2015-2016 Issue 6 (March 11 2016)

PANTHER PROWLER Friday March 11, 2016

Issue VI

Newbury Park High School

456 N. Reino Rd., Newbury Park, CA 91320

Online Activism With the rise of the internet, fighting for a cause takes on a new form

a h es

K e re

#F

r e t t a M es v i L k c a l

#B

TEDxYouth3

Boy’sVolleyball13

Girl’sBasketball14

2 table of contents. table of contents

Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

3 5 7 9 11 13 15

TEDx Event

4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Speech and Debate Club

Editorial: Voting for Teens

Golden Era of Memes

Running for a Cause

DPS: Internet Movements

DPS: Internet Movements Kanye West

Volleyball Undefeated Ian Eschenberg

Earthquake Danger Cultural Dances Girl’s Soccer in CIF Photo Essay: Girl’s Basketball

short-take Club vs. Interest Group transition unfolds Ciara O’Neill Staff Writer The revisions to the labeling of student organizations is important to students who worry that this change in title might not benefit their college applications. Although in the past, all student organizations have been blanket labeled as “clubs”, many are transitioning their titles to “interest groups” for financial reasons.

Carly Adams, Dean of Activities, hosted a meeting with club, interest group, and ASG officers in the faculty cafeteria during lunch on Feb. 19 to address the issue. The meeting focused on what separates clubs from interest groups.

“Clubs on our campus have financial accounts through the student store. Interest groups are groups that don’t require any financials. They’re not gathering money, they’re not spending money” Adams said.

Mary Jo Barker, president of the White Rice club, said that their “club was called out by Adams” during the meeting but has spoken with her privately about the matter. ”Changing it to an interest group is the resolution that we mutually agreed on,” Barker said.

The decision to differentiate between clubs and interest groups emerged over financial issues within the school.

“When we get audited and have people looking over our accounts, it looks like we have inactivity in multiple accounts,” Adams said.

Moving forward, Adams hopes to establish “a more organized system of clubs” and to allow “for more people to have clubs and interest groups … following the proper procedures and goals,” she said.

3 TEDx Tackles World Wide Problems news

Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

Nina Chiuchiarelli Staff Writer Sixteen speakers took the stage of the Performing Arts Center on March 6 to give their TED talks about “lenses” at the second annual TEDxYouth@Conejo Conference, an independently organized TED event for high school students in the community.

TED is an organization in which speakers from various ethnicities, backgrounds and fields share their takes on a specific theme with the intention of inspiring others or sharing an idea.

Conejo Valley, with the hope of inspiring young adults, holds a TEDx event for youth speakers every year. The students including NPHS students Anthony Wermers, junior, Nikhil Chari, senior, Odysseus Pyrinis, junior, and Rachna Deshpande, junior, used “lenses” as the overarching theme for their TED talks.

“TEDx is unique in the sense that we have students from all three CVUSD high schools working on the committee in an interactive way for diverse opinions on varying topics to be presented to an interested audience,” Brandon Janes, TEDx planning committee advisor and English teacher, said.

The planning committee, along with Janes, put countless hours into the making of this event, beginning the process in late October.

“Aside from putting together the event,

the planning process involves deciding a theme, choosing and curating talks ... It’s really about helping the speakers with content and assuring that they have the best speeches that they can have,” said committee head Shreya Chattopadhyay, senior.

With the theme of lenses, many students decided to focus on misrepresentation and prejudice within our society.

Anthony Wermers, junior, spoke about the importance of not stereotyping people based on religion.

“The goal of my talk was to raise an awareness of how we perceive others and how they perceive us. My hope is that listeners would realize the biases that they have and how they can work to disregard them,” Wermers said.

Nikhil Chari, senior, also represented Newbury Park High School at the event with his speech about the impact of industrialization on society’s happiness and people’s’ outlook on life.

Chari hopes to “have the opportunity to give another talk after high school at some point.” However he also urges people who are interested in giving a TED talk to wait and choose something that is really important to them. “It was really good for me

Obama proposes Computer Science for All initiative Victoria Juan DPS Designer Lindsay Filgas News Editor President Barack Obama has proposed a “CS For All” initiative to promote computer science in K-12 schools and in communities across the nation.

In an address on Jan. 30, he revealed details of his plan, which include a $4 billion budget for states and school districts to expand their computer science classes, $135 million in investments from two major education foundations to train teachers, and a call to action for government officers and bigname corporations to promote computer science education.

“We have to make sure all our kids are equipped for jobs of the future,” Obama said. “This means not just being able to work with computers, but developing the analytical and coding skills to power our innovation economy.”

For the past eight years, educators across the country

Multiple Perspectives- Odysseus Pyrinis, junior, addresses the TEDx theme of “Lenses” by discussing modern technology through the eyes of a computer. Lindsay Filgas/Prowler

to wait until I had something I really felt was necessary for me to talk about,” Chari said.

The TEDx event is an opportunity for the community to come together and discuss some of the most important issues that we currently face and problems we may face in the future.

have been working to design a class that will do just that.

“They’ve actually fully funded the creation of AP Computer Science Principles which will go live next fall,” Richard Kick, computer science teacher and AP Computer Science Principles curriculum coordinator, said. According to Kick, this course will address not only the programming and algorithms, which are currently taught in the AP Computer Science class, but also the creativity, abstraction, data, and impact of the subject.

All three high schools in the Conejo Valley School District offer regular and Advanced Placement computer science courses, while most middle schools have combined technology programs. Walnut Elementary School has even begun a coding club for its students to learn the basic logic rules of programming, with assistance from several NPHS students.

The federal executive branch’s proposed funding aims to add more courses for such elementary and middle school students and provide a means for better technical equipment.

“I took a technology class (in middle school) and it introduced some really basic principles of computer science,” Leon Xu, junior and computer science student, said. “It didn’t make sense to me why we were doing that but then it later ended up being useful. And I feel like it would have helped me more if I had started on that earlier.”

Obama’s legislative push comes after computer science education’s recent increase in media attention due to the 2013 release of Code.org’s Youtube video, “What Most Schools Don’t Teach.” In response, Claire Shorall, CS educator from Oakland, has also started a petition on Change.org to “Make Computer Science Count in California.” The petition calls for the University of California (UC) Boards of Admissions and Relations with Schools to count high school AP/IB Computer Science courses towards mathematics (category C) college credit, rather than just elective (category G) credit, as it stands currently.

“Strained by the rigors of filling their schedule with required courses, few students can even consider computer science (because of its elective credit classification),” Shorall

“TEDx benefits both the student population and the community at large by forcing people to re-evaluate the status quo. Often, people become so engaged with what is comfortable that they forget to evaluate other perspectives,” Janes said.

writes on her petition. “It’s heartbreaking to see a student forced to choose between CS, which would be foundational to her career, and the courses required for college.”

Kick also explained the importance of taking computer science courses, from elementary through high school.

“There is no field that is not impacted by computer science,” Kick said. “The demand for software developers is constantly increasing and the number of people that are qualified to develop software is getting lower and lower.”

With the institution of new classes and an increased budget, Obama and other educators hope to see an increase in the number of students pursuing computer science. “The country is turning it around,” Kick said.“ This is going to be a historical marker: the first year that Computer Science Principles exists.”

Exploring computer science- Seniors Mike Liu, Glizelle Mapa, junior Rayna Kanapuram enjoy using creativity in computer science during their free time. Caitlin Henderson/ Prowler

4 Speech state qualifications hosted on campus news

Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

Victoria Juan DPS Designer Newbury Park High School hosted the TriCounty Forensic League’s Individual State Events Qualifier on March 4-5. With 26 schools in attendance, this was the largest speech tournament of the league and the biggest event ever hosted

by NPHS’s speech and debate branch, which is relatively new and small compared to other branches.

“We were asked to host the state quals because Burbank High School normally hosts state qualifiers, but their facility was not available,” Miharu Altmire, Speech and Debate Club adviser, said.

“We knew that last May, so we were asked if we would host, and that’s how we got this opportunity.”

“I can drive here two days in a row instead of having to drive to Burbank or some other far off school,” Amy Jiao, senior, added.

The state qualifications event determined who would go on to the 2016 California High School Speech Association’s State Tournament in midApril at Mission College. Students were qualified to participate in it if they had participated in at least one open tournament in the season before.

