75:03 Dec. 9, 2022

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VHS Theater Department presents “What? Improv Troupe” in the VHS

Little Theater

The improvised show allowed actors to perform unscripted

and “Storyline,” in which the games had all available performers.

Rossiter controlled and led the improv games, though drama students created and influenced many. The improv show had a game show style format, with a ding noise

“Storyline” prompted actors to get in a horizontal line across the stage and tell a story, with every person stating a word solely. The actors would say their words from left to right until Rossiter

’23, Adam Hibberd ’24, Noah Henson ’26, Diego Ibarra ’25, Eva Lechner-Hill ’23, Quinn McMurty ’24, Adrian Opolka ’23, Reece Pickett ’23, Emily Seva’Aetasi ’24 and Mya Sherman ’23. There were also cast members who worked as the tech crew.

The show’s performers were a mix of people from drama classes, clubs and those who exclusively try out and participate in plays and

musicals. McMurty said, “I thought the opening night went amazingly well. You can tell everyone is very comfortable with each other, and how people own their spotlight. Improv takes so much stress off your shoulders. There’s no pressure in remembering your lines, you just go with the flow!”

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What’s inside?

denoting the end of a game. The performers had to produce scenes given certain prompts and situations.

The games varied in their prompts and situations, though they all included only a few actors at a time, except for “Confessions”

prompted the ding sound, which marked the end of the game.

Among the 15 cast members who performed in the Dec. 2 show are Alex Aviles ’23, Cardenas, Maja DeBoer ’24, Lilia Duque ’23, Joshua Field ’24, Ari Goulette

Middle school and VHS musical groups perform at the Honors Winter Concert

by shows on Dec. 14 and 15. Winter Concert Series concerts are free to attend.

The Ventura High School Honors Winter Concert occurred between 7 and 8:37 p.m. Dec. 1 in the VHS Auditorium. The concert was the first of three performances in the VHS Music Winter Concert Series and will be followed

In chronological order, the concert featured performances by the Anacapa Middle School Wind Ensemble, Cabrillo Middle School Wind Ensemble, VHS Wind Ensemble Honors and VHS String Orchestra Honors. In total, 150 students performed, and 90 were VHS students.

The middle school wind ensembles played between 7 and 7:38 p.m. These groups’ performances

were followed by an intermission until 7:45 p.m., which marked the beginning of VHS musical performances.

VHS Music Director Paul Hunt said, “We split the performances by level so that the most advanced ensembles are performing together. The honors groups perform the most rigorous music written. It also means keeping the concerts to a reasonable length of time. If the other [musical] groups were to perform, the concert would have lasted over three hours.”

Among the artists whose music was performed at the concert were James Curnow (“Mid-West Golden Jubilee Overture”), Jerry Brubaker (“The Complete Harry Potter Themes from All Eight Movies”), William Owens (“Dakota”), Frank Ticheli (“A Shaker Gift Song”), Steven Reineke (“Where Eagles Soar”), Julie Giroux (“Bookmarks from Japan”), Leonard Bernstein (“Overture to ‘Candide’”), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (“Symphony No. 25”), Camille Saint-Saëns

(“Allegro Moderato from Symphony No. 3”) and Jack Jarrett (“American Folk Song Suite”).

Tenor saxophone player Reese Whitley ‘23 said, “I think it was one of my better run-throughs. For my orchestra’s performance, I think it went great, and everyone was in a really good mood, and we did our best to make a good band sound. I think we played [‘Overture to “Candide”’] and the first movement the best. I feel like I’ve performed so many times over the past seven years, and it’s kind of easy because I’m in the third row and I can’t see anybody so it’s not that nerve-wracking.”

Concert viewer Alex Elliot ‘24 said, “The concert was great and I’m so proud of everyone. I attended the performance for my friends and family. I enjoyed all of the string orchestra honors pieces the most. The music made me feel so inspired and empowered.”

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Improv show actors (left to right) Goulette, DeBoer, Sherman and Field play the “Revolving Monologue” game by rotating as a character monologuing about water slides. The actor at the front of the line was the character until Rossiter dinged, meaning they had to go to the back of the line. Photo by: Nicklaus Shelton

Four musical groups performed at the Honors Winter Concert, two being from middle schools and two from Ventura High School. Photo by: Adi De Clerck

Alejandro Hernandez

Graphic by: Kendall Garcia

deserves

Photo by: Lourdes Almalab

Photo by: Leslie Castro

Nicklaus Shelton

Alejandro Hernandez

The first concert out of three in the VHS Music Winter Concert Series

“Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.” -Will Rogers

“What? Improv Troupe” performers Quinn McMurty ’24 (far-left) and Sinthia Cardenas ’23 (far-right) point imaginary guns at each other as a part of the “Storyline” game. Photo by: Nicklaus Shelton

Adi De Clerck

Jocelyn Wood

Katie Rundle

Opinion: Anti-abortion activists spread misinformation on the VHS campus

On Oct. 19, three male Thomas Aquinas College students and one female California Right to Life member stood outside the Ventura High School student parking lot during school hours and held anti-abortion posters and handed out pamphlets to passing students. While the activists were within

their rights to stay on campus as they remained on the sidewalk, which is considered public property, several students expressed discomfort or anger at the fact that the activists were permitted to stay despite VHS staffs’ knowledge. Some students even tore up the pro-life pamphlets in front of the activists’ faces.

