Issue 2, 2018-2019 by The Lancer

the

LANCER

Volume LVII, Issue 2 » October 30, 2018 » Thousand Oaks High School » 2323 N. Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 » www.tohsthelancer.org » thelancer.tohs@gmail.com » Circulation 2,099

A SPOOKY REALITY With Halloween spending at an all-time high, consumerism has clearly gotten out of hand. pg. 7

PHOTO » BLAKE SAARI » THE LANCER

PROPOSAL PESSIMISM

SHOW TIME

BACK TO THE ROOTS

Proposed gas station and 7-Eleven receives negative reception from the Thousand Oaks community.

Theater opens their production, “Almost, Maine” on Nov. 1st. The play explores the love life of nine couples. pg. 9

Track coach Kevin Burnett reflects on his love of pole vaulting and how he plans to continue his lasting legacy.

pg. 4

pg. 22

EDITORIAL

Hits and Misses

STAFF EDITORIAL

Jam-Packed Classes Class is ending soon so I can only take a few questions.

Any questions? We have plenty of time!

What’s Up and Down with The Lancer Hit: The girls field hockey team beat Westlake 1-0 for the first TOHS field hockey win ever. Maybe next year they’ll win two games.

Miss: The Lancer staff won’t be able to trick or treat because they’ll be on a plane to journalism convention on Halloween night. Hopefully the flight attendants will be handing out candy.

SOURCE»PUBLICSCHOOLREVIEW SOURCE» BEST-PUBLIC-MIDDLE-SCHOOLS ARTIST » CHLOE BUSHOW » THE LANCER

Are there too many students in high school classes? EDITORIAL BOARD

yes

abstain

We know that it can be overwhelming, on the first day of school, to enter class and find it filled with more students then expected. The average class size in middle school can be anywhere from 12 to 26 students per teacher, which can be an unexpected change for some middle schoolers that discover larger classes in high school. It seems as though each year the amount of students in classrooms increases, even if it’s only one extra person. The California state average ratio of students to teacher is 24:1 while the TOHS average is 26:1. What happens when, lets say twenty people in the class are confused, then it takes time for the teacher to resolve the misunderstanding of only one individual student? To answer the questions of even one third of the class would take away the much needed time of going over the lesson. We all have those times in class where we have a question but the teacher does not have the time get to everyone. Some teachers may say something along the lines of, “no more questions we need to learn all of the main concepts today with the time we have left.” This leaves many students having to come in after school or during lunch to get the explanation they need in order to understand what is being taught in the class. Reducing class sizes would decrease the amount of questions and leave enough time for the teacher to explain the concept to each student, so students would not have to use their extra time to ask the questions after class or on their own time. In other words, larger classes do not provide the same individual help that smaller classes would.

Reduction of class size gives individuals a more hands on experience. Teachers have less students to focus on and are able to meet high schoolers specific requirements. This will be helpful for students because it can create an increased amount of learning by having the educators teach in a more interactive way, rather than directed toward about 30 kids that all learn in a different way. Teachers can then get to know how their students learn best which will also increase the passing rates because each individual can be taught in the visual or auditory that works best for them. While some may argue that the reducing class sizes would increase classes which ultimately wastes funding on hiring more teachers, it’s worth it to ensure higher rates of student success. The teacher to student ratio is already small enough that more staff should be employed to support the amount of students. Even if there are increased cost included in reducing the class sizes, it is more important to use the schools money towards the students education directly rather than on campus improvements or 1:1 Chromebooks, which are helpful but should not be first priority. Smaller class sizes would allow a closer development of learning between the students education and the strategy of teaching the teacher uses. Fewer people in classes also brings students to get the type of learning that works best for them. Not only do they get a better learning experience, but they also have a closer relationship with teachers which makes their education more interactive.

Hit: Los Angeles Dodgers won one of the longest baseball playoff games of all time on Friday Oct. 26. After 18 innings and over seven hours, the victory was Angeleic.

Miss: The seniors kinda didn’t win the homecoming rally... Looks like senioritis kicked in a little early.

Hit: Peer mentors are spreading kindness around our school by writing words of encouragement all over the campus to stand up against bullying. Way to kill them with kindness! Miss: The band traveled 376 miles to a competition at Diablo Valley High College in Northern California... only to get eighth place. El Diablo was in the details and the judges hearts.

Hit: LeBron James played his first home game in a Laker’s jersey, and witnessed his first home brawl in a Laker’s jersey.

THE LANCER STAFF 2018-2019 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

Natalie Dulansky Blake Saari

Rebecca Tarbet Dylan Yoon

Tanner Patterson Ryan Hong

NEWS

IN-FOCUS

STAFF WRITERS

Ann Portereiko Cameron Smith

OPINION Emma Tunnell Natalie Venable

Brandon Cupples Cooper Goyette

FEATURES Sophie Crivier Sierra Smith

BUSINESS MANAGER Abbey Austin-Wood

ADVERTISING MANAGER Anna Norton

Tallula Auman Elle Taylor

ARTISTS

COPY EDITOR

Chloe Bushow Natalie Dulansky

Abbey Austin-Wood

WEBSITE EDITOR Tommy Kackert

ADVISER

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.

