Issue 4, 2016-2017 by The Lancer

the

LANCER

Volume LV, Issue 4 » Dec. 14, 2016 » Thousand Oaks High School » 2323 N. Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 » www.tohsthelancer.org » thelancer.tohs@gmail.com » Circulation 2,304

G N H I G T I N H I S A T I S A FUUTTUURR G I F G I V V A A NN EE After participating in the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps program for over four years, senior Sean Chen has his career after high school mapped out. pg. 12

PHOTO » CARISSA LO » THE LANCER

PREPARATION FOR WASC

FLAG VANDALISM

SLACKTIVISM OR ACTIVISM?

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges will come to TOHS.

Two editors write about whether defacing the flag should be legal or not.

The convenience of social media paves the way for greater civil awareness.

pg. 04

pg. 10

pgs. 16-19

EDITORIAL

STAFF EDITORIAL

Hits and Misses

The end of a new creativity

What’s Up and Down with The Lancer Hit: The Helpful Honda Guys gave away free gas at the Valero station on Arboles and Moorpark. We can drive away from our problems for free.

Miss: John McCain leads a bipartisan case to investigate Russian affiliation with WikiLeaks. Look at us, Putin them in their place!

Hit: Golden Globe Nominees feature a racially diverse cast. Looks like it’s not going to be a white Christmas.

GRAPHIC » REBECCA HEINZEL » THE LANCER

Should students be permitted to submit material to the school for public display that is considered to be either controversial or offensive? EDITORIAL BOARD

yes

abstain

In the heart of every teenager is the need and desire to defy the norms and do something differently, do something groundbreaking and new. We all strive to formulate our fundamentally rebellious spirits into such a way that others can look at our accomplishments and deem us as something near creative geniuses. Like, for example, by writing a needlessly flowery introduction like the one above. Truthfully, most can agree teenagers find some sort of pleasure by going out of their way to be different. After all, who doesn’t want to be an individual nowadays? Come on, if you’re not allocating extra time to stir up controversy online, or dress so you’ll receive stares and then proceed to turn those stares into a political statement on how you shouldn’t be receiving stares, then have that statement lead to you receiving more stares, what are you doing? Well then, you are probably making proper use of your time. In which case, you’re not a teenager at TOHS. In which case, this may not be the piece for you. Recently, the administration denied the display of a photography piece of two girls kissing, and that, believe it or not, caused something of an uproar. Students who supported the art did so because all it was meant to be was an expression of that student’s free will; that is what they wanted to depict and they should not be robbed of that right. Students, especially us as high schoolers, should be encouraged to express their beliefs however they feel

necessary (even if mildly inappropriate). At this stage, it is imperative for young adults to find their opinions and many do so by creating art. Seriously, though, students have just as many rights as anyone else to display how they’re feeling, but submissions where there is a legitimate case for either being offensive or not should not be displayed in certain places. Let’s take a minute to picture if the same lesbian kiss scene was to be submitted to the halls of a children’s hospital. It, morally, should not be accepted. Any explicit material should be kept away from an enterprise so charitable. Even for school display, overtly explicit material should not be tolerated. Yet, it could be submitted, and it should be submitted. A student should not receive punishment for simply submitting something. Submission does not guarantee display, and no administration should try to sway students away from expressing themselves The convolution appears when we leave that discretion up to the administration. Of course, we don’t want material to be submitted that makes half of the school’s population boil over with rage and anger, but we would rather have material like that submitted and not approved by professionals who are credentialed in schooling than denying students the chance for submission in the first place. So, maybe that’s the solution. Maybe we need a professional board to monitor controversial submissions; because, if it really is art, it shouldn’t be denied.

Miss: The McDonald’s Holiday cup receives a makeover that may resemble a particular body part. (Hint: it’s not the McRib)

Hit: Pokémon Go releases a select few Generation 2 Pokémon. They’re not Pokémon Go-ing away anytime soon.

Miss: Israeli teens protested a biology final because it interfered with a Justin Beiber concert and postponed the test. Never say never, right?

Hit: Kanye West and Donald Trump arrange a meeting. Who made whom famous, again? Trump/West 2020!

THE LANCER STAFF 2016-2017 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Brian Lee Jessi Soporito

Shraya Blaisdell Sebastian Maya

Cameron King Allison Medley Paul Moon

Carissa Lo Quincey Smithers

MANAGING EDITOR

OPINION

Sam Kallen

Andrew Chau Gavin P. Norton Sierra Waters

BUSINESS MANAGER Cameron Neel

NEWS Natalie Pagan Nate Swanson

IN-FOCUS Joyce Huchin Hannah Mercer

FEATURES Clarissa Kano Kylie Patterson

STAFF WRITERS Abbey Austin-Wood Emma Caudill Austin Gregory Sam Hwang Abby Kawaii April Sanchez Samantha Shapiro

ARTIST Rebecca Heinzel

WEBSITE EDITORS Blake Saari Cate Valinote

ADVISER Tasha Beaudoin

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.

