2015-2016 Issue 5 (February 23 2016)

PANTHER PROWLER

Tuesday February 23, 2016 Issue V

Newbury Park High School

456 N. Reino Rd., Newbury Park, CA 91320

The Election Issue

Ms.Conner3

SpringSports13

KaylaOverbeck14

2

table of contents Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

3 5 7 9 11 13 15

Ms. Conner

Meninism

Editorial: Rape Culture Wei Family

DPS: Election FBLA Zoie Wong/With Permission

DPS: Election

Student Pilots

Super Bowl

Oscar Drama

Spring Sports Preview Signing Day

Lexi Foultz Copy Editor Kate Foultz Staff Writer

4 6 8 10 12 14 16

FBLA

Girl Scouts Seva Patel/With Permission

table of contents.

Kayla Overbeck Photo Essay: Winter Formal

short-take NPHS studs take the stage

From behind the curtains, fifteen NPHS boys anxiously awaited their entrance onto the stage, where they would showcase their talents and studliness. In Friday’s Stud Pageant, annually hosted by Key Club, the “studs” were judged in three categories: spirit wear, talent, and formal wear, which was coupled with interviews.

During the voting portion of the contest, audience members were treated to a performance by Newbury Park High School’s rock band, “Mikey and the Boys”.

Ethan Duff y, junior, was confident before the curtains rose and believed he would win the pageant. “I’m the best. And that’s it. Plain and simple,” Duff y said.

Equally as confident, Anthony Cancasci, junior, had been envisioning his part in the competition for years. “I looked in the mirror and thought, ‘Anthony, you a stud. They should have a pageant for this,’” Cancasci said.

Austin Young, senior, also took part in the Stud Pageant and was flattered by his selection for the competition and was excited to take part in it. “It was an honor even to be considered a stud at school ... and I thought it would be fun. It’s a new experience,” Young said.

Although most of the boys are friends, there was some competition on stage.

Whereas many of the boys feared their peers as competition, Cancasci had another opponent he had to face. “(My biggest competitor is) probably myself, my own inner demons. I gotta fight those inner demons, prevail and win the stud pageant, for me and for everyone back home,” Cancasci said.

Jordan Jomsky, a junior stud, was inspired to take place in the competition after visiting Key Club meetings. “They got a good thing going on. They do a lot for charity..and the (Stud Pageant) sounded cool,” Jomsky said.

Julianna Heller, co-president of Key Club, was excited for the night and how the proceeds would help their community service organization. “All of the money from the show … goes towards the Eliminate Project, which helps to eliminate a disease from the world,” Heller said. The specific disease that Key Club is focusing their efforts on is maternal and neonatal tetanus, which mostly affects babies in third world countries. “It is a horrible disease,” Heller said. “But with small funds like a dollar, you can save a baby.”

news Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

3

Conner awarded exemplary educator of California Victoria Juan DPS Designer Nikita Prokhorov Staff Writer Janet Conner, I.B. English teacher and Extended Essay coordinator, was awarded on Jan. 28 with the Exemplary I.B. Educator Award by the California Association of World Schools (CAWS) for her representation and dedication to the program. Specifically, CAWS states that the award “is offered in recognition of an outstanding educator at your school who has made your school and program great.”

“According to Mrs. Doğançay, who nominated me because she’s the I.B. coordinator, it’s somebody who embodies the I.B. pedagogy,” Conner said. “I think (I transfer) what I’ve learned about the program of I.B...to all of my classes because the program encourages critical thinking and diversity more than rote answers or ‘let’s all think the same.’”

When Deborah Doğançay, I.B. coordinator and Conner’s nominator, began thinking of who to nominate for the award in December of last year, all teachers seemed like good candidates, but Conner stood out for her dedication and teaching history.

“I thought Ms. Conner really stood out because she embodies I.B...and everywhere she goes, whether she’s talking to students or parents or administrators, she’s always expressing her passion for I.B.,” Doğançay said. “Even though we have over 20 amazing educators and I think all of our I.B. educators are deserving of awards, when it came down to the fact that we could submit only one application, I felt she was the appropriate choice because of her diversity and number of years of committing to the program.”

Before she began to teach at Newbury Park High School, Conner had worked as a teacher in Canada at a small school where it was required to teach multiple subjects.

Her experience in various fields besides English helped her prepare for the I.B. program’s well-rounded curriculum.

The application window for the award opened on Dec. 5 of last year and closed this year on Jan. 8. I.B. schools across

California each nominated one educator, and in the end a reviewing committee offered three awards, one per level of the I.B. program. Conner represents the high school level, known as the Diploma Programme. “(According to the reviewing committee), the applicant pool was very fierce,” Doğançay said. “People who teach I.B. tend to have a lot of work, a lot of grading, so if we’re gonna do it, you believe in it and you’re passionate about it and that’s why you’re willing to put in a lot of time to do it.

They read her application and thought that she just stood out.”

Conner will receive a plaque and $1,000 at the CAWS Annual Spring Conference at Sacramento on Feb. 29 in conjunction with her award. CAWS will cover award winners’ travel and registration costs.

English department chair Christine Hodson, a fellow 12th grade I.B. English teacher and friend of Conner, was invited by Conner to start working in the I.B. program as well as moving on to become the department chair.

Hodson described the job of an I.B. English teacher as one in which “you have to be an active inquirer and learner with the students,” and assist students in working to disseminate information to the rest of the class. According to Hodson working as an I.B. teacher requires the teacher to put themselves in the position of the students and work with them closely.

“We were so excited for her to be recognized as the I.B. Educator of the Year in California,” Hodson said. “Her competition was diverse, it was steep, and it was fierce. She is such a deserving recipient of it.”

“I hope I continue to offer my students a real academic subject,” Conner said of her I.B. teaching, “because I think it’s pretty exciting to allow for a tremendous amount of diversity for reactions.”

A new take on teaching- Janet Conner, I.B. English teacher, emphasizes the I.B. ideals of diversity and thinking for yourself, when working with her Enlgish classes. Brandon Chen/With Permission

The top 4% Student photographers become finalists John MacMillen Staff Writer Nelson Kappas Cover Designer

Going out strong- Senior Andy Cho’s photo of the Milky Way (top) and senior Madison Hutchison’s photo of the Pacific Coast Highway (bottom) are just two of the photos from NPHS that made it to the finals of the Photographer’s Forum Student Competition. Andy Cho and Madison Hutchison/With Permission

Four NPHS students have succeeded in becoming finalists in the nationwide Photographer’s Forum Magazine Student Photo Contest: seniors Andy Cho, Madison Hutchison, Brandon Chen, and Monetha Raghani.

“Photographer’s Forum is a big magazine in the photography industry. It’s a really prestigious magazine as well,” Chen said.

Of the 14,000 contestants that had competed to become finalists, only 4% succeeded in doing so.

“It’s kind of validating for the work I have put in,” Cho said.

His feelings are similar to Hutchison’s, who feels proud of her effort and her leading position in the contest. “(It makes me feel) pretty good, because it was out of college too, so (there were) a lot of students,” Hutchison said.

As the competition progresses, these students will have the potential to advance further.

“There is a finalist group, and so if you make it into that you have a chance of making it into the honorable mentions, which is 100 people, and then first through fourth place for high school and first through fourth place for college,” Raghani said.

These finalists became involved with the competition through their AP and IB Photo Year Two class with Eric

Lindroth. Participating in the competition was a requirement for his students. “(Mr. Lindroth) said anyone could enter it, so I figured it’s my second year in the class, and I might as well,” Chen said.

Despite its success, Cho was not initially pleased with how the photo he had taken turned out.

“It was a picture of the Milky Way over Boney Mountain, and the fog came over the hills … I didn’t like those pictures originally, and I didn’t fit them until this year, and (so) this year I decided to go back and process them and they turned out okay,” Cho said.

Hutchison’s picture, a scenic shot of a highway bordering the ocean, was taken on the Pacific Coast Highway.

There is a monetary reward for winning the photography competition: $2,000 and a Sigma 24-35mm F2 DG HSM | Art lens for first place; $1,500 for second place; $1,000 for third place; and $125 for fourth place.

However, Cho is not sure as to whether he expects to see any of this money as competitors are continually weeded out.

“There is always hope, but I’m not expecting anything,” Cho said.