Tasha Beaudoin VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.tohsthelancer.org

NEWS

Current Events Every Lancer Should Know 1. SpaceX Landing The Falcon 9 rocket launched into orbit on the evening of Oct. 7. Spectators in Ventura County witnessed the separation of the rocket from the boosters and subsequent return of the boosters to a return-to-launch on land rather than a drone ship at sea. 2. Immigrant Caravan A Caravan of roughly 4,500 Immigrants is traveling from Mexico. They plan to claim asylum in the U.S. on account of the current political climate in the Central America. The pentagon will deploy 5,000 active duty troops to stop it. 3. IBM to Acquire Red Hat In a deal that has the potential to reshape cloud computing, IBM is acquiring the open software company Red Hat for $34 billion. IBM hopes this deal will propel them into the forefront of cloud computing as its current marketshare is only 2%

SOURCE » MSN

SOURCE » THE ATLANTIC

SOURCE » INFOPLEASE.COM

SOURCE » ABC7

SOURCE » SPACE.COM

4. Pittsburgh Shooting On Oct. 27th Robert Bowers shot and killed 11 people inside a Pittsburgh synagogue. The radical anti-semetic, blamed the Jewish faith for the Latin American migrant caravan, using the event as reason for the attack.

5. Pipe Bombs Cesar Sayoc of Florida, accused of mailing 14 pipe bombs to critics of President Donald Trump during the five day period of Oct. 22-26. As of Oct. 29th, Sayoc is facing five criminal charges with a sentence of up to 48 years.

ALL PHOTOS » CREATIVE COMMONS

NEWS

Development Dilemma Proposed gas station and 7-Eleven receives negative reception. CAMERON SMITH

News Editor

The trash littered, dirt filled lot next to Domino’s may have some competition soon after 13 years of uninterrupted vacancy. However, the idea for what will be built there has many residents of Thousand Oaks full of opposition. The proposal, applied by Megdal and Associates, is for the development of a 24-hour gas station, accompanied by a 7-Eleven. Before the 7/11 and gas station idea, there were two other proposals: a sit-down Hawaiian barbecue and a drive-thru Starbucks. Both were rejected by the previous principal, Lou Lichtl, due to the possibility of both becoming a ‘student restaurant’, which they wouldn’t want due to constantly being filled with high school students, especially during lunch to off-campus pass holders. Since the two proposals would include outdoor seating, loitering may become an issue, and would add to the problem addressed. But where there are gas stations, tobacco, vape products and alcohol will be sold. Dr. Bergmann contacted the applicant for the proposal regarding possible issues if those products were sold less than 100 meters away from a school. “Yes, we understand. There will not be vaping material sold in the store,” responded Megdal, also

PHOTO » NATALIE DULANSKY » THE LANCER

HEAVY OPPOSITION- Many residents of Thousand Oaks attending the public meeting addressed their concerns on subjects such as crime, drugs, and traffic congestion.

claiming they will not sell lottery tickets as well. However, an adversary of the 7/11 project believe that Megdal and Associates will not keep their promise, and will eventually apply for a permit to sell alcohol and other similar items later in the year, regardless of the school’s recommendation. A public meeting held in Westlake was to discuss and comment on the proposal to ensure concerned residents voices were heard. Installation of a 32 camera security system connected directly to the Ventura County Police Department, creating a 6 ft back wall to hide noise and light from the nearby residential street, and beautifying the area with plants and flowers were some points brought up in the meeting. A $2.8M investment will go into the entire project. Despite the promises of cameras and visual fixes, criticism endured from many people “What good would the gas station be if there’s already two within 0.7 of a mile?;” said an individual attending the meeting. Regarding the two other gas stations; one on Avenida De Los Arboles and Moorpark Road and the other at Moorpark and Janss Road, both of the stations are under three quarters of a mile from the school. Another concern is the amount of traffic that will result in placing a 24-hour 7-Eleven gas station on the opposite corner of a high school. Since the intersec-

tion of Avenida De Las Flores and Moorpark Road is already a busy spot, placing a gas station there would affect the current flow of traffic. More minor comments during the public meeting included snacks being sold there possibly contradicting the food policies at the high school, the school going into lock-down if there are burglaries committed at the gas station, and Thousand Oaks turning into San Fernando Valley, referring to the abundance of gas stations in that specific area. One common opinion shared amongst everyone who attended the meeting was that what ever is done, it may be difficult to make a gas station look nice. “There is no nice 7/11” said a meeting attendee. No matter what the developer does to reduce the amount of loitering and crime that may happen if the proposal gets passed, preventing all apparent problems could be a challenge. It is naturally difficult to develop anything on the dusty lot, since it is very close to both a residential area and a school. Some people want the 7-Eleven, some do not, and others simply don’t want anything to be built. Regardless of the precautions that are made to keeping students safe, it will be difficult to completely solve all the concerns addressed in the meeting. The next public hearing concerning this issue is set to open sometime later in November.