Caylin Mobley ‘23 said, “I understand that freedom of speech is a thing, however, it’s difficult for me to see these people

obviously going out and … basically protesting against me as a human being, me and my choices and me and my body.”

Besides the question of whether or not the “prolifers” should have been able to stage themselves at school, after simple research, it is clear that their posters were nothing more than propaganda. The posters, four in total, displayed gruesomely misleading images from the organization “Created Equal,” of aborted 15 and 11-week-old fetuses.

The mess of limbs and blood is an inaccurate depiction of abortion for several reasons. For one, according to the British National Health Service, at 15 weeks old, the fetus is “around 10.1cm long from head to bottom, which is about the size of an apple.” Second, images like these often go hand and hand with the idea that fetuses at these stages of

development can feel pain. This tactic is manipulative and medically inaccurate.

According to the National Library of Medicine, the neural circuitry development of the fetus has not progressed enough for the brain to register pain before 26 weeks old. According to the article, “Not only has the biological development [of the fetus] not yet occurred to support the experience of pain, but

the [outside] environment after birth, so necessary to the development of pain experience, is also yet to occur.” This means that feeling pain requires mental development outside of the womb in order to acknowledge the existence of pain.

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Club feature: Chess Club in the second year of its modern iteration

perspective into the Chess Club

Chess Club President Riley Simpson ‘24 founded the Ventura High School Chess Club early in the 20212022 school year with math teacher Preston Biller as its advisor. For the 2022-2023 school year, the club moved to the VHS music room, and Paul Hunt became the club’s new advisor. The club meets during lunch Tuesdays and Thursdays. Aside from Simpson, there are two club leaders: Chess Club Vice President Jade Reily ‘24 and Chess Club Treasurer Karsten Vivan ‘24.

Simpson said, “This chess club was started in my sophomore year. Mr. Biller [said,] ‘Hey, I notice that you like to carry around a

chess board. Would you be interested in starting a new chess club?’”

The current Chess Club was preceded by a chess club managed by the VHS Music Department. It became defunct due to low participation.

Simpson said, “There’s a lot more space and tables [in the music room]. Mr. Biller’s room is just a little more restrictive with seating. Also, Mr. Hunt’s father was a chess master, so we’d thought it’d be good to have somebody who really knows the game to watch over the club.”

About 10 people regularly attend Chess Club meetings. However, the club does not mandate meeting attendance as it allows

casual membership. People do not need to sign-up for the Chess Club to attend its meetings.

Simpson said, “Just show up. It’s nothing serious. If you enjoy the game all you have to do is show up. We have enough boards for you to just drop in and play a game. It’s fairly casual.”

Simpson said, “We come here during lunch. We’ll play as much of a game as possible with the 30 minutes that we have for lunch.”

The Chess Club also meets from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesdays in the cafeteria, concurrent with the ASSETS after-school program.

Simpson said, “Not as many people show up to ASSETS chess. I’m usually

there.”

Chess Club member Daniel Smiley ‘24 said, “I joined the Chess Club because I like class. I like learning about it and playing with others. It’s an awesome

opportunity for everyone to learn about chess and get better [at it].

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Lourdes Almalab

Isabel Andrade

Jane Armstrong Weston Blackburn

Samantha Castañeda

Leslie Castro

Adi De Clerck

Kendall Garcia

Halle Gentry

Jayden Gentry

Santiago Gonzales

Lia Hersh

Belen Hibbler

Annika Lange

Ruby Laques

Julian Martinez

Angelica Matehuala

Kinda Mehael

Christian

Christopher

Hugh

Miles

Emily

Ace

Alexis

Ava Mohror

Avery Cameron

Sophia Nacu

Editor-in-Chief Print Social Media

Brody Daw

EditorsAssistant EIC

Alejandro Hernandez

Managing Editor

StaffElla Montano

Montecino

Morrison

Murphy

Newman

Nguyen

Savanna Nustad-Franzen

Rico

Katie Rundle

Segovia Soraya Stegall

Nicklaus Shelton

Travis Rinehart

Hannah Wiggins Summer Williams

Jocelyn Wood

A

Chess Club member Mason Hawkins ‘24 said, “I always found the concept of chess very interesting even though I’m not great at it myself. I just like hanging out with my friends [at the Chess Club].” Photo by: Riley

Sophia Denzler

Assistant ME

Isabella Fierros

Online

Allie Nichols ‘23 (left) debates with activist about abortion. Photo by: Jane Armstrong

An anti-abortion activist and Thomas Aquinas College student who refused to give his last name said, “[His goal is to] reach out to the youth.” Photo by: Jane Armstrong

AlejandroNameHernandez

Name Jane Armstrong

Activists held graphic pro-life propaganda outside the student lot and debated with students on the controversial subject of abortion

Soraya Stegall

Ruby Lacques

sunk

in the

On Campus

cardboard boat race?” by Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler

“VHS clubs sell food at the Fall Food Faire” by Adi De Clerck and Alejandro Hernandez

Model UN President Emily Sehati ‘24 said, “[We are selling] doughnuts and soda. Doughnuts for diplomacy and soda because it’s a great bargain. They’re the best items at the Food Faire.” VHS school support secretary and Fall Food Faire ticket vendor Erin Shean said, “A lot [of tickets have been sold]. I think we’re selling more this year than last year. The Food Faire is bussin’ this year. There are so many more vendors.”

