2022-2023 Issue 1

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Volume LV, Issue 1 »Oct. 14, 2022 » Thousand Oaks High School » 2323 N. Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 » www.tohsthelancer.org » thelancer.tohs@gmail.com » Circulation 1,900

Home Sweet Homecoming

Martin on the Chase

Lancer Legend

The Lancer highlights the behind the scenes production of this year’s homecoming.

Star football player Chase Martin finally achieves his goal: multiple Division 1 college football offers.

With more than four decades coaching for TO, Chuck Brown’s lessons are found all over the country.

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School Addresses Mental Health With SEL Social-Emotional Learning program introduced to the school in order to help students’ well-being SADIE KNAPP Staff Writer

Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) has recently implemented a program called Social Emotional Learning (SEL). This year, T.O. has freshly incorporated a half-hour session during

4th period every Wednesday, where students watch videos and answer multiple choice or short-answer questions.

SEL can be categorized as an essential curriculum, teaching students attitudes, skills and knowledge based on their grade level. Students of all grades learn about

various categories, including self-management, academic skill sets, decision-making, social awareness, college/career pathways, self-awareness, character development and maintaining healthy relationships.

“When it comes to ‘alright, how do I stay organized?’—

because if you’re organized, and you’re on top of your work, your life’s going to become far more manageable— so we want to make sure that we’re teaching you the skills in order to stay organized CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

PHOTO » TYLER LAPPIN » THE LANCER

GOING UP — Construction workers build the new Starbucks across the street from TOHS

Caffeine Chaos Comes Closer to Campus School-adjacent Starbucks under construction ADDISON EGBERT Staff Writer

PHOTO » TYLER LAPPIN » THE LANCER

WELLNESS — New SEL program incorporates social, mental and emotional health

Bell Schedule Changes Once Again

After third schedule change in three years, students and teachers reflect on how recent bell schedule has affected sleep, studies SADIE KNAPP Staff Writer

On Sept. 14, 2019, California State Senator Anthony Portantino’s Senate Bill 328 was passed by the state legislature and not long after, Gavin Newsom signed it into law, mandating all California high schools to start their official school day no earlier than 8:30 a.m., not including an A period class.

As a result of this law, almost all California schools were required to modify this year’s bell schedule.

This is the third year in a row that the school has experienced a change in schedule, and students, as well as teachers, have mixed feelings about its effects on the school.

This law was introduced based on research that indicated that the change in school start times would improve academic performance, school attendance and mental health.

The objective of the bill is to adapt school start times to teens’ psychological well-be-

ing by bettering their sleep.

Last year’s schedule had the day starting at 8:20 a.m. and, although the start times have not changed drastically, the new school day ends forty minutes later than last year.

Each class has been extended by eight minutes, with break remaining at seven minutes, while making lunch a little shorter.

This revised schedule is in-

tended to give students more productive time to focus on their classwork, but can also act as more time for procrastination.

Principle Dr. Eric Bergmann acknowledged the negative effects in his own household, saying that the new schedule gives his son an excuse to stay up later, as he doesn’t have to be at school until 8:30 in the morning.

“I’m like ‘What’s the point?’” Dr. Bergmann said.

While about 65 percent of students attending TOHS start their school day at 8:30, 35 percent of students are starting their day early at 7:27 by taking the school’s “A” period. This is an optional period that students can request CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

GRAPHIC» KELLIE PEARCE» THE LANCER

Students who need their jolt of caffeine in the morning won’t have to go very far.

A new Starbucks is being built on the corner of Avenida de las Flores and Moorpark Road, with construction starting on August 20, 2022.

The developer of the property, Megdal & Associates, had previously planned to build a 7-Eleven and a gas station at the location, but those plans were denied by the city in 2019.

Local residents were concerned about noise and traffic issues, both concerns of Thousand Oaks High principal Dr. Eric Bergmann.

“Having a Starbucks across the street will cause even more traffic than we already have,” Bergmann said.

Bergmann is also concerned about students leaving campus to loiter around what could become the nearest local hangout.

“I’ve already made contact with the manager of Starbucks, who is really keen on building a relationship with us,” Bergmann said. “We are going to have to keep a close eye on it; they’ve been given free rein to call us. He has my card and my cell phone number, (for) whenever there is a group of kids who have been sitting over there for more than a few minutes.”

Teachers on campus are concerned about the effects of having a caffeine- and sugar-factory so close.

“For students, it will make them wired, and cause them to not be able to concentrate in class,” math teacher Jesse Hernandez said.

For local residents, noise remains a major issue. That was the main reason planning commissioners initially denied original proposals for the 7-Eleven.

“Our community is a nice, calm residential community with a great high school in the middle,” local resident Robin Kaswick told the planning commission at a meeting in 2019, according to the Ventura County Star.

The project, she said, is not about “improving our community. It’s a detriment to our community.”

Added resident Amy Wilson, according to the Star: “I see this as a traffic and safety nightmare. It is definitely going to change the scope of my neighborhood.”

Starbucks’ year-over-year growth almost doubled in the last decade, and California is already the biggest home of Starbucks with more than 3,000 locations.

Traffic is already a big concern of students and parents.

The new Starbucks is only a drive thru, so there are expected to be crowds of cars.

“It’s definitely going to be very crowded all the time,” said senior Abigail Coleman, who works at the Starbucks in Janss Marketplace. “I’ve been asked if I wanted to possibly transfer there, but at the moment, I think I would rather avoid everyone from school.”

Bergmann, while concerned about the impact on TOHS, believes the new location will be a hit.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been at a school where there is a Starbucks right across the street,” Bergmann said. “It’s genius, because you know that Starbucks is going to be doing big business.”

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60 Years of Lancer Spirit: Homecoming Behind the Scenes ASB creates a fun week for students across campus to promote the annual Homecoming Dance

PHOTO » REMINGTON BEAUDOIN » THE LANCER

PREPARATION— Joel Perez paints the sophomore section sign for the rally.

REMINGTON BEAUDOIN Editor-in-Chief

Thousand Oaks High School’s Associated Student Body is at the center of school spirit on campus. During the

fall, one of the many events that ASB plans for is homecoming, a tradition throughout high schools all over the country. The way ASB gets the school excited about homecoming is by planning

dress-up days, decorating the hallways with posters, and hosting a rally to kick start the week.

This year, ASB planned homecoming and the spirit week around the theme Scoo-

by-Doo, a classic animated children’s cartoon that many students recognize.

“I think that Scooby-Doo is a great theme for homecoming because most people know Scooby-Doo. It’s fun, unique, and I’m sure people will like it,” freshman Brandon Sorrell said.

The theme is only the start, the planning for homecoming takes place months in advance in order to bring every aspect of their vision to real life.

“The first step is always determining what our theme is, because it really helps us decide everything else about the dance, the parade, the rally, and every other little detail,” said Mario Cano, Senior Class President, “It’s where everything comes from and so this year actually we had a theme beforehand, but then we realized it’s the 60th anniversary of TOHS and it’s also the 60th anniversary of Scooby-Doo, which is a hidden, behind-the-scenes detail that is incorporated.”

ASB uses it as their main choice of promotion. They post photos and stories on Instagram to grab the attention of students that might miss the posters around school.

ASB begins advertising the dance early in the year by releasing the ticket prices and

the theme on Instagram to start getting an estimate on the number of students planning to attend, but the real sense of school spirit comes in when they share the specific dress up days.

Although ASB finds trouble getting dress-up day themes approved by Assistant Principal Jeniffer Modolo (ideas such as Dress like Adam Sandler Day), ASB has found days that fit Modolo’s guidelines and still measure up to the students’ expectations.

To kick off the spirit week, ASB hosted a rally in the gym for every class. The rally included performances from drumline, cheer, varsity dance team, and ASB members performing a Scooby-Doo themed skit.

ASB arrived at school by 6:00am on Monday to start setting up the school. Because the theme was class colors, they decorated the halls with numerous poster arrangements, each including catchy phrases and matching the specific color of the signs to the grade level.

Upon entering the gym for the rally, music was blasting, the colored lights were flashing, and each grade filtered into their designated section of the bleachers. The ASB skit members performed a villain

takedown and called students down for class games, a fun way that ASB gets student involvement and participation in the rallies. The chosen senior and freshman did a pool-float race across the gym floor, to which the freshman sadly won but the seniors responded with a well deserved “Boo.” Because the rally was at the beginning of the week this year, it helped to create a spirited environment for students and promoted dressing up for the rest of the week.

ASB has been working overtime to build floats to showcase during the halftime show for Friday’s game. The floats are platforms decorated for the Scooby-Doo theme, they walk them around the stadium during halftime as part of the parade.

Finally, Saturday morning, ASB starts preparing for the homecoming dance. This year, the dance is taking place on the basketball courts near the stadium which is advertised as “under the stars.” The dance starts at 7pm and features a live DJ, a snack table, video games, and other forms of entertainment to ensure there is something for everyone to do.

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TOHS Introduces Ethnic Studies Class; to become requirement by 2025 Social science teacher Harold Hutton involved in curriculum, direction of new anthropology course RYAN WEBER Staff Writer

In response to recently passed legislation that mandates that all California high schools provide an Ethnic Studies course, Thousand Oaks has introduced its own elective class this year, taught

by Harold Hutton.

