Issue 1, 2019-2020 by The Lancer

the

LANCER

Volume LVII, Issue 1 » October 4, 2019 » Thousand Oaks High School » 2323 N. Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 » www.tohsthelancer.org » thelancer.tohs@gmail.com » Circulation 2,056

I PROMISE... By putting aside differences and focusing on the importance of human life and safe education, the Sandy Hook Promise hopes to unite people to prevent gun violence and the loss of lives. pgs. 12-15

ARTWORK » SOPHIE CRIVIER » THE LANCER

(MENTAL) HELP WANTED

MUSICAL.LY WHO?

INVOLVE. ACCEPT. INSPIRE.

Mental Health support and awareness is essential to Generation Z.

Formerly Musical.ly, the app, Tik Tok has risen to popularity among all ages.

ASB now includes two students from the special needs program.

pg. 7

pg. 11

pg. 17

EDITORIAL

STAFF EDITORIAL

iPhone Epidemic

Hits and Misses What’s Up and Down with The Lancer Hit: It’s Homecoming week! Get your dance moves ready Lancers.

Miss: AP sign ups are in October this year. It’s either commit or quit.

Hit: It’s officially Fall, which also means it’s almost time for Halloween. Stay spooky, Lancers.

GRAPHIC » CHLOE BUSCHOW » THE LANCER

Is it worth it to buy a new iPhone every year? EDITORIAL BOARD

yes

abstain

The Apple Gods have risen and another iPhone has found its way into the pockets of people worldwide. On Sept. 20th, the iPhone 11, equipped with three cameras, was released to the public. Empty those pockets because the cheapest model retails for $699. Who needs groceries when you own the latest iPhone? There are two types of people that constantly buy the newest technology: The technology gurus and the ‘clout chasers’. Whether you chase the newest products or not, the question remains the same: is it worth it? Is it worth it to drop what can be an entire paycheck on a device that includes updates unnoticeable by the naked eye? Let’s break this down. The first iPhone came out in 2007 and since then there has been 20 models ranging in size and abilities. The original iPhone did not include an app store, copy and paste or landscape mode. The camera could not take videos and the wallpaper had to remain black. Since then, Apple has introduced features such as Siri and facial recognition. Soon enough Apple products were capable of many of the same tasks as computers. The iPhone 11 has an ultra wide lens, night mode that brightens photos in lowlight and a next-generation Smart HDR. The video quality is improved, and the front-facing camera has wide-angle selfie support when the phone is in landscape mode. Additionally, the iPhone 11 is powered by Apple’s fastest processor yet. Simply stated, the new iPhone has better camera quality and is faster than older generations. Therefore, if photography lights your fire, then buy the new iPhone, if not save money.

Many argue that the past few generations of iPhones have had little to no revolutionary changes. Majority of people only consistently buy the modernized iPhone in order to vamp up their portrayed image because it has become a social norm to stay updated with technological advances. Only 20 years ago phones were made with one purpose: communication. At the end of the day, all iPhones are used for the same reason, so constantly updating is absurd. Society has evolved so much that owning the cutting-edge gadget feels necessary for everyday life. If we have lived for so long with single use phones, then it’s strange that we can no longer function without the fastest phone available. If the phone works, then why waste money on a new one? There were about 218 million iPhone sales in 2018. Think about how many of those phones were purchased based on want rather than need. If people used the $800 they would’ve spent on a new phone and put it towards a charity, the world would be a much better place to live in. Besides the cost of the actual phone, trashing a new phone every year is an environmental cost in itself. Once trashed, the phone’s toxic chemicals seep into the soil of landﬁlls. In fact, electronics account for up to 70% of landﬁlls’ toxic waste. Also, producing iPhones account for 77% of greenhouse emissions. It comes down to this: what is more important, the environment or the speed at which the internet loads? This brings us back to our question: is it worth it to buy a new iPhone every year? The answer is very simple. No.

Miss: The AC went out for the entire district on Sept. 24. Safe to say CVUSD needs to take a chill pill

Hit: Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice drinks are back. Now all the VSCO girls can get their Fall fix-sksksk.

Miss: The Freshmen won the first rally of the year. Guess it really wasn’t the Seniors’ house this time.

Hit: There is no school the day after Halloween this year. No more sugar crashes during class!

THE LANCER STAFF 2019-2020 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ENTERTAINMENT

IN-FOCUS

BUSINESS MANAGER

Natalie Venable

Sierra Smith Millie Alba-Sommers Charlette Fetch Darby Adema Grace Marshall

Cooper Goyette Sydney Hale Madeline Convoy

ARTISTS

NEWS Ally Melton Molly Norton Finn Swanson

FEATURES OPINION Tanner Patterson Taylor Olgin Devyn Wagner Grace Williams

Sophie Crivier Nola Valdez Rose Wang Andrea Balcan Gabrielle Lopez Kendall Flemming

SPORTS Micah Rodriguez Isabella Moreno Kianna Porter Aiden Marschner

Anna Norton

Sophie Crivier Sierra Smith Kendall Flemming

PHOTOGRAPHER Ryan Hong

WEBSITE EDITORS

COPY EDITOR

Bella Bent Ryan Schefferine

Lucas Langford

ADVISER Tasha Beaudoin

The Lancer is the official school publication of Thousand Oaks High School, created and produced by students in Advanced Journalism. This publication as well as additional stories can be found online at tohsthelancer. org. The Lancer reserves the right to refuse advertising deemed inappropriate for high school publication. Guest editorials and “Letters to the Editor” are welcome, but must be signed and are subject to editing for length, libel, obscenity and grammar. They can be sent to thelancer.tohs@gmail.com. The Lancer is a member of the Journalism Education Association (JEA), National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) and NSPA All-American Hall of Fame.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.tohsthelancer.org

NEWS

Off Campus Pass What’s happening The Emmys The Emmys, an awards ceremony for television programs, aired on Sept. 14, 2019. This year was the fourth time in history that the program decided not to have a host after comedian Kevin Hart was ﬁred from the position due to homophobic posts on Twitter resurfacing. Some of the winners include “Game of Thrones,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and “Fleabag.” “Game of Thrones” won Outstanding Drama Series. This year marked its series ﬁnale and the last year it would be nominated for an award. PHOTO » FLICKR.COM SOURCE » EMMYS.COM

The Area 51 Raid The Area 51 raid was started by Matty Roberts, a 21-year-old college student from California. In June, 2019, Roberts started a Facebook event titled “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us.” Over two million people got on board with the event and agreed to infiltrate the base on Sept. 20, 2019. The raid had become so well-known that the US Air Force warned people not to try and invade the area. The event’s purpose was to find the mysterious extraterrestrials that are supposedly hidden in the military base. About 3,000 people showed up and three were arrested. However, nobody ended up finding an alien or getting far into Area 51.

