2016-2017 Issue 1 (September 9, 2016)

PANTHER

PROWLER

Friday September 9, 2016 Issue I Newbury Park High School 456 N. Reino Rd., Newbury Park, CA 91320

Students work on and off campus

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@npprowler

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Check out our website @ pantherprowler.org

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staff editorial Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

REMEMBERING OUR RIGHTS

The Rights and Responsibilities of Student Journalists and Why We Report

CAL I STU FORN IA DEN T FR EXP RES EE SIO N

Before the three bullets pierced his chest and killed him, before he walked almost 400 kilometers and fasted for days, before he was the leader of the nonviolent protests against British imperialization in India, Mahatma Gandhi was a journalist.

After more than forty years of working to express the voice of his fellow countrymen in South Africa and India, he concluded that “A journalist’s peculiar function is to read the mind of the country and to give definite and fearless expression to that mind.”

What India was to Gandhi, the student body is to us. As the student publication of our school, we strive to represent the opinions, the matters and the minds of our peers in our stories. It is our duty to stay relevant to students’ lives, voice their concerns and facilitate their discussions.

Sometimes, the impact of our reporting may be small and light, as when we cover athletic achievements or test changes; other times, the blow may be heavier with the weight of illness or controversy, which can cause anger or discomfort. However, our reporting must be complete in order to fulfill our duty of representation and information and our rights to do so are

protected under five important digits: 48907.

California Education Code 48907, also known as the California Student Free Expression Law, gives high school journalists control over the content that they publish. Our freedom of speech, our First Amendment right, is protected, and any unreasonable interference with the distribution of our paper or the well being of our staff members is prohibited by this law.

This year’s new addition of the CVUSD Student Publication Guidelines, established by last year’s CVUSD Publications Committee, further define these rights by outlining them in specific rules and regulations, ensuring that the concerns of the student body are heard, and heard undeniably.

With rights, however, also comes responsibilities. We will hold our publication to standards higher than merely avoiding obscene, libelous or slanderous contents. As Gandhi further claimed, “The sole aim of journalism should be service.” We aim to not only report the facts, but to do so in a fair and balanced manner so we can service the community as a provider of accurate information and a participant of meaningful conversations. In

our news articles, we interview sources from a variety of different positions in a situation; in our opinion pieces, our diverse staff offers their multitude of perspectives. We are here to present the facts and to be service, not to extol or oppress certain points of view or ideology. We will therefore strive to carry the year with integrity and responsibility.

But why are the facts so important? Why do they matter? Our high school life is more than the day to day classes we take: it’s a time of discovering what it means to be a sensible adult making our own decisions. As a publication, we assist in this discovery process by presenting information and discussion which students can use to develop their beliefs and values. As Gandhi said, “Newspapers should be read for the study of facts. They should not be allowed to kill the habit of independent thinking.”

To all our schoolmates: be proud of who you are, speak up for your beliefs and yet stay open minded to the variety of thoughts out there. In this way, we can establish a nurturing, diverse campus environment unrestricted by prejudice and then we will be prepared to embark on the journey to adulthood.

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table of contents.

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Editorial: Code 48907 New NPHS Teachers Monarch Photography Headline Headline Kimye vs. Taylor

Summer Reality

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DPS: Students with jobs

Teacher Alumni Student vs. Teacher

Cursed Child Review Frank Ocean Girls Tennis Sports Update Football vs. Agoura

news Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

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New teachers make new homes Emily Nagamoto Photographer A classroom can be like a second home for teachers, with all their posters and pictures hanging on the walls, the room littered with past projects and beloved objects. There are so many memories made within.

It can be hard to make a empty space one’s own, but that is exactly what the seven new teachers at Newbury Park High School are setting out to do. As Afton Washburn, Laura Jackson, Ada Abregu Galvez, Darin Erickson, Alex Garcia, Daniel Martinez and Jason Rosebaugh are settling in for the school year, they are bringing their memories, decorations, and personalities with them.

Even though Algebra 1 and geometry teacher Washburn dreamed to be on Broadway as a teenager, she just felt an itch to be a teacher, which is why she is now making Room D20 her new home. After making many different decisions in her life, she said she believes that her optimistic outlook helped her.

“I’ve been blessed with a pretty positive attitude. . . I’ve probably been disappointed in the past because I’ve been too positive, but I really do like to see each day as a new chance, a new opportunity, to do something good in this world,” Washburn said.

Jackson, teaching geometry honors and Algebra 2 in Room D1, also thinks she is optimistic, but admits that she is a realist too. As for her dream as a teenager, while she said she always Settling in: During fifth period, Afton Washburn prepares a lesson plan for her Algebra 1 and geometry classes. Caitlin Henderson/Prowler played school growing up, she did not know what she wanted to do until later in life. students to pay more attention in class.

Differing from the other two teachers, in Room B27 sits Spanish teacher Galvez whose least “I’d like to point out that, you know, any career if you add math to it pays more. If you can do favorite subject was math. Galvez went to college in Spain at the famous Universidad Complutense the math behind a certain job, it’ll pay more,” Garcia said. de Madrid. This past summer, she decided to go back to her college town and also travelled to The occupant of Room B14, Special Education teacher Martinez, tries to make his students love Belgium. the subjects he’s teaching. He applies his teaching philosophy of making learning fun and meeting Not too far from Newbury Park sits California Lutheran University, the college attended by the needs of all students, since everyone is different. Martinez transferred to NPHS came from a incoming biology and biotech teacher Erickson. In his new home, Room D7, memories were made school that only taught Special Education, but was looking for a campus that had both, and was before school even began, having to transfer his things from where he last taught at Westlake High actually hired the very first day of school.

School; however, there was more to those days than just moving things around.

Rosebaugh also joined the faculty as a Special Education teacher. In room F5, students already “I binged the entire season of Game of Thrones. . . I had a routine: I’d teach summer school, go know where to find him and have been going to ask Rosebaugh questions at lunch. over to Westlake, fill up my truck with stuff, drop it off here on the tables, then go home and watch There is so much more to teachers than the subjects they are teaching, but it is in their classrooms two episodes of Game of Thrones,” Erickson said. where their year at Newbury Park High School will unfold. “I am happy to be. . . putting on the Erickson also loves chocolate, which happens to be the favorite ice cream flavor of Algebra 1 black and yellow. And I am looking forward to creating some great memories with my students CP and Algebra 1B teacher and Ventura County native Alex Garcia, who moved back here this whoever I get to teach,” Erickson said. Much more than teaching will take place here in these new summer from Texas. Unlike Galvez, the inhabitant of Room F4 loves math and wants to motivate homes.

Board meetings resume for new school year Daria Azizad Staff Writer

Advancing technology: Entering the new school year, CVUSD provides students with another way to keep up-to-date with all district events and information. Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

The Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) has resumed its monthly board meetings for the new school year. This year, the goal of the district is to have more interconnectivity with the community. In order to achieve this, they have created a new website, Facebook, Twitter, and an app.

According to Kimberly Gold, the coordinator of communications, community engagement and marketing at CVUSD, the new website’s design is functional, effective, and has a more aesthetically pleasing design. The district’s Facebook and Twitter accounts were updated and are now going to be used on a regular basis.

The most innovative update is the new district app. This app, which is now available in the Google Play and Apple iTunes store, creates a center of information from CVUSD. Users can follow any school in the district and receive notifications from them. The app also allows you to access Q, Twitter, Facebook,

and information about the district. Gold emphasizes that the most important thing is to “engage with the community where they are”.

The next discussion at the meeting was centered around the improvement of our district’s schools, such as putting in new roofing, pavement, and air conditioning installation.

The following topic was the Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Instruction being updated so that the information taught meets the state’s minimum requirement. This includes information on LGBT and questioning youth, sexual harassment prevention, and an opt-in feature for parents to sign to. The majority of the board voted for the changes, so this will be implemented soon, hopefully by this spring.

Additionally, this year, all board meetings can be watched live or from an archive on the CVUSD website, so if you can not make it to the meetings, you can still watch from your computer at home.