The Ethnic Studies course was introduced in Thousand Oaks as an elective for the 2022-23 school year, and it is scheduled to become a required course by 2025. The exact timeline is unknown.

“The California State Board of Education is looking for it to be an elective initially, however, I believe in a couple years it will be a requirement, kind of like Health,” Hutton said.

The inspiration for the course came from several college campuses around California, as students at Cal State

schools such as Long Beach State and Sacramento State and University of California schools, including UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara, began to feel like their cultures were not being represented in the history curricula offered at their campuses.

A series of changes and protests in both high schools and colleges throughout the state prompted students to fix the problem themselves.

Several colleges around the country started to adopt that mission, and the Conejo Unified School District took notice. The Los Angeles and Fresno Unified School Districts already require students to take Ethnic Studies courses.

The course itself, according to Hutton, is designed to educate students at Thousand Oaks about different cultures and world views to create a more knowledgeable and

engaged community.

“Ethnic studies is a way to get students to understand a way to create a community of knowledge, of experience, of interaction and engagement by analyzing various cultures, ideologies,” Hutton said. “It focuses in our community, as well as globally.”

Hutton added that the overarching goal of the course is to get students to become aware of cultural differences, but also to see that we’re all humans who can come together more easily than we recognize.

“We need to look away from so many of the differences,” Hutton said. “However, we do want to get a chance to highlight people’s ancestry and culture and what it brings into this thing called an American society.”

Students are meant to converse and understand that they’re more similar than dif-

PHOTO » FINN SWANSON » THE LANCER

EXPANDING THE WORLD - Students learning about diverse culture and people ferent through the design of the curriculum, which Hutton has worked with the district to adjust and fine tune to the needs of the TO community.

Through several meetings, are trainings, discussions and

collaborations, Hutton has worked with a cooperative district to ensure that the specific education needs of TO students in Ethnic Studies are met.

“Over the past couple of

years, the district, including myself, and other various teachers in the district, have CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

THE LANCER STAFF 2022-2023 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Remington Beudoin Grace Williams MANAGING EDITOR Bella Moreno NEWS EDITOR Momo Sonoda WEB EDITOR Abigail Tripp-Bullough OPINION EDITOR Finn Swanson

SPORTS EDITOR Micah Rodriguez FEATURES EDITOR Riley Keeler BACK PAGE EDITOR Kellie Pearce PHOTO EDITOR Alyssa Kiszczak NEWS Ryan Weber Sadie Knapp

Addison Egbert FEATURES Riley Keeler Brookelyn Bonilla Emily Mares SPORTS Audrey Martinez Allie Anello DESIGN Faith Yoon Scarlette Gilliam

PHOTOGRAPHY Tyler Lappin Bryce Frohn Ellie Van Berkleo ADVISERS Tasha Beaudoin Jon Gold

The Lancer is the official school publication of Thousand Oaks High School, created and produced by students in Advanced Journalism. This publication as well as additional stories can be found online at tohsthelancer. org. The Lancer reserves the right to refuse advertising deemed inappropriate for high school publication.

Guest editorials and “Letters to the Editor” are welcome, but must be signed and are subject to editing for length, libel, obscenity and grammar. They can be sent to thelancer.tohs@gmail.com.

The Lancer is a member of the Journalism Education Association (JEA), National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) and NSPA All-American Hall of Fame.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.tohsthelancer.org

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School-adjacent TO Community Park Gets Needed Face-lift Long-familiar Thousand Oaks Community Park experiences a landscape and park refurbishment to address water preservation concerns RYAN WEBER Staff Writer

As California enters its 22nd consecutive year in a drought, multiple officials and agencies from across the state — from the California Department of Water Resources to volunteer organizations such as the California Climate Action Corps — are mobilizing to make the state’s apparatuses and industries as drought-resistant as possible.

But how has this been affecting California’s parks?

The Thousand Oaks Community Park, in particular, has gone through particularly heavy drought-related refurbishments.

Andrew Mooney, Senior Park Planner at the Conejo Valley Recreation and Parks District and project manager of the TO Community Park, told The Lancer that this park has been targeted by both the state and the Parks District for drought reduction.

The refurbishments are meant to adjust the systems and apparatuses the park uses by reducing turf footprint, as the park has a very large water consumption rate to maintain large amounts of plants on its land.

“We’ve gone through a couple of drought cycles within the past 6-to-8 years,” Mooney said. “We’ve really just been fine-tuning the park system from the old way of doing it, which was wallto-wall grass. But with the demands of water (consumption). we’ve reduced our turf footprint.”

Since TO Community Park, and parks in general, use

GRAPHIC » CONEJO PARKS DEPARTMENT

large irrigation and plumbing systems, with pipes far larger than anything at a typical home, conserving water at those parks in all ways possible has been a specific priority of the Recreation and Parks District.

Work on the visible refurbishments began in late-January, and the most recent aspects of the changes wrapped up in late September.

Adjustments primarily involved removing grass from certain areas, including medians on the road between Thousand Oaks High School and the park, the edges of the sports fields, the walking paths around the park and

courts, areas around community centers & playgrounds, and the sign in front of the park.

Mooney said officials decided to put decomposed granite down, which takes no water.

The main visual refurbishments at the park also involved planting drought-tolerant flora — such as shrubs, trees, and other small plants around the park — and these are intended by the designers to balance functionality in the long term, drought resistance, and appearances.

The pipe infrastructure of the park is also outdated in many areas, as several leaks

SEL: Program Gets Mixed Response CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 That’s especially true for our underclassmen like sophomores and freshmen,” Principal Dr. Eric Bergmann said.

For upperclassmen, Dr. Bergmann said his goal is to equip them with skills that will benefit them later in life.

“It’s important to establish goals for yourself,” Dr. Bergmann said. “It’s a skill that we assume everybody can undertake, but that’s a dangerous assumption. We want to make sure that we are preparing kids to be solid, comfortable, calm, to be able to regulate themselves, self advocate.”

The focus on mental health continues to be a concern in sports, clubs, school, home

and workplaces. Coming out of a pandemic, there is an added importance in educating young students. The pandemic has added a level of complexity as students experienced isolation and a lack of social interaction.

“It is important for students to learn about social, emotional and mental health aspects, in a fun way,” Lindsey Yount of the TOHS Wellness Center said. “That’s what SEL is supposed to be. Having that time designated and just focusing on that is important for students in high school especially. I think that being able to learn just general coping strategies and about anxiety and how to cope with difficult things going on in your lives.

That is really important.”

However, students had

AT A GLANCE • •

•

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) intends on bringing coping and organization skills to students across campus with informational videos.

While students and staff find the topics important and agree that the school should be taking steps forward to initiate more awareness of mental health, many are questioning whether there is a better way to approach students about mental health.

Various interviews suggest that the SEL curriculum is out of touch with the students’ needs.

mixed feelings in regards to how they are being educated about SEL in the classroom.

“I understand the idea behind it and I do think if it was executed maybe in a more efficient way it definitely would be worth it, but right now just watching videos is not the most effective way to deal with mental health,” senior Mesi McGovern said. “It’s a bunch of just random people that I have no connection with. It’s very disconnected from my reality.”

Senior Moray McBride has a similar viewpoint.

“It’s not very engaging content, I know they’re trying but it’s like wordy spiel,” McBride said. “I could get the same if we have somebody come and speak at the MPR. They’re just a bunch of adults talking. They don’t list their qualifications or if they have mental health experience.”

Added freshman Colton Oliver: “It’s not always useful. We could be using it more effectively for more important things, like classwork.”

In an effort to continue education and awareness of SEL, TOHS will continue to provide the resources necessary to further advance each of our understanding of mental health and how it impacts a substantial crowd.

and breaks have been occurring throughout the district.

A large focus on many of the recent refurbishment projects was ensuring that the new pipe systems were easily repaired, safe and functional.

“With that infrastructure that’s there, the pipes and supplies, valves, and stuff — some of that is old,” Mooney said. “It was built in the ‘70s.

And so some of that needed to be replaced. (We put) in a new mainline, new controllers, new valves, new shutoffs.”

Plants around the park have even been fitted with drought-tolerant watering systems, including grates around each tree with subterranean

bubblers inside that waste as little water as possible while watering the tree and nourishing the roots.

Areas with heavy shrubbery utilize flex bubblers, which are designed to water as many plants as possible without pouring an excess on the concrete.

“We use this kind of flex bubbler, where it’s the same bubbler unit that we’re using on the trees but it’s just slightly above ground,” Mooney said.

These actions, particularly removing grass, planting drought-tolerant plants, and utilizing water-efficient irrigation, are meant to reduce

the strain grass puts on water resources.

With California in a coastal desert environment, water is needed much more for other purposes, particularly in the residential and sustainability spheres.

“It’s water-saving, being very efficient with water because of the value of water, right? It’s not so much monetary but it’s about the resource,” Mooney said.

However, the overall purpose of redoing the TO Community Area in the midst of the drought is to maintain the parks that the community has grown accustomed to, while still having the ability to make changes and adjustments.

The specific philosophy the Recreation and Parks Department are operating under while they are planning these parks is to carefully balance the function and the form of everything they oversee, prioritizing functionality due to our stringent environmental needs.

