2016-2017 Issue 8 (April 28, 2017)

PANTHER

PROWLER Friday April 28, 2017 • Issue VIII • Newbury Park High School 456 N. Reino Rd., Newbury Park, CA 91320 • pantherprowler.org

Cheating: the hidden truth

IN THIS ISSUE: 4 Science March 6

@npprowler Health Struggle

12 Netflix Shows 16 Promposals

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staff editorial Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

Asking the Thousand Dollar Question Students struggle to pay for college with increasing tuition costs 0

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With graduation right around the corner, college is on the mind of all the high school seniors. While grappling with their choices that they will inevitably have to make, there is a real world road block on the path to their choices: money.

The increasing tuitions nationwide is something that can not be ignored. Over the past two decades, tuition has increased on average for all institutions by $866 yearly when inflation has been adjusted. Public and private institutions alike have raised their tuition so much so over time that their affordability is a real deterrent for people.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, as well as the Economic Policy Institute, the costs of tuition including room and board has increased 10 times as much as median family income over the past two decades.

Furthermore, the power of a bachelor degree is increasingly devalued due to an oversaturation of college degrees in the job market. In the words of finance writer James Altucher, “college graduates hire only college graduates, creating a closed system that permits schools to charge exorbitant prices and forces students to take on crippling debt.” The substantial hikes in cost of attendance to earn a bachelor degree make a college education unaffordable and

untenable for many across the United States.

With an obvious problem glaring young Americans in the face, there is a solution. To start, a substantial resolution for students requiring aid is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the premier spot for incoming college students to receive federal aid in their post secondary education. Students every year neglect to fill out the form at a loss of about $2.7 billion in federal grant money in 2016 alone. Although not everyone qualifies for student aid, there is no reason not to fill out the FAFSA. Similar to the FAFSA, non-federal need-based financial aid can also be applied through the College Board’s CSS PROFILE. Other need-based financial aid can come in the form of scholarships and work-study programs, a part-time job for students to help finance their education through the university.

Other than aid determined based solely off of need, another option is the multitude of scholarships and grants available to students of all academic focus and cultural background. These scholarships can be local or national. It is important to thoroughly search for scholarship through both the Internet and the College and Career Center. Even services like the Common Application and the University

of California Application include options to search and apply for scholarships. However, most scholarships are scattered around the Internet, making it impossible to track down every opportunity that is available.

No conversation about student debt can be complete without addressing student loans. In 2012, Pew Research Center found that 69% of students had taken out loans to pay for education. If you need to get a student loan, understand all your options, both federal and private, and choose a payment plan that works for you.

College is increasingly expensive; therefore, no one should discount junior or community colleges and transferring to a four-year university after two years. Not only does this option allow you to earn a bachelor degree, but also it is much more affordable than going directly to a four-year university according to 2016 numbers from the American Association of Community Colleges.

While money is an integral factor in considering a college decision, do not forget to consider how you fit in on campus along with its location, culture, size, and even just the vibe you get when you visit. Graduating high school is the jumping off point into the start of your adult life. Let college be your first step in the right direction.

table of contents.

2 Editorial: Tuition Increase 3 The Strange Fund 4 Relay for Life 5 Caption Contest 6 The Expenses of Prom

7 Breaking Snapchat Trend 8-9 DPS: Cheating in School 10 Trivia Team 11 Student vs. Teacher

12 13 14 15 16

Choir Heritage Festival Fate of the Furious Lacrosse Team Sports Column Promposals 2017

news Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

“Community is everything”

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Theater students take action to support Ms. Strange Lindsay Filgas Entertainment Designer Aditya Vunnum Staff Writer In times of need, students, staff and the NPHS community band together to support one another. On March 16, Marilyn Strange, theater teacher, lost her husband to liver disease and her students were quick to form a support system for her.

The support that Strange received from the NPHS community through the weeks after the tragedy helped her through the difficult time.

“The Panther family has supported me throughout the whole awful experience- from beginning to end. Just the support I started to get when Mr. Strange was in the hospital, and it continues even now when I return to school,” Strange said.

“After we heard the news, Cameo and I began to work on what we could do right away,” Emily Goldstein, senior, said.

Working together with the drama club cabinet and dance teacher Cameo Caroline, Goldstein came up with a design for a t-shirt to sell at upcoming arts events, with the proceeds being donated to Strange.

For the following weeks, students could be seen in the halls wearing these shirts in support of Strange. The back of the t-shirts were adorned with the phrase “community is everything.”

“That phrase is one that Ms. Strange begins every show or theatre class with,” Goldstein said. “She always stresses how important it is for actors and techs to be there for each other, and how important the arts community is. If you’re close with her, you know it’s her motto, so it felt natural to put on the shirts.”

The t-shirt fundraiser was a success, with over 100 preorders.

The arts community joined together, selling t-shirts at the IB dance concert, student-directed One Acts, and the 18 Hour theater festival. In addition to selling t-shirts, the drama club, with the help of booster parents, organized restaurant fundraisers to help Strange.

“All the booster moms have been working really hard, for example, 18 Hour, all the funds were donated to Strange because the booster mom made it possible,” Kylie Vincent, junior,

United as one- In their matching “We Are One“ shirts, theater students pose for a picture during their weekly Drama Club meeting. Students wearing this shirt dotted the campus, showing their support for Ms. Strange. @_nphstheatre_/With Permission

said. “(Strange) was like our mom at the theatre department, and obviously, having her gone, when she’s hurting we hurt too.” Vincent ran the 18 Hour Theater Festival, with all of the proceeds from the event going to Strange.

Strange is grateful for all of the support she received in the past few months.

“To go through such a difficult tragedy that this has been, it has been overwhelming- the support, the Panther family has given to me and my family. Just the fact of them putting it

together has meant so much to me during this difficult time,” Strange said.

There is currently a GoFundMe page, started by the Strange family, that anyone can donate to. As Strange recovers, she must handle the expenses of her husband’s medical bills, as well as supporting her two-year-old son, which means taking time off of work.

“We support each other at NPHS, and we are such a giving community,” Goldstein said. “Donate to help a panther in need.”

A night to remember...if you can get in Seniors get waitlisted for prom tickets Rachna Deshpande Copy Editor Jordan Jomsky Staff Writer Prom, prom, and more prom. What else would students be talking about during this time of the school year?

This year’s prom dance will take place May 6 from 7 to 11 p.m. at The Vineyards in Simi Valley, CA. The venue will house up to 750 students, open to juniors and seniors accompanied by their invited prom dates of any age under 21.

The junior class has been working for months to plan the event, and began advertising ticket sales at the start of March.

As the deadline to purchase tickets drew closer, tickets sold out quickly. Daily announcements were made to remind students, specifically upperclassmen, that there were limited tickets available.

On April 21, all tickets were sold out. For those who bought their tickets early, this was not a concern; however, to many seniors’ dismay, they were unable to get tickets and were placed on a waitlist. Since then, many seniors have voiced their frustration towards the underclassmen attending prom.

“I don’t think it’s okay that freshmen and sophomores

are going to prom, especially with such a small venue,” Fatima Salah, senior, said. “The school should have gotten a bigger venue to begin with, given seniors a 2-week period to buy tickets, or made it a senior-prom only.”

Along with the seniors, many underclassmen also acknowledge that the attendance of freshmen and sophomores at prom is arguably unfair.

“I’m going to prom, and I think (sophomores going to prom) is fine. But it does make it less special for the seniors,” Chris Bourdeau, sophomore, said.

Amongst their frustration, some seniors have argued that the invited freshmen and sophomores should return their tickets to make room for the upperclassmen.

“It would be the respectful thing to do, but I don’t think they would,” Salah said.

However, not all seniors are on board with this idea.

“It’s unfair. If they were a sophomore, and a senior told them to return their ticket because they didn’t get one, that’d be unfair

to them and the seniors [are] being selfish,” Jack Walsh, senior said. “If you are on the waitlist, you bought a ticket the last day or you tried to get it after, that’s on you. You can’t really complain about that.”

The junior class has also stood by their management and advertising decisions, not backing down to the backlash they’ve received from upperclassmen on social media. Luis Tun, Junior Class Treasurer, defended their decision.

“We know it happens, that seniors get senioritis during senior year. But, it’s not our fault and our intentions that we didn’t want seniors to go,” Tun said. “We’re not going to refund someone’s ticket because they bought it ahead of time.”

In agreement with her fellow board member, Aliya Sciamanna, Junior Class Secretary, advises her classmates to stay on top of their deadlines to avoid these conflicts.

