2022-2023 Issue 3 (Dec. 2)

Community elects School Board

Dylan Kaseno Features Editor

After months of campaigning, controversy and chaos, the results of the Conejo Valley Unified School District School Board elections are in: Lisa Powell won area two, Bill Gorback won area three, and Cindy Goldberg won area four. Leading up to the elections on Nov. 8, tensions were growing in school board meetings over many controversial topics, figures, and events. Now that it is over, the people of the school district look forward to what will happen next, now that these candidates have won.

Lisa Powell, the trustee-to-be for area two, has been elected to her first term on the school board. Powell looks forward to upholding the core values of the board, such as equity, inclusion and diversity.

“I think we know what makes a well functioning district and board, and that’s a board that works collaboratively with one another. And I think [I’m] fairly confident that we’ll have this group of five people that will be able to work well with each other and the superintendent,” Powell said.

Bill Gorback, the trustee for area three, now having been reelected to a second term, is looking forward to serving the community again with the other trustees. Among the many goals Gorback has for the term, he is looking forward to the expansion of learning. “When you expand learning, it increases understanding and empathy. When you restrict it, it teaches ignorance. I want to continue to expand learning for all the students and the families and to make our society more

inclusive,” Gorback said.

Cindy Goldberg, the trustee for area four, was also reelected to a second term and enjoys helping the students of the district gain a wide array of knowledge that they can carry with them throughout their life, making it another goal to give students every opportunity to make it a reality. “I’m always energized by the work that I see being done on our campuses and connections being made both interpersonally and with the newfound knowledge that people are gaining,” Goldberg said.

Overall, these two returning candidates, and the new candidates, have their priorities in line for their next term on the Conejo Valley school board; the well-being of the students in the district. They all look forward to creating and expanding the knowledge of the students as opposed to restricting it. During the next few years, candidates will work on financing, improve declining enrollment, and provide assistance in maintaining the mental health of our district’s students. They want to collaboratively work on every aspect of what makes our schools our schools. “It’s really important for our district and our community to continue to have conversations about the importance of public education and the importance of our schools in our community. I think we need to make sure our community understands what our schools are doing,” Powell said.

Midterm elections bring new representatives

Typically, after a new president has been elected, there is a noticeable pattern in midterm elections. Us. Normally during midterm elections, whatever party has control over the Presidency, the opposite party will have control of Congress. This time around, despite having a Democratic president, the Democrats kept control of the Senate following the Midterm Elections on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

There are several people that are elected into power during the midterm elections, including the entirety of the House of Representatives, and a third of the Senate. On a local level, governor, Secretary of State, controller, treasurer, attorney general as well as other positions were decided. The most notable positions were filled by Gavin Newsom, who was re-elected to be Governor of California. Locally Julia Brownley, who was elected to be the representative for the 26th congressional district.

By Nov. 9, it was still hard to determine which party would control the Senate as Arizona, Nevada and Georgia were not declared. On Nov. 11, Democrat Mark Kelly won the Senate seat in Arizona, which ultimately gave the Democrats the majority in the Senate. Currently Democrats have 50 seats and Republicans have 49, with Vice President Kamala Harris giving Democrats the majority since she is the President of the Senate.

The House of Representatives was called on Nov. 16. As of today, the Republicans are holding 220 seats, and the Democrats are holding 213 seats, effectively ending the Democratic takeover from the past two years. Despite their win, however, it wasn’t the

The Midterm elections haven’t entirely concluded, with many states still counting the final votes but the majority of elections have been declared. In Georgia the race for the senate is still active; incumbent Democrat Raphel Warnock, Republican Herschel Walker, and Libertarian Chase Oliver. Since there were three candidates, in order to win someone would need at least 50 percent of the vote, no one got enough. So, on Dec. 6, Walker and Warnock are doing a runoff for the seat which could have massive effects for the country as a whole depending on who wins. Even though the senate will continue to be in a democratic majority, every vote counts.

Locally, many elections took a lot longer but they are more or less complete. Jeff Gorell won the seat for Ventura County Supervisor for district two against former Thousand Oaks City Council member and Mayor Claudia Bill de la Peña. Additionally, Kyle Rohrbach, David Newman, and incumbent Bob Engler have won seats in City Council. Rohrbach and Newman are replacing Ed Jones who lost his seat, and Claudia Bill de la Peña who chose not to run. All in all, after this overly stressful election season we can finally rest now that it’s mostly over. The decisions have been made by the people, and the effects will remain to be seen.

sweep that the Republican party was hoping for. In response to this win, Nancy Pelosi, the first female speaker of the House, announced that she will be stepping down from her position

Téa Sklar Managing Editor

Kai Mekari/Prowler

Dylan Kaseno Features Editor

Cindy Goldberg/With Permission Bill Gorback/With Permission

Lisa Powell/With Permission

Kanye West validates voices of hate

Kanye West has become the catalyst for a new wave of antisemitism and neo-nazis to feel validated with their hate. Anyone who is on social media has by now seen or knows of the antisemitic West’s infamous “DEATHCON 3” tweet, his appearance on InfoWars with Alex Jones where he claimed Hitler was a good person, or his posted image of a swastika embedded into the star of David. This hate speech has opened the gates for bigots to feel validated in their antisemitism, as seen on Oct. 22 in the heart of L.A. A masked group of white supremesists demonstrated banners that read “Kanye is right about the Jews,” as well as saluted Hitler.

Many of my peers have discussed whether or not it is moral to listen to West’s music after his controversial statements. This should not have been the main conversation to spark from this issue. We should be focussing on how to minimalize the spread of hateful, especially antisemitic, ideologies.

The spotlight of this situation should be taken away from Kanye, not just to deplatform him, but to put the focus on the Jewish community and how to support them in what looks to be a growing wave of neo-nazism.

Although only 0.2% of religious individuals around the globe, the Jewish community is abundant in our city. We always seemed to be the only ones aware of how antisemetic hate is still very much alive, especially on a local level. The events that occurred in LA may seem irrelevant to some of our citizens since it happened outside of our safe little bubble known as Thousand Oaks. But, these issues hit much closer to home than anyone may believe.

Just a few days after the banner event received attention all over social media, a local and familiar temple to many families in our community, Adot Alonim, received an abomination of a letter from the same LA group. The two page essay, headlined “The New Holocaust,” essentially blamed Jewish People for being the cause of abortions and “killing” 60 million babies. They made sure to include disturbing imagery of what they believe to be an abortion, as well as multiple swastikas. We hope that after a repulsive occurrence such as this, Thousand Oaks and its neighbors will be enlightened on how this issue concerns them. They cannot continue to ignore the antisemitism within their home towns and must take a vocal stand for the Jewish community. Posting an infographic on Instagram that can be done with one click is the absolute bare minimum, especially if you do not further educate yourself. We urge everyone to reach out to their Jewish classmates and friends to express their support.

Antisemitism has existed since the fifth century BCE; Jewish people were the first scapegoats of the world. The issue with his indestructible platform is that his ideas can be adopted by millions of his loyal fans or further encourage those with already antisemitic biases. We fear that this will manifest into aggression or violence, as seen in endless instances throughout history. It is unfortunate and disappointing that this conversation was reignited only after open acts of antisemitism from an unstable, worldfamous celebrity.

For the record in Issue II:

Cameron Winick was spelled wrong on page 6 Josie Gardener was spelled wrong on page 15

Himani Pothulu was spelled wrong on page 16 Sparkles article is on page 15 not page 11

Hayden Meixner

Hayden Meixner

Nandini Patro

Téa Sklar

Movie Reviewer

Vincent Bennett

Téa Sklar

Adviser

Michelle Saremi

The Panther Prowler is the official publication of Newbury Park High School, and is created and produced by the Advanced Journalism students. The newspaper is funded by advertisements from local companies. The Panther Prowler staff makes all final decisions on information published in its newspaper, its website and its publishing in other social medias. While Mrs. Michelle Saremi advises the Advanced Journalism students, the staff is solely responsible for what is printed.

The Panther Prowler is published every four weeks throughout the school year by Print 365 co. For advertisement information, visit www. pantherprowler.org.

The Panther Prowler is accepting letters to the editor. To submit your feedback, please provide your full name, email and a letter about 300 words in length. Letters are subject to discretion and editing for taste, length and libel. Letters can be submitted to the email posted below.

NewburyParkHighSchool

Kai Mekari/Prowler

Nancy Pelosi’s husband attacked in residence

Rohit Ukkan Features Editor Melina Wagner Entertainment Editor

Paul Pelosi, husband of the United States Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, was attacked in his own home late last month. Paul awoke in the early hours on the morning of Oct. 28 to a man with a hammer inquiring about Paul’s wife. When the assailant became aware of the fact that Nancy Pelosi would not return to the residence for several days, he began to reveal his original intentions to Paul.

David DePape, a 42 year old male, was later identified as the intruder. In an interrogation with the San Francisco Police Department, DePape stated his motive behind his intrusion of the Pelosi household. DePape believed that Nancy Pelosi was one of the most important people behind the ‘lies of the Democratic Party.’ He intruded the Pelosi residence with the intention to threaten Nancy Pelosi with a hammer and force her to tell the truth otherwise he was going to break her kneecaps.

Whilst the intruder was inside his bedroom, Paul was able to dial 911, which alerted nearby San Francisco Police officers to pay a visit to the residence. When DePape

learned that the police were making their way towards the house, he became outraged. Paul, in fear for his life, grabbed onto the hammer that DePape was holding, beginning a struggle between the two men that lasted until two police officers showed up in the bedroom. When DePape was ordered to drop the hammer, he grabbed control of the hammer and struck Paul in the head, knocking him unconscious.