NEWS

On Nov. 8th, Donald Trump is elected president over Hillary Clinton

2016

Tammy Baldwin

has the highest average recorded temparature

is elected as the first Wisconsin woman senator and first openly gay US senator

Cuban dictator Fidel Castro dies at the age of 90 on Nov. 25 Virtual Reality becomes a major consumer product selling 12.1 million units total

YEAR IN REVIEW A quick look at the last 12 months and stand out events that contributed to the record-breaking year of 2016. The musical Hamilton recieves a record of 16 Tony nominations, the most ever by a stage production

Drake breaks the record for most American Music Award nominations with 13, surpassing Michael Jackson

3-1 Series lead the Warriors blew in the NBA Finals

Stranger Things

NACHO LIBRE

becomes the most streamed digital original series ever

was released 10 years ago as of June 16th, 2016

Chicago Cubs win first World Series in 108 years beating the Cleveland Indians in 7 games

Leonardo Dicaprio wins his first Oscar in his illustrious career

IN MEMORIUM On Jan. 10,

On April 21,

David Bowie

Prince

passes away at the age of 69

passes away at the age of 57

PHOTO » CREATIVE COMMONS » WITH PERMISSION

On June 3, Muhammad Ali passes away at the age of 74

the recordbreaking number of Gold Medals Michael Phelps won in Rio

Harriet Tubman is the new face of the twenty dollar bill

SOURCE » WWW.FORBES.COM SOURCE » WWW.NYTIMES.COM SOURCE » WWW.IMDB.COM SOURCE » WWW.ESPN.COM SOURCE » WWW.XXLMAG.COM

BY » ABBEY AUSTIN-WOOD AND NATE SWANSON

NEWS

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges(WASC) is sending their meeting committee to Thousand Oaks High School in March of 2017. Groups of students are meetting monthly to share their learning experiences with each other. NATE SWANSON

“WASC is communication beteween students and teachers which is then compiled into a report to better the atmospere of the school.” —senior ROBBIE SMITH

News Editor

Schools thrive off of constant teacher-student relationships. The schools can only thrive if these relationships are solid and constructive, and WASC’s role is to help maintain a constant level of improvement from the schools and staff. “WASC is communication between students and teachers which is then compiled into a report to better the atmosphere and efﬁciency of the school,” senior Robbie Smith said. This report is presented to the WASC meeting committee which will visit Thousand Oaks High School in March of 2017. In preparation for the meeting, there are student meetings run by AP Government and Economics teacher Krister Swanson. The purpose of these meetings is to gather a variety of students and have them share their prior experiences at school. The only group absent from the meetings are the freshman class because they have not had much high school experience. “[WASC is] the body that runs our accreditation process. Our accreditation is important because it makes your diploma mean something,” Swanson said. “We need to be an accredited institution for the classes you take at [Thousand Oaks] to worth something, for colleges to look upon Thousand Oaks graduates favorably, for employers to look upon graduates favorably.” The accreditation given by WASC is based on a report which is information gathered by teachers from students and staff. The process is called “Focus on

Learning,” a self-study process done every six years. The purpose of the process is to ask questions about the school and to set goals for what the school can achieve in that time period until the next term arrives. “[The process] asks us how we are going to improve on the things we said we were going to work on over this period of time, and it is designed to keep us on a path to be a better and better school all the time,” Swanson said. Most of the information on students is obtained through the student meetings held monthly at lunch. In these meetings, teachers encourage students to work on a survey, or whatever it might be, with a person they do not know well or who might not have the same experiences that they have. The meetings are heavily populated with seniors, juniors ﬁll the remaining seats in the classroom. Although these students are mostly in the same grade level, any person can tell the diversity is present just by looking around. Just with one scan of the room you might see anything from a varsity wrestling jacket to someone in full naval attire. “They try to make sure that you are focusing on all the different kinds of students you have and not just your smartest students or your students with the biggest needs and that you are identifying your different groups of students and that you are really trying to help all of them,” Swanson said. WASC checks in halfway through the term at the three year point. This check in is just to make sure that the school is honest in their improvements and their

efforts to accomplish the goals are legitimate. “[Accreditation] is less official than a contract, but you are promising that you look at yourself and say ‘this is what we need to work on’ and when [WASC] comes back, you should be able to show that you have worked on that stuff, that you have done that stuff,” Swanson said. The meeting committee is made up of teachers and administrators from different school districts, usually seven of them. While on this committee, they can learn from other schools and implement changes on their own schools with the information and improvements that other schools have made. This chain reaction created by participating in WASC is partially the reason why Robbie Smith signed up to help do his part in the student meetings. “WASC is a great thing for the community… It is good volunteer work,” Smith said. Smith is one of the many senior representatives present at the meetings held to gather information for the final report given to the meeting committee. The senior class plays the most important role of all the students at the meetings because they have the most experience and they know more than any student which improvements need to be made to the school. Ironically, the seniors are the least likely to see these improvements happen on campus. Their role is almost entirely beneficial to the lower classes and all around common good to the future high school students that will be attending Thousand Oaks High School.

GETTING INVOLVED- Students meet in D-1 for a WASC student meeting on Thursday, Dec. 8th to share their education experience PHOTO » NATE SWANSON » THE LANCER

NEWS

CENTER STAGE Varsity Dance Team sent four soloists to complete in a California Dance/Drill Team Directors competition, the first of the season, located in Anaheim on Dec. 10.

DANCING SOLO—(Top) Senior Kayleen Murphy does floor work during her contemporary solo. (Bottom left) Junior Riley Harris does a leg hold during her lyrical dance. (Bottom right) Junior Stacy Pauline reaches while performing her piece at Esperanza High School on Saturday.

NATALIE PAGAN

News Editor

As Varsity Dance Team prepares to compete almost every weekend in January, four soloists from the team began competition season this past weekend. Juniors Riley Harris, Stephanie Montes and Stacy Pauline, and senior Kayleen Murphy traveled to Anaheim to compete in California Dance/Drill Team Directors’ Contest of Warriors. In order to earn a solo spot, these dancers had to go through another audition at the end of the summer, where only four were selected to be soloists. “The audition to get a solo is performing a one-minute dance of any style you choose in front of judges, and they choose if you get a solo,” Pauline said. Once selected, the soloists decide who they want to choreograph their routine. Choreographers are usually dance team coaches or outside choreographers. Murphy, who chose both her style and song, had her solo choreographed by former TOHS dance team coach Dana Fukagawa. Pauline, Harris and Montes’ solos were choreographed by Erik Sosa, a graduate of EDGE Performing Arts Scholarship Program and instructor at Bobbie’s School of Performing Arts. Sosa chose the style for Pauline, Harris, and Montes, but they each got to choose their song. They each began rehearsing at the beginning of the school year. Besides practicing 20 hours a week with the rest of the team, soloists had practices for an extra two hours. In their solos, each dancer gets to use elements that show off their strengths and specific skills. “[Your solo] is based totally on what you want out of dance,” Harris said. “With our team dance, sometimes you like the style and sometimes you don’t, but with your solo, it’s all just what you want to do and you get to do all of your cool tricks and show off what you want to do.” Competing without the rest of the team allows the soloists to have her own individual style and personality instead of trying to blend in with the dancers around them. “With team, it’s based on the style and being clean, but in your solo, you’re able to go out and be yourself,” Murphy said. Although the whole team does not have the opportunity to be soloists, they still encourage and support the soloists and go to competitions to watch them. “I love my solo because it’s different than others and I go out always being myself, and no one can take that away from me,” Pauline said. “My whole team gets to see me do it, and they encourage me to do my best every time.” Although competing as a soloists can be seen as intimidating, it helps dancers grow in their confidence and individual style. “You can’t rely on anyone else to pick up those scores. If you make a mistake they’re going to see it. You can’t hide in the back of a dance and hope [the judges] weren’t watching you in that moment,” Harris said. But being the center of attention onstage can be both a fun and difficult task. Some find it terrifying, while it gives others, like Murphy, the adrenaline to help her perform. “The most enjoyable and the hardest part is performing in front of people,” Murphy said. “You get to show what you’ve been working for and show off your skills and talents, but you’re constantly being judged by the judges and your peers.” This past weekend at the competition, Pauline and Harris both placed second in their categories and Murphy placed fourth in her category.

ALL PHOTOS » ROCHELLE HARRIS » WITH PERMISSION

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ENTERTAINMENT

52%

of votes

TOHS STUDENTS’ FAVORITE ONLINE SHOPPING WEBSITES *OF 200 STUDENTS SURVEYED

THE

voteD FOR

Students weigh in on their favorite online shopping websites of 2016. Although Amazon, Ebay, and Target were the primary votes, other notable websites address their interests. Students enjoy Target. com for its satisfying shopping experience, convenience, varied options, cute clothing, easy usability, cool products and fast shipping rates.

Students shoppers enjoy Amazon.com’s efficient delivery, frequent deals, large supply, unique products, convenience and their free 30-day Amazon Prime trial.

NUMBERS:

$ 5.7 million amount of money lost when Amazon site went down for 49 minutes.

$ 39 average amount of money Ebay users spend

1.5%

voteD FOR

Students who enjoy Ebay.com noted its large variety of products, quick shipping, user-friendly bidding, organized website layout and return policy.

75 countries Amazon ships to

$ 3,624 million Ebay’s annual net revenue in the US

38 distribution centers of Target in the united States

2 billion product advertisements placed on Ebay site per year

2002 Amazon’s first profitable year, earning $5 million

$ 189 amount of money average Amazon user brings in

The Lancer Staff Holiday Wish List

PHOTO » OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE

PHOTO » AMAZON » OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE

3.5%

voteD FOR

AUCTIONWEB the original name of Ebay from its start until 1997

11 Target stores opened in Chicago on the same day during March of 1993 SOURCE » MENTALFLOSS.COM SOURCE » EBAY.COM SOURCE » TELEGRAPH.CO.UK SOURCE » BUSINESSINSIDER.COM SOURCE » MSN.COM

Tasha Beaudoin Everything to be clean Brian Lee For Sam Pettus not to suck Jessi Soporito Another Mercedes Sam Kallen Twin Peaks reboot to hurry up and get here Natalie Pagan Sleep and Krypotonian powers Nate Swanson 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Shraya Blaisdell Just all the money Sebastian Maya For Shraya to love me Andrew Chau A pet hedgehog Gavin Norton Cameron Neel to get a wish Sierra Waters Infinite paper power for my sick crafts Joyce Huchin Mr. McGinnis’ philosophical mind and a finger monkey Hannah Mercer Moon shoes and a light bright Clarissa Kano To leave Kylie Patterson Dogs’ equal rights Cameron King Timbs Allison Medley Christian Pulisic Paul Moon Windex Blake Saari A sizable donation to the Church of Scientology Cate Valintote Alpacas

ENTERTAINMENT

A trail down Thousand OAks

In Thousand Oaks, there are many gems hidden by big commercial companies. Here are some exclusive stores and activities to do only in Thousand Oaks.

Love at Second Sight 3749 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Westlake Village, CA 91362

Hillcrest Arts Center 403 W. Hillcrest Dr. Thousand Oaks, CA 91360

THOUSAND OAKS

Le Pain Quotidien Westlake Plaza and Center, 2728 Townsgate Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91361

GRAPHICS » SAM KALLEN AND SEBASTIAN MAYA » THE LANCER

DESTINATIONS — (1) Love at Second Sight provides open space for customers to browse clothes. (2) Hillcrest Arts Center recently performed Shrek the Musical where Aly Valles plays the dragon. (3) Le Pain Quotidien pastries on display.

Love at Second Sight is a second-hand clothing store. Elegant dress-wear like Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors is resold for cheaper and are high quality. Casual wear is also resold for less and good quality. Clothing can also be sold or donated at Love at Second Sight, so if you’re in the giving mood or throwing away clothes, Love at Second Sight can be your place to go.

1 The Hillcrest Arts Center is performance center that offers an array of performances year round. The art center also offers many classes for theater and has many different programs including chorus, band and strings. Camp is also offered over the summer. The Hillcrest Arts Center usually performs its musicals and plays on the weekends. Most recently the Hillcrest Arts Center performed Shrek the Musical and Richard the third performs on December the 16th.

