Inclusive Schools week

Bobcats celebrate patriotism

Sarena Kabir News Editor

NPBA season set to begin

On Nov. 22, Banyan Elementary hosted a Patriotic Day Assembly to honor the veterans who have served our community and schools that reside in Newbury Park.

Instead of it being the adults and staff at Banyan holding the assembly, a group of students took charge. Allison Kennedy, the Banyan Principal, believed that with the kids in charge, it made more of an impact. “I think it’s more meaningful for kids when they have to think about what they want to say and what it means to them and come up with concepts of what to do. It’s really more powerful this year because of that,” Kennedy said.

Th e main goal of the assembly was to show gratitude towards the veterans. “We intended on honoring the guests by giving fl owers and fl ags. We intended to show our patriotism by singing patriotic songs and we had a lot of decorations hanging up around the school showing our patriotism and our gratitude,” Kennedy said.

Since the theme of the assembly is “We are Th ankful,” Kennedy believes that, “it really helps kids heal from all the tragedies that have happened in the past year,” she said. “I think it means a lot to our community that [...] we’re able to come back together and honor all these people that helped us.”

In Kennedy’s opening speech to the assembly, she said, “We have watched out beloved mount boney burn not once, but twice over the past year yet even though our school is less than a mile away, not one of us lost our homes and our beloved school was always safe. You make it possible for the rest of us to sleep at night because you keep us safe.”

Bill Gorback, the clerk of the CVUSD Board, attended the We are Th ankful Assembly. He recognized Kennedy’s opening speech. “I think Mrs. Kennedy did a great job explaining how close the fi res were to this school, and yet no one lost anybody because of the people who were sitting up here; it was the school giving thanks to the community,” Gorback said.

Gorback believes that at fi rst, kids can oft en initially be scared of the police uniform but here they “get to see that these people are human, they’re not only just police men and women, they are also a human being. Th ey don’t have to see them just as an offi cer. Th ey can see them as a person who has an offi ce,” Gorback said.

Lauren Bisenius, a 4th grader at Banyan who the Prowler received Wave- Banyan students gather around the stage, waving their fl ags up in the air while the school’s choir sings patriotics songs. In honor of the veterans, a group of students organized the event and passed out roses to them. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler parent permission to interview, was one of the students who held the assembly. “I wanted to motivate them to have fun, to feel proud to be an American, and to feel thankful for the heroes in our Banyan community,” Bisenius said.

Being one of the organizers of the assembly, Bisenius had several jobs. “I introduced the Banyans who sang “Th e Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless the USA.” Later, I helped distribute roses and fl ags to the kids so they could give them to their special guests,” Bisenius said.

“I enjoyed working with the other students and teachers for this assembly. It was fun preparing and working with Mrs. Kennedy,” Biensius said.

Aditya Vunnum Editor-in-Chief

Th e Newbury Park Basketball Association, or NPBA, is set to have its fi rst games of the season on Saturday, Dec. 7, and many NPHS students will be participating.

NPBA is a recreational basketball league in which high school students can both play and coach with their friends and classmates. Th e league provides a stress-free way to play without the intensity of more competitive organizations.

Prior to the beginning of the season, players participated in fi ve on fi ve games with random teams to act as tryouts. Coaches watched them play and took notes on their strengths and weaknesses before ranking them for draft picks.

Zeyad Khokhar, junior, switched from playing high school basketball to NPBA this season. “I am looking forward to playing with and against my friends during this season. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Khokhar said.

Games for the league are all hosted throughout Newbury Park on Saturdays, making it easier for high school students to participate as it does not confl ict with busy school schedules. Vivek Kanchi, senior, decided to play in the league because he enjoyed competing against his friends and felt it was a fun way to stay active.

“Other people should join because it is a fun and relaxed way to play the game and it’s not a huge time commitment,” Kanchi said.

Hayden Smith, senior, is currently playing high school basketball but has decided to coach NPBA to spend more time with his friends and be more involved with the sport.

“I think it’s a really good opportunity to pass on some knowledge to the youngsters that don’t know as much as I do,” Smith said.

In February, every team will compete in the playoff s for a chance at winning the league. Playoff s will be double elimination, and teams with a better record during season will start higher up in the bracket.

“I can’t wait to win the championship led by the best shooter in the league, Tyson Lundring, the best looking man in the league, Soren Brown, and the man who Bronny fears, Robby Keister,” Smith said.

Open Mic Night resonates with local poets

Abby Gorman Staff Writer

Adalia Luo Staff Writer

Retrospective- Sandra Knapp reads a poem titled Year One, refl ecting on her marriage, to a captive audience at Open Mic Night on Nov. 13. The poems read these weeknights often cover a wide range of topics and forms of poetry, cutting-edge and pushing boundaries. “It always amazed me how you can put 30 to 50 people in a room, and everything that they have to say is different from the one before.” Knapp said. “We all speak our hearts and have different personalities.” Abby Gorman/ Prowler

Th e air was buzzing with laughter and comradery as we sat down and took our seats in the otherwise sparse community room of the Newbury Park Library, three rows back, surrounded by close friends reuniting. As regular attendee Conor Logan stepped up to the podium, the volume of the room rose with the comfortable chuckles and jibes directed at his jacket’s decorative Polish crest.

Open Mic Night is a community event where poets from all over Ventura County gather to read and listen to locally-written poetry. Occurring every second Wednesday at the Newbury Park Library and every fourth Wednesday at the Th ousand Oaks Library, each evening starts at 6 p.m. and consists of two rounds of readings from the regular attendees. On the fourth Wednesday, the night includes an extended reading by a wellknown local poet.

About 20 people regularly attend, but anybody interested is encouraged to pay a visit, no matter the level of expertise. “If you’ve never read before, people will listen to you,” Ken Jones, event host, said. “People will give you a lot of encouragement to come again.”

Aft er moving to Newbury Park in 2017, doctor of Chinese medicine and acupuncture Conor Logan says he immediately felt welcomed by the tight-knit group of friends at Open Mic Night. “Th e greater community for Ventura County and the poet laureates and the people that help organize these events, they are so connected together, and build such a community in it,” Logan said.

Now an Open Mic Night regular, Logan is appreciative of both his fellow poets and the event itself. “I have good friends now because of this,” Logan said. “It’s changed my daily routine. I get up and think of writing. . .We pass things back and forth and help each other out.”

Not only has this event helped these local writers improve their skills, Open Mic Night has also opened up opportunities for these poets to share to a wider audience. “Th ey turn people that take this as a hobby into published poets,” Logan said.

Th ese writers also strive to bring awareness and activism through their poetry events. In light of some of the recent local tragedies, Ventura County poets came together for specialized readings about “the fi res and mudslides in Santa Barbara, the fi res in Ventura County.” Jones said. “Some of those collections of these get together and publish a book. I think that’s something that they want to do more of.”

One of the regular readers is Conejo Valley resident Sandra Knapp, who began attending Open Mic Night when they began in May 2017. “As poets, you’re always looking for a place to read,” Knapp said. “Sometimes it’s a coff ee shop or something then the place goes out of business. But to have a regular venue is really great.”

Bonnie Goldenberg, another frequent attendee, has used this event to rejuvenate her passion for poetry. “To have a regular reading series, it really encourages you to keep writing poetry,” Goldenberg said. “Even if it’s just a few people that come, at least it’s somebody to listen to you.”

Most importantly, Open Mic Night has allowed these writers an opportunity to share their passions within the community. “I just love poetry too. I just want to do something that sort of furthers poetry in the community,” Jones said. “It’s a community thing for us. It’s not just for me.”

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