be a long term sub, he took over Chamaa’s class. There he taught money management. His classes have some seniors and juniors.
“I also teach math two CP [college prep]. I have three math 2 [classes] and one money management [class],” said Kim.
Before Kim began subbing at VHS, he graduated from the University of Washington with an undergraduate degree in economics. He then got his master’s degree from Washington State University in financial economics.
“He really listens to his students and he actually values what we have to say. He’s real with us. Even if a student is disobedient, he’s still a good teacher. He takes it seriously,” said Daisy Jones ‘23.
Photo by: Jocelyn Wood he finished his undergraduate degree at the University of Washington. After 10 years in Washington, Kim moved back to southern California.
Kim said, “I was actually in [a] PhD program because I wanted to teach as a professor, but I did not want to do the research. I finished my master’s [degree] and ran. Then I worked at Microsoft for a couple years.”
After leaving Microsoft, Kim started his own tutoring business. He worked in the tutoring field for about 20 years, exclusively for
substituted at several different high schools including Foothill Technology High School, Camino Valley High School and VHS.
Math teacher Jaqueline Kim, who is John Kim’s daughter, said “It’s been a lot of fun [having my dad at VHS]. I always make the joke that if you told me in high school that I would be working with my dad that it would be a nightmare, but it’s actually been a lot of fun.”
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Class of ‘26 students share their thoughts on highschool
New freshman on campus and their experiences as they start high school
all of my classes. I memorized my classes within the first two days. I enjoy that [the classes] fill up my schedule and give me something to do.”
With the new school year beginning on Aug. 24, Ventura High School welcomed many incoming freshmen to campus. In their first high school experiences, they are faced with optional masking, block schedule and the high school environment in general. The transition to high school is hard for some and easy for others which is why we got insight from a couple of our own freshmen here on the VHS campus.
Sonny Rivera ‘26 is a safety for the VHS FroshSoph Football Team. Rivera previously attended Ventura Charter School. He said, “Since Ventura Charter School is so tiny and doesn’t have much it was a big difference but was very easy to get used to. [The transition] was a lot easier then I thought it was going to be. It wasn’t as confusing as I thought it would be. It was really easy to find
Timbre Books finds its place in the community
Local independent bookstore provides curated book selections and more
On Oct. 17, 2020, the bookstore Timbre Books opened at 1924 E Main St. in Ventura. Six months prior (April 2020), future owners and married couple Megan and Kyle Murai had been at the neighboring coffee shop Singing Sun Coffee. They noticed a vacant property,
which would later become Timbre Books.
Megan Murai said, ¨We were like ´well we don’t even know what it takes to open a bookstore, but let´s do some research and see what it takes.´ We did a few months of research and then started inquiring about the space and what it would take to open the
store. Then we just kind of went for it.¨
Megan Murai has a background in creative writing, with a master of fine arts degree in the subject. She worked as an editing and social media freelancer prior to Timbre Books. She said, ¨I didn’t really love it that much. I had recently finished a master of fine arts in creative writing from Seattle Pacific University. I wanted to figure out a way to be in the book and literary world that didn´t necessarily require me to get something published immediately.¨
Timbre Books owner Megan Murai said, “I’ve always loved books. I’ve always loved talking about and reading them. I love getting to share books that I like reading with other people.”
Photo by: Alejandro Hernandez
Megan and Kyle Murai started Timbre Books using private investments, personal investments, a loan and crowdfunding. Megan Murai said, “The start-up cost for a bookstore is not as much as it may be for some other businesses like restaurants or something like that.”
Megan Murai said, ¨I think it
was a little hard for us [to open during the pandemic], but that’s kind of all we´ve known. We haven’t opened a business in another time, so it’s hard to know what it would have been like to open it at a different time. But I think we had some things going for us because of the pandemic, like the fact that people were reading a lot more because they didn’t necessarily have a ton of other things to do, and people recognized the need to support small businesses. I think that really helped us when we opened. It definitely had its challenges though. When we first opened, we weren’t able to have a full capacity of people in here and wearing masks and all that.¨
Ariana Goulette ‘23 said, “I first shopped there back in November. I think it’s a really cool business, the service is always wonderful and I love the book selection.