“Bottom line, my motto is always if you want something plan ahead for it.”

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news Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

Curing cancer step-by-step Megan Vlietstra Photographer After two hours and almost twenty laps around the track, the participant’s feet began to tire. They took looks around themselves and felt rejuvenated inspiration. The sight of a thousand people walking for the same cause encouraged them to keep walking through the pain. Everyone had one unified goal: to raise money to find a cure for cancer.

Relay for Life is a unique event. Schools throughout the Conejo Valley Unified School District participate in the relay and, at the close of Relay, send all of the money they raise to the American Cancer Society. This money is used to continue investigating and searching for a cure to various types of cancer.

“The event starts at 9 (am) and … there will be an opening ceremony. At the opening ceremony, they will honor cancer survivors, cancer caretakers and everyone gets to do their own special lap,” Sam Klein, senior, said. “Throughout the day, there will be food, games, bands that perform, giveaways and different theme laps and it’s just a great day.”

Olivia Diliberti, senior, has been participating in Conejo Valley Relay for Life since she was seven or eight years old, when her mother took her for the first time.

“When I went to high school I found out there was a (Relay for Life) club and then I started getting really involved in the club,” Diliberti said.

Diliberti is co-president with Klein, and both have been

working tirelessly towards making this event special for the Panthers and getting them involved. Another key person involved in the club is Rachel Brown, senior, who acts as vicepresident and treasurer.

“I’m specifically in charge of the commission planning the small events and getting people to sign up,” Brown said. “My role is really to get people. We had a big meeting where people came and got all their information and I’ve been setting up websites and making posters for publicity.”

Despite the fact that this year’s Relay will not be occurring on the Newbury Park campus, the Relay club has been working towards creating a strong Newbury Park presence at the Conejo Valley Relay event.

“We are actually working with them to get our own Newbury Park section so any teams that come from our high school will be together in one location. It will feel like it’s our relay but there will just be more people there as well,” Diliberti said.

Although the event will not be hosted by Newbury Park this year, Klein believes that combining the events will create a better event.

“We have more resources. It’s going to be more people. It’s going to be a full 24 hours, not 18 or 12. It’s going to be the full thing. I think in some sense, it’s going to actually be better so

I’m excited to see it,” Klein said.

“My hope s that we can really get a lot of Newbury Park people there because it would be really incredible to have a NP presence at the Conejo Valley Relay,” Brown said.

For Klein and Diliberti, the most impactful part of Relay is the luminaria ceremony. During the ceremony, cancer caretakers, survivors and family members are honored and given glow sticks to hold. This is followed by a silent lap around the track. This particular ceremony has a powerful impact on the students who attend.

“It’s kind of a way to not just give back but to keep them in the back of your mind I guess because you can’t understand how their lives are affected until it happens to you,” Brown added. “While you can’t sympathize with them, you can empathize with them and support them through doing Relay for Life and all other cancer fundraisers.”

For anybody looking to get involved in Relay for Life, it is simple.

“We meet in Mr. Mulligan’s room on Tuesdays,” Brown said. “You can just come. Even if you can only come every once in awhile, we can throw you in, use you when you come. Or you can simply sign up on Relayforlife.org for the NP relay team and fundraise on your own individually and then just come to the event which is on May 20th.”

Unity for science: Students join protest march Nelson Kappas Feature Designer

Walking to make a difference- The community bands together to protest recent funding cuts for future scientific endeavors Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

Over 600 marches took the streets across the globe on Earth Day, April 22, in an effort to call support for the use of scientific reason, research, and evidence. This ‘March for Science’ was planned partly in response to the proposed policies by the Trump administration which would cut government funding for scientific research, as well as Trump’s denial of climate change.

Miranda Barraza, senior, was one of multiple NPHS students among the thousands who marched in Southern California.

“I wanted to send the message that science is important and we cannot slip backwards into a society that does not recognize the facts,” she said. “Climate change is real and we need to address

the issues to save our planet.”

Grant Hoffman, junior, who also marched for science, agreed with Barraza.

“I think that (the) politicization of scientific topics is becoming a really big issue, and I think that getting the scientific community to speak up and be like, ‘hey, it’s not, facts are facts,’ I think that is super important for the future of our country,” he said.

Barraza acknowledged that while the march was first and foremost about supporting science, there were some political undercurrents.

“The march itself was bipartisan because science should be recognized as truth by both sides.

However, there were a lot of political references because the march was brought on by our new administration’s refusal to acknowledge scientific facts and our country’s need to transition to renewable energy to preserve our environment,” she said.

Hoffman also addressed the political undercurrent of the protest: “… most posters were just about science literacy and making sure that we have funding for science. It wasn’t as much about hating Trump as it was about supporting science.”

Deborah Dogancay, science teacher, had intended to march in Santa Barbara but was unable to attend. Nonetheless, she discussed the sort of messages she believes should be inferred from the march.

“Hopefully it’s not seen as a partisan thing, I would hope that all of the human race would embrace science, and that’s what I think the March for Science was all about,” she said.

Dogancay emphasized the importance of using science along with other forms of knowledge in order to make the most informed choices possible.

“Science can’t answer all of our questions, you need other areas of knowledge ... it answers one type of question and it gives you one type of knowledge, but why would you deny access to any kind of important knowledge or information that can help you make wise decisions?” she asked.

15,000 people marched in Los Angeles alone, according to Reuters. In a press release on the same day of the march, Trump stated, “My Administration is committed to advancing scientific research that leads to a better understanding of our environment and of environmental risks.”

The Trump administration, however, did not directly address the marches.

news Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

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PANTHER PROWLER’S CAPTION CONTEST #1 Drawing by Alyssa Boedigheimer, Concept by Maya Chari and Daria Azizad This cartoon needs a caption - by you! Each month, the Prowler will present a new cartoon on our website where you can submit your most clever caption ideas. The top three captions will be voted on by the Prowler staff and will be posted online in order for you to vote for your favorite.

The winning caption will be presented in the following issue of the Panther Prowler. You can access the online form on the website with the QR code or by following the URL provided. Remember to submit your name, email, and keep your caption under 250 characters. Any person of any age is welcome to participate. Best of luck!

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opinion Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

The Health Struggle: trying to maintain a healthy diet Gianna Longo Cover Designer If you are anything like me, you want to eat junk food and maintain a healthy diet as well.

But of course, the two do not go hand-in-hand.

Junk food is the only food group for teens.

Whether it is packed in our lunches or we are snacking on it while watching Netflix, we eat it every day and we actually think it is normal.

But no matter how bad we all know junk food is for our bodies, it is still difficult to quit.

With junk food affecting our bodies, social media has also affected the way we view our bodies. As teenagers, we feed into social media and the mainstream photos of well-known individuals who post about their “perfect” body. However, the body sizes posted are not normal and do not help anyone, they either influence others to achieve this or make others feel worse about the size of their body. Our motivation to eat healthier is mostly crushed by social media.

Personally, after quitting soccer in order to focus more on school and academics, I realized that I needed an alternative way to stay in shape. I decided to quit the snacking and switch to healthier foods, thus starting my “diet.”

My diet went pretty well for the most part. I looked away from the Cheetos and Oreos calling my name and looked towards fruits and protein bars. I ordered salads at restaurants and

CHI

PS

Graphic: Angela Swartz/Prowler

switched to healthier places rather than fast food. I began to work out at the gym at least three days a week, eventually noticing progress.

I felt healthier and looked healthier.

But even after the aching trips to the gym, it was the food that was the most difficult for me. Almost everything that tastes good within supermarkets includes ingredients that

are terrible for our bodies. As hard as it is, I attempted to avoid these foods, in order to maintain my healthy diet because even though going to the gym is helpful, the food you eat is the most impactful.

However, eventually you face the inevitable junk food that fills our lives. After successfully avoiding it, your body gives in. I tried everything to avoid the sugar that I had been avoiding this whole month, but of course I failed. “It’s only one piece,” I would tell myself, “It’s not a big deal, I won’t do this everyday.” Which is totally understandable, but it begins the process of remembering the taste, and thus the cravings begin.

Being healthy is something that lies in the back of every teenagers’ head. We remind ourselves that this burger we are about to eat might not be the best for us, but we usually eat it anyway. Although it is a struggle to change our habits, in terms of eating, we should still be self aware of our health and at least care for it more than teens do now. Some of us even take it to the next level, like I did, and are constantly aware of our health every day. But, sometimes, just sometimes, we need to be reminded that this one burger is okay to eat, and yes, being healthy is important, but so are our tastebuds.