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Panther Prowler • Sept. 9 2016

Emily Nagamoto Photographer company so much was that a lot of their staff . . We wanted to keep giving the high school had worked with NPHS previously. the same level of service they deserved,” “We felt like Monarch Photography Cooper said. would be a good fit, and Visual Photography we wanted to give them a was the previous chance,” Saremi said. photography company But along with that for the school, but chance comes anticipation after some issues with in the form of the first contract violations last yearbook deadline for 76 year, NPHS decided pages of underclassmen to end the contract. In photos due on Oct. 11th. the middle of the year, The pages are submitted Monarch contacted the to the yearbook company, school, made a pitch, hit Lyz Cooper Jostens, via an FTP server, the right mark and was Founder and they must have hired. Michelle Saremi, all photos present and yearbook and newspaper correctly arranged, otherwise the school gets adviser, was on the committee to find a new late fees. photography company and said that one of Monarch has already completed one part the reasons why administration liked the

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We love working with all of you, creating beautiful images...

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Students are constantly reminded to always have their ID cards, and that without them, school could not run efficiently. This year, there is a new photography company to thank for making them: Monarch Photography.

Founded by Lyz Cooper, Laura Turner, and Jenny Hendrickson, the local business started in May of 2015 with the intention of providing better quality and service to the area. Before running their own company, they were employed by Debbie O’Connor, late founder of Visual Photography, and worked with Newbury Park High School in the past.

“The three of us ladies at Monarch Photography were trained and mentored by Debbie with the high standards of customer service, commitment to deadlines and providing a quality product for their clients.

of their job: making the ID cards. New student Molly Powers, junior, came from a school that did not have them, and said that she liked them.

“They are good, it’s a nice yellow, and it has all the correct information on it. It’s golden,” she said.

There is one more deadline, this one for seniors: to respond to a mail out flyer and call Monarch to schedule their senior pictures.

“Our senior deadline is in December, and that’s going to happen really fast,” Saremi warns.

Call Monarch Photography at (805) 8434111, visit them in person at 268 Village Commons Blvd. #17 in Camarillo, or go to their website at monarchphotography.net.

“We are here to help the students, staff and faculty of Newbury Park High School. We love working with all of you, creating beautiful images and lasting memories for years to come,” Cooper said.

Students discover help in the Science Center Lindsay Filgas Entertainment designer

Making solutions- Rachel Kim, junior, tests an experiment at lunch with her friends at the Science Center.

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

Accompanying the start of the new school year, the science center made its debut on Monday, Aug. 29 as a resource for students seeking tutoring in all science courses.

It was the success of the writing and math centers last year that lead to the opening of the Science Center. Kristen Skaff, statistics teacher, and Katie O’Neill, chemistry teacher, are working together to run the program.

The Science Center gives students struggling in any area of science the opportunity to work with peers who might be able to not only provide a new perspective on a topic, but also form a close bond with their tutees.

“Our tutors are so positive and excited to work with other students,” Skaff said. “It’s just an opportunity to get help from someone who really really wants to help you, and I think that’s really neat … all they want to do is have a student that they can help, and so, I want to just see more students taking advantage of that and starting to gain more confidence in science.”

Although most tutors specialize in chemistry, biology, and physics, students taking all levels of science classes are encouraged to visit the science center at lunch in C5 or after school in the cafeteria to receive help.

A concrete start to the new year Angela Swartz Opinion designer As the new school year has been ushered in, so has the completion of a new construction project.

The grass area between the B and C buildings has been filled in with concrete and replaced with trees, bushes, tables, and benches.

“I kind of have mixed feelings about it. On one hand it takes away from the green grassy area which I thought looked really nice but it’s also useful because it gives people more space for people to walk around when we go to classes,” Tam Le, junior,said.

The administration created the idea to expand the seating area last May. The project came to life from the site administration funds and ASG major projections funds.

“The grass there was really hard to grow and

kind of just dirt, so they dug down and filled it with concrete, so kids can sit on it as well,” principal Joshua Eby said.

The administration asked the student government for their opinion.

“They weren’t too (happy about it) so we just decided to start with one area and see how it goes,” Eby said.

There are no plans yet to expand, but new additions to the quad may come in the future.

“We might expand potentially but we don’t want to turn the school into a concrete jungle. We want to keep a lot of grass and trees and we don’t want to do anything without a planter or bush or tree,” Eby said.

Paving new beginnings- students enjoy sitting at the freshly built benches and concrete during lunch. Sarah Lu/Prowler

news

Thoughts.

Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

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Assistant Principal of Attendance Michael Godfrey on his trials as a pilot and a stock broker, traveling the west and football.

Victoria Juan Co-Editor-in-Chief

What caused you to come (to NPHS) in the middle of the school year last year?

The opportunity. My wife joined the district as an assistant principal at Westlake High School at the beginning of last year. She’d always brag about how great a school and district it was to work for. I’d been in Oxnard Union High School District for 15 years, I just completed my educational leadership class with her and the opportunity came at the semester. Through sports, I already knew about NPHS’s reputation and it was an opportunity I knew I couldn’t pass up.

When you yourself were in high school, did you see yourself in this type of job?

It’s funny because in high school I thought I wanted to be a psychologist because I loved helping my friends with their problems. From high school, I went to the Air Force Academy; I thought I was going to be a pilot and that just wasn’t for me so I went back. I went to a junior college for a year and a half and transferred up to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where I was a finance major with a concentration in the stock market. I’m no stock broker either. Out of college, I got sucked into coaching and fell in love with teaching. I went back to school to become a teacher and now here I am. So no, I had no ambition to be a teacher. It’s kind of interesting how life takes us down different paths.

What’s your life like outside of school?

I love to travel. This summer, we took an RV road trip to a bunch of national parks throughout the west and that was amazing. I have a son and a daughter who are middle schoolers and and I love spending time with them. We just moved from Ventura to Thousand Oaks, so a lot of my free time is spent fixing up the house, not that I necessarily enjoy that. My advocation for the last 11 years was fishing and football, which I absolutely love.

So are you looking forward to anything in particular this school year?

No cutting class - As Assistant Principal of Attendance, Godfrey deals with not only attendance, but also Saturday schools, detentions, independent study and overall student welfare. Sarah Lu/Prowler

- ADVERTISMENT -

As a former football coach and referee (for 11 years), I love football. It’s my sport, so I’m really looking forward to see how the team does.

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opinion Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

Taylor Swift: Is she a villain or victim?

Daria Azizad Staff Writer The widespread notoriety of the clash between Taylor Swift and Kanye West spanned the Internet for months. Until the height of the feud was reached on July 17 this year, the dispute had no apparent outcome and the media continued to mull over the details. However, Swift is manipulating the tensions between her and West to make herself seem innocent.

The infamous feud began when West interrupted Swift at the 2009 VMAs, saying that Beyonce should have won the award for best music video of the year. The next six years were filled with tension and hostility, but by 2015, West and Swift were able to reconcile their differences and become friends.

This era of peace was short lived.

In April of this year, Kanye released his single, “Famous”, which mentioned Swift in a controversial lyric. West’s line took credit for Swift’s career and called her a derogatory name.

There was an eruption of discontent at the misogynistic message, but West informed the media that Swift approved the line over a phone call. However, Swift adamantly denied all claims about knowing anything concerning the lyric.

In response, West’s wife, Kim Kardashian-West, released a series of Snapchats of the phone call which proved Swift’s

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approval of the line. On Swift’s Instagram, she released a note about how the Snapchats were “character assassination”.

As a household celebrity and highly public figure, Swift’s large and devoted fan-following is quick to come to her defense.

In reaction to Kanye and Swift’s turmoil in 2009 and now, Taylor utilized her fanbase to get more attention.

Swift is notorious for throwing other celebrities under the bus and using them for attention: Katy Perry, Calvin Harris, Joe Jonas, and now Kanye West are all examples. Until Kardashian exposed her, Swift was able to continue to damage the public image of other celebrities to make herself seem like the victim.

She used this pity to advance her career at the expense of others, including her own friends. Swift is a powerful adult, yet she plays the part of an innocent child - it’s time to choose.