“A lot of our stuff is function, and we have form after that,” Mooney said. “It’s that balance of it.”

Thousand Oaks Community Park, specifically, is receiving attention.

It is a central location and a community center, surrounded by a local high school, two shopping plazas, several neighborhoods, and more.

As such, the park receives significant automobile and foot traffic.

Ultimately, Mooney and his team want to provide a worthwhile, and functional park to Thousand Oaks, and in particular, the TO students right next door.

Bell Schedule Changes Affect Students CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 when signing up for classes, which helps get around the negatives of the new schedule, as students must juggle after-school activities like work, sports and homework.

“I do not like the new bell schedule,” freshman Morgan Humphrey said.

“I’d rather start and end earlier, so then I have time for sports and homework.”

Balancing all of this can harm a student’s sleep schedule.

A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) demonstrated that fewer than nine percent of high school students consume enough sleep on school nights.

The expanded class periods can be beneficial to teachers.

They have more time for in-depth lectures and time to help more students individually For students, these longer classes give them the chance to take their time and do their work instead of

skipping through it quickly to get it done or being left with extra work to take home.

That might not be as well-received by students.

“We should start at 8 and maybe get out sooner,” freshman Jaydon Hibbard said. “That would allow for everyone to get out earlier and they’ll get more time to do homework. The classes won’t be so long and boring because in all my classes we end up finishing early, and we’re just sitting there with nothing really to do.”

Ethnic Studies Class to be Required in 2025 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 come together to discuss what the class should be,” Hutton said. “And we discuss various things like what happened in our element of TO Strong.”

Though subject matter and intentions are carefully laid out and complex, the day-today operations of the class itself are fairly straightforward, according to TOHS senior Grace Machell, who is currently taking the first-semester

precursor to Ethnic Studies, Anthropology. Classes usually begin with work that the students must work with or dents must work with or communicate heavily with each other to complete, from discussions on current events to discourse on general anthropological or ethnic topics.

Machell described how Mr. Hutton always very warmly welcomes students into class and maintains a friendly, laid-back atmosphere during the period.

Normal class activities include Nearpod interactive lessons, Kahoots, assignments revolving around key terms and people, slideshows, and other work that involves students understanding significant ethnic and anthropological figures and terminology.

“At the start of class, everyone finds an article about anthropological current events to discuss,” Machell said. “It’s a really chill class and I feel like I’ve learned a lot so far.”

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OPINION STAFF EDITORIAL

School Off to Late Start: Do students approve?

The Lancer Staff questions if new bell schedule is positively effecting the school as intended BELLA MORENO Managing Editor

High school is recognized as an outstanding time of adjustment. Between balancing challenging academics and hours of extracurricular activities, it’s understandable that the last thing students want is more disruption to their already unorganized daily routine.

Then came the beginning of 2020, when schools were forced to adjust their school hours. Since then, there hasn’t been a single year where the school bell schedule has stayed the same as it was previously.

In 2020 and 2021, California schools were navigating around COVID-19 guidelines.

After restrictions were lifted for the 2022-23 school year, students and teachers were relieved to know that they would be returning back to a normal bell schedule. That was until Senate Bill 328 was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newson, which mandated that California middle schools and high schools can’t start any earlier than 8:30 a.m.

Most students and some

teachers can agree that this new law is simply unnecessary and even inconvenient.

Ninety-two percent of students who participated in a staff editorial survey from The Lancer answered they don’t like the new bell schedule and that is largely due to the fact that students feel like they aren’t getting enough sleep.

The main purpose of this law is to allow students to get their 8-to-10 hours of sleep per night, promoting healthy physical and psychological development for teenagers.

According to senate.ca.gov, “The bill is based on over three decades worth of research on teen health, sleep patterns and brain chemistry that occurs when school start times are aligned with the biology of teens.”

What the legislation failed to realize about this mandate is that, although it is intended to cater for student’s wellbeing, it was not well-considered with teens’ mindset in mind. If a teenager is given two extra hours to sleep before school, it only leaves room for more procrastination, later nights and lazier mornings, and possibly even

less sleep.

Not only does the new bell schedule disregard the time management of an average student, but it cuts down time during school. Even though the first period is not much later than it was last year, classes are almost ten minutes longer, with lunch being only a half hour when it was almost an hour long in previous years. With longer classes and shorter breaks, students are feeling rushed, crammed, and without a breather during school.

Many of The Lancer staff who participate in extracurriculars, sports, and have work scheduled directly after school find that the new bell schedule leaves little room to be efficient outside of the classroom.

With most students’ last period ending at 3:30 pm, sports practices and club meetings are pushed back in the day. Some student athletes find themselves driving home from practice at 8 or 9 p.m. with homework to do, when they should be able to get that ten hours of sleep in.

In addition, the later start time has led to endless traffic

on the way to school because everyone is arriving at the same time. Even though the school has given students the option to take an “A” period that starts at 7:27, only a handful of selected classes are taught during that time and it favors mainly juniors and seniors who don’t need to depend on parents for a ride to school.

The traffic has gotten so bad that we’ve seen countless cars stop in the middle of Moorpark Road to drop their kids off on the sidewalk.

As of now, the negative effects of the new bell schedule outweigh any positives that there may be. While the three decades of scientific research might support this change to California school systems, the general student population does not.

Do you like the new bell schedule?

13 No 6 Yes

Inconsistent ticket prices across district lead to questions Editor-in-Chief

Between the cost of school supplies, parking permits, yearbooks, standardized tests, events, and more, being a high school student is actually quite expensive.

All these seemingly small yet necessary purchases add up by the end of the year.

But the overall costs would be cut down if students did not have to pay for things such as attending school dances.

The price of school dances, including homecoming and prom, is always upwards of $40. The ticket price for this year’s homecoming started at $40 with an ASB sticker and increased as the dance got closer. This cost just includes admission and a few basic snacks that are served at the dance.

It is understandable that prom tickets are more expensive since ASB has to cover the cost of a fancy venue and usually provides appetizers and dessert. However, since homecoming is in the gym, they have no venue fee.

So why are tickets still so expensive?

It would make sense that tickets would need to be expensive if students were paying for an alternative location, top-notch DJ, extensive decorations or for a dinner to be served.

But in reality the decorations and DJ are typically mediocre.

“Sometimes the dance is a hit or miss, especially the DJ, so I feel like you don’t really get what you pay for,” Senior Niah Vasquez said.

Maybe the cost is worth it since being able to go to dances is a vital part of mental

health. A study conducted by psychology professor Peter Lovatt of the University of Hertfordshire reveals the non-physical benefits of dancing.

“Happiness is experienced while dancing and is measurable even after dancing,” Lovatt said. “It increases levels of happiness as long as a week after the dance.”

Since mental health is of major importance in high school, another importance is being able to afford to go.

Students will only be able to get this experience if they can afford the costly ticket prices.

The dance will make great high school memories but many students can’t go because they can’t afford it.

Household financial circumstances play a huge role in whether a student can attend school events or not.

Is it really fair that stu-

Students for Starbucks Drive-thru a welcome spot for students to wait, work, but not wander

EDITORIAL BOARD

Should Homecoming tickets be cheaper?

GRACE WILLIAMS

PHOTO » TYLER LAPPIN » THE LANCER

dents have to miss out on a core memory like homecoming, just because they don’t have enough money?

“We have to think about everyone’s backgrounds and how it won’t be as easy for some to purchase a ticket as it will be for someone else.”

Junior Helen Reveles said.

“Everyone who wants to go to the dance should be able to experience it.”

Currently, there are no fee waiver options for low-income students. So they are forced to either pay the high ticket price or not go at all.

Also, Newbury Park’s homecoming ticket prices started at $25, with their version of an ASB sticker, which is $15 cheaper than Thousand Oaks’ starting ticket price.

If we are beating Newbury in just about every sport, then we shouldn’t let them beat our homecoming prices either.

REMINGTON BEAUDOIN Editor-in-Chief

With broad speculation and mixed opinions on the Starbucks drive-thru opening on the corner of Moorpark Road and Avenida De Los Flores, many believe it will only create chaos at the intersection throughout the upcoming years. The Starbucks is set to open next year, but concerned parents and non-optimistic students believe that this Starbucks is unnecessary and would rather that lot stay empty. Arguably, Starbucks is a refuge for many high schoolers that have upcoming projects and papers, and I look at buying Starbucks as an investment; 5 dollar coffee for 3 hours of undisturbed work.

The residents of the Conejo Valley have been discussing their opinions about the Starbucks, and to address their concerns, the architect has been changing the building plans to accommodate their thought: a sound and privacy wall be increased from 6 feet to 8 feet high, and the cars will enter and exit the drive-thru on northbound Moorpark Road to limit the traffic in the adjacent neighborhood. The location will include an 850-squarefoot building, an open patio, a 17-vehicle queue, and 10 parking spaces.

According to QSR Magazine, the average order takes 4.44 minutes at a Starbucks drive-thru. Now we’ve all been in long lines before but Starbucks isn’t In-N-Out Burger – after the newness wears off there will not be 17 cars stacked deep waiting for their Pumpkin Spice Latte.