“Since this is the state qualifiers ...most people compete,” Sabrina Thai, senior and Speech and Debate club president, said. “It’s when competitive people come to mark that they’re the best. It’s the best display of everyone’s performances.”

Club members took on the responsibilities of managing the logistics of the event, which was from roughly 5-10 PM on Friday and 8 AM - 9 PM on Saturday. Profits from student food sales were used as the club’s main fundraising source for the year.

“It’s two days, so it’s a lot of prepping for making sure there’s enough food for everybody, getting permission from teachers for classrooms and rearranging desks, we have to get posters up so everyone knows where stuff is, and we need volunteers to basically run the event during the whole thing,” Thai added.

This year, Jiao and Wu were the only participants from the NPHS team in the event, speaking in Impromptu and Oratorical Interpretation categories.

“In impromptu ...I have to make a five minute speech that I made up on the spot with only two minutes of preparation,” Wu said, “and for oratorical interpretation I (take) someone else’s speech and (perform)it myself with my own interpretation.”

Both Wu and Jiao have experience in competing in Impromptu for the past few years.

“I was going to do a set speech but after seeing as how I’m trying to remember everything for IB tests, I decided against trying to stuff my head with extra information that I was going to forget anyways,” Jiao said. “Impromptu is really easy in a way because you don’t have any kind of prep and you can make up anything on the spot.”

Through judged performances in preliminary, semifinal and final rounds, 70 participants came out on top and were officially qualified to go to the state competition. Although neither Jiao nor Wu were able to go on to the next round, they “made a lot of great friends with really hilarious and charismatic people” throughout their years in the league and appreciated the experience of their last year.

This was also Altmire’s last year and big event with the Speech and Debate Club, as she is moving away the next school year. She has advised the club for the past four years of its existence, and has helped guide students and volunteered as a judge for both speech and debate tournaments.

“This is probably the last club I would’ve advised.

I wouldn’t have said I’ll do speech club myself, so it was really serendipitous how everything happened and I’m really glad it did,” Altmire said. “I learned a lot from just watching go through the process of learning, writing and practicing speeches and debates.”

“She’s really dedicated to the club….I just don’t think the club will be the same without her,” Wu said.

Speaking their minds- Parents look on as students from across California gather in the cafeteria to share rehearsed and impromptu speeches for the Speech and Debate State Qualifier. Victoria Juan/Prowler

Modern makeover- The old school website received an upgrade with up to date photos and links, in order to create an easier experience for students.

Samantha Meyer/Prowler

A kick to the old website Farhaan Pathan Staff Writer On August 26, 2015, a new website came out designed by Richard Kick, a math teacher and website designer. It was created under the watch of principal, Joshua Eby and the approval of the district.

“It’s a template from the district and Mr.Kick is working with that. He’s been working closely with Mr. Eby to identify the areas to improve and expand upon,” said Bennett Wutkee, vice principal.

Also, “the administration here at NPHS, based on discussions form the tech committee, requested a new look and interface for the school website.

Mr. Eby and I met and discussed what the new site should contain,” said Kick.

Although Wutkee hasn’t had much say regarding the design of the new website, he is still excited to see how it will turn out in the future.

“I really hope that it can be a nice, easy to navigate website. I just think that websites are great tools for obtaining information,” said Wutkee. “So I’m really hopeful that the website will be a useful tool to communicate with students.”

Kick and Eby are trying to achieve something they didn’t have on their last website, cleanliness.

“The purpose of the new website is t just make it cleaner, so you’re not trying to see so many things on the

page at once ,you can know what you’re looking for, find it and get there really quickly,” said Wutkee.

Adams and Wutkee have been receiving lots comments about the new website from all the staff and students on campus.

“There has been a lot of comments on the new website like where is this and where is that. People had just gotten use to the old website and so they’re trying to find the same information they knew where to find before,” said Wutkee. “People are getting use to it and I think people might understand why the change was necessary and they are looking forward to see site running up to it potential.”

With new advancements to technology and people continuing to make their websites better, the new website is bound to become more advanced and better throughout the years it will have at NPHS. “The community and their ability to access the information will inspire future modifications of the site.

Software development is an iterative process. Major software producers are updating software that they initially produced decades ago,” said Kick. “We at NPHS will certainly continue that iterative process to best meet the needs of the community.”

staff editorial Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

5

California Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7 a step towards hearing student voices While the school board should respect the choices of local parents, education is an issue that should involve the students.

After all, they are the principal recipients of any action produced by board decisions and care about the education forming the foundation of their futures.

Additionally, they’re taking on more “adult” responsibilities: According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, at ages 16 and 17, around 20 percent of enrolled students have already begun to work and file taxes. As deserving compensation for

these meaningful contributions to the economy and society, students deserve the right to vote for school boards.

Lowering the voting age for school board elections would also encourage students to participate in civil service later on.

According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, only 19.9 percent of voters between 18 and 29 actually voted in a 2014 federal election, marking one of the lowest voter turnouts in such an election ever. Voting for school board members

CVUSD SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION voters 16+ have shown 16-year-olds have the “ Studies same maturity, intelligence & cold decision making abilities of 18-year-olds.

They’re ready to be HEARD, and their school board representatives should be ready to LISTEN. -CA Assemblywoman Lorena Gonazalez

“

The decisions of school boards affect every student on every campus in every district of this state - from the appointment of administrators at their schools to the educational policies in their classrooms.

Despite this fact, students do not have the right to vote for the representatives of these school boards.

However, they want to be involved: In early 2015, Berkeley High School students protested against the school board’s failed response to their claims of sexual harassment. Across the nation, six other state and local legislatures are recognizing this involvement, producing bills and amendments that would allow for modes of student input in board of education elections.

California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez has also responded to this movement. She proposed her Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7 first on Feb. 12, which aims to amend Section 2 Article II of California’s constitution to allow 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote on local school board and community college district board elections.

This proposal is welcome, but long overdue. At the moment in California, only adults may vote for school board members, even those who don’t have children or whose children have already moved on past the high school level.

Elections are supposed to be opportunities for the represented to choose their representers, but students, who have firsthand knowledge of the school system, its effects on their peers, and the success rates of board policies, aren’t given the option to cast their votes.

would inspire students to vote on a larger scale for higher government offices and help raise this percentage. They’ll be able to practice the democratic experience and see their input actually matter in events that directly impact their lives, while not having the pressure of voting for a more influential position.

With our current system, students are forced to protest to see change in their school systems by signing petitions or walking out of classes. Just this week, students from TechBoston Academy walked out of class in the middle of the day to protest district budget cuts, while other students protested in Parker, Colorado against a high teacher turnover rate instituted by the school board. Situations like these are clear in their message: students are invested their learning. Given the ability to vote for their preferred representative on the board, students can have even more influence over their own education without needing to resort to these routes. The representatives will be held accountable to student interests and perspectives. Much like how presidential candidates work to satisfy their campaign donors and supporting demographic, board members will need to balance the interests of both the students and the parents when making decisions.

Changes to education will arise more efficiently and effectively as student opinions are streamlined into a practical legal action. At an age when ideas are fresh and information is easily accessible, these elder high school students deserve to help pave their paths to success.

PANTHER PROWLER 2015-2016 staff Editors-in-Chief Shreya Chattopadhyay Adrianna Robakowski

DPS Designer Ad Manager Online Chief / Rachna Deshpande Manager / Harsh Karia Victoria Juan Rachna Deshpande Ciara O’Neill Victoria Juan News Designer Entertainment Designer Opinion Designer Lindsay Filgas Alyssa Boedigheimer Sports Editor Kellie Levine Nevnit Gill Kyle Popok Angela Swartz Staff Writers Kate Foultz Copy Editors Sports Designer Caitlin Henderson Photographer Alyssa Boedigheimer Bella Robakowski Chief / Samantha Meyer Connor Keep Lexi Foultz Caitlin Henderson Gianna Longo Graphic Artist Farhaan Pathan John MacMillen Cover Designer Chief / Michael Hellard Farhaan Pathan Nelson Kappas Alyssa Boedigheimer Features Designer Nikita Prokhorov Kyle Popok Nina Chiuchiarelli Ciara O’Neill

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 American Foothill 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

Adviser Michelle Saremi

6

opinion Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

how media THE GOLDEN ERA OF MEMES creates art Lindsay Filgas News Designer Caitlin Henderson Staff Writer It all started with Impact font and someone who was passionate about cats. Dating back to ancient times when the computer was first invented, this strange phenomenon has left a lasting mark on our society that can never be changed. That’s right, we’re talking about memes. From the archaic Bad Luck Brian to the relatively new zodiac meme, the internet shapes our daily lives, whether or not we’re completely aware.

For those unaccustomed to internet culture, memes can be any picture, video, or phrase that is taken in by internet users and repeated, changed, and reused, until the meme has completed its circle of life and dies. In other words, they are inside jokes shared by the entire internet.

People feel a sense of power because memes are a part of culture that they can influence and take part in, unlike television or movies.

With memes, ordinary people are the ones with influence over pop culture, pioneering a new, golden age of expression. Meme culture is so quickly moving that when companies try to make ads or jokes using the latest memes, the internet has already moved onto the next craze.

Internet users have taken such a liking to memes because, rather than being basic jokes, they are generally implications or metaphors that relate to people’s lives.

However, it also means that if you haven’t experienced memes, you often aren’t “in the loop” and won’t find some of them

funny.

We are such a consumer-heavy society that something could be funny one week, and cringe-worthy the next. But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it just means that our sense of humor has changed a lot in the past decade. Many older people fail to understand how something so simple could become such a huge craze. However, it is not the meme itself that is so popular, but rather the origin and implied message.

The most well known example of a meme is Pepe the frog. This timeless image has survived for years, surpassing all other memes, because it is so simple. No matter how people are feeling, Pepe the frog applies. People can use the iconic sad (or angry) frog to talk about problems like doing homework, or express their opinions about the upcoming election.

Generally, the image of the frog is used to represent sadness or disappointment in a satirical manner. However, it also means that people have a visible connection, so we can understand each other more through a funny, yet relatable joke.

Memes are an outlet of emotions. You no longer have to be a sophisticated artist or a writer to express how you feel. Instead, you can reference a meme, and everyone laughs. The internet was an initial step in bringing people together, but memes have taken that one step further by creating a personal bond between people around the world.

Our society’s rapid shift into a more open minded and accepting view has created an environment where memes can prosper and show the connections between people who are otherwise so different. We’re simple farmers tending our meme crops.

People often say that art reflects culture in a time period. With the internet as our canvas, young people are the driving force behind humor, emotion, thoughts and the opinions of the 21st century. All hail memes.

Graphic: Michael Hellard/Prowler

If you can’t say anything nice, pretend to Samantha Meyer Chief Photographer When I used to think of college, I used to think of “going away”- as if the most important thing was leaving, rather than the college itself.

Instead, I’m going 7.2 miles “away” from home to Cal Lutheran.

This isn’t because I didn’t get in anywhere else or that I’m afraid to experience anything out of a 10-mile radius, but because of my financial situation, my job, and most importantly, my major and what Cal Lutheran has to offer me.

I’m proud to be going to Cal Lutheran, a nationally recognized school where I’ll be in my dream program for my studies and will have amazing opportunities. If that is what’s important, then why do people’s congratulations seem indirectly condescending or outright rude?

Local colleges and community colleges have always had a misleading stigma, one that I once bought into even though I knew better. There’s the belief that by going to one of these schools, rather than a more recognizable school farther away, you will somehow be less successful than students who choose to go a different route. This idea is completely incorrect; no matter the school you go to, it is what you take from your education and experience and how you apply it to your future that counts.

I am very excited for my friends that got into their dream schools, no matter where they might be. Although I have received a great amount of support, there have been a few questions and comments made to me that would have never been said to someone going to a Cal State, UC or out-of-state school. I feel as if it is my duty to warn people against possibly making these blunders in the future when talking to someone about college.

Here are some examples of things not to say: 1.) “You’re going there?” Why yes, I am going “there” and I happen to be thrilled about it, so at least pretend to be happy for me.

2.) “I just think you’re going to regret it.” What an uplifting

thing to say to someone who is just as nervous and anticipatory of her future as you are. It really makes me light up inside.

3.) “You used to want to go to ____ school.” That’s true, at one point I did want to go to ____ school. At one point I also wanted to be a Broadway star or a professional figure skater, but, you know, plans change. If I was congratulating someone who was going to UC Berkeley but whose dream school had been Stanford, I wouldn’t say, “You used to want to go to Stanford.”

4.) “I got in there too, but it was just a backup for me.” Ouch.

I know everyone has safety schools, but is it the right time to talk about how the school I want to go to is your sixth choice? Come on, people.

5.) “It would be too close to home for me.”/”You’re basically trapped here now.” These ones aren’t as bad, but it still stings. Just because you wouldn’t do what I’m doing, it doesn’t mean it’s the wrong choice for me. (Also, people tend to forget I still have access to a car. And that I can drive. To places. Outside. A. Ten. Mile.

Radius.)

6.) “You’re not going to have a real college experience.” Did you have a real high school experience? Are you planning to have a real life experience? No matter where you go to college, you’re going to have a real college experience just by being there.

These comments may seem harmless, but they still have the potential to make me feel like less of an accomplished person than I felt like in the moment before I told you where I was going to school.

The stigma surrounding local and community colleges is never more apparent than it is when you tell somebody where you’re going, so take this as a public service announcement to be cautious about what you say and how you say it. I’m already so excited to see where the future takes everyone, and I can only hope the feeling will be mutual.

Political correctness:

you’re probably doing it wrong Kellie Levine Opinion Designer

Freshman year was the first time I was exposed to the idea of political correctness in the public school setting. Before we began our first discussion about “To Kill a Mockingbird,” my English class was given a disclaimer about a certain recurring word that, if we felt comfortable doing so, we could say, but only in the context of this novel. I remember the first person that encountered it as we read out important quotes. As she came to the word she paused in a moment of uncomfortable silence, and then quickly muttered, “n word.”

After this precedent-setting encounter, the rest of us refrained from ever saying the word in its entirety.

Noticing that we had all avoided this word throughout our discussions, our teacher told us that she was glad we all felt uncomfortable saying that word, because in the years she had taught, it hadn’t always been the case. It was a sign of a bigger change of attitude. So while we were technically allowed to say the word, we were praised for choosing not to. And thus we experienced our first lesson in political correctness.

Political correctness has adopted an increasingly negative connotation in the discussion of the universally hated “social justice warriors” of the Internet. There was a time when it was cool to be informed on social issues, and to enlighten others on the art of not offending anyone. However, as it has become apparent that one person cannot keep up with all of the nuances of all issues involving race, sexuality, gender, and anything else that could make a person “different,” the term political correctness has adopted an increasingly negative connotation.

It’s politicians like Trump or comedians like Bill Maher that have capitalized on and maintained the momentum of this confusion and frustration, becoming increasingly popular by using the term “PC” as an insult. They’re praised for saying what everyone else is afraid to say, and by doing so without apology, they take the power away from the social justice warriors who rely on shaming ignorance to get the point across. Because of this tactic, the majority of us have censored social media posts in fear of becoming the next target of one of these rants.

So if both those who disregard political correctness and those who aggressively enforce it are being less-thanproductive in advancing social causes in any real way, how should we go about it? The answer to this question is in the dictionary.

“Ignorance” has adopted an evil connotation. If someone is ignorant, they must be a racist who hates the gays and kills vegans in their backyard. But in reality, someone who is ignorant is someone who doesn’t know something. If we work from this definition, the role of a social justice warrior should be to inform, not shame.

By collectively changing the way we handle the things we find offensive, the blatantly bigoted figures who use the fight against political correctness as a shield for hate speech lose their safety blanket. It might seem cool to back this “I don’t give a hoot” mentality as the task of staying woke in the eyes of the Internet becomes increasingly difficult, but try to remember “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Political correctness isn’t what you can’t say. It’s what you can say, but chose not to, because you know better.

features

STUDENT Daniel Foldes/Sophomore tall is the average NBA 1 How player?

Foldes: 6’7.

Parra: 6’6.

Answer: 6’7

VS

4-4

Foldes: Snow White?

Parra: Oh, I don’t know.

Answer: Ariel

Finally, a question targeting both their areas of expertise.

Score is 2-2.

many pairs of chromo6 How somes are in a haploid cell

percentage of the world 7 What has green eyes?

Foldes: No idea... Obama!

Parra: I have to think…

Nixon?

Answer: Richard Nixon

Foldes: 25 percent.

Parra: 20 percent.

Answer: 2 percent.

erson/Prowle

r

The boys seem to know the rarity of Stephen Curry’s basketball skills, but not the rarity of his green eyes!

Score remains 3-3.

two of the four types of 8 Name macromolecules?

Foldes: This was on the test… Uhh carbohydrates and lipids.

Parra: Daniel better know this one, nucleic acids and lipids.

Answer: Nucleic acids, lipids, proteins or carbohydrates

Caitlin Hend

Foldes: Wisconsin.

Parra: Ohio.

Answer: Pennsylvania

ball team in California?

Foldes: Chino Hills.

Parra: Chino Hills.

Answer: Chino Hills

The game is tight, almost as close as the N.P vs. T.O boys basketball game!

Score stays tied 3-3.

made the first 3 Who phone call to the moon?

What state is Hershey’s 4 chocolate headquarters

is the current number 5 Who one boys high school basket-

of a human?

Foldes: Twenty-three!!

Parra: Twenty-three.

Answer: 23

Maybe throwing a Disney question at the boys was a little out of their league.

Score is 1-0.

Right track Daniel. It was a president, however Obama was only eight years old when Nixon phoned the moon!

Score is tied 1-1.

Mr. Parra/Biology

FOLDES AND PARRA TIE!

Who is the only disney princess to have a child?

7

TEACHER

Bella Robakowski Sports Designer

6’5 basketball star Foldes seems to have the advantage on this question.

Score is 1-0 Foldes.

2

Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

There was a candy bar for whoever got this question right, but I lucked out and kept it for myself.

Score remains 1-1.

Daniel’s extensive knowledge is proof of Mr. Parra’s teaching skills. Unfortunately there’s no overtime in this game so we’ll have to settle with a tie.

Final score 4-4.

Running for a cause and racing for a cure Gianna Longo Staff Writer Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, an event where loved ones with cancer are honored, will be held this year on May 21.

Relay for Life holds their activities during the day ending with a candle lit ceremony to honor those who are dealing or have dealt with cancer. If an individual has raised over $100 by 10 p.m., they can participate in the overnight experience to watch movies, walk around the tracks and play games with friends.

Seth Cassellius, senior and president of the school’s Relay for Life Committee, has been dedicating his time to plan and attend informational meetings in preparation for the event.

“I mostly make sure everything’s running smoothly and the work is dedicated properly. I also work with behind the scenes,” Cassellius said.

Last year, the school board prevented an overnight schedule due to potential liabilities. This year, the organization was able to clear it up and plan the experience overnight. The individual relays will be run throughout the day including activities and a live band. Towards the end of the night the ceremony is held where candles are lit to honor those who have passed due to cancer or are battling the disease to help spread awareness.

“I think Relay for Life is a great place where students can come to spend a fun-filled day while working to help eradicate cancer because no family should have to suffer because of the disease.

Signing up is not difficult and fundraising is simple with the help the organization provides,” Sam Klein, junior and treasurer, said.

Many students who participate run for their family members or close friends who are battling cancer, “ I can’t think of a better organization to be a part of. I relay for my grandmother and aunt, both (of ) whom had skin cancer,” Klein said.

With the overnight schedule, the work involves longer hours and more events to entertain the people. “The hardest part of participating is honestly just trying to stay up all night, everything else is super easy. A lot of people might think it’s raising money, but it’s amazing how many people are willing to donate,” Olivia Diliberti, junior and vice president, said.

The participation of the event has changed the lives of many people by supporting those who have battled cancer and survived.

“Relay for life is one of my favorite events of the whole school year and it feels really great to participate because I know I’m making a difference,” Diliberti said.

8

online activism Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

ONLIN E

ACTIVISM

aking past the s are bre t old b n e m e oun v mo dar t e ies rn e t In of

s o cial r

evo

lu ti o ns , an

d it ’ s all starting from

E R E H

owler yer/Pr

S

a Me amanth

9 Growing internet movements change the world online activism

Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

Nikita Prokhorov Staff Writer Bella Robakowski Sports Designer Internet movements are the modern picket line for the average American. With the implementation and extremely rapid growth of new social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, millions of people now have the ability to share their voices with the rest of the world.

According to statista.com, Twitter currently has 332 million users, which is more than the population of the United States, and Facebook has 1.59 billion monthly users, which is more than the population of China.

With this increasingly large audience, social advocates and regular people alike are taking their protests off the streets and bringing them onto various social media sites.

According to senior Rudra Sharma, the growth of online movements has helped people with similar views come “together and organize at the most important times.”

Movements like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, #HeForShe, #LikeAGirl, #BlackLivesMatter and #FreeKesha all began as online reactions to social issues. The groups raise money to defeat deathly diseases, tackle stereotypes, police brutality, and sexual harassment.

In 2014, the world got swept up in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

Many took the challenge, posted a video, and challenged 3 friends.

Awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis increased tremendously and close to $100 million was raised. The fun challenge gained attention, inspired many to research ALS, and prompted some to donate.

In 2015 the hashtag #HeForShe had international exposure thanks to campaign spokeswoman Emma Watson and a slew of celebrity support from the likes of Harry Styles, Russell Crow and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The goal was to get males involved in the battle for gender equality.

According to Elizabeth Nyamayaro, a senior advisor at UN Women, there are real lives that have been changed thanks to this campaign. “One story that I like to share is (of ) a man in Zimbabwe who, after hearing about the HeForShe campaign, started a husband school—he went around his village and collected all the men who beat up their wives, and now it’s his mission to make sure that these men become advocates, that they become good husbands for their wives. (It’s) a very simple thing but it’s effective.”

The #LikeAGirl campaign was a concerted effort to change the way girls thought about themselves and released a video demonstrating what people think it means to run, fight or throw

#IceBucketChallenge The ALS Foundation collected close to $100 million which was about $97 million more than the year before. This demonstrates that these campaigns can be extremely successful as a fundraising tool for a worthy cause.

“like a girl.” It attempts to change social norms in order to assert that being female does not prevent you from being strong or capable.

The increase in internet movements and online activism has given rise to a new type of social media user. There are now huge numbers of Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts dedicated to progressing the goals of a particular cause or ideology. Some users may spend hours a day spreading the messages and making the case for their particular movement.

Cole Carlson, senior, believes the biggest reason that internet movements have grown so rapidly is because of increased global interaction and the relative ease of voicing one’s beliefs. “It’s easier to say things than do them,” Carlson said.

In this technological age, the nation’s picket line has been cleared of its posters and pitchforks and has been replaced with smartphones and social media pages.

“I think internet movements bring global issues into the public and daily life. They inspire people to take action depending on the issue and spread awareness like the ice bucket challenge did for ALS,” Michelle Rothman, freshman, said. “I think it also depends on the movement that’s gaining attention because maybe the Kylie Jenner lip challenge won’t affect one’s life but a body positivity movement will.”

#Li #LikkeAGi eAGirrll #HeForShe The #HeForShe campaign pledge states: “I am one of billions who believe that everyone is born free and equal.

I will take action against gender bias, discrimination and violence to bring the benefits of equality to us all.”

The #LikeAGirl film has 85 million YouTube. Its website claims, “Prior to watching the film, just 19% of 16-24s had a positive association toward ‘like a girl’. After watching, however, 76% said they no longer saw the phrase negatively.

Furthermore, two out of three men who watched it said they’d now think twice before using the ‘like a girl’ as an insult.”

Behind the scenes of #FreeKesha

Nina Chiuchiarelli Features Designer

Social media has exploded with the hashtag #FreeKesha in response to a controversy between Kesha and Sony Entertainment.

After testifying as having been raped by her music producer, Lukasz Sebastian “Dr. Luke” Gottwald, pop singer Kesha attempted to cut ties with Sony Music Entertainment. To the public’s astonishment, New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich refused to terminate the contract and ignored Kesha’s claim of rape.

This refusal led to the explosive internet movement, #FreeKesha.

After her hit single “Die Young” was released in 2012, popular singer Kesha seemed to drop off the music scene. She was later found to have checked into a rehabilitation center in Chicago for an eating disorder in early 2014.

According to Kesha, the development of her eating disorder was directly related to continual sexual harassment by her producer, Dr. Luke.

When she brought these allegations to the court, Kesha asked to be released from her contract with Sony. However Dr. Luke fired back with his own lawsuit, denying the accusations, and with the support of Sony, the case was not resolved.

When Justice Shirley Kornreich made the decision to prohibit

Kesha from terminating her contract, she added how Kesha at least “is being given the opportunity to record.”

Active Twitter user, Maria Luciani, junior, has expressed her own opinions regarding the #FreeKesha movement.

“There are always going to be people in these cases arguing that the victim is accusing an innocent person,” Maria Luciani said. “The part that makes this frustrating is that only people who have actually felt what it’s like to be forced into doing something with your body you do not want to do will know that there is absolutely no way to lie about any of it.”

After the court’s refusal to terminate Kesha’s contract , social media exploded with support from Kesha’s fans, creating the tag “#FreeKesha” with the free representing how Kesha should be freed from her contract with Sony.

“The ruling was really a negative reflection of our court systems, but I think it helped to spread awareness of the issue through the use of social media. It’s inspired a national discussion on the subject of sexual abuse and how many rapists are never convicted of their crimes,” Miranda Barraza, junior, said.

Even celebrities have weighed in on the issue, adding their own support for Kesha through tweets ranging from “my heart is with

@KeshaRose,” tweeted by Lady Gaga to “trying 2 not say anything since I can’t say anything nice about a person... so this is me not talking about Dr. Luke,” by Kelly Clarkson.

The prevalence on social media has brought enough attention to the issue that some have aided monetarily along with verbally; singer Taylor Swift donated $250,000 to Kesha’s cause.

“The fact that celebrities are pledging themselves to Kesha and aiding her with money and personal support in her fight to be freed from her contract really shows how important the issue is,” Barraza said.

In the context of the immense pressure from the internet movement, there have now been reports that Sony is dropping Dr. Luke from their label. Although these reports are disputed, the #FreeKesha has brought the issue to the screens of a large number of people.

“The internet is incredible because it’s this platform allows for this rapid distribution of information in the blink of an eye. The Internet has had a profound effect on movements like … #FreeKesha because it allows people will similar ideologies to come together and express their constitutional rights of freedom of assembly, religion, petition, speech, and press,” Alex Sefayan, senior, said.

10

features Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

Kate Foultz Staff Writer In Kalamazoo Michigan, Jason Brian Dalton, 45, picked up several passengers in his car. He drove erratically, ran multiple red lights, swerved on the road, and refused to stop to let the passengers out, forcing them to jump out of the car for their safety. Later that day, Dalton switched cars, and drove around Kalamazoo, shooting at strangers, leaving six people dead. He was an Uber driver.

Many teenagers and young adults are using Uber nowadays, as it seems to be the most convenient way for people to travel locally.

However, recent incidents involving the unsafe state of Uber drivers has led the public to cast aspersions on the transportation service.

Uber is essentially the modern day taxi service. People use the Uber app on their smartphone to request a ride, and their location is automatically shared with the closest Uber drivers. In a payment process much quicker than that of traditional taxi services, Uber automatically transfers money from your credit card on account to their drivers’ account, so cash is unnecessary.

Grace Pratt, senior, used an Uber driver so her and her brother could get from their hotel in Fort Lauderdale to an airport. In light of recent events, she’s not sure she would feel completely safe in an Uber again.

“It makes me worry because there aren’t as many checks with respect to taxi drivers,” Pratt said. However, she does understand that this is not solely a problem involved with Uber drivers. “There’s a risk whenever you get into anybody’s car anywhere, so it doesn’t deter me completely.”

Chloe Diestel, senior, a previous Uber user, agrees with Pratt and understands the risk of using any transportation service. “Any driver you get, no matter what company it’s from or anywhere you go, there is always danger,” Diestel said. “You always run the risk of having someone who is trying to hurt you or getting in a bad situation.”

The incidents involving the unstable conditions of Uber drivers don’t fall solely on Jason Dalton.

Robert Wing, former assistant principal of Sycamore Middle School in Newbury Park, was an Uber driver who was on duty and on his way to pick up a client when he was pulled over and arrested

for a DUI. Police found beer cans in his car and tested his Blood Alcohol Content to be 0.25 percent, far greater than the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Uber released statements claiming they have a zero tolerance policy for any driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and said that relations with Wing had been severed.

Despite the incidents involving Dalton and Wing, Diestel believes that the company has far too many positive qualities for people to not use the services. “Just from one or two bad Uber drivers you can’t discount all the good they’ve done for people,” Diestel said.

Uber has apologized for the unprofessional and horrendous actions of their drivers, yet the company has taken no further steps recently to improve the safety of their clients and ensure their drivers are mentally stable and capable of performing their job at the highest level.

Pratt recognizes it is hard to monitor people’s actions, but she believes the safety of the passengers can improve. “The biggest thing to do would be to have a larger vetting process and different types of licenses and background checks that you have to have before you become an Uber driver and then routinely when you are one,” Pratt said.

Diestel hopes people who use Ubers are more aware of the driver’s condition and take advantage of Uber’s response system and let the company know of any issues. “Uber does have a really good reporting system where you get feedback right away, and they give you refunds if anything at all is wrong,” Diestel said.

The company argues that no one can foresee the future, and the horrible actions by its seemingly competent employees are impossible to guess, simply based on background checks.

Puri hopes that the number of Uber drivers who put their passengers in danger remains close to zero, and he believes that could be possible since the drivers understand their responsibilities.

“Uber drivers know that the lives of other people are in their hands,” Puri said.

5

things

Uber shaken by dangerous drivers

y ou did not k now a bout

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

Sandra Rayl // English

Bella Robakowski Sports Designer

1

Writes novels and screenplays.

2

Has a Master’s Degree in Post-Colonial English Literature.

3

Danced with Joe Tremaine and Steven Peck in dance companies in her twenties.

4

Is of Portuguese heritage.

5

Has a therapy dog named “Redford” who comes to school some days.

Students to face possible earthquake in the near future Nelson Kappas Cover Designer In the case of a disaster, it is often difficult to obtain basic necessities so it is essential to prepare resources in advance, such as food and water, for a comfortable survival. Sompura and his family have some basic supplies stored in the event of such a disaster.

“We do have extra water bottles and canned food in case of any emergency, so I think we are prepared in that regard, but for an extended emergency I don’t think we are too prepared,” Sompura said.

Illana Pavon, junior, also has some basic supplies to help her and her family survive a disaster.

“We have MREs (meals ready to eat), we have water stored … that’s basically it, Pavon said.

Eby feels that the school is well prepared for the possibility of an earthquake occurring while classes are in session. He explained that the students are well versed in what to do in the event of a quake, and he feels the campus is actually a good place to be if an earthquake were to occur.

“In California, we have to go through (the) California Department of State Architects for all buildings and structures, so some of the most safe structures (around) are our schools.”

Ultimately, Sompura feels that people in the

community do not do enough to prepare for an earthquake.

“I’m not sure I’m able to speak for everyone, but I wouldn’t say that everybody is as ready as they could possibly be for an earthquake,” Sompura said.

Despite having some supplies, Pavon and Sompura both are not sure what their families’ course of action would be in a large earthquake or other disaster.

“We have thought about it, but nothing has ever really been decided on, so no, we don’t really have a plan,” Sompura said.

“If we did (make a plan) I don’t know about it,” Pavon said.

Alyssa Boedigheimer/Prowler

The big one is coming. At least that’s what the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA’s) Jet Propulsion Laboratory has predicted. In an article published in September 2015, the organization forecasted a 99.9% chance that the LA region will experience an earthquake of a 5.0 magnitude or above within the next few years.

NASA’s prediction has been disputed by multiple groups in the scientific community, but these groups still accept that there is a significant chance of a powerful earthquake in the near future. However, such a possibility is not a frequent worry for junior Shiv Sompura.

“It’s not really on my mind, it’s more in the back of my thoughts. (It’s) California, we have earthquakes fairly frequently, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it, but I haven’t been through too many major earthquakes so I’m not sure what to expect,” Sompura said.

Joshua Eby, principal, explained that the younger generations that have never experienced a large earthquake often might not think about preparing for one.

“Those of us that were around (for the 1994 Northridge Earthquake) I think are probably a little more prepared because you know I was a high school student when that happened, and there were friends of mine that couldn’t go to their houses for a couple weeks,” Eby said.

entertainment Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

11

Kanye West lives up to the hype with “The Life of Pablo” Connor Keep Staff Writer Harsh Karia Staff Writer Next, there is “Low Lights” and “Highlights” which are good songs musically. The two songs flow very well together and are very cohesive. However, these tracks do not come close to the greatness that “All of the Lights” had, which featured Elton John and was on “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”. We give these a rating of 7/10 collectively.

“The Life of Pablo” is Kanye West’s newest album and his latest album since 2013 when he released “Yeezus”. The 18 track album features Chance the Rapper, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Young Thug and Chris Brown. West hopes to win a Grammy with this album, saying “This is not album of the year. This is album of the life.”

7/10 8/10 9/10 9/10

Track 9, “I Love Kanye”, is a very short song. It is a track that reflects upon West’s transition from the days of Late Registration to The Life of Pablo in the present day, and he also jokingly reflects upon his ego. We give the track a rating of 8/10.

The album begins with “Ultralight Beams”, and jumps right into the gospel sound that is played throughout the album, with stellar production from Metro Boomin. After listening to the song, you must ask yourself the question, “Does Young Metro trust you?” This track gets a 9/10 from us.

9/10 8/10 8.5/10 7.5/10

“No More Parties in LA.” was released on Soundcloud. The song features Kendrick Lamar on a Madlib beat, though West was by far the better rapper on the track. West addresses his long hiatus from music, his fiery personality, his kids, and his wife in the song, which we give a rating of 9/10.

The next song on the album is “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” and the “Pt. 2” which is one of the most powerful tracks on the album. These two tracks definitely do not disappoint. In Part 1, West reflects on his friendships in a sad tone, while Kid Cudi’s optimistic and loving tone opposes West’s - this juxtaposition is mixed perfectly, and we give it a rating of 8/10. ssa dig

Boe er

owl r/Pr

me

hei

The song up next is “Famous”, in which West collaborated with Rihanna and Swizz Beatz. The song is about all the people he made famous. The highlight of this song is the controversial line when he disses Taylor Swift. We give this song a rating of 7.5/10.

Aly

“Part 2” features Desiigner, another rapper, and it reflects a much more modern mood, with samples from Desiigner’s “Panda”. The most popular line from the song is, “If Young Metro don’t trust you”, and overall, it is a great song to get hyped up to.

We give it a rating of 8.5/10.

“30 Hours”, which was also released on Soundcloud, starts with a slow, melodic beat and then progresses into a more modern beat. West talks about his past, especially his ex girlfriends and being nervous about starting his career. West says, “My ex says she gave me the best years of her life I saw a recent picture of her, I guess she was right.” We give this song a rating of 9/10.

The album isn’t lyrically the best Kanye West album, but sonically it is a top notch album, from the production to the featured singers. It lived up to the hype. Every song on the album is worth listening to, and we give the album an overall score of 8.5/10.

Soundcloud: Making music on campus John MacMillen Staff Writer Soundcloud is a large, international library of music.

Whether it’s rock, rap, or electronic, people from all over the world have produced and contributed to it, including several students.

“I make music during my free time,” said senior Kevin Norgaard, who regularly contributes to Soundcloud. “I usually post just random tracks, remixes that I make for fun.”

Norgaard has been producing music since his eighth grade birthday when his father bought him the music production software FL Studio.

“At first I was into dubstep. You know, the middle school phase. It was horrible. My first song was Chicken and Rice.

It was probably the worst song I’ve ever made in my life,” Norgaard said. “Over time, it started to sound more like music and less like a videogame.”

However, Norgaard has had some trouble over the years with his remixes and copyright infringement claims.

“I had about twenty remixes on my Soundcloud account, and Soundcloud started giving me copyright strikes. I had to take all of them down except for two,” Norgaard said.

Recently, Norgaard has released a rap album with Alex Safayan (also known as Yung Sepha): Suavé. The album can be viewed on his Soundcloud: tenthcloud.

Zack Thielemann, senior, is another Soundcloud artist on campus.

“I create mostly hip-hop instrumentals and short trap songs, as well as a few piano pieces on the side,” said Thielemann, “I also do a lot of vocal recording and mixing/ mastering on the hip-hop side of things.”

Thielemann has been composing music for years on piano and in Fruity Loops, a digital audio workstation, for years. However, he his involvement in soundcloud has recently escalated. “I never really started working seriously until about a year ago, when I started to drift more to hiphop and trap stuff,” Thielemann said.

Thielemann has garnered satisfaction from music, even from a young age.

“I have always wanted to create music since I was slamming on a family piano when I was a small kid.

Hearing something that sounds good, and knowing that you made it is a feeling I will never get over,” Thielemann said.

Thielemann draws inspiration from hip hop artist such as Metro Boomin, Stoupe, The Enemy of Mankind, Young Chop, Yung Gud, and Drake’s producer, 40. All of his influences manifest into a style which can be accessed on his

Soundcloud: Thielemann.

But not everyone’s a solo artist. One such example is the local band Paper. Its members, who formed the band during the summer of 2015, include guitarist and vocalist Hoyt Yeatman, bass player Kyle Hart, and drummer Jeff Demorest.

Paper doesn’t apply itself to a definite genre.

“We do play rock music, but we don’t like classifying it to one genre because it takes away from the whole interesting element of it,” said the band’s drummer, Jeff Demorest. “Some would say we’re a punk band, but punk came and went in the eighties, so you can’t be a punk band in the same way you can’t be classic rock band and you can’t be a hair metal band.”

Demorest is an experienced musician. He’s learned not only the drums, an instrument he’s played since the fourth grade, but also the guitar, bass, cello, and he can sing.

Demorest is currently pursuing a career in music, a decision he made at his first concert which was The Police on their reunion tour.

Two months ago, Paper released an album titled Goat Soup, which can be listened to on the band’s Soundcloud: soundloud.com/paper-829804086.

12

entertainment Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

Cultural dances for a cause

Gianna Longo Staff Writer

The multicultural dances of Dance for Hope, a charity concert hosted by the Interact club, were joined by the International Baccalaureate dance students on March 4, 2016. The event, which was a fundraiser for the American Cancer society, raised $1456.

Groups of students met on their own time to rehearse their numbers for the performance. Many different cultural dances including Chinese, Flamenco, and Hula were performed by students, adults, and guest studios. One such group of students rehearsed a Bollywood dance choreographed by junior Rachna Deshpande.

“It’s really fun because you get to dance with your friends and get to raise money for a worthy cause,” Hannah Dembla, sophomore, said.

A few hours each week, students met to rehearse their dance. “The most difficult part is learning the dance because I’m a slow learner, but I will still practice out of regular practice to get it right,” Dembla said.

Although the International Baccalaureate (IB) dance concert and Dance for Hope have been separate events in the past, IB Dance teacher Cameo Carolan and student coordinator Anissa Andalon, senior, worked to make this a joint event.

“I really enjoyed it. This is my first year not coaching the dance team and since I’m not dealing with that, it opened my eyes

to other things on campus,” Carolan said.

“Everything I (did was) for competition and everything (had) to be perfect. This was more celebratory and light-hearted.”

Andalon also enjoyed the experience of planning the event. “Cameo and I worked together as far as making sure the set list was good. Our collaboration was mainly related to the dancing aspects and as the student coordinator I got the food donations and initially set up all the dancers that would be performing,” Andalon said. “I don’t professionally dance but it’s good to have someone who has worked in dance. She helped me out a lot.”

In spite of not having extensive dance experience, many students chose to take part in order to make friends, have fun, and raise money for a cause.

“I decided to do the (Bollywood) dance because I wanted to try something new, not because I believed I was any good at dancing,” Amaan Kazi, junior, said. “The best part is definitely being able to attend practices and spend time with people I don’t normally talk to all the time.”

The event also helped students to become familiar with new experiences.

“I would definitely recommend this to others,” Kazi said. “It gets you out of your comfort zone which initially seems intimidating, but after a while, I think you come to enjoy the feeling of being able to perform with people who have learned the dance with you.”

Synaps Synapse Syna pse e and and shapes shap sh apes es - IB World Dance Studies students perform their self-choreographed dance titled Synapse, a visual interpretation of dementia. Kayla Borkovec/with permission

Miraculous Ladybug: Star-crossed superheroes save Paris and charm viewers Nevnit Gill Entertainment Designer

Lady La dy LuckLuc L uckk- Miraculous Ladybug’s title character, Ladybug, also known as Marinette, saves Paris with the help of Cat Noir. Ladybug represents good luck as Cat Noir represents bad luck, and together they form a balance. nick.com/press release

We’ve all read those superhero stories that play with the idea of a secret identity. “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir” takes this to an exponential level.

Originally in French, but also dubbed in English and Korean, this recent (and still airing) animated show features the two main characters of Marinette and Adrien, who are secretly Ladybug and Cat Noir respectively.

Almost every day, the super villain Hawk Moth terrorizes innocent citizens by playing on their minor problems and turning them into evil minions by infecting them with his butterflies, called “akuma.” These villains usually cause ridiculous problems throughout Paris, and are ordered to capture Ladybug and Cat Noir’s miraculous-es, which give them their powers.

The plot twist is that Marinette secretly loves Adrien, but Adrien, as Cat Noir, loves Ladybug, who is actually Marinette. Neither Marinette nor Adrien are aware that the other is their partner in heroics. And there is a huge fan theory that Paris’ arch-nemesis, Hawk Moth, is secretly Adrien’s dad. This, of course, leads to interesting dilemmas that make the show altogether entertaining and very cute.

The animation is done extremely well. The show implements the use of CGI excellently, delivering smooth, clean-cut scenes and powerful performances. The quality of the voice acting, however, is debatable. Generally with

dubbed foreign shows, there is often criticism of the voices given to each character. In terms of this show, this is somewhat true, as the English voices pale in comparison to the French voices, which do an excellent job. The show is available on Youtube in French with English subtitles, and this version is arguably the best.

This show has a plot reminiscent of that of “Sailor Moon,” as there is a new enemy each episode. However, there are also several endearing, and sometimes romantic moments between Ladybug and Cat Noir for example, or even with each enemy, that make the show funny and entertaining, and certainly worth watching. While there is a recognizable pattern to each episode, there is a subplot that continues throughout the season - the love between Marinette/Ladybug and Adrien/Cat Noir develops, and Hawkmoth becomes more and more evil.

The ending has not yet been released, so it is difficult to say what will happen with the miraculous-es, or between Ladybug and Cat Noir. As of yet, though, the show is wonderful and gets 5/5 stars.

sports Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

13

Clarke brothers swing into senior year Kate Foultz Staff Writer For twins Zach and Chris Clarke, seniors, it was clear at a very young age they had found their niche on the baseball diamond.

“We played football and then basketball for a year or two, and then after that it was basically just baseball,” Zach said.

After roughly twelve years playing baseball, the twin’s hard work has been rewarded with the opportunity to play baseball in college and follow their older brother Zander’s footsteps, who currently plays baseball at UCLA. “Our older brother kinda paved the way for us because he had a lot of talent when he was coming up through high school … and through the recruiting process we followed him along,” Zach said.

In the fall, Zach will play baseball at Claremont McKenna College. However, when it initially came to deciding where to attend college, Zach focused his search on academics.

“Everyone that I ever talked with was like ‘if athletics get you into school that you couldn’t get into previously, or if it opens up doors that wouldn’t have previously been open to you, then that’s something that you should explore,’” Zach said. “I had D1 offers on the East coast, and I could’ve played in Georgia or New York, but I decided to stay at home and go to the best academic school I ever possibly could.”

Chris committed to USC as a sophomore, shortly after his older brother committed to UCLA. However, for Chris the future is now undecided, as he has gained the attention of several Major League Baseball teams.

The opportunity for Chris to play baseball in the future is especially meaningful for him, as during his sophomore year he experienced one of the biggest setbacks to a pitcher: Tommy John surgery, in which the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow had to be replaced.

After a grueling 18 month recovery period filled with intense rehab and physical therapy, Chris was able to pitch again.

The time spent on the sidelines made Chris appreciate his love for the game even more. “The (recovery) process just really became a lifestyle of what I have to do, and then as soon as I got on the field, as soon as I had people around me I could

work with, once again, it just felt like I was back home,” Chris said.

With the return of Chris to the mound his senior year, he and his brother have high hopes for the team this season and are confident their team will perform well.

“Our only firm goal is Marmonte and everything after that is kinda up in the air,” Zach said. “But there is no reason why we shouldn’t win Marmonte this year. We’re the best team in the league.”

Although the Clarkes will be moving on to college next year, Chris is so grateful to have been a part of such a wonderful team. “We have great team chemistry … all in all we’re a solid team, and there’s no other team I’d rather play for,” Chris said.

Teammates Carpenter Pagett and Tanner Castle have been playing with the Clarkes for eight and four years respectively, and admire the qualities their teammates bring to the field.

“Chris brings a lot of energy to our team and he gets us all motivated to win,” Pagett said.

Castle agrees with Pagett and not only commends their spirit, but also their smarts regarding the game. “They both have an extremely high baseball IQ,” Castle said.

Chris thinks that he and his brother are good leaders on the team, each with unique qualities that complement each other. “(Zach) serves as the go to captain, kinda like a mom … more sensible ... and then I serve as the captain in the background with discipline, kinda like a dad,” Chris said.

The perfect pitch - Chris Clarke, senior, pitches for varsity baseball in a home game. Clarke recently returned from Tommy John surgery this season and is back in full force. Samantha Meyer/Prowler

Boy’s volleyball seeks to remain undefeated Gianna Longo Staff Writer

Pumped up - Boy’s varsity volleyball gets excited before their first home game of the season. The team won three of five games for the victory. Samantha Meyer/Prowler

After two years of being undefeated, boys’ varsity volleyball is beginning a new season. With last years’ seniors gone and new players added, the new team looks forward to carrying on a legacy of success.

“We have been playing very well in preseason tournaments and we have the ability to fight hard this year and stay undefeated in Marmonte league,” Jordan Moses, junior, said.

Last year, four seniors received Division I scholarships. “We lost 5 starters due to graduation. So we basically have a brand new team,” Varsity Head Coach, Jorge Ostrovsky, said.

Last season, the team stayed undefeated all season and made it to CIF playoffs where they unfortunately lost in the third round.

Moses was brought up to Varsity from Junior Varsity towards the end of last year’s season, and credits the team’s ‘will to win’ for their success. “ (We) had been playing together since middle school and with (our) amazing talent, (the seniors) wanted to end high school volleyball experience the best they could and be undefeated,” Moses said.

With many new members on the team this season, multiple days are dedicated to practicing practicing as a team. “The best part about volleyball is probably being able to work with a team in a way that makes a difficult game look easy,” Ryan Brecht, senior, said.

Moses hopes the team’s hard work will pay off. “We hope to take home a CIF championship title this year for NPHS,” Moses said.

14

sports Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

Girl’s basketball: Winning down to the wire Kyle Popok Sports Editor Going into halftime in the second round of CIF playoffs, the girl’s varsity basketball team was down by nine points. Avery Brunk, senior, remembers being in the locker room before the second half began. “We were all a little frustrated and just kind of upset that we were down by nine and that things weren’t going our way,” Brunk said. “To start the second half we just wanted to come out with a bunch of energy and pressure the ball and really execute on offense.”

The strategy paid off, and the team won. “That was a huge win for us and the energy was so big and everyone was so pumped after the game it was insane,” Brunk said.

A few weeks later, the team played in the championship against Canyon High School. They drew on the confidence that they had built up in games like the one against Foothill. “Before the

Huddle up - Girl’s basketball competes in a league game leading up to their win of the CIF league championship. Samantha Meyer/Prowler

game I was really excited. I was a little nervous, but mostly just excited. We knew that we had a chance to do something special,” Brunk said.

Girl’s basketball beat Canyon 47-33, winning the CIF championship and advancing to state.

But it was no easy road to get there.

The game against Foothill was a close one, a game that the girl’s basketball team had to rally together in order to win. Corryn Douglas, senior, knows how important winning those close games are for the confidence level of the team. “It just (made) us more excited for the next game. Because we came back from Foothill ... I think that just made us more excited and made us want to go farther,” Douglas said.

The drive that the team had through the playoffs and into the championship game was fueled by close wins, but they also had something to prove. “So many people had doubted us and doubted that we would even make playoffs in the first place and proving them wrong felt great,” Douglas said.

But before the team could prove the skeptics wrong in the championship, they had to beat Oak Hills in the semi-final round. In practice leading up to the game, the team prepared for another tight game. “We ran some new plays to be able to prepare for last-second shots just in case we needed it because we have had some really close games,” Douglas said.

The decision to run those plays came in handy on February 27, against Oak Hills in the semi-final game.

Just like Foothill, this game was close. With thirty seconds left, they were losing by one, 4443. With the season on the line, Madison Hutchinson, senior, drove to the basket and scored the winning layup to go to the finals. “One of my teammates was trying to set a screen for me and I just saw that it was open, so I just did a lay-up. It was so scary,” Hutchinson said.

But even coming off such an emotional win, the team was already looking forward to their next challenge. They had played Canyon in a preseason game earlier this year, and lost. The team looked forward to seeing them again in the championship.

Their game plan for the championship was straightforward. They leaned on efficient offense and a strong defense to overcome Canyon. “Our defense is going to be key. Offense wins games, defense wins championships,” said Brunk, before the game.

Brunk’s words held true. The team commanded control of the ball for almost all of the game, winning with a comfortable lead. “The game went pretty smoothly. We played great defense,” Douglas said.

When the final buzzer sounded, girl’s basketball had won the CIF championship. “It felt unbelievable. It’s awesome. The amount of hugging and screaming we did after that was crazy,” said Brunk.

Girl’s soccer competes deep into CIF playoffs Connor Keep Staff Writer This year, the girl’s soccer team made a deep run in the Division II CIF playoffs. Their continuous wins throughout the season and CIF playoffs brought the girls to the state regionals.

Kristina Krehbiel, senior, who recorded 3 goals and 9 assists within 17 games, spoke about the commitment the team makes. “It’s a very passionate team. Everyone works for each other and it’s a good atmosphere,” Krehbiel said.

The team went to the semifinals for the first time in 5 years. The season started out with a few losses but as the chemistry grew between the teammates the team began to win more games.

Marissa Ray, sophomore, has scored 10 goals this soccer season. She believes the girls have progressed throughout the season, “It’s definitely been a team effort overall, we couldn’t have gotten to here without the team,” Ray said.

The players tout the experience of being on a team. “The best part of being on the team is definitely the people. I don’t think that we could even be on this run if the people on this team weren’t there because we all just love each other, it’s great,” Ray said.

According to the Krehbiel, the team is very young, “It’s a mix because we have a lot of freshman. I think there’s 6,” Kristina Krehbiel said. However, this did not stop the team from making it to the CIF semifinals.

The girls season unfortunately ended with their loss in the second round of state regionals. Following their first state regional game with the 2-1 win against Northwood, they finalize their soccer experience and journey with their loss of 1-0 in overtime to Cathedral Catholic.

“I am actually feeling pretty confident about regionals because I feel that we have finally become a team and not individuals out on the field.” Eden Quiroz, freshman, midfielder, said. “ I am still happy playing because I get the opportunity to play with such amazing players.”

Home turf - Fiona Marangola, freshman, fights for the ball in a girl’s varsity soccer home game. Kianna Coolidge/Pawprint

sports Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

15

Becoming a Bruin: Ian Eschenberg will play volleyball at UCLA Farhaan Pathan Staff Writer After playing four years on varsity volleyball, Ian Eschenberg, senior, was recruited to the UCLA Bruins volleyball team as an outside hitter.

“Towards the end of club volleyball season [January] UCLA invited me out to check out the campus and watch the team practice. After they expressed their interest in me and mine in them, they offered a spot on their team to me,” Eschenberg said. He officially committed to play for the school at the end of January.

Eschenberg began playing volleyball after watching his older brother, Zach Eschenberg.

“My older brother Zach was definitely my biggest motivation to start playing volleyball. He started playing and as a very inspired younger brother I started playing as well,” Eschenberg said.

Jorge Ostrovsky, head coach of Boys’ Varsity volleyball, remembers the two brothers playing together. “(Ian) made the varsity team as a freshman. He actually was his older brother Zach’s backup,” Ostrovsky said.

Ostrovsky has seen Eschenberg progress from freshman year to senior year.

“I started coaching Ian four years ago. He’s the epitome of ‘the harder I work the luckier I get’,” Ostrovsky said. “It’s not an accident he was recruited by many schools.”

Eschenberg played for Sequoia’s volleyball team in sixth grade, where he began his development into playing volleyball full time.

“I started my volleyball career in the Sequoia Middle School gym in sixth grade. It was very light and my full transition into the sport didn’t start until I was invited to go play club volleyball for a local team in the eighth grade,” Eschenberg said.

Mark Magnante, senior, has played volleyball with Eschenberg since middle school. “Its great, spectacular that he is going to UCLA, to play for them. Why wouldn’t (he)? It’s Ian!,” Magnante said.

Eschenberg has big goals for the Bruins volleyball team. “I plan to contribute my all to the program and help UCLA obtain another NCAA Division 1 national championship,” Eschenberg said.

D1 bound - UCLA commit, Ian Eschenberg, senior, wins the first home game of his last season as a Panther.

Samantha Meyer/Prowler

Triple sport athletes do it all Connor Keep Staff Writer Playing a sport requires skill, dedication, and commitment.

The scheduling for one sport can be overwhelming with practice, training, and games. Some athletes balance three sports throughout the school year. Known as triple threat athletes, These players cope with injury and exhaustion because they love what they do.

Joe Clemen, senior, has been a three sport athlete all throughout his time at the school. He runs and wrestles for the school, and is junior varsity for cross country and track and is varsity for the wrestling.

Meeting new people is one of Clemen’s favorite thing to do. “You get to meet new freshmen and help influence how they are going to be throughout their years. You get to inspire (them), and it’s a lot of fun,” Clemen said.

Erich Wuesthoff, senior, has been a three sport athlete since freshman year, and plays football, basketball, and lacrosse at the varsity level. Along with the experience of playing, Wuesthoff enjoys the social aspect of being a triple threat athlete.

“My favorite part is meeting all the people. Obviously I have my teams and friends out there, but meeting kids on other teams is fun, too,” Wuesthoff said.

Taylor Dederick is one of the only girls at Newbury Park High School who plays three sports - water polo, golf, and swim. “I have been doing three (sports) all four years. I’m the only (female) graduate from 2016 that will be completing the program.” Dederick says that her body is exhausted at times, but believes she has adjusted to the physicality of the sports since she has played all of them since freshman year.

For Clemen the hardest challenge of being a three sport athlete is staying healthy. “(It) is really hard, because you get injuries a lot from overworking your muscles,” Clemen said.

He has had multiple concussions, a pulled hamstring, and an injured calf.

Andrew Noble, junior, is active in a multitude of sports on campus. He plays on the varsity football team as a wide receiver, a point guard on the basketball team, a sprinter for

the track team, and a clearing midfielder for the lacrosse team.

Noble is the only person to play four sports at Newbury Park. He would like to play sports to college. “My dream is to play college football one day. (I want to play) anywhere that’s D1,” Noble said.

The only thing that may hurt his career is injuries, with which he has been afflicted. He suffered an oblique contusion during football. Wuesthoff has also been affected by injuries,

as he was kept from participating in football due to a severe concussion.

Wuesthoff will also be participating in collegiate sports, playing: lacrosse for Saint Mary’s College in Maryland.

The athletes believe playing three or more sports not affects the body, but also makes high school more enjoyable.

“It makes the experience (in high school) a lot more fun and awesome,” Noble said.

Four triple threats - Erich Wuesthoff, senior, Taylor Dederick, senior, Andrew Noble, junior, and Joe Clemen, senior, pose for a photo celebrating their athletic achievements. Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

16

photo essay Panther Prowler • March 11, 2016

ROAD TO THE STATE TITLE

by Samantha Meyer Chief Photographer

Flying High- Kayla Overbeck drives to the rim in the win against Immanuel, helping to advance girl’s basketball into the next round of state playoffs.

The Panther Pit- During an extra point the Panther Pit holds their fingers to support the girl’s baskbetball team.

Post Up- Senior Chloe Diestel takes the ball down the court against an Immanuel defender in the first game of state playoffs.

Sweet victory- The Panther Pit celebrates during the girl’s basketball first round win in the state playoffs.

Over the top- Samone Overbeck, freshman, shoots over three defenders during the game against Immanuel.

Girl’s basketball won against Immanuel in the first game of state playoffs after winning CIF against Canyon

Pump up the crowd- Andrew Mason leads the fans during the game dressed as the StayPuft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters.

Shots fired- Avery Brunk, senior, takes a shot over several Immanuel defenders.