PHOTO » NEWSCIENTIST.COM

SOURCE » CNET.COM

Vaping-Related Illness As of Sept. 26, there have been 805 cases of a lung illness reported in 46 states and 1 U.S. territory. Twelve people are dead. Officials believe that the cause is the chemicals a person inhales while vaping. In response, the Trump administration said it would ban the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes. Michigan has already banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, with several states considering similar legislature. The Food and Drug Administration has said they would be creating a plan to remove flavored e-cigs from the market within the next few weeks. PHOTO » WIKIMEDIA.ORG SOURCE » CDC.GOV SOURCE » NYTIMES.COM

College Admissions Scandal Update Back in March, the Department of Justice investigated the largest college admissions cheating scam in history. The charges were against 50 people. Two were “Desperate Housewife” star Felicity Huffman and “Fuller House” star Lori Loughlin. Huffman’s court hearing on Friday, Sept. 13th ended with a sentence of 14 days in prison. She must also pay a $30,000 ﬁne, complete 250 hours of community service, and serve one year of probation. Huffman claims full responsibility for her actions and says she even feels remorse for her actions. PHOTO » MARKETWATCH.COM S0URCE » ABCNEWS.GO.COM

Presidential Impeachment Inquiry Sept. 24th, 2019 marks the fourth day in American history that the House of Representatives declared the launch of a formal impeachment inquiry on the President of the United States. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made the announcement after President Trump admitted to asking Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky to look into democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter on a phone call. He allegedly threatened to withhold military assistance from the Ukraine if Zelensky refused. But, for the impeachment to happen, two-thirds of the Senate also need to vote for impeaching him. PHOTO » BBC.COM SOURCE » VOX.COM

NEWS

College Experie nce O n a Hig h Schoo l Stage With a new school year underway, college credit is offered in the theater program due to a change in management. ALLY MELTON

A TASTE OF COLLEGE— (Top Right) Students laugh and joke around while practicing for the fall play, “The Hope and Heartache Diner.” (Bottom) Students rehearse of scene from the play in the Performing Arts Center.

News Editor

“The Hope and Heartache Diner”: a story about a high school student leaving for college and the fear that comes with the process. Students in the theater program at Thousand Oaks High School will be putting on this play in November. This year, the theater program is a part of dual enrollment. Students playing a part in the play or taking a theater-class will now get college credit for these courses. The CVUSD school district partners with Moorpark College to offer classes that count for college credit. In the past, TOHS has offered a statistics class. This year is the first time that theater classes have been a part of this program. “We were having difficulty finding a teacher that was...qualified to teach theater programs, [so] we reached out to Moorpark College,” Assistant principal of activities, Kristi Hronek, said. Moorpark College agreed to have some of their college professors run the theater program at TOHS. The classes offered are the theater acting and stagecraft classes. One can also get college credits by being a part of the play. A student who is taking a class that is a part of the dual enrollment program receives three college credits. Even if the student does not attend Moorpark College, he or she can take the credits he or she earned and still try to apply them to the corresponding programs at another school.

College-level classes oﬀered in high school can be an asset to students. “Taking college classes in high school...shows that you’re challenging yourself in terms of academic rigor...One of the best ways to determine if you’re gonna be successful in college classes is to take college classes and be successful,” Hronek said. But dual enrollment is not the only new thing in the theater program this year. Freshman Aran Denis will be playing the lead role of the play, Felix Brown. In previous years, upperclassmen played lead roles while the underclassmen had to wait their turn for the spotlight. Denis said she did not expect to be cast as the lead. Yet, in this play, Denis will be the star. “I went into the audition and I felt I did good and then..I checked the cast list the morning after and I was freaking out,” Denis said. “The Hope and Heartache Diner” is a tale of a student in their senior year. Play director Nicholas Pappas chose it for the way its story line connects to a student’s life and how relatable the feelings of the main character are. “I had to ﬁnd a play that...was...really lovely [and] that...spoke to not only me...but...[also] to a high school audience,” Pappas said. The dual enrollment program gives students the chance to earn college credits and show they are serious about their education, while still taking a class that they enjoy. Joining the theater program can also help build new skills that will last a lifetime.

NEWS

A Space to Take A Break After many surveys and plans, the newest addition to the Grant Brimhall library has finally been completed. MOLLY NORTON FINN SWANSON

News Editors

The main mission of the Grant Brimhall library is to help teens ﬁnd a quiet and relaxing space for homework and socializing. Opened on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, the new teen space ﬁlled with core literature books, crafts, as well as movie and music streaming. The space also provides AP and SAT study resources and online tutoring, giving students a space for academics as well. The area was built after various surveys to teens about what they would like added to the library, keeping the results in mind. Even after the opening,the library keeps teens’ opinions involved. Each table in the space is covered in sticky notes from teens of their art, favorite actresses or actors, and favorite books. Charlotte Burrows, the children’s service supervisor, and Kareena Kiefer, the young adult services and teen librarian, wrote the grant, “Maximizing Learning Spaces” for this area to be created. The original teen space was hidden behind shelves, with what Kiefer believed were clunky tables and uncomfortable seating. Kiefer was motivated to make something better. Kiefer wanted teens to be able to discover new stories and books. “We would love to have teens feel comfortable coming to this area.” Kiefer said, “Comfortable reading, comfortable studying, feeling like they have a place of their own because when you go to the children’s side it’s for children and if you go to the adult’s side it’s for adults like there wasn’t really a space for the teens that was theirs.” The adult side of the library can be intimidating to some, and we no longer belong in the kids section.

