When we entered the B9 classroom for the first time as sophomores, we could never have predicted that we would be sitting in the chief desks, responsible for each page and article published by the Panther Prowler. Before the 2025-26 school year began, we met at Barnes and Noble to plan out our final year. As editors-in-chief, our list of goals was endless. We are so proud of each staff member who has shown up every morning and helped us see our vision through.
The Panther Prowler attended three journalism competitions this year, walking away with awards in every category. The critiques we received from the judges and the educational atmosphere greatly contributed to the growth of our newspaper. This year, we redesigned our website and introduced a subscription service to increase our outreach to both local and national readership. Students and teachers saw themselves reflected in the newly introduced Student Life page through spotlight features on unique members of the NPHS community in each issue.
The presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] nationwide actively tested the rights of individuals across the country. ICE raids in Oxnard targeted agricultural workers, exemplifying the mass detentions and the separation of hundreds of families that have been happening in the nation. Although at times we were afraid to cover these issues, it remains our duty to amplify the voices of those who personally experienced the impact of ICE activity and report on how our school district aimed to protect students.
As the current presidential administration enforces policies and regulations affecting every group in America, the transgender community has felt its rights under attack. To read personal stories from individuals and learn from local experts on LGBTQ+ issues, please see pages 8 and 9.
Throughout the year, we have made it a priority to focus on the local impact of national issues and events, ensuring that students are educated. It is the purpose of the Panther Prowler to accurately represent our community and report on the accomplishments, events and controversial issues that affect us. This magazine’s cover story focuses on the ways students and Thousand Oaks residents have been affected by the war in Iran. The staff editorial on page 4 reflects the Panther Prowler’s stance on the separation of church and state, and we urge our readership to become informed by visiting pages 14 through 18 to read the cover story.
With just a week left before graduation, we want to congratulate the NPHS class of 2026 on their accomplishments over the last four years. At NPHS, no two students are the same in the courses they take and the activities they are a part of. To see what adventure each senior is headed on next, whether attending a four-year university, community college, the military, trade school, workforce, or on their own path, please see pages 11 through 13.
From our time on staff, we have collectively contributed over 100 articles, pushed through 30 Prowler late nights and counted down the days until our last publication. There have been many editors before us, building the foundation of what the Panther Prowler is today, and we know that there will be many after us. We hope that over the past year, we have contributed a stepping stone towards the future of the publication. To the 2026-27 editors-in-chief, Mika and Elizabeth, we have never doubted your strength and abilities, and we are confident that the Panther Prowler is in the hands of two incredibly dedicated individuals. We have full faith that the Panther Prowler will continue to uphold the time-honored purpose of journalism: “to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”