2017-2018 Issue 8 (April 20, 2018)

50 th Anniversary

#MeToo

Breaking all barriers INSIDE Teacher Salary / 6-7 DACA / 20-21 Zemo Rhodes / 22-23 Military Students / 24-25

Friday, April 27, 2018 Special Edition Magazine Newbury Park High School 456 N. Reino Road Newbury Park, CA 91320 www.pantherprowler.org Follow us @NPProwler

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

6-7 Teacher Salary

8-15 #MeToo

20-21 DACA

22-23 Zemo Rhodes

24-25 Enlisting

26-27 TEDx Youth

30-31 Humans of NP

LETTER - from the -

EDITORS

I

f we had one word to describe this school year, it would be empowering. As high school journalists, we have witnessed the strength and dedication of our students. Our voices have always been strong and resilient, yet this school year marked an amplification of our will.

Speakers at school board meetings gave voices to our community.

Clubs sprung up on campus as students followed their passions.

When tragedy shook our country, students stood up together and demanded action.

Every experience, good or bad, shapes us into who we are today.

Our interactions help us grow while we learn about ourselves and each other. This year, our students have looked to one another for support through experiences that have shaped us into more empowered individuals.

Our readers start on page 4 by looking at our student involvement with the #NeverAgain and March for Our Lives movement. While there is no one true answer to America’s gun debate, our students have contributed and advocated for solutions so that the Parkland tragedy will not repeat itself.

Following the trend of national movements, our editorial on pages 6-7, stands with nationwide teacher protests and demands that teachers work in an environment that treats and pays them well. Education is our backbone. Prioritizing those who educate is essential.

With the rise of the #MeToo movement, empowerment has allowed people, particularly women, to speak up about sexual harassment, assault and rape culture. Our cover story on pages 8-15 highlights these voices in our community.

On page 17, readers find a column from our Cover Editor, Jaycen Sussman. The student body knows him as the sports reporter for Panther TV, yet his strength and perseverance through the face of depression teaches us about overcoming inner struggle. In his deeply personal column, we gain a newfound appreciation for life.

On pages 20-21, students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), bring another national issue to the heart of our campus. Political tensions give students an uneasy future, and we recognize the different backgrounds students bring to the table.

Pages 24-25 bring readers an inside look on those who decide to serve our country. The recruitment process can be intimidating, yet empowering. Our students’ dedication to the armed forces and courage to take on such responsibility is humbling.

The Panther Prowler is excited to hand you a copy of our special edition magazine. We hope students take pride in their accomplishments: running marathons, giving speeches and expressing yourself are only some of the ways students went above and beyond this year. The Panther Prowler prides itself in highlighting these stories.

Lindsay Filgas

Caitlin Henderson

Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief April 27, 2018

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Students take action on gun violence Marli Davis

February 14 Stoneman Douglas shooting On Feb. 14, 2018, former student Nikolas Cruz walked on to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with an AR-15 rifle. In six minutes he shot and killed 17 people. 14 of those people were students and three were adults.

March 9

March 2 NPHS students plan for walkout A small group of students from around the Conejo Valley gathered at Art Trek in NP to plan walkouts at their schools in protest of the gun violence occurring in schools nationwide.

Students worked together with administration to plan this student action event, and compromised with them regarding the parameters of what they could do.They also contacted local newspapers such as the Acorn to spread knowledge of the walkout. Their goal was to join other high schools in the nation for 17 minutes of silence on March 14 to honor each of the victims of the Parkland shooting.

March 14

Pre-walkout poster making Maya Chari/Prowler

Conejo Valley students again met at Art Trek to make posters for the walkout on March 14. “It was just so empowering to see all these people from different schools who don’t even know each other come together...” Scott Nagatoshi, junior, planner and speaker of the event, said.

Nationwide school walkout March 24

Maya Chari/Prowler

NPHS participated in a nationwide student walkout to show solidarity with MSDHS and to stand against gun violence. “I think for the majority of people the goal was to recognize and support the victims of the tragedy and to show the school that we’re there to support them.” Steve Lepire, principal, said.

April 20 Columbine 19th anniversary walkout

Nationwide March for Our Lives Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

A nationwide movement for gun-control, expressed the desire for students to feel safe at school. Many NPHS students travelled to marches in Ventura and Los Angeles with signs to participate in this historic event.

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A nationwide school walkout calling for gun-control took place on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting. “(The March 14 event) was just the beginning of something that can hopefully birth a student activism group and make sure that our school is being more involved in our community,” Nagatoshi said. Students walked off campus at 10 a.m. and gathered for speeches in Pepper Tree Park. However, NPHS is giving participants a Saturday school and a truancy.

Pool construction continues

After a mandate by the Health Department, construction began on the pool and deck with demolition, bringing about noise and air quality complaints. However, the demolition was finished over spring break, alleviating these problems, according to Steve Lepire, principal.

“We think that concern will be over and moving forward

after the break, a lot of it is pouring the concrete, so there will be a lot less noise attached to that,” Lepire said.

The renovations will also result in the removal of the diving board, installation of new timing pads and improvement to the electrical and fencing around the area.

Read the full article at pantherprowler.org.

News Briefs

Megan Vlietstra/Prowler

New school board coming soon

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

NPHS welcomes future panthers Passionate students gathered P i d h d iin the h quad d to sell ll their h i clubs l b and d activities i i i to incoming freshman at the event on April 4.

Girl Up raises $3000 Girl Up hosted their “Hats & High Tea” gala on March 11, surpassing their goal by making over $3,000, and sparking meaningful conversations. For more information the club meets in B29 every Thursday. Read the full article at pantherprowler.org

Logan Nichols/Prowler

A committe from the Unified Association of Conejo Teachers interviewed announced school board candidates for the 2018 election. Based on the committee’s recommendations, the union will make endorsements for the three positions up for election.

Maya Chari/Prowler

One Acts showcases theater talent

Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

Actors lit up the stage with their dynamic performances at the Student One Acts, plays written, directed and acted by students.

The nine plays were showcased on April 6 and 7.

April 27, 2018

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Editorial

Teachers deserve better treatment After years of mistreating teachers, the government has the audacity to be surprised when they demand better conditions. If we expect our student body to receive a quality education, the government needs to take a moment, evaluate itself and realize that doing the bare minimum does absolutely nothing to fix problems. There is a solution: supporting our teachers. Our teachers needs to be a priority at every level of the government, starting with our local school districts.

In the last two months, West Virginia, Arizona, Kentucky and most recently and prominently, Oklahoma, have seen widespread strikes as teachers take a stand against unfair wages, disgraceful work environments and minimal funding for their students’ education. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos responded in retaliation: “Serve the students.”

DeVos and our district have something in common: a disconnect from reality.

Without proper funding and wages, however, it becomes harder for teachers to serve the students. Teachers are the most integral part of our education, but they are compensated and treated in a way that disregards the necessity of the job and the effort it requires. Although this nationwide problem is more severe in states with lower education funding, the same issues are evident in the Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD).

According to the CVUSD website, the average salary of a teacher at Newbury Park High School (NPHS) is $64,161, which is almost $15,000 less than the average salary of a teacher in the state of California ($77,129 according to the LA Times). In CVUSD, the average teacher is paid $78,911, which means that the average salary for NPHS is 20.6 percent less than even an average

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teacher at another CVUSD school.

Many teachers buy supplies for their classes out of their own budgets. Some have even bought entire class sets of books for their students. Art teachers have been requesting additional supplies and updates to their classrooms for years, and have resorted to donations in order to pay. The art budget has not changed since the 1970s. Teachers should not have to worry about their students lacking the supplies they need. To mitigate this issue, we need to modernize school funding.

Teachers are the most integral part of our education, but they are compensated and treated in a way that disregards the necessity of the job and the effort it requires.

Another issue our teachers face is unrealistic class sizes. Class distributions are completely disproportionate, with some teachers teaching multiple classes of around 40 students while others teach significantly smaller classes. However, both teachers could be making the same salary.

On top of this, teachers are expected to teach multiple different subjects, each requiring its own time for preparation.

The district exacerbates this problem, ignoring the teachers’ requests for better class distribution and smaller class sizes.

Technically, the district rule states that 38 students is the majority in any class; however, 5 percent of classes are allowed to have up to 42 students and a teacher can only have one class at that capacity. Theory of Knowledge classes are filled with around 30 students, even though they are only supposed to have around 15. To mediate this, teachers offered to teach an additional class period, however, the district denied this request. In doing so, the district has impaired the learning environment by undermining the teacher’s ability to foster class discussions where everyone can participate. The district needs to listen to these requests; teachers are the ones in the classroom-- they are the ones that have personal knowledge of classroom dynamics.

IB teachers are expected to take on an immense amount of work that is compounded by the large class sizes, and that work is not reflected in their salaries.

The district only offers a meager stipend of $400 for IB teachers. Before they even start teaching the classes, teachers must attend extensive and time-consuming training workshops and sessions.

Their jobs require them to commit wholeheartedly to hours of additional work to assess and teach their lessons.

For example, some IB science teachers wake up hours earlier every day to grade IB labs, but it still takes them months to get through all of their students’ work. IB English teachers have to grade lengthy Written Tasks and FOAs on top of regular assignments. IB Arts teachers are tasked with conferencing with each student about their individual work. IB Language teachers have to juggle teaching their class, showing students how to write the different IB papers and then find the time to practice for the oral exam.

In fact, the circumstances in our district have been one factor urging teachers to resign and seek jobs in other districts. Teachers are one of the most important parts of our society, and we cannot keep taking them for granted.

As a society, we need to start valuing our teachers more. Education funding should be

Average salary of a Newbury Park teacher Average salary of a California teacher

a priority at the local, state and federal level.

It is imperative we start treating teachers in a way that respects and acknowledges the magnitude of their jobs. We are not accusing any specific group of people as a scapegoat for these issues, we are simply trying to show why we need to improve the current conditions. While

we may not deal with books, computers and supplies outdating the students by decades like Oklahoma school districts do, our district still needs to introduce changes where teachers are concerned.

We cannot keep disenfranchising teachers in their own classrooms and expecting them to accommodate every time.

$64,161 $77,129

Emily Augustine/Prowler

STAFF BOX Editors-in-Chief Lindsay Filgas

Editors Kessa Chavez

Caitlin Henderson

Writers Emily Augustine

Christina Borisoff Marli Davis James Pratt

Photographers Chief/Megan Vlietstra Logan Nichols Maya Chari

Adviser Michelle Saremi

Jaycen Sussman Alyssa Boedigheimer Nidhi Satyagal Gianna Longo Clare Wang Daria Azizad Kavita Rai Connor Keep Rahul D’Souza Angela Swartz Aditya Vunnum Emily Nagamoto

Newbury Park High School 456 North Reino Road, Newbury Park, California 91320 (805) 498-3676 x 1109 prowler.newspaper@gmail.com Read our Editorial Policy at www.pantherprowler.org/about/

April 27, 2018

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Caitlin Henderson/Prowler

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Panther Prowler

Daria Azizad

Maya Chari

Marli Davis

Lindsay Filgas

Caitlin Henderson

Kavita Rai

** Warning: The following article contains graphic material that may be upsetting for some readers, particularly those with traumatic experiences. Reader discretion is advised.

There can be confusion regarding what constitutes harassment versus assault. Sexual harassment is often thought of to be groping or rape, however, this is sexual assault. Rape is an extreme form of sexual assault. Unwanted sexual comments, either on social media or in person, are sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment (n.) harassment (typically of a woman) in a workplace, or other professional or social situation, involving the making of unwanted sexual advances or obscene remarks.

Sexual assault (n.) illegal sexual contact that usually involves force upon a person without consent or is inflicted upon a person who is incapable of giving consent (as because of age or physical or mental incapacity) or who places the assailant (such as a doctor) in a position of trust or authority. #MeToo. The movement that gained traction in late 2017 has rallied victims of sexual harassment and assault together. It let victims take control of their stories.

This movement has allowed people to speak out about an issue where the status quo has been to keep it quiet, often out of embarrassment, fear of retaliation or a sense of isolation.

While the #MeToo movement focused highly on celebrities’ stories, it also prompted the discussion of sexual harassment and assault in local communities.

Sexual harassment and assault afflicts all cultures, social classes, genders and age groups. Children and teens are at high risk of falling victim to sexual assault, and even more so to sexual harassment. High school students are no exception. With the momentum of this movement, some students, no longer afraid of sharing their stories, opened up to us. *Names have been changed to protect the identity of victims April 27, 2018

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M

Interview by Marli Davis Sophia*, senior, received unwanted sexual attention in the workplace from an older woman.

“I always thought she was so sweet, she always was like ‘you’re so cute.’ I thought it was just small talk. She asked me a lot if I was dating boys or if I had a boyfriend and things like that.

I just thought she was trying to be friendly,” Sophia said.

However, Sophia soon realized that there was a problem with the woman’s behavior.

“She was saying things about my body that she shouldn’t have been saying. She started making me really uncomfortable and I started talking to her less and less. She was like ‘Oh you should come over to my house,’” Sophia explained. “I was at my register and I was walking past my other coworker and she just, she kind of…” Sophia paused for a few seconds, collecting herself.

“You know how when you brush past someone you might touch their shoulder or their back? She touched my private parts.”

Sophia did not want people to think she was crying wolf or being overdramatic about the situation, so she waited before speaking up. She was embarrassed talking

about the situation even with her parents.

“When I told people about it, they didn’t take me seriously.

They all said things like, ‘Oh she’s so nice, she’s older, she didn’t mean it like that,’” Sophia said.

Her parents reacted the same way. When she told them about the comments, they responded with, “‘Oh, it was probably just

“

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When I told people about it, they didn’t take me seriously

Sophia Senior a mistake, you’re probably just misreading it,’” Sophia said.

Their response changed when she told them about the physical harassment. “I told them about how her behavior progressed, and then that’s when they were like, ‘Okay, we need to talk to someone.’”

Sophia reflects on why people responded this way. “I think that people didn’t believe what happened was sexual harassment because of a mixture of me being so young and everyone being so

made me uncomfortable that she was there, so I ended up quitting,” Sophia said.

Sophia wishes that the woman was held accountable for her actions and fired from the workplace.

She offers a piece of advice to others facing sexual harassment and assault: “Tell people immediately because I waited a bit to see if I was being dramatic, but obviously I feel like my first instinct was right: what she was doing was not okay.”

Interview by Maya Chari Amy*, junior, was raped by a friend.

“I had a boyfriend at the time, and my friend and I were going to meet up at my house and watch ‘Stranger Things,’” Amy said. “We were there, in my house, and he kissed me hard. I was saying no because I had a boyfriend, and then it got to a bad point. I said, ‘You need to stop,’ and he barely acknowledged it-- he didn’t even stop.

She paused her story to say hello to a friend who had just walked in the coffee shop where we were talking.

I asked if she called for help, and she told me she did not yell for her mom to come.

“I didn’t want her to walk in and see that,” Amy said. “I was too in shock to call out or do anything smart, other than say no.”

Afterwards, Amy and her rapist waited for his mom to pick him up from her house.

She was quiet for several days, and she is not a characteristically quiet girl. She just could not physically talk-- it was not until a few days later when she finally told her dad.

“That night the police came to my house, and took my full statement. They weren’t very nice.

Once I had a case out, I wasn’t allowed to talk about it. Nothing happened with the case… so I just dropped it because it was too much. It was too much pressure not to talk about it, weirdly enough,” Amy said.

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sensitive nowadays.

Also a big part of it was that she’s a woman-- a woman that everyone liked-- and was older. If it was some old man it would be over like that,” she said with a snap of her fingers.

After telling her manager about how she was sexually harassed, Sophia and the woman were scheduled to different shifts. However, that did not solve the problem. The woman still attempted to talk to Sophia whenever she saw her. “It still

She paused again to pull a cat hair out of her eye, and we shared a moment talking about her pet named Ollie whom she calls Oliver when he is behaving badly.

