Issue 5, 2018-2019 by The Lancer

the

LANCER

Volume LVII, Issue 5 » Febuary 12, 2019 » Thousand Oaks High School » 2323 N. Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 » www.tohsthelancer.org » thelancer.tohs@gmail.com » Circulation 2,099

SPEAKING OUT Junior Aden Goldberg alongside other Lancers provided a response to the protest organized by the Westboro Baptist church speaking out during nutrition break. pg. 4

PHOTO » BLAKE SAARI » THE LANCER

MATTERS OF THE HEART

ARIANA’S NEW HITS

SENIOR SUCCESS

The Lancer staff debates teenage relationships and the relevance of high school love affairs.

Ariana Grande releases her new album “thank you, next” after multiple hit singles such as “7 rings.”

An experienced lineup took to the court this season and gave the Green Hole a turnaround for the books.

pg. 6

pg. 9

pg. 17

EDITORIAL

Hits and Misses

STAFF EDITORIAL

Monopoly on the Market

What’s Up and Down with The Lancer Hit: Yesterday, TOHS students got to enjoy therapy dogs, making for a paw-some Monday!

Miss: The LA Rams lost the Super Bowl. If only they’d been more Patriot-ic,.

Hit: Boys Soccer has yet to throw in the towel and made it to the second round of CIF.

GRAPHIC » NATALIE DULANSKY » THE LANCER

Does the College Board have too much power? EDITORIAL BOARD

yes

abstain

We see it everywhere. The dreadful acorn wrapped around the words haunting every high schooler: The College Board. From AP testing to the SATs, they own it all. The College Board is supposedly a non-profit organization raking in an approximate revenue of $200 million a year, with a profit of $62 million. Their colossal profits, towering salaries for executives and astonishing monopoly on the testing market earned the College Board a “D” grade on their non-profit status from the American’s for Educational Testing Reform. High school students begin forking over money to the College Board within the first month of their freshman year with the PSAT. They charge $16 for the PSAT plus whatever fees schools choose to add to it, so that’s $16 to the College Board freshman year, which is not terrible. Come sophomore year, many students will take the PSAT again, adding another $16 to their tab. Then, junior year rolls around and it’s time for the SATs! Juniors and seniors shell out $64 for SAT with essay and $47 for SAT without essay, not including extra fees. They also recommend high schoolers take two SAT subject tests. The College Board collects a $26 registration fee and then $22 per test. The entire point in taking the SAT is to send the scores with college applications. Well, our $65 wasn’t enough because it costs $12 per school to send SAT scores. In addition to test scores, the College Board also has their own special version of the FAFSA called the CSS, costing $25. Yes, they charge $25… for their version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The sheer financial inconvenience regarding aptitude

testing alone gives the college board too much authority over high school students. The only way to avoid it is by taking the ACT, which is also administered by a highly profitable non-profit. Where the College Board makes the majority of their money is with AP courses. The average high schooler takes a total of three AP exams, costing about $94 each, plus additional fees. That is another $282 every high school student forks over to the College Board. Including SATs, SAT subject tests, APs and the CSS, the College Board secures approximately $600 from every. Single. Highschool student. With all of our money, they pay their executives over $355,000 per year and their president $750,000 per year. If the College Board actually cared about educational excellence, they would cut salaries and make their testing more - which is practically mandatory in order to get into college- affordable for all high schoolers. Nobody should have to not take the SATs or AP Tests because of the outrageous prices, and the school district shouldn’t have to subsidize them considering they have limited funding to begin with. While we have a choice in taking AP and SAT subject tests, students applying to four year universities have to take and send their SAT scores, forcing them to give money to the College Board. No one company should have that kind of hold on every high schooler in America. The College Board’s Twitter bio reads “A non-profit clearing a path for all students to own their future” which is ironic considering they are, in fact, the one’s owning our futures.

Miss: All of this rain left TOHS students swimming from class to class.

Hit: Girls Wrestling made it to the second round of CIF. Hopefully they’ll pin down their victory.

Miss: Boys Basketball lost their first playoff game on Friday. Schurr-ly we can dunk on them next year.

Hit: The Five07 celebrated their first birthday last week. Marking one year of our rampant latte and avocado toast addictions.

THE LANCER STAFF 2018-2019 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

IN-FOCUS

Natalie Dulansky Blake Saari

Cooper Goyette Ryan Hong

NEWS

FEATURES

STAFF WRITERS

BUSINESS MANAGER

Elle Taylor Tallula Auman Maya Johnson

Abbey Austin-Wood

Anna Norton

Ann Portereiko Cameron Smith

Sophie Crivier Sierra Smith

COPY EDITOR

OPINION

SPORTS

WEBSITE EDITORS

Natalie Venable

Tanner Patterson

ENTERTAINMENT Rebecca Tarbet Dylan Yoon

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Abbey Austin-Wood

ARTIST Natalie Dulansky

Tommy Kackert Emma Tunnell

PHOTOGRAPHER Brandon Cupples

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.