Reading is important and can impact the Ventura High
Mission Statement
As former eighth graders transition to high school, they face a bigger campus with more grades, people, teachers and activities. Shaylee Torres ‘26 said, “There definitely was a transition but it was easy, a bunch of the eighth-graders, they just want to have drama but now everyone’s chill.”
Lia Reed ‘26 said, “I like it [VHS] a lot, I think it’s better than my middle school for sure.“
Rivera said, “At times I think [that friendships will change from middle school] but at others I don’t really know. It’s hard to explain how I feel about my friendships. I’m most excited to meet new people.”
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School community in a positive way. I shop at Timbre books because I love supporting small businesses, and I love the overall environment that the store has.”
Megan Murai said, ¨I do everything from buying the books [in stock] to selling them and marketing. I’m kind of the jack of all trades. We [Kyle and Megan Murai] just have one employee right now. We do a little bit of everything, but probably buying the books and choosing which ones I want to have in the store is the most important thing. We probably have between 4,000 to 5,000 titles.¨
Timbre Books orders book shipments directly from major publishers. These shipments are not always of the same book title, but titles from the same publisher.
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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 Cougar Press and to submit photos and videos. 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.
Sophia Denzler New math teacher John Kim begins teaching at Ventura High School Jocelyn Wood Hannah Wiggins Leslie Castro Hugh Murphy high school math for about 15 years. Following his stint in the tutoring business, he Kendall Garcia Isabel Andrade Features The Cougar Press Page 3 Alejandro HernandezContact us at thecougarpressvhs@gmail.com
Photostory
Students sway at the Neon Dance
What are Cougars wearing?
The Ventura High School Neon Dance took place on Sept. 9 between 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. in the Main Street Gym. The dance is a yearly event sponsored by ASB and is the first dance of the school year. Tickets for the dance were $8 and $5 for those with an ASB sticker. Photo by: Leslie Castro
Couple Jonah Tillery ´25 and Alex Lopez ´24 (left to right) prepare to have their photo taken at the Neon Dance photo booth. Lopez said, ¨I like the photo machine a lot. I like how it has flashing lights and how you can airdrop photos to your phone.¨ Photo by: Leslie Castro
ASB Vice President Carson Peterson ‘23 said, “The Neon Dance is about getting back to school and getting back to the groove of things. It’s our first dance and we usually have it after a football game which makes for good participation as well as there being lots of fun, paint, splatter and glitter.¨ Photo by: Leslie Castro
Chloe Biondo ´24 and April Boland ´24 (left to right) dance at the Neon Dance. Biondo said, ¨My favorite part of the Neon Dance has been hanging out with April. This dance is definitely a lot hotter [than past dances] and I’m sweating more but it’s fun.” Photo by: Leslie Castro
Liliana Lopez ‘24 (left of Liviya Nascimento ‘24, Reina Harris ‘24 and Emily Sehati ‘24) said, “The dance was fun to be at and be a part of. [My favorite part of the dance was] being with my friends on the dance floor and singing our hearts out.” Photo by: Leslie Castro
Reece Pickett ´23 (center-right) dances among other Neon Dance attendees. Pickett said, ¨I think the Neon Dance is pretty good so far. My impression of the neon dance is that it’s an event that the school holds maybe because they’re in need of money or stuff like that. It’s still a really fun event and I love it. My favorite part will probably be hearing some of the songs and seeing some of my friends, stuff like that.¨ Photo by: Leslie Castro
“I love my outfits and I love fashion. School is like a fashion show,” said Sloane Feingold ‘23 (left of Isabel Connell ‘25).
Photo by: Julian Martinez
“Despite the shoe malfunction of me walking out of the house wearing my slippers by accident, I’m currently wearing some jean shorts I cut myself, and my dad´s military jacket,” said Jayden Johnson ‘23 (center).
Photo by: Brianna Ramirez
“My pants are hand-me-downs that I cut off and so is the jacket. My necklaces are gifted,” said Maeve Searcy ‘24 (center). Photo by: Brianna Ramirez
“Fashion is pretty lit. I like clothes,” said Eddie Ramirez ‘23 (center). Photo by Julian Martinez
“I like my cheer outfit,” said Kayla Mesch ‘25 (right). “My favorite part of my outfit is probably the tank top,” said Symphony Rutledge-Schwartz ‘25 (left). Photo by: Brianna Ramirez
“My favorite part of my outfit is my shirt,” said Kamila Lopez ‘26 (center). Photo by: Julian Martinez
The Cougar Press Page 4
Sports
How do student athletes feel about alumni coaches?