Amy was pensive and careful with her words. “I think no one wants to make ‘the rape cry’ and get proven wrong,” she said.

“Because no one is going to fess up to doing it. It’s pretty difficult to nail people for that, and (the police) have stopped trying to.”

Amy declined any counseling or therapy to cope with the assault. “People shut down and people get depressed, but that wasn’t me,” Amy said. “It’s a thing that happened and it’s a part of my life story and I have a ton in my life story.” She listens to a lot of music-- especially to Lady Gaga- because it helps her remember that she is not alone.

“I have no problem talking about it, but people have a problem listening and not getting uncomfortable about it. A lot of people can’t even say the word.”

Amy is open with her story, in part because it puts a name to the blank face that covers the heavily avoided subject of rape. She hopes that when young people realize that they share communities and lives with people who have experienced assault, they will understand how real and relevant the problem is.

She also advocates for more conversation and acceptance in a school environment. Last year, Amy wanted to research what constitutes rape for a class project, but she was met with resistance due to possible sensitivities related to the subject. Her teacher was not comfortable bringing “it” into the classroom. In the end, she was not allowed to use the topic.

However, Amy wants to continue humanizing victims of sexual assault.

“I think it could be a chain reaction. There are a bunch of

people where it’s there but they don’t talk about it,” Amy said. “If they see people that they know that it’s happened to, it might shift their perspective.”

Interview by Caitlin Henderson Lauren*, senior, was sexually assaulted at 16 years old.

We sat out of earshot in a crowded room. I apologized for not finding a quieter place, but she assured me that she felt comfortable. I asked her what happened.

Lauren told me: “I was hooking up with a guy, we were making out. Then he literally pinned me down and I was like, ‘Oh my God. Get off me, get off me,’ and I kept yelling at him. I was like, ‘Dude, stop, get off me.’”

The perpetrator did not listen.

“I kept kicking his leg and pushing his arms, and saying ‘Stop,’ and he just kept going,” Lauren said. Her voice grew louder as she described the details of her memory.

“It’s so scary to be overpowered by someone because that’s never happened to me before. I couldn’t get him off me. It was genuinely horrifying, and really I thought I was going to be raped.” Lauren said. Her body language changed in response to her words: her eyes widened, her brows were furrowed and she drew closer to me.

Lauren did not speak to an authority or her parents after the assault, and she even struggled telling her therapists.

“I was just so afraid of telling my parents about what had happened, or even telling the (police) because we were both minors. I was 16. That guy was 17.

It was just like, I feel so ashamed to even go up to my parents and be like, ‘Hey, I was with a guy.’

That doesn’t sound good. I feel like if I were to tell someone they’d be like, ‘Oh that’s on you.

You were hanging out with a

*source: RAINN

April 27, 2018 11

situation I feel like a s--- now,” Lauren said.

She explained further that even if her parents were understanding, she would not have reached out to them about the incident.

“I don’t want to lose that trust with my parents. I don’t want to lose the ability to go out and do things,” Lauren said. “Sometimes, even if it’s better to talk to an adult, we feel as teenagers that we’ll get blamed for it.”

guy. You should expect that to happen,’” Lauren said, her voice becoming quiet.

She wore the look of guilt on her face as she continued: “I feel like a lot of the time people think it’s their fault. I definitely felt like it was my fault.”

This feeling of guilt continues to burden Lauren. She believes that the social stigma and taboo surrounding teenage sex made her ashamed of what had happened.

“I feel like that kind of idea and stigma really affects girls and that affects the way they see their own image. And because I was in that

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Interviews by Marli Davis and Kavita Rai In addition to physical assault, verbal harassment is prominent amongst teenagers and high school students.

“Making sexual comments or sexual innuendos from one student to another that offends someone and is definitely unwanted and unnecessary, that’s not tolerated on campus,” Kelly Welch, assistant

principal, said. While it may not be tolerated, the school cannot regulate all unwanted comments that circulate throughout campus and sometimes even follow students back home, through harassment over text and social media.

I met with Kayla*, sophomore, who filed a school restraining order against a boy from her class due to the constant unwanted sexual comments she received from him.

During her freshman year, a boy that she knew started sending her unwanted lewd texts. “He got my number and wouldn’t stop texting me really creepy things like ‘I want your sexy body.’ I was really uncomfortable, and every time I said stop he wouldn’t, and he kept calling me,” Kayla said.

Although he never tried to touch Kayla, his comments and his presence at school still made her uncomfortable and scared. She would walk the other way in order to avoid him.

Unfortunately, Kayla was not

the only person that the boy made unwanted sexual advances on. He sent similar texts to another girl in the grade. After two months, Kayla talked to the administration, specifically assistant principal Michael Godfrey.

The administration acted quickly to put an end to his inappropriate behavior. “They put him on a contract and he’s not allowed to talk to me anymore,” Kayla said firmly. He is on the same contract with the other girl he inappropriately texted. He is also barred from being in their classes.

The casual nature of texting and the language used on social media can blur the lines of consent, making it harder to interpret true intentions.

Hayley*, senior, and I left class early and met in the nearly empty library.

At the age of 15, Hayley had a crush. They regularly messaged each other on social media. It was fine at first. Hayley enjoyed the conversations, but then he began to pressure her to be sexual.

Although it made her uneasy, she went along with it.

“In my mind I convinced myself that this is what happens when a guy likes you, and this is what you’re supposed to do. I did not recognize how overtly sexual

it all was at the time,” Hayley said. For many like Hayley, there is a lack of understanding in regards to sexual relations that mainly attributes from the “hush-hush” culture regarding sex.

Hayley often looked at the ground, struggling to piece her thoughts together as she twisted the ends of her hair, a nervous habit of hers.

“I don’t think I understood what was happening at the time, because you know, you’re always told that sex is bad, don’t do it at all, or wait until you’re married,” Hayley said.

“I wish that there was a greater understanding, because sexual harassment happens for a reason, and we need to discuss it instead of pretending like it doesn’t exist.”

A large portion of Hayley’s unease is due to the role technology played.

Hayley believes communication over text messages made it harder for her to understand his true motives.

“I think if it was verbal I would have understood. I would have understood what he was trying to do, but I think just over text messages or over Snapchat, you can’t really understand their tone.”

Text and social media create a gray area of consent, since there is no body language or verbal cues that reflect intentions. This can result in uncomfortable and

unsafe feelings without having to be sexually assaulted.

“I think (what happened to me is) sort of like a question mark; it’s

conduct in sexual relationships has led to sexual harassment in others’ relationships, and could have led to the same in hers.

“

“

It still affects me t o d a y. I t s t i l l m a k e s me afraid to go out in crowds, still makes me afraid to be alone with someone I don’t know very well. It makes me afraid to date.

Amy Junior not quite in the area of #MeToo, but it’s still not completely healthy either,” Hayley said.

Hayley felt used and hurt. She does not believe she was sexually harassed or assaulted, but rather it was her misunderstanding of the situation.

“I was not harassed. However, I think what happened really speaks to just the culture of not really understanding consent and not understanding what a healthy relationship is supposed to be. I was only 15-- I was really naive and I didn’t know anything about relationships,” Hayley explained.

From Hayley’s perspective, the murkiness around the proper

of awareness that led to Sarah’s situation taught her a painful lesson. “People you trust can manipulate and control you. I learned to be in control of my own body,” she said. “I learned the hard way that relationships shouldn’t equal pain.”

Speaking out has allowed the conversation about sexual harassment and assault to take center stage, but Lauren believes that teenagers need an explicit understanding of consent. For students like Sarah, the lack of understanding of sexual assault and consent allowed her to be easily manipulated as a freshman.

“You can’t just shelter your kid and be like, ‘Oh that’s never going to happen to my kid.’ Obviously it happened to me. And I was very sheltered up until junior year of high school,” Lauren said. “I feel like consent should be taught.

Just because you’re making out with someone doesn’t give them the right to take it further.”

Lorena Caufield, health teacher, explained that in comprehensive health class, a Ventura County organization called Interface visits the students to teach about consent.

Under California’s Yes Means Yes law, consensual sex requires “affirmative consent” without the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Students in the comprehensive health class learn about this law.

However, students who take online health class do not learn about consent at all.

“If people are taking Get

Interviews by Marli Davis and Caitlin Henderson Sarah*, junior, was 14 when she started dating. Her relationship quickly became abusive.

“I was in a relationship at a young age before I understood consent and didn’t know I could say no, even to my boyfriend,” Sarah said. “When I did understand it, I was guilttripped or even threatened into sex.” Like Sarah, many have the misconception that you cannot be raped by a partner. The lack

Megan Vlietstra/Prowler

April 27, 2018 13

“

hurting the victim more.

Hodson believes that it is a collective responsibility in our society to address sexual harassment and assault in order to prevent them from happening.

Whether an incident of sexual harassment or assault occurred on or off-campus, the school administration is available for students’ needs.

“We are here to support students with whatever they need. If a student is unsure of what to do, they can at least ask for advice or counsel on what to do. We don’t want any student walking around campus feeling uncomfortable or sad or upset or angry about anything,” Welch said.

In some instances, students feel comfortable resolving situations on their own, and do not want or need administrative intervention. However, if the perpetrator continues to harass a student and administration is made aware of the issue, the school will intervene.

The process of addressing a sexual harassment or assault

People you trust can manipulate and control you.

I learned to be in control of m y o w n b o d y. I l e a r n e d t h e hard way that relationships shouldn’t equal pain.

Sarah Junior 14

incident begins with a report by a victim or a witness. Then, it is referred to an administrator based on grade level.

“The district has a zero tolerance policy for any of that,” Welch said. She added that the administration will help students facing sexual harassment and assault, but they cannot help if they are not aware of the situation.

While information is kept as confidential as possible, Welch explains that the administration must still contact parents.

“If a student comes to us and makes a report of a situation with another student, then we will involve parents because they are minors and it’s our duty to inform parents when situations arise.”

Consequences vary from case to case depending on the perpetrator’s track record and whether the student has been accused before. Contracts are sometimes effective, as in Kayla’s situation, however further measures may be necessary.

“Unfortunately there’s not a chart like ‘If this, then this.’ But some of our discipline is very clear, cut and dry. There is school board policy that supports suspension for sexual harassment or sexual assault,” Welch said. “That is the typical discipline consequence that applies, but that might not be the only consequence, or it

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“

Ahead health, they are not guaranteed that they’ll get that information,” Caufield said. “They don’t have the guest speaker that’s coming in.”

Additionally, Caufield explains that freshmen who do learn about consent in comprehensive health might not retain the information if it does not immediately apply to their lives.

“If it’s not a part of somebody’s reality at the moment, they’re not absorbing it. They forget,” Caufield said. A possible solution that we discussed on the phone was a workshop specifically for juniors to refresh that portion of the health class course, mainly because they are older and able to have more mature conversations.

Christy Hodson, English teacher, recognized that the vast maturity differences between freshmen and seniors affects the way students react to sensitive subjects. “You would speak to seniors differently than you would speak to ninth graders and consider the level of maturity of the students,” Hodson said.

For teachers, discussing such a sensitive topic is walking on thin ice. They have to consider how students who have experienced trauma might be affected. Also, having victims openly discuss their stories in class might lead to backlash that could end up

might not get to that level of suspension.”

Beyond suspension, perpetrators may also face criminal charges. Administrators will go to law enforcement and the school resource officer when the accusation involves criminal behavior. In this case, the police will take over the investigation.

“Of course, if a student comes to us and makes a claim about activity occurring off-campus by (a non-student), we are going to involve law enforcement right away,” Welch said.

As of this year, the school has had three documented reports of sexual harassment, not assault.

If no evidence is found after an investigation, the process continues with monitoring of both sides. If new evidence comes to light within the monitoring period, then it may constitute a reinvestigation. If this occurs and more evidence is found, then consequences will be handed out.

“Obviously if they’ve violated a rule or a law, there’s no question, there will be consequences. But that student -- that minor -- still has rights as we go through the process. We protect them as well and (do not) make things worse for them. They’ve already made a mess for themselves.”

Welch explains that, at the beginning of each school year, teachers present slides that review the zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and assault and encourage students to speak up if they are affected.

“It’s said in those slides that the information is kept confidential to the best of our ability, just like in the real world in a trial … We want students to know we’re here for them,” Welch said. “Students tend to think, ‘they don’t care, they aren’t doing anything.’ Sometimes we’re limited. We do the very best we can with information were given; if students don’t come and tell us, then we can’t. Obviously we want to help.”

April 27, 2018 15

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Column

The pursuit of (some) happiness Jaycen Sussman

O

ne year ago I had a dream so gruesome that I remember every detail to this day. I don’t remember many of my dreams, but this one followed the hardest three weeks of my life.

I closed my eyes that night, then BANG. Everything I achieved, obtained and could have made of myself-- gone. The gun that I pointed square at my forehead hit the floor, ringing across the room. A heavy heartbeat throbbed in my head, pumping over and over, and the only thing I could think was: “What have I done?”

My parents screamed in the background, and all I could see was black, as it set in that I took my own life.

The moment I woke up, face down, realizing I was alive, I had the wildest spur of emotion. I was excited to see another day, terrified of what had just occurred, but, most of all, grateful for my life. With the emotionally painful three weeks, plus the dream, things began to add up. I had a realization lying in bed at 2 a.m..

I have depression.

Once a realization of this severity occurs, there are many routes that can be taken to fix the problem. I am here to tell my story of how I overcame the mental villian who broke me down.

Let me introduce Jaycen Sussman, freshman year: the kid who did not care about the future, the kid who suffered from illness in the family, divorce and a confused parental relationship.

After spending my whole life under a bridge of ‘not caring,’ I woke up. I was determined that during sophomore year, I would commit to excellence and show what I can truly do. After all, how hard could it be?

Sophomore year: papers get returned in classes-- another test not passed. I studied

immensely for the CP curriculum, yet I could not make up for all those years of being apathetic toward my education. I began to lose self-esteem. I looked around at my peers: 4.3 GPA, honors and AP classes, appear to never have to study a minute and yet still managed to achieve a better grade than me after reviewing for countless hours. This is when the monster began to erupt: I am not good enough, why are all these kids smarter than me… I am an idiot.

This is one of the many causes of my depression. I compared myself to my peers.

I wanted what I lacked. The morning I woke up from that dream, I began to think: What if I were to do this… would anyone really care?

Would anyone really care if I died right now?

That is when I felt I was lost.

After sitting in my room for hours, contemplating, I pulled myself out of bed, got dressed and put on a fake smile to begin yet another day.

Thus began a brutal 48 hours where my life was in jeopardy. I could not sleep; I was too scared. I could not eat; thinking about the dream nauseated me. I was a shell of a human being. Yet in the darkest of times, occasionally a light breaks a barrier, bringing you back to life. I was lucky enough to receive that light from another person. Almost asleep at my desk, I jumped as the bell rang. As I walked towards the door, my teacher stopped me and asked a question that changed my life: “Would you be interested in becoming the next sports anchor for Panther TV?” Shocked and overwhelmed by emotion, that is what saved me. Not admitting to myself that I have depression, but the validation from another that I have potential. I was given

worth. I found my purpose. A simple, kind gesture saved me, and it wasn’t even intended to do so. In this moment, I was able to answer my own dark thought: yes, people would care if I ended my life.

This was the beginning of a journey I still fight, but while I may not be at rock bottom, depression is still a major part of my identity.

But never, not for a second, will I let it define who I am.

I sat down for what seemed to be an eternity and decided ‘now was the time for change.’ The boy who dreamed of succeeding was finally able to do so. This year, I decided to test myself and see how far this newfound motivation can take me. I enrolled in multiple AP and IB classes. For many, these programs are just another name on a transcript, but when I looked down and see an ‘A’ in a higher level class, I knew everything is worthwhile. But that did not fix the problem.