After the backlash from the lyric, Swift changed her story from what she originally told West in order to be make herself seem in the right. Though writing misogynistic song lyrics is not acceptable, West is not the antagonist of this story. Swift continually uses underhanded actions in order to promote herself in a positive light. She has easily swayed the view of the public for years by using the careers of others as steps to her throne, and it’s about time someone called her out.

Swift is manipulating the tensions between herself and West to seem innocent.

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Redefining the line between social media Gianna Longo Cover Designer Instagram recently introduced a Story feature over this past summer. However, the addition has sparked some controversy because of the function’s close similarity to Snapchat’s pre established Story feature. Snapchat’s use of the Story feature, though, is unwarranted and has only left consumers confused and enraged.

According to Instagram’s blog on Tumblr, Instagram Stories are for sharing ordinary moments, not just the ones someone would want to keep for a long period of time on their profile.

However, Instagram’s Story feature is only useful for showing photos of the unordinary and important moments of life, which is not what Instagram was created for. Instagram posts are planned out, taking time and effort to edit, filter, and match to the user’s profile theme. This adds to the lack of separatism that a Story feature should have.

On the other hand, people use Snapchat for live moments, snapping quick photos and videos for friends. This is because Snapchat’s Stories only appear for 24 hours, and helps creates a relaxed environment for users to comfortably let their imperfections flow and followers will let the small, human

mistakes slide. When Instagram released their stories, the separation of casual and formal ways to share their life was nonexistent and left users dissatisfied.

Instagram Stories are unnecessary because they can’t fill or improve upon the role that Snapchat Story already fill. The only difference between the two is the way Instagram allows users to share their stories for a longer period of time, but again, this is contradictory to the point of Stories. Snapchat is meant for smaller moments, but if someone wanted to share one, they would use Snapchat instead because it’s better fit for the situation.

The new Instagram stories broke an unspoken rule and crossed an agreed upon line of which popular apps shouldn’t of crossed.

Even once the Instagram were beginning to be used, they mainly let users advertise their Snapchat username. In terms of public figures and celebrities, Instagram stories give their followers a glimpse of their lives, but it’s nothing that Snapchat already can’t already do. The new stories are rarely used and users will and should continue to stick to Snapchat for their story posting rather than Instagram.

Graphic by: Angela Swartz/Prowler

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

Learning to count blessings through the stressing Bella Robakowski DPS Designer I wake up to my blaring alarm and race to school. I carry my jam-packed, 34.2 lb backpack from class to class where I sit for hours and aggressively take notes and stress about whatever test, quiz or assignment I have due. I finish my school day with a few hours of dance team practice and then head home to do hours of homework until I realize it’s getting late and I still need to shower and go to sleep. The next morning, the same annoying alarm wakes me up to do it all over again. Welcome to the utterly fabulous life of Bella Robakowski.

The repetition and constant stress of daily life leaves my brain fried, my back sore, and my stomach empty, because I frequently forget to eat while caught up in my seemingly never ending todo list.

My problems are difficult classes, heavy backpacks, and not having enough hours in the day. Sure, they’re first-world problems, but what can I say? This is what I struggle with everyday.

The world can be a dark place. People face trials and tribulations that I can’t fathom.I’m thankful for the life I live, however I’ve learned it’s okay to throw a pity party for yourself every so often.

Everyone has a little cloud over their head filled with problems, petty or not, that they need to vent. Sometimes, my friends share their problems with me, and it takes all I have to not roll my eyes and tell them how ridiculous they are. But their struggles are theirs.It’s my job to support them no matter what: dealing with a bad breakup or searching for the perfect homecoming dress doesn’t matter to me.

Many of my friends don’t understand why I study so much for every test, but I have a different view on the situation. My test scores affect my grade, my GPA, the university which accepts me, and even my career -- these tests represents more than a grade.

For others it’s insignificant, but for me it leads to stress.My first world problems are a reality, and my struggle isn’t a myth.

However, you shouldn’t tweet all of your problems or drown in self pity-- that’s no way to live. Instead, let all the blessings we have be the sunshine that chases that little cloud of problems away. Count each and every good thing, even the little ones, as a reminder of how good life is. But recognize problems and find ways to garner support to get through them.

I know there are kids out there who have empty stomachs or much worse reasons than a “never ending to-do list,” and I know that I’m truly #blessed, but I still have my own unique struggles that sometimes make me want to crawl in my bed, pull the covers over my head, and sob.

So get out the streamers, party hats, and don’t forget the cake, because it’s okay to throw a huge pity party all for you from time to time, as long as you remember to count your blessings at the end of the day.

opinion Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

Summer reality

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John MacMillan Staff Writer Licking your face is a puppy called sea. Behind you, volleyballs pass between friends and family. Sand molds around your soles like viscous, soft clay. Famous, familiar buildings, those of which you’ve only experienced in pictures, swirl around in a sparkling haze. Then, all at once, the situation mixes into a thick, syrupy reduction.

And then you wake up.

It’s eleven a.m. You must have accidentally slept in again. The richness of your dreams is gone, and now you just feel heavy. Your dog, still asleep, lays by your feet. Your phone, though, is awake -- Netflix is open, Stranger Things. You must have finished the rest of it last night, though you remember falling asleep somewhere in the middle of the second episode.

Your bones are like bricks, but somehow you roll your mud hut body over. You land on your floor. A pair of fresh pajamas slither out of the pile of clothes on your rug, and it swallows you whole. You check instagram: Europe, Malaysia, and a million beaches -- the settings in your fantasies.

Cracked, day old makeup wobbles in your bathroom

mirror. You didn’t bother to wash your face last night. You want food, yet you’re not hungry. Your refrigerator stares at you, judgingly. Strawberries, Oxnard strawberries. Mom must have bought some earlier today. You have a handful. Cooking is too much of a bother.

As is everyday, you end up back in your room. Your dog is still asleep, so you lay down besides him. His small body is stretched out, and, every few seconds or so, he twitches -- he’s dreaming, a wonderful dream. It must be honey. So much better than Summer’s reality.

The expectations we set for ourselves are physical and they are flies. As maggots, they crawl into our ears to feed on our memories, ideology, and sense of logic. When they’ve had their fill and left caverns in our heads, they burst into adults. Eventually the wounds will heal and be fed upon again and again.

The fantasy of the future is less a trap and more an inevitable cycle of reincarnation. But melodrama and literature can’t ascend us. Our only Nirvana is blooming pessimism with roots in scars.

Graphic by: Angela Swartz/Prowler

The military and its ghosts John MacMillan Staff Writer

There’s an obsession with serving the idea before the idea holder. not make the spirits physical.

For someone to throw their life or their labor to the spirits of honNothing is more an example of this than the military. The concept is simple: a person fights for a power, and the power pays the fighter. However, the or, nation, God, or any other floaty justification is foolish, yet the military thrives. On campus are recruiters armed with pamphlets, mercenary becomes more than hired. The moons orbiting t-shirts, the promise of identity and brotherhood in seraround the title transform him. He becomes a protector of us, our nation, and our God. But what the soldier protects Bullets are real. Bullets vitude to the state, an escape from economic uncertainty intense feelings of powerlessness which the state preare floating outside of reality. They are ideas. will drill through your and serves, and a pullup bar.

Bullets are real. Bullets will drill through your But you, the student knee deep in ideals, isolation, and heart and kill you no matter how much you beg for it to heart and kill you no insecurity, where do your interests lie? How much are you not be physical. However, ideas exist differently. Ideas do matter how much you being payed, and is it worth it? You’re being lured into benot occupy the same space as the physical - they exist in coming a servant to state and, if not the physical, ideas. spirit and require constant cooperation from their idea beg for it.

That which cannot touch you you let put onto you a collar. holder. Yet, no matter how much the church, the state, or In the endless vortex of ghosts around your head, you are the patriot assumes the existence of the spiritual, they canreal. Deny imagined chains. In the end, all that you have is you.