Here at Ventura High School, the majority of our coaches are return ers, but how do our athletes really feel about this? After speaking to several students about their alumni coaches for their current fall sports, it is easy to conclude that the positives of these return ers heavily outweighs the negatives. Although these coaches are not the most official, they are able to have bonds with our athletes that empowers them and makes them unmatchable.
VHS Varsity Volley ball Player Sophia Sletten ‘24 said, “My favorite thing is that they are very spir ited and they really want the team spirit from when they played to continue on through the years. My least
favorite thing is I mean it’s obviously good to have a younger coach but if you have a coach that’s fresh out of college and kind of younger, they can start to feel a little bit too comfort able, but obviously that’s everyone’s own perspective on how they look at it.”
Sletten also believes that coaches have all the control on how comfortable the team is with them and they are really able to set that boundary with their mindset towards the team.
Coach Kobie Jimenez is currently 24-years-old and won CIF at VHS on the varsity volley ball team in 2016. Following this she went on to play indoor volleyball at UCSB, graduating in fall 2021.
Jimenez said, “I am pretty
intense, constructive, and bring a lot of energy. I am usually the one who gets the girls fired up in the huddle or the one giving motivational speeches.” These alumni coaches really bring the spirit back to the teams here at VHS.
“My favorite part about being an alum coach is that I get to be back in Tuttle Gym and see how many more fans this year’s team is getting. When we were in school hardly anyone went to our games. It’s just a fun environment to be in,” said Jimenez.
She is not the only alum coach of VHS Varsity Volleyball. VHS Varsity Vol leyball Head Coach Brian Orneals is also an alum.
The VHS Football Team has the most alumni as coaches. Roman Iadevaia ‘24 said, “I feel like there are negatives [of having alum coaches] because not all of them were like the greatest players but they bleed black and gold and that’s all we need.” Players here at VHS seem to value the connec tions more than the creden tials of their coaches, really showing how spirited we are at VHS.
Dylan Garcia ‘23 said, “I feel like I can come to coach Garcia for anything. We can talk about football or just life in general.” The ath lete to coach bond at VHS is
unlike any other.
Corner coach Mi cheal Marin who graduated in 2020 from VHS is the youngest alum coach for VHS Varsity Football. He played football and ran track all four years at VHS.
Marin said, “Cougar football gave a lot to me while I was in high school so when it was time for me to give back to the high school and the program, I was more than willing to do so.”
Student athletes feel so connected here that it gives them so many reasons to come back. Other reasons Marin gave for what the program gave to him were because it kept him out of trouble and making bad decisions as well.
VHS football teams join forces to defeat Dos Pueblos
“I, being a recent alum, can relate to the players a bit better because not too long ago I was in their position going through the same struggles, which I believe creates a new level of trust between the players and I,” said Marin. He con siders the only downside is that he can be mistaken for a player.
Overall, our alumni coaches here at VHS are respected and looked up to.