DePape was then arrested and taken into custody by the San Francisco Police Department. He has been charged with attempted murder, one count of assault of an immediate family member of a United States official, and attempted kidnapping. The assault charge carries out a maximum sentence of 30 years and the attempted kidnapping charge could result in a maximum sentence of 20 years in state prison. After the court proceedings have been finalized, DePape could be looking at a possible 50 years in prison as a direct consequence of his actions against Paul.

Third Prime Minister is

the charm

Following Liz Truss’ resignation, Rishi Sunak, a British politician, was elected unopposed into the position of British Prime Minister after winning the Conservative Party’s leadership contest on Oct. 24. Winning the election, he is the first person of color to become prime minister in British history.

Through the past eight months, the United Kingdom’s government has undergone severe changes. They lost two Prime Ministers and more than 50 members of Parliament to resignation, over 50 Cabinet ministers, and other miscellaneous people in various positions.

In July of 2022, Boris Johnson resigned as British Prime Minister, and according to political speculation, it was said he succumbed to the pressure of his political party. Liz Truss was elected in September of 2022 to succeed Johnson as the prime minister and the leader of the Conservative Party, but only lasted

around 45 days in office, before she too resigned due to the supposed pressure also from the Conservative Party.

Sunak was elected to succeed Truss in October and in the past, he has served as the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (2019-2020) and the Chancellor of Exchequer (20202022). He is also married to the daughter of an Indian technology billionaire, making him one of the most affluent residents of Downing Street.

Sunak’s first major move as the Prime Minister was to delay the major economic plan that was developed back to Nov. 17. This plan calls for billions of dollars of spending cuts along with tax increases, designed to stabilize financial markets and address inflation.

Sunak winning the election unopposed might speak to the desperation of political parties in the United Kingdom, but Sunak is predicted to be a valuable asset to the Conservative Party and the United Kingdom.

Respiratory syncytial virus spreads like wildfire

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that causes infection in the respiratory tract, and is especially contagious in children and those with prior respiratory issues. The symptoms of RSV are similar to a cold, but can be severe among infants due to a weak immune system. Mild symptoms include a runny nose, decreased appetite, coughing and sneezing, a fever and wheezing, according to the CDC.

While RSV is typically more common during the end of fall through the beginning of spring, this year there has been an increase during Fall. In 2020, there were less cases of RSV due to the safety measures that took place in response to COVID-19. According to the CDC, low rates of RSV in 2020-2021 have caused children’s immune systems to be weakened after lack of exposure to the virus. There is no technical cure for this virus, however one can attempt to reduce a fever and pain in order to relieve symptoms. Without proper care, RSV can cause even further infections including bronchiolitis, and infection or inflammation of the lungs.

While most adults do not need to be hospitalized, older adults and infants are more prone to hospitalization if symptoms of the virus become severe.

RSV usually spreads through coughing or sneezing, direct contact with the virus or contact with a surface that has the virus on it. While symptoms aren’t always obvious until up to six days after the virus is contracted, someone may become contagious two days before showing symptoms. Children are often exposed to RSV when they are under two years old, and can be infected again throughout their life, though it may be less severe.

To prevent RSV from spreading, one can cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue instead of an arm, as well as thoroughly washing their hands with soap and water. Avoiding close contact and sharing cups or utensils are also helpful to decrease the spread. For high risk individuals, there are further measures that can be taken, including not touching their faces without washing their hands, and limiting time spent around young children.

Taylor Gibson Editorial Editor

Téa Sklar Managing Editor

Smile! - Rishi Sunak poses for a portrait following his unopposed election. In an interview with CNN-News18, Sunak talks about his goals for his new role as Prime Minister while remarking on the UK’s personal victories. “It’s important to me that as Prime Minister we leave behind an environment that is better for our children,” Sunak said. Photo Courtesy of Flickr

Pose - Paul Pelosi stands side by side with his wife Nancy Pelosi to pose for a photo days after being attacked in his residence when he was home alone. The intruder, David DePape, confirmed his initial target to be the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. After not being able to locate Nancy, DePape began to launch his assault onto Paul. Photo Courtesy of Rolling Stones Magazine

Kai Mekari/Prowler

UC campuses are striking for a change

Gwen McCarthy Staff Writer

All over California, thousands of students are on strike against University of California (UC)--the world’s leading public research university system. The protesters, postdoctoral scholars, academic researchers and graduate students employed as researchers, instructors, teaching assistants, tutors and readers are aiming to have higher wages, improved leave for parents and caregivers, childcare support and full funding for public transit.

On Nov. 14, this strike was organized by 48,000 people. Rafael Jamie, President of United Automobile Workers 2865, which represents 19,000 of the 48,000 workers going on strike, accused the university’s system of “failing to support a diverse workforce, which undermines the quality of research and education.”

Many students on campus are unable to afford places to live and the universities are not properly addressing this crisis. “The university’s proposals do not adequately address the affordable housing crisis confronting our members,” Jamie said. An article from the Washington Post stated that this crisis was driven by state and federal divestment from colleges and universities starting in the 1970s. Furthermore, divestment has led to privatization of public institutions, meteoric tuition growth, and rising student debt. Regimen professors who enjoy job security are now only teaching one quarter of university classes and teaching one eighth of university lab research. Most people teaching college level classes are not even sure if they will have a job next semester as they do not have tenure, meaning they do not have job security. California is mainly a pro-labor state and the

cost of living here is very high, making it more difficult for graduate students to make livable wages.

The Washington Post also stated that universities have denied all allegations of their negotiators breaking the law during bargaining. This strike threatens the disruption of classes, research and grading ahead of final exams at all 10 UC campuses. The post interviewed a UC Santa Cruz teaching assistant who said that the rent was unbearable and workers remain underpaid. “In this country education is already something for the elite, and the UC does not care about making it more accessible.

They don’t care if you’re homeless, as long as you are paying tuition. They don’t care if you don’t have money to put your children in daycare or preschool, as long as you are producing data,” the teaching assistant said.

The cost of UC on-campus living has become more expensive. The World Socialist website reported student housing used to be more affordable compared to off campus options. However the massive rent increase last year has created a financial burden for UC graduate students, hence the reason so many are participating in the strike. It has been 17 days since the UC strike started, now entering the third week. UC Postdoctoral scholars and academic researchers have reached an indefinite agreement that would elevate their pay among the highest in the nation. UC students participating in the strikes will not be returning to campus until a mutual agreement with 36,000 graduate student employees is finalized.

-ADVERTISEMENT-

Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza/Prowler

Unlocking the downfall of timed tests

Ava Prapaniku Sports Editor

A false conception lies amongst education that students who perform faster exceed those who crack under the pressure of time limits. The limits are not only an inaccurate measure of students’ knowledge, but they also create an emphasis on memorization. In an attempt to resolve the enmity individuals have towards the limits, those who have the means to do so obtain false recommendations in order to receive more time. Although the problem of time-limited tests appears complex, the solution is simple. If students need more time, then it should be provided for them. I understand the need to have an overall time limit, but it should be flexible and never as strict as one minute per question. The allowance of timeless tests will level out testing environments to achieve equivalence and fairness for all students.

Students are taught to be careful and not rush through homework, but required to do the opposite during a test. Although students may have studied a profound amount, anxiety caused by time restrictions can prevent them from applying their best. Therefore, the test results are a flawed display of the students’ comprehension. This is discouraging

because many feel hopeless and to allow for faster responses, students result in simply memorizing the material. Memorization does not allow for deep comprehension of material as many students only focus on achieving a high score and often forget most of the material shortly after the test. Requiring this level of speed promotes automacy rather than substantial learning.

As many seek a solution, purchasing a fake diagnosis stands out in bold letters, calling to students. Alden Blodget, a high school teacher and administrator for 50 years, spoke with a psychologist after growing suspicious over the increased number of students with psychologist’s recommendations. “He explained the complexity and inexact science of arriving at a diagnosis and spoke of the pressure from parents whose goal was to obtain the recommendation for extended time,” Blodget said. “He recounted instances when he resisted the pressure, so the parents procured the recommendation from someone else. These false statements are often received by students within very short time periods due to financial ability or connections within the school district. The problem created has surpassed the school level, as it now diminishes the extensivity of those in real need of recommendations. Time limits are created to achieve equivalence within testing environments, but instead, a door has opened allowing certain students to surpass them, creating levels of edge that should not exist. If timeless tests were automatically distributed, then students would not be compelled to go to these lengths, absolving the problem of those receiving advantages over others.

Growing up with the decline of movie theaters

Cameron Winick Staff Writer

I saw my first movie in theaters at age five. I’m aware that’s pretty late to achieve that milestone, especially for someone as passionate about film as I am. Additionally embarrassing was the film itself, that being “Cars 2,” a monumentally stupid movie that I wholeheartedly adored. Seeing the fast movements, colorful animation and brimming excitement projected onto the screen of the historic El Capitan was a life-defining moment for me. From that moment on, I had found my new love.

Kai Mekari/Prowler

Timeless tests provide educators with more accurate scores and will stimulate a truthful grasp on material, benefiting students’ outlook on education. Students will feel more motivated while learning as they begin to see the impact studying has on their grades, since now they have no time limit to demean the hard work they put in. A need for false recommendations will no longer be relevant and all students will receive the same advantages and disadvantages, with no relation to other factors. Reaching this level of equivalence puts students’ needs first and allows for inspiration, truth and growth to foster within education.

Abuse recognition begins with “It Ends With Us”

Kira Ivarsdottir Front Cover Editor

Despite the author’s personal controversies, Colleen Hoover’s depictions of abuse and gaslighting in relationships are sensitive and valid. “It Ends With Us”, a romance novel written by esteemed author Colleen Hoover, has gained delayed recognition on social media platforms in recent years due to the claim that Hoover romanticizes abuse.