ADVISER Tasha Beaudoin

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.tohsthelancer.org

NEWS

36 million heart shaped boxes of chocolates are sold every year in the US

The average man spends $130 on Valentine’s day

Teachers receive the most Valentine’s Cards

144 million Valentine’s cards

14 percent

are exchanged

of women send themselves flow-

every year

ers on Valentine’s Day

VALENTINE’S DAY

Love is in the air as February 14 approaches, Lancers. Many people think the day is pointless and full of consumerism, but some hopeless romantics eagerly await the day. 43% of Americans think it’s romantic to propose on Valentine’s Day

3 in 10 American adults do not celebrate

63 percent of millenials buy gifts for Valentine’s Day

$3.9 billion is spent on jewelry

Valentine’s Day

50% of singles are proud of their relationship status

13 percent of annual flower

The average man spends

$130

while the average woman spends

$70

sales are for Valentine’s Day SOURCE » WWW.FLOWERS.COM

Candy hearts were originally medical losenges

53 percent of women say they would end their relationship if their significant other got them nothing for Valentine’s Day

SOURCE » WWW.WOMENSDAY.COM SOURCE » WWW.FINDER.COM SOURCE » WWW.WALLETHUB.COM

PHOTO » CREATIVE COMMONS » WITH PERMISSION

BY » NATALIE VENABLE

NEWS

OUTPOURING OF LOVE During the home boys basketball playoff game on Friday, Feb. 8, activities assistant Lisa Solis was injured in a hit-and-run by a 16-year-old CVUSD student. BLAKE SAARI

PHOTO » VANESSA HERNANDEZ » WITH PERMISSION

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THE SOLIS FAMILY, CONSIDER USING YOUR PHONE CAMERA TO SCAN THE QR CODES: GOFUNDME

MEAL TRAIN

Editor-in-Chief

On Friday, Feb. 8 at approximately 8:15 p.m., a non-TOHS student from another high school in the CVUSD stole from the concessions stand during the boys home basketball game and proceeded to run towards the parking lot in the front of school. Following the initial incident, a TOHS father chased the student as he jumped into a waiting Mercedes-Benz sedan alongside four other male juveniles according to Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Eric Bushchow. Lisa Solis, the activities assistant at TOHS, was leaving the game and entering her car when the chase ensued. According to a police report filed on Feb. 9, she attempted to assist by taking a photo of the students, the car and license plate. In doing so Solis stood directly in front of the vehicle and told the 16-year-old driver who received his license a day prior to stop. The driver accelerated the car, knocking Solis down and causing critical injuries. The sheriff’s office identified the suspect involved in the hit-and-run and located him at his Newbury Park home later that evening. The suspect was arrested on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon and was booked at the Ventura County juvenile detention center.

Suffering from life-threatening injuries, Solis was taken by ambulance to Los Robles Regional Medical Center where she was deemed in critical but stable condition in the early hours of Saturday morning. As Solis’s family was informed of the incident, a gofundme page was later setup by Solis’s sister, Vanessa Hernandez. As of 5 p.m. on Feb. 11, the campaign had already raised more than $35,000 by 485 donors. Hernandez issued an update regarding Solis’s injuries on Feb. 10 specifying a brain bleed, broken right and left ribs, broken collar bone, punctures in both lungs and a broken jaw. Alongside a gofundme page, TOHS has organized a meal train to provide Solis’s family with gift cards and meals between now and Jun. 26. As of Feb. 11, individuals have already signed up to provide for the family through Apr. 1. “In the year that I have been on the TOHS campus, I have never been quite so proud as I have been since mid-November,” principal Dr. Eric Bergmann said. “We keep getting punched in the mouth, knocked down, but we keep helping one another stand up. That is the core of being a part of the Lancer community. We are in this together–staff and students–it is us against the world.”

STRONGER TOGETHER Student leaders speak at unity rally in hopes to spread positivity after a protest from the Westboro Baptist Church on Monday, Feb. 11. NATALIE DULANSKY

Editor-in-Chief

On Feb. 11 the Westboro Baptist Church, protested on the corner of Moorpark and Flores in front of Thousand Oaks High School. The Kansas based church often uses hate speech against LGBTQ+ people alongside Catholics, Muslims, atheists, Jews, U.S. soldiers and politicians. The WBC has a history of taking legal action against communities or individuals who violate their constitutional rights. For instance, in 1995 the churhc won more than $100,000 from a lawsuit against the Kansas’ Funeral Picketing Act because it was a violation of the First Amendment. After news of their upcoming arrival, CVUSD Superindentent Mark McLaughlin released a statement advising students to not engage with the group. Students were also encouraged to wear #TOStrong and Lancer spirit wear on Monday. In response to the event, multiple clubs on campus helped organize a unity rally during nutrition break for students to spread positivity and acceptance. Junior Aden Goldberg, the president of Jewish

Student Union, was one of many students who spoke during the short event. “It was really just to bring all the students from the afflicted clubs, members of the disenfranchised groups up on stage to link arms in a sign of unity,” Goldberg said. He along with many other students wanted to spread a message of unity and positivity in response to the morning’s protest “It was really just to bring all the students from the clubs and members of the disenfranchised groups up on stage to link arms in a sign of unity,” Goldberg said. “We are really lucky at this school to have dedicated staff who are here to help us.” ASB president Olivia Birg spoke at the Unity Rally and commented on how recent events have made Thousand Oaks a stronger community and a place she is proud to be from. “Lancers are the best. I’m so proud to be a Lancer because of how our community has come together and how we showed that we live and we don’t hate anybody no matter our differences,” Birg said. “Our differences make us who we are.”

