2022-2023 Issue 7 (Mar. 31)

LAUSD workers strike for better pay

Jason Kiang Staff Writer

From March 21 to March 23, over 30,000 Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) support workers went on strike after failing to make an agreement with the district. These workers include teacher’s aides, bus drivers, custodians, and cafeteria workers, all demanding better wages. Teachers joined in solidarity with the workers, after the local teacher’s union declared that it would also honor the strike, pausing school instruction for the district’s half a million students.

During these three days, a small portion of school sites remained open for students, as well as public libraries and grab-and-go food sites. These are just a few of the resources mayor Karen Bass helped provide for the families of Los Angeles. According to CBS news, “Schools are so much more than centers of education — they are a safety net for hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles families,” Bass said.

The Service Employees International Union Local 99 (SEIU Local 99), which represents the LAUSD support workers who went on strike, accused the district of leaking news of a confidential meeting to the media. The union then declared strike, citing the leaking of the meeting as “another example of the school district’s continued disrespect of school workers.” Workers expressed that living wage was a major demand, as was increased staffing and more hours for part-time workers. “We live in this weird paradox as workers that help feed children and yet we struggle to feed our own children. We help students go to college, yet we don’t have enough money to send our kids to college,” Adrian Alvarez, a LAUSD employee said.

On Friday, March 24, a tentative agreement between the district and union was met, in which the district agreed to increase pay for support workers by 30%, which would raise the average annual salary from $25,000 to $33,000. However, the reasons for the strike extend beyond just the LAUSD but also sheds light on the underpaid workers who are essential to schools all around the United States. In a time of recovery from COVID-19, districts are facing staff shortages, underfunding, and much more, which contribute to the struggle in keeping up with wage demands as inflation gradually increases.

Homelessness reaches crisis levels in Ventura County

Homelessness became a problem in the U.S. in the 1870s, when large amounts of unhoused people began to live in massive urban centers. This issue has grown to become more large-scale affecting people and cities in the U.S.

According to the 2021 point-in-time count, there were 1,584 homeless individuals in Ventura, up from 1,320 in 2019. This number rose to 2,238 in 2022, an increase of 451 persons compared to the 2020 count. The COVID-19 pandemic is partially to blame, further exacerbating the situation and leading to job losses and housing insecurity.

California is ranked number one with the largest homeless population at 171,521 people, 30% of the country’s total homeless count and a significant portion of the state’s total population. The most significant contributing factor to this percentage is the housing crisis in California, leaving an insufficient amount of affordable housing in the state. Other factors include mental health issues, addiction, job loss, tragic life occurrences and poverty.

The homelessness crisis is a pressing issue that requires urgent attention. With the homeless count on the rise, officials in

Ventura County are taking proactive steps to address the problem. With the help of 500 volunteers, organizers are working tirelessly to support the increasing number of homeless people in the area. According to the state government website, California has already invested around 10 billion dollars into fighting homelessness, which is a promising sign that progress is being made. Nonetheless, with the homeless count in California increasing by 6% in the past two years, much more needs to be done to ensure that everyone has a safe and secure place to call home.

NPHS Science Olympiad crushes the competition

Nikhil Satyagal Staff Writer

On March 11, the NPHS Science Olympiad club won first place at the regional tournament at UCSB, so they will be competing in the Southern California state tournament at the California Institute of Technology on April 8. Science Olympiad is a club that encompasses a wide field of sciences in competition.. Science Olympiad is made up of 23 different events, spanning multiple sciences. Nathan Truong, senior, has participated in multiple events throughout high school. “The actual competition will vary depending on what you sign up for because you’ll sign up for certain events about certain subjects, whether that be geology or engineering or cryptology or coding.” Truong said. Due to a variety of events, each member prepares differently. Skyler Lee, senior and president of Science Olympiad, has participated since he was a freshman. “For events like anatomy and physiology, members research the topics chosen for the current year. In Codebuster, members practice solving cryptograms, and in Bridge, members spend hours blueprinting

their designs before building a wooden bridge structure,” Lee said.

The Science Olympiad is also collaborative, everyone needs to put in full effort for the team to succeed. John Ko, junior and vice president of Science Olympiad, reflects on this team experience. “In each event you usually have a partner to study with. You are usually with different partners for different events, which stimulates a collaborative environment,” Ko said. “The overall score of the team is based on how we do in every single event, so we are only as strong as our weakest chain.”

Although the club had qualified for state before COVID, competition was canceled, so state is a new experience for many. “We’re feeling alright, we don’t exactly know how well we stack up to some of the other teams because it’s the first time actually going to the state competition since the last time we qualified for it was back before COVID, ” Truong said.

Melina Wagner Entertainment Editor

Photo Courtesy of 19thNews.org

Téa Sklar/Prowler

Experiment - The Science Olympiad members gather together, ecstatic with their victory within the competition. With Permission/Lily King

Photo Courtesy of kesq.org

Rohit Ukkan Features Editor

The Willow Project will have detrimental effects

On March 13, ConocoPhillips, the largest oil drilling company in Alaska, was approved by the Biden administration to continue with their proposed Willow Project. The Willow Project is an on-going endeavor to drill oil in Alaska’s North Slope, a part of the National Petroleum Reserve.

There are advantages to this project, such as the boost in Alaska’s economy as well as benefiting America’s energy security, however the environmental repercussions would eclipse these benefits entirely including the release of a significant amount of greenhouse gasses, which would push climate change into being completely irreversible. This project is reckless considering how little we have succeeded with reversing climate change. There are positives, yes, but the positives do not come close to outweighing the negatives. Our world does lie within a good enough state to be ignoring these imminent threats to our atmosphere, and we cannot allow the ignorance of those in power who can change the course of these substantial threats to continue.

Climate change has been on the rise for decades, but in the last twenty years or so, the Third Industrial revolution [digital electronics that make factories easier to operate] has increased the effects. We have made slight improvements to some of the common contributors, such as the attempt to shift entirely to electric cars [at least in California], but each country is concerning themselves with different details of the environment, making it difficult to make a significant impact altogether.

The invasive drilling would not only disrupt the environment and the wildlife around the site, it would produce around 280 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses, which will have a drastic impact on the ongoing climate crisis. America, as a country, is already a significant contributor to climate change, and even if we continue with our current efforts to slow the effects, this project will essentially counteract any actions we have already taken, which in itself is not enough. We have the ability to at least consider what this will do to our environment,

but we are too busy concerning ourselves with the economy and capitalism as a whole, which will eventually lead to our downfall, assuming it has not already.

The 180,000 barrels of oil that this project would produce daily would be accompanied by 9.2 million metric tons of planet-warming carbon yearly. This massive quantity of carbon is equivalent to the emissions of 2 million gas powered cars added to the roads. Every single year. A surge in online activism has produced over 3 million petition signatures and more than a million letters sent to the White House in protest. Despite these protests, the government has continued to support the Willow Project.

The Biden administration’s lack of intervention is believed to stem from the approval that the Trump administration granted the project in 2020, the approval tying the administration’s hands from taking any further action against the project. The Biden administration predicted that legally, the courts would be unlikely to rule for the reduction or absolution of the project. The government is concerned about possible legal action on ConocoPhillips’ end and the threat of steep fines. Meanwhile, others are concerned about the survival of the planet and how significant these effects will be.

We are not invincible. The Earth is affected by the decisions we make. Yes, the economy is important, and of course there are unavoidable actions that we must take to prevent an economical collapse, but the planet needs to be our top priority. There will be no such thing as a healthy economy on a dead globe. We do not have the privilege of “worrying about the effects in the future” if we currently cannot ensure a future. The next generation is left to deal with the mess, but at one point or another, the effects are irreversible. If the goal is to improve the economy, the government must actively work on cultivating green corporations and creating jobs that focus on repair– not those that will lead to further destruction. We must use our power as a nation to solve the issue, rather than recklessly fueling it.

PANTHER PROWLER

Editors-in-Chief

Allison Nguyen

Dhruv Patel

Front Cover Editor

Kira Ivarsdottir

News Editors

Isabella Boggs

Josie Gardner

Editorial Editor

Taylor Gibson

Features Editors

Dylan Kaseno

Rohit Ukkan

DPS Editor

Nandini Patro

Opinion Editor

Melissa Geher

Entertainment Editors

Ariela Behar

Melina Wagner

Sports Editor

Ava Prapaniku

Back Cover Editor

Hayden Meixner

Photographers Chief // Parker Bohl

Isabella Boggs

Nathan Fox

Gwen McCarthy

Cameron Winick

Movie Reviewer

Vincent Bennett

2022-2023 staff

Managing Editor

Téa Sklar

Social Media Leads

Hayden Meixner

Nandini Patro

Téa Sklar

Copy Editors

Ariela Behar

Melissa Geher

Kira Ivarsdottir

Dylan Kaseno

Hayden Meixner

Nandini Patro

Ava Prapaniku

Rohit Ukkan

Melina Wagner

Cameron Winick

Graphic Artists

Shana Blair

Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza

Kai Mekari

Téa Sklar

Online Editors

Josie Gardner

Hayden Meixner

Nandini Patro

Téa Sklar

Rohit Ukkan

Melina Wagner

Cameron Winick

Staff Writers

Shana Blair

Emerson Fuentes-Alabanza

Nathan Fox

Jason Kiang

Gwen McCarthy

Kai Mekari

Jack Ranney

Nikhil Satyagal

Brody Sinutko

Cameron Winick

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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.

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For the record in Issue VI: Stas McClone spelled wrong on page 13 Boys Volleyball game against Agoura on page 15 Parker Bohl photo credit missing on page 16

Shana Blair/Prowler

Shohei Ohtani aids team Japan in WBC win

After 14 years since their last win, the Japanese national team took home an exciting win in the World Baseball Classic winning 3-2 against the USA team last Tuesday, making Japan rank first place in the WBC. At the end of the game, it came down to Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout at the final bat; with Ohtani striking out Trout with an 87.2 mph curveball. Japan took the trophy and celebrated their third tournament championship.

Japan’s fans watched with anxiousness as the semi-final game against Mexico almost ended in defeat on the fateful Monday night of March 20, with Japan being down to a seemingly inescapable level. In the last inning however, with one strike left on Japan’s Masataka Yoshida, Ohtani struck a powerful hit to left field which held a chain reaction for the rest of the team. Japan ended up tying Mexico 3-3 in a nail-biting ending to the game which set them to the finals.