The abuser in the story is not immediately recognized as an abuser and is rather introduced as a true love interest, causing controversy to arise. For some readers, the idea of loving an abuser and finding the quest to leave the relationship being extremely hard for the victim is unfathomable.

Some of the biggest trigger warnings include physical abuse, sexual assault, and verbal abuse. With the novel featuring such heavy topics, and portraying them in a way that feels hard to read at times due to its relatability, readers question how Hoover is able to convey such topics without having been the victim herself. What some do not realize however, is that though Hoover did not experience this abuse first hand, she lived with it.

In interviews as well as dedications in the first novel and the second novel, Hoover is open about the fact that her mom frequently experienced similar abuse in her childhood household at the hands of her dad and that the premise, though not exactly like the novel, is based on her mother’s story of escaping abuse. Solidifying the idea that though Hoover did not directly suffer at the hands of her dad, her ability of telling the story of abuse, even from her mother’s perspective is not lost.

One of the most frequent topics in the novel is gaslighting, one of the most emotionally traumatizing techniques of abuse used to influence the victim’s self-doubt in the abuser. In the first novel, the main protagonist Lily, the character Hoover’s mother is based on, constantly doubts herself as to whether she is even truly experiencing the abuse of her partner, Ryle, even after carrying visible bruises as a result of gaslighting.

One truly horrific scene entails Ryle pushing Lily down

the stairs to where she suffers multiple injuries, and when questioned by Lily, Ryle simply tells her that she fell of her own accord.

Hoover realistically tells the story of emotional terrorism through gaslighting and physical abuse which allows readers who are experiencing similar abuse, feel less alone. In turn, this could potentially encourage readers to reach out and change their story.

EmersonFuentes-Alabanza/Prowler

With popular books, most readers are quick to criticize each and every detail in the novel in response to its popularity; specifically with Colleen Hoover. Along with Hoover’s controversies regarding the actual content in her stories, she has been made recently infamous once again due to her role in banning a popular online book website after finding out that her novels were being downloaded illegally. With this in mind, readers are quick to criticize any and all things Colleen Hoover therefore I think it would be valid to pose the idea that some readers may be biased when reading her content.

Though I agree with some aspects regarding the dislike of the popular author, as admittedly some of Hoover’s writing can tend to have lukewarm moments and unnecessary elements of violence, I believe her arguably most successful novel stands apart. Putting Hoover’s controversies aside, “It Ends With Us” will continue to stand in my mind as a considerably realistic recollection of abuse that should be viewed in an unbiased manner as it’s elements, if looked upon in a neutral way, can allow readers who share similar experiences to feel less alone.

Years would pass and I would go to the theater at a more frequent pace, often with my grandfather who would be just as excited for whatever the movies had in store. I recall seeing many films, such as “The Lego Movie” at the Van Nuys Regency Theater, “The Muppets” at the Sherman Oaks Arclight Cinema and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at the TCL Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. That screening of “The Force Awakens” was specifically one of my fondest theater memories. I still remember the feeling of the 3-D glasses on my face as I strapped in for two hours of pure adrenaline and ecstasy. In hindsight, however, that movie ended up being a dreaded sign of what was to come.

After the Walt Disney company acquired Lucasfilm for a hefty sum of four billion dollars, it was almost undeniable that they had cornered the entertainment market and yielded more power than they ever had. Once they owned Marvel and Star Wars, things got off the rails in a relatively quick period of time.

They would release new movies and products based on their respective IP, with each one grossing a larger amount than the last. This resulted in an oversaturation of the market in theaters. As time went on, Disney began to monopolize the theater industry. Disney would accomplish this by buying up more theater space in order to get a broader audience and weed out competition. This, in my opinion, is the point of no return. Theaters, after the pandemic especially, are at a disadvantage and have lost exorbitant amounts of money. So logically, they’re going to be desperate for quick and easy money. The revenue for non-Disney products has dropped significantly since 2015, down to a fearful point for any future filmmaker.

In May 2022, movie reviewer for ScreenCrush. com, Matt Singer tweeted a screenshot of 70 screenings for “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness” at a single AMC in Times Square. There were no other screenings for anything else that day. The tweet gathered attention for good reason and brought one of the biggest modern problems to light: Disney is creating a content monopoly that is killing theater revenue, and may result in the dissolution of cinemas as a whole.

These tactics are economically dangerous for movie theaters and they have to be stopped. Although some may say that audiences should vote with their dollars, others would argue that Disney has already gone too far, and it may be a lost cause. The best thing audiences can do is go to their local cinema and support it in any way. This may be the only way to save a dying industry that I love with all my heart.

Parker BohlProwler

2, 2022

Celebrities should not be looked up to

Jack Ranney Staff Writer

In recent weeks, billionaire Hip-Hop star and fashion designer Kanye West, also known by his stage name Ye, has found himself in hot water for making antisemitic remarks, and many of his sponsors such as Adidas have cut ties with him. Many online are saying that what Kanye says matters more than what the average person says, due to the influence he has over contemporary pop culture. However, this should serve as a reminder that celebrities should not be seen as role models.

While many are concerned that West’s antisemitic statements will cause his fans to adopt hateful views, the rampant amount of substance abuse among celebrities-specifically musicians-should be enough do dissuade anyone from looking up to them. The list of musicians who have died from drugs or alcohol is long and growing, and includes several big names such as Bon Scott, Jimi Hendrix, Layne Staley, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and Prince. The full list of musicians lost to substance abuse includes more than five dozen big names, and idolizing these individuals would lead to their fans following in their footsteps, suffering a similar fate.

The celebrities who set poor examples for those most impressionable are not exclusively musicians, either. For instance,actor Leonardo DiCaprio, one of Hollywood’s most active climate activists, has received criticism for flying to speeches on his private jet knowing that private jets are not eco-friendly. To his credit, DiCaprio later renounced his jet and opted to fly commercial instead. However, this still highlights the hypocrisy of those who hold some of the most

influence in society. Those most impressionable in society should not look up to those who cannot even live up to their own principles, regardless of the issues they claim to fight against. Something that is quite worrying about this is that celebrities can do things that are completely asinine, and their fans will still imitate them. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow shared that she tapes her mouth shut when she goes to sleep, because, according to her logic, forcing yourself to breathe through your nose leads to better sleep. Doctors are having to warn patients not to tape their mouths shut now, because if they get congested in the middle of the night, they could suffocate. If people blindly follow in the footsteps of those they look up to, it could lead to serious health issues.

However, none of this means that it is wrong to enjoy the works of these celebrities. They are a great source of entertainment for many of us. In no way should anyone feel guilty about enjoying these individuals’ music, movies or shows that they have produced. However, we must understand that behind the veneer of talent and entertainment is often a broken person who should not be idolized.

While the comments made by Kanye West were certainly wrong, hopefully it will finally show people that celebrities are not to be looked up to. Hopefully people will start to realize that they are just like the rest of us and can also make questionable decisions. Just because celebrities are well known does not mean that they are good role models.

Astrological signs show little significance

Editor

In the pseudoscience astrology, the alignment of stars and planets affect a person’s life, mood and behavior. Personalized horoscopes are created by one’s birth date and make vague predictions about the future, health and success of individuals under the same astrological sign.

With all the Earth’s axial changes, the accuracy of astrology has greatly shifted. Approximately 3,000 years ago, the Babylonians selected 12 constellations from space and assigned one to each month of the year, discarding the fact that the sun moves through 13 constellations. This further proves that ancient estimates fail to hold up to modern astronomical observations, proving that predictions for personality based on these stars are false. As for the actual meaning of zodiacs, they are actually just constellations of stars.

A popular reason as to why many people believe in astrology is because of a concept called confirmation bias. If someone already has set identities for themselves, they can use astrology to simply confirm their beliefs. This shows that horoscopes “resonate” with us because humans enjoy categorization. In terms of astrology, this could be grouping people into their respective signs.

Téa Sklar/Prowler

I have always been quite wary of astrology, as the concept of stars, huge celestial bodies made up of gas and helium defining our personalities sounds quite bizarre. When I took Psychology, I learned about the Barnum effect, which is the phenomenon that people tend to believe in descriptions of their personality that supposedly are descriptive of them but could in fact describe almost anyone. In other words, the Barnum effect tricks the everyday reader into believing that a particular horoscope was meant for just them, aiding the individual to forge connections between the extremely vague texts and their own daily life.

Speaking from personal experiences, I have been put in situations where someone will randomly ask me what my zodiac sign is. Once I tell them my sign, the other person will sound quite pensive or even judgmental. To judge someone based on a sign that assigns random traits to a person that may not even be accurate is ridiculous. There is no way that people can truthfully believe that the time you were brought into this world impacts your personality or future. I could have lied to the person asking me what sign I was, and they most likely wouldn’t have known the difference. It is very easy to trick someone in believing that you are of a star sign other than your own, leading to inaccuracy.

Even though astrology can be a fun hobby, conversation starter and ice breaker, it is important to keep in mind that astrology is not exactly scientific and should not be used to form opinions about people, guide life decisions or even used as a crutch to explain your shortcomings. In my opinion, everyone possesses unique personality traits that go beyond a daily horoscope that is applicable to millions.

The complicated case of Coach Kennedy

Jack Ranney Staff Writer

Bremerton High School football coach, Joseph Kennedy, recently got his job back after the Supreme Court ruled that he was unlawfully fired in 2015 for praying on the field. A lower court previously ruled that the firing was justified, before being overruled by the Supreme Court of the United States.

The details of the incident in question that got Kennedy fired are murky, and the two sides contest the specifics of the incident. “The document says the two sides ‘disagree on the specific wording,’” according to NPR. The coach says that he was prohibited from praying during the game, while students say that they felt pressured to participate.