I opened up. It wasn’t easy, in fact, it felt like hell having to accept I have a mental illness, but once I spoke about the subject and told people about my problem, it began to diminish. I am just like the other 2.8 million teenagers who suffer from depression, yet I was able to prevail in my worst state of mind.

Everyone hits a roadblock; nobody lives the perfect life. The people you envy have a list of problems of their own. I’m willing to bet you never thought the “sports guy of Newbury Park” has depression. But that is a part of my story, and your obstacles are just another chapter of the novel that makes up your life.

I still have depression, and I probably will for the rest of my life, but I know from my past experiences there is only one way that the problem can be fixed.

Talk.

I had to grow up a lot faster than most children, but I made it out of this depression and I learned to appreciate every moment that I am alive. Although it was hard and didn’t seem to be the best resort, opening up my negative mindset to others helped end my struggle, and it will do the same for others who choose to talk.

Recently, I had a dream so fascinating it stuck with me… but this one was different. Overcoming six months without an episode of depression, I was living my best life. People knew me, they cared about me and I rose up to show the world what I can do. It was amazing. I was successful in whatever I put my mind to and I excelled in doing it. I had control over my mind, I was happy with myself and proud of who I am.

This dream keeps me going every single day, as I know that life is worth every second that can be taken from it. I hope I never wake up.

April 27, 2018

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Opinion

Robotics club suffers from low funding Christina Borisoff

Emily Nagamoto/Prowler 18

Panther Prowler

There is a painfully obvious disparity between the school robotics teams in our county, in terms of quality of education, funding and its prevalence in schools.

Robotics is categorized as a club, rather than a team, by the school, which is contrary to what active members think. The most present members of the robotics teams work on the robots everyday for hours on end, and even longer as competition grows closer. Because it is a club, robotics does not get the same advantages that a team would.

The Ventura High School Robotics Team is widely regarded as a model team in terms of their methods, community outreach and attitude towards their games.

The team has its own designated two story building with a loft for extra equipment and resources. The building is next to the metal shop, wood shop, welding and computer science classes. This convenient location allows students of similar interests to exchange ideas, collaborate and form connections.

Meanwhile, the NPHS robotics team members are stuck in the back of the school in a very dusty shed, which is not the ideal environment for mechanical work.

The NPHS robotics team is made up of very gifted students; unfortunately there are only 10 active members.

The real kicker is the lack of competition funding.

Being a club, robotics does not receive funding from the school, even though it is what the activity demands.

Things like buses and hotels for competitions are just not an option for members. The club is purely funded by sponsors, but even that is not enough; money is usually not an issue for sports teams.

Nonetheless, members of the robotics team have demonstrated an astounding amount of dedication to engineering and computer sciences despite the lack of funds available to them. However, sustaining the flow of members will be a challenge if the needs of the team cannot be met. STEM is a field that is steadily rising.

As more STEM oriented jobs appear, so should the opportunity for students to thrive in what they love to do. Following the model set by Ventura High School, robotics should become a class so that students can receive a deeper education and take advantage of opportunities to apply their skills.

Course Pathways provide real experiences Rahul D’Souza

On campus, you can find some students cooking food to perfection, separating strands of DNA or producing the video segment, “Focus On NP.” These are all useful skills for specific occupations that students acquire through Career Pathway courses.

Career Pathways courses are also known as Career and Technical Education courses (CTEs) show students how their classroom subjects apply in real life. They are meant to improve career readiness and can even earn college credit.

“By the time the students get to that class, they really do have skills in that area that are valuable and deserve recognition and can potentially transfer into a career later on, if the student chooses a career in that area,” Nick Colangelo, CTE chair, said.

Colangelo also believes that the courses provide valuable opportunities for students.

“When else do you get a chance to take a culinary arts class, or a video production class, or biotechnology or woodshop?” Colangelo said.

The many CTE’s offered on campus provide an enriching alternative to the predominantly IB/AP or Honors courses at NP. Students gain valuable knowledge and skills. CTE’s also may help students discover or focus on different fields they may be interested in.

NPHS offers a free outlet to prepare students for multiple careers before they are thrown into college or the real world. Whether a student is passionate about hospitality, biotechnology, or one of the many other fields, there is a pathway.

Digital Video For students dreaming of creating their own videos or working behind the scenes in productions, the Designs, Visual, and Media Arts Pathway allows them to gain experience that can be applied towards future careers.

Three of video production classes make up this pathway. In the advanced digital video production class, students are able to produce films on par with professional movies.

“Digital video production has benefited me in so many ways,” Jack Muir, sophomore, said. “I look forward to every day in video production, which has gotten me excited to go to school.”

Video production is also responsible for the “Focus on NP” videos aired to students. Muir believes that he could use his experiences towards a career as a video producer or maybe even a director.

“I would definitely recommend digital video production to anyone who loves movies, production, or just being creative,” Muir said.

Biotechnology Many students have some exposure to biotechnology through biology class, but their experience only scratches the surface. Taught by Darin Erickson, the Biotechnology course delves deeper into the requirements of a laboratory science career.

“It has benefited me by showing me the attention to detail required in the scientific field and has actually helped me become more organized,” Justin Kreymer, sophomore, said.

With many tools such as micropipettes and gel electrophoresis chambers, students study and perform experiments and procedures that are used in advanced biotechnology laboratories or research facilities like Amgen.

“I would recommend this class to anyone who is genuinely interested in the inner workings of the scientific world or just wants to have a very positive and enjoyable atmosphere in a class,” Kreymer said.

Woodshop Crafting tools from whistles and spoons all the way to cabinets, the Cabinetry, Millwork, and Woodworking Pathway prepares students for a career in carpentry.

Students in woodshop learn advanced carpentry skills, whether it be through class projects or individual creations. As with all CTE’s, there are three levels to this course, with each becoming more advanced than the last.

“I generally take classes to try something new, and woodshop is probably the best class I’ve taken,” Maverick Lewis, junior, said.

Lewis also loved the food and nutrition course on campus and enjoyed the creative elements of both courses. Under the supervision of Kristian Atkins, Lewis and his classmates have recently completed their first woodshop project, a train whistle.

As part of his own side project, Lewis has also completed a second train whistle. He looks forward to the rest of the year, gaining more experience and completing more of his own projects.

Megan Vlietstra/Prowler

April 27, 2018

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Students look to DACA's looming future Emily Augustine Emily Nagamoto

Luis Tun

Anarely Santana

Mariella Villegas Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

The DACA dream A little girl dreamed of becoming a Marine.

She dreamed of showing the world that a girl could defend people in need. She dreamed of defending a country she was not even a citizen of, and because of her status as an illegal immigrant, her dream was shattered.

Anarely Santana, senior, was born in Mexico and immigrated to the United States illegally when she was four years old. “(Growing up) I didn’t see myself as different. I thought, I’m just like everybody else. I speak like them. I act like them, you know. I like what they like,” Santana said.

Yet there was something different, something she would struggle with in the future: her legal status. Since she did not come to the U.S. legally, she had no identification papers or Social Security number, and by the time she was in middle school, she started to notice the discrepancies between her and her peers. “(The school) would ask for certain things and I wouldn’t have them,” Santana said. “I

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didn’t have certain papers that kids had, so it really excluded me from the group.”

In 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program passed. It grants illegal minors protection from deportation from the United States and provides them with a Social Security number.

Santana was granted DACA status in 2015, and remembered the first time she realized how important her status was when she received her papers.

“Now I can do so many things that before I was incapable of doing and I think it really has helped me,” Santana said. “It kind of makes me feel like I belong.”

Like Santana, for Mariella Villegas, senior, receiving her DACA acceptance letter changed her life, giving her a newfound sense of security after she illegally moved here from Mexico.

“On the letter it says that DACA doesn’t provide any legal status, but it does protect me from deportation for two years,” Villegas

said. “Knowing that, it made me feel relieved because I didn't have to worry about having to go back without finishing my studies.”