4

news Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

FBLA club sweeps sweepstakes award Kellie Levine Opinion Designer Rachna Deshpande Ad Manager

Read more online

pantherprowler.org Follow us on twitter and instagram

@NPProwler Tornadoes strike in California Caitlin Henderson Staff Writer

“We’re awesome, go team”- Zoie Wong reflects on the success of the Future Business Leaders of America club as the members pose with their multitude of awards after the sectionals competition. Rachna Deshpande/With Permission

The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club attended its annual Sectionals competition on Feb. 6 at West Ranch High School in Santa Clarita, California. At the competition, students took individual or team tests in different fields of study that all relate to business.

For the first time ever, the club won the first place Sweepstakes award, which rewards the school whose club performed the best overall. In addition, juniors Jeffrey Sun and Rayna Kanapuram were elected to the Gold Coast section leadership board as the Vice President of Membership and Vice President of Activities, respectively.

After the club’s previous advisor quit last year, FBLA members were frantic to find a replacement. “We had to switch advisors in the middle of the year, which was really stressful and it messed up our club for a little while,” Zoie Wong, junior and club historian, said. “But we were able to come back this year and win sweepstakes and have the only two people who applied to the Gold

Coast Board from our school get onto the board. We were able to do everything that we went to sectionals for.”

The club’s new advisor English teacher Brandon Janes was quick to step up to the plate. “Initially, I said yes to just advising them for one competition until they got on their feet so that they wouldn’t get disqualified,” Janes said. “But when we went to the regional competition last year, I got to see the merit of their work and we all bonded. From then, I knew that this was a great opportunity for me to be an advisor and now it’s been almost a year and a half since then. It’s been the best time.”

Hoping to build upon their newfound momentum, members are looking forward to the State Competition on April 16 in order to advance to the Nationals level in Atlanta, Georgia.

“We want to place well at the State Leadership Conference and make it to Nationals,” Kanapuram said.

“Our chapter is very promising this year and we hope to send a large group to Nationals.”

In a rare occurrence for Californians, Tornadoes appeared in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Vernon last month. The tornadoes damaged eight buildings and shut down power lines briefly, though no injuries occurred. Small tornadoes are only moderately rare in California, and

according to the Tornado Project, the last tornado to hit Ventura County was in 2010. According to the Weather Service’s Storm Predictions, California has a “marginal” risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, largely due to El Niño.

El Niño strikes again - When checking the weather, Thousand Oaks residents were surprised to see a tornado on the forecast, instead of the usual clear skies and high temperatures. Samantha Meyer/Prowler

staff editorial Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

Rape culture

5

California leads the way in eliminating ambiguity Someone in the United States is sexually assaulted every two minutes. 44 percent of sexual assault victims are under 18, according to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. Although this is a crime rarely heard about in Newbury Park, it is a serious offense that affects more high school students than most think. As one of the most underreported crimes, an estimated 68 percent of sexual assault victims never go to the police. Sexual assault is clearly prevalent in society, but is shrouded in misinformation and stigma.

Sexual assault is defined as any type of sexual behavior that occurs without the consent of both participants. Even if the pair previously had intercourse, if both of them do not verbally agree to the act, it is still considered sexual assault. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence explains that these types of crimes are not about sex, but power, control and fear. These acts can potentially bring the victim unwanted pregnancies, physical damage, sexually transmitted diseases, post traumatic stress disorder, and psychological harm including suicidal thoughts or actions.

In 2014, California was the first state in the nation to pass a bill that clearly defines what sexual assault is. The California Affirmative Consent Law (SB 967) clarifies whether or not rape has been committed on a college campus. In contrast to the “No means no” rhetoric previously in in practice, the new legislation establishes a new standard of “Yes Means yes.” The law requires a conscious and voluntary agreement prior to engaging in sexual activity.

“Lack of protest or resistance does not mean consent,” the law states, “nor

does silence mean consent. Affirmative consent must be ongoing throughout a sexual activity and can be revoked at any time.” This clarifies that someone who is drunk or asleep is not able to grant consent and therefore any sexual contact would be considered a crime. The California Affirmative Consent Law only specifically protects those attacked on a college campus in California, so the law is not applicable to most cases across the nation. As a result, despite the new legislation, sexual assault perpetrators often escape punishment: 98 percent of rapists will never spend a day in prison. The California Affirmative Consent Law is a step in the right direction, but we still have a long way to go to change our society’s attitudes towards sexual assault.

Although sexual assault is a serious crime and can leave the victim with permanent damage, they usually remain silent about the offense. In 4 out of 5 incidences of rape, the victim knows his or her attacker. Often these situations will not be reported as the victim is scared that they will be ostracized or “victim blamed” by their community because their attacker is popular.

Victim blaming is the situation when the victim, usually of sexual assault, is considered the one who brought the crime upon themselves. People justify these accusations with comments such as “She/ he was dressed inappropriately,” or “She/he was drunk,” or “She/he was flirtatious, so she/he was asking for it.”

This lack of acceptance isolates the victim leaving further psychological damage and promotes an environment where people are allowed to make light of the crime.

As society continues to create an environment where sexual assault victims feel ashamed to tell authorities about their attack, too many sexual assaults are allowed to occur with too few consequences.

Groups such as “Make Rape Legal” take advantage of this social leeway and further push the standards of ethics about sexual abuse out of context. “Make Rape Legal”’s pertinence on social media allows the trend to influence a widespread audience with their views that belittle the severity of the crime.

The trend of victim blaming and joking about sexual harassment is exacerbated by media. We live in a world where gratuitous sexual violence can be heard in songs on the radio or watched on television shows or movies. For example, a popular rap song, U.O.E.N.O by Rocko says, “Put Molly (the drug) all in her champagne—she ain’t even know it. I took her home and I enjoyed that—she ain’t even know it.” These types of influences permeate media and pop culture and create a culture that trivializes the act of sexual assault. This trivialization rape culture in society - defined by the Marshall University Women’s Center as “an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture.”

To combat this culture, we as a society must acknowledge its existence and work to make sure we are not participating in it. To victims of sexual assault, you are heard. Your scars are legitimate. To society as a whole, the current culture of rape is unacceptable.

We must change, and we must adhere to the idea that only a “yes” is true consent.

An American is sexually assaulted

EVERY 122

11 10

1 2

2

9 8 7

6

3 4 5

MINUTES An estimated

68%

of victims

NEVER REPORT THEIR ASSAULT

PANTHER PROWLER 2015-2016 staff Editors-in-Chief Shreya Chattopadhyay Adrianna Robakowski Entertainment Designer Alyssa Boedigheimer Nevnit Gill Copy Editors Alyssa Boedigheimer Lexi Foultz Cover Designer Nelson Kappas Kyle Popok

News Designer Lindsay Filgas Opinion Designer Kellie Levine Angela Swartz Photographer Chief / Samantha Meyer Caitlin Henderson Farhaan Pathan Features Designer Victoria Juan Nina Chiuchiarelli

Online Editors Rachna Deshpande Victoria Juan Harsh Karia Sports Editor Kyle Popok Sports Designer Bella Robakowski Graphic Artist Chief / Michael Hellard Alyssa Boedigheimer

DPS Designer Victoria Juan

Ad Manager Rachna Deshpande Staff Writers Kate Foultz Caitlin Henderson Connor Keep Gianna Longo John MacMillen Farhaan Pathan Nikita Prokhorov

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 American Foothill Publishing 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.

Newbury Park High School 456 North Reino Road, Newbury Park, California 91320 (805) 498-3676 x 1110 prowler.newspaper@gmail.com

Adviser Michelle Saremi

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opinion Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

Meninism:

discrimination disguised as satire Angela Swartz Opinion Designer Caitlin Henderson Staff Writer

In response to the growing popularity of the feminist movement, a reactionary men’s rights group has been created called “meninism.” Some believe this trend was created just for cheap laughs, allowing sexist comments to be made in a socially acceptable context, but others take their ideas seriously.

The goal of meninism is for men to receive equal to superior rights compared with women, which is ironic, because the whole point of feminism is for women to no longer be oppressed for their gender. Feminism is not female dominance--a common misconception by meninists and misandrists alike.

The problem with meninism is that it doesn’t deal with issues such as inequality in male custody battles, rights for queer or trans men, and hypermasculine body or cultural standards. Actually, it doesn’t deal with anything at all. Meanwhile, feminism deals with all of these issues, because they fall under social, political, and economic equality for all genders. This renders “meninism” as useless; it also allows misogynists to harass people who express their troubles with gender inequality.