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PANTHER PROWLER

2016-2017

Editors-in-Chief Nina Chiuchiarelli Victoria Juan Entertainment Designer Lindsay Filgas

Ad Manager Megan Joshi Opinion Designer Angela Swartz

Copy Editors Rachnca Deshpande Connor Keep John MacMillen Clare Wang

Photographer Chief / Caitlin Henderson Sarah Lu Emily Nagamoto Farhaan Pathan Megan Vlietstra

Cover Designer Gianna Longo

Features Designer Nelson Kappas

Online Lindsay Filgas Nelson Kappas Sports Designer Alyssa Boedigheimer Graphic Artist Alyssa Boedigheimer DPS Designer Bella Robakowski

News Designer Kessa Chavez Clare Wang

Staff Writers Daria Azizad Maya Chari Rahul D’Souza Olivia Luby Kavita Rai Nidhi Satyagal Jaycen Sussman Aditya Vunnum Broadcast Lindsay Filgas Caitlin Henderson Connor Keep Jaycen Sussman Angela Swartz

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

Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

the balance

SPORTS

FRIEN

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FINDING

Angela Swartz Opinion Designer Lindsay Filgas Entertainment Designer Alyssa Boedigheimer Sports Designer

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n/Prowler

Caitlin Henderso

Facing a line of tired eyes, Sami Griffin, junior, prepares for the busy workday by taking orders, grinding beans, and mixing drinks.

Griffin spent her summer behind the counter at a local Starbucks. Although it meant sacrificing part of her summer, making her own money and being in a fun environment made the whole experience worth it for Griffin.

“Mostly I wanted to have extra cash on me,” Griffin said, “but my parents think it’s very important to be able to have a job and balance school and extracurriculars for college applications.”

Griffin learned about the job opening from her mom, a regular Starbucks customer. She started working as soon as she could, and just as quickly fell in love with the job.

“I love it. If I didn’t like the job I wouldn’t stay,” Griffin said. “I love the environment. I love the fast pace.”

Students are no longer just learning at school, they are facing new life experiences in a working environment that can be translated to their future.

Alex Chow, senior, was also encouraged by his parents to find work over the summer. However, Chow’s main goal was to gain work experience, rather than to make money.

“I think that having something that can (have) a lasting (effect) on your resume is certainly valuable. So that’s why I initially started it,” Chow said.

Chow found just the opportunity he was looking for one day during class, when he saw information on the history teacher Steve Johnson’s whiteboard about an internship for the Julia Brownley campaign.

“Mr. Johnson put it on the board in his classroom” Chow said. “I trust his judgement. He seemed to think it was a good thing to do.”

Chow applied for the internship and so spent his summer in the fast-paced campaign world. Through this internship, Chow was able to learn what it is like to work in politics.

“Our field director Rudy Perez wanted to make it as much about learning as much as possible about the campaign world while at the same time being a productive intern,” Chow said.

Emily Flores, junior, became an assistant instructor at Z-ultimate self defense studio to continue her love of

For some students gett priority. For others, bal schedule and a job is a

martial arts. She began practicing at the studio when she was eight and volunteering when she was 12, so Flores was eventually offered a position on the staff.

“I’m just there if they need me. I’m there for phone calls, I’m there if they’re running late for a class and I just get the class started for them. I help out at the other classes that we have. I teach on average maybe like 8 private lessons every time I go to work,” Flores said.

Rob Schenk, senior, started his job at In-N-Out half a

“I really found it helpful to

actually take out a schedule and literally put down time slots and write down how much time it was going to take me to do various things.

Alex Chow

“

8 Finding the balance

year ago on a mission to be more self-sufficient.

“I chose to get a job so I could be more independent and pay for my own gas and clothes,” Schenk said. “I have college covered so I just have to pay for my food, so I will have a lot (of ) extra spending money just for myself.”

Like Griffin, Schenk enjoyed the workplace environment.

“Its pretty cool. I see a lot of people that I know while working at the Newbury Park location. And seeing all the parents come in and my friends, it’s just nice,” Schenk said.

19%

of students work four or more hours per week

29%

of studen working t money for

Finding the balance

G

Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

9

ting a job is first lancing a full school a full time commitment.

For all four students, the start of the school year meant learning how to balance their time between work and school.

“I haven’t been a very organized person in the past,” Chow said. “I actually realized that I had multiple things overlapping... I really found it helpful to actually take out a schedule and literally put down time slots and write down how much time it was going to take me to do various things.”

With a full schedule of classes in addition to her job, Griffin also felt the stress of managing both commitments.

However, she still believes that the experience of working is worth the stress.

Schenk agrees that the pros outweigh the cons and working teaches important lessons that everyone should learn.

“I would definitely recommend everyone getting a job because it really helps you learn what life is really like outside of high school because things aren’t going to be easy in life and your parents aren’t always going to give you money so you’re going to have to start earning by yourself eventually and you might as well start now,” Schenk said.

On the other hand, Flores disagrees with getting a job during the school year unless it is really important.

“If you really love it, go for it. Get the job. I get to do something that I’ve been practicing since I was 8 so I went for it. But if it’s a job like Menchies or Chipotle and you don’t really need it, I don’t think you should do it. I think you should focus on school. I’ve always prioritized school over anything,” Flores said.

Chow, Flores, Griffin, and Schenk all heard about their job opportunities from people they knew. However, for students who do not have an inside connection, the College and Career Center (CCC) is available to help.

In order to apply for work, students under 18 must go to the CCC and fill out a work permit form. In addition to processing work permit forms, the CCC also helps students find jobs, fill out applications, and practice interview skills. “...If we don’t have any existing job postings available, I try to look up other employers that have historically employed Newbury Park students, and I share that information with the students,” Carmencita Ricafort, College and Career Center adviser, said.

nts are to save r college

26%

of students have a job to gain work experience 108 students surveyed

Impressive interns - (bottom left) Alex Chow, senior, and alumnus Ciara Henderson look sharp for their internship for the Julia Brownley campaign.

Lots of lattes - (top) Sami Griffin, junior, shares a laugh with co-workers while preparing a drink. Sami has been working at Starbucks since the beginning of summer.

Alex Chow/With Permission

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler Smiling after certification - (bottom right) Emily Flores, junior, poses with her fellow associates after CPR training for them to become CPR certified.

Emily Flores/With Permission

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features Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

School alumni teach future generations on campus Nelson Kappas Online Editor Lindsay Filgas Online Editor For multiple teachers on campus, this school has served as both a launching point and a destination. It has provided them with an education, a career, and even a place to raise their families.

“Newbury Park is very much a community that I am entrenched in … it is very much our town,” Christy Hodson, English teacher, said.

As a NPHS student graduating in 1979, Hodson never expected to return to the school to teach, or to even have a career in teaching at all.

“I saw Newbury Park as being a very small, closed, stifling town, and I think academia was pretty far from, in terms of what would have been my pursuit, or my own interest professionally,” she said.

That all began to change when Hodson found her love of education at Moorpark Community College. She soon transferred to Cal State Northridge and had the opportunity to work as a teaching assistant during her time as a graduate student, and thus her career began.

History teacher and alumni Joe Calaba, who graduated in 1998, had a similar mindset as Hodson, and did not think he would end up as a teacher back at NPHS. Originally pursuing a career in a law firm, he soon realized he simply was not enjoying himself.

He found that he prefered working as a substitute teacher, and got a full time position working at Westlake High School

things

5 you d id not know abo u t

Jing Hu // Chinese/Statistics Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

Angela Swatz Opinion Designer

1

Her favorite place in the world is Vancouver.

2

She thinks the most important thing for a student to learn is how to be a good person.

3

She is the mother of twins.

4

She played volleyball for high school and college.

5

Indian food is her favorite.

for a year. After a chance meeting with one of his former NPHS English teachers, she helped him get a job back on campus after some unpleasant experiences at Westlake.

“So she contacted Steve Johnson, the department chair of history, and through that connection I was able to get an interview,” Calaba said.

