2019-2020 Senior Edition Magazine (June 4, 2020)

PANTHER PROWLER

Thursday, June 4, 2020 Senior Edition Magazine Newbury Park High School 456 N. Reino Road Newbury Park, CA 91320 www.pantherprowler.org @NPProwler

INSIDE Local Businesses / 8-9 Courtney Brousseau / 10-11 Senior Map / 13-15 Medical Forces / 22-23 HONP / 28-31

TABLE of CONTENTS - 04 -

- 06 -

News Briefs

Coronavirus Coverage

- 08 Local Businesses

- 10 -

- 12 -

Courtney Brousseau

College Admissions Changes

- 13 Senior Map

- 19 -

- 22 -

Class of ‘20 Quotes

Medical Force

- 24 Teachers

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- 26 -

- 28 -

NPHS Athletes

Humans of Newbury Park

Panther Prowler | Table of Contents

Letter from the Editors

No one could have known this was going to happen: the months-long quarantine, the monumental loss of life, the reality of living through a global pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis has shaped 2020, and in our magazine, we wanted to record this. This time is not easy and is not over, but we want this magazine to serve as a reminder of all that we have been through, all of our perseverance and all of your stories.

In the seventh year of our special edition magazine, our staff decided to dedicate this issue to the senior class of 2020. The class has seen devastating wildfires, the Borderline shooting and now the COVID-19 pandemic.

But we’ve also become part of a community like no other, and we are honored to feature the amazing individuals that make it up.

On our front cover, you can see pictures of five different people. Starting on the left, is Ido Dukler, mountain biking team captain, then Nikki Usares, a senior at NPHS. In the middle is Tom Vasko, Los Robles nurse, working in the COVID-19 unit. Next is Jill Magnante, NPHS English teacher, and on the far right is Derek Rivera, a worker at Coaches Ice Cream. Each person has a different coronavirus story that we tell throughout the next 32 pages.

We dedicated pages 10-11 to Courtney Brousseau- an activist, leader, former Prowler chief and incredible human being. His sudden passing was a gut-wrenching loss, but his legacy of passion and advocacy will live on in the hearts of everyone he touched.

From page 13 to 19, we celebrate seniors and their plans for the future. We have the iconic senior map, now split with CA on its own page, followed by features of seniors with their future plans and end with senior quotes.

On pages 22-23, we showcase the medical workers who serve us on the frontlines of this pandemic. We want to acknowledge the difficulty of their job, the stress they feel every day and what we can do to help.

On a lighter note, Humans of Newbury Park returns as we feature both students of NPHS and community members, asking about their lives and how they’ve adapted to the pandemic.

This magazine is the result of countless hours of work by our dedicated staff. We had to adapt to a completely new system, yet we are beyond proud to present to you this final issue of the 2019-2020 school year. As the chiefs, we want to say thank you, to our staff, our adviser, our fellow seniors and peers and to our community. This would not be possible without you.

Aditya Vunnum Editor-in-Chief

Emily Nagamoto Editor-in-Chief

Editorial

Choose public safety over personal inconveniences The coronavirus pandemic has thrust communities at privileged calls for a return to normalcy that risk the lives of large into the forefront of public safety, and by and large our our community members. community has stepped up to the challenge. Most people are Amidst the Black Lives Matter protests, some people may maintaining practices of social distancing and are trying to assume that both types of protests are comparable in nature. limit their exposure to the outdoors as much However, this assumption comes from an ignorant place as possible. That is not to say that of privilege. It is shocking to see the difference in the response has been all positive treatment between the anti-shutdown protests and cooperative, as protestors, and the Black Lives Matter movement. The such as those involved with the anti-shutdown protests were largely met graduation protests at the Ventura with peace by the authorities, yet when we County Government Center turn on the news, we are barraged by police on May 22 and others involved tear gassing and shooting rubber bullets at with the anti-shutdown protests peaceful Black Lives Matter protestors, not to at Ventura on May 9, cause havoc be confused with looters. by disobeying ordinances meant to The simple solution to these problems is to Prasheetha Karthikeyan/ keep the community safe. The problem listen to the advice of public health officials. It may lies not only with these people protesting, Prowler be hard to give up on having a final Prom or graduation, it also includes people who are disobeying social distancing but these are the loss of privileges that we as a community guidelines, refusing to wear a mask and hanging out with must accept in order to protect the most vulnerable. friends. It is crucial to understand the complete difference in Thankfully, the anti-shutdown protesters seem to make up severity between people protesting over graduation or getting the minority of community members, and it is awe inspiring a haircut versus protesting against centuries of systemic to see people and government officials working together in oppression and racism, like those in participating in the Black unison to help protect all of the lives in our community The Lives Matter Protest. While the peaceful Black Lives Matter “Conejo Way” should be about helping each other and lifting protests are rooted with intentions of righting the wrongs each other up, and there is no greater example of that than of an oppressive system, the logic of anti shutdown protests seeing people practice social distancing, wearing masks in is severely flawed, meaning that we cannot sympathize with public and supporting local business through safe means.

Panther Prowler Staff Editors-in-Chief

News Briefs

Aditya Vunnum Emily Nagamoto

Gwen Buchanan* Emma Schoors

Adviser

School Board

Michelle Saremi

Front Cover Reese Kelem*

Table of Contents Adalia Luo*

Editorial Abby Gorman*

Anna Johnson* Adalia Luo

Coronavirus Emily Augustine*

Local Businesses Jacob Malone* Prasheetha Karthikeyan

Courtney Brousseau Manas Khatore*

College Admissions Emma Schoors* Abby Gorman

Senior Map Aditya Vunnum* Emily Nagamoto* Senior Features Anna Johnson Manas Khatore Jacob Malone Jessica Zhou*

Medical Force

HONPHS

Reese Kelem Clarissa Shin* Jessica Zhou

Carter Castillo* Sarena Kabir

Teachers

Emily Augustine Rahul D’Souza* Clarissa Shin

Carter Castillo Prasheetha Karthikeyan* Manas Khatore

HONP

Athletes Gwen Buchanan Rahul D’Souza Sarena Kabir*

Page designer*

June 4, 2020

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Emma Schoors

News in Brief AJ de Vos writes letter to class of 2020 Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Community protests police brutality On May 30, community members, including seniors Olivia Luby, Isabella Steele and Mary Grosswendt, pictured above left to right, congregated at the Westlake Promenade to protest police brutality against minority groups in this country.

The protest ended up yielding hundreds of participants. Cars honked as they drove by, showing their support for the cause, and protesters held up signs such as “Black lives matter” and “I can’t breathe,” a reference to the brutal murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25.

Eleni Vodantis, junior, also went to the protest. “I know that there is not much I can do as an individual to evoke change, however getting out and protesting was a start to make me feel like I can make a difference.”

There were multiple other protests in Newbury Park subsequently.

Sarah Wang is TO Youth of the Year

On May 16, Newbury Park High School’s Panther-TV spokesperson AJ de Vos got the chance to share her words of wisdom to the class of 2020 through a letter she wrote to them. The letter was picked out of 5,000 submissions to represent the state of California during the “Graduate Together: America Honors the Class of 2020” virtual ceremony.

When de Vos found out her letter would be part of the celebration, she was honored. “I encourage my peers to not hide their feelings and tell themselves ‘others have it worse,’” but instead express your feelings to the huge support group you have within this class,” de Vos said.

De Vos’ entire letter is published on pantherprowler.org

Emily Nagamoto/Prowler

Sarah Wang/With Permission

On May 21, the Thousand Oaks Acorn announced the TO Youth Commission winners for the Thousand Oaks Youth Awards.

Among them were Leslie Blanco, junior, Jack Muir, senior, Emily Nagamoto, senior, and Sarah Wang, senior. Wang, pictured, was awarded Youth of the Year.

“Each year the City honors youth volunteers for their contributions to the City. It is with deep gratitude that we recognize the following students for dedicating their time, talents and creativity to hundreds of clubs, organizations, schools and events,” the article said.

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AJ de Vos/With Permission

Panther Prowler | News Briefs

Seniors and parents protest for graduation On May 22, parents and seniors from across the district called for an in-person graduation ceremony during a two hour protest in front of the Ventura County Government Center. Seniors were encouraged to wear their cap and gowns, and cars honked in support as they drove by.

The protest gained traction on Facebook, where some parents verbalized their support. The Facebook banner included the event’s details, such as “Let’s demonstrate to our Ventura County Officials that we stand with the class of 2020,” as well as “Everyone must wear face masks and abide by social distancing guidelines.”

Meet the 2020 School Board Candidates Adalia Luo

Picture taken from Gill’s website

Sylvester: Area 1

sustainable. We draw on public and private partnerships and all of the parts of the community that are proud of our district, and can contribute in different ways.

Sylvester: So, number one is obviously what’s going on with the achievement gap and all of the different special populations. I think there has been progress in the district and there’s been some strong parent support groups. I think the distance learning has really highlighted the built in inequities of the system. So I think making sure that our ELLs and our students with disabilities, just to name a couple, can adapt and thrive moving forward. Obviously, the thing on everyone’s mind is, what is school going to look like? And then, I think, the third one of the issues, is just some of the budgetary implications.

2. What is your plan for dealing with the effects of Coronavirus?

Gill: On the one hand, we are very conscious of what we’re losing. I think all of us miss the

Gill: Area 5

Despite these new circumstances regarding the coronavirus, democracy goes on. In this year’s election for School Board, CVUSD is adopting a new by-trustee area election system with two positions up for election, Trustee Area No. One (in yellow on the map) and Trustee Area No. Five (in purple on the map). The incumbent of Area Five is Sandee Everett, up for re-election and running against school board-hopeful Lauren Gill, whilst Area One is rare in that no incumbent exists, making it the first “open seat” election in a long time. The only candidate currently in the race at time of publication is Karen Sylvester. On May 6th, 2020, candidates Gill (Area Five) and Sylvester (Area One) have officially received endorsements from the UACT union. More and more pressing issues face our community, and our district needs to be full of the most effective leaders we, as a public, can elect to the board. I asked each candidate the same questions (below) to share their views on some main policy points. At time of publication, Everett provided no response to multiple requests for comment.