“What good would the gas station be if there’s already two within 0.7 of a mile?.” —concerned citizen

POSSIBLE APPEARANCE- A digital rendering of what the gas station may look like helps visualize what the site will appear as once fully constructed. The rendering also brings up comments of the flow of traffic going into the gas station, so changes can be made if mistakes are discovered in the original planning. GRAPHIC » MEGDAL AND ASSOCIATES » WITH PERMISSION

NEWS

Trailblazing in Westlake A new park opened that offers a variety of outdoor activities for Thousand Oaks High School students to enjoy. The park brings many benefits to the surrounding community. ANN PORTEREIKO

NEWS EDITOR

A new nature park opened in Westlake last month that features activities and clubs for a variety of people in the community. The Conejo Recreation and Park District (CRPD) hosted a ribbon cutting on September 22nd for the opening of the new Sapwi Trails Community Park located on the corner of Avenida De Los Arboles and Westlake Boulevard. The park features an outdoor classroom, a disc golf course, seating and barbecue areas, three bike riding areas, a motorless sailplane area and multiple trails for biking, hiking and horseback riding. The various areas and activities are open to the general public except for the sailplane glider area, which is for members of the TO Soaring Society only. The Soaring Society is a club dedicated to the promotion of sailplane ﬂight. The area is open to spectators of the club, however. The bike trails and bike pump track are great places for bikers to hone their skills and ride around in a beautiful landscape. Park trails run through the park for six or seven miles and are open to pedestrians as well as bikers. It is also a great place for residents to take their dogs for walks. The outdoor classroom is a space where kids aged one to ﬁve can learn about nature and science in

ALL PHOTOS » ANN PORTEREIKO » THE LANCER

an environmental setting. The project benefits their health, early development, and well-being by encouraging them to spend more time outdoors. Even for older kids, spending time outside is beneficial to their mental health, vision, sharper thinking, and creativity. Studying at the park could be a great way to kill two birds with one stone and get schoolwork done. Adjacent to the larger park is a neighborhood playground complete with jungle gym for the younger, local kids to explore and play in. The park is by Erbes Road and Scenicpark Street. Construction on the park started in 2012 but was halted a year later due to a geotechnical study that revealed stability issues. Solutions to the problem have been implemented and the new park is ready for public use. The construction on the park also bled into the surrounding streets and neighborhood. New paths were made for pedestrian access to the park, streets were re-paved, and trees and hedges were trimmed. A new parking lot was built for entry from the road. The park is a major boost to the community and is open to a diverse group of people in the area, including Thousand Oaks High School students. The park will benefit the nearby housing areas by increasing property values and attracting home buyers and retirees. It is also an improvement to the aesthetic

appeal of the city. This is the last large community park that the district is planning to build, although smaller neighborhood parks are still on the table for potential future construction projects Children and adventurers alike are excited for the new park, however, some residents of the surrounding neighborhood aren’t as thrilled. Various residents who live near the park are concerned about the increase in traffic that a new park brings with it. For instance, students living near the park may experience an increase in traffic when coming or going to school during peak hours during the day. Sophomore Eva Doerfler says that she enjoys going to the new park on the weekends. “I like going over to the park sometimes and riding my bike on the trails. It’s really pretty over there,” Doerfler said. The park features three entrances and is bordered by Avenida de Los Arboles, Westlake Blvd and Erbes Rd. and is positioned in a small valley with a creek running through it. The park consists of dirt roads and wide trails surrounded by nature. The park is a home for various kinds of trees including oak, as well as animals like squirrels and birds. The sprawling 17 acre park will be a great space for the community to come and try new hobbies, or just enjoy the beautiful scenery.

“I like going over to the park sometimes and riding my bike on the trails.” —sophomore EVA DOERFLER

OPINION

... That’s Debatable Willl the straw ban make enough of an environmental difference to justify inconveniencing customers?

YES

Recently, California passed a bill banning full service restaurants from giving patrons straws unless they ask for them. Our state is the first to enact a state-wide ban on automatically providing plastic straws. Many argue that this inconvenience to customers, but is it worth the environmental benefits?

The straw law encourages environmental protection NATALIE VENABLE

Opinion Editor

I’m just going to start this by saying that I love straws. I love them. They are probably one of my favorite items of convenience. However, I also love sea turtles, and I hate the idea of them choking to death all because I didn’t want to have a drink touch my teeth. Theoretically, straws are recyclable, but this rarely happens in practice. I highly doubt that anybody searches for a recycle bin after drinking something from a to-go cup, throws the cup in the trash and then recycles the straw. That would be an incredible waste of time. In reality, straws often end up in the trash even though trash sorting systems are in place. Unfortunately, these do not solve our problem. Straws, being the feat of engineering they are, have the characteristics of being small and lightweight, so these systems are rarely able to stop them from entering the ocean. This is where my adorable friends, the sea turtles, come in. Recently, a rescue team found a foreign object lodged in a sea turtle’s nose. At first, they thought it was a parasite of sorts. Only after removing did they discover that it was, in fact, a plastic straw. This is far from a rare occurrence as straws are the seventh most common trash item picked up at the beach. Marine animals only have a 50 percent chance of survival after ingesting plastic, so any effort to lessen plastic in the ocean is essential. As a country, we use approximately 500 million straws per day, so California’s new law requiring patrons to specifically request straws is simply an attempt to reduce unnecessary waste. It is not a ban, and it is not going to prohibit people who need straws for medical purposes from having them. Think about it; if straws are less convenient to obtain, less people will want them. Many won’t even notice their absence when going out to eat, resulting in waste reduction. Often times people use things just because they can even though they don’t really need them. In other words, humans are lazy. We tend to prefer the path of least resistance, so if they have to go through the effort of speaking up and asking for a straw, less people will. This law creates a ripple effect. There will be less use of straws because they are harder to obtain, thus there are less straws being thrown away and ending up in oceans. For anyone who just wants to enjoy using a straw, there are alternatives available. Stainless steel seems to be everyone’s favorite these days; probably for the visual aesthetic. These people clearly haven’t hit their tooth on one of these things yet. For those of us who enjoy not risking excruciating pain, there are bamboo, silicone, and even paper straws. While paper straws still create waste, this disposable option is still more eco-friendly than plastic. Bamboo and silicone straws are reusable and ultimately more cost-effective if one manages not to lose them. Simply banning straws will not make a huge change. However, this will kick-start the movement to use less plastic in all areas of one’s daily life. When people see how easy it is to cut out one waste-making plastic from their life, it may encourage them to make other eco-friendly changes, and any effort is essential for our environment. The new straw law is a step in the right direction to keep plastic out of our oceans. While there are bigger environmental issues, every piece of plastic not in the ocean counts.

The straw ban is not worth the trouble ELLE TAYLOR

Staff Writer

A few weeks ago, my family and I went to eat at Wood Ranch. When our server brought our drinks, I noticed there were no straws. I figured the waiter was new and just forgot to bring them. I quickly found out that this was not the case. Starting in 2019, customers are going to have to ask for their easy bend tools because they are supposedly adding to the pollution in the ocean. More and more establishments in California are pretty serious about enforcing this ban, but one city takes it to a whole new level. This past June, Santa Barbara passed a new bill that forbids giving out plastic straws at any bar, restaurant or other establishment unless the customer asks for one. If a waiter is found disobeying this law two times, they could be fined up to $1,000 and could spend up to six months in jail all because plastic straws are allegedly harmful to the environment. Yes, plastic build up in our oceans is a problem that needs to be solved, but there isn’t much proof that straws play a major part in that. On average, consumers in the U.S. throw away about 175 million straws a day, which looks like a big number but isn’t very large in the grand scheme of things. Straws aren’t nearly as harmful as plastic bags, balloons and microplastics are to our aquatic friends. Environmentalists may be concerned about protecting marine life, but they are ignoring that these bans would make life harder for some disabled people. In a Twitter post, Gabrielle Peters, a disabled writer who lives in Vancouver, expressed her concerns about the effects of banning straws. “As I wrote for Pacific Standard last year,” Peters said, “straws provide a simple, accessible means for many disabled people to drink. My son, who has Down Syndrome, is one of them. His mastery of drinking through ubiquitous plastic straws makes every restaurant and gas station a place where he can drink without worrying.” Taking the freedom to drink with a straw would be an inconsiderate move on the Lawmaker’s part. Disabled people have a hard enough life as it is. Who are we to make it even more of a struggle? There are reusable straw products out there that can work as replacements for the plastic straws such as ones made out of wood, metal and glass. The problem with these is they can be uncomfortable for the user, dangerous if they were to break or ineffective for some people. There are also straws made out of vegetable matter which gives the feeling of a plastic straw, but those raise concerns of possible food allergies. Establishments such as Starbucks are experimenting with sippy-cup-style lids as replacements for the plastic straws. However, these lids are made out of plastic number five which can only be recycled through certain recycling problems, so this is hardly an improvement. Here’s an idea: What if restaurants have bins for used straws? Then those straws will actually be recycled unlike the replacement lids. If I, a high school junior, can think of another solution, then so can Congress. The straws are not the problem, the small thinkers are. GRAPHICS » NATALIE DULANSKY » THE LANCER

OPINION

SpookY Scary Consumerism Between excessive spending and plentiful marketing schemes, Halloween has become a consumer’s holiday without justification. NATALIE VENABLE

Opinon Editor

From sacrificial bonfires to a multi-billion dollar industry, Halloween has seen it all. Halloween originated as a Pagan celebration during which they believed the boundaries between living and dead blurred. On Samhain, as they called it, people put treats out to appease the visiting spirits and wore costumes in an attempt to blend in. There was also, of course, the bonfires. People would sacrifice various animals and crops in honor of the Celtic Deities. As fun as that all sounds, this era of Halloween was short lived, ending with the Roman Empire squashing paganism. There were many other versions of Halloween to follow that led us to the over-commercialized, money making mess we celebrate today. Thirty or so years ago, it wasn’t all bad. Halloween was a wholesome, secular fall celebration. Back when it was the norm for people to make their costumes, Halloween was probably pretty fun. People would tape balloons in a plastic bag onto a shirt and be a “bag of jelly beans,” and there wouldn’t be a million other “bags of jelly beans.” The alternative was to go buy fabric and spend months working on a costume they thought of in July. This was truly the golden age of Halloween. In extreme contrast, the top searched costumes for 2018, according to Google, are Fortnight and Spiderman. At Party City, “Gamer Skin” costumes are selling for over $40 and Spiderman is going for about $30. Costume buying today consists of fighting through the crowd at Party City to pick a number off the vast wall of costumes only to then try and manage not to rip the poorly-made, spandex fabric of the unoriginal ensemble. This Halloween, American spending is predicted to reach $9 billion dollars with the average citizen spending around $74 on decorations, candy and costumes. There is absolutely no justification for the outrageous amount of money we spend on this meaningless holiday. How did this happen? How did we go from wholesome costume making to this disaster? Money. Companies figured out they could make money off of Halloween and did just that. There are some smaller cash-grabs that are just flatout annoying. The one that really gets me is costumes for pets. I’m not even going to try and say they aren’t cute because they are adorable, but they aren’t exactly cheap. Pet costumes sell for around $15-$20 which is simply ridiculous because I have never heard of a pet keeping one of those on for more than five minutes. I tried it. I fell into the corporate-cuteness-trap and got my dog a costume… he had it chewed up by the end of the day.

The other Halloween gimmick that entices many is those little plastic candy pails. First of all, they hold approximately 4 pieces of candy. Second of all, if one manages to fit more than the allotted 4 pieces of candy, the cheap, flimsy material cuts into the poor, unfortunate wrist that is holding it. Third of all, it won’t even make it that far because they break after about 10 minutes resulting in consumers either buying more, thus spending more money, or going back to the old reliable option: A pillow case. All of that just to waste plastic. It’s laughable. However, pet costumes and plastic pumpkins are just the beginning. The biggest culprits of obnoxious Halloween stunts are amusement parks: Universal Studios’ Horror Nights, Six Flags’ Fright Fest, Knott’s Scary Farm, and Disneyland’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party… to name a few. Talk about amazing marketing; haunted attractions are a $300 million a year industry. The novelty of Halloween decorations alone brings in more visitors to Disneyland, and parks such as Universal Studios and Magic Mountain manage to get people to pay to be scared all night. Then of course, there are the souvenir items and photo opportunities that are exclusive to Halloween. Whether it’s some guy with a chainsaw or the giant Mickey Mouse pumpkin at Disneyland, not to mention the spectacle that currently is Haunted Mansion, everybody just has to have a picture. These pictures are then posted on social media, inspiring others to … wait for it … go to an amusement park for Halloween. I’m sorry, what does that have to do with crossing the bridge between living and dead? Oh right. Absolutely nothing. Halloween has completely lost its purpose since its days of Paganism and simple costumes. Today, Halloween’s sole justification is to spike companies’ revenue and of course, an excuse to party and eat candy. While I realize that I sound like a horrible, spiritless witch, I promise that I do have a soul. It is the sad truth that most Holidays, particularly in this country, are over commercialized just like Halloween. I wholeheartedly surrender to the excessive marketing once Christmas time rolls around. Some feel that way about Halloween, so have fun with all the poorly made costumes and gimmicks in bulk, Lancers, and Happy Halloween.

75% of Americans will buy decorations this Halloween, spending $2.7 billion

46%

78%

of TOHS of TOHS students still students still go trick or dress up for treating. Halloween.

88% of TOHS students find Halloween fun.

25% of U.S. candy sales are for Halloween * Out of 205 TOHS students polled. SOURCE » THEBALANCE.COM SOURCE » HISTORY.COM

GRAPHIC » NATALIE DULANSKY » THE LANCER

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IN-FOCUS

City of Malibu Water

Why You S Wastewater management can provide wildlife with clean water to local rivers and streams.

Popularly called the â&#x20AC;&#x153;first flush,â&#x20AC;? concentrations of pollutants discha where surfers and

BEFO Jobs are created by wastewater treatment research and processing. Treatment facilities, for example, require regular maintenance and human operation.

The main benefit of wastewater treatment is maintaining clean water for reuse.

The processes of the wastewater treatment can contain and remove potential disease-causing contaminants through a system that blocks their path and further treatment that kills harmful organisms.

IN-FOCUS

r Treatment Facility

Should Care

” the first rain of the reason brings high arged from storm sewers to surface waters d swimmers congregate.

The biodegradable material is removed from water in the treatment process which can be used to produce methane gas and used as a source of electricity.

AFTE

Capable of removing 97% of suspended solids.

SOURCE » ROB DUBOUX ACTING PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR/CITY ENGINEER » PERSONAL INTERVIEW ALL GRAPHICS » BRANDON CUPPLES » THE LANCER

IN-FOCUS

Civic Center The city of Malibu tackles a 25 year old issue affecting the residents and the water usage in the area. COOPER GOYETTE BRANDON CUPPLES

Water is pumped from areas lower then the plant or drained down from a higher elevation, where it is collected into holding tanks. Large objects such as paper, plastic, rags, and towels are pulled out by a coarse screen.

Grit chamber and finer screens filter out small materials such as sand which could cause damage to equipment down the line.

In-Focus Editors

Surfrider Beach in Malibu, often referred to as First Point by the hundreds of surfers who congregate there, has received a water quality grade of “F” for the past eight years. Once every week the organization known as Heal The Bay releases both sand and water quality reports for beaches all along Malibu. Because of Surfrider’s proximity to the Malibu Lagoon, it is consistently subject to runoff from the surrounding town. During the summer months all of the trash and sewage collects on roads and near the river adjacent to the lagoon. When the first rains come it concentrates both waste and high levels of bacteria in the lagoon. Eventually after enough rain and water entering the lagoon the mouth breaks and that polluted water enters the ocean, on the same stretch where countless people enter the water everyday. With the State Water Resources Control Board recently approving new standards for bacteria levels in our coastal waters, anyone in the water and even those on the beach are at risk for exposure to illness. Malibu Lagoon is a “protected” nature reserve, however that doesn’t protect against the trash and sewage that still finds it way into the river system. All too common is the sight of dead fish, birds, and other marine life that have succumbed to the toxic amounts of bacteria found here. The reason the Civic Center Water Treatment Facility was established in the first place was due to the lack of a central sewer system in along this stretch of coast. When Malibu was still a rural community the residents chose to install septic tanks rather than a sewer line. As the city grew most resident continued with the trend of using this septic system, while some used the small, basic water treatment plant that was built. The problem with a growing city relying on septic is that runoff from rain and leaks in the tanks end up in the local water system, and in the case of a coastal city like Malibu, in the ocean. The consistent downward trend in the water quality reports along the southern coast of Malibu prompted the creation of an all new, modernized treatment plant. Built with the goal to reduce and reuse the wastewater coming out of the properties near the civic center, the city set out to connect and create a new water treatment system. Using the site of the already existing plant, the new design was developed to be as minimalistic as pos-

