2020-2021 Issue 1 (Sept. 18, 2020)

PANTHER

PROWLER

Friday, Sept. 18, 2020 • Issue I • Newbury Park High School 456 N Reino Rd, Newbury Park, CA 91320 • pantherprowler.org

3 Jacob Blake 4 Wildfires 5 DNC and RNC 6 Godspeak 7 Teacher Respect 8-9 Racial Justice 10 Virtual 24-hour 11 Tea Time 12 Folklore 13 Boba 14 Virtual Cheer 15 Cross Country 16 Mask Fashion 2

Editorial

2 Student voices are needed more than ever editorial

Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

2020 has been a year filled with local and national unrest. The COVID-19 pandemic and recent protests regarding racial injustices have largely exposed the faults within our current society. Now more than ever, student perspectives are needed to help guide the future at this turning point in history.

This is not the first time that students have spoken up about critical issues impacting our communities. During the 1960s, student publications ran countless articles challenging the legitimacy of fighting in the Vietnam War. School administration found ways to censor students who wanted to speak up in order to limit pushback, but students still found ways to express their thoughts on the situation honestly and truthfully.

The rights of student journalists were solidified in 1969 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the freedom of speech for students was protected beyond the schoolhouse gate in the landmark “Tinker v. Des Moines” case. California Education Code 48907 was passed in 1977, which gave student journalists the same freedoms of expression as their professional counterparts.

Under the protection of Ed Code 48907, the Panther Prowler aims to maintain accurate and timely reporting of local and national news and to honestly represent the concerns of our student body. There have been times at which officials and community members have tried to silence the Panther Prowler, but our thoughts and opinions are paramount to the success of our schools and future students.

In 2020, student journalists are committed to amplifying the voices of those who typically are not included in decision-making conversations. This is a year where students will vote in elections, where students are marching in the streets demanding racial equality, and a year in which education has been affected by the lasting consequences of a pandemic. These topics may be uncomfortable or controversial to many, but they are also necessary to discuss as students learn to navigate through adolescence and adulthood. In a world that is already so divided, the Panther Prowler is committed to broadcasting the truth about these issues.

PANTHER PROWLER Editors-in-Chief Manas Khatore Jessica Zhou

Features Editor Carter Castillo

Abby Gorman

Online Editors Carter Castillo Prasheetha Karthikeyan Adalia Luo

Sports Editor Front Cover Editor Prasheetha Karthikeyan Reese Kelem Back Cover Editor Gwen Buchanan Editorial Editor News Editor Sarena Kabir Opinion Editor Emma Schoors DPS Editor Adalia Luo Entertainment Editor Anna Johnson

It should be made clear that the Panther Prowler is a completely student-run publication that does not aim to put forth a political agenda or the values of an administration or journalism adviser. The student editors are fully responsible for all the content that is published and to uphold the values of factual, proper journalism. Despite the obstacles that come with remote learning and staying quarantined, the Panther Prowler will continue to strive for quality reporting to ensure that all perspectives are heard during this critical time.

Front Cover Caption: Protest - Protesters at a Thousand Oaks protest take a knee for nine minutes in honor of the death of George Floyd. Many protests have risen up all over the nation to act against systemic racism in the police force. Some were even organized

by Sia Joshi, junior., who organized three total protests, two of which were in front of the Thousand Oaks Mall.. Reese Kelem/Prowler Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler

2020-2021 staff

Copy Editors Staff Writers Gwen Buchanan Parker Bohl Carter Castillo Hayden Meixner Abby Gorman Nandini Patro Anna Johnson McGlauthon Fleming IV Sarena Kabir Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza Prasheetha Karthikeyan Sera Mohammed Adalia Luo Allison Nguyen

Photographers Chief// Reese Kelem Parker Bohl McGlauthon Fleming IV Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza Managing Team Hayden Meixner Lead// Cynthia Gao Nandini Patro Dhruv Patel Allison Nguyen Social Media Leads Sera Mohammed Anna Johnson Gwen Buchanan Prasheetha Karthikeyan

Graphic Artists Carter Castillo Prasheetha Karthikeyan Adviser Michelle Saremi

The Panther Prowler is the offical 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 other 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 three weeks, For advertisement information, visit 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 can be submitted to the email posted below.

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

news Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

3

Board of Education approves books for junior core curriculum

Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza Staff Writer McGlauthon Fleming IV Staff Writer

The books “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates and “The Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead were approved by the CVUSD Board of Education on Sept. 15. They will be a part of the core curriculum literature for juniors in high school.

Published in 2015, “Between the World and Me” is a nonfiction book written as a letter to Coates’s teenage son about the hardships and paths Black men face in the United States.

“The Underground Railroad” is a historical fiction novel about a young girl named Cora. Whitehead writes about her journey growing up and the increasing danger she faces on a plantation. Using an underground railroad, she travels from state to state so that she can find her freedom. As she flees, Cora is hunted by various plantation owners with a warrant out for her arrest.

During the board meeting on Sept. 15, vice president Jenny Fitzgerald said, “I appreciate both of these books for that reason, for addressing issues around systemic racism and providing more racial diversity in both authors and characters.”

To get material approved from the district, it must first be presented at an English Language Arts (ELA) Articulation meeting, with rationale by a teacher.

Then, the members of the ELA Articulation committee that have already read the book will discuss it and the material must be voted on in order to move it to the Secondary Curriculum Advising Committee (SCAC). If no members have read the material, they may volunteer to review it and the process will proceed as previously described. While in the SCAC stage, the materials will be once again presented and voted on to be passed onto the CVUSD Board of Education, where it will stay on the agenda to discuss for four meetings. Parents will then be able to review the book(s) and discuss it at these board meetings before the district will vote on whether or not the material should be adopted.

“I’ve only heard positives from people… A lot of people have talked about how these are actually books that are more authentic voices, talking about certain experiences.” said Cindy Goldberg, president of the CVUSD Board of Education.

Approved Between the World and Me (left) and The Underground Railroad Approved(right) are two books that have been added into the new core literature curriculum. The school board is giving a Spanish copy to those who need it, while still providing the English copy. Lou Lichtil/With Permission.

Outrage ensues after Jacob Blake is shot Emerson Fuentes Alabanza Staff Writer McGlauthon Fleming IV Staff Writer Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times by a police officer, Rusten Sheskey, while attempting to enter his vehicle on Aug. 23. Blake is a 29 year old father of six, three of which were in the car at the time of the shooting.

According to the Kenosha police union, the original call was for a domestic disturbance about Blake attempting to steal a vehicle after violating a restraining order, which was filed with a third-degree sexual assault complaint from his exgirlfriend on July 6. According to the union, the police arrived on scene within three minutes,aware that Blake had an open warrant for sexual assault.

Allegedly, Blake was trying to break up a domestic dispute between two women as other witnesses corroborate. As the

situation escalated, there was an exchange that led Officer Sheskey to tase Blake twice as he resisted arrest. However, there is no recording of this exchange as the officers were not wearing body cameras.

In a viral video taken by Raysean White, Blake is seen walking around a white SUV while officers have their weapons drawn. When Blake made it to his car, Sheskey grabbed him by the back of the shirt and fired seven shots from his firearm.

After the incident, the officers were placed on leave and a trial was scheduled for November, which has been delayed since.

The viral video then led to unrest throughout Kenosha, Wisconsin and the rest of the country. Demonstrations became chaotic, causing an estimated two million dollars in damages,

- ADVERTISEMENT -

according to Milwaukee’s WUWM radio station.

After the shooting, Blake was treated at Froedtert Hospital where he was cuffed to his bed due to his arrest warrant. Blake would later find out that he had been paralyzed from his injuries and had a 10,000 dollar bond, leading his family to set up GoFundMe page, which has raised over two million dollars for “medical bills, legal representation, financial support of his children if his paralysis is permanent, and therapy for his children.”

Blake had a court hearing via Zoom from his hospital bed where he pleaded not guilty to all charges to which he faces 10 years if convicted.

4

news Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

Ventura County Youth Coalition interviews elected officials Sera Mohammed Staff Writer There are numerous upcoming elections, including the presidential election in November and the CVUSD Board elections. The Ventura County Youth Coalition is a newly established organization whose goal is to increase the amount of youth involvement and civic engagement in Ventura County. They plan to make a change by introducing candidate forums and voter registration events to encourage youth to vote for their future.