The trend has a Twitter account known as @MeninistTweet, which has over 1.1 million followers. They joke about domestic violence, saying that a woman with a black eye “obviously didn’t listen,” and mask their prejudice behind humor. In their Twitter biography, they claim the content is “obviously sarcasm”; however this allows them to express sexist ideas with little to no consequence. Instead, it only makes the viewer believe that gender prejudice is socially acceptable.

Meninism actually hurts men’s rights because it enforces the

concept that men must be masculine, hyper-sexual beings--a societal standard that breeds insecurity, just as women experience with their own body standards. Men, women, and people of other genders must work together, rather than against one another, in order for equality to be established. @MeninistTweet condones this support of impartiality by feminists, enforcing the social standards of one’s gender.

In addition, the trend has appealed to some women who claim that feminists are man-haters or that they themselves never have been oppressed for their gender.

These women claim to have never been discriminated against because they personally haven’t experienced inequality, but this doesn’t mean that other women have not.

Some women and girls are not allowed an education or other basic needs, and ignoring this problem will only worsen it. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women and one in four men are victims of physical abuse from a partner. 65% of women also report experiencing street harassment, according to the organization Stop Street Harassment, who conducted a national study in 2014.

Do not follow movements such as meninism just because they seem popular at the moment or because the cause does not directly affect you. Instead of placing blame on men or women for hurting each other’s rights, people of all genders need to be aware of each other’s struggles. Even men should be feminists in strive for true gender equality, as the support of meninism does not bring justice for men’s rights, but instead belittles woman’s chance of equality.

Graphic by: Michael Hellard/Prowler

There’s no trumping Trump

Nikita Prokhorov Staff Writer John MacMillen Staff Writer

Donald Trump truly appears to be “unstumpable” as the number of his supporters continues to increase within the Republican party, following two very strong showings in the Iowa and New Hampshire Republican primaries. While a candidate succeeding is not necessarily surprising, the fact that Trump has been able to survive, plan, and use negative media attention as a tool for growth is remarkable within itself.

Unlike other candidates Trump has been able to skip a debate, participate in several flame wars with popular conservative pundits on twitter, and make extraordinary claims such as making Mexico pay for a border wall while dodging negative media attacks and still coming out on top. While he seems to be a billionaire business mogul first and foremost he was, or is, a popular TV personality who understands the way in which rankings and public opinion are shaped. His radical statements bring him the media attention he needs for a strong campaign.

After receiving a whopping 35 percent of the votes in the new Hampshire Republican primary, compared with Kasich’s 16 percent or Ted Cruz’s 12 percent, Trump has secured himself a position in the lead with a solid 18 delegates. Despite being decried by some as an early peaking candidate who would not last, Trump is here to stay.

There are many Republicans who are still holding back on supporting Trump. If he has the following to bring a Republican

presidential victory, then the skeptics will have to accept and use Trump for the overall goals of the party.

Trump’s surprising turn-outs aren’t coming from nowhere, though, and it’s not a coincidence that they are generally working class Republicans.

Primarily, Trump reflects American idealism. To Republican voters, he’s a self-made businessman. He’s not a career politician and he relies on himself - or at least carries the illusion. This makes him an idol to his poor, base voters.

The working class bulk of Trump’s supporters have all lived through the 2008 recession. They understand and fear losing their jobs. As such, they’re protective of their work, and that paranoia extends to competition.

Large groups of lower class immigrants are seen as a threat to poor Republicans. Barring all Muslims from entering the country and building a wall across the Mexican American border are extensions of this. However, Republican candidates would never openly express such views. They fear the negative press these opinions would bring them. But Trump doesn’t care about negative press; he relishes in it.

Trump is “unstumpable” because he’s fearless. He’ll say anything to appeal to voters. He’ll drag his name through mud as long as people follow him--and they do.

For the record...

On page 7, Aaron Fang’s name was misspelled as “Aaron Sang.”

The Panther Prowler deeply regrets and apologizes for any errors we have made. If you spot any errors we have missed, help us correct them by sending mistakes to: prowler.newspaper@gmail.com

Follower is the new leader Kellie Levine Opinion Designer Hi, my name is Kellie, and I can’t stop saying the phrase “kicking it.” If you’ve interacted with me in the last month, you’ve heard me repeat this phrase, among others like “I feel” or “I mean I guess.” Whether I’m being told to do something at work or having a conversation about the merits and flaws of organized religion, these words will slip out of my mouth.

I didn’t just wake up one day addicted to this imprecise language; it was a gradual process. It began this summer, as I spent an ample amount of time with my friend and coworker extraordinaire Alex. The more time I spent with him, the more I noticed his slang being integrated into my vocabulary. By the time I noticed it, it was too late, I was kicking it with Alex every day, and, I mean I guess I just couldn’t stop, do you feel me? Life.

But this evolution of language didn’t just start and stop with me. Other friends started to pick up on it, and while it was originally to make fun of my new vocabulary, it became integrated into their day to day slang. And thus an endless chain of imprecision began.

While this may not be the most intellectual example to illustrate the concept, it demonstrates how culture, language, and ideas spread through socialization. Sometimes the tendency to pick up on the habits of people in one’s life is seen as a bad thing. It’s seen as something that puts you into the category of “follower” while all of the people who will go on to change the world are in the category of “leader.”

However I disagree with the strict dichotomy between leader and follower that has been pushed on us since the days of line leaders in elementary school. The reality is that the world is a collaborative community of people who form each other’s character through shared experiences and mixing of interests and beliefs.

This concept is best illustrated by the world of Twitter.

In this world, we are all both the followers and the followed.

Our timelines are impacted by who we follow (follow me @kellierlevine) and we influence those who follow us. But similar to real life friendships, it doesn’t start and stop with our squad. With the click of a retweet button, we continue the chain of influence. Something we were influenced by goes on to influence others, even if it’s something as simple as someone’s selfie.

Both Twitter and IRL friendships foster dynamics that allow both roles to be explored simultaneously, which is why choosing friends wisely is seen as so important. As Greek playwright and noted friendship enthusiast Euripides wrote, “judge a man’s nobility by the company he keeps and how he behaves to others.” Or, to use the much more eloquent and widely used saying, “you are what you eat.”

While I’m not suggesting that you eat nice people so you become a nice person, it’s not something too far off. Eating healthy food makes your body healthy; having positive friends makes your attitude positive. These similarities don’t occur because people are mindless followers, they occur because we are all incomplete and dynamic individuals who adapt and change with new circumstances and perspectives. So while at times my vocabulary becomes less than refined based on the company I keep, my life as a whole improves.

features

STUDENT Karina Anderson/Junior

VS

Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

7

TEACHER Paula Anderson/English

Nelson Kappas Cover Designer

1

was the cover story of 8 What the Panther Prowler’s last

What year was the first Pokémon game released?

issue about?

Karina: (slowly turns around and looks at

Karina: 1987?

Paula: That’s just evil ...1990?

Answer: 1996.

Looks like these two haven’t been “catching them all” in a while. The score is 0-0.

issue on her desk) Pursuing the Arts?

Paula: (slowly walks over to the same counter) Pursuing the Arts?

Answer: Pursuing the Arts

2

I feel like that’s cheating. Is it cheating? Each contestant gets one more point with a final score of 4-2.

Paula wins!!

How many people live in the United States?

Karina: 800 billion … (no) I said million.

Paula: 1.2 billion?

Answer: 320 Million.

Is bigger better? Both contestants allow the USA grossly inflated populations. The score remains unchanged at 0-0.

was America’s most 7 What deadly war?

Karina: The Civil War. Paula: I thought it was the Vietnam War

the new Star Wars 3 Inmovie, what was Kylo

because we lost a lot.

Answer: The Civil War.

son

der

don’t know! Wait who’s name?

Brandon? Berney?

Paula: Seriously? Who? Kyla? … I don’t even remember Darth Vader’s original name! Screw it I’m just going to go with Darth Vader?

Answer: Ben Solo.

ler

w /Pro

reorganized?

presidential candidate 6 Which was born in Canada?

Karina: Hillary Clinton? Bernie Sanders?

Paula: Isn’t that the Cruz issue?

Answer: Ted Cruz.

Cruz did come cruzing down from our Northern Neighbor. Paula gets a second point and the score becomes 2-1.

Have they even been outside?! Once again no points are on the board.

is the new name 4 What of Google after they

Hen

4-2

American vs. American. Every casualty was one of ours.

