Issue 6, 2018-2019 by The Lancer

the

LANCER

Volume LVII, Issue 6 » March 6, 2019 » Thousand Oaks High School » 2323 N. Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 » www.tohsthelancer.org » thelancer.tohs@gmail.com » Circulation 2,099

NETFLIX NETFLIX NETFLIX NETFLIX NETFLIX NETFLIX NETFLIX NETFLIX NETFLIX NETFLIX NETFLIX NETFLIX

PHOTO & GRAPHIC » NATALIE DULANSKY » THE LANCER

HULU YOUTUBE TV HULU YOUTUBE TV HULU YOUTUBE TV HULU YOUTUBE TV HULU YOUTUBE TV HULU YOUTUBE TV KEEP STREAMING HULU HULU HULU HULU YOUTUBE TV HULU YOUTUBE TV HULU YOUTUBE TV Streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and Youtube Red are taking over the home entertainment industry, leaving little room for cable. pg. 9

COLORFUL COMPETITION

THE WRONG PATH TO FAME

SCHOLARLY WORK

On Feb. 2, winter guard competted against eight teams when TOHS hosted the WGASC color guard circuit.

After thousands have attempted to earn fame from completing internet challenges, experts advise against them.

Senior Lotte Bezemer, a Presidential Scholar candidate strives to be the best version of herself.

pg. 5

pg. 10-11

pg. 13

EDITORIAL

Hits and Misses

STAFF EDITORIAL

The Right to Vote

What’s Up and Down with The Lancer Hit: The Jonas Brothers are getting back together. We are Burnin’ Up over their new song.

Miss: NASA made their final attempt to reconnect with the Mars Opportunity rover. We love you, Oppy!

Hit: Air Pods 2 are rumored to be released later this month. Now we REALLY won’t speak broke.

GRAPHIC » CHLOE BUSCHOW » THE LANCER

Should the voting age in California be lowered to 17? EDITORIAL BOARD

yes

abstain

Since the students from Stoneman Douglas High School organized the March For Our Lives protest, a push for a lower voting age has never been more prevalent in mainstream politics. However, the push for a lower voting age really won’t solve any problem in the United States. Regardless we’ll still have the same poor voter turnout on top of bringing the least politically informed, least politically experienced and least mature in terms of making long-term judgments and trade-offs, directly into our countries polling places. Since the Vietnam War, voter turnout for 18 to 29-year-olds has never exceeded 21% in a midterm election. With less than a quarter of eligible voters making their way to the polls, adding votes will not create a new era of high voter registration. When the voting age was lowered on March 23, 1971, government leaders had reasoning behind the decision as they just lowered the draft age to 18. There was a clear reason to lower the voting age as the drafted now had a say in electing their commander-in-chief. In 2019, there isn’t a justifiable reason behind the action as minors are subject to different labor, contract, and criminal responsibility laws, and aren’t allowed to join the military without parental consent or serve on a jury. Also, most are still living at home and would be influenced by the voting choices of their parents. After San Francisco placed a measure on the ballot in November 2016 to allow 16-year olds to vote, Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi championed the idea stating that students are engaged in politics in the classroom as

apposed to after graduation. However, her enthusiasm was more partisan than caring about the opinions of teenagers. Young voters are frequently liberal until they have to start paying taxes and really have to participate in the government, which doesn’t really happen at 17. State governments have also been increasing the age to drive a car without any restrictions to 17 or even 18, not 16. Simply put, the government is moving more towards greater maturity before responsibility. If the government thinks that 17 year olds are mature enough to vote then why aren’t they mature enough to make decisions to live on their own, get married, drink responsibly, join the military. Why? Because they are not. Voting is a huge responsibility. Teenagers are too emotionally driven and often make decisions based on feelings and not facts. Society does not ask 17-year-olds to sit on a jury in the United States. There are curfew restrictions in place for many teens during the school year. Most teens cannot enter into legal agreements without parental permission. Most banks and lenders around the world do not issue ﬁnancial products to teens until they reach 18 and some even wait until 21. Voting restrictions on 17-year-olds follow these same standards. We don’t permit speciﬁc responsibilities because we recognize that as a whole, the youth demographic is not ready to handle them. The line has to be drawn at some point, and 18 is the age when an individual becomes an adult and earns the right to vote, not 17.

Miss: Duke basketball player, Zion Williamson, busted through his Nike sneaker during their game against North Carolina. So much for just doin it!

Hit: Space X successfully launched Crew Dragon, an unmanned rocket, and we are over-the-moon excited about it.

Miss: Last week, the fire alarms at TOHS made a habit of interrupting 5th period. Needless to say it was alarming.

Hit: Hydroflask dropped new colors last week. If only we could stop dropping them in class.

THE LANCER STAFF 2018-2019 STAFF WRITERS

BUSINESS MANAGER

Cooper Goyette Ryan Hong

Elle Taylor Taylor Olgin

Abbey Austin-Wood

FEATURES

COPY EDITOR

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

IN-FOCUS

Natalie Dulansky Blake Saari

NEWS

ADVERTISING MANAGER Ann Portereiko Cameron Smith

Sophie Crivier Sierra Smith

ARTISTS WEBSITE EDITORS

OPINION

SPORTS

Natalie Venable

Tanner Patterson

ENTERTAINMENT Rebecca Tarbet Dylan Yoon

Anna Norton

Abbey Austin-Wood

Tommy Kackert Emma Tunnell

Natalie Dulansky Chloe Buschow

PHOTOGRAPHER

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.