PHOTOS » OFFICAL FACEBOOK PAGES

Le Pain Quotidien offers delicious, organic 3 French food at a reasonable price. Its well -lit and open interior makes eating there a comfortable experience. We recommend going there during breakfast or brunch and having the french toast or avocado toast with hot chocolate. After enjoying your meal, be sure to get a pastry from the bakery inside. Each pastry is nicely ﬂaky and super satisfying. Le Pain Quotidien is a great restaurant to chill out at for a couple hours and enjoy your friends’ company. Its variety of food is very savory.

ENTERTAINMENT

p u s a d n tire a t S SHRAYA BLAISDELL

Entertainment Editor

Last Wednesday, I went to the Westlake Regency Twin Theater to catch their Comedy Show. It was a refreshing change of pace; I usually go to the theater to watch movies, but I didn’t mind changing my habits to start using the theater to watch comedy shows. The stand-up comedy made me laugh consistently and it was great to get out of the house for two hours. I definitely want to go again with a large group of friends. Knowing the theater, I expected that most of the crowd would be twice — no, four-and-a-half times — my age. So, I also knew that the humor would be primarily geared towards the older generations. It was pretty crowded; the turnout almost filled the theater. Yet, I found most of the jokes understandable and humorous. Even though it wasn’t specifically geared towards teenagers, it was really funny. I also liked that the comedy show is on the first Wednesday of every month so most of us can fit it into our student schedules. My favorite comedian of the night was the headliner, James Connelly. He spoke about a variety of topics, from his exceptionally deep voice and osteoporosis to how he wanted to be remembered. He also had great comedic timing. Many of his jokes were even funnier be-

cause of his well-timed pauses. I really enjoyed his jokes about how he let down his parents as he chose to pursue comedy. He talked about how he went from Harvard to the Marine Corps to stand-up comedy and how he disappointed his parents one choice at a time (I found that surprisingly relatable.) The rest of the comedy was interesting and light-hearted. The stand-up wasn’t all story-based or filled with puns. There were three comedians through the night, including the emcee, which was a nice balance humor. I liked that each comedian did not seem like a repeat of the one before or after him. Each had a different flare and offered funny insight of the world around them. The one clear drawback of the show was the lack of comedy variety with the amount of comedians speaking. I wish all the comedians hadn’t been so self-deprecating. It was pleasant at first, but I got little tired after the tenth fat and homeless joke. I highly recommend students of TOHS go to the comedy night. It was a great stress reliever and I liked exposing myself to different kinds of comedy. It wasn’t too raunchy or politically correct, so most audiences will enjoy the comedy. I loved the jokes the comedians told and their presentation. The comedy show is a unique experience in Thousand Oaks and is definitely worth it.

CRACKING A JOKE — Regency Westlake Village Twin Theater’s LOL Comedy Night emcee, Jeff Judson, introduces the rest of the stand-up comedians for the night as he tells his own stand-up comedy.

who?

when?

Jeff Judson James Fry David Williamson James Connelly

7:30-9:30 PM Every first Wednesday of the month

PHOTO » SEBSTIAN MAYA » THE LANCER

where? Regency Westlake Village Twin Theater 4711 Lakeview Canyon Rd, Westlake Village, CA 91361

NTS:

RESE RIAN P

HYDRO FLASKS ARE OVERRATED *Hydro Flasks provided at the courtesy of Trey Saari

“Oh my gosh I put ice in my bottle this morning, and like I checked it after school, and it still had like all the ice left, this is so freaking amazing,” said everyone who has ever owned a Hydro Flask, ever. Hydro Flasks, a greatly overrated water bottle brand, is gaining a significant presence around the nation in a cult like manner. The Nazi party in Germany took 5 years to grow to a size of roughly 107,000 right after WWI. Hydro Flask gained 1 million followers in just two years. I’m not trying to call them Nazis, I’m just stating the alarming growth of this cult. Try to think of one class where at least one Hydro Flask isn’t displayed on a desk. Exactly. And that’s another thing, why does everyone who owns a hydroflask have to flaunt their bottles? They’re just containers for liquids that happen to retain temperature better than the average plastic water bottle. It’s also annoying listening to two or more people talk about their new Hydro Flask tops or their back up mini Hydro Flask or how they just got a new dent. Looking at the topic from multiple perspectives, they just aren’t efficient. Most Hydro Flask sizes won’t fit in the average cup holder and a lot of times they don’t fit in the average backpack either (taking into account notebooks and textbooks). They don’t make sense monetarily either. The cheapest option, the 24 oz. bottle, costs approximately $1.75 per oz. and you’re capped at 24 oz. On the other hand, a Rubbermaid 9407 CaterMax 29 1/2” x 19” x 15 1/2” Black, Top Loading Insulated 4-Pan Carrier only costs four cents per ounce and has an ample capacity of 4184 oz. (yes I converted the total volume in cubic inches to ounces). If that wasn’t enough of a selling point, it ensures everything inside retains its temperature, whether it be food or drinks. What foods does your inferior Hydro Flask store? Oh, it doesn’t? Interesting. On top of that, a Rubbermaid 9407 Cater Max 29 boasts a specially-designed serpentine seal that prevents the harboring of unwanted or harmful bacteria. Sure a huge downside is convenience, but you can’t have everything. And with an easy to clean exterior — with dent and scratch-resistant technology, convenience will never be on your mind. There are countless times Hydro Flask owners have complained about drops or dents. So checkmate. Hydro Flasks would be acceptable in my eyes if they were talked about like every other water bottle, but no one has ever said, “Hey check out my sick new Aquafina bottle dude, I just bought it for $1.25 at that vending machine, and check this out, it holds water.” I have a friend who drives a white Volkswagen Jetta, and it’s a nice car. It’s got a lot of character and gets up to 21 miles per gallon. He also gives me rides in it everyday and I am deeply grateful for him, but one thing he does that parallels all Hydro Flask owners is constantly refer to his car as “the Jetta,” it’s a cool car, but normal people tend to refer to their own car as, “my car” unless it’s a McLaren or some other fancy sports car. So unless you have a $100,000 bottle of 90H20 water, it is just another water bottle. Contrary to what you might believe, I don’t hate Hydro Flasks nor do I hate people with Hydro Flasks. I think they are quality water bottles just on the pricey end of the spectrum. What irks me is the culture surrounding the owners. The whole pompous/pretentious ideal surrounding the ownership of a $50 water bottle is insane because all bottles — regardless of upbringing or status — should be treated equally. —Brian Lee