PHOTO » BLAKE SAARI » THE LANCER

NEWS

Big Win at Acadeca The TOHS Academic Decathlon team recently won big at their competition in Oxnard. They surpassed their record and won third place in their division. that they’ve chosen, and they make sure that people have a basic understanding so that they do decently on the test,” Samson explained. Thousand Oaks High School scored third place at They also have an Edmodo page and Quizlet to Academic Decathlon this year. They also won 27 help them study. The team members each take one trophies, beating their previous score by four. topic that they are good at and research and lecture Academic Decathlon, or Acadeca for short, is a on it for the class. statewide competition in which groups of at least It’s not all about work though. From making new nine students of varying GPA levels compete in acafriends on the team to joking around between serious demic competitions for gold, silver or bronze medals. moments, the Acadeca students have a lot of fun The top scoring individuals also have a chance to win while preparing for the tournament. college scholarships. Annabelle Sanders, a senior and unofficial co-capLast year the team brought home 23 medals, which tain of the team, recounts some of her favorite memowas the best TO High School had done in just under ries from preparing for and competing in Acadeca. 30 years. “I made some new friends on team and Melack Samson, a sophomore member we learned a lot. I’m glad that we’ve done of the team, spoke about the recent sucso well,” Sanders said. cess of the team during competition. “I made some new Acadeca is a great addition to college “We did well. We got a lot of medals. friends on the team applications for students who want to sign We beat Westlake in some categories, for next year. which is very hard because they have and we learned a lot. upMr. Corbett hopes next year they can more people then we do and they’re in a I’m glad that we’ve create two teams, which would be a different division,” Samson said. first for the school. He encourages more The TOHS team is run by AP European done so well.” students to sign up so that they can make History teacher James Corbett. The team —senior ANNABELLE this happen. meets in his room twice a week to study. it is the teammates with the lowThis year the tournament was held at SANDERS estOften GPA who win the most points against Pacifica High School in Oxnard on Jan their opponents. They are considered kids 26 and Feb. 3. who are smart but hate school and aren’t The five different quiz events during motivated in class. They act as the team’s secret Acadeca include multiple-choice quizzes, speeches, weapon during the tournament. an interview, and an essay. The final event is a game“The past two years we’ve had two really amazing show style quiz relay that features questions from a varsity members, Annabelle Sanders this year, and variety of subjects. Emma Halset. And they both really enjoy Academic The quizzes cover a range of topics including art, Decathlon and they have a passion for it and because economics, literature, music, science and social of that, they’re able to score very well in competiscience. This year’s Acadeca focuses on the US in tion,” Samson said. the 1960s. Students competing in the Academic This recent victory at the Academic Decathlon Decathlon must know everything about this decade to reflects the success of the school. Acadeca is a great succeed in all rounds of competition. opportunity to show off academic excellence and Samson discusses the team’s strategy for studying. learn about a subject. “[Teammates] give mini-lectures about the subject

ANN PORTEREIKO

News Editor

WINNERS—The team, including advisor James Corbett, wear their hard-earned medals.

PREPARING— The team gets ready for competition by eating and doing some last minute studying.

COMPETITION—(from left to right) Team members Thomas Kye, Veronica Barkman, Elle Kolanski and Danielle Simmons pose outside of Pacifica HS before the competition.

PRIDE—The Acadeca team poses onstage with their medals just after their competition.

OPINION

... That’s Debatable Are high school relationships worth the trouble?

YES

Between emotional trauma, schoolwide gossip, and falling in love, many high schoolers wonder if high school relationships are too much trouble — but are they?