When we cut funds, we cut the quality Caitlin Henderson Chief Photographer James Pratt Staff Writer To some, high school is the best of times, and to others, it is the worst of times. Either way, high school still includes activities hat we will not be able to experience once we graduate.

The struggles of AP exams, extracurricular trips, SAT’s are all unique to the high school experience. However, there is an issue: for some, the worst of times are from these experiences and their often outlandish costs.

In the Trump administration’s “America First” budget proposal, the Department of Education would suffer a $9.2 billion loss, which includes cuts to after-school programs.

Of course, the budget is only a proposal, but if schools do not have an adequate amount of money to fund after-school programs and extracurriculars, low-income students are

disproportionately affected. A budget cut affects the attendance and survival of these after-school activities.

Extracurriculars play a necessary role in areas where graduation rates are low, as school involvement is crucial to college acceptance and future success. Without funding, school activities become an activity reserved for families with money. On the contrary, public school and its benefits are meant for all students.

Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of Education, commented that she is the “first person to tell Bernie Sanders to his face, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” While she meant for the comment to be taken in stride, as a department member, her words jeopardize programs that are relevant even on our school campus. Although

our campus is thriving and successful, we need to ensure that the opportunities we have are a viable option for students, regardless of their socioeconomic class.

We are an IB school and that is impressive.

We have opportunities available to students that allow them to go to universities, yet the exams are costly. We need programs to provide for students that are unable to foot the exam bill, and these programs cannot be done away with by our current administration.

According to the College Board, about 133,800 students in California used the reduced AP exam price. This year, high testing fees end up dissuading those who would stand to benefit the most from taking them. Public schools are responsible for all students, and so they

are responsible for ensuring that low-income students focus on preparing for the exam, not paying for it. The Trump administration’s proposed budget would make this nearly impossible.

Education is one of the most important experiences someone can have. Participating in an extracurricular does lead to discovering a career path, and being able to focus on studying and creating new skills should overtake monetary worries. It doesn’t work out this way, but we need to take every step possible to ensure that it should.

Graphic: Michael Hellard/Prowler

opinion Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

On: The democrats are a failure

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John MacMillen Copy Editor The Democratic party is a failure. They had the money, data and experience. Yet they couldn’t beat an old man who watches too much T.V. On Nov. 27, 2016, after his victory in the elections, Donald Trump went to Twitter: “In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote, if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally.”

Trump’s claim of illegal voters has no evidence. However, this does not matter. What is valuable about these claims is not the false beliefs but the instant denial of failure, as Democrats are acting the same way.

As soon as the Democrats lost, external party issues were quickly adopted as explanation for the failure: fake news, historical inevitability, Russian involvement, etc. The reasons for

the loss aren’t external, though, their internal. The Democrats have failed to give a viable candidate to lower-class rural people.

The Edison exit polls from the 2016 presidential elections showed that only 34 percent of rural persons voted for Clinton.

Hillary Clinton had a toxic image in poor, rural areas because of the Clinton Family’s support of NAFTA. As well, Clinton did not adopt policies which would have been popular in these areas: single payer healthcare and $15 minimum wage, for example.

Instead, Clinton created her image as the counter to Trump’s rather than one built on policy or change. Her disingenuous support of the immigrant, LGBT and African American communities showed her as plastic (Clinton supported the war in Yemen, Iraq, the Israeli occupation of Palestine, tough on crime laws and has no long term record of supporting LGBT

rights). Additionally, impoverished rural voters were not given any direct or person reason to support Clinton, only to hate her.

Ignoring inneed rural communities enables right wing influence: the demonization of minorities, immigrants and intellectuals as well as self destructive economic policies. The reason that Trump was so popular in rural communities was not that these communities are backwards, racist or misogynistic by nature, but because Trump was the only one who would talk with them.

To truly counter the Trump administration and right wing populism, Democrats need to no longer ignore impoverished and rural communities. If this continues, the party will die or worse become more right-wing.

Breaking the Snapchat trend Maya Chari Staff Writer 7:00 a.m. A beeping alarm infiltrates your good dreams and shocks you awake. A lazy, fumbling hand presses the home button on your iPhone.

The beeping stops. 7:01, 7:02, 7:03, another alarm, this one louder. The hand shoots out from the covers and again, the phone is silenced. 7:10. The “car horn” alarm goes off, full blast, Angela Swartz/Prowler and this time you can’t fight it-you’re up. With a sinking feeling, you grab your smartphone, open up Snapchat, swipe right, and see little hour glasses next to the names of your friends. Heart pounding, you hastily take a quick snap reading “streaks” with a dark background, change the length to four seconds, and send it to your “best friends” and your “recents.” The hour glasses go away. You are relieved.

Snapchat is currently ranked in the top three most popular

apps among teens. 158 million people use snapchat. Seven years ago, the app didn’t even exist. Now it is dominating the lives of teens and young adults across the world.

According to Merriam Webster dictionary, addiction is the compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (such as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol), characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal.

Teens may not think that they are addicted to their phone, but the enormity of breaking snapchat streaks has built up to a concerning level.

Haley Washington, sophomore, does not have a snapchat because she feels that it is a waste of time that she could be doing more important things, specifically schoolwork.

“Snapchat is good because it gets people to know each other; I feel like I don’t have that and other people do”, said Washington.

However, she continued to say that she doesn’t personally use the app “because it takes up a lot of resources that I need for studying.”

Snapchat streaks amp up the popularity and usage of the app

because to keep a streak, the app must be used every day. Little virtual awards and trophies for having a high snapchat score area also achieved; another motivation to keep using the app. Even streaks themselves are somewhat of an achievement; 100 days of snapping a person is often a cause for celebration.

Losing a streak is an emotionally difficult dilemma because the number of days you have snapchatted someone consecutively is almost a tangible representation of the strength of your friendship. Maxwell Wadley, sophomore, who has been using Snapchat for about three or four years, likes the app because it connects you to friends and is fun to use. He gets frustrated when someone breaks a streak with him because “you ‘work’ for this thing with another person only to see it wash down the drain right before your eyes.”

Breaking a streak can feel like the breaking of a virtual bond between people, one that may not have been forged in the real world. It is important for students and young adults to remember that physical connection is the strongest connection because it cannot just be shattered by the click of a button.

For the record...

In Issue VII: Aditya Vunnum’s name was misspelled on page 28.

Isabella Robakowski was a contributor to the design on pages 16-17 and the article on pages 14-15.

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

PANTHER PROWLER

2016-2017 staff

Editors-in-Chief Nina Chiuchiarelli Victoria Juan Entertainment Designer Lindsay Filgas Copy Editors Rachna Deshpande Connor Keep John MacMillen Clare Wang Cover Designer Gianna Longo

Sports Designers Jaycen Sussman Opinion Designer Angela Swartz Photographer Chief / Caitlin Henderson Sarah Lu Emily Nagamoto Farhaan Pathan Megan Vlietstra News Designer Kessa Chavez Clare Wang

Online Lindsay Filgas Nelson Kappas

DPS Designer Alyssa Boedigheimer Graphic Artist Alyssa Boedigheimer

Broadcast Lindsay Filgas Caitlin Henderson Connor Keep Jaycen Sussman Angela Swartz

Staff Writers Daria Azizad Maya Chari Jordan Jomsky James Pratt Kabir Rao Rahul D’Souza Nidhi Satyagal Aditya Vunnum Features Designer Nelson Kappas Ad Manager Rachna Deshpande Kabir Rao

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Adviser Michelle Saremi

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cheating: the hidden truth Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

CHEATING the hidden truth

What defines cheating?

Interviewer What do you define as cheating?

Student I don’t know what cheating is, honestly.

Interviewer Would you say that you cheat?

Student Yeah.

Interviewer Do you consider yourself a cheater?

Student No, I don’t.

Students often brush off the idea of being a cheater, believing they are not affiliated with the term.

However, cheating can be so ubiquitous on campus that many do not consider the moral implications.

According to Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) policy, academic dishonesty is defined as “a deliberate attempt to disrupt the learning process by misrepresenting another’s work as one’s own.”

Glancing at another student’s test, asking for answers on individual assignments, looking up answers online, or plagiarizing someone else’s writing are all districtspecified forms of cheating. Those who let others cheat off of them, whether they provide images of homework or the answers for a test, are also considered cheating offenders.

In general, educators and teachers follow this official definition of cheating rigidly.