The coalition is led by Catherine Xu and Keira Pender, both juniors at Westlake High School. “[Keira and I] were involved in Diversify Our Narrative, so after talking to a lot of community members and…learning more about Thousand Oaks history and youth involvement, we realized that this is something that needs to happen because there has never been a youth candidate forum before,” Xu said.

The Sept. 10 forum featured City Council and School Board Candidates and was co-sponsored

by CVUSD Diversify Our Narrative, Justice in the Classroom and Westlake High School Junior State of America. At the forum, Xu and Pender questioned each of the school board and city council candidates Engage Engage- Catherine Xu (left) and Keira Pender (right) are both juniors at Westlake High School and about current issues in the district and gave them two co-founders to the Ventura County Youth Coalition, an organization meant to increase youth voting participation. Keira Pender/With Permission. minutes each to respond to the question.

One such question was: “Some people in our

community say that we do have traffic problems, so what do you think about this and how would you mitigate these concerns or change the situation?”

Danny Chulack, a candidate for city council, responded by saying, “Thousand Oaks is not built to be a walkable city. In order to mitigate current and future traffic concerns, we need to create a community that doesn’t rely solely on cars to get around.” He goes on to explain that not only will public transportation decrease traffic once it is reopened and back in use, it will also lessen our carbon footprint.

Riley Goodnight, one of the people in the audience, asked about the high prices with regards to housing in the area and what the candidates plan to do to lower them. Frank Enderle, a city council candidate, responded, “There’s an economic wall that’s been built up over the city over the years; I want to bring that wall down so housing is more accessible for people.” Enderle went on to explain that he is working on “the Kmart Project” to create a place for young people to congregate and live.

Some other issues touched on at the forum include minority representation and racial discrimination, as well as how the city council plans to attack these issues.

Fires scorch through Northern California Allison Nguyen Staff Writer Hayden Meixner Staff Writer

Blaze incredible amount of smoke has caused the air quality surrounding areas to be unhealthy.

Kent Nishimura/sfchronicle.com

Wildfire season began much earlier than normal this year, leaving over 3.1 million Californian acres in ashes, with the major source of this destruction being The August Lightning Siege. This event started on Aug. 15 and is still raging on. A combination of dry, 100-degree weather and lightning storms has sparked over 7,800 fires so far, with more starting every day.

Many believe that these raging flames are being ignited due to climate change. With the increase in air pollution in large cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, wildfire rates have escalated dramatically these past few decades. Usage of locomotives and vehicles have played a major role in decreasing the air quality around the state.

California has a long history and pattern of large waves and high degrees from the summer through fall season.

Global warming only increases the chances for disasters like wildfires to occur.

This devastating event has left almost 7,000 California residents homeless and caused 12,400 to evacuate their homes as a safety precaution. Wealthy homeowners who live away from central cities have been hiring firefighters to help protect their properties.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a state of emergency due to wildfires on Aug. 18. In the official proclamation statement, Newsom noted that the state of emergency was issued because of the immense tree die-off our state

experienced.

Over 17,400 firefighters from all over the state have been sent out to fight against the flames. As of Sept.

16, the largest fire, August Complex, is burning almost 840,000 acres of land in Northern California. This fire began on Aug. 16 and is currently only 30% contained.

The National Weather Service has canceled the red flag warning in the San Francisco Bay Area, though there is still a very high chance of dry thunderstorms.

The El Dorado fire, which was started by a malfunction in a pyrotechnic device used for a gender reveal, has burned about 18,500 acres throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties. This fire was ignited on Sept. 5 and is currently 63 percent contained. Many residents in the surrounding areas have been ordered to evacuate.

Due to mass evacuations and over 877,477 properties already destroyed, the safety of workers and property for different companies and stores are at risk, especially impacting small businesses.

According to Alert Media, companies that are in need of transportation using roads and vehicles could be majorly affected by the wildfires.With many roads closing to ensure the safety of employees, places that depend on shipments and deliveries to get products to customers can be affected, causing concerns about financial stability for smaller businesses.

news

5

Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

DNC and the RNC debut respective candidate’s platform Abby Gorman Editorial Editor Carter Castillo Features Editor The 2020 presidential election has begun it’s final stretch with the political party conventions. The Democratic National Convention was held first followed by the Republican National Convention one week later.

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) ran from Aug. 17 to Aug. 20, where former Vice President Joe Biden and California Senator Kamala Harris were nominated for President and Vice President, respectively, on the Democratic ticket.

The following week, incumbents President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were re-nominated by the Republican party at the Republican National Convention (RNC), which began on Aug. 24 and ended Aug. 27.

While the DNC consisted of speeches without live audiences from countless locations throughout the United States, the RNC held many of their speeches in Washington D.C., with Trump and Pence giving their speeches at the White House. At Trump’s address alone, over 1,000 people were crowded onto the White House lawn, with many not wearing masks, raising concerns about the possible spread of COVID-19.

The Black Lives Matter movement and protests were major talking points at both conventions. The day prior to night one of the RNC, the shooting of Jacob Blake occured in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and sparked Pence’s reference to the incident in his speech.

“President Trump and I will always support the right of Americans to peaceful protest, but rioting and looting is not peaceful protest,” Pence said. “The violence must stop, whether in Minneapolis, Portland or Kenosha. Too many heroes have died defending our freedom to see Americans strike each other down. We will have law and order on the streets of this country for every American, of every race and creed and color.”

At the DNC, several segments were dedicated to discussing the recent movements regarding racial injustice, including discussions with Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, and NAACP President Derrick Johnson.

However, Biden upset many of the more progressive members of the Democratic party the first night of the convention by saying, “Most cops are good, but the fact is, the bad ones need to be identified and prosecuted.” Recent discussions regarding racial injustice and police brutality have strengthened movements to defund the police.

COVID-19 was another hot topic filled with many promises from President Trump, most notably that of a vaccine being ready before the new year. “We are delivering life-saving therapies, and will produce a vaccine before the end of the year, or maybe even sooner. We will defeat the virus, end the pandemic and emerge stronger than ever before,” said Trump, during his speech on Aug. 27.

Meanwhile, Biden criticized the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic. “Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to the nation.

He’s failed to protect us. He’s failed to protect America. And my fellow Americans, that is unforgivable,” Biden said. “Just judge this president on the facts. 5 million Americans infected by COVID-19. More than 170,000 Americans have died.”

On the topic of health care, Biden mentioned providing more funding to the Affordable Care Act, as well emphasizing the importance of caring for the more vulnerable populations with a format similar to Medicaid. “If you qualify for Medicaid and the state hasn’t provided it you’d automatically be enrolled. I’m going to protect you like I tried to protect my own family,” Biden said.

Trump’s main health care goals revolved around the lowering of prescription drug prices, which was discussed heavily in 2016 as well, alongside ending “surprise billing”. The Right to Try act was touched upon as well, a law passed by the Trump administration in 2018 that allows the terminally ill to participate in unapproved clinical trials Following the completion of both conventions, polls from Ipsos provided some insight to the effectiveness of virtual conventions on approval ratings. Both Biden and Trump’s approval before and after the conventions remained relatively steady. Biden saw a one percent increase from 45 to 46 percent, while Trump saw a one percent decrease from 32 to 31 percent.

6

opinion Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

Godspeak is not special Carter Castillo Features Editor The Godspeak Calvary Chapel seems to be confused as to distancing and lack of masks present during the services. There the message of what “loving thy neighbor is,” as their behavior are thousands of people crowded together indoors with no during this pandemic has been anything but compassionate to masks. When the county successfully sues the church and the community. the judge finds that Godspeak is violating the law, McCoy Godspeak is refusing to do what other congregations of all and Godspeak do not step down. Let us be clear, this is not different religions have decided to do. an issue about freedom of religion; the Due to social distancing measures and government is not denying citizens the desire to keep their communities the right to worship altogether. safe, churches across the country have The vast majority of churches have transitioned their services into either transitioned completely online, or they virtual or outdoor services with masks have managed to hold small socially and social distancing being enforced. distanced meetings with masks on.