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Kobie Jimenez playing the libero volleyball position at Ventura High School in 2016. The VHS Girls Volleyball team went 36-3 this season, as well as winning CIF. Photo by: Felix Cortez Roman Ladevaia ‘24 (center) said, “It’s like they are carrying on their legacy. They see themselves in us and want to carry it on.” Photo by: Lourdes Almalab On Sept. 9, the Ventura High School Junior Varsity and Varsity teams got together to play against Dos Pueblos High School. Photo by: Angelica Matehua Emily Seva’Aetasi ‘24 is a cheerleader on the varsity cheer team. She has been cheerleading for eight years and has been on the VHS Cheer Team for three years. Photo by: Samantha Castañeda Nick Thomas ´24 is the middle linebacker for the VHS Varsity Football Team. Thomas has been playing football for 11 years. Photo by: Samantha Castañeda Makana Arndt ‘24 is the wide receiver for VHS Varsity Football Team. His proudest moments from the VHS vs. DPHS game were the three touchdowns he scored. Photo by: Samantha Roman Ladevaia ‘24 is a slot receiver and cornerback on the VHS Varsity Football Team. Photo by: Samantha Castañeda The final score was 35-7, granting VHS a win against DPHS. Photo by: Samantha Castañeda Student athletes define the positive and negative aspects of having returning players lead them in their fall seasons Lourdes AlmalabThe Cougar Press Page 5
Castañeda
Against: The impact of Andrew Tate
“I’m not a f*cking rapist, but I like the idea of just being able to do what I want. I like being free,” said Andrew Tate in a Youtube video that has now been
deleted. Tate is known for his outlandish views on women as well as his hypermasculine media presence. His rapid surge to fame was not by chance, seeing as many of his fans have started reposting his most controversial takes for maximum publicity. Tate has been banned on multiple platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Twitch and Youtube due to his apparent violation of their
guidelines. According to a spokesperson from Meta, Tate’s ban will be permanent due to his account violating their policy regarding dangerous individuals and organizations. A TikTok spokesperson also confirmed
‘23 said, “I don’t think it was right that Andrew Tate was banned from some social media platforms because everyone has the right to speak their mind on the internet. Even if his statements are ignorant, he should still have the right to share them.”
of man I want to be. A top G.” Obviously, Tate wouldn’t be where he is today without his following, which largely consists of teenage boys who are at a vulnerable stage in their life where they are more likely to be open to following such radical viewpoints in the hopes that they can be nearly as successful as they perceive Tate to be.
that Tate’s account had been permanently banned as a result of an ongoing investigation on said account. Twitter, Twitch and Youtube have also banned or suspended his accounts for similar reasons. Most platforms likely banned him to avoid negative press on their part rather than because they thought his viewpoints were potentially dangerous to his young, persuadable audience.
Chantelle TroutmanAs a teenager with a younger brother, I believe these social media platforms had the right to ban Tate’s accounts due to his harmful views overall. Children are incapable of knowing when Tate is joking and when he is being serious, causing a serious lack of awareness regarding reality and the struggles of both men and women in the world. There are impressionable, young children on the Internet now, which is not something anyone can control or fully edit, so the regulation and removal of specific accounts that advertise right-wing extremism and anti-women propaganda are warranted.
“I have everything every man has ever dreamed of. I got a big mansion. I got supercars. I can live anywhere I want. I got unlimited women. I go where I want. I do anything I want all the time. So, I’m an amazing role model,” said Tate. Malehky Balam ‘23 said, “Tate is a total sigma male and really embodies the type
For: The Impact of Andrew Tate
Andrew Tate is an internet personality and former professional kickboxer.
On Aug. 19, Facebook and Instagram banned his accounts. On Aug. 20, TikTok banned Tate´s account, followed by YouTube and Twitch on Aug. 22. According to The Washington Post, ¨In a statement to The Washington Post, a TikTok representative said Tate’s account was removed for violating the company’s policies that bar ´content that attacks, threatens, incites violence against, or otherwise dehumanizes an individual or a group based on attributes including sex. Meta said it had removed Tate’s official accounts on Facebook and Instagram, pointing to policies against dangerous organizations and individuals.¨
The vague policies of TikTok and Meta allow them to carefully select which creators get banned. Social media companies ultimately decide what content is guilty of violating their policies, which can often mean irregular and arbitrary rulings. This is not to be interpreted as whataboutism in defense of Tate. Instead, it is an identification of the disingenuous nature of social media policy enforcement. The true rationale behind Tate´s multitude of bans is that social media companies perceive him as a threat to their permitted
order. Tate is a disruption to the current order as his beliefs are not congruent with what they desire society to believe. Tate is the masculine antithesis to their preferred emasculate order. In response, they began a coordinated effort to eradicate his online presence. This effort is founded on a false narrative that has spread among the public and created negative connotations for Tate and his supporters.
There is no evidence of Tate explicitly inciting violent acts. He was ostracized based on pure conjecture, presumably founded on out-of-context sound bites. However, no specific sound bite was cited by any social media company to justify their bannings of Tate´s accounts. It remains a mystery as to what specifically led to his bans from major social media platforms.