“I define cheating as anything that is not your own work, so copying information that’s not yours, working

together with somebody when it explicitly says that it’s your own assignment,” Brianna Harris, biology teacher, said. “It’s your own assignment, it needs to be your individual answers.”

Some students, however, may have a murkier interpretation of cheating, as some actions seem ethically reasonable.

Jackson Cook*, senior, defines cheating as “any action you take to do better on an assessment than you would be able to do naturally without any assistance.”

However, he added, “Our society has redefined what it means to cheat and we tend to normalize the action... today it’s such a common thing that we morally don’t disagree with it anymore.”

Deborah Dogancay, IB coordinator and science teacher, agrees in noticing a trend in the justification of cheating. “(Cheating has) become so commonplace, that unfortunately I think students have become numb to it,” Dogancay said. “They just laugh it off.”

Although there are varying opinions on what cheating truly is, the underlying factor is that it continues to occur in the classroom, breaking school policies.

Alyssa Boedigheimer DPS Designer Maya Chari Staff Writer Sarah Lu Photographer James Pratt Staff Writer Kavita Rai Staff Writer

Megan Vlietstra/Prowler

Group chats, Scantrons, and sneaky business Academic dishonesty comes in many different shapes and forms. Although some students do face the administrative consequences of cheating when caught in the act, others have also developed ways to avoid teacher awareness of their actions.

A common form of what the district defines as cheating concerns homework. Although it is difficult to catch and a generally more relaxed area, copying an assignment, sending a picture to a friend or even looking up answers online all fall under academic dishonesty.

Other classwork assignments can also involve cheating, such as students working together when they shouldn’t be. Harris recalls a time when she “caught students cheating through FaceTime... that’s how they were able to collaboratively work together on an assignment that was individual, and really it was one student let another student copy their work through FaceTime.”

Indeed, advancements in technology, including FaceTime as well as private messaging, online databases and Q-&-A sites, have contributed to the issue of academic dishonesty by offering students new modes to find and spread answers.

“Students can text each other information, and once it’s out there, it’s out there,” Harris said.

“Once one student has it, you don’t have control over who gets it next, because you’ve already sent it

out, and then it’s out.”

Although quizzes and tests are administered in more stringent environments than homework and classwork, they too are not immune to students’ cheating methods. Tiffani Coull, history teacher, recalls a group chat that disbanded, by her force, earlier this year, in which students would collaborate to get answers on daily quizzes she administers. “The A days would put on the group chat all the answers to the reading reviews so the B days would get it right and then when we switched at the semester, the B day did it,” Coull said.

Aidan Anderson*, senior, recalled a class wide cheating scandal on his final science exam. While some athletes in the class managed to convince the teacher to sign yearbooks, Anderson searched through the teacher’s desk to take pictures of each page of the three versions of the final test, which he texted to the whole class. The plan was complicated by a student who revealed the situation to the teacher, and although the pictures were deleted to avoid conflict, some students were able retain and re-circulate them.

Thinking back to the science final, Anderson described it as “the perfect murder. I was so proud

of it, bu don’t th yearboo Susa be a rel adminis during t choice student “Wh the num papers a know th between the orig from th but even would n Bake she didn work a

cheating: the hidden truth Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

Insight on why students cheat

86%

of students have cheated

MATH What percent of students cheat in each class?

30%

*out of 111 students surveyed

HISTORY

29%

ut then it’ll never happen again because I hink I’ll ever have a teacher who will sign oks for 30 minutes.” an Baker*, sophomore, considers herself to latively avid cheater who has not yet faced strative consequences. In a current class, tests, Baker admitted to swapping multiple Scantron sheets with two neighboring ts. hen we don’t know the questions we circle mbers that we have and then we switch and then write the answers if we think we hem,” Baker said. After completing the cycle n all three students, papers are returned to ginal student and “you erase the pencil mark he actual test so it won’t seem suspicious, n if you don’t, it’s so bizarre that the teacher never expect us to do it.” er feels that she would have a disadvantage if n’t cheat, simply because she “would have to lot harder… because everyone is cheating.”

5% ELECTIVE ENGLISH

13%

45% SCIENCE

14%

By the time students enter high school, each and every individual has been taught that cheating is immoral and will be dealt with through disciplinary action. However, as one steps into the halls of high school, those lessons begin to fade away in light of new competition and stress. The question that stands is, why do students cheat when they know it is wrong? Several teachers believe that it is a direct result of the pressure and competition between students.

Acting under the expectations of a modern education, including going to a good college by attaining good grades and participating in multiple extracurriculars, students are driven by the cutthroat competitiveness created amongst peers. Coull explained her belief in how “good kids who normally wouldn’t cheat” are “driven to cheat because of societal expectations.”

“College seems to be getting more and more competitive, it’s harder and harder to get in,” Dogancay agreed. “I don’t know if it’s pressure that society puts on kids, or teachers, or parents, or just students themselves... but there’s so much pressure on ‘I have to get into the best college.”

Not achieving perfect scores in school has led to students acting out of desperation. Harris believes the competitiveness of college “leads to (students) feeling like they have to have that A, which causes stress and pressure, and that can lead to cheating.”

Students themselves agree to responding to feelings of pressure through academic dishonesty.

Maria Luciani, senior, believes that peers in her

LANGUAGE

Consequences To dissuade and punish academic dishonesty, CVUSD policy has established rules for two infractions for students in grade 9-12. The first offense will result in a two-year Academic Dishonesty Contract signed by the student, parents, and an administrator, while the second offense in any class within the two-year period will result in the student being drop/failed from the class and enrolled in study hall instead.

In all science classes at NPHS, students review and sign a specific academic dishonesty contract at the beginning of the class. If Harris catches a

student cheating, “I first speak to the students, all students involved, then I call their parents, and I speak to them, then I write a referral and give it to administration, and then they deal with the consequences from their end,” she said. “Students will take a zero on any assignment that they are caught cheating on.” Dogancay, among other teachers, adhere strictly to the district policy.

Some believe these consequences are too severe.

“I think that the issue is that oftentimes cheating goes directly to administration, but there should be more discretion to the teachers and the staff who had to deal with a problem in their class,” Cook said. “We should have more leniency about how severe their punishment should be because they can vary with the value of assignments.”

Other students disagree and prefer to trust the administrative justice system. “I just know of a lot

9

grade “have amazing grades and aren’t getting into schools. (There is) crazy pressure to (be) … able to nail it to get 100 percent.”

Ella Hall*, senior, recalls when she cheated in middle school. Her reasoning included both the pressure to do well and the idea that cheating was the norm. “I cheated because I thought everyone was doing it and I wanted so badly to score high that the means to getting to that ideal end no longer mattered to me,” she said.

Cook said he felt a source of pressure to do well not only arising from college expectations, but also from the expectations of teachers themselves, motivating him to search up answers to a Spanish vocabulary quiz during a bathroom run. “I felt like if I didn’t get a perfect score on that test I would let the teacher down and I wanted to (maintain my grades),” he said. “There are settings where teachers’ need for students to succeed lead to students taking these actions.”

On the other hand, some students feel that teachers have created a source of pressure not by having high expectations, but by conducting their classes in an unrealistic manner. Luciani believes that “sometimes teachers really give an unnecessary amount of homework. And you just got home at 6 o’clock and went volunteering, had dinner, start your homework at 9 and have like 6 hours of homework. And people are like ‘which one can I do the least for’, which is unfortunate, because you’re not learning anyways.”

Baker also justified that her collaborative cheating in exchanging Scantron sheets was not necessarily her fault; she felt that the class cultivated an environment in which “no one knows anything” and a realistic balance needed to be maintained.

of cases where people have cheated or been in a gray area and admin or teachers made another deal with the kid instead of writing them up because of the length of the paperwork, which I think is a fault in the system,” Hall said.

Whether academic dishonesty has immediate consequences or not, some long term effects may still persist.

“What (cheating) does is it falsely elevates your grade,” Coull said. “If everybody in your class has falsely elevated grades, then when you go to get into college, you have more competition. And I know it sounds cutthroat, but you have to be trying to rise above your classmates.”

The problem, as seen by many students, isn’t that they cheat because they want to, they cheat because they feel like it is the only way to survive in an increasingly competitive world. The meaning and process of education has been transformed over the years to be interpreted in an entirely new way by both teachers and pupils. “Students are compelled to cheat because education prioritizes grades over actual learning,” Baker said. “Our grades aren’t actually a measure of what we learn.” *names have been changed upon request

49% of students

consider copying howework cheating

10

features Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

Trivia team buzzes to victory

things

5

Emily Nagamoto Photographer Kessa Chavez News Designer

you did not know a b o ut

Megan Vliestra/Prowler

Theresa Sanders // English Megan Vlietstra Photographer

1

Her dog was named Atticus Finch Gorgeous Pickles Highway Audrey HT Mcginty Lynch Maybelline Eyelashes Oxford 99 Sanders.