After about a decade away from Newbury Park, Hodson decided she wanted to return to her old district again and, like Calaba, she began teaching at Westlake High School before eventually returning to NPHS. For Eduardo Flores, Spanish teacher, who graduated in 2001, the experience was slightly different. He attended California Lutheran University and discovered an interest in teaching after tutoring students. Once he decided to become a teacher, he knew that he wanted to return to NPHS. “I interviewed exclusively to Newbury Park,” Flores said. “It’s the only place I applied to. It’s the only place I wanted to work.”

The main reason for Flores returning to NPHS was to give back to the community and make sure students have a voice. “I got to work with the immigrant population and I pretty much was the liaison between administration and the parents, and a lot of the things (immigrant students) have now are because I started advocating for them,” he said.

Flores also had the opportunity to work alongside many of his former teachers.

“It was great because a lot of what I do was influenced by them,” Flores said. “It’s been nice getting to know them as people

instead of as my teachers that I might have been afraid of.”

Hodson stressed that NPHS’s culture seems very much improved compared to her days as a student.

“My students (today) seem so much worldlier to me than the kids of Newbury Park High school seemed in the 70s. (They) seem so much more tolerant, so much more socially aware, and I just feel a greater harmony on campus,” she said.

“I think (students today) are more well rounded,” Flores agreed. “We definitely weren’t as academic as it is now because the IB program was just beginning back then.”

Calaba also added that the good environment has been at NPHS throughout the years.

“In some circles, our school, NPHS, stands for Nice People High School. I think that’s really true, and I think that being nice, being friendly, being courteous is infectious … it is imparted on me,” he said.

Hodson explained that NPHS holds tremendous sentimental value for her because it is not only where she learned and works, but where her children were educated as well. “(I am) so happy, so content that this is where I am at,” Hodson said.

But if Hodson’s teenage former self were to see that she ended up back at her high school, she explained what her old opinion would have been.

“No way. No way. Are you kidding? Are you joking? I don’t think so.”

Before and After - These teachers have changed a lot! From left to right: Mr. Calaba, Mrs. Hodson, and Mr. Flores Farhaan Pathan and Caitlin Henderson/Prowler.

Pets inhabit the premises Olivia Luby Staff Writer

Some furry friends joined the campus recently. A student and a long-term substitute teacher brought therapy dogs in training to school to help out students.

Last year Deyanne Nesh, a long term substitute teacher, brought along her therapy dog Max. Max was brought to the US from Kuwait by Nesh’s family after her daughter had been working in the country and found him on the street. Once in the US, they discovered he had “no manners.” This lack of training led to Max being enrolled in dog training classes, and it was there that the idea of him becoming a therapy dog came to light.

“I took him to classes to be trained and the trainer said that Max would make a great therapy dog,” Nesh said.

Max went through training, passed his classes, and became a certified therapy dog.

“He’s now able to go wherever I go,” Nesh said. “I brought Max into IB classes at NPHS where the students might be nervous because they have an oral presentation, and Max walks around while everybody pets him and he helps the students relieve their nerves.”

Most students enjoy having Max in their classes and are allowed to pet him if they can still pay attention.

“He just seems to calm everyone down.” Nesh said.

Julianna Heller, senior, can also be seen walking around campus with a canine. She is currently training her golden retriever named Jumanjii.

Bringing him to school helps him get “used to being around a lot of people,” Heller said.

In order to continue bringing him to school, Heller attends

weekly meetings held by the organization training Jumanjii to make sure she is following their rules.

“It’s part of his training, his socialization,” Heller said.

With Jumanjii by her side, Heller’s experience with people on campus has been different, although her classes remain the same.

“People are a lot nicer and people definitely want to greet me more” Heller said.

At first, some may think that bringing a dog to class would create disruptions, but Heller, who brings Jumanjii to all of her classes, says it is not a problem at all.

“I think that in class he’s not that much of a distraction because he just sleeps, so I think he brings good vibes to school,” Heller said.

At school, Heller trains Jumanjii by keeping him around a lot of people and teaching basic commands such as sit, stay, come, and down.

“Jumanjii is so good, he’s so good around people, everyone likes him and he stays calm,” Heller said.

Shannon Fitzpatrick, senior and close friend of Heller’s, also talks about how she, Heller and other friends like to take Jumnajii to visit the special needs kids.

“We go every Friday and Jumanjii is really good around all of the kids. They all love him and he’s soothing to them,” Fitzpatrick said.

By having dogs around, Nesh sees that students are more relaxed and cheerful.

“The idea that they bring joy to others is what I love most about them,” Nesh said.

Visit pantherprowler.org for photos and videos.

features

STUDENT Ava Blanke/Junior is the name of the Mexican 1 What President?

TEACHER Mrs. Coull/History

Megan Joshi Ad Manager

Mrs. Coull: President Nieto Blanke: EP Nieto Answer: Enrique Peña Nieto

Who has the third best single season 5 3-point record in basketball?

Mrs. Coull Wins!

Apparently Mexico was confirmed to pay for the wall after the meeting, but Nieto tells a different story.

Score: Mrs. Coull- 1, Blanke- 1

2

VS

11

Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

Mrs. Coull: Kobe Bryant?

Blanke: Lebron James ...

Answer: Klay Thompson

1-3

Apparently, neither teacher nor student watches basketball that much. Klay Thompson has a 42.0% overall 3-point average.

Score: No change.

was the name of the new 6 What Chainsmokers song featuring Halsey

When was Facebook founded?

Mrs. Coull: 2001 Blanke: 2008, no 2003, no 2001 Answer: 2004

that reached Billboard #1?

Mrs. Coull: Let’s talk about Dave Matthews Band instead.

Blanke: ... no ...

Answer: Closer

At least the average of all three of Blanke’s answers was 2004.

Score: No change.

endorsing?

Mrs. Coull: Coffins? He’s buried in his lies...

Blanke: Film?

Answer: Cough Drops Cough Drops have 15 calories. Lochte would have to eat 800 of them to meet an Olympic swimmer’s calorie intake.

Score: No change.

Trinidad and Tobago, which olympic team 4 Besides was disqualified from the 4x100 men’s relay finals?

Mrs. Coull: US Blanke: ... I don’t know ...

Answer: US How can Trinidad and Tobago be just one country. If anything it should be called “Trinbago”.

Score: Mrs. Coull- 2, Blanke- 1

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

the controversial events in Rio, what 3 After product from the company Pine Bros is Lochte

Although some might say that Blanke’s answer was “Closer,” Score: No change.

explorer introduced pigs to the 7 What Americas?

Mrs. Coull: I don’t think it’s the obvious answer...so Amerigo Vespucci?

Blanke: Mr. Bacon Answer: Christopher Columbus No, it was not Mr. Bacon himself, sadly.

Score: No change.

day does the president give his 8 What traditional weekly address?

Mrs. Coull: Let’s talk about Dave Matthews Band instead.

Blanke: ...no...

Answer: Closer

What can you do, history teacher Mrs. Coull knows her politics! Coull takes the victory with a final score of 3-1.

The man, the myth, the legend: Mr. Steve Johnson travels the world Maya Chari Staff Writer Steve Johnson, esteemed history teacher, takes traveling the world to a whole new level. Having explored several continents, he has a cultured view of society and its different governments and systems.

This summer, Johnson started his travels on the East Coast and took a train down to Kansas before spending some time in Independence, Missouri. But the real highlight was a seminar he attended right here in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles about the tragedy of the Japanese internment camps.

During World War II, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, all the Japanese Americans in the country were rounded up and stuck in remote camps. During the seminar, Johnson met with people who were children in the internment camps and listened to them recount their experiences.

“I think hearing stories from the survivors about what it did to their families and how it impacted their parents… to lose everything, it was just heartbreaking,” Johnson said.

This summer was less eventful for Johnson compared to his past travels. Last year, he took one of his yearly trips to Ireland with some colleagues and friends, something he has done seven times, once every other year.

“It started when some of my fellow teachers got tired of me talking about Ireland, because I love to go there, and they said ‘you should take us,’” he explained.

Johnson has been exploring Ireland since 1986 and says it is his favorite place in the world because of its physical beauty, history, music, and intriguing political situation.

