2014-2015 Issue 2 (October 10, 2014)

in this issue

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XCOUNTRY12 pantherprowler.org

PANTHER PROWLER Friday October 10, 2014

Issue II

Newbury Park High School

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

PROPOSED BOND MEASURE I SEEKS $197 MILLION FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS Monica Boedigheimer Copy Editor Tazaieen Sayeda Ad Manager Measure I is a proposed general obligation bond that would raise $197 million to modernize CVUSD campuses. It aims to upgrade classroom technology, repair aging schools, update science and career technology labs, and increase security.

If 55% of CVUSD residents vote for Measure I in the general election on Nov. 4, it will extend the tax rate set by Measure R, which was passed in 1998. This would keep the rate at about $33 per $100,000 of assessed property value for all CVUSD residents in order to generate the revenue proposed by the bond in twenty years.

“So what we are asking for is not a tax increase but a tax extension - a twenty year tax extension,” Superintendent Jeffrey L. Baarstad, Ph.D. stressed at a public forum about the bond on Oct. 2.

The new bond has similar objectives to Measure R, which updated science labs and athletic facilities, established internet connection in classrooms, and built the Performing Arts Center.

Steve Johnson, history teacher and supporter of Measure I, described it as “a proposal to improve the infrastructure, technology, and safety of the school district.” While he listed examples of possible projects, such as modern fire detection and security lighting, he added that “every campus has its own issues” that could be individually addressed by the bond.

As the general election approaches, supporters such as Johnson will be walking the streets and going door-to-door.

“Teachers and other supporters are using word of mouth, working phone banks, calling voters, asking them to support the bond,” Johnson said.

A poll conducted in October 2013 on a previous version of the bond (which allocated $229 million) showed support at 56%. According to Baarstad, the bond has since been updated to respond to community feedback.

At the public forum where Baarstad explained the bond, one community member expressed his concerns that the money raised by the measure would not necessarily result in “better education for students.”

Another community member brought up that “parents (would) rather make an investment directly to their students.”

The community member said that without the tax extension, parents can put money directly into tutoring, clubs, or other enrichments for their children.

More money - Measure I would provide $197 million for CVUSD campuses to upgrade science, math, career tech, and computer labs. Measure R, which is due to be paid off in 2019, paid for the construction of the Performing Arts Center (PAC).

Samantha Meyer/Prowler Baarstad responded to these concerns. “If we want to prepare our students for college and universities (and) truly prepare our kids for the world and the 21st century, we have to expose them every day to tools and technology to help them learn.”

In addition, Johnson recognized other possible issues. “Any time you’re asking people to pay for something through taxes, they’re going to be concerned if they’re getting their money’s worth,” said Johnson. He added that people who don’t have children in the school system are not necessarily eager to spend their money modernizing the district.

“They might not get to look at the big picture and see that better schools improve all of our lives,” Johnson said.

MEASURE I $197 MILLION TOTAL $51 MILLION

$55.5 MILLION

for technology

for high schools

extends current tax rate from Measure R

$32.70 / $100,000 assessed property value

Good times call for desperate measures at Amgen Raevyn Walker Copy Editor Business decisions for the mass restructuring of Amgen are having a greater impact on the community beyond individual layoffs.

Amgen, a biotech manufacturing and research company that employs more than 6,000 workers at its corporate headquarters in the heart of Thousand Oaks, recently decided to downsize its facilities in the area. “Everyone is really worried about it,” said Taylor Wang, junior. Wang, whose mother works at Amgen, added that “people are very stressed out.”

Amgen began releasing employees gradually, but recently there has been a drastic increase in layoffs. At the beginning of this year, Amgen announced they would be undergoing some large changes. Internationally, 3,000 employees will be laid off as part of a plan that will reduce both the facilities and expenses at Amgen. Research and development branches in Washington

and Colorado will be shut down completely, while others, such as the one in Thousand Oaks, are being scaled down.

“As the Amgen layoffs happen, I feel there will be many changes (in the community) because people are starting to move to other places for job opportunities,” Razina Pathan, junior, said.

Directly after a record high quarter, Amgen’s decisions follow the trend in other biotech companies, such as Biogen Idec, Genzyme Corporation, and Gilead Sciences. Although Amgen itself has been quite successful with a recent stock increase of 17 percent since March, it faces competition from other biotech companies. Many of these business have significantly lower expenses compared to Amgen. Other companies, including technology powerhouses like Microsoft and IBM, have either downsized their facilities or kept them

small, making the choice for Amgen to downsize all the more inviting.

“The layoffs are definitely detrimental to the community as Amgen is one of the top employers here,” Monitha Raghani, junior, said. “I don’t think it is right because it is creating a lot of problems for so many.”

In order to mitigate the dramatic impact of layoffs on the lives of former employees, Amgen provides a voluntary transition program, which offers benefit packages to particular employees and monetary-based relief to some workers.

Despite these efforts to minimize the effects of the layoffs, Wang is still concerned. “I think it’s pointless,” Wang said.

“Amgen is doing really well right now and they don’t need to layoff people, but they’re doing it as a cushion so that they will be safer in the future.”

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news Panther Prowler • Oct. 10, 2014

News in brief Victoria Juan Opinion Editor

Newbury Park snatches spot 134 in Newsweek top 500 high school ranking

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Dancing with the Star Panthers, College Night, & Student Features

Newbury Park was listed at 134 in Newsweek Magazine’s ranking of America’s top 500 high schools on September 8th, a 58-spot ascent from last year’s 192.

“We’re extremely proud,” said Principal Joshua Eby. “It shows the dedication of our students, teachers and parents in providing a successful academic atmosphere.”

This year, Newsweek partnered with research corporation Westat to judge over 2,000 U.S. public high schools based on the College Readiness Score, which considered enrollment and graduation rates, IB/AP and SAT/ACT test scores, counselor-to-student ratios and student attrition. Separately, schools were also recognized for success despite economic disadvantages.

Although Newsweek’s list is an affirmation of schools’ academic achievements, colleges do not always refer to it as a factor in deciding student admissions.

“We don’t necessarily take the school ranking into account,” said Marcos Garcia, assistant director of undergraduate admissions at University of Southern California, who attended College Night. “We take into account a student’s performance and application as a whole. We understand that not all schools have the same resources, curriculum or setting.”

Thousand Oaks High School was ranked 297th this year. Westlake High School was not on the list.

VC Innovates provides $13.2 million for career opportunities The California Department of Education (CDE) awarded $13.2 million to Ventura college and high school districts, including Conejo Valley Unified, in order to expand job opportunities for high school students. The grant is called VC Innovates.

“The grant is giving us the opportunity to revamp our current classes and potentially add classes to existing (career) pathways,” said Nick Colangelo, career technical education coordinator and department chair. “Students will be given the opportunity to do a course sequence, graduate from high school, and feel like they have developed specific skills to a career.”

New high-tech equipment, dual college and high school credit, and extended classes will be provided for the Culinary Arts and Cabinet Making programs. VC Innovates will also hire advisory committees and liaisons to correspond between employers and students.

An estimated total of 35,366 high school students, whether they will be attending college or going directly to the workforce, will benefit from the VC Innovates grant.

Dollar kabobs - Drama Club’s Emily Goldstein, sophomore, and seniors Morgan Laabs, Kurt Kemper, and Riley Grink sold out of these fruity, healthy treats. Samantha Meyer/Prowler

New rules affect Club Day Lindsay Filgas Staff Writer One day a year, clubs throughout the school gather in the quad to promote their club, recruit new members, and raise funds.

In the past, many clubs took this time on “Club Day” to sell food to fellow students.

This year, newly imposed rules restricted their ability to do so.

Recently, the state made more changes in regulation of how schools and student groups sell food on campus. Not only is there a new set of health guidelines, but clubs or students wanting to sell food must fill out an approval form before selling anything.

“Basically, it’s stating that they can’t have fattening foods,” Carly Adams, Dean of Activities, said about the new rules. All food sold on campus between midnight and an hour and a half after school must meet the standards for a nutritional snack, entree, or beverage.

Snacks must have less than 35% calories from fat, less than 200 calories per item, and must be either a fruit, vegetable, dairy, protein, or whole grain. The rules for an entree are similar, with a maximum of 400 calories per item. In addition, only one student group is allowed to sell food each day, except for 4 designated days each year.

Because of these rules, many clubs had to change their plans for Club Day. Instead of selling food to raise money, clubs focused on spreading awareness and getting more people interested in their club.

“They want us to think outside the box and get a little more creative,” Adams said.

That is exactly what the Anime club did.

Freshmen Amy Chen, publicist for the club, said that their focus on Club Day was to “get our club heard.” This year, the club decided to make and sell keychains to draw peoples’ attention and raise money.

However, many clubs worked around these restrictions to continue selling food.

“We found a healthy frozen yogurt recipe on the internet … and we’re using fruit toppings,” Sarah Yap, junior, a member of the World Languages Club said.

Pancake Pow Wow also made changes in their menu in order to sell their pancakes.

“We can’t serve syrup,” said Iain Filkins, senior, but added that it didn’t affect their sales much.

Many clubs were able to raise money and interest in their clubs. “It’s great, except for the fact that we can’t sell a lot of food,” Chen said.

A club for everyone - Students check out everything rom frozen yogurt to rainbow tattoos, world languages to the gay/ straight alliance.

Paper plate feast - Chinese Club’s orange chicken and rice cuisine is sampled by students.

opinion Panther Prowler • Oct. 31, 2014

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CLUB COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENT UNCALLED FOR AND UNNECESSARY As of the 2014-2015 school year, all clubs on campus are required to complete a community service project.

Article XVIII, section 6 of the ASG Constitution states:

“A club must actively contribute to the school by sponsoring activities or services.”

Do you think all clubs should be required to do community service?

Yes 23%

77% No 100 random students on campus were polled

As of the 2014-2015 school year, all clubs on campus are required to complete a community service project. In order for a club to remain a club, the project must be approved by both ASG and the dean of activities, and 80 percent of the club’s members must participate. For clubs that are already community service-based, this new requirement is little more than an afterthought. But for others, it creates a serious inconvenience.

Article XVIII, section 6 of the school constitution reads, “a club must actively contribute to the school by sponsoring activities or services.” This is the only mention in the constitution of required services with regard to clubs, and it does not provide enough basis for a requirement of community service. A club may serve the school in a variety of ways -- perhaps through community service, or simply by providing a small community in which likeminded students can connect. Similarly, activities can range from Interact’s caroling for cans to math club’s math competitions. The existence of a club inherently contributes to the school. An extra requirement is unnecessary and is not provided for under the constitution.

Carly Adams, dean of activities, said that changes will soon be made to the school constitution and that “it is not written properly.” However, as long as the constitution exists in its current form it is the authority for rules regarding clubs. Since community service is not required under it, the rule should not exist at least until the document is changed, if at all. In addition, there is no difference in the requirements for community service clubs and the requirements for interest clubs. This suggests that the rule has not been carefully thought out.

Requiring a non-community service-based club to do community service often undermines its purpose. It distorts the meaning of a club into an organization that does community service, which is not accurate. In short, a club is nothing more than an interest group -- a collection of a group of students who share a common interest. The cookies and naptime club was not created to help the community. It was created for members to eat cookies and nap. The purpose of the “Girls Who Code” club is to learn coding, not spend time planning and executing a community service project. Clubs should be free to carry out their respective purposes, not to serve a purpose that is already being provided for by other clubs.

The new rule not only takes away from the authenticity of interest clubs, it also dilutes the importance of the clubs that are geared towards community service -- if every club does community service, then there is no longer any reason to join the clubs that were created for community service. Rather than being clubs that are known for something specialized, those clubs lose much of their meaning.

There is a difference between community service to fulfill a requirement and community service to help a cause, and the former is much less useful than the latter. Jessica Han, president of Speech and Debate club, said “I guess we’ll get community service done, but I don’t know how meaningful it will be.”

A multitude of interest clubs may have this problem. Because there is no time requirement in the wording of the rule, it lends itself to one-time endeavors that are simply something to write down rather than thoughtful services that can significantly help the community. It will not have a profound effect on the community, and will instead take time away from the true purpose of clubs: creating communities.

Positive change is enacted by creative, informed people who genuinely care about a cause. It isn’t something that’s created by requiring community service -- it is something that is created by endorsing and supporting every club that seeks to bring passionate people together.

PANTHER PROWLER 2014-2015 staff

Editors-in-Chief Courtney Brousseau Grace O’Toole Copy Editors Monica Boedigheimer Adrianna Robakowski Raevyn Walker Photographers Chief / Samantha Meyer Daulton Beck Haley Berardinelli

News Editors Ad Managers Entertainment Editors Monica Boedigheimer Cheif / Tazaieen Sayeda Adrianna Robakowski Mariam Syed Rachna Deshpande Raevyn Walker Opinion Editors Daulton Beck Kellie Levine Tazaieen Sayeda Features Editors Haley Berardinelli Nevnit Gill

Online Editors Victoria Juan Mariam Syed Graphic Artist Michael Hellard DPS Editor Victoria Juan

Staff Writers Alyssa Boedigheimer Rachna Deshpande Lindsay Filgas Angela Swartz Sports Editors Shreya Chattopadhyay Sam Ellison

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 three weeks throughout the school year by American Foothill Publishing Co. For advertisement information, visit www.pantherprowler.org.

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

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

Adviser Michelle Saremi

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opinion Panther Prowler • Oct. 10, 2014

Breaking Barriers:

Cards, Sex, and Cheerios

Why HeForShe is not your average feminist campaign Shreya Chattopadhyay Sports Editor rights to women does not mean taking opportunities and rights of men. It does not mean special treatment for girls. It means creating a more equal and more free world in which every person, man or woman, has the same opportunities and the same liberty to be completely and utterly themselves.

As Watson said, “Men -- I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue too.”

It focused on ideals, not a word. The word “feminist” in this day and age has taken on a plethora of negative connotations. No one wants to identify as a feminist; it’s considered an inherently unattractive trait.

“I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men, and unattractive.” Watson said. “Why is the word such an uncomfortable one?”

The answer is this: It’s true, some women are anti-men. Some women are aggressive.

Some are isolating. Some are overpowering.

Some.

But then, some men hate women. Some men are aggressive, and isolating, and overpowering. The point is that this is a small portion of the male population; these traits are in no way representative of the entire male gender.

In the same way, the views and actions

Lindsay Filgas Staff Writer Seeing a teenager off their phone is a rare sight. It’s safe to say that cell phones have changed dramatically since the first mobile phone was created, and this has sparked an equal change in the way many people live.

No more sitting around the home phone, awaiting a call. Now, you can be out and about, tweeting about what you’re doing and texting five people at once.

Whether or not this is a good change has become a popular question of debate, but I believe it has had a positive impact, and teens have not become too dependent on their phones.

Cell phones have allowed people much more access to the world around them. It has given them the ability to connect with one another, share information, and learn.

Face to face communication has become less and less common, now that there are dozens of ways to communicate through social media and instant messaging.

Through the internet, you can make friendships and meet people with similar interests as you, who you never would have met otherwise.

Some may argue that teens don’t have the social skills necessary to go out and have a normal conversation, or meet new people. However, I believe many teens gain confidence from talking to people through a keyboard, and can bring that with them when they talk in person.

Social media isn’t the only thing drawing teens to the glowing screens. Access to the internet at any time can be a great convenience. You can read books, check up on current events, do research for a project, or create a presentation, all from the phone in your hand.

Being able to look up information for a school assignment without taking a trip to the library has made learning much easier for many students.

If I were put into a situation where I couldn’t use my phone to look something up, and had to use a book or another source, I wouldn’t know what to do. However, such a situation is highly unlikely. The world is evolving and more things are being done online. Knowing how to use different devices, operating systems, and technology is becoming very important. I don’t believe teens have become too dependent on cell phones, and they have definitely made life easier for us.

Enough is enough: the pumpkin spice craze Alyssa Boedigheimer Staff Writer Looking around as you walk down the street on a fall day, the sights and sounds of the autumn are mingled, without fail, with the words “pumpkin spice”.

The flavor has lost some of its unique autumn charm due to this overuse. The name seems to appear in every possible location and starts to become a rather tiring sight.

During the fall, you can find almost anything in the flavor of pumpkin spice.

From pumpkin spice Oreos to pumpkin spice tortilla chips to pumpkin spice hummus, if you can think it, it comes in pumpkin spice flavor. Some options, such as peanut butter, marshmallows, bagels and cream cheese, are slightly stranger. Extra gum, Planters almonds, Pop-Tarts, and Nestle Coffee Mate have all joined the pumpkin spice queue, sharing the space with many other mainstream brands.

There is such an overwhelming production of the flavor that the advertisements have started to have an opposite effect on me. Instead of wanting to purchase the promoted product, I find myself dismissing the ads as yet another identical company trying to use the same exact flavor as everyone else.

After its inception at Starbucks in 2003, the pumpkin spice mix has caused a recurring annual craze. However, Starbucks is not the only well-known company that makes the most of the public’s craving for pumpkin spice during the season.

Brands and companies everywhere have adopted the flavor and promoted it so that everywhere you look in the autumn, you are bombarded by the word “pumpkin”.

Not only is the flavor everywhere come fall, but it begins to appear earlier and earlier every year. The Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks is especially noticeable in this regard. The beverage usually appears early in the fall, however the drink appeared this year midsummer. Companies have become so obsessed with trying to muscle in on the flavor’s popularity that they fail to notice the fact that their products start to show up during completely random times, such as the summertime Pumpkin Spice Latte. This becomes increasingly more annoying every year. The summer is meant for cool and refreshing tastes like lemonade and iced teas, not the warm, heavy flavors of pumpkin.

I have nothing against the flavor, it is just the staggering amount of attention that it receives. The potential for fall flavors is simply so great that it’s a shame that the selection is limited to the one item of pumpkin spice.

For the record...

On page 1, Carly Adams was misidentified as Cheryl Moncourtois, and vice versa. On page 10, a tweet was attributed to Preston Hill, senior, when in fact the tweet was authored by Jacob Green, senior.

Prowler

Are Teens too dependent on cell phones?

of a small portion of those who identify as feminists are not representative of the feminist movement itself. Feminism is the struggle for equality.

Watson’s genius in this speech, though, was that she made the word much less important than the ideals. She spoke of the rights feminists are fighting for, but she didn’t refer to them as women’s rights -- she referred to them as human rights. She embraced even those who do not identify as feminist but strive for gender equality. She put forward the message that HeforShe is about inclusion as well as ideals.

But as always, there are people who will not be swayed from their preconceptions.

To them, Watson said “If you still hate the word -- it is not the word that is important but the idea and the ambition behind it.”

If Watson’s speech does not convince the world that feminism is a good thing, that’s fine. If scores of women working for the freedom for both men and women do not convince the world that feminism is a good thing, that’s fine. If even the support of men doesn’t convince the world that feminism is a good thing, that’s fine.

The world doesn’t have to be for feminism. The world has to be for equality.

(But between you and me, they’re the same exact thing.)

Michael Hellard /

Commonly observed conversation about feminism: “I’m a feminist.”

“Uh, you are?”

“Yeah, aren’t you?”

“Well I’m all for equality, but I wouldn’t call myself a feminist…”

“Feminism. Ooo, shudder, right? If you’re a feminist, you must be excessively aggressive. You must be overpowering. You must bash men. Right?”

Wrong.

To address this negative connotation of feminism, and to launch her new campaign, HeforShe, Emma Watson gave a landmark speech at the United Nations on September 20. This speech did two very important things that other campaigns for gender equality haven’t. It included men in the conversation.

Feminism isn’t about raising women over men. It isn’t about anger, or aggression, or hatred. The cause of women is the cause of humanity; inequality is a detriment to the entire world. Why? Because as much as inequality denies women control, it forces men to control. Making women submissive denies men the right to be vulnerable, and this can be just as damaging as denying women the right to be strong. Those against feminism need to understand that creating more opportunities and affording more

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

Kellie Levine Opinion Editor There are fifty-two cards in a deck, or, if you include jokers, fifty-four. I learned this lesson the hard way, through a game of “52 Card Pickup” initiated by my demonic older brother. While this was a rather unpleasant way to embed this lesson in my head, I haven’t forgotten it since, so you can understand my confusion when I was introduced to the foreign concept of a “v-card.” I had individually picked up each of the fifty-two cards in a deck off of the floor and there wasn’t a single one that seemed to fit this description, so I assumed, much like a joker, this was an unimportant card.

Even today, as a more enlightened teenager who understands the concept of a “v-card,” I stand by my original conclusion.

This card serves no purpose, and much like jokers, you can take it or leave it without affecting the game in any significant way.

Teenage boys everywhere must be shaking in their Converse at the idea that this fictional card isn’t the single most important fact about a girl. As anyone who has ever played a game of twenty questions with a boy since the eye-opening experience of seventh grade life science class can tell you, boys no longer wanted to know about your interests, hobbies, or even your favorite movie. The game essentially became a contrived way for a boy to ask the age-old question, “Are you a virgin?”

But why does this matter so much to teenage boys, and girls alike? There seems to be no winning answer to the question: you either say yes and are seen as a prude, or you say no and are seen as disgusting and used.

In reality, your answer to this futile question does not in any way define your worth as a person.

Prepare for the excited screams of teenagers everywhere as I quote the superunderground, you’ve-probably-never-heardof-him, virtually-unknown author John Green on the issue, who says, “it’s such a weird thing to care about. Like, imagine if I started eating Cheerios for breakfast. Would Cheerios be like, ‘I’m the 48th cereal you’ve tried eating? I don’t feel special!’ Well then screw you Cheerios, I can’t go into the past and un-eat all those other cereals, but that doesn’t mean I don’t genuinely enjoy your whole-grain crunch.”

Not to play the role of the hipster, but this lesser-known Green metaphor is way better than that mainstream cigarette metaphor (which still makes no sense to me). So maybe some of us will try different types of cereals before others, and maybe some of us will wait to try a cereal until we’re sure it’s the right cereal for us, but neither decision makes you better than anyone else.

One’s value as a person shouldn’t be tied to what decision they make about cereal, nor should it be placed on whether or not they choose to play cards with or without jokers, so why place it on something equally as insignificant?

features Panther Prowler • Oct 10, 2014

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Interact breaks world record Connecting the Community through Connecting Legos Angela Swartz Staff Writer Interact Club is breaking the boundaries of normal club activities by creating the world’s largest LEGO chain.

20 members of the club helped build the chain on Saturday, Sept. 27, alongside community members who paid a small fee to participate and help fundraise.

“The Interact Club helped the participants at the tables putting the links together,” said Joe Joyce, 2011-2012 President of the Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks Sunrise and Region 2 Youth Service Advisor.

“They were also helping on the lawn for the links that were being broken, putting them back together, and supervising to make sure that no one was running through the area.”

“There were lots of little kids and their parents helping out,” added Anastasia Pyrinis, junior and member of Interact Club.

Almost 200,000 LEGO bricks were donated to build the chain. All revenue raised will be used to fund the renovation of Old Meadows Park, a playground for children with disabilities.

The Conejo Recreation and Park District, along with the Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks Sunrise, are working toward expanding Old Meadows Park.

They want to add safer and more disabilityspecific elements such as calming areas, enclosed spaces, and places that help suggest social interaction with others.

The project is scheduled to be completed by 2016.

“I think the community is just finding out that we had a special needs park and that we are expanding it, so this helped bring awareness to that issue. But those who have special needs and are related to the issue know about the park and are excited for the renovation,” said Joyce.

The measurement of the chain was recently sent to the Guinness World Record Staff. The chain was 902.51 meters long, best the previous record of 565 meters.

Connecting the community - People gather to a fundraiser to renovate a playground for children with mental or physical disabilities. Rotary Dreamcatcher Playground/With permission

Working together - Three children take part in forming the world’s longest LEGO chain.

Supporting the cause - A group of adults work on putting the LEGO pieces for the chain together.

Daulton Beck/Prowler

things you didn’t know about Chris Soury Physical Education teacher Rachna Deshpande Staff Writer

Worst habit is biting his fingernails.

Named their son Parker because he grew up in Newbury Park and his wife grew up in Moorpark.

Worst nightmare is being chased and falling down a cliff.

Makes computer graphics using software such as Photoshop.

The weirdest food he has ever eaten is Coach Conway’s cooking.

Panther Prowler • Oct. 10, 2014

the

Modern day feminism sparks debate over gender equality Shreya Chattopadhyay Sports Editor

Samantha Meyer/Prowler

6

The F Word

word

If you’ve been on the Internet in the last couple weeks, you’ve probably noticed the storm raging around the feminist movement.

On Sept. 20, Emma Watson, recently appointed Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women, gave a speech at the United Nations launching her new campaign, HeforShe. According to Watson’s speech, the goal of this new addition to the feminist world is to invite men to the discussion on gender equality.

“I want men to take up this mantle,” Watson said. “So their daughters, sisters and mothers can be free from prejudice but also so that their sons have permission to be vulnerable and human too — reclaim those parts of themselves they abandoned and in doing so be a more true and complete version of themselves.”

The response to HeforShe has been swift and largely supportive. Male celebrities such as Harry Styles, Tom Hiddleston, David Tennant, Russell Crowe, Logan Lerman, Jared Leto, and Neil Gaiman have all tweeted their support using the hashtag #HeforShe on Twitter. The movement has gained over 170,000 official pledges worldwide in a span of about two weeks.

However, some critics have been vocal in their dissent. Days after #HeforShe began to trend, the hashtag #womenagainstfeminism became active. This hashtag featured tweets like “It’s very simple, I and a growing number of men will not date feminists.

Ladies, make your choices. (@MaximumTrent)” and “FEMINISM, cuz how else can a white, upper middle-class child of privilege qualify for affirmative action! (@ AVoiceForMen)” .

To add to this backlash on Twitter, users on the website 4chan (the same website that leaked several celebrity nudes earlier this month) threatened to leak Watson’s nudes on Sept. 21, the day after her speech. However, this threat turned out to be an elaborate hoax.

The discussion of feminism is not limited to solely HeforShe, or even just to the Internet. On Thursday Oct. 2, Junior State of America ( JSA) held a debate in Mr. LaRocca’s room, F8, on feminism. While the male-to-female ratio was largely skewed in favor of men, there was a significant amount of both passionate feminist and antifeminist sentiment in the room.

When the HeforShe movement was brought up, several strong opinions emerged.

“Asking men to join the feminist movement is like asking black people to join the KKK,” said Ryan Richardson, senior, at the beginning of the debate.

“The self-objectification of women that goes on … I just don’t think there’s any place for the feminist movement to go,” added another participant in the debate.

Topics discussed included female infanticide, double standards, sexualization in the eyes of the media, and the connotation of the word ‘feminism’.

The debate concluded with no set consensus, just a lively conversation that continued out the door. The passion shown by both sides of the debate, along with a multitude of discussions on Twitter, demonstrate that the feminist debate is drawing more attention than ever before.

177,300+ men worldwide have signed HeForShe’s online Commitment to “take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls.

“

...feminism has too often become synonymous with man-hating....Why has the word become such an uncomfortable one? It is not the word that is important.

It’s the idea and the ambition behind it....

We are struggling for a uniting word, but the good news is, we have a uniting movement. It is called HeForShe.

”

-Emma Watson,

UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, in a speech at New York U.N. headquarters on Sept. 20, promoting her HeForShe campaign that aims to bring men into the feminism issue.

The F Word Panther Prowler • Oct. 10, 2014 Nevnit Gill Features Editor After Emma Watson’s speech on feminism to the United Nations, the feminist debate has been rekindled not only on internet boards and in colleges around the nation, but on our very own campus. Inequality can exist in the form of verbal and physical abuse, sexual harassment, differences in recognition for achievement, and disadvantages by society compared to their male counterparts, even at the high school level.

“Not only do women earn less, but we’re respected less, we’re seen as sex objects, and are more likely to be raped and assaulted,” said Kristen Ho, junior. “I think one of the things that is most telling about feminism is that I’m already afraid to walk around in my neighborhood at night, but a lot of guys my age are perfectly okay with that.”

In working environments, it is difficult for women to be treated and seen as equal to men. “It’s a lot harder to get promoted, and move up in the workplace,” said Mary Jo Barker, junior. “For example, if you ask me to name a female CEO of any major company corporation the Yahoo corporation is the only one that comes to mind.”

Ho agreed. “My gender will affect my career success and how people perceive me.”

When the word “girl” is used as an insult, it negatively affects females throughout their lives. “When a girl is growing up and someone says ‘you run like a girl’, ‘you throw like a girl’ … you feel that who you identify as is something bad, something you don’t want to be,” said Gabrielle Bessette, junior.

Many women suffer instances of sexual harassment several times throughout their lives, and this can start as early as high school, or in some cases even earlier.

“A friend gave me a lift to my car,” said Barker. “I got out of her car, and three seconds later another car pulls up … full of three or four guys, and they roll down their window and one of them says that they like my shorts. The other one says ‘cos it makes your ass look tight,’ and then they drove away laughing. In the three seconds that I was alone, standing outside of my car, already some guy’s sexually harassing me.”

Gender expectations for women degrade them, limiting them to traditional “lesser” roles. “If I say I don’t want to have children, society says ‘yes you do, you will eventually … just wait for it.’ It’s been drilled into society since day one that women are babymakers,” Bessette said.

“There’s really no reason not to believe in feminism since it’s the belief in equality,” said Barker.

As Ho said, “How hard is it to say ‘I want everyone to be treated equally and fairly, I want everyone to be respected.’”

7

Feminism comes to the forefront of social media with some fiery Twitter debates.

Alyssa Boedigheimer Staff Writer the Juel™ @MichaelaJuels

Emma Watson is everything I want to be when I grow up: smart, strong, determined and most importantly a feminist 9/25/14, 2:02 PM

equality

FEMINISM:

kris

or

@kreeestenn

@twerkonmyhead @swami_ akash gender equality is trying to make this a thing of the past.

Physical abuse is unnacceptable no matter the gender

supremacy?

Haley Berardinelli Features Editor

9/29/14, 7:57 PM

Feminism is a term that is often misinterpreted and misused. While fervent supporters of the feminist movement advocate for equality between men and women, there are many who actively oppose the movement itself.

“You point out a flaw in feminism and you’re instantly attacked by a mob of feminists,” Nick Bublitz, senior, said. “I’m not against feminism, I’m against the double standards it creates,” he added.

Many people have come to believe that these “double standards” mean that women can insult men with barely any judgement, but if a man criticizes a woman, he is verbally attacked.

There are many more double standards that are acknowledged throughout society. For example, a man cannot hit a woman without facing possible jail time, other than for self defence. If a woman hits a man, however, the consequences are much less severe. Although these laws are made for women’s safety, as many men are naturally built with more muscle than women, opponents of the feminist cause point them out as hypocritical.

Another huge debate is about how feminism is sometimes perceived as being about dominance rather than about equality. Some, when they think of feminism, believe that the movement is about “man-hating”. However, the definition of feminists are people that believe in women having social, political and economic equality with men, rather than trying to be the superior gender.

The original meaning of feminism is now misunderstood by many people. Granted, within the feminist community, there are a few extremists that give feminism a bad reputation. At the feminist debate held by the JSA club on Oct. 2, one student said, “the word feminist just paints this ugly picture. Nobody really wants to be called a feminist.” However, this perception is created by a tiny, radical minority, and does not accurately represent the true intentions of the movement.

“I don’t hate women,” Bublitz said. “Neither gender is better than the other. Both have their own unique attributes which the other cannot have … I (just) think that most feminists would be more successful expressing their beliefs and getting their point across if they weren’t so easily offended.”

Do you consider yourself a feminist or support feminism?

7%

27% 22% yes maybe no never heard of it

GIRLS BOYS

@kreeestenn im all for that I just don’t think some girls realize all the things girls get away with because of differences in gender roles 9/29/14, 8:05 PM

What does feminism mean?

23% 51% 26%

44%

the goalie @twerkonmyhead

48%

52%

14% 20% 38% 28%

equality 272 random students on campus were polled

female dominance

8

features Panther Prowler • Oct. 10, 2014

STUDENT Claire Christie/Sophomore Rachna Deshpande Staff Writer

1 What movie studio uses a

4 How long is a round in

roaring lion as its visual logo?

Janes: MGM Christie: Lionsgate Answer: MGM

boxing?

Janes: 3 minutes Christie: 90 seconds Answer: 3 minutes

I can see where Christie is going with this, but the answer is MGM. Janes leads 0-1

Sorry, Christie. Janes moves the score ahead 1-2.

2 What did the 7 dwarves do for a job?

Janes: Dug ditches?

Christie: They like hit rocks with axes.

Answer: Miners Guess hitting rocks with axes works... Christie earns a point, moving the score to 1-1.

3

VS

Who acted in the role of J. Edgar Hoover in the 2011 film J. Edgar?

Janes: I have no idea.

Christie: What the… Tom Cruise Answer: Leonardo DiCaprio At least Christie gave it a try… c’mon Janes. Leonardo DiCaprio is the correct answer. Did he win an Oscar for this work? Tragic, I know. The score stands 1-1.

TEACHER Brandon Janes/English

JANES WINS

3-1

5 Which fingernail grows the fastest?

Janes: Pinky!

Christie: Pinky Answer: Middle It’s great to root for the underdog, but the middle fingernail wins the race. The score stands at 1-2.

6 What language is spoken by the most people?

Janes: Chinese Christie: English Answer: Mandarin I know, I know. We like to think we’re the best, but Mandarin is the correct answer. The score remains at 1-2.

7 What is the only U.S. state to 8 What is the most popular produce coffee?

Janes: Arizona Christie: Um ... Wyoming Answer: Hawaii Not quite. You should be thanking the Hawaiians for your caffeinated energy boost. The score stays at 1-2

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Massage & Facial Service Now Available

breakfast cereal in America?

Janes: Frosted Flakes Christie: Cheerios!

Answer: Frosted Flakes

Free Flower Design for Kids!

Mani/Pedi

We appreciate Christie’s “cheery” response, but Frosted Flakes is most popular. Janes wins with a final score of 1-3.

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entertainment Panther Prowler • Oct. 10, 2014

9

Maria Luciani: Lights, Camera, YouTube

Smile, you’re on camera - Speaking out for what she believes in, Maria Luciani, sophomore, responds to Sam Pepper’s controversial YouTube video with her own opinions on the matter. Samantha Meyer/Prowler

Samantha Meyer Chief Photographer When it comes to expressing her opinions, Maria Luciani (marlovesmaybelline on YouTube), sophomore, is not shy, whether she’s standing up against famous English YouTuber Sam Pepper’s recent video or explaining the perfect way to shape eyebrows. Ever since starting her

beauty and vlogging YouTube Channel this past summer, she has become “more confident” and hopes to continue her onscreen growth.

Although she’s been interested in YouTube since fifth grade, after moving here in seventh grade Luciani was on

the Internet all the time. Inspired to start her own channel by other YouTubers like Savannah Brown, she went to work at learning how to become a YouTuber.

“I was kind of freaked out and I started over like thirty thousand times because it was so awkward, like I didn’t know where to look and I was like ‘Hi, hi, hi you guys, hi, ok let me stop this,’” Luciani recalls from the experience of creating her first video. “There were so many retakes, it was really awkward actually.”

After taking some time to find her voice, Luciani began to regularly upload more videos, with topics ranging from “Sweat Proof/Glowing Makeup” to “Summer Haul 2014,” until she started opening up more about her personal opinions on controversial issues.

“I think it’s important because the thing people forget a lot is that your opinions are so valid,” Luciani said. “Everyone has an opinion, whether or not you agree with it, (and) if you feel like what you’re trying to say is in any way wrong, I guarantee (that) there are billions of people in the world, (so) someone’s bound to agree with you. You’re welcome to say whatever you want.”

In her two most recent vlogs, Luciani discusses not shaming the naked body and explains her reaction to Sam Pepper’s latest video in which he groped multiple young women without their consent. Both subjects being important to her, she wants to make sure her voice is heard.

“Well I’m, like, huge on thinking that being naked isn’t a big deal, and I know a lot of people think that’s like strange and silly and they think I’m kidding, but I’m actually not,” Luciani explains about her video on not shaming the human body. “My parents, thankfully, have raised me to believe what I believe in, and so they were really proud of me for sharing my opinions and I’ve gotten pretty positive reactions to it.”

Luciani believes that it’s videos like these that really give viewers “a taste” of who she is.

She hopes to someday become a YouTube partner and continue making beauty videos as well as vlogging.

“I know it’s easier said than done, but you can’t care what people are going to say or do,” Luciani said. “I was really nervous about sharing them on Instagram at first and I remember telling my friend, ‘Everyone’s gonna think this is really weird.’ You have to actually just not care and realize that everything you do in high school is for you, and you’re not doing it really for anyone else. You should do whatever

Over the hill Thousand Oaks celebrates its 50th birthday in style Daulton Beck Opinion Editor This year, the City of Thousand Oaks celebrates its 50 year birthday by hosting the largest parade in Thousand Oaks history since 1964, when the city was founded. For many years, the annual parade was part of Conejo Valley Days, but the tradition was discontinued recently.

Students from Color Guard, Band, Varsity Cheer, and Dance Team all performed in the parade. ASG also participated, riding on their own float.

Madeleine Tomlinson, junior, was one of the people to ride on the ASG float. Tomlinson was in charge of recruitment to represent the school and helped set up the float decorations. “(My favorite part was) pumping up the crowd while I was on the float with all of my friends,” Tomlinson said. “It was a great and exciting way to start my morning.”

Kristen Banaszkiewicz, junior, participated in the parade as part of Color Guard. “We were dancing and twirling flags as the band played ‘Back to Black’ by ACDC.” Joe Joyce, a native of Thousand Oaks and Interact Club organizer, said that he “enjoyed having everybody out there.” Joyce remembered his own parade experience from years ago, saying that, “one time a DJ came by and people were dancing in the street, and my friends started dancing in the street like a bunch of funny people.”

Banaszkiewicz not only enjoyed the experience of the parade, but also how the school came together.

“This is the most spirited I have ever seen our school,” Banaszkiewicz said.

Marching On - The Varsity cheer team, Band, Girls Water Polo, ASG, and dance team march down Thousand Oaks Boulevard on Sept. 27.

Alisa Robakowski/With Permission

10

entertainment Panther Prowler • Oct. 10, 2014

The REign of TerroR

Raeyvn Walker Entertainment Editor Daulton Beck Opinion Editor

“There is so much detail,” said Bruce Stanton, director of Reign of Terror, “that the average person would have to go through (the haunted house) ten times in order to capture the detail of all that is there.”

The Reign of Terror spans over 70 rooms and can take up to 45 minutes to go through. It has a permanent home in Janss Marketplace, in a warehouse above Gold’s Gym, allowing for volunteers to construct and decorate the haunted house year-round.

Workers on the project focused much of their time this year on perfecting every aspect of the house and adding detail to the pre-existing maze.

“We put so much of a high level of detail in because that is the passion we have,” Stanton said. “We want to provide an incredible haunted house, but it has to be incredible to us.

We are the biggest, hardest critics.”

Since childhood, Stanton has always been fascinated with the concept of Halloween. The event first began at Stanton’s own home in 2000. After 8 years, it became so popular that they moved to the Janss Marketplace.

“Scaring people is really only a byproduct … not what I’m interested in,” Stanton said. “I’m interested in the whole element of the haunted house … this is what people want.”

One of the volunteers, Robert Nitzsche, has been a publicist and actor for the attraction for two years. He was drawn to volunteering at the Reign of Terror because he’s

“always been passionate about Halloween.”

Despite continuous expansion, this haunted house was never meant to grow into a business. Stanton already works as a dentist. This is purely a hobby for the staff that is fueled by what Stanton calls “a labor of love.” All funds raised by the haunted house are donated to the Thousand Oaks Teen Center.

“We calibrate ourselves as a Universal Studios-style haunted house, but we feel that we have a better product because people go through the haunted house one small group at a time,” Stanton said, as opposed to commercial haunted houses. The Reign of Terror isolates people into small groups of three or four to enhance the scare factor and keep the experience personal. Universal Studios, on the other hand, has the entire public stream through in a line.

Stanton said, “in order to scare them you need to take them out of the real world and put them into the world you want them to be in. With the high level of detail in the set design we have, we’re able to do that very easily. So you quickly forget that you’re on the second story of a building inside of the Janss Marketplace.”

The haunted house is meant to be tradition for all Thousand Oaks families, which is why Stanton provides specific dates when the Reign of Terror is “less scary;” they keep the lights on and have no actors working in the haunted house. These days are meant for younger family members, who still want to experience a haunted house.

Terror in Thousand Oaks - Bruce Stanton’s imagination comes to life in The Reign of Terror haunted house at the Janss Mall.

No detail is left unfinished and no one who walks through leaves without having screamed. Samantha Meyer/Prowler

HOCO 2.0

A completely student-organized homecoming Rachna Deshpande Staff Writer

Homecoming ... #1? - Students at the first homecoming dance which was held in the gym on Sept. 13. However, it will not be the last “hoco” dance they would be able to attend this year. Michelle Kang/Pawprint

In just two weeks of school, the hustle and bustle of homecoming week had been yanked out of the grasp of students. No more homecoming game, no more homecoming dance. But no worries, the upperclassmen have come to save the day.

After being disappointed that homecoming passed by so quickly, seniors Nick Oertli, Josh Eady, and Suzy Smith were the masterminds behind the idea to host HOCO 2.0.

“Homecoming is such a blast so we thought why not try to do it again,” Suzy Smith said.

The redo homecoming will take place Saturday, October 11 from 7 p.m-12 a.m. at the Thousand Oaks Teen Center and is open to students from all high schools. Tickets were sold at $10 each until Wednesday, September 30th before they were raised to $15 a piece.

While Nick Oertli was the first to come up with the idea, the three seniors had been working together to pull the dance off. “When Nick came to me with the idea, I thought it was great, so I gave him a bunch of ideas and logistics we needed to think about,” Smith said.

One logistic was finding somewhere to host the event. “Eventually we called around and the teen center gave us their overwhelming support, offering us some equipment and security for a small price,” Suzy Smith said.

After figuring out a venue, their next task was to get their third man ( Josh Eady) on board.

“Nick and I went to Josh Eady, who is a DJ and has a bunch of his own equipment and asked him if he would be down to DJ,” Smith said. In response, Eady was “super stoked” and immediately started helping with the details.