Brandon Cupples

ADVISER Tasha Beaudoin

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.tohsthelancer.org

NEWS

The Halloween crack will create an iceberg of at least

660 mi²

There is only a

1 in a million

chance that humans did not cause climate change

Higher atmospheric

Since the beginning of

temperature causes

the Industrial Revolution,

extreme weather

the acidity of surface ocean waters has

Rising global temperatures have accelerated ice loss in

increased by about

30 percent

Antarctica

CLIMATE CHANGE Scientists at NASA have warned that an iceberg twice the size of New York City is beginning to break off from Antartica’s Brunt ice shelf. Greenland ice is melting 4 times faster than in 2003 By 2050, sea levels are predicted to rise between one and 2.3 feet affecting

1 billion coastal residents Global sea level rose about 8

inches in the last century The planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit

since the late 19th century

Since 1969, oceans have absorbed a warming of more than

0.4 degrees Fahrenheit

Because of warming many corals to shed the algae, leading to the white, skeletonlike appearance of the reef

Would be the biggest iceberg to break off so since monitoring of the shelf began in

1915

Glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world including in

the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska and Africa.

The shelf remained stable for about 35

SOURCE » THE WEEK

years, has grown rapidly northward as fast as 4 kilometers per year

SOURCE » WASHINGTON POST SOURCE » NASA SOURCE » SCIENCE DAILY

PHOTO » CREATIVE COMMONS » WITH PERMISSION

BY » BLAKE SAARI

“The scenario (task) was harder than expected. Because we had to make our own business, and then we had to explain how we are going to make profit and our business plan.”

-ALYSSA BALIN, junior

“We were all in the same room, so we all had the same schedule and everything, so we did all the same stuff. I was just in a different competition than (others).”

-DYLAN CHAFEE junior

NEWS

DECA

Conference Breeds Success Students at TOHS traveled to Anehiem to participate in business competitions and compete against other schools in categories ranging from marketing to business ethics. and perseverance through studying. “We travel and compete against other schools in various business competitions from every business DECA, the Distributive Education Clubs of America, had their biggest meeting of the year, the State sector,” Thompson said. Career Development Conference, located in Anaheim Over 70 years since it started, Distributive Educaon Feb. 28 through March 3. tion Clubs of America has had over ten million members, and is split into two divisions: the High School Many students at Thousand Oaks High School will be attending this conference over the weekend to learn Division, which includes 200,000 members spanning skills applicable to jobs in the future. 3,500 schools, and Collegiate Division, Grade school memberships into the including over 15,000 members from DECA program are available to all high colleges and universities across “I learned a lot of 275 America. schoolers, grades nine through twelve. Membership cost $8 per person. applicable skills that I All the students participating in DECA are almost independent when it Participating in DECA allows will use in real life.” students to communicate efficiently comes to preparing for their individual between their peers and be able to open —junior SETH competitions. and Mrs Chase are advisors, job opportunities after high school. WOJCIECHOWSKI but“Myself DECA meetings, like the one set for the students do the work,” Thompson said. this weekend, allows students to connect Six of the competitive events groups `with industry professionals to learn more about business and different positions in the that students can take part in are Business Managemarketing industry. Seth Wojciechowski was one of ment and Administration, Finance, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Hospitality and Tourism, and Personal many who went to Anaheim to compete. “I learned a lot of applicable skills that I will use in Financial Literacy. Many specific events belong to each one of the groups, from Apparel and Accessories real life,” said Wojciechowski. DECA is an organization focused on teaching high Marketing Series to Independent Business Plans. school and college students business related activities. If the students of Thousand Oaks High School did Ryan Thompson and Sobrina Chase, ETHoS exceptionally well and placed, they would’ve been allowed to participate in the International Career teachers at Thousand Oaks High School, are advisors Development Conference, which will take place in for the DECA team here at school. The success of the students is completely dependent on their work ethic Florida during April 27-30. CAMERON SMITH

“(The workshops) were informing and inspirational speeches and how to be productive.”

-ANDREW LARSON junior

ALL PHOTOS » CAMERON SMITH » THE LANCER

News Editor

NEWS

Into the Swing of Things The Thousand Oaks High School winter guard team performs against eight competing teams at the Winter Guard Association of Southern California. ANN PORTEREIKO

News Editor

TOHS winter guard swung their way to the top on Feb. 2 at the WGASC competition. The Winter Guard Association of Southern California, WGASC, is the largest color guard circuit in the US with over 355 members annually. Thousand Oaks High School winter guard performed this year’s signature show at Monrovia High School on March 2. The TOHS team performed at about two o’clock on Saturday. Results of the competition aren’t available to access as of yet. The team captain, senior Adalia Zhou, spoke about how the team has been practicing and their ideas for the routine. “We have had about nine to twelve hours of practice per week in preparation, working on choreography and perfecting skills,” Zhou said. TOHS sophomore Millie Shulka discusses this year’s competition schedule. “We have a color guard show and we have competitions leading up to championships. We practice three days a week from two to five to prepare,” Shukla said. Zhou felt confident going into the competition because of this training schedule. “I felt confident about my performance, but I was still nervous all the same,” Zhou said. Shukla is also confident in her team’s ability to score well in the future of the WGASC competition. “We all know the routines pretty well. We’ve been practicing a lot,” Shukla said. Shukla is excited to see the success of their routine at competition after just over three months of practice on it. During their first round of competition on Feb. 23, Thousand Oaks High School got fifth place in their division. Their routine for the second round is titled “The Swing of Things” and featured upbeat jazz music. The guard wore purple and orange uniforms and had matching flags. The team also twirled black, white and

