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Singers at solo night strike a chord
Adalia Luo Staff Writer
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Prasheetha Karthikeyan Staff Writer
Sing- Kyla Kowalewski, senior, sings “You’ll Be Back,” a song from the musical Hamilton, for this year’s choir solo night. The best part of solo night, according to Kowalewski, was”the end of my song when I had the audience singing along with me and I belted the last part, fi nishing with a look to the distance in character” she said. “I also loved being in costume and seeing everyone’s reactions to my cloak and crown, that was really fun.” Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler
Th is past Friday, Feb. 7, the choir program had their second solo night of the year. Held in the Panther PAC, the 18 groups sung their hearts out on the big stage for their friends and family.
A long-time member of choir, Kyla Kowalewski, senior, performed twice in one night, singing a solo and in a triplet. “I chose to sing ‘You’ll Be Back’ from Hamilton,” Kowalewski said. “While it wasn’t the most challenging, it allowed me to portray a fun and engaging character, sing in a theatrical manner, and just perform a piece I already knew and loved for my senior year.”
Solo night has held a soft spot in Kowalewski’s heart aft er her years in choir. Th is year, her aspirations were just to have fun. “Performing at these nights allows me to sing those styles of songs that we may not normally get to. It really was just a chance for me to have fun and do something I love for others and share my voice,” Kowalewski said.
Post-performance, Kowalewski was over the moon. “I was really proud of how I portrayed my character, both through costume, action, and voice. I was relieved for sure that my voice didn’t crack, but I had a lot of fun and I thought that my solo went pretty well,” said Kowalewski.
For another long time choir member, Ricky Perez, senior, this was his very fi rst solo night. “On stage in those fi rst few moments, I was terrifi ed beyond belief because I thought I would do horribly since it was my fi rst ever solo performance,” Perez said.
Despite being a member of Chamber, Concert, Mens, and Barbershop Choir, Perez has been working on conquering his fear of solo performance. “What inspired me to do it was me, my goal, and those around me. I oft en wanted to do a solo but what kept me from doing one was my nervousness,” Perez said. “I was able to push past it though and perform at solo night.”
One of the last people before intermission, Perez’s performance was memorable. “Th e best part was honestly aft er my solo; I got a lot of compliments from everyone I knew. It was amazing to hear that people thought my voice was great,” Perez said.
For him, the performance was a clear milestone. “I felt relieved aft erwards, and proud,” Perez said. “I was fi nally able to do something I’ve been telling myself to do for years.”
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Concert Choir member Joah Ditto, sophomore, is a seasoned solo night performer. Playing “Stitches” on guitar for another act and singing “Santa Fe” from the Broadway show, Newsies, Ditto was a hit.
“I felt like I was able to perform however I wanted; I usually tend to let the message of the song drive my performance and act through that,” Ditto said. Giving a heartfelt rendition of the classic, Ditto’s interpretation of the piece was well-received.
“I felt really good and it’s always fun doing those solo nights,” said Ditto. “I would say that the best part would be watching my friends perform their solos and showcasing their voices and styles.”
A positive experience for all of those involved, this year’s spring solo night was one to remember. “We really were just having a fun time together,” Kowalewski said.
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Th e familiar scene with a Porsche racing down the street, Mike Lowery at the wheel, his partner Marcus in the passenger seat. Usually, this would evolve into a gunfi ght of some sorts, but not this time. Th is time, Marcus Bennet is arriving at the birth of his fi rst grandchild.
Th at scene should be enough to explain how old the “Bad Boys” stars have gotten. Lowery, played by Will Smith, used to be a daring, suave cop who didn’t care for the rules. Bennet, played by Martin Lawrence, is an absolute fool as a cop but a good family man at heart.
In “Bad Boys For Life”, Lowery is still trying to be that same cop, despite his receding hairline screaming at him to stop. Bennet, on the other hand, knows he is “too old for this s***.”
Aft er someone tries to kill Mike, he and his partner work with AMMO, an elite group of younger cops who are more tech-savvy then they are trigger-happy. Th e shoot fi rst, talk later attitude that Lowery and Bennet work with doesn’t blend well with the methods of AMMO.