PHOTO » FINN SWANSON » THE LANCER

The new space aims to make a welcoming area for teens and their friends to relax, study, or find new stories. A student volunteering at the event, Riya Bhamre, freshman, was pleased that the library wanted to focus on this issue. “Well I think it’s a really good idea where teens can socialize with others and come together to get all their work done and make new friends at the same time.” Bhamre said. Sometimes the library can be perceived as a space where we need to be quiet and distance ourselves from our friends and social life, but the new Thousand Oaks library teen area allows time for both work and socializing The new space is a mix of academics, art, as well as relaxing. The opening was attended by many important members of the library as well as our community, including Thousand Oaks mayor Rob McCoy and Grant R. Brimhall, former city manager and the library’s namesake. “I think it’s fabulous.” Brimhall said, “Teens are the next generation of thinkers and do-ers, and they’re gonna change things that need to be changed, keep things that need to be kept, and be smart enough to figure out which is which.” It is crucial that the teens of our town are provided with the right resources to impact our future in a positive way, and many people, such as Brimhall, feel the library is the perfect place for this. The teens in our community are sure to pave the path of our future with the access to these recourses. Built for teens, with the help of teens, the academic resources and places to relax in the new library space are sure to benefit our generation.

“This is library country.” —GRANT BRIMHALL

RESOURCES FOR SUCCESS— (Bottom) Among the teen space’s options there’s button making, study recourses, and online film and music streaming. (Top) Brimhall poses with six of his seven grandchildren or the ‘celestial seven’ as he calls them.

OPINION

... That’s Debatable Should the use of class phone pockets be mandated for teachers? This school year, teachers were offered free phone pockets for their classrooms in an attempt to crack down on student cell phone usage during class. While many teachers have implemented the use of them in their classerooms, others refused the option to recieve one.

YES

Phone pockets will help students stay focused in class.

Phone pockets are unnecessaryfor high schoolers.

GRACE WILLIAMS

DEVYN WAGNER

Opinion Editor

This year some teachers began using phone pockets to control cell phone use during class. Since the start of this new system, there have been some mixed opinions on them. The new phone pockets may seem all bad but the benefits far outway the inconvenience. A study done by The London School of Economics in 2015 revealed that when schools banned phone use, students’ test scores were increasingly higher. The students whose test scores benefited the most were the ones with the lowest test scores before the phone ban. Phones can be extremely distracting to students during class and clearly have a large impact on students’ grades. The phone pockets may sound unnecessary for high school students but they could help increase students’ success in school. In a more recent study in late 2018 by Rutgers University, researchers found that when students were allowed to use their phones for non-classroom resources in class they scored half a letter grade lower on tests and quizzes than students who were not allowed to use cellphones in class. To make matters worse, the students who did not use their phones but were in the same room as those who did also had significantly lower test and quiz scores. Concerns have been raised about whether placing phones in phone pockets might have the phones at risk for theft. However, if the phone pockets are well placed in a visible location, stealing a phone would be very difficult. Thousand Oaks High School English teacher Heather Austin has been using the phone pockets for three years now, and has never had a problem with cellphone theft. Even though the phone pockets may seem annoying it is much better than having the school ban phone use all together. The phone pockets allow students to still have their phones during breaks and at lunch just not during class. This way students still have the freedom to use their phones at school outside of class time.

60% of American Snapchat users are under 25 year of age

57% teens agree that using social media distracts them when they should be doing homework

75% of students believe using personal devices in class improves their ability to learn

72% of teens go on Instagram every day

18% of teens say phones make them feel better about themselves

94% of students want to be able to use their phones for academic purposes during class

25% of teens say phones make them feel less lonely

SOURCE » CAMPUSTECHNOLOGY.COM SOURCE » SMARTSOCIAL.COM GRAPHICS » KENDALL FLEMMING » THE LANCER

29% of teen smartphone owners say they’ve been woken up at night by a notification

Opinion Editor

Believe me, I completely understand taking elementary and middle school student’s phones and keeping them in pockets for class. Yet, we are not middle or elementary school students anymore. A survey done by the CDC shows that 76.3% of students older than 16 are driving in the United States. So, if we trust students to stay oﬀ of their phones while driving, we should trust them to stay oﬀ of them in class as well. Phones are a distraction in class, and whether texting or on social media it is important for them to be away, but it should be our responsibility as young adults to keep it that way. Also, for those of us who are choosing us to go to college in the next few years, professors are not going to have phone pockets to keep us away from our devices. Can we also talk about how crowded the door gets before and after class? People are in a rush to get to their seats or out of them, so having a wall of phones is not the greatest idea. People are pushing, shoving, and grabbing other’s phones which is not exactly the class behavior that teachers want in their room. I even remember my phone being mistaken for someone else’s and almost leaving the classroom with no phoneless. Also, having your phone in a bag for class can only lead to losing it at some point. Phones are expensive and should be in a safe place if kept at all. Teachers are putting valuable electronics in little pockets for a long period of time, thus damage happening is inevitable. High schoolers have a lot on their minds as well, so forgetting phones in classrooms is much easier than it may seem. Finally, phone pockets are not ideal for the high school classroom. We should be responsible for own phones. They can be helpful for the learning process as well, for example taking pictures of assignments and notes that we need for the class. All in all, our devices are best used and taken care of in our own possession, and without the use of phone pockets.

OPINION

MENTAL

MISUNDERSTANDING

17%

Of high school students reported to have had suicidal thoughts

Mental health has become one of the controversial topics of our generation, but despite record numbers of mental illness, schools have generally failed to adapt to it.

Of high school students reported to have attempted suicide

1.9 Million TANNER PATTERSON

Opinion Editor

you won’t find the words “mental health” mentioned nearly as often as anything regarding the firearm used in the shooting. Schools need to focus on the mental health of their students nearly as much as anything else. The types of massacres committed by the two names I listed may be few and far between, but they prove the sheer importance of identifying and hopefully eliminating red flags in a students behavior, both on and off campus. It’s literally life or death in these cases. It doesn’t matter if it’s minor family problems at home or something major with the potential to cause homicidal thoughts, every student’s mental health needs to be taken seriously. Smaller mental issues have the ability to snowball into larger ones if not identified early enough in development. This change starts at the top, as the district seems to be shifting its focus towards mental health. Now it’s up the schools to continue taking action. Whether it be hiring multiple professionals to provide students with a place to talk, or simply raising awareness around campus about what to do if a student shows signs of being mental illness. Proper human interaction, specifically with a trustworthy adult, is an easy and effective way to help students through four years of one of the most stressful times of their lives. With the mental weight of tests and college applications, providing students with a place to comfortably share their mental struggles is important for all schools.

“Smaller mental issues have the ability to snowball into larger ones if not indentified early enough in development...

“When the relationship with a parent is not there, schools simply do not have the infastructure right now to fill that void.”