OPINION

Free speech

Patriotism S PHOTO » GAVIN P. NORTON » THE LANCER

After Donald Trump was announced the winner of the 2016 election, people around the country began protesting. People marched, some rioted, and some burned the American flag. Currently, the Constitution permits flag burning, classifying it as symbolic speech, but not other types of vandalism. Some say that vandalizing a flag is a part of their first amendment while others say it’s opposition to our freedom and unpatriotic. Should vandalism of the United States flag be legalized?

YES

Vandalizing of flags should be considered free speech

Unpatriotic Acts like vandalism are un-American

SIERRA WATERS

Opinion Editor

In the 1989 Supreme Court case Texas vs. Johnson, burning the flag was ruled constitutional and protected by the First Amendment under the condition that it was “symbolic” speech. However, it is still illegal to perform other acts of vandalism against the flag such as cutting it or writing on it because those aren’t considered symbolic speech. Symbolic speech should not be limited to burning, but must be extended to all forms of flag vandalism. But then what qualifies as symbolic speech? According to the legal definition, symbolic speech is used to “describe actions that purposefully and discernibly convey a particular message or statement to those viewing it.” In other words, you’re free to express yourself as long as you’re not hurting anybody. While I personally disagree with vandalizing the flag, that doesn’t mean we should make it illegal. I also don’t agree with the KKK, but they still have the right to exist and protest. Our freedom of speech protects and honors everyone, even if what they have to say may not line up with most people’s morals. When people from other countries look at the American flag, we as citizens want them to see freedom. Having the right to desecrate the flag shows that we exercise our right to free speech. How free would we really be if we weren’t even allowed to burn it? Just as we have the right to sit for the Pledge of Allegiance or our National Anthem, the freedom to protest and abuse the flag is exactly what it stands for, and what we fight for. For some, the flag doesn’t represent freedom at all, and that’s why they protest. In fact, we as a country need to reevaluate what the flag stands for. It has been interpreted by many groups as a symbol of the oppression in this country. To those people, desecrating the American flag is just their way of being heard, and taking a stand. And with all the social injustices happening across the country, to those people it’s the only way to make their voices loud and clear. I understand their frustration. Their acts are justified. It is a shame, though that it takes burning or destroying a flag for the country to open their eyes to social injustice. When citizens see others burning the flag, the attention should be drawn to the reason behind it as opposed to the literal act. No one is burning the flag on someone’s face or smothering someone with it. No one is setting a federal building on fire. I understand that the flag isn’t just a piece of cloth; if it was, then setting it aflame wouldn’t mean anything. But because the flag is so important, it makes vandalizing it more powerful; a way to get the public’s attention of the problems in this country. Vandalizing the flag offends certain people, but we need to understand we’re not going to like everything people do, but that doesn’t give us the right to take away theirs. If they aren’t hurting anybody, then they’re expressing themselves. The flag is a symbol of many different things to many different people, and therefore anything done to the flag is considered symbolic speech. Desecration is classified as a peaceful protest because no one is getting hurt, and burning the flag draws attention to our country’s problems. Our right to protest is protected by the Constitution.

GAVIN P. NORTON

Opinion Editor

Since I could walk, my parents taught me to keep the flag off the ground, taught me the flag was sacred, to always be respected. Every time somebody leaves the flag in the dark at night, refuses to put it away properly, keeps it concealed on national holidays, burns it out of protest, wears it as a cape, writes over it, alters the image of it for their own personal benefit, the nation loses its luster. We lose our grandeur feeling of patriotism and unity. The reason people burn, write on or distort an American flag is because they wish to agitate a large group of people; it’s just immature. But, yet, some still argue vandalizing the very symbol of peace, freedom, equality, bravery, everything that is fundamentally American is okay. It’s not remotely justified; it’s an insult. Now, especially, it seems, division is the most threatening villain we face as a nation. So, why do people now feel it is appropriate to deface the symbol of unity and freedom? Yes, decisiveness is bound to appear wherever opinions differ, but offending millions of Americans in making your statement cannot be the answer. After all, those burning the flag in opposition to Donald Trump’s election are the same people who critiqued Trump for the way his vulgar and, to some, offensive vernacular isolated so many Americans. This irony extends itself to all forms of flag defacement. Writing on or painting or altering the image the American flag is simply crass, and, because it has yet to be proved useful in enacting social change, it is extraneous. After the notable 1989 case, Texas v. Johnson, the Supreme Court (by the smallest margin possible) ruled in favor of the litigant claiming flag burning was indeed classified as “symbolic speech.” As symbolic as it may be, four Supreme Court justices ruling on the case were under an agreement that applies to any sort of flag vandalism; the acts involved with abusing the flag serve no point in political protest. Writing your name on a flag is not symbolic of anything. Nor is cutting it into pieces and nor is setting it aflame. No political statement, no social statement, no religious statement is ever portrayed well by defacing the embodiment of your country. Those who wish to participate in such an infuriating pastime are being just as childish as those who find humor from running into a crowded theater and shouting “fire,” when there is, may I add, no fire in sight. There are smarter, more efficient and even more startling ways to display your unhappiness with the country or the government than to resort to a gesture as obscene as destroying the single voice of what so many brave men and women die for. Above all, there are better ways of voicing your opinion. As Americans, we are privileged enough to live in a place where the government is clay in our hands. If unhappy, we can change the government through more civil means. If you decide to deface our flag, you are not exercising your right of free speech, you are sending us into the inevitability of losing our freedom as Americans.