2

She has a 12-year-old son.

3

She has the best husband in the whole wide world.

4

Hers students teach her every day.

5

She has a half titanium neck because she had to replace slipped discs in her spinal cord.

Hunched over the buzzer, four hands hovered, ready to slam down. The anticipation, so palpable it could be cut with a knife, would be over as soon as the officiary read the question. The Academic Competition team was ready to win.

The team won both of their previous competitions this month, and were ready to take the championship. After playing three games, they took home the win for Newbury Park.

Meeting in history teacher Steve Johnson’s room, the Academic Competition team participates in information-based tournaments throughout the school year, leading to the main competition, the Knowledge Bowl, having recently taken place in March. Nina Perl, junior, and candidate for captain of the team next year, gave the basics of what this competition is.

“It is three Wednesdays in March, and we pick teams of four to go on panels, like Jeopardy. . . they read us questions and then we buzz in and whoever answers it right gets those points,” Perl said. “It’s really fun.”

Shiv Sompura, senior, explained that the individual matches had three to four games of two to 12 rounds. During the games, at various high schools in Ventura County, an administrator would first ask what Sompura called a “toss up question,” and the first person to buzz in had 10 seconds to answer it.

“If they missed it the question would go to whoever buzzed in on the other team,” Sompura said. “If someone got it right a bonus question would be given and the panel of four could discuss and come up with an answer within 20 seconds.”

The team competes in two different competitions, the Geo Bowl and the Knowledge Bowl. Ziv Carmi, sophomore, explains how he prepares before a competition. ”For the Geo Bowl, I have these books left over from when I made the State Geography Bee in seventh grade, and I use those as my main source,” Carmi said. “I supplement those with the daily quizzes on the National Geography Bee website.”

As a much more unpredictable competition, Carmi says the Knowledge Bowl tests the teams on “literally anything under the sun.”

Agreeing with Carmi, Conrad Jones, senior, gave examples of the types of questions asked during games.

“Anything goes. One question could be a math, physics, or

Ladies in the Office Jordan Jomsky Staff Writer Some of the most unsung heroes of Newbury Park High School are the ladies in the front office. Though many students are unaware of the daily contributions from the office faculty, the ladies in the front office work continually to better the lives of the student body.

Linda Ableiz, the office manager, began working in the office in 2005. She expresses how during a typical work day, she is inspired by the student body does “It inspires me to see young people who are so optimistic and who can make a difference because you really can,” Ableiz said. “You just have all this energy and excitement for life. It just inspires me to be better and help other people.”

The first smiling face that students see coming into the office is that of Sue Jensen, the office secretary. Jensen has been working in the front office for two years, meeting everyone who comes in through the office. She also loves to work at graduation and at the football games because she loves being “with the kids.” She describes that what makes NPHS “such a great place to work” is because the Panthers are so “warm and smart.”

In the counseling department, two women bridge the gap between the counselors and the entire student bodies.

Cynthia Smilor, one of the counseling secretaries, started here 12 years ago, went to Sycamore Canyon School and came back four years later.

The A-Team - The office staff poses proudly after another day of hard work. Megan Vlietstra/Prowler.

electricity question, where you have a paper and pencil to write it out. The next question could be history, geography; there was a Spongebob question one time,” Jones said.

However, despite the random questions, Perl says anyone can join, and that the club is for everyone.

“Everybody knows something,” Perl said. “Even if you don’t think you have any specialties, you could know random things.”

Outside of competitions the club embodies not only sportsmanship, but also friendship, as told by Sompura, “My favorite part about being on the team was actually just being with my friends… It was all around just a way more relaxed and good time than I thought going into it.“ When looking back on the competition season, Carmi voiced his fondness of the team, “It’s my niche. I’m a nerd, and that’s what I’m good at, and with such great teammates, how could these not be the best part of my year?”

Champions - The trivia team poses with thier awards after winning first place. Shiv Sompura/With Permission.

“[NPHS] has a great staff. It is a fun place to work,” Smilor stated, “Why else would I come back?”

Talking with students is Smilor’s favorite thing to do.

“That’s why I’m getting my masters in counseling,” Smilor said.

In addition to her job in the counseling department, the other counseling secretary, Perla Jimenez, works with Spanish-speaking families in the office.

Since March 2013, Jiminez has been working in the office and recalls one of her favorite moments as her classic “Girls Gone Wild” flub over the loudspeaker, when the word “wild” instead of “wise” elicited a lot of laughs. Nevertheless, from filtering and answering hundreds of scattered questions from concerned parents, students, teachers and faculty, our two counseling secretaries contribute to enhancing the school’s image every day.

Last but not least, the attendance comprises two women, JoAnne Trimborn and Annette Moffatt, who handle dayto-day student tardiness and absences. In reflection of their years here, Trimborn recalls a time where two students were late because of their Uber driver as one of her favorite moments. In Moffat’s 20 years with the district, she still calls NPHS her “favorite office.”

From their window into our lives, the women of the front office see how each student in Newbury Park works for the good of the school, the community, and the greater good. As we look into their lives, we realize that they, just like us, care about making our campus and school the best it can be.

features

STUDENT Izzy Bordagaray/Senior

1

Robin Lilly/English and Philosophy

4-7 Lilly Wins!

Bordagaray: Viola Davis. For “Fences” Lilly: Viola Davis Answer: Viola Davis While Bordagaray is the self-proclaimed, “movie gal,” it appears that her philosophy teacher is also familiar with famous actors and actresses.

Score: 1/1

Bordagaray: Nancy Reagan. No just kidding.

Lilly: Hillary Clinton Answer: Hillary Clinton Sorry, Bordagaray, but while Nancy Reagan was a popular First Lady, Hillary Clinton was popular enough to win the Senate race in 2000 and later in 2006.

Score: 2/3

Caitlin Henderson/ Prowler

was the first First Lady to be 3 Who elected into public office?

is the plural of the word 5 What “crisis?”

Bordagaray: Crises Lilly: Crises Answer: Crises Both Bordagaray and Lilly are back in the game with their quick thinking and knowledge of the English language.

Score: 3/4

was the first man on the 6 Who moon?

What planet is Superman from?

Bordagaray: Krypton Lilly: Krypton Answer: Krypton Both Bordagaray and Lilly are “super” when it comes to trivia.

Score: 2/2

4

TEACHER

Caitlin Henderson Chief Photographer

In the Oscars this year, who won best actress?

2

VS

11

Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

Bordagaray: Buzz Aldrin? He was in “Dancing With The Stars” Lilly: Armstrong Answer: Neil Armstrong Tragically, Bordagaray falls even further behind as her opponent dances ahead.

Score: 3/5

is considered the father of 7 Who psychoanalysis?

Bordagaray: I don’t know Lilly: Not Freud. Sigmund Freud?

Answer: Sigmund Freud Lilly may be a trivia genius, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Score: 3/6

philosopher coined the 8 Which phrase, “natural rights?”

When did the first iPhone come out?

Bordagaray: 2006 Lilly: 2009 Answer: 2007 Ouch. Lilly was on a winning streak, but it looks like neither competitor was tech-savvy enough to answer this question.

Score: 2/3

Bordagaray: Oh! John… Locke!

Lilly: Locke Answer: John Locke These wise women know their famous philosophers but, in the end, Lilly earns the final victory.

Score: 4/7

The Room Renovators’ creativity brightens classrooms Nidhi Satyagal Staff Writer Daria Azizad Staff Writer At eight a.m. sharp on a Saturday, the Room Renovators enter a classroom ready to paint it a new, vibrant color to uplift the previously dull ambience. The smell of paint fills the room as the color, chosen by the teacher, begins to cover the walls. The individuality of the renovation reflects the teachers, permanently leaving their mark on the room.

So far, the Room Renovators have decorated Marc Lion, Lucia Lemieux, Brandon Janes, and Christine Hodson’s English classrooms. The club has grown to include 18 members since its start in Oct. 2016. Even though the club is relatively young, it has already started to make its impact on the school.

Allison Gennette, junior, started the Decorators Club for her Gold Award in Girl Scouts. Gennette believed the club was a great way to bring different groups on campus together. “I thought it was really original and unique so everybody just kind of came together,” Gennette explained.