When the Islamic Center of Conejo This is an issue of a politician who has Valley and the Chalice Unitarian been desperate for attention ever since Universalist Fellowship had been told by he lost to Jacqui Irwin for a California state and local officials that they could state assembly seat in 2014. be putting their community members Godspeak has many options for at risk performing normal services, they holding future services. They can go and countless others transitioned to completely online, they can do a hybrid holding services online. of online and socially distanced or they However, not all churches seem to be can give services outside with mask Carter Castillo/Prowler respecting the sanctity of life and a few wearing and social distancing being have made national news, one of them enforced. For a church that is already being the Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Thousand Oaks. Yet broadcasting their services, surely it would not be too much to to former Thousand Oaks Mayor and pastor Rob McCoy, this ask for them to respect the community’s constitutional rights is not about helping the community. This was an opportunity to live free from fear of death and physical harm. And to Rob for him to gain notoriety.

McCoy, this is your chance to prove that you truly do love the The Godspeak Calvary Chapel has stubbornly refused to community you once served as a city councilor. For the sake of move their services outdoors or transition exclusively online. the community, please do what is right for all of us.

What is even more concerning is the nonexistent social

Watchlist system gives new perspective Hayden Meixner Staff Writer With the COVID-19 pandemic raging on, Gov. Newsom and his team of health professionals scrambled to find a system that allows the necessary businesses to open while keeping Californians as safe as possible.

Although I wish to return to real life just like the vast majority of people, the recently introduced Four Tier System offers a clear, deliberate way to view data, even if it means that the news is not easy to hear.

Ventura County is currently classified as “widespread,” otherwise known as the highest risk tier in the system. Los Angeles, along with 36 other counties, join us in this harsh reality, leaving only 13 percent of California on lower tiers, meaning they have lower positivity rates of COVID-19 as well as lower overall cases per day.

A list dedicated to what can open in certain tiers was also provided when we learned of this new system, as well as the regulations that go along with opening businesses. For the duration of this pandemic, I found myself wondering where to find straightforward information. This is a quicker and more efficient way of getting all of the facts and statistics. Now, with the click of one button, more information is at your fingertips than ever before.

Taking five minutes to visit the COVID-19 California website and reading the statistics and regulations in your respective county can make navigating what is safe or open practically effortless. According to the California Department of Public Health, Ventura County’s COVID-19 positivity rate is around 4 percent. Although our positivity rate is decreasing, case numbers are still rising, this conveys that this pandemic is certainly not over yet.

In addition, this is an exceptional system because it provides the information on the benchmarks the county

must pass in order to get moved up on the list. The rules are clear: if Ventura County has an average of 60 or less cases a day for two consecutive weeks, the county moves to the next tier. The higher on the tier list, the more businesses can open. Although a county must stay in its assigned tier for at least three weeks, the requirements are straightforward and easy to comprehend.

Navigating a global pandemic is no easy task, and our government has taken a burden that no one would ever expect to have to take. For the most part, California’s government has done a good job providing its citizens with the desired information. Our state obviously has a long way to go before we can put this pandemic behind us, but this new system is most definitely a turning point.

Carter Castillo/Prowler

Computers need to be more readily available Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza Staff Writer Over the summer, my old HP Chromebook broke and completely shut down. Because of this I was in the market for a new one, and with school being online this year, a working computer was essential. I didn’t need a top-ofthe-line computer, just one that would get me through the school year without too many bumps in the road and without being too pricey. The best option was just a regular Chromebook; I already knew how to use one and they are the easiest to operate without getting too expensive.

My dad and I started off our search at Costco, as I had seen some cheap Chromebooks there for about $300.

When we got there I was surprised to find that they were all sold out, probably from other students in the same position as I was. The cheapest laptop I could find was around $650, which was more than double what I was expecting to spend.

We ended up leaving Costco empty-handed and grudgingly ready to look elsewhere for a new laptop. We went to a Target down the street where they were again out of Chromebooks, and for that matter, out of every other computer. I asked the employee when they would be back in stock and she said that they have been getting shipments sporadically and they didn’t know when more would come in. This was the same at every other store we went to.

Our world has changed so much to a point where computers are now essential to attend school. Thankfully our district has enough funding to give out enough chromebooks to students who need them, but a lot of other districts don’t have that kind of funding. This can make it hard to teach students who may not have the supplies they need and puts them at a disadvantage. Even a cheap computer is at least $250 which is money not everyone can spend.

Schools should get more funding especially in this unprecedented time. But manufacturers also need to be sending out more products regularly as it would not only benefit the people buying them, but the manufacturer as well because they would be making more money. If the people who can afford a cheap computer can’t get them then they will be forced to go to the districts and use Chromebooks, taking them away from those who cannot afford them.

opinion

7

Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

Students need to respect teachers Reese Kelem Chief Photographer Since the beginning of the pandemic and all throughout the summer, NPHS teachers have been constantly working. They have had to teach, grade and manage all new technology to keep our learning going, but it seems that they aren’t getting the appreciation they deserve.

With the transition to online learning, teachers had to face a heavy load of adjusting alreadymade curriculums to be done entirely virtually. Teachers like Brianna Harris, biology teacher, have spent hours each day just to be ready for their classes. “I’m working a lot more than I used to to get ready. Everything has to be changed; every lab has to be changed, every test has to be rewritten, it’s a lot,” Harris said. Harris noted that she sometimes spends up to 12 hours a day on her computer for school prep and lessons.

Despite the efforts that teachers have made, some students aren’t putting much work into their classes. Even from his first day of teaching marine biology on Zoom, many of Stephen Svoboda’s students in the class did not treat his teaching efforts well. The majority of the class had their cameras off, and he even met some “Zoom bombers.” With everything they do to set up Zoom classes, it doesn’t take much to show your face (at this point, nobody cares what you look like).

“Actually, the problem is there are no backgrounds, just names on a black screen. What I’d like is to have them put a picture of themselves up there, at least,” Svoboda said.

Many teachers have also had to balance teaching with taking care of their kids who are doing virtual learning as well. “Our breaks are really short, you know, ten minutes, so that’s a really hard break. When I come out to check on my kids it’s quick… so I definitely feel like I see my kids less,”

said Harris.

With all the insane amount of work that our teachers have been doing, especially considering they had to become acquainted with the Canvas platform in a little over a week, they clearly deserve more respect from parents and students alike. Yes, there are always some rascals in a normal classroom setting, but the disrespect towards teachers has gone to a whole new level.

Furthermore, they should get more recognition from the district as they have been working way more with no change in pay. Parents as well, have made the situation worse by attacking teachers if their kids are suffering in school. We have all struggled during this pandemic. It doesn’t take much effort to turn on your screens to show some appreciation for those consistently working their hardest for us.

Carter Castillo/Prowler

AMC theaters open despite ongoing pandemic Sarena Kabir News Editor

Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler

Slowly but surely, non-essential establishments all over the country, including AMC movie theaters, are beginning to open up while trying their best to maintain social distancing protocols.

According to the AMC theaters, they are aiming to “bring back the 1920’s... by going all retro” and giving a huge discount on a majority of their movie tickets. Tickets that would usually cost between $8 and $20 are now 15 cents.

While this may be an enticing deal, it brings up the question: is it worth the risk? These prices are insanely cheap, and they most definitely are hard to pass.

Like come on, $0.15 for a movie is such a great deal. Though, it is important to remember that because symptoms often do not show for up to two weeks, individuals unknowingly carrying COVID-19 could cause problems for others in attendance. What is more important: our health, or our desire to watch a movie?

While it is true that AMC may have lost a lot of money, opening up again could potentially lead to having to shut down again. As a whole, many

businesses opened up, and then had to shut down after the second wave of the virus hit in June.

This is not to say that AMC is not taking any precautions. In order to comply with safety protocols, theaters lowered their capacity rate, now being capped off at 30 percent. They are also blocking off every other row of seats, disinfecting their entire auditorium between viewings and adding filters to their ventilating system.

On March 19, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the initial statewide “shelter in place” order, leading to a partial reopening on May 26. However, due to a second wave hitting later on, the entire state of California had to close down yet again on July 14.

Even with all the safety protocols being put in place in the theaters, the risk of COVID spreading is still high. With more and more people going out of their homes in hope that things are “normal,” the pandemic will never end and just be an ongoing issue in our society.

Do not defund the USPS Prasheetha Karthikeyan Sports Editor On Aug. 13, Pres. Donald Trump announced that he would deliberately election of the century, with the highest voter engagement the United block federal funding of the United States Postal Service (USPS) in an States has seen in over two decades. To force the American public to risk effort to suppress voters by discouraging the mail-in ballot. Also known as their lives to vote in-person in the midst of a pandemic, or abstain from absentee ballots, this system is essential to democratic integrity, especially voting, is a gross miscarriage of justice and democracy. in the midst of a pandemic.