GRAPHIC » TANNER PATTERSON » THE LANCER SOURCE » CDC.GOV SOURCE » HHS.GOV

In a world of overmedication and a generally apathetic attitude towards the mental health of teenagers, high schools across the nation sit nearly silent as students hide their psychological issues under the disguise of teenage angst and relatable struggles. Time and time again mental issues are pushed under the rug in fear of judgement from peers. Many students come to school without a comfortable place to share their home and social struggles. School counselors are intended to fill this position, but it feels more like a part of the fine print of their job description rather than one of their main responsibilities. “I feel equipped to help students in need. Our job as counselors is to create a safe place on campus for all of our students to feel comfortable expressing how they feel,” counselor Darla Scott said. They do a great job with what they are given in terms of prior training, but you can’t help but think it’s unfair to place both the schedules and the mental wellbeing of an entire school on a group of 5 people. That’s not to say counselors don’t provide adequate support for many students, but it’s a mutual trust connection with an adult that so many students also lack. When the relationship with a parent is not there, schools simply do not have the infrastructure right now to fill that void, a void that is arguably just as important as education itself. “We are very aware of the importance of taking care of [students] mental health and we try to get that message to students, teachers, and faculty,” Scott said. On a larger scale than just our school, many say that the mental health of students on campus isn’t worth focusing on compared to academics and athletics, but it only takes a few names to remind someone of its vital importance: Eric Harris. Dylan Klebold. These are the names of the two Columbine shooters. Extreme examples, yes, but in a sea of controversy about semi-automatic weapons and gun control,

Minors have diagnosed depression

ACCESS Ackerman College Counseling and Educational Support Helps Students: Develop Extra Curricular Activities Resume Compose and Edit Outstanding Admissions Essays Navigate Financial Aid Create an Appropriate list of Schools at which to Apply

For more information, contact Bill Ackerman (818).371.4956 accesscollegecounseling@gmail.com

Since 2001, ACCESS students have S admitted to: Princeton Harvard Stanford Chicago MIT Penn Cornell Washington University in St. Louis Notre Dame Georgetown UCLA Claremont McKenna Wesleyan Virginia Illinois UCSD and many, many more

Last year, his students were admitted to: Brandeis Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Carnegie Mellon Case Western Reserve Clark College The Cooper Union George Washington Georgia Tech Hofstra Indiana University

Juniata Loyola Marymount Loyola University of Chicago Macalester College Michigan Rice UC Irvine USC University of Washington Tufts

ENTERTAINMENT

The Magic of Music Thousand Oaks High School welcomed 10 different marching bands each representing their own schools last Saturday night for the annual Sounds of Conejo performance. DARBY ADEMA

Entertainment Editor

The 12th annual Sounds of Conejo that featured 10 local high school marching bands’ performances, took place at Thousand Oaks High School. Sounds of Conejo is a collection of band performances from local high schools, that took place on Sept. 28. The collective performances, coined a “Celebration of Bands” presents a musical extravaganza with an audience from all around Ventura County. Junior Noeloni Ramiscal, an Orchestra band member and Sounds of Conejo volunteer, said that “Sounds of Conejo is a way to let highschools run through their performance in front of an audience.” The community-centered event additionally displays the efforts of the bands, and various songs that they have learned and practiced. High school bands including Buena, Camarillo, Moorpark, Newbury Park, Oak Park, Oxnard, Royal, Westlake, Saugus and our own Thousand Oaks High School band play and join together at the end for a grand band finale. “At the end of the Sounds of Conejo everyone comes together in this giant mass band and play.” Ramiscal said. The Sounds of Conejo performance was an opportunity for family and friends to gather together around music. Bands were also able to watch each other perform, while first year band members to gain experience playing in front of a crowd. Also, senior and Drum Major Jackson Waters said “ At Sounds of Conejo we got to show other bands and schools all the work and hours we put in to perform an 8 minute show.” The 8 minute show displays the students’ accomplishments and refined skills with each musical piece. The Thousand Oaks High School marching band’s participation in Sounds of Conejo kicks off the start of band competition season, which begining early fall.

The Sounds of Conejo event allows schools that would not compete against each other due to their placement in different leagues. Band members show what they have learned, with the absence of judging that happen at competitions during the season. Also, Waters said that “in reality we had been prepping since the very beginning of August.” Marching Band, which includes the groups: horns, color guard, and percussion, begin preparing for fall season starting on Aug 5. Marching Band performs during Friday night football games, and play at field show competitions at the local, state, and national level. The marching band has been renowned at the local and state level for their performances. This year, the Thousand Oaks High School Marching Band performed the songs “I Put A Spell On You,” “Saber Dance,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” and “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” in tune with their theme “What Is Magic?” The band also performed movements on field that resonate with each song. For example, one of the band’s movements was a giant card trick on field correlating with the “What is Magic?” theme. Sounds of Conejo also creates a sense of community with our high school bands in the area. The idea began in 2007 with Mr. Marty Martone, band director, wanting to get fellow bands together. “It was just an opportunity for us to get together and support each other because Newbury Park, Westlake, and Thousand Oaks are all in different divisions.” said Mr. Martone. Sounds of Conejo differed from the football game performances because it devoted three hours to marching bands. “Unlike other sports or activities, while performing in Sounds of Conejo there’s no time outs, there’s no opportunity to run a play for twenty seconds or a minute, gather up and talk about how we’re going to do it,” said Mr. Matone. Saturday showed Thousand Oaks High School’s musical efforts and support of other bands across and outside the Conejo Valley. Marching band competition season began with bang starting with Sounds of Conejo’s grand performance.

ALL PHOTOS » GABBY LOPEZ » THE LANCER ALL GRAPHICS » SIERRA SMITH » THE LANCER

MUSIC MAGIC—(Top) All ten bands come together for the grand finale and perform as the final act. (middle) Colorgaurd prepares to preform.(bottom) Colorguard preforms along side the band during a preformance for another school.

ENTERTAINMENT

Vegan Food, But Faster With many students on campus adopting a vegan diet, The Lancer staff decided to look into vegan fast food options that are close to school and affordable. Unfortunately, what they found was a disappointment. GRACE MACHELL

Entertainment Editor

ALL PHOTOS » DARBY ADEMA » THE LANCER

When people think of vegan food, fastfood deﬁnitely is not what comes to mind. Vegans make food out of soy and other substitutes or just exclude dairy and meat products. Cheese and ground beef are both common ingredients in today’s mainstream fast-food culture, can vegan fast-food cannot qualify as fast-food. Most vegan people make food for themselves partly because there aren’t options at most restaurants that accommodate their diets. According to Matilda Fitzgerald, freshman, “I usually cook everything for myself.” For plant based food to be good quality, it needs to be made with good quality ingredients, some of which aren’t always present in a fastfood restaurant. The closest plant based meal to campus is the, “ thin crusted cheese free pizza from Domino’s, a vegan meal within walking distance. With no cheese, a gluten free crust, and a limited number of toppings, it can’t really compare to a normal pizza. The popular fast food chain Chick-ﬁl-A does not

have a vegan menu, but some of the original options can be modified for vegans by asking for items without dairy products. The Lancer staff tried the Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap at a price of $6.65. To make this wrap vegan, the customer must ask for it without cheese, dressing, or chicken. The restaurant is close to campus and is affordable for students, but vegan options aren’t what they are known for at a chicken based restaurant. The wrap, while healthy, is bland and hard to eat. After stripping it of the non-vegan ingredients, it is nothing but lettuce, beans, corn and flaxseed tortilla. Another vegetarian option that has been floating around the Internet. That you may have heard of is the “Beyond Meat” burger from Carl’s Jr. When ordered without cheese or mayonnaise, it qualifies as vegan. The closest Carl’s Jr location is about one mile away from the TOHS campus. The burger itself is $7.88 after tax, and leaving a fishy aftertaste in your mouth. Mathew Bridges, freshman, says, “I’ve downed a lot of burgers in my life, but [the “beyond meat” burger] was not one of them.” Even if these vegan fast-food items were extremely desirable, those who choose a vegan lifestyle do it for health reasons, allergies, or in order to pursue a healthy lifestyle. “I’m kind of a health nut, so I try to avoid fastfood at all costs,” said Sami Ojha, a Freshman who is vegan by choice. Many of these alternative fast-food items aren’t healthier than the original, and they don’t have the beloved fast food vibe to make up for it. Though vegan fast-food products may be on the rise, it is not the future of vegan cuisine.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT THOUGHT—(top right) The cool Wrap from Chick-fil-A (bottom right) Beyond Meat Burger from Carl’s Junior (bottom left) The Thin Crusted Cheese Free Pizza from Dominos

TIK TOK

ON THE CLOCK

ENTERTAINMENT

While many people long for fame, others use the app purely entertainment. With millions of downloads and high ratings, it’s time to see what the students of TOHS think of it.

Scan with phone’s camera to see Shoy Chen’s profile

Scan with phone’s camera to view Cam and Friends’ profile

#FORYOUPAGE— Sophmore Shoy Chen and Senior Ryan Harris preform a Tik Tok based off Heathers with their friend.

PHOTO » SHOY CHEN » WITH PERMISSION

Scan with phone’s camera to download Tik Tok in the app store

ALL GRAPHICS » SIERRA SMITH » THE LANCER

the creator can earn money. Businesses may not be as prone to sponsor an influencer that isn’t active on many social media accounts. Some ways of sponsorTikTok is a rising app which allows users to post ship are advertising, product placement or collaboratvideos to share with others. Released Aug 2, 2018, it ing with brands. has rapidly gained popularity. TikTok has over a four Music labels can tell creators to use their songs for star rating and is number one on the iPhone app store. promotion. These sponsorships can become successful ByteDance, a company based in China owns TikTok. if other users use the sponsorship brand or song in ByteDance saw success only after buying out the previ- their videos. ous app, Musical.ly. Some TikTok influencers are in ads that show up “I’ve had it since musical.ly so I have basically had it when the app opens or in between videos. This can since it started” said Sophomore, Shelby Smith. attract the creator’s followers to the brand’s product TikTok users upload an array of originally created and therefore the sales can go up. videos, less than a minute in length, ranging from arts TkTok users that are already famous can skip that and entertainment to news and education. Users may process and go to verified creator. These are the people comment, like, save, download or share these videos. who may not have a huge TikTok fan base, but could Users can communicate through messaging within be famous for acting or singing. Some verified creators the app and can even give virtual gifts, which can be you may know are Ariana Grande, Cardi B, Lizzo and purchased with money. The only people Post Malone. TikTokers are able to message are their Users, such as 16 year old Jacob Sartorius “If Tik tok club “friends.” Friends are the people users and college freshmen, Brooklyn and Bailey became a thing we follow and follow the users back. This found their fame on YouTube and utilize would’ve made Tik eliminates the ability to contact a popu- Toks in hopes of TikTok to expand their fan base and cross lar creator or any other stranger people promote. 17 year old TikTok user, Loren going viral.” are not familiar with.. Gray, grew her account to be 33.5 million There are exclusive aspects of TikTok —senior RYAN HARRIS followers strong reaching teen celebrity that incentivise users to gain followers. status, which likely inspires other teens that Once a TikTok participant reaches 1,000 they can reach social media stardom. followers, they have the ability to live The Lancer conducted a student survey stream and earn gifts. Users that follow the famous posing five questions about TOHS TikTok use. While person join the livestreams and watch what that peran overwhelming 98% of those surveyed were familiar son is doing. It is like video chat. You can see the live with the app, 38% reported they did not use it. What is streamer’s face, but they can’t see you. Once someone it about the app that turns people away? has become famous enough on TikTok, they have the “The app needs more variety,” said Ian Adams, option of live streaming to their fans. When on a live Sophomore at Thousand Oaks High School. stream, users can send comments and emojis to the Variety is hard to achieve. Parallel to other popular live streamer. apps, TikTok tracks users’ behavior on the app. Using One way to become TikTok famous is to be an inthis information, TikTok creates a featured page also fluencer. To become an influencer, TikTok participants known as the, For You Page which suggests other need fans that believe in the creator. While someone videos that may interest the user. could be a minor influencer of about 100 people, that “Video ideas are constantly copied, I don’t like will not help them gain money. Some TikTok famous watching people talk about themselves,” said Sophopeople choose to make merchandise. If enough people more Quinn Fetch. buy their product, not only does it help them make a Belonging to the 62% of Lancers who do have the profit but it promotes the creator. app is Ryan Harris, Senior, who wanted to start a Once users become famous, some can collaborate TikTok club this year. with other popular users. This promotes both people “If Tik tok club became a thing we would’ve made and directs fans to another account. TikTok users Tik toks in hopes of going viral,” said Harris. can become a popular creator after meeting certain Fame seems to be the main goal. Becoming a requirements. These requirements are becoming poppopular creator is on almost everybody’s minds. While ular and making a large impact on the platform. The some people want to be creative and share their gifts, staff at TikTok also has to choose the creator as being others hope to get lucky enough to get viral. So, it’s “worthy” of the popular creator status. It doesn’t hurt if personal. The reasons for TikTok’s popularity are not the person happens to already be someone with a large all the same. There would be no way to figure it out following of fans. because not everyone has the same reasons for downSponsored videos show up on TikTok more then loading the app. It’s possible that the mystery will be assumed. By sponsoring a video, both the business and there until a new app arises and grows bigger.