1. What are your cardinal issues?

Gill: I want to see every student thriving and succeeding in our schools. I think we have opportunities to make it better, to be a bit more inclusive. The second thing is post-graduation possibilities. I think part of that starts with being a bit more intentional, early on, about making

what’s most important is really good teaching and really good learning. So, I am just listening hard to lots and lots of smart people who are considering these questions, and trying to soak it all in and be ready when the opportunity is there to engage with others who are making these really Sylvester: In terms of timing, I really think the district has to take its cues from the public health schools. I know that the superintendent, the State Superintendent of Schools, has convened a team to kind of look at some of these issues.

Picture taken from Sylvester’s website

Everett: Area 5

For the full interviews of Lauren Gill and Karen Sylvester please visit pantherprowler.org Sandee Everett was contacted many times by the Panther Prowler but did not respond to any inquiry.

She was emailed numerous times and sought out through twitter, but didn’t reply.

Trustee Area 5: Gill and Everett Trustee Area 1: Sylvester

Picture taken from the CVUSD website

Picture taken from Everett’s website

June 4, 2020

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Emily Augustine

The plan to safely reopen Ventura County is released -sensitive groups must still self quarantine; all businesses must implement and enforce COVID-19 prevention plans (when they open their doors)

May 7

S T A R T 6

H E R E

The Health Order released on Mar 17 is extended till April 19; takeout food service is now permitted and campgrounds close indefinitely

House evictions are suspended till May 31

Mar 31

Apr 22

Stay Well at Home Order released -non-essential businesses face temporary closing -no gatherings of over 10 people -only leave home for essential errands

Health Order released urging sensitive groups to self quarantine until April 1; entertainment venues, gyms, and bars close

Mar 20

Mar 17

Declaration of Local Health Emergency is released

CVUSD schools close indefinitely with distance learning as a substitute for physical attendance

Mar 12

Mar 13

Panther Prowler | COVID-19

The following businesses open: childcare for nonessential workers, office-based businesses, car washes, pet grooming, landscape gardening, and outdoor museums

Curbside retail, manufacturers, and logistics businesses open

May 12

May 8

Dental guidance adjusted to protect dentists from transmitting or getting Coronavirus (specific equipment and health checks for patients required)

Ventura County is approved by State for accelerated reopening

May 15

May 20

Ventura County now allows people to visit parks and beaches without having to constantly be in motion.

Social distancing must still be enforced but people are now allowed to sit or lay down at a park or beach

May 26

Health Order is amended to allow people to dine in at restaurants and shop in store

May 21

Wildwood and Paradise Falls hiking trails close indefinitely due to unprecedented crowds and litter

The death of George Floyd causes mass gatherings of people as protests erupt along intersections; COVID cases spike

May 28

May 29-31

Reference: https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/1819/City-County-State-Updates

June 4, 2020

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Local motel houses homeless during pandemic Prasheetha Karthikeyan In a state with over 150,000 people living on the streets, a stay at home order can be devastating. To support those without homes, Newsom initiated Project Roomkey, which converts hotel and motel rooms into temporary shelters following social distancing guidelines for at-risk homeless persons. One of these shelters is the Motel 6 in Newbury Park.

About the motel Off the Ventura Freeway and on the corner of Newbury Road is a Motel 6, one of the four locations in Ventura County housing homeless people most at risk for the coronavirus. Marissa Mach, Deputy Director of the County of Ventura Human Services Agency expresses that the only those who test negative for the virus are allowed to be housed at the motel. “Each client goes through a health screening prior to admission. Each client is provided with three meals a day and an individual room placement with regular housekeeping and laundry services,” Mach said.

While the shelter in Newbury Park is not housing those infected, this is not the case for all of the motels in the county.

Tara Carruth, program manager at the Ventura County Continuum of Care, distinguished the usage of hotels. “We are using a section of the motel site in Oxnard for isolation and quarantine of COVID-19 patients or those persons with known exposure,” Carruth said.

This motel is intended to benefit both those housed and the rest of the community.

“The goal is to prevent the spread among

the homeless community and the larger community… Spread of COVID-19 among the homeless population could be a significant burden to our hospital partners...

This allows for people to have a safe place to recover or stay well without utilizing hospital space that should be reserved for serious cases of COVID-19,” Carruth said.

Ventura County Backpack Team

Another program that is assisting the homeless during this time is the Ventura County Backpack Medicine Team.

Originally started two years ago, the team was created to bring basic healthcare to the homeless population in Ventura County.

Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, Tipu Khan, leader of the team, states that there are several things they are doing right now, starting with giving medical care to those uninfected in the hotels. “They still need some basic medical care so the Backpack Medicine team is helping with some of that.

Another contribution the team offers is their COVID response program. “If a homeless patient is having symptoms or worried that they’re sick with coronavirus, they can call a phone number and it is routed to a member on our team. We screen the call and as soon as we get it evaluated, we send someone out to them,” Khan said.

Khan believes that his team is making a difference overall. “This has been huge because if these patients Shelter - A homeless man walks through Gate 1 at the Motel 6, presumably seeking a roof over his head. COVID-19 has resulted in the thousands of homeless people across Ventura County needing someplace to stay following stay at home orders.

Prasheetha Karthikeyan/Prowler

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Panther Prowler | Local Businesses

were out in the field, more might have ended up in the hospital really sick. So we were able to really keep these patients from getting too sick, identify them early, getting out of their high risk situation and keeping them,” Khan said.

The prospect of opposition

Despite the fact that many people are involved with Project Roomkey across the state, not all reception to the hotel conversions have been positive.

In Orange County, for example, the city of Laguna Hills filed a lawsuit with the county on the grounds that it “poses a direct threat to the health and safety of the surrounding community.”

No major opposition has been brought up against the use of hotels and motels in Ventura County. It is currently unclear whether or not this will become an issue in the future.

“There has been no formal action that I am aware of against this operation...but this does not minimize the need for us to be aware and receptive to community feedback and communication,” Mach said.

From a different perspective, Khan believes in the moral obligation behind it. “This is a part of society that is very vulnerable, very high risk, very neglected that we have an ethical and moral obligation to care for,” Khan said. “In my mind, [the fear] doesn’t negate the fact that they need to be there and be cared for.”

“What defines us as a society is how we care for our most vulnerable. So in Ventura County, we make it an important enough point that we want to care about our most vulnerable. I think that shows a lot about our society here,” Khan said.

Coaches Ice Cream continues through COVID Prasheetha Karthikeyan

Taken from Coaches’ Twitter page

Kinsie Flame/Wuth Permission

Taken from Coaches’ Twitter page

Coaches, an old fashioned ice cream parlor on Kimber Drive, is one of the many local businesses open during the COVID-19 crisis. The parlor first opened in May 2019 and is known for its baseball themed interior and friendly service. As an essential business according to state guidelines, the shop has continued to serve customers through the pandemic.

Eric Robertson, senior, is one of several Coaches employees in high school. He says that Coaches has increased safety measures to ensure the safety of its employees and customers alike. “We only have one employee at a time and whenever we are helping a customer we are using gloves and in our free time sanitizing everything around the store to prevent any spread of the virus,” Robertson said.

Before the stay at home orders, Elizabeth Stark, sophomore, went to Coaches often to hang out and enjoy the ice cream and atmosphere. “All of the staff is really nice and easy to talk to and a lot of them are from NPHS so i sometimes see familiar faces,” Stark said. “Their ice cream is delicious and I love going there when I get the chance.”

Robertson believes that working at Coaches during the pandemic changed the ambiance of the store. “I liked talking to the customers and having people come in and sit down while they enjoy ice cream, but now we can’t do that,” Robertson said.

Derek Rivera, senior and, another employee at Coaches, feels that the best part about parlorCoaches is the customer service. ”Everyone that works at Coaches is in their teens who are all great kids who are also involved with sports and Newbury Park High school,” Rivera said. “Another good part about Coaches is that it’s a family owned business

that supplies a place for family and friends to hang out and enjoy some premium ice cream.”

For those interested in coming into the store to support, each employee has their own favorites and recommendations for customers. Robertson’s favorite is the Cappuccino Chocolate Crunch, which he believes to be “better than anything on the Baskin Robbins menu.” Rivera’s favorite is the Caramel Cinnamon, but he also recommends shakes and sundaes to the customers. From a customer perspective, Stark changes up her order every time, but has a personal favorite that she comes back to. “Their cotton candy [ice cream] is bomb,” Stark said.

The atmosphere is “ just a lot different.“ - Eric Robertson, senior

Robertson maintains that the current situation should not deter people from visitingcoming in.“I’d recommend people coming in to not have to worry about coronavirus as we take many precautionary steps to making sure everything is sanitized and to not be afraid to come get the best ice cream on both sides of the 101,” Robertson said.

The parlor, like many local businesses, is receiving less business than it would have, and could use support from the community.

They offer curbside pickup for those wary about going inside. “Coaches is just a great family owned business and it would really mean a lot if people came by and just support the small business,” Rivera said.

Yum - Newbury Park residents continue to visit and work at Coaches Ice Cream during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. To bring joy to the community at this trying time, Coaches has offered free Ice Cream to graduating seniors.

Ryan Robertson/With Permission

June 4, 2020

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Courtney Brousseau Manas Khatore

As a student The teachers that had Brousseau as a student knew that he was special.

Brousseau was an excellent student in the classroom, consistently impressing his teachers with the quality of his work. He was wise beyond his years and had a larger than life personality. He stood out because of the passion and dedication he brought with him everywhere.

