2019-2020 Issue 1 (Sept. 20, 2019)

PANTHER

PROWLER Friday Sept. 20, 2019 • Issue I • Newbury Park High School 456 N. Reino Rd., Newbury Park, CA 91320 • pantherprowler.org

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Student Voice

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Paratroopers

Summer Experiences

10

5

New Admin

Gia Saputo

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6

Recycling

Music Corner

7 14

Amazon Fires

Panther Pit

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staff editorial Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

Student voices are meant to be heard In the past four years, something interesting has happened to journalism. News has become more sensationalized, facts have become optional and the political spectrum has become more polarized than ever. It’s becoming harder to discern fact from fiction, causing confusion amongst the public.

Conejo Valley is not immune to these trends. Our school board meetings have turned into pit fights, lasting until 1:00 a.m., devoted to censure attempts of board members instead of focusing on the students. The tension is palpable, with liberals and conservatives unwilling to see eye to eye or compromise.

There are some that wish for our student voice to be silent, but it is important now more than ever for us to be heard. The role of the student journalist is to make the news of our school and community accessible to everyone, and the Panther Prowler will continue to do just that. Our goal is not to support one political agenda over another, or to only show the good side of our community, but to surface the truth and report the facts.

Facts are the pinnacle of journalism, and according to Newsweek editor Jonathan Alter, “that is the essence of democracy--open government; the press is a critical part of that, and if in the future we don’t have investigative reporters...we will live in a less democratic America.”

Throughout history, there have been times when the rights and responsibilities of the press have been questioned and challenged. In the 1960s, the Vietnam War led to conflicts between school publications and administration. Articles containing antiwar sentiments were censored, but students found a way to express their opinions with integrity. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the 1969 case “Tinker vs. Des Moines” that protected student expression did not stop at the schoolhouse gate. In 1977, California Education Code 48907 was written into law, guaranteeing students the same rights as professional journalists to freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Under California Ed. Code 48907, student journalists are safe to voice their opinions and cover controversial issues without the fear of being censored. It is essential that high school journalists are able to cover uncomfortable topics that could be relevant to our student body, because it is in high school where we must learn to be adults and we must begin practicing life skills before entering the real world.

The student editors of the Panther Prowler publication are the ones responsible for assigning and editing content, not administration or the journalism adviser. Instead the adviser’s role is “to supervise the production of the pupil staff, to maintain professional STUDENTS

standards of English and journalism and to maintain the provisions of (the Ed. Code 48907).”

Just like the brave student journalists that came before us, it is our duty to cover the real issues that impact our community because our students have the right to know what is happening on their campus.

Front Cover Caption:

What a viewview Looking over the Swiss Alps, a group of students stop at the tallest mountain range in Europe as they tour Austria, Germany and Switzerland. They, like many others, took advantage of the three months off from school to travel across the globe, learning new skills and experiencing life changing adventures.

Madeline Shain / with permission

PANTHER PROWLER 2019-2020 staff Editors-in-Chief Emily Nagamoto Aditya Vunnum

Entertainment Editor Manas Khatore Copy Editors Emily Augustine Carter Castillo Prasheetha Karthikeyan Manas Khatore Cover Editor Emily Augustine

Features Editor Prasheetha Karthikeyan Sports Editor Clarissa Shin Opinion Editor Carter Castillo News Editor Sarena Kabir Emma Schoors

DPS Editor Jessica Zhou Online Carter Castillo Rahul D’Souza Prasheetha Karthikeyan Jessica Zhou Photographers Chief// Rahul D’Souza Reese Kelem Jacob Malone Jessica Zhou

Graphic Artist Emily Augustine Clarissa Shin

Staff Writers Abby Gorman Adalia Luo Adviser Michelle Saremi

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

The Panther Prowler is published every four weeks throughout the school year by Valley Press Publishing Co. For advertisement information, visit www.pantherprowler.org.

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

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

news

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Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

District cancels Unified Sports Clarissa Shin Graphic Designer The new Unified Physical Education class that was to be led by Samantha Stewart, Adaptive Physical Education teacher, has been canceled. This physical education class was meant for students with and without disabilities to form a regular PE class in which the students could learn about wellness, exercise, healthy eating habits and inclusion.

The class was supported and approved by Steve Lepiere, principal of NPHS, yet the district declined Stewart’s proposal.

Stewart had many goals for the class and wanted to focus on inclusion and getting more students involved in the special education program.

“Through this course and having inclusion, and our school does an awesome job with our Unified Sports, Panther Pals, all of that, we are inclusive, but it’s stepping it up another notch,” Stewart said.

Another supporter of the Unified Physical Education class is Anne Alvarez, a teacher for the severely handicapped program.

Alvarez believes the class would be beneficial to both special education and general education students.

“I think our students would have worked harder to reach goals that they thought might have been beyond them, but now they say ‘Oh I can do this if someone’s with me.’ I think that they would have felt better about themselves and communicated better with the kids around campus, and I think the kids around campus would have communicated better with our students,” Alvarez said.

Stewart and Alvarez are going to continue pushing for the class to happen in the upcoming second semester because there are many benefits for all students on campus, not just in the form

General education and special education students gather at the Unified Sports club. Though the class was cancelled, Ms. Stewart will still push for the validation of the class, “I want to try and make it happen before second semester of this year and if not, then Mrs. Alvarez and I will push and fight for it until we succeed” she said.

of physicality. This class also helps to inform and teach students about inclusion and how they should interact with and treat students with disabilities.

Austin Moncourtois, sophomore and student in Stewart’s adaptive physical education class, was going to be a part of this new course, yet never got a chance to experience it due to its

recent cancellation.

“I like competing against the other teams and just playing with my teammates and all that. I am upset that we didn’t get to do that because I was looking forward to playing on the team,” Moncourtois said.

Censures consume another board meeting Carter Castillo Opinion Editor On Tuesday, September 3, the CVUSD school board decided not to censure members Jenny Fitzgerald and Cindy Goldberg after the board discussed the possibility of moving forward with a motion to censure, and on Tuesday September 17, the board also discussed the possibility of a censure of board president Dr. Betsy Connolly.

During the meeting on Aug.20, the board also decided not to censure trustee Sandee Everett. Everett spoke at an event called “Local Christian Alternatives to Public School” at GodSpeak Calvary Chapel where a slide on her presentation stated, “In Germany during the late 1930’s, the STATE used the public schools to promote the discrimination against the Jews…Today the target in America’s public schools are Christians.”

The board meeting went until 1:00 a.m., with multiple items, including the discussion item for the censure of Jenny Fitzgerald, were pushed back to the next meeting due to policy that dictates that a board meeting can only be extended once.

The discussion regarding Fitzgerald’s censures was if the board would denounce Fitzgerald over her presentation at the God-Speak event, and her posts on social media. Dr. Craig Everett, the husband of board trustee Everett and community college board candidate asserted that “Everyone will be able to see for themselves how completely dishonest (Fitzgerald was) about Sandee’s remarks. Not sure how you thought you would get away with this.” In a Facebook post Fitzgerald responded, “To your laughable claim that I am in any way being deceptive or misleading, I can only assume you are relying on the very carefully crafted generic disclaimers Trustee Everett included to support your statement.”

The allegations against Goldberg were that she had a conflict of interest as she is a board member of a separate group, called

the Conejo Schools foundation, or CSF, while serving as a board member of CVUSD. The board decided not to continue moving forward with a censure for Goldberg.

The board ultimately decided not to pursue either censure.

On Tuesday September 17, the school board meeting included another censure discussion item, this time targeting Connolly. None of the board members signaled interest in censuring Connolly.

Board policy and law dictate that the public can bring forward a discussion item, which includes a discussion on censures. Some board members, such as Everett, are arguing for more rigid wording for community complaints about board members to put them on the discussion agenda, “People can say to me please censure Bill (Gorback) and I don’t take that to mean, and so you gotta put it on the agenda” she said.

Dr. Mark McLaughlin, Superintendent to CVUSD stated, “I just want to say Sandee we’re not putting (censure discussion items) on the agenda because this is something that we want to do. This is something that is quite embarrassing, it’s embarrassing to me as a superintendent, it’s embarrassing for my staff, it’s embarrassing for the board, it’s embarrassing for the community, its embarrassing the fact that we’re dealing with this week after week after week” in response to Everett’s remarks.

“The problem is not that we’ve placed the (censure discussion) on the agenda, the problem is that we’re indulging a conversation about something that we see as having no value” Connolly said.

School board trustee Gorback spoke with the Prowler after the meeting on Sept. 17. “ we should have particular criteria that would be censurable and then say, we vote to have an ad-hoc committee for the censure based on this policy this policy this

Debate!- Left too right, Superintendent Dr. Mark McLaughlin, Board Trustee Betsy Connolly, and Board Trustee Sandee Everett. The board has discussed censures at the last three board meetings. Certain board members think change is necessary towards the censure policy, “I think that we could straighten up the (censure) policy a little bit make it, less just random whoever wants to have someone censured” Trustee Bill Gorback said.

policy, specifically” he said.

Trustee Goldberg also spoke with the Prowler after the meeting. Goldberg had a different opinion over the censures, “Truthfully parents and the general public have the right to come and say whatever they want. Whether or not we agree with them is immaterial” she said.

Sandee Everett denied a request for an interview with the Prowler.

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news Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

Paratroopers soar in to kick off the homecoming game Abby Gorman Staff Writer Reese Kelem Staff Writer since his childhood, leading him to start skydiving as a hobby on the weekends and eventually to join the Golden Knights in 2009.

The Golden Knights require a rigorous training process in order to join the team. “You go through an eight to ten week selection process, where you get about two hundred jumps. If you make it until then, you go to the annual circulation cycle, where you get about another 150 jumps,” Koch said.

Gaynor has been a member of the army for 15 years where he serves as a logistics transportation operator, and has been skydiving as a Golden Knight for the last eight years.

Although Gaynor, a Camarillo High School graduate, may not have initially intended to be a parachuter for the army, he is grateful that this is the path he took.

“This is the best thing I’ve ever done,” Gaynor said. “There’s been some hard days, and there’s been some really good days, but overall, it put me into a really great career.”

Friday the 13th was a special day for NPHS students.

Not only was it the homecoming game versus Ventura High School, but they also enjoyed a very unique surprise before the game: the US Army Golden Knights Aerial Demonstration Parachute Team dropped onto the field and delivered the game ball to the school.

Shortly before the school year started, the local army recruiter informed Assistant Principal Michael Godfrey that the Golden Knights would be available the night of the homecoming game.

“They had already scheduled to drop in at the UCLA game at halftime, and the Rams game on Sunday. They’re just beginning to do high schools on the Friday nights before,” Godfrey said.

The Golden Knights are the only Department of Defense (DOD) sanctioned skydiving team in the army. Principal Steven Lepire felt the experience was unforgettable, especially with the aid of new age technology to document the moment. “It will be in the yearbook, it will be in everything. It will live in a memory of this school year, so it’s an exciting event,” Lepire said.

Godfrey commented on how perfectly the event worked that evening. “It was amazing to see a plan come together.

All that work that went into organizing, and preparing, and working on the timing, all the logistics, came together, and how appreciative our crowd was,” Godfrey said.

One notable moment from the demonstration was watching the students assist in the packing up of the parachutes and trying the parachute backpacks on. “It was a really immersive and interactive experience,” Godfrey said.

Performing the demonstration were Staff Sergeants Mike Koch and Blake Gaynor, along with four other jumpers. Jumping from planes had been a dream of Koch’s

Soaring- Golden Knight Mike Koch made his entrance by parachute to deliver the game ball last Friday at the homecoming football game.

The U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, known for its aerial skydiving demonstrations and are one of the only teams of its kind.

Koch says his favorite part of the job was the thrill of the departure.

“The exit’s great; as soon as you go out that door, and feel that wind.

For me, the exit’s also the scariest part of it, the most nerve wracking part of it,” said Koch. At Friday night’s game, the paratroopers jumped from 4500 feet above ground level in order to achieve the feat.

LA Fitness comes to Newbury Park

Aditya Vunnum Editor in Chief

After having its grand opening over the summer, students from Newbury Park High School have transitioned from Fitness 19 to LA Fitness for its advanced facilities.

The new gym was under construction for over a year before finally opening its doors this summer to members of the community.

Matthew Smith, senior, decided to start going to the new gym to work out because of the numerous accommodations that the facility compared to other fitness centers such as Fitness 19.

“My main reason was pretty much just that they had a basketball court. And the gym was a lot bigger and nicer. So I thought that me and my friends could go move up a little bit. And also just lift, get stronger for season coming up,” Matthew Smith said.

He felt that LA Fitness provided everything he needed in one location, something that Fitness 19 could not do. Fitness 19 contains a large gym with numerous free weight and strength stations, whereas LA Fitness utilizes a larger building, including a gym along with a pool and an indoor basketball court.

“I think it’s a lot more convenient to use also. We’ll go out and we’ll get food after the workout and at the food court. We’ve also been going to sandwich spot recently,” Matthew Smith said.

The gym is popular among athletes due to the basketball and squash courts. Matthew Smith made the switch to the new gym along with two of his friends: Hayden Smith and Aidan Bute, both seniors.

“I have been going since July of 2019, so it’s been about two months. My main reason for switching was because I wanted to play basketball before or after I workout. My mom decided it would be best to go get a plan with her and save money,” Hayden Smith said.

LA fitness costs $29.99 a month with a $99 initiation fee, or

$39.99 a month without an initiation fee. On the other hand, Fitness 19 is $14.99 a month for access to the gym.

“It’s about $20 more, but the price is worth it because they have it all there… I can swim one day and the next play basketball or workout. It’s just the perfect workout experience,” Bute said.

Getting big- Matthew Smith, Senior, goes for a late night gym session because he knows he must get big. Smith has been hitting the gym for years now, evidenced by his massive arms, but has only recently started going to LA Fitness. “I’ve been going pretty much every day here. As much as I can either to get shot up or to lift,” Smith said. Here, Smith is in the middle of an arm day routine, shoulder pressing an astonishing 50 pounds.

news Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

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New administrators join the NPHS staff Abby Gorman Staff Writer As the 2019-2020 school year begins, Newbury Park High School has welcomed three new members to the administration: Phalba Thomas, Christine Caprino and Kristina Konish. Thomas, who has joined the NPHS staff on multiple occasions as a long-term substitute, is returning this school year as the Assistant Principal of Activities during Carly Adams’ maternity leave.

Thomas has previously worked at several of the local schools as a substitute for administrative positions including Westlake, Thousand Oaks High School, Camarillo High School, Oak Park Middle School and Somis Elementary School. As an assistant principal, Thomas’ primary responsibilities are to aid in the organization of events including homecoming, rallies and clubs, as well as the discipline for the upperclassmen students.

“I like very much being back at Newbury Park High School. I think that [NPHS] has a great staff, and the students who attend NPHS are just super kids,” Thomas said.

Caprino is making her return from the district office to Newbury Park High School serving as a new position created for the 2019-2020 school year. As Assistant Principal of Student Support Services, Caprino’s role is to focus on aiding the freshmen as well as assisting in the Special Education and English Language Learners (ELL) programs. Although she enjoyed her position as a Special Education coordinator at the district office, “I’m really happy to be back at a site because I love working with students. Last year, at the district office, I didn’t get to see students much.” Caprino has worked as the resident psychologist in prior years here at Newbury Park. Another addition to the staff this year is Konish, serving as the Assistant Principal of Instruction. Some of Konish’s main responsibilities as part of the NPHS administration include the organization of the scheduling of state testing, supporting the classrooms and teachers and aiding in the creation of any new elective courses. Prior to her current administrative position, Konish was a member of the administration at Sycamore Canyon Elementary and Middle School and Westlake High School, as well as a biology teacher here at Newbury Park High School.

“I’ve loved seeing all of my Sycamore Canyon coyotes in High School now. That’s probably the most fun part for me, being out at nutrition and lunch and seeing all the kids that I saw go through Sycamore.”

Steve Johnson/ With Permission Unity above all - This school year, the NPHS faculty is focused on unifying the faculty with a warm and exciting welcome to the new staff members. “The administrators, the staff. NPHS has a great group of students and staff, everybody is very friendly,” Caprino said.

Seniors start the year with a sunrise Emily Augustine Cover Editor On Sept. 6 from 5:00 a.m. to 6:40 a.m., the senior class of 2020 gathered at the bleachers of the football field to watch the sunrise together. This is the first time NPHS has ever had a senior sunrise. The event was coordinated by the senior class board, AJ DeVos, Emily Nagamoto, Kyle Wonders and Nikki Usares.

As president, DeVos took the lead in coordinating the event and making sure everything ran smoothly.“A lot of work went into preparing for senior sunrise because it was the first event of the year” DeVos said. “It was an amazing turnout. I think everyone had a lot of fun. The performers were all great, and the sunrise was beautiful.”

For the last performance of the event, Evan Metcalf, senior, sang “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles while Ryan Younes, senior, played electric guitar.

“I usually don’t want to show my voice to people because I’m shy, and then (Younes) just went into the center and wrote my name down without my permission and here I am,” Metcalf said.

“Regarding all the singers, like Liv (Udall) and Evan Metcalf and Ryan Younes, I thought they were very good,” Jackson Rice, senior and attendee of the event said, “I found a lot of my friends and...I really liked how they gave free food and drinks out.”

With coffee and donuts in hand, the class of 2020 watched the sun emerge from the horizon.

“I think this was just a really great way to start off senior year,” DeVos said.

Emily Nagamoto / Prowler

Emily Nagamoto / Prowler

Here comes the sun - Maya Amor and Sam Anerson, a senior couple, begin their last year of high school by watching the sun rise together.

All smiles for sunrise - Sofia Lewis, Minda Severtson, and Maya Galipeau, seniors, pose in front of the very fitrst Newbury Park High School senior sunrise banner.

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opinion Panther Prowler • Sept. 20 2019

Jessica Zhou/ Prowler

Adalia Luo Staff Writer RePlanet was California’s biggest recycling center chain, making up onefifth of all centers, including Newbury Park, before its August shutdown. The lack of government attention towards environmental preservation has led to unsustainable recycling in the U.S. In turn, this has left recycling centers and the communities they affect devastated.

Without dependable recycling returns to rely on to save an extra penny, RePlanet’s shutdown is leaving low-income families and struggling businesses wholly compromised. The issue lies in the widelyaccepted myth that modern recycling in the U.S. is sustainable.

When RePlanet first opened, local businesses that needed an outlet for their recyclables or cheap access to recyclable material flocked in its direction. The original exchange rate inspired huge mutual benefit, with local communities thriving. But, as Los Angeles Times reporter George Skelton and Recology reporter Eric Potashner warned back in 2018, “There’s no market for a lot of stuff in the blue bin… Revenue has fallen off the cliff.” RePlanet, like every other recycling center, depends on a healthy exchange rate internationally, created by nondomestic buyers. This, in turn, highlights the fundamental flaw of current American recycling centers: they are not capable of keeping up.

Recycling centers in California work like this: residents and businesses earn five cents for each recyclable item that they return, known as redemption rate.

Those items then undergo processes to become purchasable recyclable material in the centers, then exported to America’s international buyers. But, as the world moves towards a cleaner future, American recycling centers are unable to meet new standards put forth by countries like China. While residents and businesses continue to donate at the same rate as before, recycling centers receive virtually nothing back from international buyers.

These exchange rates then fluctuate as standards raise internationally. Yet, American environmental legislation, the only roadblock to effective recycling, remains stagnant through it all. Without any returns, governmental support or reform, these centers are unable to operate.

Recyclable plastic that would regularly be processable is, too often, sent straight to the landfill without the manpower to make up the difference.

RePlanet is just one of the many examples of recycling centers that have met their death at the cruel hands of weak economic diplomacies, and definitely will not be the last. However, RePlanet’s loss is on a different scale of devastation, insisting governmental reform. Local businesses and populations in over 275 different

A girl has got to go Clarissa Shin Graphic Designer Hauntingly- RePlanet’s empty building leaves behind the ghost of security in environmental protections. This facility is just one of 275 recycling centers that were closed. Its presence haunts the local businesses that depended on this dangerous myth. Jacob Malone/Prowler

locations, including Newbury Park, relied on these centers. The fact is, real people and companies subscribed and invested in it, and now no longer know what to do without it. Recycling has the opportunity and space to leave an actual improvement, but not if it the system stays statically riddled with the unsustainability coming inevitably from strained diplomacy and poorly designed environmental legislation.

With the missing support and lack of care the government is directing towards the environment, soon, the very basis and only truly normalized and respected aspect of environmental preservation will turn as harmful as the rest.

Emily Augustine Cover Editor Johnson and Johnson should own up to their mistake in the opioid crisis, especially when given the opportunity in Oklahoma who has recently been suffering from statewide cases of opioid addiction.

Commonly abbreviated to “J & J”, this multinational corporation strives to improve the health of people and the environment worldwide through projects, publicity, and policies. Its primary target is pharmaceutical sales and medical devices.

One way Johnson and Johnson influences the medical field is providing

opioids to patients for pain relief. According to NBC news, Oklahoma underwent a trial with Johnson and Johnson, and the corporation now has to “pay over $572 million for pushing doctors to prescribe opioids while downplaying the risks of addiction.”

If you think it is over now, you are mistaken. Johnson & Johnson snapped back at the outcome of this trial with an article called “Johnson and Johnson To Appeal Flawed Opioid Judgement in Oklahoma.”

It basically calls the outcome of the trial a bunch of baloney and goes on to say that they are “working with frontline health care professionals, academic institutions,

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policymakers, online communities and others to address the unmet needs of those impacted by this crisis” on their website.

The consequences of opioid use should not have been underplayed by Johnson & Johnson. Addiction is an easy way to ruin a person’s life, and it becomes a physical lose-lose situation, whether it be risking an opioid overdose or being nauseous and depressed for weeks without the opioids.

It is bad enough that Johnson & Johnson was involved in the opioid epidemic, but they made the situation so much worse by not owning up to their mistake. Whether it was ignorance or insensitivity, I can not tell.

However, I know for a fact that they should at least issue an apology rather than trying to put a bandaid on the humongous gash they inflicted on innocent people.

Ding, ding, ding. The late bell rings for class and once again, in a matter of seconds, I arrive moments before I am marked tardy. I was waiting in line for the restroom. Personally, I can’t speak for the males on campus, but the line to use the female restroom is out the door and blocking the halls. The girls’ restrooms at our school are home to many girls waiting to finish their business and get back to socializing, meeting with teachers or walking across the school to their next class.

You would think it would take around two minutes to get in and out of the bathroom, yet for many girls, their whole break is wasted standing in line. Many girls, including myself, don’t even bother to wait in the long lines anymore and hold it until class gets out for lunch. Since I don’t have a class fourth period, I normally wait to use the restroom until I get home after school, yet not all female students have this advantage.

Holding your pee is extremely harmful to the body, and speaking from personal experience, can cause an increase in urinary tract infections (UTIs).

When it’s “that” time of the month, I suffer severe cramping, and holding my pee greatly increases my cramps. In class, I am barely able to move due to my pain. My concentration and focus also decrease because I am only thinking about when I’ll get to use the restroom, even when I’m not on my period.

Teachers partially contribute to the reason many girls don’t want to leave class to use the restroom. I have had many teachers assign bathroom passes to try and limit the amount of time we leave the class, and reward students who don’t use them with extra credit.

This is frustrating because as a student, I never want to leave class because I don’t want to lose the extra points. Furthermore, due to block scheduling, teachers have to fit more curriculum into the class periods and tend to move at a fast pace. Many girls and I have the fear of being gone and missing material.

The number of girls who wait to use the restroom is about triple the amount of stalls in the three girls bathrooms accessible to us, as shown by the long lines seen in the halls. There are only three and four stalls in the B and C buildings respectively, yet over 12 people waiting in line at break.

Our school needs to either reconsider the amount of time in our breaks or build more bathrooms on campus so girls such as myself have the ability to use the restroom as necessary without being punished. This bathroom situation is severe and it affects the psychological and physical wellbeing of female students at school.

opinion Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

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Prasheetha Karthikayen Features Editor Emma Schoors News Editor Serving as the second official Republican presidential nominee running against Donald Trump in the 2020 primaries following Bill Weld’s April announcement, Joe Walsh is merely an escape for Republicans in toxic shock from the Trump presidency. Though Republicans who are not fond of the current president deserve a more stable alternative, Walsh is made of the same flimsy material as Trump.

The 2016 race had Walsh tweeting, “If Trump loses, I’m grabbing my musket. You in?” but his support for Trump seemingly ended after Trump’s 2018 Helsinki meeting with Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia, when Trump sided with Russia over the FBI on the subject of election meddling.

Walsh now calls Trump “a racial arsonist who

encourages bigotry and xenophobia to rouse his base.” Ironic, considering Walsh launched his campaign with an apology for his many racist, unsubstantiated attacks against former President Barack Obama. “Obama encourages illegals to vote,” Walsh wrote in 2016. He also continually fueled the claim that Obama is a Muslim, tweeting in 2016 “I think Obama is a Muslim”, and telling MSNBC in 2013 that our enemy is “Young Muslim men.”

Walsh also infamously said in 2017 “I’m sick and tired of the Sandy Hook parents. They’re partisan and political.” In another tweet, he added, “Sandy Hook parents: Your 15 minutes is up,” a reference to the concept of flushing events out for a few minutes of popularity.

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On Sept. 7, 2019, Walsh hypocritically tweeted “(Trump) watches TV and tweets attacks on American citizens. That’s all he does.” Considering Walsh’s current legacy is that of an angry man with fast thumbs and a phone nearby, someone else tweeting too much should be the least of his problems.

Walsh mirrors Trump in nearly every aspect pre-presidency. Yet Never Trumpers, a group of Republicans whose sole intentions were to keep Trump from getting elected, endorse this carbon copy. While it is valid and increasingly common to disagree with the Trump presidency as a Republican, the validity of endorsing a person who is morally and ethically similar to Trump is questionable at best, and hypocritical at worst.

Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor America has always had a fascination with red meat.

Whether it be at a Fourth of July barbecue or an upscale restaurant, Americans are some of the largest consumers of red meat in the world, with the average American eating about 50 pounds a year. I cannot even count the number of people who go to In-N-Out to sink their teeth into a double-double cheeseburger.

Not surprisingly, U.S. beef consumption is four times higher than the world average, and this diet is not planning to change anytime soon. However, eating red meat has severe consequences for the planet and is a major contributor to climate change. Eating less red meat is essential to curbing this issue.

There is a strong link between red meat production and greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere.

According to World Resources Institute, beef production emits 20 times more greenhouse gas releases per gram of protein than common plant products. These emissions are in the form of methane, from manure and “cow burps,” and nitrous oxide, from chemical fertilizers and cow waste on

pastures. To put it into perspective, the suggested fertilizer application on a ranch is about 115 pounds per acre. That’s more than the weight of an adult giant octopus. Per acre.

Red meat is extremely resource-intensive to produce.

Cows require ample land and water and have lower reproduction rates than poultry, meaning that more resources are needed to produce the same amount of meat.

To satisfy the growing population and a high demand for red meat in developing countries, more land needs to be converted into farmland for livestock. This results in deforestation, which emits carbon dioxide into the air. In this way, red meat and its effect on the planet is cyclical.

So, what can people do to limit their impact on the planet? The best answer is to stop or cut down on red meat consumption. Many believe that vegetarian and vegan options are expensive and boring, but this could not be farther from the truth. Foods such as beans and pasta are extremely cheap and can be made into a variety of delicious meals. Additionally, in Newbury Park, our own proximity to Los Angeles gives us a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan

Beef-The red meat industry is a large contributor to today’s preoccupying climate change issue. In order to limit their impact on the planet, consumers are encouraged to buy vegetarian or white meat options.

Jessica Zhou/Prowler

restaurants to choose from. For meat lovers, switching over to organically sourced white meat is another great option.

As a society, we need to take steps to prevent climate change from worsening. While buying metal straws is great, we need to take initiative and do the bigger things as well.

Changing a diet or lifestyle may seem difficult, but we cannot sacrifice the greater good of the planet.

Rahul D’Souza Chief Photographer The Amazon Rainforest produces more than 20 percent of the world’s oxygen, contains more than half the species of plants, animals and insects on Earth, and now it is on fire. In reality, it is on fire every year, but this year has seen a 93 percent increase in fires from last year.

According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Amazon is naturally fireresistant, even during the dry season. Most of the fires have likely been started by humans, either by accident or purposely.

They report that, since January, 100,000 fires have started in the Amazon, recently burning at a rate of almost two soccer fields every minute.

This spike has been caused by recent deforestation programs led by Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro. Most of the fires start after an area has been cleared of all trees for development for cattle grazers and soybean growers, leaving small, dry fuel behind. Bolsonaro has faced national criticism for his actions with the G7 even offering financial aid, which Bolsonaro’s special communications office promptly rejected, claiming that

Brazil was not a colony in need of their help.

However, to satisfy the large European powers, he committed the army to help fight the fires. He also signed a national decree that prevented forest blazing for 60 days. Multiple world leaders do not believe that Bolsonaro will do enough to fix the problem. France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, is skeptical of whether or not these measures will work and has been trying to assemble world leaders to intervene. Bolsonaro has responded stating that other nations have threatened Brazil’s sovereignty.

Macron and Bolsonaro have been locked in squabbles through the media for some time now.

The concerns for the forest are not only short term though.

Many of the animals have nowhere to go to escape the flames, and scientists fear that the fire is killing species of trees as well, which could lead to extinction. The forest will regrow, as all forests do, but it may never be the same again. It has been discovered that burnt trees in the Amazon contain 25 percent less carbon than before. On top of that, it may take over 100 years to regrow, 100 years that scientists say our planet doesn’t

Alyssa Boedigheimer/Prowler

have.

The Woolsey Fire in California last year burned 97,000 acres and 1,600 buildings over 13 days and 295,000 people were evacuated. In comparison, the Amazon fires have burned over 640 million acres and there have been over 70,000 fires since January. Satellite images show the smoke covering half of Brazil.

The state of Amazonas has declared a climate emergency.

8

Summer experiences

Summer experiences

Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

Jessica Zhou DPS Editor Serena Kabir News Editor

Michael Lindroth/With Permission

Michael Lindroth/With Permission

Jacob Malone Back Cover Editor Abby Gorman Staff Writer

The Summer of 2019 was full of many exciting experiences for NPHS students. From Northern California to Europe, many educational and enjoyable opportunities have taken place over the past few months. While some people took the summer to improve their talents, such as dance and art, others got to explore the world through immersive experiences throughout Europe and the United States.

Alyssa Michalek, senior, went on a trip to Europe with Tiffany Coull, history teacher, and four other students during the summer. They visited Germany, Austria and Switzerland over the course of 12 days. Filled with amazing food, cute antique shops and wonderful scenery, Munich was by far Alyssa’s favorite city.

“In Munich we saw a lot of dogs walking around with leashes, and we learned that they get to go to puppy school, and if they graduate they get to walk around freely with their owners,” Michalek said.

Michalek was able to do a variety of activities as they went from one city to another. They took bus rides to a new city everyday. They started from Vienna and continued to other cities such as Salzberg, Freiburg, and Lucerne. They ended their trip in Cologne.

“It was so cool to wake up everyday and go to completely different cities possibly in completely different countries. There was always something to be looking at, even on the long bus rides, because everything was just so picturesque,” Michalek said.

Madeline Shain, senior, was also one of the students in Michalek’s group. Shain had heard about the trip from her friends and was eager to join.