High school relationships are an opportunity for self discovery

High school relationships are an ineffective way of finding love

NATALE VENABLE

TANNER PATTERSON

Opinion Editor

Even though it is rare to marry a high school sweetheart, this doesn’t necessarily make high school relationships pointless. Many people will say relationships aren’t worth it if there’s no future, and that just isn’t true. Just because a romantic endeavor isn’t life changing doesn’t make it invalid. Relationships should be about experiencing life with someone worth caring about; whether it lasts two months, ten years or forever, it’s still worth having. As soon to be young adults, we’re figuring out what is important to us in relationships, figuring our love languages so to speak. There are five different love languages, and everyone has two. They are words of affirmation, quality time together, acts of service, physical touch, and gifts. For most people, two of those things particularly feel like love to them, and one way to figure that out is through experience. Now, a lot of people go through all four years of high school without dating and that is one-hundred percent okay, but if you find yourself asking “Why bother, we’re just gonna break up anyway,” here’s the answer: Because it’s fun! It is so much fun to fall for someone — it is also soul crushing; there’s a reason they call it a crush — but it can still be amusing. Looking forward to seeing somebody, butterflies in your stomach, checking your phone every three seconds, admit it it’s intoxicating. Maybe all of those getting to know someone moments blossom into a relationship. Yeah, we’re young, and yeah, most high school couples won’t end up getting married, but why not have a relationship and get to know yourself a little better? Get to know how you want a partner to treat you and who you’re compatible with. There is no controlling attraction. Feelings for someone can occur at first sight or they can sneak up on and completely blind side you. If by some miracle, they feel the same way, why try and stop the relationship solely because “it won’t last.” Life is too short not to take a chance on love.

19% of people who marry their high school sweethearts go to college

55% of

14% of couples meet in high school

American sophomores have never dated

2% of Americans marry their high school sweethearts

47% of teens expressed their attraction by liking, commenting or otherwise interacting with someone on social media

14% of American teens consider themselves to be in a serious relationship

46% of twelfth graders in America have no dating experience

SOURCE » CHILDTREND.ORG SOURCE » REBELCIRCUS.COM SOURCE » BRANDONGUILLE.COM GRAPHICS » NATALIE DULANSKY » THE LANCER

High schoolers who get married as teens have a 54% chance of their marriage lasting 10 years

Sports Editor

Nearly every time, high school relationships end in either tears, anger or sometimes both. While there are exceptions, the chance of someone marrying one of their high school love interests is slim. It’s worthless to devote time, emotions, and in many of cases money, to something that more often than not leads to nothing. While some say the point of high school relationships is more to have fun, rather than long term companionship, the emotional toll that breakups take on those involved undercuts any positive memories. The argument that teenage relationships are valuable learning experiences is a flawed one. It teaches an erroneous trial and error method to dating, as opposed to valuing every relationship and taking adequate time to find a suitable partner instead. When people throw themselves into a worthless and possibly damaging relationship, it’s a negative outcome for both parties. High school students are immature, and there’s no exceptions when it comes to dating. What may seem like love to teenagers may merely be infatuation, a short lived yet strong feeling physical attraction. Not only this, but high school dating also puts any actual relationship under a microscope. A conversation overheard by one not-so-secretive third party can spread around the school overnight, and social media can make that even quicker. Although it might not always seem like it, high school is a fairly small bubble, at least when compared to the amount of people at say, a university. When limiting potential partners to only one or two groups specifically, it is easy to develop a form of tunnel vision, almost exclusively focusing on those in your clique or grade level. No matter whether viewed as a learning experience or as a place to develop serious relationships, the high school dating scene is an emotional minefield The majority of couples place their emotional wellbeing on a foundation of pure infatuation and lust, rather than genuine interest.

OPINION

The Grind Does Not Stop With adolescent sports injuries at an all time high, we need to examine what is behind this trend. Contributing factors include pushy parents, overbearing coaches and not enough time off for student athletes. NATALE VENABLE

Opinion Editor

It was winter break of freshman year; I was in the middle of morning practice when my left shoulder started to hurt. “It’s ﬁne, I’ll ice it when I get home,” I thought, and I ﬁnished practice because I didn’t want to be a quitter. Besides, I had a water polo tournament that weekend, and surely chronic shoulder pain would never be a burden for me to carry. If I could go back in time, pull my fourteen year old self out of the pool and tell her that she is not invincible and to save us all some time and get to the doctor ASAP, I would do it in a heartbeat. The unfortunate reality is, my story is far from unique and just