In the context of Tate´s social media bans, social media companies have behaved as publishers. This is defined by the regulation of content similar to a newspaper or other organization with an editorial board. However, social media companies are often considered platforms. Platforms are protected from legal liability under Section 230 of Title 47 of the U.S. Code, meaning that they are not held responsible for their users´ speech, unlike publishers. Meta and TikTok
have opportunistically decided to regulate their “platforms” in spite of free speech. In simplest terms, social media companies could have turned a blind eye to Tate but chose not to for political purposes. They chose to control what content is available on their services relative to their interests.
The aforementioned social media companies do not have the best interests of ordinary people in mind. They desire control over society, which manifests itself in Tate´s bans. They have a disdain for those who speak in favor of masculation and not emasculation. The situation is beyond any accusations against Tate or Tate himself. Rather, it is a direct attack on free speech and public discourse, which nullifies any notion of a free marketplace of ideas.
In a Rumble video published on Aug. 25 (15:15), Tate said, ¨[Social media companies] think ´well [Tate] has a lot of influence. He’s helping men with men´s issues but we don’t care about men’s issues. We don’t care about free speech. We´re just going to cancel him and instead, we´re going to feed them a YouTube timeline where they can watch men try on different makeup, and hopefully, they´ll decide to watch one of them instead. They hope you´re just going to forget about [me] and all [my] lessons. You´re going
It would be remiss of me to ignore the simple fact that from a business perspective, Tate knows what he’s doing. He had a goal and he accomplished it through any means of publicity. He made money. But money isn’t everything. The mindset and mentality that he encompasses are detrimental not only to those who follow him but also to those who just pass by him on their feed. Impressionable minds take in what he says and interpret it in their own ways.
“It’s bang out the machete, boom in her face, and grip her by the neck. ‘Shut up b****,’” said Tate. That’s how Tate would react if a woman accused him of cheating. Although there is no physical evidence of Tate committing violent acts, there have been multiple videos that have surfaced of Tate being openly misogynistic online.
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“I think the most important thing anyone can do in their life is have children. When I speak to some of these
feminists who’re like ‘I don’t want kids,’ I think you are the most miserable stupid b*tch in the world,” said Tate. Tate has no shame in speaking on the traditional roles of men and women in our society, women’s autonomy, and just plain violence towards women. “Females are the ultimate status symbol… People think I’m running around with these h*es because I like sex. That’s nothing to do with the reason why I’m running around with these b*tches. I got these b*tches just so everyone knows who the don is,” said Tate. It’s sad really, to see a successful man so full of spite and hate that he’d rather spew nonsense instead of educating himself on the complexities of today’s society.
“Even though everyone’s opinions should be listened to for us to be more aware of different people’s beliefs, I think his [Tate’s] impact has been largely negative due to him stating that he hates women and is a misogynist, and giving your followers a platform where they can echo this sentient is only leading to the spread of harmful viewpoints for impressionable people on the internet,” said Bruce Sheldon ‘23.
to forget about the lifestyle I purport and all the things I can teach you. Instead, you´re going to just run away and do something else. Let´s just delete Andrew and maybe they´ll watch makeup and go do that.´ They think you´re dumb. You need to show
are way meaner people saying worse. Yet again he wasn’t the best.”
Sierra Golden ‘24 said, “It was absolutely right for [Tate] to be banned from social media because he was setting a horrible example to future generations or younger
them that you´re not stupid because you have a memory. Just because they’ve deleted me doesn’t mean you don’t remember who I am and what I teach.¨
Cody Ortiz ‘24 said, “Tate has made a pretty big impact on society, good and bad. His memes are everywhere, he’s being talked about everywhere. I don’t think it was right to ban him. There’s a lot worse out. There
kids just starting to join social media.”
The salient fact about Tate is that he positively influenced public consciousness among his supporters. It is impossible to prove his effects on society outside anecdotes and sound bites, which have been used as evidence for anti-Tate chicanery.
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Andrew Tate is an internet personality who is surrounded by controversy and has been banned from many social media platforms. Graphic by: Sophia Nacu Sophia Nacu Two journalists argue their beliefs regarding internet personality Andrew Tate Alejandro Hernandez According to Tate´s website https://cobratate.com (pictured), “Emory Andrew Tate III (born Dec. 14, 1986) is an American-British kickboxer from Chicago, Ill., who competes in the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions. He is three times ISKA Kickboxing world champion and Enfusion Live champion.” Screenshot by: Alejandro HernandezAre you actually being real?