Her favorite destination was Switzerland.

“We stayed at this really cool place and you could like hear the cowbells outside. There were like a bunch of cows and it was a super quaint little town we stayed in,” Shain said.

During the trip, the Europe heat wave reached its peak, setting all time high temperature records in multiple cities, including the city where Shain’s group stayed. The highest temperature reached over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

While Coull’s group was enjoying their time in Europe, Jenny Wang, senior, went on another educational trip to Europe, with a group led

by Keith Brock, swim coach and math teacher. Wang visited many cities in the Big smiles- From left to right, Becky Deroy, Karli Keller, Madeline Mediterranean including Shain, Alyssa Michalek and Laura Deroy, all seniors, pose for a Venice, Florence, Rome, Greece picture on their summer trip to Europe. They visited Germany, and Adelphi in 17 days.

Austria and Switzerland over the course of 12 days. “It was so cool “I was also interested in the to wake up everyday and go to completely different cities possibly artwork and stuff, especially in in completely different countries,” Michalek said. The heat wave in Italy.

And then I really liked Europe reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the trip. Madeline Greek mythology. So going to Shain/With Permission

Greece is really nice for that. And the fact that since he was my swim coach, it made everything so much easier,” Wang said.

Wang and her group stayed the longest in Florence, which gave her the opportunity to learn more about the people and culture. She was given free time to roam around and explore the foriegn cities on her own.

“The main reason Florence was my favorite was because of all the flea markets and being able to climb the duomo,” Wang said. “But the Mercado central made our visit so much more interesting because it was a giant food court of gourmet Italian food and it was walking distance so every morning we would go there.”

While Wang enjoyed most of her time in Europe, there were some difficulties she had to face when staying in a foriegn country.

“One night in Venice, we took the wrong bus back to our hotel and we ended up riding that bus around the entire city for about two hours. It was a really interesting ride since it was about 10 p.m. and all of us weren’t that great with Italian,” Wang said.

Many people have seen Europe through the media and learned about it in textbooks but these students were able to experience Europe’s culture in person and they fully recommend a summer trip to Europe.

“It is a one in a lifetime experience. A lot of history was made there. It is a chance to roam around different cities and enjoy the different cultures in each place. It is a very nice break from America,” Wang said.

Water under the bridge- Jenny Wang, senior, stands over a river. -Her group was led by Keith Brock, swim coach and math teacher. One night in Venice, we took the wrong bus back to our hotel and we ended up riding that bus around the entire city for about two hours. It was a really interesting ride since it was about 10 p.m. and all of us weren’t that great with Italian,” Wang said. Along with Venice, Wang also visited Florence, Rome, Greece and Adelphi in 17 days. Jenny Wang/With Permission

While some people prefer to spend the entirety of the summer within the confines of society, others enjoy going outside their comfort zone and travel off of the beaten path into the wilderness.

Megan Hague, sophomore, was able to go on an exciting river rafting and hiking trip to Northern California this August.

“I went to Sacramento for river rafting which was a lot of fun, very adventurous,” Hague said.

This trip was full of new experiences for Hague; this being her first time going river rafting, as well as campin camping. “This was my first time camping, camping. We slept in a tent we normally sleep in a cabin,” abin,” H ab Hague said.

One especially notable ble le memory meeemory ry was an unexpected visitor on their hike through the mountains of Devil’s Peak, eak, C Califo California. foornia.

“There was this big stream am wee had to cross, and then, n, between n bettw wee w eeen n the trees, t we could see the little bears. So we had d to ba back ack aw away a aand go all the wayy back back,” ,”” H Hague ssaid. Although Ha h h it may have cut their hike short, hort, sshe fe felt it w was an awesome op opportunity pportunity pp ppo pportu nity ity ty to sse see all of the wildlife iife in nature and her trip was ov overal overall allll a su suc success.

Matt Lippert, sophomore, omore, more, e, Justi Justin McAlister, senior, rr, and dR Rya Ry Ryan yaan You Younes, u senior, spent two weeks of their summer at Philmont hi Scout Ranch, h, a 14 h 1140,177 440, 40 0,,11177 ac acre c “Scouting Paradise” dise” d located in New Mexico. Before arriving at Philmont, t, the B Booyy Scout Boy Scou Scouts needed to decidee on the possible routes and activities the crew could do. Each route ute wa was 11 days in duration on and had varying distances.

During his time at Philmont, Lippert was able to participate in exciting activities, such as archery, shotgun shooting, blacksmithing and dealing with nature’s unpredictability.

“One time we were caught in the middle of a massive hailstorm, and all 12 of us were all huddled underneath one tarp as the hail fell all around us,” Lippert said. “It was a total bruh moment.”

Lippert, McAllister and Younes went on their desired trek as a part of a crew of 12 people, four adults and eight boy scouts. Along their trek, it seemed as if each day brought a new challenge, which just served to showcase the adversity of the Boy Scouts.

“The most difficult thing I did over there had to be between navigating through a several mile open field with no trail, or peaking three mountains in one day,” McAlister said.

Amongst these challenges, the scouts shared funny moments and made several memories. “My favorite memory was on Day nine; it had been raining and hailing on and off the whole trip and most of the guys just decided to lose it for 30 mins during a thunderstorm,” Younes said. “I just sat back and watched, and I’m never forgetting that.”

However, it’s not necessary to be a Boy Scout to go on a trek at Philmont. “I would definitely recommend others go to Philmont, since it’s a journey not only physically, but spiritually as well,” McAlister said. “You learn a lot about yourself and your crew when you are faced with two weeks in the wild.”

Rafting- Megan Hague, sophomore, experiences river rafting in Sacramento along with her family. “There was this big stream we had to cross, and then, between the trees, we could see the little bears. So we had to back away and go all the way back,” Hague said. Along with river rafting, Hague had the opportunity to go on a hiking trip in Northern California in August. Megan Hague/With Permission

9

Over the summer, a few students went out of state to expand their knowledge of the arts, as well as enjoying their time spent.

Marie Amelle-Thenoz, senior, went to a summer intensive at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, Washington.

“They have a summer training program each year that lasts five weeks in July and some of August. Girls and boys from all over the country and the world ranging from ages 12 to 19, come to pursue ballet training,” Amelle-Thenoz said.

This was Amelle-Thenoz’s second year, and she has progressed to the top level of the program, jumping two levels from last year. Amelle-Thenoz says she no not only learned new skills at the training, but also created lasting memories.

“In the highest level, we were required to do all off our ba ballett classes on pointe, which is considerably harder. I did do a bunch off new scaryy lifts this summ summer. m I (also) got a lot better at hops on pointe (as welll as) être-ch être-chatêtre-chat-six,” ch said Amelle-Th melle-Th m le-Th e-Thenoz. enoz “II adored getting to meet so man many eclectic people le that hat all hav have a fiery passion for dance.

I also was in love with h the he dance stud studios we got to dance ance nce ce in. They e are right behind the Space Need Needle dl in the Heart off Seattle, and on oone of the best parts rts about being in the pre-professional level w was being able too have actual p professional PNB (Pacific North Nor Northwest Ballet) company memb m members,” b Amelle-Then enoz noz said said.

E Ev Even though Amelle-Th e-Thenoz is not completely sure of what she wants in her career, she feels tthe program prepared ared red her in mu m multiple ways if she wanted to go into that field.

“The program definitely gave me the confidence and assurance to know that if I want to be a dancer, I think I could. Having classes with a variety of different teachers over a short, but packed period of time, taught me that… I needed to be my own teacher and to hold myself to high standards even when the teacher was looking at something else,” AmelleThenoz said.

Similarly, another student had witnessed a program involving the arts. Instead of dance, Jack Martino, sophomore, attended Berklee School of Music in Boston over the summer for a rigorous music program.

“I really just wanted to have the experience of going to the college that I want to go to when I’m done with high school,” Martino said,“I was there for around seven weeks or so.

The program itself was five weeks, but there was testing and auditions which took up extra time.”

Martino felt that this program gave him a lot of experience and growth in his musicality. “I learned many new [music] theory concepts along with new perspectives,” Martino said.

Not only did Berklee give him the opportunity to grow, it also allowed him to take matters into his own hands. “I used to write music mainly for other people, but now I more or less write for myself. The people who truly understand you will enjoy your music no matter what, (and) those are the people you want around you,” Martino explained.

In Boston, there were Pointe- Marie Amelle-Thenoz, senior, dances at Pacific Northwest plenty to do for the several Ballet studio in Seattle. She attended a ballet summer intensive for five weeks Martino had spent weeks. “I adored getting to meet so many eclectic people that all have there. “Some nights, we’d a fiery passion for dance. I also was in love with the dance studios we be out late having parties got to dance in,” Amelle-Thenoz said. This was Amelle-Thenoz’s second year, and she has progressed to the top level of the program, jumping at the docks, or in my two levels from last year. Marie Amelle-Thenoz/With Permission dorm just watching movies with my roomies and friends. I would walk around the city for hours with a friend or two, mostly because I like one on one time with people, (since) it’s more genuine” Martino said.

“Newbury Park and Boston are obviously very different, but when I go back, it will be both for the city and college” Martino said.

8

Summer experiences

Summer experiences

Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

Jessica Zhou DPS Editor Serena Kabir News Editor

Michael Lindroth/With Permission

Michael Lindroth/With Permission

Jacob Malone Back Cover Editor Abby Gorman Staff Writer

The Summer of 2019 was full of many exciting experiences for NPHS students. From Northern California to Europe, many educational and enjoyable opportunities have taken place over the past few months. While some people took the summer to improve their talents, such as dance and art, others got to explore the world through immersive experiences throughout Europe and the United States.

Alyssa Michalek, senior, went on a trip to Europe with Tiffany Coull, history teacher, and four other students during the summer. They visited Germany, Austria and Switzerland over the course of 12 days. Filled with amazing food, cute antique shops and wonderful scenery, Munich was by far Alyssa’s favorite city.

“In Munich we saw a lot of dogs walking around with leashes, and we learned that they get to go to puppy school, and if they graduate they get to walk around freely with their owners,” Michalek said.

Michalek was able to do a variety of activities as they went from one city to another. They took bus rides to a new city everyday. They started from Vienna and continued to other cities such as Salzberg, Freiburg, and Lucerne. They ended their trip in Cologne.

“It was so cool to wake up everyday and go to completely different cities possibly in completely different countries. There was always something to be looking at, even on the long bus rides, because everything was just so picturesque,” Michalek said.

Madeline Shain, senior, was also one of the students in Michalek’s group. Shain had heard about the trip from her friends and was eager to join.

Her favorite destination was Switzerland.