Though Japan’s win resulted from the hard work and spirit of the whole team, Shohei Ohtani was the main star of the season, and rightfully so. Currently a player

for the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani started his baseball journey in 2013 as an outfielder and pitcher for The Fighters. With an American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2018 under his belt, the powerful player has taken the baseball world by storm with his charismatic personality and powerful playing style. Ohtani has hit 34 home runs and 160 hits in 2022 alone, making him the first MLB runner to register 30 home runs and 10 wins as a pitcher in the league. Ohtani was then awarded MVP for the year, and deservingly so.

Japan is the only team to conquer multiple championships, with the 2023 WBC win alone marking the team’s third win in the competition overall. The close team members on Japan will be splitting their ways after the WBC, with Ohtani returning to the Angels, other players returning back to the major league camps, and some leaving to showcase their talent on the international stage. However, everything they accomplished in WBC will stay with them for the rest of the baseball season until they return again to defend their title in 2026.

Silicon Valley Bank seized after financial collapse

On the morning of March 11, 2023, the worst banking collapse since the financial crisis of 2008 occurred in Central California. The Silicon Valley Bank, which had relied heavily on uninsured deposits, failed and was seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The bank, known for aiding start-up projects, had grown into the 16th largest bank in the United States before it collapsed.

While some people cling to hope that this is a one-off incident, many others fear that the sudden collapse is a sign of more economic trouble. The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates in order to offset the effects of inflation, and the bank’s total losses grew with the rising interest rate. According to the Financial Times, fear that other banks might also be foreclosed led to the halt of stock trading.

However, some analysts remain optimistic that the economy will be able to recover from the foreclosure of the Silicon Valley Bank. “I don’t think this is 2008, but an important

reminder that banks heavily reliant on uninsured deposits can be subject to bank runs [and] financial assets, even supposedly safe Treasury securities, lose value when interest rates rise.” said Sheila Bair, who ran the FDIC during the crisis. According to Blair, the failure is a sign that banks rely too much on financial assets that lose value with rising interest rates. However, since it was discovered the bank’s heavy reliance on uninsured deposits made it unstable, other banks could have the opportunity to make amends and decrease their chances of collapse.

The Silicon Valley Bank was acquired by First Citizens Bank on March 27, due to its foreclosure. The bank’s total net worth in loans and deposits was approximately $130 billion; roughly $90 million will remain in control of the FDIC. The bank had roughly $175 billion in deposits alone before it collapsed, which shows the vast scale of withdrawals that occurred within the bank before it was seized by regulators. Overall, it is estimated that the cost of the failure will be around $20 billion.

Ventura County plans to improve and expand fairgrounds

In late Feb. 2023, a deal was made by a private company known as Pacific Sports Group (PSG) with the Ventura County Fairgrounds. In this deal, PSG obtained exclusive rights to set forth a proposal for a large developmental project in the fairgrounds. In this proposal, PSG plans to rebuild and expand the fairgrounds and add a large minor-league baseball stadium with additional infrastructure. Additionally, PSG intends to build a strip mall filled with some oceanfront restaurants and new buildings to attract many people to the fairground area from far and wide.

The cost of building this additional infrastructure is enormous, and the PSG isn’t going to pay the whole 318 million dollar bill. Per their deal, they will only “account for nearly 70 percent of annual revenues and 50% of annual expenses for the Fairgrounds” (page 22), but they fail to clarify who would cover the remaining expenses.

Furthermore, PSG was also planning on adding many structures and features on the land that is already a part of the Ventura fairgrounds. These additions may include conventional halls, office spaces, more parking spaces, a players club, and a transit center. On top of that, the current rodeo arena will also be increased by approximately 25 percent, and the addition of a fairground headquarters will be included.

This plan will draw more people to Ventura, and the increased foot traffic and cars would lead to restricted beach access and

parking for locals. During the Ventura County Fair every August, public beach blocked for two weeks. Now that there will regularly be large events held at the stadium, beach parking will likely be closed while these events are being held. This will also lead to larger crowds and lines at the beach and more traffic while driving in Ventura. Surfers will experience crowded lineups along the sand, and bikers cruising down the promenade will stop for crowds. Even while driving through the area, people will most likely face traffic during events. The stadium proposal entailed a lengthy 25-page presentation summarizing the proposal prepared by PSG outlining some history of the fairgrounds along with the company’s new ideas for the land. This included building some oceanfront restaurants and new buildings to attract many people to the fairground area from far and wide. However, the building would hurt existing local businesses since the new ones are often subsidized, leaving the existing establishments to compete against the new ones the government chose as winners.

Further, regarding developing new infrastructure, developers claimed that the project would expand and renovate older aspects of the classic fairground. Initiating this plan would heavily intervene in the fairgrounds.

Taylor Gibson Editorial Editor Melissa Geher

Kira Ivarsdottir Front Cover Editor Gwen McCarthy Staff Writer

Strikeout - Shohei Ohtani strikes out Mike Trout, and takes home his third World Baseball Classic championship. “I believe this is the best moment in my life,” Ohtani said. Photo Courtesy of TSN

Jack Ranney Staff Writer

Plummeting - The sudden failure of the Silicon Valley Bank sent shockwaves throughout the economy, and will likely serve as a cautionary tale for other banks. Photo Courtesy of Alarabiya News

Melissa Geher/Prowler

Man shot dead in Oxnard police involved shooting

Nikhil Satyagal Staff Writer

On Sunday, March 12, 60-year-old Adam Barcenas died in an officer-involved shooting in Oxnard. At around 6:00 a.m., officers were conducting a DUI investigation when Barcenas, who was not part of the investigation, advanced on the officers with a 5-foot-long steel bar.

In a bodycam video released by the Oxnard Police Department, the attacker is shown screaming “I hate pigs” while charging at the three officers on site. Officers Alexus Santos and Bryce Parker drew their tasers, while Officer Shayn Schwartz drew his firearm and fired four shots at Barcenas, according to an Oxnard Police Department release. Santos fired her taser, but it did not penetrate Barcenas' skin.

The officers administered first aid on Barcenas until paramedics arrived on scene, after which he was rushed to Ventura County Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 8:30 a.m.

All three officers involved in the incident have been placed on paid administrative leave, a standard procedure for

officer involved shootings. In the case of fatal officer-involved events, the department runs three separate investigations. In a news release on the incident, Oxnard Police Chief Jason Benites, commented on this procedure. “First, the Oxnard Police Department’s Major Crimes Investigations Unit conducts a thorough investigation of the entire incident. Once completed, this investigation will be submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for legal review, ” Benites said. Benites also describes the second and third procedures, which are an administrative investigation into the officers' actions by the Professional Standards Division and an investigation to determine whether the use of force would be classified as justifiable homicide by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

The three officers, who have been working for the Oxnard Police Department and other police departments from at least 2020, have not previously been involved in a shooting incident.

UFO’s fly into sight, raising suspicion among citizens in the U.S.

Gwen McCarthy Staff Writer

The Pentagon's new office for investigating potential Unidentified Flying Objects, have recently received over hundreds of reports in 2022. Although many of these objects can be explained a good portion remains a puzzle.

In the summer of June 2021, an early report released a list of 144 reports of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena sightings, over a 17 year period. Officials believe the cause of the rise in UAP, reports are due to “U.S. government efforts.” Many of these objects in the air were found to be balloons. According to NPR, Out of the 366 reports, only 195 of these objects were found to be unremarkable characteristics. 163 were found to be balloons and 26 were found to be various types of drones. Another six reports were attributed to clutter.

So far there have been no sightings of potential “alien” life. The All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office investigates Unidentified Flying Objects. UAP reports were recently expanded to include air and sea phenomena as well. According to NPR, the UAP reports were expanded to include, “objects

or devices that are observed to transition between space and the atmosphere, or between the atmosphere and bodies of water, that are not immediately identifiable.”

In some recent years a retired U.S. Navy fighter pilot Alex Dietrich described seeing a highly unusual object off the coast of Southern California in 2004 after one of his colleagues spotted something in the water below them. The colleague described this object as roundish, oval-shaped and didn’t have any apparent flight control surfaces. This object was also described as bouncing around and changing course very quickly in a way the fighter pilots would not be able to maneuver their aircraft or even keep up with the one they saw.

Ronald Moultrie, an American intelligence official serving as the undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, believes there is no current sign of life. “We have not seen anything that would lead us to believe that any of the objects we have seen are of alien origin,” Moultrie said.

Tragedy - On March 12, 60-year-old Adam Barcenas was killed in an officer involved shooting. The shooting occurred in Oxnard while the three involved police officers were conducting a traffic stop. The three involved officers have since been placed on paid leave and an investigation into the incident is ongoing. Photo courtesy of Oxnard Police Department

The faults of tipping culture

These days no matter where you go, you’re asked to tip the workers. It used to just be for servers at restaurants, but now it’s for baristas at Starbucks, too. With the recent financial tensions experienced by average Americans, people are asking how much we should really be tipping, and why we became used to the practice in the first place.

Back in the mid 1800s, rich Americans were traveling to Europe, where tipping culture was huge. When they came back, they tipped workers to get better service. After restaurants started looking to cut costs, they caught wind of tipping, and used it as an excuse to pay their employees less. Soon after that, gratuity became a fee whenever you dine out.

Tipping is normal now, but it didn’t always work that way. There used to be resistance to tipping in the U.S. because people thought they were paying for the same thing twice. Nowadays, tips aren’t just extra money for servers. In 1966, congress set the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers at only $2.13 an hour, leaving servers dependent on their customers. However, most people tip based on the social norm of 20%, and not based on service quality. Ideally, employees would rely on their employer for a living wage, not the diners. Even though it is rude for you to not tip a server, the system that made it that way should be changed.

At Starbucks, you’re asked to tip. The

choice is yours, yet so many people act like it is not. A TikTok trend in December of 2022 had users making fun of baristas all because the point-of-sale terminal automatically asked if they wanted to tip. It was easy for people to become hyperbolic, claiming that baristas were entitled, especially because Starbucks drinks are already expensive. Eventually, in the eyes of many people, baristas aren’t service employees, they are ungrateful, selfish, and undeserving of financial help. Furthermore, many people can not afford to tip, likely because they themselves do not have a livable wage.

Capitalism is the reason for why tipping still exists. Instead of the current system of tipping, restaurants could raise the prices of their food and pay their servers a normal (and better yet, livable) hourly wage. There are even some restaurants that don’t accept tips, and choose to take responsibility for their servers’ income.