Oertli, Smith, and Eady decided to get black-lights to match their theme of white out/neon and after discussing how to sell tickets, the dance details “eventually all came together.”

The seniors think HOCO 2.0 seems to be on the road to success. “The feedback from students has been great. People are super excited for it,” Suzy said. “We are hoping to get a good turn out.” Students have been tweeting about #redohoco and sharing the flyer for the event.

There may not be any more homecoming games, but hey, here comes another “hoco” dance.

sports

11

Panther Prowler • Oct. 10, 2014

A FOOTBALL TEAM’S FANTASY Monica Boedigheimer Copy Editor Sam Ellison Sports Editor It’s halfway through the football season, and the Junior Varsity (JV) and Varsity football teams are 5-1, while the Freshman team remains undefeated at 5-0.

Varsity football head coach, Gary Fabricius, said that this is unique as teams usually vary in strength. This year, however, he attributes the all-around success to good players.

“They’re showing up to practice, they’re trying to get better,” Fabricius said The Varsity and JV teams’ streaks were broken by the game on the 25th against the private school Cathedral Catholic. The final score was 42-28.

Going into the game, Fabricius knew it was “going to be a tough match,” as Cathedral Catholic can legally recruit players.

Varsity defensive end, David Foldes, senior, has played on the team for four years of high school. He feels that the new students and transfers from other schools that have joined the team represent a significant change since his freshman year.

“I feel like the class of 2015 always had potential, but with the coaches and new students, we have even more,” Foldes said.

He also recognizes the major qualities of the team that have contributed to their success: “playing together, trusting each other, and everyone does their own responsibilities.”

Foldes expresses optimism regarding their chances in league, but he recognizes that team still has a long way to go.

Curtis Pollara, senior and varsity center, said that recovering from the loss against Cathedral Catholic is the team’s greatest challenge at the moment.

No One Gets ThroughThrough Working together, the Varsity football team attempts to steal the ball from Agoura on September 12, later winning with a total score of 48-20. Samantha Meyer/Prowler

As for the rest of the season, he adds “we have tough teams we’re facing, but we will continue working hard to beat them.”

Pollara’s goals for the season are to “continue playing together as one, and we will continue to win.” His personal objectives include working hard and furthering the success of his team.

“I attribute the team’s success to the

fact that we’re really hardworking, we treat each other like family, and we stick together through win or loss,” Pollara said.

Pollara has high hopes for moving past their recent loss. “Even though we did lose to Cathedral Catholic, it was still a hard-fought game, and we’re still going to respond, we’re still going to keep fighting, and it will still be a great season,” he said.

After that loss, the Panthers bounced back with a vengeance against Simi Valley High School (Simi).

The Freshman team won on Thursday night, 41-19. On Friday afternoon the JV team also beat the JV Simi team, 56-35. Finally, later on Friday night, Varsity dominated 42-17. This most recent sweep is the Panthers’ fifth this season.

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger

Injured football player Nate Smith shares some post-injury wisdom Adrianna Robakowski Copy Editor “I was engaged in a block … my left foot got stuck in the turf and my knee caved in. I heard three pops and a crack and that’s when I figured it was something bad.” Nate Smith, senior varsity football player, tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus on Sept. 3, and will not be able to play for the rest of the season.

To make a complete recovery, Smith will be unable to play football for up to 8 months. While this isn’t how he envisioned spending his last season, Smith has been able to make the best of his senior year so far with support from his team and coaches.

“My teammates have been really, really awesome throughout this process.

The night I got hurt, I got tons of text messages from pretty much everyone.

They were offering support and saying, ‘if you need anything, I’m here for you.’ It’s just really cool to be a part of a family like that,” Smith said.

Nate’s teammates miss getting to play with him but his injury has given them the opportunity to play with a purpose.

“It’s always heartbreaking to see one

of your teammates and best friends go down in practice, especially your senior year. A lot of us seniors have been playing with him since our first year ever playing football and he’s always been a leader on and off of the field. We all wish we could be playing with him but, now we’re all playing for him,” James Bonanno, senior varsity football player, said.

Despite his current trials, Nate continues to be optimistic about his future. As much as he would like to get back on the field, this teenager takes a mature look at what his future holds for him.

“I’m allowed to [play again] once I get cleared but I think I’m just going to focus on my education. Whatever school I end up going to, if they have a football team, I might try to walk-on but I’m not sure yet. It’s definitely an option just because I love the sport so much,” Smith said.

Though he can be seen supporting his team on the sidelines, crutches in hand, this season is definitely different than his previous seasons.

“Probably the biggest thing I’m going to miss is just running onto the field out of the Panther. That sounds weird but honestly it’s one of the coolest moments, just looking over and seeing the crowd going wild ... there is no other feeling like it in the world. Even practice is fun too. I just miss the whole thing. Just the experience of it all,” Smith said.

For Smith, this recovery is all about the fact that, “it is what it is and [I’ll] get through it.” He shared a piece of wisdom with anyone who gets injured and wants them to remember that, “life goes on. You can’t let it weigh you down.

It sounds corny but the saying ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ is 100% true.”

Smith speaks like someone who has definitely handled [the situation] pretty well. “This is just an obstacle in my life that I’m going to overcome and anyone else can do it too. Stuff is not always going to be good; bad things can happen. It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you respond to it.”

Still Smiling Smiling- Despite his injury, Nate showed support for his team during a home game against Cathedral Catholic. Nathaniel Smith/ With Permission

For more sports coverage, including news on football player Zack Okun and the new CIF practice regulations, go to www.pantherprowler.org

12

sports Panther Prowler • Oct. 10, 2014

XC

Cross Country has the home course advantage

Samantha Meyer Chief Photographer The gun sounds - The Boys’ JV team starts off, all fighting for a prime position in the pack.

Concentration is key - Brent Kelly, junior, focuses as he pushes through to the finish.

Victory - After a three-mile race, Rachel Brown, sophomore, finishes with a personal record. The Girls’ Frosh-Soph team won first place.

Team spirit - Coach Marty Maciel, gives the JV team a pre-race pep talk.

The final 50 meters - Swathi Samuels, junior, sprints for the finish.

Finishing strong - Ryan Fernald, junior, catches his breath after a long race.