“We stayed at this really cool place and you could like hear the cowbells outside. There were like a bunch of cows and it was a super quaint little town we stayed in,” Shain said.

During the trip, the Europe heat wave reached its peak, setting all time high temperature records in multiple cities, including the city where Shain’s group stayed. The highest temperature reached over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

While Coull’s group was enjoying their time in Europe, Jenny Wang, senior, went on another educational trip to Europe, with a group led

by Keith Brock, swim coach and math teacher. Wang visited many cities in the Big smiles- From left to right, Becky Deroy, Karli Keller, Madeline Mediterranean including Shain, Alyssa Michalek and Laura Deroy, all seniors, pose for a Venice, Florence, Rome, Greece picture on their summer trip to Europe. They visited Germany, and Adelphi in 17 days.

Austria and Switzerland over the course of 12 days. “It was so cool “I was also interested in the to wake up everyday and go to completely different cities possibly artwork and stuff, especially in in completely different countries,” Michalek said. The heat wave in Italy.

And then I really liked Europe reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the trip. Madeline Greek mythology. So going to Shain/With Permission

Greece is really nice for that. And the fact that since he was my swim coach, it made everything so much easier,” Wang said.

Wang and her group stayed the longest in Florence, which gave her the opportunity to learn more about the people and culture. She was given free time to roam around and explore the foriegn cities on her own.

“The main reason Florence was my favorite was because of all the flea markets and being able to climb the duomo,” Wang said. “But the Mercado central made our visit so much more interesting because it was a giant food court of gourmet Italian food and it was walking distance so every morning we would go there.”

While Wang enjoyed most of her time in Europe, there were some difficulties she had to face when staying in a foriegn country.

“One night in Venice, we took the wrong bus back to our hotel and we ended up riding that bus around the entire city for about two hours. It was a really interesting ride since it was about 10 p.m. and all of us weren’t that great with Italian,” Wang said.

Many people have seen Europe through the media and learned about it in textbooks but these students were able to experience Europe’s culture in person and they fully recommend a summer trip to Europe.

“It is a one in a lifetime experience. A lot of history was made there. It is a chance to roam around different cities and enjoy the different cultures in each place. It is a very nice break from America,” Wang said.

Water under the bridge- Jenny Wang, senior, stands over a river. -Her group was led by Keith Brock, swim coach and math teacher. One night in Venice, we took the wrong bus back to our hotel and we ended up riding that bus around the entire city for about two hours. It was a really interesting ride since it was about 10 p.m. and all of us weren’t that great with Italian,” Wang said. Along with Venice, Wang also visited Florence, Rome, Greece and Adelphi in 17 days. Jenny Wang/With Permission

While some people prefer to spend the entirety of the summer within the confines of society, others enjoy going outside their comfort zone and travel off of the beaten path into the wilderness.

Megan Hague, sophomore, was able to go on an exciting river rafting and hiking trip to Northern California this August.

“I went to Sacramento for river rafting which was a lot of fun, very adventurous,” Hague said.

This trip was full of new experiences for Hague; this being her first time going river rafting, as well as campin camping. “This was my first time camping, camping. We slept in a tent we normally sleep in a cabin,” abin,” H ab Hague said.

One especially notable ble le memory meeemory ry was an unexpected visitor on their hike through the mountains of Devil’s Peak, eak, C Califo California. foornia.

“There was this big stream am wee had to cross, and then, n, between n bettw wee w eeen n the trees, t we could see the little bears. So we had d to ba back ack aw away a aand go all the wayy back back,” ,”” H Hague ssaid. Although Ha h h it may have cut their hike short, hort, sshe fe felt it w was an awesome op opportunity pportunity pp ppo pportu nity ity ty to sse see all of the wildlife iife in nature and her trip was ov overal overall allll a su suc success.

Matt Lippert, sophomore, omore, more, e, Justi Justin McAlister, senior, rr, and dR Rya Ry Ryan yaan You Younes, u senior, spent two weeks of their summer at Philmont hi Scout Ranch, h, a 14 h 1140,177 440, 40 0,,11177 ac acre c “Scouting Paradise” dise” d located in New Mexico. Before arriving at Philmont, t, the B Booyy Scout Boy Scou Scouts needed to decidee on the possible routes and activities the crew could do. Each route ute wa was 11 days in duration on and had varying distances.

During his time at Philmont, Lippert was able to participate in exciting activities, such as archery, shotgun shooting, blacksmithing and dealing with nature’s unpredictability.

“One time we were caught in the middle of a massive hailstorm, and all 12 of us were all huddled underneath one tarp as the hail fell all around us,” Lippert said. “It was a total bruh moment.”

Lippert, McAllister and Younes went on their desired trek as a part of a crew of 12 people, four adults and eight boy scouts. Along their trek, it seemed as if each day brought a new challenge, which just served to showcase the adversity of the Boy Scouts.

“The most difficult thing I did over there had to be between navigating through a several mile open field with no trail, or peaking three mountains in one day,” McAlister said.

Amongst these challenges, the scouts shared funny moments and made several memories. “My favorite memory was on Day nine; it had been raining and hailing on and off the whole trip and most of the guys just decided to lose it for 30 mins during a thunderstorm,” Younes said. “I just sat back and watched, and I’m never forgetting that.”

However, it’s not necessary to be a Boy Scout to go on a trek at Philmont. “I would definitely recommend others go to Philmont, since it’s a journey not only physically, but spiritually as well,” McAlister said. “You learn a lot about yourself and your crew when you are faced with two weeks in the wild.”

Rafting- Megan Hague, sophomore, experiences river rafting in Sacramento along with her family. “There was this big stream we had to cross, and then, between the trees, we could see the little bears. So we had to back away and go all the way back,” Hague said. Along with river rafting, Hague had the opportunity to go on a hiking trip in Northern California in August. Megan Hague/With Permission

9

Over the summer, a few students went out of state to expand their knowledge of the arts, as well as enjoying their time spent.

Marie Amelle-Thenoz, senior, went to a summer intensive at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, Washington.

“They have a summer training program each year that lasts five weeks in July and some of August. Girls and boys from all over the country and the world ranging from ages 12 to 19, come to pursue ballet training,” Amelle-Thenoz said.

This was Amelle-Thenoz’s second year, and she has progressed to the top level of the program, jumping two levels from last year. Amelle-Thenoz says she no not only learned new skills at the training, but also created lasting memories.

“In the highest level, we were required to do all off our ba ballett classes on pointe, which is considerably harder. I did do a bunch off new scaryy lifts this summ summer. m I (also) got a lot better at hops on pointe (as welll as) être-ch être-chatêtre-chat-six,” ch said Amelle-Th melle-Th m le-Th e-Thenoz. enoz “II adored getting to meet so man many eclectic people le that hat all hav have a fiery passion for dance.

I also was in love with h the he dance stud studios we got to dance ance nce ce in. They e are right behind the Space Need Needle dl in the Heart off Seattle, and on oone of the best parts rts about being in the pre-professional level w was being able too have actual p professional PNB (Pacific North Nor Northwest Ballet) company memb m members,” b Amelle-Then enoz noz said said.

E Ev Even though Amelle-Th e-Thenoz is not completely sure of what she wants in her career, she feels tthe program prepared ared red her in mu m multiple ways if she wanted to go into that field.

“The program definitely gave me the confidence and assurance to know that if I want to be a dancer, I think I could. Having classes with a variety of different teachers over a short, but packed period of time, taught me that… I needed to be my own teacher and to hold myself to high standards even when the teacher was looking at something else,” AmelleThenoz said.

Similarly, another student had witnessed a program involving the arts. Instead of dance, Jack Martino, sophomore, attended Berklee School of Music in Boston over the summer for a rigorous music program.

“I really just wanted to have the experience of going to the college that I want to go to when I’m done with high school,” Martino said,“I was there for around seven weeks or so.

The program itself was five weeks, but there was testing and auditions which took up extra time.”

Martino felt that this program gave him a lot of experience and growth in his musicality. “I learned many new [music] theory concepts along with new perspectives,” Martino said.

Not only did Berklee give him the opportunity to grow, it also allowed him to take matters into his own hands. “I used to write music mainly for other people, but now I more or less write for myself. The people who truly understand you will enjoy your music no matter what, (and) those are the people you want around you,” Martino explained.

In Boston, there were Pointe- Marie Amelle-Thenoz, senior, dances at Pacific Northwest plenty to do for the several Ballet studio in Seattle. She attended a ballet summer intensive for five weeks Martino had spent weeks. “I adored getting to meet so many eclectic people that all have there. “Some nights, we’d a fiery passion for dance. I also was in love with the dance studios we be out late having parties got to dance in,” Amelle-Thenoz said. This was Amelle-Thenoz’s second year, and she has progressed to the top level of the program, jumping at the docks, or in my two levels from last year. Marie Amelle-Thenoz/With Permission dorm just watching movies with my roomies and friends. I would walk around the city for hours with a friend or two, mostly because I like one on one time with people, (since) it’s more genuine” Martino said.

“Newbury Park and Boston are obviously very different, but when I go back, it will be both for the city and college” Martino said.

10

features Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

Camille Lee rises to TikTok fame Reese Kelem Photographer

Over the summer, many students at NPHS gained new hobbies. Camille Lee, senior, spent her time becoming famous on Tiktok, a social media app where people can make music video clips and share them with the public. Also known as @ camillexlee, Lee participates frequently on TikTok and has recently become extremely popular. She has been creating these videos since February and currently has 295,700 followers and 5.2 million likes.

Lee said she initially became popular with “the TikTok I created with Jake Lidman, who goes to Thousand Oaks High School, who was TikTok famous before me, so I basically used his clout and then I got big.”

Lidman, @goopgiver12, currently has 48,800 followers and 374,000 hearts and features Lee in several of his videos.

The video that skyrocketed Lee’s career, with 29,800 likes, uses the song “Mama I’m a Big Girl Now” by Maddie Baillio and it includes Lidman among her other friends.

Lee’s fame has greatly affected her as well as her friends and family. Some close to her were confused at first in regards to the app but still supported her. Kalyna Lewis, sophomore, is a close friend of Lee and said, “At football games, kids will come up and

you d id n ot know ab out

things

5

Guess who?

Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor

Guess who this issue’s featured teacher is, and you could be mentioned in our next newspaper!

1

They lift weights five times a week.

2

They love to relax on beaches in Hawaii.

3

They love to teach Lord of the Flies for its lessons on human nature.

4

They graduated from CSU Northridge.

5

They have a stash of chocolate in their room at all times.

Guess the teacher by filling out the Google form found on our website and posted on our social media! Responses must be submitted by October 14. To win, you must be the first person to guess correctly.