Paula’s lead grows to 3-1.

tlin Cai

Ren’s original name before turning to the dark side?

Karina: I haven’t seen it, I

Karina: Alphabet?

Paula: No idea.

Answer: Alphabet.

Karina takes the lead after what seems to be a lucky guess. The score is now 1-0.

was the 5 Who first Republican President?

Karina: John Adams? I don’t know! John Adams? I don’t know!

Paula: I was thinking Abraham Lincoln.

Answer: Abraham Lincoln.

Mother catches up with daughter as the score becomes 1-1.

Wei family makes NPHS shine Nina Chiuchiarelli Features Designer Nikita Prokhorov Staff Writer James and Tom Wei have worked behind the scenes at NPHS for years, making their mark on the campus by ensuring that every student has the opportunity to receive an education on a spotless, healthy, and safe campus. Both son and father currently work on Newbury Park High’s janitorial team that makes sure the school operates and looks exactly like it should.

Both have served in the military before coming to work at NPHS. Tom Wei, father, is from Manila, Philippines, but had to flee China with his family in order to escape communist rule. He served as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy and has worked at NPHS for six years.

James Wei, Tom’s son, completed three consecutive overseas deployments as a Staff Sergeant (SSGT) in Security Forces before moving to Newbury Park. He has now worked at NPHS for 12 years.

While working together they prefer to keep things professional and “interact only as coworkers during the day” James said.

Robert, a co-worker of the Wei’s believes that their working relationship is respectful and efficient. James has worked at the school for a longer duration of time.

“As far as I can tell, Tom respects that his son is his superior. It is a respectful, working relationship,” Robert said.

Kelly Welch, Assistant Principal of Athletics, believes that both James and Tom are very hard workers. “They’ve been here a long time, and they’re always willing to help out and do whatever’s needed around campus. They love being a part of Newbury Park High School, take pride in what the campus looks like and see it as a direct reflection of themselves and work very very hard to keep our campus as safe and clean as possible.”

According to James, working here at NPHS has given him a place of salvation. It has given him the opportunity to improve and realize that every opportunity is an opportunity to become stronger. This school is “the source of my quality of life and I appreciate every aspect of it,” James said.

James feels immense school pride. “NPHS is the best school in the entire district hands down,” James said, “Best views of the mountains, some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. (The students here are) the coolest students who’ve been a pleasure to work with.”

8

road to election Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

marijuana inca s s a r M o b

Caucuses :

State Caucuses

Party members select a candidate through discussion the spring before election.

National Convention

Parties hold a national convention in July to finalize selection of a candidate. Vice president running mates are selected.

General Voting

The general population casts ballots in November for groups of electors who they think will vote for the candidate they prefer.

Electoral Voting

In December, electors cast their votes for a candidate.

The person who wins at least 270 votes wins.

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/Prowler

For students who spend time on any media outlet, it’s impossible to scroll through Twitter or switch to a news channel without hearing something about the 2016 candidates and their fight to the primaries. In between hearing angry remarks about Donald Trump and statements about why we shouldn’t trust Hillary Clinton, we also hear the word “caucus;” an important part of the primaries process that the media constantly analyzes and advertises.

The main purpose of the caucuses is for the candidates to win over the state delegates, with the process eventually leading up to the primaries.

Many people believe that the first few wins from the caucuses can be significant to the outcome of the race.

“I believe that caucuses are more important to a political race when there are more candidates running to become the party nominee since the caucuses then become a process to weed out the less favorable candidates and allow later states to choose,” Anastasia Pyrinis, senior and an active campaign worker, said.

Similar to Pyrinis, Sonia Patel, junior, believes that the “caucuses are essential to the race so the nation can see the opinions of multiple states and figure out who the frontrunners will be.” However, students like senior Ethan Stein don’t see them as an essential part of the political process.

“It’s not as important as the vote itself but it just gives you an idea of who people want as their forerunner. But in the end the forerunner could be someone completely different than who’s winning the caucus at the moment,” Stein said.

Like Stein, Pyrinis also questions the true purpose of the caucuses.

“I do believe that the first few caucuses are instrumental later on in the race for one chief reason: money,” Pyrinis said. “Money is what allows a campaign to continue – without it, a candidate would drop... Those who receive few votes and finish weak in the first few caucuses will

suffer from a lack of funding and will eventually be “forced” to drop out from the race due to that lack of funding.”

Gary Fabricius, Government and Economics Teacher, sees the importance of the caucuses, but he also has concerns about the methods used to get the results.

“I have a problem with starting off in small states that have very little electoral college votes, and they start dictating who the front-runner is,” Fabricius said. “Iowa and New Hampshire, are you kidding me? Who lives in Iowa and New Hampshire? There’s more people that live in the Conejo Valley, I think.”

With the variety of opinions surrounding the caucuses and the unclear depictions of what the actual process is and means, it’s not surprising that many teenagers don’t understand the significance of the tradition.

“Most students are probably not aware of how they work,” Fabricius said. “I think most citizens are probably not aware of how they work.”

While Patel believes that “younger voters will be swayed based on the winners of the first few caucuses since they will not have time to watch them all,” Stein thinks that most teenagers don’t see their importance.

“I don’t think that our youth is very involved in politics, so I don’t think they would really pay attention,” Stein said. “I think they only pay attention to ... how everyone’s blowing up about Clinton and Trump...They only pay attention to the big party candidates.”

As the caucuses continue leading up to the primaries, students like Pyrinis hope that teenagers find a way to stay more politically informed and active.

“Statistics have shown that ages 18-25, the youth of the nation, is the age group that is least likely to participate in the political process,” Pyrinis said. “I find this appalling because I firmly believe that all students should care, even just a little bit, about the political process because in the end, everything a government does, everything that politicians do, affects us all.”

Michael Hellard

Samantha Meyer Chief Photographer

Do they matter :?

Kristen Ho senior

Nevnit Gill Entertainment Designer While in many other states, it is possible for 17 year olds who will be 18 by the general election to vote, this is not legal in California.

On the democratic side, it is difficult to predict with much certainty whether Bernie or Hillary is more likely to win, as the race is very close.

On the republican side, it is even more difficult to predict which candidate is more favorable, as among the three to four top candidates, there is varying favor in each state. This year, more than ever, the ability of some 17 year olds gaining the right to vote in all states can possibly make a difference in who competes in the general election.

Kristen Ho, senior, who will turn 18 just after the state primaries, strongly supports Bernie Sanders. “I think that Hillary Clinton is very closely embedded with Wall Street. She and her husband were the people who pushed

the policies which led to a huge increase in people in prison for minor crimes,” Ho said.

“I think Bernie Sanders most closely aligns with my values.”

Many people, including Ho, believe that giving 17 year olds who will be 18 by the general election the ability to vote in the primaries could perhaps affect who would be chosen to compete in the general election.

“While, on one hand, our age demographic most overwhelmingly supports Bernie Sanders, it is also the demographic least likely to vote. But I think it could have an effect,” Ho said.

Shriya Kelly, senior, who will be 18 just before the general election, agrees.

“Especially with Sanders … if some of (the younger voters) could get politically active and if the ones who are not allowed to vote because of their age could vote in the primaries, then that could possibly be a huge

road to election Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

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John MacMillen Staff Writer

Vtyeter an Af fairs to C or po ra ction ti y on 2016 c i nship Education l s s e o n e ss r P a mele c h t l Q a he T reign B Policy th LG

The race for the presidency is in full swing, and the Democratic and Republican parties are neck and neck. However, with these two titans slugging overhead, it’s easy to forget the smaller third parties that also contribute to the U.S. political system. The three major U.S. third parties, the Libertarian Party, the Green Party, and the Constitution Party deserve recognition as well.

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The Libertarian Party is the most popular third party in the U.S. They have 368,561 members as of 2014. The Libertarians currently hold 39 partisan offices and 102 non-partisan offices. The party has yet to elect a presidential candidate but plan to at the Libertarian Party national convention on May 26, 2016.

According to the Libertarian’s written platform, they “Seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others.”

Libertarians are liberal on social issues.

“Sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity should have no impact on

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The Green party is the second most popular third party with 248,189 members as of 2014. They hold over 100 U.S. offices and have a running presidential candidate, Dr. Jill Stein.