yellow polka dotted flags and shining white rifles. “We’re doing this sort of jazz piece that has a lot of scatting in it. We’re going to have a lot of rifle work and there are two flag holds that are really important.” Shukla said. Winter guard also performed for Sights of Conejo, which is a drum line and winter guard exhibition held at Thousand Oaks High School last Saturday. The event allowed students to watch what their peers in band and winter guard had been working on for the past couple of months. Zhou’s favorite part of both WGASC and winter guard as a whole is seeing everyone’s hard work come to fruition in the end. “My favorite part of winter guard is seeing the entire show come together. We each spend so much time to improve our individual parts and can show off our efforts to an audience. Being able to create a complete work makes it incredibly satisfying,” Zhou said. This is Shukla’s first year competing at WGASC. “My favorite part is actually getting to see other guards perform as well and that allows us to improve,” Shukla said. She also discusses some of the differences between winter guard and standard color guard. “We get to practice indoors [for winter guard] so that we can actually focus on the performing itself rather than having to deal with adjusting to the wind,” Shukla said. Practicing indoors makes it easier to know where the flags and rifles are going to fall so that they can be caught easier. The team has worked hard to get to where they are and succeed at their sport. The upcoming results of the competition will hopefully reflect all of the hard work that the team put into their routine. Overall, WGASC is a great opportunity for students from all over California to show off what they have achieved throughout the year and to be inspired by other team’s performances.

PREPARATION—(Top) Freshman Fatima Castillo poses for the camera on her way to perform at Monrovia High School.

TEAMWORK—(Middle) Winter guard poses after a job well done at Conejo Sights on Feb. 2.

CONEJO SIGHTS—(Bottom) The team performs their routine “The Swing of Things” at TOHS for the Conejo Sights show. ALL PHOTOS » ANN PORTEREIKO » THE LANCER

OPINION

... That’s Debatable Is offensive comedy acceptable if it is funny?

YES

In this age of political polarization, offensive comedy comes to question. Some argue critics are being too sensitive, but some say comedy needs to get with the times.

Comedy can be a lighthearted way to address sensitive topics

Comedians need to keep up what is justifiable for the times

TAYLOR OLGIN

ELLE TAYLOR

Staff Writer

A comedian’s purpose is to generate a laugh, or at minimum a smile out of an audience. The most common form of comedy is poking fun at known stereotypes. However, in today’s day and age it is apparent that the majority of society is far too sensitive to find humor in the jokes presented. For example, the famous comedian, Weird Al, used the word “m**get,” in the 80s, which at the time was not an offensive term. Since then, the word has become a slur and could be detrimental to his career. Additionally, people have to be aware of who their audience is. Take the 90s movie, Mean Girls for example. Janis Ian tells her best friend Damian that he is “too gay to function.” After hearing this, malicious popular girls publicize the joke to their entire school which ultimately hurts Damian. The joke was playful when Janis told it because of her intimate relationship with Damian. However, when strangers were saying it, the joke transformed from comedy to bullying. If a relationship is strong enough, the person telling the joke will know their boundaries. Society must understand that there is a difference between harassment and a light joke that is created from the heart. My friends and I make fun of each other as a way to cope with our insecurities. However, if a stranger jokingly bullied me, I would take offense because of our lack of friendship and understanding of each other. Moreover, what makes comedy so appealing is the lack of rules. If one dissects each joke, the humor that was intended disappears. Comedy is often used as a way to bring uncomfortable topics to the surface which can trigger a much needed conversation. Some may argue that it is inappropriate to use a person’s ethnic group, religion, sexuality, culture, or gender as a source of humor. In spite of that, offensive comedy can be used to address sensitive topics such as racism and add a humorous touch in the process. Comedy allows one to add humor to the dark parts of life and if used correctly can give an audience the ideal medicine: laughter.

In 2019 Kevin Hart stepped down from hosting the Oscars after homophobic tweets disappointed fans In July 2012 Dane Cook made a joke about the massacre at a Colorado movie theater In 2013 Joan Rivers sparked controversy after making an insensitive comment about the Holocaust

Chelsea Handler is notorious for her questionable remarks

Trevor Noah was under fire for making derogatory comments about women via Twitter in

2010

In May 2015, infamous stand up comic Louis C.K. faced backlash for joking about pedophilia in his Saturday Night Live monologue In 2017 Kathy Griffin sparked outrage after posting an alarming political statement