Stephen Johnson, history teacher, was Brousseau’s teacher for two years at NPHS. “I think back on a 36 year career and he’s one of the very best individuals I’ve ever worked with… just an incredible young

Go bears - Courtney Brousseau represents his school with UC Berkeley merchandise. In college, Brousseau was a heavily involved student and advocated for many causes.

Grace O’Toole/With Permission

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man,” Johnson said.

Through their conversations, Johnson could tell that Brousseau was going to make a difference in the world. “He had a way of looking at the world that went beyond his immediate circle… There’s a saying that if more people thought globally and acted locally, the world might be a better place, and Courtney was someone who could do that,” Johnson said.

Brousseau’s appearance was very simple, something that humors Johnson. “I think sometimes you think of the movers and shakers of society as being people who wear fancy suits and drive fancy cars and here’s this guy. I always remember his T-shirts, with kind of snarky sayings on them, and his flip flops.”

Jennifer Halpert-Hand, English teacher, had Brousseau in her English 10 Honors class. Although it has been several years, Halpert-Hand shows his Lord of the Flies

“

He did more in the time he had than a lot of people do in a lifetime.

- Grace O’Toole, NPHS alumna

“

Sporting khaki shorts and a huge smile, Courtney Brousseau was a force to be reckoned with. Brousseau graduated from NPHS in 2015 and UC Berkeley in 2019, giving all of his energy toward improving the lives of those around him. This passion was cut short when Brousseau was shot during a drive-by shooting in San Francisco on May 1, passing away surrounded by his loved ones. In a community already suffering from COVID-19, Brousseau’s death has caused heartbreak to the many people he touched, serving as a reminder of the importance of building relationships and serving others in need.

project to her students every year as an example. “He built a papier-mache model of the island the boys were stranded on…

When he walked into the classroom I remember being both incredibly pleased with what he had produced and also not at all surprised… There’s always a moment of awe when students see it.”

After losing one of their most impactful students, Johnson and Halpert-Hand have reflected on the effect that kids can have on them as teachers. “I remember the sound his flip flops made. I remember his smile.

That kid is not supposed to die before his life really began. He was just getting started,” Halpert-Hand said.

Panther Prowler | Courtney Brousseau

Hard work pays off - Grace O’Toole and Courtney Brousseau hold all of the papers they created as co-editors-in-chief. “[Brousseau] was just an extraordinarily effective leader,” O’Toole said.

Grace O’Toole/With Permission

As an activist A quick scroll through Brousseau’s Twitter would show just how active he was in the community. He devoted his energy to a variety of issues, including public transportation, LGBT rights and supporting businesses during COVID-19.

His participation in local programs as a student helped Brousseau become a leader, inspiring other students to do the same.

Veronica Rodarte is the adviser for Youth and Government, a program that Brousseau participated in during high school. “He was very respected by his peers, not only from the local delegation level… in Newbury Park, but honestly on a statewide level,” Rodarte said.

As a senior in high school, Brousseau served as Chief Justice, the first from the Newbury Park-based Miller delegation.

“That position entails that he campaigns to 3,000 of his peers… He went to different delegations in different regions of California to campaign,” Rodarte said.

Brousseau also spent countless hours on the Panther Prowler staff during his four years of high school. Michelle Saremi, adviser, looks back and feels that Brousseau was an incalculable asset to the staff.

“We had no social media presence. We had no website. We got that stuff because of Courtney,” Saremi said.

As a student journalist, Brousseau

keeps inspiring others used his voice to bring awareness to issues that extended far beyond the bubble of Thousand Oaks. “He liked to tackle controversial things. I remember our first special edition magazine, and we focused on immigration and student immigrants.

He got people to talk and to interview with us,” Saremi said. As co-editor-inchief, Brousseau motivated his staff to continue to write about meaningful topics.

“Courtney was the chief you didn’t want to disappoint.”

After high school, Saremi and Brousseau kept in touch, often making plans to get lunch when they were in the same city. She hopes that her own kids can be as motivated to change the world as he was. “His mom fostered a level of intellectual curiosity that I can only hope that I can instill in my children… It’s just really admirable,” Saremi said.

Saremi echoes the same feeling as Halpert-Hand, that Brousseau was meant to do so much more. “I was standing in between Courtney and [Grace O’Toole] and [thought], ‘I am standing in between

two amazing humans. They’re just going to have such an impact on the world.’ I think the thing that’s really tragic about his death is that he wasn’t done,” Saremi said.

As a friend Brousseau formed close connections with many people, and for those who feel Loving Courtney - A temporary memorial is set up outside of NPHS to commemorate Brousseau. “[He] was always just such a light in the the impact of his death, he world,” O’Toole said. Aditya Vunnum/Prowler will always be remembered as a kind, supportive and loving publishing the “Let’s Talk About Sex” friend. magazine as co-editors-in-chief. After Grace O’Toole met Brousseau during receiving backlash from the community, their freshman year chemistry class. “I O’Toole and Brousseau worked together remember looking over and he was actually to protect the Prowler. “He never once sketching out a website design for the really backed down… [He] just had this Prowler under a new website revamp,” indefatigable kind of spirit and fight in him O’Toole said. She ended up joining after that he carried,” O’Toole said. talking to Brousseau, later becoming his Both going to UC Berkeley, Brousseau co-editor-in-chief their senior year. and O’Toole helped organize a protest their Brousseau and O’Toole were not afraid freshman year to defend a math professor to use their voices as student journalists, who was being terminated. “We went

All grown up - Grace O’Toole, Michelle Saremi and Courtney Brousseau (from left to right) smile during the 2015 NPHS graduation. Brousseau’s actions in high school left a lasting legacy. “I just hope that this community thinks about Courtney and thinks about this kid that really stirred up a conversation,” Saremi said.

Michelle Saremi/With Permission

around dumpster-diving around campus to try to get cardboard the night before,” O’Toole said. “I don’t know if I would have had the wherewithal and drive to actually do something about it if it weren’t for also [Brousseau] very strongly believing in what was right and what was wrong in the situation.”

O’Toole worked with Brousseau’s family to set up a temporary memorial next to the marquee outside of NPHS for people to write messages and pay their respects. “He always lived life to the very fullest and was always just such a light in the world,” she said.

Brousseau’s life was cut short at 22 years old, but his ability to inspire others is timeless. “He’s hopefully going to keep inspiring people to continue being the change in whatever and wherever they’re fighting their battles,” O’Toole said.

June 4, 2020

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Coronavirus sparks change in college admissions Abby Gorman The abrupt closure of schools across the nation in early March left juniors wondering how COVID-19 would impact the college admission process in the fall. The changes made to spring sport seasons, SAT, ACT, AP and IB tests left students with little information regarding what the future would hold in lieu of these new circumstances.

Beginning in early April, select colleges announced that they would be dropping their SAT/ACT requirement for the class of 2021.

Most significant for many NPHS students was the announcement by UC colleges to not only eliminate the requirement for the next two years, but to permanently phase it out as well.

The proposal by the UC Board of Regents laid out the plans for standardized testing for the coming years. ‘UC remain[s] test optional for [the class of 2022]...2023 and 2024, UC [will] be ‘test blind’...students would still have the option of submitting a test score, but that score could only be considered for purposes other than admission selection...By 2025, any use of the ACT/SAT would be eliminated for California students.”

Many students feel that dropping these requirements is a step in the right direction in light of the pandemic. “Not making those tests mandatory has relieved a lot of stress for those of us whose tests were cancelled,” Fiona Hawkins, junior, said.

Haley Rippon, junior, agrees, seeing the advantage this will have for many students beyond COVID-19. “Dropping the ACT and SAT is an opportunity for colleges to look at students based on their grades, extracurriculars and school involvement,” Rippon said.

“It can also be beneficial to those who cannot afford ACT and SAT tutoring, so that some applicants will not have a testing advantage over others.”

Tests - Ryan Augustine, sophomore, checks out an online AP test. Emily Augustine/Prowler

Another adjustment to standardized testing was the cancellation of IB tests, announced on March 23. In place of traditional testing, IB scores will be determined through a combination of predicted scores from teachers and the Internal Assesments that were done throughout the year.

For students in AP classes, however, the pressure was still on.

AP exams were adapted to fit a 45-minute time constraint and content that may have been taught after mid-March was cut out.

The possibility to earn college credit was still up for grabs, leaving students to prepare for the exams without traditional in-class review.

Despite setbacks, teachers still offered supplementary support through online learning. “Even though we had to do most of the review on our own, the teachers did provide a lot of study material,” Hawkins said. “Some of my teachers had zoom sessions where they reviewed the topics.”

Because there are still many uncertanties for the upcoming application cycle, so grades mean more than ever to applicants.

To work around school closures, districts nationwide have added modifications to grading systems for online learning. Locally, CVUSD implemented the “Do No Harm” grading policy.

In effect as of April 27, the policy reads, “A student will NOT get a lower grade or report at year-end than what they earned at the end of the prior grading peiod...students may increase their grades with completed work and/or assessments during this period of school closures.

CVUSD School Board President Cindy Goldberg stresses the importance of the policy for the remainder of the school year.

“Giving students every opportunity to raise their grades without being penalized by this particular situation is really important,” Goldberg said.