OPINION

United We Xmas The holidays offer peace among political turbulence.

ANDREW CHAU

Opinion Editor

Merry Christmas! Sorry, does that offend you? Sometimes I forget that I live in California. Hold on, I’ll check my Christian privilege. Merry Xmas! Is that better? Whether you agree or not, I see Christmas and Xmas as completely different holidays. If I tell someone to have a nice Christmas, I’m trying to tell them to celebrate the birth of Jesus. On the contrary, if I tell someone to enjoy their Xmas, I’m referring to Santa Claus, (flying) reindeer, presents, and so on. I think we can all agree that these two holidays are separate — they have completely different origins and celebrations. And now the next question: how is Xmas any less offensive than Christmas? In a traditional sense, the opposite would hold true: holiday shopping, Nat King Cole songs and Frosty the Snowman detract from the true meaning of Christmas. But nowadays, what’s the true meaning of Christmas? Charlie Brown (or Linus, if you’re that picky) told us in 1965 that commercial Xmas is arbitrary, and all that matters is the birth of Jesus. Keep in mind, however, that in 1965, 93 percent of the population identified as Christian, compared to 70 percent in 2015, according to Gallup religion polls. That number is huge. It’s nearly a quarter of the nation. That’s 73 million people, according to 2015 projections by the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s 589 times larger than population of Thousand Oaks. Sure the majority of America is still Christian, but we can’t ignore such a significant minority of non-Christians. The birth of Jesus is important to many, but not to all. In the easily-offended age of 2016, an emphasis on Jesus could push some peo-

ple’s buttons. But you know what holiday they can’t get angry at? Xmas. I argue that Xmas is an American holiday, much like Thanksgiving or Independence Day. Xmas is one of the few commonalities that we as a country can all participate in, and in a place with so much diversity, that means something. At this point, the only relation it has to Christmas is the date, but just because they’re both on the same day doesn’t mean that they’re mutually exclusive. This isn’t to say that Xmas should detract from the religious importance of Christmas; Christians have no obligation to celebrate commercial Xmas, but also I don’t think they should have any qualms about doing so. The Bible itself offers no instruction on how to celebrate the day: it obviously doesn’t advocate for Santa Claus and his elves, but it also doesn’t acknowledge our traditional evergreen trees or candles. To Christians, the birth of Jesus is obviously significant, but there are no set guidelines to describe how significant. And likewise, there’s nothing that explicitly advocates against Xmas. If you think that Xmas encourages nothing other than vanity, that’s fair — I really can’t disagree. And if you choose to not celebrate Xmas for that reason, that’s fine. We live in America; in a place where you can legally burn a flag on Independence Day, opting out of the holiday season is more than tolerable. Still, I think Xmas is beneficial to the nation as a whole. In the wake of our election, the death of Harambe and climate change, a moment where we can all rejoice together is much appreciated. Not to mention that Xmas just feels American at heart. The secular holiday season fits a nation that regards capitalism and freedom of religion so highly.

Christmas

In 2015, there were roughly

THE

NUMBERS:

230

Christmas was recognized as a federal holiday in by president Ulysses S. Grant

1870

Falls make up

41%

of holiday related injuries ALL GRAPHICS » ANDREW CHAU » THE LANCER

injuries per day from holiday decorating

From 2010—2012, there were about

6500

fires caused by candles a year SOURCE » CPSC.GOV

Seas The Day “I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now.” —Edna Mode, “The Incredibles” Usually when people say, “new year, new me,” they’re referring to them changing themselves for the better. Maybe they’ll go to the gym or get a job or try and actually sleep more, but for whatever reason in 2016 the general populous decided to pledge to be their worst selves. I mean quite frankly, if someone had told me in January how bad this year was going to be, I would’ve stayed in bed. With everything that happened across the globe, it may seem like those people who pledged to ruin the world succeeded in making 2016 the worst year ever, but I beg to differ. I think it’s important to stay optimistic during the apocalypse. So here I present to you, “Why 2016 Was Trash But Could Have Been Worse.” David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Joe Alaskey, John Glenn, Prince, Muhammad Ali, Christina Grimmie, Elie Wiesel, and so many more influential minds died this year. Whether they inspired us with their books, their music, their movies or their morals, they will always hold a special place in the world’s heart. But at least we still have Queen Bey. Speaking of Bey, the bees are dying. They’ve always been dying, but according to the bee activist group “Bee Informed,” we lost 44% of the bees this past year. However, it seems that we have an unlikely hero: Barry B. Benson. That’s right — apparently “The Bee Movie” has been bringing about more bee conservation efforts and awareness. So not all hope is lost here. Music was an interesting thing this year. Artists and bands have either released amazing material or have given up on their careers. An example of this would be Charlie Puth’s album “Nine Track Mind.” And get this, Blink 182 is still trying to make good music. See, Charlie Puth has given up, but Blink 182 needs to learn to give up. But Lady Gaga released “Joanne,” and JoJo made quite the comeback with her new album’s release! Experts urgently warned that California people need to start taking earthquake-proofing their homes more seriously. The positive there? The “Big One” didn’t even happen! And honestly probably never will. *Knocking on wood.* The Summer Olympics happened. Ryan Lockte made America look horrible by dying his hair a horrible color. Oh, I almost forgot that he committed robbery. But then we looked good again when we won the more medals than any other country. But of course the best thing that happened in 2016 was that Donald Trump didn’t get elected president! Oh wait, yes he did. In fact, even the other option was not even close to adequate for many Americans. But for kids eight and under, this will be their first white president. Wow, can you believe that? It makes me so glad that America is trying to diversify itself to inspire the youth. Some people wonder how we even managed to nominate the two people we did for president, but it shouldn’t surprise us though. Our country is in its eighth month of mourning a gorilla, and to cope with it we’ve been whipping out our you-know-whats; I can’t really say much though, I guess we all grieve in different ways. I hope that gives you some hope for next year, and that you all pledge to make your New Year’s Revolutions to better yourself after a year of rebellion and tearing the world apart. America needs to be done being teenagers with daddy issues and grow up. I approach the upcoming year with my head held high looking forward… God forbid we dwell on this one. — Sierra Waters

