rowlerantherP Newbury Park HigH ScHool | wedNeSday JaN. 19, 2011 | iSSue Six | 456 N. reiNo rd. Newbury Park, ca 91320

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Kavya SingampalliProwler Entertainment Editor

The Advanced Placement Art History and the AP/International Baccalaureate Art classes went to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena on Jan. 10. The museum featured traditional European and modern pieces, including impressionist paintings, sculptures, and gardens.

Jennifer Lee, art teacher, chose this museum because of its special exhibits, such as a Raphael painting on loan from Washington, D.C. “It was a new place to visit,” she said. “Many of [the students] had never heard of it.”

Brianna Lindberg, sophomore, believes this field trip enhanced what she learned in Art History. “It helps to visually see the splendor of the art. In a textbook, the dimensions of a piece may be written, but the height doesn’t really sink in unless you see it in person.”

“The museum had a fairly good collection for its size,” Kohji Sugioka, senior, said. He was inspired by Edouard Manet’s life-size picture of a homeless man. “It was one of the first times someone other than royalty had a frame that big. It gave off a ‘social slap in the face’ feel that I enjoy in art.”

This field trip was different from previous art field trips, as it introduced Baroque and modern art to the students. Their assignment focused on the layout and organization of the museum to prepare the students to design a museum model after the AP test.

Lindberg agreed that the museum was well organized because “the artwork was an accurate representation of the era [on display]. For example, in the Renaissance exhibit, which focused on Raphael, the artwork in the center demonstrated the best of the era.”

Sugioka enjoys art field trips because they “allow him to forget about school and just concentrate with art. Looking at art is spiritual because it fosters the expression of something completely personal.”

“Seeing art on paper isn’t the same as seeing in person,” Lee said. “It provides an emotional connection and reinforces ideas we learned in class.”

Melissa Han / Prowler

Awestruck - Students look up in awe at one of three wall-sized contemporary paintings. The classes went to the museum before its opening time to enjoy the artwork in a more private setting.

Maia Laabs and Justine SizemoreProwler Sports Editor and Staff Writer

The Teacher of the Month Award record was broken on Jan.12 as Peggy Walker became the second Newbury Park High teacher to win the recognition this school year.

Enthusiasm - With a smile on her face, teacher Peggy Walker passes out papers to seniors Kevin Mahn and Daniel Dipsia in Psychology IB.

School record: Walker second teacher to win award this year

Art students continue field trip tradition

Shannon Alavi and Cooper EllisonProwler Co-Editor in Chief and Opinion Editor

Sam Morgan / Prowler

Freshmen gathered into groups in the gymnasium throughout second, third, and fourth periods on Jan. 12 as part of the Acceptance Day event coordinated by Peer Counseling.

First, students were each handed a piece of colored paper and separated into groups according to their colors. In these groups, peer counselors led discussions about stereotypes, judging, and cliques. Students were asked questions to help them become more accepting of each other.

Students also played a game called “If You Really Knew Me,” in which they shared aspects of their lives that others may not have known.

“I really liked [that] part because it helped kids understand that everyone is going through something, and you can’t judge based on what you see,” Rita Likovich, peer counselor and junior, said.

According to Leslie Drossin, guidance counselor and Peer Counseling adviser, Acceptance Day is “for students to think outside of their group of friends and break through barriers.”

After the group discussion, the students wrote “a promise to themselves […] to make themselves a better person” on the colored strips of paper. The strips were compiled into a paper chain of promises.

To conclude the event, everyone came together to play a game called “Crossing the Line” in which students crossed over an imaginary line to the middle of the gym if a statement applied to them.

While some were easy, other events were brought up, such as betrayal of faith and low self-opinions. The purpose of the game was to help them recognize the similarities they shared.

“It was definitely successful. A lot of them shared really personal information and got a lot out of it,” Ryan Wonders, president of Peer Counseling and senior, said. “It’s nice for these kids to make connections.”

The Peer Counseling Club hopes to hold events similar to Acceptance Day in the future.

“We [have held the event] for eighth graders at Sycamore Canyon [for the past two years.] I love doing this,” Wonders said. “I wish [we] did it for the whole school.”

Freshmen participate in Acceptance Day

Sam Morgan / Prowler

“It’s amazing! It’s actually really such a surprise,” Walker said. “They’ve been talking all week about [how at] our faculty meeting on late start day, they would be there and someone [would be] getting the award.”

Walker has taught at Newbury Park for 21 years. She currently teaches Advanced Placement European History and AP and International Baccalaureate Psychology. In addition, she is the Mock Trial adviser.

“She definitely deserved it. I think she’s pretty well rounded across all of the activities she’s doing outside of class,” Scott Ellis, AP European History teacher, said. “She has her hat in a lot of different areas. It’s impressive to see her balance it.”

Walker was honored to receive the award, although she does not feel it is hers alone, but a symbol of appreciation for all teachers.

“I think it’s an award that is expressed to all teachers because the community recognizes the impact of teachers, and this is the way of recognizing teachers in general,” Walker said. “It’s extra special to have it be your turn, to be the person representing all of the teachers.”

On top of her skill as a teacher and dedication to the school, Walker has been noted for her cheerful and humble personality.

“I think she’s pretty positive. She’s pretty upbeat, and she handles a lot too,” Ellis said. “She never really shows how much is on her plate, and that’s very rare. She is so involved with so many different activities and very graceful with it too.”

Her students recognize these qualities within her as well.

“Mrs. Walker’s presence makes everyone happy,” Busy Rylander, sophomore, said. “She’s really nice, and she’s a good teacher.”

m us i cPIRacY

News The Prowler • Jan. 19, 2011

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NewsNorm

a Hutchinson Prow

ler Sports Editor

The Blood Drive will be held Jan. 28. Registration is available at the front office. One of the main requirements is that the donar must be at least 16 years old. For every one pint of blood donated, three lives are saved.

Sage Library was filled with the rhythmic verses of several different poems on Jan. 12, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm as students from Newbury Park and Westlake High Schools competed in Poetry Out Loud.

Students participating in the competition were required to select poems from the Poetry Out Loud website or in the anthology, which had about 300 options of varying lengths and genres.

“Competitors recite two poems. One has to be a pre-twentieth century poem, one has to be a poem under 25 lines,” Lucia Lemieux, English teacher and event coordinator, said. “If those two criteria are combined then they can choose any [second] poem.”

Kevin Standridge, sophomore and winner for the Newbury Park High division, carefully selected and practiced his poems, “Poetry” and “A Birthday,” in the days leading up to the competition.