SOURCE » COMPLEX.COM SOURCE » THEWRAP.COM SOURCE » HOLLYWOODREPORTER.COM GRAPHICS » NATALIE DULANSKY » THE LANCER

In 2015 Amy Shumer issued an apology for a racially stereotypical tweet from

2010

Staff Writer

In our world today, people have gotten more sensitive about bits referring to sexism, racism, or politics. In the comedy realm, the line between what’s funny and what’s just downright oﬀensive about these topics has gotten thinner and thinner. The harder it is to distinguish between the two, the easier it is for comedians to cross that line. For example, when Michelle Wolf performed her comedy routine at the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner she left a few people feeling pretty uncomfortable. Wolf had a tough crowd that night with only a few chuckles of laughter as she roasted most of the politicians there. She received so much criticism after the dinner the President even called it a “disaster.” This would not have been the case if she had given her speech thirty years ago during the time that Don Rickles did stand up comedy. His whole act was poking fun at people and they loved him for it. Another example is back in the 19th century, performers who were predominately non-African American use to paint their faces black and over outline their lips to try and portray a black person. This is called blackface. People would dress up like this and put on shows where the blackface characters act stupid on stage as a joke. The audience loved it because they saw it as funny. As time went on though, blackface turned into one of the most oﬀensive forms of racism. That is why if someone were to be seen wearing blackface today, they would most likely be ridiculed because of it. So as you can see, there are certain jokes that are just not funny anymore and it’s because of how times have changed. Topics that relate to sexism, racism, and politics have become ones that people are more conscious about now. As a result of this, comedians need to be more careful about the jokes they tell and the people they poke fun at. It’s not the ones telling the jokes that need to change, it’s the jokes that they are telling that need a little bit of tweaking.

OPINION

Road to Success

Even though community college is a vaible financial and academic decision, many students will not move on to greater things such as a degree or trade school afterwards. At the same time, the stigma surrounding the decision to start at a junior college is unfair.

High School Graduation NATALIE VENABLE

Opinion Editor

Juniors: stop chanting “Moorpark College” at rallies. There are so many better and more creative ways to taunt the seniors. Community college can be an excellent opportunity to save money, explore various interests, and be in smaller classes. The California Community College system is the cheapest higher-education option in the country at approximately $1,430 for a full time student. Any high school student will know, college is expensive. Taking general ed classes at Moorpark, especially while living at home, is the best way to save money on school. Another great thing about junior college is not having to commit to a major. Since we were little kids, adults have been asking us what we want to be when we grow up. Around senior year, they start expecting an answer. At 17 and 18 years old, how are we supposed to know what we want to do with our lives? City college provides an opportunity to explore various fields without having to commit to a subject, only to end up hating it. On average, community college classes tend to be smaller. Crowded lecture halls can be intimidating, especially when we, as students, are accustomed to high school classes. This can help smooth out the transition from high school to college. After leaving the microcosm that is high school and walking out into the great big world, a little familiarity may be nice. However, the unfortunate reality is, too many students take advantage of these opportunities, and then get stuck. In the 2017-2018 school year, 880 students transferred from Moorpark College to a California State University school and 476 students transferred from Moorpark to an out of state or private school. As far as the University of California system goes, they enrolled approximately 16,000 transfers from various California community colleges. While living at home, taking cheap classes with a light workload, and being cozy in beautiful Thousand Oaks, Calif., it’s no surprise there is little motivation to move on to bigger things. At the same time, the stigma surrounding the decision to start out at a city college for personal or financial reasons is unfair. While only 17 percent of community college students earn a Bachelor’s Degree within six years of starting school, that does not necessarily mean it cannot be done. Everyone is different. Some people have a have a great work ethic and no problem academically, but they just aren’t ready to leave home. It is not fair to judge people in this situation just because they are the minority when it comes to community college transfer statistics. Community college can act as a a bridge to higher education, but it is unfortunatley all too often used instead as an island of refuge from responsibility and actually being productive.

Congratulations! High School has come to an end, it is time for adult life to begin.

This stop is where students must make the decision to continue with their endevors, or else they are wasting all the oppurtunities community collge brings.

Community College

Degree Whether a student went straight to a four-year university or community college, this stop is generally the goal for most career paths

Career

Of course, there is a few more stops between a degree and a full blown career. Regardless, there is an infinate amount of ways to get here, and junior college is one of them.

GRAPHIC » NATALIE VENABLE » THE LANCER

ENTERTAINMENT

student soundcloud artists The Lancer Newspaper interviews students on campus about their experiences writing, producing and publishing music on the SoundCloud app. REBECCA TARBET

GREG MADDOX LIL VUDU scan with camera to listen to listen to “Stormtrooper”

GORDON HORWITZ GORDINI LOUIGI

scan with camera to listen to “AYSO drift”

RYAN FALCONE LIL JABRONIE

scan with camera to listen to “R u...” SOURCE » SOUNDCLOUD.COM ALL PHOTOS » REBECCA TARBET » THE LANCER PHOTO » GORDON HORWITZ » WITH PERMISSION ALL GRAPHICS » REBECCA TARBET » THE LANCER

Entertainment Editor

SoundCloud is a platform where users can upload their own songs and listen to other artist’s music for free. Many rap artists became famous by uploading music onto SoundCloud, including Lil Pump, XXXtentacion, Lil Uzi Vert, and many others. There are over 150 million songs on SoundCloud, and a handful of those tracks were created by students on campus. The phrase “SoundCloud rapper” may trigger an image of a popular rapper with face tattoos, chains, and expensive clothing. However, there are students at TOHS without gold or rainbow teeth who enjoy creating music just like the celebrities. “SoundCloud is an easy way for me to be like, “‘Hey, check out my stuff’,” senior rapper Gordon Horwitz said. Junior Greg Maddox first started rapping at the end of his freshman year. “Honestly, I’ve always loved music, so I was banging on pots and pans with spoons, but I only started rapping at the end of freshman year,” Maddox said. “I would be free styling with my friends and they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re pretty good at that.’ So I stuck with it. I started writing music and getting good at it.” Some students have always loved making music, while others have picked it up more recently. Horwitz first started rapping just for fun. “In the beginning, I would search hip hop beat and then do the first one on purpose to be funny,” Horwitz said. “But like I felt bad about that after a while. So then I downloaded garage band and I tried to make a few beats and then I realized that like being a musician is actually a thing and you can’t just decide to do it one day. So I had to hone my skills. Being a producer is a whole world in and of itself.” A student SoundCloud group named Browniez created their first song for a school project, but decided to keep making music after the project was over. “We started in our freshman year in English class when we had to do a project. We were supposed to make a song so we made the video and we had fun doing it,” junior Zohair Ali said. “So we thought we’d keep making music.” Like Browniez, many other solo artists enjoy working with others to come up with new, creative ideas. “I like to collaborate with people because I feel like

a lot of the time I dig myself into a rut,” Horwitz said. “I’m not very creative, but when you can bounce your ideas off of someone who you can collaborate with, you each start coming up with ideas that makes the other person come up with ideas.” Some SoundCloud artists make their own beats or have a friend make them for them. “My friend made the beat, he like sent it to me and I put it on this software called Pro Tools and then like I rapped. [Senior] Jack Bowen is featured in the song. Basically we recorded it and then uploaded it onto SoundCloud,” Senior Vincent Young said. Each student’s creative process of making a song is different. “I hear the beat and then once I hear the beat, my imagination just kind of starts flowing in different things, different thoughts come to my head,” Maddox said. “I try to stick to one subject in the beginning and branch off from it and make it a whole song that’s sounds different throughout it, but all relates back to the same thing.” The SoundCloud group, Browniez, works through the night to create their songs. “The wee hours of the night from like 12 to three in the morning, that’s when we get all of our actual work done. So I think it comes to us on the spot,” junior Sebastian Hernandez, a member of Browniez said. SoundCloud artists traditionally have stage names that they publish music under. Maddox’s rap name is Lil Vudu. “Last year everyone was telling me I needed to get a song done because I’ve been free styling, they were getting hyped up. So I was like, ‘I need a rap name,’” Maddox said. “I’m writing in my notebook a bunch of different names, random stuff with lil in front of it. And I go home, I turn on the TV and I was stumped. I was like, ‘Dang, I can’t think of a name.’ And I see the Vudu streaming services for TV. And I was like, ‘Whoa, Lil Vudu.’ And it just stuck with me and I liked it.” Each student interviewed by the Lancer said they plan on making more music in the future. Senior Ryan Falcone, whose SoundCloud name is Lil Jabronie, plans to continue learning more about making music after he graduates. “I’m going to Moorpark [College] and doing their music program for a couple years,” Falcone said.

YASH PATKI, SEBASTIAN HERNANDEZ, ZOHAIR ALI

BROWNIEZ

scan with camera to listen to “DREAMS”

ENTERTAINMENT

STREAMING TAKEOVER In the past few years, cable television subscribers have been on the decline while subscribers of streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Youtube Red have been on the rise.

Alongside licensed content, Netlfix has their own shows called “Netflix Originals.” They have released popular shows like “Stranger Things,” “American Vandal,” “Orange is the new Black,” and “Black Mirror” which range from different genres for the users preference.

Similar to Netflix, Hulu has their own original shows as well. A few hits are “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Harlots,” and “Difficult People.” On “Rotten Tomatoes,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” received 91%, “Harlots” received 97%, and “Difficult People gained a 95% rating.

DYLAN YOON

Entertainment Editor

As of recently, streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and Youtube Red have become increasingly popular. On the contrary, cable/ satellite television is slowly on the decline. In an article by “Statista,” The subscriber count of Netflix grew from less than 23 million in 2011 to over 130 million in 2018. Nevertheless, in 2018, cable television companies have noticed signs of decreasing subscriber count. In an article by “Fortune,” the cable television industry lost 1.2 million viewer subscribers for a total subscriber count of 91 million. As a result of these drawbacks, traditional broadcasting networks such as ESPN present their own paid subscription services in hopes of minimizing profit lost due to the decrease in people watching cable. Teen viewers have similar feelings about cable. A recent survey done by Piper Jaffray showed that 70.7% of teens’ video viewing are on Netflix and Youtube, with cable falling to 16.4%. In a survey completed by 105 students at Thousand Oaks High School, 68.6% of students chose Netflix as their first choice of entertainment service compared to 24.8% of students who chose cable television. On a side note, 10%-12% of students chose Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Youtube Red as their first entertainment choice. Clearly, Netflix is the most popular source of entertainment among teenagers and students in high school. “I prefer Netflix over cable TV because there aren’t any commercials, they have shows from other countries as well as original shows from Netflix, and you don’t have to wait to watch a show like cable. I really enjoy being able to watch a season at once without having to record a show like cable television” senior Ben Chow said. However, even though 68.8% of students choose Netflix as their video streaming service and 82.9% of

