IB Theatre

Students dive deeper into IB Theatre

Gianna Spiro Ad Manager

Prepare to be enticed by... Pumpkin Spice!repare to be enticed by... Pumpkin Spice! a typical classroom. As the teacher, Strange tries to be hands-off , and lets students lead the discussions.

“Th e students are the ones that are really delving in, thinking about; ‘Who am I? Why do I hold the values and biases that I have based upon what I gravitate towards.’ It’s really exciting to watch them fi gure out and it also is gives me food for thought as an artist. It’s neat to see them explore theatre in a diff erent kind of free way,” Strange said.

“I think it’s a really exciting opportunity, I have some students in there who are not as familiar as theatre as some as the others. So there is all levels, and I think if anybody is just interested in that level of theatre and thinking too. It’s not just that kid who likes to sing and dance, or is a big Shakespearean actor it is for all levels and all kinds,” Strange said. Hard at Work-ard at Work- The IB theatre class sits attentively as they listen to Ms. Strange speak at the front of the classroom. The class addresses a list of topics ranging from directing to the ways culture affect theatre. Aditya Vunnum/Prowler

IB Th eatre students in the Performing Arts Center (PAC), contemplating the deeper meaning of art on stage, discovering new ideas and learning more about themselves.

Marilyn Strange has taught theater classes at NPHS for fi ve years, adding IB Th eatre to her list. “(Th e class) is actually not as new as people think. It was taught here before a long time ago. I’m excited about the class and this was the right time, it fi t the schedule… It was time for IB,”Strange said.

“I think even if you don’t do theater, it’s such a great class to take because as teenagers we are all exploring ourselves and the arts are a great way to open that door,” Celina Kott, senior, said.

“It’s a mixture of directing, writing, creating and acting. We analyze scripts and the way culture aff ects theater and not just in America but also in diff erent cultures,” Charles Ocampo, senior, said.

IB Th eatre approaches teaching and learning diff erently from

Daria Azizad Entertainment Editor and Prowler Staff

It is quite observable that Southern California has no seasons. Th e last time I saw hail was in 2007. Spring showers are nowhere to be found during an endless drought. But for many places across the US, the changing seasons are something to look forward to. For those places, the start of October represents the nascent stages of fall. For Californians, it is along the lines of, “Oh look, it is Fire Awareness Month already!” It is reasonable -- the only orange hues we see on trees are when they go up in fl ames. But not to worry, fellow Californians, there is a way to infuse this season with typical autumnal vibes: all we have to do is make a trip to the grocery store.

Quality: 1

Pumpkin Flavor:1

I had high hopes for this soup: I expected warm pumpkiny goodness and the aroma of spice. I was very disappointed with the reality. Th e soup had barely any fl avor-- it kind of tasted like diluted tomato sauce.

All items reviewed can be found at Trader Joe’s. Ratings are the average value assigned by Prowler Staff .

Quality: 5

Pumpkin Flavor: 4

At fi rst glance, these dark cookie sandwiches are just another box of Oreos. But that fl ash of orange prompts a double take, revealing their true Pumpkin Joe Joe nature. Th eir black and orange color scheme pair perfectly with the Halloween spirit while their sugary chocolate fl avor are sure to please anyone’s taste buds. Th e crunch of the cracker coupled with the smooth frosting makes every bite satisfying. While the note of pumpkin is defi nitely present, it plays second fi ddle to the sweet bass of the fi lling.

Sarah Lu/Prowler

Pumpkin Flavor: 1

Th e Trader Joe’s Granola Bark is a granola bar coated in dark chocolate, with pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top. Th e chocolate was sweet, but not overpowering, and nicely accompanied the rough texture of the granola. However, the pumpkin element was severely lacking -- the pumpkin seeds could barely be tasted amongst the other components.

Quality: 4

Pumpkin Flavor: 4

I’m a big fan of the Perfect Bar in general, so when they came out with the Limited Edition Pumpkin Pie fl avor, I knew I had to get my hands on some. Th e Pumpkin Pie fl avor is a mix of peanut buttery goodness with lighter pumpkin hints. However, I wish that the traditional spices associated with pumpkin pies-- cinnamon, nutmeg-- played a role in this bar.

Quality: 4

Pumpkin Flavor: 1 Th e Trader Joe’s Petite Pumpkin Spice Cookies are just as cute as the packaging suggests. Half the fun of eating these cookies comes from the pretty pastel frosting and fall colored sprinkles. Th e cookies themselves are shortbread with pumpkin spices, covered in yogurt frosting. I was not impressed with the pumpkin factor of these cookies-- they basically taste like fancy frosted animal cookies. Th ey were tasty and nostalgic, but their autumnal vibes left something to be desired.

Quality: 3

Th e pumpkin cereal bar from Trader Joe’s is an extension of the many pumpkin fl avored foods sold this season. Th e cereal bar itself tastes pretty good, but it does not really taste like pumpkin. When you fi rst take a bite you taste the sugar and the cinnamon, but it tastes more like an apple cinnamon cereal bar than a pumpkin fl avor bar. It’s a great snack, but has less appeal since the only time you taste a little bit of pumpkin is 30 seconds aft er you are done eating it. Pumpkin Flavor: 1 Quality: 5

Pumpkin Flavor: 2.5

Th e Trader Joe’s biscotti is the perfect fi x for your holiday cravings. It can easily be paired with a warm pumpkin spiced latte or eaten dry for a crunchy delight. Th e spiced pumpkin fl avor is very prevalent in the biscotti but does not overpower the biscotti’s inherently distinct texture. Make sure to pick these up next time you’re at Trader Joe’s!

Christina Borisoff

Staff Writer

Cars roll into the parking lot of the Performing Arts Center at 3 A.M as participants begin the day with theater. Th is marks the beginning of 18 hours of writing, acting, directing and technical production. 18 Hour is a theater event that occurs twice a year. Students spend time writing, practicing and curating their performances in preparation for a live performance, during which audiences are entertained with seven creative skits. Th e most recent rendition of the event, held on Sept. 22, was full of hilarity, sleep depravity, and positive vibes.

Craig Hastings, senior and head coordinator of 18 Hour, has been in love with theater his whole life. Ever since he started in his freshman year, Hastings has participated in nearly everything the theatre department has to off er.

“I think 18 hour is a really important way for people to come out and meet new people and get active in our community. It’s also a really good way for us to show that we have really talented kids here who really like working very hard in this theater,” Hastings said.

Hastings, has done a total of six 18 hours. He was enthusiastic about this year’s production because it would be one of his last. His love for theatre has encouraged him to continue doing events like this on the side or as a hobby in the future. Hastings believes that he will be able to integrate the skills he has learned in theatre into his career.

“18 hour and theatre, in general, has helped me become a better person, a better friend, a better coordinator. It’s taught me a lot about people, it’s

Action- Laughter was heard spreading from the PAC as the audience watched several students on stage give their performance. 18 Hour is a theatre event, allowing students to sign up to be a writer, director or actor. “The best part of being in 18 hour is getting to meet and work with people you normally wouldn’t talk to, you get to meet people who don’t normally do theatre- some who play soccer, some in ASG, or just anyone from school who you wouldn’t normally say hi to in the halls,” Ocampo said. 18 Hour starts at 3 a.m., giving three hours for the writers to write a script, then giving the directors and actors 14 hours to put together a show and perform it at 8 p.m. Jessica Zhou/Prowler

taught me a lot about performing and it’s taught me a lot about authority, and becoming a leader,” Hastings said

Grace Rebbe, sophomore, took on the role as the main character in an 18 hour skit called “Th e Addiction,” about a girl with a pumpkin spice latte addiction.

“I had to dig into the deepest part of my soul and think about fl annel and warm weather during the fall and that lovely Southern California valley girl voice,” Rebbe said.

Rebbe’s role as the pumpkin-spice obsessed teenage girl came naturally for her because she compares her role to her relationship with her two older brothers.

“I really had to get into that little sister part of me that’s really annoying. I have two older brothers so that little sister part comes naturally to me,” Rebbe said.

“Eighteen-hour is really fun to do because it’s really low commitment and really easy. It’s really good for people who haven’t done theatre before to just go and experience this really intense thing that’s really fun,” Rebbe said.

Gus Gress, sophomore, will take over as head coordinator next year.

“I’m very excited to coordinate again in the spring and maybe in the future. We’ll see, but I’d love to try doing the whole directing process,” Gress said. He is encouraged by the positive impact the program has on students and community members.

“In this day and age I feel that it’s such an accepting place, and it’s one of the best places to be on the NPHS campus.”

Charity concert makes music for Manna

Emily Nagamoto Chief Photographer

Four months, six bands and one potential Eagle Scout was all it took to raise 1,421 cans for Manna Food Bank. On Sept. 22, around 200 people attended the Five For Live benefi t concert at the Th ousand Oaks Teen Center. Th e event featured student bands from around the area and had an admissions fee of fi ve canned goods. For Ryan Younes, junior and eagle scout candidate, inspiration struck when he attended a similar event the year before.

“I was thinking, ‘Wow, if I could run something like this for my Eagle Project that I have seen some other guys in other troops do, that would be the coolest thing ever,’” Younes said.

Conceptualizing the idea in September of last year, Younes started planning it four months before the concert, in June. In that time he had to fi nd and secure six bands, book a venue and more.

Before the concert, Younes also planned three restaurant fundraisers and received donations of money and food from local grocery stores like Ralphs, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts. All of the proceeds and donations from the concert are being donated directly to Manna Food Bank.

“You need very good communication with whoever’s doing the event,” Younes said. “You have to have the bands, the venue and the benefi ciary all in perfect harmony with one another.”

When planning the music, as a fellow guitar player himself, Younes knew some of the bands and hand picked each one himself, having “seen every single one live, somewhere, at some show. I knew they were good; I wanted them here.”

Th e list of performers included Sik Sik Sicks, Stereo Fidelity, Permission to Fly, Pushing Veronica, My Native Tongue and Let’s Get Out of Th is Horrible Sandwich Shoppe. When Maddie Lucas, sophomore from Century Academy and singer from Sik Sik Sicks, was approached by Younes to perform, she and her band immediately said yes, even though they had only been together for six months.

“We decided to perform tonight because it’s for a good cause, it’s with our besties: Pushing Veronica and Stereo Fidelity. It sounded really fun,” Lucas said.

It was the same reason why Jason Peters, senior, attended the concert.

“I think it is a good event,” Peters said. “Concerts are really fun…(and) Manna food drive is a really good way to tie it in.”

For the concert, Younes had help from close to 50 people, involving his boy scout troop, the Music Production Club as well as his friends and family, and said that the event would not be possible without all of the volunteers. But, volunteer Zak Logie, junior, said his favorite part of the night was “just seeing the amount of enthusiasm that Ryan has for this.”

Giving for good-iving for good- Nikki Usares, junior and attendee, gives cans to Andrew Young, junior and volunteer, for the Five for Live donation concert. The concert raised just under 1500 cans total, a total Ryan Younes, junior, was not expecting. “Our goal is 500 (cans); we got some donations and stuff like that, and we went over it,” Younes said. Younes also organized restaurant fundraisers, including one at Chipotle that raised $100 and one at Mod Pizza that raised $176. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler