2019-2020 Issue 2 (Oct. 18, 2019)

PANTHER

PROWLER Friday Oct. 18, 2019 • Issue I I • Newbury Park High School 456 N. Reino Rd., Newbury Park, CA 91320 • pantherprowler.org

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Greta Thunberg Club Rush

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Conejo Valley Pride MarioKart Mobile

5 14

CSF

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Dolphins

Dance Team

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7

Sandy Hook

Boys Basketball

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Environmentalism Cross Country

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staff editorial Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

Greta gives the globe a voice Through her compelling speeches and seemingly unlimited devotion to environmental protection, Greta Thunberg has become one of today’s most prominent environmental activists.

Thunberg started her fight for change in August of 2018 by striking and skipping school every Friday. Now, she is taking a year long sabbatical from attending school in Sweden, her home country, to travel around the globe and influence millions with her activism.

Her accomplishments are mind blowing for a 16 year old. She has attended environmental strikes in over 100 countries and spoke at the United Nations climate summit last month.

“The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say - we will never forgive you,” Thunberg said. Through this speech, Thunberg proves that she is a force to be reckoned with.

Thunberg has a condition known as Asperger’s syndrome, which is characterized by repetitive patterns of behavior and difficulties in social interaction. She has already proven that it does not impair her ability to think logically. Those who are reluctant to make environmental protection a priority have responded with brutal comments, often pointing out her mental disability.

On Sept. 23, a conservative podcast host for Daily Wire known as Michael Knowles was invited to speak on Fox News. To everyone’s surprise and dismay, he called Thunberg “a mentally ill Swedish child who is being exploited by her parents and by the international left” in a segment dedicated to the issue of climate change.

Two days after Fox News apologized for Knowles’ behavior, Thunberg responded to the incident on Instagram. Her maturely crafted caption reads, “I honestly don’t understand why adults would choose to spend their time mocking and threatening teenagers and children for promoting science, when they could do something good instead. I guess they must simply feel so threatened by us.”

It is a scary thought that adults have no intention of prioritizing climate change when it is clear how vital it is to the future of our planet. Thunberg spoke for countless people of our generation when she said, “You all come to us young people for hope.

How dare you.” Because the older generations will not live to see the harshest backlash of environmental damage they have caused, they are indifferent.

This is why people like Thunberg speak. She speaks for those who care about the environment and have a long time before they pass away from old age. This is the group who is not indifferent, and wants to create change for the better.

Thunberg is not the only teenage activist who has spoken about environmental protection. In 1992, a 13 year old girl known as Severn Suzuki spoke at the Rio Summit to bring awareness to the importance of protecting the environment.

History is repeating itself. How long will we resort to children speaking for the environment before world leaders actually create change for the better?

While Greta Thunberg has been a strong advocate for environmental protection at a young age, she is only one of many. We must acknowledge the importance of everyone who fights for a positive cause, and the world needs to listen, regardless of how much time they have left on Earth or how much they profit off of the destruction of our environment.

Emily Augustine/Prowler

PANTHER PROWLER 2019-2020 staff Editors-in-Chief Emily Nagamoto Aditya Vunnum

Entertainment Editor Manas Khatore Copy Editors Emily Augustine Carter Castillo Prasheetha Karthikeyan Manas Khatore

Cover Editor Emily Augustine

DPS Editor Jessica Zhou

Features Editor Prasheetha Karthikeyan

Online Carter Castillo Rahul D’Souza Prasheetha Karthikeyan Jessica Zhou

Sports Editor Clarissa Shin Opinion Editor Carter Castillo News Editors Sarena Kabir Emma Schoors

Photographers Chief// Rahul D’Souza Reese Kelem Jacob Malone Jessica Zhou

Graphic Artists Emily Augustine Clarissa Shin

Staff Writers Abby Gorman Adalia Luo Adviser Michelle Saremi

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 Valley Press Publishing Co. For advertisement information, visit www.pantherprowler.org.

The Panther Prowler is accepting letters to the editor. To submit your feedback, please provide your full name, email and a letter about 300 words in length. Letters are subject to discretion and editing for taste, length and libel. Letters can be submitted to the email posted below.

Newbury Park High School 456 North Reino Road, Newbury Park, California 91320 (805) 498-3676 x 1110 prowler.newspaper@gmail.com

news Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

Conejo Pride shines its colors

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Jessica Zhou DPS Editor Hernandez and Effie Passero also made an appearance in the finale.

Betty Black, performer, was a drag queen who danced to the song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from the musical “Dreamgirls.” While Black has been to many pride festivals in the past, this is her first time participating as a performer. She decided to give a performance because she saw this as an opportunity to give back to the community. She loves to perform in her free time to share her art with other people and put smiles on their faces.

“The most meaningful part of this is that we are all coming together as a community, because there is so much going on in the world. We are just spreading love here and that’s what I love about it,” Black said.

Emily Wells, organizer of Free Mom Hugs, led a group of volunteers to give free hugs to people as they walked into the festival. Free Mom Hugs is an organization that offers hugs to anyone who wants one. The organization was first started by a mom whose son came out to her but was struggling as the community was not accepting of him. She posted a Facebook post offering to be a stand-in mom at same-sexsame sex couples marriages. As the post went viral, she started the organization Free Mom Hugs.

“We go to any event where someone can organize. We get volunteers, parents of different genders and races. We have some who are in the LGBTQ community and the rest are parents of LGBT. And we are here, we are encouraging, we try to create a safe space and just to give a hug,” Wells said.

For Jamie Jewett, senior at NPHS, this was her first pride festival. Jewett read about the festival on Facebook and decided to come experience the festival for herself.

“This shows me that people are really making an effort and trying to do something. So it is just good for me to see that this is going on,” Jewett said.

Shine- Betty Black, Drag Queen, showed off her moves at the Conejo Valley Pride Festival 2019. “I just love sharing my art with the world, especially with a group of like-minded individuals. It’s just like a safe place to be yourself, let loose,” said Black. This was Black’s first ever performance at this festival but likes to perform as much she can to make others smile. Black stands by the words: “Love is love. Love yourself.

Love each other.” Jessica Zhou/Prowler

At the second annual Conejo Pride Festival, the community gathered once again to show their support for the LGBTQ community. The festival took place on Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front of the Civic Arts Plaza.

On the field, many booths were set up for merchants, political parties and support organizations. Performances were also held at the event which included drag queens, the Trans Chorus of LA and the LGBTQ Country Line Dancers. American Idol’s David

Open Mosque Day opens minds Sarena Kabir News Editor

Adalia Luo Staff Writer

On Oct. 6, the Islamic Center of Conejo Valley held their ninth annual Open Mosque Day, a day to celebrate and explore their faith with guided tours, free exhibits, midday prayers and a brief talk and Q&A. Shadi Ghafari, sophomore, has been attending Open Mosque since first grade. “My mom was the one in charge of the event so I helped and pitched in when she needed help,” Ghafari said. “I helped set up the chairs in the prayer hall, got the tables upstairs for the decorations, cleaned up some of the classrooms, got the goody bags together and I helped the front table.”

Compared to last year, the Open Mosque Day has seen a decline in numbers. “A total of 170 people came which sounds like a lot but it’s the lowest we have had.

When the presidential election was going on, we got almost 500 because of all the drama of the candidates, so they wanted to see what we had to say and what our religion was all about,” Ghafari said.

Sera Mohammed, junior, also helped out during Open Mosque Day with the tours. “I think this year

really opened up people’s minds and allowed them to see different perspectives to seeing Islam other than what they see online and on social media. I think Open Mosque Day successfully erases the incorrect perceptions people have of the religion,” Mohammed said.

During the event, there were several presentations and booths, which were set up with the help of Sara Hamza, sophomore. “I helped set up a lot of the booths and presentations that were held upstairs,” Hamza said. “(There were several booths) such as the hijab booth, Islamic art (which included) calligraphy, beautification of the verses of the Quean and famous Islamic role models and successful people,” Hamza said.

“We aren’t trying to get people to be Muslims or anything, which people have thought before; we simply want to teach our community more about our religion just as a school would teach,” Hamza said.

Celebration- Community memembers from all faiths gather at the Islamic Center of Conejo Valley to learn about the Islamic religion. Students from Newbury Park High School volunteered and attended to support this annual event. One of these students was sophomore Sara Hamza.

“I think the important thing is for people to really understand Islam and not what the media says,” said Hamza. Unfortuantely, there was a noticable smaller attendance to the event compared to past years but the volunteers still believe that it went well. Adalia Luo/Prowler

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news Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

Wings to Grow supports foster youth Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor On Oct. 12, Wings to Grow, a club that is dedicated to supporting foster children in Ventura County, attended the ninth annual Harvest Fest in Oxnard, an event organized by the non-profit organization Kids and Families Together.

Nicole Hanover, senior and president, described the event as a way to help foster care children experience the fall spirit through donations and activities. Students from Wings to Grow volunteered to supervise the pumpkin decorating activity at the event. “(We brought) 145 sugar baby pumpkins and (we had) them paint on them and celebrate Halloween,” Hanover said.

As the club’s president, Hanover was involved in the planning process for the event, especially in terms of contacting local businesses for donations. Fortunately, the club received much more money than

expected. “We had originally requested $350, but (Walmart) decided that what we were doing is good… so (they) decided to raise the amount to $500,” Hanover said. As a result, the club was able to buy even more supplies to carry out its station.

Jeni Futvoye, community resource manager for Kids and Families Together, has been involved with foster care children for 15 years and helped organize Harvest Fest. She states that the number of families attending the event has increased over the last few years. “Usually we serve about 125 kids and this year we have 170, so you can do the math… we’ve really increased our capacity and that just tells me that more kids are going into care and more families are finding out about us,” Futvoye said.

Besides Wings to Grow, organizations that volunteered at the event include James

Storehouse, Bikers Against Child Abuse, Calvary Church and SoCal Honda.

Kayleigh Weinstein, senior and treasurer of Wings to Grow, attended Harvest Fest for the first time this year. She describes volunteering and working with foster care children as very rewarding. “It’s kind of fun to help put a smile on their face and at least give them a few minutes of fun,” Weinstein said. She plans on volunteering at future Wings to Grow events in order to help out more foster care children.

Volunteers at Harvest Fest believe that giving back and staying involved in the community is important and encourage more people to do so,” Hanover said. “We should be giving back to kids who don’t have that opportunity or the same opportunities that we have.”

Pokemon- After finding inspiration from Pokemon, Nicole Hanover, senior, shows a completed Poke-ball pumpkin to a foster care child. One of many kids in Ventura County at the event, he had the opportunity to get a Halloween costume, warm coats, other gear and do fun crafts like painting pumpkins. The Wings to Grow club brought 145 pumpkins to the event and helped children decorate and have fun. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

For the record...in Issue I: In the caption in the bottom left photo on page 5, Mya Amor and Sam Audenino’s names were misspelled.