Peace and Non-Violence, Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy, and Social Justice are the four pillars of Green ideology which was created by the original German Greens in 1980. The Green ideology expands to ten pillars with the addition of decentralization, community-based economics, feminism, respect for diversity, global responsibility, and future focus.

The Green Party puts a large emphasis on ailing the “...Numerous anti-democratic policies that are specifically designed to prevent the most oppressed sectors of our society from participating in the electoral process.”

imaries help (to his candidacy).”

Dillon Snow, senior, also believes that 17 year olds who plan to vote in the generals should be able to vote in the primaries. However, he prefers Trump, because “Trump is one of the only ones who seeks to take immediate action on illegal immigration,” Snow said.

As the republican race has recently swung in favor of Ted Cruz, 17 year olds like Snow could, if given the ability to vote, affect who might win the primaries.

The 2016 election so far has been unpredictable. On the Republican side, Trump once dominated, but Ted Cruz has made it close with his win in the Iowa Caucus. On the Democratic side, Clinton and Sanders remain too close to call. In a year where the race on both sides is so close, giving 17 year olds who will be 18 by the general election the ability to vote in the primaries could very easily change who might represent each party.

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Trump is one of the only ones who seeks to take action on illegal immigration.

Dillon Snow senior

As posted on the party website, “Students and young people, AfricanAmericans, poor people, and the elderly all face tremendous barriers, such as voter ID laws, disenfranchisement of ex-offenders, and restrictive residency requirements, among others.”

Another important issue to the Green Party is rethinking campaign funding.

“The “Cromnibus” must-pass spending bill that went to Congress in December 2014 included… a ten-fold increase in the amount of money people can give to party committees,” says the party’s platform, “One-tenth of one percent of all tax returns in 2011 showed income of a million dollars or more (about 235,000 people). So there are very few people who could possibly hit these new campaign contribution limits.”

Constitution

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the government’s treatment of individuals,” says their platform. On abortion, the party states “We believe that government should be kept out of the matter, leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.”

Regarding the economy, however, the Libertarian Party is consistently rightwing. “The repeal of the income tax, the abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service and all federal programs and services not required under the U.S. Constitution,” says the party’s platform. Libertarians also advocate that persons “Should be left free by government to deal with one another as free traders.”

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The Constitution Party is the third most popular third party in the U.S.. The party has 76,425 members as of 2014 and currently hold 15 elected representatives holding city council seats, mayoral positions, and specialized county positions.

The Constitution Party will hold their Presidential Nominating Convention April of 1016 in Salt Lake City.

The Constitution Party strives to “Uphold the principles of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights. It is our goal to limit the federal government to its delegated, enumerated, Constitutional functions,” according to their mission statement.

The Constitution Party is based upon

a “Foundation of Christian principles and values,” as written in their platform. The party pushes for the abolition of abortion, gay marriage, the Department of Energy, the Food and Drug Administration, welfare, and “Legislation and executive action that deprive the people of their Fourth and Fifth Amendments rights under claims of necessity.”

The Constitution Party also advocates a slimmer government. “Only those duties, functions, and programs specifically assigned to the federal government by the Constitution should be funded,” says their platform, “The closer government is to the people, the more responsible, responsive, and accountable it is likely to be.”

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features Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

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That’s the way the cookie crumbles Lindsay Filgas News Designer Kate Foultz Staff Writer

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

Mr. Martin // Science Teacher Nelson Kappas Cover Designer

1 Alaska is the most interesting place he has traveled to.

2 Worked as a waiter many times before becoming a teacher.

3 Has 3D printed multiple Star Wars vehicles.

4 Builds furniture such as a playhouse bed for his son, a table, and shelves.

5 Played basketball and baseball in high school.

Going to the grocery story in January, it is hard to miss the groups of Girl Scouts outside eager to sell their boxes of cookies.

However, Girl Scouts do much more than just sell cookies.

Rebecca Gabra, sophomore, has been a Girl Scout for ten years, starting as a Daisy and working her way up to the Senior level. “It’s definitely more serious and it’s not as (much) arts and crafts,” Gabra said. “We’re growing up and this is what we have to do and we have to be super serious about it.”

At the Senior level, scouts are tasked with completing a journey, which requires them to earn multiple badges and complete their own specific community service project. In addition, many girls choose to further pursue community service by doing Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award projects.

For seniors earning a Gold Award, they must come up with a community service project that will take at least 80 hours to complete and be sustainable long after the girl has completed it.

“My plan for my Gold Award is to bring awareness to dogs that have been abandoned by people,” Gabra said. “I’m going to set up a fundraiser day and … there’s going to be a vet coming in and he’s going to talk about basic pet education and treatment of dogs and Reaching for gold- Selling cookies is only a fraction of senior what you should and shouldn’t do and what’s going on behind the Molly Irelan’s role as she strives for the Gold Award. scenes in shelters.”

Molly Irelan/With Permission After going through the long application process and having her project approved, Gabra is working to add on to her project so that she can improve the lives of dogs in shelters years after her direct involvement has ended.

Seva Patel, sophomore, is also working towards a Gold Award. “I definitely want to finish my Gold Award if I can, and I want to become an ambassador,” Patel said. Ambassador, the highest level of Girl Scouts, opens opportunities for scholarships, global service projects, and the continuation of Gold Awards and journeys.

Molly Irelan, senior, has been participating in Girl Scouts since third grade, and has seen many Girl Scout members miss out on the organization’s many opportunities because they left before fully experiencing the program.

“A lot of people may have quit because they just wanted to be ‘cool’ (especially) in middle school: you’re really insecure and aren’t sure what’s cool (and) what’s not,” Irelan said, “but I think it’s a really rewarding program.”

With the money raised from selling cookies, girl scouts are able to take part in many community service projects to help those in need. “During Christmas we do adopt a family…and we wrap the presents for the family and give (the presents) to them,” Irelan said. “We also do different drives like toiletries or canned food.”

Girl Scouts also spend their time mentoring younger girls. “We do different workshops and help them earn badges, so it’s a lot of working with the younger troops,” Irelan said.

Gabra also works with younger girls and knows the importance of having someone to look up to as a young girl. “We have seventh graders and eighth graders in our troop and so as seniors we have to be a role model and show them what we’ve done and how they can follow in our footsteps,” Gabra said. “I wish more people knew how, not only happy we make other people, but how happy we feel when we’re working towards a goal, achieving a goal, and how fun it actually is.”

The sky is the limit for student pilots Harsh Karia Online Manager Alyssa Boedigheimer Copy Editor “I can fly anywhere in the world,” Maty Pallai, senior, said, “wherever I want to go with all my friends.”

On Jan. 28 of this year, Pallai got his pilot’s license from Channel Islands Aviation at the Camarillo Airport. Pallai has been working towards his license since mid-2014.

“You got to go through a lot of training. Took me about a year and half, a lot of hard work with school, sports, and all,” Pallai said.

In addition to a 17-year-old age requirement, learning to fly requires a series of measures. Pallai had to study for two tests: a three hour oral exam and a 60 question test. He had to score 80 percent or better on these tests to pass.

Anna Cismaru and Cade Thomson, juniors, are currently training to get their licenses at Channel Islands Aviation at Camarillo Airport by taking both online classes and practicing flying with instructors.

“We often just go around and do take off and landing, takeoff and landing, over and over,” Cismaru said, “And then we’ll practice stalls which are like when the airflow gets disrupted over the wing and you’re kind of falling from the sky, but not really. That’s really terrifying until you get used to it. Also slow flight which is flying at 50 knots or lower, and not stalling.”

“Right now I’m planning for my 3rd cross country flight,” Thomson said, “You don’t actually go across the country

but what you do is make a flight plan … Right now, I’m planning a trip up to Santa Maria with a stop at Santa Barbara on the return leg.”

Flying has its own unique challenges. “The easiest thing is just flying straight and level because you are not really doing anything. The plane definitely does just fly itself if you set it up right. And you just kind of look out the window and enjoy the scenery,” Cismaru said. According to Cismaru, landing the plane is far more difficult because of the abundance of procedures that must be taken care of at once.

Now that he has his pilot’s license, Pallai is able to follow different paths: both in flight, and in life.

“There’s different routes you can take,” Pallai said, “You can go military. Right now I’m doing civilian stuff, (and) I have to get a few more licenses before I can be an airline pilot.”