Distance learning - “Right now, I am not sure how COVID-19 will affect my senior year. Everyone is still unsure about how school will start back up,” Fiona Hawkins, junior said. Both K-12 and colleges have proposed several options for how school will pick up in the fall. Fiona Hawkins/With Permission Opportunity - Colleges have made changes to their testing requirements. To many students, this is a chance to let other parts of their application shine. “Colleges will be able to look at aspects of a pertain to the student’s academic performance, rather than just a generic aptitude test,” Haley Rippon, junior, said. Haley Rippon/With Permission

12

Panther Prowler | College Admissions

CALIFORNIA Humboldt State University

SENIOR MAP

UC Davis CSU Chico

Erin Duffy Sophie Kiley Enola Lagrave Zakary Logie Paige Powers

Alyson Ashamalla Evelyn Hald

UC Berkeley Nathan Juan Mackenzie Moffit Mikkel Nagorsen Aditya Vunnum

Kelsey Johns Michael Rosson

CSU Stanislaus Bradley Magnussen

UC Merced Lily Lindros Meena Venkat

Sonoma State University

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Dylan Copeland Jessi Pluckrose Jackson Rice Benjamin Roos Ava White

CSU East Bay Adam Mockridge

Kayla Brandes Laura DeRoy Hailey Fisher Hailey Golmon Abigail Gulbranson Kellie Kotake Ava Levelis Jacob Malone Madeline Shain Taylor Storti Kristin Sullaway Drew Walker

Dominican University Konur Markrud

San Francisco State University Annie Forbes

UC Santa Cruz CSU Monterey Bay

Kyle Agnello Mya Amor Scott Goldberg Selma Ruiz

Ian Croft Ahlberg Joshua Nave Karla Rosales Ainsley Shapiro

UCSB

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Azuza Pacific University

Santa Monica College

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Clarissa Shin

UCLA Esha Gupta Kaitlyn Hahn Kyle Martinich

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Pierce College UC Riverside Hanson Xu Karim Jamaleddine

CSU Long Beach Amber Allen Maeve Allen Maddison Morales

University of Redlands

Make-Up Designory

Sadhuni Jayaratna

CalArts

Kenneth Kremer

Alyssa Michalek

Toni Thompson

Chad Garty Kyla Kowalewski

Orange Coast College Sofia Lewis

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Annaliese Cancilla Shalyn Zupon

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Samantha Pedroza

Biola University

UC Irvine

Kyleigh Fitzgerald Cesar Garay Christopher Hughes Mahati Tekal

Shannon Griffin Ricardo Perez Tyson Lundring Kevin Perez Torres Melanie Masson Malia Proudfit Garet Needham MJ Proudfit Jenna Pennywitt Liv Uldall Megan Pennywitt

Occidental College

Irvine Valley College

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Westmont College

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Ventura College

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Cal Poly Pomona

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UCSD

San Diego

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Behind the numbers...

601 Seniors 332 Staying in California 5 Going International 118 Colleges 29 States 6 Armed Forces BYU Provo

Seattle University Maya Silberstein

Washington State University

University of University of Puget Sound Washington

Emily Halpern Emilie Hooker

Maya Patel

Isabella Brady

Montana State University

Linfield University Rachel Morales

Oregon State University

Jamie Jewett

Lauren Armedilla Aidan Bute Benjamin Gulbranson Isabella Steele

University of Oregon Jensen Bertram Hunter Garcia Mary Grosswendt Matthew Smith

Southern Oregon University Madeline Glass

University of Nevada, Reno Kevin Kilbane

University of Nevada, Las Vegas Molly Oliver

Utah Valley

University of Utah

Ellie Evans Jackson Calderwood University Darby Johsnon Sophia Turville Camille Lee Iris Kim

University of Victoria Taylor Saville

Mcgill University Sheridan College

Josephine Duc

Delaney Small

University of St. Andrews Grace Renouf-Bilanski

Colorado School of Mines

University of Colorado, Boulder

Alex Sobierajski

Jace Aschbrenner Haley Endler Tim Schaeffner

Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Caden Cope Jacob Kaseno Chloe McIntyre

Queensland University of Technology Huntley Bensink

Western Colorado University Gretchen Slattum

Scottsdale Community College Sage Innes

Grand Canyon University Tessa Nutley Olivia Pace Paige Ross Bella Scarnechia Andrew Stamper Lance Weyman

BYU Hawaii Shane Chapple

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Arizona State University Abigail Begg Mason Cooper Nicole Hanover Braden Hutten Ashley Jay Aidan Jimenez Tobey Jomsky Ashley Mangawang Ciara O’Keeffe Nikhil Patel Eric Robertson Abigail Scott Xavier Silva Bradley Smith Peyton Tovey Lorelei Weintraub Margaret Wesner Andrew Young

Northern Arizona University Nolan Alvarez Jacob England Jake Hildreth Lukas Kleemann Peyton Love Cole Onesto Cooper Peck Lucas Ramirez Chandler Ruggiero Tanner Schaad Matthew Siroky Garrett Smilor Summer Warner Nico Young

Olivia Luby

Moorpark College Asthryd Abarca Arz Abdelhadi Kian Alamir Jefferey Alvarez Marcos Alvarez Teymoor Anvari Lillian Arndt Alan Arreaga Antonio Arriaza Samuel Audenino Axel Avila

Mason Bahr Travis Baker Shara Banh Manuel Barillas Hope Baxter Esmeralda Beas Ilana Becerra Brandy Bensinger Winter Bisera Isaiah Blackburn Tristan Boyer

Delaney Brown Katherine Bruno John Calabrano Galadriel Campero Daisy Castaneda Rhyse Chamberlain Cerena Chavez Hope Chavez Gia Chu Grant Coates Eliza Cooper

Cayden Covarrubias Emely Cuellar Garcia Ryan Dane Trevor Davis Holden Doderlein Jared Donahoe Kayla Dunlap Jeunesse Dzib Taylor Endicott Nathan Erp Christian Escobar

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Alexander Hall Jaylin Handler Chloe Harris James Hendrix Andrew Hernandez Jason Hernandez Kevin Herrera Suzanne Hodosh Matthew Hussain Rajiv Hyatt Chase James

Catelynn James Ariana Jimenez Aidan Johnson Kylie Keagy Trevor Kessler Mateo Kimball Neal Kleifgen Justin Kremer Kyle Kurdelak Matthew Larson Jamie Lee

Class of 2020 Senior Map BYU Idaho

Boise State University

Dennis Arnold Daniel Mackay Heather Miller Melanie Rivera Kate Thunell

Jordan Elston-Hurdle Kenzie Hebert

Syracuse University

University of Missouri, Columbia

Natalie Fournell

Purdue University

Yalda Tarazi

Madison Shiah

Ball State University

Webster University

University of Montana

Kyle Wonders

Boston University

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University of Chicago

Kayleigh Weinstein

Aminah Ghanem

Archana Mohandas Sarah Wang

Daniel Darras

Maya Galipeau

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MIT

Hamilton College

Xavier University

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Declan Debler

Naya Lunney Arielle Morris

Northeastern University Colby DeMelfi Emily Peirson

Williams College Shaelyn Rashoff

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Brendan Li

United States Coast Guard Academy

Yale University

Ryan Younes

Brendon Gong

La Salle University

Penn State University

Alexander Sanderson

Tyler Giese

Mercyhurst University Rachel Vlietstra

Johns Hopkins University Marie-Amelle Thenoz

Southern Virginia University Chip Baldwin

Clemson University Nathan Gengo Julia Rueckert

University of Richmond Wonbin Ko

Auburn University

Duke University

Gwen King

Emily Nagamoto

University of Arizona

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Rachael Anderson Samantha Morgan Cicily Rivas Rori Sparks

John Mudgett

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Maile Kuo

Texas Woman’s University

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Luke Hamaker

Kamryn Cole-Wood

ATP Flight School Blake Norris

Zoe Anderson

University of Houston

Navy SEALs Loyola University New Orleans

University of Oklahoma

Giavanna English

Alexa Barker Jacob Rafelson

Susanna Lopez-Herrera

West Texas A&M University Madison Largent

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Linden Wolf

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Connor Whitcomb Jacob Wilkes Katelyn Wilkes Dallas Wise Dylan Zielinski Ian Zwerling

Seniors gear up to join the military Jacob Malone

As the school year draws to a close, many seniors are either gearing up to spend the next four years at college or join the workforce. However, there is a lesser known third group of students that plan on joining one of the various branches of the military to serve our country. Seniors Christian Stansbury, Dylan Willis and Ryan Younes all have plans to commit to the nation.

US Coast While others will Guard

be relaxing over the summer and enjoying their time away from school, Ryan Younes, senior, will be beginning his training at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.

“I thought I was going to join the military when I figured that the best way that I would become a pilot would be through military training. Just generally, it was where I always had my heart placed throughout life, and the people around me really helped me make that decision,” Younes said.

There is much more to the United States Coast guard than meets the eye. Right off the bat, recruits must go through a rigorous training program, known affectionately as Swab

Summer.“Basically, Swab Summer is when you’re learning how to become a sailor of sorts, also called a Coastie. We learn about the history of the Coast Guard, get their indoctrination program, and do a very, very tough workout routine that they give you, basically like an exercise program,” Younes said.

Although the program at the Coast Guard academy is intense, Younes is optimistic, believing that his experience in Boy Scouts has prepared him well for it.

“I’m a Boy Scout, so I’ve done a good amount of civil service and I know what that does stand for. I know what it means to go out and serve your country and your community in that respect,” Younes said. to go out and serve your country and your community in that respect,” Younes said.

Navy Seals

Dylan Willis, senior, has been training for the past few years to join the Navy, with the hope of becoming a Navy SEAL. He will be joining them over the summer and participating in their training program, located on Lake Michigan, just north of Chicago.

“For me, personally, the main thing that made me join the program was the honor and pride behind it. Being able to say that you served the country and fought for freedom, there’s a lot of honor and pride and proudness behind it, and those are things I want in my life,” Willis said.

16

Panther Prowler | Military

Ryan Younes/ With Permission

US Air Force Christian Stansbery,

senior, plans to take to the skies by joining the United States Air Force after graduating from high school.

The main thing that made Stansbery plan on joining the Air Force was his family’s history with serving the country. “Many members of Christian Stansbery/With my family have and or are Permission serving the country already and I just want to serve people Academy, Stansbery is already and help out in ways I couldn’t focusing on preparing for the Academy’s rigorous curriculum. do normally,” Stansbery said.