For those who want to order through the app and pick

up at the window, the average wait is between 3-5 minutes which is plenty of time for a student to navigate Moorpark Road and return to campus before the bell rings for their next class.

Even though the Starbucks will be a drive-thru, the outdoor seating and window to order out of will still create the classic Starbucks environment. Starbucks is commonly a safe area to work and relax, and attracts an inviting crowd, so to the high school Starbucks connoisseur, all you have to do is simply obey all traffic laws on the way to purchase the sought after drinks of the moment.

The thought of caffeine consumption may be alarming to many parents, however in a study in 2014 published in “Nature Neuroscience,” a cup of coffee can improve memory for up to 24 hours, so in theory, if a student struggles with memorizing information, consuming coffee can keep their memory sharp for the near future.

When looking at Thousand Oaks High School in the early morning, there are often students scattered across campus waiting for the gates to open or for their class to start. So Starbucks may be a good thing after all. Starbucks can provide a place for students to go before classes start, but sadly for the thirsty student, the Starbucks Manager will have Principal Eric Bergmann’s personal phone number to notify him of wandering Lancers.

Whether it’s early mornings, a lunch run or late nights the Starbucks is a safe and welcome spot for Lancers to sip an overpriced cup of coffee and watch the cars drive-thru.

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The Lancer Newspaper

FEATURES Reign of Terror Strikes Again Local Thousand Oaks Haunted House lures audience with new attractions and haunting ideas. nior Rocco Olivo said. “They make more money than we think and they could use that to Since 1999, the prominent make it more creative and add Reign of Terror Haunted House more rooms.” in Thousand Oaks has been a Last year only featured one hit every year. Lines for this night out of the six weeks the horrific haunted house can be haunted house turns its lights as long as two hours. out, and guests are given one With more than 135 difglow stick to light their way ferent rooms and real-life through the entire house while actors, Reign of Terror is sure live actors and effects are still to give you a real scare. Reign on. of Terror is open on Fridays Reign of Terror also offers and Saturdays from Sept. 24th a half-year special where they through Nov. 5th. have the haunted house open Though this attraction is in the middle of the year for a popular for being horrifyingly few nights. scary, Reign of Terror offers There are 10 main attracdifferent settings for a younger tions in this house of horrors: crowd of people who think Unhallowed Ground, The scary isn’t their cup of tea. They Haunted House, Miner’s also advertise a “Lights on ‘’ Revenge, Casa Blood, Quaras their least scary option tour antine, Containment, The where you can walk through Asylum, Infected, Inbred, and the entire haunted house with Fun House. the house lights on, no special These rooms take hours effects, and no actors. to set up, and it takes a crew “I go every year, I have had of 65 people just to help this a very good experience with it, haunted house stay up and runand I think it’s really fun,” Juning, with a total of 45 actors RILEY KEELER Staff Writer

in and outside of the house.

“We get people from all over the western United States, a lot of people come from Arizona, a lot of people come from Nevada, a lot from Las Vegas, Sacramento, that whole area,” Reign of Terror owner Bruce Stanton said. “We do get enthusiasts that come from all over, Florida, New York.”

The Reign of Terror has “chicken exits” all around the maze for people who are too scared to continue.

“It was more scary waiting in line (with) the suspense; when we actually got in there, it was fun,” sophomore Darren Reyes-Gonzonalz said.

“I don’t think I would ever do the lights out, but I rate my regular experience an ‘8’ because I got really scared, I would never go alone.”

Stanton said he started the Reign of Terror the way most haunted houses started, “because of my love for Halloween as a kid.

“Growing up in kind of a

middle-class neighborhood. trick-or-treating was kind of my first freedom,” Stanton said. “I just thought it was so much fun that when I got to about 16, I started doing a pop-up haunted house at my parents house.”

When Stanton bought his own house in Thousand Oaks in 2000, “I remember as a kid going through someone’s house that converted their whole house, so I did the same kind of thing I started off small.”

“I did it for eight years,” Stanton said. “On the eighth year, I used my whole house and expanded beyond that. In the beginning, there were about 30-45 kids and the last year I did it at my house there were about 4,400 people.”

The Reign of Terror has won numerous haunt industry awards and was voted the top walk-through haunted attraction in all of Southern California.

Get Ready, Get Set, Scream!

2022 movie releases bring Halloween Spirit to spectators and students ABIGAIL TRIPP-BULLOUGH Digital Editor

Every Autumn, movie fanatics flood to their local theaters to watch the most unnerving, bloodcurdling horror movies that producers have to offer. Even months before Halloween, studios have been releasing horror movies left and right in anticipation of the “Spooky Season.”

One of the most popular movies to hit theaters recently, “Barbarian,” has received almost no negative reviews and comes in with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

Starring Bill Skarsgard, Zach Creggar, and Georgina Campbell, “Barbarian” follows a young woman and her disturbingly fearful experience in a rental home with a stranger.

“I went into it not really knowing anything about the movie and left the theater with it being my favorite film I’ve seen in theaters this year,” junior Nash Cole said.

Another horror movie released in 2022, “Incantation,” directed by Kevin Ko, received harsher backlash and maintains a 63% rating Rotten Tomato rating. While that rating is the result of overused cliches and inconsistency throughout, watchers were still scared out of their shirts.

The disturbing footage

is brought to life as the main character Li Ronan, who protects her daughter from her past mistakes and a curse born from old taboos in this found-footage thriller.

Although the good comes with the bad among students, there is a growing distaste for the apparently endless horror movie cliches. Instead they seem to want modern tropes.

“Old horror movies are way better,” sophomore Cianna Wilkins said. “(But) some of these tropes in horror movies are just way overdone.”

Unfortunately for underclassmen, the thrill of a 2022 horror movie cannot be enjoyed by horror fans of all ages. When asked about age restrictions on the movies, students under 17 understand the restrictions.

“The gratuitous amounts of sex and violence are what mainly affects me,” sophomore Ava Muniz said.

Of course, like many other high school students, the “R” rating does not stop Muniz from seeing scary movies.

While it may be concerning to parents of younger children it’s not like a few scenes of graphic content are going to stop teenage students from submitting to the downright atrocious and unspeakable frights that ravage the big screen.

IMAGES » OFFICIAL WEBSITES

PHOTO » REIGN OF TERROR OFFICIAL

A24 Showcases Unique Horror Films Specializing in unsettling films, A24 brings attention to a new wave of horror BROOKELYN BONILLA Staff Writer

The American film production company A24 has created a new cinematic experience for audiences all around the world due to its unique and disturbing style.

The company has made an impact on horror fans by creating unsettling and uncomfortable situations, and the movie industry has been given a new genre of scary.

The first film to entice audiences was “The Witch,’’ with Anya Taylor Joy as the lead role. The movie follows a young girl encountering spirits in the woods, and the plot moves very slowly, while the ending is abrupt and disturbing.

The unsettling type of fear was loved by the audience and A24 had their debut.

Ensuing films “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” which follows a young woman, played by Florence Pugh, surrounded by a very strange cult, really affected audiences. The disgust and fear was overwhelming to the point people were sick.

They are both so different from any scary movies in recent history and had the audiences craving more.

However, A24 productions produce more than horror films, including an artist tribute movie called “Amy,” which evaluates the life and death of famed British pop singer Amy Winehouse.

A24 also produces the popular HBO show, “Euphoria,” which delves into the individual lives of teenagers. The show has had two seasons, and teenagers all around are excited for the traumatic show to come out with a third season.

Teenagers also love films like “Mid 90s,” “Ladybird,” “The Florida Project” and “Moonlight.”

All of these movies go in depth about the lives of teenagers and enhance their true emotions through beautiful filming and aesthetics.

“I really liked the visuals and filming style, and the story itself is beautiful,” senior Noya Drori said of “Moonlight.”

While throughout the past

two years superhero movies featuring “The Multiverse” have made their way through theaters, A24 did not throw away their shot at this new trend, producing the hit film, “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” which was released in March. Thousand Oaks students loved the unique plot of the movie, which not only unraveled reality, but hearts, too. When a family of three discovers they are only a small part of the universe, their journey in processing this exposes the audience to a wide variety of relatable feelings.

“I like the Dad (played by Ke Huy Quan) in the movie because he is very relatable,” senior Bryant Carey said.

When asked why, he added, “He cares a lot for the people he loves and he would do anything in order to make them happy.”

A few days before the release of “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” A24 released horror film “X,” which follows a group of young adults in the 1970s who go to make an illegal adult film in the woods.

Mia Goth plays the star of this X-rated film alongside Kid Cudi, Jenna Ortega, and Brittany Snow. Goth later starred in another A24 hit, “Pearl,” which came out in mid-September.

“I really loved Mia’s acting throughout the movie, I could really see how crazy she was, but also how trapped she felt, which made me sympathize with her,” senior Faith Corral said.

The beauty of the film shows through the strange support of a crazy young girl.

“Besides the scary psycho elements, some of the things she says are relatable in a sense and I can see what she is going through,” Corral said.

The movie has impacted audiences with the odd technically lovable character.

A24 Productions have made themselves an immediately recognizable name in the horror and coming of age movie industry. They will continue to show with more releases in the years to come.