MILLIE ALBA-SOMMERS CHARLOTTE FETCH Entertainment Editors

IN-FOCUS

A Natiowide Promise Since the introduction of the Sandy Hook Promise, over 7,500,000 youth and adults have been trained to recognize and respond to signs that could indicate a possible school shooter.

- Sandy Hook Promise

Over 3,500,000 people have signed up and made the “promise” to do their part in helping and educating on the topic.

-Sandy Hook Promise

Over 1,000 Save Promise Clubs have been created across the country since the start of the initiative. This, along with the 6,400 promise leaders to teach the program, the future is looking brighter for prevention.

-Sandy Hook Promise

ARTWORK » SOPHIE CRIVIER » THE LANCER

IN-FOCUS

A Look Back on Parkland

Since the 1999 Columbine School Shooting there has been more than 230 school shootings, not including those on colleges or universities.

-NBC

Since the Sandy Hook shooting, there has been 2,243 mass shootings. A mass shooting is defined as an incident where 5 or more people are shot in a single event.

-Vox

There has been more than 2,900 children and teens killed and another 15,600 injured this year alone. In schools, there have been 11 deaths and 44 injuries, along with three suicides where a gun was the weapon used.

-Everytown Research

Every day 100 Americans are shot and killed by a gun, and hundreds more are injured. This includes homicides, accidents, and suicides.

-Everytown Research

As of September 1st, 2019, there has been 283 mass shootings, 39 more than there has been days in the year.

-CBS

IN-FOCUS

The Sandy Hook Promise is an organization committed to preventing senseless due to gun violence. They do this by providing programs that promote awareness and potential solutions.

Sandy Hook

MADELINE CONVY

In-Focus Editor

On Dec. 14, 2012, 20 children and six administrators went to school and never came home. The Sandy Hook Promise organization is helping to create a society where nothing like that ever happens again. A small town elementary school, a place where kids and teachers felt most safe and secure, became the site of one of the most deadly school shootings in the country. A single man, armed with a semi-automatic AR-15 assault rifle and two pistols, managed to steal the future from so many young lives before ultimately ending his own. Over 25 families were left to deal with the tragedy that was the murder of their sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, or parents. In the wake of this tragedy, several of these family members who lost their loved ones in the massacre have started a non-profit organization called the Sandy Hook Promise, created to educate and protect students throughout the nation from senseless acts of violence. Their mission is to promote a society in which children can learn and grow in an environment where they feel relaxed and comfortable, without the fear of being harmed. The organization claims that over 4 million people have made this promise. The promise reads: “I promise to do all I can to protect children from gun violence by encouraging and supporting solutions that create safer, healthier homes, schools, and communities.” On June 18, the Conejo Valley Unified School District signed the Sandy Hook Promise, a three-year agreement to provide middle and high schools with the information necessary to spot the warning signs of a potential mass shooter. It supplies our schools with lesson plans intended to create a culture of kindness on campus, all while being free of charge. Our principal, Dr. Eric Bergmann, spoke about what this promise means to him.

ARTWORK » SOPHIE CRIVIER » THE LANCER

“We all share responsibility...it’s not just the job of the principal or the teachers or student body officers...everybody has a role to play to make sure that everyone feels connected on campus,” Bergmann said. “We want to make sure that all students on campus are able to recognize friends and acquaintances who might really be in a stage of crisis so that we can reach out and make sure that they are getting the help and support that they need.” CVUSD will be implementing two programs: “Say Something” and “Start with Hello”. The Say Something program has the goal of educating students about when and where to speak out if they feel they are in danger or if something is wrong, while the Start with Hello program focuses on helping young people reach out to their peers with compassion and inclusion in mind. “It [leads] to people being less hostile and rude towards each other,” peer mentor and junior Juliet Sessions said. “If everyone’s in a good environment and being nice...it’s definitely going to help.” Lunch Bunch, a club run by science and health teacher Ashley Cooper, invites all students to hang-out and make new friends in room E7 during lunch. The club’s focus is to help students feel heard, welcomed, and provide a place where everyone can relax and have fun. They offer video games, Ping-Pong, air hockey, karaoke, foosball, and snacks. “It’s our goal to include and connect every student to the Thousand Oaks High School campus. TOHS has offered Lunch Bunch for the past three years where all students are welcome to come hang-out, play games, and meet new people every day,” Cooper said. “It’s an honor to be a part of the Sandy Hook program, which is a national effort to involve and inspire students across our country.” By understanding the signs of bullying and isolation, it will not only help a classmate, but potentially save a life. If a student feels in some way threatened,

it is critical for them to immediately notify a trusted adult to ensure the safety of the school as a whole. According to CNN, gun violence is the second leading cause of death among children in the U.S., with nearly 3,000 children and teens murdered with guns each year. The mission of this initiative is to, as a nation, work together to ensure that this will no longer be a normality. They want people to recognize that waving to a new student in the hallway or striking up a conversation with someone sitting alone is all it takes to make a change in our community and our country. The Sandy Hook Promise is just one of the many steps to get there.

IN-FOCUS

Since Parkland The Since Parkland Project is a collection of 1200 stories, 1200 deaths, 1200 shootings in the year following the #NeverAgain Movement. SYDNEY HALE

In-Focus Editor

Two hundred student reporters tell the stories of children zero to 18, who have been killed by guns between Feb. 14, 2018 and Feb. 13, 2019. Why these dates? On Feb. 14, 2018, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School lost 17 of their students. By March of that year, the #NeverAgain movement was born. But countless others have lost their lives since Parkland. Since Parkland was developed by teen reporters to tell the stories of victims who no longer have a voice. Following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High shooting, reporters have covered the cases of hundreds of lives lost and will continue to do so. Their

mission is to ensure every victim is recognized so the world will know that they lived. Feb. 14 changed the lives of teens in Parkland, Florida. They decided they wanted their voices to be heard and they knew the message they wanted people to hear. “You are failing us,” Beatrice Motamedi, Senior Project Editor, Curriculum Designer of Since Parkland said. “The political system is failing them...they want change.” Since Parkland focuses on kids who are killed in school shootings, but they also include stories of gun violence outside of schools. Many kids have died in their own homes. Kids are accidentally shot by parents. They have been shot by boyfriends or girlfriends. “It doesn’t matter if its political, or if you are on the right or the left, if you’re for gun safety or taking away my

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for easy access to the website of the Sandy Hook Promise.