The article “The new girl takes on the boys” was printed under the headline “New coach joins Black Cat Volleyball Crew” on page 15. The correct article about the new coach for girls’ volleyball can be found on our website pantherprowler.org

Pumpkins- Operating the Candy Claw machine and the bracelet station, Ellie Evans, senior, helps a child put on the pumpkin bracelet he just made. Evans and other club members volunteered at this event from set up to clean up, and Kayleigh Weinstein, senior, thought that one of the best aspects of the even was seeing their club come together with the community. “It’s been really fun and cool to see that other people are really interested in helping foster children and volunteering,” Weinstein said. Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

news Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

Local bands rock out

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Jacob Malone Back Cover Editor On Sept. 28 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., high schoolers from across the Conejo Valley gathered at the Fall Jam Fest to watch local bands perform. The event took place at the Thousand Oaks Teen Center, located off of Janss Road near the Thousand Oaks Library. The event cost $10 to get in at the door, or $8 when buying tickets from the band members themselves.

Jack Martino, sophomore, is the lead guitarist of Stereo Fidelity, a local band that performed at the Jam Fest.

“The Fall Jam Fest is about the community coming together,” Martino said.

“I made so many new friends from the crowd and other bands.”

Along with Stereo Fidelity, five other bands performed at the Fall Jam Fest: Rebel Romance, Madam Bombs, Carpool League, Liquid Indigo and The Michael Cain Experience.

“The best part about the event was meeting new bands and their fans. Of course playing is always a highlight and showing people your work, but meeting new people is always refreshing,” Martino said.

Max Lagerquist, sophomore and drummer for Stereo Fidelity, believes that

the Teen Center is the perfect place to perform because of its carefree environment.

“Performing at the teen center is usually super relaxing to me because the teen center shows are a really great time to just hang out with your friends, have a good time and just mess around,” Lagerquist said.

Sini Utermohlen, sophomore, was just one of the many people that decided to drop by and listen to the bands perform.

“My favorite part about jam fest was definitely being able to watch people do something they truly love,” Utermohlen said. “Literally just watching how passionate [the bands] there were about their music was so beautiful and refreshing.”

As the night grew late, the audience only seemed to get more and more excited about the bands and their music.

“The audience was so happy and there was a positive energy in every inch of the room,” Utermohlen said. “Everyone was smiling and dancing and I could tell that nobody had a single worry on their minds. Slappin’ the bass- The crowd gets riled up as bands perform the Fall Jam Festival. This community event brings It was just them, their friends and the music students and bands together to enjoy a night of music and fun. “I made so many new friends from the crowd and other bands. It was really great for bonding with new people over some amazing bands,” said Jack Martino, lead guitarist of in that moment.”

Stereo Fidelity. Many of the bands and fans come to this event for its relaxed environment and positive energy. Jacob Malone/Prowler

School board changes CSF designation Carter Castillo Opinion Editor

Emily Nagamoto Editor-In-Chief

Controversy- The school board discussed the issues surrounding the Conejo Schools Foundation not being registered as a booster this fiscal year. Mike Soules, president of CSF, explained that “(CSF’s) main focus is in raising funds to benefit and support the enrichment of our students and faculty here in CVUSD.” The foundation was not registered as a booster because the financial policy has changed. Adalia Luo/Prowler

The Conejo Schools Foundation (CSF) will not be registering as a booster this fiscal year. CSF will now operate solely under the CVUSD bylaws by the board of education, as stated in policy 1260, in order to maintain official business with the school district. CSF has always been under this policy, however they are no longer going to be recognized as a booster program.

The policy is meant to allow CSF to support CVUSD financially and with programs such as the GetAhead program run

by CSF which lasts 24.5 days. It also explicitly

states that even though an outside organization may support CVUSD, the two are completely separate from a legal standpoint. School board policy 1260 states, “The Board recognizes that an educational foundation is a separate legal entity, independent of the district.”

When the foundation first started, it was registered as a booster because it did not initially carry its own insurance, but that changed before they obtained their WASC accreditation when they acquired insurance and because the district no longer required it. A booster organization is a non-profit organization that’s goal is to support a

club, entity, or organization and will often times hold events to raise money and help promote their cause. Despite the fact that CSF obtained their own insurance, their classification as a booster continued.

Mike Soules, the president of CSF, spoke at the school board meeting on Sept. 17, trying to clarify any misconceptions about the organization’s former classification. “It was important to sign the booster agreement so that we had coverage in terms of our liability and also being covered in terms of being recognized as a booster organization,” he said.

Cindy Goldberg, school board member and executive director of CSF, said, “There was no CVUSD Board Policy in place and the District wanted to be able to codify the relationship. (The booster agreement) was the only mechanism available at that time. It never was intended to, nor did it in actuality, operate as a traditional booster club.”

At recent board meetings, community members like Amy Chen, a candidate who lost in the 2018 CVUSD school board election, shared their concerns about CSF’s designation.

Chen asked the board to compare the treatment of the Thousand Oaks Chinese School with CSF saying that “(the Chinese school) is charged $70K… so (CSF gets $550K) of our taxpayer money, while another nonprofit has to pay above and beyond the direct costs to the district.”

Dr. Victor Hayek, Assistant Superintendent of Business, said that, “the chinese school is on there but the csf is not” referring to the blinded list of the direct cost of each organization, and that the Thousand Oaks Chinese school was and CSF was not on the list. The list was brought up in a presentation by Hayek, and it presented the direct cost of each organization and the facilities it uses, however it did not mention the name of the organization, and as Dr. Hayek stated, CSF was not on the blinded list.

CSF’s GetAhead program is a WASCaccredited (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) program that hires its own teachers and principal, pays for the space they use, exists as a separate entity from CVUSD, and only uses school facilities in the summer for 24.5 days. In addition, the school district receives the money that CSF pays from rent.

As Goldberg stated, CSF will continue to “support programs and schools within the CVUSD, provide Cash4Conejo Classrooms grants, offer programs such as the All District Music Festival, Tedx youth conejo, parent/ guardian education workshops, and many other enrichment opportunities for students, teachers, and families.”

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opinion Panther Prowler • Oct. 18 2019 Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Emma Schoors News Editor are less chemicals and less pain. They squint to lessen the burning. They are constantly being pet and exposed to the hot sun, and their skin can develop rashes and bruises that need to be treated with various creams and ointments.

In the wild, dolphins live on fresh fish that they catch themselves, but in captivity, they have to be trained to feed on dead, frozen fish. Beyond their unideal eating situation, they’re kept hungry before their performances (a tactic called ‘food deprivation training’) t o ensure t h e

“Just because it feels good, it doesn’t make it right,” wrote environmental philanthropist Shari Sant Plummer after playing with bottlenose dolphins at the National Aquarium--dolphins that had been born in captivity and do frequent shows for onlookers like her to marvel at.

The famously smiley animals hop along the glistening waters of their tanks and do endless tricks. They squint in joy when being pet by audiences, like they are superstars on the red carpet with the spotlight shining brightly down on them. However, there are more than a couple things wrong with romanticising the captivity of dolphins and other animals this way.

The high chlorine levels in the water can damage a dolphin’s eyesight, urging them to float near the surface where there

best results for their audiences, which means that doing tricks is often the only way these animals will be fed.

According to science.org the average dolphin lifespan is anywhere from 4050 years, but for a captive dolphin this number can be cut in half. No tank can properly replicate the kinds of predators and threats they deal with in the wild, so dolphins born in captivity are highly unlikely to survive if they are ever released into their natural habitat.

Visiting dolphins in their natural habitats can be an educating and fun experience, and you can actually take a peek into how these animals make their way in their world naturally. Grabbing a bag of popcorn and watching a dolphin show might seem like a harmless feat, but the unnatural stress and extensive physical damage it does to these animals is just not worth the trip.

Emily Augustine/Prowler

Emma Schoors News Editor As long as a zest for long baths in ice cold Atlantic water is not a boarding requirement, Titanic II is a genius idea that should be given a chance by possible investors and passengers alike.

There are a couple of things that come to mind when the average person thinks of Titanic. Young Leonardo DiCaprio, a piece of wood that could have fit him if he dared to try and the real sinking of the RMS Titanic that killed 1,500 people on a freezing April night in 1912.

Now it is sitting two miles down at the bottom of the ocean with bacteria eating and disintegrating it rapidly, and billionaire Clive Palmer is dishing out a hefty $500 million to do it again, this time with the help of navigation, radars, plenty of lifeboats, and a brand new diesel engine. The bridge of the ship will be one Claris

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of the only rooms that will be completely different than the original.

The replica will include many of the original’s selling points; the lavish staircase, luxurious restaurants, a heated pool and even a gym with state of the art workout equipment- by 1912 standards anyway. Each of the dining and living rooms will be replicated, and guests will reportedly be treated to era clothing pieces to further the early 1900’s experience.

Best case scenario, the complementary iceberg collision and eventual sinking of the ship will not be an inclusion.

With luxury comes expense, and Titanic II is no exception.

Complete with the option of

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first, second, and third-class guest rooms, passengers are looking at a pretty penny for the do-over. In today’s standards, a thirdclass ticket on the original Titanic could cost anywhere from $350 to $900, and if you were a wealthy or influential figure, a first-class ticket could do the damage of $1,700 to $50,000. One can only imagine what the tickets for the improved trip will cost.

Titanic II is set to sail as early as 2022, with her maiden voyage venturing from Southampton to New York; a trip on which her predecessor sunk after a collision with an iceberg over a century ago. The original ship had intense pressure to be built quickly and break records at the time. With the lack of rush and much better materials available to complete the voyage safely, anyone with the means and interest to should consider sailing on this iconic, upgraded ship when the time comes.

Athiests have feelings too Carter Castillo Opinion Editor Atheists have no sense of morality and their main goal in life is to indoctrinate good religious children, or at least that’s what some people in this community want me to believe.

There has been a lot of anger from the religious right about California’s new sexual education policies, which has caused many of them to use religion as a motive for their opposition. In the heated conversations between community members, there is at least one thing they all seem to agree upon, that nobody wants to discriminate against anybody based on their religion.

Even though community members and politicians claim they do not want to discriminate based on religion, when you look at their rhetoric it is clear that discriminating is exactly what people like her are doing. When a member of a public school board gets in front of large groups of people and warns them about a secular humanist curriculum she is only feeding into the hurtful stigma that atheists deal with.

Humanity has always had some form of religious identity, and trust me, I have heard that “everybody needs to believe in something,” but maybe I just don’t, and I don’t think that makes me any less of a person than my peers. There seems to be this idea that because atheists don’t believe in god, that inherently makes them incapable of interpreting morality.

I say this not out of a place of anger, but out of hurt. I’m tired of having my religious beliefs (or lack thereof ) as being used as a false conspiracy for far-right religious leaders to oppose more inclusive curriculums in school. Most atheists don’t fit the stereotype of a smug late night TV host who constantly has an aura of superiority, they are humans like the rest of us. Just like all humans, atheists want to fit in, make friends, and get along with people.

My opportunity to decide who I am and what my religious or spiritual beliefs are should not be infringed upon by people who may have contrary ideas. I am so tired of the feeling of not being included, because when people say we accept “all religions” it always feels like the caveat is that they only seem to want to accept those with a religion.

I’m not naive, I know a lot of people will be angry or resort to gross personal attacks, and I certainly know that no matter what I say some people will shut themselves off and resort to their intolerance, but I hope that my message resonates with those who have open minds. I want to respect people’s views that are so different than mine, but I struggle to listen when they are preaching intolerance of me.

opinion

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Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor The Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) has been making an impact on schools across the nation. Named after the 2012 elementary school shooting, the organization aims to prevent gun violence in schools by discussing social issues that affect today’s students. Over the past month, SHP has been visiting CVUSD schools, giving an assembly at NPHS on Sept. 26. Since assemblies are their main tactic for reaching students, I expected it to reach the high caliber of SHP’s goal.

Unfortunately, the assembly fell short, undermining the purpose of SHP as an organization.

The program was titled “Start with Hello” and focused on inclusivity and creating a connected student body.

While all of this is important, there was no mention of gun violence. The

majority of the presentation was focused on reaching out to outcast students, but the connection between this and school shootings was not clearly established.

It seemed as though SHP is assuming that lonely students are the cause of all violence in schools.

Even if this was their intention, a school assembly is not the perfect medium for getting the message out. If students are excited about an assembly, it’s most likely because their class time is considerably reduced. Unfortunately, many students used the assembly as a free period, as seen by the number of people talking to their peers or on their phones instead of giving the speaker respect.

In addition to giving assemblies on positive school cultures, SHP should be encouraging students to become involved

in their local and national governments.

Providing resources for voter registration and hosting community forums discussing gun violence inspires passionate students to use their voices for change. As seen by the March for Our Lives protest, student-led movements are powerful and can have an impact on lawmakers, much more so than loosely focused school assemblies that places the responsibility of preventing gun violence on students and solely inclusivity.

SHP describes itself as a “moderate, above-the-politics organization” trying to address the gun violence epidemic in America. But in order to effectively do this, SHP needs to be directly involved in politics. The organization needs to devote more of its time to advocating for tangible solutions to gun violence

Lifeguard on Duty- Brandon Rainey, Sandy Hook Promise West Regional Training Manager, spoke to students about reaching out to their peers who may be isolated. “If not me, then who, if not now, then when, I’m using my swag, my creativity, my intellect, and my influence, to be a lifeguard on duty,” Rainey said. According to Rainey, every student brings intellect, creativity, swag and influence to the table. He invited seven students to participate in an activity to emphasize openness on campus.

Prasheetha Karthikeyan Features Editor In a world where people need to be held accountable for their actions, where racism, homophobia, and all around bigotry have no place, Urban Outfitters, with their ridiculous business model and continuous scandals, simply does not make the cut, and no one is talking about it.

Urban Outfitters (UO) has been provoking controversy for years, its most notable scandal being in September 2014, the selling of a “vintage” faux blood stained Kent State sweatshirt, directly referencing the Kent State massacre of 1970. Referencing a horrific mass shooting like this is deeply disturbing and disgusting.

The company also has a history of making products incredibly offensive to just about every ethnicity. In April 2012, UO was sold shirts reminiscent of what Jews wore during the Holocaust, only pulling it after understandably angry statements from several sources. The shirt’s designer’s response was simply that the shirt was not meant to be for sale, which begs the question: why was it even designed to begin with? Three years later, UO released a gray striped tapestry with pink triangles, alluding to what gay men

wore in concentration camps. Other ethnic groups that have been attacked by UO’s products include Irish-Americans, AfricanAmericans,Native Americans, IndianAmericans and MexicanAmericans.

U r b a n Outfitters also has a history of romanticizing mental illness and addiction. In 2010, after major backlash from eating disorder activists, UO was forced to remove a shirt with the words “Eat Less.”

In 2016, both a “Shampoo for Suicidal Hair” and a crop top covered Emily Augustine/Prowler with the word “depression,”both of which were later pulled in 2016, turned the dangerous mental illness into a trendy fashion statement . A line of prescription bottle themed items romanticizing prescription drug abuse, such as glasses and flasks, was pulled in 2013.

Eat Less

The worst part of this is that whenever UO is caught in the act, they seldom issue an apology.When they do, it’s usually the “sorry, not sorry” type. This conduct is severely overlooked by this generation, primarily because UO’s target audience is the privileged white teens who are ignorant to prejudice because it doesn’t affect them or they only care about the “aesthetic appeal” of the brand.

Many articles suggest that the cause of UO’s recurring immoral behavior is a PR strategy to make the company look edgy because, obviously, being racist is the new quirky. Other articles attribute it to pure negligence. However, after the outrageous number of run-ins UO has had, it’s fair to conclude that such incidents are not accidental.

In a way, it is the perfect plan. With privileged consumers buying products for the brand uner the impression that it’s fun and trendy, they are promoting this bigoted agenda, unknownst to themselves. We should be holding UO accountable and boycotting them for this behavior.

Emily Augustine Front Cover Editor The city is a fast moving place. Most of the people who inhabit the city all have a place to be and pressing tasks to accomplish, but one group of people stands still: the homeless.

According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, over 36,000 people in the city of Los Angeles are homeless as of 2019. This is a whole community of people whose voices are silenced by the media just because it makes people uncomfortable to see how they live.

How many films can you name that are devoted to those in America who are living without a home? The closest form of media I can recall is one I learned in a history class. Jacob Riis published “How the Other Half Lives” in 1890, a photojournalistic piece that captures how people lived in New York’s slums.

These films about homelessness do exist, but they are not well known. For example, “Lost Angels : Skid Row is my Home” is a 2010 documentary following eight homeless people living in Los Angeles. “Los Angeles’ Skid Row is home to one of the largest homeless populations in the United States” according to an organization known as Haven Toronto.

I have been a witness to homelessness in every major city I

have visited, including Los Angeles. I have seen homeless people talk gibberish to themselves, scream in the middle of the street and pretend to be a bush only to startle people who walk by.

It is clear to see that a significant portion of these people are mentally disabled. As I watch them suffer all alone, I imagine what there life must have been like. Have they always been like this? Did they have the support they needed growing up? Who abandoned them?

However, I have also seen homeless people who do not have severe mental disabilities. I can tell by the way they mope when they sit on the side of the street with the cardboard sign pleading for financial help. They are aware of the situation they are in.

Mentally disabled or not, these people need our recognition.

The media should know the importance of preventing homelessness considering the center of the film industry is surrounded by thousands of homeless people.

On an individual level, the homeless need our support, or our kindness at least. Mental illness is not a laughing matter, especially when it comes to those who have been left with nothing. Respect them by not joking about their suffering. If you ever walk by a

Emily Augustine/Prowler

homeless person who is not mentally ill, give them a smile and a small donation if you are feeling generous. It goes a long way.

These people deserve respect and a voice. The homeless, like anyone else, do not deserve to suffer in silence.

8

environmentalism

environmentalism

Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

“As a party we are very excited to see the youth becoming involved and active in the climate debate. We hope that the youth will see that our party has been behind the scenes fighting for the environment for decades and hope that they will join us and run campaigns to gain positions to make policy decisions locally and nationally as a registered green,” Krzywicki said.

Jessica Zhou DPS Editor Carter Castillo Features Editor Abby Gorman Staff Writer Jacob Malone Back Cover Editor

As the consequences of environmental destruction are becoming more and more apparent, action for environmental protection has become a modern urgency for every individual across the globe. Community members in Conejo Valley have come together to help save the environment in a variety of ways such as organizing clubs, participating in protests and calling for environmental friendly political agendas.

The recent increase in environmental awareness has encouraged several student groups within the community to take it upon themselves and speak openly about issues that impact their lives, in addition to how individuals can help aid in the process.

One of these groups, Hands On Earth, is a club on campus working to increase awareness and encourage environmental consciousness on campus. Led by Firdausi Noorzay and Megan Sager, seniors, the club meets every Friday at lunch in room D8, and they are planning many events this year to bring environmental activism to students. “We’re actually going to be doing things like beach clean-ups, and cleaning trails, ways to make the school more environmentally cautious,” Noorzay said.

Gardening and health is also important to the members of the Hands on Earth club. In the past year, the club inherited the school garden, and has been incorporating it into the responsibilities of the club. “ Everything that we serve (at club meetings) is vegan. . .a lot from the school garden directly,” Sager said.

The club is not just about gardening and nature, however. Hands on Earth also strives to promote activism for current environmental issues, from within Conejo Valley to the global scale. “We’re going to be doing some meetings where we talk about current issues and learn about what’s happening and ways that we can help. Small or big ways,” Noorzay said.

Recycling club is another student group with a goal to benefit the environment, beginning with an issue that has a direct impact on the school - recycling.

Brian Chau, junior, has been a member of Recycling Club since he joined his freshman year after taking notice of the state of the campus. “I joined just to help clean up the school. During lunch, or after, you can see all the trash laying around and I feel like I wanted to help,” Chau said.

Don’t litter- Stephen Liu, senior, stoops low to retrieve a plastic object he has spotted, strewn across the otherwise pristine floor. Recycling club meets every other Wednesday to clean up our school after all the littering fools that tarnish it by refusing to recycle properly. They have one message for all students: “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, kids.” Jacob Malone/Prowler

9

Buy solid bar shampoo and soap We throw away millions of shampoo and soap bottles every year, but the solution may be easier than you may think. Shampoo bars can come “naked”, or without any plastic packaging, preventing the waste of the bottles.

Every other Wednesday, the Recycling club meets at their shed next to the football field and disperses throughout the campus to complete their task. “We go through all of the recycling bins, and we just collect the recyclable items. This includes plastic bottles, glass bottles, aluminum cans.” Nathan Juan, senior and president of the club, said. Then, the collected items are brought to be exchanged at one of the local recycling centers.

Juan joined the club after being encouraged to do so by his tennis teammates junior year, but the payoff has been beyond the community service. “Recycling is actually a pretty fun thing to do. We have a nice group of people, and just knowing that we’re taking care of our campus really makes me feel good.” says Juan.

As a club, their primary goal is to clean up the school, but they also strive to benefit other student groups on campus. “We store up the money (from the recycling center) in our account, and any club that wants to, they can apply to get some of that.” Chau said.

The club hopes to help others recognize the value of recycling to any extent, whether a small contribution or large-scale event. “This is a good opportunity for me to lessen my impact on the environment and just improve, decrease my footprint on this world.” Juan said.

Environmental issues are a pertinent topic of discussion in today’s modern world; both of these clubs demonstrate the increase in youth awareness, as well as civic engagement, to the subject. No matter the size of the actions, individuals within the community can help contribute to making a difference on what is a global scale issue.

Environmental protection is inseparable from the country’s leaders and policies.

As Democratic candidates are continuing to prepare themselves for the 2020 presidential election, the issue of climate change took a prominent position in many of their campaigns.

At the September CNN Climate Town Hall, many Democratic candidates, such as Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg all took a stance against unsustainable human activity and aim to convert America into an environmentally protected country.

At the Town Hall, Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts senator, reminds Americans to focus on the big problems and not get distracted by irrelevant issues. Instead of focusing on energy efficient light bulbs and straw types, Warren calls out big industries that are polluting our environment such as the building industry, oil industry and the electric power industry.

When faced with the crucial issue of climate change, the country looks towards its leaders for guidance, and in the case of Conejo Valley, the school board and local political parties.

Conejo Valley Unified School District board trustee Cindy Goldberg provided insight on how schools can help prevent the effects of climate change. “We need to educate students about the factual realities of climate change as defined by scientists and within the framework of science and social studies,” Goldberg said.

Goldberg also says she believes that the school board alone can not create change, however.

“I would also encourage teachers, students, and other community members to get involved and create initiatives that fit their school sites and can become models for the rest of the district,” Goldberg said.

When asked about the amount of plastic wrapping used for school meals and what policies the Conejo Valley school district board can do Goldberg said, “I know that there has been a concerted effort to reduce waste, and I would hope that we can continue to improve and support those efforts. Best practices in other districts should be consulted and potentially implemented.”

One strong advocate for environmental protection across the country is the Green Party.

With ecology as one of their four main pillars, they believe human activity and the country’s unregulated economic system are the main forces pushing the climate crisis. In order to help solve these issues, the Party’s main priority is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.

Anthony Krzywicki, Green Party volunteer in Conejo Valley, is engaged in many efforts with the local party to deal with the climate catastrophe. Their goals are to expand their values to more people and gain more members to help with local campaigns and make policy changes.

“I believe that our party’s platform touches on everyone lives at a very human level. We want to put people, planet and peace before corporate profits. We want a just system in place that is for the betterment of everyone. I really feel that our platform and everything we do embodies good and justice and hope that others will join us,” Krzywicki said.

The local community can help the Green Party’s efforts in many ways, such as helping them promote environmentally friendly candidates and telling representatives their opinions on environmental policies.

On Sept. 20, young people took to the streets and took part in a strike to demand action from world leaders to prevent climate change. This event kickstarted the “Global Week for Future,” a week in which strikes and protests were held to get people to act on climate change.

Alyssa Michalek, senior, took part in the climate strike in order to push for change in environmental policy.

“I went out and participated because I think it’s important to advocate for what you believe in, “ Michalek said. “And in this case, I think it’s vital for people to speak up, because climate change is happening much quicker than predicted, and it’s not something we can escape.”

Others say they are participating in the fight for climate activism because they worry that if they do not act, no one else will.

“I think climate change is a really scary issue, but I can’t really be worried about it if we don’t try to do anything,” Mikkel Nagorssen, senior, said.

Nagorssen used the climate strike as a way to showcase his support for climate activism and make his voice heard. As the strike went on, more and more people contributed to the effort.

“The atmosphere was pretty good from the beginning,” Nagorssen said. “A lot of the drivers were very supportive and the people were very friendly and engaged.”

Many students, such as Gia Chu, senior, are hopeful about the strikes and believe that these strikes are going to influence lawmakers to prevent climate change.

“I definitely think that these strikes are already causing huge change worldwide in big cities like New York where there were hundreds of thousands of people out protesting, and I think it’s impossible for any politician or lawmakers not just in the US to ignore the strength that the movement is gaining in numbers,” Chu said.

Individuals that participated in the climate strike all have different backgrounds, but there is one thing in common between every participant in the climate strike: they each care for the future of the Earth and the wellbeing of the human race.

“Climate change is not a political debate. It’s happening whether we act on it or not, and it’s going to affect everyone no matter the political party or status in society or gender or race or anything else,” Michalek said. “This can’t be put off for later. Change needs to happen now.”

Shout it out- Orissa Morales, California Lutheran University student, and Mikkel Nagorssen, senior at NPHS, stand firm with protestors at the Climate Strike. Although some drivers expressed negative comments as they passed by the protestors, Nagorssen knew they were doing the right thing. “We did it in the first place and that it was at least doing something,” Nagorssen said. Members from all around the community gathered bringing and sharing signs with each other. They shouted call and response chants like “What do we want?”

“Climate action!” “When do we want it?” “Now!” Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Ride your bike to school and use public transportation Bikes do not emit any carbon emissions, but even if you live far from school, the city of Thousand Oaks offers a bus service that can drop students off directly in front of the PAC. If you are unable to utilize the metro system, even carpooling will greatly reduce your carbon footprint.

Limit your meat consumption Meat may be hard to let go of, but if you manage to limit your meat consumption to one instance a day, you will be doing the environment a great service. Much of the resources are used towards red meat production and transportation. You can also start by substituting red meat with other meats that require less resources, such as chicken or fish.

Go thrifting While many people go thrifting because of the good deals and styles, thrift store shopping can reduce the manufacturing that deplete natural resources, as well as recycle clothing that would have ended up in a landfill. Some great thrift stores in the area include Goodwill, the Mary Health of the Sick store located near Sequoia Middle School and the Buffalo Exchange.

Buy local products Supporting local businesses and farmers aids in reducing CO2 emissions by decreasing the distance produce and other foods have to travel from source to consumer.

Farmer’s markets area great resource for getting local products and directly supporting individuals from within our community, such as the market every Thursday in the Oaks Mall parking lot and on Sundays at the Westlake Plaza.

Recycle batteries and electronic devices Old electronics thrown directly into the trash can lead to potentially hazardous materials (such as lead and mercury) being released into the environment. The Household Hazardous Waste Facility accepts some toxic products for recycling, and the local libraries have battery recycling bins and there are many other locations in the community that recycle hazardous waste. You can also use a resource like call2recycle.org to find drop-off location close to you.

Build your own garden Not only can you plant your own organic food and enjoy a nice gourmet salad, building your own garden can also significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and reduce water use on large agricultural farms. Furthermore, you can also use composted waste to help grow your garden, and continue the cycle of being environmentally friendly.

Don’t eat take out meals While the idea of lying at home enjoying a movie with Panda Express seems like a great way to spend a Friday night. Go out and socialize and feel good about it too because you know that you are helping the environment. Take out meals usually come packaged with a lot of styrofoam, so avoiding take out can help prevent millions of little particles from getting into the environment.

8

environmentalism

environmentalism

Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

“As a party we are very excited to see the youth becoming involved and active in the climate debate. We hope that the youth will see that our party has been behind the scenes fighting for the environment for decades and hope that they will join us and run campaigns to gain positions to make policy decisions locally and nationally as a registered green,” Krzywicki said.

Jessica Zhou DPS Editor Carter Castillo Features Editor Abby Gorman Staff Writer Jacob Malone Back Cover Editor

As the consequences of environmental destruction are becoming more and more apparent, action for environmental protection has become a modern urgency for every individual across the globe. Community members in Conejo Valley have come together to help save the environment in a variety of ways such as organizing clubs, participating in protests and calling for environmental friendly political agendas.

The recent increase in environmental awareness has encouraged several student groups within the community to take it upon themselves and speak openly about issues that impact their lives, in addition to how individuals can help aid in the process.

One of these groups, Hands On Earth, is a club on campus working to increase awareness and encourage environmental consciousness on campus. Led by Firdausi Noorzay and Megan Sager, seniors, the club meets every Friday at lunch in room D8, and they are planning many events this year to bring environmental activism to students. “We’re actually going to be doing things like beach clean-ups, and cleaning trails, ways to make the school more environmentally cautious,” Noorzay said.

Gardening and health is also important to the members of the Hands on Earth club. In the past year, the club inherited the school garden, and has been incorporating it into the responsibilities of the club. “ Everything that we serve (at club meetings) is vegan. . .a lot from the school garden directly,” Sager said.

The club is not just about gardening and nature, however. Hands on Earth also strives to promote activism for current environmental issues, from within Conejo Valley to the global scale. “We’re going to be doing some meetings where we talk about current issues and learn about what’s happening and ways that we can help. Small or big ways,” Noorzay said.

Recycling club is another student group with a goal to benefit the environment, beginning with an issue that has a direct impact on the school - recycling.

Brian Chau, junior, has been a member of Recycling Club since he joined his freshman year after taking notice of the state of the campus. “I joined just to help clean up the school. During lunch, or after, you can see all the trash laying around and I feel like I wanted to help,” Chau said.

Don’t litter- Stephen Liu, senior, stoops low to retrieve a plastic object he has spotted, strewn across the otherwise pristine floor. Recycling club meets every other Wednesday to clean up our school after all the littering fools that tarnish it by refusing to recycle properly. They have one message for all students: “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, kids.” Jacob Malone/Prowler

9

Buy solid bar shampoo and soap We throw away millions of shampoo and soap bottles every year, but the solution may be easier than you may think. Shampoo bars can come “naked”, or without any plastic packaging, preventing the waste of the bottles.

Every other Wednesday, the Recycling club meets at their shed next to the football field and disperses throughout the campus to complete their task. “We go through all of the recycling bins, and we just collect the recyclable items. This includes plastic bottles, glass bottles, aluminum cans.” Nathan Juan, senior and president of the club, said. Then, the collected items are brought to be exchanged at one of the local recycling centers.

Juan joined the club after being encouraged to do so by his tennis teammates junior year, but the payoff has been beyond the community service. “Recycling is actually a pretty fun thing to do. We have a nice group of people, and just knowing that we’re taking care of our campus really makes me feel good.” says Juan.

As a club, their primary goal is to clean up the school, but they also strive to benefit other student groups on campus. “We store up the money (from the recycling center) in our account, and any club that wants to, they can apply to get some of that.” Chau said.

The club hopes to help others recognize the value of recycling to any extent, whether a small contribution or large-scale event. “This is a good opportunity for me to lessen my impact on the environment and just improve, decrease my footprint on this world.” Juan said.

Environmental issues are a pertinent topic of discussion in today’s modern world; both of these clubs demonstrate the increase in youth awareness, as well as civic engagement, to the subject. No matter the size of the actions, individuals within the community can help contribute to making a difference on what is a global scale issue.

Environmental protection is inseparable from the country’s leaders and policies.

As Democratic candidates are continuing to prepare themselves for the 2020 presidential election, the issue of climate change took a prominent position in many of their campaigns.

At the September CNN Climate Town Hall, many Democratic candidates, such as Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg all took a stance against unsustainable human activity and aim to convert America into an environmentally protected country.

At the Town Hall, Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts senator, reminds Americans to focus on the big problems and not get distracted by irrelevant issues. Instead of focusing on energy efficient light bulbs and straw types, Warren calls out big industries that are polluting our environment such as the building industry, oil industry and the electric power industry.

When faced with the crucial issue of climate change, the country looks towards its leaders for guidance, and in the case of Conejo Valley, the school board and local political parties.

Conejo Valley Unified School District board trustee Cindy Goldberg provided insight on how schools can help prevent the effects of climate change. “We need to educate students about the factual realities of climate change as defined by scientists and within the framework of science and social studies,” Goldberg said.

Goldberg also says she believes that the school board alone can not create change, however.

“I would also encourage teachers, students, and other community members to get involved and create initiatives that fit their school sites and can become models for the rest of the district,” Goldberg said.

When asked about the amount of plastic wrapping used for school meals and what policies the Conejo Valley school district board can do Goldberg said, “I know that there has been a concerted effort to reduce waste, and I would hope that we can continue to improve and support those efforts. Best practices in other districts should be consulted and potentially implemented.”

One strong advocate for environmental protection across the country is the Green Party.

With ecology as one of their four main pillars, they believe human activity and the country’s unregulated economic system are the main forces pushing the climate crisis. In order to help solve these issues, the Party’s main priority is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.

Anthony Krzywicki, Green Party volunteer in Conejo Valley, is engaged in many efforts with the local party to deal with the climate catastrophe. Their goals are to expand their values to more people and gain more members to help with local campaigns and make policy changes.

“I believe that our party’s platform touches on everyone lives at a very human level. We want to put people, planet and peace before corporate profits. We want a just system in place that is for the betterment of everyone. I really feel that our platform and everything we do embodies good and justice and hope that others will join us,” Krzywicki said.

The local community can help the Green Party’s efforts in many ways, such as helping them promote environmentally friendly candidates and telling representatives their opinions on environmental policies.

On Sept. 20, young people took to the streets and took part in a strike to demand action from world leaders to prevent climate change. This event kickstarted the “Global Week for Future,” a week in which strikes and protests were held to get people to act on climate change.

Alyssa Michalek, senior, took part in the climate strike in order to push for change in environmental policy.

“I went out and participated because I think it’s important to advocate for what you believe in, “ Michalek said. “And in this case, I think it’s vital for people to speak up, because climate change is happening much quicker than predicted, and it’s not something we can escape.”

Others say they are participating in the fight for climate activism because they worry that if they do not act, no one else will.

“I think climate change is a really scary issue, but I can’t really be worried about it if we don’t try to do anything,” Mikkel Nagorssen, senior, said.

Nagorssen used the climate strike as a way to showcase his support for climate activism and make his voice heard. As the strike went on, more and more people contributed to the effort.

“The atmosphere was pretty good from the beginning,” Nagorssen said. “A lot of the drivers were very supportive and the people were very friendly and engaged.”

Many students, such as Gia Chu, senior, are hopeful about the strikes and believe that these strikes are going to influence lawmakers to prevent climate change.

“I definitely think that these strikes are already causing huge change worldwide in big cities like New York where there were hundreds of thousands of people out protesting, and I think it’s impossible for any politician or lawmakers not just in the US to ignore the strength that the movement is gaining in numbers,” Chu said.

Individuals that participated in the climate strike all have different backgrounds, but there is one thing in common between every participant in the climate strike: they each care for the future of the Earth and the wellbeing of the human race.

“Climate change is not a political debate. It’s happening whether we act on it or not, and it’s going to affect everyone no matter the political party or status in society or gender or race or anything else,” Michalek said. “This can’t be put off for later. Change needs to happen now.”

Shout it out- Orissa Morales, California Lutheran University student, and Mikkel Nagorssen, senior at NPHS, stand firm with protestors at the Climate Strike. Although some drivers expressed negative comments as they passed by the protestors, Nagorssen knew they were doing the right thing. “We did it in the first place and that it was at least doing something,” Nagorssen said. Members from all around the community gathered bringing and sharing signs with each other. They shouted call and response chants like “What do we want?”

“Climate action!” “When do we want it?” “Now!” Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Ride your bike to school and use public transportation Bikes do not emit any carbon emissions, but even if you live far from school, the city of Thousand Oaks offers a bus service that can drop students off directly in front of the PAC. If you are unable to utilize the metro system, even carpooling will greatly reduce your carbon footprint.

Limit your meat consumption Meat may be hard to let go of, but if you manage to limit your meat consumption to one instance a day, you will be doing the environment a great service. Much of the resources are used towards red meat production and transportation. You can also start by substituting red meat with other meats that require less resources, such as chicken or fish.

Go thrifting While many people go thrifting because of the good deals and styles, thrift store shopping can reduce the manufacturing that deplete natural resources, as well as recycle clothing that would have ended up in a landfill. Some great thrift stores in the area include Goodwill, the Mary Health of the Sick store located near Sequoia Middle School and the Buffalo Exchange.

Buy local products Supporting local businesses and farmers aids in reducing CO2 emissions by decreasing the distance produce and other foods have to travel from source to consumer.

Farmer’s markets area great resource for getting local products and directly supporting individuals from within our community, such as the market every Thursday in the Oaks Mall parking lot and on Sundays at the Westlake Plaza.

Recycle batteries and electronic devices Old electronics thrown directly into the trash can lead to potentially hazardous materials (such as lead and mercury) being released into the environment. The Household Hazardous Waste Facility accepts some toxic products for recycling, and the local libraries have battery recycling bins and there are many other locations in the community that recycle hazardous waste. You can also use a resource like call2recycle.org to find drop-off location close to you.

Build your own garden Not only can you plant your own organic food and enjoy a nice gourmet salad, building your own garden can also significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and reduce water use on large agricultural farms. Furthermore, you can also use composted waste to help grow your garden, and continue the cycle of being environmentally friendly.

Don’t eat take out meals While the idea of lying at home enjoying a movie with Panda Express seems like a great way to spend a Friday night. Go out and socialize and feel good about it too because you know that you are helping the environment. Take out meals usually come packaged with a lot of styrofoam, so avoiding take out can help prevent millions of little particles from getting into the environment.

features

10 Clubs rush for recruits Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

Adalia Luo Staff Writer

a team.”

Right at the entrance to the gym, a different type of athletic club handed out homemade cookies for free with the promise of a Remind sign-up and a follow on Instagram. Relay for Life meets in room D24 every other Monday starting in January.

“Our club was created to create a team at the Relay for Life event that takes place in May at the Conejo Creek field to represent Newbury Park and our desire to fight back against cancer,” Madeline Shain, senior, explained.

“Last year, we helped raise over 70,000 dollars at the event in total,” Kayla Brandes, senior, added.

“We really like that it’s a really great group of people, it’s not too overbearing or strict or anything,” Shain added, Brandes nodding in agreement. “It’s pretty chill and we all just have a good time thinking of ideas and raising money together and then at the very end, the event Relay for Life is obviously the best part of it all.”

This year, the official 24-hour long Relay for Life event will be held in Conejo Creek Park from May 16 to 17. “The event itself is something that’s really special to all of us… during that event there’s like live performances, there’s other people still raising money by selling things there. Then, there’s this beautiful luminaria ceremony,” described Brandes. “That really hits close to home for me because my mom had cancer. It’s just a really nice thing to see.”

This year at Newbury Park High School, it seems there may be a club or interest group for everyone.

This year, Club Rush was filled to the brim with students excited to explore new clubs and interest groups eager to gain new members, selling everything from red clown noses to acai bowls and boxes of pizza. Packed in the gym because of the Santa Ana winds, a plethora of new and old clubs alike had the opportunity to recruit and fundraise, including Habitat for Humanity, KPop Dance, and Relay for Life.

Surrounded in pizza boxes up to their shoulders, the Habitat for Humanity booth, headed by Treasurer Anna Li, had a line for their pizza that spanned halfway across the gym. “We’re basically a service club that raises money for bigger projects,” Li said. “Right now, we’re mostly focused on accumulating more money through a variety of fundraisers.”

“We were just founded this year,” Li said. “We all have a passion to contribute to affordable housing across the U.S. and maybe even internationally.” Habitat for Humanity meets in room B8 every Friday, where they discuss their plans for the year and any new projects.

On the other side of the gym, KPop Dance members dutifully stood by their booth, offering their sign up sheet to everyone that passed by. On their Tuesday meetings in the GAR, they “learn multiple dances from different artists or specific choreographers,” president Nathalie Jimenez, senior, explained.

Even though it was only created this year, the team is already spirited. “I really enjoy learning dances from KPop but I didn’t have anyone else to dance it with,” Jimenez added.

With the support of adviser Cameo Carolan, their goal is for every club member to feel welcome and safe. “I really like that even though the dance moves can be kind of complicated (the club is) really patient. There’s no judgment at all,” Jimenez said. “(It’s) cool to teach others and also get to know other people who are interested and just, basically come together as

Rushing for recruits- Haley Rippon, sophomore, and Anya Reider, sophomore, pose behind the “ASL For All” club booth.

ASL For All is a new club that popped up on the campus this year.

“So basically, we introduce (American Sign Language) to people who are interested, and people who have already learned ASL can help teach others.” Rippon said. Jacob Malone/ Prowler

Chuck E. Cheese-in’ behind the mask Aditya Vunnum Editor In Chief Many high school students remember going to Chuck E. Cheese as children: playing arcade games, winning tickets and earning prizes. Paige Ross, senior, now relives her childhood on the other side of the tracks as she works at the amusement center located in Thousand Oaks.

Ross began working at Chuck E. Cheese at the beginning of July, and plans to stay there until she leaves for college at the end of the academic year.

“I applied everywhere under the sun. I applied mostly in Los Angeles County, because their minimum wage is higher. But one day, I was driving down Hillcrest and there was a huge now hiring sign on the side of the building,” Ross said. “I applied and they hired me the same day.”

Ross’s jobs include greeting customers as they enter, filling the salad bar and wearing the Chuck E. Cheese costume during parties. “When I stand at kid check for eight hours a day, it’s really difficult. There’s a lot of kids that come up and they slap you or poke you and they want to tell you something, but you can’t leave this five feet area,” Ross said.

Ross acknowledges that some aspects of her job are more difficult than others, but feels that she has benefited from working there.

“I love my coworkers. Some of them are super fun and we always hang out after work. Usually, I have to work till like midnight, so we always hang out after and we just do whatever,” Ross said.

Because of her decision to begin working over the summer, Ross inspired one of her friends to take up a job as well.

Chandler Ruggiero, senior, began working at Jersey Mikes shortly after Ross began working at Chuck E. Cheese.

Cheese- Paige Ross, senior, poses in the Chuck E. Cheese mascot costume at the beginning of one of her shifts at the location in Thousand Oaks. “There’s a lot of times when kids lose their parents… It’s cute when their parents are running around for them and finally find them,” Ross said. Ross has been working at Chuck E. Cheese since July and plans to continue to work there as long as she can.

Cheese- Paige Ross, senior, poses in the Chuck E. Cheese mascot costume at the beginning of one of her shifts at the location in Thousand Oaks. “There’s a lot of times when kids lose their parents… It’s cute when their parents are running around for them and finally find them,” Ross said. Ross has been working at Chuck E. Cheese since July and plans to continue to work there as long as she can. Paige Ross/ With Permission

“I know her getting a job and earning money made me want to get a job and start earning money. Although it takes a lot of time, and you might not be able to go to all the social events that you want to, in the end it’s worth it,” Ruggiero said.

Ruggiero has heard several stories about Ross’s work experiences- some good and others bad- but at the end of the day Ross has never regretted her choice to work there. “She’s really brave. And I think it’s important that she’s kind of tough through some of the hard times she has had at work because if she does what she does, you just have to learn how to deal with the bad parts. So it’s inspiring to keep going,” Ruggiero said.

Tyler Peterson, senior, is a long time friend of Ross and has seen how she’s grown in the past several months.

“I think she’s gained a lot of social experience. She has to interact with so many different types of people where you wouldn’t necessarily be interacting with, like families on a regular basis. But you’re kind of forced to in an environment like that,” Peterson said.

Though Chuck E. Cheese isn’t exactly how she remembers it when she used to go as a child, she appreciates the new experiences she has had as an employee.

“There’s always been a lot of special needs people that come in, like adults that are special needs,” Ross said. “There’s a lot of people with a mental special handicap and they just are really excited to see Chuck E. Cheese and so it’s really fun when I get to put on the costume and they’re super excited to see me.”

features Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

11

Prasheetha Karthikeyan Features Editor

Katie O’Neill is a busy teacher. Between coaching Speech and Debate and Mock Trial, leading the science center, and teaching IB Chemistry, O’Neill has a lot on her plate. Fortunately, I was able to sit down with her with a few minutes and discuss her time and NPHS as a teacher.

When and how did you know you wanted to become a teacher?

Can you describe one moment of validation in your teaching profession?

“It’s something I’d kind of always thought about it, but was scared to kind of jump into, and just kind of talking about with my boyfriend and our future and just changing a job into a career, I couldn’t think of anything else I really wanted to do. Even going through the teaching program it was really scary because I have this giant fear of public speaking, and so in my teaching classes I would cry before giving speeches and stuff, so I was still not sure it was for me, but then my first week teaching was honestly one of the best weeks of my life ever, and so it was something that from the moment I started doing it I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

If I had to pick one shining moment, there was one student that graduated last year that got her extended essay accepted by the city of Thousand Oaks, in terms of helping reduce energy emissions and stuff like that. It was really cool. It was something she was inspired by when I had her as a freshman, we did a debate on nuclear energy, and it really sparked her interest in renewable energy and she started a whole foundation on it, and just seeing her really take the idea and run with it and be really successful in science is kind of like, She’s gonna change the world one day, I know she is. She already is, so just seeing that come to life has been really cool.

What has been your all-time favorite experience while teaching?

What is your proudest moment as a teacher?

“I love when kids get excited because they’ve figured something out, struggling with it and working and asking questions, but then when they actually get excited because it clicks, that moment, I could live for that moment every day.

Reese Kelem/Prowler

What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

I actually just bought a mountain bike and I’ve been trying to take it out on the trails behind my house, and I live over at Mission Oaks, and so we’ve been doing a lot of exploring on mountain bike and getting used to it. So before that, I hadn’t ridden a bike since I was like 12, so it’s a lot of fun.

That’s a hard one. I mean, I’m proud all the time. Especially, I think, having a difficult class, for lack of a better term, a class that doesn’t seem to be buying in as much, and then being able to kind of turn that around and get them interested in loving science again, seeing the class as a whole kind of turn around, it makes me feel like I’ve figured it out myself. But aside from that, you know, I’m always proud of my students, seeing students struggle and then turn that around into success always makes me feel really proud of them.

Jack Muir scales up his audience Rahul D’Souza Chief Photographer His videos can be found on PTV, or even on YouTube.

But regardless of where they are found, Jack Muir’s skills as a video producer are indisputable.

Muir, senior, began making videos in the fourth grade, dabbling around here and there with his friends. Everything changed, however, when he took the digital video production class at NPHS. Now, with his clips broadcast to a large audience, Muir felt he had to step up his game.

“I used my junior year to be creative and make all the videos that I wanted, which is where I found my passion for video production,” Muir said.

In addition to his videos for PTV, Muir carries on his passion at home. When he edits the videos, which he says is his favorite part, Muir stitches together all the various parts into a coherent story.

“Some of my favorite projects are the video I made for the Panther Pit on the Panther Pit Instagram, the basketball highlight edits I made for my friends, and the Panther TV story on Drew Magnante,” Muir said.

He applies the knowledge he learned in class, as well as his practical knowledge that he learned himself, to improve his videos. A fan-favorite, “A Day in the Life of Nikhil Patel,” available to watch on YouTube, exemplified his skills and dedication, adding his own creativity to the video, while still keeping a professional look.

“Jack has an extremely strong work ethic, as he often stays up late at night in the studio, editing and working on

his films,” Dean Magnante, senior, said.

Magnante believes that the video about Nikhil Patel was “legendary,” expressing his own disbelief at Muir’s skills as he talked about them. Having been friends with Muir and Patel for many years, Magnante could fully appreciate the masterpiece that unfolded before him. He followed the journey from conception to publication.

“I think he has made so much progress since that video and I cannot wait to see what’s next. He really is a beast when it comes to making videos,” Patel said.

As the star for many of Muir’s productions, Patel can directly attest to his skill, dedication and passion.

“Once he gets started on something nobody can make him stop until the task is done. I’ve known him for about 6 years and he does not like to quit,” Patel said.

Muir’s dedication to video production is no easy task, however, and requires a lot of his time. After the successes of rap sensation, “Lil J”, earlier this year, many fans have been demanding new music, but Muir has put his up-and-coming rap career on hold for his video productions.

“I promise that I will come back soon and better than ever. Maybe a sick music video will come out soon too,” Muir said.

The fans are waiting, Lil J. The fans will be waiting.

Action- Jack Muir, senior, films the happenings at a Conejo Schools Foundation event. “I really like filming events in the community. I can put my own unique aspects into those videos too.” Muir said. He also produces videos for real estate companies from time to time. Muir hopes to carry his passions on into college and possible into a career later on in life. Paula Nathan/ With Permission

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entertainment Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

Social Monk makes Asian cuisine modern Manas Khatore Entertainment Editor

Jessica Zhou DPS Editor

Social Monk is the newest Asian fusion spot in Conejo Valley. The restaurant opened a couple months ago in the Promenade at Westlake, bringing a fresh flavor to the shopping complex. Ever since, we have seen countless ads for the restaurant on social media, displaying mouth-watering photos of pad thai and spring rolls. It’s also built up a reputation for its delicious, modern takes on classic Asian dishes, so we decided to check it out.

Seeing that Social Monk was opened by the people that brought us The Cheesecake Factory, we were a little skeptical before walking into the establishment. We all know that a visit to The Cheesecake Factory ends with three thousand extra calories and a stomach full of oil. Since we had to attend 18 Hour at NPHS an hour later, this would have not been the ideal scenario. However, after walking in, we quickly realized that Social Monk was a much different establishment.

The restaurant has a service system somewhat similar to a fast food restaurant. You order your food at the counter, receive a number to put on your table and wait for the food to be brought to you. In terms of design, they did their best to try to make it look like an Asian restaurant. In the end, it simply gives off the feeling of another typical Americanized Asian fast food place.

The menu mainly consists of typical Asian classics, ranging from noodles to sandwiches and small plates. The moment we looked at their menu, we knew that their food was directed more toward an American crowd, since traditional Asian restaurants typically don’t serve salads, sandwiches and custards.

We started with the crispy spring rolls, a plate of four decently-sized rolls stacked aside sweet and sour sauce and a leaf of lettuce. The dish lives up to its name: crispy spring rolls, nothing special, but good. Since we both love Thai food, we were truly excited for the chicken pad thai. The portion size was large, definitely enough for one person and sufficient for two people to share. Just as expected, the dish was very sweet, but it had a good flavor and mouthfeel overall. As a last minute decision, we ordered the dan dan noodles which were very different from the actual Chinese dish. However, it had a good taste to it, slightly sweet but with a spicy flavor. Considering that all of our dishes were under $12 and were ready in 30 minutes, we were impressed with the quality that we received.

Overall, we would describe Social Monk as a Panda Express with better service and ambience. While it didn’t meet the standard of authentic Asian food, it would be a nice place to eat if you’re short on time and craving Asian food. We would give the food a 7 out of 10, but considering how cheap it is, you

are definitely getting your bang for your buck at Social Monk. the food a 7 out of 10, but considering how cheap it is, you are definitely getting your bang for your buck at Social Monk.

Yummy- The chicken pad thai comes for $9.95 and offers a medley of sweet and spicy favors. It is one of Social Monk’s spins on classic Thai dishes. Jessica Zhou/Prowler

The Nook offers a brunch of options Adalia Luo Staff Writer

Prasheetha Karthikeyan Features Editor

The Nook, a family-owned breakfast and brunch place, opened Sept. 18. Located just off Ventu Park Road, its small, humble exterior gives way to an open floor plan filled with tables and a small bar, giving off an American vintage vibe that perfectly compliments its name.

The expansive menu covers just about every breakfast, brunch, and lunch food imaginable, from artfully crafted crepes, waffles, and pancakes to huge burgers, sandwiches and pasta. We arrived at the restaurant at about 2:30 p.m. on a Sunday and were seated quickly by agreeable waiters eager to take our order. Getting lost in the world of breakfast carbs and lunch treats, we were overwhelmed but pleasantly surprised with the sheer amount of options.

Finally, we decided on a delicious mango strawberry smoothie, a surprise for a drink made of out-of-season fruits. For the main course, we settled on “The 6-4-3,” a breakfast platter with two eggs, bacon and a choice of pancakes, waffles, French toast or crepes. We upgraded the pancakes to “The Grand Nutella,” which was just as chocolatey as it sounds, but more of a dessert than a breakfast food.

We also ordered “The MLB,” a sandwich with turkey breast, bacon, avocado, tomatoes, various types of cheese and pesto. Admittedly, we didn’t understand what the sandwich had to do with

Major League Baseball, but we decided to go for it anyway.

The pesto, turkey and cheese complimented each other exquisitely, and the bacon and avocado offered a fresh textural and flavorful contrast. It also came with the biggest onion rings either of us had ever seen, perfectly fried and the highlight of our meal.

Overall, the food from The Nook was expertly made, tasted terrific and came in large portions. However, the price tag was a little more than two teenagers were hoping for, with about $15 per main course. All three items we ordered totaled to about $40. But if you’re looking for a great family owned breakfast place to splurge on, The Nook is the place for you.

Grand Opening- The Nook is now open for business. It offers a relaxed space to enjoy breakfast and lunch. Jacob Malone/Prowler

Mario Kart races onto mobile devices!

Emily Augustine/Prowler

Jacob Malone Back Cover Editor The hit franchise Mario Kart made its mobile debut in “Mario Kart Tour”, a racing game by Nintendo that was released on Sept. 25 for Android and Apple devices.

“Mario Kart Tour” has a rating of 4.8 out of 5, something that is not very common for games on the App Store. Seeing this, I was eager to download the game and figure out what all the hype was about.

But now for the real question: Is it actually good? Well, for those familiar with the Mario Kart games, “Mario Kart Tour” is very hit-or-miss, but for individuals just dipping their toe into the Mario Kart series, it is actually a pretty solid game.

The most noticeable thing about the game is its simplified take on the Mario Kart formula, not relying so much on the large amount of features found on console versions of Mario Kart. In “Mario Kart Tour”, you use simple swipe motions to control your vehicle and tap to use your items. The

simplification of the controls took me by surprise at first, but I grew used to it quite quickly. It is truly neat to be able to play an entire game, and a Mario Kart game at that, while only using one hand.

Additionally, “Mario Kart Tour” contains a ton of content.

Just because it is a mobile game does not mean that Nintendo was lazy about the amount of gameplay they packed into it. Containing 16 courses from previous Mario Kart games and three entirely new courses, “Mario Kart Tour” has a lot of variety in its course roster. 36 characters are playable in the new game, with the majority returning from previous games. Certain characters, “karts” and “gliders” have certain advantages based on the courses you play with them.

However, there is definitely one thing present in this game that is missing from the other Mario Kart games: microtransactions. To get the full experience you need to buy

“premium option” for “Mario Kart Tour” that costs $4.99 per month. With this subscription, players can enjoy a new, faster gamemode, as well as increased rewards from racing.

Furthermore, in game currency, called Rubies, are available for purchase. The consequence of this is that individuals willing to drop tons of cash on the game will be at a large advantage over others who are not. This is something that is - thankfully - not present in the other games of the Mario Kart franchise.

Nintendo would have been better off just making the game cost $5 or $10 dollars and removing all microtransactions.

Overall, “Mario Kart Tour” is a fast-paced, addictive mobile game that has very few shortcomings. While there might be microtransactions and a lack of multiplayer, it is still enjoyable to play and succeeds in achieving the overall feel of a Mario Kart game, even after being simplified for mobile devices.

entertainment Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

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Joaquin Phoenix does not disappoint iN The Joker Rahul D’Souza Chief Photographer Once again, the maniacal laughter and criminal lunacy of the Joker makes it to the big screen. Joaquin Phoenix dons the purple suit and makeup for the character’s first-ever solo film.

Following the amazing performance of the late Heath Ledger in “The Dark Night”, Phoenix had lots to measure up to.

Phoenix’s performance was nothing short of genuinely creepy. Certain scenes had the audience clenching their fists, wondering if the Joker would kill the next guy or not. Ledger gave us a taste of a theatrical psychopath, whereas Phoenix took the route of an abandoned, deranged criminal.

The film follows the origins of the Joker, never before explored in DC cinema.

The audience witnesses an innocent, mentally ill man, Arthur Fleck, fall to his demons, slowly losing his sanity. A series of unfortunate events causes a chain reaction, ultimately leading to the creation of his alter-ego. Beginning with the loss of his job, followed by the death of his mother and ending with a tainted lifetime idol, each successive event makes Fleck resent society more and more.

As for Phoenix’s portrayal of the Joker, once the persona is fully developed and introduced, it is somewhat inconsistent. At times it follows the original comic book interpretation of the character: an anarchist clown whose

“jokes” mainly consist of killing people. The Joker can be seen dancing down a flight of stairs, and then running from the cops while laughing the entire time.

Phoenix’s character strays from the comic book Joker in that he pursues a goal. Phoenix, on the other hand, wants revenge against a society that abandoned him. Having a goal-oriented Joker strips an important aspect from the character. The original concept of the Joker was a criminal lunatic with no goal in mind but to “watch the world burn”, as Michael Cain put it perfectly.

In this sense, Phoenix’s performance cannot live up to Ledgers, but it still may be the closest thing we’ve seen. Because of the different approaches to the character, and the wide interpretations of the Joker’s motives, it is hard to compare the two actors. Each brings their unique perspective to the role, and each gives a different performance.

Overall, “The Joker” was a great film. I would give it an 8/10 due to the lack of anarchy surrounding Joker. There are a healthy amount of easter eggs that have the fans anticipating what’s to come. It is a must-watch for any comic book fan.

Emily Augustine/Prowler

Tall Girl gives a false perception of high school Emily Augustine Front Cover Editor There are real issues going on in the world, like the countless countries living in poverty, but Jodi Kreyman, a financially stable girl with parents who love her, thinks her life is especially tragic. “You think your life is hard? I’m a high school junior wearing size thirteen Nikes,” she said.

The Netflix original movie “Tall Girl” is about a sixteen year old girl who is immensely insecure about how tall she is. Not only is this movie the epitome of first world problems, but it also gives a completely unrealistic depiction of high school.

As Jodi walks through the halls at school, random peers repeatedly ask her, “How’s the weather up there?” First of all, no competent high school student would ask a random person this question. Secondly, this is the only line delivered to make fun of Jodi for her height because there is literally no other well known way to make a tall person uncomfortable. This overused sad excuse for an insult is proof that finding ways to insult a tall person is nearly impossible.

This is because being tall is an admirable quality. I cannot even tell you how many times someone has told me that they wish they were taller. A big mistake the filmmakers made in this movie was the assumption that tall girls are insecure about their

height. At about 5’7”, I am on the taller side for females, and I love my height.

The only negative about being tall and female are the guys who feel threatened because they insist on being “the taller one in the relationship.” In that case, it is the guy’s problem, not the girl’s.

This boy-girl height dilemma brings us to the love triangle: Jack Dunkleman (Griffin Gluck) and Stig Mohlin (Luke Eisner). Jack has been Jodi’s best friend since early childhood and he spends the entire movie trying to convince Jodi to be more than friends. The only thing holding Jodi back is the fact that she is significantly taller than him.

The Swedish exchange student in the movie, Stig Mohlin, arrives as Jodi ironically says that a taller guy will not just walk through the door. She falls for Stig instantly because he is what she thinks she wants in a boyfriend. **SPOILER ALERT** Looking back, it is easy to predict that Jodi breaks up with Stig to be with Jack, the boy next door who has stuck by her side all along. If you have seen the movie “Win a Date With Tad Hamilton”, it is essentially the same romantic plot.

Movies like “Tall Girl” make me think that teenage perspectives are never actually directly observed or taken into account when making a movie about teenagers. When I compare this movie to a 1980s high school movie like Sixteen Candles, the only major differences are the fashion and level of vulgarity allowed in the film.

Attention older generations: the social system of high school students have changed since the 80s, especially due to the advancement of technology and the outburst of increased acceptance toward previously oppressed groups.

I understand the message this movie is trying to give about “being yourself ” or “embracing what makes you unique,” but the makers’ execution was inadequate. The characters are too caricature-like to be realistic, as is the high school that supposedly represents how teenagers actually act toward each other. Not to mention, the outcome could not be more predictable.

“Tall Girl” was a great idea in essence, but poor execution led to its downfall.

Clarissa Shin/Prowler

18 Hour owns the spotlight Abby Gorman Staff Writer

Sarena Kabir News Editor

On Sept. 28, community members gathered in the PAC to watch The Fall 18 Hour Festival. Hosted by the theater department, students spend only 18 hours writing, acting and directing short plays from scratch. This NPHS program is a favorite of both returning actors and new participants alike.

For Charlotte Weymer, junior, this was her first time as an event coordinator. Involved with theater and dance, Weymer’s interest led her to join Drama Club freshman year.

“It sounds so cliché… but when I was in 7th grade, I listened to the Hamilton soundtrack, and it was so great,” Weymer said.

The responsibilities of being head coordinator were a step up from participating. “Once you really step into that role, you just don’t know what to expect,” Weymer said.

Alongside Weymer, Delaney Small, senior, was head stage manager of this year’s festival. “I lead production meetings… and make sure the show is how it’s supposed to be produced,”

Small said.

For Jolie Mehner, sophomore, this 18 Hour was her return to theater for the first time since childhood. “When I heard of 18 Hour, I remembered the general, incredible atmosphere that surrounded theater, which got me really interested in signing up,” Mehner said.

Mehner noted that although it was quite busy at times, it was a positive experience. “I was lucky enough to be put in a group with all of my friends,” Mehner said. “I really enjoyed it.”

Marilyn Strange, the Theatre Director, is proud of all of the work that was put in by all participants. “(Weymer’s) organization, along with Delaney Small, made the day run smoothly,” Strange said.

There are many more opportunities to participate in theater events this year. “You can do just one 18 Hour...and you’re still involved,” Weymer said.

Fight- Sunshine Roth, sophomore, and Samantha Cervantes, junior, engage in a lightsaber battle much to the surprise of Roshnee Moorthy, junior, and Marianna Sierra, freshman. Jessica Zhou/Prowler

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sports Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

NP Dance Team adapts to change Reese Kelem Staff Writer Newbury Park’s dance team rises to the stage for another year and as they train for competition, several coaching changes have been made. All three coaches, as well as about half of the dancers, are fresh to the team.

Cameo Carolan has taught at Newbury for 12 years until she took a four year gap from the team, returning this year. “I’m excited to come back to it. During that gap, I really missed out on the relationships with the kids and the parents… so that’s what I’m most excited about is coming back to it, with experience, but kind of like a new breath of fresh air,” Carolan said.

Many of the dancers even describe Carolan as the “mom” of the program. She has been focusing mostly on organization and communication with her team this year to keep her team relaxed and know whats happening. Emily Halpern, senior captain, believes that the return of Carolan has been really good for the team. “She knows a lot about how dance team works and what we need to do to win,” Halpern said.

In addition to Carolan’s return, the dance team gained a new head coach this year, Mark Mundi. Mundi started dancing on the Newbury Park Dance Team before moving to L.A. and became a professional dancer and choreographer. He has now returned to the school to teach the new generation of dancers. He continues to professionally dance and choreograph in addition to his new position as head coach.

Jane Saylors, sophomore, is one of the 11 new additions to the team out of 25 total dancers. Salyors has been doing studio dance for six years before joining the team. “It was a big transition from going to a studio but everyone is super welcoming and I love it,” Saylors said.

As one of the older, more experienced members, Halpern serves as a role model to the new dancers. “Now we get to meet a bunch of new people and expand our family. It gives the old

5, 6, 7, 8- The NPHS Dance Team performs at halftime of the home game against Oaks Christian High School. “We worked all through the summer so that was a good opportunity to get to know everybody then. Once school starts we’ve kinda hit the floor running straight into football season,” said coach Cameo Carolan. On average, the girls spend 10 hours a week practicing for performances and competitions, all while getting to know each other better. Reese Kelem/Prowler

members more of a leadership role to show them how everything works out,” Halpern said.

With the experienced dancers’ help, the 11 new dancers will learn how to dance the NP Dance team to victory. With many events ahead of them like competition season in June, the Winter Show, and Best Dance Crew, the dance team says they are very excited for the season.

Strike a pose- Becky DeRoy and Maya Galipeau, seniors, go piggyback at the end of their performance during the October 11th football game halftime. The dance team showcased the seniors in their performance that night as it was one of the last few games of the season.

“Tonight’s overall performance went pretty good. Of course there’s always stuff to work on as we head into our (competition) season,” said Rachel Anderson, senior team captain. Next home game, the team is looking forward to dancing with Westlake High School’s dance team.

Reese Kelem/Prowler

Dance- The dance team does their second to last halftime performance of the football season. This year, the team has been focusing on bonding with each other and fundraising for the program. One of the senior captains, Emily Halpern, said, “It’s really community oriented you get really close with the girls you’re on team with and you do a lot of fun stuff.” That night, the dance team incorporated junior-high students into their pre-game performance as well as the cheer team for the first time ever. Reese Kelem/ Prowler

sports

15 Boys’ varsity basketball aims to “sweep league” Panther Prowler • Oct 18, 2019

Reese Kelem Staff Writer As fall sports come to a close, winter sports prepare for their time to shine. This year, boys’ varsity basketball stars are ready to jump into action with new approaches to their training and collaboration.

The main focus of this season consists of two words: team chemistry. One of the seniors, Matthew Smith, emphasizes the team’s dynamic. “I think that everybody’s really bonding well together. And we’ve been creating more of a brotherhood and it’s

just it’s super cool,” Smith said.

Smith also believes that this season has been running smoothly so far. “There have been no conflicts this year where we’re all getting along as a team. And everything is extremely positive,” he added.

Adam Segal is a sophomore on varsity and has positive expectations for the season. “I expect us to win a lot and hopefully have some great team chemistry,” Segal said. The bonding of the players is a common theme this year and the team greatly values it.

Andrew Wilson, senior, described a typical daily practice for basketball. “First we usually lift weights. After that we usually do free throw series, get some shots up and then normally we work on our defense and then offense and then scrimmage,” Wilson said.

There also has been a new addition of running on the track incorporated into the team’s practices. The varsity practices are about two hours long and are three times a week.

Bring in itit Head Coach Matt Eichenger introduces the new Student Assistant, Any Meinhof, to the varsity basketball team. The team is training in preparation for basketball season, with their first game versus Crespi on November 18th. “I think we just had a really good chemistry the past we’ve been doing a lot of off-season games and we’ve been working together and working out and we just been getting better ready for the season,” said Matthew Smith, senior. The players have incorporated new features into their practices such as weight-lifting and running on the track. Reese Kelem/Prowler

Besides their work on the court, some players, like Wilson, take even more time out of their schedules for personal training.

“I’ve been lifting weights every night with my friend Matt (Smith) and they’re normally really heavy. Also we’ve been practicing everyday too in the gym and we’ve been getting shots up as well as working out on the track,” Wilson said.

One new addition to the team is Cooper Lucas, freshman.

Cooper is a point guard on varsity this year and feels accepted by the team already. “(They are always) supporting and give me opportunities to succeed say the seniors really... the seniors are welcoming. AJ Spears been bullying me a lot though.” Lucas said.

As new players come in, older players prepare for their last season at Newbury. Players such as Wison and Smith want to bond with their team this year and win as much as they can.

Wilson found it important in his last year “that we all work together we have a pretty good just like team dynamic and everybody is doing the best they can.”

The team has also had a positive response to the coaching staff this year. The staff consists of Head Coach Matt Eichenger, Coach Mike Noble, Coach Kalin Walling, and Student Assistant Andy Meinhof, sophomore.“ The coaches have been absolutely amazing and supportive for us. They’ve also pushed us really hard to get better,” Wilson said..

The boys’ first game of the season on Nov. 18 versus Crespi, and they encourage everyone, including the pit, to come. Wilson described the ultimate goal of this year’s boys’ varsity basketball team: “We’re gonna league gonna sweep league. After we win league... we’re gonna win CIF.”

Color Guard advances into upcoming season Abby Gorman Staff Writer Newbury Park High School’s color guard team is making a strong entrance into 2019-2020 the school year.

With only four team members this year, their talent and achievements often go under the radar. However, this is not stopping coach Jack Trieger from being hopeful for this year’s competition season.

“Other high school teams in Ventura county are usually 12-20 members, depending on how popular the sport is at that school,” Trieger said. Trieger has been coaching color guard throughout Ventura County since 2010 and is looking forward to where this year will take the NPHS team.

Color guard is a unique activity with influence from dance, gymnastics and theater, where teams compete with their performance abilities and are judged on the technicality, artistry and creativity of the presentation. “It has evolved over many decades into a unique performance art form,” Trieger said.

Trieger first found his passion for color guard when he began in junior high and he became a coach because of his desire to bring others into the sport. “I enjoy sharing my passion with younger performers, and helping them find the same passion for the activity that I have,” Trieger said.

According to Trieger, the biggest takeaway from his coaching experience has been being able to watch his students improvement over time. “They get to grow as a performer beyond what I can teach them in high school,” Trieger said. “It is rewarding to know that I have helped them in the development of their skills to get to that level.”

Danny Pechter, junior, is a new edition to the color guard team this season. Though he may be new to the sport, he has already made some memorable moments with his teammates.

“My favorite memory so far is the very first football game. The feeling of adrenaline as you walk onto the field is unreal,” Pechter said.

Participating in color guard has taught Pechter the importance of working together to ensure optimal success, especially with such a small team. “It’s very important to do your part on the team,” Pechter said. “You have to pull your weight, because if you

don’t, the whole team suffers.”

Emma Deakins, junior, has been a member of the color guard since her freshman year. “My mother did color guard in high school, so my parents encouraged me to do guard with the marching band,” Deakins said. “I wanted to try it out, and it looked fun and a new experience.”

Color guard competes in several competitions throughout the school year; alongside marching band in the fall, and then at independent competitions during the spring semester. Sounds of Conejo, a gathering of the area’s marching bands and color guards, stuck out in particular to Pechter.

“Everyone from eight or so schools join into one band and plays songs. The color guards from all the different schools do the same choreography and it looks really cool,” Pechter said.

One aspect the three can all agree on is that color guard is a lot more challenging than it may seem. “Nothing is as easy as it looks. Practice makes perfect,” Deakins said.

Evidently, Coach Trieger agrees. “Behind every trick, or toss, or maneuver there are hours and hours of practice needed to master the foundational skills required to do impressive and entertaining routines.”

Focus Danny Pechter, junior, focuses hard on perfecting one of the many Focuscomplex tricks during the color guard routine. “It evolved from Sharp military style equipment maneuvers and strict military style marching in formations,” said Trieger. Color guard performs alongside the marching band at the Friday night football games halftime show, in addition to their own competitions throughout the course of the year. Reese Kelem/Prowler

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sports Panther Prowler • Oct. 18, 2019

Jessica Zhou Photographer

Sarena Kabir News Editor

Jace Aschbrenner Jace Aschbrenner, senior, has gotten into track through his family. “My grandpa ran track and cross country and my dad ran track and cross country, and so I decided to get into and I really stayed with it because of all the people I got to run with,” Aschbrenner said. With a time of 4:20 for the mile, and a 14:04 for the 3 mile, Aschbrenner is ranked 22 in the nation. “But I mean, most people call us crazy but it's what we gotta do to be good at our sport,” Aschbrenner said.

With the boys varsity team being ranked first, and the girls team ranked 22 in the nation, NPHS is dominating the cross country playing field.

On Saturday, Oct. 12, the Panther cross country teams raced in the annual Clovis Invitational.

The boys' team won second overall, with Nico Young, senior, taking first place. The girls' team took fourth place.

Gretchen Slattum Nico Young Fiona Hawkins Archana Mohandas Archana Mohandas, senior, has led the Marmonte league in the three mile for the last two years. “I started running Cross Country in 8th grade just because I thought I would enjoy it but after my first season, I fell in love with the sport. I decided to continue in high school and over the past four years, it has become a very important part of my life,” Mohandas said.

Archana Mohandas/ with permission

Gretchen Slattum, senior, Nico Young, senior, and Fiona Hawkins, junior, run together at practice as they prepare for their next meet. All three have been running from a very young age, knowing they wanted to join the high school cross country team. Although the boys’ and girls’ teams run separately, they have created a strong team community, which Hawkins credits in part to their coach, Sean Brosnan. “He has created a great culture in the program, and everyone knows that they are expected to work hard. My teammates are also a big motivation because they all put in a lot of hard work and are constantly pushing me in practice,” Hawkins said.

Colin Sahlman Last year, the Newbury Park Cross Country Team was able to reach nationals. For Colin Sahlman, sophomore, it had been his first time attending. “My best experience was last year at nationals and it was a really cool experience be there in front of a bunch of amazing runners and to be in that race was a huge deal and it was really awesome,” Sahlman said. He ran a 4:16 as a freshman, and hopes to improve on that this year. “I hope this year to lower it to a 4:07, (with) just more speed work,” Sahlman said.