2016-2017 Issue 2 (September 30, 2016)

PANTHER

PROWLER

Friday September 30, 2016 Issue II Newbury Park High School 456 N. Reino Rd., Newbury Park, CA 91320

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staff editorial Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

Assult downplayed by success Brock Turner released from jail after only three months for sexual assault, because of success as a swimmer and a Stanford student.

As Americans, we’re proud of our legal system. The Fourteenth Amendment establishes “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.” However, the federal law has fine print: if the bad guy is successful, it’s not their fault.

On January 17th, 2015, Brock Turner, a freshman and top swimmer at Stanford University, sexually assaulted a 23-year-old woman, known as Emily Doe for her privacy. She went to a party with her sister at a Stanford fraternity house, Kappa Alpha. A few hours later, she was found unconscious behind a dumpster by two Swedish Stanford graduate students, with Turner on top of her. When they tried to stop him, Turner began running, later saying he was scared for his life.

The jury unanimously voted that Turner was guilty of three felony counts of sexual assault. He faced a punishment for up to 14 years in jail, and the prosecutor asked for six years. Yet instead, Judge Aaron Persky, who was coincidentally a Stanford alumni, stated that prison would “have a severe impact on him.” Therefore, he sentenced Turner to six months in prison with three years’ probation, and registration as a sex offender.

The judge cited Turner’s young age, lack of previous records, and his remorse for reducing the sentence.

However, even though Turner was previously known as a nationally ranked swimmer and went to Stanford University on scholarship, he was far from a golden boy: pictures and texts seized by prosecutors from his phone showed that he had a history of getting high and drunk. Despite all of this hard evidence, Judge Persky did not serve justice for Emily Doe. Turner was even released three months early for good behavior. As Brock Turner’s father so nicely put it, his son had already received a severe enough punishment by registering as a sex offender for merely “20 minutes of action.”

Judge Persky also stated that an extended stay in state prison for him would not heal anyone, including Doe. He decided “that justice would best be served, ultimately, with a grant of probation.” Despite his logic of healing the wounds, he merely served to open and pour salt over them by a light sentence that trivialized the crime of sexual assault and the sufferings of the victim. A petition was even made to force impeachment hearings for Judge Persky, who “failed to see that the fact that Brock Turner is a white male star athlete at a prestigious university does not entitle him to leniency.” A sentence of three months in prison is less than most sentences of petty crimes, like vandalism; sexual assault, however,

is far from a ‘petty crime’, so why is Turner’s sentence less harsh than petty crime sentences?

And, what about the punishment given to Emily Doe? Her punishment, far worse than that of Turner’s, is the mental scars she will have to carry for the rest of her life. The assault caused Doe to no longer feel comfortable in her own skin. When she first awoke in the hospital the morning after the party and discovered that she had possibly been a victim of sexual assault, she described, “I don’t want my body anymore. I was terrified of it, I didn’t know what had been in it, if it had been contaminated, who had touched it. I wanted to take off my body like a jacket and leave it at the hospital with everything else.”

What’s worse is the investigators did not confirm details of her assault until she found out what really happened to her from an online news article. Emily Doe discovered “how I was found unconscious … that I was butt naked all the way down to my boots, legs spread apart, and had been penetrated by a foreign object by someone I did not recognize.” The whole legal proceedings afterwards, courtesy of the Turner’s, forced her to relive the nightmare over and over again.

Furthermore, adding to the public’s outrage over this case is that Turner never took responsibility

for his actions. Instead, he blames alcohol, college party culture, and peer pressure. He claimed that he “was an inexperienced drinker and party-goer,” yet still made the choice to drink at least six beers and “two swigs of Fireball whisky” at two different parties that night. He also blames his acquaintances, who would “go to parties, meet girls, and take the girl that they had just met back with them.” Participating in all the alcohol and the party culture of that night is a decision Turner made for himself -- and therefore, he alone is responsible for the consequences that came with it. His lifestyle cannot be used as a scapegoat for his actions; instead, Turner and other young people should recognize the red flags, exercise better judgment, and take the right action to avoid such predicaments, as well as admit to wrongdoings.

We like to boast of our Declaration of Independence which describes American ways: “All men are created equal.” Our legal system has failed to uphold this principle.

Just because Turner is a fast swimmer who had a chance at making the Olympics doesn’t suddenly entitle him to a sentence six years lighter than average. This is what it means to judge a person based on how well they are known, rather than by their true deeds. However cliche it is, you should never judge a book by its cover.

table of contents.

2 3 4 5 6

Editorial: Brock Turner Summer Europe Trips Hispanic Heritage Month Common Core Scores Kaepernick’s Protest

7 8-9 10 11

Pros of Social Media DPS: School Board Elections

Student Vegans

Student vs. Teacher

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Stranger Things Haunted House Panther Pit Freshmen Rookies Amelia Marcuson

news Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

Daria Azizad Staff Writer Nidhi Satyagal Staff Writer

Sarah Lu/Prowler

Last year’s Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), now called California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), scores have been released and for NPHS, are lower than ever before. So low in fact that Newbury Park High School did not place in the top 500 schools on Newsweek, published by the US College Board.

From 2015 to 2016, Newbury Park’s math scores dropped by 11% and English scores remain low. Mr. Joshua Eby, principal, summarized that test scores are imperative in the evaluation of schools in a new ranking system that the California State Department created. Our poor performance will impact our ranking and the way colleges evaluate the school in November when they begin accepting admission applications. The yearly test scores also affect property values surrounding the NP campus.

Eby explains, “as we start the college application process, or even going for a simple job, if [students] are saying [they] went to Newbury Park High School, a lot of people do look at that rating index which is a part of the CAASPP. There is definitely an indirect effect [from the ranking].”

Eby examines the test’s impact on the school saying,”I think in the end we want our students to be proud of the school they

go to and so the first thing is that piece, that we want the test score to be representative of who the students are and how outstanding the students are that we have at this school, so when [a] student chooses to just put in a random essay and to not really read the multiple choice portion, that becomes a reflection on our school.”

Andy Reddy, senior, expresses his disappointment that others’ scores impact everyone’s chances, especially since he legitimately put effort into his test. He believes that “other people’s scores shouldn’t affect your chances of getting into college,” and that, “many students didn’t take it seriously, not knowing of its consequences.” He firmly states, “I don’t like the idea of it affecting our school ranking simply because of lack of knowledge about its significance. The system has good intentions, but the emphasis wasn’t placed properly.”

Amaan Kazi, senior, explains that he “didn’t know whether to really give the test legitimacy.” “Some of the staff didn’t show any concern, they made a lot of fun of it, so it created an atmosphere that no one cared,” Kazi said.

“They just told us the day before.” Students were put under the impression that this test had no effect on our school. The outcome could’ve Sarah Lu/Prowler

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Our school deserves a better score.

Emily Taketa Senior

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Common core scores cannot be ignored

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been different “if they told us at the beginning of the school year, showed us why it was important, and kept hitting that home.” He laments, “I didn’t know the extent to which it would affect our school.”

Emily Taketa notes, “I put effort in, but not really my best work since it was during school, mostly I focused on getting back to class, instead of double checking my work.”

“I found out that it was an official ranking that actually affected our school and college and our housing prices after I took it” she vocalizes her frustration at the system, “because a lot of the top students actually opted out of taking it because they would rather be in class, or didn’t want to waste the time.”

Taketa finds it unfair that students, ”were told to do well, but to hurry because we were missing valuable lesson time.” She wishes that, “people knew the gravity of our performance because no one took it seriously.”