Stansbery hopes to join the “I have been preparing for the Air Force Academy after going ASVAB as well as doing my through two years at nearby own training just to prepare Moorpark community college. for the physical stuff that is “I’m planning on getting my entailed with it,” Stansbery said. associate’s first. Then I’m going The ASVAB is an aptitude test to go into the air force, aiming that is used by the military to to join in as a paralegal, so I can determine whether a recruit is get the work experience, and qualified.

“It’s something that’s kinda then go into law school. That’s kind of the plan,” Stansbery been in the back of my mind for a long time. I thought said.

Despite the two year gap about it and decided that it before he will join the Air Force is really what I want to go in and do,” Stansbery said.

Willis has been working hard to prepare himself for Navy training, both physically and mentally. “A lot of people can do the physical side, but it’s all about the mentality, so it’s all about strengthening your mind and strengthening your willpower,” Willis said.

“Cross country helped a lot with that, with running 45 miles a week, because they do run a lot in boot camp, and I’ve also set a few goals for myself: doing 500 pushups a day, 100 pullups a day, a lot of core work.”

Although naval training is pretty intense, Willis encourages people to sign up and join. “Whenever I talk to new people that

are hesitant about joining the Military, they always think that when you join the military, you will be in a combat position, and that’s completely Dylan Willis/ untrue. You can do any With Permission job in the Navy and not be in combat and risk your life,” Willis said.

Seniors opt for a different route Manas Khatore In a culture that is becoming more focused on college admissions, it is important to take a step back and acknowledge students who take the road less recognized. Community colleges and trade schools remain important options for students and give opportunities that many traditional four-year schools cannot match.

Carroll and Pedroza dive into cosmetology The word “apprentice” may conjure up images from the Middle Ages, but it’s an option that Courtney Carroll, senior, is fully embracing. Carroll is passionate about cosmetology and hopes to gain experience working with her mother, a hairdresser.

“I’ve worked on doll heads before just because I just find it so interesting and fun to do,” she said.

Carroll’s decision was heavily influenced by her family, many of whom work in the cosmetology industry. “Every time I hear about their experiences and the things that they’ve done, it just sounds so fun and it’s such a good time to me and I’d rather have a creative, fun job that I can enjoy,” Carroll said.

While Samantha Pedroza, senior, also wants to go into cosmetology, she has chosen a different route, planning on attending Make-Up Designory (MUD) in the fall to hone her makeup skills. “I am really interested in makeup, just watching all these YouTube videos… After doing a lot of studies and research, I just want to become a makeup artist,” she said.

Pedroza explains that MUD will teach her how to succeed in the makeup industry. “It’s not just makeup that I’m learning, I’m also learning business skills, how to put myself out there, how to create my own website and everything like that,” Pedroza said.

Pedroza’s desire to pursue her passion was validated by a teacher she had her senior year, Gary Fabricius. “He always told us to find a job where you’re going to be happy… If you work at a job you love, you never work a day, and I’ve always just loved that,” Pedroza said.

Severtson and Ramirez choose community college After getting into college, Minda Severtson, senior, faced a tough decision. She realized that attending a four-year university was not the right choice for her. “I just need to take some time to work on myself and work on my maturity and my emotional stability to really thrive being on my own,” she said.

Glammed up - Samantha Pedroza, senior,

Samantha Pedroza/With Permission Pose

Minda Severtson/With Permission

Severtson will be attending Ventura Community College in the fall. She plans on studying psychology and film and likes the classes that Ventura offers, which she hopes to ace. “I just want to work as hard as possible and take these two years that I have at home to really buckle down and focus,” Severtson said.

Robert Ramirez, senior, is also interested in psychology and will attend Moorpark College in the fall. “It’s the cheapest option, really.

One that’s viable for me… Instead of stressing about making it directly into a four year, go to a community college to… [make] it easier to get into a four-year,” Ramirez said.

Community college often receives a negative stigma and is seen as a last resort by many people. However, Severtson believes that there are several positives to community college that are overlooked by most people. “I’ve just seen a lot of students settle for schools that maybe it was their third or fourth or fifth choice, and they’re just going there because they want to say they’re going to a four-year rather than take time to really develop themselves,” she said.

Above all, Ramirez and Severtson believe that students should take time and make their own decisions rather than blindly following the herd. “We have this very large idea or overall idea about how if you go to college, you’re doing the right thing… [But] it’s not necessarily the required ticket. Life isn’t a one way flow chart. It’s a million different paths that can lead to the same conclusion,” Ramirez said.

June 4, 2020

17

Jessica Zhou Anna Johnson

Seniors take on a new challange

Joining the work force As countless seniors prepare to set off for college, others are dodging the traditional route and jumping into the workforce.

Hanna Kessinger plans to start off her first year out of high school working at Paw Works, an animal rescue shelter.

Growing up with three dogs, three cats and a lizard, Kessinger’s love for animals started from a young age. This love played a crucial role in Kessinger’s choices finishing high school.

“I really want to become a vet later, but it definitely is a problem with money. So I want to work for a little while, see if I can get enough money to go to a good college with a good veterinary program. I want to save up and be able to get my own place and have a little bit of my own life before going to school again,” Kessinger said.

Kessinger has volunteered at Paw Works since she was 13 and got her first job there when she was a freshman. “I am a sales associate. I help people look for the right animal that they want for their family and then I just take care of animals,” Kessinger said.

After accumulating four years of work experience, Kessinger has noticed how she has benefited personally.

“The biggest thing I learned was how to just voice my opinion and talk to people in a comfortable way, because I was definitely very shy throughout high school. I just kind of stayed in my shell and that’s why I definitely took up this opportunity because I never really put myself out there as much in high school,” Kessinger said.

As Kessinger continues to pursue her passion at Paw Works, she also continues to create new goals and expectations for herself.

“I want to hopefully become a manager for Paw Works and be more involved.

I want to put my name out there and just see where I can go with helping Pose - Hanna Kessinger, senior, has had a n i m a l s , ” a love for animals since she was young.

Her dream is to become a vet so she can Kessinger said. help more animals in the future. Hanna Kessinger/With Permission

18

Panther Prowler | Gap Year and Working

Taking a break After working through twelve years of school, some seniors need a break from schoolwork, choosing to take a year in which they live their lives independent of any classes before pursuing a higher education. Kelli Thykeson, senior, is one of the many individuals taking a gap year, seeking time to think for herself and gain some clarity on her future.“I need a break. I’m not 100% sure what I want to do yet, so hopefully taking a break will help me think about what I want to do. I have ideas, but I’m just not sure,” Thykeson said.

Thykeson was Smile - Thykeson is currently staying at not influenced home and practicing digital art on her in her decision new iPad. She plans to get better at this to take a gap year new media of art with all the new practice

by COVID-19. time available. Kelli Thykeson/With She says she has Permission known since freshman year that doing this would be what’s best for her.

“My plan was always to do the first three years of high school and end my senior year early. I just wanted to finish as fast as I could because I really needed a break.”

After this year, Thykeson hopes to register at Moorpark College, where she will pursue art, hoping to transfer to CalArts.

“I’ve been drawing my entire life, and I guess after I finished senior year, I knew I needed to have something in my mind as an option. I was thinking about doing something with animals, but then I realized how I’ve been doing art all my life and I don’t suck at it so I can go that route. I think it’s very relaxing and you can literally do anything with it,” Thykeson said.

Thykeson is pursuing a sort of unusual approach to a gap year, wanting to still work through the summer doing Moorpark classes so she can fully enjoy herself during her favorite season, autumn. However, the current COVID-19 pandemic may place a dent in her plans.

“I’m motivated now (to go to college), and if this wasn’t happening, I’d have a job. I was planning on going to Moorpark in the summer because fall time is my favorite and I really wanted to have a break in the fall, but then this happened so I’m just kind of winging it now.”

As for right now, Thykeson is doing what she loves: art.