Luke Hansen ’23 (center-right) said, “I thought the food faire was really neat. A lot of groups came out and sold a lot of different kinds of food. There was a diverse selection of food. I had some good pizza and barbeque and some pastries.”

Chess Club President Riley Simpson ’24 (right) said, “We are selling homemade Rice Krispies. We’ve got chocolate, almond, sprinkle and plain. We thought it’d be unique.”

FCA President Valentina Fakrogha ’24 (center) said, “We’re selling Costco pizza. We normally have pizza on Wednesdays whenever we have our club [meetings], so it’s our thing. We’ve done it for the last couple of years. I hope that we can continue to have [food faires] for years to come.”

Mi Sendero member Mia Iglesias ‘23, “We are selling Duros. It’s a Mexican tradition to eat them, and our club is about Spanish.”

“Who

The annual Ventura High School cardboard boat race took place during lunch Nov. 15. 29 teams participated, in four races including the final round. Each team was given cardboard and tape, and had to use their ingenuity to design a unique raft that would carry their captain across the VHS pool.

As race two pushes off from the wall, many boats sink immediately, the wet cardboard dragging them down.

The winners of the 2022 cardboard boat race were Henry’s Angels, which consisted of Emeryson Brooks ‘22, Avea Baker ‘22, Henry Rose ‘22 and Ani Furmanski ‘22.

The Life in the Dream House team consisted of Gemma Woodcock ‘25 (left), Victoria Hawk ‘25 (center-left), Athena Thasiah ‘25 (center-right) and Emily Gonzalez ‘25 (right). They placed second overall. Photo by: Brody Daw

The team SS Clownfish, which consisted of members Ella Ullrich ‘23, Liza Jane Manninen ‘23, Carolyn Calkins ‘23 and Chelsea Ochoa ‘23, competed in race two. Photo by: Brody Daw

Jasmine Wanamaker ‘24, Josh Field ‘24, Scott Vreeland ‘24 and Mateo Navarro ‘23, completing for the Big Daddy Ballers, celebrate their advance to the final round.

Photo by: Brody Daw

Student feature: Carson Peterson selects Brown University

Artículo de club: Una mirada a Mi Sendero

Mi Sendero es un club que invita a todos que quieren aprender inglés o español

On Nov. 15, Carson Peterson ‘23 announced his commitment to Brown University via his Instagram account. Peterson rows for Casitas Rowing and has several rowing achievements. He qualified for the 2022 World Rowing Junior Championship selection camp in February of 2022. His success caught the attention of many of the nation’s top rowing programs including UC Berkeley and University of Washington.

Peterson’s decision was the culmination of a process of emails, talking on the phone, scouting and campus visits.

Peterson said, “[The college selection process consists of] a lot of emailing and then your junior year is when you are allowed to officially talk with the coaches, sometimes they’ll come out to races. Brown actually came out to one of my races when I was a junior. Not only are you talking to them but that’s when you have to build up your

speed. It’s sort of like college applications where they don’t see the end of your senior year, they see your junior year and maybe the start of your senior year. Junior year is a big year, in both school and rowing.”

Peterson said, “Honestly my entire school career I feel like I have been really lucky with the lineup of teachers and the lineup of classes I get. Somehow there’s always this perfect combination of the right teacher and the right amount of work and so homework hasn’t ever really been that

horrible for me. I’m definitely a chronic procrastinator and if something is optional and not worth points I probably won’t do it. Being able to absorb the right amount of information in class and get by on tests is definitely how I handle it.”

Peterson has many interests and passions outside of academics and rowing, and he feels they are key to his success and well-being.

Mi Sendero es un club en Ventura High School que realiza múltiples actividades que permiten a los hablantes nativos de español mejorar su inglés y al mismo tiempo, ayudar a aquellos que están tratando de aprender español a mejorar sus habilidades. El club también ayuda a los socios a mejorar sus habilidades de comunicación y sus oportunidades de liderazgo.