Hodson admired how driven Gennette was in starting the club. Hodson was drawn to the idea of having her room painted after she received an email from Gennette. She described Gennette’s involvement in every step of the painting process, from fundraising to devising a plan for the painters. “Students were just completely self sufficient. They brought all the materials with them; I brought donuts and juice and I just got out of the way,” Hodson said.

After choosing the paint color and watching the renovators at work, Hodson said, “It was so exciting to see the transformation of the walls from this ugly, institutional off-white to this sage green.” She believes that the room is “a gift that just keeps giving” because “ it changes the ambience and all the students love it.”

Sophia Dagan, junior, joined the club because she is a selfdescribed “interior design protégée.” “I love designing and decorating rooms and giving back so I found (Room Renovators)

to be a perfect opportunity,” she said. By working on the rooms and collaborating with the teachers, Dagan believes “our club has given teachers an outlet for them to see how much we really appreciate them.

The feedback from the renovations has been nothing but positive. “It was so exciting the first two days after it had been painted (because) students would walk in the room and stop at the door and say, ‘Woah,’ because they’re taking in what it looks like,” Hodson said.

“The teachers love it and it really has boosted their attitude,” Gennette said of the reactions she has received.

Hodson reaffirmed Gennette’s beliefs, “it was just really bonding and for me it was really uplifting in terms of morale,” she concludes.

Gennette finishes, “It’s not just a boring white classroom it’s actually individualizing each classroom and making it their own.”

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entertainment Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

Netflix removes cult classics and ruins lives Angela Swartz Opinion Designer Kavita Rai Staff Writer

PLAY

MORE INFO

Netflix is constantly adding new shows and movies that we celebrate, but at the same time, taking off programs that are close to our hearts.

The company has increased the production of their own shows and movies to increase revenue, pushing some favorites off the page. Here are several being taken off in April and May and our thoughts on whether or not that decision was valuable.

My List

The Superman Series

Partially Netflix has removed “Superman 1-4” and “Superman Returns” from the site, leaving only the spin off, Supergirl, in its place. I understand that Superman is a cult classic and people are obsessed with every single movie in the series, but you probably don’t need all the movies on Netflix. You can get the gist of all the movies by just watching one. Superman faces an otherworldly superior being who threatens the safety of the Earth, but it’s nothing new, he always wins.

Netflix is trying to appeal to a wider audience, which is made possible by replacing five very similar movies that target a specific viewer with a variety of movies. I think they should leave the original movie to allow first time viewers to have a taste of what the Superman series is like and to further pursue the sequels on a different platform if they wish.

The Princess Bride No The Princess Bride is another 80’s cult classic that shaped my childhood. It’s the basis for modern fairy tale movies: if you liked “Ella Enchanted” or the “Princess Diaries”, this would be a great watch.

It’s a story within a story: while sick in bed, William Goldman listens to his grandfather tell him a fantastical story of a beautiful woman forced to marry the prince of the land while she believes her true love to be dead. Her true love is not in fact dead and goes on an adventure to save her, encountering mystical creatures and skilled mercenaries. There’s comedy, drama, and romance, making it an all together feel good movie for both old and young viewers alike. It’s relevant and definitely irreplaceable.

House, M.D. (Seasons 1-8)

Yes Dr. Gregory House, an infectious disease specialist, tackles a new rare disease every episode. With his top team of doctors, House always miraculously finds the cure while managing to piss off everyone around him with his blunt attitude. I agree that this show should have been taken off ; there are better doctor shows.

House does the same thing every episode: he solves another rare medical case, he makes a few jokes, and then complains about being alone. It’s repetitive and doesn’t need to last for eight seasons. The whole “antihero who eventually wins over the audience with his good deeds” bit is overdone already and House does little to take a creative spin on this archetype.

Top Picks For You

Good Luck Charlie No This show was the last sliver of hope Disney Channel had for the “old” Disney vibe. Good Luck Charlie really was the modern day version of Full House, which is what made the show so lovable, and reminds the watchers of a loving family that brings a comfortable sentiment. The plot revolves around a family of seven living in Colorado, struggling with daily problems in life as eldest sister Teddy vlogs each episode to give her baby sister life lesson advice in the future. Taking this show off of Netflix will cement the fact that there are no more good Disney shows available to watch as the channel has become too corny, losing all shows with any good plot lines or humor.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off No “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ” is an 80’s cult classic that everyone has seen. The movie follows Bueller on escapades throughout the city after he plays hooky from school. His goofy principal relentlessly chases them around, but to no avail as Bueller and his friends escape with no consequences, instead having the best day of their lives and becoming more popular than ever. This movie should not have been taken off Netflix. It’s the perfect movie to watch with your friends at a party and then laugh about later. Even though it is over 30 years old, Ferris Bueller is constantly being referenced, even in today’s youth. Furthermore, Bueller is a high school icon: he defies authority with ease and lives out his dreams. Most people don’t watch DVDs anymore or don’t want to spend the extra money to buy it online, so without the presence of this movie on Netflix, it may lose its modern popularity. Save Ferris.

The Nutty Professor 2

No The Nutty Professor is about how a 250-pound scientist, Sherman Klump, undergoes a miraculous weight loss. However, this weight loss came with side-effects: Sherman develops an obnoxious second personality that is more well-liked than the old Sherman.

It’s a provocative movie that has gory scenes as well as hilarious commentary, and shouldn’t have been taken off of Netflix because it was one of those movies that would automatically cheer you up. Its cheesy humor and lightheartedness made it easy to be in a good mood.

Choir rocks Music City at Heritage Festival Rahul D’Souza Staff Writer After weeks of preparation, the NPHS Choir department headed to Nashville for the annual Heritage Festival on April 19-22. Once they took the stage, the audience was in awe as they listened to their melody and harmony. When the voices tapered down and the piano softened to a close, the crowd roared with applause.

The choir students, led by director John Sargent, had prepared songs in a variety of styles, including classical and spiritual. Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Advanced Women’s Ensemble and Men’s Chorus competed with other schools as they performed three songs on stage. After their performance, the judges took the stage to critique each team.

“The competition went spectacular,” Sam Herbert, sophomore, said. “At the ceremony each choir won gold, the highest rank, and we got two first places and one second place. We also won the choir sweepstakes trophy.”

While most students were taking tests at school, the choir members were having the time of their life both inside and outside of the singing competition.

“At the competition we just performed and got feedback from the adjudicators but at the awards we ate food, danced a bunch, line danced, and jammed to a country band. Mr. Eby and Sarge even danced and whipped!” Taylor Cummings, sophomore, said.

Students came back with not only high awards, but also fond memories of a great experience.

“My favorite part has to be when one of the adjudicators was crazy about our Men’s Chorus performance of ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky,’ most likely because of our wacky dance that went with it” Kobe Burton, sophomore, said. “He even tried to dance with us after giving us instruction. It really was an exciting and educational experience.”

Men’s Chorus and Chamber Singers received Gold, Concert Choir received Gold First, and Advanced Women’s received Gold Second. The choir singers entered the festival excited and nervous for their competition, and came out with an unforgettable experience and commemoration for their outstanding performance.

entertainment Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

13

The Fate of the Furious Races into Theaters Kabir Rao Staff Writer A cherry red Ferrari jumped across Dubai from skyscraper to skyscraper in the last installment, but somehow we believed that Vin Diesel and Co. had something even bigger up their sleeve.

Luckily for us, director F. Gary Gray found a way to raise the stakes even higher in “The Fate of the Furious”, the astounding eighth film in the beloved Fast and Furious franchise.

Opening over spring break on April 14 and riding on the massive popularity and success of the last three films, “F8” brought in $532 million at the global box office, breaking the previous record set by 2015’s “The Force Awakens”. After Paul Walker’s emotional sendoff in “Furious 7”, the entire “familia” returns to lead the charge against someone nobody ever would have predicted: Dominic Toretto, himself. From the first trailer, fans were intrigued and confused as to why the most flawless hero ever, Dom, played by Vin Diesel, would ever go rogue.

I was definitely skeptical as to how this would play out on screen, and felt that the writers might turn for the cliche choice of making the evil Dom a clone that was being manipulated by some sort of advanced technology, but after viewing the film, I am pleased to say that the audience can definitely empathize with why Dom turns heel.

Speaking of advanced technology, Charlize Theron plays Cipher, the main antagonist in the film, and molds the role into a great James Bond-style villain, embracing darker and more intellectual themes than past villains in the franchise. Theron is good with what she is given, but definitely is not as fun on screen as the Shaw brothers (Luke Evans and Jason Statham) from the last two films in the series. The character felt as if she was placed in the wrong franchise.

