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  • The charming exterior of Butter and Fold attracts many customers at all hours of business. From the elegant teal and gold color scheme to the waft of freshly baked breads, it’s impossible to simply pass by without taking a peek inside.

    A&E

    Butter and Fold: The perfect place to satisfy your pastry cravings this fall

  • At the Olivas Links Golf Course, on Sept. 21, 2023, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) girls golf team faced off in a league match against Bishop Diego. The Dragons played well and won the match with an overall score of 249-303. Pictured above, Maddie Wicks 26 concentrates as she putts her ball toward the pin, finishing hole five with three over par.

    Latest

    Recap: Girls’ golf takes Bishop Diego 249-303

  • On Sept. 22, 2023, Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) competed in their first Tri-County Athletic (TCAA) league meet. Foothill Tech races with five girls on varsity, including Danika Swanson-Rico 25, Bennett Rodman 26, Kalea Eggertsen 26, Emma Anderson 26 and Isabella Efner 25. They warm-up on the start line, exchanging words of encouragement and waiting for the queue to begin the race.

    Cross Country

    Cross country starts off strong at first league meet of the 2023 season

  • With beloved melodies and nostalgic anthems dating back over a decade, fans and general audience members alike enjoy singing along to her award-winning album, Fearless, from 2008.

    A&E

    The Eras Tour: an adventure spanning 17 years of music 

  • On Sept. 21, 2023, Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) boys water polo hosted a home game against their opponent Malibu High School (Malibu). With lots of splashing, Ethan Ortiz 24 attempts to find an open teammate to give Foothill Tech an advantage to win their league match.

    Boys' Water Polo

    Recap: Boys’ water polo bested by Malibu

  • Students of Foothill Tech try to make button pins of their own design at Back to School Night. This college and career class provides an opportunity to learn life skills and creativity.

    Latest

    Foothill Tech welcomes parents and guardians at Back to School Night 2023

  • In the teen show “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” an adaption of the popular Young Adult novel, protagonist Belly Conklin navigates her love life in a triangle between brothers Jeremiah and Conrad Fisher.

    A&E

    “The Summer I Turned Pretty”: In Defense of the Fisher Boys

  • During F.I.R.E and lunch, members of the Associated Student Body worked hard to prepare an assembly line of delicious In-N-Out for the Class of 2024.

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    Class of 2024 connects through In-N-Out Burger and festivities

  • On the sunny afternoon of Sept. 19, 2023 girls tennis played against the Villanova Preparatory (Villanova) School Wildcats. The tennis team huddles together and chants in a pregame ritual before beginning their matches.

    Girls' Tennis

    Girls’ tennis triumphs over Villanova in first league match

  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the much anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed and beloved video game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Announced in 2019 by Nintendo at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Tears of the Kingdom was released on May 12, 2023 after nearly four years of waiting. Since its release, the game has been met with widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike. The game directly follows the events of its predecessor, building upon them and expanding an already immense world. Writer Kelly Quinn shares his thoughts.

    A&E

    “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” is victory for gaming

  • The three cakes that were reviewed were Lemon, Pumpkin Spice and Red Velvet all topped with a generous amount of cream cheese frosting.

    A&E

    A dive into Nothing Bundt Cakes: America’s largest specialty cake company

  • Comprising of 12 songs, Olivia Rodrigos new album GUTS is her second studio album and was released on Sept. 8, 2023. Rodrigos first studio album, SOUR, released in 2021, was critically acclaimed and beloved by fans, making her second album long anticipated. Writer Isheeta Pal takes on the task of listening to GUTS and reviewing it, delving into its key themes and messaging.

    A&E

    Album Anatomy: “GUTS”

  • A sign displayed in the store highlights the unique vendors in the store as well as promoting shopping from local artists.

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    Hey! Friends shows Ventura why shopping locally matters

  • Christopher Nolan hits it out of the park once again with his brilliantly done biopic about the man who invented the atom bomb, Oppenheimer.

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    “Oppenheimer” is a mind-blowingly impactful film

  • In Laufey’s latest album “Bewitched,” released on Sept. 8, 2023, she brings a jazzy and soothing take on the journey of love. Following the success of her previous album, “Everything I Know About Love,” her sophomore album comprises 14 songs, each bringing their own unique spin that is sure to bewitch the listener. Join writer Lily Toreja as she reviews each song and delves into their individual meanings.

    A&E

    Album Anatomy: “Bewitched” by Laufey

  • On the eventful evening of Sept. 14, 2023, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) Dragons faced off against Cate in their third league match. The matchup was very even and came down to the fifth and final set in which the Dragons were unable to secure the win. After bouncing and hitting the ball to set her rhythm, Malia Gray ‘24 (number 9) goes to serve, as her teammates and her alike hope for the best.

    Girls' Volleyball

    Girls’ volleyball endures a hard loss against Cate

  • Jackson Basurto ‘24 and Alfred “Mason” Borkowski ‘24 are in full recruitment mode as students pass by their table. The club offered a fun way to engage with other students while doing something they all enjoy.

    Events

    Dragons find their connection at Club Rush 2023

  • On the afternoon of Sept. 14, 2023, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) girls golf faced off against La Reina at the Olivas Links Golf Course. Maddie Wicks ‘26 tees it up with hopes of sticking it close to pin and hopefully having a birdie opportunity. Wicks finished hole six with a double bogey and finished the entire course with a 56.

    Girls' Golf

    Foothill Tech defeats La Reina in league match

  • Isabella De La Rosa 24 (number 3) and Charlis Swezy 27 (number 1) block from the net, while Malia Gray 24 (number 9) and Morgan Houston 25 (number 2) stay behind to cover any unexpected plays from the other team.

    Girls' Volleyball

    Girls’ volleyball spiked on by St. Bonaventure

  • Students hit the ground running as the 2023-2024 school year picks up its pace. With this years You Belong Week taking place Sept. 11-15, 2023, as well as Club Rush on Sept. 15, 2023, Dragons are busy keeping up with all the events.

    FDP-TV

    FDP-TV: Season 2, Episode 2

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It’s no wonder that mass shootings plague a country with more guns than residents

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Credit: Maya Avelar / The Foothill Dragon Press

Tragedy shakes a nation, it brings us together in mourning, in moments of silence, in remembrance. Tragedy opens our eyes to dilemmas, but keeping silence for the losses is not enough. Change is the key to prevention of gun related catastrophes. Real legislative change is the way the United States needs to rebound from the deadliest mass shooting in American history.

Events like these leave Americans wondering: why do we have such calamitous acts unfold on our own soil? Why are innocent lives taken at the hands of a gun? Well, take a look at our gun laws and regulations—or lack thereof. It is in the Constitution that Americans have the right to bear arms, but how many arms? How much is too much? What types of firearms? There are copious unanswered questions left up for discussion and ultimately decision-making. However, there is a lack of “putting-my-foot-down” decisions being made in Congress that, in the end, have the unintended consequences of gun violence.

One hundred and twelve is the number of guns per one hundred people in the United States. For those that struggle with math, that means there are more guns than people in this country. Now, that doesn’t meant each person has 1.12 guns, but it means that some have four, five, or maybe even ten guns. Widening the scope a bit, the world average is 10.2 guns per 100 people and a number that seems more reasonable.

 

 

In 1996, Australia immediately responded to a mass shooting that left 35 casualties by instigating the National Firearms Agreement. In sharp contrast to the United States, this agreement focused on the restriction of firearms in wake of the tragedy. The legislation banned shotguns, semi-automatics and self-loading rifles, and placed tight parameters on  firearm purchase: a 28-day waiting period, rigorous background checks, safety course requirements and a justifiable reason for owning a gun other than for “personal protection.” Prior to the NFA’s creation, Australia saw 11 mass shootings in 1996. Since then, there have been a grand total of zero.

Federal U.S. laws prohibit possession of guns in school zones (Gun Free School Zone Act 1990), background checks on most firearms (Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act) and banned semi automatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition devices (Federal Assault Weapons Ban 1994-2004). This compilation of federal law creates loose boundaries and leaves the rest up to the states’ discretion, leaving the United States with a variety of divided gun laws.

On average, the United States has 2.5 mass shootings per year, but there have been 341 gun related incidents in 2017 alone, astounding numbers that screams for action to be taken. The Las Vegas massacre was the deadliest shooting in recent American history, if that isn’t motivation to get legislation in the works then I don’t know what is.

Is it a coincidence that Australia hasn’t had a mass shooting since 1996, when they took legislative action by instituting the National Firearms Agreement? I think not. Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard said, “We have an opportunity in this country not to go down the American path.” We have the opportunity in this country to go down the Australian path. Their change is one that should be applauded and mimicked by other countries, especially the United States.

I cannot comprehend how anyone can fully support the Second Amendment after Monday’s disaster, it’s inconceivable. The Second Amendment was written in 1789, a time when men carried muskets and no one even dreamed of automatic rifles. The Constitution is a living document, the Framers created it to be changed. We are not textualists and we must interpret  the Constitution through the lens of 2017, not 1789.

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Comments on articles are screened and those determined by editors to be crude, overly mean-spirited or that serve primarily as personal attacks will not be approved. The Editorial Review Board, made up of 11 student editors and a faculty adviser, make decisions on content.
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    Steven Donald SisemoreOct 5, 2017 at 7:31 pm

    Yeah those gun free zones are where roughly 89% of mass shootings occur. Atrocities can and have been done with anything from rental trucks to knives, or even explosives. Guns are not the problem and if you look at a graph showing the relationship between gun ownership and gun crimes it shows the opposite of what you’re stating. I fully support the second amendment fully and believe that gun control laws are insanity.

     
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    • I

      issaOct 6, 2017 at 12:58 am

      Go to college

       
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