La asesora de Mi Sendero, Emily Brandvica, dijo: «[Los estudiantes de inglés] aprenden que tienen mucho que dar a nuestra comunidad y escuela y no solo [para] aprender, si no [también] para aprender inglés de los estudiantes que [ellos] están enseñando español».

para que también puedan encontrar nuestro club como un lugar seguro donde pueden ir, hacer nuevos amigos y aprender aun más». Las actividades cambian semanalmente. Incluyen tener a los estudiantes en grupos pequeños con un día de actividades en español y tener el siguiente solo con actividades en inglés. Esto les da a los estudiantes la oportunidad de interactuar y comunicarse con otros, además de querer aprender más y encontrar las similitudes y diferencias en las culturas de los demás. Otras actividades incluyen enseñarse unos a otros a bailar bailes hispanos tradicionales, fiestas con pizza y muchos otros juegos.

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Pastime Legends: a place to pass time

store and

Pastime Legends Video Games & Arcade Showroom is situated at 2040 E Main St. Ste. A, retail suite, and B, arcade suite, in Ventura. The retailer sells video games, with a focus on retro video games, video game accessories and arcade machines, as well as purchases and trades items with customers. The

arcade showroom features about 40 arcade machines and has an entry requirement of a $5 minimum purchase in proprietary tokens sold at the retailer.

Pastime Legends opened in 2016 exclusively as a video game retailer. In 2020, the arcade showroom opened as a subsidiary section of the business adjacent to the store.

Legends after opening several locations on the east coast of the U.S. Current Pastime Legends owner and sole employee Michael Ahrens purchased the business from Pirro shortly after the business’ opening because it was at risk of closure. Outside of name and branding, the Ventura Pastime Legends location has no connection to other Pastime Legends locations.

Ahrens said, “I started working here shortly after the store opened and was given the opportunity to purchase the location because the original owner was never planning on running a store on the west coast [while running] three on the east coast. He had a friend that came and opened up this location and basically wasn’t able to make it work. So basically, he was going to shut the store down if I didn’t buy [it].”

Pastime Legends has hundreds of thousands of items in its inventory, partially

La presidenta de Mi Sendero, Faviola Santivañez ‘24, dijo: «[Realizamos] actividades que son creativas para que los estudiantes se interesen en intercambiar idiomas, culturas y experiencias de vida. Intentamos que sea lo más fácil y divertido posible

Justin Lisle ‘24, un miembro de Mi Sendero, dijo: «Es una gran oportunidad no solo para ejercitar tus habilidades en español y adquirir conocimientos, [sino] también para conocer un lado del alumnado con el que probablemente no reaccionarías mucho por la barrera del idioma».

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because Ahrens agrees to purchase 500 to 1,000 items from customers weekly. The business then sells the majority of its purchased items and stores the rest in its storage room for a later date.

Pastime Legends owns over 70 arcade machines, though not all are operational. In addition, many machines remain in storage because they are too large to be moved into the arcade showroom.

Ahrens said, “We’re continuing to curate new arcade machines every month. Eventually, we want to move all these machines to a bigger spot, possibly a barcade or something like that, something with 150 to 200 machines that has big double doors where I can bring the big machines.”

Pastime Legends encompasses about 2,000 square feet of land, not including its storage room, with the retail store and arcade showroom filling a similar amount of space. The storage

room contains all retail items and arcade machines that cannot fit in the store or showroom.

Pablo Torres ’24 said, “I first visited Pastime Legends last year, and I was amazed by all their products. I went looking for a video game for the original Xbox, I did not find what I was looking for but the worker was nice and helpful.”

Ahrens said, “[Pastime Legends] is a very niche business. [It’s] definitely not easy. I think the reason why you don’t see a whole lot of video game stores out there is [that] it’s a really tough business to run. You have a small audience. There are not a lot of people who are into collecting older games, not as many as you would need for a business like this to be super successful.

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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.

Peterson (right) and Larson (left). Larson said, “Carson is a character, he’s hardworking, dependable, but he’s also a goofball. He thinks outside the box and is definitely a unique human being.”

Photo by: Buck Balling

Hugh Murphy

Leslie Castro

Local video game

arcade showroom Pastime Legends offers a selection of gaming merchandise Alejandro Hernandez

Pastime Legends Video Games & Arcade Showroom sells video games from different eras and consoles. Photo by: Alejandro Hernandez

Joseph Pirro founded Pastime

Carson Peterson ‘23 on the process of committing to Brown University and his thoughts about the future

Miles Newman

Buck Balling

Sports

Class of 2023 reminisces on their years on the field

Stegall

Jonathen Ocheltree (#85), Charlie Willis (#5), Mac Hannah (#7), Aiden Marin (#4), Jayden De la Cerda (#77), Tobias Raymond (#76) and Dylan Garcia (#8) shared their thoughts on their senior season. After four years on the field, seniors played their last game for the Ventura High School Football Team against

Rio Mesa High School Oct. 28 at the Larrabee Stadium. The game’s final score was 34-14 for an RMHS win.

De la Cerda said, “I thought it was a good season. I wish we would’ve made it to the playoffs, but you know it had its ups and downs, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Ocheltree said, “My favorite memory [of the past four years] was probably last year’s playoff run when we went three weeks into playoffs. It was really just an awesome

experience.”

Hannah said, “Senior night was my favorite. I got my first catch of the season to get a first down in a close game. I’m gonna miss being under the lights.”

Some of this year’s seniors beat Buena High School when they played on varsity during their sophomore year. This is the only time in their four years the players beat BHS. Marin and Willis both referred to this as a key moment for them.

Marin said, “[My favorite moment was] the only time I beat Buena my sophomore year. That was really fun, especially because it was on their field.”

During these seniors’ four years on the field, they’ve been supported by many different students, coaches, teachers and family members.

Ocheltree said, “I’ve had a lot of people who supported me. I’d say the most was probably my mom, she’s always making me food and taking care of me.”

Garcia said, “My dad has always been there. He comes to all of my games and is probably my biggest supporter.”

Raymond, who committed to USC for football

and will attend the school in fall of 2023, said, “My family has supported me a lot in terms of motivation but coach Garcia did so much for me in terms of recruitment. He helped me through it and I was in his classroom almost everyday to talk about it last year.”

De la Cerda said, “[The thing I will miss most about being on the football team will be] the brotherhood from the team. But I’ll also miss not seeing my friends as much like my teammates who I don’t typically hangout

with.”

De la Cerda said, “Some good players you should lookout for are Nick Thomas ‘24 and Tristan Philips ‘26. [Philips is] a freshman but he’s pretty good. Ryder Koontz ‘24 and Gavin Calderon ‘25, all of them. They’re all really great players.”

“[Overall] it was honestly a really special season. It’s my senior year, it’s my last year of football and it was a really fun season.” said Ocheltree.

Opinion: CIF gender sports guideline is being shunned by VHS

As wrestling season begins, a new gender sports guideline has been sanctioned, causing issues in the sports world. This guideline is CIF Regulation 300 D, Gender Identify Participation. At Ventura High School, if a transgender person wants to be on the sports team with the gender they identify with, they can just choose what team they are on, according to wrestling coach Michael Gacha and athletic director David Hess.

According to “Understanding the Different Rules and Policies for

Transgender Athletes,” other schools do not allow this. Instead, they follow the CIF guideline. The guideline basically says that if a transgender person applies to be on the team with the gender they identify with, the school basically can have control over the whole process. The school can require the person to go through a physical examination, have them talk to a psychiatrist, and have them write a letter to the CIF to get approved. In the end, the school makes the decision whether or not they can be on the team. Why is VHS not

following this guideline? Is VHS doing the right or the wrong thing by not following this?

The CIF made CIF Regulation 300 D, Gender Identify Participation official on March 8, 2021. This guideline happens to be very controversial, and it has caused numerous arguments throughout the sports industry. VHS hasn’t had many problems because they choose not to follow this guideline. Athletes here are allowed to be on the team of the gender they identify with.

“So far, we have had no issues with this guideline. VHS is a very inclusive school when it comes to sports. We don’t use this guideline here, the students make the choice on what team they want to be on. I want my students to feel safe and happy in the wrestling environment, which is why we do not use the CIF gender guidelines. Students all over should be able to be on the team with the gender that they identify with. I will always support anyone who wants to switch their gender. I am just here to make them a better wrestler. We support everyone here. No matter what gender or team,” said Gacha.

As said in the regulation, they allow the school to have the student go through a physical

examination. In my opinion, that seems a little invading. But necessary because I think there shouldn’t be any physical advantages in sports. Everybody on that sports team should be considered when thinking about moving someone to that team. It is crucial that the school makes sure there are no physical advantages with a transgender person moving onto that team because it can affect the whole team and other teams’ performances. But the school should also not encourage or cause gender dysphoria in any way or make that person feel like they’re not the gender they identify with. The school

shouldn’t make them feel like they are different. Can they do both at the same time?

VHS Girls’ Wrestling Team member Emmie Fago ‘24 said, “Because of this, [CIF guideline] sports politics will change. Because if a cis-born female has to wrestle a cis-born male, the cis-born female will have a disadvantage because of the cis-born male having more testosterone and their body is built to be physically stronger than a females. It really depends on hormones and genetics. So that isn’t fair to the female.”

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Kendall Garcia

Ventura High School seniors discuss their last high school football season

Soraya

Ace Rico

Willis (center) said, “Hannah [has been my biggest supporter on the field]. He’s been there all four years.” Photo by: Aidan Marquez

Tobias Raymond ‘23 (lower-left) said, “My favorite memory is throwing Sawyer Cline ‘24 [#17] in the air after a touchdown.” Photo by: Felix Cortez

Lia Hersh

The new CIF gender guidelines are being ignored; is this okay?

Wrestling team members stretch and have a conversation before practice. Photo by: Lia Hersh

Ventura High School wrestling coach Michael Gacha gives the wrestling team a pep talk before practice. Photo by: Lia Hersh

Music review: “Her Loss” deserves better

On Nov. 4, Drake and 21 Savage released an iconic collaborative album consisting of 16 songs that each average around four minutes. “Her Loss” is set in a trilogy of

the perfect album to conclude this trilogy. Although there were many opinions regarding these albums, the focus is now on “Her Loss.” I think that all of these albums are great but “Her Loss” is definitely really special to me because it is a

and I am a huge fan of these artists.