about as mild as it gets. High school athletes account for about 2 million sports related injuries per year, and over half of them are preventable. Many parents will encourage their kids to be involved in some kind of sport or activity throughout childhood. Youth sports are fantastic. They teach teamwork, instill the habit of exercising at an early age and make sure kids expend their ever so excessive amounts of energy. It’s great for kids to have something to care about, especially during the years in which we are all walking hormones; it’s good to have something to pour ourselves into. However, when the value of being a team player manifests as “I’ll play through the pain; this game is more important,” there’s a problem. It’s necessary to teach athletes the difference between soreness and injury. What isn’t necessary is how hard many coaches and parents push student athletes. Let’s say a kid starts out playing lacrosse, baseball, and football. They love all their sports, but by high school it gets to be too much, so they pick baseball. They are now a highly specialized athlete. Highly specialized athletes are those who play a single sport for over eight months out of the year, and they are 39% more likely to suffer an overuse injury than an athlete participating in a wider variety of sports. It’s true, sports are time consuming, so picking just one seems practical. We can’t all be three sport athletes after all. What we can do is take time off. High school sports tend to be semi-adequate at this, but when high school sports meet club sports, all goes down hill. For instance, with baseball, there’s summer travel season, fall-ball, winter season and then actual league season in spring. There’s no off time! Which is why 60 percent of all Tommy John surgeries, procedure entailing repairing a torn ligament in usually a baseball player’s arm, in the US are performed on patients between 15 and 19 years of age. It is not normal, nor is it fun, to have had multiple surgeries before graduating high school. Repeating the same motion over, and over, and over again with no variation is what causes stress injuries. For adolescents, it is particularly dangerous because stress injuries combined with growth spurts can lead to lifelong, painful diseases. So why are so many kids being pushed so hard? One motivation is college scholarship money. College tuition is insane these days, and if a teen is doing something they love, why not try to get a scholarship out of it? Well, physical therapy, medication and surgeries are also expensive. Just like with everything else in life, there must be a balance. If a teenager is pushed and pushed to be better, faster and stronger in a sport until they burn out, pressure crushes what used to make them happiest. It’s not worth the emotional toll because once they’re done, they’re done. Yeah, coaches or parents can force them to keep playing, but they won’t perform the same because they don’t love it like they used to. The point of participating in sports is, or at least should be, to have fun, and there is no fun in sitting on the bench, arm in a sling, waiting to be able to play again. It is not worth a lifetime of pain and medication to play in a basketball game, swim in a meet or dance at a competition. GRAPHICS » NATALIE VENABLE » THE LANCER

5 WAYS to prevent Sports injury

1. Take a break Taking one day off per week and one month off per year will allow the body to recover

break

2.Condition

Strengthening muscles used in game play will dcecrease the risk of injury

3.Stretch Dynamic stretching before practice and static stretching after will increase flexibility

4.Warm Up Warming Up will make muscles less suseptable to injury

Eat Well & Stay Hydrated

Make sure to stay fueled to have enough energy

SOURCE » OANDFS.COM SOURCE » AAP.ORG

ENTERTAINMENT

sorry, i don’t speak broke The hottest Apple product on campus is AirPods. These wireless headphones are growing in popularity because of their usefulness and the clout. REBECCA TARBET

Features Editor

According to Apple, “AirPods will forever change the way you use headphones.” Evidently, the students of Thousand Oaks High School have the same opinion about the wireless earphones. When did you first hear about AirPods? Maybe you saw the countless memes on Twitter that both applaud and criticize the accessory. Maybe your mom asked you why your friends have cigarette butts hanging out of their ears. Maybe that annoying kid who sits behind you in Chemistry showed them off to you. “They never fall out of my ears! They automatically connect to my phone! They cost $159!” Shut up, we get it. When we returned to school after winter break, I noticed that the number of kids walking around with AirPods in their ears had exponentially increased. Nine out of 17 members of The Lancer staff have AirPods. But why AirPods? Why not any other type of wireless headphones? The first Bluetooth headset was released in 2000. Plenty of wireless earphones have been invented since then. However, AirPods offer more perks than just wireless listening. A double tap on either left or right ear phone activates Siri so you can make calls, adjust volume, get directions, skip songs, or even pause the music so you can eavesdrop on other people’s conversations without being obvious about it. On a single charge, the wireless charging case that comes with the purchase of the earphones offers five hours of listening. The case has additional charges for more than 24 hours of listening. But enough talk about the many perks of AirPods. The kid in Chemistry already explained to you that his music automatically starts playing when he puts them in his ears, and automatically stops playing when he takes them out. But let’s not lie to ourselves here. Who actually asks their AirPods for directions? There’s another reason why AirPods are growing in popularity, that reason being to flex. People like to flex, or show off in a non humble fashion, their AirPods are not only headphones, they are a fashion accessory. The white earphones go with every outfit and fashion style. AirPods cost a lot of money, too. $159 to be exact. Many of the students of TOHS paid for AirPods with their own money, and many of the parents of TOHS paid for those AirPods with their own money. Showing off expensive purchases will always be a trend, and making fun of other people’s expensive purchases will also always be a trend. It’s