Taketa hopes that future classes learn from their mistakes and, “improve next year’s ratings and awareness”. “Our school deserves a better score,” she finishes.

Keeping comfortable in locker rooms Emily Nagamoto Photographer

Locker Room Privacy- With the completion of separate changing stalls, students can now change separately in the locker rooms. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Last winter, private changing stalls were constructed in the boys’ and the girls’ locker rooms. The school board and the district office started the process around the fall of last year, and the last installation was made in February. There are five stalls in each locker room located in the back.

Assistant Principal Kelly Welch said, “[The stalls are for] just any student that might want to change privately, that they’d be able to do it. So PE classes can use it, the sports teams can use it, and the visiting sports teams that use our locker room can also use them.”

Prior to their installation, the only other location to change besides the locker room was in the bathroom, which Welch said “isn’t very much and isn’t very comfortable to use.” She wanted students to be able to have the privacy they want and not feel uncomfortable or embarrassed.

“I think it’s wonderful for students to be able to have a place they feel comfortable. . . We want students to be physically, mentally, emotionally safe, so if this helps that, then that’s great,” Welch said.

With the transition to a new school, she pointed out that freshman and home-schooled students may feel the most awkward changing in front of new people, and said she wanted to make this shift a little easier in this regard.

“Coming in freshman PE can be awkward for students, sometimes it’s uncomfortable. We have a lot of students that come from private schools or home schools that didn’t take general PE classes with the general student population. And so, to have a private place to change, is a wonderful thing for any student to have,” Welch said.

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news Panther Prowler • September 30, 2016

Club reflects during Hispanic History Month Olivia Luby Staff Writer From the start of September until Oct. 15, we recognize Hispanic History Month to celebrate the hispanic people’s heritage, culture, and the hispanic people who have helped shape the way we live today. A group of people that this month is especially important to is the Latinos Unidos Club.

In this club, a small group of girls get together and talk about Hispanictheir culture and what they can do to improve the community. Veronica Gonzalez, the club vice president, explains their new project.

“In October we are going to start going to Oxnard monthly to help the Mistico Community.

We bag food and watch their children while their parents are at meetings,” Gonzalez said.

Along with planning community service, the Latinos Unidos Club spends their time reflecting on their culture.

“When I was growing up, I was in a very white neighborhood, so I wasn’t very involved in my culture until high school. I actually saw how beautiful and different we are and how we are integrated into this society,” Esmeralda Gonzalez, the president of the club said.

Hispanic History Month often gives people the opportunity to think about who they are and why we celebrate them and their history.

Gonzalez said, “I think it’s important to celebrate Hispanic History Month because it

teaches everyone exactly how we were before the Europeans populated this part of the world. We learn about how little we had and we were still able to communicate with each other. It educates everyone on how we actually act and who we are as a culture.”

During this month, Michelle Calveron, a junior and a member of the club said “I make myself more comfortable with my culture. I am more proud to say I’m hispanic.”

In addition to the junior, Daisy Calveron said “[Hispanic History Month] let’s you be proud of who you are and who your parents are.”

The girls all take pride in their hispanic culture and its traditions. Some of these are their styles of clothing, dancing, and specific event attire.

“Where my parents are from, they dance this dance called jarana and the girls wear these long dresses with flowers and it’s all handmade. It’s a tradition. Each culture has their own celebrations and their own style.”

Calveron said.

Not only do the girls think and reflect on their hispanic history, they learn more about it and who they are as a hispanic person in society.

Michelle Calveron, another member of the Latinos Unidos Club, said “I’m learning about my culture and I’m more proud to speak about my traditions.”

The club president feels that Hispanic History Month has impacted her and her family in an empowering way.

“Seeing how we’ve grown as Latinos, how influential

Showing pride-Latinos prideUnidos Club celebrates their heritage.@nphsluc/With permission

we are in today’s society and how we can actually make a change in the world” is what the president said about the positive effects Hispanic History Month had had on her and her family.

CVUSD students see the world with teachers Rachna Deshpande Copy Editor

Selfies in Berlin-On Berlin- their tour of Europe the students stopped at the infamous Berlin Wall.Tiffany Coull/With Permission

This past summer, students from the Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) accompanied NPHS English teacher Vanessa Denchfield and History teacher Tiffani Coull to several destinations in Europe, including Munich, Berlin, Krakow, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, and Slovakia.

Traveling with the EF Educational Tours organization to Berlin and then to Krakow, Denchfield, 25 CVUSD students, and the 4 other advisers witnessed the “new” Berlin atop a Ferris wheel that overlooked the Reichstag building and Tear Garden. “(There were) cobblestone streets, old buildings, and horses pulling the carriages,” Denchfield said. “It was like magic.”

After visiting Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Schindler’s factory in Krakow, the group hopped on a luxury bus to Prague, Budapest, and Vienna, where Denchfield and her students swam in “mansion-like” pools from the 1700’s and witnessed the hustle and bustle of the busy streets.

Ending its “fairytale” in the mountains of Slovakia, the group stayed in a ski lodge and admired the summer flora atop the hills.

“It looked like the Sound of Music,”

Denchfield said. “The students (were) very enthusiastic and had a lot of energy,” Denchfield said.

Although the trip was short-lived, only spanning 12 days, “it felt like 3 months” according to Denchfield.

Coull also traveled to Germany for 10 days this summer, accompanied by a group of 12 students. Traveling to Berlin first, the students toured the city on a boat ride, visiting the Berlin Wall and Saint Point Charlie.

“It was the most amazing experience of my life,” Olivia Diliberti, senior, said. “I learned so much and had a great time!”

Getting exposure to history firsthand, Coull and her students walked in the footsteps of captives at the Dachau concentration camp.

“That was intense. Everyone should go to a concentration camp,” Coull said. “It was like history there.”

From the BMW Group Plant to the bicycle tour, Germany’s attractions were both informative and fun for the students and their advisers.

“I had the most fun kids,” Coull said.

“We’re doing Italy this (upcoming) summer.”

news Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

Mr. Godfrey battles the sun

Who is Mr. Novak?

Jaycen Sussman Staff Writer Lance Novak, new long term substitute for English teacher Sandra Rayl, arrived at Newbury Park High School in mid September. He spoke with Rayl to prepare curriculum for his ninth and tenth grade English classes.

“She wants me to teach my way, and then when she comes back she’ll kind of take over,” Novak said. “I’m using her wisdom and what she wants me to do, but then also kind of getting some of my own ideas in there too - to give a balance to it.”

Before teaching, he sang and played guitar for an 80’s metal band during his Massachusetts high school years and held various jobs as a bartender and salesman. He began his teaching career as a high school and college instructor in New Hampshire and Montana before arriving in California.

While Novak is only here temporarily, he wants to make the most of his time here by getting involved and connecting with his students.

“I really like working in a regular classroom. That’s why I came back here, that’s why I accepted it. I like the kind of hustle-bustle, the group work and getting to know the kids,” Novak said. “(Also), you have great sports teams and all the kinds of stuff I didn’t have at my school, so now I can get involved in extracurricular activities.”

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Assistant Principal’s fight against skin cancer Rachna Deshpande Copy Editor On Sept. 21, the Assistant Principal Michael Godfrey underwent a Mohs surgery procedure to remove Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), a form of skin cancer. First diagnosed in 2013, Godfrey underwent reconstructive surgery on his left ear to remove BCCs. Since then, his doctors have removed the cancerous cells from his ear, neck, and chin.