Th e action scenes dominate less of the movie than in past installments, but that might be for the best. Without Michael Bay directing explosions left and right, the action scenes aren’t as gripping. Th e witty banter and chemistry between Smith and Lawrence doesn’t need directing however, and is as hilarious as ever. Aft er 17 years of the two being apart, it is refreshing to see them together.
Overall, the fi lm isn’t amazing, but no “Bad Boys” fi lm is meant to be Oscar-worthy. However, unlike the past two fi lms, this one doesn’t rely on camera action to make it interesting. It off ers some depth to the characters, humanizing them in a way that hasn’t been seen before in the franchise. It is by no means a family movie in any way, but it is defi nitely worth watching, if only for the nostalgia.
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January was a huge month in the world of alternative and rock music, with tons of new singles, albums, and tours scheduled from widely-loved bands.
Th e start of the year has been a hit for My Chemical Romance, who sold out three UK stadium dates within mere minutes of each one going on sale. Th e New Jersey based rock band, who reunited on Halloween in 2019 aft er a six year hiatus, has been selling out massive worldwide venues left and right. Th eir most recent announcement has them touring in twelve US
Music Corner!
Emma Schoors News Editor
cities, most notably selling out four nights at the Forum in Los Angeles. Similarly, Th e Strokes are creating their long-awaited fi rst album since 2013’s “Comedown Machine,” with highly anticipated dates scheduled in LA, Seattle, and Vancouver. Th ey kicked off this exciting new era by playing at a Bernie Sanders rally in New Hampshire on Feb. 10. Both of the bands have huge, dedicated fan bases and their returns have been extremely positively received.
New music has been fl ooding in throughout the past month. Up and coming alternative rock group Courier Club released “We All Want To Be Th ere” on Jan. 31, which is the band’s fi ft h single since forming. Th eir second single, “Liza”, racked up over 300,000 streams on Spotify, showing the rapidly growing interest that listeners have in the band in such a short amount of time. 2020 is shaping up to be a great year for music, and it can only get better from here.
Clarissa Shin Sports Editor
Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor
“Parasite” has grabbed attention for being the only foreign fi lm to have won “Best Picture” at the Oscars. Th e South Korean movie, directed by Bong Joon-ho, seemingly rose from the dark and has earned critical acclaim, currently holding a 99 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Aft er watching the suspenseful trailer, we entered the movie theater with absolutely no expectations. It’s safe to say that “Parasite” is the most intense fi lm we have ever watched, deserving every award it receives and more.
“Parasite” starts out as a comedy, as we were introduced to the unemployed Kim family. Th e opening scene features the whole family frantically trying to connect to free Wi-Fi from a local cafe. Ki-woo, the son of the family, is visited by a college friend, who tells him that he needs someone to take his position as an English tutor for the wealthy Park family. Ki-woo takes the opportunity and is amazed by the Park family’s affl uence, eventually duping them to get his whole family employed. From there, the movie morphs into a horror fi lm, as a series of unfortunate events makes life a living hell for the Kim family.
Th e plotline of “Parasite” is extremely well-developed and original. Th e movie is made in a way that it is able to transcend multiple genres, so we had no idea what was going to happen next throughout the movie, and various plot twists are incorporated keeping us on our toes. Th ere were many complex subplots and details that were introduced during the fi rst leg of the fi lm, but they all melded together to form an enriching, complicated story.
Th e performances from the actors were impactful and made “Parasite” come to life. Each character is multi-dimensional and off ers moments of comedy, notably Yeon-kyo’s gullible personality as the mother of the Park family. We clearly felt the struggles that the Kim family dealt with in the last half of the fi lm because of the tension and stress that the actors displayed.
We would say more, but as Joon-ho said on the Tonight Show, “Parasite” is best when you walk into it cold. Th is movie was so mind-altering that it is hard to put our thoughts into words. Trust us when we tell you to be prepared for a two hour roller coaster and to not take the R rating lightly. Buy tickets or stream “Parasite” as soon as possible; if you don’t, you have missed out.
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Wrestlers work the mat
Anna Johnson Staff Writer
Wrestling, one of the most daunting sports, is one of the manty winter sports off ered here at NPHS, and the players worked hard to make this past season great.
Brett Philbrook, senior, fi rst started wrestling in his sophomore year aft er quitting baseball. “I spent my whole life not wanting to wrestle and playing baseball, regretting it and hating it. Th en I gave wrestling one day and it changed my life forever.”