why people buy Supreme and Off-White and why we make fun of people who buy Supreme and OffWhite. It’s why AirPod users say “Sorry, I can’t hear broke” and why non AirPod owners ask AirPod users if they know how to speak broke. The recent AirPods trend can be compared to the Hydro Flask craze that started around 2015. All of the trendy people bought Hydro Flasks and put cool stickers on them. Students walked through the halls of TOHS brandishing their new water bottles during passing periods and would display their Flasks on their desks during class. No one ever put their Hydro Flasks away in their backpacks because they wanted everyone to know they stayed hydrated in style. However, Hydro Flasks are useful and convenient. The bottles keep your water icey cold throughout the school day. It’s the exact same scenario with AirPods. They are helpful, good looking, questionably expensive, and used to flex on one’s peers. No one really cares if their water bottle is a Hydro Flask anymore, they just want a water bottle that will keep their water cold. Remember in seventh grade when everyone would purposely show off the Lululemon horseshoe at the waistband of their leggings? Now, people just want a pair of high quality leggings, Lulu or not. Maybe one day no one will care what kind of wireless headphones they have, but right now in 2019, it’s all about flexing the brand name AirPods. There are many other types of wireless headphones on the market, manufactured by various tech companies. A less expensive alternative to AirPods are the JLab audio JBuds for $49. A more expensive alternative are the Bose SoundSport earphones that cost for $199. Knock off AirPods are also starting to pop up on the market for all of the kids who want to show off some fake clout. If you think AirPods are a true status symbol, you should reserve a pair of Louis Vuitton ultra-luxe monogram wireless Horizon earphones that will be released later this year. These headphones cost $995 and display the classic Louis Vuitton “LV” logo. The wireless headphones cost $995 and can be ordered in black, white, red or black with blue and yellow stripes. They offer many of the same services as AirPods, just with extra clout. Louis Vuitton horizon monogram earphones are for people who want to flex on the AirPod flexers. AirPod users, ask yourselves: “Did I get these AirPods so I could listen to music more conveniently or did I get these AirPods just to flex?” Non AirPod owners, ask yourselves: “Do I make fun of people with AirPods because I think AirPods are stupid, or because I’m jealous of them?”

“I saved up every penny in my allowance every single night. I saw all these cool kids wearing it, and it looked really cool so I wanted them. I’m glad I got them because they’re really convenient and they’re fun to hold. When I have my AirPods in, I’m sending a message of if you save up your pennies, in the end, anything is possible.

- Mitchell Burr, senior “If you’re doing athletics, if you’re running, or lifting, or doing anything where a wire would get in the way, that’s really freeing. I am careful about when I put them in, I don’t constantly walk around with them in because it sort of makes you look like a jerk, but they’re useful.”

- Aden Goldberg, junior “We got them for Christmas. I hated the chords so I think that’s mainly the reason why [I wanted AirPods.] They are super convenient to have and way easier to use. It feels like when you have your AirPods in it shows that you don’t want to talk to anyone and I think a lot of people use that to their advantage.”

- Kiara Benioff, sophomore “I got them for Christmas and my mom got them for me. I lost my other regular headphones so I didn’t have any and I really wanted [AirPods to] flex them obviously. They’re a lot easier to use without the strings. When you drop your phone, your headphones fall out but [with AirPods] they don’t.”

- Lauren Smuck, sophomore “I got my AirPods for my birthday last year. I wanted them because my phone was the iPhone 8 and I didn’t like the plug in headphones because I wasn’t able to listen to music and charge my phone at the same time. It’s just my way of listening to music, I don’t try to show them off.”

- Callie Whitman, freshman SOURCE » WWW.LOUISVUITTON.COM SOURCE » WWW.BLUETOOTH.COM SOURCE » WWW.APPLE.COM ALL PHOTOS » REBECCA TARBET » THE LANCER

ENTERTAINMENT

thank u, ariana DYLAN YOON

ALL PHOTOS » OFFICIAL TWITTER

“thank u, next” Release Date: 2/7/19

“7 rings” Release Date: 1/18/19

After the release of three singles, Ariana Grande finally drops her long-waited album on Feb 7.

Entertainment Editor

When “thank u, next” started playing at the winter rally, an audible gasp could be heard in the crowd. The students in the gym immediately started singing along to the lyrics. During 2018, singer and songwriter Ariana Grande rose to the top of the charts on multiple occasions. Songs such as “God is a woman,” “Side To Side” and “no tears left to cry” have all reached the Billboard Hot 100 list. Her previous album, “Sweetener” was released on Aug 17, 2018. After its release, it managed to go number one on Billboard 200, making it Grande’s third album to reach number one. In the wake of her success from “Sweetener,” Grande released another hit “thank u, next,” just four short months after “Sweetener” which ended up being Grande’s first number one song on the Billboard Hot 100. “thank u, next” is a song all about her exes and the realizations she’s made in the aftermaths of those relationships. The song mentions the names of her exes, including rappers Big Sean and Mac Miller and her ex fiance, Pete Davidson. The lyrics of the song express gratitude toward her exes and recount the lessons she learned from each of them. “thank u, next” also encourages empowerment and self-love. As of now, “thank u, next” has been a top 10 song on Billboard for 13 weeks and does not show signs of declining for another few weeks. The music video for “thank u, next” also generated popularity for the song which has 298 million views, portrays Grande in scenes from famous romcoms, including “Mean Girls,” “Bring It On,” “13 Going on 30,” and “Legally Blonde.” It also features the famous faces,including Kris Jenner, Troye Sivan and Colleen Ballinger. Grande’s new album, also titled, “thank u, next,” released Feb 8. It includes her recent hit “7 rings.” “7 rings” was released on January 18th, 2019, as a precursor to the actual release of the album. In contrast to “thank u, next” and its mellow, gentle feel, “7 rings” does the opposite, showing huge signs of energy and enthusiasm. The song, which has rap roots, discusses how much money Grande has. Grande brags about her riches and self love with lyrics such as “My wrist, stop watchin’, my neck is flossin’ Make big deposits, my gloss is poppin.’” Grande also released a music video with “7 rings.” The video portrays Grande and her friends at a lavish and extravagant party. “7 rings” managed to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been first for over two