While the Supreme Court ruled that Kennedy was within his rights when he prayed on the football field, it remains unclear if he was simply praying on his own or if he pressured students into joining him. However, if he simply encouraged students to join him but did not continue to do so if they made clear their apparent disinterest, then he did not infringe on the rights of the students.

Coach Kennedy could have lied, as he would have reason to do so to clear his name. However, teachers always have students who do not like them, meaning that some students could have possibly had a motive to lie, if not stretch the truth.

When Joseph Kennedy was fired from his job in 2015, he became a martyr for many, particularly Christian Conservatives. He even appeared at a rally for then-presidential candidate Ted Cruz. Kennedy’s case has also been compared to that of Colin Kaepernick, an NFL player who kneeled during the national anthem as an act of civil disobedience. Those of a more secular bent supported Kaepernick, while those who are more religious rallied behind Kennedy, showing that those on both sides of the political spectrum support free expression–as long as it applies exclusively to them.

While supporters of the school’s decision to fire Kennedy could say that since he was a public school coach he should not have prayed at work, since public schools are not meant to involve religion, due to separation of church and state. However, if he did not pressure anyone else to join him, he did not infringe upon their individual rights; he was simply exercising his own, and those rights are protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Because of the complicated and controversial nature of these cases, one needs more than “he said, she said” to form an opinion. In the age of the Internet, where clickbait can easily be mistaken for real news, it is hard to know who is truly in the right.

Melissa Geher/Prowler

Melissa Geher Opinion

Melissa Geher/Prowler

NPHS blood drive helps save lives

Nikhil Satyagal Staff Writer

4.5 million American patients are in need of blood transfusions every year. In recent years, due to COVID-19 and other health concerns in regards to donating blood, America has been hit with a national blood shortage. On Wed. Nov. 16, NPHS hosted a blood drive which brought in 35 pints of blood, enough for 73 patients worldwide.

The drive was set up on the basketball courts, with the blood being drawn in trucks from Vitalint, a nonprofit organization that provides blood and hosts blood drives across the nation. With 61 people signing up to donate blood the blood drive got donations from around half of the signees. Sophia Di Stefano, senior, and student coordinator for the blood drive, reflects on the importance of hosting blood drives. “Mobile blood donation clinics are to go to places to be able to reach out to as many people within the community as possible to get as much blood as possible because there’s constantly a need for blood, ” Di Stefano said.

Donating blood is a very rewarding process for many and is an extremely valuable action for the health of millions of patients every year. Ella Holzberger, senior, donated blood as a way to help others in need. “[Donating blood] is something that I have always wanted to do. My family donated blood frequently, so I always wanted to be a part of

that. I also love giving back to the community, so giving such a precious and needed gift was something I intended on doing at some point in my life,” Holzberger said. In order to prevent health risks, especially due to the fact that the donors were all minors, the requirements for donating were very strict, including weight and height requirements in order to donate to prevent health risks.

The blood drive process would have been impossible without the help of the student volunteers who assisted with the paperwork and passing out snacks and shirts to the donors. Elizabeth Arjaev, senior, describes her role as a volunteer. “I helped cross off the names of people that were donating and organized their permission slips. I also helped hand out the T-shirts for when the donors were finished, ” Arjaev said.

Donating blood is a very important process for the well-being of millions of people in America alone. Only 37% of people can donate blood, and as such, those who can, have the power to save lives. “Blood drives people together. It’s really important, like everyone has the power to save a life. And that’s a really important superpower that I think everyone kind of needs to realize because you have that power and it’s amazing if you can, ” Di Stefano said.

The Monarch Project fights alongside the butterflies

Ava Prapaniku Staff Writer

Love for monarch butterflies fosters within adolescent years as children’s dreams are often consumed with the possibility of one landing upon their nose. But within recent years, fewer and fewer butterflies have been seen fluttering their wings due to the destruction of their habitats. The Monarch Project, a club taking place at Newbury Park High School, has initiated a project to help fight alongside the butterflies in hopes of saving them.

Through volunteering at the Santa Monica Mountains Native Plant Nursery, Sara Mansourian, junior, became aware of the various dangers monarchs face and was inspired to start the Monarch Project.

repaying the favor. “I really think that this project could potentially help the monarch butterflies who are endangered,” Dudhia said. “[The monarchs] don’t have a habitat to live in and that’s why we are building a garden so it can be a safe haven for them to come to.”

Gardening

“The monarch butterfly population is endangered due to deforestation and fires within California so we are creating a monarch way station, which is a garden that provides host plants for monarch butterflies to pollinate. The way station supplies the monarchs with native milkweed which is the only plant they eat and lay eggs on,” Mansourian said.

Butterflies have always been a staple of California, being beneficial to the environment and pollinating over 75 percent of the world’s flowering plants. Ria Dudhia, junior and publicist of the Monarch Project, finds that the production of the garden is a small way of

After hearing about the club’s mission, Jillian Abbott-Gonzales, junior, was inspired to join and attended the very first meeting held. “I’m looking forward to all the volunteer opportunities because we have the opportunity to go to the Santa Monica Mountains and help with their garden,” Abbott-Gonzales said. “Being able to go up there with the club will be very fun and I’m so lucky to volunteer with such a sweet group of people alongside me.”

Without knowledge related to native plants, helping the monarchs can be challenging, therefore the club emphasizes the importance of educating their members. “I’ll put together slideshows to teach people about native plants and then we are going to have different events throughout the year for planting the garden itself, which those events will be in increments,” Mansourian said. The club meets once a month in E5 on Thursdays, working towards building the garden and volunteering amongst other organizations.

- The Monarch project is different from any other club on campus. The group has put in a lot of effort into building a habitat for monarch butterflies to prosper, due to their dwindling population. Cameron Winick/Prowler

Donate - The 2022 NPHS blood drive, greeted by the Blood drop mascot brought in enough blood for 73 people in need of blood. Sophia Di Stefano/ With Permission

Mamma Mia! Here we go again!

Hayden Meixner Backcover Editor Isabella Boggs Staff Writer

Preparation

Fatherly love - Evan Sussman, Cameron Winick and Knaib Kepe took on the role of Sophie’s three possible fathers. The three had been rehearsing for several months in order to perform their roles as Strange envisioned. “So we do a lot of rehearsals. I try to prepare for the audition ahead of time. I let them know coming into the audition. This is what is expected of you. This is a musical so you do need to know how to sing. You do need to know how to dance. I will be working with you with acting,” Strange said. All of their hard work came together for several amazing performances. “I’m just so grateful that we had such a successful run and I’m really, really excited that the community got behind us and we had so much support and so much just positive vibes coming our way” Strange said. Isabella Boggs/Prowler

“Mamma Mia!” was unlike any other performance NPHS has ever seen. The entire show is composed of songs written by the band ABBA, which have been constructed into a musical following the story of a young girl, Sophie Sheridan, and her mother, Donna Sheridan, as they prepare for Sophie’s wedding.

The fall musical has been in the works since last year when Marilyn Strange, director and drama teacher, decided that she wanted to see “Mamma Mia!” performed on NPHS’ stage. “I never thought ‘Mamma Mia!’ would be the right fit for a high school and then the rights came available and we did [a “Mamma Mia!”] number in [last year’s musical] and I was like, I think we can do this,” Strange said.

Once auditions, which took place on Aug. 30 and Aug. 31, were completed and the cast was selected, the actors began to memorize their lines and the choreography to each song was taught. Maxwell Oliver, choreographer and NPHS alumnus,

designed dances for multiple songs in “Mamma Mia!” hoping to encompass the fun loving spirit of the musical. “What I did for this show was I watched a lot of videos of productions of ‘Mamma Mia!’, and disco dance in general. I kind of just picked and chose different aspects of dance that I thought would look good with this group of kids,” Oliver said.

While acting and dancing are crucial parts of any performance, musicals such as “Mamma Mia!” require actors to develop their voices and Zachary Spencer, musical director of “Mamma Mia!”, worked with students to help them refine their songs. “It’s breaking down the music into parts and then going over [them]… if somebody’s singing a melody, the ensemble might be singing backup vocals, and for this particular show, [the songs] are pretty complicated with a lot of counterpoint call and response. So [ensemble] has to know exactly where they come in,” Spencer said.

A production requires many intricate steps, such as tech, lighting and costumes, but these roles are often left unseen. However without these aspects, there wouldn’t be a musical to perform. Casey Pardee, senior, is both an actor and assists with tech, seeing the importance of both roles. “Tech is often overlooked in a lot of places and in many theaters. In my opinion tech is almost more important with the actors,” said Pardee. “Thankfully the tech department at NP is incredible and [it is] definitely not overlooked.”

Another crucial component of the performance is the lighting. It conveys the themes and emotions, such as the relationship between a mother and daughter. Ananya Singh, junior, is co-head light designer, and believes that the lighting in “Mamma Mia!” is different than ever before. “We used fairy lights which is something we have not done before. We also set up different lights at different angles for a more enriching ‘Mamma Mia!’ experience,” Singh said.

Costumes allow the audience to visualize the messages, personalities, and time period that makes up the show. “Mamma Mia!” is unique because while the film that the musical is based off takes place in 2000, ABBA’s music dates back to the 1970’s, so a combination styles from both eras were necessary. In addition,“Mamma Mia!” occurs on Kalokairi, a fictional Greek island, therefore also playing a role on the characters’ ‘look’. Those in charge of costumes, like Aiden Yniguez have had to make adjustments. “The most challenging [part] has definitely [getting] disco outfits…we don’t have a lot of disco outfits, more modern day clothes, or ball gowns, or things that would really fit ‘Mamma Mia!,’” Yniguez said.