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The Lancer Newspaper

Students Tackle ‘12 Angry Men’ for Fall Theatre Production Play provides an intimate look at the judicial system and how a dozen different personalities come together to provide justice for a young man accused of murder

PHOTO » ABIGAIL TRIPP-BULLOUGH» THE LANCER

READY... AND ACTION! — The cast of 12 Angry Men reenact a murder as the New York jurors they become on stage assembly room to life; with lively takes on speaking lines and physical movements, the line between cast member and 1957 juror blends on stage at the TOHS Performing Arts Center.

There’s never a dull moment when there’s a pen

ABIGAIL TRIPP-BULLOUGH Digital Editor

Director and theater teacher Breanna Mack stands with script in hand. Her eyes move between the stage and the words.

The cast of “12 Angry Men” brings the jury

is passed around and handed as if a knife, a replica of the murder weapon, and a key part of the case at hand.

Once again, like last year, the drama department is hoping to bring top-notch theater entertainment with the performance, which features Allison Hida-

go, Catelin Flores, Sarah Guerette, Braeden Woolley, Timothy Hufschmidt, Molly Norton, Jake Crandall, Andrew Bergholtz, Cianna Wilkins, Ava Kramer, Aran Denis, Abby Koops, Sam Avalos, Charles Bergholtz, and Em Esau.

In the play, set in 1957

New York, a dozen jurors decide the fate of a young boy on trial for the murder of his father.

A different emotion is poured into every line and every action. Including, of course, anger.

Among the jurors, all that exists in the moment is the 12 of them and the room that they have created in their minds. It is all fun and games to the audience, as jokes are cracked and a trial is being determined on stage. But to the cast, it is a matter of guilt or innocence.

“My character is angry, spiteful, and stubborn,” said Juror No. 3, senior Sarah Guerette. “And played from the perspective of a middle-aged man in the 1950s.”

The struggle to connect to such a vastly different character is real, but that doesn’t stop Guerette from wanting to deliver a standout performance.

“I recognize that the fact that me being a teenage girl is vastly different from my character,” Guerette said.

“But I interpret his emotions based off of my experiences and try to channel his anger.”

The rehearsal process is both productive and excit-

ingly fun. There is room for mistakes and for new ideas Mistakes are welcomed and embraced on the stage; when a scene wasn’t exactly clicking, Ms. Mack called out a new genre for the cast to act out; the genres ranged from western to a telenovela soap opera. There was a clear difference in the atmosphere and the mood of the group.

Then there is the part of rehearsal is a little bit more personal. Off the stage, the cast is still working on developing their characters and practicing to be the best version that they can be for this show.

“Maintaining a good balance of emotions can be a little hard sometimes,” said Juror No. 4, Braeden Woolley. “I try to be equally upset and calm at the same time, and it’s difficult.”

Despite being set in a whole different century, the play still holds relevance to modern-day America.

“The whole show is based on how different people view a situation,” Koops said. “And how even if you stand alone, it’s better to express how you truly feel than try to blend in by saying something you don’t truly believe.”

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The Lancer Newspaper

TOHS HOMECOMING 2022 The Lancer explores this years homecoming proposals and how students make them more and more extravagant every year.

ELLIE VAN BURKLEO Staff Writer

Homecoming proposals are a tradition that have gotten more extravagant every year, and this year’s homecoming proposals are better than ever. The tradition that has been carried on for many years is the football game and a pep rally the Monday leading up to the dance.

With all the new and unique ideas being shared on the Internet, people are getting more creative with their big question by using props, funny puns and new locations. People have even dressed up and done funny skits with their friends to push the convincing even more.

Homecoming is a big thing for high schoolers and there is a lot of pressure on who asks who. Many of our Lancers have proposals for this event and luckily we had an opportunity to interview a few students about all the inside scoop.

Here are some innovative proposals from our other Lancers.

One sophomore lancer describes that she was very surprised that her date had the idea to ask in this way.

“He came to my house after my soccer game and because we both love soc-

cer, he surprised me with a sign that read, ‘Do you want to kick it at homecoming?” said sophomore Juliana Krostag, “I think he probably saw this somewhere and thought it was a cute and creative idea.”

Having the Internet has definitely improved this time of year and it would be much different if there wasn’t this way to get quick and cute ideas. By using the Internet there are close to sixty ideas and about fifteen new ideas that come out each day. Using the Internet can help drastically and you can find just what you want with the click of two words, people have brought in ideas using what the other likes or is interested in and that seems to lower the stress level.

For freshman, this is their first of four homecoming dances that they will attend.

Even though they have many more ahead of them it seems to be that this is the year to get creative and ask away.

“I was at the mall with my friends and he came up with a box of Crumbl cookies and a sign that said ‘My heart would crumble if you didn’t go to homecoming with me’,” freshman Brooklynn Hill said.

Many students have known each other for years,

and some have only known each other for days, so that can be much more difficult than our seniors or juniors who have known each other for four years. It can help knowing each other because you can get the feel of how the other person will act and you can just have a closer level of friendship or relationship. Whereas if only knowing each other for five or six weeks you could potentially have much more anxiety or nerves.

Hill says that she “was very nervous because he just showed up at the mall and there were a bunch of people staring at us, and I was surprised because I wasn’t even expecting him to even ask.”

This time of year was either stressful, exciting, or nerve wracking for many of our lance students, some did not care as much as others and here is someone who was nonchalant about the homecoming proposal.

Trent Nics explained that he found his idea “on google”, and as it seems is that the thought and idea of his proposal was creative and fun way to ask someone to homecoming but his back up answers were kind of a low go to his thought and care of this proposal.

Nicks said he got his idea “from google” and

“had confidence but wasn’t nervous”. So not everyone had the same idea of an extravagant and exciting proposal, but that could be a good thing.

New York Post says “They’re bombarded with all of these ideas that they have to do something spectacular,” Meaning that these kids are pressured into doing something amazing but not everyone was able to do something to hit these standards or “It’s become ‘How do I do this to get the most likes, to get the most shares, to be more popular?’ It adds such a different layer of stress than we’ve ever really seen.” People are not trying to better each other but people push to impress and attract.

This year’s homecoming proposals did not disappoint. Over the years proposals keep getting more and more creative and have definitely evolved. Today’s heartfelt and creative, bringing funny word play and clear dedication creating more excitement than ever for the event. This year’s homecoming proposals are making everyone excited and it’s a great way to kick off our first Lancer dance of the year.

ING

MAYL ANDA

S » AM PHOTO

THIS IS OUR HOUSE — Seniors cheer for their class during the homecoming rally.

PHOTO » ABIGAIL TRIPP-BULLOUGH » THE LANCER

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The Lancer Newspaper

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 The expenses of homecoming cause the $60 price tag on the ticket, however, the schools near TOHS charge around the same amount. Last year, ASB made over $7,000 just from tickets sold at the door.

“We have so many different expenses, some that I don’t even know, but it’s around $25,000 for the week,” said senior Carter Supple, ASB

President, “So far from ticket sales we have made $30,000, and at the door of the dance we normally sell another $5,000.”

This year, ASB has racked up a total of just over $22,000, paying over $10,000 for the DJ and sound system, and over $2,500 for a security team.

All that is left for this years homecoming celebration is for students to arrive Saturday night at 7pm, and ASB will have done it again. A night to remember, “under the stars.”

Dance Supplies $1,694.90

Fireworks

Balloons

$4,363.25

$363.43

TOTAL:

Rally Supplies $1 ,146.97

Party Rentals $155.80

$22,099.05

$10,162.00 $985.50 $2,652 $201.72 $373.48 DJ and Football Game Dance CVUSD Misc.

Sound System Security Security Fees Purchases

With homecoming approaching, The Lancer polled students about their thoughts on the dance, the football game and the spirit events throughout the week.

ALLIE ANELLO Staff Writer

Kaitlyn Richmond - Junior

Coraline Vanltem - Junior

Jordan Metafiria - Junior

Q: Are you excited for Homecoming?

A: “Yes, definitely.”

Q: Are you excited?

A:”I’m actually really excited.”

Q:Are you excited?

A:”No.”

Q: Are you going to participate in the rally?

A: “I’m on cheer so I have to be at the rally.”

Q:Are you going to participate in the rally?

A:”Probably not.”

Q:Are you going to participate in the rally?

A:”Yes, because I am forced to.

Q:What are your thoughts on the outdoor homecoming again?

A:”It’s interesting, but I think it’s probably better, because inside there’s too many people, so it’s really clammy and nasty.”

Q:What is the most exciting part of homecoming week for you? The dance? The game?

A:”Probably the game.”

Q: What are your thoughts on the outdoor homecoming again?

A: “Last year it was really nice because everyone got really hot and sweaty in the gym. So it won’t stink up a room.”

Q: Are you going to homecoming? To the game?

A: “Yes and yes.”

Q: What are you most excited for at homecoming?

A: “The photo booth, better snacks than last year and better music because it’ll make the vibe better.”

Q:Are you going to homecoming? To the game?

A:”Yes and yes.”

Q:Are you dressing up for the spirit days?

A:”Yes.”

Q:Are you dressing up for the spirit days?

A:”As long as one of them isn’t grout day where we have to wear a gray outfit.”

Q:What are your thoughts on homecoming?

A:”I think that homecoming is kinda stupid because we’re paying $60 to sit in the same place we walk past everyday. I don’t really think there’s a point and I don’t like it”

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The Lancer Newspaper

Music and the Mind: How Students use Music Lancer poll confirms more than 86 percent of TO students listen to music while doing homework Alyssa KISZCZAK Photo Editor

Throughout the lives of high schoolers, music plays a big contribution that deeply affects our mental states and our moods. We have seen the evolution of music drastically change throughout the years.

Music used to appeal more to culture and history, whereas in today’s world music is heavily influenced by social media. But one thing that has been a consistent goal of all types of music is to appeal to people’s emotions.

“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain,” reggae singer Bob Marley once said.

In a poll taken this week, 86.1% of 100 students stated that they listen to music while doing homework.

Relaxing and soothing music can help reduce stress and anxiety which can help with studying.

“I listen to music while I do my homework because it helps me get it done faster and makes me more focused on getting it done,” one student said.

Music can also engage the neocortex of our brains, which can calm us and reduce impulsivity as we complete homework to stay focused and cancel out any distractions.

Researchers from Stanford University have found

PHOTO » REMINGTON BEAUDOIN » THE LANCER

MUSIC TO THE EARS—Senior Bella Moreno, wearing Beats headphones, tunes out campus noise while sitting outside the I-wing. that “listening to music seems to be able to change brain functioning to the same extent as medication.

Music is something that almost anybody can access and makes it an easy stress reduction tool.”

Some students also like

to listen to different kinds of music depending on what subject they are studying.

“I like to listen to different kinds of music for different homework,” Another student responded. “For math I usually listen to my favorite music because math doesn’t

involve reading or much focusing. For science, history and English I listen to music without lyrics because I have to read and somewhat focus.”

Music has deep effects on our moods. It could act as a stimulus that engages the brain, which could provide

a sense of alertness and help with concentration. Listening to music also releases dopamine which is considered one of the “happy, feel good” chemicals. These chemicals help boost our moods and can make us feel more optimistic.

Playing upbeat, happy

music can help pump us up or cancel out any nerves in the morning or before a game. “I would 100% confidently say that music does pump me up before a game,” sophomore Devyn Grecian said. “It changes my mood and makes me really energetic.”

At Thousand Oaks High School, there are a few artists that are common interests amongst the students. Some of these artists include, Kanye West, The Neighborhood, The Weeknd, and Harry Styles.

These artists are consistently making new music throughout the course of each of their careers. Their songs are catchy and convey relevant ideas along with offering a broad range of themes to each song.

Wording can play a key part in how natural language analysis measures point of view. In each of these artists’ songs they like to make references to “love” and “life,” as people find comfort in these topics.

Listening to music goes beyond feelings. When listening to music all the voices in our heads go away, and it gives us a feeling of freedom.

Music is very important to us as a generation. Not only does it have practical uses for our minds, but it caters to how we go about daily life.

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The Lancer Newspaper

Sneak Peek at Annually Decorated SoCal Theme Parks With Halloween around the corner, California communities finally enjoy the annual Halloween spirit with haunted houses, rides, movies, and other attractions RILEY KEELER Features Editor

Horror Nights at Universal Studios is an annual event they have every year for Halloween. It started in 1991 as a three night event, it has multiple attractions for Halloween. Now, it goes from Sept. 8 to Oct. 31. General Admission ranges from $87 to $112 and the price goes up for how many nights you stay and for the express access.

This year, there are eight terrifying haunted houses that feature singer/songwriter artist The Weeknd, the movie series “Halloween,” “The Horrors of Blumhouse,” and other Halloween movies or stories of evil spirits.

Continuing on the SoCal theme parks, Knotts Berry Farm, also known as Knotts Scary Farm, is where guests will come to meet their worst fears with over 17 haunted experiences. Knotts Scary Farm started in 1973, and continues to bring nightmares to life.

Knotts Scary Farm is now open from Sept. 22 to Oct. 31 every night from 7pm to 2am.

Tickets are $59 for general admission, and S135 for the fast pass. They put on three different shows, “Carnaval du Grotesque,” “Conjurers-Dark Magic,” and “Puppet Up!” There are five scare zones, and nine corn mazes for other attractions. Knotts Scary Farm

is one of the most famous Halloween attractions in 2022.

Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain is open all of October from 10:30am to 1:00am. Originally starting in 1986, It originated at SixFlags AstroWorld in Houston. They have haunted attractions, scare zones, and live entertainment, as well as all of their rides still open. There are haunted houses and multiple scare zones. As you navigate yourself through the park, beware of the shadows lurking in the dark.

Even scarier than these wild attractions are the ticket prices. A general admission single day ticket is $65, a gold pass is $80, platinum pass is $100, and the highest pass you can get is the diamond pass for $250. Another attraction none of the other parks have is trick or treating. They have a kids Boo-Fest during the day for younger children, or for people who just don’t want to have nightmares after going to Fright Fest.

Last but certainly not least Halloween Time at Disney Land. Halloween Time started in 2001 and is now open from Sept. 2 to Oct. 31. Imagineers transform the beloved Haunted Mansion attraction to be taken over by the Halloween classic “The Nightmare Before Christmas” which is always a little different every year, a unique gingerbread

house sits on the dining table in the ballroom every year, this year the gingerbread house was decorated to be a functional guillotine frosted and baked to perfection!

Most of their attractions are based off of Disney Movies and they decorate them to be scary. They have an Oogie Boogie Bash, an exclusive celebration that starts in the evening at Disney California Adventure Park, where you can meet rare characters, like your favorite Disney Villains, and for the very first time starting this year including characters such as Ernesto De La Cruz, from “Coco”, and Bruno from “Encanto.”

End your evening watching the exclusive Frightfully Fun Halloween parade and enjoy delectable Halloween treats like the Oogie Boogie funnel Cake Fries while sipping your blood orange shake. Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursue is a fun place where you pick pumpkins and get a scary treat. For the “Cars” movie lovers out there, Halloween Time features Radiator “Screams.” Halloween Time is a more whole family friendly event, this is an awesome event for all ages and very kid friendly.

These annual Halloween theme parks have become a fundamental part of getting into the fall spirit, reintroducing Halloween nostalgia and excitement to California.

PHOTO » BROOKELYN BONILLA » THE LANCER

RUN FAST — An up-close look at the actors in frightening masks and realistic costumes from Universal Studios Horror Nights

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SPORTS Martin’s Chase: Offers Start Rolling in for Superstar Senior The long wait is over for the Lancer leader, who waited for months to get the attention he sought from Division I football programs Bella MORENO Managing Editor

On a warm afternoon in September, the hallways were packed with students dressed in Hawaiian shirts, leis and obnoxious sunglasses, basking in the uproar of school spirit in anticipation of Friday’s football game against the rival Newbury Park Panthers.

Senior linebacker Chase Martin expected nothing more than the usual “good luck” and pats on the back to ease the nerves of the upcoming game. Until he stepped out of class to take an unexpected phone call. It was Running Backs Coach and Passing Game Coordinator Brian Smith from Ohio University, granting him his first Division 1 offer.

“I was kind of shocked,” Martin said. “The first person I told was my mom. She just started yelling.”

Added Alex Martin, Chase’s mom: “We were so excited and proud of him.

I’m a kindergarten teacher so he actually had to call me a few times before I could answer. His sister kept texting me, ‘Answer your phone! It’s important.’ He’s worked really hard so we’re just super excited for him.”

Senior starting quarterback Travis Endicott, who

PHOTO » TYLER LAPPIN » THE LANCER

BRING IT HOME—Chase Martin beats rival Newbury Park down the field for a 30-yard touchdown. has played side-by-side with Martin since 2014, when they dominated the youth football fields as TO Titans, was waiting for the offer just as long as Martin.

“When he got his first offer, we were so excited and I asked him, ‘When are you going to post this on social media?’ He was like, ‘I don’t really care about that right now. I am just focused on

beating Newbury’,” Endicott said.

For Martin, the wait was long and frustrating; he spoke with coaches for months, he said, but “They never said they were going to offer me anything. So I was just waiting for them to pull the trigger.”

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Lancer finally received his first offer after communicat-

ing with coaches since the middle of his junior season.

It wasn’t long until other schools followed. He has since received offers from Central Michigan, Bryant University, Fresno State, San Jose State and UNLV. Martin has himself in a good position with the offers he’s received.

But the question is, can he get more?

“I think [Martin] has a lot of positional versatility,” said Brandon Huffman, national recruiting editor for 247Sports. “He plays running back, he obviously plays linebacker at the next level. But he could play [at the college level]; he can be a short-yard running back, he’s obviously a long snapper, as well. I just like the fact that you can plug him into three,

four different positions and he can play it.”

Martin’s versatility and range of talents on the field has established himself a memorable name.

“He’s kind of a Swiss Army Knife if you will,” Huffman said.

Totaling over 800 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns during the Lancers’ 7-0 start, while having 64 solo tackles and four sacks, his stats speak for themselves.

“I think if you’re winning, you’re going to be looked at by a lot more people,” Martin said. “If you are winning, more people will see you.”

Martin is the main reason his team is off to a good start, as his improvement has been noticeable.

“With his experience, he’s gotten a lot faster and more reactive and quicker based on trusting what he sees,” varsity head football coach Evan Yabu said. “Physically, he’s changed a lot the last couple years. Last year, he was 175 pounds, and now he’s 30 pounds more than that. He ran track in the off-season and got a lot faster, so he’s just a different kid now.”

Yabu isn’t the only one who credits Martin’s brute strength for his success.

“I think the physicality I play with really makes it CONTINUES ON PAGE 15

Varsity Football off to Impressive 7–0 Start

Boys Water Polo Embarks on Rebuild Effort

Just three years after a record 23-game losing streak, The Lancers seek first undefeated season in school history

After first CIF title-game appearance in 2021, Lancers have struggled with a younger, inexperienced roster in 2022

MICAH RODRIGUEZ Sports Editor

On Sept. 2, Thousand Oaks High’s cross-town rival ventured to Lancer Stadium for the first time since 2017. Back then, Westlake and TOHS were in very different places than they are now.

The Lancers were 0–1 that year and lost to the Warriors by 26 en route to a 2–8 record.

They would lose five straight to end the year, then go winless the next two seasons, an 0-25 stretch that ranks as the worst in school history.

Westlake, meanwhile, would go on to finish 9-3.

Five years later, the script has flipped, in large part because of the Lancers’ comeback win over the Warriors in Week 2, when they rebounded from a 22–12 deficit to beat Westlake, 32–22.

They’ve since added five more straight wins, advancing to a 7-0 record for the first time in program history.

“The players have bought in,” Yabu said. “When we first got here a couple years ago, it was about convincing

AT A GLANCE • • • •

Just a few years removed from a 23-game losing streak, the Thousand Oaks football team started 7–0 for the first time in decades.

Lancers are led by senior running back/linebacker Chase Martin, senior quarterback Travis Endicott and senior lineman Dom Lavorato.

Head coach Evan Yabu has led the Lancers back from irrelevance with a commitment to team unity and buy-in.

TOHS is seeking its first undefeated regular season in program history.

everyone to buy-in. Now the buy-in is 100 percent and the habits have been formed.”

For the Lancers, the crucial comeback win over Westlake helped form the foundation of a breakout season. Going into this game, Thousand Oaks was 1–0, coming off a 35–7 win against Segerstrom. And although the Lancers were trailing, head coach Evan Yabu was not worried.

“I felt like despite us not having a lead, we were still in a good position to win the game, although everything had not gone our way,” Yabu said. “The mindset was to keep everybody from panicking, stay focused on taking it one play at a time and chomping our way back into the game.”

The comeback started when senior quarterback Travis Endicott connected with tight end Blake Laurtizen on a 5-yard touchdown with just over 11 minutes remaining CONTINUES ON PAGE 15

AUDREY MARTINEZ Staff Writer

The rebuild of the boys water polo team is fully underway.

Head coach Kornal Ujszaszi has been forced to start nearly from scratch after the loss of several seniors, including college recruits Braeden Sanders (Golden West) and Logan Morgan (Long Island University), from a team that advanced to the CIF Division-III championship game for the first time in history.

Ujszaszi, who has coached the Lancers for three years, has seen mixed results, peaking last season with a 20-4 record.

In 2019, TO went 8–3 and 4-1 in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.

With the team off to a 2–5 start in 2022, the biggest obstacle Ujszaszi faces is a lack of confidence, particularly among his younger players. Team leaders Quentin Chatman and Cole Belavic are putting in solid efforts, but the

PHOTO » ABIGAIL TRIPP-BULLOUGH » THE LANCER

GIVING IT A SHOT — Thomas McDonough tries to sneak it past the defense at an Oct. 5 practice. team as a whole has struggled to present a unified front.

Ujszaszi finds players putting themselves down and is trying to give them the positivity that they need for this new season.

Freshman Dylan Lybarger is new to TO but made the varsity water polo team.

“I was excited, but I also knew I would be playing against guys that were much bigger than me,” Lybarger said. “So, slightly afraid.”

Lybarger has tried to counter that fear by learning as much as he can.

“I want to be able to learn now so that I can help the rest of our team be better in the future,” Lybarger said.

Ujszaszi believes that with all the senior talent leaving the only way to get back on top is to teach the new players.

“We are at the bottom” Ujszaszi said, “but we are rebuilding.”

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The Lancer Newspaper

Girls Golf

Girls Tennis

Coach: Ryan Geisler

Coach: David Dewing

Record: 6-6

Record: 0-9

Leaders: Senior Grace Williams, Senior Bailey Glass, Senior Charley Crispin

Leaders: Senior Andrea Balcan, senior Nakita Rammohon, senior Audrey Lee

One Big Number: The Lancers shot a 218 against Calabasas

One Big Number: N/A Season Highlight; Even though the Lancers were missing players, they were competitive with Rio Mesa, losing 7-11.

Season Highlight: Shooting a 225 which was the best score they have had in years, then two days later shooting 218 against Calabasas Coach’s Corner: “We have a team that can compete the teams in our league,” Geisler said.

“I have high expectations for the players this year.”

Coach’s Corner: “To see if I could make a difference, I’m passionate about tennis. When I was given the idea, I thought maybe I could make an impact in the girl’s and the boys’s lives so I took the challenge,” Dewing said, when asked why he coaches.

Cross Country

Field Hockey

Coach: Andy Thompson

Coach: Alan Scally

Ranking: Girls ranked 3rd and boys ranked 2nd in league competition

Record: 2-1-1 Leaders: Freshman Max Russell, Sophomore Kiara Russell, Junior Bianca Scally, Junior Moira Scally, Senior Danica Nelson, Senior Niah Vazquez

Leaders: Senior Natalie Martinez, Senior Sara Guy, Senior Matilda Fitzgerald, Senior Isaack Garcia, Senior Baptiste Garderes

One Big Number: Max Russell leads the team with six goals.

One Big Number: 10:02.8 2-Mile, Baptiste Garderes PHOTO » SARAH ZIFF » WITH PERMISSION

Season Highlight: Girls varsity winning the biggest meet they’ve been to.

Coach’s Corner: “I used to compete for TO and wanted to give back to the community by coaching,” Thompson said, when asked why he coaches for TOHS.

PHOTO » RILEY KEELER » THE LANCER

GIVING IT A SHOT — Senior Grace Williams

KILLING IT IT— Senior Kailani Hoang tips the ball

walks off the tee box after hitting a drive.

over the net to win the point.

Girl’s Volleyball Coach: James Park Record: 16-11

Leaders: Senior Kayleigh May, Junior Mia Paculan, Freshman Leah Curtin

Season Highlight: Beating Westlake and sweeping several teams, 3-0

One Big Number: N/A

Coach’s Corner: “I enjoy

coaching volleyball so I just decided to start coaching when I was in college,” Park said when asked why he started coaching.

Season Highlight: This is the first time TOHS has had a winning season and they have a shot for the playoffs.

Coach’s Corner: “This is a very small team but they have really bonded and come together in a short time. They’re giving it their all on the field,” coach Scally said.

Long-time Lancer leader, who got his start in 1980, returns as assistant freshman baseball coach MICAH RODRIGUEZ Sports Editor

Two years ago, Thousand Oaks High assistant baseball coach Chuck Brown went to Texas to visit his daughter.

She was trying to secure a mortgage to purchase a house The mortgage officer, Rob, was taken aback.

He was Brown’s freshman quarterback at TOHS in 1986.

After their reunion, Rob made a post to Facebook about the interaction, and Brown was showered with praise from athletes who’d been under his tutelage for years. More than 40 years, actually.

Brown, now 88 years old and still a proud Lancer, started coaching at T.O. in 1980.

“I didn’t realize so many people remembered me,” Brown said. “Some of them I wouldn’t have guessed they would even remember me,

much less something I said to them.”

Brown was born Aug. 17, 1934, in Harlan, Ky., and moved to Detroit with his family in 1943, later attending Western High School, where he starred in baseball. He’d go on to play three years for Detroit’s Wayne State University and remained in Michigan for decades before moving west in 1980, when he began at TOHS.

Through the years, Brown has coached baseball, softball, football and girl’s basketball.

Some of his proteges have gone on to remarkable things, particularly Olympian and NCAA women’s basketball champion Marion Jones, who starred at North Carolina, and former NFL wide receiver Dave Anderson.

Current Lancers head football coach Evan Yabu -- who secured the position in 2020 at the tender age of 29 -- remembers a younger Brown guiding his freshman football team back in 2004. Brown was only 70 then.

“Coach Brown is an all-time legend,” Yabu said.

“When I was playing for

CONTINUES ON PAGE 15

15

The Lancer Newspaper

Martin: Senior Star Piles up the Offers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 difficult for other people to keep up with me,” Martin said with a grin.

While Martin’s size and power gives him an advantage on the field, his speed is something that not only his coach, but his family, recognizes as a game changer for how recruiters evaluate him.

“He has always played club lacrosse and he also ran track,” said Alex Martin, Chase’s mom. “He’s always been working on his speed, and those two sports, especially track last year, really gave him the speed he needed to help with his recruiting.”

