Luke Varav

Panther Pit brings school spirit to basketball

Emily Augustine Front Cover Editor

Th e NPHS gym was fi lled with spectators, squeaking sneakers and most of all, Panther spirit. While families and friends of the players gave their support on the bleachers, a special section sported blue shirts as they cheered for Newbury Park.

Th e Basketball Panther Pit made its fi rst appearance this year at the boys’ varsity game against Crespi on Nov. 18. Th ey wore blue to support the victims of the Saugus High School shooting which occurred just four days before.

“We shout out the Panther Pit through three diff erent social medias. Wwe usually do Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter. We like to try to involve other students so we like to make interactive polls,” Jackson Calderwood, senior and Panther Pit leader, said. He is taking on the responsibility of leading the Pit along with Aidan Jimenez, Abbey Scott, Aidan Bute, and Bradley Mags, all seniors.

“Th e fact that we had like a lot of hype around our football games (is why) we were able to carry that over into the basketball season to make it a better turnout than last year,” Calderwood said. At its peak, there were 68 students seated at the Basketball Panther Pit on Nov. 18.

“I’ve been around a bunch of diff erent high schools and when the students come out to the games and support the teams, it can make a ton of diff erence and especially in a close game,” Steve Lepire, principal of NPHS, said. Seeing this year’s success with the Football Panther Pit and tailgates, he has a proposal for the Basketball Panther Pit.

“We are actually talking about (how) we want to do two tailgates for basketball this year for TO and Westlake,” Lepire said, “to kind of make sure everybody gets to the TO, Westlake (and) Calabasas games for the boys, and do a tailgate game for the girls as well.” Although Lepire went to high school at Crespi,

he cheered for the Panthers that night too.

“It’s great to have the support from all of our fans and all of the friends that are out there helping us, and it’s great just having extra energy for us to keep playing,” Matthew Smith, senior and boys varsity team captain said. Th e Pit’s cheers included “Defense,” “You can’t do that,”, and various names of team players including Smith, who scored a three pointer within 30 seconds of being put on the court.

“Although we didn’t come out with a win we got better,” Smith said, “and I think we can take some of the things we did wrong and better ourselves for the future games that we have.” Th e loss against Crespi was immediately followed by Panther victories against Santa Paula and Hoover high schools.

“We actually put a lot of eff ort into what we want to make the Panther Pit look like and what experience we want to give the students of NP,” Calderwood said, “We’re trying to make it the best it can be.”

Ayyyyyy- The crowd goes wild at the Boys Basketball team’s fi rst basketball game on Nov. 18. “We actually put a lot of effort into what we want to make the Panther Pit look like and what experience we want to give the students of NP,” said Jackson Calderwood, senior and Panther Pit leader. The players and the pit wore blue in support of the victims of the Saugus School Shooting. Reese Kelem/Prowler

Snow sports swoop into town

Sarena Kabir News Editor

As winter approaches, it is time for the skis and snowboards to be brought out and be put into action. Even though the California heat does not off er the best snowy places, those who are interested, do have a few places to go to. Th e most popular, being Mammoth.

Tim Schaeff ner, senior, moved from Switzerland to California in __. Schaeff ner makes time and heads over to Mammoth for about three weeks of the year.

Back in Switzerland, he began skiing at age 3. “I loved skiing from a super young age,” Shaeff ner said. “Skiing has always been apart of my life because I used to live next to a ski area and always had a lot of fun with skiing, and it has been one of my favorite things to do.”

For Shaeff ner, the sport is a way of expressing himself. “It’s like an artistic form of expressing yourself,” Shaeff ner said. “In ski racing, every turn can teach you something new, and it’s just a very special way of expressing yourself. Similar to my connection with surfi ng, it’s a beautiful way of doing things.”

Leon Burg, senior, was not brought up in this country his entire life. When he was 9 years old, he moved from America to Germany and then moved back when he was 15 years old.

Due to the big move from Germany back to California, Burg is unable to go as oft en as he used to. “When I lived in Germany, I used to go skiing for about two to three times a week, but now I go at least 5 weeks a year just because we live in California,” Burg said.

Burg’s love for skiing was primarily due to the races. “I enjoy skiing because I did ski racing, which was one of my main sports alongside soccer,” Burg said. “I think it’s just really fun … it’s a bit competitive and it’s not like a lot of other sports, so its not played with a ball or anything, it’s very diff erent.”

Jackson Calderwood, senior, is a snowboarder who started his journey at age 10 all the way in Maryland. “I was in Maryland for the winter with my mom, my friend and his mom. I’ve never seen actual snow till the day I fi rst strapped into a snowboard,” Calderwood said.

At fi rst, he had a rocky start, but that did not make him hate snowboarding. “I remember my fi rst attempt going down a small, little hill on the side of the road, and it didn’t go well at all,” Calderwood said. “I love snowboarding because it’s such a dangerous, yet amazingly fun and creative outlet to enjoy your time at the snow... I love how unique you could get with the sport and how there’s always new tricks or styles or riding that are being introduced everyday.”

Calderwood tries his best to go snowboarding throughout the year, having diff erent spots in mind depending on the season. “I personally love Mammoth Mountain because it’s such a huge mountain with so much to do.” Calderwood said. “Everything on that mountain is meant for everyone so there’s always a beginner run, and also expert runs so everyone has fun! ... For more experienced riders, I suggest Mt. Hood. It’s the only mountain in the northern hemisphere that has snow in the summer.”

For Calderwood, “I noticed how no one in the sport is the same as the other one. Everyone is very diff erent from the next but yet they all have this natural community with every other snowboarder they meet. It’s like a network that every snowboarder is connected to where everyone just gets along so well. Th at’s what really inspires me.”

Shredhred- Tim Schaeffner, senior absolutely destroys a wicked slope at Mammoth Mountain. Carving it up on the slopes is one of his favorite winter activities. “Feeling the wind whip through my luscious hair as I race down those slopes is a feeling like no other,” Schaeffner said. He hopes to continue skiing for many years to come, adamantly refusing to become a loser snowboarder. Tim Schaeffner/With Permission