students pay for Netflix, 64.8% of student’s families also pay for cable or satellite television. In addition, 28.6% of student’s families pay for Hulu when only 11.4% of them chose Hulu to be their main entertainment service. Correspondingly, 56.2% of students pay for Amazon Prime Video when 10.5% of those students chose Amazon Prime Video as their go-to service. Even so, Amazon Prime Video is a feature sprouted by Amazon Prime, a paid subscription including 2-day shipping and music streaming online and offline. There are many reasons why video streaming has become popular. The variety of shows appeals to customers who watch a diverse array of entertainment. The convenience of turning on a show at the click of a button is a step up from waiting until Tuesday nights to watch another episode of Grey’s Anatomy. In addition, these services do not have commercials which television and many free services have. Many services allow customers to pay for certain features and preferences helping them save money. Recommendations can be made by the app based on what you have watched. The cost of these services are affordable and average $10 per month while cable television can range from $30-$80. Finding a streaming service that fits your taste is not difficult. Each service has their own features and if the current services don’t appeal to you, there are many more in the making. Disney is coming up with Disney+ where many family friendly brands and movies will be presented. Other companies such as Apple, Facebook, DC Universe, Warner Media, Walmart through Vudu, another media service that doesn’t work through paid subscription but through movie/ TV show rentals, as well as an alternative streaming service through Amazon will have their own to share. Ultimately, in the future, there will be a decrease in cable television users while large amount of entertainment streaming service users will increase.

Although not as popular as Netflix and Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and their originals are able to hold their own. On “Rotten Tomatoes,” popular originals such as “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” got a 93%, “Sneaky Pete” received 94%, and “Patriot” acquired 90%.

Youtube Red have their own original shows which feature many youtube creators looking to continue series or make a new show from scratch. Popular movies and shows include, “Cobra Kai,” “The Thinning,” “Single by 30,” and “Rhett and Link’s Buddy System.”

ALL GRAPHICS » DYLAN YOON AND REBECCA TARBET » THE LANCER

IN-FOCUS

Risky Business As internet use and popularity increases, it brings along a host of wide spread and often dangerous challenges, ranging from the ALS ice bucket challenge which raised millions of dollars for charity, to the cinnamon challenge which left countless people in the hospital. There is no end to the things people will do for social media exposure. Unfortunately as social media has matured, it has spawned dangerous and risky performances from people at home.

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IN-FOCUS

Tide Pod Challenge In 2012, Proctor and Gamble released a new product called Tide Pods. As soon as they hit the market the public realized there was something different about them. Their size, color, and shape make them tantalizing, and much to the dismay of the company people wanted to see if they tasted as good as they looked. This eventually crossed the line from social media to YouTube and other video outlets. YouTubers hungry for views began to realize there was an opportunity. Videos began appearing online showing people, oftentimes kids biting into the detergent pods while their friend films them. More often than not it ended with choking and spitting out what was left. Unfortunately in some cases ingestion of these sent people to the emergency room due to how poisonous they are. Upon contact with cells in the mouth and throat the extremely high pH kills them instantly causing a burning sensation which could last hours or even days. Swelling occurs as a natural immune response and, upon the gel hitting your throat it could cause it to constrict causing difficulties breathing.

Bird Box Challenge

ALS Ice Bucket

On Dec. 21st, 2018, streaming service Netflix released a movie titled Bird Box. The movie garnered 26 million viewers in 7 days, an all time record for Netflix. Internet and social media played a huge part in this as word spread quickly helped along by constant media exposure. In the weeks following the debut of the movie on Netflix, police all over the country began receiving calls for cars wrecks, falls, and other accidents directly related to a person or persons wearing a blindfold. This new challenge, dubbed the Bird Box Challenge calls on people to don a blindfold an attempt an activity, or go through a entire day without the help of their eyes. In the movie the main character is subject to a world where if her blindfold is removed she is in danger of of being controlled and killed by a supernatural force.

Cinnamon Challenge As of Aug. 2012, there were over 50,000 videos online of youth attempting the internet dare. With consequences ranging from collapsed lungs to asthma and in some cases even death. Hospitalization occurred often and the Poison control center fielded 178 calls during this year. While most effects affects, there were reports of long lasting asthma-like symptoms and inflammation of the airway. People with pre-existing asthma or allergies to cinnamon were at a much greater risk of irreparable damage occurring. With so much internet and even news coverage, this challenge persists even today, although it does not carry the same weight as it once did.

The Ice Bucket Challenge raised more than $115 million for the ALS association. With this money funds were designated to research, patients, and community services. The challenge itself consists of taking a bucket of water and ice and pouring it on yourself, or a friend. There are thousands of videos of people accomplishing this in different ways, including using a dump truck to pour the water. Famous people who participated in this including billionaire Bill Gates, former President George W. Bush, golfer Greg Norman, and news anchor Matt Lauer. ALS, also known as amytrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurogenerative disease affecting cells in the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include stiffness of muscles, muscle twitching and weakness which cause difficulty speaking, swallowing and as time passes, difficulty breathing as well. Although unknown, some scientists believe the disease stema from genetics. There is no known cure for ALS. With awareness and occurrences of the disease increasing, it called for more research and care which requires more money.