Despite the relief that Villegas, Santana and hundreds of thousands of other DACA recipients felt, this is all about to change. Shortly after beginning his presidential term in 2017, Donald Trump announced that he would be repealing the program, leaving much of the young undocumented population in anticipation of their fate.

Though Luis Tun, senior, is an undocumented immigrant protected by the California Dream Act, not DACA, he is frustrated with the government’s decision as he sees some of his undocumented friends’ anxieties grow.

“We contribute so much (to the) economy, community, government official offices, different things inside of the community,” Tun said. “So why should we be denied the right to have equal opportunities as anyone else in this country?”

Emily Augustine/Prowler

Undocumented hardships Before Santana was protected under DACA, she felt she had to hide her illegal status, and she is pained by the thought of those privileges being provoked.

“I never really liked to tell people… it just made me different,” Santana said. “I just don’t think I’m capable of doing that anymore, living in fear, in the shadows.”

Anxieties still surround DACA recipients.

Despite missing her family in Mexico, Villegas knows it is not safe to go back.

“Traveling is probably one of the biggest fears I have, because I never know if I will encounter immigration checkups and immediately be sent back to Mexico,” Villegas said.

The threat of deportation scares Santana too, and she has not been back to her hometown since she was four years old.

“All I remember is a vague image of my rural town,” Santana said. “If I were to ever travel back, the chances of me returning are very limited…The thought of traveling even in the U.S. is frightening.”

Despite the contention surrounding immigration in the United States, Jose Ireta, counselor, says Newbury Park High School serves all students, no matter where they are from.

“Regardless of the political climate, in my 9 years here… if any student shows that they live within our boundaries, we just serve them as anybody else,” Ireta said.

To register at the school, the only paperwork needed is proof of residency in the school district; other than that, Ireta says the school operates on a “don’t ask don’t tell” policy.

Legal restrictions still limit these students.

Santana could not become a Marine. Tun could not apply for most out-of-state colleges and a significant portion of scholarships.

There is also the social stigma attached with being undocumented; something Tun is familiar with.

“A lot of DACA students and a lot of Dreamers like myself are really discouraged about their opportunities in the United States,” Tun said. “I feel like within California and our area, it is very looked down upon.”

Empowerment in the community A support group for DACA students, providing “resources and more psychological and emotional support,” was set up over two years ago by Sally Hibbits, a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) that supports underrepresented people in the community.

“Why are we looking elsewhere? Let’s look in our own community because our own community may have students that need support,” Hibbits said.

Hibbitts discovered the NPHS branch of Latinos Unidos, a club that empowers DACA students and Latinos to make the most of their education. As a hispanic student in AP and IB classes, Santana, vice president of the club along with Tun who is co-president, is appalled by the lack of other students who share her ethnicity in higher-level classes.

“It is extremely frustrating because it’s like, this group of people is just pushed down and made to think that they can’t do it when really they can, and they really need a boost of their confidence,” Santana said.

Together, Hibbits and Latinos Unidos create workshops and provide financial aid to Dreamers who cannot afford to uphold or establish their DACA status.

“We bring in mentors, we bring in speakers from college,” Santana said. “It is possible… independent of where you came from, your financial background, or your legal status (to go to college).”

Tun is a strong advocate for Latinos in the community, saying that receiving equal treatment “is not just up to the president… it is up to the people in Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, people in Ventura County, to advocate for their rights.”

He also encourages everyone, not only Latinos or immigrants, to “focus on education, because your education is never going to be taken away from you.”

While Santana’s story is far from over, even as an undocumented citizen she has learned to be optimistic.

“I learned that it isn't a paper that classifies if I belong. I know I do. I am a Mexican American,” Santana said. “My status isn't that important to me.

I know this is my home.”

DACA FACTS statistics from wardrobeoxygen.com

Requirements Entered USA prior to 16th birthday Under age 31 as of June 15, 2012 Completed (or currently enrolled in) high school

No criminal record

Effect on recipients 95% are currently working or in school 63 % got a better paying job.

48% got a job with better working conditions 12% bought their first home.

“We're going to show great heart. DACA is a very, very difficult subject for me. I will tell you. To me, it’s one of the most difficult subjects I have."

The White House/Official Portrait

- Trump said at a press conference in February April 27, 2018 21

"Just keep running."

ZEMO RHODES

Gianna Longo Connor Keep 22

Panther Prowler

Photos submitted by Zemo Rhodes

As he makes the final turn onto Ocean Ave., his heart races and his legs feel heavy. He has already finished 26 miles and has 0.2 to go. He thinks to himself, ‘just keep running’ because he knows the pain he feels in the moment cannot topple the gratification of finishing the marathon under his goal time.

After running for fun, Zemo Rhodes, senior, joined the cross country team last season as a senior. At the end of his season, Rhodes decided to train for the Los Angeles Marathon.

“My experience (on the cross country team) was great. I had so many supporters and made amazing new friends,” Rhodes said.

“They really helped me become a much better runner, physically and mentally.”

On the team, Rhodes established a friendship with fellow runner Ethan Ronk, junior. Rhodes and the cross country team bonded instantly, and Ronk attributes this to Rhodes’ “genuine personality.” When describing his friend, Ronk said, “He’s just that guy you want to be around … he is a hardworking, driven, yet entertaining guy.”

His experience on the cross country team allowed him to prepare for his upcoming runs, including a 30 kilometer race and a marathon.

Rhodes and his father come up with his workouts each week in order to train.

Rhodes has dedicated the past months to training for the Los Angeles Marathon.

He chose to run five to seven miles after school each day and 12 to 15 miles on the weekends. His rigorous preparation would not be successful without the support from his friends and family.

“My cross country friends are really supportive and they know I can do it.

But a main (supporter) is my dad.

He has been my inspiration really throughout this whole year of my running career. He’s my coach. He’s my mentor. He’s just great,” Rhodes said. “I always look up to him and ask him for advice for the running plan and he gives me great mental help to train my mind to know that I can succeed.”

Rhodes’ friend since third grade, Jack Rousseau, senior, has been supporting him and his

dedication towards the marathon as well. “I think it’s cool because he is really passionate about running. It’s a goal he set for himself, so I’m happy that he’s pursuing it and dedicating time and energy to it,” Rousseau said.

Rousseau even decided to take some friends and wait for Rhodes at the finish line during his race.

When Ronk heard that Rhodes was training for a marathon, his initial reaction was “that I was super pumped for him, (and) I knew it was something he could accomplish and would do quite well.”

Rhodes has learned to find a love for running by using it as a form of mental relaxation. “Not only is it great exercise, but it clears the mind. It’s a great meditation because you are out there for so long, it’s just you and your mind,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes’s goal for the race was to break four hours. After the big day, March 18, Rhodes finished the marathon with a time of 3 hours 54 minutes. His friends and family eagerly awaited his arrival at the finish line.

“For about eight months now,

unknowingly, I’ve been training for this marathon-- ever since I started cross country.

Day in and day out, I put in a lot of work to achieve this goal, and it definitely paid off,” Rhodes said.

Colin Cremault, junior, was proud of Rhodes’s time and effort during the marathon and had been giving Rhodes support throughout the journey.

Cremault never doubted that Rhodes would succeed in his conquest. He believes Rhodes’s motivation for running was the major key. “I think he did so well simply because of his motivation. From the few months I ran and trained with Zemo, he was always a go-getter: pushing himself in workouts and making us do harder trails,” Cremault said.

Training with rigorous preparation, Rhodes finished his first marathon within his first year of running. He carries motivation to continue to push his running to the next level.

“I would (participate again) because the experience is so fulfilling after you are done because you know you have accomplished it.

I think I’m going to do longer races than a marathon, like 50k races, and just keep pushing myself to my unknown limits,” Rhodes said.

April 27, 2018

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What students feel as they get closer to the military Maya Chari Logan Nichols

JA

C

High school graduation is a time of change for all students. For many, the next step is college -- whether it be a four-year university or a local education at a community college.