But contradictory to popular belief, Philbrook says wrestling is not a good way to release pent up anger, as, “If you wrestle angry, then you wrestle stupid. It’s more strategic and it’s calm.”
Rigorous work goes into practice, consisting of running, weight lift ing, wrestling, climbing ropes and pulling tires Monday through Friday. Henry Newberry, sophomore, said he sweated off seven pounds in one practice. “At the end of the day, you’re basically brain dead because of all the hard work.” Newberry said.
Wrestlers have to watch their weight constantly, which requires dieting and lots of exercise. Philbrook himself doesn’t follow the strict dieting, but explained what it consisted of: “So what wrestlers would do is they’ll eat clean all throughout the week so they’ll lose as much body fat as possible, and then a few days before (a match) they throw on as many layers as they can, and just run and sweat off as much of their body fat as possible.”
As for the matches, Julia Richey, junior, said, “every opponent is diff erent, they have a diff erent style and I really work on adjusting my technique to go out and dominate the match.”
Richey’s accomplishments in wrestling are vast, winning around 40 matches throughout her career. “Th is season I’ve won
Gwen Buchanan Staff Writer
Every Wednesday and Th ursday aft er school, the members of the fencing interest group come together to dress in much-needed safety gear and report to the balcony between the B and C building, where they can be seen taking on each other in duels in a sport that is more than 700 years old.
Sean Flaherty, adviser and founder of the interest group, has been coaching fencing since the late ’80s in South America. However, the group was not created at NPHS until he noticed the existing interest on campus. “I put the word out and then some students approached me, they were taking fencing where I used to at the Conejo Recreation and Park District and then two of them started the club with me,” Flaherty said.
Ever since its creation, the fencing interest group has caught the attention of students across
Abby Gorman Staff Writer
campus from all backgrounds and experience levels. Samuel MunozVignes, sophomore, has been in the group for two years as well as having prior fencing experience from middle school. “I had a background in middle school, and I took a little stint over the summer,” Munoz-Vignes said. Since then, Munoz-Vignes has used the interest group as an opportunity to perfect his skills.
In contrast, Alexander Adams, junior, joined the interest group at the start of this school year with no prior experience. “I was given basically a one-week crash course, just kind of basic training,” Adams said. “And from there, you just get to fence people until you kind of learn a bit more by experience.”
Hustle- Kamran Memarzia competes against another wrestler from Buena High School. Kamran is one of the many players on the varsity wrestling team who made it to CIf championships this year. “It teaches a lot of life lessons in the sense that you have to be on time, you have to be good with your work, you have to be very precise,” said Brett Philbrook, a senior on the team. Kamran Memarzia/ With Permission
Flaherty’s fencers fight for fun
Despite the small size, the members of the fencing group take joy in the practices. “You get stabbed a lot... a lot a lot. It’s good stuff though, it’s fun,” Munoz-Vignes said. “Never before is being stabbed so much fun.”
NPHS is home to all sorts of interest groups that cater to many unique interests, allowing students to connect with like-minded individuals or provide a chance to try something new, and in this case, exciting.
Spanish teacher Sean Flaherty is the host of the interest group and has fenced since he was 18. “Th ere was a class in the Conejo Recreation and Park district, and this old man who had been to the Olympics twice started a class, and so I was his very fi rst student,” Flaherty said.
Th is year, the group hopes to expand its participants. “Right now we’ve got a hardcore group of maybe eight or 10 people who are generally part of it, but it would be nice to have more people come in,” Flaherty said.
15 matches and haven’t lost a match to a girl. I took second place in a boys tournament as well,” said Richey.
Philbrook said that wrestling has improved his grades as well: “It teaches a lot of life lessons in the sense that you have to be on time, you have to be good with your work, you have to be very precise.”
Not only does wrestling help in academics and athletics, it also builds strong relationships within the team. “Th e wrestling team is like one big family. We’re all very close and tease each other just like siblings do.”
Philbrook even said, “they’re like my second family. I see them everyday and they see me and you just have this special relationship with them. I can say stuff that only they would get and do things that they’d get.”
Wrestling is a tough but rewarding sport, but it’s not for everyone. For those interested, Newberry would recommend joining. “It’s a great way to know kids and it’s a lot of fun, especially when you’re out on a mat.”
En-garde-n-garde- Mason Lowry and Sampson Varion, sophomores, dual it out at their fencing practice. Mr. Flaherty, a spanish teacher at NPHS founded this group which practices every Wednesday and Thursday after school. “You got to analyze different things, and there’s strategies involved, and so mentally it’s more of a game than physically in some ways,” Flaherty said. Flaherty started fencing when he was 18 and has even taught fencing to students in South America. Reese Kelem/Prowler
Vinni DeVetis swims his way into the waters
Sarena Kabir News Editor
Vinni DeVetis has loved swimming ever since a young age. As years passed by, he grew more and more fond of the sport, leading him to swim competitively.
DeVetis was introduced to swimming through his family. “My two older brothers, Anthony and Dominic, swam before me. We have always just been that swim family. I started competitively swimming when I was 4 years old and learned how to swim right
here, at NPHS in the summer,” DeVetis said.
Swimming has always been something DeVetis has had fun with.“Th e thing I really enjoy about swimming is defi nitely the competition and making new friends from diff erent swim clubs and high school teams,” DeVetis said. “When you make friends from diff erent teams, it makes the competition a lot more exciting and fun for not only you, but the people spectating as well.”
DeVetis divides his time between the two teams he plays on: the Pleasant Valley Swim Team, as well as the NPHS swim team. “Every week I swim at Adolfo Camarillo High School because that is where my club team, PVST, practices. I swim with PVST all year, while I practice with NP during the spring,” DeVetis said.
Robby Doherty, junior, has known DeVetis for a while and clearly sees his passions. “Vinni is most passionate about two things. One, his religion. He is very involved in his church. And two, swimming. He is the best swimmer I know,” Doherty said. “He defi nitely has his future planned out.”
Due to his friends, DeVetis has much support. Hitesh Benny, junior, has known DeVetis since the beginning of elementary school and has developed a close bond with DeVetis. “Vinni and I have supported each other for so long that sometimes we know each other even more than we know ourselves. We know whenever the other one is in need of support and we are there,” Benny said.
Benny has witnessed the passion DeVetis has implemented into swimming. “A sport (swimming) which he has turned into a craft . It is said that to be a master at something, it must be completely natural. Vinni has honed his craft , through years of hard work and determination, so that he no longer needs to consciously try, he just does it,” Benny said.
While DeVetis does love swimming, it is not something he sees to be a part of his future. “I don’t know where my future of swimming is going to go aft er high school. I defi nitely plan on becoming a priest and entering the seminary right aft er high school,” DeVetis said.
Early morningsarly mornings- Pushing through the water, Vinni Devitis, junior, practices his breaststroke for the upcoming swim competition season before school. Devitis practices mostly in Camarillo after school with the Pleasant Valley Swim Team, but also with the rest of the NPHS team in the early hours before fi rst period starts. “I do occasionally go to preseason morning practices, thanks to Declan Debler, who picks me up at 5:52 exactly every morning I go,” he said. Devitis and the rest of the team will start their season on March 6, their fi rst match against Rio Mesa. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler
Boys’ Tennis prepares for season
Gwen Buchanan Staff Writer
Anna Johnson Staff Writer
Th e spring season is here and one of the sports practicing their game is the boys’ tennis team, under the direction of head coach Richard Kick. Awaiting the start of the season, the boys arrive in the NPHS courts aft er school to practice.
Many of the boys on the team have been playing tennis for years. Jared Gillespie, sophomore, has been working a racket since he was eight. “ I tried swimming and soccer and then I tried tennis and I really liked it so I decided to stick with it,” Gillespie said.
Kick believes that this bond formed between his players is due to the challenging tasks they encounter together: “We go through diffi cult circumstances and under the toughest circumstances you fi nd out when people are really trying to help you.”
“I think it’s just a good ability to hang out and play tennis with the people out here” Eugene Cho, a sophomore on the team, said.
Coach Kick started playing tennis aft er college, “I played in leagues and actually did a United States Tennis Association (USTA) league, where we went to the state championships and won, and then went to the national championships,” Kick said.
“I enjoy looking at students who come out here with almost no background, very little experience, and by their senior year, they’re very good, competitive tennis players,” Kick said. “(It) is really rewarding to see.”
Gillespie describes his experience on the team as very welcoming. “It’s a really good environment, all the guys are super nice and supportive, and there’s a lot of good people in the league so you get a lot of good practice.”
Before practice, the players like to get themselves pumped up and prepared for their game: “Sometimes I listen to music, not really anything in particular. I just think about my strategy and if I know who I’m playing I think about what I can do to nullify their strengths,” Gillespie said.
During practice the boys play each other to increase their skills and prepare for their opponents. “We usually play matches. We have a lot of people and not that many courts, so we usually do doubles. Occasionally we get to play singles,” Gillespie said.
Even though practice is fun and full of exercise, Cho said, “going to the practices is very time consuming and there’s a lot of other things I could be doing.” Th e players do enjoy the sport, but time management is key to conquering all aspects of academic and social life.
According to Kick, tennis is appealing to anyone. “(Tennis is one) of the very few sports that you can play when you’re tiny, fi ve, and you can play when you’re 95. Th ere aren’t many sports like that, so I’d defi nitely recommend it to everyone,” Kick said.
Whamham- Jared Gillespie, sophomore, jumps up to hit a tennis ball with his racket. Boys tennis recently started their preseason practice at the NPHS tennis courts. “I like how it’s just yourself, or if it’s doubles its only you and one other person so its not a whole team where you’re only a small part of it and if everyone else messes up then you still lose, it’s all upon your own shoulders to do well,” Gillespie said. He has been playing tennis since he was eight and loves the individualism that comes with the sport. Sarena Kabir/Prowler
Going for Goldoing for Gold
Emily Nagamoto Editor-In-Chief
As track season runs in at full steam, there is another team that has been competing all year: the Panther Decathletes. The club is operated by members of track who wanted to participate in 10 events: 100 meter, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meter, 110 meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500 meter. Let’s see what they have been up to.
Ready to throw-eady to throw- With the javelin in her hand, Naomi Walling, sophomore, runs across the field at Peppertree Park, ready to throw it. Although relatively new to being a decathlete, Walling originally joined after being approached by Kyle Wonders, senior, and Steven Kitchell, junior. “What made me join was realizing there is no other time to do something like this,” Walling said. She says that her favorite events are hurdles and javelin. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler
Swinging forward-winging forward- Kyle Wonders, senior, moves around the throwing circle as he prepares to throw the discus, a weighted frisbee-like object. Discus is just one of the 10 events Wonders trains for, both for meets in and out of CIF like the California Winter State Championships in the Pentathlon, which he and Steven Kitchell, junior, competed in on Feb. 8. “This was a really cool experience because not only did I get to compete alongside the best multi-event athletes in the state, but I was also able to hold my own, taking home 5th place overall,” Wonders said. Track season is just starting in CIF, but the decathletes attend their events mostly in the summer. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler
Sprint- Naomi Walling, sophomore, rounds the curve of the track as she practices running the 400-meter event. Walling and the decathletes practice with the rest of the track team, going to the same meets as well as their own. “Our meets are really fun! Everyone helps each other out and we all hang out and support each other,” Walling said. At decathlons, the points received from each individual event are totaled, and the person with the highest total wins the overall event, with winners from each category as well. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler
Up and over-p and over- In the cool February air, Kyle Wonders, senior, leaps over the hurdle and continues sprinting down the track. Wonders has been training and competing in decathlon events since his sophomore year, and to him, track means more than running, jumping and throwing. “Being a decathlete has become a lot more than just doing these 10 events, it has become something that is a part of me,” Wonders said. “We have grown together as a family since we began competing in decathlon and it is this aspect that has made being a decathlete so impactful for me both on and off the track.” Emily Nagamoto/Prowler
Dash- Sprinting down the track, Steven Kitchell, junior, practices his 100-meter race. As a decathlete, Kitchell alternates practicing for his 10 events. Since there is not one coach to teach him everything, he goes to different sections of track practice during the week. “The freedom of our track team to go to different events on different days is what makes it possible for us to be decathletes,” Kitchell said. Kitchell also says that he has begun practicing twice a day to fit in more exercise and skill refinement. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler