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FEATURES

FORWARD THINKING Lotte Bezemer, athlete, scholar, and researcher speaks about her accomplisments. SIERRA SMITH

Features Editor

Balancing extracurricular activities and school is hard enough, but adding in thinking about colleges and test scores, things get complicated. Just imagine if some of that stress could go away after receiving a perfect score on the ACT. Senior Lotte Bezemer has done exactly that. Getting a perfect score of 36 on all four sections of the ACT is one task, but getting into college is a completely different accomplishment. Bezemer is currently awaiting responses from several colleges, her top picks being Swarthmore College, and the University College of Utrecht in the Netherlands. “To be completely honest I have absolutely no clue where [to go]” Bezemer said. “It depends on what colleges I get into but even if I get into every school I applied to I don’t think I could choose.” Colleges look at several things, test scores, GPA’s and transcripts, what activities a student is involved with outside of academics, and handling all of this at once shows commitment and reliability. Bezemer is involved in several activities including the health science majors, The Center for Advanced Studies and Research, and varsity swim for all four years in high school. Bezemer’s work ethic was clear when she entered high school, coming onto a varsity team as a freshman is difficult, but becoming a leader out of it is even harder. “When she showed up her freshman year, she had swam for a smaller club that most of the time gets overlooked,” Smith said. “Just the way that she went about her practicing and handling of her own business she was the only girl, a freshmen in a lane of all senior boys.” Not only does her personality stand out, but her work ethic is something that contributed to the success outside the pool. “It took me a while to figure out how to manage my time but I think that at some point I was forced to learn time management. I wouldn’t have much time to do homework since most of my day was taken up by school and swim,” Bezemer said. “Eventually I figured out what motivated me to actually work on my homework and get it done faster.” A lot of preparation goes into taking the ACT or SAT, everyone goes into it with a different mind set, whether it be the mentality of success or with completely no preparation at all. “I took the ACT for the first time without studying. It helped me get a feel of what the test was and how much time I had for each section,” Bezemer said. “I also figured out that I liked the ACT a lot better than the SAT so I focused on that test.” Each year about 4,500 seniors living in the U.S. are selected based on their test scores to have an opportunity to attend the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Out of that,160 students are chosen based on an application process listing extracurriculars and an essay. Bezemer is currently going through this application process. Research is required for the submission, for the past two years Bezemer has been working on her Center project pertaining to the analysis of prison programs to see how effectively they promote rehabilitation. Currently she is researching how it imminates to access therapy and classes remotely to reduce prison recidivism rates.

“I’m impressed by Lotte’s long term commitment to her project,” McGinnis said. “She realizes that bringing her vision to reality will require years of dedication, and she is fully willing to devote the time and energy necessary to improving inmates’ lives.” With the assistance of Dr.Lucas, a professor at CLU, Bezemer is looking to tour a prison with Dr.Lucas’s class and strive toward achieving her long term goal. Each of these components is going to contribute to her acceptance into the program. PHOTO » CORNERSTONE PHOTOGRAPHY» WITH PERMISSION The program was established in 1964 by Executive Order of the President to recognize accomplished graduating seniors. The selected scholars are invited to Washington, DC in June for the National Recognition Program, to celebrate and receive the Presidential Scholars Medallion. “The 160 seniors that end up going to Washington DC recieve a medal of recognition for their achievements in a variety of different areas,” Bezemer said. “They go on the trip in June and receive their medallion at a White House sponsored ceremony.” If accepted into the program, several future endeavors could benefit. Past recipients have gone on to pursue careers as ministers, military officers, state governors, star in movies and even go on to win Pulitzer Prizes. “I’m sure it will look good on resumes and just in general but more importantly it’ll help me grow as a person,” Bezemer said. “I would love to learn more about the experiences of different people throughout the county and I think it PHOTO » NATALIE DULANSKY» THE LANCER would really change me “She realizes that for the better.” bringing her vision to Her career path is currently unknown, but reality will require years chemistry and computof dedication, and she is er science currently interest her. Other fully willing to devote the areas like sociology time and energy necessary and humanities interest her as to improving inmates’ lives.” well, but she is —FELIX McGINNIS moving forward with an open mind. GOAL SETTER — (Top) Lotte Bezemer posses for her senior pictures in her TOHS swim cap and club jacket. (Middle) Bezemer practices presenting her research. (Bottom) Bezemer swims freestyle at a meet.

PHOTO » JEROEN BEZEMER » WITH PERMISSION

FEATURES

Faith Through Fellowship

STUDENTS COME TOGETHER — (Bottom Left) Teacher Michael Flores speaks to the club about love and God at a meeting. (Bottom Right) Students play an icebreaker game involving rock, paper, scissors that was arranged by the leaders.

Student leaders of Fellowship of Christain Athletes work together to unite students in faith every Tuesday on the pool deck. SOPHIE CRIVIER

Features Editor

Every Tuesday at lunch, there is a place Lancers go to eat pizza, make friends and most importantly stay connected to God with other Christians. Fellowship of Christian Athletes, or FCA, is a club at Thousand Oaks High School with the purpose of giving Christian and non-Christian athletes a place to connect and share their experiences and faith with their peers. “Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a club on campus that is a national organization for athletes and other students that want to come here to learn about the Christian faith and be supported by their friends, teachers, and youth pastures, and other coaches that want to encourage them in their faith,” Mrs. Smith, FCA’s advisor, said. FCA.org, the organization’s website, outlines the intentions of the club. “The mission [is] to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Our relationships will demonstrate steadfast commitment to Jesus Christ and His Word through integrity, teamwork, and excellence,” it says at the FCA website. It is a large organization that was started in 1954 and has chapters in hundreds of high schools and colleges around the United States. “FCA is a really big club, so many schools have FCAs, Cal Luthren has one, almost every school in our district has FCA, and it’s this big organization that goes to schools and asks them for leaders to create a club,” Reagan Coger, a sophomore FCA leader, said. At TOHS, the club is run by nine student leaders with their advisor, and every Tuesday on the pool deck, everyone gathers to talk and listen to a speaker. “We meet every tuesday and we have local youth pastures in town, students we interview to tell us about their story, and teachers and coaches come to speak,” Smith said. “Mr. Park, for example, comes every February and tells his story.” The student leaders also plan games and icebreaker

activities to bring everyone together. “Usually we play a game at the beginning and they’re pretty fun because the leaders plan them ahead of time. Then we eat pizza, which is free, so a lot of people like that. We usually have a speaker or we get into groups and talk about our week and problems or struggles we’re going through,” Coger said. “We get to talk about it with people and have a group of people who you know are there for you.” Each week, 20-120 people show up, and get advice from other Christians. “We have a different speaker every week from different churches. Usually it’s a person like a pastor,” Jesika Magallanes, a junior FCA leader, said. As much as the speakers talk about religion, they also talk on subjects that are helpful to students and chosen by the leaders. “We give them topics like anxiety, or different topics that maybe people are struggling with that we hear when people come to us with a problem. A common theme is anxiety, being busy, worrying, or not being able to trust. We have certain topics that we hear from people and we ask speakers to speak on these things. We’ll tell them the theme of the week based off what people talk to us about,” Coger said. Lancers in the club enjoy it for many reasons, but most agree their favorite part is talking with other students like them. “My favorite part is meeting new people and building relationships and friendships with them,” Magallanes said. “It’s really helpful in my faith because in school I’d say 80% of the people are not Christian, and so to be able to come at lunch and be with other Christians it’s really helpful and encouraging.” FCA leaders are always there to talk to other students to give advice and words of encouragement. “I’ve had a lot of people come up to me and talk to me saying ‘I’ve struggled in this area, can you pray for me or help me,’” Coger said. “You can really get close to them, and be their friend and be able to talk to them about what’s going on in your life. It’s just a great way to get closer to people and talk to them.”

“I wanted to be part of this club because it’s really helpful in my faith. My favorite part is meeting new people and building relationships and friendships with them.” —junior JESIKA MAGALLANES

“The purpose of FCA is to create a community of Christian Athletes on this campus and to spread the word of Jesus to people who may not know it through that connection.” —junior NICK DITTO

“I love seeing so many people you wouldn’t expect to come to a Christian club actually engaging with people. A bunch of different groups on campus can all come together and be united under one thing.” ALL PHOTOS » SOPHIE CRIVIER » THE LANCER

—junior KATIE MESSER

FEATURES

EVERY LANCER HAS A STORY Every Lancer Has A Story is a reoccurring feature in The Lancer about students who are selected on campus at different times and places. Each student is asked a different question about their unique life experiences.

Shareef Berry, 10

Gaby Aburzura, 10

THE LANCER: If you were in the Olympics what event would you compete in?

THE LANCER: If you could change your name to anything, what would you change it to and why?

SHAREEF BERRY: I would compete in track and field. I like to run. I also like to watch basketball because it’s fun. That could be fun to compete in.

GABY ABURZURA: I would pick the name Summer because it’s unique, calm, and to me it seems like a go with the flow kind of name. OTOS

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Sergio Lopez, 9

THE LANCER: If aliens landed on earth today and asked you to come home with them, what would you do and why? SERGIO LOPEZ: I think I would choose to go with them just to see wht kinds of things they do.

cia n e l a V achel

THE LANCER: If you could choose an age to stay at forever, what age would you choose and why?

THE LANCER: When you die what is something that you want to be remembered for?

THE LANCER: What is something that someone could wear to make you walk out on them on a date?

KATE ELAM: Maybe retirement, so age 65, because I don’t have to go to work and I would just be chilling.

HAYDEN GIVEN: I haven’t really been thinking about dying so I don’t really know what to be remembered for yet.

RACHEL VALENCIA: Probably overalls, but dirty ones, I feel like it shows that they don’t care.

Sam

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, 10 a m e d A Darby

Peter

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THE LANCER: If you had to delete all the additional apps but one your phone, which ones would you keep and why?

THE LANCER: If you could be any vegitable what would you be and why?

THE LANCER: If you could meet any historical figure, who would you meet and why?

SAM PURMER: YouTube because I watch a lot of YouTube. Instagram to stay connected with firends, because sometimes I don’t talk to them a lot. The browser is probably default, so I guess just a game to pass the time.

DARBY ADEMA: There are a lot of vegitables, maybe a squash because they are colorful, but no that’s not me. Corn, it has a yellowish tinge, it feels like me. Corn is a little leafy, definetly me. You have to search for the right corn out of a field.

PETER NESHEIWAT: Lebron James and Selena Gomez, 100 percent. That is because Lebron is the best basketball player who has ever stepped foot on the court and Selena is the most beautiful woman to ever step foot on the world.