The Student News Site of Ventura High School

The Cougar Press
The Student News Site of Ventura High School

The Cougar Press
The Student News Site of Ventura High School

The Cougar Press
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Brody Daw

Brody Daw, Print Editor-in-Chief

Brody Daw is a senior at VHS in her fourth year at The Cougar Press. She enjoys listening to music, shopping, tennis, surfing and backpacking.
All content by Brody Daw
"Monsters" replicates many pictures and scenes from the Menendez family's real life, which is counterintuitive considering they chose a very dramatized version of the story. Graphic by: Sophia Denzler

Opinion: Monsters or Misinformation?

Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler
November 4, 2024
Arts Corner Cafe is located at 1907 E Thompson Blvd, Ventura, CA 93001. They are open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday. Photo by: Brody Daw

VHS Teacher and two time Businessman: How he balances it all

Brody Daw
September 13, 2024
At the Ventura Unified board meeting, Proposition 28 was discussed. Photo by: Isabella Fierros

Ventura Unified School District convenes to discuss Master Arts Plan

Brody Daw, Isabella Fierros, and Ava Mohror
May 25, 2024
The Renaissance certificates were awarded to many students, and they all contained a Mister Softee gift card that students may use on the days Mister Softee comes to VHS. Photo by: Brody Daw

A Renaissance revival

Brody Daw and Ava Mohror
April 11, 2024
Avry Girtsman '25 said, "I loved the descriptions in the book. Her journey was really powerful and I couldn't stop reading." Graphic by: Brody Daw

Opinion: Every high schooler should read “Educated”

Sophia Denzler and Brody Daw
March 20, 2024
"The process was great, I had a really great time calling both my coaches and taking my official visit," said Sarah Beckman '25. Photo by: Andrew Beckman

Sarah Beckman makes a splash into the Ivy League

Ava Mohror and Brody Daw
March 15, 2024
"I am glad that I am graduating, so I don't have to deal with a shorter summer," said Violet Hurguy '24. Graphic by: Brody Daw

School will start a week earlier than usual

Brody Daw and Alexis Segovia
March 6, 2024
Students and other donors waited in the cafeteria to get their blood drawn. (Pictured left to right) Thomas Atkins '25, Ruby Welch '25 and Annabella Lehtonen '25. Photo by: Alexis Segovia

Ventura High School hosts its quarterly blood drive

Alexis Segovia and Brody Daw
March 6, 2024
The association of HOSA's motto is, "The hands of youth mold the future of tomorrow." Graphic by: Brody Daw

HOSA: turning aspirations into careers

Brody Daw
February 15, 2024
Pictured top left to right is Makayla Estrada ‘24, Laci Dayla ‘24, Rayanna Owens ‘24, Julie Muñoz ‘24, Sierra Golden ‘24, Alyssa Garo ‘24 and Chloe Simpson ‘24. Bottom left to right is Haley Thompson ‘24, Aubrey Trigo ‘24, Ella Kirkpatrick ‘24 and Kaya Fraser ‘24. Photo by: Brody Daw

Senior Ball 2024 Recap

Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler
January 22, 2024
In the opening scene of Snow Scene, Ava Mohror ‘24 (center) dances as the Snow Queen, welcoming Clara to her kingdom. Photo by: Sophia Denzler

A look into “The Nutcracker”

Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler
January 18, 2024
Spot the Difference Snowman

Spot the Difference Snowman

Brody Daw
December 15, 2023
The movie Priscilla had a box office gross of $19,602,138 dollars. Graphic by: Brody Daw

Cougar Critique: “Priscilla”

Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler
December 3, 2023
"The Lot" is not restricted during school hours to those with off-campus identification, and parking passes. Photo by: Brody Daw

Off-campus passes are required to enter the student parking lot

Brody Daw
November 15, 2023
Pictured are former CTC members left to right, Wyatt Mojo, Mateo Navarro, Quinn Ferguson and Carsten Peterson. Photo by: Craig Carey

Tails take on the trails

Brody Daw
October 31, 2023
This plaque memorializes Austin, and is at the VHS track. Photo by: Brody Daw

Students for Public Lands raise money to honor Austin Gambill

Brody Daw
October 4, 2023
Mia Sinclair '24 and Liviya Nascimento '24 , left to right, sit together at a birthday party. Photo by: Ava Mohror

VHS prepares to say “farewell” to its foreign friends

Ava Mohror and Brody Daw
June 7, 2023
Students gather around dogs on the senior lawn during lunch. The dogs provided comfort to students who participated in the wellness faire. Photo by: Brody Daw

Ventura High School hosts a wellness fair for students

Alexis Segovia, Sophia Denzler, and Brody Daw
June 6, 2023
The view from the beach promenade is another bonus to running there. Photo by: Brody Daw

Opinion: Where are the best places to run in Ventura County?

Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler
May 26, 2023
What options do students have after high school?

What options do students have after high school?

Brody Daw
May 26, 2023
Ash Brace ‘26 said, “My plans after high school is to go to the university my mother works at because I would get in for less than it costs to get into a normal university, and after a few years there, I would like to transfer to one in France to get a higher degree.” Photo by: Anastasia Nisky

What are VHS students’ plans after high school?

Davin Dedman, Brody Daw, and Anastasia Nisky
May 5, 2023
Ellberg showing the Spanish song of the day to her period six class. Photo by: Davin Dedman

Ventura High School’s language madness

Davin Dedman and Brody Daw
April 1, 2023
Gwen Withers ‘24 performed a poem she wrote titled, “My Wandering Mind.” Withers said, “Tap..tap tap..tap tap tap tap tap tap tap. . . tap. Dang, I’m so good at this/Oh my gosh, stop that is so weird/tap tap/ No, I am not doing that again/ What to do. . ./ Oh, I can do that wavy thing with my pencil so it looks like it's bending/ Wow that is cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, so cool/ Okay done with that/ Hey look at that box/ That is a nice box/Appletopia box/Sounds like a theme park/ Appletopia, where you have fantastic fruity fun/ I wonder how many apples you could fit into that box?/ Probably a lot, it’s a nice box/ Okay, it has to been at least fifteen minutes/ Seriously, it's only been one minute?/ One freaking minute?/ That has to be wrong/ It's been one minute.” Photo by: Ava Mohror

Black Student Union and Dead Poet Society team up to deliver slam poetry

Ava Mohror and Brody Daw
March 22, 2023
VHS students and Mock Trial participants gather during their break before returning to the court room. Photo by: Miriam Arichea

Ventura High School Mock Trial Team takes it to court

Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler
February 17, 2023
As the show ends the dancers take their final bows. Several in the audience gave the performance a standing ovation. Photo by: Brody Daw

Ballet Academy Ventura’s “Nutcracker:” Behind the curtain

Ava Mohror, Brody Daw, and Sophia Denzler
January 25, 2023
“The Nutcracker” begins with a party scene amidst a Christmas Eve celebration held at the Staulbaums’ home. The children dance in many different pieces throughout this scene. Photo by: Emi Pool

A peek into Ballet Academy Ventura’s annual “The Nutcracker”

Ava Mohror, Sophia Denzler, and Brody Daw
January 22, 2023
Photo from the first VUEA teacher protest that took place on Nov. 17. "We [VUEA members] worked really hard and there was so much support from all the teachers in the district wearing red t-shirts and showing up at board meetings," said Alicia Verdades.

New VUEA raise: What does this mean for VUSD teachers?

Ava Mohror and Brody Daw
January 18, 2023
The annual Ventura High School cardboard boat race took place during lunch Nov. 15. 29 teams participated, in four races including the final round. Each team was given cardboard and tape, and had to use their ingenuity to design a unique raft that would carry their captain across the VHS pool. Photo by: Brody Daw

Who sunk in the cardboard boat race?

Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler
December 2, 2022
Curtis said, "'Ender's game' is my favorite, but this one ['Ender in Exile'] is pretty good too." Photo by: Brody Daw

Book review: “Ender’s Game” is out of this world

Brody Daw and Emily Nguyen
November 15, 2022
English teacher Elizabeth Mainz (lower-center) holds a sign that reads, "We love kids for all we're worth!" at an Oct. 10 VUEA protest. Photo by: Brody Daw

Opinion: WTF: Where’s the funding?

Brody Daw
October 21, 2022
The amount of parents in attendance varied from class to class. Some classes had packed classrooms, while others had only one or two parents attending. Photo by: Isabella Fierros

VHS welcomes families to campus for annual Back to School Night

Brody Daw, Isabella Fierros, and Emily Nguyen
October 13, 2022
The services shown are all the resources that the 211 operators can connect people to. Graphic by: Brody Daw

211, saving lives since 2005

Brody Daw
September 23, 2022
Cougar Catnip: What's up with the dress code?

Cougar Catnip: What’s up with the dress code?

Brody Daw
September 14, 2022
Book review: The Glass Castle

Book review: The Glass Castle

Brody Daw
June 10, 2022
During "Film Critic" science teacher Lorilee Johnson, counselor Francisco Castillo, English teacher Elizabeth Mainz and senior Zach Lopez acted as a worm man, a princess, a villainous black cat and a funny frog. The plot was relived in Western, Spanish drama and slow-motion. Stefoni Rossiter, the show director said, "I just love laughing with the adults. I think it is really fun to watch the audience because the students get to see a different side of the faculty than they normally do." Photo by: Adi De Clerck

Teachers gone wild

Adi De Clerck and Brody Daw
June 2, 2022
TCP Broadcast 5/31/22

TCP Broadcast 5/31/22

Adi De Clerck, Brody Daw, Sophia Nacu, Jocelyn Wood, and Ava Mohror
May 31, 2022
As COVID-19 numbers rise, public attention on the virus at both the national and local level unjustly declines. Students are faced with vital decisions such as whether to mask or not. Photo by: Brody Daw

Opinion: COVID-19 is not hindsight 20/20

Alejandro Hernandez and Brody Daw
May 25, 2022
The annual VHS chalk festival emerged once again after a two year break due to COVID-19. The festival was an opportunity to advanced art students to stretch their creative limits and create something special. Photo by: Brody Daw

Take a look at this year’s annual Chalk Festival at VHS

Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler
May 24, 2022
Junior Ella Bartlett said, "I chose this piece because it was super cute, and it seems simple enough. We have been working on this since 8:00 a.m this morning, we are working on it as a trio. I wouldn't say chalk is the best medium but it is fun to work with, so it is one of my favorites." Photo by: Brody Daw

A walk to look at chalk

Sophia Denzler and Brody Daw
May 23, 2022
The Ventura High School track team is home to many seniors graduating this year. Including Luke Anestos, who is committed to Cadwell University. Photo by: Steve DeGeorge

Seniors’ sports come to an end

Brody Daw
May 12, 2022
Ventura College is a great example of the benefits community college offers, including offering a fantastic theater program, excelling in sports, and residing in the perfect location. Photo by: Brody Daw

Opinion: Wait…college can be affordable?

Brody Daw
April 27, 2022
5 ways to preserve our Earth

5 ways to preserve our Earth

Brody Daw
April 21, 2022
VHS boys volleyball during their game against cross town rival Buena. Photo by: Ava Mohror

Opinion: VHS boys volleyball kicks butt…except nobody knows

Sophia Denzler, Brody Daw, and Livia Vertucci
March 25, 2022
Freshman Zoey Pence falls into a dip, part of her song, and choregraphed dance with senior Aaron Reijerse. Photo by: Olive Kranzler

Sing it like it’s Broadway-Show Choir performance

Olive Kranzler and Brody Daw
March 17, 2022
VHS Principal Marissa Cervantes said, "Ventura High School will follow the District’s communications and guidelines on this matter. Masks will be strongly recommended but not required indoors on our campus beginning March 14. As always masks will be available to anyone who would like one. Mask are provided in classrooms, office and health office." Photo by: Alejandro Hernandez

School mask mandates come to an end

Alejandro Hernandez, Sophia Denzler, and Brody Daw
March 4, 2022
Evan Mendel, a local artist, represents his style through his mural, “Stamp Co.” on Main Street. Mendel said, "I do this full time, and it can be quite a struggle, but if it’s your dream it will be worth it in the end. I’m proud of the fact that it was my first mural, and I went for it, without being sure that I could do it. Having faith in yourself and taking a chance is what will get you to that next level.” This mural was his first and took him about five days to complete, he said, “I’ve been making art my whole life, so I just kept following that path and just went wherever it took me.” Photo by: Brody Daw

Murals of Ventura

Brody Daw
March 3, 2022
Second baseman and junior, Carlos Perez (#1) said, "Honestly, in my opinion [the wind] just carries the ball more. It can stop it or it can carry it. I don’t think the wind was too big of a factor. It was just a matter of fielding the ball, putting it in play and not making mistakes.” Photo by: Isabella Fierros

Ventura Baseball strikes out

Isabella Fierros, Brody Daw, and Emily Nguyen
February 25, 2022
Humans of Ventura High School was inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York project. According to Stanton, “Humans of New York began as a photography project in 2010. The initial goal was to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers on the street, and create an exhaustive catalog of the city’s inhabitants. Somewhere along the way, I began to interview my subjects in addition to photographing them. And alongside their portraits, I'd include quotes and short stories from their lives.” Our everyday lives are surrounded by different people with their own story and experiences. Hearing and seeing others' experiences gives us a better understanding of how others impact each other and build relationships. Each photo in this project will be captioned with the person’s picture name and a quote from their interview. Following Stanton’s vision we wanted to interview the VHS community and develop an understanding of the uniqueness and diversity of our campus. We interviewed individuals at VHS and asked them a few questions relating to their past experiences. Graphic by: Adi De Clerck

Humans of Ventura High School

Adi De Clerck and Brody Daw
February 19, 2022
Knee deep in the Ventura River, senior Jayden Marshall retrieves data. Photo by: Lucy Eckberg

Out in the field

Brody Daw
February 10, 2022
The PTSA is very important, according to President Cherie Egbert, "There are so many things the PTSA can do to advocate for children." Graphic by: Brody Daw

Checking in with the PTSA

Brody Daw
January 26, 2022
Principal Cervantes answering student questions about the tardy policy. Photo by: Adi De Clerk

Cougar Forum; success or failure?

Avery Cameron, Brody Daw, and Adi De Clerck
January 24, 2022
Varsity Ventura girls having their pre-game celebratory cheer. Photo by: Brody Daw

Ventura vs Buena girls varsity soccer game

Brody Daw
January 23, 2022
Sophomore Lia Postis shared a view from the stadium at VHS. "The view from the stadium is always nuts" she said. Photo by: Lia Postis

Ventura Views

Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler
January 21, 2022
Opinion: Do students feel comfortable being approached by military recruiters on campus?

Opinion: Do students feel comfortable being approached by military recruiters on campus?

Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler
January 20, 2022
In the Russian variation of the Nutcracker, part of the group that performed at the Sugar Plum fairy's palace were this duo with younger aspiring dancers in the background. Photo from: Ventura County Ballet Academy

Nutcracker 2021

Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler
January 19, 2022
As the Grand Finale begins to take place, characters from all parts of the story join together on the stage. Photo by: Sophia Denzler

Performers of Ventura County Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” are on pointe

Sophia Denzler and Brody Daw
January 3, 2022
In 2019 at Buena High School's cafeteria, a soccer team gathered to pack boxes. (Left to right) Matt Almaraz, Bryce, Nathan, and Jenner Photo by: VUSD staff

Three cheers for Cheers for Children

Brody Daw
December 11, 2021
Harry Styles singing, "Golden" Jumbo trons allowing fans to see Styles from the back of the crowds Photo by: Ava Mohror

Styles crushing stereotypes with his style

Brody Daw
December 11, 2021
BMI has been proved again and again to be useless, yet our state continues to use these outdated worthless standards. Information from CDC.gov. Graphic by: Brody Daw

Opinion: Outdated and outrageous

Brody Daw
November 21, 2021
(Left to right) Seniors Wyatt Mojo, Inman Costa, Tess Luoma, Caroline Marsden, Alina Reitz, Quinn Ferguson and Greta Pankratz were selling "Gwat-amole" with chips for the GWAT club. Photo by: Sophia Denzler

Food Faire 2021: VHS goes all out for club funding

Brody Daw and Sophia Denzler
November 20, 2021
Freshman Isabella Brito hiding her Snapchat behind her backpack in Mr. Biller's third period math class. Photo by: Brody Daw

Is social media rotting us from within?

Brody Daw
November 12, 2021
Melina Bentiez, senior president of entertainment committee said, " I picked the days based off of how much participation we would receive. For Monday we decided on PJ day because it’s iconic and a must when it comes to spirit week. For Tuesday we decided on rep your sport day so people could wear their favorite sports team hats, shirts, jerseys and connect with one another. For Wednesday we knew it was a must in honor of breast cancer awareness month and felt most people would enjoy it. For Thursday I heard a lot of feedback from other classmates saying it’d be fun to do a 2000s day and I thought why not and gave it a try. For Friday we wanted to make it fun with class colors and tie it into the Greek theme for homecoming."

HOCO dress up days are back

Rachel Gonzalez, Brody Daw, and Sophia Denzler
October 22, 2021
Columbus Place in Oxnard is another reminder of just how much Columbus has been ingrained to our society. Photo by: Brody Daw

Opinion: Columbus, 1492 what did he really do?

Brody Daw
October 14, 2021
Loyola Marymount alumni, Letty Duenas presents to students, claiming "I loved my experience there[at LMU]." Photo by Brody Daw

College bound without a destination?

Brody Daw
October 8, 2021
When VHS students were asked if they believed peoples perceptions were altered because of politics 96% of students responded yes. While 4% answered no, the poll put up on The Cougar Press's Instagram. Graphic by Brody Daw

Vaccines, the ongoing debate

Brody Daw
October 8, 2021
Senorita Ellberg teaching her Spanish two class. “Every class is memorable. There is something that I can remember from each period I have ever taught." Photo by Brody Daw

Senorita Ellberg: A fresh take on classroom flexibility

Brody Daw
September 28, 2021
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