Despite Martin’s size and speed, he knows he is not a finished product. Improving some intangibles might end up determining how many more scholarships he can snag.

“Chase can work on vocal leadership,” Yabu said. “He can work on creating a regimen for himself off of the field that is a little bit more holistic and encompases recovery and nutrition a little more completely. He ultimately just needs to continue in the maturation process and just learn how to take care of his business by himself without needing to be under the guidance of a program.”

Yabu has had many press appearances in the past few months, from podcasts and interviews, to local news stations noticing the Lancers. In a recent interview with Cannon Sports, Yabu mentioned that in the off-season, players

Brown: Approaching 90, Baseball Coach Still Loves the Game CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

PHOTO » BELLA MORENO » THE LANCER

practices fun. What I took away from Coach Brown from a lesson perspective is age absolutely does not reflect passion and joy when it comes to sports because that man is old as heck.”

To put his age in perspective, the oldest head coach in the NFL, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, is just 70 years old. Tony LaRussa was Major League Baseball’s oldest coach, but recently stepped away at the age of 77. Brown has more than a decade on him.

But even approaching 90, Brown’s passion has not subsided. He tried to retire last year from coaching the freshman baseball team, only to be drawn back into the fold as an assistant.

“I just love to coach, that’s all,” Brown said. “I love the guys and working with them.”

And the players still love working with him. They love hearing his favorite expletive - “Horsefeathers!” - and they love his lessons, some that

TAKE DOWN — Martin tackles an Oak Park ball-carrier in a 28-14 Week 4

AT A GLANCE

win over the then-undefeated Eagles. met with Matthew Koman, holistic lifestyle coach, to discuss health and spiritual regimens as well as social media presence Recently, Martin has started to promote himself and his recent offers on both Instagram and Twitter and there are school photographers and videographers lined up on the sidelines ready to shoot

his every highlight and give him a reel to post. His media presence is slowly growing.

Unfortunately for Martin and the rest of student athletes in his class, the graduating class of 2023 was the last class to be negatively affected by the restrictions put in place because of COVID-19.

“The NCAA at that point of 2021 hadn’t lifted the

NCAA dead period, so even though his junior film was good, other names had already passed him in terms of being more available and more visible,” Huffman said.

“So he (Martin) just made it happen on the field instead, which shows, still, that it’s not too late for a senior to have a big year and still get attention.”

will stick with them forever.

Brown’s biggest message to the younger generation is to “go try to be the best that you are created to be. All of us have different talents, we are not all chopped out of the same piece of cloth.”

Lancers senior catcher and Grand Canyon University commit Brady Francisco learned the importance of staying calm under pressure. “(He taught me) there’s no such thing as a moment too big,” Francisco said. “How you prepare is how you are going to play in the game when it matters, to appreciate the small things and how the little things really matter.”

Senior Lewis and Clark commit Eli Steinhaus said Brown taught him, “you need to love what you do so you can do it for a long time.”

Elected to the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, Brown recognizes his coaching days will soon come to an end.

“I’m 88 years old, and there are not going to be too many more of those days,” he said. “I have to make the most of the ones I’ve got.”

• • •

•

Legendary Lancer coach Chuck Brown started coaching at TO in 1980.

Brown has coached football, baseball, girls basketball, softball and track-and-field during his more than 40 years with the Lancers.

Among the players Brown has coached are former Olympian and North Carolina women’s basketball national champion Marion Jones, as well as longtime NFL wide receiver David Anderson.

Brown retired from his freshman baseball coaching role last year, only to return as an assistant this year.

Football: Lancers Expected Success CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 in the fourth quarter. On the ensuing Westlake drive, junior defensive back Silas Kemp picked off a Westlake pass and set Thousand Oaks up at its own 46 yard line. Martin followed with his second touchdown of the game, and after forcing another Westlake punt, TO got the ball back and Martin scored his second rushing touchdown of the game and his third total.

That was the nail in the coffin. Minutes later, the entire Green Hole soon stormed the field.

Dominant wins against Hueneme (40-0) and Oak Park (28-14) followed the Westlake win and set up a showdown with the then-undefeated Newbury Park Panthers. For the first time, the long-time rivals would meet midway through the season with unblemished marks.

Against the Panthers and freshman quarterback Brady Smigiel, the Lancers jumped out to a 20-0 lead.

Newbury Park fought back, though, and the game went into overtime tied at 35. After TO missed a field goal in overtime, sending the game to double-overtime, the Panthers took a 38-35 lead.

Martin, the Lancers’ best player, sealed the win with a short touchdown run, keeping

“We still are maintaining that chip and we all just want to win. We’re going to work our butts off to do it.”

—senior quarterback TRAVIS ENDICOTT TO undefeated.

But even with the win, the Lancers were not satisfied.

“We still are maintaining that chip and we all just want to win,” Endicott said. “We’re going to work our butts off to do it.”

Senior lineman Dom Lavorato said the team has much bigger goals beyond winning in the regular season.

“Go to CIF and then win state,” he said. “We want to shoot for the stars, go big or go home.”

PHOTO » TYLER LAPPIN » THE LANCER

MOVING THE BALL — Running back Brolin Harrah sprints past a Newbury Park defender.

16

The Lancer Newspaper

Outside the Tank: A Fish Out of Water KELLIE PEARCE Backpage Editor

You may think that being a high school student in 2022 might be exciting and fun.

However, I work in a fish store.

On a typical day, I start by scooping dead fish out of tanks, it usually takes me an hour to clear the entire store.

Of course, the more fish in a tank, the more dead fish I have to gather.

Every time I spot a dead fish in a tank, I pretend I’m a police detective and say to myself, “We got a floater,” and I ask the other fish why they murdered their friend?

With time, I’ve discovered a good tip is to hold the bag of dead fish as far away from my body and nose as possible.

Most of the customers we get are kids who call the blue tang, ‘Dory,’ and the clownfish, ‘Nemo.’ If I hear one more kid say the words ‘Dory Fish,’ I’m going to dunk their

head into the tank of Oscars, our most aggressive fish.

The other half of our customers are old men who clearly have nothing better to do and are now spending their 401K on a saltwater tank for a

puffer fish.

The other day while I was doing my rounds of collecting my floaters into a bag, a little girl with her mom came up to me and asked if we had turtles.

I said, “No, we have fish.

Did you not see the fish painted on the window outside?

We have fish.”

The same day, I had to save not one but two fish who tried jumping out of their tank to freedom, until realizing life

outside the tank is a cold, dry world, and like the minimum-wage superhero I am, I picked the tetra up by the tail and dropped him back into the tank.

He swam away without

ILLUSTRATION » KELLIE PEARCE » THE LANCER

even a thank you.

Most of my time at work is spent elbow-deep in fish tanks, scrubbing algae.

Some of the fish swim away and some will bite you for being in their territory; yes fish bite, but it’s more like a fish kiss since they don’t have any teeth.

The koi fish are now familiar with me and will come right up to me to bite my fingers. But when a coworker of mine attempted to stick their hand in, the koi just swam away.

I think it’s enough proof to deem myself as a “fish whisperer.”

I shouldn’t complain too much, though; it’s a decent job, it’s easy to work, and working with animals is nice.

But I went into my job looking forward to working with fish.

I thought it would be learning about fish and taking care of them, not being the local fish undertaker, that’s for sure.

HITS & MISSES What’s Up and Down with The Lancer HIT: ASB for the win with Monday’s homecoming rally, putting the rally pep back in our step.

ASB-1, Admin-0

MISS: NFL officials are overly sensitive when considering roughing the passer calls. Even Drew Brees is tweeting about these penalties.

HIT: Assistant Principal Jeniffer Modolo has proven her authority in the hallways by yelling “two minutes!” during nutrition.

Can she start clocking the speed of golf carts?

MISS: Despite cold weather expected in SoCal this week, TOHS is hosting the homecoming dance outdoors.

Good thing the theme is Scooby Doo!

HIT: Averaging $785 per ticket, Harry Styles will be performing 15 nights at the Forum starting on Oct. 23.

RIP to our instagram feeds.

MISS: The PSAT on Wednesday led to many undeserving tardies due to the lack of bells.

We should have just gotten the day off.

Every Lancer Has a Story Throughout the year, The Lancer selects students at random to answer whatever is on our minds.

PHOTO » BROOKELYN BONILLA » THE LANCER

PHOTO » BROOKELYN BONILLA » THE LANCER

PHOTO » BROOKELYN BONILLA » THE LANCER

If you could pick an elective for TOHS, with full funding, what would it be?

Which Disney Character do you relate to most?

If you could create your own world what would be in it?

I would make a napping class. The class would

I would definitely say Gaston (from “Beauty and the Beast”), just because he eats a lot of eggs.

-Robert Svitek (12)

My world would have no heat and no wind. If a person wanted a cat they would have a cat immediately. There would always be unlimited cats. No one living there would be annoying and the Tick Tick Boom soundtrack would be playing every day on loud speakers.

have multiple comfy beds with stuffed animals and blankets. There would be white noise machine surround sound. There would be twinkle lights and high quality pillows. The sheets and blankets would be washed everyday. At the end of class, free coffee, tea, or hot chocolate would be given for free before the next period.

-Chloe Mello (12)

-Samantha Meiron (11)