Despite the tremendous effort and time involved in the preparation for “Mamma Mia!”, the cast and crew are thrilled to have the opportunity because it is a creative outlet and allows them to express themselves.

reminiscing on high school years, one’s mind is often filled with the exciting memories of watching talented young actors, singers and dancers perform their hearts out on the stage. The Newbury Park High School theater department spent months preparing to impress the students, staff and parents of the campus in their fall musical production of “Mamma Mia!”. While the performance only lasts a couple of hours, that is no reflection of the effort and time that goes into a production.

Curtain Call - Near the end of the performance, the cast all came together to perform their final numbers and accurately demonstrated how tight-knit the group has become even off the stage. Allie Mohelnitzky knows that the connection she has formed will last for several years. “We’re all kind of a really close group. So it kind of allows for us to be kind of positive and fun and people who watch it will see the close connection and be really drawn to it,” Mohelnitzky said. Isabella Boggs/Prowler

The ACtors

Wedding Bells - Kaylee Aschbrenner, senior, will play Donna for the final fall musical of her high school career. Aschbrenner has only been able to participate in theater for two years because of COVID regulations, but she looks forward to making up for lost time with “Mamma Mia!”. “I just love the feeling of getting up there on the stage. Not being able to see a single face and just doing what I love,” Aschbrenner said. “Mamma Mia!” has always been present in Aschbrenner’s life. “I grew up watching this musical. My grandma made me watch it from when I was super, super young. So it’s always been a part of my life. So when I heard that we were going to be doing this musical it just meant the world to me, and I was so excited,” Achbrenner said.

Isabella Boggs/Prowler

Hit the Note - Due to the clear abundance of talent in our theater department, the decision was made to double cast the main characters of the show. Elizabeth Bond, sophomore, scored the lead of ‘Sophie’ along with Mohelnitzky. Bond has been involved in theater for seven years but nothing has compared to her experience in the NPHS theater department. “I just fell in love with our theater community and people in it…here it’s just a different atmosphere than I’ve been anywhere else,” Bond said. Parker Bohl/Prowler

Performance

The success of the show was a surprise for the cast and crew. “We’ve just come out of such dark times so to be able to get together, and have fun and celebrate. I’m hoping that mentality is carrying forward, even a little past the show,” Strange said.

This production has been extremely impactful on the people involved. Kaylee Ashbrenner, senior and Donna in “Mamma Mia!”, is incredibly proud of all the hard work that everyone involved put into the show and she has already been able to see the lasting effects of the performance.“[‘Mamma Mia!’ has] definitely improved me vocally and through my acting skills. I would say because of the process that it took to inherit my character as a part of myself … Donna Sheridan is definitely a part of me,” Ashbrenner said.

“Mamma Mia!’’ has also been a learning experience for many new members of the NPHS

theater department. Chloe Scacheri, freshman and ensemble member, believes that this musical has allowed her to be inventive. “I was my own person and I could create my own [character] within a group of a bunch of other people who were, technically the same role,” Scacheri said.

The theater department hopes to carry the success of “Mamma Mia!” into their next production which will be a puzzle play of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”. NPHS, Thousand Oaks High School and Westlake High School will each take a third of this production and perform it as a group. “We are going to be putting it together in our own way and then performing it all together on the 5th, 6th and 7th [of January] at each high school. So one performance at each high school.” Strange said.

Disco - The cast of Mamma Mia performs a final number, ending a show full of singing and dancing. Marilyn Strange, director and theatre teacher, was amazed by the student’s performance and proud of their sold out shows. “It’s that sense of accomplishment, it’s that sense of excitement for completing a huge undertaking, that sense of accomplishment of watching these students grow into their role. Whether they’re a performer or a technician and just watching the growth throughout just the production schedule.” Strange said. Parker Bohl/Prowler

Trio - Elizabeth Bond, Lindsay Freedman and Olivia Antu, who play Sophie and her friends gather around a notebook to discuss Sophie’s potential fathers. Elizabeth Bond, sophomore, played one of the Sophies for the double casted “Mamma Mia!” production. “figuring out how to deliver my lines and my music and learning more about the character so I can step into the role and make sure that I’m portraying the best character that I can,” Bond said.

Parker Bohl/Prowler

1

Student

Britt/Junior

What suspect in the game of “Clue” has the same name as a bird?

Britt: Mrs. White

Calaba: Mrs. Peacock

A: Mrs. Peacock 0-1

It was Calaba, in F-3, with the right answer.

What is the capital of the US state Tennessee? 2

Britt: Tallahassee

Calaba: Knoxville

A: Nashville 0-1

A geography class may not be a bad idea for these two.

3

w

What herb is used to make pesto sauce?

Britt: Basil Calaba: Basil A: Basil 1-2

What did the basil say to the chef? “Stop pestoing me!”

Britt: 3 Calaba: 3 A: 3 2-3

Journalism enthusiasts or lucky guesses?

5

Britt: Jim Carrey

Calaba: Unknown A: Austin Butler 2-3

They’re lost in a cloud.

VS

Ariela Behar Entertainment Editor

Calaba Wins! 4-5

Teacher

Joseph Calaba/History Teacher

6

The mouth, esophagus, and small intestine are all a part of which bodily system?

Britt: Digestive system

Calaba: Gastral-intestinal system A: The digestive system 3-3 Fortunately, Calaba is a history teacher.

7

How many letters are in supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?

Britt: 23 Calaba: 21 A: 34 3-3

Their answers sound quite atrocious.

8

After the Beatles, Paul McCartney went on to form what band?

Britt: Queen Calaba: Wings A: Wings 3-4

I can’t believe Paul McCartney wrote and sang “Bohemian Rhapsody”, according to Britt.

Through what November dates did Mamma Mia show at the NPHS PAC?

Britt: 9th-13th Calaba: 10th-13th A: November 9th-13th 4-4 Here we go again with another tie.

10

Cameron Winick/Prowler

Where did Albert Einstein live before moving to the U.S.?

Britt: England Calaba: Germany A: Germany 4-5 Guten tag!

Clerical error prevents Boys’ water polo from CIF continuation

On Nov. 1, the Newbury Park boys’ water polo team beat Carpinteria 15-11 in their first round of CIF. At the time, the team did not realize they would be playing their last game of the season.

The following practice, the team was called out of the water and approached by Principal Steve Lepire, Assistant Principal of Athletics Michael Godfrey and Athletic Coordinator Jason Klein. Administration spoke with the team and head coach, Hardy Chet. “We found out that our administrations’ assistant principal of athletics failed to complete the necessary transfer paperwork that goes into getting a student athlete cleared. Because of that, he was ruled ineligible,” Chet said.

However, the team was under the impression that the student was eligible to play. Tobey Chow, senior co-captain, shared the team’s confusion: “Coach Chet did not know this. It’s not on his part and it’s not on our player. He sat out the six weeks that he was supposed to, he missed games. Our athletics department told us two months ago that he was eligible to play,” Chow said.

Jack Germann, felt equally upset. “It sucked. I was crying for half an hour to an hour after the news dropped,” Germann said. “That was probably the worst way our season could’ve ended because it wasn’t like we lost fair and square. We won. We knew that we could have gone far in CIF. And that opportunity was taken away from us.”

For the boys, the team became a family. “I’m not gonna be able to play with a lot of these guys again; they’re some of my closest friends and that was the last game I was playing with them. I didn’t even know it,” Germann said. This season was also shaping up to be extremely promising for the team. “Our team had so much potential. Jack Germann is one of the best goalies in the league. Levi Cook, a phenomenal lefty, I mean, likes of which the league hasn’t seen in ages. Last Tuesday, Levi Cook scored nine goals, that just don’t count anymore,” Chow said.

Score- Ryan Stotser, senior on the team gets ready to score a goal. One of the captains, Tobey Chow, reflects on the abrupt season ending. “We’re just so disappointed because we feel that everything that we worked for and worked towards was just kind of ripped from us and we didn’t even get a fighting chance to claim our title. Especially since our team this year was phenomenal,” Chow said. Parker Bohl/Prowler

The situation left the team feeling cheated. “It’s heartbreaking because our season ended without our control. Especially when we did everything we’re supposed to do regarding transfers,” Chet said. “I just wish that there was more accountability taken by our administration.”

Senior co-captain and goalie for the team,

Ultimately, the team wants changes to be made in the future to prevent such a tragedy from ever occurring again. “I think CIF needs to change the rule, to where in instances where administration messes up, to not punish the team and instead punish administration,” Chet said. Coach Chet leaves the season acknowledging that the boys were capable of and deserved much more. “I would just like to say how special this group of boys is and how unfortunate it is that our season got practically stolen away from us.” Chet said.

Elijah

Nandini Patro DPS Editor

Who played Elvis in the 2022 blockbuster “Elvis?”

Netflix’s fantasy school film twists minds

Melissa Geher Opinion Editor

“The School for Good and Evil,” based on the first book of Soman Chainani’s six-book series, tells the tale of two misfit friends who get swept away into a fantastical world beyond the Endless Woods. I

In the Netflix movie, Sophie and Agatha find themselves enrolled in the School for Good and Evil, which is where the origins of fables and fairytales are revealed. The two girls, who are on opposite sides of a truly epic, supernatural battle, try to find their happy endings along the road with enchanting twists and magical turns.

The Netflix film focuses on quite different and opposite friends who watch out for one another in a harsh, fantasy land. Sophia Anne Caruso portrays Sophie, a young woman with Cinderella-like aspirations. Agatha, played by Sofia Wylie, is assumed to be a witch since she resides in a home tucked away in the woodland, where she mixes potions and wears Witch-like attire. The friends develop a lighthearted bond early in the movie, and Cate Blanchett’s narration only adds to it.