With the recent boom of the app BeReal, it raises the question, is anyone actually being real? To give some insight, BeReal is an app that was launched in 2020 by founder and CEO Alexis Barreyat. In recent months, the app has received extreme popularity among teenagers and users alike around the world.
“I thought it was a cool app and it didn’t have too many factors to it. It was
of what you are doing in one specific moment. Although the app gives you a two-minute timer to take your photo, you can take it at any time after and also retake it as many times as you please. All the app will show to your friends is how late the photo was taken and how many times it was retaken if done so.
The concept of the app is great, as it creates a more casual social media. Scrolling through Instagram
easy and simple,” said Trinity Apodaca ’26.
It’s similar to Instagram in the sense that its main focus is photo-based, but what sets it apart is its daily spontaneous request for a post
feeds and seeing people look perfect and living their best life is tiring and usually fake. A lot of the people that look like they have a perfect life on Instagram are also laying in their beds just like you. Thus the creators designed this app to end unattainable ideals and created a social media that normalizes not being perfect all the time.
Mark Velthoen ’23 said, “I think it’s a little more personal than Instagram because it captures you at a random moment.”
Although many people use the app correctly, others just wait until they’re doing something fun to take the picture. This defeats the whole purpose of the creators’ intentions for the app. “If it’s done in the time frame then yeah, [the app does a good job of showing people’s real lives]. I feel like some people just wait until they’re doing something important,” said Velthoen.
With that being said, not everyone is on their phone at all times waiting for the notification to go off.
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Are 30-minute lunches enough?
every day, you only have 10-minutes to eat and then get to class, which I find very unreasonable.”
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At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, Ventura High School students experienced a schedule change of longer class periods due to block schedule. With this change came new 30-minute lunches. In previous years, students enjoyed a relaxing and well deserved 40-minute lunch break, plus an extra fiveminute passing period. The VHS student body and staff had plenty of time to eat their food, chat with friends and get any last minute classwork done.
Whether negative or positive, those lost 15-minutes of last year’s lunch have been noticed by all. While a half an hour of lunch may seem like the right amount of time for someone to eat and use the restroom, the reality is that many students get the school lunch. The time it takes to move through the endless lunch line takes up a majority of the short break and lunch.
Marcia Linn ‘24 said, “If you go to get the school lunch it takes like 20-minutes and if you eat in your car, have a place you sit and eat
To some people’s surprise, it’s not that the VHS administration nor the Ventura Unified School district is out to get us. VHS Principal Marissa Rodgriuez said, “The minutes for lunch are in alignment to required instructional minutes and late start time.” This is a result of federal Senate Bill 328 which requires high schools to push start times back to 8:30 a.m.
Payson Ramos ‘24, said, “I’d rather have a longer lunch because we have longer classes, so we would get more of a break maybe.”
Linn said, “I think I might be late. I have to run over there, and I’ve been having to pack my own lunches at home because it’s been taking so long and it’s just not great.”
Linn’s comment sparks a question many of us have had; what about the students who depend on school lunches, who can’t bring their own food from home? If students who wait in the 20-minute lunch line everyday have to walk around to find a space to eat, they only have five to 10 minutes to enjoy their meal, use the bathroom and relax. This is neither healthy nor sustainable for these students.
It may seem silly to care so much about our break time, but it is important
to remember that school consumes a large part of a student’s day, excluding the hours spent on homework after class. In addition, students who play school sports can still be on campus two to three hours after sixth and seventh period ends. Those who are unable to finish or begin eating lunch and have to play a sport directly after school are not having their dietary needs met.
To sum it up in Thompson’s words, half an hour ends up feeling “like five minutes.” Whether or not VUSD and the VHS administration would be willing to alter the school schedule, it’s important that they take into consideration the complications and obligations of each student’s life when making decisions that affect us all.
As of the 2022-23 school year, a new rule has been set prohibiting students from accessing the student parking lot during the 15-minute nutrition break. When asked why this rule was implemented, Ventura High School principal Marissa Rodriguez responded that it was due to too many student tardies and for safety needs on-campus.