“The ‘Poetry’ one I chose because I did it last year and I thought that the idea was very complex which is one of the things that we were judged on,” he said. “The birthday one is probably the sweetest love poem that I have ever heard, so I thought I could really convey it the best.”

Noticias

As the school year reaches its halfway mark, there will be a small difference in the transition than in previous years.

Students and teachers no longer have the day off on the Jan. 24, the day between terms.

“Most [teachers] have grown so accustom to having that day off that we not only use it to prep for next term, but also for finishing grades,” Steve Johnson, International Baccalaureate

enBreve

The All-Male Dance team will compete by showcasing their group’s choreographies and solos on Jan. 22 at Aliso Nigel High School in Orange County.

history teacher, said. The break was placed on a date that

was convenient for teachers to finish grades for their term one students.

“I [started planning early] because I know I won’t have the time,” Cindy Wade, world history teacher, said.

While teachers have to meet deadlines for grades, they also have to prepare themselves for their next classes.

They have to have seating charts ready for each new class as well as getting class work and assignments organized.

“It actually affects the students too because last year, that was the day to get your mind back on track and go out and get stuff for the next semester,” Daniel Lacey, sophomore, said.

Although for diffrent reasons, students and teachers are both affected by the change in the sceduel.

Teachers seem to use the day to end the old term and start a new one, while students seem to use the break as a day to replenish supplies and get their minds in the right set for next year. “It’s inconvenient, but we’ll live,” Johnson said.

Rachel CrossProwler Sports Editor

School day after end of term sparks complaints

Giuliana PeBenito, junior, took first place in the Westlake High division and will be continuing on to County level along with Standridge.

“This is my third year doing [Poetry Out Loud] and not only is it really fun, but it’s also really good

practice because I’m a spoken word poet. I’ve been trying to get to as many open mics as possible so that I can get everything together, so I can record and actually be reproducible,” she said.

“It’s hard enough memorizing my own poems, but memorizing someone else’s is much more difficult. So this is really good practice and it’s fun.”

Students were judged based on accuracy and how well they communicated the meaning of the poem.

This included the use of some gentle gestures, facial expressions, as well as the quality of their vocal intonation, such as

how the inflections of their voice fit the tone of the poem.

“Facial expression is important, because it’s really the face and the voice that convey the poem,” Lemieux said.

“It’s not a dramatic reading, it’s a recitation so the object is to get the poem over to the audience and make the audience understand what that poem is about and make them feel it on a visceral level,” she said.

Students recite poems at annual Poetry Out Loud competitionJustine SizemoreProwler Staff Writer

Reciting Rhymes - Sophomore Jaclyn Lee, above, recites her poem for the judges at the annual Poetry Out Loud competition held on Jan. 12 in the Sage Library.

Los equipos de danza de niños, Junior Varsity y Varsity competirán con coreografías individuales y de grupo el 22 de enero en la preparatoria de Aliso Nigel en el Condado de Orange.

Dance Competition

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La donación anual de sangre se llevará a cabo el 28 de enero. Las registraciones para el evento están disponibles en la oficina principal, y uno de los requerimientos principales es que los participantes tengan por lo menos 16 años de edad. Por cada pinta de sangre donada, se salvan tres vidas.

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Annual Blood Drive

The Model United Nations Club went on a field trip Jan. 15 to Mission Viejo High School for competition. The results regarding their placement will be mailed to them shortly.

El Club Modelo de las Naciones Unidas fue en un viaje escolar el 15 de enero a la preparatoria de Misión Viejo para competir y los resultados en cuanto a su colocación serán enviados por correo brevemente.

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There was a meeting for seniors and parents on Jan. 6 to talk about common sources for scholarships and how to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application in order to detemine the expected family contribution towards collage tuition.

Hubo una reunión para los estudiantes de tercer año y para sus padres el 6 de enero para hablar acerca de las fuentes más comunes para becas y para aprender cómo llenar la aplicación de Solicitud Gratuita de Ayuda Federal para Estudiantes (SGAFE) determinar la contribución familiar prevista para la tuición universitaria.

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Model United Nations Club

Financial Aid Meeting

BriefiN

actually do my homework, I could just squeeze about four hours of sleep into my day.

That’s sad. Out of 24 hours in a day, I can barely fit four hours of sleep into my schedule.

Life is demanding for a high school student; you want to do well and get into a good college, but it’s still really important to go to that movie with all your friends. Plus time for getting your license, making enough money to buy gas to actually use your license, practicing the piano – which your mom keeps nagging you to do, volunteering and doing community service that supposedly looks great on college applications, and studying for any number of standardized tests.

The worst part is, it can’t be avoided. The day you don’t get enough sleep, is the day you enter the sleepless cycle. We are told that we perform best after a full night of sleep, so after one night of only five hours of sleep, you won’t get enough sleep the next night either, because you can’t do your homework as fast as you would otherwise. And besides, on the rare night that you might actually get enough sleep, you spend the whole night staring at the

Sound familiar? We don’t sleep. We can’t sleep. We don’t have time to

sleep. Do we? It’s a sincere question, because most nights I find myself

calculating that if I give up my homework and fall asleep now, I just might get six hours of sleep. Maybe. And if I

Opinion 3The Prowler • Jan. 19, 2011

With all the craziness and unpredictability that comes with finals, it’s really no exaggeration to say that in all of the madness, students depend on a set final schedule as their one point of stability.

Students - especially those who attend different classes on A and B days - have deemed January a month dedicated entirely to finals. Because of the massive number of scheduling issues, many teachers have been forced to move their finals much earlier than they had originally planned.

Other teachers (who are feeling particularly benevolent), have gone as far as to completely do away with these tests.

All in all, the finals schedule is in need of much revision for both the students’ and the teachers’ sakes. Students are already under enough pressure as things are; they shouldn’t have to play guessing games to try to figure out if a test has been moved to a different day or if it hasn’t. Without the opportunity to work with a clear testing schedule, studying will become all but disastrous for students.

Of course, this is easier said than done. It won’t be very easy to create a schedule that benefits students with A and B classes as much as it does students without a rotating schedule, but it isn’t impossible.

For instance, the finals schedule could be turned into a sort of rendition of the yearly STAR testing schedule, in which students are only required to stay at school until they complete all of their necessary tests.

With this kind of system, students will not be penalized for the number of classes they take (regardless of if the number is high or low) and teachers will no longer be forced to move their tests all over the place. If the right measures are taken to reform the current finals schedule, Finals Week will become just a little easier on us all.

Demanding life leaves us sleep deprivedNadia LynnProwler News Editor

Kirklann Lau / Guest

The finals system set up at the moment is unorganized, making students want a change in the schedule to make their lives a bit easier.