One of the most important parts of the process is the elimination of “foul air”, or the smell created during the filtration. This air is released under pits of wet mulch or bark where a different set of microorganisms will consume the particles that cause the smell. This helps create a nearly scent free plant.

sible. Most of the plant lies underground, with small brick and metal structures making up the aboveground portion. Another thing the engineers accomplished was a nearly scent free site. This was an important part of the plants design as the plants location was in close proximity to both houses and condo complexes. The project is divided into two main phases. Phase 1 involves the building and opening of the plant itself, and connects properties directly around the site along with properties nearby. The completion month was September of 2018 and the grand opening was on October 5th. The cost of the first phase was 61.2 million dollars and was funded by the City and Communities Facility District and an Assessment District. Property owners in the area also contributes and the project received low interest rate loans from the State Water Resources Control Board. Phase 2 intends to build on that and to include 444 more properties encompassing single family homes, condos, and commercial buildings. It’s mandated completion date is November of 2024 and will cost an estimated 35 million dollars. The water that is treated at the plant will be offered as complementary to the people connected to the new system. For every gallon of regular water homeowners use they will receive the same amount of reclaimed water free of charge. If they wish to have more reclaimed water for irrigation or other purposes they can also pay for that. The water that is not used by residents will be pumped to the following locations for irrigation: City Hall, Bluffs Park and Legacy Park. If there is still an excess of water, injection wells will deposit it underground where it will replenish the groundwater. While this water treatment facility is not a solution to the many problems the Malibu sewer system faces, it is the first step in reversing the processes causing excess and unnecessary pollution. The wildlife near the coast and around the lagoon have suffered irreparable damage, and the continuous improvement in the way wastewater is collected and reused can eventually start changing things for the better. With the capability to recycle 200,000 gallons of water a day and around 70 million gallons a year, there can only be a positive outcome from the newly ordained system. The next steps involve expanding the reach of the facility and eventually connecting the whole city to a single, incredibly efficient plant which could both reduce the cost of water for any resident, and help eliminate harmful material from the environment.

Biological reactors utilize microorganisms which remove organic material along with nitrogen from the water.

IN-FOCUS

Water Treatment Facility The water is exposed to ultraviolet light which eliminates any remaining pathogens.

The water is now ready to be used safely for irrigation purposes and is pumped through the system to residents. The remainder of the water is sent to places such as City Hall and nearby parks.

Built to handle any overflow or excess, the injection wells deposit the water deep underground where it becomes groundwater.

In the membrane tank water is forced up through small, hairlike strands which helps to isolate only molecules of H2O.

City Hall is one of the main locations the water will be pumped to for irrigation.

Legacy and Bluffs Park will use water for both irrigation and water features.

GRAPHIC » COOPER GOYETTE » THE LANCER GRAPHIC » NATALIE DULANSKY » THE LANCER

FEATURES

Keep Culture Alive Chinese school students and teacher assistants reveal what it is like to go to school on Saturdays to learn Chinese, as well as what they learn and experiences they have had. READY TO LEARN—(Top right) A

SIERRA SMITH

Features Editor

Have you ever wondered what happens on Saturdays at Thousand Oaks high school? Many of our fellow peers attend Chinese school from 9 am to 12 pm, dedicating these hours to become fluent in Chinese and learn about the Chinese culture. However, most high school students have now become teacher’s assistants because they have graduated from the highest level in classes. Junior Wendy Hsin is a teacher’s assistant for a second grade class, although some students are older or younger depending on their level of Chinese. “I print out stuff and the homework for the day and the week, then I go back to the class, I collect their homework, grade their homework, then take attendance,” Hsin said. These are just a few examples of the responsibilities that TA’s have. In the classes offered, students are driven by the class rankings and motivated by the thrill of competition. “We have 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, and they get money,” Hsin said. The top three students in each class, along with the person who has the least amount of absences, receives an envelope of money at the end of the school year. The school uses money as a way to motivate the kids to do well in school and study for their exams. “Grades work depending on the teacher, some prefer that homework to be worth more than the test, but that’s rare,” Bella Tu said. “There are speaking, writing and listening components to the classes.” Grades are divided into two semesters in which students are graded in various activities. “Each of the two semesters are graded upon homework, tests, and other assignments which can be graded based on written or oral performance. Attendance and citizenship impact the grade as well,” Chinese school principal, Lindsey Cao said. Classes start at 9:15 am and teachers give instructions for around an hour. Between each class period, and then the students are given a ten minute break. The students then attend their next period, which is still a required class. “After [first and second period,] students leave or stay afterwards for their extracurricular class they signed up for.” Tu said. Junior Adalia Zhou originally learned Chinese from speaking at home but believes that taking classes at Chinese school helped her. “Even since I stopped taking Chinese as a

ALL GRAPHICS » WENDY HSIN » WITH PERMISSION ALL PHOTOS » SIERRA SMITH » THE LANCER

class my Chinese went down, but Chinese school really helped me to keep me fluent,” Zhou said. “I could probably hold a conversation in China but since I stopped Chinese school, I can’t say I’m fluent anymore.” During one school day, students attend two classes dedicated to learning Chinese, this takes place during first and second period. “[Chinese school] is different in how it’s much shorter and smaller [than regular school,] your only there to learn Chinese, not anything else,” Tu said. There is also an optional third period that is an exciting time to discover activities related to the Chinese culture, this class begins at 11:15 am. “Essentially it’s divided into three periods. The first two periods are usually academic, like Chinese, such as reading and writing,” Zhou said.“There’s an optional third period, there’s activities like ping pong, drawing, chess, SAT practice and martial arts.” Alexander Lin, another Thousand Oaks High School Junior, attended Chinese school from preschool to fifth grade. “You learn to read and write Chinese there, and after the Chinese learning part, they teach you a skill like arts and crafts.” Lin said. After first and second period, students have the option to attend a optional third period where they have the chance to take part in an activity they enjoy. As electives, Lin attended art, chess, tennis, and origami classes as his electives, while other students chose activities that varied from ping pong to loom weaving. These are all classes that are offered in third period. Like Hsin, Lin is also fluent in Chinese, as both of them learned English as their second language. They were able to continue to remain the knowledge about Chinese culture and language through their hours spend at Chinese school. Both Junior Adalia Zhou and Lin attended Chinese School, starting in kindergarten. Unlike Lin, Zhou is now currently a TA. Unlike regular school Chinese school is not run by the district, but parent volunteers who dedicate their time to help students. “TOCS is run by volunteers. It is an affiliation of the Conejo Chinese Cultural Association, a non-profit organization,” Cao said. “The office staffs are volunteers. Volunteers can be previous and/or current parents of TOCS students.” Some of the responsibilities that the volunteering parents take on include teaching extracurricular classes held during the third period and assisting the teachers in their classrooms. “Parents volunteer in the classroom to help the teacher run their classroom a little smoother because the teachers are also volunteers,” Tu said. So next time you drive by the high school on a Saturday and see a parking lot full of cars now you know that our campus is providing a location for Chinese school, helping students to learn about Chinese language and culture.

student watches their teacher while they explain a Chinese holiday. (Middle) A teacher presents a lesson to her 2nd grade class.

UNIQUE LESSONS— (Left) Martial arts teacher demonstrates Chinese fighting techniques. (Right) Student listening to teacher in class.

A CHIRP OFF THE OLD BLOCK

FEATURES

BIRDWATCHERS— Photos of birds taken by Josh Williams and Vianey Ellison.

SIERRA SMITH

Features Editor

When senior Josh Williams watched a birdhouse commercial on television one summer day, he didn’t anticipate the clear box to be a catalyst for a hobby he would enjoy for years to come. “I was watching TV and there was a commercial for a birdhouse that you could put on your window so that you can see their nest,” Williams said. “I thought it was cool so I got one and from there on I thought it would be cool to attract birds.” After experimenting with the birdhouse, William’s interest in birds sparked, despite the birdhouse experiment not working. Williams began birdwatching in seventh grade and just a few years later introduced the hobby to his friend Vianey Ellison, and they now enjoy going to local trails and parks in order to discover new birds. “We mainly go to the botanical gardens,” Williams said. “We’ve gone to Wildwood before and just trails around here basically.” After years of observing and studying birds, both seniors have formed opinions for each bird. “My favorite species of bird is called the white-breasted nuthatch,” Williams said. “They can walk down the sides of trees, they grip it with their feet. It’s like there’s no gravity.” Much like Williams, Ellison has chosen a favorite species of bird based oﬀ of their unique characteristics and markings. “Woodpeckers are my favorite. They make a lot of noises and they’re very colorful,” Ellison said. “They’re always red, black, and white. Males have a red spot.” Throughout their years of birdwatching, or birding, as it is referred to by regular birdwatchers, both

Williams and Ellison have learned to identify many species of birds. Not only have they learned how to identify birds but also how to call them. Unlike Ellison, Williams is unable to bird call but he has found alternate ways of attracting birds. “I just play the sound through my phone,” Williams said. “There is an official bird call tool, which is a little piece of wood with a metal piece that you twist. It makes high pitched sounds.” Both Ellison and Williams are now able to capture the characteristics of birds through a camera lense, and photograph unique birds they see while birding. “You have to set your camera to a fast shutter speed if you want to get a good picture of the wings but if you get the autofocus and press the button right when they get in frame you’re probably fine,” Ellison said. During their expeditions there have been several memories that have made the experience worth while, sometimes they have even waited hours to get the perfect shot. “I’ve sat in the bushes for an hour, waiting. It got really dark and I got tired of waiting, so I left,” Ellison said. “I never got the picture because it got way too dark and the pictures had way too much flash.” Not only have Ellison and Williams waited out to get a picture, but they have also seen some unusual things as well. Both seniors have seen interesting birds in the wrong places. “Vianey and I were in Atlanta and we saw, I think it was a Scarlet Tanager which is only native to the south east,” Williams said. They have also shared several interesting moments in which they have even watched for a specific bird just to get not only an intersecting photo, but an interactive video. “We had a box with birdseed underneath it and we

