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  • In the morning of Sept. 23, 2023, members of the Ventura  County Community gathered together at the Collection in Oxnard, Calif. to celebrate and support those with Alzheimers and other dementia. Hosted by the Alzheimers Association, the Walk to End Alzheimers event was a huge success raising over $107,000 towards ending Alzheimers, along with connecting the community.

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  • An enormous, eye-catching paper mache octopus is situated at the start of the ArtWalk exhibition on Main St., Ventura, greeting attendees as they enter the event. Inspired by Ventura’s natural environment, this work of art highlights the abundance of sea creatures that call our oceans home.

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  • As students start to settle into the new school year, exciting activities planned in the quad help keep the morale high. Foothill Techs sports teams have started to pick up speed and students are now settling into their classes.

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  • A scenario thats unfortunately all too common in modern gaming is a videogame having a less than stellar launch. However, there are times when the developer has the luxury to go back and turn the game into a respectable piece of media, such as No Mans Sky.

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  • Also referred to as a red tide or an algae bloom, the brilliant blue waves are caused by phytoplankton that emit blue light when disturbed. In previous years the event has been rare to find, occurring sparsely. Recently, primarily during the summer of 2023, bioluminescent waves could be seen splashing the shores of Ventura County.

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  • On Sept. 21, 2023, the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) Girls Volleyball took a devastating loss of 3-1 in a league game against Bishop Diego High School. Students, Addi Fallon 25, Zac Crist 24 and Petra Falcocchia 24, show their support with colorful face paint. Many students also dressed to the theme of the game, which was cowboys and cowgirls.

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  • Throughout the city of Ventura, pollution is washed down to the beaches through rivers and gutters, depositing cups, bags and other various trash onto our beaches and into the oceans.

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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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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

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  • 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.

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  • 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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The Foothill Dragon Press

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Seniors plan unique career paths: actor, illustrator and officer

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Senior Cameron Liljekvist has dreamed of becoming a Broadway actor since the third grade, so his acceptance into the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) hit him with a wave of emotion. It was not only his first choice college, but also the only school he applied to.

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Joe Albaugh (left), Cameron Liljekvist (middle) and Alexia Khodanian (right) all have unique plans for after high school. Credit: Lucy Knowles/The Foothill Dragon Press

 

Cameron Liljekvist: a future on a Broadway stage to “get those dreams accomplished”

Credit: Lucy Knowles/The Foothill Dragon Press
Senior Cameron Liljekvist was surprised and excited to be accepted into the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). Credit: Lucy Knowles/The Foothill Dragon Press

Senior Cameron Liljekvist has dreamed of becoming a Broadway actor since the third grade, so his acceptance into the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) hit him with a wave of emotion. It was not only his first choice college, but also the only school he applied to.

“I was very shocked. I didn’t think I was going to get in,” Liljekvist said, “Approximately 10,500 people auditioned, and only 26 percent get in.” He’s not going alone, because his best friend, Ayla DuMont, was accepted as well.

In order to get into AMDA, one needs experience in theatre. “The more, the better,” Liljekvist said. He has been in many live productions, including the “King and I,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Into the Woods,” “Peter Pan,” and “Annie.” He will soon be auditioning for “Les Miserables.”

A recommendation from an instructor in the arts is required for admission consideration. Liljekvist received much acting and singing help from Marta Dewey, Foothill drama teacher Karen Rodrigues and Company Show Choir’s Heidi House.

Also, one must audition live, or through a video. Liljekvist recited a monologue from playwright Lanford Wilson’s “Brontosaurus,” and sang “No More” from Into the Woods.

AMDA has two campuses: one in Los Angeles, and the other in New York City.

What’s unique about this school is that Liljekvist will spend his freshman and junior year in Los Angeles, and his sophomore and senior year in New York.

He also said during the last semester of senior year at AMDA, students’ assignments are to audition for parts in Broadway shows. If they land a role, the school is flexible, and will work around their rehearsal schedule.

Liljekvist’s ultimate goal in life is to perform on Broadway, and “get those dreams accomplished.”