One day, a giant bird swoops in and scoops the girls up, carrying them off to The School for Good and Evil, two adjacent castles connected by a bridge where the next generation of magical youth learns to refine their

supernatural abilities. This balance was long established by a pair of brothers, as was shown in the movie’s preamble; this magical institution makes sure that no side can completely win.

Sophie believes that Agatha will travel to the mysterious, dark building, while she will end up at the more pleasant, bright school. However, when the bird drops Sophie on the evil side and Agatha on the good side, they believe there must have been an error and struggle to switch places. Their genuine selves, which had been hidden behind the hairstyles, outfits, and labels society had given them, quickly become apparent. This brings an interesting idea to the table and is a great opportunity to learn about the insidious power of prejudice.

Even though I read the book series many years ago, I still enjoyed watching the movie, as it felt like a refresher of everything I read. For a slightly cheesy fantasy movie produced by Netflix, the CGI, special effects, acting, and all other production elements were really whole-hearted and definitely surpassed my expectations.

Though the movie does feel like a non-stop piece of fantasy action, the whole cast and crew really made the characters come to life from the book series.

“TÁR” creates a symphony of sight and sound

Cameron Winick Staff Writer

“TÁR” is the new Todd Field film about fictional composer Lydia Tár, and her downward spiral into obscurity. Released in early October, the film premiered to widespread critical acclaim, as well as a very positive audience reception. Touching on topics like cancel culture, celebrity culture and general ego, Field’s film is bound to stay in the public’s consciousness for a while, seeing as its focuses are so relevant.

Played by Cate Blanchett, the film follows Lydia Tár, a worldrenowned classical composer with a fiery orchestra that she uses as an outlet to express her emotion. However, her life begins to spiral out of her control when her past comes back to haunt her in unexpected ways.

There are countless well done aspects to “TÁR,” but the standout is clearly Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tár herself. She so effortlessly engulfs herself as the character, making every inflection and little quirk an integral part of her character. Her performance is one of the best of the year, and I’m sure Blanchett will be showered in awards in the coming months.

Another exceptional element was the cinematography by Florian Hoffmeister. Specifically, there is a scene near the beginning of the film where Tár debates a Juilliard student over the idea of separating the art from the artist. Aside from the scene being especially wellwritten, it is also shot in one take. It may be a simple technique, but when thinking about all the coordination that went into it, it becomes clear how astounding the shot composition is in every scene.

Similarly, the editing and sound design is a true marvel. Standing at a daunting 158 minute runtime, it’s honestly shocking how transfixed I was during the entire thing. It’s definitely a slow movie, but the editing makes it feel so carefully plotted out. It’s hard to lose interest as the film dives deeper into Tár’s psyche. Combined with booming and chilling sound design, this film is definitely one to see in theaters if you get the chance.

“TÁR” has plenty of topical messages. This gives it an edge over other films at this point in the year. I highly recommend this film if you’re interested in a thought-provoking movie that takes its time.

Melissa Geher/Prowler

MOVIE PAGE

“Wakanda Forever” takes a mature turn

Director Ryan Coogler was dealt the worst cards possible when making this movie: the death of his lead actor and a pandemic. Even through all of those trials, we still ended up with a movie that has tons of merit and possibly the most mature story the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has ever told.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” released Nov. 11, marks the end of the MCU’s Phase Four and tells the story of Shuri and the rest of Wakanda mourning the death of King T’Challa in fear of what could happen to their home country without a Black Panther in power.

This may be the most mature MCU movie yet, which was so refreshing for me after the goofy “Thor: Love and Thunder” that I wasn’t a fan of. This direction was absolutely necessary following the passing of Chadwick Boseman. I was pleasantly surprised to see that all the things I was concerned about ended up being well executed: the lack of T’Challa, Shuri’s arc and the introduction of Namor and Ironheart.

The cinematography had me visually invested from beginning to end with the African landscape of Wakanda and swimming through an underwater civilization. The lack of editing during action scenes amplifies the scope of the film and stakes. The VFX have

improved greatly from the quality we’ve gotten in Phase 4 thus far.

This movie is filled with wonderful performances that raise the bar for what we will expect from the MCU. Everyone has complimented Angela Bassett who is undeniably great, and Letitia Wright gives the best performance the MCU has seen since the end of Phase 3. Lastly, Tenoch Huerta delivers one of the best villains I’ve seen in years who’s intimidating from his first lines that set the tone for what to expect from him.

I know it’s unpopular but I love long movies; four of my top ten favorite movies are considered epics. When this movie’s runtime was announced, clocking in at 2 hours and 41 minutes, the longest Marvel film since “Avengers: Endgame,”, I was skeptical but excited for what they would do with that length. For the most part, they utilized it very well, at least better than I was expecting. It’s a runtime that feels earned and necessary for the story being told. I wish they would’ve utilized it a little better to make Shuri’s arc a bit smoother.

I quite enjoyed this movie as it ranks high amongst the better movies of this year. I would be more than willing to revisit this at an AMC and I give it a 4/5.

“The Fabelmans” keeps up the quality

The man, myth and legend Steven Spielberg has made quite possibly his most personal film to date. As a follow up in his filmography to “West Side Story,” I’d say he’s on an aesthetic and emotional roll that I would love to see more of.

This film, released on Nov. 11, takes place from the late 1950s to the mid 60s. It’s a semiautobiographical drama of Spielberg’s childhood of him making movies and learning to love the art. It displays his intuitiveness and well-spent ambition for the art form.

The first thing I noticed about this film is that the cast doesn’t have a ton of big names, but the actors that are in the cast are exceptional. Paul Dano gives the best performance as the father and is due for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for either this or “The Batman” where he played The Riddler. Michelle Williams is asked to do a lot and she goes above and beyond to sell her character as the mother and her struggles that are one of the focal points of the film. Although Seth Rogen is playing a comedic character, he is involved in multiple emotional scenes and he does an excellent job in all of them.

The person who brings it all together is Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy Fabelman, the Steven Spielberg surrogate of the story. After we see Mateo Zoryan as young Sammy, LaBelle plays the character for the bulk of the movie and from that point on there’s hardly a scene without him. For my first

experience with the actor, I’m excited with what he goes on to do after this as he takes lots of different emotions, attitudes and moral choices, and every last one of them is believable.

From the very first frame, I was in love with the style and look of this film. I love the fashion of the era it takes place in, so that was an immediate win for me. The film has a beautiful blue color palette that goes wonderfully with the different climates displayed throughout the runtime. This film succeeds in making every location feel lived in and familiar in a way so the viewer can put themselves in the family’s shoes. In the third act, a hefty amount of time is spent at a high school and I think it matches the look, feel and energy of an actual California high school.

Even though the intention of the pacing is to show snapshots of someone’s life, I wish it could’ve spent more time fleshing out the people and situations the family gets involved in. To me, it felt like it would move on before I could get invested in those people and situations. This could be fixed with a rewatch as I haven’t heard anyone else have this problem.

This is in my top ten movies of the year! Spielberg knocks it out of the park yet again in his legendary and expansive career. This is an excellent, wholesome entry in his filmography . If he were to call it the end and I would be satisfied. I can’t wait to revisit this 4.5 / 5.

Vincent Bennett Movie Reviewer

Vincent Bennett Movie Reviewer

Kai Mekari/Prowler

Emmy Fuentes-Alabanza/Prowler

Emmy Fuentes-Alabanza/Prowler

Enola Holmes 2 mystifies fans

Kira Ivarsdottir News Editor

On the fourth of November, the sequel to the Millie Bobby Brown period piece, “Enola Holmes” hit Netflix. With acting performances such as Helena Bonham Carter and Henry Cavill, the early 19th century movie pleased fans and enlightened viewers, even achieving a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes 4 days after release.

The main plot surfaces around Sherlock Holmes’ sister Enola, played by Mille Bobby Brown, who strives to make herself known as a detective amidst the marginalization that she faces as a young woman in 1884. Contrasting from Stranger Things, Brown’s role as Enola features heavy dialogue as well as scenes that break the fourth wall; which might sound corny but actually adds a more personal aspect despite some topics being dark. In the first film, Enola searches for her mom, who she comes to find, works for a feminist organization that strives for basic rights for women at the time. Though the ending of the first film’s mystery didn’t end with the outcome Enola intended, she learned that she had a knack for detective work, similar to her brother Sherlock.

In period dramas, especially those covering London during the Victorian Era, factors such as costume design and realistic storytelling are difficult to encompass successfully and historically. Enola Holmes 2 however, did a fantastic job of representing realistic costume design as well as historical storytelling; with the sequel covering a true story in contrast to the original. In the theme of striving for women’s rights, the sequel covers the story of the 1888 Bryant and May Matchgirls’ strike.

Kai Mekari/Prowler

In which, the young girls employed at the Bryant and May match factory experienced extreme hardships while remaining underfed and underpaid, while living amongst constant death to fellow sisters and friends due to horrible working conditions and no workers rights for women. Through the ins and outs of the mysteries unfolding in front of her, Enola works to find out why the deaths are unfolding and not being acknowledged while trying to find a missing girl, Sarah Chapman; a real woman who fought for women’s rights in the 1888 Bryant and May Matchgirls’ strike.

Along with intriguing action scenes and suspenseful mystery solving, Enola Holmes 2 additionally paid beautiful homage to romantic aspects of the story. With the main love interest being Lord Tewkesbury played by Louis Partridge, fans were entranced and highly satisfied with the angsty teenage relationship from the first film continuing in the second film with even more heartfelt and excruciating romantic scenes. Though Enola mentioned a slight interest in the teenage Lord in the first movie, the second completes the couples’ relationship while demonstrating the powerful message of asking for help. My only problem with the original movie was the frequent idea that women are most successful without the accompaniment of anyone at all; the sequel however, emphasizes the idea that though women can be just as strong independently as they are with someone else, it is okay to ask for help or to even seek a relationship without jeopardizing your own self worth.