had watched it for a couple of hours,” Ellison said. “When a bird would come in we would pull a string and then the box would fall on top of the bird.” After the birdwatchers had captured a bird they would videotape themselves releasing them. This would allow both seniors to create an interesting shot. Birdwatching has not only inspired them to try a new hobby, but they also based a science fair project on birds. The project was based off the idea that hummingbirds are known to attack and the unfair circumstances created by the male hummingbird. “We tested hummingbird aggression by changing the amount of food sources available to them,” Ellison said. “Over the course of our freshmen and sophomore year we tested increasing and decreasing the amount and found that although more feeders meant that there would be more food to share, they tended to cooperate.” Through their years of observations and discoveries, Ellison and Williams went on to win 1 and 2 place over the timespan of two years in Animal Behavior at county, attended the state fair, and received a special award from the Conejo Valley Audubon Society. From their research they concluded that time plays a large role, along with the consistency of where the feeders were. Ellison points out how easy it is for anyone to start birdwatching and gives helpful tips for those who wish to start birdwatching in the future. “You can find any information online and you can always go out into the field with binoculars and a field guide and you’ll be fine,” Ellison said. With only a camera, some binoculars, a field guide and the interest of learning about a species, seniors Vianey Ellison and Josh Williams has found a hobby that has inspired them to connect to nature.

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Seniors Vianey Ellison and Josh Williams share their experiences and adventures while birdwatching in various different places.

FEATURES

Workable Wood

Woodshop teacher Daniel Bell and manager Sidney Needle talk about the engineering classes offered at Thousand Oaks High. ALL PHOTOS » SIERRA SMITH » THE LANCER

STUDENT DESIGN—(Top

SOPHIE CRIVIER

left) Hand tools students use in the woodworking class. (Top right, bottom left and bottom right) Students in the ROP Machines, Tools and Technology class design their own projects during 7th period.

Features Editor

For a lot of students, woodshop is the best class of their day. Whether they’re taking Wood 1 or Computer Aided Drafting, they can be sure the experiences and lessons learned will last for a lifetime. The woodshop teacher, Mr. Bell, teaches various diﬀerent woodworking classes this year. He teaches Wood 1, an entry level class, and Computer Aided Drafting, where students learn to use computers to create models of real structures. He also oﬀers a construction class, where students learn the basic information to maintain a house, and an advanced woodworking class. Most of these classes can be taken by students in any grade, besides the advanced woodworking class, where it is required to take Wood 1 beforehand. For many of the students, one of the most exciting parts of being in woodshop is being able to use advanced power tools. “A lot of the students that come into this class from the middle school level have really gotten accustomed to various hand tools. And so when they come here they get really excited about the fact that now you get to incorporate all the big machines into your tool repertoire,” Mr. Bell said. Some of these big machines include bandsaws, drill presses, stationary sanders, router tables, and miter saws. As thrilling as these power tools can be, they can also be very dangerous. Because of this, each class spends a week going over safety guidelines before they can handle any of these tools.

“A lot of the students get really excited about the fact you get to incorporate all the big machines into your tool repertoire.” —teacher Mr. Bell

sure they can properly use all the tools, woodshop is all creativity and building. Every student starts with a basic project for practice, which get more advanced as the year goes on. They are essentially allowed to make whatever they want, and are guided by Bell or a woodshop manager. “Some of them just like making pens, some of them make other things, like furniture for their home. I had a student a couple years ago that was making really high end, beautiful cutting boards and was selling them through his mom’s craft fair for like 200 bucks a piece,” Bell said. “They can be very good quality. You know, the craftsman is going to determine the quality of their work.” Woodshop managers are skilled student woodworkers who work in the class like a mixture of a TA and a peer mentor. They are allowed to make their own projects in their free time, and also assist the teacher and help the students in their class. “I’m kind of like the teacher,” Sidney Needle, eleventh grade woodshop manager, said. “If they have a question they can come to me before they go to Mr. Bell, because he’s really busy.” Needle fell in love with woodworking when she was randomly put in woodshop for her elective in seventh grade. Ever since then, she has improved her

skills, making a variety of objects, until she was able to share her talents with her peers as a woodshop manager. “I made some really cool cutting boards freshman year and then I made some clocks that were really cool. I made a lot of bowls because I really love using the lathe,” Needle said. Most notably, Needle put her woodworking skills to the test over the summer at a camp called National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), where Mr. Bell was one of the instructors. At this camp, she and a team of twenty woman spent a week building a ten by twelve foot house, complete with insulation and an actual roof. Their hard work paid oﬀ, for now the house stands in Ventura as transitional housing, for homeless people to transition back into a permanent home and get back on their feet. Needle and many other women used skills that they learned in their woodshop classes to make an actual, house complete with insulation and a roof on top. Mr. Bell stressed the importance of construction jobs in society. “Right now it’s a really good, viable option with a career that can be anywhere from engineering, the design aspect of it, the actual hands on, the legal portion of with the law and paperwork, oﬃce work, and all jobs needed within construction. A lot of people don’t realize that,” Mr. Bell said. While woodshop is a fun, elective class for students now, the skills learned in it are unforgettable, and can even lead to careers in construction later in life.