Find us on Instagram and Twitter @npprowler and on our website pantherprowler.org

And I oop- Lee’s account gets extremely close to her goal of 300 thousand followers with only about 500 followers left to gain. Lee’s videos have spiked in popularity in the community since she began making TikToks in February. Camille Lee/With Permission

tell her they’ve seen her on TikTok and get a picture.”

Lee also thought that it was a bit weird at first. “I was like all these little girls and little boys are like obsessing over me but it’s whatever,” Lee said.

Despite Lee’s popularity, “Camille is still super humble and doesn’t brag about anything now and as a person she hasn’t changed,” Lewis said. Becca Romain, sophomore and another friend of Lee, said that Lee has had a very positive impact on the TikTok community.

“I’ve never seen her post anything negative” Romain said.

When Lee returned to school in August, her popularity on the app led to people calling her “the TikTok girl.” Lee comes up on the “For You Page” quite often, or the section of the app that suggests videos for viewers. Romain says she has watched Lee’s videos about two or three times since she has downloaded the app during summer.

“I wasn’t surprised because I knew she had a lot of followers, but it was exciting to see someone I knew,” Romain said. Lewis says she sees Lee’s videos frequently and that they have had a positive impact.

“She makes me laugh,” Lewis commented.

Lee says she will continue to make videos, and hopes to remain popular on this rising social media app.

Gia Saputo makes Snapchat sparkle Emily Augustine Front Cover Editor A 2012 iMac sits in front of her as she places the small, shiny sparkles exactly where she wants them. When she is happy with the final product, she releases it for thousands of people who use it to make their surroundings look magical.

Gia Saputo, junior, is a 16 year old Official Lens Creator (OLC) for the social media app Snapchat. With 36,000 people subscribed to her account, she creates her own original lenses on her computer which Snapchat posts on the Discover page.

Lenses are visual effects or filters that can be applied to a Snapchat photo or video. It ranges from funny faces to flattering filters, and the possibilities are endless as to what lenses can be created.

“It was November of last year and it was during the fires, and I had nothing to do because it was two weeks off, and I was sitting at home,” Gia said. “It doesn’t seem too hard, but actually it was pretty hard to figure out at first and then I published my first lens.” Gia’s first lens became one of her most popular lenses.

“I got an email from someone at Lens Studio which is the application that I use,” Gia said, “so I applied and I was on a conference call with people who are like the head of the OLC stuff, and they really liked me and so I became an official lens creator in November 25 (2018).”

A Snapchat OLC is provided with free Snapchat merchandise, exclusive invitations to certain events put on by Snapchat and more publicity for their lenses.

“I like a lot of vibrant things... I like magical stuff, so like a lot of my lenses have to do with like sparkles or like super bright colors,” Gia said. She uses Lens

Studio, a software for lens creators that partners with Snapchat.

“I get a lot of like anonymous messages of like people saying they are really inspired by me, and they want to do what I do,” Gia said, “It’s really interesting that people that I don’t know from different countries or different states or like area codes, they think that I’m inspiring and it’s really motivating.” Gia links an anonymous messaging program to her Snapchat known as YOLO where viewers often send her a variety of responses ranging from criticism to compliments.

“I’m actually...going to a festival in October called Lens Fest,” Gia said, “so I get to meet all my friends that I’ve made through this community. I’ve made one really close friend, Ana Casciello.” Lens Fest is a convention for OLC’s, and Ana Casciello has been creating lenses since October of last year.

“We met each other, I want to say through (direct messaging). We both had made lenses and we talked to each other, like almost looking for help with something that we were stuck on, and then we just kind of became friends through that,” Casciello said. She is currently a freshman at Virginia Tech with a major in Computer Science Engineering.

“I love everyone in the (OLC) community. I’m friends with a lot of people in the community so I definitely

Magic- Gia Saputo, junior, poses for a selfie using one of her own Snapchat lenses that she created. She does not have a set schedule for the release of her lenses, although Lens Studio contacts her monthly and gives recommended dates to post. Jessica Zhou/ Prowler

feel like Snapchat did a great job of like allowing us to communicate with each other.” Casciello said. Casciello often seeks help from other OLCs to balance lens creating with school work.

“A lot of people ask me if I get paid, and I do not, but people can pay me to make them a lens,” Gia said. She has never accepted any requests to create a lens for pay, and she intends to decline until a company contacts her to create one.

“I don’t think anybody in our family has ever, you know, they don’t have traditional jobs...everybody is kind of creative,” Dana Saputo, Gia’s mother, said. It was not until Gia’s first lens became popular on Snapchat that she discovered Gia’s lens creations.

“We don’t have any scientists (in the family). Let me put it that way,” Dana said. The Saputo family consists of three generations of creative types ranging from illustrators to designers to art directors, and Gia is proven to be no different.

“I didn’t think that I would be doing this at all, like this is something that has changed my life,” Gia said. “It’s opening a lot of doors.”

features Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

Teacher 1 Coull: “PJ, Boujee, Red Rose, Class Colors”

Name all of the Spirit Days last week

Magnante: “PJ, Hawaiian, Bouje, Red, Class Colors” Answer: PJ Day, Tropical Tuesday, Bad & Boujee, Red Rose Day, & Class Colors Both out with a bang, and at 1-1 each!

2

What’s the second most popular sport in the world?

VS

Sarena Kabir Staff Writer Adalia Luo Staff Writer

2-2

It’s a tie!

Teacher What color are aircraft black boxes?

5 Coull: “I was thinking of a game at first… Grey” Magnante: “Orange is the new black” Answer: Bright Orange Magnante pulls out a win, and with a little sass 2-1 Magnante

country are beavers the national 6 What emblem of?

Coull: “Football” Magnante: “Rugby” Answer: Cricket Their fatal mistake was not knowing their animals.

1-1

Coull: “Canada” Magnante: “Brazil” Answer: Canada And in a final twist, Coull brings it back and wins the point! Both tied once again!

2-2

was the first middle school in the 3 Where U.S.?

Coull: “New York” Magnante: “Connecticut, you know why? They are so much more progressive than us.”

Answer: Columbus, Ohio And their roll begins to slow with two more incorrect answers!

1-1

do kiwis originate from?

7 Where Coull: “New Zealand” Magnante: “New Zealand” Answer: China Great minds think alike, or so they thought.

2-2

was the score of first football game 4 What against TO high school?

Coull: “Do you know why I am probably closer?

Because she fell asleep on the couch at 5pm, 41-7” Magnante: “29-13” Answer: 44-21 Once again neither of them win the point! Seems like bedtime doesn’t quite determine school spirit…

1-1

11

8 Who was the bachelorette last season?

Reese Kelem/ Prowler

Coull: “Becca” Magnante: “I don’t know, I’ll say Uniconnie” Answer: Hannah And that is it! No one steals the point and the final score is 2-2

Richard Kick clicks and computes Jacob Malone Back Cover Editor The internet is an essential tool to today’s society, yet very few know what it truly is. However, with a smile on his face and a pep in his step, one teacher on campus helps young techies navigate the complex realm of code. Richard Kick is his name and computer science is his game.

Kick may be known as the friendly, Tesla-driving, technology fanatic of Newbury Park High School, but there is much more to his life than what is seen on the surface.

It all started in Kankakee, Illinois, where Kick was born and raised. “It was at one point, national study ranked the worst place to live in the United States,” Kick said. “That was all I knew. It was normal, and then after I left it, I found out it was not a normal place. It was pretty bad.”

Kick began his teaching career as early as freshman year when he realized he could use his acquired knowledge and knack for teaching to help others. “I taught algebra, the teacher taught geometry, and I knew from the beginning of freshman year that I was going to love teaching,” Kick said.

This early dip into teaching was interrupted as Kick began college at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and married his wife during his junior year of college.

“In eighth grade, we were going steady, and then we broke up and didn’t really talk much until senior (year) in high school, and then we started dating again. We were very serious and knew by the time we were going to college, we would get married,” Kick said.

Lecture-Mr. Kick stands in the front of his classroom. Mr. Kick has been teaching for 40 years. Before teaching Mr Kick, “played baseball at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and I started playing tennis for USTA tennis teams,” he said. Jacob Malone/ Prowler

After acquiring his bachelor’s degree in Illinois, Kick moved to the Chicago suburbs where he taught math to high school students, coached various sports teams and started his family. “(My) two children were with me while I was coaching and filming basketball games,” Kick said. “They would be in the gym

with me running around and jumping on all the mats and kind of grew up in a school environment.”

Kick’s daughter attended UC Berkeley and is now a lawyer while his younger son is a software engineer and UCLA graduate.

“My daughter was very much into chorus, and very much into math team and very much into academics, and my son was very much into sports, wrestling, (and) football,” Kick said.

Upon his arrival as a math and computer science teacher at NPHS, Kick serves as a role model to his students. “What I admire most about Mr. Kick is his passion; his passion for his career, his accomplishments, and his students,” Stephen Liu, senior, said. Liu is currently taking AP Computer Science A after having taken AP Computer Science Principles the previous year.

Kick’s teaching style has been proven to stand out against other teachers due to his frequent hands-on approach. “I think Mr. Kick is successful because he has a unique teaching style,” Taylor Grimes, senior, said. “He teaches us so that we understand and are not simply copying everything down.” This is Grimes’ first year taking a computer science class, and he had joined the class with little to no prior knowledge of the subject.

After teaching at four high schools and three colleges, Kick joined the NPHS staff in 2007. “13 years is the longest I’ve ever taught (on one campus), so obviously, this has been a very enjoyable place for me,” Kick said.

12

entertainment Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor Jessica Zhou DPS Editor

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is largely due to the subpar plot, which drags on and provides little excitement. The only mildly exciting part was when Pennywise turned into a giant spider at the end of the movie, which was pretty ridiculous after a couple of minutes.

Furthermore, “IT Chapter Two” failed to jump out of the structure of a typical horror movie. All the jump scares were predictable and many of the characters served no purpose other than to add “horror” to the movie. While we thought it was mostly going to be centered around Pennywise, it turned out to be Pennywise’s zombies that took the spotlight. Henry Bowers, the main characters’ bully in “IT,” also makes a return as he escapes jail with a knife and a zombie companion. But after stabbing Eddy in the face and attempting to murder Mike, he ends up being killed after a roughly ten minutes of screentime, with his overall purpose in the movie being a head scratcher.

Overall, “IT Chapter Two” is approximately three hours that we will never get back. If you are a huge Stephen King fan, it might be worth your time to see the movie. But if you are looking for a horror movie that is as good as the first installment of the franchise was, we recommend you stay away.