FEATURES

A NEW ANGLE

KYLIE PATTERSON

Features Editor

When struck with boredom, senior Danielle Salvoski’s first instinct is to pick up a camera and go shoot. With no theme or idea in mind, she snaps photos of whatever catches her eye. “I like to take pictures of anything, honestly. And whatever I like the most is what I’ll go through with processing,” Salvoski said. Salvoski discovered her interest for photography in third grade, when she received a small Sony camera. But her serious attitude towards it as a potential career after high school didn’t begin until junior year. She’s now upgraded from her point and shoot Sony to a Canon 70D, in order to suit her professional aspirations. Although Salvoski is an experienced photographer, she knows that there is always something new she can learn in order to improve her photos. This year she is taking AP Photography in order to add more skills to her repertoire. “You learn a lot in the class, but I think you have to inspire yourself on your own time,” Salvoski said. “That’s what I spend a lot of my time doing before I go out and take photos.” Even the best artists need to gather inspiration from somewhere, and Salvoski finds hers on the internet and social media. “I use Tumblr as a huge source of my inspiration because it’s a very creative outlet for other people,” Salvoski said. One of Salvoski’s biggest regrets is that she didn’t learn how to properly edit her photos in

in photography

Senior Danielle Salvoski uses her camera to see and capture the details of the world in a new perspective.

the beginning. But looking back, she can critique her photos and watch her improvement. “I wish I had known how to edit sooner,” Salvoski said. “I just started to get into editing and I feel like a lot of my old photos would look a lot better if I had edited them correctly.” Salvoski’s aim in her photography is to create a new perspective for people to see their surroundings from. “Instead of just skimming my eye over things I’m always looking for specific details to take a picture of and hope for other people to see it the way that I saw it,” Salvoski said. Planning to major in film or photography, Salvoski wants to continue on with her passion and cultivate it into a career. She needs no incentive to continue her work– it provides her the happiness she needs to keep going. “It’s kind of a motivating force on its own. I should take it seriously because I want to do it as a profession,” Salvoski said.

DEVELOPING THE MOMENT— Samples of senior Danielle Salvoski’s photography, showcasing her talent for taking and editing photos. ALL PHOTOS » DANIELLE SALVOSKI » WITH PERMISSION

FEATURES

A TURN OF EVENTS

In June 2015, freshman Alena Sales underwent surgery for the most extreme case of scoliosis doctors had seen, her spine curved 78° over seven months, but medical professionals were able to help through a long treatment process — her experiences have made her stronger. KYLIE PATTERSON JESSI SOPORITO

Features Editor Editor-in-Chief

Most scoliosis patients can get by with a simple back brace and physical therapy. Those who suffer from more severe cases require surgery. For freshman Alena Sales, scoliosis was a life-changing diagnosis that called for months of therapy, surgery and other means of treatment. Sales was first diagnosed with scoliosis at a routine physical when she was just 13. “When I was first diagnosed, my spine was only at a 21° angle. Two months after the diagnosis, I was at a 50° angle, and my body was completely bent to the side,” Sales said. “Doctors continued to monitor me and after another four months I was at a 74° curve, making me the first patient doctors have ever seen a progression like this happen to. By the time I had my surgery, I was at a 78° curve.” The rapid progression in her scoliosis forced Sales to miss weeks and even months of school at a time. When most other students were participating in extracurricular activities, Sales was bedridden. “I didn’t have the strength to get out of bed and I could hardly walk on my own,” Sales said. “It’s ironic because as much as I hate running, I really wanted to just go for a jog outside.” Her lack of physical activity and social interaction caused Sales to develop depression and anxiety. “Coping with everything was one of the hardest parts of all. No one could help me at the time so all I did was lay in bed, cry myself to sleep, and worry,” Sales said. “My doctors put me in therapy to monitor me mentally and help me with everything that was going on.” A month before her surgery, her back bent another four degrees. All she could do now was rely on her doctors and nurses. “My spine surgeon Dr. Skaggs is definitely my favorite — I literally handed my life over to him and he truly changed my life in so many ways. I also formed a really close relationship with my nurse Elaine; her son had the same surgery and she helped me through everything,” Sales said. However, her experiences in the hospital remain her fondest memories of the ordeal. “While I was in the hospital, I was visited by Randall Telfer who plays for the Cleveland Browns and up to this day I still stay in touch with him and am lucky to call him a good family friend,” Sales said. “One of the directors at the hospital also called one of my favorite