“I looked like I had a shark bite or Mike Tyson took a bite out of my ear,” Godfrey said.

Since his biopsies and surgeries, the Assistant Principal has learned how to adapt and is taking preventative steps to keep himself healthy.

“I have to keep (my skin) clean, put vaseline, and keep it covered until it all heals up,” Godfrey said. “It kind of feels like I have my ears pierced all the time. It’s very uncomfortable.”

Learning the dangers of skin cancer the hard way, Godfrey urges students and other adults to take precautionary care of their skin.

“I was raised in southern California and just worshipped the sun. Not using sunscreen, and having fair skin is just kind of a bad combination,” Godfrey said. “I hope I can serve as a warning to others to use sunscreen, put a hat on, and help yourself because later in life… you know this is what happens.”

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opinion

6Kaepernick raises awareness, Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

without raising for the flag Gianna Longo Cover Designer

Emily Nagamoto Photographer

When kids are taught the National Anthem, they are taught to stand. It’s tradition to rise for the anthem--with our right hand over our heart--especially before sports. However, because of the current controversy regarding police brutality in the United States, some say that standing is showing pride towards our country’s injustices.

San Francisco 49er’s quarterback Colin Kaepernick gained national attention for his protest of the national anthem--he sat instead of stood during the last two September preseason games. This brought mixed opinions and influenced not only other professional football players, but athletes from a variety of sports. Kaepernick explained to the NFL: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” Teammate Eric Reid followed, then Seattle Seahawks player Jeremy Lane. Shortly after, Kansas City Chiefs’ Marcus Peters, and New England Patriots’ Martellus Bennett and Devin McCourty joined and raised their fists, a symbol from the 1960’s black power movement. This carried on to professional soccer when Seattle Reign FC player Megan Rapinoe knelt. Soon, high schoolers also joined on their knees. Kaepernick has even made it on the front cover of Time Magazine. Controversy surrounds these protests: is this right?

For

Against

As the country Under the U.S. Constitution, all citizens are undergoes racial granted the right of free speech and protest, but tensions, Kaepernick when those protests disrespect everything this believes that the country country stands for, that’s when it becomes a problem. doesn’t deserve to be Standing for the national anthem isn’t just a recognized during suggestion or a guideline you should probably follow. the National Anthem.

It is recognition of everyone who gave their lives “[Sitting during the and everything this country fought for, like the very anthem is Kaepernick’s] freedom and rights these protests are abusing. The right as a citizen, it’s U.S. is the land of the free and home of the brave, but not my right to tell him these protesters neglect the sacrifice for that freedom. not to do something,” New Orleans’ Saints quarterback Drew Brees said responded 49er’s coach it best: “It’s an oxymoron that you’re sitting down, Chip Kelly, and he disrespecting that flag that has given you the freedom couldn’t be any more to speak out.” Sitting during the national anthem is right. Kaepernick is already disgraceful, but to do so on September 11th, Angela Swartz/Prowler exercising his right to give weight to a serious issue the anniversary of such a tragedy, makes the action even more of police brutality, and the controversy he causes is shameful. Kaepernick is spitting on thousands of the dead and necessary for change--to save lives. Kaepernick’s protests everyone else proud to be an American. In spurning the National did no harm; however, the bullet of a policeman into Anthem, he is spurning the entire nation. When our country another unarmed black man did. Anyone who claims is having problems, it is not the time to be ashamed, it is the these issues don’t exist is ignorant of America’s reality. time to stand with your countrymen and fix the problem. Brees Standing for the national anthem would equate his agrees: “[Kaepernick] can speak out about a very important recognition and pride of what we do--which in this case, issue. But there are plenty of other ways you can do that in a includes the police brutality and racial problems within peaceful manner that do not involve being disrespectful to the America. His sacrifice is bringing attention to a dieing American flag.” In America, we confront our faults to fix them, discussion, and those who deny his protest are denying but in Kaepernick’s hypocritical protest of the National Anthem, any wrongdoing by the state. he is stomping on the ideals of America.

Kanye’s clothing line is Is the hype all a hoax? aesthetic, but unrealistic Kavita Rai Staff Writer Kanye West is an icon in the music industry, notorious for his attitude, and now famous--pun not intended--for his Yeezy fashion collection. Notable for its shoe line, the Yeezy collection has four different clothing lines as well. Skin tone colors and simplicity is a major theme for West, but doesn’t set well for others. There’s a vast array of responses to his clothing line, and many people can’t see why wearing a ripped, baggy shirt would be stylish. But the real question is, are his clothes even wearable?

Affordable? Or is the name all the hype?

His latest debut of his fashion line was September 7th during New York Fashion Week at Roosevelt Island. Critics had to take an hour long bus ride to get to the venue. This in itself illustrated his lack of professionalism and experience, setting the tone for the chaotic show ahead.

Many fashion critics condemned West for not only all the wardrobe malfunctions that occurred during the show, but the conditions models were put through as well. The heat was so overwhelming that models started sitting down in the midst of the show. One model was unable to even wear Yeezy’s shoes, and took them off during the show. Another model’s heel broke, and she had to wobble down the catwalk until a member from the audience helped her. If these models, who do this for a profession, are unable to wear his products then it really brings

to question the quality of his works.

West uses his nonchalant personality to cover up his inexperience in the fashion world, but many professionals in the business can see through this. Tim Gunn, Project Runway mentor, compared West’s collection to stretch undergarments, and called the whole thing a “hoax.”

Although I never understood why buying an oversized, white, three-hundred dollar tee-shirt was considered fashion, I understand why they’re so popular. Ripped, baggy shirts or transparent heel thigh boots are trending because Kanye West says they are. If any other artist had these designs would they be as successful? The hype is all in the name. The trend is in the brand.

West has built a name in music for himself that genuinely expresses his personality--his collection echoes that. It’s raw and unique, but the question at hand is--who could wear this?

Celebrities have the money to buy Yeezy’s collection, but do they have the courage to wear it? The only people we really see wearing his collection is Kim Kardashian and the rest of the Kardashian klan. They can get by with doing pretty much anything, but the average person can’t go to the grocery store in a skin tone body suit. Kanye’s collection is merely just an art exhibit: people admire it, but have no intention in buying it. With all of that said, you can’t deny the amount of attention--good or bad--the Yeezy collection gets. The brand is a millennial trademark.

Fight on

because you cant always get what you want Bella Robakowski DPS Designer As a big USC fan, nothing makes me happier on a Saturday than when the Trojans get a big fat W. Unfortunately, my boys are 1-3, so there hasn’t been much celebrating so far this season.

My only consolation is that, at 2-2, UCLA hasn’t started out that great either. When I recognize that the Bruins’ losses somehow make me feel better, I have to ask myself: why?

It truly makes no sense since their loss doesn’t change the fact that we lost, but for some reason it’s still nice knowing the Bruins are disappointed as well.

I guess this is basic human nature. When you bomb a test, it’s easier to cope when most other kids bombed it, too. Misery really does love company.

However, one of the facts of life is that we aren’t always going to get what we want. Someone else gets the part you auditioned for, takes your starting spot on a team, or wins an award that you really wanted. You’re forced to watch from the sidelines as others succeed, and you’re left feeling like a failure.

What defines us isn’t our failures--everyone loses sometimes-it’s the way we react when we don’t get what we want that says the most about who we are. Do we really want to be the type of person who finds joy in the failures of others? Every time someone gets something that we wanted, we get the opportunity to choose whether we want to be jealous of their successes and attempt to bring them down, or if we want to be happy for them, cheer them on and hope when it’s our turn to come out on top we’ll get the same positive support.