Jason Statham does reprise his role as Deckard Shaw, however, and he is one of the

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brightest spots in the film. By far, the best parts of the movie come when Statham and Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson are bantering back and forth throughout the film. It never feels old and almost seems like the duo was just roasting one another in real life, unaware that the cameras were rolling. I could definitely see Universal Pictures deciding to greenlight a buddy-cop spinoff featuring only Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Shaw (Statham) in the near future, especially given the path their relationship takes in this film. If for nothing else, I recommend seeing this movie just for the Rock and his raw humor alone.

What I was most surprised to see was that this installment did not fall to the same tropes that most films would by their third film in a series, let alone their eighth. The humour is still on point, of course provided by Roman Pierce (Tyrese Gibson), and there are plenty of surprises and reveals to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. Helen Mirren even makes a cameo appearance!

The action only gets bigger and offered some of the most memorable moments by raining selfdriving cars in the heart of New York City, and a submarine with nuclear missiles joining in on an intense chase scene across a glacier. “The Fate of the Furious” also returns the series to its roots of an actual street race, the central aspect that the entire series used to center around. It just goes to show how this film series has evolved from being about simply grease monkeys street racing around the streets of Los Angeles and Miami to embracing the over-the-top heist genre, in the vein of ‘80’s action flicks.

The original soundtrack is memorable with some songs that will potentially become summer hits that the radio keeps playing. “Hey Ma” by Pitbull and Camila Cabello and “Speakerbox” by Bassnectar, Ohana Bam and Lafa Taylor in particular, stick in my mind, though the Spanish version of “Hey Ma” is pleasantly reminiscent of the popular “Danza Kuduro” from “Fast Five”. In general, all of the original songs help form the tone in each scene and add to the excitement and “summer feel” of this blockbuster.

Some of the negatives of the film are that it has some pacing issues and gets a little dragged on in the second act, but ultimately I felt that it resolved itself with a strong third act and a jawdropping action set piece. The film also can get too over-the-top at times and requires the viewers to suspend their common sense, but I have come to expect that with this franchise, so if you enter the theater knowing that the laws of gravity and physics will not be obeyed, you will have a blast.

While not as perfect as “Fast Five”, “Fast and Furious 6”, or even “Furious 7”, “The Fate of the Furious” is a fun time at the movies and kicks off the summer movie season in style, with innovative action scenes, a catchy soundtrack, compelling surprises, and a truck-load of humour.

Burgerim slides short of expectations Emily Nagamoto Staff Writer At the corner of the Ventu Park Center in Newbury Park, the relocation of Starbucks prompted a curious buzz in the community: what store would take its place? When signs for Burgerim appeared on the windows, I knew I had to try it.

After gaining popularity at its first location in Israel, more sites have been popping up around the world, like the one in our little town. This fast-casual restaurant takes orders at the counter and has a server deliver the food to your table.

Immediately upon entering the premise, my family and I stepped into a clean, well-lit and modernly designed space, greeted by a friendly worker who thoroughly went through the menu with us. He focused on their customizable mini burgers, sold in packs of two, three or the party pack of 16, detailing the choices of meat and suggesting the dry-aged beef patty whose flavor was supposedly enhanced by the 28 day aging process.

At the cashier’s suggestion, I ordered a two pack with the dry-aged beef and the veggie burger, both with the standard toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion and thousand island dressing) as well as a side of half onion rings and half sweet potato and a drink. Burgerim also offers a decent array of extra toppings, including cheese, avocado, bacon, and more, which cost extra money.

and sweet tanginess of the strawberries made for a yummy bite.

Despite declaring fast service, we waited around 20 minutes The chicken burger, surprisingly, was moist and savory and filled for our food, and there were only two other customers there. In with herbs, and the other potato fries, cut in mini discs, were fact, the worker to customer ratio was an oddity; there was more crispy and nicely salted. than double the number of workers than there were patrons.

As a self-proclaimed foodie, I was excited about this place for When the food finally came, we were given metal trays weeks before it opened, but it definitely missed the mark. With holding a box with our burgers in it and a sleeve of cardboard for its generic tasting burgers and long wait time, I might as well our sides, Chik-fil-a style; this didn’t lead to the most Snapchat make the burgers at home, or go to In-n-Out. However, with worthy photo, but I wasn’t about to judge a burger by its box. the redeeming factor of the fantastic sides and its large menu, Eating a couple sweet potato fries first, I was pleasantly surprised I might give it another try. For those of you that do give it a by its crispy exterior and balanced salty, sweet flavor. Next were chance, I suggest a two burger pack of the chicken burger and a the onion rings, and it was an almost perfectly salty, crunchy, beef burger (for both, onion-y bite (and it gets extra points for not falling apart). regular bun and However, the main part of my meal was a disappointment. standard toppings, The veggie burger had an overcooked, hard bun, and the patty unless you are not as was too moist, though the flavor wasn’t bad. Perhaps because of stingy as I am), and my high expectations, the dry-aged beef burger fell especially half onion rings and flat, tasting very ordinary. More annoyingly, the toppings on whichever kind of fry all of the burgers kept falling out, and there was more bun than you like (you can’t patty. go wrong with either Sampling my mom’s salad and my brother’s chicken burger but onion rings are a and regular fries, I instantly regretted my order. While the salad must). dressing was not very flavorful, the creamy cheese, salty walnuts Emily Nagamoto/ Prowler

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sports Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

Girls’ lacrosse push for the postseason Rahul D’Souza Staff Writer Aditya Vunum Staff Writer Erin Duff y’s hands twist on her lacrosse stick, her upper arms tensing as she chucks the rubber ball down the field. An opponent’s stick slashes across her torso, and she tumbles to the ground.

Team captain Sydney Bumbarger scoops up the ball, firing it past the goalie for the winning shot.

The crowd is electrified. This is the new look of the girls’ varsity lacrosse team.

This season, the team benefits with the addition of several promising freshmen, including Duff y, Maile Kuo, Cameron Millet and Jensen Bertram. With the help of these new starters on varsity, the team has had a strong season so far. They have an overall record of 14-4 and a league record of 5-2, with high hopes of making a deep postseason run.

“Now with the talent we have on our team, it’s very capable if everyone does their job and works towards a common goal, which is making it to CIF this year. I think when we get to CIF we can also go pretty far into the playoffs,” Erin Duff y, freshman, said.

The goal to make it to CIF will not be an easy task, especially with a young team, but the players believe in themselves and their ability.

“The hardest thing for our team to make it to CIF is going to be staying competitive throughout each and every game, not depending on (the weakness of ) each opponent,” Duff y said.

“We have to continue to work at a fast pace in practices to ensure we will play fast in the games.”

Sydney Bumbarger, senior, is one of the captains of the team and the leading point scorer.

“The team wants to have a better flow than last year. We have more talent on the team so we are able to form our own type of game from the potential we have,” Bumbarger said.

They have been addressing their weaknesses at practice and finding ways to strengthen their overall game. “Our biggest problem as of now is our defensive communication, especially our defensive slides,” Duff y said.

Girls’ varsity lacrosse is under the leadership of a new coach this year, Karena Lewandowski.

With a fresh set of eyes, she hopes to bring new strategies and fresh team dynamic on the field.

“My goal was definitely to come into the season and revamp the program for both JV and varsity,” Lewandowski said. “We lost a good handful of returners and seniors, but also gained some quality freshman.”

In addition, one of her top objectives is to build the team spirit.

“All four coaches work really well together and it definitely seems like the team as a whole has become more of a family, which was probably my biggest takeaway from this year,” Lewandowski said.

Sharpening Skills - Players on the girls’ lacrosse varsity team stretche before they take the field, while they get pumped up by their coach. Katrin Von Der Haydt/with permission

It looks like she did indeed achieve her goals as their record improved greatly this season. The team has a good chance of going into the postseason and hopes to go far into the playoffs. They are looking to test their skills this Friday against Thousand Oaks in an away game.

It looks like she did indeed achieve her goals as their record improved greatly this season. The team has a good chance of going into the postseason with their great record and hope to go far into the playoffs. They are looking to test their skills this Friday against Thousand Oaks.

Tennis seniors leave behind a legacy Farhaan Pathan Photographer Kabir Rao Staff Writer

Up & up- Akash Velu, senior, sets the ball up as he prepares to serve in a game against the Thousand Oaks Lancers. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Tennis does not just take a physical toll on one’s body, but also a mental one. It requires willpower and time to finesse one’s skills, a fact very well known by the seniors on the tennis team.