Staff Writers Rachel Cross

John Dichirico

Editors in Chief Shannon Alavi-Moghaddam

Melissa Han

DPS EditorsBethany Ellis Jennie Sun

Adviser Mrs. Michelle Saremi

The Panther Prowler is the official publication of Newbury Park High School, created and produced by Advanced Journalism students. The Prowler is published every three weeks throughout the school year. Guest letters to the editor are welcomed, but must be signed.

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Advertisment Information:If you would like to advertise with the Panther Prowler, you may do so by contacting our adviser at msaremi@conejo.k12.ca.us. in order to find out about our rates.

Chief Photographer Sam Morgan

Copy Editors Sophie Li

Sneha Paranandi

News Editors Sophie Li

Nadia Lynn

Opinion Editors Cooper Ellison

George Nasr

Features Editors Norma Hutchinson

Emily Jones

Entertainment Editors Sneha Paranandi

Kavya Singampalli

Sports Editors Maia Laabs

Justine Sizemore

Ad Manager Lauren Rewers

Newbury Park High School. 456 North Reino Road. Newbury Park, California 91320.(805) 498-3676 x 1103

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Letters to the Editor:The Panther Prowler is accepting letters to the editor. To write in, please give your full name, e-mail, and a letter about 300 words in length. Letters are subject to discretion and editing for taste and libel. Letters can be turned into room B-3 or to our e-mail: journalism.articles@gmail.com.

Finals schedule should be revised

clock, worrying that you aren’t going to get enough sleep. So guess what? You don’t.

You can’t blame anyone for it either, because anyone directly demanding something from you doesn’t realize your other commitments. It really just piles on. What seems like just a worksheet turns into a worksheet, choir practice, and a study session for algebra, and eventually into another night without sleep.

And then BAM! Hellloooooo Finalllssss! Thanks for stealing those precious few hours of sleep that I had left! What happened to stealing from the rich and giving to the poor? I don’t know how well that would work in terms of sleep, but seriously? My 24 hours can only stretch so far.

Maybe my horrible perception of time is to blame. I always say, “I’m not procrastinating, but I have three weeks to do it, so why start now?” Three weeks later and I’m wishing I had started the assignment then.

But maybe our load is also a little much. After all, we’re still kids. And I know it’s “preparing us for our future” but doesn’t being happy count for something? Can I get a little downtime? Or even just enough time to sleep?

1:00 AM: The house is quiet, but somewhere in the midst of the sleepers is a light. That essay doesn’t write itself !2:00 AM: *Sigh* That pillow has never looked so soft! Your earbuds are roaring just to keep you awake.3:00 AM: Crap! You forgot to read that book! And there’s a quiz tomorrow! Better go read it (psh, cause we don’t use sparknotes!).Sometime after you stop caring: Only... one... more... page...

Melissa Han / Prowler

Dogs are a man’s (or a woman’s) best friend. A fair number of us can agree with this well known saying. Yet naturally, being humans, we love to modify and perfect. We have manipulated our “best friend” into a whole different entity.

This is me reaching out to those of you that have been keeping a blindfold over your tightly closed eyes for the entirety of your life. As much as one may want to think, those picture perfect puppies parents bring home to their kids on Christmas Eve are not made in heaven. In reality, many of them are made in puppy mills. These places are horrid. According to the In Defense of Animals’ website, “The mothers spend their entire miserable lives in cages whose interior space reaches six inches in front of them, thwarting every natural instinct and leading to behavioral obsessions like turning constantly in circles. They stand on wire flooring that rips the skin off their feet.” They are not released from the cages and live for the sole purpose of reproduction and then are killed in an inhumane fashion. So, of course most of us ignore this. Who wants to admit they support this business?

Obviously, these puppy mills are not advertised to the public because no one wants to know the truth behind it. These puppies may be adorable and irresistible but buying them from irresponsible breeders and some animal shops is only supporting this cruel institution. There are millions of stray dogs wandering the streets throughout the world daily but we turn our heads and look the other way because we want that perfect face, size, color, attitude, and overall personality in our perfect homes.

On the other hand, there is a store called Newbury Park Pet Supply that has recently relocated to the plaza on Kimber Drive near 7-11 and Tony’s Pizza. Here, the volunteers of the store use all the revenue gained from selling merchandise to rescue stray dogs that have been captured by shelters that use euthanasia as a method to keep the high population down. They travel as far north as Stockton, CA and as far south as Orange County and into Arizona.

These volunteers go to different shelters to buy 20-58 puppies at a time to bring back to Newbury Park to sell. After they have been adopted from the shelters, they are spayed or neutered and receive vaccinations from the money the store generates. At this point, the average cost of a dog for the store has become $190, yet they sell the dogs to the people of Newbury Park for $100. Personally, I have bought two of my dogs from this store that were at some point wandering the streets of Bakersfield. Thinking about purchasing a dog from a breeder is almost repulsive knowing that two of my dogs could still be on the streets were it not for this store.

When we have so many stray dogs in need of adoption that are placed into inhuman shelters, seeking the ideal puppy is absurd. Not only are we helping this cruel business grow larger but we are also ignoring dogs that need homes.

Even though not all breeders place dogs into these horrible conditions, a large number of them do so to increase their profits. Helping stray dogs find homes is what many of us need to do. We need to take off that blindfold of ignorance and open our eyes to reality.

OpinionThe Prowler • Jan. 19, 2011

4

Emily JonesProwler Features Editor

We strive to get it right, but when we do get it wrong, please contact The Prowler at journalism.articles@gmail.com with corrections.

Removingthe blindfoldput in place by modernsociety

Beth EllisProwler Features Editor

For The Record...It’s cold, wet, and depressing. My

butt is numb from the ice that has surely gone south and what else is worse, I have to get up and follow the same pattern all over again. Two words, kids, ice skating.

You always see in Christmas movies, and even just movies set in the winter, that family, friends, and loved ones go ice skating to have a joyous day out. Well, everyone, I did this for the first time last year, and let me tell you something. All those movies are fake. Those actors practiced for a considerably long time so that when they presented themselves they looked like hot stuff. In the real world where when people die they don’t come back

to life (dang that Sleeping Beauty), you also go out on the ice and fall enough times to make the other moms warn their children of the incoming brunette tumbling down.

Skating on ice has been advertised as a relatively “easy” thing to do which is a flat out lie because gliding on thin strips of metal is not natural for us. Sure, you may be able to go for awhile but then your body gets all outta whack and you must compensate by doing a little popping and locking.