This new rule is inefficient and disregards the fact that many students utilize their cars to store their excess school supplies as well as snacks until they need them. Seniors, more specifically, were not given lockers this year, adding to the stress of getting from class to class on time.
Carson Peterson ‘23 said, “Last year I went to my car during nutrition to grab my lunch or grab supplies for my next class that I didn’t want to lug around with me at school and things like that. SoI think it’s a helpful thing to have, especially access to your car.”
Peterson said, “We’re in high school and I think we can comprehend whatever they tell us. I’m sure if the principal came out and had a valid reason for why we can’t go to our parking lots during nutrition we’d be like ‘OK,’ but right now it kind of feels like it’s just a rule that is not explained.”
typically look for explanations when there is a change in rules. If a rule that nearly half of the school is affected by is suddenly set in place with no explanation, students have a right to be confused, even angry.
While one of the big reasons the VHS administration decided to close the lot at break was due to the excessive amounts of tardies the school has, Rodriguez also has an additional reason. She said, “One of our goals is to build [a] school community among all grade levels. Nutrition on campus in populated eating areas provides this opportunity for engagement with peers and staff.” However, why should the entire student body be punished for just a portion of students?
Regarding concern for seniors needing a place to put their books, Rodriguez said, “Seniors have access to lockers if requested.” Rodriguez also said that she does not plan to re-open the student parking lot during break at this time.
As many students are on the verge of adulthood, we should be moving towards a more independent lifestyle. At the same time, this rule feels as though we are moving backward in our independence and responsibility. Students will look forward to driving to school and parking in the student lot to enjoy visiting with their friends, as well as having their personal space available to store their school supplies and other necessities. Taking away parking lot from students during break cuts into the benefit of bringing a car to school.
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We’ve got a LOT to say about the lot!Claire Clay ‘23 (left) made a BeReal post during lunch 28 minutes later than when her BeReal timer went off. Photo by: Belen Hibbler One of the many uses of student cars on campus is to store school supplies, such as textbooks and notebooks. Photo by: Soraya Stegall Belen Hibbler The popularity of the app BeReal raises some curiosity; do people like the app because they can show their authentic selves, or do they like that their posts will be perceived as “real” even though they might not be? New rule prohibits students from going to the student parking lot at break, but why? Students are left in the dark wondering where their extra 15-minutes went Many students Soraya Stegall One of the long lunch lines at VHS on Sept. 13. “Honestly, I’m not [liking the block schedule]. The lunch line is already long enough just to get school lunch if you’re having to and the car situation isn’t great, especially for the nutrition,” said Marcia Linn ´24. Photo by: Nicklaus Shelton Halle Gentry Ella Montano Santiago Gonzalez Ava Mohror Kinda Mehael Jane Armstrong Sophia Nacu Ruby Lacques Lourdes Almalab Nicklaus Shelton
Opinion The Cougar Press Page 7
Distractions
Graphic by: Belen Hibbler
Cougar Catnips
Having to use our IDs to get lunch is a nightmare
Since the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, students have had to have their ID cards to get lunch. I think that’s very unnecessary and frankly, stupid. Most students don’t even carry their IDs, which means they have to put in their numbers, making the line even longer to get through. With nutrition and lunch shortened, it is an absolute NIGHTMARE getting lunch. Last week, I spent 10 minutes in line at nutrition. When I finally got through the line, I barely had any time left to eat! Why can’t they just make it work like last year? Ugh!
What’s up with thedress code?
We all went to the grade-level assemblies and naturally, the dress code discussion came up. What is up with the photos of breaking dress code all being girls? If they really are going to enforce the dress code this year they should not primarily provide examples of girls with tight tops. Because a dress code should only enforce violence or drug references, and the dress code is in place (however irrational) for both girls and guys. Honestly, as long as it does not interfere with learning and doesn’t hurt anyone, it shouldn’t matter.
GoFan needs to go away
Whose idea was it to have sports tickets online? I love the idea of paying for my ticket in-person, but now I have to pay for my tickets online. I think the school should keep in mind that half of the students may not own a credit card or have Apple Pay. I mean yeah I’m assuming they wanted to shorten those lines but come on! I had bought my ticket online once and showed up a couple minutes late. They were just letting people in without checking tickets! What a waste of money.
Kinda Meheal
Brody Daw
Leslie Castro
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