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for easy access to the website of the Since Parkland Project.

1655 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Thousand Oaks, CA 91362

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9am-11pm

FEATURES

All Students Welcome The Associated Student Body Class Admits Two Students From the Special Needs Program KENDALL FLEMING

Involve

Features Writer

The Thousand Oaks Highschool ASB takes their mission statement: involve, accept, and inspire, to the next level. Last school year, ASB put on a Dream Week for the special needs program. During this, the students fulfilled their dreams around campus. One dream was to be a part of the Associated Student Body class. However, Hector Hurtado and Tommy Cooper, they wanted to be a part of the class for more than just a day. Hurtado and Cooper filled out applications and completed interviews after participating in Dream Week the year before. Soon, they were accepted into the class. The 2018-2019 Dream Week consisted of a pizza party, scavenger hunts, watching movies, and making posters in ASB. This experience inspired Cooper and Hurtado to join the class for the rest of their high school careers. “So far I like [ASB] and I like the people in it,” says Hector Hurtado, a junior. Hurtado is a part of the publicity committee, meaning he makes posters for events around school. Hurtado is also a part of the daily announcements every Wednesday and Thursday. This year, TOHS has been taking steps to be more inclusive around campus. The ASB class strives to relate to all students; and ASB advisor, Kelly Ehret accomplishes that this year. “Our goal as an ASB class is to reach every student around campus through the activities that we put on. The more diverse the class is, the more we can reach out to different students around campus.” Tommy Cooper enjoys ASB because of the many activities and projects that the class works on. “I like making posters. We’ve been doing homecoming things,” says Cooper. He is most excited for the Homecoming football game because it will be his first year behind the scenes. It is Cooper’s first year here at TOHS, and he wanted to try ASB out after experiencing Dream Week. Hurtado and Cooper have been enjoying their time in ASB, but the class as a whole has also benefited. The students of ASB have gladly welcomed the two fresh faces into the classroom. “They are both excellent candidates for our class. They make a positive impact on the class, engaging with the students,” says Ehret. The addition of Hurtado and Cooper have benefited the way the Associated Student Body reaches out to students and parents in the Thousand Oaks community. The class has also given kids an opportunity to come up with new ideas to improve the community of students around them. Hurtado and Cooper hope to continue in the ASB class. Returning ASB students, as well as Kelly Ehret, can all agree that these two students’ “disabilities” have become their greatest strengths both in the class and on campus.

BACK FROM ANNOUNCEMENTS— ANNOUNCEMENTS Hector Hurtado returns to his classroom duties after reading the day’s morning announcements.

A VOTE FOR THE SENIORS— SENIORS Hector Hurtado and Tommy Cooper vote for ideas for possible senior activities.

Inspire INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE VOTE—ASB president Ryan Harris describes the vote for senior activities while Cooper watches on. ALL PHOTOS » NOLA VALDEZ » THE LANCER

FEATURES

KEY to Success Key Club opens on TOHS campus, aiming to make the campus a better place by addressing issues specific to the TOHS community. Through Key Club, students can get involved in their community, learn leadership skills, and earn volunteer hours. SOPHIE CRIVIER

Features Editor

For high school students, it is easy to be distracted by daily life and forget about the community and those in need. Students in Key Club, however, had their eyes opened to the issues in their community and helped get involved to solve them. Key Club is an international establishment for high school students that stems from Kiwanis Club, a community service club for adults around the world. The club at TOHS is a student led branch of the major organization. Students in Key Club helped pick and donate food through Food Forward, raise money for the Make-AWish Foundation, donate to help pediatric trauma, fund United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund to give tetanus shots to those in other countries and much more, all while building leadership skills that will last a lifetime with the guidance of Sherill Hyink, a liaison with Kiwanis Club. “It is important for the youth of our country to look beyond themselves and see what they can improve in the area and make the world a better place,” Hyink said. “We can open their eyes to these opportunities.” Hyink worked with the TOHS branch for years, and loves to help the students make a difference. “I have been working with this club probably about ten years or more as an advisor and its been a great experience,” Hyink said. For Senior and Key Club President Eadan Dury, she felt unfulfilled and disconnected with her community before being a part of Key Club. Now, however, she feels like she’s making a difference. “It was really great to come to Key Club because you get that feeling that you’re doing something,” Dury said. “You feel like you’re super involved in the community and like you’re beneficial as a whole.” The club’s Vice President, senior Leah Beastrom, believes the clubs helps to bring to light problems that

often go unnoticed in a community and create action. “I think it’s really important to bring awareness of what’s going on. We help with pediatric trauma awareness and other underlying issues that are going on in our community and around us in the world. It’s all about growing that awareness and getting more involvement,” Beastrom said. Along with all of the community service the club does to improve the lives of those in their area, Beastrom enjoys the friendships she’s made with Key Club. “I like the environment of all the kids who are encouraged to go and volunteer with other people and go out into the community and do everything,” Beastrom said. “It’s a great community and we all just enjoy volunteering with each other.” Beastrom’s favorite experience in the club was doing the CROP Hunger Walk last year, a walk to help end hunger and poverty that is taken across the nation. “We all went through [California Lutheran University] as a group of people for the CROP walk and it was really fun,” Beastrom said. Another important aspect of the club is that it teaches leadership skills. Throughout the year, it gives members opportunities to go to conferences and events with other Key Clubs in the area to learn to be a leader and take action. As president, Eadan attended many of these events, and had a great time. “It’s nice [learning] to be a leader because you gain that experience for in the future when you’re in another situation.” With many of the members graduating last year, Dury is hoping to get more people to join. They meet every Thursday in I-5, and hope to get as many people as possible. “We definitely need more members, and I think it is great to join,” Dury said. “You build leadership and character and then you also get volunteer service so its just a huge combination of feeling involved in your community. You feel like a part of something bigger.”