Besides the autocractical furtherance inherent in Trump’s tyrannical However, Trump has made numerous claims on the contrary, that mail-in actions, shutting down the post office is essentially class warfare, ballots are a source of rampant fraud, despite having absolutely no evidence disproportionately harming the poor, disabled and BIPOC populations to support this. In fact, the president’s own voter fraud commission, which that rely on the service. disbanded in 2018, found no evidence supporting claims of widespread Unlike the UPS and Fedex, USPS is a not-for-profit government voter fraud due to the absentee ballot. service that is legally required to deliver all mail at a flat rate, regardless Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler On July 26, Trump tweeted, “The 2020 Election will be totally rigged if of distance or location. This is a service unlike any other in its Mail-In Voting is allowed to take place, & everyone knows it.” Yet, only nine days later, he tweeted, accessibility and affordability, making it especially crucial to impoverished communities, BIPOC “Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and neighborhoods, rural America, the disabled and the elderly.

Secure, Tried and True. Florida’s Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats The post office is a resource many are dependent on. It is crucial to those who live in areas attempts at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail!” It is clear that without banks in order to purchase money orders, which can be used to pay rent and bills. It is the the president supports mail-in ballots, but only when it’s in his favor. His problem lies not with the means to which the elderly and disabled receive vital medications which could mean life-or-death, USPS, but with Democratic voters. and where already struggling small businesses ship their orders. It is where millions of Americans A Pew Research Center survey released Aug. 13 shows that 58% of Democrat-leaning voters will receive their stimulus check. prefer to cast ballots by mail, while only 17% of voters likely to vote for Trump prefer mail-in The president’s war on the USPS threatens not only the very structure of the democratic process, voting. States like Oregon vote entirely by mail, so it is no coincidence that in early August, the but also the livelihoods of millions of the already disadvantaged populations of the U.S. Trump’s USPS was forced to remove mailboxes in Portland and Eugene, traditionally left-leaning cities. actions do not reflect the greater good of the people, but rather his own corrupt political agenda.

President Trump is abusing his power in order to blatantly commit voter suppression on a It is senseless, irresponsible, selfish and disgustingly unjust. #SavetheUSPS. We must vote him out. federal scale. Millions of Americans will be rendered unable to vote in arguably the most important

8

student activism Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

STUDENTS

FIGHT

AGAINST

RACIAL INEQUITY

Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler

Prasheetha Karthikeyan Sports Editor McGlauthon Fleming IV Staff Writer Anna Johnson Entertainment Editor Hayden Meixner Staff Writer

The death of George Floyd on May 25 sparked national outrage against police brutality while Black Lives Matter protests became prevalent across the country. This response also sparked conversations of racial inequity of BIPOC in everyday life. Ventura County is no exception to this, and with Generation Z becoming increasingly more involved in these kinds of discussions, many local student organizations addressing racism at a community level have been established.

Diversify Our Narrative

Justice in the Classroom

Diversify Our Narrative (DON) is a student led campaign started in June by two Stanford University students. The initiative branched out into several smaller community organizations, including a chapter in CVUSD. DON aims to include more anti-racist texts into the curriculum, aiding the fight for racial inclusivity in our schools.

Catherine Xu, junior at Westlake High School, currently serves as DON’s Director of Communication for California and is the district lead for CVUSD. “The reason why we push for anti-racist texts isn’t because the texts we have right now like ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ are bad books, we hope to add more books that are diverse so that the students are able to connect with stories in the books and the experiences,” Xu said.

After tackling English classes, Xu wants to help bring to light diversity issues in history classes as, “there are a lot of subjects in history like war on drugs and the missions in fourth grade that are very glorified or not talked about.”

Montana Woods, senior at Newbury Park High School, works under Xu in the student life committee, where she helps to promote diversity and inclusivity.

“I think that our goal is to just push this message of antiracism and help people feel more safe and included at our schools and get the message out to our admin that this isn’t just one-offs or things that are not happening in our areas but it needs to be looked at and they need to have a more involved role in stopping racism at our schools.”

Both Woods and Xu agree that joining DON would be a good way to help support people of color who face adversity in our schools.

“I mean we have kind of a bubble here in Newbury Park, and I think that just taking a look around you and what you are privileged to and how that affects your lens of what’s going on in the world [is important],” Woods said.

Social media helps fight this complex of living in a bubble by helping to spread DON’s message and story. The main thing that they do on our social media is that they post people’s stories about racism they experience in our area.

I think that it helps to push this message of ‘ok well here’s what’s going on and here’s ways you can help,’” Woods said.

Through school, DON hopes to get their message across: racism stops now.

Similar to Diversify our Narrative, Justice in the Classroom is a student-led organization that aims to diversify the curriculum in Ventura County schools.

Annika Kanugo, junior at Newbury Park High School, is the head of the research committee at this organization.

She and her team work together to gather data on how they achieve the six main goals of Justice in the Classroom. These goals are curriculum change, the release of public records, diversity and inclusion, adding more educators of color, equity training and disciplinary practices.

“So far, we have been able to contact teachers and put together a teacher advisory board to help us with curriculum changes. We also worked on researching current policies which helped us amend them to fit our proposals, and our new board resolution recently got passed for CVUSD. We’re currently working on a journal submission for the CSUCI Anti-Racism journal and creating surveys to send out to students.” Kanugo said of their recent achievements.

CVUSD is not alone in this fight, Kanugo acknowledged that, “so far, Justice In The Classroom has established chapters across 6 chapters, ran 3 campaigns, including raising around $1000 to donate to United Farm Workers, and much more.

We have made progress in all 6 of our proposals.”

Neha Davaluri, senior at Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley who works as co-Operations lead, also notes accomplishments that the organization has made outside of the educational sector. “We have created partnerships with Friday Night Live and The Therapist not Cops campaign in the city of Ventura,” Davaluri said. “We recently spoke on a panel in front of the Ventura County Office of Education, talking on their diversity and inclusion forum. And subsequent to that panel, we were able to establish a ethnic studies subcommittee.”

Benecia Jude, a senior from Oak Park High School, spoke on how the organization has also tried to aid those of whom the pandemic is negatively affecting. “We are working on a campaign called ‘Remote Relief ’ because especially in the pandemic a lot of equities are being disposed for those who don’t have access to technology and different resources so we’re really trying to make those resources more accessible for people in need,” Jude said.

Davaluri maintains that Justice in the Classroom has had a beneficial effect on the community. “Altogether, we have been able to just start the conversation about how much there is lacking of diversity and inclusion in the school system and just in the curriculum in general... just making the community aware of the problems in our school system and what needs to be next.”

Educate - Justice in the Classroom (JITC) holds a teacher advisory board meeting to discuss the implementation of a more diverse curriculum throughout Ventura County schools, which has been a very inspiring experience for members including Annika Kanugo, junior. “Working for Justice in the Classroom has truly changed my life for the better and has taught me so many valuable skills that can be applied in so many other areas,” Kanugo said. Neha Davaluri/With Permission

student activism Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

9

Student District Advisory Committee The Student District Advisory Committee (SDAC) serves as a representative voice of the student opinion to the board of education and other district staff. After that, the Educational Equity subcommittee was created. Addie Craig, senior at Westlake High School, is a chairperson for SDAC. Craig mentioned that the committee was created over the summer and is a priority for SDAC this year. “Our goal is to establish a welcoming learning environment across the district, free from any form of discrimination by reforming our curriculum, altering district policies, and by creating a platform for students to share their experiences in a safe environment.”

Xu, who is also the vice chair of SDAC, explains the direction SDAC is taking in the fight for education equity.

“So far, we are working on surveys and collecting data and information from student experiences so we can then work toward our goals better and meet the student needs,” Xu said.

“Something that we want to focus on is creating different channels for reporting racially inflicted incidents so everyone is held accountable and also trying our best to address and finding solutions to address inequities with technology in the district.”

“ The need to address discrimination within CVUSD has been a pressing issue for several years.

- Addie Craig

“

Craig believes that although the national concerns regarding racial, gender, and LGBTQ+ equality movements have had a strong influence on the creation of the Educational Equity committee, there is also a deeper local necessity SDAC is addressing. “The need to address discrimination within CVUSD has been a pressing issue for several years,” Craig said. “For too long our students have experienced racist, sexist, and other prejudiced comments not only from other students, but teachers, and it is our duty as students to demand change within our education system.”

Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler

Protest - A group of protestors hold up signs for cars to see at the intersection of Hillcrest Dr. and Lynn Rd. in Thousand Oaks. “If you don’t belong to a group that is facing a certain adversity, you can and should still care,” Sia Joshi, junior, said. “Staying silent only allows these injustices to continue.” Reese Kelem/Prowler

Protestors Outside of organizations, students in the community are trying to help in any way they can. Some are attending protests to support members of the Black community.

Roshnee Moorthy, senior, attended four Black Lives Matter protests over the summer and donated art to Dark Matter Collective for an art auction. “I felt extremely passionate about the subject of the protests. I felt that when there’s one group of our community suffering, it’s our obligation to come together to support them and amplify their voices,” Moorthy said.

Moorthy has expressed her distaste towards how Black Americans have been treated and wants to put her best foot forward to help and correct it. “It’s not a matter of why for me personally. I felt that as another human being, when there’s a systemic problem we must come together as a community to support those who are being affected by the systemic problem. In this particular instance, it was the Black community who has been subject to just years of systemic oppression and I definitely felt that this was something that I had to do, to support the Black community and be able to be there for members of our community.” said Moorthy.

Emma Sasala, sophomore, has also been showing her support for the fight against racial injustices. “During the times of the protests, I have been driving by in support and doing my best to educate myself on what’s currently going in the world. I feel it’s important for me to join in the protests because I don’t think the discrimination BIPOC face day to day is acceptable and it’s important for their voices to be heard,” Sasala said.

Sia Joshi, junior, attended four protests over the summer and has joined Justice in the Classroom. “I will also start an organization to spread awareness about and combat injustice. For the organization, I would want it to be through a school club.”

Black Lives Matter - Alex Hahn, senior, and Ashley Washington, senior at Westlake High School, protested in June at the intersection of Hillcrest Dr. and Lynn Rd. in Thousand Oaks. Protests began in the wake of the death of George Floyd in late May throughout the United States, sparking many within Ventura County. “It’s up to us to create change in society when it comes to any injustice so that we can make the world a better place for everyone,” Sia Joshi, junior, said. Reese Kelem/Prowler

10

features Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

Drama adapts to COVID-19 restrictions Parker Bohl Staff Writer NPHS’s drama department has found ways to brilliantly use the current social distancing orders to their advantage. On Sept. 12, they held 24 Hour, an event formally known as 18 Hour, in which students have a day to write and perform an original play or skit.

Stephanie Zager, senior and the director of the 24 hour event, said, “[24 hour has] kinda helped people like dip their feet into theater, so I’m hoping that a lot more people... will try it out.” This year, 24 hour was held as a Zoom meeting broadcast to YouTube.

Gus Gress, senior, is the president of Drama Club at NPHS. “Theater is [something] where [it’s] really only itself when it’s live,” Gress said. “We’re really trying to find ways that make the most of the situation. Drama club is kind of our daytime connection to our theater department, which usually rehearses after school.”

Gress believes that taking a drama class in high school is a valuable experience. “I think it’s really important that everyone take a theater class at NPHS. Well, for one, Mrs. Strange is an amazing teacher,” he said. “Her class is so much fun, and everyone needs that in their day, to kind of be in a class like that, where you can really learn how to express yourself, not just as an artist, but as a person.”

Nikki Charles, junior, had her own reasons for joining the Drama Club. “I joined because I wanted to improve my confidence in myself and experience the perspective of an actor to further help my development in technical theatre. I aim for one of my majors to be in the entertainment business and I thought these classes would give me the best experience,” Charles said.

Charles believes that there is some silver-lining to having online theater events. “For the adapted events, I feel that they are much easier online since it takes off the stress of being physically at the PAC, especially for 24 hour,” Charles said.

The drama department of NPHS is very important to many people, and it continues to grow and thrive under challenging circumstances. It seems 24 hour was just the beginning. For more information, check out @nphstheatre_ on Instagram.

Let’s Act- Drama Club members prepare to perform their skits on the 24 hour Zoom. “We’re trying to continue to have our regular events, such as the 24-hour theater festival,” said Gress. Leslie Blanco/With Permission

Students experience shows from their cars Nandini Patro Staff Writer

Boomrecommend this to others because it’s a taste of something you’re not going Parker Bohl/Prowler

For all music and movie lovers, do not lose hope yet: there’s still a way you can experience this magic, COVID-19 style. Multiple places, including the Ventura Fairgrounds, have made some adjustments to make events as enjoyable as possible while taking the proper safety precautions.

Kevin Campos, senior, recently experienced the closest thing you can get to a concert from the band Fitz and Tantrums at the Ventura Fairgrounds. “You basically park at the designated parking spot and just set up, and listen to the nice music and dance,” Campos said. “I believe they did an amazing job for them to recreate that moment for people.”

Bryce Ferguson, junior, also went to a drive-in concert at the Ventura Fairgrounds. “It was Metallica, and it was a pre-recorded video played on a few screens,” Ferguson said.

Campos and Ferguson both agree that the Fairgrounds tried hard to keep it as safe while recreating the concert experience.

“People are allowed to go outside of their cars as long as they’re staying 6 feet away from other people and wearing a mask,” Ferguson continued.

Both Campos and Ferguson saw this as an unique experience, but was definitely on the costly side. “It was $130 per car depending on the range you wanted to watch the concert from,” Campos said. Ferguson believed it was

not worth it in the end. “It was a cool experience, but not being able to see the actual band for how much it cost wasn’t worth it,” Ferguson said. “Most people today can just go on YouTube and watch a livestream for free. I would recommend it if it was cheaper.”

Drive-in movies have proven to be quite popular as well.

Kylie Lewus, freshman, recently went to two drive-in movies, including the WestWind drive-in theater to see “Beauty and the Beast.”

“There was a ticket booth stand and we bought tickets for everyone in the car, the price was around $10 and they told us to park behind the first row,” Lewus said. “The workers told us the radio station to go to to be able to hear the movie.”

In terms of safety, Lewus recognizes they made efforts to be precautious as well. “The cars were 6-10 feet apart and you had to wear a mask when you left your car area.” Lewus also believes that the price was worth it for the quality of her experience, rating it a “10 out of 10.”.

While these times continue to change and lead us with uncertainty, there’s no reason not to enjoy them while still saying safe. Though this may not be exactly what we are used to, it’s still something we can appreciate with the closest taste of normal we can get.

features Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

with Tiana

11

Hoang

Gwen Buchanan Back Cover Editor Tiana Hoang, junior, is coping with quarantine and online school just like the rest of us. Check out this Tea Time to see her personal experience from summer and in starting school this year!

How are you feeling about quarantine and school starting online this year?

At first it was kind of hard, because usually in the fall I really look forward to looking at my classes and finding all the rooms and especially football season, that’s my favorite time of year, so I was super disappointed. But I also think it has a good side, I’m really able to focus on school. I guess there are ups and downs.

What has been your biggest zoom distraction in class this year?

Well, both of my parents are working from home, so my mom and dad will always come in during class, and I will have to shoo them away. But other than that, most of my family is downstairs and I’m upstairs, so there aren’t a lot of problems with it. My biggest problem is probably just internet connection and my computer crashing, or my teachers computer crashing.

What have you been watching on Netflix lately that you would recommend?

I would definitely recommend Avatar the Last Airbender. Personally, I didn’t watch it a lot growing up like I know a lot of people did, so it kind of has that nostalgia factor, but even watching it for the first time, I really really liked it. Even though some people view it as a kids show, I would definitely recommend it to everyone. Other than that, I haven’t had time to watch tons of movies like I did during the summer.

What is your view on pineapple on pizza?

I don’t think it’s the best pizza topping, but I also think that a lot of people don’t like it just because the internet tells them not to like it. Other people have just made it into this horrible horrible thing that ruins pizza and is not authentically italian, but honestly a lot of pizza in America isn’t authentically italian, so I don’t think that you can really make that claim. I also think it’s not that bad.

What hobbies have you picked up in quarantine?