On top of this, I have a question: why do people feel they need to so-call “help” others who, frankly, suck? I finally feel as if I’m blending in right when the cocky teenager dressed in the hideous red jacket, who works at the rink, comes up to me and says, “Are you okay?” or “Want

to go around with me?” Uhmm…heck no I don’t. Pssh, they think they are la merde (French slang look it up) and it just annoys me further.

The only people I take advice from are the people I’m with. As soon as I’ve started to look decent, down, down I go sliding to the freezing ice, gracefully mind you, but down nonetheless. There’s a catch too. Do all the people trying to hold you steady go down with you? Oh no, of course not! It’s just you. Delightful, huh?

Ice-skating is a torture chamber, but can be fun depending on whom you go with. But still a torture chamber. Good thing that hour at the Lakes goes by pretty quick. Can we say hello blisters from too-tight skates? A perfect ending to a perfect night, wouldn’t you agree?

Get up, fall, rinse and repeat

The Prowler will continue to work hard for you and will be returning in Term 2 to keep you up to date on the current news, trends, and activities at NPHS.

Whatever happened to those old cartoons and T.V. shows that were on when we were kids? Most can still be watched, but at late hours during the nights. Yet there are those that you can not even watch since they were cancelled or replaced by new ones.

The thing about these new shows - on MTV or any other channel - is that they just do not have the same child friendly plots that T.V. shows featured in the past.

Today if you try to watch MTV, you will invariably end up watching the horror of “Jersey Shore” or some other stupid reality T.V. show. I really do not see why people watch these shows; they are completely dumb. Why would I want to watch another person’s life? It is just pointless, it is a waste of my time and besides, I do not care about people who I do not even know.

Also if you have noticed, some of the children’s networks have been trying to change their shows to try to keep up with today’s society. A couple moths ago I saw a commercial for a new T.V. show on Cartoon Network called “Regular Show.” In this preview for the show they start singing a song and it in they mention the word crotch

as they point to their crotches. This really made me think, what kid would know (or care) what the word “crotch” means? None, I hoped, but I would not be surprised with today’s society if they did know. This also made me think about how the producers got the okay to play this song on a children’s network. It is displays like this that make kids want to use bad words to make them seem like they are cool.

Along with shows about following unknown people and cartoons that corrupt our youth, there are those T.V. shows that are all about sex and drugs. The one show that I know that features at least one of the two every episode is “Degrassi” on Teen Nick. I have watched the show, and there always seems to be somebody who is either doing drugs, wanting to have or having sex, or is trying to cope with being pregnant.

It really bugs me that little kids who are not even in their teens cuss, smoke, do drugs, and drink. These kids must have learned from somebody about this; since they are just kids they probably learned it from a fellow student who in turn learned it from the T.V. or from the T.V. directly. Since they do not know about drugs and alcohol and other things they do not know that they can be addictive and

once they become teenagers they will most likely be addicted to whatever they are doing.

Whoever makes the decisions to put this stuff on T.V. should really stop before we have a youth that is made up of drug addicts and alcoholics, or worse. They think it is okay to show these young people drinking, having sex, or doing drugs and that it is not a big deal, but in reality impressionable children will imitate what they see because it looks like the characters are having fun.

I think that in order to stop the corruption of our youth, networks should go back to T.V. shows like “Tom and Jerry” and “Popeye.” Even though they are totally violent I would rather have children beating each other up than ending up on “16 and pregnant” or like those who are part of some drug rehab show.

Even though violence would result in more kids in hospitals and more expulsions, it is much easier to prevent bullying than drug addictions. You can suspend them from classes, but it is extremely difficult to make them stop doing drugs. It is really up to the parents to see if they want to send their child to rehab to get clean. It would really be much easier to talk to the networks that condone such behavior.

John DichiricoProwler Staff Writer

Every now and then, everyone could use a second chance. In school, there is no better time to start off with a fresh start then with a new term. With a new semester, you get new classes, new teachers, and new classmates. Falling shortly after New Year’s, the beginning of a new semester is perfect for students to get a second chance at making the school year better.

Starting out the school year after a joyous summer, students find it hard to get back in the swing of school and homework. In some cases, we just don’t give a (fill in the blank). Well, it may change our perspective to see that big D or F on a report card a while later after not caring. It can be a challenge to try and bring a grade like that up in

a matter of weeks. With new classes, you can start off with an A and your grades become easier to maintain.

Starting over isn’t just a good thing for those who aren’t in the greatest academic shape. Sometimes it’s just nice to have some change. After about the first month of the school year, you get stuck in a rut, and it seems like you’re doing the same thing over, and over, and over again. (Except for the weekends, that is.) The days can almost seem to blur together. And yeah, after the first month of the second semester, you’ll probably find another rut to sink into, but at least for those first couple of weeks, it’s something a little different.

As exciting as it is to get new teachers and new classmates, it can also be sad to leave them behind. Now,

this may sound dramatic due to the fact that you’re still at the exact same school you were at before, but after spending so much time with these people, you begin to form something of a relationship with them. And yes, teachers are included in that mix of people.

Good or bad, you still have some kind of history with everyone who was in your classes. And I will admit, it can be nice to finally get away from those who always drove you nuts in class, but it’s always a little sad not seeing the people who weren’t your greatest friends but enjoyed seeing nevertheless.

But with every ending comes a new beginning, and the second term is the perfect new beginning in the middle of the school year.

Rachel CrossProwler Staff Writer

The end of term one brings a fresh new start to term two

Television numbs the human mind

Cynthia Peterson

SKY H IGH

Features 5The Prowler • Jan. 19, 2011

Nadia LynnProwler News Editor

Off C

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lends a hand to the Leukemia cause

the place to be on Saturday nights

Six months ago, Ron White began planning the opening of a Sky High Sports

franchise in Camarillo. On Oct. 8, the doors officially opened and a sudden

surge of so-called “jumpers” flooded the building. No, these were not

the type of jumpers you would find in a back-alley, but a

rather more literal meaning of the term.

Sky High Sports, as their slogan reads, “the

trampoline place,” has trampolines

covering every inch of the

floor and even the

walls of t h e

With permission / Sky High

Jumping for joy - Customers at the new, booming Sky

High Sports jump up and down for hours on end.

building. Both the design and idea of the buildings were created by brothers Jerry and Ron Raymond, who grew up in the Bay area.

Now the company operates in a series of eight locations, five of which are in California. White, who is now the owner of the Camarillo location, had to purchase the rights to use the trampoline system in this location.

“People come because their friends are here, there’s lots to do, and it’s a fun activity that’s not expensive,” White said. Although another benefit of Sky High is that it is a healthy alternative to other social activities, such as seeing a movie, White said that [people] try to emphasize it being a “fun place, as opposed to a workout place.”

