2022-2023 Issue 2 (Oct. 21)

CVUSD condemns misinformation

Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza

Front Cover Editor

On Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, CVUSD sent out a letter from the district’s school board. The subject of the letter addressed numerous online campaigns that were spreading misinformation about Conejo Valley schools, their employees and district staff.

Among these campaigns, two voicemail messages were left for Superintendent Mark McLaughlin, one directed at the Board of Education and District leadership, and the other a death threat directed at McLaughlin specifically. In the letter, they detailed that at no point were

any CVUSD schools or students threatened.

Additionally, the letter pointed out the recent behavior at district school board meetings as an example of the disregard for students and their education. At the end of the letter, CVUSD asked the community to stop spreading rumors and misinformation that affect both student and staff lives just to push a political agenda.

They also emphasized the importance of education in our community and how these campaigns actively disrespect public education.

Amini’s death sparks world-wide protests

The choice of wearing a hijab is a freedom those within the United States are fortunate to have, while women in Iran face prejudice for not wearing one. On Sept. 16, Mahsa Amini lost her life on the way to Tehran after being brutally abused by policemen. The morality police noticed that a piece of her hair was showing through underneath her hijab, so they brought her to a detention center to be punished. As a result of the severe head trauma that fractured her skull, Amini was declared dead at 22 years old in the Tehran hospital.

Amini’s death symbolizes the oppression that the Iranian government exercises on its citizens, which sparked protests in defense of her lost life. Women in Iran protest by burning their hijabs and cutting their hair, while others have attacked police officials with rocks and burned down buildings. These protests are spreading quickly and have already hit over 50 cities throughout Iran, even with the constant threat of danger as authorities’ attempt to beat and kill protesters.

Iranian peoples, especially women, have been harassed by the “morality police” for a long time. Iran’s morality police are a group of religious authorities who enforce dress code amongst the public. This dress code includes shirts that reach the elbows, pants that cover everything above the ankles and women are required to cover their hair with hijabs. According to Iran’s religion based laws, the police have the right to even imprison people who are not wearing the correct attire.

Nooshin Razavi, an Iranian woman who has family members in Iran, has been unable to get in touch with her family in Iran. “The

internet has been shut down to prevent the news from spreading to the world. It is very difficult to call or text someone in Iran,” Razavi said. “[My family is] scared to go out for daily activities because they are afraid to encounter the morality police attacking citizens.”

To show their own support, people around the world come together to rally for the rights of Iranian women, using their voices and media to spread information and encourage others to fight back. Others are also donating resources and supplies to women in Iran to help them get back on their feet.

Massive hurricanes strike Puerto Rico and Florida

Jack Ranney Staff Writer

Over the past few weeks, hurricanes have ravaged Florida and Puerto Rico, killing dozens and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

Hurricane Fiona was the first to strike, hitting Puerto Rico on Sept. 18, 2022, five years after Hurricane Maria caused catastrophic damage and left much of the island without power. After Fiona, they have only just started to see the benefits of the federal money set aside for them after Hurricane Maria. The people of Puerto Rico have lived through two deadly hurricanes in the past five years and have learned how to prepare themselves in the years in between. When Hurricane Fiona hit the island, they were far more prepared for it than they would have been without the experience from Hurrican Maria.

Samuel Hernandez of Caguas, Puerto Rico, described his experience with hurricanes in a phone interview. He has lived in Puerto Rico for most of his life and has lived through four different hurricanes. “The worst one was Maria,” Hernadez said. “It devastated the island and left us without power for many months.” However, Hernandez learned from his experience and he prepared better for Hurricane

Fiona. “I myself was more prepared. The island, not so much, but there were a lot of lessons learned,” Hernadez said. After Maria, he had bought large tanks of water and gasoline, and installed solar panels. “We were worried that the power would go out. We were worried that we wouldn’t have basic services,” Hernandez said. “The one thing that I would have done differently was to have started rationing sooner.” Hernandez recommends that anyone facing a disaster on this scale stock up on necessary supplies beforehand and be prepared for a

lack of basic services. He also recommends that people start rationing their food and water immediately, and not wait until they have almost run out of supplies.

Hurricane Ian hit Florida on Sept. 29, and killed more than a dozen people. It didn’t slow down and hit the Carolinas shortly after, damaging many communities and destroying countless homes. People in Florida have already been left without power, water and shelter, and state officials have said it will likely leave scars on the affected communities that will take several years to heal.

The devastation caused by the hurricane in Florida has also led to unity which, prior to the catastrophe, would have seemed impossible. According to Newsweek, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is one of the most likely Republican nominees for 2024, expressed gratitude toward President Joe Biden. “What I said today is my phone line is open when people’s lives and their property are at risk like this. We all need to work together regardless of party lines. The Biden administration has approved our request for a prelandfall declaration and did that very quickly. So we’re thankful for that,” DeSantis said.

Taylor Gibson Editorial Editor Ava Prapaniku Sports Editor

Photo courtesy of News4JAX

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Graphic by Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza

Threatening behavior takes over school board meetings

Hostility surrounding subjects in public education has been a problem for CVUSD for years, but in recent months, the aggression shown towards both CVUSD schools, teachers and administration has been particularly high. The turning point for this aggression was at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, when a student at Maple Elementary School came out as transgender to their third grade class. In response, the teacher played a video to educate the class on the topic of transgender people called, “Call Me Max.” As a result, some reacted by graffiting “Pervs wk here” on the side of the elementary school.

Events like this show that community members have only gotten more bold in their behavior regarding hot-button topics and a spotlight is being shown on the disrespect that these instigators have for public education. The Maple Elementary incident is not the only example of this. Many people have demonstrated acts of malice that have caused fear in the school board. Members need to be escorted to their cars at the end of the night because of fear for their safety.

During a meeting in June, one of the most tone-deaf and unempathetic displays shown was when a person was in clear view of the camera wearing a pro-gun

t-shirt just days after the Ulvade School Shooting.

Recently, district leadership and specifically, superintendent Mark McLaughlin, received a death threat. The person who threatened Mark Mclaughlin was a man from Goleta which is over an hour away. This man claimed that he wanted to “protect the children,” but his threats directly contradict his so-called intent. Behavior like this blatantly disrespects the purpose of CVUSD as a safe space for children to be educated. Additionally, a person who does not live in the district should in no way feel this involved in the comings and goings of our meetings. To feel the need to respond in that manner should be extremely disconcerting. There have been too many people to count at the board meetings who do not live here or do not have students currently in our school system. These people then leave after a minute of talking, showing how they don’t care about the students, which is not what they attempt to display.

The lack of respect at school board meetings is proven especially true when a number of commentators make baseless, aggressive claims with the intention of pushing political agendas. The board meetings which were meant to benefit students and schools have quickly been manipulated into a platform to distribute aggression and malice. Everyone has the right to voice their own opinion, and the intention of board meetings is to do just that. But there is an important distinction between voicing your opinion in a respectful manner and immature political games that community members are trying to play.

Events like the graffiti at Maple Elementary can and should be prevented and that must start with respect. People must have more respect for the public education system not even for the sake of staff and administration, but for the sake of the children they are so adamant about trying to protect. To have a place where children are supposed to feel safe and comfortable, be defaced by their own community calling staff “pervs” creates a hostile and unsafe environment for these kids.

The past few years, community members have been abusing their rights of free speech, and their public comments have become more aggressive and are leading to acts of violence within our community. The increasing levels of contempt within the board meetings has gotten out of hand; people who bash the school board must figure out a way to work with the school board, rather than against them.

For the record in Issue I:

Téa Sklar graphic credit missing on page 2

Editors-in-Chief

Opinion Editor

Melissa Geher

Ariela

Social Media Leads

Hayden Meixner

Nandini Patro

Téa Sklar

Staff Writers

Emerson

News

Josie Gardner

Kira Ivarsdottir

Editorial

Taylor Gibson DPS Editor

Nandini Patro

Wagner

Ava Prapaniku

Back Cover Editor

Hayden Meixner

Photographers

Chief // Parker Bohl

Isabella Boggs

Gwen McCarthy Cameron Winick

Movie Reviewer

Vincent Bennett

Copy Editors

Ariela Behar Melissa Geher Kira Ivarsdottir

Dylan Kaseno Hayden Meixner Nandini Patro

Ava Prapaniku Nandini Patro

Rohit Ukkan Melina Wagner Cameron Winick

Graphic Artists

Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza

Kai Mekari

Téa Sklar

Isabella Boggs Jason Kiang Gwen McCarthy Kai Mekari Jack Ranney Nikhil Satyagal Cameron Winick

Online Editors

Josie Gardner Hayden Meixner

Nandini Patro

Téa Sklar

Rohit Ukkan Melina Wagner Cameron Winick

Managing Editor

Téa Sklar

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 Print 365 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.

Cameron Winick spelled wrong on page 2 Vincent Bennett spelled wrong on page 2

Fentanyl crisis plagues America

Rohit Ukkan Staff Writer

Téa Sklar/Prowler

With Halloween just around the corner, the consumption of candy from a stranger has people worried about what could be in store with the increasing effects of the new fentanyl crisis. According to the CDC, fentanyl was the leading cause for the record number of drug poisoning and overdose deaths just last year. Around 71,000 deaths were linked to synthetic opioids exactly like fentanyl in the last year.

Several efforts have been made to control the spread of fentanyl, such as the collaborative task force of the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and the Department of Justice which collectively have seized around a dozen million fentanyl-laced pills, and around 100 pounds of fentanyl powder across the United States. Although this just scratches the surface of solving the fentanyl crisis in America, the fentanyl seized is enough to kill around 50 million people, according to ABC News.

Similar to other common drugs, fentanyl has been developed into several different variations, one reportedly being rainbow colored and commonly mistaken for normal candy. Fentanyl has also been

reported to be constructed to look exactly alike to less damaging, and more common drugs, such as OxyContin and Percocet. These hurdles, combined with the fact that most fentanyl resources are controlled by out of country sources, make cracking down on fentanyl a truly daunting and rigorous job for the government task force.

The current situation is truly saddening as the effects of the fentanyl crisis are causing harm to young students, some of whom are still in the beginning years of their high school journey. Multiple cases, some of which occurred in the Los Angeles School District, have risen with students even dying during school hours inside the campus bathrooms. In an interview with ABC News, Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of the Los Angeles School District, announced that Narcon, a treatment of narcotic overdoses, would be available in all K-12 schools in the district. Although a drastic measure, situations like that in Los Angeles may become a reality for schools across America, and getting a control on the situation may prove crucial for damage control to be possible.

NASA creates spacecraft to destroy an asteroid

Nikhil Satyagal Staff Writer

On Sept. 26, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART, performed in the first ever asteroid deflection test. Ten months after it was launched, and after traveling around the sun 101 million miles, it hit the asteroid Dimorphos, which was seven million miles away from Earth. Dimorphos, at around 500 feet in diameter, is the smallest target that NASA has ever attempted to hit.

DART is part of NASA’s planetary defense strategy, and would be used in the event of an earthbound asteroid, but it is also a testament of the collaborative power on Earth. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson commented on the cooperation used for this project in a NASA press release. “At its core, DART represents an unprecedented success for planetary defense, but it is also a mission of unity with a real benefit for all humanity,” Nelson said.

In the event of a world ending asteroid heading towards the Earth, every country and their space agencies would have to come together to prevent it.

In June 2017, NASA approved a move from concept development of DART to the preliminary design phase of the mission, and assembly began in August 2018. The budget for the mission was 324.5 million dollars, and it was a joint project between NASA and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. The spacecraft is simple, and in the payload a camera is the only instrument attached. This camera is a high resolution camera used for both navigation and to take images of the asteroid.

The DART spacecraft launched in November 2021 and spent 10 months on a course to hit Dimorphos. DART hit Dimorphos at a speed of 4.1 miles per second, or 14,760 miles per hour. DART presents the ability to stop a natural disaster, and the ability to protect the Earth from an extinction event as a whole. DART can also stop an asteroid with the capability to wipe out the human population, and could possibly save billions of lives in the future.

Russia-Ukraine conflict escalates

The tensions between Russia and Ukraine, which have been boiling for years, finally exploded into a war in early 2022. Ukraine had previously desired to join NATO which Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, strongly opposed. Putin’s problem with NATO and Ukraine joining is that for the past 25 years the NATO alliance has been expanding eastward which Putin views as a threat to Russia. He sought to prevent Ukraine from ever joining NATO by invading and getting rid of its government, but disguised his intent by stating to Russians that his goal was to “demilitarize and deNazify” Ukraine. On Feb. 24, Putin announced the start of a full-out invasion of Ukraine.

Russia used missile and bombing attacks to damage Ukrainian military assets, residential areas and hospitals. However, after failing to seize Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, Russia began withdrawing troops in late March from the city, instead focusing on the eastern front of Ukraine. The effects of the violence have been detrimental: there have been over 5000 civilian deaths and 6000 civilian injuries reported. Russia is also guilty of war crimes in Ukraine including bombings of civilian areas, executions, torture and rape.

On Sept. 21, Putin announced a partial mobilization or draft, which was met with multiple

protests across Russian cities. Police cracked down heavily on these protests and detained more than 1300 Russian citizens. Following these protests, the Moscow Prosecutor’s office threatened participants of these protests with up to 15 years of prison time. Thousands of Russians are fleeing the country, avoiding war, resulting in traffic miles long near the border and one way tickets increasing 27 percent in price.

In early October, a bridge connecting Russia to Crimea was bombed though it is unknown who bombed it. This explosion is a detrimental blow to Russia as the bridge is an important supply route in getting Russian soldiers to Ukraine. Putin has taken retaliation for what he calls a “terrorist act” from Ukraine and bombarded cities across Ukraine including Kyiv. However, a few days after these attacks, Putin declared that there will be no more heavy attacks on Ukraine and that most of their targets had been hit. Putin said that Russia had not intended to destroy Ukraine, but he doesn’t regret anything.

With Putin stating that there will be no more heavy attacks and the stoppage of deployment, it seems as if this war might be slowing down. However, all eyes will remain on this conflict as it persists.

Jason Kiang Staff Writer

Boom- NASA’s DART mission hit the Dimorphos asteroid on Sept. 26, after being launched in November 2021. The spacecraft traveled seven million miles to reach Dimorphos. The DART spacecraft and the Dimorphos asteroid are shown above. Photo Courtesy of Tesmanian Blog

No- Ukrainians resist Putin’s invasion of their country whether it be protesting or through guerrilla forces. “Our goal is to make life unbearable for the Russian occupiers and use any means to derail their plans,” Andriy said, a coordinator of the movement in Southern Ukraine.

Photo Courtesy of Rochester EDU

Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis see brewing rivalry

Jack Ranney Staff Writer

Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis was once a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump. However, the two now seem to be preparing for a heated battle for the 2024 Republican party nomination.

During DeSantis’ first bid for Florida Governor in 2018, Trump called him “a tough, brilliant cookie.” However, four years later, Trump has yet to endorse his old ally. This is likely due to the fact that until recently, the 2024 Republican nomination was Trump’s if he decided to run, according to an Echelon poll printed in May of 2022. However DeSantis’ recent actions have made him a clear and present threat to Trump.

First, DeSantis’ move to fly 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, which he detailed in a press conference on September 16, 2022, has gained him both criticism and praise. Critics of the move accused him of using migrants as political pawns while supporters said he exposed the hypocrisy of Democrats, saying they support immigration as long as the immigrants don’t come to their communities. After this polarizing move, DeSantis tried more to unite people across political parties when Hurricane Ian struck his state. President Joe Biden said that his conversation with DeSantis over what to do in response to Hurricane Ian was “Very fine.”

There are two key motivating factors for Trump supporters moving to DeSantis: age, because a 76 yearold buried in legal troubles seems less and less appealing compared to a provocative 44 year-old two term governor. Loyalty is the second factor, because many see loyalty to Trump is a one-way street–his way. Given how Trump treated his former Vice President Mike Pence, fewer and fewer politicians seem eager to be Trump’s running mate.

Ron DeSantis’s gambles have clearly paid off, as according to a recent Florida GOP poll, DeSantis leads Trump 48%-40%. That is a reversal from a poll in January, which put Trump at 47% and DeSantis at 40%.

Trump is still seen as the favorite among solid Republican voters. “DeSantis is building a base with the Trump people, but right now, the Republican base is Trump’s base,” Don Tapia, a donor to DeSantis’ campaign, told the Washington Post. However, DeSantis’ actions during Hurricane Ian, as well as his decision not to ban abortion in the first trimester after the Dobbs decision, is likely to bring swing voters in Florida’s gubernatorial election this November, something Trump had trouble with.

UCLA expands their campus

Nandini Patro DPS Editor

The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) remains the most applied to four-year university in the nation and it ties with University of California Berkeley for number one public university in the United States. This year, the number of applicants increased by 10 percent reaching 149,700 applications. As the University continues to receive more and more applicants each year, the need for a larger campus and housing area arises. Currently, UCLA’s 419-acres of land stands as the smallest UC campus despite its increasing number of applications each year.

The university plans to expand its enrollment through satellite universities. Satellite universities are a common addition that universities are beginning to make. They purchase a certain amount of land from a college area in a different location to accommodate their own needs. UCLA has purchased $80 million worth of land in Ranchos Palos Verdes and San Pedro. The land was previously owned by Marymount California University (MCU), which had to close as a result of declining enrollment. MCU had several

other bids on their property including private organizations and other educational institutions, but they ultimately went with UCLA. MCU chose UCLA as a result of its financial capacity and its dedication to education. The new land acquisition could accommodate 1,000 students and potentially house half of them on the residential property made up of 81 different villas, according to the LA Times. -

UCLA hopes this expansion of the university will help them achieve their goal of an additional 20,000 enrollment spots by 2030. It is predicted that UCLA’s number of applicants will only increase and so a need for further accommodation is necessary. The UCLA Chancellor, Gene Block, believes the new satellite campuses can start hosting students as early as next year though currently, there is no official date. “UCLA has been a crucial nexus of education, research and public service within Los Angeles for more than 100 years,” said Block in a message to the UCLA community announcing the news.

Téa Sklar/Prowler

Crumble - Trump praises Desantis with a embrace on the shoulder at a healthcare convention weeks before rivalry arises and commmradory deteriorates. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

It’s time for Matt Gaetz to go

Jason Kiang Staff Writer

Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, who has been surrounded by controversy throughout his time in office, is running for re-election in November. Gaetz began his political career in 2010 as a state legislator but had a questionable history in college that came to light in 2021 when the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) began an investigation on whether or not Gaetz was involved in human trafficking with a 17-year-old.

Gaetz, who was the only politician to vote against an anti human trafficking bill denied allegations and the case was eventually dropped due to a lack of substantial evidence. It is clear that Gaetz has not had a clean history and how he’s still in congress is astonishing, dangerous to our government and says something about the trajectory our country is heading.

In terms of racial problems in America, Gaetz referred to the Black Lives Matter protesters as terrorists and

proposed the idea of “hunting them down like we do those in the Middle East.” Against a vast majority of peaceful protesters advocating for change, Gaetz offered Kyle Rittenhouse, a teen who killed two people at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a Congressional internship and called him a “patriot.” In June following the Jan. 6 riots, Gaetz was one of 21 House Republicans to vote against a resolution to award the police officers who defended the capitol a Congressional Gold medal. Gaetz is willing to do anything to prevent change in both policing and systemic racism in the U.S. He calls Rittenhouse a “patriot” but at the same time votes against awarding officers who risked their lives defending the capitol and politicians at the capitol Is Kyle Rittenhouse more of a patriot than those officers? What is a patriot? Is a patriot someone who brings a gun to a protest seeking violence or someone who defends their country from a coup?

In the first place, politicians who can’t follow simple laws and respect others such as Gaetz shouldn’t even be in office. The US seems to be regressing; with Gaetz, an alleged human trafficking offender in office it seems as if anyone can be in office. Politicians, too scared to stand up for what’s right don’t speak out either, and constituents, too bigoted to vote against their party continue supporting Gaetz. With America becoming more and more polarized, this norm of not speaking out against those representing the party you associate with will only increase. Politicians like Gaetz shamelessly encourage further division by insulting those different from him, and threaten the freedom and tolerance that America is known for. This idea has long been the core of America, and what this country was founded on. Gaetz is by far the most unqualified and divisive politician in the US at the moment, and his ideas encourage Republicans to push for more division and less cooperation. I believe that Matt Gaetz’s prior history, his personal views and ideals for America and his words have shown that he is dangerous for America. Gaetz must be voted out as soon as possible and if not, other House Representatives must work to limit his power and influence over America’s agenda.

Little Mermaid breaks the internet

Kira Ivarsdottir News Editor

On Sept. 9 of this year, the teaser for the new liveaction adaptation of “The Little Mermaid’’ hit Disney’s social media platforms with 1.2 million likes and 1.5 million dislikes, according to the most recent report from economictimes.com. In which, racist viewers turned the progressiveness of Disney’s adaptations into an uproar that fans and people of color are all too familiar with.

The protagonist, Ariel, is played by Halle Bailey, 22year old singer-songwriter and proud young woman of color. Despite the announcement of Bailey’s position in the new adaptation being made publicly official in July 2019, viewers of the new trailer were supposedly flabbergasted that the beloved character of Ariel was being played by a black woman, when in the original animated movie, she was white. Though Bailey demonstrated artistry through her voice in the classic solo song, “Part of Your World”, critics claimed that Bailey’s character ruined the beloved princess based on the sole reason of race.

Some unhappy viewers comment on Bailey’s role as simply unrealistic due to the idea that a mermaid is supposedly unable to have melanin in her skin. With that argument however, anyone could make their own theories and assumptions based on mermaids due to the fact that, though some seem to fail to understand, mer-people are not real.

There are many examples of white actors portraying people of different races that did not face nearly as much backlash. One prime example of the double standard is when “Dragonball Evolution,” a live action movie adaptation of the Japanese anime series “Dragonball Z” was made in 2009. In this film, Justin Chatwin, a

Caucasian actor, played the part of the main character in the show, Goku, an East Asian character. Though the movie did not do well in the box office, most, if not all, reviews simply remarked on the movie’s adaptation of the story and not how the races of the actors differed from the original cartoon.

Due to most news stations covering the hate towards the film, the influx of love and admiration towards the first woman of color portraying a live action Disney princess for the first time is sadly being overlooked.

Despite the comments of hate and aversion towards Bailey’s role, black kids and even adults all around the world recorded and remarked on their heartfelt reactions towards seeing Disney’s beloved mermaid being portrayed as a black woman. Growing up, I remember being obsessed with Disney princesses, and seeing characters such as Jasmine and Tiana with a darker skin tone like me allowed me to feel as though even I could be as strong as them. Although, people of color still frequently face dislike and enormous amounts of hate, I feel that Disney is headed in the right direction. I sincerely hope that regarding the release of the film in May, viewers choose to focus on Bailey’s portrayal of Ariel instead of the color of her skin.

Hayden Meixner Backcover Editor

City wide governments should never be able to override state protected rights. This problem was brought up when certain cities in California attempted to ban abortion while the rights for this procedure is protected by state law.

When abortion was denied as a federal issue when Roe v Wade was overturned June 24, 2022, it made it clear that abortion must stay with the state. It seems as though the conservative majority supreme court made this move knowing that many republican states would immediately create laws against this procedure, the first steps to what they hope will be an abortion-free nation.

Abortion rights need to be taken seriously and not dealt with in a rudimentary manner but in recent events, some cities in our home state have attempted to make abortion-free bubbles--a scary testament to what could be our reality if city government has the ability to make laws that trump state laws.

This August, Orange County’s San Clemente City Council attempted to eliminate abortion in the city by proposing to make the procedure illegal in the confines of the city limit. Having been raised in this small town, an attempt to tackle abortion at such a local and attainable level is concerning. Hearing the proposal, I immediately thought of my close friends and family that could be affected if the ban were passed. Fortunately, San Clemente’s people took to the streets, and their assertion against the motion succeeded in striking the issue down. Nevertheless, this event caused many to wonder: if communities can attempt to pass laws on something as serious as abortion, what else could be next?

Additionally, last month, the Temecula City Council proposed a similar ban, inspired by the San Clemente case and confirming its impact. Both propositions were struck down by majority vote, yet neither was unanimous. There are still public figures advocating for the overturn of abortion rights on a city-wide level, a clear abuse of the localized power they were granted. City level politicians should not be allowed to make decisions passed at the state level; these politicians need to stay in their lane and stick to city budgets and public education in school districts.

When the wrong people are put into power, matters such as public education could be taken into consideration. In our very own school district, followers of school board meetings have observed conservative parents attempting to strike down principal aspects of education, such as our health curriculum. These oldfashioned values have fortunately not been adopted into our school district but easily could be if our board were of a conservative majority. The same goes for citywide politics.

State laws are in place for a reason and need to be upheld by the residing city officials. Situations such as what occurred in San Clemente and Temecula must be prevented, as they are bound to keep happening if nothing is done. In November, Californians will vote on Proposition 1, which will establish concrete abortion rights in our the Constitution of California. All who can vote must vote to secure these rights in California and avoid further conflicts regarding abuse of local power.

Parker BohlProwler

Kai Mekari/Prowler

State laws should not be overwritten by cities

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Prowler

Giorgia Meloni signals danger for the world

Nikhil Satyagal Staff Writer

Giorgia Meloni, a far-right politician, is set to take over the role of Italy’s prime minister. She is the leader of the Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia, FdI), a rightwing populist political party. Meloni and the Brothers of Italy express anti-immigration, racist, nationalist and anti-LGBTQ+ views, and have praised fascist leader Benito Mussolini.

The Brothers of Italy is a successor to the Italian Social Movement, a neofascist movement led by supporters of Benito Mussolini after World War II. In fact, many of Mussolini’s family members have run in Fdl. They also contain Nazi and fascist memorabilia within their headquarters.

Fdl is anti-immigration and nativist when it comes to domestic politics, and calls for a zero-tolerance policy in regards to illegal immigration. They are also anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage.

Although Meloni is Italy’s first woman prime minister, she does not signal progress in the right direction. With her and her party’s views on social issues, it is clear that her rise to power does not truly signal social change. In fact, her views on abortion and a “traditional” family life will be a detriment to the social status of women in Italy.

Some people turn deaf ears to the idea that just having a woman in power is the same as societal change and is good no matter the circumstances, but in effect, the election of her sets back progress in social regards to a significant degree. Her white supremacist, anti-

globalist and traditional family views conflict with the very idea of progress.

In the United States, many conservatives are endorsing and showing support for Meloni. Senator Ted Cruz commented on her controversial speech after the Fdl’s victory. Many other U.S. conservatives have also shown support on social media. Meloni, Donald Trump and many other global far right leaders attended a far right rally in Spain recently.

The notion that a fascist is speaking at the same rally as a past president of the United States is a scary sign for the state of American politics.

One of Meloni’s inspirations as a leader is Viktor Orbán, the prime minister of Hungary. As the prime minister, he has destroyed opposition and has caused economic instability and loss of rights in Hungary. This has all caused the European parliament to no longer consider Hungary a democracy because of the lack of democratic standards in elections.

I think her election sets a dangerous precedent for both Italy and the rest of the world. The fact that a fascist party is in power in such a major country such as Italy shows that extreme right ideologies still hold some weight in the world.

This also sets a scary tone for the United States because the idea that American conservatives are supporting a fascist leader with white supremacist ideals reflects the ideals of American conservatives themselves.

Test optional might not be the best option

Téa Sklar Managing Editor

After COVID, most colleges and universities renounced their requirement to include testing scores in applications. Prestigious schools such as Harvard have announced that standardized testing will not be a requirement for the foreseeable future. I am currently in the process of applying to college, and although every school I’m applying to doesn’t necessarily require any scores, I hesitate to leave them out of my application.

In all honesty, I’m skeptical that a lack of scores on my application won’t affect my chances of getting into specific schools. There are some schools, such as all UCs (University California schools), that don’t physically provide a space to input scores, as they don’t want them and will not consider them as part of the application. I know that these schools obviously wouldn’t consider it to be a disadvantage, as they don’t even give us the opportunity to submit them.

Cornell University is the most prestigious school I am applying to, a “dream school,” if you will. Realistically, as most Ivy Leagues are, Cornell is a reach, a school that I would be absolutely ecstatic to get into and to do this, I would naturally want to figure out a way to increase my chances of acceptance as much as I am capable of. Do I really have a good chance without my SAT scores? From my perspective, it seems that not inputting scores might put students at a disadvantage.

Hofstra University has questions and answers regarding when to submit the SAT or ACT and when to leave it out of your application. These questions help differentiate when scores would improve your application, and when they would not benefit you. Essentially, you should only submit scores when you feel confident in the scores themselves. Not submitting them doesn’t necessarily help or hurt you, until you misinterpret a score and submit something you shouldn’t have.

That still bodes the question, what makes a good score? Princeton said in its SAT guidebook that they do not believe that these standardized tests properly showcase a student’s individual intellectual ability. How do I determine what makes a good score? Is it when I feel I’ve done the best I can do? What schools consider these scores to be a downfall on a student’s application?

Téa Sklar/Prowler

Most schools have been upfront about what a lack of test scores might do to an application. A lack of test scores makes every other aspect more important, such as GPA or extracurriculars. When creating your application, and if you decide to not include test scores, it may be beneficial to pick a different aspect of your life to focus on.

“Blonde” is cruel and misconceived

Cameron Winnick Staff Writer

Kai Mekari/Prowler

In the year 2000, author Joyce Carol Oates received criticism and praise for her controversial novel, “Blonde,” a semi-fictionalized portrait of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe. It was announced that it would be getting a feature-length adaptation, with Ana de Armas playing Monroe and Andrew Dominik set to direct. The film was released to the public via Netflix in September 2022, and it began to stir up major controversy. The movie was being lauded as needlessly graphic, with some of the most brutal scenes in the film being mostly, if not entirely, made up. Not only do I agree with these criticisms, but I believe that this is one of the most exploitative and cruel films of the last decade.

To begin, I believe that part of what is so insidious about “Blonde” is that it truly believes it is a sensitive, feminist film, with the countless scenes of Monroe in tears after a harrowing scene of assault. If there were five words I would use to describe this movie, I don’t think “feminist” would crack the top 100. The five words I would use are: gross, spiteful, indulgent, hateful and vile.

Most of the scenes in “Blonde” consist of rape, drugs and violence. It’s ultimately disgusting how much the movie indulges these parts, with shots of sexual assault lingering in the frame for at least a minute. Full sequences of horrific domestic violence and unspeakably upsetting scenes of rape are littered throughout the movie, each one longer than

the last. This tedious violence accomplishes nothing other than making me believe that the creatives involved were too careless to see how potentially damaging these moments might be to actual survivors. This is made even worse by the fact that most of these scenes are mostly, if not completely fabricated.

While the original novel was heavily marketed as a “semi-fiction,” it simply does not excuse making a showy Marylin Monroe fanfiction where she is repeatedly violated over and over again. It is an incredibly disrespectful move to a dead legend who cannot defend herself. The real-life Monroe almost definitely had her share of trauma, being chewed up and spit out by the Hollywood machine. Why should Oates and Dominik get the chance to hurt her more? There is also another element to the controversy that I did not expect, that being Ana De Armas’ involvement in the film. Not only did she star in the movie, but she heavily endorsed it and advocated in favor of its “feminist” message. It’s a genuinely sad thing to know that she publicized so much for the move, despite herself being an advocate for female rights.

Dominik is clearly a somewhat talented director. He knows how to frame a shot in an interesting way, he’s good with transitions and he knows how to work with actors, but this is shameful. Neither Dominik nor Oates should have ever touched Marilyn Monroe’s story, and it’s offensive that it has gotten this far.

Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone

Observing behind the scenes of a kitchen

Ava Prapaniku Sports Editor Melissa Geher Opinion Editor

As the welcoming presence of a restaurant envelopes those within, the food served is cherished but those behind the kitchen are often forgotten. From restaurant kitchens to school cafeterias, chefs spend countless hours perfecting their food to meet the standards of a wide range of taste buds.

Growing up, Mackinnon Beaton, owner of Mack’s Meals, would look inside his refrigerator thinking it was impossible to make something, but then his mom would arrive home and put together something amazing. It was that magic of being able to create something out of nothing that truly inspired him to become a meal prep chef. “I cook, prepare, and plate everyone’s meals for the week so that way they have lunches and dinners ready to go; the second they take off that lid, they can microwave it and it’s ready to go for them,” Beaton said. “I take it upon myself to make sure that people are getting a decent amount of carbs, starches, vegetables and protein.”

A giant mob of hungry students is not a pleasant picture, but Lucir Schlickman, cafeteria manager at NPHS, faces those stomachs every weekday. “We serve 800 students in 20 to 25 minutes, so we have no time to talk to you. If you think we’re being mean, it’s not personal because when I say one word three kids have already passed

Broadway jumps in to fight AIDS

Gwen McCarthy Staff Writer

The NPHS Theater department provides an environment of laughter, song and dance for their annual Broadway Cares Cabaret event in the NPHS Performing Arts Center. Broadway Cares is a national organization that helps raise money to provide medication, medical services and shelter for those who are living with HIV/AIDS, women battling breast cancer and ovarian cancer, as well as helping many others living with various illnesses.

Marilyn Strange, theater teacher at NPHS, loves seeing the community come together to make the Broadway Cares Cabaret an amazing event. About four years ago, the drama club decided to start running the Broadway Cabaret event. “I took students to a California State Thespian Festival, and they took a workshop about Broadway Cares. I had two students who came to me and said, ‘Ms. Strange, I think this is something we need to do at our school.’ I said, ‘Okay, let’s do it!’,” Strange said. The theater has been running this every year since. She wanted to take her talent and teach about it to others who also share the same love for theater. “My drama teacher was really an amazing lady. She taught me a lot about performing. When I got to college I said I would take one class on theater and from there it never

in front of me. Our volume is so fast that we really don’t have time to communicate,” Schlickmann said.

Dane Germann, prior chef at Freda’s Kitchen, finds the ability to stay calm and multi-task extremely important when cooking. “If something is cooking you might need to be making a salad at the same time without forgetting about what you are cooking and it burning,” Germann said. In addition, communication with other chefs was another key strategy German focused on within the kitchen.

Before the school day starts, the cafeteria chefs start their day early in the kitchen prepping food. “I am very good at teaching [and] coaching [the chefs] and when they’re successful it’s very rewarding for me. If I don’t come to work one day, and they are very successful without me, it shows that I have done my job correctly training them,” Schlickmann said.

Through the journey of people’s lives, finding their biggest passion is often intimidating but once found, that passion can lead to everlasting happiness. “I was seventeen once, I’m thirty now, and I was in high school and I remember gabbling with the idea of ‘I just like to cook’ and there are so many blessings in my life because of cooking, because I just stuck with something I like doing,” Beaton said.

stopped and I decided to continue with it,” Strange said.

Delilah Grant, junior, started last year in the theater community and is now shadowing the event with the student coordinator, Evan Sussman, for Broadway Cares events. Grant participated in the Broadway Cares Event the prior year. “It was honestly really fun. You can do comedy, acting, directing, dancing, singing. We allow auditions for everyone in our school and anyone in another school. You pay what you can to help raise money for Broadway Cares,” Grant said.

Evan Sussman, junior, and coordinator of the Broadway Cares event, wants to bring happiness and raise money for people all across the world who have AIDS and differing diseases. Sussman’s favorite part of Broadway Cares was the energy and all of the support that showed up to the event. “It is a great event which fundraises for equity… the community who came and supported [us] was truly remarkable in their support,” Sussman said.

Strange believes that the Broadway Cares Cabaret is a great opportunity for the community to work together. “It’s really cool to see the community come together because this isn’t just a Newbury Park High School performance,” Strange said.

SING- Lindsay Freedman, junior, shows her musical talent while performing, “These Boots were made for walking” at Broadway Cares Cabaret. The organization’s goal is to donate money to provide help and shelter for those living with HIV/AIDS. Parker Bohl/Prowler

Melissa Geher/Prowler

Boys’ water polo steals the show

The 2022 Best Dance Crew is...

Boys’ water polo! Family and friends gather in the NPHS stadium to watch the annual Best Dance crew event. Students from all aspects of the NPHS programs, such as International Baccalaureate, Water Polo and Volleyball, create a dance to some of the most beloved songs in the world.

Flip- Boys’ water polo executes their tricks perfectly after weeks of practice. Levi Cook, senior, watches on and ducks out of the way as his other junior teammate, Finn Claassen, performs a back flip during their performance. This was Cook’s second time doing dance crew and he enjoyed it thoroughly both years and wishes he could do it again. After the performance, Cook felt really good about their dance. “Our dancers got everything pretty good. [There were no] struggles with it,” Cook said. Parker Bohl/Prowler

PracticeAlthough spectators of the event see the finished dance, they do not see the hours of effort that each team puts into every practice each year in order to put on a great show for the judges and fans.

Levi Cook, senior and member of the boys’ water polo dance crew, describes the practicing experience as exciting in the sense that he gets to dance alongside several of his teammates, even though it sometimes leads to them becoming distracted. ”They’re pretty good but we sometimes get off task a little during the practices,” Cook said.

When it comes to being prepared for the competition on Friday, Oct. 14, Cook expresses how after preparing for the competition for several weeks he feels confident that they will put on a spectacular show for the event and might even make a run for the title this year.

”I think we have a pretty good chance [...] I’m excited. I’m also confident in our ability to win,” Cook said.

Joie Steinkamp, senior and member of the girls’ softball dance crew, describes how she loves doing this event every year as it gives her a chance to get out into the world and try new things alongside some of her close friends on her team.

”I’m having fun with all my teammates [...] and it’s just fun to do stuff out of our comfort zone and do it all together,” Steinkamp said.

Other Best Dance Crew members have danced competitively outside of school and describe how it has been really helpful to their overall success as a cohesive team.

Linda Diaz, senior and member of the International Baccalaureate dance crew, speaks to the fact that dancing outside of this event has helped her team succeed. “I am on a competitive dance team outside of school [at Bobby School of Performing Arts], so that’s helped me with the Best Dance Crew,” Diaz said.

After putting in hours of work and effort throughout their practices, all teams look forward to the upcoming competition and hope to put on a great show for the judges and fans that come to see them dance.

Strike a pose- Girls’ softball drops down into a pose after wrapping up their stellar per formance. After practicing for several weeks on end, the softball team is relieved to have finished their performance after the long learning process all members went through. Joie Steinkamp, senior, anticipated the event for the days leading up and was excited to put on a show for the spectators. “I’m really excited to have this experience [but] I’m a little nervous because performing in front of people is always nerve racking,” Steinkamp said. Parker Bohl/Prowler

Rohit Ukkan Features

Editor Melina Wagner

Entertainment Editor

Dylan Kaseno Features Editor Jason Kiang Staff Writer

Performance

Outta’ jail- The Best Dance Crew Performance was an opportunity for the Cross Country team to relax and enjoy themselves, a break from typical high-stress Cross Country events. Dev Doshi, a member of the Cross Country Dance Crew, used to the stress of cross country events did not feel much pressure associated with the performance. “We didn’t have much pressure attached to the outcome and you were competing against your own school so it was fun to watch others dance and what they came up with,” Doshi said. The cross country athletes did not care much about the result; what mattered to them was doing something other than running together as a team. Parker Bohl/Prowler

Whip that tail- IB Dance Crew got the stadium cheering with a perfect score from the judges. Adi Chattopadhyay, a member of the crew, felt initially upset after the results were announced. “We thought we deserved first but we had fun and [water polo] deserved it,” Chattopadhyay said. Though a senior, Chattopadhyay says he would participate in Best Dance Crew again if he could. “[My favorite part] was when me and Lucas jumped over two of our friends and seeing everyone and knowing that the energy was high,” Chattopadhyay said. Nevertheless, the team cared more about the overall experience of performing for the school and the memories made throughout the process. Parker Bohl/Prowler

Shirts won’t prevail- Jacob Richey, a junior on the volleyball team, enjoyed the atmosphere and performing in front of the packed crowd. “My favorite part of the performance was the feeling of dancing in front of everyone and the energy that was in the air all around,” Richey said. Richey, who thoroughly enjoyed the dance, felt a rush of adrenaline towards the end of the dance and is looking forward to participating in Best Dance Crew again next year. “I would love to do dance crew next year and hopefully bring Boys’ volleyball a win during my senior season,” Richey said. Parker Bohl/Prowler

Winners

It’s dancing time- The boys’ water polo team and coaches, Lucy Garret and Mia Nelson, perform one final dance after all the groups perform and before voting for the winner in the Panther Stadium. This final dance with all the other groups was performed just after the boys’ water polo team performance. The coaches helped to pick their theme, which was Grandpas. The performance consisted of many dancing grandparents and also a ‘flashback’ to when they were young. “Last year, we did a really good theme that was like synchronized swimming. We wanted to try and talk about this year. And we’re just thinking of really funny things and looking at good costumes that no one else would think of. Then we kind of just landed on grandpas, and so we just rolled with that,” Nelson said. Parker Bohl/Prowler

Ta-Da!- The boy’s water polo team holds up their trophy after being voted the Best Dance Crew for the 2022 school year by the event attendees in the Panther Stadium. The team’s performance of dancing grandparents won the crowd over in a close vote with the tight competition of other teams such as IB. The team had varying doubts about whether or not they would win. Team member Grayson Ing and Coach Mia Nelson both had an opinion: “I thought we were [going to win],” Ing said. Nelson followed up with; “I don’t know if us coaches did [think we’d win] but the boys were motivated.” Parker Bohl/Prowler

Student

Evan Sussman/Junior

1 What year did the Revolutionary War end?

Coull: 1789

Sussman: 1786

A: 1783

-Wouldn’t say either of these answers are very revolutionary.

0-0

What is the third element on the periodic table?2

Coull: Carbon

Sussman: Nitrogen

A: Lithium

-Looks like neither of them are in their “element”.

0-0

3What is the longest running show currently on Broadway?

Coull: The Phantom of the Opera

Sussman: The Phantom of the Opera

A: The Phantom of the Opera -Sounds like the music of the right answer! 1-1

4Who directed the classic films “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “The Breakfast Club”?

Coull: John Hughes

Sussman: Matthew Broderick

A: John Hughes -Sussman? Sussman? Anyone? 2-1

VS

Cameron Winick Staff Writer

Tie! 5-5

Teacher

Tiffani Coull/NPHS Teacher

6Who played Beetlejuice in the spooky 1988 comedy?

Coull: Michael Keaton

Sussman: Michael Keaton

A: Michael Keaton -“It’s showtime!” 3-3

7What planet is closest to the sun?

Coull: Mercury

Sussman: Mercury

A: Mercury -Safe to say, they have extensive planetary knowledge. 4-4

8

What is Jesse’s last name on the hit show “Breaking Bad”?

Coull: “I still hate you!”

Sussman: Pinkman

A: Pinkman

-Coull is definitely not the one who knocks. 4-5

9What does the “S” in “H.M.S.” stand for?

Coull: Ship Sussman: Submarine

A: Ship -Sussman seems to lack much nautical knowledge. 5-5

On a dartboard, what number is directly opposite to one?

The NPHS Wellness Center supports all pupils

Teenage years are often filled with complex problems which result in mental health issues that many don’t know how to handle. NPHS hopes to alleviate some of those challenges through the Wellness Center, located in the E-building, and was established last year.

Paige Pensivy, Mental Health Clinician, runs the room and is a professional clinical counselor and mental health clinician. “The purpose of the wellness center is to provide therapeutic and social-emotional services on campus,” Pensivy said.

The room is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., constantly assisting students. People can walk in or schedule an appointment through QR codes. “Students have access to a QR code in their teachers’ classrooms,’’ Pensivy said.

The safe haven provided by the Wellness Center deals with tier one resources such as giving students foundational support, through services such as coping skills, talk therapy, and self regulation. The hope of this is to prevent student escalation crisis situations.

It has become evident that with the rise of expectations placed on students, their stress levels have skyrocketed. Andrea Perales, a wellness counselor intern at NPHS noted that the amount of visitors at the Wellness Center has increased too. “To be exact we’ve had 500 [students visit] this [September]. The numbers keep growing,”

Perales said.

Although the demands placed on students cause pressure, there are many other reasons students visit. “It could be tests, homework, a teacher or just classes. Friendship is a big one as well.

Any relationship, friendship, boyfriend, girlfriend, parents, family concerns, even work outside of school, are all examples,” Perales said.

No matter how dire an issue may seem, the staff is ready to help by offering coping mechanisms and having students discuss their problems. Elizabeth Bond, sophomore, expressed that it has been a beneficial outlet for her. “It gives me a sense of relief knowing that there’s a place where I’m always welcomed,” Bond said. “Knowing that I can talk to somebody at any time is awesome.”

Bond acknowledges that facing one’s fears can be challenging, however she urges everyone to visit the center at least once.

“Get over your ego. You may be too cool to talk about mental health, whatever that’s on you,” Bond said. “No one is going to judge you.”

With mental health, it is vital to learn to deal with emotions and apply it to daily life.

“The hope is that the coping skills offered are universal so when you go to college, visit a friend’s house, go to school or go home, you can use them,” Pensivy said.

Cameron Winick/Prowler

Support- The Wellness Center at NPHS works constantly to assist students, and even the school’s staff with any challenges or mental health complications that they are having a hard time handling on their own. Paige Pensivy explains that people who allow themselves to reach out, can be helped. “Stress is something that’s super

happens

we’re taking care of ourselves appropriately,” Pensivy said.

Winick/Prowler

Isabella Boggs Staff Writer

“Smile” makes viewers never smile again

Kai Mekari Staff Writer

With Halloween right around the corner, “Smile” has viewers second guessing what is real and what is in their head. This sinister horror film encompasses the cycle of an evil spirit that takes over the mind of anybody who watches their next kill.

The movie “Smile”, which was released in theaters on Sept. 30, stars Sosie Bacon, who plays a psychiatric specialist named Dr Rose Cotter. Cotter dedicates her life to helping mentally ill people as her mother suffered from similar illnesses when Cotter was growing up and now suffers from trauma. Although she has experiences with unusual patients, the last patient she took care of was experiencing extreme hallucinations and was in major distress. After trying to help the woman, the patient broke down and became manic, eventually committing suicide. After this incident, Cotter became paranoid, saying she believed the girl and was starting to experience the same hallucinations. With only a week to live, if not less, she starts to find the pattern and tries to stop the cycle from continuing.

Kai Mekari/Prowler

This movie is spine chilling, filled with jump scares and mind games that will be sure to make you second guess your own thoughts. In certain scenes that take place after incidents between

the patient and Cotter, she finds herself having nightmares about her mother and the trauma she experienced as a child. Not only this, but she also starts seeing horribly realistic hallucinations of people creepily smiling at her, which makes her act out and make decisions she has no memory of.

This evil entity that has taken over her mind feeds off of her trauma and drives her insane. To make this movie even more fascinating, viewers get to uncover how Cotter’s psychiatric background plays into this part perfectly. What is so frightening about this realization is that nobody believes her and she cannot prove what is happening to her because it seems to only happen to her, and eventually we watch as the role flips and Cotter becomes just like the patients she helps on a day to day basis.

With a rating of 4 stars and 78 percent on rotten tomatoes, this R rated film is definitely worth the risk this October. Going to see this with a friend, partner, or family member will be the safest idea, because you might not make it on your own.

Dahmer series recalls infamous case

Hayden Meixner Backcover Editor

Jeffery Dahmer, the infamous cold-blooded killer who preyed on gay men as well as men of color from the 1970s to the 1990s, has come back into the spotlight after the “DahmerMonster: The Story of Jeffery Dahmer” series was released Sept. 21 on Netflix. “Dahmer’’ was an instant success, almost immediately becoming the number one show on the streaming app and the second most watched in Netflix history. The case of Jeffery Dahmer has been a massive phenomenon in the true-crime world, but many are arguing that the newfound attention on this case has given Dahmer a fame he does not deserve. Many of the families of Dahmer’s victims have publicized their disapproval of the series, claiming the returned light to the case has ‘retraumatized’ them.

The success of the show is much thanks to its all star cast, including “American Horror Story”s Evan Peters and 80s star Molly Ringwald. The details of this chilling show came from the notoriously twisted mind of Ryan Murphy. Murphy is best known for the creation of “American Horror Story,” and the lasting relationship between Peters and Murphy was evident in Peters creepily spot-on performance.

The show itself focuses on the different stages of Dahmer’s life, from his adolescence to his arrest. It includes many details and focuses on the many signs of homicidal feelings during Dahmer’s upbringing, including his hyper-fixation on dissecting deceased animals. The show took its time in setting its exposition but kept it interesting as from time to time, flash-forwards

to a kill would occur. The final few episodes of the series followed Dahmer’s arrest, court trial and death. In recreating some of the victim impact statements of friends and family of Dahmer’s victims, viewers get an emotional peek into the impact Dahmer’s monstrosities had on countless people.

Another positive aspect of this gruesome show was its emphasis on representing and advocating for Dahmer’s victims. The entirety of episode six, “Silenced,” follows Tony Hughes, a deaf man who’s life was taken by the hands of Dahmer. This tear-jerking episode opened with a scene of his birth and childhood, proving that Tony was loved by many. In including their back story, “Dahmer’’ is successful at humanizing and amplifying the voices of victims that history has silenced.

Overall, though hard to watch at times, “Dahmer” was a success on Netflix, rightfully so, for its ability to keep viewers engaged.

Kai Mekari/Prowler

MOVIE CORNERKai MekariProwler

Hellraiser hits a series peak

David Bruckner, the man behind “The Night House” and one of the directors of “V/H/S,” gave followers of the franchise the first “Hellraiser” movie in five years and the first great one in four decades. This movie tells the story of a drug addict with family issues who comes into connection with the Lament Configuration, the puzzle box that summons demons who tempt people with desires.

I’ll get my few nitpicks out of the way first: a couple moments were a little difficult to follow, which may call for a rewatch. Additionally, the boyfriend character, Trevor, was stereotypical at times but these moments were short-lived.

This movie, released on Oct. 7, blew me away. As someone who’s seen all 11 movies in the Hellraiser franchise, this is easily my favorite of them all. This says a lot as I love the original “Hellraiser” and its sequel. Thanks to Bruckner and everyone who worked on this movie, fans finally have an installment that demonstrates the potential the franchise always had. Right as the movie ended, I remember saying to myself, “This is what Hellraiser should be.”

The cast did a really great job making their crazy situation believable. The standout to me was Jamie Clayton as Pinhead (or as credited

“The Priest”), she did an excellent job that rivals Doug Bradley’s iconic portrayal of the same character.Speaking of which, the makeup for Pinhead and the other cenobites, the demons, is top tier for this franchise in both quality and design, and given their appearance, that includes costume design as well.

After decades, fans finally have a fitting story worth telling, not at all like the recycled detective script used in the past. Partially written by David S. Goyer, one of the writers of the Dark Knight Trilogy, he brought in new lore while bringing back and respecting what came before, and the combination felt epic at times. The epic moments come with large visuals that are so cool it’s a shame this won’t get a theatrical release. The production design was also on point, there are moments where walls shift and spin to completely transform the space the characters are in. Lastly, the music was the perfect piece to boost everything on screen, the influence of Christopher Young, the original soundtrack’s composer, was present in the movie along with his theme.

I love this movie as it places high among my top 100 favorite horror movies, I score it a 4.5/5!

Téa Sklar/Prowler

Halloween Ends complicates its trilogy

“Halloween Ends” was my second most anticipated movie of the year, although my expectations were tempered by last year’s “Halloween Kills”. As a “Halloween” fanatic, I couldn’t wait to see how they were going to close out this trilogy they made as a direct sequel to the 1978 classic.

The movie, released on Oct. 14, tells the story of a new character, Corey Cunningham, who reignites Michael Myers after he disappeared for four years. This causes Laurie Strode and her granddaughter, Allyson, to come back into blows with Michael, The Shape.

I can’t talk about this movie without immediately addressing the elephant in the room: the new character, Corey, who becomes a co-lead in a story that takes big, jarring risks with its story direction after the previous two movies. It’s a story that I’m very mixed on, upon first watch I borderline hated it but after going back and seeing it a second time the next day I do appreciate what effect they were going for with the story.

I still really love the cast including Jamie Lee Curtis, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Kyle Richards, and James Jude Courtney as The Shape. Although the character of Corey was a mixed bag for me, Rohan Campbell did an excellent job playing the character and I hope he gets more work soon.

As per usual with this trilogy (which includes “Halloween” (2018), “Halloween Kills,” and now “Halloween Ends”) and the 1978 classic, the music by John Carpenter is perfect and the “Halloween” theme is one of the best ever written. Another consistency with

this trilogy is really great cinematography that has such a variety to capture: nighttime, Halloween atmosphere, kills, and Michael itself. Quite the variety but it captures it all in spades. Speaking of which, the kills are few but worth the wait in gore and creativity.

One thing I must say is I don’t understand why they chose to tell the story of a brand new co-lead and adding new lore in the third entry of a trilogy. Pre-COVID, the writers planned on having the whole trilogy take place in one night but they rewrote this entry when the country was on lockdown. Although this is easily the boldest “Halloween” movie since Rob Zombie’s “Halloween 2” 13 years ago, the original idea for this would’ve been much more satisfying of an experience and end to the trilogy.

Aside from my preferences, I have issues with the script such as characters acting differently, underdeveloped plot points that could’ve used another 15-20 minutes of runtime, and a lack of Michael Myers. This is definitely the most underused Michael has ever been in this franchise, aside from “Halloween 3: Season of the Witch” which was an anthology entry that had nothing to do with him. Which is a disservice to James Jude Courtney who most fans (myself included) would agree is at least a top 3 Myers actor.

I’m stuck in the middle on this movie because there’s aspects I really like and appreciate and other things that confused me as to why they made certain creative decisions that didn’t play out the best. But my opinion can change with repeat viewings, so as of right now I give it a 2.5/5.

Vincent Bennett Movie Reviewer

Vincent Bennett Movie Reviewer

Téa Sklar/Prowler

Panther Prowler

“Don’t Worry Darling” is worrying, darling

Cameron Winick Staff Writer

Released on Sept. 23, Olivia Wilde’s new film, “Don’t Worry Darling” elicited controversy and gossip, even before its release. There was talk about an affair between Wilde and the film’s male lead, Harry Styles, rumors about a feud between Wilde and the film’s female lead, Florence Pugh and even a theory that Harry Styles spit on his co-star, Chris Pine, during one of their world premieres. I bring up these events to illustrate that this drama was far more interesting and engaging than Wilde’s actual film.

“Don’t Worry Darling” is Olivia Wilde’s second film and functions as a commentary on the societal misogyny that women face. The film’s tone is radically different from the likes of Wilde’s first film, 2019’s “Booksmart”, which was a light-hearted teen comedy, whereas “Don’t Worry Darling” is a much darker film that scarcely, if ever, uses comedy to elicit a laugh.

The story follows Alice Chambers, played by Florence Pugh, who begins to question the squeaky-clean suburbia she lives in with her husband, Jack Chambers, played by Harry Styles. The main town the movie takes place in, called “Victory,” is modeled after 1950’s Palm Springs, which is admittedly a good inspiration for a nauseatingly perfect location. Keeping to a more positive theme, another thing I really liked about the film was Florence Pugh’s performance. She continues to be one of the most talented upcoming actors in recent memory, and this film is no exception. She completely embraced the role and understood Wilde’s messy vision, something that none of the actors, save Chris Pine, could.

On the topic of actors, I don’t think it’s much of a secret that Harry Styles should have stuck to singing. He delivers all of his lines not like a real person, but rather someone trying to deliver a good performance. This method of acting is fine in practice, but Styles is no Daniel Day-Lewis. His performance comes across as bored and uninterested, with the only emotions he shows being happy and angry. Needless to say, he doesn’t have much range.

There are plot points and symbols that are abruptly dropped, such a specific scene involving a plane. Throughout most of the first act, attention is heavily drawn to this plane, as well as a whole “plane” motif. However, after a certain point in the movie, the plane is never seen, nor mentioned again. I focus on this to illustrate a problem with the movie: it wants to have profound meaning, but struggles to justify it. Many examples can be found. The plane is supposed to be a symbol; of what? There’s a random dance dream with costumed girls that vaguely represent something; why?

The movie is incredibly surface level. For many viewers, the ending will be extremely predictable. It follows a typical twist structure, hitting all the beats you’d expect it to, which is a huge problem that the movie has. It’s predictable and nothing out of the ordinary. The best movies nowadays are films that can do something original and unexpected. Even if they are adaptations of a prior work, the ones that stand out are those that are able to do something new with their source material. “Don’t Worry Darling” does nothing new, is not surprising and fails to do anything interesting.

Do not focus on Hocus Pocus 2

Téa Sklar Managing Editor

29 years after the original, Hocus Pocus 2 was released on Disney Plus on Sept. 30. The sequel follows the original story of Hocus Pocus, and stars some of the original actors.

Hocus Pocus, released on July 16, 1993, follows the story of Max Dennison, his younger sister, Emily Dennison, and the love interest, Allison. After moving to Salem, Massachusetts, the siblings and Allison explore the abandoned house of the Sanderson sisters, three witches who were put to death during the witch trials. Max accidentally reincarnates the sisters, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler, and Kathy Najimy, and spends the night attempting to run and hide from the sisters as they try to cast a spell on Emily to make themselves beautiful. The movie acquired $8.1 million on its opening weekend but dropped from the top ten list within two weeks.

Hocus Pocus 2 generally follows the same plot as the first movie, with three young women accidentally reincarnating the witches after they were tricked into a ceremony by a shopkeeper that desperately wanted to meet them. The main character

Becca, played by Whitney Peak, discovers through the course of the movie that she possesses the same powers as the witches. She discovers that Winifred, the main witch, intends to cast a spell to make herself the most powerful witch to ever live. The movie ultimately uses its own abilities to overpower them

TéaSklar/Prowler

The newest album, “The End, So Far,” by Slipknot is the band’s seventh studio album and marks the end of their contractual obligations with Roadrunner Records, a company that helped make them one of the bigger heavy metal bands in the late 90’s and early 00’s.

This album rivals 2019’s “We Are Not Your Kind” as being the band’s most unique, experimental album yet. Similar to that album, I hear elements of each previous era with new sounds I’d never expect out of them. This was a divisive aspect of the album, but I was a fan of it.

There’s a plethora of headbangers such as “The Dying Song (Time To Sing),” “The Chapeltown Rag,” “Hive MInd,” “Warranty,” and “H377” among others. As usual for Slipknot, there are some really beautiful songs too: “Adderall,”

and in a typical Disney style, convinces them that they shouldn’t proceed with their plans to become the most powerful witches in Salem and get revenge on all thoughts who harmed them. Winifred goes through with her plan anyway, but save failed to read the warning page on the spell, which stated that the only way to gain ultimate power was to sacrifice what you loved most. We eventually find out that she treasured her sisters most, and after the spell was cast, they disappeared. Distraught, Winifred begs Becca to reverse the spell and bring her sisters back. Becca complies and performs the spell, but we then find out that the spell sends Winifred to her sisters, rather than making her sisters come back.

Despite Parker, Midler, and Najimy living up to the expectations that were set for them (fabulous acting, singing, and drama), the movie itself was disappointing overall. The Disney take on the movie gave the sequel a cheesy ending. Although it is understood that children are the target audience, it was disappointing to all who waited almost 30 years to see a sequel.

Hocus Pocus 2, as with most continuations, did not live up to the expectation set by the original movie. There were certain aspects that proved the movie could’ve been better than it was, and certain tidbits and Easter eggs that made the movie interesting enough to finish, but not anything that would even come close to the first movie.

“Yen,” “Medicine for the Dead” as well as the other more musically beautiful songs on the album. Additionally, there are songs that are the best of both worlds like “Heirloom” and “Finale.”

It’s not a perfect album, especially when you compare what it offers to the two previous albums. Corey Taylor, the lead singer, is in my top three favorite singers but he does too much melodic singing in ratio to his influential metal vocals. Along with this, the songs being a little longer than necessary was a pattern in former albums that didn’t affect my enjoyment until this album.

Regardless of my negatives towards the album, Slipknot is still my favorite band that I declare as one of the greatest bands ever put together. I can’t wait to see them live on their upcoming tour and hear these songs in an arena.

Vincent Bennett Movie Reviewer

Kai Mekari/Prowler

Emmy Fuentes-Alabanza/Prowler

Exploring Newbury Park one ride at a time

Ava Prapaniku Sports Editor

Amongst the trails and terrain, the Newbury Park mountain bike team rides along admiring the nature throughout the local area. The team consists of 125 riders and is split into numerous groups based on skill level where the head coaches choose when each group rides and for how long. Throughout the week, each group rides for about two hours on their designated days.

Ben Kreinces, junior, embraces the special feeling of being deep in the mountains away from any towns and cell towers. “Biking has kept me in shape but it’s [also] taught me how to be confident and trust myself,” Kreinces said. “I’m also lucky to have traveled outside of our local area to Northern California and other neighboring states to ride, which have all just been incredible places that I would not have been able to visit if it wasn’t for biking.”

Setting aside a few hours to bike has provided Evan Frank, junior, an escape from the lively world. “If you have a week of hard tests, [biking] is a good escape to get your mind away and then you can come back and think more clearly, which often helps me rather than taking time away,” Frank said. “It’s a great escape because you get to be in nature and have fun, especially if you’re riding with friends.”

Training hard, eating properly and achieving the right mindset are all ways riders prepare for the competitions that occur in mid February. Matt Pond, team director and a head coach, enlists the

team for these competitions. “[The team] is a part of the SoCal League so we race against other high school teams from all over Southern California. The league has done a really good job of having a race for all levels [and] the racing truly is encouraged for every rider on the team but it is not a requirement,” Pond said.

Each ride is a new adventure full of unexpected surprises that lead to long lasting memories for the riders.“First you have to make sure everything is good to go and then you go out and meet up with your coach and buddies. You can either do repeats of certain trails or a loop of a bunch of trails that meet back at the same point,” Frank said. “You always get to talk on the way up and down and are able to share a fun experience with everyone which usually brings you close with your friends.”

The Newbury Park mountain bike team is a great resource for those interested in biking and Kreinces shares a few words of advice for beginners. “Take it slow, do not push past what you’re comfortable with and build a strong base of fundamental skills. Also the sport can get expensive quickly but you do not need the most expensive equipment to enjoy the sport. Getting started on a hardtail or a base full suspension bike will be plenty for you to learn on and get you hooked. While a high end bike is not necessary, I would definitely recommend investing in a quality mountain biking specific helmet though,” Kreinces said.

Dance team leaps into the new season

Gwen McCarthy Staff Writer

The award winning Newbury Park High School Dance Team pranced into the new school year and they are excited for what this season has in offer for them. They glide into their next dance routine with precision and originality, looking forward to their next games. They are enthusiastic and ready to perform their best again on stage this year.

Ava Scott, freshman, joined the dance team because of her passion for dance. “It seemed like a really positive experience and I knew a good amount of people who were on the team,” Scott said. A recent football game against Moorpark allowed the dancers to perform their best out on the field. “I believe that was our cleanest halftime show and I definitely had a lot of fun hanging out with my friends,” Scott said. At their next game, Scott is looking forward to doing the routine that they will compete with two different high schools. When Scott feels down or stressed she feels dance is the best way to get her through her day. “[Dance] has helped me so much emotionally and physically. It is a great form of exercise and therapy as well. When I go to dance I put my whole mindset into the class,” Scott said. Although she has not done any competition yet this season, Scott looks forward to what the rest of the season has in store.”I am looking forward to doing more routines for competitions and for games,” Scott said.

Avary Hutchins, freshman, has been doing dance since she was 4-yearsold. Hutchins was inspired to join the school dance team due to her passion and love for dance. “I have danced for a while so I really was passionate about trying to dance and getting to know everyone.”

Hutchins is looking forward to what the new season may bring. “I am looking forward to starting this season off calmly and enjoying it because it will be our last game that we are

Ella Caston, senior, has been

out for the team,” Caston said. Her experience on the team has been lively and she is happy to have supportive coaches and friends around

team,” Caston said. She has been dancing since she was 3 and attended Thrive Dance Center.

Performances inspired Caston to join the Dance Team. “Watching the winter concerts in middle school has really inspired me to try

Left: Dip- Drew Caswell, senior, not only enjoys performing in front of an audience, but he also enjoys choreographing during his free time. “I am looking forward to the upcoming game because I was able to choreograph the ending of the half time dance,” Caswell said. Parker Bohl/Prowler

Explore- The Newbury Park mountain bike team took a ride in Simi Valley to practice and work on improving their skills. “Biking takes my mind off school if I’m stressed and it’s brought a lot of great people into my life,” Evan Frank, junior, said. Evan Frank/With Permission

Right: Leap- Mia Nelson, senior, leaps into the new school year with an amazing split jump while the Dance Team performs at the Homecoming rally in front of peers and administrators. Fellow Dance Team member Avary Hutchins, freshman, remembers watching past performances and being inspired to join the team. ”I would go to the football games last year and I would see them dance,” Hutchins said. Parker Bohl/ Prowler

Marching Band ceases to join in competitions

In past years, band students at NPHS learned a marching band routine that they performed during halftime shows at football games and competed in competitions.