Well right now I am pretty focused on school, but I’ve definitely picked up painting again. I didn’t really get to go on a school supplies trip or anything this year, so I just took some of my old school supplies and painted over it so that it would feel newer, so that’s been pretty fun. I’ve also gotten back into reading. For awhile I didn’t have any time to read, because I would just read for school and I would read all of these really serious novels, but recently I’ve started picking up old books that I just read for fun like Percy Jackson, and things like that.

Tiana Hoang/With Permission

Photography reinvents their curriculum Adalia Luo DPS Editor As everyone braves the transition to online learning, the NPHS photography program has had to reinvent itself.

“Normally we’re shooting with film, working in the dark room, also shooting with DSLR cameras, as well as the SLR film cameras,” said Eric Lindroth, head of the photography program. “I don’t have enough cameras for [Photo 1/Photo 2 students], so most of them are using their phones.”

Without film and being able to access the dark room, a major part of the curriculum, Lindroth has had to redesign the program. “I’ve had to reinvent about 70% of my curriculum, so in a way, it’s interesting because I’m having to come up with new ways to teach photography,” said Lindroth. “But, it’ll be an adventure, a challenge.”

Moving online has provided a surprising bright side. “I think it can become more fluid, the photography in this situation,” Lindroth said. “I think what we should do is try and make photography more a part of your everyday experience... as you walk around your world, you’re thinking about these photoshoots, and what it

does is makes [photography] more integrated into your life.” Lindroth even plans to incorporate these lessons into his future curriculums. “I think there’s a silver lining there… my goal is to make them see the world as a photographer.”

Tiana Hoang, junior and IB Photography student, agrees. “I’m just really excited to have a class that forces me to get out of my house and work on school, but also have a break from my computer and traditional assignments. It’s really easy to stay in my room all day, so this forces me to be creative,” Hoang said.

That being said, the transfer online has been wearisome. “I think [taking Photo] is harder because you don’t have the in-person setting,” Brady Craven, sophomore and AP photography student, said. “Mr. Lindroth is always very helpful and it was just nice to have him [in-person], to give you tips and help out.”

Despite these challenges, photography continues to be an enriching experience for all of the students lucky enough to be a part of the program. “It’s a really good class, even virtually, and I think that more people should take it,” Hoang said.

Snap-

Tiana Hoang/With Permission

12

entertainment Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

You should listen to “folklore” Anna Johnson Entertainment Editor

On July 24, Taylor Swift released her new indie album “folklore,” (lowercase intended, like the rest of the album) and it is the best she has ever sounded. Instead of her repetitive pop music, her lyrics seemed honest and had meaning. It seems clear she should stick to indie style music.

The album was very much as she described, a whimsical fantasy. The songs all mostly contained piano and various string instruments that sounded like a fairytale, adding to the appeal of the song’s more outgoing topics. The lyrics combined with the beautiful background music added to a romantic feeling to the album, pulling us into her world.

The best song on the album by far was “my tears ricochet,” as it best showcased Swift’s talents. Not only were her vocals breathtaking, but her lyrics were astounding. With lyrics like, “And if I’m dead to you why are you at the wake?” really remind you that Swift is not just a singer, she is a poet.

Not only that, but there is speculation that this song could be about her difficult journey in trying to obtain her stolen masters from her previous recording company, or even her sexual assault case. This further provides meaning and a beautiful honesty to Swift’s work.

The only song that I didn’t fully enjoy was “mad woman.”

Although the story and message was important, it sounded like a rich person problem. Yes, we shouldn’t harshly criticize Swift, a human being like us all, but come on, you have all the money in the world to make your problems go away. “folklore” is a beautiful album to listen to, relaxing while enchanted by the musical poetry that our ears digest.

And come on, life is way too short to pretend to hate Taylor Swift.

#BoycottMulan2020

Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler

Sera Mohammed Staff Writer

Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler

When Disney released “Mulan” in 1998, she was accepted as one of the original Disney princesses that was widely loved and admired. In the recent years, Disney has been releasing live-action remakes of the classic original movies. So far, 13 live-action movies have been released, including the live-action Mulan movie, released on Sept. 4.

The live-action remake of “Mulan” is disappointing for more than just the omission of Mushu and Li Shang from the cast and the $30 extra payment on Disney+. Mulan is played by the actor Liu Yifei, a known supporter of the Hong Kong police in the issue of the Fugitive Offenders amendment bill, which would allow the extradition of criminal fugitives to mainland China. Yifei responded about the matter on a Chinese social media platform called Weibo, saying, “I support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong,” sparking the #BoycottMulan movement. Because of her response to the Hong Kong protests, Yifei is now known to support police brutality.

Another reason that “Mulan” has so much backlash is because part of the movie was filmed in Xinjiang, the city where the Uyghur Muslims are being held in concentration camps for practicing their religion. The people in these concentration camps are subjected to beatings, gang rape, electrocutions and more inhumane treatment that is scarcely covered in the media because the Chinese government filters what information gets out of the country. The fact that the movie is even filmed at a place where so many innocent lives are taken daily is disgusting.

The live-action Mulan cost the most money to make out of all the Disney remakes, but ended up being the most controversial of all of them. People all over the world are boycotting Mulan because of these controversies in order to support the oppressed and oppose the oppressors. It is important to support the #BoycottMulan movement because human rights are being violated and Mulan herself stands by to support it.

Hamilton raises a glass to historical inaccuracies Nandini Patro Staff Writer “Every founding father’s story gets told, every other founding father gets to grow old.” This quote is from the popular musical “Hamilton,” a story about love, betrayal, legacy and most obviously history. The quote represents America’s failure to truly recognize Alexander Hamilton’s role in the foundation of our country.

The musical is an absolute artistic masterpiece written by the genius himself, Lin Manuel Miranda. Though the goal is to educate viewers on Hamilton’s life, it does have its flaws.

Although these historical inaccuracies do not take away from the musical, it is important to acknowledge them and learn the truth.

Some of the main historical inaccuracies involve Hamilton’s views on slavery. There are some questions as to whether Hamilton was the abolitionist he was portrayed as in the play. He may have spoken about it before, but there is no evidence supporting that fact that he seriously believed in the total abolishment of slavery, according to Michael Newton, a historian and author of several books on Hamilton. It is assumed that for the musical they tried to establish Hamilton’s “good intentions” for modern audiences even if it was not completely accurate.

Another inaccuracy is the Reynolds Pamphlet, which Hamilton decided to publish to explain his affair with Maria Reynolds, which ruined his reputation. In the play, it was said that Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Aaron Burr confronted

him about the illegal use of spending money from the treasury in order to expose Hamilton, when in reality, these three men were House Speaker Frederick Muhlenberg, Rep. Abraham Venable of Virginia and future president James Monroe.

Another defining moment that was portrayed incorrectly in the play was that Hamilton endorsing Thomas Jefferson is what led to Aaron Burr challenging Hamilton to a duel. However, according to the National Archives, Hamilton made belittling comments about Burr and his campaign during the election which is what led to the duel, rendering this scene historically inaccurate.

There are many other little inaccuracies in the play, including the friendship of John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan, Marquis de Lafayette and Hamilton. They never truly met all together since Lafayette was actually in France during that time. Another flaw is that Angelica Schuyler mentions that her father has no sons so she has to “social climb,” when in fact Philip Schuyler actually had three sons that were never mentioned in the play.

It is clear that there are many flaws in terms of reality versus the play, but that is to be expected since we cannot base our history off of a historical fiction musical. Regardless of the inaccuracies, the musical holds undisputable value from every lyric in every song.

Carter Castillo/Prowler

entertainment

Ventura County’s Boba lacks adequate taste Sera Mohammed Staff Writer Boba is a growing sensation that consists of chewy tapioca pearls in different flavored drinks. There are not many good boba lounges in Ventura County, but as a boba connoisseur, here are the ones I have visited and rated.

It’s Boba Time, a boba restaurant in Oxnard and Simi Valley, has good quality boba and is the only place in all of Ventura County that has honey boba, which are tapioca pearls mixed with honey before being put in the drink. The milk tea from It’s Boba Time has the best flavor, but where it leads in milk tea, it lacks in smoothies and slushies. It’s Boba Time is very good, but not spectacular, so it is rated a 4/5.

Matcha is a relatively newly opened boba place at the Janss Marketplace. Their tapioca pearls are very chewy and flavorful, one of the best in the area. But if you do not like boba that runs sweet, this is not the place for you. Matcha is rated a 4/5.