Adeline Fa ‘24 said, “I didn’t really like the cover. Drake’s last three covers were not super creative.”

“Her Loss” also left us fans confused.

Bella Long ‘24 said, “I like [the cover] but I don’t know how it correlates with the album as well as the name.”

Agreeing with Long, I think the whole album lacked the “Her Loss” feel that everyone expected because all the songs didn’t have this tone. They were either very emotional or sexual.

Travis Valenzuela ‘24 said, “The album cover is dog s***.”

Honestly, I am going to have to agree with Valenzuela. It is so underwhelming for such a big album by two of the best rappers. Before the album was even released, the cover was unfavored. That attitude carried on to some students’ opinions on the album as a whole.

Cal Harrison ‘24 said, “I think that people hate it [the album] in the beginning, but it will circle back around.”

heavily appreciated, although when it first came out, this was not the case.

“Her Loss” will definitely be an album that everyone will have to listen to several times for them to truly appreciate it, like us fans do. Personally, I think that this album [“Her Loss”] is pretty good but it will get better the more I listen to it.

Long said, “[The album] was hard. The introduction really got me hype, you know. Then that slow ease into that album was like a chill Drake album.”

Drake’s albums usually have a different vibe and have been more calm so him opening with such a strong song like “Rich Flex” really got us fans excited.

Fa said, “I thought overall, it [the album] was catchy and a pretty good album and had a few songs that I really liked. This album is not better than past albums, it is not my least favorite but Drake and 21 [Savage] have better albums. I’d say ‘Nothing was the Same’ and ‘Savage Mode’ were their best.”

struggles, relationships, etc. Since his albums cover such a wide variety of things, it allows for his fan base to be bigger because he knows how to reach everyone in his songs.

Long said, “It’s [the album] iconic. It’s iconic because Drake and 21 [Savage] are both on the same album,” Valenzuela said, “Every Drake album will be remembered over time.”

This is definitely the best way to describe his albums, especially coming from such a big fan. All of his albums are ones I constantly find myself listening to.

Harrison gave a different perspective; that “Her Loss” would not last for long because it did not have many hits.

Harrison said, “Drake was in his prime in 2013, now he’s like Lebron, he’s still the ‘goat’ but not as good.”

I agree that Drake is not in his prime anymore, but I don’t think he is falling off.

Drake’s previous albums so that they read: “Certified Lover Boy,” “Honestly Nevermind” and “Her Loss.” I think this was

Music

collaborative album.

The cover art for the album was dropped Nov. 2 and sparked hatred — even for me,

This is something that many people notice with Drake albums especially. “Certified Lover Boy,” Drake’s album that dropped in September 2021, is now

I think that Drake’s albums are very memorable, because he is an artist that just knows how to make memorable songs. He talks about relatable things for those with family

My personal favorite song was “Spin Bout U”. This album will be remembered for the artists and the different songs they were able to put out together to make one really unique album.

Long said, “Don’t trip, her loss.”

review: “The Great War” caused by Taylor Swift’s new album

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, fourteen million people attempted to get tickets, only two million were successful, taking “The Great War,” a song by Swift, too literally. Swift, 11-time Grammy award-winning pop star, released her tenth studio album, “Midnights’’ on Oct. 21. The album came out in two parts, the first being titled “Midnights,” with a total of 13 tracks, which was released at 12 a.m. EST. The second part of the album came as a surprise to fans, with only hints at what was to come. “Midnights (3am Edition)” was released at 3 a.m. EST, the same night as the first part of the album, and just

three hours later. “Midnights (3am Edition)” included seven new tracks, making a total of 20 songs on Swift’s 10th album.

Katie Hendren ‘24 said, “I feel [‘Midnights’] was the thing we needed to keep us going in 2022.”

We completely agree with this, as “Midnights” was an unexpected announcement that is helping us get to the end of the year.

Swift has moved through several genres in her past nine studio albums, ranging from country to R&B to alternative/indie and so many more. Because of Swift’s wide range of genres, fans including myself were unsure of what to expect from “Midnights.”

Personally, we were

hoping for an album similar to her eighth studio album “Folklore,” which was a mellow, indie album. So imagine my surprise when we hit play on “Midnights” for the first time only to hear upbeat pop songs such as “Bejeweled” and “Lavender Haze.” We were certainly surprised and maybe even a little disappointed at first. However, that disappointment quickly became pure awe as we continued listening to the album. It was a rollercoaster through both upbeat and mellow, emotional songs, which we enjoyed.

Immediately, the masterpiece “Maroon” stood out to me. This beautiful song discusses the painful act of remembering the best parts of a toxic relationship. Swift has never disappointed with her powerful talent of making beautiful lyrics before, and certainly did not with this song.