Shiv Sompra, senior and a second year student of Johnson, thinks that the coolest trip his teacher has taken was to the Soviet Union, back when it was still in existence, where he visited Leningrad (modern day St. Petersburg) and Moscow.

“He helped tear down the Berlin Wall. He has a piece of it. It’s pretty cool,” Sompra said.

The history teacher’s trip to the Soviet Union was one of the most culturally different experiences he has had.

“It was shocking to see a place that was devoid of all capitalism, and materialism… People were living under a completely different government than we are used to and it made me really appreciate the United States,” Johnson said.

Last spring break, Johnson went to Israel. Above all the other places he has traveled, he considers this recent trip to be one of the most interesting and impactful he has been on.

“I got to experience firsthand what life is like there… to be there and walk in the same pathways that people have walked for thousands of years was just an extraordinary experience,” Johnson said.

Johnson has been around the world, from China to Europe to the Middle East, and he continues to gather knowledge and experience from everywhere he goes. He wants to share his experiences with students and sends them postcards from exotic places if they give him their address. Last year, senior Maria Luciani got one of his postcards from the Library of Congress.

Traveling has greatly impacted Johnson, allowing him experience the world to its full potential.

“I think he is probably one of the best teachers I’ve ever had, he’s brilliant and he knows everything-- emphasis on everything,” Luciani said. She relates Johnson to an encyclopedia because he is so well-versed in the history of many countries.

If there is one thing Mr. Johnson wants to ingrain into his students’ brain, it is to take advantage of the gift of different cultures and nations by traveling the world.

se

ea

Re l

W ar

“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is a long awaited letdown

and blindsided by the larger than life image of his father.

In the book, Harry’s actions are to his son are, simply said, unkind and bear absolutely no semblance to the transcendent character from the previous series. Weirdly, in the new story, Harry is completely blind to his son’s very similar struggles.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry, possibly the most beloved trio of best friends, are known for their banter and closeness.

Throughout the series, they partook in envy inducing adventures and saved the world on multiple occasions.The dynamic between all the original characters seems unbalanced and untrue to the original Harry Potter series, making their relationship appear rigid. Harry, Ron, and Hermione act more like acquaintances than best friends.

While the focus of the story is the children, it feels they barely have any scenes with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. This might stem from the fact that this book was written in script format unlike the original series. The script format makes it a much more boring and dreary read than the original books which may disappoint many fans. The format of the book doesn’t give any insight to the character’s thoughts or details about the setting.

Overall, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is bluntly put, is a disastrous attempt to breathe new life into the Harry Potter franchise. The integrity of the original characters has been compromised, the writing is mediocre, and the new characters are dull and uninteresting. If you are looking for a book to match the vividly detailed stories and endearing characters of the original Harry Potter books that captivated millions of readers worldwide, this is not the book for you. rB ro s/ Pr es s

Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

ne

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entertainment

Nidhi Satyagal Staff Writer Harry Potter. Possibly the most coveted and beloved book series of our time. The books are iconic, the characters even more so, and the fans are obsessive, looking for new Harry Potter material wherever they can get it. People were overjoyed that they would be getting an entire book as an epilogue to the original Harry Potter series in which they would get insight into the adult lives of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Sadly, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child doesn’t manage to even remotely meet the hype.

The story begins nineteen years later, picking up exactly where the epilogue of the final book in the Harry Potter series left off. It centers around Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley’s son, Albus Severus Potter.

Albus is subject to all the scrutiny and ostracization that Harry Potter experienced during his time as a student at Hogwarts because he is unable to fit the idealized image of Harry’s son. His only friend is the son of his father’s nemesis, Draco Malfoy, Scorpius. Albus and Scorpius both face adversity at home and at school because of their fathers highly publicized actions.

The premise for their adventures is a result of Albus’

anger at his father and his attempts to undo his Harry’s supposed wrongdoings. He is, however, misinformed and ends up travelling through time and dragging Scorpius along with him to fix his potentially dangerous mistake.

The friendship between Albus and Scorpius, if executed well, could potentially have been an excellent central plotline for the story.

However, their time travelling adventures and family drama are not enough to make up for their boring conversations with awkward, forced dialogue and constant whiny attitudes. The portrayal of their behavior is completely off base for normal fifteen year old children making the characters unrelatable.

The focus of the script is Albus’ strained relationship with his famous father. The premise of the struggles between Albus and Harry is strange and out of character for Harry Potter. The original books painted him as a perceptive, kind character who rejected the glory and attention he was given due to his heroic actions. He distances himself from Albus, who feels unloved

Pokémon Go! dominates the world

Binge watching over break Alyssa Boedigheimer Sports Designer Megan Vlietstra Photographer

Farhaan Pathan Photographer

As players walk the streets, enter into unknown places, and flock at pokestops with lures, Pokemon Go dominates today’s current society. The game was released in July of 2016 and immediately got millions of downloads within the first few hours.

The game requires you to move around and reach a certain amount of miles to accomplish goals in the game such as leveling up. When walking around, you can stop by a poke stop, which gives you items such as pokeballs, to catch pokemon, potions, to heal your pokemon after it has taken damage, and revives, if your pokemon has fainted. Also while walking around you can find a gym in which you can conquer for your team. A player can acquire a team once he or she advances to level five.

The player has an option of three teams, Mystic, Valor, and Instinct, each resonating with its legendary bird pokemon.

Many people began playing pokemon go due to their prior experience with Nintendo’s DS games.

“I played Pokemon Soulsilver quite a few years ago on my DS,” John Sherman, sophomore on Team Mystic, said.

Meanwhile others just downloaded the game because of popularity on social media

and in the public, not from childhood or video game experiences.

“I started playing Pokemon Go because all my friends were playing it and it seemed like a interesting game, so I downloaded it. I also felt like it would get me outside more,” said Saria Nassar, sophomore on Team Valor, said.

“I go for a couple walks each day, so that is a couple hours depending on what day of the week,” Sherman said.

Some may find themselves more active because of Pokemon Go but others disagree with this statement.

“Honestly, I don’t see myself as a more active person, normally I get most of my exercise in the gym,” said Tristan Montes, senior on team Instinct.

Overall, many players will continue to play this game in the future until all missions in the game are completed that the game has for them to complete.

“I do plan on the playing the game in the future, that is until I accomplish my goal of catchin em all, or until the app becomes obsolete. In that case I’ll probably move past the app,” Montes said.

Alyssa Boedigheimer/Graphic Artist

Most watched shows this summer by students

The summer is a great time to binge watch all your favorite Netflix shows. From Grey’s Anatomy to Family Guy, here are the top viewed shows for NPHS students during the summer of 2016.

Grey’s Anatomy comes in first with 10% of surveyed people having watched it most this summer.

Grey’s Anatomy takes place in a hospital in Seattle and follows the life of Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and her colleagues as they progress from interns to doctors. This drama filled show holds the attention of the audience using the tense relationships between the residents and the neverending stream of patients that require their attention.

9% of the people who were surveyed watched The Office over the summer. This show is a mockumentary about a small town paper company in Scranton, PA. The show stars Jim Halpert ( John Krasinski), Michael Scott (Steve Carell), and Pam Beesley ( Jenna Fischer), among many other well known names. The Office appeals to viewers who are looking for light-hearted comedy in every half hour episode.

Pokemon had a 7% viewership causing it to come in third. Pokemon follows the story of Ash Ketchum in his journey to become the greatest pokemon trainer. Because of the release of the new PokemonGo app this year, many students rewatched the show that originally aired in 1997. Gotta catch ‘em all!

entertainment Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

Flashback Friday Songs to Revive Your Childhood

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We love looking back at our beloved childhoods: a time before giant tests, a time when Kim Kardashian was just Paris Hilton’s assistant and your biggest problem was whether Miley would choose Jake or Jesse. It was the era of Juicy tracksuits (which are apparently making a comeback), and Uggs with everything. Yes, I am referring to the early 2000s. I am here to take you on a musical journey.