As a fan of the first film, I found my expectations exceeded. Though no official statements of a third installment have been made official, fans as well as myself hope to see the continuation of the young detective’s story.

Glass Onion mystifies audiences around the world

Dylan Kaseno Feature Editor

Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza/Prowler

“Knives Out” was and remains to be my favorite movie, so I had high expectations going into “Glass Onion.” The original followed Daniel Craig’s intelligent and eccentric Benoit Blanc, a detective solving the mysterious death of a famous murder mystery novelist, and the drama revolved around his family, who would all differently benefit from their patriarch’s disappearance, financially.

“Glass Onion” led with a return to Blanc getting introduced to his next mystery during quarantine. Blanc is sent a mysterious invitation in the form of an elaborate puzzle box to an Elon Musk-type billionaire’s private island mansion. Miles Bron, the billionaire, sends an invitation to his closest friends, a group they call “The Disruptors,” along with one to Blanc. The invitation invites them to help solve his own murder that will occur during the trip.

We cannot discuss the movie itself without first talking about the absolutely phenomenal and star-studded cast. Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, Edward Norton as Miles Bron, the billionaire, Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick, and Madelyn Cline, all of which perform their parts perfectly. Without them, the movie would not be a tenth of a percent as entertaining.

This movie definitely keyed into an aspect of the first one, humor. “Knives Out” had many humorous scenes and dialogue, but it was actually enhanced in “The Glass Onion.” There are so many scenes that stir up a chuckle or two, such as one of the opening scenes which sees Blanc playing online video games in

the bathtub with Angela Lansbury, Stephen Sondheim, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Natasha Lyonne all on zoom.

A noticeable aspect of the film is the numerous twists and turns that change who the suspect could be in every scene. During the movie, perspectives change, allowing you to gain insight into different angles of various situations.

Additionally, I couldn’t discuss the film without mentioning the amazing costumes, writing, and set. The house, in Greece, is purely breathtaking; the house is next to a beach and has a literal giant glass onion dome and a lazy susan for a car. The dialogue in each scene was spectacular, leaving me with many memorable moments and lines. I also constantly found myself appreciating the outfits of the cast throughout the movie, namely Kate Hudson and Janelle Monáe’s outfits.

For the viewers, the most exciting part of a mystery is trying to solve it. Unfortunately, one of the shortcomings of this movie relates to that. Honestly, I think it would be really hard to solve the mystery definitively while watching most of the movie. While I do think it could be possible by taking extensive notes, pausing, and replaying scenes, viewers might just find it more enjoyable to watch the movie as it is. Even though the movie is pretty difficult to solve while watching all the way through, that doesn’t take away from the movie itself, and it is still really enjoyable to watch.

One of the best parts about Knives Out was the ending; it was extremely satisfying and validating. Glass Onion shares that feature with an equally appealing ending.

“Glass Onion” is one of my favorite movies I’ve ever seen. It is enjoyable, entertaining, exciting and clever. It is definitely worth a watch or a couple watches. The movie was only available for the week of Thanksgiving in theaters, but it will be available on Netflix starting Dec. 23. Mark the date in your calendar because “Glass Onion” is coming, and it will be more than worth the watch.

Kai Mekari Graphic Artist

be “Sweet Nothing” and “Maroon.” These songs in particular have a lot of emotion and they both remind me of her original style of writing. Just days after the Oct. 21 release of her 10th studio album, “Midnights”, Taylor Swift shattered streaming and sales records left and right. Swift sold 1.58 million copies, including 575,000 vinyl LPs, and marks the third-largest streaming week for a single album. Taylor Swift is the only artist to sell at least a million copies in a single week for five different albums. Swift’s confidence is the thing that binds “Midnights” together. There’s a sure-footedness about Swift’s songwriting, filled with subtle, brilliant touches.

Kai Mekari/Prowler

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is one the most entertaining movies I have seen in my life. “Glass Onion” is the sequel to “Knives Out,” a movie released in 2019. Both are new and modern and, as many have said, bring new life to the murder mystery genre. Modernizing the genre brought in new audiences unlike anything else in recent times.

Football and girls’ volleyball charge into CIF

Jason Kiang Staff Writer Nikhil Satyagal Staff Writer

Winning the prestigious California Interscholastic Federation [CIF] is a title high school sports teams dream of winning, but even qualifying for playoffs is a difficult task. During the season, teams compete against other schools in their league. The top performing teams within a league then qualify for CIF playoffs, and compete for a chance to win the CIF title. At NPHS, this is no different. Following an eventful fall season, both the NPHS football and girls’ volleyball team qualified for CIF playoffs.

Qualifying for CIF playoffs requires time, hard work and dedication. Natalie Lachberg, senior, is the co-captain of the NPHS girls’ volleyball team and knows all too well about the practice that is needed for a successful season. “During the season, practice was hard. We were all very dedicated and prepared to go the extra mile to be the best players we could. We had a really good bond so practice was fun to attend,“ Lachberg said. Lachberg also reminisced about her favorite moment this season. “My favorite memory by far was our first CIF game at Royal because we were all so excited to advance to round two and there was a huge celebration, ” Lachberg said.

and take a win even though it went to five sets and we were all tired. It was incredibly relieving and rewarding when we had won. Our second game didn’t have the turnout we had hoped, but I was still so proud of the team for making it as far as we did,” Benson said. The volleyball team won their first round against Royal High School 3-2, but unfortunately lost to Campbell Hall 0-3 in the second round.

This is the first year in five years that the football team has qualified for CIF. Ryan Gillum, senior and middle linebacker, reminisces about their season. “My favorite memory this year was beating Oak Park because that was the game that decided if we made the playoffs or not, and we won, which clinched a playoff spot,” Gillum said. The Panthers defeated the Oak Park Eagles 55-36 on Oct. 21. Gillum hopes to play Division I college football and has been working hard, balancing football and school work to achieve that goal.

Charge - NPHS’ football team qualified for CIF for the first time in five years before unfortunately being eliminated in the second round. Despite this, the entire team is incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to compete at the tournament. Ryan Gillum, senior and middle linebacker is glad to have finished his final season on a high note. “I feel great about making it to CIF and I feel it was deserved because of how hard we worked,” Gillum said. After this season the football team has been able to advance their game and leave a mark in this district. Many people on the campus are looking forward to all that they will be able to accomplish next year. Parker Bohl/Prowler

This year marks the second year in a row that the girls’ volleyball team has progressed to CIF playoffs. Unfortunately, their run in CIF this year ended in the second round. Addison Benson, senior and other cocaptain of the girls’ volleyball team, recalls their two CIF matches. “The first [game] went extremely well. The whole team did their jobs and we were able to pull through

The football team won their first playoff game against Mira Coasta with a score of 41-14, coming back from a 0-14 deficit. “As a team we all feel amazing after that game, but we need to move onto the next. We had a slow start but we didn’t let that affect us in the end. The atmosphere was amazing but the panther pit was a little weak at the end,” Gilluim said. Although they lost in the second round of CIF playoffs on Nov. 11 against Newport Harbor with a score of 28-49, qualifying for and winning a round in CIF has been one of Newbury’s best seasons.

Cross country sprints their way into CIF

Gwen McCarthy Staff Writer

The NPHS girls’ cross country team is ready to compete another year and go to state finals to win CIFs. The team has been ranked number one in Division II with the top seven teams advancing to the state meet on Nov. 26.

Ailish Hawkins, a senior and varsity runner on the cross country team, is looking forward to CIF along with finishing the end of the season strong. “We have CIF prelims and then finals. Then we have state and the nationals. We have to get top 12 out of prelims and then top 3 out of finals to be in the top seven teams to qualify for the state meet,” Hawkins said.

The most important thing to Hawkins in the game is taking one for the team. “I think the biggest thing is to be able to put yourself through pain for the team because once we get to state, it’s not easy and there’s a lot of positions we could lose if you give up during the middle of the race. We have to focus on pushing ourselves in the race. We don’t give up halfway because your teammates are depending on you to keep qualifying and everyone matters,” Hawkins said.

Tiffany Sax, sophomore and runner on the team, was excited for the last race at Agoura. “Our meet at Agoura was the league finals and we did pretty well as a team. We won first place. One of the main goals in cross country is [...] to try and get the least amount of points,” Sax said. Last year, the girls’ cross country team participated in nationals where they placed ninth as a team. They participated in state and placed second in CIFs.

Tanya Brosnan, coach of both cross country teams at NPHS, has been coaching country and track for the past six years prior to

taking over as head coach this season. She was an assistant coach for both teams under the former head coach and is now preparing the girls cross country team for CIF finals which will be held on Nov. 19. Before coaching, she was a competitive NCAA and post-collegiate runner. The girls’ team continue[d] to train hard through CIF Prelims and Finals. “For us, this [was] just another step to get to the State Meet and National Championship, which [were] the ultimate goals. The athletes [were] looking forward to competing and defending their CIF Champions title…nationals [is]only one more step away,” Brosnan said.

One of Brosnan’s favorite things about coaching cross country is seeing the athletes complete something they never thought possible. “The disbelief and satisfaction the athletes experience when this happens is important for building their confidence, not just in their running performance, but in life. Knowing that if you put in the hard work you can accomplish something you never thought possible, is a valuable life skill,” Brosnan said.