Next, Bobas Cuz is in Moorpark, near Magnolia Park. The quality of the tapioca pearls here are about the same as the ones at Matcha. The smoothies, while initially satisfying, tend to become icy towards the bottom of the cup and the thai tea at Bobas Cuz leaves stains on your teeth after consumption. The interior has a cozy atmosphere, as it is essentially a renovated home made into a boba lounge. The rating for Bobaz Cuz would be a 4/5.

Obviously, boba from Ventura County is not the best. Bounce Boba, although not in Ventura County, is definitely worth the drive to Northridge. The boba is of the highest caliber and the drinks there are to die for. While this is not an important factor, the shape of the cups are unique and cute. This boba lounge has a sort of sophisticated but mellow vibe that makes it a perfect place to relax with your friends. This is one of the best lounges for boba because of the high quality and great service. I would rate Bounce Boba a 5/5.

Subsequently, Wild Cherry is located on North Moorpark Road, near the Conejo Valley Plaza. Their drinks are mostly fruity and their “creations,” mixtures of different flavors that they made on their own, are the best on the menu. But the boba they put in the drinks are obviously frozen, and if left out for long enough, an opaque brown layer will settle on top of the boba, which becomes tough and flavorless. Wild Cherry’s boba would be rated a 2/5, mostly because of their frozen boba.

Pho & Tea is at the entrance of the Oaks Mall, in the food court with Great Khans, Panda Express and Sarku Japan. The only drink worth buying there is the Vietnamese Coffee Blend, which is basically just coffee with boba in it. There are much better boba restaurants in the area, it would be best not to waste time at a place like that. Pho & Tea, the worst in Ventura County, would be rated a 1/5.

Prasheetha Karthikeyan/ Prowler

Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

13

“Soul Surfer” shows strength Gwen Buchanon Backcover Editor Abby Gorman Editorial Editor At the age of 13, Bethany Hamilton was free-surfing at Tunnels Beach, Kauai, with her close friend Alana Blanchard, when she was attacked by a shark. She woke up in the hospital the next morning with just one arm.

“Soul Surfer”, a biographical drama released in 2011 that is currently on Netflix, tells the incredible story of Hamilton’s journey through her recovery following the traumatic incident, all the way to the Women’s Pipe Pro Invitational Surf Contest.

During the attack, Hamilton lost 60% of her blood, and was rushed to the hospital, where her father happened to be preparing for a planned knee surgery at the same time.

The film reveals the hardships Hamilton faces with everyday activities, including a heartbreaking scene where she tries to cut a tomato for the first time with just one arm; she puts the cutting board on the floor in an effort to steady herself, but can’t pick it up again. This scene was inspired from actual footage of Bethany Hamilton in the weeks following the incident.

Despite these setbacks, the incredibly resilient Hamilton was out on the water surfing just three weeks after her surgery.

Hamilton struggles to adapt to surfing with just one arm, but with the aid of her father, who makes a specialized rope handle for her surfboard, Hamilton relearns to surf with grace and regains confidence in herself and the sport she has always loved.

The movie moves on to capture a trip to Thailand Hamilton took with World Vision, where she volunteers to help the people after a severe tsunami in 2005. This part of the movie reshifts the focus on the movie and expresses Hamilton’s gratitude for her life following the attack.

Although Hollywood is known for its dramatization of true stories, the majority of the film is accurate to her experiences; the loss of blood, her father’s surgery and the dramatic scene in which her brother breaks open the car window in order to get a phone to call the hospital all actually happened.

Hamilton and her family were heavily consulted throughout the making of the movie, and many make guest appearances as extras throughout. Especially notable is Hamilton’s role as her own stunt double for all of the one-armed surfing shots.

Without a doubt, the film made a lasting impact on the surfing community. Hamilton’s board remains on display in the History of Women’s Surfing exhibit at the California Surf Museum in Oceanside, and she created the non-profit foundation Friends of Bethany Hamilton to support shark attack amputees.

However, you don’t have to be an avid surfer to be inspired by her courage and humility as she adapts after this life-changing event. Hamilton’s journey can be looked at from viewers of all ages as an example of how to heal and grow following a traumatic experience.

• Music Corner • Emma Schoors Opinion Editor September kicked off with Declan McKenna’s sophomore effort “Zeros.” The record is a steep step up from McKenna’s first album, pulling everywhere from Franz Ferdinand to Kate Bush to MGMT. While these influences are clear as day, there is a certain unique magic that McKenna holds, and that magic has been fully incorporated and seeped into this record.

Standout opening track “You Better Believe!!!” is a powerhouse, mending McKenna’s strong vocals with fast and effective guitars.

Similarly, the closing song “Eventually, Darling” is passionate in all the right ways. A fitting and deeply heartbreaking lyric, McKenna sings, “Love is but a fleeting friend.” The British artist has inarguably found his sound, and “Zeros” is well worth the listen.

Wallows upped the ante with “Nobody Gets Me (Like You),” an upbeat track paired with an equally upbeat and fun music video that was released on Sept. 9. The band has been gaining much-deserved traction recently, adding to their highly dedicated fan base, and they have millions upon millions of streams on Spotify to show for it.

September is looking to be a great month in music, and only time will tell which other artists add to their discography this month.

Prasheetha Karthikeyan/ Prowler

sports

14 Virtual cheer jumps into the fall season Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

Allison Nguyen Staff Writer With a spirited team ready for action and a group of new faces eager to join the fun, Newbury Park High School’s cheer team will not be letting the online school border ruin their season. From online workouts to weekly Zoom meetings, cheerleaders have been busy learning new jumps, tricks and dances to prepare for their next performance once they get back.

Sini Utermohlen, junior, has been a part of the NPHS cheer team for three years.

Compared to past years, this fall semester has looked very different training-wise. “We’ve just been having once a week practices over Zoom and then we also have three workouts that we do Monday through Wednesday...we just have to upload a time lapse workout,” Utermohlen said.

Learning different workout routines and jumps online have definitely been a new learning factor for the team, but there are many social impacts that members have been missing

since quarantine began. “The main reason why I love cheer is just to be able to see friends and make new friends every year and have these funny experiences but like since we can’t really do that, it is what it is,” Utermohlen said.

With many new faces joining the team this year, it is harder for former members to get to know and bond with the new cheerleaders.

This is Carisa Kerby’s, sophomore, second year on the team after serving as freshmen captain the year before.

“The hardest part [of not going back] is not being able to bond and practice with each other because although we can do like cheers and jumps and kicks and our technique and stuff, we can’t work on other things that are also super important for teamwork,” Kerby said. “Being in cheer to me means being...someone to look up to and being like a representation of our schools, and it also just means like a family to me.”

For the new cheerleaders this season, virtual practices and online bonding is an interesting way to start off their high school journey.

“It’s been a little strange you know, everything is virtual...I haven’t technically met all of them in person. I know some of them already...we actually started to reach out through group chats,” Jasmine Howard, freshman, says about her first experience with her team.

As a freshman starting her first year at Newbury Park High School, Howard is learning skills without seeing and being around her teammates has been a different experience. “I don’t really have a lot of experience with it...unlike most of the cheerleaders. I haven’t done cheer for a lot of my life or dance or anything like that... but it seems really fun right now. And everyone’s like a family even though it’s over quarantine.”

Touchdown- Throwback to the 2019 football season, Sini Utermohlen, junior, and her teammates get into the had been doing cheer for several years at that point and it sounded really fun, and I knew that I really wanted to be part of something when I joined high school,” Utermohlen said. Even virtually, these girls never put their hopes down when it comes to spirit. Sini Utermohlen/Prowler

Surfers ride the waves through quarantine Reese Kelem Chief Photographer

Surfs Up- Elizabeth Herman, junior, goes with her board to surf the SoCal waters. Herman and her family are beach nearly everyday to improve her skills. Elizabeth Herman/With Permission

The waters of Southern California stayed open (for the most part) for surfers to ride the waves all summer despite most sports being cancelled due to social distancing orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the surfing community is small in Newbury Park, there are a few students who have a huge passion for the sport.

For Elizabeth Herman, junior, surfing is a passion that is in her blood. “[My mother] really supported me, especially when I was beginning and taught me the surfing community etiquette and that was really nice to get my way in there and make friends.” Both Herman’s mother and her grandmother are surfers, and her grandmother was the first woman to win a competition in Huntington Beach.