Vini Mandyam, sophomore, agrees with the center’s health factor. “It’s just like the price of going to a movie, but it’s much healthier than stuffing extra buttery popcorn into your face,” she said.

Mandyam, who used to practice gymnastics at Coach Patty’s School of Gymnastics in Camarillo, was hesitant on her first trip to Sky High Sports. “I’ve seen plenty of trampolines, so I wasn’t expecting much,” she said.

“Coming from a gymnastics background, I didn’t think it would be too great,” Mandyam said. “But after hearing what everyone said about it and going for myself, it was very enjoyable.”

White said that a vast majority of high school students go between 6 and 9 p.m. on weekdays, and anytime throughout the day on weekends.

Although he said that it has been a struggle to get people to go during the weekdays, he is hoping to put some promotions into effect to tempt people to visit.

***If you are under eighteen, you need a waiver signed by a parent in order to jump.

Lauren RewersProwler Ad Manager

Cynthia Peterson, junior, is broadening her horizons by joining the Ventura County Team of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). She and her teammates run in marathons to raise money for the organization.

The team trains together through practices and clinics every Saturday, as well as scheduled runs. The ultimate goal is for each member to participate in either the Surf City Half Marathon on Feb. 6 or the Los Angeles Marathon on March 20. Peterson is running in both.

Beginning in October of last year, Peterson and her team have raised almost $1800 through fundraisers at Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt and Topper’s Pizza, as well as through holding Gift Wrap for the Cure at local shopping centers. One hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated to the LLS.

Even though Peterson is not related to anyone afflicted by the diseases, several of her close friends have been affected. “[The diseases put] so much unnecessary stress on a family, and the wonderful services the Society provides for various families affected have really made a difference to those I know,” she said.

Peterson previously volunteered for the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life, but never to the extent as with the LLS. Over the past two years Peterson has run casually, preferring to workout at a gym, but the hobby became more than a pastime this past summer.

“Every time I am at a certain mile, am tiring, and want to slow down, I just think about what I am training for and why. Talk

about motivation to keep me going,” Peterson said.

She originally joined the team already planning on running a marathon and supporting a charity as well. However, now those goals play a bigger role in her life.

“Over the past couple months of getting to know so many more people with the disease and those on my team who have close family members with the disease, I have realized that by doing my part and fundraising money I can really make a difference in somebody’s life,” Peterson said. “Just the appreciation and thanks I have received as well as knowing that all my hard work is helping someone else out makes it all worthwhile.”

Running for a cause - Cynthia Peterson, junior, promotes the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Her upcoming marathons are on Feb. 6 and March 20.

With permission / Cynthia Peterson

Music PiracyThe Prowler • Jan. 19, 2011

Music PiracyThe Prowler • Jan. 19, 2011

6 7

m us i cPIRacY

Sam Morgan / Prowler

*

What’s your opinion on music piracy?

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Cooper Ellison and George NasrProwler Opinion Editors

“I used to buy music before I decided to switch to online music file sharing. I switched, though, when I lost all my music in a computer crash and iTunes wouldn’t allow me to recover it. I wasn’t willing to re-spend the hundreds of dollars I had spent on my music library,” Matt said.

Piracy is the breaking of copyright through the sharing of information on the Internet. A misconception about those who pirate media and forms of entertainment is that they want everything for free regardless of the losses by the industry. In actuality, those who pirate usually spend the most money on the media and entertainment they choose to buy, according to the Piracy F.A.Q website.

“Would online file sharing encourage people to buy music? Most definitely not, why buy music when you can get it for free?” Matt went on to say that sharing music online for free would make people more interested in going to see certain bands in concert that they would not normally see. This is because some do not wish to purchase music they have not yet heard, so sharing the music online would actually promote an artist.

There are several problems that occur as a result of the piracy movements that make

it appear wrong. The fact that it is illegal automatically makes it seem morally incorrect, according to the Piracy F.A.Q website. For example, at one point in time it was illegal to do things based on one’s race or sexuality. This strong movement may very well be the next landmark government change. This is why recent “Pirate Party(s)” have begun sprouting up all over the world noted as “PP” for short. The aim of pirates serves only to influence people to change laws that are out dated.

Piracy, the unauthorized copying or downloading of digital information, has become a growing trend throughout the United States, especially among typical high school students. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), approximately $12.5 billion, $2.7 billion in workers’ earnings, and 71,060 U.S. jobs are lost every year due to music piracy.

“‘Piracy’ doesn’t even begin to describe what is taking place. When you go online and download songs without permission, you are stealing,” is posted on the official RIAA website. Downloading or uploading any form of digital information such as music, videos, or movies onto Peer-to-Peer (P2P) sites such as LimeWire, Ares, and BitTorrent is considered illegal since these items are copyrighted, and

thus, require authorization in order to be replicated.

Now, why should people care about the means by which these files are obtained? After all, they are free, right? The concern of taking something without the owner’s permission and without having paid for it is not only morally wrong, but also affects the lives of thousands of people in the music industry daily. It threatens the life of the artist, record label employees, and of the recording company itself as they are deprived with the resources necessary to make revenue and create new material, especially in the cases of artists who are not widely recognized in the music industry.

“A respect for those that put their time and effort into creating useful information should help guide students in their decision making. If all digital content brought little or no gain to those that created the content, then it is likely that the amount and quality of the content would dramatically decrease. This would certainly be a loss for our society,” Richard Kick, mathematics and computer science teacher, said.

The consequences of breaking the law are considerable as lawsuits can be filed against any individual in order to discourage or punish illegal downloading. P2P sites are constantly monitored by the RIIA. Illegal file-sharing activity is reported to the Internet Service Provider (ISP), a company which offers its customers access to the Internet. Can anybody say “Hello jail?”

Norma HutchinsonProwler Sports Editor

CON

Students’ opinions differon issue of music piracy

Jayme Amann,senior“If the Internet is billed as a ‘network of networks’ and someone uploads a song, there is no justification why it should not be available to everyone.”

“Artists don’t get the money for their songs so I don’t like [music piracy].”

Anton Linnemeier,junior“It’s sometimes good because it gets the word out about some musicians whose music people normally wouldn’t pay for.”

“I think music piracy is bad because it’s like cheating.”

Jake Briggs,freshman

Kaiti Brooks, sophomore

PRO

ONEJohnson: What’s “The

Whiz”?Coull: Dorothy

Johnson: 13

Coull: 19

FIVE

Johnson: Marge, Homer, Maggie, Bart, Lisa

Coull: Homer, Bart, Marge, Maggie, Lisa

FOUR

FeaturesThe Prowler • Jan. 19, 2011

8

1.Which part did Michael Jackson play in “The Whiz”?