The only thing Brosnan is nervous about is making sure the athletes maintain a healthy state. “The course is said to be tough and can really drain the athletes. The CIF course at Mt. SAC is a tough course that can really beat up the athletes if they are not careful. Otherwise, the athletes are ready to perform,” Brosnan said.

Girls’ cross country won second place at the State Championship meet in Fresno. Their hard-earned trophy is in the front office for all to admire.

Tiffany Sax

Parker Bohl/Prowler

Ailish Hawkins Parker Bohl/ Prowler

Girls’ soccer kicks off this year’s season

Isabella Boggs Staff Writer

Soccer can be argued as one of the most popular sports in the world and is often one tied in with not only recreation, but can also be seen as a form of culture. This pristine reputation holds true at Newbury Park High School, where the girls’ soccer team has just begun to prepare for their upcoming season.

The group has already set specific goals they plan on accomplishing, such as winning the league and advancing to the CIF tournament. In order to reach these ambitions the girls have had to get into the right headspace and mentality. Joel Canacoo, varsity girls’ soccer coach as well as an NPHS alumnus, expressed the urgency of developing a mental game that is just as strong as the physical. “We take a lot of time to meditate before we start every session [and] game,” Canacoo said.

The group also relies on strategies that they have planned out before playing so that they can stay ahead and catch their opponents off guard. Palmira Coll Bech, sophomore, is a striker on the junior varsity team and understands the importance of making a team unpredictable. “We like to just connect the ball and switch the field. We like to not always attack, but also switch back and play defense,” Coll Bech said.

Even though the league just started, there have already been improvements that the athletes have noticed and believe will aid them this season. Quinn Henderson, junior, is a center holding and attacking man on the varsity team. She feels that a strong connection has developed between her and her teammates and that this will help her to play better. “Last year, we had a lot of new people, like we had a lot of freshmen, and just a lot of underclassmen. So we were definitely just getting to know each other… we’re much closer this year because we [have not] just met each other,” Henderson said. “It’s a chemistry thing as well.”

When it comes to performing sports at high levels, the player must bring their own determination and excitement onto the field in order to perform at the expectations required of them. “I tell my players that they’re the protagonists of their own journey. We have to recognize that this is quite a journey, there’ll be success and there’ll be failures. I’m just here to help guide that process [and] make sure that both happen so that [the team] can grow and get ourselves where we need to be and become a better version of ourselves as a person and as a player,” Canacoo said.

Girls’ basketball is shooting for the win

The NPHS girls’ basketball season started on Nov. 14 after six months of offseason where they developed their physical abilities, strategies and connected as a team. This year, the athletes plan on taking home the title of CIF champions come March.

Darren Burge, Varsity Coach, has been at NPHS for 11 years and has been coaching basketball for a total of over 20 years. This year, he hopes that the team can achieve all the goals they have set, including making it to championships. He has watched eagerly as the team has steadily improved and after watching the relationship of the girls spark, they perform their best in the games that matter the most. “There is nothing better than seeing a team come together and play well in the playoffs,” Burge said. With a full schedule of practices Mondays through Thursdays from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., the team has been working hard to prepare for their games.

Lauren Davis, senior, is on the varsity

team and has been playing since her freshman year. “Our basketball team is really great for newcomers because there’s lots of people that have never played basketball before and our coaches are really great with that…,” Davis said.

Ria Duhdia, junior and player on the JV team, has been playing at NPHS for all three of her high school years. She said the NPHS girls’ basketball team is a great place to learn new things and expand your skills as a player. “You can [also] learn teamwork and how to work with other people even if you guys don’t always see eye to eye,” Duhdia said.

The girls and their coaches are full of hope for this year’s season, and cannot wait to live up to the team’s goals. “Winning a CIF Title, 4 league titles and going undefeated in league for two years in a row are just some of the highlights I’ve enjoyed over the years,” Burge said.

Unpredictable baseball season leads to Astros win

Parker Bohl Chief Photographer

For the first time in baseball history, five home runs were hit in a world series game, and by a team few expected to play in the postseason, The Philadelphia Phillies. However, this wasn’t enough, as they were defeated by a team looking to secure their first undisputed world series win, the Houston Astros.

Both the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers were brought down before the postseason started by two underdogs. The San Diego Padres defeated the Dodgers in a series of wild card games. Similarly, the Phillies won their series against the Braves, allowing both teams to progress and play each other. The Phillies then won against the Padres and secured their place in the World Series.

Cameron Coleman, senior and varsity baseball player, shared his thoughts on this year’s season. “I thought [the Phillies] were gonna get out in the first round[...] I thought the Braves would actually might come out of the National League, so I was really surprised that they beat the Braves,” Coleman said. Darin Erickson, the NPHS JV baseball coach, agreed with this sentiment. “[The Phillies postseason] was a complete shock. I’m not an expert on anything with respect to shouldawoulda-couldas here, but I feel that one could say the Dodgers

and the Braves both potentially underestimated a divisional opponent,” Erickson said.

Though the Phillies played well, the Astros emerged victorious, upsetting some Dodgers fans. Erickson alluded to the 2017 world series, “As many Dodger fans potentially feel

Erickson said. In 2017 the Astros won their first world series against the Dodgers, but after an investigation it was found they cheated. The Dodgers had lost unfairly and Astros fans were robbed of a true victory, forever placing an asterisk next to their first world series ‘win.’ This makes the end of this season an extremely important event in the history of the Astros, proving their merit and providing the fans a victory worth celebrating.

Though the world series went to the Astros, there is something for fans grieving the absence of a Dodgers postseason to celebrate. Erickson explained what the Astro’s victory meant to him. “I am personally happy for the Astros winning for the sake of their manager, because I like Dusty Baker, and I believe this is his first World Series championship. He was a former Dodger back when I was a little kid, so I remember watching him play all the time. So that’s the one piece about the world series that I was happy about,” Erickson said. Coleman noted how the attitude about this year’s world series was different then he anticipated. “I didn’t expect all the fans to get that hyped, [but] the fans are really energetic and really into it. Which is really good for the game of baseball.”

Josie Gardner News Editor

Dribble - Growth fosters throughout.The basketball team spends several hours every week in order to ensure excellence “ I feel like my growth has increased so much [because of] a really great atmosphere,” Davis said. Isabella Boggs/Prowler

Score - The team works swiftly to win. “This game is played with a lot of heart and passion. We always say one team, one goal,” Canacoo said. Cameron Winick/Prowler

Kai Mekari/Prowler

Students Share Unique Thanksgiving Traditions

Jack Ranney Staff Writer Jason Kiang Staff Writer

Thanksgiving is a widely known American holiday which usually falls on the third Thursday of November. The most iconic aspect of this tradition is the typical Thanksgiving Dinner. This includes stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and of course, turkey. However, there are many unique traditions that have come to form over time. They can range from simple changes in the traditional Thanksgiving meal to large vacations and unique routines.

Some of these unique traditions involve the whole family and will create memories that can be passed down from generation to generation. One such tradition is to have all attendees sign a plain tablecloth which, after this is done for years, can be passed down as a family heirloom. In addition, if there are family members who enjoy cooking, you could have them look through the family cookbooks and come up with new recipes, which can then be made the following

Duck, Duck, Goose - Charlie Hong, sophomore, said that his family began eating duck this year when they could not get turkey. “My mom didn’t feel like getting turkey so we got duck and rice instead. I like the food. I’m excited,” Hong said. He also enjoys spending time with his family. “We stay at home but sometimes my grandparents are here too,” Hong said. Hong typically celebrates Thanksgiving with family friends. “It’s usually just a friendsgiving with other family friends, not a classical American Thanksgiving,” Hong said.

Boom! - Nathan Porter, junior, celebrates an eventful Thanksgiving with a lot of his extended family that stay the week of Thanksgiving. “[My cousins] will stay over and we like to wear flannels…. and they also bring fireworks, since they think it’s like Fourth of July,” Porter said. Then, when Thanksgiving finally comes, Porter and his family all pitch in to prepare their dinner and have a friendly dart competition and pie throwing competition afterwards. “I’m not really a fan of darts. But it’s actually kind of fun to have a competition against your family and the prize is a pie,” Porter said. Porter’s Thanksgiving meal consists of lobster, turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, and more. Porter is looking forward to the one week Thanksgiving break and is excited to take a week off from school.

- Nithilan Jeyakumar, sophomore, says that instead of having a Thanksgiving dinner, his family uses the holiday and week off as an opportunity to travel. “My family just goes to places during the time like Six Flags, Universal Studios, or Disneyland,” Jeyakumar said. Jeyakumar moved from Canada a few years ago and isn’t used to American Thanksgiving traditions. “Canadian Thanksgiving is during a different time,” Jeyakumar said. “It’s in October.” He also said that even though Thanksgiving isn’t his favorite holiday, he enjoys it due to the vacations his family embarks on. Over the past few years, Jeyakumar and his family have created forever lasting memories from this unique tradition.

“So

is very

has a

He says this tradition first started decades ago with his grandparents. “They started when my grandparents were in high school. And since then, more families have been added to the pool and it’s just kept expanding,” Bonn said. For the Thanksgiving dinner, they have around 15 dishes for the large gathering of people. “So [the food] varies because we have so many different families. We have the typical turkey and potatoes, but we also get plenty of Indian food and African food sometimes,” Bonn said. Bonn enjoys the variety of people at the gathering.”My favorite part of this gathering is meeting new people and having conversations with people from around the world,” Bonn said.

Gather - Jacob Bonn, senior, goes to a large gathering of ten or so other families every year in San Diego.

we do this in San Diego at a family friend’s house which

tall and

huge backyard,” Bonn said.

Nathan Porter/With Permission

Jacob Bonn/With Permission

Nithilan Jeykumar/With Permission

Charlie Hong/With Permission