Amor, Mya: “It’s pronounced Mia” Arreaga, Alan: “The more you learn the more you earn.” Aschbrenner, Jace: “They bought it. Incredible. One of the worst performances of my career and they never doubted it for a second” (Bueller) Baldwin, Chip: “talent works harder than hard work.“ (Anonymous) Barillas, Manuel: “It ain’t about how hard you hit.It’s about how you can get hit and still moving forward.” (Rocky Balboa) Barker, Alexa: “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them” (Andy Bernard) Baxter, Hope: “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them” (Walt Disney) Bertram, Jensen: “Jensen loves dogs” Braime, Julianne: “I really had no idea what I was doing most of the time but I guess it worked out” Brown, Delaney: “Life is like soup. I’m a fork.” Brown, Soren: “Made to chill.” Burg, Leon: “No recess” (Kurt Cobain) Campbell, Colin: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. (Ferris Bueller) Campero, Galadriel:”The brain is a muscle that can move the world” (Stephen King) Carroll, Courtney: “I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb... and I also know that I’m not blonde.” (Dolly Parton) Chavez, Hope: “If Coronavirus doesn’t take you out, can I?” Chu, Gia: “I am a proud Asian-American woman and you will treat me with respect! I’m a tiger mom!” ( John Mulaney) Cole-Wood, Kamryn: “HELLOOOO” (Mrs. Doubtfire) Cooper, Eliza: “David Dobrik’s #1 Fan” Cope, Caden: “It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war” Copeland, Dylan: “Short People: God only lets things grow until they’re perfect. Some of us didn’t take as long as others.” (unknown) D’Souza, Rahul: “How do you lose an electron? You forget to cherish it.” Darras, Daniel: “Life”s too short, make the most of it” Davis, Trevor: “say sike right now” DeMelfi, Colby: “Shronky” Dennis, Arnold: “If only there was a way to know you were in the good old days, before you actually left them” (Andy Bernard, The Office) DeRoy, Becky: “The only time I set the bar low is for limbo” (Michael Scott ) DeRoy, Laura: “...but on Pretzel Day? Well, I like Pretzel Day.” (Stanley Hudson) Dettloff, Brook: “I’m Brennan. But, you have to call me... Nighthawk.” Duc, Josephine: “Just ‘cause you put syrup on something, don’t make it pancakes.” (Shawn Spencer) Dukler, Ido: “This is a rock” Elston-Hurdle, Jordan: “A bad day on a mountain bike always beats a good day in the office” ( Justin Hurdle) Emery, Spencer: “Hakuna Matata” Endler, Haley: “Okay, um, count me in as ‘who cares?’ “ (Michael Scott) England, Jacob: “Enjoy life as it is, not as it was” Forca, Jenny: “I just couldn’t make it on time” ( Jeff Spicoli) Galipeau, Maya: “Being true to yourself never goes out of style” (Legally Blonde)Garcia, Hunter: “There is a T in my name btw” Garty, Chad: “Later.” Gengo, Nathan: “Zoom Class of 2020” Ghanem, Aminah: “Having fun isn’t hard when you got a library card” (Arthur) Gonzalez, Carlos: “I Like to look out and smile to the world” Gonzalez, Giselle: “-do you have a plan? -I don’t even have a pla.” (Phoebe Buffet) Griffin, Shannon: “I didn’t have enough time to think of one so I’m just gonna say oops and move on.” Grimes, Taylor: “The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.” (Chancellor Palpatine) Grosswendt, Mary: “Man, time really flies when you take two naps a day.” (Eric Foreman) Gulbranson, Abby: “it’s all good” Hajiloo, Paige: “It’s both an ending and beginning; it’s warm memories of the past and big dreams for the future.” Hamaker, Luke: “nice” Hung, Vickie: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was life” (me and earl and the dying girl) Hussain, Matthew: “It’s not about the destination, it’s the journey” (Kobe Bryant) Jayaratna, Hiruni: “Reality is wrong, dreams are for real.” (Tupac Shakur) Jayaratna, Sadhuni: “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory” (Dr. Suess) Jewett, Jamie: “High School? I hardly know her.” Kanapuram, Varna: “The phrase swag money is swag money.”Keller, Karli: “I say dance, they say ‘How high?’”

(Michael Scott) Kessinger, Hanna: “Learn to enjoy every little moment, appreciate the good times and learn from the bad. ” Kotake, Kellie: “What the” Kowalewski, Kyla: “I’m not exactly sure since they said we wouldn’t have a senior quote, but maybe ‘What!?!’ -Kyla” Kuo, Maile: “Bye-Bye High School” (Susie E. Norberg) Levelis, Ava: “I’m gonna go get one of those job things” (Rachel Green) Levenson, Jennifer: “Boo!” Li, Brendan: “Clippers in 4” Logie, Zakary: “Peace out - me” Luby, Olivia: “In three words I can sum up what I’ve learned about life: It goes on.”

(Robert Frost) Lunney, Naya: “Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking” (W.B. Yeats) Mackay, Daniel: “When life gives you lemons, call them ‘yellow oranges’ and sell them for double the price” (Grunkle Stan) Magnussen, Bradley: “B-rad with the sinker 5/5/20” Malone, Jacob: “I want to turn the whole thing upside down” ( Jack Johnson) Markrud, Konur: “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” ( Jim Carrey) Martens, Scott: “It is finished” ( Jesus) Masson, Melanie: “God loves a trier.” ( Jack Stirrup) McCurdy, Andrew: “From each according to his ability, to each according his needs.” McDonough, James: “Change Da World. My Final Message. Goodbye” McMahon, Kaylee: “Never, ever, ever give up.” (Michael Scott) Meaney, Caitlin: “So make the best of this test and don’t ask why. It’s not a question but a lesson learned in time.” (Billie Joe Armstrong) Mesko, Lauren: “It is what it is” Michalek, Alyssa: “wait what’d you say I can’t hear you” Miller, Heather Diane: “ ‘Hoe gaat het met jou vandaag?’ which is Dutch for How is it going with you today?” Morales, Rachel: “Sometimes I’ll start a sentence and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.” (Michael Scott, The Office) Mudgett, John: “It all became very clear to me sitting out there today, that every decision I’ve ever made, in my entire life, has been wrong. My life is the complete opposite of everything I want it to be. Every instinct I have, in every aspect of life, be it something to wear, something to eat ... It’s all been wrong.” -(George Costanza, Seinfeld, The Opposite) Mugarte, Bryan: “life is full with ups and downs the trick is to enjoy the good times joy and to have the courage to go through the bad ones” (Bryan Mugarte)Muir, Jack: “We got Lil Jack on the track”Murth, Patrick: “The next perfect graduating class will be in 101 years.” Needham, Garet: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” (Wayne Gretzky) Nosco, Kellie: “A Sweet Ending To A New Beginning” O’Keeffe, Ciara: “senior prank idea: TP the school...oh wait #coronavirus” Oliver, Molly: “where do I pick up my diploma?” Oller, Candi: “Ask yourself this, are you living or just existing?” Oshita, Caysie: “High school was nothing like the movie” Palaparty, Veda: “high school... it happened.” Paragas, Angela: “The claim ‘ I was only following orders’ has been used to justify too many tragedies in our history” (Captain Jean-Luc Picard) Pechter, Daniel: “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you left them. (Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes)Perez, Maya: “May my heart be kind, my mind fierce and my spirit brave.” Perez, Ricardo: “What’s the shape of Italy?” Pluckrose, Jessi: “I literally just got here” Prachyl, Madison: “you guys, I’m like really smart now, you don’t even know “ (Kelly Kapoor) Proudfit, Mj: “Let us live like plants, wild and beautiful and drenched in sun.” Raskin, Cody: “Life is a journey you learn and grow from” Renouf-Bilanski, Grace: “We rise by lifting others.” Rice, Jackson: “rice is the best food imaginable. no cap” Richards, Lynne: “I feel God in this Chili’s tonight” (The Office)Rivas, Cicily: “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them” (Andy, The Office) Robertson, Eric: “It’s Just like the Titanic, but it’s full of bears!” (George Washington) Rosson, Michael: “I don’t love people. I love Camaros, Zeppelin, and French Fries, in that order.” Salah, Malak: “Life goes on even if it’s in a million pieces” Sanchez, David: “Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok: @dav1d.sanchez Twitter: @dav1d.sanchez YouTube: David Sanchez” Sanders, Madeline: “Well... that wasn’t the high school experience I expected :/” Santiago, Virginio: “Mistakes create creativity” (Yung Lean) Santos, Julia: “I have many faults and I have many fears, but I am going to embrace myself as hard as I can, and I’m starting to love myself, little by little” (Kim Nam Jun) Saucerman, Timothy: “The truth is, you don’t learn much from winning, but losing can make you a lot stronger.” (Drew Brees) Schipper, Lillie: “Treat people with kindness” (Harry Styles) Severtson, Minda: “My faith is stronger than my fears” Shaw, Julianne: “As average as it gets” Shen, Matthew: “zzzzzzzzz” Shin, Clarissa: “Everything happens for a reason.” Small, Delaney: “I found the theatre and I found my home.” (Audra McDonald) Smith, Eamon: “Keep it light, keep it fun.” Smith, Matthew: “Yes, I do have a fast metabolism. No, you can not have it.” Sobierajski, Alex: “I spent 4 years in high school to end up graduating on a Minecraft server” Stansbery, Christian: “I’m too lazy to think of something good so just put this” (me) Swist, Liam: “I gotta get out of here” Thenoz, Marie-Amelle: “The risks I took were calculated, but man, am I bad at math.” Thykeson, Kelli: “Hakuna Matata.” Turner, Caleb: “Never stop getting back up when you’re pushed back down” Veenkat, Meena: “It’s true what they say, time is of the essence when it comes to high school.” Wampler Ashley: “Make the world more useful with your presence.” Wang, Jenny: “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Weintraub, Lorelei: “You’re doing amazing sweetie” (Kris Jenner) Wise, Dallas: “well that was something else” Woomer, Zoe: “Bury me with my clout goggles on” Yendamuri, Sprihi: “I look back on being 17 and think, ‘Oh my God, how did I not die?’ “ ( John Mulaney) Young, Nico: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face” (Eleanor Roosevelt) Zielinski, Dylan: “Later guys” (Christopher Columbus, 1492)

SENIOR QUOTES

June 4, 2020

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- ADVERTISMENT -

PARENTS APPRECIATING CVUSD Would like to extend...

A sincere “Thank you” to all CVUSD employees: Administrators, Teachers, and Staff.

We appreciate your tireless support of our students during these difficult times!

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Panther Prowler | Advertisements

- ADVERTISMENTS -

Congratulations to the Class of

2020!

Thank you Medical & Frontline Workers!

We appreciate you!

– Nelson Mandela Best Wishes, Jenny Fitzgerald, CVUSD Trustee, and family

Keep learning and growing, and never doubt that you can make a difference. You already have.

With much love and respect, Mrs. Magnante

June 4, 2020

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Medical forces battle COVID-19 with the community Jessica Zhou Reese Kelem While the common American citizen does their part by staying home, countless medical staff fight on the front lines to take down COVID-19. In hospitals across the state, medical workers are working relentlessly to prevent the spread of the disease. People all over the community have shown great appreciation for these hard-workers through donations and support, keeping our frontline workers strong.

Medical Workers At the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 are the nurses and doctors working in hospitals like Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

These workers, like many of us, did not expect the coronavirus to turn into such a major ordeal. “Honestly, I thought the media was blowing it out of proportion. I knew of two confirmed cases at the hospital. Then, I was off for two days and one of our ICUs [Intensive Care Unit] was filled with COVID patients. It became very real, very quickly,” Lia Padilla, nurse at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, said.