Olympic swimmers, Rebecca Soni, and I was able to talk to her on the phone which is one of the happiest memories I have.” With physical therapy three times a day and continued therapy outside the hospital, Sales was on a fast track to recovery. “My entire recovery took a couple of months but I was up and walking in 3 weeks,” Sales said. Months of therapy, both mental and physical, allowed Sales to return to a normal life. She was finally able to exercise again and could go to school regularly. She most looked forward to getting back into the pool. “Swimming was definitely the first thing I wanted to do since it was my life before the scoliosis. I was able to start swimming again after around two months, but I had to be careful when it came to diving, flipturns, and certain strokes,” Sales said. As much as Sales had recovered from the scoliosis and her surgery, her medical turmoil was far from over. “I was diagnosed with arthritis in my hips, along with ankylosing spondylitis,” Sales said. “I have a weak immune system and I’m also going through testing to rule out a blood disease.” Additionally, since Sales’ condition was a medical phenomenon to doctors, she must also undergo more testing to understand why her health suffered such a steep decline. “It has all affected me in so many ways and as hard as everything is, I just constantly tell myself that someone out there is going through something way worse; it’s how I keep my positivity,” Sales said. Despite her hardships, Sales continues to push through and beat every obstacle that comes her way. She credits her strength to her friends and family for the immerse support. Sales has also taken this experience as a possible direction for her future. “This experience has made me want to go into the medical field or anything at all where I can be there to help people,” Sales said. “The thought of helping someone that is going through a tough time just seems like one of the best things anyone can do.” Though she has more to endure, Sales knows she is strong enough to make it through and come out stronger than before. “This has all made me stronger in a lot of different ways, and I think the biggest part of it is the fact that I’ve been through it before so I know I can go through it again,” Sales said. “I’m okay with not living through an easy life, as long as I have the strength to get myself through [more difficulties to come].”

PHOTOS » THE SALES FAMILY » WITH PERMISSION

THE JOURNEY TO RECOVERY— (Top left to right) Sales’ posture when her spine, bent to 70 degrees. She speaks on the phone with her favorite Olympic swimmer, Rebecca Soni. Sales’ siblings comfort her in the hospital. Football star Randall Telfer visits her. Sales’ posture after the surgery. (Above) X-rays of Sales’ spine: when they first discovered Sale’s scoliosis after only 3 months. The scan that highlights the metal rods used to straighten her back. Sales’ scar and her message to accept people’s differences. (Bottom) Sales recovering in the hospital. Sales’ back with bandages post operation, and her scars soon after surgery.

FEATURES

ACTS OF SERVICE Senior Sean Chen talks about his commitment to the Navy and his rank as Chief Petty Officer, he explains his future plans to enlist in the military. KYLIE PATTERSON

Features Editor

Most children grow up with fantasies of being princesses or rock stars, but senior Sean Chen knew from fourth grade that he wanted to serve in the military. “It started off with me thinking it would be cool if I flew fighter jets like Tom Cruise in Top Gun,” Chen said. “Some people could say it’s kind of naive and cliché, but that’s what it’s turned into.” Chen’s first real contact with the military was in seventh grade, when he went to a Camarillo air show with his family. The US Naval Sea Cadet Corps had a booth set up and handed Chen a flyer, sparking his interest. Along with his adamant fascination with the military, came his parent’s expected concern. “My parents said if I want to do it, I have to do all the research myself,” Chen said. “They did think it was a good idea for me to get an idea of what the military is like before I commit, before I sign my life away.” He went on to join the US Naval Sea Cadet Corp, which consists of him meeting up with the other members one a weekend a month in order to educate and prepare themselves for military life. A normal training weekend for Chen clocks in at over 16 hours. His commitment includes his weekend meetings as well as going away to training during winter and spring breaks where members spend up to three weeks per trip immersed in preparation and taking courses on their specialized interests. “It’s basically trying to set up two days in order to educate people not only on the military but also try and have us be indoctrinated into that lifestyle,” Chen said. Through the years of his training and military education, Chen has gained the support of many of his peers both in and out of the program. “A lot of people in the program, they support me. A lot of our officers are former military,” Chen said. “My friends in the program and people in the program are really supportive.” Even with the immense support of his friends, Chen’s family is still hesitant to let him pursue the military lifestyle. “My parents grew up in

Taiwan, so my dad he was forced into the military because that’s just how law works. He was there two years, so he knows the culture,” Chen said. “They don’t encourage nor do they discourage. They’ve said if that’s what I want to do then they’re going to let me do it.” Chen had found many inspirations to continue his trek towards the military, including a middle school teacher and his past relatives. “I think my first inspiration would have to be my sixth grade English teacher because her husband was a naval aviator, and so of course that aligned with me wanting to be a pilot,” Chen said. The US Naval Sea Cadet Corps has given Chen the exposure to the military that he wanted and needed in order to decide this is the career path he wants to continue to head down. They gave me a huge, huge reference center to a lot of military personnel, active duty, and former,” Chen said, “Half the time we’re on Camp Pendleton and we drill out at Point Mugu, so we’re always in contact with various military personnel.” After all his dedication, Chen has climbed up the ranks and is currently at the top of the program as Chief Petty Officer and plans on commissioning as an officer in the military. “I’m going to obviously go through college, and then afterwards, my first plan is to commission into the Navy,” Chen said. “Not only has the program shaped that, but I still want to fly planes. If those plans don’t work out there are other options, but that would be my first choice.” Other programs commonly offered that help prepare students for the military can’t be found locally here in Thousand Oaks due to a lack of interest from surrounding high schools. “It comes down to is there an interest by the students who want to start it and also can you find people who are willing to be officers for it, who are willing to be the instructors,” Chen said. This being his senior year and last year in the program, Chen expresses the importance it has played in not only the direction of his life, but also how it has changed him personally. “It’s a good experience for me, I learned a lot. More than I ever thought,” Chen said. “Not only did it give me a taste of the military, I thinking I’m a better person because of it.”

CHEN OUT OF CHEN— Senior Sean Chen poses in his dress blues, which he wears for banquets, graduation ceremonies and important promotion events. For less formal occasions, he has khakis and working uniforms. PHOTO » CARISSA LO » THE LANCER