Friendly competition at first glance seems like such a paradox. Although, when I think about it, friendly competition is the way we should be living our lives all the time. We should be going out into the world and trying our best to make the most out of every opportunity, but when we miss out on one, we should congratulate whoever got the win and move on to the next thing with a good attitude. I’ve realized that I really don’t need the negativity and pettiness that accompanies jealousy in my life, and I’ve found that being happy for others brightens their day as well as mine.

Being on Dance Team at NPHS has taught me how to survive in a competitive environment. Not only is my team competitive with other teams but we’re also very competitive amongst each other.

As dancers we all want to be front and center but the reality is that someone has to be in the back line. Sometimes it’s going to be me in the back and I’ve learned that it’s my job to dance the best I can in the spot I’m given, be happy that I get to perform, and support my teammates as they get a chance to be in the front.

I care about every member of my team and I want them to succeed. It’s my job to support them even when I don’t get what I want, and I can only hope that when it’s my turn they will support me too.

So I guess maybe the next time USC loses, instead of instantly changing the channel to passionately root for whatever team is playing UCLA, I’ll just turn the TV off and move on with my life.

Just kidding UCLA sucks.

opinion Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

Sad social media users need a

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Pep Talk Caitlin Henderson Chief Photographer There’s no avoiding it: social media is everywhere. I tried to escape it, and you may have too, but by now I’ve joined every major platform besides Facebook. We’re exposed to so much content that it can be overwhelming, and we begin to feel negatively about our lives. We live in an insecure world, and people point fingers at our phones. But if you combat comparison with awareness, you’ll be able to navigate the virtual world with confidence.

The world is filled with negative comparisons. You see fitness inspo accounts and photoshopped models, trying to get you to lose weight or buy some product.

Companies create impossible standards so that we buy their bras, or their deodorant, etc., and

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People are so concerned with how others perceive them on social media, and I’m here to tell you something: nobody cares. We live with a skewed mindset where we think we’re better than everyone else, but we’re still waiting for validation. Validation feels wonderful, but in order to feel selfsatisfied, we need to be able to validate ourselves. A lack of likes on Instagram doesn’t mean that people don’t like you.

Not everyone scrolls to the bottom of their Instagram feed, so if you post at a certain time, others aren’t ignoring you. They probably just haven’t seen your post yet.

And so what if they are? Anybody who ignores you isn’t worth your time, and you’re probably cooler than those people anyway. Of course everyone presents the best image of themselves on the internet, but nobody’s life is perfect. Being aware that everyone is imperfect helps you embrace your own flaws. We’re all deeply flawed human beings, but it’s okay. Don’t mold yourself into what others want you to be, because those people are dissatisfied and want to take their frustrations out on others.

The beautiful part about social media is that you can express yourself to however many people you want. You can keep your accounts private and share with family members and friends, or you can go public and build a brand or send a message to endless amounts of people. Social media is what drives news, culture,

Being aware that everyone is imperfect helps you embrace your own flaws. We’re all deeply flawed human beings, but it’s okay.

constantly being exposed to an image that we can’t replicate bangs a dent in our confidence.

Your body is normal and beautiful, whether it has cellulite, acne, hair, or chub, also known as: normal human attributes. Social media can manipulate us into thinking they’re gross or unhealthy, but you’re perfectly fine the way you are.

In fact, being “unhealthy” is no excuse for insecurity. You can work towards a health goal and still love yourself.

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Alyssa Boedigheimer/Prowler

and connects us to the entire world. It is a powerful modern development that shouldn’t be pushed aside as a stupid thing young people do or terrible for your mental health. Instagram isn’t the problem: your attitude about it is.

Use social media as an outlet of self expression and not a judgement panel for your life. Your life is fascinating and exciting whether it’s traveling the world or baking cookies over the weekend. Feelings are infective, so spread the good vibes around.

May we take the inevitable takeover of the Internet with open, confident, and loving arms.

For the record...

In our article on Girls’ Tennis in Issue I, we stated that the team had preseason practice for three hours a day on Mondays-Fridays. The preseason practices were actually 90-105 minutes and occasionally 120 minutes long.

The Panther Prowler deeply regrets and apologizes for any errors we have made. If you spot any errors we have missed, help us correct them by sending mistakes to: prowler.newspaper@gmail.com

PANTHER PROWLER 2016-2017 staff Editors-in-Chief Nina Chiuchiarelli Victoria Juan Entertainment Designer Lindsay Filgas

Ad Manager Megan Joshi Opinion Designer Angela Swartz

Copy Editors Rachnca Deshpande Connor Keep John MacMillen Clare Wang

Photographer Chief / Caitlin Henderson Sarah Lu Emily Nagamoto Farhaan Pathan Megan Vlietstra

Cover Designer Gianna Longo

Features Designer Nelson Kappas

Online Lindsay Filgas Nelson Kappas Sports Designer Alyssa Boedigheimer Graphic Artist Alyssa Boedigheimer DPS Designer Bella Robakowski

News Designer Kessa Chavez Clare Wang

Staff Writers Daria Azizad Maya Chari Rahul D’Souza Olivia Luby Kavita Rai Nidhi Satyagal Jaycen Sussman Aditya Vunnum Broadcast Lindsay Filgas Caitlin Henderson Connor Keep Jaycen Sussman Angela Swartz

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.

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Adviser Michelle Saremi

8 Q&A with the Candidates

Q& A

Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD

Why do you want to be a school board member?

Buckles I think we have really good schools, and I would like to continue the things we are doing. We have some contentious issues right now, and I realize that, but I think I’ve listened to parents and I’ve listened to students and I think I have a vision of where this district should go and how we can make it better.

Connolly

Well I guess I would like to say that school boards matter to the quality of the education that you receive, and that your younger brothers and sisters and community members receive. It is an issue worthy of your attention. I’m rerunning because there’s unfinished business and because I think some of the accomplishments of the past eight years could be undone depending on who is in leadership positions. So I’d like to feel more comfortable that the next board is the right one to take the district into the future.

Everett I think that I would connect well with the parents because I have kids currently in the schools. None of the current school board members...have had kids in the school while this has gone on. I think that I would bring something to the board that isn’t already there.

Freedman

I want to make more of a difference. Being on school board gives me the opportunity to make a bigger difference for all the kids in the community, not just now, but 10 years from now or 20 years.

Simpson I got engaged to say I would be better in that role than the people that are doing it now. And I vow that I will treat citizens, students, parents, teachers, with anything but respect and compassion and empathy while they’re up there speaking. And that’s just something that I didn’t see out of our board members, a genuine caring, and so that’s what ignited my fire to say this is the time.

Williams The reason why I’m running for school board is because I would like to introduce a new way of life to all students where we are being respectful of ourselves, respectful of each other, respectful of our environment, because this is our home. I think we have the potential to do things like this not just one person from one school, but I think that many schools have the capability of becoming really great environmental positive influences.

How do you feel about transgender students using the bathroom of the gender they identify with?

Buckles Freedman In other countries they don’t think anything about it. The United States, they do have the floor to ceiling bath stalls, but most countries in Europe, it’s just the norm. Nobody thinks anything about it and I think as long as we provide privacy for students, who want privacy, that there should not be any problems.

Connolly

If I had to pick out things to be afraid of in the girls bathroom, someone who felt that they were meant to be female and born male would be number 895 on a list of things to worry about because there is no social or crime evidence that transgender people are a threat.

Everett I believe every student should feel comfortable at school, and that includes transgender students. I don’t think anyone should not feel able to go to the bathroom at school, or feel uncomfortable to go to the bathroom.

I like the fact that there are stalls. I have no problem with that at all. I think people have a right to privacy.

Simpson So I definitely support privacy, and I understand that there’s concerns about privacy on both sides of the argument. I like that this district has made an effort on making more privacy in the bathrooms, so I think that that’s a step in the right direction.

Williams As far as the restroom, if somebody has to use the restroom by all means go and find a restroom and use it. I really don’t think that there should be biases against restroom use since we all eat and defecate and do all that stuff, it’s a normal function of life regardless as who identifies themselves as who.

What is your view on increased use of technology in classrooms and how would you provide for students who don’t have access to technology?

Buckles We need to do a better job at training teachers; some need practice and professional classes to become digital natives.

Freedman

I think one of the big things is really getting teachers professional development and training to make them much more effective in the classroom.

Connolly

Simpson

I still think that a good thoughtful conversation and a teacher who cares about his or her subject material is a lot more important than those gadgets. However, there are times when technology helps to close gaps and equalize student learning.

I think that there are resources out there that need to be leveraged greater by the schools, partnerships with the libraries, local libraries for children that maybe don’t have access, and a lot of that just goes back to education and collaboration with parents.

Everett

Williams

I love that we can use technology in the schools, and I know that we’re trying to spend more money on that and use it really wisely.

I also think that with that there needs to come a lot of training, for the teachers, so that they can use it to its full ability.

It’s helpful. The only problem is, I find everybody is on their devices and they aren’t getting the physical activity they should be getting. And I think this contributes to the overweight issue.

Q&A with the Candidates Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

9

CATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ONLINE AT PANTHERPROWLER.ORG OR THOUSAND OAKS HIGH SCHOOL’S PUBLICATION, THE LANCER

Taking on what matters Betsy Connolly discusses different learning methods for students in unique learning situations and environments.

A panel to remember - Sandee Everett shares her plans for training teachers with technology and creating a safe, modern, learning environment.

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

Carissa Lo/The Lancer

Plans for a new age - Angie Simpson explains her interest in revising and improving the school district’s financial budget.

Sarah Lu/Prowler

Ready to respond - Julie Freedman expresses her interest in preventing cyberbullying on social media.

Carissa Lo/The Lancer

Planning ahead - Incumbent candidate Peggy Buckles discusses her vision for the future of CVUSD students and faculty.

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

Expectations for education - Marlon Williams elaborates on how his environmental science background will help him deal with issues on the school board.

Victoria Juan/Prowler

10

features Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

Vegans: They are loud, they are proud Victoria Juan Co Editor-in-Chief Rachna Deshpande Copy Editor Imagine life without leather belts, juicy steaks, drugstore foundation and weekend trips to Seaworld. This may sound like a distant dream, but for vegans, it’s a very real, daily lifestyle.

Vegans avoid all products and events which use or exploit animals, including food, clothing, makeup, and entertainment choices. Many vegans choose this lifestyle due to moral reasons for animal welfare, as did Ava Klein, 2016 graduate. In eighth grade, she began to have feelings of moral concern and became a vegetarian.

“I was reconnecting with how every kid feels: no one wants an animal to be killed. It’s just indoctrinated out of us,” Klein said. “Eventually in sophomore year I came across this video by

Students weigh in: Do SAT bootcamps really help?

5 yo u d id no t kno w a b o ut

Katie Keeler // Science

Megan Vlietstra/Prowler

Kavita Rai Staff Writer A thumping heart and panicky breathing will probably seize you when you hear the word “SAT.” The strive for success and getting into college is the main motivator for many high school students. Many have utilized SAT bootcamps to help them achieve this goal, but are they as helpful as they claim to be?

Amaan Kazi, senior, took a seven week course at Elite Educational Institute last summer in Thousand Oaks. It entailed a practice test every week, alongside with many practice workbooks.

“We worked on specific issues we had and specific questions,” Kazi said.

Going into the actual test, “I was really worried about my score,” Kazi said. However, his score immensely improved thanks to the prep course.

He believes that the bootcamp helped him feel more prepared for the test and that “overall, it helped a lot.” Kazi said he had a great experience with Elite and would recommend it to others.

Tam Le, junior, considered herself the “worst-preparer” but felt confident after taking practice SATs with the help of a program called Catalyst.

“They gave you a book with all the tips and tricks, and the tutor is also really helpful and relatable,” Lee said.

The program has private tutors, whom Le utilized to her

After becoming vegan, Klein became very vocal about her lifestyle, making Youtube videos about veganism in order to “speak for the voiceless victims of the planet.” She also maintains a vegan Instagram page to promote vegan food. One effect of her activism is the backlash she faces.

“You just have to meet (criticism) head-on with logic and bring the facts to the table because no matter what, science, logic, and morality are on the side of veganism,” Klein said. “The people who don’t want to listen (will) just be in a stupor of delusion their whole lives because people don’t want their illusions destroyed.

They know that what they’re doing is just wrong, but they don’t want to change out of complacency or apathy.”

On the other hand, a more positive effect is that she has been able to convert others to veganism.

“If you talk about justice and morality, then you’re going to convince a lot more people if you really go to the nuts and bolts of it,” Klein said. “I’ve helped a lot of my friends transition to veganism. A lot of people online have DM’ed me over Instagram.

Even my mom: she still eats fish but she’s come a long way.”

All three students plan to continue a life of veganism and spread the lifestyle to others.

“I love this lifestyle. I never expected myself to be vegan,” Taylor said. “I just woke up one day and said I don’t want to eat this anymore and just stopped.”

things

Vegan Pride - Dhroov Gajjar, holds up one of his many vegan foods. Caitlin Henderson/Prowler.

Steve-O from Jackass and it went through all the animals … and how they’re basically victimized into mere objects. I remember just sitting down and (thinking): ‘I can’t do that anymore. I’m not going to contribute to that.’”

Dhroov Gajjar, senior, has been a vegan since June 2014.

In sophomore year, Gajjar decided to do his English ESLR presentation on the benefits of veganism. “(Veganism) is my ultimate passion. It kills me to see people be unnecessarily sick, animals suffering, and the planet dying. I wanted to inform people and dispel all the misinformation about the vegan lifestyle. I just wanted to speak up,” Gajjar said.

Riley Taylor, senior, was inspired by Gajjar’s presentation and transitioned shortly after.

“I made fun of him so much; I was like, ‘What do you eat?’”

Taylor said. “(Then) I watched some documentaries and videos and started researching the lifestyle, and it really appealed to me.

There are so many health benefits.”

The health benefit claims stem from the fact that vegan diets are comprised of vegetables, fruits and grains, but not chemically processed fatty dairy products or red meat. According to a report by the World Health Organization earlier this year, increased consumption of red meat could elevate the chances of some cancers. By excluding these foods from one’s diet, vegans hope to improve athletic performance, cardiovascular and other general health problems.

“Basically, if you just focus on getting enough carbs like potatoes, rice, fruit, and stuff, you’re getting all that glucose to your brain so it’s just a joy to be a vegan because you get to eat as much as you want,” Klein said. “It’s not about taking things away; it’s about opening you up to a whole entire world.”

In addition to health benefits, vegans also list environmental benefits to support their choice, such as decreasing the greenhouse gas production and water consumption by livestock.

“Animal agriculture is the biggest cause of the climate disaster we are currently plagued with. Livestock contributes to 51% of total greenhouse gas emissions,” Gajjar said. “With veganism, you will save so much water because animal agriculture is responsible for 90% of total water consumption. Not to mention all the rainforests that are destroyed for livestock in order to feed the world’s insidious addiction.”

advantage. Prior to the tutoring sessions, Le felt like the PSAT was difficult. However, after working with the Catalyst program, she felt more prepared, and “knew what the question was asking.”

“It shows the secrets of the SAT,” Lee said.

She felt like she didn’t have to study outside the bootcamp, because Catalyst prepared her so well.

“Before I did the camp I had no idea what [the SAT] wanted from me,” Lee confessed. With the help of Catalyst she now feels confident in her abilities.

Annie Sun, junior, took not only one, but two SAT camps.

The first one was an eight week course at Jeng Academic Center, and the other was at Elite, where she continues to take practice tests.

“The practice tests I took were a lot harder than the actual SAT,” Sun says.

Sun praises the teaching and training done at Jeng, saying she even felt “over-prepared.” The eleventh grader also took a course at Elite to further boost her learning.

“Both [SAT camps] are really helpful,” Sun said.

Even though the summer of SAT prep was exhausting, it left her confident and prepared.

All students felt that their SAT program not only prepared them to improve their scores, but prepared them mentally as well.

Caitlin Henderson Chief Photographer

1

She is a certified scuba diver.

2

She likes to travel to Central America. She has been to El Salvador twice and Costa Rica once.

3

She has run two marathons.

4

She has a two year old golden retriever, named Biscuit, who she adopted from her niece.

5

She likes to backpack up mountains.

features

STUDENT Brandon Smith/Junior developed the Pythagorean 1 Who Theorem?

VS

11

Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

TEACHER

Caitlin Hendersoni Chief Photographer hotographer

L: Pythagoras, of course.

S: no answer Answer: Pythagoras Looks like Ms. Livesey knows not only her math but also her history!

Score: Smith-0, Livesey-1

3-3 Its a tie!

L: Bing!

S: Bing!

Answer: Bing Binge-watching Friends on Netflix anyone?

Score: Smith-2, Livesey-3

L: Eagle S: Condor, eagle Answer: Ostrich

L: no answer S: Alaska! Sarah Palin: “I can see Russia from my house.” Let’s go.

Answer: Alaska

Only about 200 or so pounds off, but close enough. A for effort.

Score: Smith-2, Livesey-3

Smith remembers “right winging bitter clinging proud clingers” pretty well!

Score: tied

currently has the most 7 Who Instagram followers?

L: Kim Kardashian?

S: Kim Kardashian.

Answer: Selena Gomez

3

How many players are there in a volleyball team? (On the court) L: Six S: Eleven Answer: Six on each side

Though both ladies are successful and famous, Gomez was able to accumulate more followers.

Score: Smith-2, Livesey-3

Sorry Smith, but eleven players on each side would be a little too crowded.

Score: Smith-1, Livesey-2

8 Who won last year’s NBA finals?

L: no answer S: Cavs Answer: The Cavaliers

What is the name of Batman’s butler?

L: He has white hair… Alfred?

B: He’s British…

Answer: Alfred He does have white hair and he is British, but only Livesey got his name.

Score: Smith-1, Livesey-3

Chandler’s last name in the 5 What’s sitcom, Friends?

6 What is the largest bird in the world?

American state is closest to 2 Which Russia?

4

Kassie Livesey/Math

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

The basketball player easily defeats the volleyball coach with this sports trivia.

Score: Smith-3, Livesey-3 And it’s a tie! When it comes to these questions, Livesey and Smith just can’t seem to outmatch one another.

Student actors entertain on and off campus Nelson Kappas Online Editor On stage the members of Drama Club transform themselves into new personalities, travel around the world, and most importantly, entertain. However, they don’t solely do this at NPHS. They frequently perform in both on and off campus productions and have great ambitions for the future.

In addition to preparing for the campus production Pippin, opening on Friday, November 4, Sam Herbert, sophomore, performed in Manic Production’s Parade, located near the Thousand Oaks Mall.

“It’s about this guy, Leo Frank, he’s wrongfully accused, and he’s lynched for the murder of a little girl … I (played) a kid named Franky S, and he was the little girl’s boyfriend,” Herbert said.

Noah Varav, junior, has also been performing outside of NPHS in addition to participating in Pippin.

“I was in Camp Rock with Panic Productions, that was fun, and I’ve done other work with film (as well), like I was in a Russian music video. I got to ride a horse so that was pretty cool,” he said.

Varav compared the experience of doing an on campus production to those off campus.

“They are both pretty similar, they both have pretty rigorous rehearsal schedules, but inside of school it’s fun because you get to see all your friends from school. What’s cool about doing a production outside of school is you get to meet new friends,” he said.

Allison Martinez, sophomore, who was also in Parade and will be performing in Pippen, believes that a high level of expertise is present in both on and off campus productions.

“Shows at NPHS have the same level of professionalism, and the same amount of dedication and work that goes into it,” she said.

All three of these students see themselves continuing to participate in the entertainment industry in the future.

“I’ll do it no matter professionally, or unprofessionally, (or just for fun),” Martinez said.

Varav is personally more interested in the film sector, hoping to become and actor in the future.

Nonetheless, he still has a place in his heart for theater.

“I love making people laugh. I think it’s just great when I am up there and people are laughing,” he said.

Herbert agrees. “It’s always fun to make someone laugh, or make someone sad, it’s a really great thing to show what we do, and to jump into another person’s shoes to give out their stories,” he said.

Although Herbert hopes to pursue a future in entertainment, he does not limit himself to an acting role.

“Everybody wants to be some movie star,” Herbert said with a chuckle. “If that doesn’t work out I still want to work (in the industry). I could be an agent, a lawyer, maybe a director. I don’t know.

Entertainment’s the best.”

12

entertainment Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

Latest netflix original is a national success Rahul D’Souza Staff Writer Jaycen Sussman Staff Writer

Netflix’s original “Stranger Things” hit the New Releases list, soon progressed to Trending Now, and the attention is well deserved. “Stranger Things” is the perfect combination of horror, sci-fi and drama. The cast, setting, characters and screenplay blend together to create one of the greatest shows on Netflix right now.

The series revolves around the search for a young boy named Will, from a small town.. His family and friends lead the search, yet they eventually uncover hordes of horrors and mysteries. The cast’s performance was excellent, all of them adding era-specific quirks to the characters, all of which make the audience attached to every character. The characters are familiar in their personalities, but still written as individuals in that they each have their own relatable goals and fears yet unique traits.

Despite having child actors, which are usually weak links due to their inexperience, the gigantic risk had a huge payoff. The child actors, Will (Noah Schnapp), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), gave some of the best performances of the series.

Hawkins, Indiana, the show’s setting, is in a believable, relatable town that creates a juxtaposition between grand monsters and miniscule people. There isn’t any pandering and the setting and the plot rely on each other quite well Not only did we enjoy every moment of this 8 episode season, but we are still waiting for the next one. The creators of the show, the Duffer Brothers, announced Season 2 for 2017 and if it does as well as the first season, it could be one of the best shows of our generation.