The general population has become delusional. We have lost sight of the reason that tipping sucks. The baristas and servers aren’t in charge of designing the receipt that asks for a tip, nor are they responsible for the POS terminal suggesting that you leave extra money. It’s the delegators at corporations that cut corners, even when it comes at the cost of their workers and customer’s happiness. In the case of tipping culture, it is our job as consumers to hate tipping, not the people who are just doing their job.

The 95th Oscars had some surprising winners

I am not an expert on movies, but I do enjoy watching them. I enjoy the drama, costumes and emotional lines that make movies memorable, and I especially enjoy the movies I love getting recognition at the esteemed award show, the Oscars. The 95th Oscars took place on March 12, and after years of obsessively watching the show, I can confidently say that this year had some of the most unexpected wins (and loses) that I have seen.

It was a good year for movies. “Everything Everywhere All At Once” (EEAAO) won seven out of eleven times this year, making the film the most awarded film of all time, with over a hundred awards across every award show.

I loved EEAAO. I found it to be incredible, with an emotional plot so deep it took the viewer a while to catch on, and I’m not shocked with how much well deserved praise it got.

Michelle Yeoh won the award for “Best Actress,” which was not shocking nor undeserved, and there were other awards, like “Best Original Screenplay” that I couldn’t imagine going to any other movie. Despite my love for the movie, there was one particular award that I didn’t agree with.

For the Best Actress in a Supporting Role award, Angela Bassett from “Wakanda Forever,” was predicted to win, but ultimately lost to Jamie Lee Curtis from EEAAO. As mentioned, I loved EEAAO, and I loved Jamie Lee Curtis in that movie, but I felt that Stephanie Hsu from the same movie should have won instead. Curtis, at least in my opinion, did not have a significant enough role in that movie to really even be considered a supporting actress. She’s a fantastic actor, but there were so many other movies from the past that she should’ve been considered for. I also didn’t feel that Bassett should have gotten the award, but frankly, I am biased because I was horrifically disappointed by “Wakanda Forever,” as it was, for lack of a better word, weird and underwhelming.

“Elvis” didn’t win once. Not once. The movie itself was good, but Austin Butler, the lead actor, was incredible. He was so incredible that I would have liked to have seen him win Best Actor

over Brendan Fraiser from “The Whale,” since I think the role of Elvis was likely much more difficult, and he blew it out of the water.

One movie that also didn’t win at all was “The Fablemans,” and while this might be controversial, I am not mad. I am surprised, as Steven Spielberg is, well, iconic, but the movie was subpar. It’s a true story about his life, but I felt it highlighted far too little of his journey to being a director and far more about his mother cheating on his father, which while tragic, felt irrelevant. The bits and pieces he picked to showcase about his life just seemed disconnected from his legacy as an incredible director, and the parts I did like weren’t expanded upon. When asked about how I felt about that movie, I like to say that “the movie started with him wanting to be a director and ended with him still wanting to be a director.”

So yes, I am happy it didn’t win. I love Spielberg, but this wasn’t his best work.

Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” won Best Animated Film, and although it was not my pick (“Turning Red” was), it was a fabulous movie with incredible clay animation, so it’s understandable. The animated short, “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and The Horse” won Best Animated Short Film, which almost had me in tears. The children’s book was such an emotional take on how to be yourself, and I grew up crying over the gorgeous drawings by Charlie Mackesy, so to have seen it win an award was so touching.

When Ke Huy Quan won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role award for EEAAO, it was by far the happiest moment of the night. This award was presented at the beginning of the night, but it was the pinnacle moment. I think most can agree, whether they liked the movie or not, that he deserves the world and seeing him win an Oscar after decades of not acting was just what the audience needed to start the show out.

It was a good movie year as I mentioned, and I’m excited to see what the next year will bring, and which movie will be the new “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”

To Be Perfectly Imperfect

It’s a cheesy cliche to say “everybody is perfect in their own way,” and in my honest opinion, that’s not true. My entire life, I thought my sister was perfect, but she’s not. It was only about two years ago that I came to this realization. She was always the golden child. She followed the rules, had lots of friends and was good in school. She went to Cuba to play softball, she was in the newspaper, she was on the teen city council and even has a plaque in our middle school principal’s office for winning class president. Growing up, I didn’t know if I wanted to mirror her every move or become the very opposite of her.

In my mother’s words, I’m a handful and an actual pain. I am not the perfect child, and to be completely honest, after a certain point, I didn’t want to be. I tried to be just like my sister: I ran for class president, I played three sports at once and I got straight A’s all three years of middle school. Yet nothing changed, and I found myself still just below my sister. Just a little less worth, just still not enough. After all my effort at trying to be perfect, I became the polar opposite of my sister. Maybe I took that too far considering I’m gay, but I mean complete and utter opposites. I know I make life difficult for my parents much of the time, I pierce myself, I’m barely ever home, I go out places I didn’t know existed with people I don’t know the names of. I became a problem child because society sets an image of perfection in a child’s mind and when that ideal is not reached, it makes it difficult for us to amount to anything when we are forced to build our self worth from scratch.

I wouldn’t like to think of myself as perfect. I have many flaws… the way I talk, stand, and walk. I put too much trust into people and I’m bad at giving space. I wasn’t confident and I was so focused on the miniscule factors of my life. I realized that I had to let go of the mindset I had been stuck in for so many years in order to appreciate who I was and improve myself without the drive to be deemed worthy in the eyes of others. It took me losing trust in about six family members, breaking up with my partner of about a year and a half and coming to terms with the fact that I only had one actual friend to realize my self worth.

Nothing is perfect, and to create the illusion that such an ideal could exist, is a misconception because “perfection” in its simplest form is impossible to achieve. There will always be someone or something “better”, whether that’s in school, sports, family, or jobs. We focus so much on comparing ourselves to the people around us because competition is what our society is built on. It is dangerous, and when we don’t understand where the line is we let this competitive idea of losing consume us.

In society today, the idea of something being perfect is deceiving. Most people don’t understand that without flaws, there is no individuality. It is our flaws that make us unique, they make us equal because everybody has one. Humans were made to be imperfect inherently. To believe in a perfect human would be delusional, because if anyone was perfect, they wouldn’t be human at all.

Parker Bohl/Prowler

Nathan Fox Staff Writer

Kai Mekari Graphic Artist

Shana Blair/Prowler

Téa Sklar Managing Editor

Téa Sklar/Prowler

Bail should be based on crimes

Dylan Kaseno Features Editor

The bail fairness has often been a trait Americans work for and, in some regards, have been praised for, but that is far from reality. There are many problems with our government, but one that never ceases to amaze me is the flaws within our justice system. One issue I’ve found to be especially frustrating is bail. Bail should be based on the weight of one’s crimes, not based on the weight of one’s bank account.

For example, former Hidden Hills socialite Rebecca Grossman was arrested for the fatal hit-and-run of two children in Sept. 2020. Despite the fact that the crime occurred almost three years ago, the trial is still ongoing, having been postponed. Grossman is immensely wealthy, which allows her to pay bail and avoid jail until a verdict is reached. Which, in all honesty, is disgusting and does not speak about the justice that should be served, or at least evaluated for.

Fortunately, California is working on improving some bail issues, but their improvements are not complete yet. On Aug. 26, 2022, the California Senate introduced and approved Senate Bill 262, passing certain bail reformations. It states that all misdemeanor and felony crimes will have a zero-dollar bail with a few exceptions. But, that still doesn’t change the fact that rich people who commit high-level crimes can still sleep in their warm beds at night while waiting for their trial’s conclusion, especially when they undoubtedly committed the crime they are being tried for.

In the past, it was always so frustrating to see people be stuck in jail for low-level crimes. They are jailed until their trial, sometimes even if

they’re innocent. But then the rich commit high-level crimes and can stay up to a few years out of jail until their trial is completed. On the other hand, some say when people cannot pay bail, resulting in them to stay in jail, makes the community safer. But keeping the “criminals” behind bars doesn’t work when the justice system is inherently flawed. There are biases ingrained in the system that makes serving actual justice consistently inaccurate. Locking people up doesn’t solve the problem when there is a bigger root problem, such as economic pressure,rising rent and stagnant pay.

In a perfect world, the system would go as follows: low-level crimes would warrant the suspect options for bail until their trial, unless necessary due to additional circumstances like connections to other crimes. While for high-level crimes, there would be bail based case-tocase. Sometimes there are crimes where the suspect is not as clear, and in that case, it wouldn’t be just to keep them in jail, which would prevent a random person from being pulled out of nowhere to be the suspect. But, people who are more clearly suspected of the crime should not be granted that option.

As our country develops and we refine its older systems, it’s critical to make sure we make changes that benefit our country equally. Making the system that holds the country’s citizens accountable must be a top priority; people who kill two children shouldn’t be able to sleep in their mansion at night. If we do not continue to make changes, these injustices will continue to occur.

Kai Mekari/Prowler

The Oscars devalue animation

Every year since 2002, the Academy Awards have recognized animation in a separate category, beginning with “Shrek” in 2002, all the way to this year’s ceremony where Guillermo Del Toro’s “Pinocchio” took home the little gold statuette. In his acceptance speech, Del Toro said something the academy seems to disagree with; “Animation is cinema. Animation is not a genre.”

When a film is decided to be potentially one of the best of its year, it is inherently exceptional in one or more of the categories the academy recognizes, often having an excellent screenplay, the best directing, amazing acting and great cinematography. However, animated films rarely, if ever, get nominated for anything other than “Best Original Song” and “Best Animated Feature.”

Hayao Miyazaki is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers alive and has never received a nomination for “Best Director.”The academy looks down on animation and has effectively removed all animated features from the “Best Picture” conversation by sticking it in its own category. The academy is so blind to the pure passion and limitless potential of animation that in 2004 they nominated “Shark Tale.”

In the 95 years the Oscars have been venerating films, a few moments stand out in regard to animation. During the 1939 Oscars ceremony, Walt Disney was presented with a special award for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” in 1992 “Beauty and the Beast” was nominated for best picture, then “Up” in 2009 and “Toy Story 3” in 2010. Now, a few (mostly Disney) movies won “Best Original Song” in the 90s up to today,- but the fact remains that in nearly one hundred years of awards ceremonies not a single animated film has ever received “Best Picture.” This is partially due to the creation of the “Best Animated Feature” category introduced in 2002 with “Shrek” as the first winner.

In a world where bland movies reign supreme and streaming services rush to churn out repetitive takes on the same four or five intellectual properties, the inherent inventiveness of stop motion or the meticulous care visible in hand drawn images has the power to remind audiences that cinema should say something about life. Animation is not a genre. It is a medium, powerful and limitless. It is cinema.

Bite the hand that feeds: Tucker Carlson edition

No matter where you look on the political spectrum, extreme views are easy to find. Social media echo chambers are nothing new. But it is unusual for the White House to call any one specific person uncredible, but it did just that on Mar 8th, when press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre condemned Tucker Carlson’s cherrypicked coverage of the Jan. 6th insurrection.

The most notable thing that Tucker Carlson does is commentate on far-right politics, and bring them into the mainstream through dog whistle arguments. His show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight” started airing in 2016 on Fox News, and since then, his influence in conservative communities has increased exponentially. Carlson is great at manufacturing a fear that his viewers are addicted to.

Many public figures, like former President Donald Trump have had a history of expressing their love for “Tucker Carlson Tonight”. That is not unusual in any sense, but it is rare for a mainstream political commentator to be praised by someone like David Duke, a former Klu Klux Klan (KKK) leader. According to an episode of Duke’s podcast, Carlson has started to promote white supremacist rhetoric, including the “great replacement”

Hayden Meixner Backcover Editor

From the outside, Mai Thai Kitchen, located on Michael Road doesn’t look like much but customers will quickly learn not to judge a book by its cover. I decided to order dinner to pick up and quickly forgot about the underwhelming exterior as the customer service was quick and the employees were friendly. My order consisted of Pad Thai, Pineapple Fried Rice, Chicken Curry, a Beef dish and white rice. Though its food was superb, it was slightly pricey for takeout as it cost a little over 70 dollars to feed my family of four. My personal favorite was the Pad Thai, a basic staple that cannot be overlooked. The Pad Thai has great flavor and I found myself going for seconds and thirds. Additionally, the Spring Rolls were not to be forgotten. It was

conspiracy theory. This theory claims that the Democratic party, in Carlson’s words, “[Is conducting] the replacement of legacy Americans with more obedient people from faraway countries.” While there is no valid proof of this theory, it is a major reason why so many conservatives who would not identify themselves as a white supremacist watch “Tucker Carlson Tonight’’. Carlson has denied being a white supremacist, but in his eyes everything he says is true, so he isn’t a white supremacist.

Carlson is talented at wording his arguments in a way that protects his intentions. He can allude to a far-right, KKK level conspiracy theory without his audience hearing it as racist, and leaves them with no doubts that what he is saying is true. While Carlson insults the sheep of the left, he actively places himself on a pedestal that creates its own herd of sheep. He tells his viewers to bite the hand that feeds when Joe Biden is president, when in actuality they should be biting Carlson’s hand. It’s about time that both sides, left and right, begin to leave their dopamine echo chambers of “people who think differently than me are automatically evil” and instead listen to the other side carefully.

crunchy on the outside and provided a soft inside with delicious noodles. The dipping sauce provided for the Spring Rolls was a classic but done right, I also enjoyed putting it on the white rice. I also enjoyed the chicken curry, it provided a savory pop amongst the sweeter Egg Rolls and Pad Thai. Continuing on, the Pineapple Fried Rice sounded weird to begin with but I was quickly proven wrong. The sweet fruit mixed with the savory rice complimented each other perfectly and made the meal complete. Overall, my experience eating Mai Thai Kitchen was a positive one, despite the fact that it may have been overlooked if not suggested to me first. I would return for another meal as the perfect spot to add to your take out rotation.

Parker Bohl Chief Photographer

Kai Mekari/Prowler

Shana Blair/Prowler

Kai Mekari/Prowler

Audiences fall in love with the production, “Almost, Maine”

Hayden Meixner Back Cover Editor

Jenna Kupetsky, junior, played Glory in the play and felt that the “Almost Maine ‘’ was a unique production, creating a sharp contrast to the extravagant musical “Mamma Mia!” that was performed this past fall. “[The play] portrays human life, just day to day life, and it doesn’t really feel all superficial,” Kupetsky said. Kupetsky was excited to perform, “And I’m just really happy and excited to see all of our work kind of coming to fruition” Kupetsky said.

Kaely McCurdy, senior, stage managed and acted in the production. There are many duties involved in each job for McCurdy, including memorizing many lines of dialogue for the scene. “We tell all the actors and the technicians when to go, when to move and how to get items on and off. We just, really organize things backstage,” McCurdy said. McCurdy played Marvelyn in the play, a character who comes across a man in the laundry room of the boarding house she is staying in.

Break a leg - Ariela Behar, Alex Latham, Gracen Mechling, Elizabeth Bond and Evan Sussman perform together in the play, “Almost, Maine.” “It was an amazing experience! The entire cast and crew made the production a family atmosphere. Not to mention we had the best director anyone could ask for. It was such an amazing thing to see all of the hours we put in really pay off! It was an experience I will never forget and that I will always reminisce on,” Mechling said. Parker Bohl/Prowler

Marvelyn accidentally hits him in the head with the ironing board, setting off a conversion and revealing that the man has a rare peculiarity: he can’t feel pain.

“There’s not a good ending to many of the scenes, I think that’s supposed to be the point. So going in, we want the audience to be able to see themselves in the people up on stage,” McCurdy said.

Sylvia Key, senior and head stage manager, led the department of over 50 to a successful run of “Almost, Maine.” “My favorite part about the job is seeing the final result because you work so hard on a show for three months, and then you finally get to see it all come together,” Key said. Key’s hard work as head stage manager ensured that each part of the production was pulled off seamlessly. “ I was surprised how smooth it went, especially because we added so many new elements just the day before,” Key said. Key’s work ensured that the five performances of “Almost, Maine” went off without a flaw.

With five shows in total, the theater department wrapped up its year of mainstage productions with a unique play that transported its audience to the town of Almost, Maine. “It feels like you’re getting a peek into someone’s genuine life. It doesn’t feel like it’s all made up or that it’s unrealistic,” Kupetsky said.

NPHS’ Model UN heads to University of Southern California conference

On March 23, the NPHS Model United Nations team participated at a conference at USC. The club goes to these conferences with each team member taking on the perspective of a different nation. At these events, students discuss international affairs, social issues, economics and other topics, trying to find solutions to these problems.

Jason Jimenez, senior and treasurer of the Model UN club, illustrated the many various topics that the team must prepare to approach at their conferences. “There’s a bunch of other students from a bunch of different high schools and they all congregate and discuss multiple issues of global importance such as nuclear weapons, social security. We’ve even done like humanitarian stuff like what to do with art that has been lost

in war,” Jimenez said.

While some members join the club just for fun, Lily Kang, junior and vice president of the Model UN club, discussed the cutthroat mindset of some other delegates. “Model UN is a very competitive field by nature. So, we had to do a lot of research and to not get stepped on by other delegates and nations,” Kang said. “There was definitely a lot of inequality that happened during the conference and a lot of bullies. So, if you want to prevent yourself from getting bullied, I suggest doing a lot of research and having the most knowledge in the topics in the whole room.”

Jackson Rippon, junior and member of the Model UN club, explained how beneficial the program is to gaining knowledge

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outside the classroom. “It definitely helps us understand our own country as other people are probably representing our country,” Rippon said. “It helps us understand our foreign policy and the way in which different countries work with each other to try and resolve their issues. So it’s important for citizens to understand what’s going on behind the scenes and compare that to what’s actually being published.”

No matter the reason students join the Model UN club, diplomacy is key. “Diplomacy is one of the biggest components that is important,” Jimenez said. “You learn how to understand [other members’] point of views and respond to that which is not central to you only as a student, but pretty much the rest of your life.”

This past weekend, the NPHS theater department finished the year strong with a successful run of the anthology play, “Almost, Maine.” The spring play featured several mini scenes, each with a completely different set, situation and characters, working together to expose the beautiful and harsh realities of falling in and out of love.

Businesses Overview

NPHS is filled with many student entrepreneurs whose business range from a diverse set of topics, from clothes to cookies, or designs to delectables, these students not only have managed to turn their passions into profit, but also learned how to market, sell, and ship their respective products in this great era of the internet.

Lex and Leo Young, seniors, both are known worldwide as some of the best cross country runners, and used their fanbase as a launching pad for their clothing brand, “We had somewhat of a following in the running world. It’s just about spreading our message, we want more people to be wearing the “RunFast” stuff, because we think it supports a positive culture and running,” Young said. The Youngs sell apparel ranging from baseball caps, hoodies, and crewnecks, to even including stickers in their catalog of merch on their website.

After the long run, you can reward yourself with a delicious treat made by Veronica Texidor, senior, and her company “thatboricuabaker”, which specializes in baking American and Puerto Rican desserts. “The business enabled me to learn more about baking,” Texidor said. “So I typically make American and Puerto Rican desserts and I sell them to close friends and family and just anyone that wants to order.” Customers who wish to buy Texidor’s desserts can order them on her instagram where she primarily platforms her business.

Yet another business, D D’s delectable delights that makes numerous different baked treats is owned by Daniela Palomino, senior. Her business is relatively successful and she sells her products quite frequently. “It has a constant form of income coming in and holidays push the income as that is the popular time of cookie buying,” Palomino said.

Finally, Jillian Abbott-Gonzalez, junior, leads a jewelry company “Jewls by Jill” with a mission to help victims of abuse, “I make bracelets for the [The Family Justice] children who are survivors who have dealt with any type of abuse. I donate one [bracelet] back to the kids and to the adults and it kind of gives them support,” Gonzalez said.

While all these previous student entrepreneurs have sold real life items, Brody Wrishts, freshman, sells ones and zeros, as he runs “Drop” an highly successful internationally spanning business creating an online marketplace where 3D designs for video games are sold. “I started my business with an initial investment of a few hundred dollars by paying some developers to make me some assets [3D models] I thought it would be cool for myself and I decided why not sell them and see if I can make some money off of it, and now it runs fully autonomous,” Wrishts said.

Ultimately, even though being an entrepreneur takes a lot of work and dedication, it can also be rewarding not only in a monetary fashion, but in pure enjoyability as well, “For us, it’s about just spreading some fun and positive positivity throughout running,” Young said.

Student entrepreneurs

Brothers - Leo, Nico and Lex Young (from left to right) run Run Fast, a clothing apparel brand centered around runners, using their platform on youtube for promotion. They take pride in seeing people wear their clothes. “I did a lot of track meets. I see many, many people wearing our clothing. I love walking around the track meet and seeing people wearing Run Fast because I think it looks sick, ” Lex said. Lex Young/With Permission

Shine - Jillian Abbot-Gonzalez, junior and owner of Jewls by Jill, did not start her business for monetary reasons, but has since then started to sell her jewelry. “I originally wanted to start my jewelry business because I work for a nonprofit out in Ventura called The Family Justice Center, ” Abbot-Gonzales said. Jilian Abbott-Gonzales/With Permission

Baked goods - Daniela Palomino, senior, owner of D D’s, delectable delights “ I would consider my business to be successful as it has a constant form of income coming in and holidays push the income as that is my most popular time of cookie buying,” Palomino said.

Daniella Palomino/With Permission

Love Cake - Veronica Texidor, senior, has been running “thatboricuabaker” since the beginning of quarantine and continues to share her baked goods with the citizens of Newbury Park. “So I make typically American and Puerto Rican desserts and I sell them to close friends and family and just anyone that wants to order,” Texidor said. Veronica Texidor/With Permission

3D - Brody Wrishts, freshman, runs “Drop”, which is a digital marketplace that sells 3D models for video games. Wrishts believes that hard work and dedication will help one reach their goals. “I think putting in as much work as you can and really pursuing your topic can really help you become a master at it” Wrishts said. Brody Wrishts/With Permission

Kira Ivarsdottir Front Cover Editor Brody Sinutko Staff Writer

All Graphics done by Emerson

Social Media

One of the largest components to a successful business, especially during a time so heavily influenced by online culture, is social media.

Along with building clientele, social media such as Instagram can help spread news of products through word of mouth, or in this case; internet waves. Daniela Palomino, senior and owner of D D’s Delectable Delights, finds social media to be her main source of advertisement. “It spreads the work and helps people from school spread the word [so they can] swipe up and DM me,” Palomino said. Palomino utilizes popular apps as well as an email in order to increase communication between her and customers. “The social media platform that I use is instagram and I have google forms connected to this so anyone that comes across my account can order and I would get notified,” Palomino said.

For students such as Veronica Texidor, senior and owner of thatboricuabaker, internet attention is key to a successful business as it aids in building a business model for potential customers. “So if I put it on stickers, like on boxes for my packaging so people can look them up, look it up and see my Instagram and then that becomes kind of like you know, like a portfolio of everything that I’ve made and it kind of gives me some sort of reputation I guess like everything that I make turns out like this and this is how I made it,’’ Texidor said. After starting her shop in 2020, Texidor found that Instagram allowed her the space to showcase the process of bringing baked goods from the kitchen to the seller. “I guess that kind of keeps my followers like they’re like I’m not just you know, posting the result. Like through here it’s [good to] share your process. You’d like to get more people who want to buy baked goods from you, so I want to compile

everything that I’ve made into one space,” Texidor said. While social media helps spread the word on products such as baked goods and jewelry, the internet is a great place to start to build your own brand as yourself. Lex Young, senior, builds his brand as a track and field runner by promoting running products while spreading the culture of fitness. “It’s all possible because we have a following on social media. If you don’t have a following on social media it’d just be a website that you’d randomly find and not really want to buy. People buy it because they connect to us on our YouTube channel on our Instagrams,” Young said. By using apps such as Tik Tok and YouTube, Young showcases new products in order to influence viewers to buy similar products. “I’ll put a little reel of the shots that we got of us wearing it to show people how sick it looks. On Instagram, well, we have an Instagram account for it and we will post, we’ll repost it and you know, we’ll tell people when new stuff is dropping,” Young said.

Brody Wrishts, freshman, utilizes tools of the internet to help sell 3D assets, or online models for video games. “Social media is definitely a big key factor in [spreading the word] to people who are just outside of our Niche but are maybe that will maybe be interested in joining it once they see the different things and products that we have available,” Wrishts said. Finding the right customers to sell to encases a large part of what Wrishts does on social media. “Once you have this target audience they’ll most likely stay with you if you’re providing the services and the products that they’re most interested in and finding the right people to purchase your product [involves taking] risks,” Wrishts said.

For students who think they may want to start a business, Ryan Thompson, business teacher at NPHS, suggests just doing it. “Kids in general have nothing to lose, there’s no risk involved, ” Thompson said. However, the younger age also brings about less experience. “Kids need to find a mentor, someone who will give them the honest truth, not just tell them they’re doing a good job but say, ‘Hey this product or idea it sucks you should do something different.’” Thompson said. To those looking to use social media as a means to advertise and spread their business, slow growth on these platforms can serve as a major obstacle.

Veronica Texidor, owner of “thatboricuabaker,” believes that to overcome this hurdle, consistency is key. “Post whenever you can and whenever you remember, because even though you might think, ‘Oh, it’s just one post, it’s gonna get three likes,’ as long as you build up that portfolio people have more reference to things that you’ve done and they trust you more and buy products,” Texidor said.

To these prospective entrepreneurs, beyond having a slow growing social media, slow business in general can be incredibly discouraging, but Lex Young, cofounder of “RunFast,” thinks that stopping or giving up can be the downfall of a business. “You have to be committed to it. If you want to build the brand, you have to keep it going, ” Young said. “You have to keep the posts going and keep the products coming.”Time management is one of the most important skills in ensuring the success of your business.

Daniela Palomino, owner of “D D’s delectable delights” says that managing your time is essential to success. “Make sure to be organized and to manage your time wisely and make

sure you are making enough revenue for the hours put in so that you make sure what you’re marketing is worth your time, ” said Palomino.

Beyond knowing the worth of your time, knowing the monetary worth of your product is also important as to not undervalue yourself. “Don’t be afraid to charge what you should be compensated. At the beginning I would charge people super low for the work that I did and it really wasn’t enough to cover the ingredients, the hours of work that I put in, ” Texidor said. “So definitely don’t be afraid of maybe overcharging a little bit because you do still need to make a profit and feel that you’re compensated for what you’re doing.”

Another pitfall of many people starting businesses is underestimating the undertaking that it will be. Brody Wrishts, owner of “Drop,” advises anyone who wishes to start a business to put in the work to meet this challenge. “If you don’t try hard or you just think it’ll just come easy then you’re going to get nowhere and just I think putting in like as much work as you can and really like pursuing your topic can really help you become a master at it and develop something, ” Wrishts said.

To students who want to know more about the process of starting and running a business, Mr. Thompson’s class, entrepreneurship, is also available. “The class isn’t like a typical elective, it’s more project-based. You learn about marketing and you really have free range kind of do what you want to do as long as you meet certain criteria, ” Thompson said.

Emerson Fuentes Alabanza

1

Student

Kieran McCormick/Junior

What animal did St. Patrick drive out of Ireland according to Irish folklore?

McCormick: Sheep

Pensivy: Pigs

A: Snakes

0-0

Ssseems like they need to brush up on their old Ireland knowledge.

2

What 90’s artist released the song “Gettin’ Jiggy With It”?

McCormick: Actually no idea :)

Pensivy: Ice Cube

A: Will Smith

0-0

These answers are like a slap in the face.

3

What is Kelvin used to measure?

McCormick: I hate chem

Pensivy: Liquid

A: Temperature

0-0

They’re getting colder.

4

Two tools are featured on the former soviet union’s flag. What are they?

McCormick: Hammer and Sharp Crop thing

Pensivy: Hammer and Axe

A: Hammer and sickle

1-1 Comrade-ical!

5

What is the title of the “Friends” theme song?

McCormick: I’ll Be There For You

Pensivy: Friends Theme Song

A: I’ll Be There For You

2-1

No one told Pensivy life was gonna be this way.

Cameron Winick Staff Writer

McCormick Wins! 4-3

Paige Pensivy/Wellness Center

6

For what movie did Brendan Fraser win his first Oscar?

McCormick: The Whale

Pensivy: N/A

A: The Whale

3-1

McCormick is definitely an advocate for the Brenaissance.

7

Hemophobia is the fear of what?

McCormick: No idea

Pensivy: Blood

A: Blood

3-2

Pensivy must have type A+.

8 What country is home to the world’s largest movie studio?

McCormick: China

Pensivy: India

A: India

3-3

McCormick can say Mumbai-bai to the right answer.

9

Which president was assassinated by failed politician Charles J. Guiteau?

McCormick: Lincoln (I know it’s wrong.)

Pensivy: N/A

A: James Garfield

3-3

They shot themselves in the foot with this one.

10

Cameron Winick/Prowler

What Oscar-nominated film features an animated shark voiced by Jack Black?

McCormick: Shark Tale

Pensivy: Finding Nemo

A: Shark Tale

4-3

Pensivy is fin-ished.

The NPHS Art Gallery evokes emotion and admiration

From March 13 to 16, students from different artistic backgrounds and creative expression outlets demonstrated their works in the NPHS cafeteria. Across all the tables, giant black posters were set up, each one displaying a different student’s art. Filled with friends and family of the artists – or even just art enthusiasts – the annual art gallery made for a beautiful collection of self-expression and deeper meaning by allowing students to embrace their artistic side and share their messages in various ways.

The gallery is made up of AP Photo students, taught by Mr. Lindroth, and AP Studio Art and Art Media students, taught by Ms. Acosta. The gallery also includes students who are not enrolled in NPHS art classes but want to demonstrate their work anyway.

Bilal Merchant, junior, submitted his art gallery pictures from all over the world. His collection of works included photos from Italy, Switzerland, Toronto and his home of Newbury Park. The gallery allowed Merchant to experiment with new styles of photos and use the camera in ways he never had. “I learned how to play with the aperture and exposure to get a photo that fully encompassed what I was looking at,” Merchant said. Not only did Merchant enjoy the creativity within his own showcase, but he values the unique experiences that each individual is able to present and express through their separate artistic ways. “It’s really cool to get together and see other people’s content, their art and their vision. There’s a lot of different avenues where you can take this art and I really enjoy the overall display,” Merchant said.

Hailey Knopp, senior, chose a unique avenue by creating an impactful collection of works that drew attention from the audience. Knopp believes that by having a thematic element of uncomfortability, it evokes a strong emotion that really affects her audience.. She had multiple works but one of the most meaningful pieces to her is the one she named “Subconsciously Lost” where a human figure is shown seated on a train while images of life pass by them. Knopp explained the painting represented a human’s first feelings of consciousness and life as a child. “It’s this feeling of having to cope with growing up and developing all these emotions. Sometimes it’s really hard to regulate all that and sometimes it’s easier to just sit in the comfortableness of childhood. And that’s what the train is,” Knopp said.

Similarly to Merchant’s worldly showcase, Aditi Inamdar, senior, displayed works highlighting Indian culture. “My theme is basically Indian culture and dance so I’ve incorporated colors from Indian culture like bright blues and oranges and greens and yellows,” Inamdar said. Furthermore, Inamdar uses art to express parts of her life that truly define her.

“Dance is such a big part of me, especially Indian classical dance and I thought it would be great to incorporate that into my own art,” Inamdar said.

Ultimately, the art show proved to be a special environment of expression and creativity. The gallery serves as the finale to a year’s work of art. “It’s overall really cool to walk around and see other people’s portfolios and art because we’ve put quite a bit of time and effort into it and it makes it all worth it,” Merchant said.

Nandini Patro DPS Editor

Emotion - Hailey Knopp, senior, evokes emotion through her art showcase, “I do kind of have this thematic element of evoking disturbance and fear because I feel like it just really imprints upon a person,” Knopp said. She enjoys using art as an outlet to make people feel emotions that they wouldn’t normally. Parker Bohl/Prowler

“The Last of Us” has an outbreak of success

Ariela Behar Entertainment Editor

What was once streaming on video game platforms like Twitch is now streaming on HBO as a worldwide adapted hit, “The Last of Us,” has infected everyone who’s seen it with a guaranteed obsession. Starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, the story follows the pair as they travel across the country to find a cure, thanks to Ellie’s immunity, for the zombie-apocalypse world they live in. The journey is perilous as they come across “the infected,” raiders, F.E.D.R.A. (The Federal Disaster Response Agency) and other unimaginable fates.

Characterwise, both Pascal and Ramsey have the audiences in the palm of their hands. Pascal, the fandom agrees, was perfectly cast as Joel Miller. Those who have played or seen play-throughs of the video game were fully aware of the lifealtering trauma that Joel goes through in the prologue of the apocalypse, yet no one could anticipate just how deeply Pascal would make fans relive their heartbreak. Off-screen, Pascal is a jubilant, charming character, which makes his portrayal of Joel all the more jarring. While people have had

mixed opinions on Ramsey, they are mostly invalid as they’re solely based on how alike she looks to the 3D animated girl she represents. Ramsey is an absolute powerhouse of an actor who is sure to be Hollywood’s next rising star, if she isn’t already.

The show is crafted perfectly to be for long-time fans as well as new audiences. There is an action sequence in the first episode that is nearly shot for shot in comparison to the game. If anything, the scene feels improved with higher stakes in the series. But of course, there are elements very different from the beloved game. Die-hard fans should remember that not everything can remain identical in its television form, and if it was, it would be quite boring to see the same journey scene for scene.

Both critically acclaimed and loved by all who watch, “The Last of Us” is thankfully set up for a second season, surely reflecting the game’s sequel. Viewers should mentally prepare for even more bittersweet moments, gore, heartbreak and screaming at their TV on account of what’s in store for Joel and Ellie.

“Scream VI” does not disapoint as a classic slasher film

On March 10, the highly anticipated “Scream VI” was released into theaters all over America. This satirical slasher film directly lined up with the expectations we had for it.

The “Scream” movies follow a group of friends, Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), Dewey Riley (David Arquette), Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy), Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) and the main character, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and the original Ghostface (Skeet Urich and Matthew Lillard), a man who stalks and stabs his victims. “Scream VI” follows the original Ghostface’s daughter, Samantha Carpenter and her sister Tara Carpenter, (Melissa Berrera and Jenna Ortega) who were being hunted by successors of the original Ghostface (voiced by Roger L. Jackson).

The “Scream” franchise became popular due to its satirical outlook of modern day horror movies. The first movie, released in 1996, consisted of cheesy lines, an abundance of fake blood and a seemingly infinite chase scene. In the new movie, these features have remained prevalent. “Scream” was the most successful slasher movie until 2018, when the first reboot of “Halloween” came out. “Scream VI” is filled with dramatic commentary and more frustratingly, typical dumb actions made by the main characters, which leaves viewers screaming at the screen, begging characters to use common sense and look behind them.

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“Scream VI” is entertaining because it does not take itself seriously. Consisting of ostentatious gore, decent acting from everybody but one police officer [his facial expressions were very funny] and a fourth wall as susceptible to breakage as an iPhone screen, this movie did an exceptional job mocking the standard horror flick. There were many instances of questionable choices made by the characters, choices that had the viewer squirming in their seat, waiting for the repercussions of splitting up in an unfamiliar location when you know there is a very strong, and very determined killer out to get you. Besides that, the viewer might be able to appreciate the on-the-nose irony and the cheesy foreshadowing that makes a slasher film what it is.

“Scream VI” is definitely not your traditional horror movie; it’s a movie that a wider audience can appreciate. It’s a movie you watch with a group of friends on Halloween night when you don’t feel like being left paranoid for days. You might find it frustrating, especially when characters play Ghostface’s game and follow his signature move: answering the phone so he can say he’s either watching you or in your home, or how the characters absolutely do not fight back until the end of the movie, but it’s fun and worth a watch, as long as your expectations aren’t too high.

Téa Sklar Managing Editor Shana Blair Graphic Artist

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“Creed III” continues the Rocky streak

Vincent Bennett Movie Reviewer

Finally! More Creed! The “Rocky” franchise has kept up its 47 year streak of making great, emotional films that inspire and motivate audiences. This film has broken records by having the biggest opening weekend in the sports movie genre and is on track to be the highest grossing sports movie of all, earning $248.1 million with a $75 million budget.

“Creed III,” released on March 3, tells the story of Adonis Creed enjoying retirement from boxing with his family when an old childhood friend comes back into his life to take what he thinks is owed. Without Rocky there to guide him, he must take all matters into his own hands.

We’ve had a rough year for movies so I must say this is the best movie of the year, so far. The passion behind and in front of the camera is unprecedented for this year. This is one of the most impressive directorial debuts I’ve ever seen, executed by Michael B. Jordan who also kept up his iconic role as the lead character, Adonis Creed. He has been vocal on the influence anime has had on him as an artist, and that reveals itself in how the fights are choreographed and filmed, on its fullest display in the final fight.

The story has made people wonder if there are scenes missing as some plot lines don’t have a resolution by the end of the film. I see it as continuing the flow of the “Rocky” films where it’s an overarching story for the characters with each film being the next obstacle for them to get over. I think this is a major piece of what makes the characters in the “Rocky” franchise feel so real.

For Jonathan Majors, lightning can strike twice three months into the year. He has played two iconic villains that are very different and still very menacing. The character of Damian Anderson is a top tier antagonist in the “Rocky” franchise, even though there is heavy competition to be the best among the likes of Apollo Creed and Ivan Drago, but he certainly places among them. I found Majors’ performance to be mesmerizing and any frame with him in it had my full attention trying to solve the riddle of his psyche.

It’s well known that Rocky is not in this film due to a legal battle between Sylvester Stallone and franchise producer Irwin Winkler. Although I’d say the film absolutely works on its own focusing on Adonis, there are a couple scenes where I could feel the lack of Rocky’s presence. Past that minor obstacle when watching the film, I feel like there’s a chunk of material missing from the second to third act, not that it affects the story although there is footage from the trailers that’s not in the film. With that footage in the film, there’d be more time taken to feel the emotions and pressures of the story. I would be very interested in an extended cut of the film, preferably in the form of a director’s cut.

Those slight jabs out of the way, I pretty much loved this film and I can’t wait to revisit it soon and support it. This will age like fine wine as a unique, cathartic edition to one of the greatest film franchises of all time. I’ll confidently say it’s a 4.5/5.

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” lands the plane

Vincent Bennett Movie Reviewer

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” was released on March 17 and tells the story of Billy Batson. He worries if he has to move on from his foster family due to aging out of the foster system. During this turmoil, a trinity of gods come to take back what looks like a mistake in Billy’s past.

This is one of the last movies that will be released in the DCEU (DC Extended Universe) before the big reboot happens under James Gunn and Peter Safran. Because of that, it’s hard for people to care enough to go see this movie, but I think it offers more than just connecting to a story that’s coming to an end as this is a wildly entertaining comic book movie.

The movie currently has a 51% critic score and an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This is interesting as the first “Shazam!” has a 90% critic score but an 82% audience score, and I like this just as much, if not more, than the first one. I don’t understand how the sequel is getting worse reception; it gets the job done at being a fun, escapist time at the movies.

You can tell that the returning cast members are having fun and I couldn’t help having fun too. The action is much bigger in this film than in the first one which is for the better as it brings higher stakes and intrigue to the story progression. The standout is still Zachary Levi chewing up the scenery with his charm and passion. I really liked seeing Rachel Zegler in this after her breakout role as Maria in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” She was very effective in this movie and I’m glad she has a lot of work on the way, according to IMDb.

The VFX, although spotty at times, was very well done and really achieved the escapism that should

always come with these movies. Aside from what the trailer might depict, the movie is pretty funny with most of the humor coming from the situations characters find

What makes movies like these work is that no one feels out of place. Everyone knows what kind of movie they’re in and embraces it. Because of that, I didn’t feel any tones trying to mix in with the light, family tone in a way that didn’t work. It also has an emotional hook to the third act that did a great job in elevating the falling action.

Although the villains get the job done, I didn’t find them to be interesting past the reveal of their goals. They certainly have a presence and I like their dynamics, but after a while they’re just evil villains doing evil villain things. Lastly, there’s a lot to enjoy and respect about this sequel but there’s a lot of familiarity with this to the likes of its predecessor and comic book movies as a whole.

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” does not bring much new to the table, but it still succeeds in its goal of being a fun, family-friendly time. A movie that achieves its goal is a movie I find it hard to hate on so I’ll give this a solid 3.5/5.

2.5/5

“It’s a fun kids movie. If you go into it with a good attitude, you’ll enjoy it.” 2.7/5

- David Keledjian, Senior

Emerson Fuentez-Alabanza/Prowler

“Funny to say the least.”

- Leticia Reis, Senior

Jack Ranney/Prowler

Panther Prowler • March 31, 2023

Daisy Jones rocks her way onto screens

Josie Gardner News Editor

Recently trending on TikTok has been a clip of a Silver Springs performance by Fleetwood Mac, but did you know that there is a book based off of that exact moment? Amazon Prime released a TV show adaptation of Taylor Jenkins-Reid, a very well known author, “Daisy Jones and The Six ‘’. The show was a great adaptation of the book, and the release of the book’s album “Aurora” has fans everywhere obsessing.

“Daisy Jones and The Six” is a standalone book about a band called “The Six” and their climb to fame, until their lead singer Billy Dunne, played by Sam Clafflin, goes into drug rehabilitation. After Dunne’s return, the band was joined by a new singer named Daisy Jones, played by Riley Keough. The band quickly became a sensation and, almost just as quickly, the band fell apart. Putting focus on the complicated relationships within the band, including a love story between Jones and Dunne, despite Dunne having a wife, it’s a wonderfully written book. Instead of having a typical writing format, it is written as though the band members are being interviewed twenty years later.

Watching the show is extremely captivating, partly due to the costumes. Every episode, all of the costumes are perfectly suited to the characters and the time period. Another large part of why the show is so captivating is the fact that all acting performances were true to the characters from the book. The soundtrack being recorded by these actors also created such a dynamic between them that made the relationships feel like a real band and were dynamic within the characters and the actors.

Chemistry was especially apparent. As mentioned, the book required many different dynamics and relationships within the band and even characters outside it. However, even though the relationships were very well portrayed, there were some problems in the formatting of the show. For example, Jones and Dunne are meant to have emphasis on their relationship as a large part of the book. However, the book is about the Daisy Jones and The Six and their rise and fall. The dynamic was meant to be represented equally in the show instead of Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne being frontrunners. Even though this is one of the only differences between the show and book, it is major because fans everywhere were hoping to see equal representation of the characters.

The TV show also had great promotion. With releasing the album like real artists would, dropping songs before the full album release, and collabs with brands like Free People, the show created a sense of anticipation amongst readers. The cast of the show were also posting social media content to help advertise the show.

Overall, I had limited negative things to say about the show and I think Jenkins Reid will continue to perfect adaptations with her next book to screen movie based off of one of her most popular books, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.” Even though I wish Daisy Jones and The Six had a longer run, I know it will become one of my favorite shows to rewatch.

“Shadow and Bone” quickly storms to the top

Josie Gardner News Editor

Netflix’s “Shadow and Bone”, a TV series based on the Grishaverse books by Leigh Bardugo, released its second season on March 16. With the first season being arguably one of the best book-to-screen adaptations, the second season was highly anticipated to follow suit. Throughout the new season, I found few to zero flaws. Between the costumes, set design, cinematography and acting, every little detail intertwines the viewer with the plot lines and characters of “Shadow and Bone” and “Six of Crows.”

To give insight on the series, there are three separate series within the Grishaverse. The first trilogy, “Shadow and Bone,” surrounds Alina Starkov as she fights to destroy the fold and consists of “Shadow and Bone,” “Siege and Storm” and “Ruin and Rising.” The next series is the “Six of Crows” duology, which follows the crows in their heist of the most secure prison in their world, consisting of “Six of Crows” and “Crooked Kingdom.” These two series are the only ones currently mentioned in the TV show. The final series is yet another duology of “King of Scars” and “Rule of Wolves.”

The acting performances in their entirety were nothing short of exact. The characters from the books were so perfectly portrayed, with the performances of Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker and Patrick Gibson as Nikolai Lantsov. Carter completely transformed into the infamous Bastard of the Barrel and made the show increasingly more accurate,

and Gibson as an addition to the cast did a perfect job of portraying the Ravkan prince. Watching them on screen had me convinced that they were from Bardugo’s wonderfully created world.

Some of the shots while filming, specifically the fight scenes, did grow to be rather repetitive, but other than that “Shadow and Bone” was wonderfully filmed. Combining the technical elements, the lighting and costumes stood out among the rest. Everyone involved in this production effectively transformed the TV show and made the world I had imagined whilst reading come to life on screen.

While it was an exceptional adaptation, in the attempt to combine the two storylines some rearranging of book order was needed. Rather than following the “Six of Crows” to “Crooked Kingdom” order, “Crooked Kingdom” seemed to be placed first within the series, which, in result, threw off the order of events to the slightest amount. However, a rumored spinoff of the show will contain the “Six of Crows” plotline.

The show was a great way for me to remember my love for the Grishaverse and how much I admired them whilst reading and I cannot wait to see where the show goes next. Whether it separates into spin-offs or remains within the “Shadow and Bone” show, I have no doubts about it turning into a wonderful and long winded series.

For many, the 2023 Oscars were a success. Several films, both new and original, were rewarded and it was a great night to celebrate the best that 2022 cinema had to offer. Unfortunately, not everything got its due praise. One of the biggest snubs of the evening was in the Best Original Score category. Despite being the favorite to win, Justin Hurwitz’s score for “Babylon” lost to the loud brass of “All Quiet on the Western Front.” It was a travesty.

“Babylon” has a score for the ages. Taking a jazz approach, it fills its orchestra with a diverse arrangement of different brass, woodwind and percussion instruments. “Manny and Nellie’s Theme” is the main track featured throughout the movie and functions as the anthem for the two main characters. It happens

to be a slower, piano version of a wilder song earlier in the movie, aptly titled “Coke Room,” which was one of my personal favorites. The songs greatly fit each scene, going from the whimsical titular song, “Babylon,” where a magical moment is created thanks to the filming of a sunset, to “Toad,” the throaty, bubbling track featured when the main character begins to travel deeper into a cesspool of sin. The instruments featured in the film’s orchestra constantly change to feel fully immersed into the sometimes whimsical, often terrifying world of “Babylon.”

Even if you haven’t seen the film, I’d recommend at least checking out the original soundtrack for a great jazz album, if for nothing else.

Téa Sklar/Prowler

Cameron Winick Staff Writer

Téa Sklar/Prowler

Boys’ baseball bats towards CIF

The NPHS baseball team is now in season, with an 8-4 overall record, and a 2-2 record in league games. The team hopes to continue their success in their upcoming games, with the goal of qualifying for CIF playoffs. With a more detailed approach to their game strategy this year, the team is confident in their chances of performing well.

Cameron Fausset, sophomore and pitcher on the varsity team, looks forward to the prospect of qualifying for CIF playoffs. “We have practice everyday, we’re all working really hard, and we have a lot of guys who are committed to college for baseball so I think we’re gonna be able to do it,” Fausset said.

The team’s hard work in their daily practices and games is rewarded with soreness as much as it is with success. Drew Turley, senior and catcher on varsity, discusses the effects baseball has on his body. “The biggest challenge in baseball really comes down to staying healthy. Baseball puts a lot of strain on your body that you might not notice at first glance,” Turley said. “But playing for multiple years really takes a toll on your body, especially your shoulders or in my case, knees.”

Over the years of playing baseball, players have developed routines and methods to recover and stay fit.

Derek Turner, senior and third baseman and pitcher on the varsity team, discusses how he recovers after playing baseball as well as how he stays fit outside of school practices and games. “I’m always sore. I normally jump in the hot tub [or] in the pool [to] down and just try to loosen up. You’re never going to be 100 percent in this game,” Turner said. In terms of staying fit, personally, I do my weightlifting, working on strength for swinging the bat or for pitching. A lot of us also play on our own separate teams for summer, and travel for showcases.” Some other methods players use to recover are icing/ heating, stretching, and using a massage gun.

The friendships between players extend the team beyond just the baseball field. “My teammates are like family to me, and I’m sure any one of them would say the same thing. We often go to places such as restaurants as a team or in smaller groups and bond that way,” Turley said.

The closeness of the team creates an encouraging

environment, which helps during games. “Pressure can build up because we all want to win, but being friends, we can all joke around which releases that a bit,” Fausset said.

Players’ journey with baseball has continuously fostered their love for the sport. “I like the team setting of baseball. Every position is as important as the other, so all of us have to be playing well in order to succeed, and even when one of us isn’t playing well, that person has their teammates to pick them up,” Turley said.

Having played baseball for almost all of their life, players feel a deep connection to the sport and embrace its uniqueness. “Baseball’s a lot different than other sports. It’s a lot harder mentally than other sports which I like,” Fausset said.

NPHS equestrian students horse around

Brody Sinutko Staff Writer

While high school is a time for many students to practice getting behind the wheel of a car, these NPHS students still practice their driving skills on the original car, the horse.

Horseback riding is not only just a sport but is an umbrella term for numerous sub-sports involving horses, Ashley Richardson, sophomore, specializes in the English riding sport of Hunter Pleasure.“It’s a lot of judging the rider instead of the horse, so if I were to compete, they would judge me and how I can handle management [of the horse],” Richardson said.

A vital part of the sport is taking care of the horse .“With horses, there’s always something going on.” Richardson said. Horse ownership involves numerous duties such as, “Coming up [to the stables] every day and checking on things. They always need to be fed and we don’t [clean]out stalls always, but it’s something that needs to be done,” Richardson added. “Grooming is [also] a big part of it, washing [Remy] and making sure he’s healthy. Horses make it really easy to give you a lot of work to do.” This responsibility endowed by the sport is an integral part of the equestrian lifestyle.

While English riders dress up properly and wear a uniform, western rodeo horseback riding flips this formality upside down by including barrel racing, team roping, breakaway roping, team tie-down roping, and cow wrestling. Ava Aguilar, freshman, performs in this particular genre of equestrian sporting and has learned plenty about teamwork and looking out for not only her fellow riders, but her horse, Vacation. “It’s about selflessness, sometimes you have to just

watch out for your horse and put their needs in front of yours,” Aguilar said.

With eight years of experience in her style of English show jumping, Mackenzie Motz, senior, explains how competitions are undertaken, “It’s like an arena and there’s about 9 to 12 jumps or obstacles that you have to go over, and the goal is to get over all the jumps in the quickest amount of time and also to go over them cleanly, which means you don’t knock down any of the rails.” Motz said.

Motz gives her key advice for people interested in getting started and mastering the sport of horseback riding. “ I would say being consistent, I think to be successful riding you gotta be [practicing] probably at least three days a week ideally or more and then I would say if you have the opportunity, to just ride a bunch of different horses all the time. Not every horse is going to be the same, and if you want to be a really good rider you want to have the ability to get on any horse and be able to do well,” Motz said.

At university, students can continue their passion for equestrian sporting, “For college, you can pursue [horseback riding], it’s actually quite a big thing in the South… Look at Georgia, Auburn University, and Virginia. If you go to school there then you could definitely join a riding team in college. It’s very open to all levels because in college there are separate divisions,” Motz said.

Even though horseback riders vary in style, they all attempt to master the same skill of controlling and connecting with their horses, which requires plenty of practice and dedication at the stables.

“[Remy] has taught me how to navigate tough situations really well,” Richardson said.

“Horseback

helps you grow as a person

it helps you take responsibility for your own actions, it teaches you to take care of something bigger than yourself,” Aguilar said.

Yeehaw! - Ava Aguilar, freshman, is pictured riding her horse, Vacation, at a rodeo.

riding

and

Ava Aguilar/With Permission

Jason Kiang Staff Writer

Strike - Cole Miller, senior, pitches the ball into play, eagerly anticipating the outcome of the throw. Cameron Winick/Prowler

“We’re really tight. We always mess around with each other. Everybody has a good time and are always laughing,”Derek Turner

Boys’ golf swings towards their goals

The boys’ golf team stands together, watching their teammate send the ball soaring into the hole, and listening to spectators’ applause ring across the course. Since the season’s start, everyone on the team has been working to improve their technique, as well as mentality, so that come playoffs they can reach their ultimate goal of placing first in their league.

On this climb to success, the boys have faced many challenges that, when overcome, helped to prove the athletes’ talent to themselves and those around them. While other sports are physically demanding, Julian Kim, junior, recognizes that the hardest aspect of golf is the mentality. “It is surprisingly difficult to keep yourself in check when you know you can be playing better,” Kim said. “Sometimes things just don’t turn out well or the way you want, and you end up losing your composure, and that only makes you play worse.”

Members of the team have to put extra time into preparing themselves for this situation, and knowing how to bounce back. Matthew Cerio, senior, feels that one of the most valuable lessons that golf has taught is to not let small complications get into his head.

“At the end of the day, you have just got to keep a

level head. You can’t get angry at bad shots. You just have to move on…You have got to keep pushing, in golf and in life,” Cerio said.

There are many other lessons that team members have learned from their time on the course, all of which they will carry throughout different aspects of high school, such as academics and social issues. Chase Bishop, sophomore, believes that golf has turned him into not only a stronger athlete but also a stronger individual. “[Golf has] made me more confident in myself, and probably more confident in general, outside of golf as well,” Bishop said.

Golf has helped the athletes become stronger problem solvers. Andrew Skenderian, sophomore, looks forward to the rest of the team’s season and eagerly awaits being able to demonstrate all the improvements he has made. “Golfers just naturally can get faced with a problem, and they can just take it step by step, calm down and solve it,” Skenderian said.

The members of the NPHS boys’ golf team feel lucky to have chosen a sport that they can play the rest of their lives, as opposed to others, where sports grow more and more challenging due to age. The group also feels fortunate to have team members that they can rely on. “I think everyone on our team is a very genuine and nice person. There’s a lot of integrity in the team as well, which holds some value because you know that your team members are always there for you,” Kim said.

NFL encourages the addition of flag football

Boys will not be the only ones running through the football field this Sept., as the NPHS girls’ flag football team will take their stance in the competition. Rising up to the sports approval, there was a big push from the NFL to CIF to include flag football as a high school sport. Schools throughout CVUSD and beyond showcased a plethora of interest, allowing for

the sport’s official addition. To increase participation, NPHS notified students and provided them the opportunity to take part in a training camp on March 11.

With only a few more items to check off her high school bucket list, Kailey Greene, junior, decided to take up flag football during her senior year. “It is so cool that the school now has a team for the girls to play on. I am so excited that I get to be a part of the first year. I’m sure there will be many great seasons to come as the sport grows,” Greene said.

At the training camp, hosted by the Los Angeles Rams, students got a glimpse of what playing flag football in a high school league would look like. Michael Godfrey, NPHS Athletics Director, invited students who had shown interest to the camp and was there to oversee the event. “[Students participated in] drills, passing, catching, pulling flags and doing some fun, footwork type of things, and then they actually got to scrimmage each other and play as well,” Godfrey said. “Afterwards, they had four women from the Rams organization sit down and speak with all the girls to tell them about opportunities for women in sports.”

As suspense builds up towards the arrival of the season, Jessica Leff, sophomore, eagerly awaits for the excitement surrounding the sport both on and off the field. “I’m really excited for the season next year because I feel like it’s gonna get a lot of publicity because this is something people are going to want to see,” Leff said. “I like playing because it’s new and [flag football] came naturally to me. I just enjoy playing and I keep wanting to get better.”

Due to this being flag football’s first year as an official high school sport, there are still many questions left up in the air. “We haven’t been given any rules yet. And then we need to figure out the coordination of how we are going to do this. We have been given no direction on how any of this is going to work so we’re gonna have to work together with the other schools to make it the best possible experience for everybody,” Godfrey said.

Regardless of the uncertainty that lies within the logistics of the sport, the girls look forward to being able to meet new people and gain athletic experience. “I don’t know how the season will go because I haven’t met my teammates or coaches yet. I think the season will be really fun regardless of how we play,” Greene said. “I hope to bring good energy to the team. I want this team to enjoy playing with each other and look forward to practice every day.”

Basketball madness consumes March

The ball sails over the court, just barely tipping over into the hoop as the buzzer goes off, causing the crowd to go mad. These excitement-filled moments are regular in the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments, otherwise known as March Madness. A single elimination tournament, it consists of 68 teams and started on March 14.

While the games are the main events, another integral part of the tournaments are the brackets that many fans make. These brackets have the fan place a loser and a winner for every round until they eventually reach the winner of the whole tournament. Adi Chattopadhyay, senior, created his own bracket after extensive research into matchup predictions. However, he picked the winner of the tournament based on personal preference. “I predicted UCLA to win because they have my favorite player, Jaime Jacquez Jr,” Chattopadhyay said. “He’s a really good defender and a hustle player…He just gives a Even with all of the expert predictions and difficult to predict who will make the final four of the tournament and win. Aaron Cantu, senior and basketball enthusiast, used many different resources to make his bracket. “I used the

stats [the different teams] had and how many points they let up every game and their standings in previous seasons,” Cantu said. He predicted the final four to be Marquette, Texas, Gonzaga and UCLA. However, none of these teams advanced to the final four.

The teams that did make the final four were UCONN, SDSU, FAU and Miami University. This final four was very unexpected, and most likely messed up a lot of brackets. Charlie Muir, senior, was shocked at the results of the tournament. “This year’s final four is one of the most interesting ones I’ve ever seen.

No number 1 or 2 seeds are in the final four, which surprised me,” Muir said.

The schools who did make the final four are widely celebrating their greatly unexpected advancement. “I have some friends who go to SDSU and all these schools are just so invested because it’s so rare for them. Everyone is really supporting their team and coming together,” Chattopadhyay said. The unpredictability of the tournament appeals to many audiences, making it a fan favorite. “Anyone really has a chance at any moment to be kind of a champion. It’s also really cool because it gives a lot of media attention to less known teams,” Chattopadhyay said.

Touchdown - After attending the camp hosted by the Los Angeles Rams, the girls pose for a photo together. “I’ve learned so much from the camp and I want to go back,” Leff said. Micheal Godfrey/With Permission

Dhruv Patel Editor in Chief

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Ava Prapaniku Sports Editor Taylor Gibson Editorial Editor

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Panther Prowler

Track and field athletes launch to new personal records

Jason Kiang Staff Writer

The Newbury Park High School Track and Field team is now in session, with a multitude of events, from pole vaulting to long distance running. The teams for each event hold practices each day after school in preparation for their meets, in which players compete with themselves to break their own records while earning points for the team.

Persist!-Tiffany Sax, sophomore, is a long distance runner in the 1600 and 3200 meter events practices daily, running an average of 7-8 miles a day with the goal of setting a personal record in both events this season. The immense amount of running the team does can be taxing on the body, but the runners have developed routines to allow themselves to recover. “You need to make sure that you’re rolling out, getting sleep, staying hydrated, as well as eating well. You need to have good nutrition to help your body recover after a hard practice,” Sax said. Additionally, the runners must find ways to stay motivated, especially because running can feel repetitive at times. “I stay motivated by focusing on my big goals and knowing that in order to achieve those big goals, I have to set smaller goals for myself, such as just showing up everyday to practice and doing the little things necessary to achieve those bigger goals,” Sax said. The social aspect of running is also important to the runners. Running with each other everyday allows for the team to form close bonds and friendships off the track as well, which in turn makes practices more enjoyable. “I enjoy the social aspect of it. Because on our runs, it’s just fun to talk to your teammates and share the experience,” Sax said.

Whoosh! - Kyra Terry, sophomore, a 100 and 200 meter sprinter, hopes to lower her 100 meter time to under 11.9 seconds, and her 200 meter time to 24 seconds. However, this is extremely challenging within the short time frame of a short distance race. “It’s hard to get your times to drop sometimes because it’s such a short amount of distance. There’s not a lot that you can do to make up for if you get a bad start,” Terry said. Besides breaking their own records, runners enjoy the social aspect of meets as well as the feeling of adrenaline. “[My favorite part of running short distance is] that it’s so quick that you get a rush from it. Also, a lot of people that run sprints are really great people. Everyone’s really nice,” Terry said. The team practices for 90 minutes everyday after school, in preparation for their meets. Even with all their training, the runners still feel pressure in the tense environment leading up to their race. “It’s always nerve racking before the

Jump! - John Leon, sophomore and a hurdler on the team, aims to “get into more invitationals,” which he hopes to accomplish by continuing placing first at events and “improve my 300 meter time from 47 seconds to 40-45 seconds,” Leon said. The hurdlers are hard at practice each day after school, hoping to improve their times. The hurdles are a daunting obstacle during races, though the risk of hitting a hurdle can provide an adrenaline rush. Spacing in between each hurdle is also challenging and requires lots of practice. “At times I don’t think I can get over the hurdle or I feel like I’ll mess up. Sometimes I don’t feel comfortable jumping with one leg or another and I’ll get too close to the hurdle,” Leon said. All of this training is done in preparation for their track meets, which can be stressful as the competitors wait, anticipating the gun going off, which signifies the start of the race. “I just tell myself that I’ve done it before so I can do it again, take a couple of

Focus! - Arnav Shetty, junior and a long distance owner, hopes to break through the 4:20 mark for the one mile this year, which he aims to do by creating the right conditions for himself to excel during races. “One of the biggest things is getting a lot of water and sleeping a lot more. On top of that, I like listening to music and staying to myself before the race so I can be focused and in the right mindset,” Shetty said. Shetty also describes the “runner’s high” which helps him relieve stress. “If I’m feeling stressed and I go run, I definitely feel much better afterwards,” Shetty said.

Parker Bohl /Prowler

Parker Bohl /Prowler

Parker Bohl /Prowler