For some, it means longer hours at work and more responsibility at home. And, for a few students, it means joining the PSON military.

M SA With parental K consent, the earliest age to join the U.S. Armed Forces Reserves is 17 years.

Although a high school diploma is generally required, there are some exceptions, and as long as a student is on track for this achievement, they are still eligible.

Jack Sampson, senior, enlisted in early March. He is 17 years old and feels young to be going into the military. He is in the Delayed Entry Program (DEP), where he will train with the Navy until he is ready to ship out.

Sampson was drawn to this career path

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partially because of the educational benefits that it entails. He sees the Navy Seals as a program that can enhance character and equip a person with experience and a secure future.

“I’m going to go into business and start my own business,” Sampson said, referring to what he plans to do when he gets out of the military. “And then I’ll make a lot of money from that, and be able to provide for my family.”

Although he felt pressured by recruiters, Sampson decided on his own to join the Navy.

He looks up to a few of his friends who joined the program. “It’s the hardest military program in the world. It’s going to influence who you are as a person for the better in so many different ways,” Sampson said. Training for his job and working in such a difficult field is something that Sampson hopes will bring him character.

“I was watching a video this morning that the crap you go through-- this manure-- it’s just All photos by Maya Chari/Prowler

JO H NA

T

JO

SH

like manure is used as fertilizer to make you better, to make you grow.”

Josh Gallant, senior, enlisted in the Army the day he turned 18. He enlisted as an Airborne Ranger Intelligence Analyst whose responsibility is to process and distribute strategic and tactical intelligence to the rest of the troops in regards to enemy T forces and potential battle LLAN A zones.

G Gallant had been adamant about joining the Army for quite some time before he was able to enlist. “I decided to join the military for a couple of reasons, a main one being I didn’t want to go to college right out of high school, another reason was because I’ve always wanted to be in the service and fulfill a greater purpose. I feel the time in my life is right to do this and I want to be able to look back on my life and say yeah, I did that. I didn’t want to be average I suppose,” Gallant said.

On a similar note of Gallant, Johnathan Crocker, senior, plans join the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).

“ROTC is a commissioning OCKER program that will allow N CR me to train and prepare HA for the military while in college and eventually join after graduation as a second l i e u t e n a n t ,” Crocker said.

He was torn between joining the Army and the Air Force, but decided on the Air force because it was recommended to him by the veterans he interviewed.

“When I join, I expect a new kind of way of life centered around discipline, respect, and training for the greater good. It’ll also be really nice to constantly be around welltrained professionals all there for the purpose of serving the country,” Crocker said.

For many recruits, especially those who choose combat jobs on the front line, violence All graphics by Alyssa Boedigheimer/Prowler

and the possibility of death are accepted when the contract is signed. As high school students, it is often difficult to think about such a weighted concept.

Sampson considers himself a family guy; he wants to grow up and be able to support his loved ones. “It takes a real man to admit it, but with everything there is fear, anxiety and doubt. I don’t want to pass away in the military and lose that opportunity,” Sampson said.

Sampson’s future job as a Navy Seal is one of the most difficult and demanding branches of the military. At any moment, a soldier has the obligation to respond to active duty.

“They might have a mission at night and t h e n be home the next day, so having that emotion rush over you about how you just raided a house or took some guys, that is what I am scared of,” Sampson said.

However terrifying the military may seem in both theory and reality, each of these recruits knew exactly what they were doing when they enlisted; and have comes to term with whatever fate may await them on the field.

“More people die from car accidents each year than in the military,” Gallant said. “I’d rather die doing something worthwhile than wasting my life in an office or a classroom.

Less than 1 percent of Americans enlist in the military.

I’m proud of my decision (and) willing to face what comes with it.”

Through intensive training— going to the gym almost every day, as well as participating in Future Soldier Training— Gallant said that, though he may feel “nervous and uneasy” sometimes, there are other days where he has nothing but pride for the decision he has made. Prior to enlisting, Gallant recalled hearing a quote that read, “Nothing of value has ever been achieved within a comfort zone,” which summed up the experience for him so far.

April 27, 2018 25

Talk the talk Aditya Vunnum Alyssa Boedigheimer

Differences make us stronger- Gus Gress, freshman, shares his love for his sister Clara while telling the audience how his sister’s disability impacted his perspective on the world. Gress was the only freshman speaker, providing a unique point of view at the event. Aaron Rohrer/With Permission

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The lights dimmed in the Thousand Oaks High School Performing Arts Center as students from throughout CVUSD prepared to take to the stage to deliver talks to the people of Conejo Valley and beyond.

TEDx is a program that allows volunteers from the community to tell their stories or share their culture in a suite style of talks.

TEDxConejo, an independently organized event in the Conejo Valley, took place on March 18 and included students from across the district.

For Andie Huff, senior, the event allowed her to discuss her experiences following her mother’s passing.

“I basically just talked about the reactions I got when people found out my mom died. There were a lot of people who were really supportive and a lot of people who tried to be supportive, but it came out the wrong way, because they just didn't know how to,” Huff said. “I just talked about my experience with that, so people would know it’s okay to comfort people.”

Huff ’s goal was to increase understanding of experiences like hers. “I really just hope that people will understand that it is okay to talk about this type of thing,” she said.

Huff loved every minute she spent in the program, from her audition to her time on stage. “The event itself was a lot of fun. It was really nerve-wracking,” Huff said. “Everyone who gave a TED talk was super unique and different, and I think that getting to hang out with them all the time was a really awesome experience.”

After speaking at the event last year, Shane Everitt, senior and co-chair of TEDxYouth, played a role in organizing TEDx. “We tried things last year that didn’t work out as well,” Everitt said. “But this year we reinvented the whole event itself. We worked to really improve the speakers’ talks and grab the different topics that we could get.”

The “reinvention” of the event this year included having a wide variety of topics on the stage, as well as the co-chairs working one on one with the speakers prior to their talks.

Everitt has been interested in TED talks since she was young.

“I grew up watching them, and then there was a speaker who spoke in 2016. I watched his video on Youtube and thought ‘I want to do that,’” Everitt said. Everitt said that if she wasn’t a senior, she would without a doubt stay in the program. She believes that the

CVUSD students inspire at TEDxConejo program brings out what needs to be said.

“Individuals can bring so much to the table and that’s just what you need at TED. Each talk is different because no matter what you talk about each speaker is gonna hit each and every person in a different way,” Everitt said. “They always have a positive impact; I’ve never heard of a talk that hasn’t made a difference.”

Gus Gress, freshmen was introduced into the program by his English teacher, who recommended him after hearing his unique insights in class. Gress’s talk was about his older sister, who has special needs and what he learned from growing up with her.

“In the ninth grade English curriculum we talked a lot about social injustice and a lot of the characters have mental disabilities.

She saw what I was able to bring to the table because of my sister. She thought it would be good for me to get involved in the program,” Gress said.

After auditioning to get into the program, Gress worked with Brandon Janes, adviser, to improve his talk and hone in what he planned to address at the event.

“I hope I was able to raise a little awareness about special needs in our community. We have a lot of special needs students at our

They always have a positive impact. I’ve never heard of a talk that hasn’t made a difference

- Shane Everitt. senior

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Help others help you- Andie Huff, senior, takes the stage at TEDxConejo to share the story of how she dealt with her mother’s passing. The audience was silent and teary eyed as Huff explained how she wished others reacted and helped her grieve. Aaron Rohrer/With Permission

school,” Gress said. “If you see them they are always happy and we can learn a lot from them. Whatever issues we have, we need to try to find a way to be happy.”

Maya Ghanem, junior, gave a TED Talk on the relationship between people and government, a topic inspired by the recent controversy surrounding the CVUSD school board’s opt-out policy.

“This year, I went to my first school board meeting to cover the opt-out policy,” Ghanem said. “I decided to get more involved and I started to realize this kind of trend that people are not involved in politics unless there is a major crisis going on or unless it is national thing.”

Ghanem hoped that her TED Talk would encourage people to follow local politics more closely and get involved with issues “regardless of the party you are in.”