MESSAGES

9m ago

iOS10 Update is a downgrade for Apple Read for more Lindsay Filgas Entertainment Designer I usually spend months procrastinating upgrading my iphone to the newest version of iOS. Every day, I see a pop up nagging me to install the update, and I click “remind me later.” However, when iOS10 rolled around, I decided to change my attitude and update my phone right away. This was a huge mistake. iOS10 feels like a step back for Apple. They redesigned quite a few of the iphone features in this update, including the notification screen and control center, but that does not necessarily mean that they made them any better. A lot of the upgrades were meant to work with 3D touch; however, this feature is only available on the new iphone 7, so for those of us stuck with any earlier version, the update was pointless.

Once I figured out how to unlock my phone (you have to actually press the button now, not just scan your fingerprint), I noticed that not much had been modified. This was definitely not an iOS6 to iOS7 level change.

Overall, I would not have much of a problem with iOS10, if it were not for the changes made to the messaging app. Click on the messages app, and close your eyes. Now imagine you are traveling back in time, about 5 years.

Then open your eyes and you’ll see that the time traveling worked!

The “upgraded” messaging app feels incredibly childish. With the previous versions of iOS, Apple was creating a more minimalist look, which follows the modern simplistic trend that can also be seen in updates to many social

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media apps. Now, suddenly, there are all sorts of colors and shapes that completely betray this stylistic pattern.

The crazy addition of text effects and animations reminds me strongly of Kidpix, the fun computer drawing program that brought me joy all throughout kindergarten. It is as if Apple suddenly found all these cool things that they can do--like make balloons appear when you say happy birthday, or let people write in glowing colors--and they got so excited that they just shoved everything into the update without considering whether or not it actually added to the quality of the phone.

These additions to the messages app seem like an attempt to revive the use of standard messaging by adding features that are available on social media apps such as Snapchat. However, these effects do not have the same draw when they are randomly thrown into the otherwise clean looking imessage.

In addition to the major change to the messaging system, there are many other minor aesthetic and functional changes in iOS10 that seem simply unnecessary.

For example, the keyboard now makes a slightly different sound when you type. I might have found the sound of someone typing annoying before, but I find it even more annoying now, simply because it sounds different for no plausible reason.

On top of that, Apple decided to make all notifications now appear in bubbles, just to add to the cluttered and busy look of iOS10. They changed the clock on the lock screen appear in a slightly bolder font, just to annoy me, in particular.

When you slide to open a text from the lock screen, the “view” option is now on the left instead of the right. Emojis are slightly more 3D, and somehow they look exponentially more creepy and less appealing.

You could say that I am just bitter and despise change, which is true. However, that would not change the fact that iOS10 is full of slight modifications that bring little to no improvement to the phone as a whole. Basically, my advice to Apple is: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

entertainment Panther Prowler • Sept. 30 2016

Reign of Terror lives up to its reputation

13

Rahul D’Souza Staff Writer Jaycen Sussman Staff Writer Darken hallways wind around horrific scenes of blood and terror, as the sounds of distant screams ring through the rooms. A seemingly endless maze of movie worthy special effects and detail. This is the Reign of Terror.

The Reign of Terror is an annual haunted house hosted in the Janss Marketplace. For the past 17 years, the top ranked haunted house in the United States has been drawing visitors from across Southern California.

The Reign of Terror starts you out with an already jittery feeling, and the fear factor steadily increases throughout the 21,000 square feet of floor space. This is mirrored by the music, which crescendos along with the intensity of the house, adding to the terrifying atmosphere.

The haunted house is immersive even in the queue line, with a fully decorated environment including music, lighting effects and a few animatronics.

A deadly scare- Robotic skeletons jump out at the victims of the haunted house. Along with lights, sounds, and decoratoins, the haunted house creates an environment of fear for participants. Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

The haunted house targets different types of fears, according to Bruce Stanton, director of the house. These include spiders, small spaces and blood, among others through the eight different themes.

The house added a new theme this year called Infection, and features several zombie apocalypse themed rooms. With the recent hype over zombie shows like “The Walking Dead,” this room was a smart addition, effectively utilizing glowing paint and jump scares.

While 95 rooms is a large commitment if you decide to go through, they are well

worth it. The rooms keep you on your toes with a new twist and unexpected surprise in almost every room.

While strobe lights and fog machines are common for halloween events, I found them a little distracting from the rest of the effect of the house, though they were few and far between.

Overall the Reign of Terror is a great scare experience and I highly recommend it. The house opens Saturday Oct. 1 and is open every weekend through October. At $19 a person and all proceeds donated to Conejo Recreation and Parks District, this is a great deal and a must see event.

Microsoft Hololens brings new meaning to virtual reality Rahul D’Souza Staff Writer Virtual reality has slowly been creeping into our lives. The first modern head mounted devices, released in 2015, were the Oculus Rift and the Samsung Gear VR. With the prices ranging between $100 and $200, Google decided to also release an affordable version in 2014 that only uses a phone and a cardboard frame. This mind blowing technology is taking the world by storm.

Most virtual reality devices close users off from the real world, only allowing them to see what is on the screen in the device less than an inch away from them. The newest virtual reality device is the Microsoft Hololens, a VR device that projects “holograms” onto objects in the real world. It is a piece of technology like no other.

The Hololens works by projecting light into the user’s eyes through a transparent lens.

This allows 3-D designs to be seen in the world as if they were really there.

First, a camera looks at the room it is in and the objects within. It then proceeds to track the user’s movement so that the individual can get up and move around, and the objects will stay stationary. It also allows the user to use hand motions to interact with the objects in front of them. For now, it is restricted to a one finger click on the objects.

The Hololens has a variety of uses. For instance, it can be used for instruction. People using Skype to video chat can draw right into the Hololens’ field of view. It can also be used for design purposes. Instead of looking at a computer for a 3D model, users can see their model right in front of them and even move around it.

Most things can become a game with the technology. Imagine how much more fun it would be to punch a punching bag if the image of a boxer was imposed upon it, or if the blocky world of Minecraft was spread out right under your fingertips.

Typically, when homeowners are buying new curtains or a painting, they try and buy the ones that best fit the style of their home.

With the Hololens, this is no longer a concern.

Now they can position it on the wall wherever they want or put in new curtains without even purchasing them because they would be projected with the Hololens.

The possibilities with the Hololens are endless. As the interface and software evolves, we can expect much more out of it.

14

sports Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

SPEECH AND DEBATE CLUB

Panther Pit carries on the tradition Connor Keep Sports Editor Farhan Pathan Photographer

Does not require any prior experience

Debates on current topics

Panther Pride - The Panther Pit cheers for the Varsity football team at a home game versus Venice on Friday, Sept. 23. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Improves students’ public speaking skills If you enjoy theatre and acting, Speech and Debate competitions are the best for you!

COME TO F-9 FRIDAYS AT LUNCH

He dives for the end zone, crosses the touchdown line and scores the game winning points. The Panther Pit--a mass of yellow and black in the stands--erupts into cheers and the Panthers win the game. This is a Newbury Park High School football game. With the class of 2017 leading the Panther Pit this year, the Pit has been revamped and the student section looks stronger than ever.

Those standing in the front row are known as “the leaders” of the Pit. They are typically seniors and are tasked with helping everyone get pumped up for the game.

Luke Creger, senior, is “currently the Head Leader of the pit, or the ‘President.’ I run the social media, plan our themes, as well as lead cheers.”

Creger is dedicated to the Panther Pit and when he’s there he gives all of his energy to the cheers and chants.

Fellow leader Brayden Tokuyama, senior, assists in leading the chants and cheers. He has been supporting the Panthers all throughout high school.