In addition to these restrictions, Pallai’s license only allows him to fly single engine planes and only over land. He also can not be paid as a private pilot due to restrictions from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Cismaru and Thomson also plan on working in the aviation industry in the future. “I feel very lucky because not a lot of kids are able to do what I’m doing and I can’t imagine what I’d do with my life if I didn’t have flying,” Thomson said.

Preparing for take-off- After completing his flight training, Matyas Pallai, senior, is licensed to fly single engine planes.

Maty Pallai/With Permission

entertainment Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

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Nina Chiuchiarelli Feature Designer The 50th Super Bowl entailed an exhilarating win for the Denver Broncos, a heartbreaking loss for the Carolina Panthers, and a half time show that demands to be discussed.

The show included Coldplay as its main act, with Bruno Mars and Beyoncé making guest appearances. Backup included music included the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, which features children under the age of fifteen.

The show began with Coldplay performing three of its greatest hits, “Viva La Vida,” “Paradise” and “Adventure of a Lifetime” while atop a flower-shaped stage mirroring the theme of their new album “A Head Full of Dreams.” Coldplay astounded the public with Chris Martin’s heartwarming vocals and the band’s beautiful music. However it is difficult to say that the majority of people were really paying attention, as most were sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for “The Queen” to enter.

After Coldplay’s sentimental performance, the mood switched as cameras moved to another part of the stage

where Mark Ronson was blasting the music for his hit single, “Uptown Funk” Bruno Mars, whom the song features, came onto the stage dressed in all black and delivered an incredible performance. However the song itself had been played time and time again on the radio for quite awhile now, making the performance of this overused song slightly less enjoyable.

Coldplay was nowhere to be found during Bruno Mars’ performance, then bam, out of the blue, the Band popped in at the end for a quick verse of the chorus of Uptown Funk. It continued with a part of their song “Fix You” as a video montage of past Super Bowl halftime shows including artists such as James Brown, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.

Then came the time everyone was waiting for: Beyoncé.

Dressed in a tight black leotard, Queen B took the stage and the crowd went wild. She delivered an eccentric performance to her song “Formation,” stealing the show right from under Bruno Mars and Coldplay. Beyonce released “Formation”

the day before the Super Bowl, so if people weren’t already excited for her arrival, this new single made sure of it.

To close, the audience held up rainbow colored cards as Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Beyoncé closed the show together.

The cards spelled out the words “BELIEVE IN LOVE,” perhaps tying back to Coldplay’s theme of “A Headful of Dreams” or referencing gay marriage as the legalization of gay marriage was such an accomplishment this year.

Coldplay is one of the most well known and successful rock bands of the century. The band has sold over 87.5 million records worldwide, so making them the main act was nothing other than a long awaited event. However, as the producers of the show tried to go with the overarching theme of past, present, and future due to it being the 50th Super Bowl, the inclusion of Bruno Mars and especially Beyoncé to represent the past overshadowed the band, turning them more into backup than the main act.

Eating up secrets: off the menu food items come out of hiding Gianna Longo Staff Writer Farhaan Pathan Staff Writer Odd names and flavors are distinct characteristics of secret menu items that people have the pleasure of enjoying. “Off the menu” items may be hidden and unknown to many customers, but they are still there for anyone who does know, or for anyone to find out.

Starbucks ~ Cotton Candy Frap Raspberries and vanilla. That is all it takes to complete the well-liked Cotton Candy Frappuccino. Put into the blender with ice and milk, the smoothie texture is topped off with whipped cream. This “off the menu” item has slowly been reaching the top of its popularity.

In N Out ~ Animal Style Fries Fries, cheese, grilled onions, and In-N-Out’s signature spread are the four main ingredients to Animal Style Fries. Although the name may seem confusing, it’s named after the “animals”, or loiterers, that made trouble in the In-N-Out parking lot, who often ordered the fries. With the Animal Style now about, In-N-Out has taken it to the next level by introducing the Animal Style burgers filled with pickles, extra spread, grilled onions and mustard fried meat.

Jamba Juice ~ Candy Flavored Smoothies Gummy Bears, Starbursts, Sour Patch Kids, and Skittles are just some of the many different secret candy flavored smoothies from Jamba Juice. Each includes multiple colored drinks,with the most popular one being Pink Star, named after the strawberry flavored Starburst. Each unique smoothie only includes fruit and milk ingredients. The gummy bear flavored drinks have also been becoming more popular as Jamba introduced the multiple colors of gummy bears including pink, green, white and red to their secret menu.

Taco Bell ~ The Hulk

Michael Hellard/Prowler

The guacamole topped off onto tacos and burritos represents the famous green superhero, the Hulk, famous for his strength and size.

When ordering The Hulk at Taco Bell, it is essentially adding a large, extra serving of the guac onto your order. This has caused the secret menu to add ‘The Hulk’ to different famous orders. One of these includes The Incredible Hulk, which is ‘5 Layer Burrito’ which swaps the nacho cheese, fried tortilla shell and sour cream for guacamole. According to #Hackthemenu.com, this swap has made the item healthier, causing its popularity to rise.

entertainment

12 Lack of diversity brings Oscar drama Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

Lexi Foultz Copy Editor As a place which specializes in creating alternate worlds and capturing larger than life moments on camera, Hollywood is anything but black and white. But this year, a lack of diversity in the Academy Award nominations raised concerns that Hollywood isn’t as colorful as one would think - concerns that it is simply too white.

In the 2015 Academy Awards Ceremony, also known as the Oscars, no black actors were nominated for main or supporting acting roles.

Over the complete lifetime of the Academy Awards, only 14 black actors have won acting Oscars, and far fewer asian and hispanic actors have won.

Several Oscar snubs have garnered attention, including Idris Elba in “Beasts of no Nation”, Michael B. Jordan in “Creed” and the cast of “Straight Outta Compton”. Elba received one of two Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards for his supporting role in the film about child soldiers, but was not included in the Oscar

nominations. In fact, during this year’s SAG awards, diversity took front stage, as several other black actors took home SAG awards.

Sylvester Stallone is nominated for his supporting role in “Creed” and the two writers of “Straight Outta Compton” are nominated for best original screenplay. All three of them are white. This has raised questions regarding whether or not these actors deserve Oscar nominations over their black cast members, or if this year’s Oscars is just another instance of white privilege in the voting Academy.

Those who have decided to boycott the Oscars, such as director Spike Lee and actor Will Smith, look to the Academy members as the reason for such a lack of diversity.

According to a UCLA conducted Hollywood diversity report in 2015, Oscar voters are 94 percent white and 77 percent male. This reflects the staggering lack of diversity of film executives in Hollywood, who are 94 percent

white and 100 percent male.

Others are blaming the lack of diversity in Hollywood as a whole and the lack of movies written for colored casts and diverse audiences.

“The issue we need to be looking at is what happens to the film before it gets to the Oscars,” Helen Mirren, an actress and recent Golden Globe nominee, said. “What kind of films are made. And the way in which they are cast. And the scripts. And go all the way back to the writing of the scripts. It’s those things that are much more influential ultimately than who stands with the Oscar.”

Even President Obama weighed in on the controversy. “So I think, as a whole, the industry should do what every other industry should do -- which is to look for talent, provide opportunity to everybody,” he said in a ‘Live from the White House’ interview, “And I think the Oscar debate is really just an expression of this broader issue. Are we

making sure that everybody is getting a fair shot?”

In response to the recent upheaval and cry for more diversity, the Academy motioned to increase the number of women and minorities in the Academy 100 percent by 2020, and planned to enforce new requirements regarding Academy membership in order to decrease the number of older, white males who are monopolizing the vote.

African-American Comedian Chris Rock is scheduled to emcee the event, which will be held this Sunday, Feb. 28 at the Dolby Theatre. Though he has received pressure to boycott the ceremony, he has told media outlets he still plans to attend, adding in that he has rewritten his script to fit the ongoing controversy. One thing’s for sure, all eyes in Hollywood will be turned towards Chris Rock at the event he has dubbed, the “White BET awards”.

New Barbie becomes a role model for all Caitlin Henderson Staff Writer Nina Chiuchiarelli Features Designer Ever since its debut in the 50s, Barbie has been one of the most popular toys among children. Barbie has been through plenty of ups and downs, including praise for becoming an astronaut, and a veterinarian as well as criticism for her unrealistic body proportions. This year, Mattel, the company that manufactures Barbie, introduced new body types, facial features, and races for the dolls.

The original Barbie had a skinny waist, beautiful blonde hair and bright blue eyes: the “perfect” person. While the dolls has had a positive contribution with regards to the fun they brought, this idea of the “perfect” girl also has had a contribution that was not so positive.

The Barbie created a standard of what girls should look like to be considered beautiful, a standard that was physically unreachable, with body proportions that are anatomically impossible. In the 60s, “Slumber Party Barbie” was released, which included a diet book instructing girls to lose weight by not eating.

For Emily Taketa, junior, the dolls impacted her opinion of what is considered beautiful. “All the barbies were white and she had the iconic blonde hair and blue eyes,” Taketa said, “Growing up as a minority in my community, I was always aware of how I did not look like the other girls. So having the Barbie image being the measure of beauty did affect me growing up in this culture.”

Luckily, with the introduction of the new Barbies, this idea of a perfect person and culture will hopefully shift as Mattel strives to “let girls know it doesn’t matter

Beauty Beauty Beau ty in in all all shapes shap sh apes es and and sizesssiz izes es-- Young children can now find a familiar face when they grab a new doll off toy store shelves. Barbie.com/press release

what shape you come in.” To reach its goal, Mattel is releasing Barbie dolls in seven skin tones and four different body types, as well as 24 hairstyles and 33 haircolors.

Nigerian medical student Haneefa Adam also created a Barbie donning a Muslim hijab, which earned it the nickname, “Hijarbie.” The doll appeared all over Instagram, and scored Adam an interview with CNN. According to Adam, Hijarbie has “roots in (her) religion and cultural identity,” which will also give Muslim girls a doll modeled after themselves.

“I think it’s really cool that they’re doing different nationalities and religions, and that it’s expanding a bit more, so people can kind of see how people dress,” Faatimah Syed, junior, who regularly wears a hijab, said. “On Instagram, you don’t really see a lot of dolls or Barbies with hijab outfits; they’re usually shorter outfits. I think it’s really cool that someone took the time to dress up a Barbie in a hijab outfit.”

The release of these new barbies brings hope for more praise of diversity in the future, as kids learn to accept and see the beauty in other cultures at a young age.

“The dolls seem to represent a greater social trend to acknowledge and accept diversity. I think it much more likely that a young child can see herself/ himself in one of these dolls than in the standard version that only depicts one concept/image of women,” Anna Karas, psychologist, said.

sports Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

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A look ahead: Spring Sports Kyle Popok Sports Editor Connor Keep Staff Writer As we approach the last season of the sports year at Newbury Park High School, there is much anticipation to see how each team will do. The different teams have already begun practicing, using the last bits of the off-season to their advantage.

Boy’s baseball This year, the boy’s baseball team has capitalized on some off-season changes. Last year ended in a first round playoff loss to Saugus. But this year the team hopes to go further, with a revamped pitching core and a defense that has a returning starter at almost every position. The return of Chris Clarke from Tommy John surgery also helps. “This year if we don’t win league, our entire team will consider us as having underachieved,” said Zach Clarke, senior. The goal is set and the tempo is up. “I believe that if this year we stay on the course we are on now, we should have a very successful season,” Clarke said.

Clarke admits that the biggest challenge to the team this year is inconsistency. “We have dominated our winter league this year and in years past, however, that momentum has not carried itself into the spring season,” Clarke said. But despite the challenges, the team is strong and better than ever, leaning on strong pitching and good defense. One thing they do not lack is conviction. “When we put it together as a team, there is almost no team that can stop us,” Clarke said.

Swim There are high hopes as swimming season begins. Many swimmers went to CIF playoffs last year and look to do so again. Sophomore Jason Lu made it to CIF last year and will want to go even further this year. “I want to try to make it to the top 8 final, in finals at CIF and probably win an event or two at league and try to win something at VC championships,” Lu said.

On the girls’ team, expected standouts include Holly Maine, sophomore, who plays water polo and Ciara Buckley, sophomore, and club swimmer. After finishing in third place in the Marmonte League last year, the team has high hopes to continue their strong performance. “There are a lot of new freshman and there are a lot of underclassmen that are really good this year, and a lot of strong seniors.” Maine said.

Boy’s lacrosse Pitch perfect - Andrew Grider, sophomore, pitches in a JV baseball game last season. Zaynab Ali/Pawprint

Girl’s softball

Dingers - Paige Barth, sophomore, hits the ball during a JV softball game last season. Samantha Meyer/Prowler

Making a splash - Riley Vezina, alumni, swims during a meet last season. Samantha Meyer/ Prowler

Girl’s softball is also coming off of a season that ended with a trip to the CIF playoffs.

Expectations are high as the season begins to mount. “We hope to be league champs,” said Breezy Wise, senior. The team plans to lean on its offense going into the season. “We have a very strong hitting line-up,” Wise said.

Since last year, there has not been any drastic changes to team, and they hope to capitalize on the stability. “If we continue our progress from last year and continue getting better we should be good,” Wise said.

Boy’s volleyball Boy’s volleyball has also had to deal with change. This year, they only have two returning starters. Last year the team won league and they have not lost a league game in two years. But this year, the team faces new challenges. “We should do well but it will be very interesting to see how well we do in comparison to last year,” said Ryan Brecht, senior.

In volleyball, timing and chemistry are key, Ready to roof - In a match last season, Jordan and with so many new players, the team has Moses, junior, Ben Blossom, sophomore, and Liam been working hard to come together before Lecka, junior, tore up the court. Samantha Meyer/ the season starts. “The greatest challenge will Prowler probably be getting everyone to work together seamlessly,” Brecht said. But the team maintains high goals for themselves, and optimism for the season. “Our greatest strength is probably our ability to adapt to various situations,” said Brecht. With the changes this season, that will serve them well. The team’s toughest challenger in league this year is Westlake. “They have a lot of talent and work very well together. But in the end, I’m pretty sure that we can win league again this year,” said Brecht.

Caught it - Richie Garcia, junior,receives the ball in a JV Boys’ lacrosse home game last spring.

Michelle Kang/Pawprint

The boy’s lacrosse team is also preparing for their upcoming season. This year, the team faces the challenge of dealing with the loss of senior players like Michael Marinelli, Chuck Smith, and Preston Hill, and Bryce Wallgard.

Last year the team made it to the second round of CIF playoffs before losing to Palos Verdes with a score of 8-7.

This year, the team hopes to go even further. “Despite the losses I think that we could definitely run for league,” said Erich Wuesthoff, senior. And the hope is not unfounded, this year the team is led by lots of returning seniors such as Chasen Colter, Jack Jensen, Chris Reusch, and Erich Wuesthoff.

There are also exciting juniors that are looking to help the team, such as Andrew Noble. So as the season begins, anticipation is high. “We are looking really strong,” Wuesthoff said.

Track

This year in track and field the team is training hard in order to have a good season.

Long distance runner, Ethan Duffy, junior, knows the team have been working hard.

“The preseason workouts have been mentally testing a lot of our runners, myself included.”

To prepare for season, the runners take part in a variety of workouts. “Before the season we do a lot of speed work. As a distance runner we do a lot of repeats. For instance, 400 meters all the way up to 1600 meters,” Duffy said. Everybody is working hard to achieve the goal of the season, winning Marmonte league and going to CIF. Duffy thinks that this year, “Could be a really great year for us. We have a very strong group of distance runners as well as sprinters and throwers.”

Track has its ups and downs, but he knows his team can persevere. “It can be pretty difficult sometimes, but it’s nothing we can’t handle,” Duffy said.

Just keep running - Dylan McDonnell, senior, competes in a track meet at Westlake High School last season. Samantha Meyer/Prowler

Read about more spring sports online at pantherprowler.org

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sports Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

Continuing a winning tradition Dance team starts fresh Connor Keep Staff Writer Gianna Longo Staff Writer After a win at nationals last year, the dance team has been revamped with new coaches, dancers, and routines. The loss of last years coaches has led the team to adjust and keep the strength of the program alive. The turnover has taken time, but the dance team is now back to winning competitions, including their first place grand champions win at West Coast Elite dance competition in Westlake on Feb. 6.

This year’s dance team has all new coaches: Katelyn Miller, the director, Jessica Steinkamp, and Amanda Kolodney. Junior Bella Murphree has been on the team since freshman year and believes that the coaches are beneficial to the program. “They just brought what we needed, a lot of positive energy this year,” Murphree said.

Being new coaches after a championship year, the team had a slow start. “It’s been hard, but our old coaches still talk to us and our new coaches are very welcoming and super, super positive,” Murphree said.