Immediately after the pandemic erupted, hospitals had to act quickly to help patients. “The nurses took on extra duties of other departments to limit the number of potential exposures of our staff.,” Tom Vasko, Los Robles nurse and NPHS alumni, said.

Everyday nurses like Vasko must take intense precautions when preparing to work with COVID-19 patients. The procedure begins with getting their temperatures checked at the door. Then, medical professionals must put on a series of protective gears to ensure their safety. The usual scrubs and gloves are worn, but some doctors wear 2-3 layers of gloves for safety.

All nurses are required to wear N-95 masks, but due to a surge in sales during the pandemic, hospitals have limited access to these masks. RJ Cajigal, critical care float nurse at Cedars-Sinai, said that workers now have to practice improper protection routines. “If you go by old school books, you’re not supposed to use the same masks between patients normally, but because of the circumstances that we’re so short on protective gear we have to use one for 12 hours... unless the mask itself gets soiled,” Cajigal said. “This can be tiring over a 12 hour shift on your respiratory system and face/skin,” Vasko said, because the masks require a tight fit to be effective.

Verbal communication has also become a problem while wearing masks and other protection. “We had to adjust to communication by writing backwards with a dry erase marker on the sliding glass doors,” Vasko said. In addition, tasks like changing an IV which usually takes seconds can now take over 5 minutes. “This may not seem like a lot, but this can be an extremely frequent occurrence and eats away at our time and limited isolation equipment supplies,” Vasko said.

“

Take action - Hundreds of surgical caps and masks were donated to Los Robles from volunteers in the community. “I’ve had so many (volunteers) that wish they could come in and help, it’s very hard for them to not be here,” Brennick said. Irene Brennick/With Permission

We had to adjust to communication by writing backwards with a dry erase marker on the sliding glass doors.

- Tom Vasko, nurse

“

Emily Augustine/Prowler

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Panther Prowler | Medical Force

Distancing Struggles Not only has the pandemic been difficult for the nurses, but patients are also facing a whole new world of struggle. Patients can have very little, if any visitors and are required to wear masks outside of their rooms and have their temperature checked. Further, many are afraid to go to hospitals and medical offices.

“The hospital is usually a bustling center, now it’s a ghost town,” Padilla said. “The hospital is seeing less patients come in because they are scared of contracting the coronavirus. This has led to some patients ignoring major symptoms of heart attack or stroke resulting

Masks on - Medical staff from Los Robles pose at the front desk with the newly arrived hand-made caps and masks that were donated by volunteers from the Irene Brennick/With Permission

in poorer prognosis or death,” Padilla said.

With all of these extensive measures , stress follows patients and medical workers home at the end of the day. Charlie O’Connell, paramedic for Los Robles, has had to change his entire routine to adapt to the pandemic. “I do my own little mini decontamination where I clean my boots before I come inside the house. I take all my clothes, I put them directly into my laundry hamper. I jump in the shower. And then we can’t really go anywhere to visit people that we normally would have,” O’Connell said.

These cautions also put stress on their families. “Every night I get home from work is difficult for me and my son, he doesn’t see me for the entire day and when I get home he gets very excited. He is too young to understand the dangers, it breaks my heart but I have to deny him any contact until I can at least shower. Even after I thoroughly wash, I’m scared to hug or kiss my own son,” Vasko said.

Hospitals have provided hotels for those who are working and seek isolation, but many hospital workers find it hard to keep distance from those they love for such a long time. “I think the biggest lesson that we can all learn is that the general public really won’t understand what healthcare goes through until you’re actually there,” Cajigal said.

“If anything and everything, just wash your hands and you should be at less risk passing the virus to anybody that you know.”

Community Efforts During the past few months, many have felt the empathy of the community as people have united to help medical workers on the front lines of the pandemic..

After Governor Gavin Newsom declared the statewide shutdown of California in mid-March, the volunteer department at Los Robles Hospital closed indefinitely to satisfy social distancing guidelines.

However, this did not halt the volunteers’ desires to keep helping.

Irene Brennick, Los Robles volunteer coordinator, began organizing volunteers from Los Robles and the community to donate homemade masks and scrub caps to the hospital.

Immediately after sending an email to volunteers, her request was met with great enthusiasm.. When asked how many masks and caps have been made, Brennick responded with five words: “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds.” She says, however, that “sometimes, within ten minutes [of delivering them] they’re gone,” and that these efforts are still needed.

The volunteer department has also been putting in a lot of effort to provide the medical staff with food. “So lots of groups are fundraising and putting big orders into local restaurants to also help them and then provide food,” Brennick said.

Standing on the other side of the story, many medical staff have seen and felt the support given by the community. “I am so proud and thankful of my community and I will continue to be there for them in this pandemic and for whatever may come in the future,” Vasko said.

Team nursing - RJ Cajigal, along with several other nurses at Cedars’ “It’s one of the biggest hospitals in Southern California, we had a hard RJ Cajigal/ With Permission

June 4, 2020

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Masks on-

Megan Jill Magnante/With

O’Weger/With Permission

Permission

Teachers innovate online learning Carter Castillo

Manas Khatore

The implementation of distance learning has shaken up education systems across the globe, as teachers are forced to adapt their classrooms to be completely online, needing to find replacements for traditional, in-school activities. Despite the adversity, teachers are rising up to the occasion in many ways and are not only there to continue diligently teaching, but to provide support for their students as well.

support them based on what they have in front of them.”

The lack of physical interaction with their students has been hard for many teachers. “There was a time when I received the news that we were not going to go physically back [to school] that I cried because it just hits you. You knew it, you knew it was coming. But then when you’re like, I’m not going to see my students and I’m not going to get to have those memories,” Schaefer said.

Student Outreach

Unique Outreach/Innovation

One of the most daunting tasks that teachers have had to undertake is adapting the classroom into an accessible format for all students. Marissa Schaefer, Spanish and English language development teacher, expressed challenges with student outreach, saying “unfortunately, even with, offers of free internet and wireless hotspots ... which is absolutely fantastic, there’s still a component of figuring out how it works, [and] getting it set up.”

A major cause of disconnect between teachers and students is a gap in access to technology. “I don’t have an iPad and I’m not familiar with them,” Schaefer said. “So there is sometimes a disconnect of [giving] them the instructions they need to

Each and every class has a unique struggle when it begins to transition into an online format, particularly classes that regularly involve hands on activities, or those that require frequent testing of pronunciation. Elizabeth Burnett, culinary arts teacher, has had the task of teaching a cooking class online. “I don’t expect any of [my students] to cook at home with everything going on with COVID, it’s very hard to get groceries or particular items or even just [be] able to cook. So far that aspect of the class has been very difficult,” she said.

Katie O’Neill, chemistry teacher, has been forced to make do with remote labs in order to keep students on track with the

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Panther Prowler | Teachers

Mixing metals- Katie O’Neill records a science demonstration for her IB Chemistry class. She has had

Gracias- Marissa Schaefer poses next to a poster in her Spanish class. Teachers have had to completely switch to distance learning, making empty classrooms a new reality. Megan Vlietstra/Prowler

learning. Katie O’Neill/With Permission

curriculum. When there are no good online replacements, O’Neill has had to be creative, such as with the alkaline metals lab for her IB chemistry class. “Alkaline metals are fairly reactive with water, they produce a whole lot of smoke and stuff like that and can catch on fire if you use a big enough amount…I couldn’t find anything on it online so we just decided to film me going through the lab itself,” O’Neill said.

Teachers decided to launch a virtual math and science tutoring center for students who seek help. Although only a few students have requested tutoring, O’Neill believes that the center is still a good way to keep in touch with her students every Friday. “These are all your top-notch kids [and] it’s really just nice to kind of see them... it’s still a good hour for us to spend together,” O’Neill said.

Reflection Although school is closed, quarantine has been a learning experience for students and teachers alike. While staying isolated, teachers have been able to reflect on the importance and impact of school.

Jill Magnante, English teacher, tries to maintain a positive outlook on the situation.“I always tried to practice gratitude, and have found in some really dark places in my life, that practicing gratitude helps me to keep the right attitude and to endure really difficult circumstances,” Magnante said.

Despite the personal challenges that they may face, many teachers feel the need to stay strong for their students and community.

“

Practicing gratitude helps me to keep the right attitude and to endure really difficult circumstances.

- Jill Magnante,

English teacher

“

“We’ve had several tragedies to have to deal with in the past few years between the fire and the Borderline shooting and the death

of a colleague… But we also have to put on a brave face for our students because they’re looking to us for how to respond and how to adapt,” Schaefer said.

With stay-at-home orders, teachers have been missing the feeling of community that many people took for granted before. “I miss interacting with my colleagues, and there’s parts of it that are easier sometimes with virtual learning, but not necessarily in a good way… it’s really sad to be disconnected from the community that our school built around you guys and around the whole team,” Schaefer said.

Magnante feels the same way, saying that school has reminded her of how important building close relationships between students and teachers are. “School is so much more than standards or skills.

Those are important, but those skills and standards become so much easier to learn when you have strong relationships… In my zoom sessions, I constantly thank my kids for being present, and I constantly remind them that I’m here for them, because it’s never been more apparent how important that is,” Magnante said.

June 4, 2020

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Senior athletes move past COVID-19

Gwen Buchanan Rahul D’Souza Imagine a world with no movement.

A world where time is stopped and there is no physical social interaction. The lack of motion and socializing takes away one aspect of society that brings people together- Athletics. No more crowds gathering on bleachers, or a game for them to see anyway. This is the world we live in now, this is COVID-19.

Newbury Park High School, along with most other schools, was forced to cancel all spring sports for the rest of the season, possibly longer. Because of this, both student and professional athletes around the world are dealing with the cancellation of their respective sports.