Cl

Pennywise the Dancing Clown makes his return in “IT Chapter Two,” which was released on Sept. 6 as a sequel to the highly successful “IT” from 2017. “IT Chapter Two” takes place 27 years later and features our original gang of clown fighters as adults, all of whom have parted ways and largely forgotten the horrors of Derry, Maine. However, Pennywise has been sighted again and the group must return to Derry to defeat the evil once and for all.

Prior to seeing the movie, we were a little put off by the reviews found online. On Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, “IT Chapter Two” has a rating of 63 and 59 percent respectively.

Additionally, several audience reviews claimed the movie was long, cliched and disappointing. However, remembering how good “IT” was, we decided to follow through and give the movie a chance. In a mostly empty theater, we saw the movie and left disappointed.

First off, “IT Chapter Two” rings in at a whopping two hours and 50 minutes. Although there are several phenomenal movies that are longer in length, this is not one of them. The movie feels extremely long, and we could not help checking our phones at several points to gauge how much time was left. This

60’s hollywood swings into 2019 Jessica Zhou DPS Editor “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” has everything you need to define it as an absolutely outstanding movie. The music, the outfits, the famous LA restaurants, the 1966 Cadillac Coupe de Ville and the cigarettes instantly bring you to the glorious age of 1960s’ Hollywood. More than just illustrating an era, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” retells the story of the famous entertainment capital and changes history as you watch it.

Upon its release on July 26, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is Quentin Tarantino’s major comeback.

Tarantino’s movies are known for their nonlinear narratives, long dialogues and unique portrayal of violence. Of course his love for feet and spaghetti Westerns also take a major part in this new movie.

When I first heard about “Once Upon a Time in

Hollywood,” I was purely interested because of Leonardo Decaprio and Brad Pitt. It was later when I heard from a friend that the movie was going to be centered around the Tate murders. Therefore a few weeks after, as I was walking into the movie theater, I expected to see a story that revolved around Sharon Tate and the end of innocence in 1960s Hollywood.

However, after three hours, I walked out completely bedazzled -- it was nothing like what I had imagined.

A major spotlight of the movie was focused on the heartfelt friendship between the semi-famous Hollywood actor Rick Dalton (Decaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt). As Dalton faced a downhill in his career, Booth became his driver, house repairman and alcohol companion. While both were always seen together, their differences were made sure to be apparent. In the beginning of the movie, Booth

Music Corner!

Alyssa Boedigheimer/Prowler

Emma Schoors Photographer From Wallows releasing two end of summer jams to Green Day’s pulsating return, the recent overflow of new alternative and rock music is looking particularly good as fall approaches.

Speaking of Wallows, the trio is growing increasingly popular every day. Their new singles “Trust Fall” and “Just Like a Movie” are weave-ins to the basket of alternative they’ve created, and following the release of their debut album “Nothing Happens,” listeners are bombarded in the best way possible with the band’s new music.

Moving on, The Growlers latest release of “Try Hard Fool” is a perfect blend of the band’s earlier, grittier sound and their more recent, synthesizer-heavy record “Casual Acquaintances.” Lead singer Brooks Neilson’s vocals are on full display per usual, but the overwhelming feeling of the song is one of simplicity and casualty, with a more polished sound throughout.

Returning to the topic of Green Day, the rock band is back again with Billie Joe Armstrong trolling the entirety of his fan base for the millionth time.The band’s newest single and title track for their upcoming new album, “Father of All...” is exactly what you would expect from the band sound wise. However, the band is veering away from the specificity of politics and more into the topic of the world right now in general when it comes to lyrics. We can expect “a lot of depression, but with a sense of humor,” Armstrong said.

In anticipation of the band’s new album “Beneath The Eyrie,” Pixies are back with a three song contribution of “St. Nazaire”, another great example of the band’s ability to achieve the signature Pixies sound without ripping it off or overdoing it. While over the years they have gone through a hefty amount of aesthetic and sound changes, they have kept their flare and impulsivity which is what makes great music, and one can only hope the full length record follows this path too.

drove his old worn-down Volkswagen to his trailer in the valley after dropping off Dalton in his 1966 Cadillac at his ranch located on a hill in Hollywood.

However, the mind-boggling, history changing, mesmerizing moment came at the end as Tex Watson, Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel, all actors, arrived at 10050 Cielo Drive in Los Angeles, the home of Sharon Tate. An allusion to the Tate murders, these three people were ordered

by Charles Manson to murder whoever was in that house. ***SPOILERS AHEAD*** In the movie, Tate and her three friends were still together in her house that night, so Waston and his companions turned their target to the next door neighbour, Rick Dalton.

Coincidentally, that night Booth and his pitbull, Brandy, were also at Dalton’s home. To put it simply, Booth and Brandy killed two of the murderers through a rather violent combat and Dalton used a flamethrower to kill the last murderer.

As expected, the movie concluded with rather high rankings: 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and 83 percent on Metacritic. It also finished off with a box office of $313.9 million. Unpredictable, comedic, intriguing -- “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is definitely one of the better movies of 2019.

Emily Augustine/Prowler

entertainment Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

So good it will turn you vegan

13

Carter Castillo Opinion Editor Vegan Thyme is a cozy local restaurant near the corner of Michael Drive. Though it is small, the food and service is excellent. The restaurant only has about five tables, so it gets pretty crowded fast. However, the restaurant is very clean and it’s size allows it to be much more personable.

The restaurant is aptly named as it is a vegan Thai restaurant.

Everything at the restaurant is completely vegan, with a few gluten-free options as well. Despite the Thai theme, the restaurant has a varied menu that also includes burgers and wraps.

When I walked into the restaurant, I was greeted by the waitress and chose a seat at the corner of the room, noticing how quaint and small the restaurant is. The waitress working there was super kind, and she helped us pick the best items on the menu.

I started with the tempura vegetables, which are essentially just fried veggies, and they were a delectable treat. The tempura was followed by the shiitake mushroom soup, another great appetizer to ease yourself into the meal.

Finally, it was time for the main course. The food is served family style, where meals are served on a large plates to share and each diner can take what they want.

I would highly recommend the pad-see-ew with soy beef, which is a long flat noodle that, like other dishes, can be served with soy meat or tofu. The noodle dishes are a great place for the soy meat to shine. The soy complements the noodles without overpowering them, and while it certainly does not taste exactly like meat, it leaves nothing to be desired.

Personally, I like spicy food, so I enjoyed the fried rice and drunken noodles, however some people very visibly did not enjoy the spiciness. Be forewarned, spicy means that it will actually be spicy.

The restaurant was a wonderful experience, and even though I still am not a vegan, I would highly recommend this restaurant to anybody who wants a meal they can enjoy and feel good about afterwards.

Coming from a meat lover, this place knows how to fill you up, so much so that you will not even miss eating meat.

Standing Out- Vegan Thyme is certainly the most unique restaurant at the strip mall. Though it may stand out, once inside you will feel right at home. Carter Castillo/Prowler

Lowe’s vs. Home Depot: hardware stores battle it out Prasheetha Karthikeyan Features Editor Adalia Luo Staff Writer Home Depot and Lowe’s: they have their differences, their similarities, their pros and cons. But above all, they have wood.

Wood, sold in every which way possible: cut, uncut, that’s really about it.

To be completely candid with all our wood fanatics out there, that is not what we’re actually talking about, but it seemed necessary to pay homage to before we dive headfirst into the deep end of the scariest part of adulthood: DIY home decor and improvement. Needless to say, as two non-home owning teenagers, we knew we were the most qualified to examine the differences between Lowe’s and Home Depot.

First up: Lowe’s.

Upon walking into Lowe’s, it was obvious that it was on the cleaner, sleeker side. We began to browse, stumbling upon a pair of clay cowboy boots, which we later found to be a garden accessory. Quickly, we realized that we weren’t actually strong enough to “DIY” carrying them. Maybe we should’ve sprung for strength improvement instead of home improvement.

We needed to get a cart, so we searched for one everywhere to no avail, until after 15 minutes. It was only then that we found, tucked in a tiny crevice near the lumber yard, a glorious group of carts. To clarify, we, a non-biased source, would like to

The Hunt- The shopping carts are hidden near the lumber yard (shown by arrow in the bottom left corner). After 15 minutes, we were relieved to find the poorly placed carts and began our journey through Lowe’s. Unless management decides to relocate their shopping cart storage, the search shall remain difficult. Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler

confirm that the elusivity of the carts comes from objectivity, not our incompetence. Play our new game “spot the carts” and see (or rather, don’t) for yourself.

Next, we decided to ask an associate for a kayak. It was in stock on both Lowes’ and Home Depot’s websites, so we knew it was a fundamental part of the home improvement journey.

This was a crucial opportunity for Lowe’s to outshine Home Depot.

Clearly, the employee we asked did not agree. As we hurriedly explained the denotation of “kayak,” he stood staring at us before faux-rowing one, without losing eye contact, for what felt like an hour of uncomfortable silence. He followed this with condescending scoffs of absurdity and told us that Lowe’s doesn’t sell kayaks.

Safe to say, we didn’t ask the associates anything else. We browsed a bit but Lowe’s didn’t have anything worth checking out. The exception was our beloved clay boots. However, this isn’t without some honorable mentions: • The EXTENSIVE bath section.

• The lamp section that lit up the store.

• Halloween decorations!

Up next, Home Depot.

Prior to entering Home Depot, we made a plan to divide and conquer based on the list of extremely specific items that we had found on the Home Depot website. We shamelessly walked up to different associates and asked for items, ranging from basic home improvement necessities like jerky guns, for making jerky on the go, all the way to pots that look like a 70-year-old Harley’s Angel head with feet. We saw these items offered on the website, so before criticizing us for wasting corporate time, we assumed that they, or similar items, would be easily found in store.

When we asked employees where to find these items, they did not respond simply by imitating the torsoless Harley’s Angel, like a certain Lowe’s employee we know would. Instead, they were surprisingly pleasant and tried to aid us as best they could.

We later found that just about all of the items we were looking for were either out of stock or only available online, which was fairly disappointing. We then continued to roam around the store for more items, and our finds were more significant than those of Lowe’s. Among these items, the best was arguably the bug zapper, but the honorable mentions are:

• The giant, decorative, fluff y spider.

• SO MANY COOLERS. • Also grills.

Now, the verdict.

Without a doubt, there is only one conclusion to take. The true losers of today, were us. We argued about the usage of the word “wasted,” but we definitely wasted over three hours just on going to the stores alone. The fact is, these places just aren’t userfriendly for ordinary people like us, especially ones that lack a home to improve in the first place.

The true issue here is that we were purposeless, wandering, confused, and so consumed with our own crises to see the bigger picture: Lowe’s doesn’t even have carts. Anyway, if we had to choose one, neither really have any special qualities. We realized that home is where the heart is, and that was where the real improvement was.