Through their years on the tennis team, seniors Andy Reddy, Brandon Ly, Jeffrey Sun and Akash Velu have learned how to hone in on their abilities while also paving the way for the tennis program to continue to ascend.

With talented players like Reddy and 2014 alumnus Ryan Shen raising expectations, the boys’ tennis team has reached new heights over the last few seasons.

“Last year, the varsity team defeated Westlake on the road, marking the first time that had happened in 32 years,” Sun said.

That was just one example of how the team made strides over the years, and now, Reddy believes the team has become even stronger than last season.

“I think our tennis team has improved greatly as people have been working on their games throughout the year and are learning to be much more confident in their abilities,” Reddy said.

The team is led by coaches Richard Kick and William Mulligan, who have taught the athletes fundamentals of tennis such as the “kick serve” to bring Newbury Park back to prominence in the Marmonte League. The last two years, the team has placed third overall against powerhouses like perennial CIF contenders Westlake and Calabasas. This season, the team has higher aspirations.

“We all want to be the best and win every single game and this is shown in every match,” Ly, varsity doubles player, said.

From the start of the season, the coaches have preached boldness at the net and mental toughness to their players as sources of competitive edge.

“I think the thing that people enjoy most when they come

out to watch matches is the energy and aggression that our players show when playing,” Ly said.

With the advice of the coaches and experience of seasoned seniors, the team has developed a newfound sense of confidence and focus on their style of play.

“I think the team overall is less stressed about the results nowadays and focuses more on the way we play. We don’t get as nervous as we used to in tight situations, and most importantly, we aren’t afraid of the teams that were once ‘better than us,’” Reddy said.

This season, the team faced stiff competition, reaching a record of 9-4 with losses against Westlake, Calabasas and Agoura High Schools. The team also played a preseason match against Palos Verdes. Teams like Thousand Oaks and Agoura have also improved greatly, especially on the singles’ side, so it was crucial for the team to respond with singles’ players of their own like Reddy, who is currently ranked 17th in California and 107th nationally.

Since the age of 5, Reddy has played tennis and prepares himself for match days with hours of practice weekly. Reddy and others on the team play in outside competitions, like the Ojai tournament, in order to stay mentally sharp and be able to outlast opponents that share the same physical skillsets.

“Many people do think tennis is an easy sport; it is easy to learn, but very hard to compete. At a certain level, the sport consists of 10% skill and 90% mental game,” Reddy said.

As these seniors move on to college, the team intends to build on the foundation that they have established and continue to improve each season. All eyes are on the up-and-coming players such as sophomores Tommy Joseph, Regnar Madarang and Wally Thayne and junior Matthew Weymar to keep the boys competitive and write the next chapter in “Thundercats” history.

Sports Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

STUNT flips their way to success

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Farhaan Pathan/Prowler

Don’t Dwell on the L Jaycen Sussman Sports Designer

Free Fly - Karli Keller, freshman, does a twist cradle during the STUNT cheer practice, as her teamates down below prepare to catch her. Sarah Lu/Prowler

Kessa Chavez News Designer Clare Wang News Designer The sun beams on the girls as they run through their routine, every move perfected. There is no room for error. Optimism and excitement electrify the air. The team exchanges glances, knowing that everyone is here to win.

This new and growing all-girl, varsity sport called STUNT is a form of competitive cheer and consists of various levels of jumps, tumbling and stunts.

In each game there are four quarters, “...separated by different skills such as partner stunts, jumps and tumbling, and pyramids. The last quarter we put all the skills together in one long routine,” Danni Krueger, senior and co-captain, said.

Partner stunts are two-person skills utilizing a base and a flyer, where the base supports all of the flyer’s weight. Common jumps include toe touches, hurdlers and pikes. Tumbling is any gymnastics or acrobatic skill that can be done on the ground. Pyramids consist of two or more connected stunt groups working together to execute one complex stunt.

Each game is scored according to the girls’ ability to stick to the pre-made routines of varying levels of difficulty. The results also depend on maintaining stability in stunts throughout their routine while being compared to another team performing simultaneously.

STUNT is an all inclusive sport and encourages those without previous cheer experience to join.

“I did (cheer) for about six years but I took a three year break… I decided to join STUNT because I felt like I was ready get back into cheer and stretch and get more flexible,” Aubrey Bradish, sophomore, said.

Co-captain Hannah Neiyer, sophomore, expressed her elation for the team’s future, saying, “I am having lots of fun with STUNT routines and I am really proud of how much my team has accomplished. I can not wait for our first game!”

Coach Carson Bute summarized how they were preparing the girls by saying,“ We’re making sure they feel

comfortable enough to go compete, really making sure they’re precise in their movements and they’re comfortable in performing certain stunts.”

One major difference between spirit cheer and STUNT is that STUNT is a college-level sport, which means the participants have paths previously unavailable for members of spirit cheer.

Coach Rachel Kling stated, “...I’ve been getting a ton of emails about giving out scholarships for this…(N)ow finally there’s a lot more opportunities for girls who do cheer to get scholarships and be on teams at the college level.”

This is the first year STUNT has been on campus, and both coaches were very eager to be part of the unique chance to possibly begin a new legacy in a sport they both love.

“I really wanted the girls to have the option to do (STUNT) and for us to experience what it’s like because the school hasn’t really competed with cheer yet. And we both come from competitive cheer backgrounds and we like to compete, so we wanted to let the girls have the experience,” Kling said.

STUNT also differs from spirit cheer in that it is an actual CIF-recognized sport. This includes competitions, jersey numbers and other aspects of a competitive sport not included in spirit cheer, where participants are there to support other sports teams.

Jenna Zager, junior, began cheer in eighth grade and continued through her sophomore year. She decided not to join the spirit cheer team this year because “it’s not as rewarding to cheer for another team; it’s more rewarding to be playing a sport.”

Although each girl has a different reason for joining the team, they can all agree that it has been a promising addition to their life.

Krueger said, “I have found STUNT to be a really positive environment where everyone wants to be here and is working hard so we can be a good and respectable team.”

Imagine that one kid who can’t do anything right, that kidwho spills everything during a lab, the kid who does their whole portion of a project wrong and doesn’t let you know until the due date. We all know one of those kids and dread the day we have to work with them. There are people like that in everything: school, work and even sports!

Let me introduce to you ‘that kid’ of the NFL, ladies and gentleman, the Cleveland Browns. For those of you who are not a super football guru like myself, the Browns have been the laughingstock of professional sports for the longest time and it won’t change anytime soon. The Browns have gone through more than 20 quarterbacks since 2000 and are known for wasting talent, but we can’t forget about their record from last season of fifteen losses and one win.

Now, if we were to ask the manager of the Browns, I’m sure it’s not their goal to be the joke that they currently are. Yet, if you look at their record of the past few years, they have singlehandedly made the same mistakes over and over again. If my second year of high school has taught me anything, it is that you MUST learn from your mistakes. Trust me, I’ve made a fair share of them throughout the year: working too hard, working too little, not making enough time for family, the list goes on for miles.

We are always told by our peers, “If you work hard, you will be successful,” but that’s not always the case. Just look at the Browns and what they’ve accomplished; it’s unfair to assume they are not working hard just because they can’t win ball games. Therefore, it must be something to do with the way they’ve handled their continuous and repetitive string of mistakes.

Obviously, it’s discouraging when you work hard so you can pull that ‘W’, but life is full of ‘L’s’ and what’s more important than taking that ‘L’ is how you react to it. Nobody wants to mess up, but when you do, there are two options: learn from your mistake or to dwell on what you did wrong.

Realistically, the go-to option is to dwell on your mistake because that’s just what we do as students. We work so hard in school and extracurriculars, and when things don’t go as planned, it hurts us. It hurts our mindset, our drive to work and most of all, our self esteem. However, we have such busy lives as students that we can’t afford to dwell on our mistakes; it will mess with our social lives and school work, so our best option is to pick up and learn from our mistakes.

The Browns and myself have taken a fair-share of ‘L’s’ over the years but the main difference between myself and the Browns (besides being a football organization), is that I have been able to look into my past and fix my mistakes. Of course if we take an ‘L’ we aren’t going to be happy, but at the same time, we cannot let it get to our heads.

Life is full of unpredictability: we can’t always expect to get a ‘W,’ but for the times we don’t, we can’t sit there and dwell on that ‘L’. We need to move forward, so we can live and learn.

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photo essay Panther Prowler • April 28, 2017

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