The song on the album with the most controversy would probably be “Snow on the Beach,” featuring Lana Del Rey, another popular singer. Fans were extremely excited when it was announced that Del Rey would be featured on a track in “Midnights,” but many expressed their disappointment after listening to the song. Del Rey was used for background vocals and support in “Snow on the

Beach,” which was a surprise since many thought she would have her own verse.

“One thing I don’t like about it [‘Midnights’] is that Lana Del Rey is not featured enough in her one song,” said Amelia McCleod ‘24.

announce her first tour since 2018, a stadium tour around the United States. Swift has titled this tour “The Eras Tour,” and due to the name, fans are expecting her to revisit her previous albums, themes and styles throughout

While we also agreed with McCleod’s statement at first, we have grown to really love and appreciate how beautiful her vocals are in “Snow on the Beach” and how much it adds to the beauty and mystical appeal of the song. Some of my other favorites include “You’re on Your Own Kid” and “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve.” Both songs are highly emotional and reflect on past relationships.

On top of releasing “Midnights,” Swift went on to

the show. The tour originally had 27 dates, starting in March and ending in August. However, due to anticipation of high demand for tickets, Swift added an additional 17 shows along with the previous 27 dates.

Presale for these tickets went up on Nov. 15 at varying times depending on the location.

The album cover of “Her Loss” is Qui Yasuka, who is better known as Suki Baby on social media. She is seen with colorful eyelashes and jewelry in her mouth. Bella Long ‘24 said, “I like ‘Hours in Silence’ because it really captures a different side of 21 [Savage].” Photo by: Lourdes Almalab

Lourdes Almalab

Opinions on the “Her Loss” album

World-famous pop star Taylor Swift released her 10th studio album and announced a stadium tour, but how are her fans doing?

Ava Mohror

The Target vinyl for Swift’s tenth and newest album, “Midnights” (center) features only the first part of the album, not any songs from “Midnights (3am Edition).” Photo by: Bailey Basurto

Taylor Swift announced “Midnights” and her next stadium tour just two and a half weeks apart, giving fans lots of excitement in just a few weeks.

Graphic by: Ava Mohror

Savanna Nustad-Franzen

Opinions

Relationship or hookup, the choice is yours

The year is 2022, and once again, high school relationships have taken a toll on us all. High school, for many, can be a time to fall in love, get your heart broken, get over it and then do it all over again. Relationships in high school are normally short-lived, and that’s okay. We are mostly all just here for the fun of seeing that person’s name pop up on our Snapchat notifications and then seeing who can leave the other on delivered longer. But hookup culture has become a whole new factor. And in my opinion, it has upped the drama to a whole new level.

High school is filled with relationship drama. Relationships are bound to be a factor with over two thousand teens going to the same school five days a week. However, hookup culture has pushed both long and shortterm relationships right off the table.

Hookup culture has teenagers nowadays rarely interested in long-term or even short-term relationships. Many would rather just

roll through all four years of high school with the occasional or common sexual encounter. Hookup culture holds all the sexual intimacy of a relationship without the emotional connection to accompany it. For teens, this can be stellar. No emotional connection means no heartbreak, and no heartbreak means no having to get over it, which seems to be the hardest part of every relationship, learning to let go.

Celeste Zarate ‘23 said, “[I had a hookup] junior year. I didn’t know them for a long time before. I wasn’t emotionally attached to them.”

Hookup culture has a sense of empowerment. We’re all young in high school, so why shouldn’t we be able to do whatever we want? The only problem with hookup culture is that often people just go along with these casual hookups. Not because it’s what they want to do but because it feels like their only option. This often leads to people feeling less free and, instead, allows individuals to let things slide even if they wish the situation had gone differently.

Continue on... thecougarpress.org

Off-campus passes should be off the table

Off-campus passes weren’t fair to students this year, but is the hype even worth it?

Kendall Garcia

Off-campus passes are specifically designed for the upperclassmen of Ventura High School. Juniors and seniors get these passes at the beginning of the first and second semesters in order to leave campus during lunch. But for the 2022-2023 school year, the passes were a little different.

This year, students had to have all paperwork turned in to acquire their offcampus passes within the first two weeks of school. Last year, students had over a month to get this work completed. I completely understand that office workers want to get the off-campus shenanigans over with as soon as possible. They have many other tasks

to work on, but so do the students. Off-campus forms during the first two weeks of school could only be turned in at one spot on campus, the attendance window. The VHS campus holds over 900 upperclassmen. Picture over 900 students lining up at the attendance window to get their forms turned in over the course of two weeks. Not to mention the forms weren’t even ready to hand out to students in the first couple of days of school. We had to wait for them, but was there an extension on the turn-in date? No, there was no extension for the students.

Sofia S’gro ‘23 said, “I felt pretty rushed [with only having two weeks to get my paperwork in]. I think it’s pretty unfair especially if you’re absent a few of those

days because you had to get the paperwork processed which took like four days. I think if you were to miss one of the deadlines it’s not fair [that] you can’t go off campus for the whole semester.”

Hanna Le ‘23 said, “I do think that a two week period is a bit short. Of course, it is the job of the student to get their forms in on time, but it can be difficult with packed schedules and many other responsibilities to tend to. It would be much more convenient if students could turn forms in at any time.”