Although everyone had different experiences learning how to ride the waves, many agree that the learning process is rather challenging. Raj Wei, senior, had the opportunity to learn surfing

through John Abney, NPHS English teacher. “I never caught a wave. It took me about two years to catch a wave, so yeah it was really difficult,” said Wei. Once they started to get the hang of it, surfers like Chase Ricket, senior, loved to go out on the ocean as much as possible. “It was hard balancing on the board but I got this new board for Christmas from my dad one year and actually after that I picked it up pretty fast.”

Ricket tries to go out with his friends or dad at least once a week and surfs around two to three hours per trip.

Although there were many downsides to the COVID-19 pandemic, the quarantine gave a new opportunity for surfers to go out and improve their skills. “There were still beaches in Ventura and Oxnard that were still open even when they were supposed to be shut down. Everyone worked together to find spots that were still open (during the closures)” Herman said.

Herman goes to the beach nearly every day to surf for up to four hours. During this time, she believes she has improved immensely.

An overall experience these surfers have found is the beauty and serenity of being in the ocean. “Just being out in the water when the sun sets, it’s just so beautiful out there and the water is so nice. Just being out there with your friends is so much fun” said Wei.

Hang Ten- Elizabeth Herman, junior, waits for the perfect wave to surf. Herman has competed in one competition and plans to join more soon. “It was scary but it was a few years ago so it was just fun honestly,” mother and grandmother who competed regularly in southern California. Elizabeth Herman/With Permission

sports

15

Cross country races past coronavirus Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

Dhruv Patel Ad Team

Dash Lex and Leo Young practice hard for their postponed cross country meets. The cross country team is Dashadapting to the new rules. “The practices are very different in structure with these new precautions, however our overall outcome and function is the same if not better,” Lex said. The team is growing stronger with tough exercise to keep their physical level excellent. Raymond Tran/With Permission

COVID-19 is affecting everyone, including the cross country team that was number one in the nation last year, but the virus is not stopping them and they are still practicing hard. Leo and Lex Young, sophomores, and Dev Doshi, freshman, are among the runners who are working to make sure they are ready to compete again.

This year, the runners have to train together in small groups, socially distancing.

Nevertheless, their practices are still as arduous as last year. “I think we are training just as hard as last year, if not harder,” Lex, who has been doing cross country for a year said. “The only thing coronavirus will affect is our ability to race.”

NXN, the Nike Cross Nationals, has been cancelled this year. However, the team still has state meets and CIF which are postponed until December. “We’re not sure if we will be able to run in any meets for our school like before that in other states,” said Lex. Even though the team is not able to meet together all of the time, they still have a strong bond. “All of us are sad that the season is canceled but..., team-wise we’re all still pretty close,” Doshi said.

A cross country season consisting of regular meets for competing would have happened every few weeks but coronavirus delayed their season to December and canceled most of their

meets. “Because the season is so far delayed, our progression of difficult workouts and stuff has been sufficiently slowed down,” Leo said. “We haven’t started doing the hardest workouts just yet like we normally would… It’s allowed buildup that could allow us to train better and smarter.”

The Newbury Park cross country team has a big reputation they’ve worked hard to cultivate.

This year’s team expects to keep that respect and try to improve their ranking. “I think it will push us farther up on the charts because most people aren’t doing anything,” Leo said “We already have the jump and keeping the fitness level up allows us to be more prepared than other teams.”

However, the team is taking a big hit this year with Nico Young and Jace Aschbrenner leaving the team, but they are adapting. “Even though we don’t have two frontrunners like that, I think we will be just as good as last year because of the fact that the backside has gotten a lot better and now we’ll be more of a tighter pack,” Lex said.

“This season is going to be an interesting change to what we normally do however, I think we are going to adapt and come out even stronger,” Lex said. The cross country team is very hopeful for this coming year and will be training very hard to maintain their outstanding prestige.

Newbury Park mountain biking team stays dedicated Nandini Patro Staff Writer It is easy to lose initiative to stay in shape during quarantine, but for the mountain biking club, it all comes from self motivation. The club was shut down in early March after schools closed and cannot open until it is safe. However, that has not stopped the members from continuing to practice the sport they love.

Ava Ahlberg, junior, joined the club in sixth grade. “My group of friends were joining and I wanted to try it out,” Ahlberg said. Fast forward five years and Ahlberg’s love for mountain biking has only grown. “I also love getting to connect with nature and see parts of the world you wouldn’t normally see by foot,” Ahlberg said. “The community of people are also fun to be around and we share such a strong passion for it.”

During quarantine, Ahlberg still works hard on her bike. “I train with the varsity coach on the team and he has just been training me privately. In the beginning of quarantine I trained by myself or in a small group of teammates.” Ahlberg does admit that she often has to go on rides alone as a result of quarantine, but tries to go with her teammates as much as possible.

Nathaniel Schohn and Ben Kreinces, freshmen, have been part of the club since sixth grade as well. For Kreinces, a summer camp sparked his love for the sport but for Schohn it was his dad. “I started mountain biking because my dad got me into it, we started riding local trails and soon I loved the sport and loved riding with friends,” Schohn said.

Quarantine has made things slightly difficult for the team but they still manage, “We had one practice right when we went on break and since then we’ve done nothing,” Kreinces said. “I still ride with friends a couple times a week but only with friends not with the team.” The amount of practice time has also decreased with the club temporarily disbanded. “With the team we’d go on rides four times a week but on my own I try to get in at least 3,” Schohn said. “You definitely see people from the team while riding, but it’s kind of hard to constantly practice riding because you can’t ride alone in case you fall,” Kreinces said.

The bikers believe they have valuable advice for newcomers. “It’s ok to fall or make mistakes,” Schohn said, “That happens to everyone.” They all agree that it’s important to not to get discouraged even when you take a fall. “Just have fun!” Ahlberg adds.

Eyes on the roadroad Ava Ahlberg, junior, braces herself as she heads down rocky terrain. “I love mountain biking because it’s a fun adrenaline rush and is also really challenging,” Ahlberg said.

Ava Ahlberg/With Permission

16

mask fashion Panther Prowler • Sept. 18, 2020

Masks rock the runway

Gwen Buchanan Back Cover Editor

Mason Lowry, junior: “Masks can be used to draw more attention to different features, whether it be clothing, hair, eyes, or even the mask itself.

Most people are limited to the standard SoCal hoodie and shorts, so adding a mask with some fancy color coordination can really help.”

Mason Lowry /With Permission.

Lexi Hodder, junior: “Honestly, I like wearing masks! I sometimes get hormonal pimples on my chin, and with a mask no one can see it! I also like equipping them before I go into a store because it makes me feel like I’m about to rob the joint. Not that I would!”

Lexi Hodder /With Permission.

Elise Jones, junior: “My mom started making a bunch of masks for my whole family which made it fun to pick up the fabric and colors! Green’s my favorite color so it just makes wearing a mask more enjoyable.” Elise Jones/With Permission.

Evan Bolanos, senior: “I think that masks should be embraced as we are going through unprecedented times, it’s even fun to choose new colors and designs!”

Evan Bolanos /With Permission.

Surgical Masks

Gear up! These masks are very effective in keeping the coronavirus under control, and they go with everything! Perfect for that professional look. The only downside is that they are temporary because they are not washable, so it is best to save these masks for the surgeons themselves, who are having a shortage.

Either way, surgical masks are effective and perfect for a polished look!

Neck-Gaiters Want to hide your COVID beard? Neck gaiters are a perfect solution- just not to the coronavirus.

Recent studies have shown that gaiters are actually more dangerous than wearing no mask at all. Why? It’s because the fleece, polyester, and spandex they are made of don’t block out all of our nasal spray.

Our microscopic spit bubbles and boogers aren’t stopped by the gaiters, the droplets actually just get smaller when they escape the mask, which makes them even more dangerous! My advice is to avoid neck gaiters. Embrace that scraggly beard! It has taken you all of quarantine to grow.

Cloth Masks Grab a thimble! Cloth masks are very popular this day and age, and some people are even making their own. Fabric masks can be very effectivebut they must be made in a certain way. Simple one-piece-of-fabric kind of masks just aren’t keeping out that gnarly COVID. Masks with two or more layers of fabric are effective, and adding on a filter in between makes them even stronger. Take that coronavirus! Another plus is that the fabric can be anything from surgical-blue to pink polka-dot. Get ready for some outfit coordination!