 

Alexia Khodanian: a concept artist in the animation industry because “that’s what I was always meant to be”

Alexia Khodanian hopes to become an illustrator. Credit: Lucy Knowles/The Foothill Dragon Press
Senior Alexia Khodanian hopes to attend California College of the Arts or Otis College of Art and Design. Credit: Lucy Knowles/The Foothill Dragon Press

Growing up, Alexia Khodanian was always complimented on her drawings.

She never had any formal training, but learned by reading online and observing the outside world, especially “perspective and color,” and then, “translating it into drawing.”

Khodanian describes herself as being very detail- oriented, and always looks back on old work to see how she has improved.

“Every time I start drawing something, I want it to be better than the last,” she said.

Khodanian has put hours into what started as a hobby, turned into a passion, and will now be a career.

“I don’t really like the argument that you’re born with talent, because I feel like it dismisses a lot of people’s hard work,” she said. “You have to persevere. You have to keep going.”

Khodanian wants to be a concept artist in the animation industry because of “their important role in designing the visuals in the project,” she explained. As she grew up, she looked to animated movies for much of her inspiration.

She applied to two colleges, where she plans on majoring in illustration. Her first choice is California College of the Arts in Oakland and San Francisco, but she would also be happy going to Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles.

Her goal as a concept artist is to come up with an idea and to then watch it develop into a movie or show, and be there for every step along the way.

Though she has only done a few animations, she has been drawing digitally for six years.

“I feel like I never really decided I wanted to be an artist [… ] that’s always what I was meant to be,” she said. “If I have a day where I’m not drawing, what is my point?”

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Joe Albaugh: enlisted in the United States Armed Services because “I have a very keen sense of what is right and what is wrong in the world”

Joe Albaugh will be attending an officers school. Credit: Lucy Knowles/The Foothill Dragon Press
Senior Joe Albaugh plans on attending the Naval Academy or Army ROTC , or enlisting in the Navy. Credit: Lucy Knowles/The Foothill Dragon Press

Senior Joe Albaugh plans on entering the armed forces after high school. Ever since the age of eight, Albaugh knew that his calling was the armed services.

“I’ve [always] loved a challenge and helping other people, and I have a very keen sense of what is right and what is wrong in the world. I thought that my path to changing the world would be to join the United States Armed Services,” he said.

In the armed services, there are two categories that people can fall under. The first category is the enlisted. Those who are enlisted don’t need a college education. They only need to sign up and afterwards, they are processed. Then they are sent off to boot camps that can last from seven to twelve weeks, depending on whether they signed up for the Navy, Army, or Marine Corps.

The second category is the officers, which is what Albaugh is aiming for. Those who apply for an officer position must have a college education. They can apply to the Naval Academy, Merchant Marine Academy, or a four year college of their choice that offers the Naval Reserve Officer Training (Naval ROTC) or the Army Reserve Officer Training (Army ROTC) program.

Albaugh applied for the Naval Academy and Army ROTC, but says that if they don’t work, out he is “most likely going to enlist in the Navy.”

After college is the Naval Officer Candidate School (OCS) which is a 12 week program that consists of “intense tactical and leadership training.”

“The difference between officers and enlisted is that there’s leadership within [the enlisted], but they’re usually the followers- the people that get things done. The officers are usually the leaders who come up with the plans to execute missions,” Albaugh said.

To prepare for the armed services, Albaugh joined the Civil Air Patrol the summer after his freshman year and stopped just last month.

“It’s an auxiliary of the Air Force and it’s a youth shaping program, so you do do military things and it’s basically geared towards leadership building and character development,” he said.

Joining the armed services also means being away from friends and family members for extended periods of time. For every 30 days that you are deployed, you get a two-day leave. Those who are on tour, or deployed overseas, are usually away for eight to nine months, depending on the mission.

“Of course I’m gonna miss my family […] but at least I know they’re safe. I don’t think I’m going to have to worry about them,” Albaugh said.

He advises those who are planning on joining the armed services and becoming officers to “practice being a leader.”

“The best leaders come from having a lot of experience. And it’s got to be something inside you that keeps pushing you to something for the United States,” he said.

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