“I’ve been in the Pit since freshman year, slowly working my way up to the front, and now I’m leading it as a senior,” Tokuyama said.

Just like Tokuyama, Anderson Hill, senior, has worked his way up to become a leader of the Pit. “I was in the Panther Pit here and there my freshman and sophomore, and I really got in the Pit last year and

this year,” Hill said.

Tokuyama believes our school’s student section is unique in their unity.

“We go all out. We’re not afraid of anything. We’re always trying to come up with new ideas to make the Pit better. Our student section is special because we’ve really got the whole school behind us,” Tokuyama said.

While in the Pit, members are expected to do many different cheers, chants, and dances.

“We really just try to go wild and make sure the team knows we’re behind them. Personally, I lead the chants and cheers and help to coordinate our themes and meetings,” Tokuyama said.

The Newbury Park varsity football team beat Westlake for the first time in seven years on Friday, Sept. 9. The score was 43-40 in which the Panthers rose from being down 19 points at the start of the 4th quarter to ultimately winning the game. The Panther Pit was at Westlake that evening and didn’t let the team down, with intense cheers and chants throughout the whole evening. It was a white out and the cheering, “Helped us win by keeping us energized throughout the game and supporting us and showing love,” Ruben Soria, junior, said.

The Panther Pit is a great place to be when attending a game. We encourage NPHS students of all grades to cheer on the Panther’s, today, Friday, Sept. 30, at the Homecoming Game against Gardena.

sports

15 Freshman rookies start high school career Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

A fresh start Jaycen Sussman Staff Writer

Every year there are new freshman who are ready to play sports for our school. All though most of them need to work their way to the top, a select few are making a big impact to their sport and are determined to make a name for themselves.

Farhaan Pathan/Prowler

Farhaan Pathan/Prowler

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

Sarah Wang Tennis | Singles, Doubles

Olivia Coronado Volleyball | Setter

Grant Coats Waterpolo | Set

Assets: Coach Kick comments on Wang and the team’s mindsets, “Sarah, (like) so many people on this team, they just have incredibly positive, infectious attitudes. They come out every day with enthusiasm and playing better than they did the previous day. That improvement is just contagious, and positively influences the team.”

Experience: “3 years, I think, all I know is that I’ve been playing for a while,” Wang said.

Goals: Wang likes playing and being on the team, and that she wants to improve her game. “I think I’ll get better at it, and I’ll learn how to play better,” Wang said.

Assets: Teammate Isabella Rapmund, freshman, said, “I mean it’s hard, but if she practices hard, she’ll probably make the (varsity) team.”

Experience: Coronado has been training to play this position for years saying, “I have years of club and years of highschool ahead of me, but I’m putting a lot into volleyball right now going towards being on varsity the next three years.”

Goals: Coronado hopes to make varsity next season and plans on playing post high school as well. Rhyse Schoelle, freshman, said, “It’s a pretty big commitment, but I definitely think she has the talent to play at the next level.”

Assets: Teammate Chris Boudreau, sophomore, said, “If he continues, down the road… he will do very well on varsity.”

Experience: Coats is not a newcomer to water polo. He said, “I’ve just been playing club for many years, and I’ve just been striving for the best I can be. I’ve been working on some areas that I need to get better in.”

Goals: Coats hopes to continue his journey with water polo after high school and play at a college level. “I plan on trying to get a scholarship to a good college, that’s probably one of my main goals.”

Kilkelly dominates off the field Maya Chari Staff Writer

Panther Pride - Patrick Kilkelly, junior, watches the home game against Venice on Friday, Sept.

23. Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

Patrick Kilkelly, junior, is one of the most committed and dedicated team members of Varsity football, despite the fact that he doesn’t actually play the sport. Having wanted to play football for his entire life, Patrick had to find a new way to participate when his parents decided that he had to stop playing after he surpassed the age limit for flag football.

He solved this problem by emailing head varsity football coach, Jason Klein, and was welcomed onto the team as assistant offensive coordinator. Kilkelly’s responsibilities include watching film, marking yardage of plays, keeping track of all the plays and helping to warm up the team.

“He loves football, his folks wouldn’t let him play it but he wanted to be around it.” Klein said. “He helps out with whatever we need him to do.”

Kilkelly sees the members of Varsity football as teammates, and loves working with the team, helping out at every practice and game. He has a close relationship with many of the players, who he considers to be some of his closest friends.

“Patrick does whatever he can, he’s a big help for the team and I love having him around,” Cameron

Rising, varsity quarterback, said.

With high hopes for the rest of the season, Patrick’s favorite moment so far was when Newbury Park beat Westlake this season for the first time in years.

The win was exciting for all the NP football fans, but Patrick was ecstatic; “I knew we were the better team and it finally started to show at just the right time”, he said.

Kilkelly is the first student to shadow the offensive coordinator, and hopes that his parents will allow him to join the team as a player next year. Many see him at the games, but few know the real work he puts in, going to as many practices as he can, for three hours after school each day.

By taking the initiative to talk to the coaches and work with them to create this new position, Patrick has opened a door for students who love football but can’t play to be a part of the team, to help out as student coaches.

“He reached out on his own, he wanted to see if there was something he could do to help and we love that”, coach Klein said.

16

sports Panther Prowler • Sept. 30, 2016

Amelia Marcuson climbs to the top

Megan Vlietstra Photographer Amelia Marcuson, freshman, may be new to NPHS this year, but she is not new to the intense training and competition that comes with being a competitive rock climber.

Marcuson has been climbing for four years. She was first introduced to the sport during a friend’s birthday party at the age of ten.

“I really liked it so I started taking the classes,” Marcuson said.

Shortly after Amelia and her twelve year old sister, Dinah Marcuson, began taking classes, both were invited to join the climbing team at Boulderdash, located in Westlake Village.

The sisters have been practicing together since they first started climbing.

“At first when we went to practice, she did not want to go to the second [practice] but I convinced her to go and now it’s a regular t h i n g ,” Amelia said. “I like having Dinah climb with me because even if no one else can come with us to go on a climbing trip, at least she can come with me and keep me company”.

Over the years, the sisters h a v e grown and progressed to become nationally ranked climbers for their age groups.

“I’ve seen her technique get much better,” Dinah said. “She’s getting to be a much better and stronger climber”.

This past year, both of the Marcuson sisters went to nationals for climbing. Amelia placed eighth in both bouldering, which is climbing without ropes on short walls that do not exceed 15 feet, as well as sport climbing, which involves climbing on 40-60 foot tall rocks n with ropes for protection. io s “I was super happy to see the hard work come together for her,” Jesse Weiner, a coach for is m r the Boulderdash climbing team, said. “She has proven herself to be one of the top competition Pe ith climbers in the country at any event.” r/W However, this victory for the Marcuson girls did not come without sacrifice. Both Amelia and Dinah ne i e W go to practice three to four times a week for three hours. e s During these practices, they “start at a lower climbing level and then do two of the harder ones and then three s Je of the ones that are even harder,”Amelia said. “After that, we usually do core for an hour.”

Overall, Amelia aspires to continue improving her climbing skills. By training hard, Amelia will continue to grow with her climbing skills and hopefully return to nationals again.

“I can’t think of a time where I wouldn’t want to climb,” she said. “It’s such a big part of my life”.

Jesse Weiner/With Permission New heights - Amelia Marcuson, freshman, practices her climbing skills both outside (above and left) and at the indoor climbing gym, Boulderdash (below).

Megan Vlietstra/Prowler