Caitlin Henderson Chief Photographer

Toxic Britney Spears

1 2

When a person thinks of this song, he or she usually thinks of the Just Dance routine on Wii. “Toxic” is unique, compared with other Britney hits because of its cinematic feel.

It’s got the suspensefulness of an action movie, the angst of a damsel in distress, and the catchiness that’s key to any pop song.

Mr. Brightside The Killers “Mr. Brightside” is by far the edgiest song on this playlist. It’s bitter, it’s angry, it’s ironic, but most of all- it’s memorable. The lyrics get people the most, and you’ll never forget the opening phrase: “coming out my cage and I’ve been doing just fine.” You have probably sat in the back of a car, looking out the window while it rained, as you played this song on your iPod, thinking about the crush that you deeply regret now.

Hips Don’t Lie Shakira

3 4 5

… since when were hips dishonest? Shakira speaks the truth in this 2005 hit.

Every time you heard this song, you wanted to get up and swing your hips just like Shakira. You tried, but nobody can master the hip shaking quite like she can. It’s hard to believe that “Hips Don’t Lie” was released in the same year Fall Out Boy released “Sugar We’re Going Down.” Pete Wentz was emo, Shakira was being honest with her hips … life was good.

6 7 8

The Sweet Escape Gwen Stefani Gwen Stefani is a 90s-early 2000s LEGEND. While No Doubt is certainly a great punk band, Stefani was able to switch from being an alternative rockstar to a pop and fashion icon with one album. Nostalgia can help us all “escape” from our current, difficult reality.

All Star Smashmouth This famous Shrek song represents the musical impact everyone’s favorite green ogre had on contemporary art. From Shrek’s initial success to the memes it created years later, “All Star” has been at the center of the action. It has become so attached to Shrek that you can’t listen to it without thinking of the movie (or the memes). It also makes you feel pretty good, because hey now, you’re an all star.

Sk8r Boi Avril Levigne

He was a boy. She was a girl. Can I make it any more obvious? Avril really went one step further with creative decisions on the title of this song, and she wowed us with her pink hair and bad girl aesthetic. Avril Lavigne represents a cultural shift from 90s grunge fashion to the more recent emo style. Yet, Lavigne brings this transitional period into the mainstream world; she can rock the black eyeliner just as much as she can sing cheesy pop lyrics about the boy next door, who played Yu-Gi-Oh! and tried to ride a scooter instead of a skateboard.

Irreplacable Beyoncé From Destiny’s Child to Lemonade, Beyoncé has always been a superstar. Before she actually conquered the entire world and brought forth Jesus once more with the visual album Lemonade, Beyoncé was a popstar with a broken heart and a cheating lover, just like you and me. This song was a hit I normally sang on American Idol karaoke, an old Wii game with CGI Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. I thought the graphics were so good … But nonetheless, all aboard the Beyhive. (Beyoncé also has a Spanish version of “Irreplaceable,” which makes her that much more incredible).

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Baby... One More Time Britney Spears If you recently watched James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke, you probably saw the goddess that is Britney Spears (it was as if 2007 never happened!). Corden wore her memorable pigtails from the “Baby… One More Time” video, which single-handedly changed the music industry forever. It was somewhat familiar to her Disney roots, but still had that mature air to it that foreshadowed what would later come to be.

Glamorous Fergie

I Gotta Feeling The Black Eyed Peas

“Glamorous” makes you feel as if you are stepping into Fergie’s fast-paced, highprofile world, sipping champagne and winning Grammys.This pop queen is most definitely the realest out of these early-aught pop titans (sorry Iggy), also teaching us how to be confident with her track, “Fergalicious.” Though she seemed to step down from the throne after The Black Eyed Peas, Fergie is now back and better than ever.

To finish off this list, here’s a song that makes you feel good. Though its release date is a little late compared with the rest of the songs, The Black Eyed Peas definitely peaked in the early 2000s/2010s time period. They even reached the Super Bowl, then disappeared off the planet completely. So sit back, relax, and enjoy your Friday night with this slight throwback hit.

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Frank Ocean’s Blonde Shocks the Music Industry Jaycen Sussman Staff Writer After his Grammy-winning album Channel ORANGE was released in 2012, Frank Ocean went off the grid for almost four years. The fame surrounding Ocean grew over the years for being “nonexistent” and people began to doubt whether he would ever release content again-- that is, until August 20th, 2016. Ocean released his highly anticipated second album Blonde and the fans were satisfied, but was it truly worth waiting four years?

Ocean gave us seventeen new songs to listen to on Blonde, but the most popular are “Ivy” and “Pink + White.” “Ivy,” consists of Ocean singing about youth and love. The track has a continuous guitar beat in the background and reminds fans of Ocean’s hit, “Thinkin Bout You” from Channel ORANGE. “Pink + White” is a very fun song to listen to, the piano and birds chirping in the background give it a very uplifting tone. This song fits in perfectly when you’re having one of those perfect days when everything goes your way. Now, while both of these songs are very uplifting, we hear the best of Ocean in the slower songs “Self Control” and “White Ferrari.” Both tracks flow perfectly with amazing vocals from start to finish.

Many artists are beginning to include poems or interludes in their albums, and Blonde was no exception. In “Be Yourself,” a voicemail from a mother to her child begins to play at the start of the song. The mom advises her child to avoid drugs in college and to stay true to who you are. In “Facebook Story,” you listen to one of Ocean’s producers tell a love story and how it was ruined because of social media. He explains that he was in a three year relationship and his girlfriend broke up with him because he didn’t accept her friend request on Facebook. There are debates on why these were included on the album but they symbolize actions in Ocean’s life and today’s society. The purpose of “Be Yourself ” is to remind people of the mistakes Ocean has made in the past when it comes to drug possession before

The Atlantic/Press Release

his release of Channel ORANGE. Ocean has matured since that time in his life and he doesn’t want high school and college students to make the same mistakes that he made years ago.

But “Facebook Story” stands as a statement on how much social media has affected us. We as a society are consumed by social media and Ocean touched upon that by

sharing his producer’s story.

An album’s opening and final songs are arguably the two most important; they give the listener the first and the last impression of the album. The first song is “Nikes,” which opens with an echoing drum beat and a distorted voice. About half-way through the song, the autotune ends and Ocean begins to sing. That’s when the song truly gets good. The final track of the album is “Futura Free” and there are not many things to like about the 9 minute, 24 second drag of a song.

Most of this track consists of weak vocals from Ocean that overpowers a great beat. Neither song did its duty giving a good first and last impression yet the album still shines thanks to powerful songs like “Self Control”.

Although Blonde had a weak start and finish, the songs within the album give the average listener a wild ride. Frank Ocean took a lot of chances with this album and four years in the making, it was a success.

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sports Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

Shaking things up - Angelina Powers shakes hands with competitor from Rio Mesa befiore the Varsity Game on Sept. 1. Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

Girls’ tennis hits off the new season Kessa Chavez News Designer The summer heat was almost unbearable, with the sound of tennis balls ricocheting off of the racquet like the popping of a soda can. Whispers of coaches sound in the background. Each girl wonders if she has secured their position on the team.

Tryouts for the Girls’ tennis team were held on Aug. 9 - Aug. 11 with many girls giving their best effort to make it onto the team. With more competition at tryouts and new coaches Bill Mulligan and Richard Kick, how will the team fare this season?

The girls did the same warm ups and practices every day while the coaches observed how they did during preseason and tryouts. Coaches then made confidential decisions about the team.

Maya Ghanem, sophomore and varsity singles player, has a positive outlook on this year’s season.

“Because our new coaches are significantly helping us to im-

prove our game, I think that the tennis team will play so much better this year,” Ghanem said.“ The training we got this year really showed in the team win against La Reina yesterday. [Aug. 30].” She added, “I think tryouts this year were pretty fair. There was a lot of competition this year for tryouts, and the coaches were saying they had to make a lot of tough choices.”

When talking about useful skills and expectations, Coach Mulligan explained, “Continual improvement and incorporating skills to competition” can help the team set and reach their goals.

A month before tryouts, the girls had preseason where they practiced three hours a day Monday-Friday.