Girls’ lacrosse

Team - The NPHS girls lacrosse team raises their nets in union. Richard Bateman/With Permission

The girls’ lacrosse team is making the best of the situation by communicating through technology and keeping in shape at home. “Our girls zoom, we are in a group chat and we send each other workouts,” Michelle Yarger, coach, said.

The seniors being unable to enjoy their last year is one aspect that girls’ lacrosse particularly struggles with. “Not being able to honor our Seniors in person [is hard].”

Yarger said. “[They] have worked so hard to make NP lacrosse what it is today.”

But, the team has chosen to learn from this difficult season. “We can just remember that we may have to always play a

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Panther Prowler | Athletes

game as if it’s our last game, and I think that is a very important message,” Yarger said.

Swim The swim team was hit especially hard since many athletes did not have access to a pool. Many swimmers could not practice their sport and had to resort to other onland exercises.

Ava Holzcamp, sophomore on varsity, practiced with a club to prepare for her spring season all year, but then the season was discontinued. However, the team hopes to make a strong comeback with the help of head coach, Emma Lythgoe. “It has been important that the team stays unified,” Hozlcamp said. “Coach Emma has been integrating scheduled zoom meetings and weekly exercises which have helped us stay in touch with one another and stay active, during this extremely isolated time.”

Despite the difficulties this time has brought, Hozlcamp made the situation a learning experience for herself and the team. “We can only use this time to reflect on ourselves, and to keep working on our individual growth with the next season in mind to come back even stronger,” Hozlcamp said.

Soccer

Championship last year, the team was ready to destroy the competition this year.

“We were all really upset, because it was our last season together and we were playing really well as a team. We were looking forward to going to North Carolina in April, and had really high hopes of winning the tournament there,” Shaelyn Rashoff, senior, said.

After holding the number one spot in the nation for some time this season, “it was crushing news to hear that we couldn’t play anymore,” Rashoff said.

Mountain biking For Ido Dukler, senior and varsity captain of the mountain biking team, it was hard to accept what was happening when the “Stayat-home” order was put in place.

“I was personally shocked because at that point I didn’t really grasp the severity of the situation, but nevertheless I stayed hopeful for a possible return,” Dukler said.

Just as his season was starting to pick up, with races set for almost every coming weekend, it was announced that he wouldn’t be able to compete in his last season. Dukler refused to let that stop him, however, and kept himself in shape through quarantine, even working through a few injuries.

Now, he looks to the future: “I have always wanted to try a triathlon, so when things clear up, I might try that out and see if it’s right for me,” Dukler said.

Tennis Kick - Shaelyn Rashoff, senior, jumps to head the ball towards the goal but gets stuck in some unfortunate circumstances. Shaelyn Rashoff/With Permission

Rashoff played soccer for the Real SoCal academy team throughout high school.

After coming close to winning the National

The tennis team was chasing the glory from their championship run two years ago when COVID-19 shut them down.

Nathan Juan, senior and varsity captain, had a frustrating start to his season, playing just one “disappointing” game before his season was canceled.

“It was frustrating, to say the least,

but there’s not much we can do now but stick together as a team and encourage each other off the court just like we would on the court,” Juan said. “As for the future, I hope to definitely continue playing with balls in

college, just for fun or even maybe in a club team but I’m not sure yet.”

Juan has been finding time to practice since tennis courts opened back up again, making sure that when he can compete again, he will be ready.

Track and Field

Swing - Nathan Juan, senior, stands ready with his racquet cocked back to crush any ball that comes his way. Rahul D’Souza/Prowler

Kyle Wonders, senior, has been dedicated to track for the past four years. But his big plans to break his personal records this year and to qualify for a big invitational meet with his team never came true.

“I spent a couple of weeks being really frustrated at the loss, but after thinking about it and really putting it into perspective I realized it’s not just me who lost my season, it’s everyone,” Wonders said.

Wonders has kept his head up through hard times, still putting in time to work out every day. Even after spraining his ACL, he “got creative in [his] training” and kept grinding.

“The most important thing to realize is that we all lost this together,” Wonders said.

Sprinting - Kyle Wonders, senior, hurdles his break his personal record. Kyle Wonders/With Permission

Boys’ baseball unifies at Ventura College Senior year of high out what’s best for me school is so important and my interests, so for athletes because I decided to enroll at it is their last chance Ventura College for the to play with the fall and will be playing teammates that they baseball there,” Gavin grew up with. Five Williams, senior, said. seniors on the boys “Anyone that’s baseball team have played a varsity sport decided to continue in high school knows to play together at the feeling of playing Ventura Community against your cross town College. rival in front of full Now that the stands with all your seniors don’t have friends and family a season to get Sticking together - Senior baseball players at NPHS Zack Roach, Max Flame, Gavin Williams, Jake watching you. It’s a scouted, many of Read and Robby Keister decide to continue playing together at Ventura Community College starting feeling I love and wish their college dreams this year. NP Athletics/Twitter I could have back.” have been altered. “I Williams said. “Every was committed to senior on the baseball play baseball at the University of Nevada Reno, but decommitted team knows we had something special. It’s a group of kids that have before the season started.” Max Flame, a senior on the baseball team grown up together playing ball for almost half our lives.” said. “My plan now that our season is cancelled is to go to Ventura However, senior athletes are pulling through these hard Community College and play a year with them, hoping that I do times and moving on from this season with wonderful memories well and get recruited to a university.” from the past and high hopes for the future. “I can only However, the coronavirus has also been used positively to help look forward and prepare for what’s ahead,” Williams said. students reconsider what is right for them. “Now with everything cancelled and shut down I’ve had time to take a step back and figure

June 4, 2020

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Candace Crownover

Brendon Gong

Garret Smilor

Melanie Masson

Caysie Oshita

D

“From a young age I always loved

Lauren Mesko

Caysie Oshita

helping others and making a positive impact in my community.

I was inspired to join the National Charity League because of all the great philanthropies, to learn leadership skills and be a part of fun cultural events.”

Sadhuni Jayaratna Julianne Braime

Ashley Mangawang

“ ju ev I’m Jason Crystal

Alyson Ashamalla

Kayla Brandes

Kayla Brandes

Rachael Anderson

28

“The people that buy food are so compassionate and thankful that we are giving back to the community in times like these.

This also makes me feel connected to others while in a time of quarantine.”

Paige Hajiloo

Panther Prowler | Humans of Newbury Park High School

Taylor Grimes

Sean Nicholson

Meena Venkat

Alexa Barker

Humans of NPHS

Abby Gulbranson

Adam Mockridge

Newbury Park High School is much larger than a school, it is a community filled with all sorts of different people.

Through these unprecedented times NPHS has remained as close as ever. On this page, we honor the seniors in the Class of 2020.

All photos are With Permission

Diana Quintanar “It’s therapeutic cutting hair. It’s just very relaxing. At the end of every haircut, I just get so proud.

I’m like, ‘Wow, look at how good it looks!’”

Diana Quintanar

Grace Renouf-Bilanski

AJ Jimenez

Taylor Storti Aminah Ghanem

Ashley Wampler Arielle Morris

Alexandar Grandsard

Alexandar Grandsard

“My muse is finding something that people find every day and ordinary, and take a picture in such an angle where it looks totally new and unique.”

Sophia Turville

Hunter Garcia=

Jenny Wang Lorelei Weintraub

Jace Aschebrenner

June 4, 2020 Andrew Stamper

29

Aaron Fang

Aaron Fang

Aaron Fang

Aaron Fang

Andie Huff

Cindy O’Brien

Aaron Fang

Carson Lambert

Dev Doshi

Nandini Patro

Cheska Usares

HONP Evelyn Zhai

Our community is so much bigger than our immediate circle of friends and family. Each one of these individuals has some sort of relationship with the students of Newbury Park High School- they are alumni, siblings, parents and friends- and each of them has had their own unique experiences during COVID-19.

Dylan Jing

Tommy Joseph

All photos are With Permission

Shelley Robledo

Kaelyn Hyson

Eesha Chattopadhyay

Jitin Jaitly

Saria Nassar

Matt Au

Connor Mullins

Mia Munoz

30

Connor Mullins

“I think that school will start online as they choose what teaching form would keep the students safe. This will be an issue as next year is critical for my major mainly for credits needed as an intern somewhere.”

Panther Prowler | Humans of Newbury Park Preston Handler

Grant Hoffman

Jake Hatzinger

Maya Chari

Aminah Ghanem

Vinny Forca

Jeff Rickert ‘I like to be out and about, so it’s hard. I miss the ocean, I miss just the freedom to go wherever we want at the drop of a hat.”

Hailey Cerio

Ben Au

Jeff Rickert

Carol and Jorge Gruener

Awanti Desai

Francis Siu

Rhea Vermani

Gabriel Colasanti

Aitana Sierra-Valdes “I need my personal space as someone who is an introvert so being around my family at home all the time gives me little time to have to myself.”

Hana Moss

Trenton Packard

Victor Ke

Aitana Sierra-Valdes

Suzanne Mathison

Riley and Valarie Neel

Serena Batista

Samantha Rand

Suzanne Mathison “Our flying has decreased by 80 percent, so we used to carry 300 thousand passengers a day and now we are carrying six thousand passengers a day...Nothing is like this. Nothing. Now, airlines are closing all over the world.”

Sean Leehey

Colette Bagan

Rachna Deshpande

Karla Stephenson

Shaya Kacker

Kyle Yasui

Katie Rose

June 4, 2020

31

Jordan Jomsky

- ADVERTISMENT -

We love our Thrive Dance Center Senior Dancers! Catelynn James, Jillian Benedict and Susanna Lopez-Herrera we are so proud of your hard work and dedication to academics, community, and dance. We can’t wait to see you Thrive in your next stage of life.

Catelynn James

Susanna Lopez-Herrera

Jillian Benedict