weeks. Similar to “thank u, next,” the song does not seem to falter from the top ten for a while especially with the album being played by millions of fans. “[7 rings] is super empowering. I feel like I could do anything after listening to it,” senior Haley Hallman said. After the release of these popular singles and with her previous album, “Sweetener” also being a huge success, fans had high expectations for the album. The album has twelve songs without any featured artists. “NASA” is a song about the need for space or time away from a man. The song is more upbeat but is very repetitive and does not have any element making it special. “Needy” is one of the better songs on the album discussing Ariana Grande’s need for emotional attention and support because of her insecurities. It’s very catchy and when the harmonization from the backup singers come in, it perfectly matches with her soft voice. “‘Needy’ is one of my favorite songs on the album because of how soothing it is while being groovy at the same time. I also really like how she changes octaves multiple times which shows off her vocals” freshman Rachel Yoon said. “break up with your girlfriend, I’m bored” came out with a music video generating 46 million views in just 3 days. Grande meets a boy, played by actor Charles Melton, at a party but he has a girlfriend so she tries to get the boy to break up with her so that she can have him for herself. However, the video is not different than any other video that has been released by her which is confusing because it gained 46 million views but does not compare to Childish Gambino’s “This is America” music video. “The [album’s] not particularly uplifting. A lot of it sounds upbeat, but it’s actually a super sad chapter” Grande stated in a Billboard cover interview. “A lot of this album mourns failed yet important, beautiful relationships in my life, as well as celebrates growth / exploring new independence” Grande explains in an Instagram post. Even though the album is not completely positive and happy, fans are pleased. “It’s way better than ‘Sweetener.’ It has great messages of self love” senior Ashley Watt said. As a matter of fact, Ariana Grande’s album went number one on US iTunes in just five minutes, making “thank u, next” the fastest album to reach number one in history. In addition, at the 2019 Grammy Awards that was held on February 10, she was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance but Best Pop Vocal Album making this her first Grammy. Ultimately, no one can deny the success of Ariana Grande’s latest album, “thank you, next” as well as all her previous albums. Her fans are all looking forward to her future plans in the music industry and hope to hear more top hits.

“imagine” Release Date: 12/14/18

“thank u, next”

“7 rings”

“needy”

“NASA”

“ghostin”

“break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored”

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“thank u, next” Release Date: 11/3/18

IN-FOCUS

MONEY BOWL In just over a decade, the price of Super Bowl advertisments have nearly doubled, totaling to over $5 million per 30 seconds of airtime. Over half a billion dollars of revenue is generated every year, and it only continues to rise.

COOPER GOYETTE

In-Focus Editor

Since the introduction of the Super Bowl in 1966, the game has steadily become a huge part of American sports culture. With only 61,000 viewers tuning in for the first game, it is now watched by over 111 million Americans, one-third of the population of the country. In recent years it has become the epitome of ideal entertainment as it draws people to the television screen who might not even care about the football game. It now includes a half time show that some people care more about than the game, with performances from favorite singers and performers which add to the broadcast viewership. For the fans invested in the game itself it provides fantastic coverage of their favorite or rival teams. Inevitably this many viewers and people interested in the game draws in huge amounts of money, anything from views themselves to betting, but most importantly advertisements. Since the Super Bowl has been a thing, it has lured companies wishing to advertise their product or service to the masses watching the broadcast. It has become another aspect of the live show which so many tune in to every year. Advertisements that reach millions of people however, cost a hefty price. A company must be willing to pay roughly five million dollars for a simple 30-second advertisement. They have to be able to capture the viewer’s attention and hold it long enough so that they understand what the company wants them to buy. In 1973, Noxzema shave cream changed the Super Bowl advertising world forever when their advertisement which included humor and a celebrity endorsement made headlines all over the country. In 1984, Apple was incredibly successful on launch day when they advertised their Macintosh computer to the growing audience. It sparked a new competition among companies to have the most creative or comical advertisement for the night. This only helped the ad revenue because suddenly it became advertising that people actually wanted to watch, and even looked forward to. The reason Super Bowl ads are so effective is because companies have teams of people whose sole purpose is to research and develop an advertisement for a game that happens once a year. For the ad to be effective it must be memorable,