Thousands of dollars were spent transporting equipment and students, and on professional choreography. Due to reduced student interest, this is no longer the case.

Dennis Crystal, band director, explained that the band continues to play at school events and local parades. “Prior to COVID, we had a competitive marching band, [but] since then we have not been able to reconstitute that group because there are just not enough kids to do it… We relied very heavily on family donations to make [field shows] happen.”

Crystal recalled how COVID-19 affected the band’s ability to practice and recruit new members. “We obviously couldn’t do marching band over distanced learning, it just didn’t make any sense,” Crystal said. “So [in 2020], nobody came into marching band… during last year’s band camp 12 students came, and we would normally have 45-50,” Crystal said.

Daniela Palomino, senior, participated in the competitive marching band as a freshman. She traveled to various

competitions to play and be measured against other schools. “We’ve always had a small program but [marching band now] is more… just playing at the football games. It’s more low-key than actual competitive marching band stuff.” Palomino said.

Due to the low number of students participating in marching band, Crystal opted for students to perform at the winter musical last year. Thomas Berg, junior, participated in the performance. “It was a new experience and I was a little on the verge of ‘Do I want to do this or not?’ because it was such a different experience,” Berg said. “But when I got into [it] and I started to learn the music and see the dances and choreography, I felt like I was a part of something bigger than just a band.”

Crystal summarized the current state of the marching band. “What we have now, which is still marching band, is a group of musicians that are in uniform and they’re marching from place to place playing music- but focusing primarily on the function of playing at the home football games or pep rallies... None of [these] performance opportunities require the same degree of intensive practice and financial contributions.” Crystal said.

Sparkles cheer team shines like no other

The Sparkles club has been a crowd favorite for all the years it has been active at NPHS. With the cheers, dances and smiles, it is truly a unique program that brings joy with every performance.

Averie Lomas, junior, is president of the Sparkles and has been participating since her freshman year. She takes pride in the amount of joy that everyone both inside and outside of the program gets as the performances occur. “[My favorite part is] definitely seeing all the kids’ faces light up, like when they’re performing and seeing how happy they get when the crowd cheers them on,” Lomas said.

Coaching some of the Sparkles is Liam Mistry, senior. He is a member of the Sparkles team and has been coaching since his junior year. He enjoys the inclusion aspect it provides for anyone and everyone in the school. “The thing that makes Sparkles

unique is that it is for anyone with or without a disability…” Mistry said.

Ria Dudhia, junior, is experiencing her first year with the Sparkles program this year. Dudhia has been watching the Sparkles team since middle school and has always admired the dances. “It’s not just like the coaches choreographing like we incorporate all the ideas of the Sparkles and what they want to do as well” Dudhia said.

The Sparkles team is a great way to spread the message of inclusivity at NPHS. Looking into the steps Lomas provided is a great way to get involved if interested. “They [students interested] could either message us on the NPHS Sparkles Instagram or they could come to Miss Alvarez’s room and she sends them my way and I could give them the information for [Sparkles] and give them everything on there,” Lomas said.

The girls’ golf team swings into action

Isabella Boggs Staff Writer

The girls’ golf team has worked tirelessly throughout the past few months to increase their capabilities and improve their results.

Greg Ropes, head coach of the girls’ golf team, spent his adolescence playing multiple sports, until he ultimately found golf to be his calling. Since then, he has been coaching boys’ and girls’ golf for 30 years. “My favorite part about coaching golf is the relationship with the team. These young ladies here, they’re super, they are fun to be around, something’s always happening,” Ropes said.

Before performing, athletes have to work hard to develop a positive attitude because during a round, they have to rely on themselves. “You have to do it all yourself, you have to call a penalty on yourself and be your own coach, your own psychiatrist. You have to solve all your problems, no one can help you,” Ropes said. “[Golfers] learn how to solve problems. It forces them to grow up.”

Kelly Brecker, senior, is a varsity athlete who joined the team her freshman year after hearing about it from a couple of friends. Over the past four years, Brecker has become close with her teammates

and hopes to achieve that again next year on a college team. “I consider [the team] to be pretty close. We bond over humor, and we bond a lot like if someone has a bad stroke, we kind of just laugh at ourselves,” Brecker said. “We bond over the highs and lows of playing golf.”

Some people find their passion quickly in life, and Kambria Mastro, freshman, is no exception as she fell in love with the sport at 6-years-old. She believes that golf is a lot more than what meets the eye, and is often under-appreciated. “There’s actually a lot of skill involved with hitting your shot. Your swing has to be really good and you have to be consistent; it’s really not just about trying to hit the ball,” Mastro said.

The girls’ golf team is driven to work hard and support their teammates despite the turmoil they have faced through various complications. They often exceed the expectations of a high school athlete by practicing regularly on their own.“The girls look at their scores and say, ‘Well, I want to do better, so I have to go out and do something about it,’” Ropes said.

Josie Bayer News Editor

Parker Bohl Chief Photographer

March- Thomas Berg, junior, explained that the NPHS marching band encourages everyone to work hard and have fun. “We mostly do football games, bring energy [...] and mak[ing] sure we are supporting our players,” said Berg. Parker Bohl/Prowler

Hole in One- Kambria Mastro, freshman, mentions people create connections through hobbies. “People do business meetings on the golf course,” Mastro said. Mastro feels lucky to have a sport that will always remain relevant to her. Isabella Boggs/Prowler

Cheer!- Breanna Lopez, junior, and Sara Crosby, sophomore, wave their pom-poms in the air as they cheer on the school. “You can tell that everyone really wants to be there and it’s just so happy,” Lomas said.

Parker Bohl/Prowler

Clubs rush into the new school year

Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza Front Cover Editor

October 4, 2022 marked Newbury Park High School’s annual Club Rush, a club fair displaying the different clubs NPHS has to offer. With everything from Doctors of the World to Mock Trial, there is something for everyone with practically every interest being its own club. This year’s turn out was huge and students are looking forward to another year exploring their interests through the clubs that NPHS has to offer.

Philanthropic- Entering its second year of operation, Doctors of the World is a club based off of the nonprofit organization of the same name. Senior, Niah Goudar, founder and president of the club, explained that the club mainly focuses on sending donations and supplies to people in major crises. “I think this year, we’re keeping the focus on delivering stuff to crises around the world. And we’re planning over the next few weeks a drive to help collect products for the relief efforts for the recent hurricane in the east coast,” Goudar said. She is also happy to see the amount of students joining the Remind, meaning the club is expanding. “Last year, I think we had like 40 people to 50 people on the Remind and we’re up to like 90 now, which is amazing…I think a big thing that attracted a lot of people was telling them that being in the club was really versatile, really good for college and just good for community service as well,” Goudar said. Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza/ Prowler

Donate- Supporting all menstruators in our community, Periods with Pride is a club dedicated to menstrual equity. Himani Pothulu, senior and co-president of the club, explained what they have done in previous years and the impact Periods with Pride has had on the community. “We make care packages for the organizations that we’re donating to. I think it’s just a really nice experience to know that you’re making a big impact on our community that doesn’t have access to menstrual products. Because not everyone has that. That it’s not very accessible,” Pothulu said. At this year’s Club Rush, the club’s goal was to get more underclassmen sign ups to continue the fight to end period poverty. Pothlu was more than happy when they met that goal and expanded the club. “It was a lot more successful than ever, since we got a lot of people that came up. Especially underclassmen, which is the audience that we’re trying to reach out to, because we want this club to go on after we [seniors] graduate,” Pothulu said. Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza/Prowler

Design- The NPHS Graphic Design Club made their debut at this year’s Club Rush. Dominic Folino, junior and co-founder of the club, explained how the club’s main purpose is to teach students about graphic design and inspire them to get creative in a digital format. “We specialize in sharing, creating and learning about digital art as well as graphic design and what we can apply it for. So we can teach people how to use certain free applications or tools that can help benefit them for graphic design as well as digital art itself as well,” Folino said. With the amount of sign-ups the club got at Club Rush, Folino is hopeful for the future of the group. “For now, the club is relatively small due to it being the first week, but

Educate- Water safety education has been the main goal of the NPHS Stop Drowning Now club. Efforts to inform about water safety have been mostly targeted at the youngsters in our community, with members of the club creating presentations for preschool and elementary age students. Carolyn Duc, junior and secretary of SDN, explains how the club also does fundraisers to raise awareness about water safety. “Our overall goal is to raise money at events, like fundraisers, and then we also do beach cleanups where we get donations…and we give them to the overall organization of Stop Drowning Now in order to help them aid more children,” Duc said. Emerson FuentesAlabanza/Prowler

Order!- Mock Trial has been a staple club at NPHS for years, educating students on the court system through simulated court trials. Mina Nguyen, senior and president of Mock Trial and attorney on the club’s Gold team, explained what Mock Trial does as a club. “Mock Trial is an academic club where we focus on introducing some students to the legal system, and each year we recreate a fictional trial that was stimulated in the courtroom at our county competition,” Nguyen said. To Nguyen, this year’s Club Rush was a huge success. “I think Allie [publicist] and I definitely harnessed in on focusing on getting new members who are interested in law, because a lot of people think that Mock Trial is very nerdy. I don’t think that way and I think we’ve definitely changed that perspective,” Nguyen said.

Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza/Prowler