A common belief among all the speakers in the program was to be open and welcoming to all topics, concerns and ideas.

“If you have something to say, this is place to share without restrictions,” Ghanem said. “No matter who you are, you can say what you want to say.”

All speakers from Newbury Park High School include: Maya Chari on Coral Reefs, Lark Detweiler on Deaf Dancing, Maya Ghanem on Government and the Public, Gus Gress on Having an Autistic Sister, Sam Herbert on Music, Andie Huff on Grief and James Pratt on Yo-Yo Competitions.

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Sarah Babij, senior, has become a master at managing real estate. Covering her walls with pop art drag queens, Marilyn Manson, Bart Simpson and bright neon patterns, Babij has since covered the space once afforded to her lowly wallpaper. “(Art) has definitely given me more of a voice,” Babij said. “Everything I do expresses who I am.”

Never missing an opportunity to express her artistic side, Babij always found herself doodling in elementary school despite not taking art classes.

“I would just take the projects in class to a different level using different color schemes than people would use and making it unique,” Babij said.

Babij always saw art as release valve for her often overflowing anxieties.

“As cheesy as it sounds, it's really therapeutic, and when I’m really stressed,I'll draw what I'm feeling,” Babij said.

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Panther Prowler

Some posters, murals and artwork around campus can be traced back to Suha Hussain, junior. The Art Club president and IB Art student is known for her henna designs that find their way into every piece of her art.

“I always liked drawing. That's what I drifted to,” Hussain said. “I would always draw everything; that's how I expressed myself and drew what I did.”

Despite not receiving formal training as a child, Hussain could frequently be found buried in a notebook, pencil in hand.

“I would always draw everything. That’s how I expressed myself,” Hussain said. “”(In my art,) I try to show how you feel when you are lost in your mind and how your thoughts get inscribed into you, especially good thoughts.”

Hussain was inspired to create several pieces centered on the exploration of identity and the different states of the mind.

“I was always making art that reflected me and my feelings... I thought it would be interesting to depict,” Hussain said. “(Art) is a really great stress reliever so I’m going to continue doing it as a hobby.”

Annie Sun, senior, picked up art when she was just 4 years old. Now specializing in mixed media art, Sun has more pieces in art shows than she does mediums in her artwork.

“Mixed Media is when you combine different mediums of art into one piece,” Sun said. “I do a lot of combining colored pencil, watercolor and sometimes acrylic.”

Sun picked up art when she was just four years old with art lessons after school.

“I started out with my mom just sending me to classes but I just continued with it.” Sun said. However, Sun’s passion for portraiture did not manifest itself until two or three years ago.

Art is not only a creative outlet for Sun, but also a form of relaxation.

“I think the process of doing art is a very calming process,” Sun said. “You are just kind of in your own bubble.”

What started out as a creative outlet for Sun has since melded with her self-image.

“Art for me is something that is always changing and always improving; I’m always improving my style.” Sun said. “It is just a part of who I am and if I didn’t do it then it would

Both inside and outside the classroom, artists thrive as they find ways to express themselves. Here is a snapshot into the imaginative world of student artists.

Mac Cavanah, senior, began taking photographs when he was a sophomore, starting out in the Photo 1 and 2 class because it was “supposed to be easy.”

Cavanah focuses on landscapes, his favorites being a beachfront or the ocean, along with sunsets.

In the three years he has been shooting, the most important thing that he gained from photography are the memories he was able to make with those close to him.

“It’s just a lot of memory of me hanging out with my friends and taking photos, exploring different places... Mostly, it’ll be good to just reflect on the time with my friends before I go to college,” Cavanah said.

“Taking photos strengthens my bond with my friends, but also strengthens my photography skills.”

Cavanah looks up to mentors who gave him the means to express himself.

“The best thing about photography has been working with Mr. Lindroth and getting to know him better,” Cavanah said. “He’s such a caring teacher and he works so in depth with all of his students and puts so much time into making sure their experience is as good as possible.”

As fans cheer and players fly around the field, Ava Cooper, senior, holds a lens at the center of the action. Cooper first found inspiration when she saw others shooting at her middle school lacrosse games.

“I said to myself ‘I want to do that for other teams’ so I come out and take pictures of their games,” Cooper said. “I love seeing them use the photos and post them online-makes me feel good about my work.”

However, the job isn’t as picture-perfect as it might seem. There are a lot of risks accompany sports photography.

“I shot the varsity football team this year at TO and a TO player almost took me out with the camera. That was a bit scary,” Cooper said.

Even sports that are not considered as risky pose a threat to the unwitting photographer.

“I have found soccer balls flying at my head and I’ve stopped quite a few of them,” Cooper said. “I would say photographing sports games for the school is unique because a lot of kids do not go out to the games. I go to those games, take those photos, edit them for the players, so I say that makes sport photography unique.”

James Pratt Angela Swartz

After taking Photo 1 and 2, Josh Welcher, junior, started looking through a different lens. What was originally just a hurdle for art credits has since turned into a vibrant passion.

“I found (photography) to be something I really enjoyed, and I took it and started going with it even further,” Welcher said.

Welcher’s fragile and icon-covered companion now never leaves his side.

“Whenever I go anywhere with friends or anywhere I bring a camera along to take photos of them and things I see as I go around,” Welcher said.

While he also enjoys landscape photography, Welcher appreciates portraits for the sagas they chronicle. “Capturing someone's expression, their emotions and conveying a mini story about them through photography is really something I enjoy,” Welcher said.

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humans of newbury park #npstyle

“My style reflects how I’m feeling for the day and I change my style and my outfits every day. I wear a lot of flowy things because I want to feel comfortable with myself in my clothes. I could reflect that I’m more of a free spirited type of person.

In this technology dominated era, I sometimes like to go back to the roots and enjoy the simple things in life-- like laying outside in some grass and just admiring everything from the world around me. You could say that reflects in my style. It makes me sad that I see the hippie culture dying so I do whatever I can to embrace it and find the people like me, and usually they’re over 60.”

“I’ve always liked layering to make things more interesting so if I want to wear a dress, I won’t just wear the dress-- I’ll wear something under it like a shirt that’s a different color to provide more dimension. I also like wearing jewelry-- it tops the look off and I feel like something’s missing without it.

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Panther Prowler

Maya Chari

I love Asian style which I’ve been exposed to mainly from going to Hong Kong and Japan. The pants I wore are from the company Bathing Ape which a Japanese rapper called Nigo recently sold to a business called IT. The shirt is from Commes des Garçons which is a Japanese brand. I like to express myself through my culture’s clothing. I would say that my style is closest to a FOB (fresh off the boat) Asian person or someone living in Hong Kong. I drew on my shoes. Even though I messed up coloring them, it expresses individuality and separates the shoes from everyone else’s.

We asked several stylish students about their fashion choices. This is what they had to say.

The inspiration for that outfit came from a German rapper, Cro. The parka is by Supreme, so i guess there's like an element of hype and popularity, lots of modern culture in it. I like to mix it up a bit. I would consider my style more risky, I suppose. It's just personal preference for me: I like to wear fashionable clothes and I guess it comes with a level of confidence that I have."

“My style says that I’m not afraid to be loud and I’m not afraid for people to turn heads at me because a lot of times I like to wear clothes with bright colors and I noticed most people don’t do that, so I’m kind of glad that I can find ways to use my favorite color to express myself and my individuality, and also I typically try to wear clothes that are a mixture between semi formal and informal and… skateboard fashion?”

"I like to blend in"

“I think fashion is an important way to subvert cultural norms. Creativity. As everyone says, fashion is a great way to express yourself. The development of my style is something that happened organically… as my high school years progressed I started to kind of make some decisions about who I was and developed as a person and the development of my style reflects that. I started wearing clothes that look cool, I bought a lot from thrift stores and I gradually got to the point where I feel like I have a style that is at least moderately unique to myself, and kept going from there. Yeah, Good.

for more humans of np, follow us on instagram @npprowler 31 April 27, 2018