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. We wanted to highlight the incredible frontline workers, the struggles of students and teachers and the resiliency of our community. 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 do something a little bit different: we are dedicating 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.
On pages 8-9, we feature Coaches, a local business still serving patrons during the pandemic, and the Motel 6 in Newbury Park, which has been converted into a shelter for the homeless. We all know that local businesses are the cornerstone of our community, and we want to show how they are adapting during this difficult time.
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 13-19, 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 non-traditional plans and end with the highly anticipated 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, along with the help of our amazing adviser, Mrs. Saremi. 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 Emily Nagamoto
Editor-in-chief Editor-in-chief