Alexis Bennett, sophomore, who did not end up making it onto the team, said, “I plan on trying out again next year. (I’m going) to do better than I did before every time I practice… then the results will show when I play.”

Mulligan later added, “The team has improved since last year. Everyone who played last year has one more year of experience and the team gained two varsity players that did not play on last year’s team, namely, Maya Ghanem and Jaden Moriarty, freshman. They both played varsity singles in our first preseason match against La Reina.”

Tryouts and preseason practice helped the girls kick off their season with a 10-8 win against La Reina in their first preseason match.

As Ghanem looked back on the process of tryouts and developing her confidence, she said, “The thing that was most important for me was the development of my mental skills, rather than my physical tennis game. I feel that tennis takes every part of you physically, emotionally, and mentally... Before tryouts I didn’t feel very confident... but the process of trying out and playing matches helped me a lot more in that aspect of tennis.”

NCAA changes recruitment process Rahul D’Souza Staff Writer The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has made significant changes to their recruitment processes, eligibility standards, and gameplay rules this year. These changes address areas from SAT and ACT scores to social media.

In past years, a 2.0 GPA was required to be eligible to play sports for athletic scholarships, but an electronic statement released by the NCAA says that as of August 1, 2016, the standard is a 2.3 GPA. Also 10 core courses are required to be completed before senior year and higher SAT and ACT scores are needed. The lower GPA that a student has, the higher SAT score they have to achieve, and the higher GPA they have, the lower SAT score they have to achieve.

“I think the recent changes are necessary…I believe that these changes will make upcoming athletes more inclined to work harder for school,” said Ethan Duff y, a senior on the varsity cross country and track

and field teams.

“These changes were made in order to assure that the athletes attending universities were well rounded and likely to succeed in a competitive, c o l l e g e environment both on and off the field,” said Jack Smith, a senior on the water polo team.

In regards to individual sports, the regulations have been altered as well. The rules on low-blocking in football do not allow a player to block an opponent below the waist

towards the original position of the ball unless the ball carrier has clearly crossed the line of scrimmage.

An instant replay rule was put in place

NCAA/With Permission

allowing a medical obser ver to stop the game if a player gets injured. In addition, the regular season replay rule allows

umpires to use an instant replay to make tough calls for baseball.

“I like it actually. You want to make [the call] right,” said Curtis Scott, the varsity baseball coach. “But sometimes it takes too long so I think there should be a time limit to follow.”

Additionally, coaches and staff members for college teams are now allowed to retweet, like, or favorite athletes’ posts on social media.

This is a major step since in past years, coaches were to act like players didn’t even exist on public social media.

“I’m not really in favor of using social media to find out about student athletes. I know it’s used but I think students need to be aware of what they do post on social media because it’s very important and colleges do look at it,” Scott said.

Although most fans and some athletes won’t even recognize the changes, they still are a significant leap from past years.

sports Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

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Fall sports get head start with summer training

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler Kianna Coolidge/Pawprint

When summer vacation begins, so does summer work to achieve this goal. training and, for Varsity athletes, this is the time to Varsity girls have amped up their training to be get ready for the upcoming season. Each sports team ready for the tennis season this year. has its own specific way of training to help them “I am part of this (camp) at CLU that is called achieve their goals. an elite camp and it’s just like a clinic too,” Angelina Cameron Rising, junior and starting quarterback Powers, sophomore, said. for the Varsity football team, described his summer Powers practices for hours at a time, but when it routine going into the 2016-17 football season as comes to personal goals for Powers, she wants to try consistent and hopeful. scoring faster so the match won’t drag out. “(I am) constantly working, making sure I get my “I want to be more aggressive at the net. (I want body right. I made sure I put on a lot of pounds, so I to get) points over the net and (finish) them, before could take more hits and get up faster. I just tweaked they drag on too long and I get tired,” said Powers. all the small things that I needed to work on,” Rising Sonia Patel, senior, this year’s captain for girl’s said. golf, explained the long practice schedule during the Anastasia Kimball, summer. junior, discussed the “Over the summer, volleyball training starting in August, we schedule and its logistics. had practice rounds on “We had a tryout the golf course, and then in May of last year and we had practice at the then we started training driving range about every Aug. 1. We did agility day, for two or three training in the morning, hours, just to get ready and then specific position for the season,” Patel said. training in the afternoon,” Cross country also Kimball said. “Then we stepped up their game just practiced as a team.” this summer. Marty As a team, the Maciel, the head coach of volleyball girls came to the cross country team, Marty Maciel focus on their weaknesses has been pushing the the Cross Country Coach to better eliminate them. athletes to their limits in “Our team wanted to order to get them ready for get better at serve receive, the season. because that was our weak point, but we’re getting a “We took eleven kids up to Mammoth and we lot better at it,” Tasia said. were there for about five days,” Maciel said. “The Players on the water polo team also practiced purpose of the summer program is to get these kids extensively outside of school. working as a team; that’s the one thing that’s been “On off weeks I would go to a YMCA pool missing. They’ve been friends and they have a good and find an open lane to keep my conditioning on. time and they enjoy one another. But there hasn’t Sometimes me and some of my teammates (would) been a very close friendship, so over the summer go to the gym and lift weights and get stronger in that was one of the key things we really wanted to order to get better at water polo,” Jarrod Norton, work on.” sophomore, said.

From practice rounds to bonding activities, The team’s main focus this year is to win CIF, the sports teams have recharged their spirits to bring and Norton thinks that the team has the potential their best efforts forward for the upcoming year. to win. Every team wants to make CIF, but Norton “We have potential to get ahead,” Maciel said. “I and the rest of the team have been putting in the think we’re ready.”

“The purpose of the

summer program is to get these kids working as a team. That’s the one thing that’s been missing.

“

Sarah Lu/Prowler

Aditya Vunnum Staff Writer Jaycen Sussman Staff Writer

Golf Team/With Permission

Competing at every turn(From top to bottom) Ben VanBrande prepares to pass the ball during a practice game.

Rebecca Chua, junior, and Amiya Prasad, sophomore, team up in a doubles match. Alex Urias, senior, and Danny McCoy, senior, face off against Agoura. Madison Wood, senior, hits a long shot in the fairway.

Alyssa Boedigheimer/ Graphic Artist

16

sports Panther Prowler • Sept. 9, 2016

Football defeats Agoura by huge margin Nidhi Satyagal Staff Writer Jaycen Sussman Staff Writer

Cheering for Panthers- Braden Handy, sophomore, (top) evades a player from Agoura. Laurel Yocum, sophomore, and Sara Challgren, junior, (middle) cheer for the NP team. Gino Cruz, sophomore, and Christian Cisneros-Mills, sophomore, (bottom) run to get more points for their team. Kianna Coolidge/Pawprint

On September 2, the football team played their first home game of the season against Agoura, winning 62-21.

The game started on a rough note with the team struggling due to small mistakes and penalties. The quarterback, Cameron Rising, junior, gave an analysis on how he thought the offense performed last week. “Well, I felt the offense was little slow at first, but after about the end of the first quarter we stepped on the gas pedal and started firing on all cylinders,” Rising said.

Linebacker, Cole Peterson, junior, continued by crediting their success in the second half to major change in the defense. He stated that some of the defensive success was specifically due to “a change in the defense to allow our linebackers and linemen to get through and make tackles behind the line of scrimmage.”

The team had success throughout the game largely due to the persistent nature of the offensive team.

Peterson enters the coming game with optimism, but understands that they still have a long way to go. He says, “We felt satisfied with our win over Agoura last week but we know we still have some work to do.

The team has been preparing for this week’s game against Westlake. Both Rising and Peterson both agreed last week’s win was a big one, but it’s now time to focus on keeping a perfect record.

For the win- Christian Cisneros-Mills, sophomore (above) gains yards for his team. Lauren Dickerson (below) cheers the team to victory from the side of the field. Kianna Coolidge/Pawprint

Keeping the spirit- The Panther Pit goes wild over the football game against Agoura on Sept. 2. Caitlin Henderson/ Prowler