Director Katelyn Miller, who is also a math teacher at Newbury Park High School, recently began to coach the Dance Team after dancing and coaching at Westlake.

Miller believes being a dancer helps her connect to the team. “I was on dance team in high school and it was the best experience. My goal is to create memories for these kids just like I had back in high school,” Miller said.

The dance team has a diverse dynamic, and is filled with many upper classmen and some underclassmen. The underclassmen shine in their routines and dances. “I think this the most talented freshman group we’ve had since the three years after I’ve been on team,” Murphree said.

The team’s recent win at West Coast Elite dance tournament at Westlake gave the team some much needed confidence and perseverance for the tournaments to come, including nationals. “(Nationals) is one of our goals, but it’s definitely not our main goal. Our main goal is: in whatever we do and whatever we achieve, we’re always a team,” Amy Fang, senior, said.

DT4L - Dance team poses with their prize money after winning grand champions at their competition in Westlake. Alisa Robakowski/With Permission

Shooting for victory: Kayla Overbeck breaks all career record Lindsay Filgas News Designer Farhaan Pathan Staff Writer

Another two points - About to score when playing against Westlake on January 12th, Kayla Overbeck, senior, has broken the All-Career record for the most points scored in high school girls’ and boys’ basketball.

Samantha Meyer/Prowler

After four years on the girls basketball team, Kayla Overbeck, senior, broke the All-Career record for most points scored in high school girls and boys basketball.

Darren Burge, head coach of girl’s varsity basketball, has been coaching Kayla Overbeck since freshmen year and has viewed her progression from a good basketball player to one of the top players in California.

“She works hard on her game and has improved her skill set every season at NP, but it’s her motor that sets her apart from other highly touted players. She simply out works her competition and she never gives up,” Burge said. “She currently leads all players in California, Division 1, in double/doubles (points/rebounds) - when you see a stat like that, drop the mic and walk out the door.”

On Jan. 23, during a game against Chaminade High School, Overbeck crushed the current all career school record by a staggering 14 points. “Brynn Cameron has held the record at NP since ‘04 with 1,674 points. Kayla finished the night with 1,688 points. The career scoring record is such a big deal because it represents (the) highest level of dedication, focus, and skill over four years,” Burge said.

After a foul early in the game, Overbeck had to sit out for the rest of the first half of the game, but went into the second half motivated to help her team. “I wasn’t really focused on breaking the record. I was more focused on getting my team back into a rhythm,” Overbeck said. “I think it was just a team mindset instead of a personal mindset.”

“She’s such a high caliber player,” Chloe Diestel, senior and one of Kayla’s teammates, said.

“I think it says something that she was able to break the record in a game that was against such a good team.”

After hearing the news of her achievements, Overbeck didn’t miss a beat. “I was excited but at the same time I was determined to break even more records,” Overbeck said. Now, she can focus on working as hard as possible in order to bring herself and her team to future successes.

“I just want to break as many as I can, so it’s just the mentality of pushing myself harder in the next (few) games.”

sports Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016

15

Skating to the next level Farhaan Pathan Staff Writer Gianna Longo Staff Writer

Ride or die - With his active participation in skating events and tournaments, Stephen Beckman, senior, is sponsored by Rider Approved Designs and Sector 9 Longboards. Stephen Beckman/With Permission

Many competitions are held around the country for skateboarders to compete against each other in order to win prizes and gain recognition from sponsors.

Jordan Hunter, sophomore, and seniors Stephen Beckman and Nick Logan, are all downhill skaters who compete in skating tournaments to win cash pots and new skate gear.

“I started skating because I thought it would be amazing, new and fun,” Logan said.

Logan’s love for skateboarding started skating around town, but he now competes in different tournaments such as Downhill Disco, Menlo Park Skate Jam, and Santa Barbara Skate Jam. Hunter’s experience in downhill skateboarding has helped him become the skateboarder he is today and hopes to be in the future. “I hope to possibly become a professional skateboarder or to make skateboards,” Hunter said.

Various skateboarders are supported by sponsors that help them become more noticeable to other skateboard companies. They help pay for costs associated with holding events in exchange for wearing their products.

“I’m a team rider for Rider Approved Designs (RAD) and flow rider for Sector 9 Longboards,” Beckman said.

Beckman’s love for skateboarding keeps pushing him to advance and improve his skills through tournaments and skating with friends.

“I would love to continue this passion. I have grown to love skating as a career, but I’m not sure what the future holds for me, I guess I will see,” Beckman said.

Beckman’s interest for downhill skateboarding began from watching his friends skate. Soon enough, he tried it himself.

“My very first attempt I (fell), but I got right back up and tried again. I’ve loved it ever since,” Beckman said.

Signing up for the future High school athletes participate in national signing day Bella Robakowski Sports Designer Kate Foultz Staff Writer For the few future collegiate athletes across the country, Feb. 3rd was not an ordinary Wednesday. It was National Signing Day, a day of relief and relaxation, as after the long recruitment process high school athletes are officially committed to their schools.

Ashley Kolosky, senior, is a soccer player committed to the University of Oregon. Although she has played soccer since she was about seven, Kolosky became more serious about the sport in the fifth grade, when she joined a premier level club team.

Once she began excelling on the premier team, she knew she wanted to play soccer in college and as that time approached, she began to narrow her search for future schools . “As far as the colleges I was looking at, I wanted to stay on the West coast and the PAC-12 has always been my dream and goal, so I was looking at a lot of (those schools),” Kolosky said.

Erich Wuesthoff, senior, has wanted to play lacrosse in college since sixth grade. “It was the most fun sport I played, and I enjoyed playing it year round,” Wuesthoff said.

Once Wuesthoff began to receive offers from numerous schools, he decided to focus his attention on education to help make his final decision on what college he would be attending.

“Senior year I started looking and visiting schools and I narrowed it down to Bridgewater in Virginia and Saint Mary’s, and Saint Mary’s had better academics so I decided to commit there,” Wuesthoff said. “Saint Mary’s has a great medical program so I want to go and go through that program so I can become a doctor.”

Emily Coleman, senior, is bound for Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) in the fall and will be playing college volleyball there. Unlike Wuesthoff, she didn’t decide she wanted to play in college until junior year of high school when

she began her recruiting process.

“It was super stressful trying to narrow down from those schools I thought I wanted to go to down to what programs I really wanted to pursue,” Coleman said.

Coleman wasn’t set on attending PLNU at first but that soon changed. “I ended up doing a camp at Point Loma randomly and talked to the coach afterwards and absolutely fell in love with the program,” Coleman said.

After the recruitment process, these future collegiate athletes had some time to look back and reflect on their journey.

Kolosky is grateful she reached out to Oregon, despite her doubts that she was good enough to play there. She

recommends that all prospective college athletes contact their dream schools, no matter what you think the outcome will be.

“Mail all the different schools you’re interested in, even if you think it’s too high of a level for you, because I didn’t even know if Oregon was going to be interested in me, and I was really happy to find out that they were,” Kolosky said. “It’s just about finding someone who believes in you.”

Coleman agrees with the importance of keeping every door open and staying positive throughout the process. “(Don’t) be afraid to put yourself out there. The recruiting process is full of rejection but eventually you will end up exactly where you’re meant to be,” Coleman said.

College bound - Smiling for their parents and peers, student athletes pose after the traditional signing day ceremony on February 3rd.

Samantha Meyer/Prowler

16

photo essay Panther Prowler • Feb. 23, 2016 Michael H @MakleHellerd

If this space dance doesn’t ONLY play space music I’ll be mad #nphswf2016 2/5/16, 11:15 PM

@noahpugliano: best friend #nphswf2016

Winter Formal

2016

@kenzieval: we have the best group chat ever #nphswf2016

@elise_gehrke: #nphswf2016

Students celebrate Winter Formal on social media

@camifraser: I think you’re awesome sauce #nphswf2016

@dhroovegan: Ice cream...so cold and sweet...the only winter formal date for meeee ;) #bae #nphswf2016

kmeyer @kmeyerrrr

it wasnt as sweaty as hoco #nphswf2016 @maty_pallai: “Lemme tell you bout my best friend” #nphswf2016

2/6/16, 11:44 PM

@shannonhachard: Aren’t we just the best looking group of gals you’ve ever seen #nphswf2016

@missmichelle_lee: Just some girly things before formal #nphswf2016

@manibi97