resound personally with a large target audience, and offer some form of legitimacy. Memorable advertisements come through humor and well known brand names, or creative ideas that people have not previously been exposed to. Another way that an ad becomes memorable is through controversial topics. This is a dangerous route to go because in the political climate that we find ourselves in today companies can face huge backlash if their message does not come across as factual, or involves issues that may be sensitive to certain viewers. 84 Lumber’s first Super Bowl advertisement told the story of a immigrant family facing challenges to reach the United States and included a wall as a struggle they had to overcome. This ad came very soon after the inauguration of President Trump and caused backlash and uproar from viewers. In 2007, General Motors had a commercial which depicted a robot jumping off a bridge after being fired which caused more heated backlash. To connect with people on a personal level the ad must have positive messages or relate to the viewers everyday life and activities. Creative ideas include using animals or other non human actors and characters, which can help keep someone watching interested for longer and will more effectively get an idea across. The ad must be something that people would want to watch again, and will get someone to visit or explore a product or service. The companies want their advertisements to be more memorable than the game and halftime show, and in some years that is the case. In 2018, women made up nearly half of the viewers of the super bowl, and with many progressive women’s movements coming into fruition it sets the stage for companies to advertise with current events as their focus. Another popular ad in 2019 was the Bumble commercial titled, “The Ball is in Her Court,” which stars Serena Williams and features an empowering message about women making the first move. Companies pay different prices for advertisements in the game. Larger companies such as Coca-Cola and General Motors will pay much less, and receive more airtime than a smaller company such as SodaStream, or other startups. A way for a company to save money is to purchase their ad slot when they first become available, rather than waiting for the few months leading up to the game where prices skyrocket. Certain places in the cluster of commercials cost extra as well. Being first or last in a “pod” of commercials is the most expensive slot a company can purchase. Another factor in the price is what period in the game you advertise during. The first quarter through halftime will cost the most, as this is the time when viewers are most stable and attentive to the ads. All this adds up to create the most expensive commercials in sports, and the lucky network who receives permission to air the game will get to enjoy the proceeds from the advertisers.

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IN-FOCUS

1967

1969

1972

Green Bay Packers: 35 Kansas City Chiefs: 10

New York Jets 16 Baltimore Colts: 7

Dallas Cowboys: 24 Miami Dolphins: 3

Location: Los Angeles, Calif. A one-minute commercial spot cost between $75,000 to $85,000. The game appeared on CBS and NBC. Each Packers player received a $15,000 bonus for the win.

Location: Miami, Fla. Super Bowl III was the first time the game was referred to as the “Super Bowl.” Although the Colts were heavily favored, the Jets managed to pull off an upset.

Location: New Orleans, La. Cowboys’ tight end Tom Flores caught the touchdown to end the game. Tony Dungy and Flores are the

1983

1981

Washington Redskin: 27 Miami Dolphins: 17

Oakland Raiders: 27 Philadelphia Eagles: 10

Location: Pasadena, Calif. After a strike in hopes to change the wage scale based on percentage of gross revenues, the season became the first 16 team “Super Bowl Tournament.”

Location: Los Angeles, Calif. Following a failed attempt to move from Oakland to Los Angeles during the offseason, the Raiders became the first wild card team to win the Super

1986 Chicago Bears 46 New England Patriots: 10 Location: New Orleans, La. William Perry became the heaviest man at 335 pounds to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl. The telecast of the game on NBC was watched by 92.57 million viewers.

1988 Washington Redskins: 42 Denver Broncos: 10

Location: San Diego. Calif. Doug Williams became the first African-American quarterback to play in the Super Bowl. Despite falling 10-0 in the first quarter, the Redskins scored 42 consecutive

1976 Pittsburgh Steelers: 21 Dallas Cowboys: 17 Location: Miami, Fla. Concussed wide receiver Lynn Swann catches a total of 161 yards and a touchdown, despite being concussed from the previous game.

1995 San Francisco 49ers: 49 San Diego Chargers: 26 Location: Miami, Fla. Steve Young sets the record for most touchdown passes in a Super Bowl with six. Super Bowl BXXIX was also the first time aired ads surpassed $1-million per televised 30 second ad.

2000

1997

St. Louis Rams: 23 Tennesee Titans: 16

Green Bay Packers: 35 New England Patriots: 21

Location: Atlanta, Ga. Rams’ Quarterback Kurt Warner passed 414 passing yards and 45 pass atempts without an interception, breaking the Super Bowl Individual Passing record at the time.

2005

Location: New Orleans, La. Desmond Howard becomes the first special teams player to win the MVP and fourth to win both an MVP and a Heisman Trophy.

2013

New England Patriots: 24 Philadelphia Eagels: 21

Baltimore Ravens: 35 San Francisco 49ers: 31

Location: Jacksonville, Fla. The broadcast of the game on Fox was watched by an estimated 86 million viewers. The cost of televised 30 second ads have increased to $2.3-million.

Location: New Orleans, La. A power outage at the Super Bowl put the game on hold for nearly thirty minutes, which eventually ended with Joe Flacco leading his team to a three point victory over the 49ers.

2019 New England Patriots: 13 Los Angeles Rams: 3 Location: Atlanta, Ga. Held at the Mercedes Benz Stadium, Tom Brady claims his sixth Super Bowl championship, becoming the oldest quarter back to win. Maroon 5, Big Boi, and rapper Travis Scott also made half-time show appearances.

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