2.What great thinker proved that a lunar eclipse is the circular shadow of the earth on the moon?

3.What disability did Einstein, Leonardo di Vinci, Thomas Edison, and Winston Churchill all have in common?

4.Name the five main members of the Simpson family.

5.How many symphonies did Beethoven write?

6.Who was the shortest U.S. president?

7.How long is the trunk of the average full-grown elephant?

8.What island in the San Francisco Bay contained an almost escape-proof prison?

Chase Johnson, junior, and Tiffani Coull, history teacher, battle it out one on one.

Johnson: John Tyler

Coull: James Polk

SIX

Johnson: 6 1/2 feet

Coull: 6 1/2 feet

SEVENJohnson: Alcatraz

Coull: Alcatraz

EIGHT

Johnson:Dementia

Coull: Dyslexia

THREE

Final Score: 2-3

Coull wins!

Maia LaabsProwler Sports Editor

Last I checked, Michael Jackson was a guy. Sorry, but no. He was the scare-crow. 0-0.

The ancient Greeks frown upon you. It was Aristotle. 0-0.

Unless they were old and senile their entire lives, this one goes to Coull. 0-1.

Figures you guys would get this one right. Now get off the couch and start learning something useful. 1-2.

Good guesses, but James Madison takes the title. 1-2.

TWOJohnson: Nostradamus?

Coull: Galileo

The partners in crime have this one in the bag.

Justine SizemoreProwler Staff Writer

The poor man wasn’t alive long enough for 19 symphonies, or even 13. He wrote 9. 1-2.

STUDENT TEACHERvs.

Bryce Kobrin:Bryce Kobrin, senior, was one

of the youngest participants at the American Geophysical Union Convention in San Francisco on Dec. 15, after his wind-power abstract was deemed eligible for presentation.

“It’s an environmental studies conference for people all over the world, held annually in San Francisco.” Bryce Kobrin said. “I think there were 14,000 abstracts accepted, on a wide variety of topics all within environmental studies.”

Bryce Kobrin originally wrote the abstract as his Extended Essay for the International Baccalaureate program.

“[The Extended Essay] is part of

the IB program. It is an in-depth, independent research assignment, [like a] senior thesis,” he said. “I chose to do scientific research, and I was looking into reliability of interconnecting wind-farms.”

“Bryce was looking for a topic that combined his computer programming capability and his interest in environmental sustainability,” Paul Kobrin, Bryce’s father, said. “[He] read an article about maximizing the base load power from a collection of wind farms and thought he could extend that work.”

Even after completing his Extended Essay, Bryce Kobrin could not just submit his work. He still had to find a sponsor.

“First Bryce needed an American

Geophysical Union member to sponsor his paper. Professor Archer in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at California State University Chico agreed to sponsor him,” Paul Kobrin said.

At the convention, Bryce Kobrin’s abstract was displayed along with posters relating to similar topics. He was given the opportunity to present his research to many college professors, students, and graduates from esteemed universities such as Yale.

Bryce Kobrin feels he has truly benefited from the experience of working on the Extended Essay as well as attending the conference.

“Just being surrounded by tons of the top in the field, seeing all their

reaching for the stars inSan Francisco

work, and getting to meet some of those people was definitely a great experience,” he said.

Paul Kobrin said, “Most researchers do not have this experience until they are graduate students. This experience may help Bryce to decide if he wants to become a scientist.”

Melissa H

an / Prowler

Sam Morgan/ Prowler

Thanks for depriving the poor elephant of a foot and a half of trunk you cruel animal haters. 1-2.

Entertainment 9The Prowler • Jan. 19, 2011

Beth EllisProwler Features Editor

Blac

k Sw

an

True Grit

Want to go back to the Old West and live in the drama of runaway fugitives, daring horse rides, and strong cowboys? Well you better look somewhere else besides the movie theater because Joel and Ethan Cohen’s True Grit was a stinker.

Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) is a 14-year-old girl who travels to a neighboring town to avenge her father’s recent murder by a man named Tom Chaney ( Josh Brolin).

Once Ross settles her father’s affairs, she then hires a marshal who is known to have “true grit” and goes by the name Rooster Cogburn ( Jeff Bridges). Cogburn is a drunken sloth who has a killer shot even in his stupor. Along on the journey for Chaney is LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), a Texas Ranger who has been searching for Chaney his entire career.

True Grit was very faithful to the times, and this was shown even in the actors’

speech patterns, which in turn had me going, “Whaaa?” The scenes looked as if they were really in the Old West, but I have a question: how did anyone back then feel clean or even comfortable? During the whole movie I felt dirty and bored out of my mind.

The basic story line is given in the previews, and you know what, I did not learn anything new by watching two more hours. I seemed to be always waiting for something to happen that never really did. It was almost as disappointing as finding out Santa Claus isn’t real…

Folks, I have never slept in a movie before, but basically I shut my eyes and don’t know how long I was out.

To this film I give a thumbs down and I would NEVER see it again, but if you have an appreciation for the Old West you might enjoy it…just a bring a blanket and pillow along with you.

Release Date: Dec. 22 MPAA Rating: PG-13 Genre: Adventure, Western Total Gross: $128,339,354 Rating: 1 ½ stars

Picture it: a beautiful princess, a charming ‘bad boy,’ a chase through the forest, and gorgeous hair. This movie had it all and here’s the shocker…it was animated. Go figure.

Nov. 24, 2010 was the day the animated Disney film Tangled appeared before my eyes and at first I had a disposition of being sympathetic, but after I saw it I felt like a little kid again.

Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) inherited a powerful gift from a magical flower when she was born that keeps the youth of anyone who sings and brushes her hair. As a baby, Rapunzel was stolen from her royal family by Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) who intended to keep her locked in the highest tower so that no one would find Rapunzel’s magical golden locks. However, one day when Mother Gothel goes out, a daring bandit by the name of Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) runs into Rapunzel’s tower and the two venture for a day out.

First off, Tangled was the first animated film in a long time that reminded the audience of the original Disney classics. The songs sung were catchy and easy-to-follow, especially the “villain” songs. Those were as clever as a monkey with a top hat that tap dances.

Mandy Moore has a beautiful voice that portrayed Rapunzel’s emotions so perfectly that I wished I had 70 feet of magical hair to play with all day. Can we say self-made swing in the house, wassup!

A pleasant complement to Rapunzel’s character was the rebel Flynn Rider. I must ask, should I be embarrassed to be slightly attracted to an animated man? Oh well, it doesn’t even matter because Levi didn’t just say the lines written for him, he actually conveyed the feelings through his voice. His comedic personality had me laughing and wishing I were Rapunzel just to be alongside him.

Were the writers trying to say that brunettes are not as special as blondes? In the beginning of the film, Mother Gothel attempts to cut Rapunzel’s hair, but as soon as she does it turns brown and loses its magical powers. Uhm…hello! This implies that brunettes do not have any special-ness to them whatsoever. Whatever Dan Fogelman and Jacob Grimm (writers), you both obviously have some hidden resentment towards the brunettes that were in your life. My theory: someone got dumped!

Anyway, overall, Tangled was a fun-loving and just plain cute movie. I give this baby two thumbs up and an ear-to-ear smile. Go see it, folks!

Tangled

Release Date: Dec. 17 MPAA Rating: R Genre: Drama, thriller Total Gross: $75,020,120 Rating: -3 stars

Best and worst of 2010: winter movie reviewswinter movie reviews

_

Alright, let’s get down and dirty fast because that’s exactly what Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) did in 2010’s so-called “hit movie” Black Swan. Holy buckets of golden Chuck E. Cheese tokens, there is no other way to put it except to say that that movie was bad.

Portman plays a very shy, kind of weird 20-something or other, who is in the midst of auditioning for the lead role in the ballet at her company, “Swan Lake.” The classic ballet has been done for years, but the choreographer in Sayers’ studio (Vincent Cassel) wants a new spin and attempts to have Sayers dance both the white swan (a.k.a. good girl) and the black swan part (a.k.a. the little rebel). Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) tries to teach Sayers how to dance the black swan part with more seduction, for she is having much trouble with the rebel aspect. I actually congratulate Portman on her dance technique; she was impressive and sparkling clean.

But readers, do you want to know how he “helps” her? By feeling her up on camera. Just a little awkward is all. The movie furthers with Sayers going insane and seeing sex scenes (not tasteful or having a point) between herself and her understudy, Lily (Mila Kunis) along with various other

people, including herself. Disturbed yet? Just wait.

In addition to this entire sex craze, I have never heard so much cracking and breaking of body limbs in my life. Got a problem with hangnails or stress? Well Sayers has a way to fix it, rip off your skin with your bare nails, but watch out or else your psycho mother might shove you down and cut your nails for you. Odd, you ask? Yes, very.

Overall, Black Swan was incredibly gross and to put it in one word, disturbing. The plot of the story was good and well thought out and could potentially be interesting to myself and many other movie-goers, but when all the sex and self-mutilation was added purely for shock-value, it sucked. I’ll even throw in sticking my tongue out at it! Bottom line: do not see this film.

Release Date: Nov. 24 MPAA Rating: PG Genre: Animation, comedy Total Gross: $182,666,695 Rating: 4 stars

Melissa Han/Prowler

Melissa Han/Prowler

Melissa Han/Prowler

Entertainment10The Prowler • Jan. 19, 2011

Local elementary schools came to the Performing Arts Center to watch “Aesop’s Fable Factory,” a performance put on by the school’s drama department, as a compromise to

budget cuts. All the first and second grade classes in the district were invited to see the play. The show was put on during school hours.

“The characters with major roles got their scripts the week before break, but only had eight days to rehearse together,” Kaitlyn Brooks, sophomore, said.

The students in the show spent eight days in the Performing Arts Center practicing from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. According to Brooks it was different to perform for children compared to adults.

“It was a different experience to entertain kids, as opposed to adults, the performers got a chance to have fun on stage and get a good laugh from their audience. The little kids smiling

and laughing was probably the best part. I hope we get to do it again because they’re just so cute,” Brooks said.

The play tells the story of a small boy who finds a magical story-telling machine,

which is missing the piece that adds morals to the stories it creates. The boy decides to help by creating morals for the stories the machine creates.

Most actors not only played the role of the machine, but also play-acted as various animals in short stories as they were read to the audience.

I liked how [the actors] dressed up,” Kristen, second grader from Sycamore Canyon School, said.

According to the audience, the performers managed to make the entire audience laugh at every story using only a few props as costumes. They could transform a person into a dog or a rabbit in a matter of seconds.

“I thought [the students] were incredibly talented,” Erin Trisdail, second grade teacher at Sycamore Canyon Elementary, said.

After the students finished their performance of “Aesop’s Fable Factory,” a few returned to the stage to perform a musical number. The numbers consisted of a duet from the winter musical “Guys and Dolls,” a solo from “The Wizard of Oz,” and an ending song by four students called Happiness. This was a way to demonstrate the opportunities younger students will have at Newbury Park.

Drama department performs for elementary schoolsAesop’s Fables:

Dance team members take part in London’s New Years ParadeIn late Dec. 2010, Anna Torraca, junior, and Raquel Leviss,

sophomore, traveled to London, England for its 25th New Year’s Parade.

On Jan. 1, they participated in the parade which started at White Hill and traveled through the heart of London, passing

many historical sites. “I want to be a processional dancer and I thought it

would be a good experience.” Torraca said. Torraca and Leviss both had to audition along with

many other dancers and cheerleaders, who were a part of The All-American Group, a nationwide organization that

allows high school dancers to travel abroad. The cost of the trip was $3,000 for 8 days, from Dec.

26 to Jan. 2. After being selected, Torraca and Leviss had to

learn the routine they would be performing before departing to London.

After arriving, they were taught the formations and practiced with the rest of the group.

During their free time, they visited The Tower of

London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and many other historical buildings in London.

Leviss said that there were approximately ten thousand people in the parade and one million people watching from the street alone. Approximately, more than 20 million people watched the performnce worldwide on television.

“I loved performing in front of the crowd in London because the energy was so high. Everybody was cheering us on because they don’t have cheerleaders and dance teams and marching bands in London,” Leviss said.

Leviss believes one of the greatest parts of the experience was making new friends, who she keeps in contact with through Facebook. She advises any girl who is chosen for the opportunity

to participate in the program.

“Next year I might travel somewhere else for another dance-related thing to switch itup and experience newplaces,” Leviss said.

John DichiricoProwler Staff Writer

Finding a deeper truth - The performers of “Aesop’s Fable Factory” presented the morals in various fairy tales. The cast consisted of juniors Tim Reese, Savannah Fisch, and Matt Case, and freshmen Shelby Corley, Brooklyn Belvedere, Jake DiFebo, and Slater Cane. DiFebo and Cane played the leads of Aesop and the boy, while the rest of the cast played the animals in the stories, including lions, mice, and rabbits, and the Aesop’s story-telling machine.

Rachel CrossProwler Staff Writer

Sports 11The Prowler • Jan. 19, 2011

John DichircoProwler Staff Writer

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“I do water polo because it has become somewhat of an obsession for me,” Helena Van Brande, freshman, said. “It makes me feel good about myself and the choices I make.”

1

34567

Emily Jones / ProwlerWaiting for the pass - Natalie Baade (3), senior, waits to pass the ball to her Varsity teammate Maddy Reeves (11), junior, in a game against Calabasas High School on Jan. 14 where they won 10-4.

Why did you bring girls’ lacrosse to NPHS?

How does practice usually go without a coach?

How is girls’ lacrosse different from boy’s lacrosse?

98

When is your first game?

Why is lacrosse your favorite sport?

What are the best/wost parts about lacrosse?

Why did you first get involved in the sport?

What is the craziest thing that has happened while playing?

AQ & lacrosse playerRa c h e l St e p pw

ith

sophie liProwler Copy Editor

Why should people play lacrosse/ join the lacrosse team?

All players, except for the goalies, start practice with a 600-yard breaststroke warm up, followed by treading, shooting, and passing practice.

The day before a game, the teams plays a scrimmage and on the day of the game, they do a 400 freestyle warm-up followed by shooting and passing practice, as well as leg practice.

During a water polo game, there are seven players situated on each side of the pool who line up. Players closest to the referee and ball are known as “sprinters.”

Whichever sprinter gets the ball first has possession, and their team then tries to either shoot for a goal or draw a foul.

If a player is successful on drawing a foul, they get a free shoot, as long as they are within five meter of the goal.

After one team shoot or scores, they throw the ball back into the water, and this process goes back and forth until the end of the game.

SportsThe Prowler • Jan. 19, 2011

12

Snowboarding despite the distance

F o r

most students on campus, gymnastics is a somewhat mysterious sport that seldom comes to light, unless perhaps at the Summer Olympics or on network television shows. However, for Calico Johnston, senior, it holds special significance – for over ten years, she has been personally involved in the sport, first as a gymnast and now as a coach.

“I’ve been a gymnast for ten years…now I coach at the California

C a r t w h e e l Center. It’s more

recreational, and it has all age groups,” Johnston said of her job.

Johnston, a member of the varsity dance team, was forced to quit

training as a gymnast due to extensive injuries sustained while practicing and

competing.“My body was done, but I wasn’t,”

Johnston said of giving up the sport. Now, she remains involved by helping

others practice and perfect their own performances.

Gymnasts must also consider the hours of rigorous training that the sport demands.

According to Johnston, athletes who are serious about advancing their careers often

have to pursue their studies independently, at home or otherwise.

“I was homeschooled for a little bit so I could focus on my career, but I missed

my friends too much, so I came back later,” Johnston said.

Girls traditionally compete in four different events: the vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and

the floor exercise. Each of these events takes place on a different apparatus and requires a different

set of technical skills.“The bars are my favorite…they’re one of my best

events. It’s hard to explain, and it probably sounds a little cliché, but I guess I just like the feeling of flying

through the air,” Johnston said.Though gymnastics is not offered as a high school

sport anywhere in the Conejo Valley, Johnston believes it is for the best.

“[Gymnastics is] more of a club sport – you go to a facility to practice with other people, and you

compete kind of as an individual. I think it would be too dangerous to have as a school sport since the coaches

would have to deal with a lot of risk,” she observed.

Sports Shorts

George NasrProwler Opinion Editor

Mammoth. Big Bear. Mountain High. These are just a few of the possible locations to take advantage of the snow, especially through snowboarding.

“Mountain High is the best place to snowboard, because it is really close so I can be out there the most,” Madison Dederick, freshman, said.

Making the trip is not too much of a problem in consideration to time, since certain locations such as Mountain High are not too far of a drive.

“It does but it’s not that big of a deal because of how close Big Bear and Mountain High is. To go locally it takes about 2 hours,” Sean Mayer, junior, said.

It has also been easier for him to go since he found a simpler way to get to the snow. “It’s beginning to become easier to get there because my friend Shea Craig is starting up a company where they take you to the snow for the

weekend,” Mayer said.While Mayer finds it relatively easy to make a trip to

the snow, it is not so easy for others.“I don’t even get to go as often as I would like since my

parents work, it’s hard,” Dederick said.Planning for such a trip, according to Dederick, is time

consuming, since the whole family in her case has to plan to make the visit. Trips like these, however, can be risky, due to the hazardous snow conditions.

“I do take risk going off jumps, but luckily my good friend, Daniel Spalinger, is a ski patrol, so I can take those risks,” Mayer said.

“My job is to make sure my fellow snowboarders are safe when they do their tricks and if they get hurt to help them down the mountain safely,” Spalinger said.

While the snow may be a tough place to reach, but snowboarders believe the hassles are worth it.

“The rush of being out there with how fast you can go is what is fun. It’s a different element,” Dederick said.

Cheerleading

Risking pain foR the

fun

Sneha ParanandiProwler Copy Editor

Dribble drills - Two players practice dribbling at Peppertree Park in preparation for an upcoming game at home against Calabasas High School.

Sam Morgan / Prowler

Lauren RewersProwler Ad Manager

Girl’s varsity soccer is approaching the second half of their season, which will start with their game against Calabasas High School on Friday, Jan. 21. They hope to continue to break their tie and loss streak, which has lasted for six games until their victories against Royal High School on Jan.12 and Thousand Oaks High School on Jan. 14.

“If we keep winning, we’ll probably place 1st or 2nd … in CIF,” Aleena Aranda, varsity player and senior, said. Before game days, the teams often have pasta parties and make coordinating t-shirts in order to increase enthusiasm. In addition, the first female “athlete of the season” was Monique Pendleberry, who is also a member of the varsity team.

Girls’ soccer

The wrestling team, with a record of 1-3, recently won their match against Westlake High School and had six members place at the Santa Ynez High Tournament on Jan. 14. They have slowly whittled their way down from 50 team members to only 19.

“Our team has been hit by injuries and other problems, but we still work our hardest,” Daniel Pond, senior, said. Their next match will be on campus against Simi Valley High School on Jan. 20, and the next tournament will be the Arroyo High Tournament on Jan. 22.

Wrestling

Following the end of the football season, the cheerleading squad has moved on to cheering for both the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams, focusing especially on preparing their routines for upcoming games against rival schools in order to best enthuse the Newbury Park attendees.

In addition, the team is writing “spirit notes” to be given to each member of the playing team in order to motivate them to perform well. “Soon we will be preparing for the spring rally and working hard to look our best for the school,” Jaimee Hanna, senior, said.

Standing her ground - Calico Johnston, senior, executes a one-handed handstand on the beach. Johnston was an award-winning gymnast for over ten years, and is now a member of the varsity dance team.

Karen Taylor-Johnston / With Permission