Comparisons- Home Depot (above) and Lowe’s (below) are both jam -packed with supplies. Even though they have similar items, we found that both stores are not user-friendly. Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler

14

sports Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

The new girl takes on the boys Sarena Kabir News Editor Alyssa Ramirez, freshman and running back, is currently the only girl on the frosh-soph football team, and has the responsibility to take down the boys.

Ramirez decided to join the football team at Future Panther Night, after seeing that it was co-ed, but she had been fond of the game from a young age. “Since I was little, my mom has always watched football, and then I started getting into it and then I wanted to start to play,” Ramirez said.

Alyssa’s brother, Robert Ramirez, senior, has supported Alyssa and her journey on the football team. “Everyone loves the fact that she is doing this, (and) a portion of that is because it is football but most of it is simply because we love her and would support her with any sport she may have chosen,” Robert said.

At first, the Ramirez family was worried about the violence in the fame, but their family wants to support her in her games.

“As her older brother, I worry a tad about injury, but otherwise, I am very excited. I’m always really happy whenever I get to see her play, and honestly, it’s one of the best things ever,” Robert said.

At practices, Alyssa has to go through a series of drills. “For my position, we do stuff for handoffs and we’ll do this one thing and they are called cheeseburgers and we get held back and we have to run and we do cutbacks and stuff for swings,” Alyssa said.

Even though Alyssa is a running back, she is open to trying other positions on the team, too. “The only other position I

would wanna play is a receiver, but I like running back better,” Alyssa said.

Trejo Kimball, freshman and starting linebacker, is on the frosh-soph team with Alyssa, and says the team treats her just like any other player. “During practice, we go to the same amount of aggressiveness to her as every other teammate. We don’t go softer or harder,” Kimball said.

Tyson Grimes, freshman and defensive back, says that Alyssa has been very helpful in all aspects of the game. “She knows the plays as well as anyone on the team, and even when she isn’t playing, she helps us to understand our schemes,” Grimes said.

Many of the players, including Alyssa, feel that the team is one big family, and are excited for the rest of the season.

“I speak for myself and my teammates when I say that we are all pretty close,” Grimes said,“ There’s just a camaraderie from being on this team that you can’t really find anywhere else.”

On the field, Alyssa has been playing quite a bit. “I have been playing the second half on defense as a linebacker and a little bit of offense as a running back,” Alyssa said.

She’s the one- Alyssa Ramirez, freshman, poses in her football gear as she gets ready for a game. “Since I was little, my mom has always watched football, and then I started getting into it and then I wanted to start to play,” Ramirez said.

She is currently the only female on the frosh-soph football team and holds the linebacker position. With Permission/Alyssa Ramirez

Girls’ tennis starts new season with new coaches Rahul D’Souza Chief Photographer Going into the first Marmonte League games this season, the girls’ tennis team has added two new coaches to their staff, after the last coach stepped down. Head coach Meg Hammer and assistant coach Karrie Markrud have brought new perspectives to the team’s game, as well as different coaching styles.

“The new coaches have begun implementing more drills that have helped the team gain new skills. We have also begun using different plays to use against a wide variety of opponents,” Ellie Evans, senior and captain, said.

The coaches are focusing more on specific techniques and skills this year. Hammer has the players work on strategies for doubles, work on shots down the line, and making clear and strong volleys. They also go over point strategies and placement of the ball to hit clear winners.

“This year has been more competitive as returning players have had to prove their skills to a new coach. The increase in competitiveness has allowed for the team to achieve one of the main goals of this season, to always come out playing your best,” Evans said.

Many of the players say they have improved their game during the summer off-season practices, using the new coaches to add to their game.

“Coach Hammer is really focusing this year on getting us to be in top physical shape,” Nina Almaoui, sophomore, said. The players will do sit-ups, run lines, sprints, and drills to strengthen their foot work.

With conditioning at practice everyday, the players have been building their strength, endurance and game strategy. In addition, they practice drills on skills like volleying at the net, serves and shots in different places on the court.

“At every practice, we work on serving wide or down the middle...having a solid serve is a huge part of the game,” Hammer said.

By working on every part of the game, Hammer hopes to get the players to a higher level. She says she believes that the skills and conditioning that the players work on during practice will help ensure that they can close out tie-breaking games and sets, even after hours of playing.

“The girls are all here to compete and win and it feels good that they are up to train hard for practice,” Hammer said.

Ace- New head coach, Megan Hammer, talks to assistant coach, Karrie Markrud about the strengths and weaknesses from the last matches.

Beyond just forehands and backhands, “The strength of the tennis team is that they are having fun and building friendships that go beyond the tennis court,” Hammer said. The team had their first league game on Thursday after a rocky start during preseason, but they are looking forward to winning more sets this year and doing their best. With Permission/ Sarah Wang

15

sports Panther Prowler • Sept. 20 2019

Girls golf swings into season Adalia Luo Staff Writer This season, the girl’s golf team is stepping up their game.

With a fuller roster, captain Jamie Jewett, senior, is determined to lead this new family to victory.

“My goals are to improve our season record from last year and so far I’m confident we can do it. This year we have more players on our roster so we’re able to play more girls and get everyone more experience,” Jewett said. Since August, the team has already played two matches and continues to develop close friendships.

“I’ve definitely started putting more time into trying to help all the other players improve their game instead of spending all of my time on my own practice,” Jewett said, “I feel like the team mom.”

Riley O’Leary, sophomore, is in her second season with the girl’s golf team. “Jamie’s really awesome,” O’Leary said, “She’s helped to make practices more fun by making little games for us every now and then. Practice can get pretty monotonous, just swinging over and over, so a little bit of fun with an objective can make practice less repetitive.”

This year, Jewett is especially excited to spend more time with the younger girls. “I really like what I’m seeing from all the girls, especially the freshman.”

One of these freshman recruits excited for their first high school season is Charlotte Sams. “Jamie is an amazing captain and leader,” Sams said, “She has motivated not just me but the whole team. She is always positive and is always helpful and caring to us.”

Like O’Leary said, “Jamie definitely encourages us to do our best and doesn’t get impatient when we don’t do as well. For some of the newer players and for me when I’m having an off day,

she’ll help us out and give advice on how we can improve.”

With practices Monday through Thursday, the girl’s golf team is on their way to another successful season.“ This year we’ve got a few new players who are really eager to play, and it’s pretty exciting,” O’Leary said, “I’m hoping that that new energy transfers itself out to the course and can really benefit our team in a positive way.”

Fore From left to right, freshmen Kristen Jue, Charlotte Sams, Kimberly ForeLuby, and sophomore Riley O’Leary pose during practice in a photo snapped by team captain Jamie Jewett. This year we have more players on our roster so we’re able to play more girls and get everyone more experience,” Jewett said. The team has had two matches so far and they have lost over them. With Permission/Jamie Jewett

New coach joins Black Cat Volleyball Crew Reese Kelem Staff Writer Alyssa Ramirez, freshman and running back, is currently the only girl on the frosh-soph football team, and has to play the offensive role by handling the football with care.

Ramirez decided to join the football team at Future Panther Night, after seeing that it was co-ed, but she had been fond of the game from a young age.

“Since I was little, my mom has always watched football, and then I started getting into it and then I wanted to start to play,” Ramirez said.

Alyssa’s brother, Robert Ramirez, senior, has supported Alyssa and her journey on the football team. “Everyone loves the fact that she is doing this, (and) a portion of that is because it is football but most of it is simply because we love her and would support her with any sport she may have chosen,” Robert said.

At first, the Ramirez family was worried about the possible injury that may fall upon her, but their family wants to support her in her games.

“As her older brother, I worry a tad about injury, but otherwise, I am very excited. I’m always really happy whenever I get to see her play, and honestly, it’s one of the best things ever,” Robert said.

At practices, Alyssa has to go through a series of drills with her team. “For my position, we do stuff for handoffs and we’ll

do this one thing and they are called cheeseburgers and we get held back and we have to run and we do cutbacks and stuff for swings,” Alyssa said.

Even though Alyssa is a running back, she is open to trying other positions on the team, too. “The only other position I would wanna play is a receiver, but I like running back better,”

Alyssa said.

Trejo Kimball, freshman and starting linebacker, is on the frosh-soph team with Alyssa, and says the team treats her just like any other player. “During practice, we go to the same amount of aggressiveness to her as every other teammate. We don’t go softer or harder,” Kimball said.

Tyson Grimes, freshman and defensive back, says that Alyssa has been very helpful in all aspects of the game. “She knows the plays as well as anyone on the team, and even when she isn’t playing, she helps us to understand our schemes,” Grimes said.

Many of the players, including Alyssa, feel that the team is one big family, and are excited for the rest of the season.

“I speak for myself and my teammates when I say that we are all pretty close,” Grimes said,“ There’s just a camaraderie from being on this team that you can’t really find anywhere else.”

Cheese Eager to start the varsity game against CheeseWestlake at their home, JV Coach George Hees gets ready to fight for victory. Hees, a new coach has arrived at NPHS after 14 years of experience coaching varsity boys and girls volleyball at Oaks Christian High School. “I am encouraged by my team I like how they work hard,” said Hees. Hees had many positive effects on his staff and team and hopes to continue coaching here in the future. With Permission/Emma Rosson

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sports Panther Prowler • Sept. 20, 2019

The Panther Pit gets Fired up Lets go Panthers - The panthers go wild as they cheer at the beginning of the game. Pit Leader Aiden Jimenez, senior, said his favorite part of the game was “probably filling up the whole student section and just going crazy the whole game.” The Panther Pit was full of energy on the first home football game of the season.Very early in the game, the pit was overflowing with students wild with energy to defeat NPHS’s rival, Thousand Oaks High School. Candace Crownover/Pawprint

Reese Kelem Photographer

The Panther Pit, a section of students who dress up and cheer on the panther football team at every home game, is led by Abby Scott, Aidan Jimenez, Aidan Bute, Jackson Calderwood and Bradley Magnussen this year.

The pit was sparked with great enthusiasm this year and has been overflowing with energetic students.

@nppantherpit

Lights Out! - The Panther Pit students shine their lights to cheer on their team as the night grows late. The pit leaders encouraged students to “WEAR BLACK CUZ IT’S GONNA BE A FUNERAL” (via instagram). The students herded from the tailgate to the stands which stayed full all the way until the end of the game. Reese Kelem/Prowler

Roar - Ashley Mangawang, Emily Peirson, Sydney Barth, Peyton Tovey, Olivia Coronado, Abbey Scott, (all seniors) and many more panthers get fired up it the pit to cheer on NP in the close match against TO. Reese Kelem/Prowler