With all that being said, it was clearly harder to get off-campus passes than it has been in years past. Was all the work to get the pass even worth it? Honestly, the answer seems like no. Sure it is nice to walk off campus and not have to worry about security stopping you because you have your pass. However, security sometimes doesn’t stop students to ask for their passes. Another important thing to mention would be that students have to go through all of the stress all over again in the second semester.

Oxford Reference describes senioritis as “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.”

This wrath of doom shows no mercy to its victims. Whether it’s APs or college preps, extracurriculars or extra nap time, anyone and everyone is susceptible to senioritis.

Many seniors currently have every right to be completely overwhelmed with completing schoolwork, participating in extracurriculars, finally getting settled into school and submitting college applications. College applications are a whole new factor for seniors, one that has the potential to alter the rest of their lives. About 63 percent of students in California enroll into college after graduating high school according to a 2018 Policy Analysis for California Education report.

feel like it’s a great opportunity for students [who didn’t meet the requirements or deadlines in the first semester] to get one next semester, it would just be more convenient for students to be able to obtain passes at any time [during the school year].”

Ventura High School

Counselor Kate Raney said, “[The college application process is] basically a parttime job.”

Emma Steiner ‘23 said, “I can’t even count how many hours I have worked on college apps! It’s crazy.”

Jack Gordon ‘23 said, “The UC [Personal Insight Questions] has been a long process of writing, revising, and then editing, etc. I started on them in early October and just finished them last weekend. Obviously, I could have finished them sooner if I had spent more time on them each weekend, but I wanted to space it out to not get burnt out on them.”

Seniors feel overwhelmed with the pressure of submitting applications, keeping up with their grades and being involved in extracurriculars. Burnout can easily happen.

Continued on... thecougarpress.org

year, the

to turn

Le said, “I feel like it’s such a hassle to redo the process for next semester, but I understand that it is to ensure that students are eligible for the off-campus pass [through GPA requirements]. Though I do

I am in no way saying I want campus security to stop me more regularly and ask for my pass. But I do think this makes the work of actually getting it a lot less worth it. Security lets students go often, and it isn’t hard for students to make up excuses like having to park their car outside the lot or saying they don’t have their ID on them, but they know security has seen it before. Though Le brings up a good point about students who weren’t eligible the first semester becoming eligible the second semester, which is great, I agree. I do think we should put into perspective that the GPA requirement for off-campus passes is 2.0, and the grades are checked once at the beginning of the semester when everyone’s grades are freshly reset. This means there are truly only two weeks for students to make their GPAs drop all the way down to a 2.0. If students want the offcampus pass so badly, they should be able to keep their grades up for the two-week time period.

In order to use off-campus passes, students must show a physical copy of their student ID with a valid off-campus pass sticker on the lower left-hand side to campus security. The passes can only be used at lunchtime. Graphic by: Kendall Garcia

Personally, I think the off-campus passes can really only work if students are given more time to actually get their passes and use them properly or if all juniors and seniors are allowed to go off campus, no pass needed. The current system of passes is unfair to the students who put the work in to get a pass and either have one but never need to use it or don’t have one, but deserve to have one. The current system with the two-week cut-off just creates sneakier students.

‘Tis the season to be a senior

How is the class of 2023 juggling academics, college applications, extracurriculars and social life while on the brink of entering adulthood?

High school relationships and hookups happen each year on campus. High school is a place full of love, lust and heartbreak. Graphic by: Kendall Garcia

Kendall Garcia

Kendall Garcia

During the first two weeks of the 2022-2023 school

attendance office was the only place students were allowed

in their off-campus pass applications.

Photo by: Kendall Garcia

Relationships and hookups in high school are short-lived but full of life lessons to students, such as honesty and boundary setting

Soraya Stegall

Recently Instagram has become insufferable with Instagram reels, suggested posts, sponsored ads, shopping and a constant loophole of people posting the same things. Instagram has turned into such a serious app with people constantly worried about what they post, how many likes they get and how many followers they have. They forget that all of this doesn’t matter at all. Instagram was a place where you could post whatever you wanted with only a single photo at a time. Instagram should be a place where people could just be themselves, but instead, it’s overwhelmed with people always trying to show off.

Distractions

The lack of toilet paper is ridiculous, girls use more toilet paper than men for obvious reasons and if it’s not obvious it’s because we are more hygienic. Just kidding, but seriously, why is it so hard to keep toilet paper stocked? I have to use the restroom during period seven sometimes because I have athletics and it is so annoying to be running around trying to find the one stall that has toilet paper. I do not think it is hard to check the bathrooms at lunch so we can have the supplies we need for a productive life.

Ella Montano

Savanna Nustad-Franzen

Instagram isn’t the same as it was

Graphic by: Kendall Garcia

Graphic by: Ava Mohor

Graphic by: Annika Lange

Graphic by: Kinda Mehael

Photo by: Savanna Nustad-Franzen

Graphic by: Ella Montano