PHOTO » SOPHIE CRIVIER » THE LANCER

MEMBERS IN ACTION—(Top right) President Eadan Dury officially ends a meeting by hitting the Key Club bell with a gavel. (Bottom right) Dury teaches the club spirit cheers during a meeting. (Bottom left) Dury, Vice President Leah Beastrom, Spirit Representative Ashley Edington, Treasurer Jacob Swanson, and Kiwanis Advisor Sherill Hyink pose with an award from Kiwanis Club for achieving club of the month in their region PHOTO » CHRISTIE WARNER » WITH PERMISSION

PHOTO » NOLA VALDEZ » THE LANCER

FEATURES

Girls Against Stereotypes CAMILLE WELTMAN

Features Editor

It’s not easy being a female in an often male-dominated sport, but Thousand Oaks High School has done an incredible job making sure juniors Dana Sullivan and Naomi Oliva feel right at home in their sport. Despite being the only two girls, the team treats Sullivan and Oliva as equals. Sullivan began wrestling her freshman year of highschool. She was doing Mixed Martial Arts at a nearby gym for a couple months and decided to give playing for the school a shot. Oliva joined the school wrestling team her sophomore year when her interest for the sport peaked and she found people already on the team, like Sullivan, that she is close to. The two girls both love wrestling because of how close the team is. They explained how wrestling is a stress reliever for them and it’s a good escape to not think about other things. Being the only two female wrestlers and practicing with the boys makes no difference. Naomi likes how hard working her team and coaches are, it helps keep her inspired. “Everything is equal and we do all the same things while the same is expected out of all of us,” Sullivan replied, she does not feel as if she has a different role on the team because of her gender. The Wrestling Coach, Manny Valdez, along with the girls other coaches, all make efforts to make sure the girls have the same experience as everyone else. The girls wrestle in the weight class that is fitting for them, it is not based on gender when it comes to the different groupings for their meets or practices.

Juniors Dana Sullivan and Naomi Olivia share their experiences as the only female wrestlers at Thousand Oaks High School, working hard to prove their worth in the maledominated sport, while coaches work to include them with the boys.

“Girls have to do the exact same thing as the boys on the team and everyone is very accepting of each other,” Valdez said. The girls practice and prepare just as much as the guys do, so that they can prepare for upcoming meets and stay in shape. Both Sullivan and Oliva agree that the boys on the team don’t treat them differently and felt 100% welcomed by both the coaches and their teammates when they decided to join the team. “I get nervous often and I put myself down but all my teammates always encourage me and help calm my nerves.” Sullivan said. Nerves are very common before any game. The wrestlers often compare themselves to others in their weight class to determine their odds of winning before a match. “I watch the matches going on around me and the other people in my weight class so I can compare and figure out my chances” Oliva said. Sullivan and Oliva both agreed other schools are not as accepting as theirs is. “Schools in our league don’t have many, if any, girls on their team. If they do they do not support them as much as our team does. Sometimes other team coaches won’t even show up for the girls matches.” Oliva said. “We are so lucky to have such helpful and supportive coaches.” Sullivan said. “They treat us all the same.” Sullivan and Oliva along with all the members of the wrestling team are so fortunate to have such a positive and encouraging environment to practice their sport in. Thousand Oaks High School students continue help each other succeed.

“Schools in our league don’t have many, if any, girls on their team. If they do they do not support them as much as our team does. Sometimes other team coaches won’t even show up for the girls matches.” —junior NAOMI OLIVIA ON THE MAT MAT— (Top) The referee presents junior Dana Sullivan as the winner after a wrestling match against West Ranch at the competing school’s gym, leading the Lancers to victory. (Bottom) Sullivan on the left wrestles in a match against Oak Park at a tournament last season. The match took place in the Thousand Oaks High School gym. ALL PHOTOS » KATE CASTILLO » WITH PERMISSION

FEATURES

RISE to the Occasion Senior Eleanor Liu interned for the RISE program, working for six months at Boston Medical Center.

ROSE WANG

Features Editor

When senior Eleanor Liu was presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, she took it, leading her all the way to Boston, Massachusetts. During the school year, Liu keeps busy with Wind Ensemble, The Center for Advanced Studies and Research, and the girls tennis team as senior co-captain. Even enduring the stress of senior year, college applications, tennis season, and five AP classes, Liu stays focused and driven by her passions. “Ellie has a very calm demeanor about her,” girls tennis coach Dave Ackerman said. “I mean, I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like her.” This past summer, Liu was accepted into a program where she helped conduct research in a lab at Boston Medical Center. As part of The Center, Liu has the opportunity to dive into science-related research, something she is interested in pursuing in the future. The Center gives students the opportunity to choose to conduct research in either the humanities pathway or the STEM pathway. For Liu, choosing the STEM pathway in junior year allowed her to dedicate eight months to researching a problem of her choice. “We have this philosophy that it’s learning for the sake of learning,” Center program co-coordinator Tasha Beaudoin said. “If our students can learn to love learning, even though sometimes it’s really challenging, then they will forget about grades and forget about hard work and realize that what they’re really engaged in, even though it might be really challenging, is actually something that they enjoy.” This past summer, Liu decided to take her passion in research a step further by participating in Boston University’s Research In Science and Engineering (RISE) program. For six weeks, Liu worked in a lab at Boston Medical Center under a research professor. “The whole process is really unique for them, because you don’t get to sign with the professor, the professor has to want you in their lab and that’s how you get accepted,” Liu said. Once at the program, Liu and the approximately one hundred other interns were immediately engaged in researching and learning. “Working in the lab was really fun. The first few weeks were slow, but towards the middle and the end we started to see a lot of progress,” Liu said. “I thought, ‘At least I’m contributing to something bigthis could solve problems.’” Through the RISE program, Liu immersed herself in research while surrounding herself with people from all over the world with similar passions. “I made a lot of really good friends and we share a lot of the same interests,” Liu said. “We’re still in touch months after the program ended.” Part of the experience of the program for Liu was the autonomy of living in downtown Boston. Liu and the other interns had to commute to their labs on the undergraduate campus or the medical center by bus everyday. In their free time, they could explore everything the city had to offer. “On the weekends we were allowed to go wherever we want in Boston,” Liu said. “I would go out with my friends, go shopping, eat food in Chinatown. So, a lot of good memories.”

“I’m contributing to something big. This could solve problems.”

How to Apply to RISE:

PHOTO » ELEANOR LIU » WITH PERMISSION

—Senior ELEANOR LIU

1. Complete on line application. This includes essays, 2 teacher references and a non-refundable deposit. 2. Upload transcript and standardized test scores (PSAT, SAT, PreACT, and ACT). 3. Fax or mail any financial documents.

2020 applications open Dec. 18 Learn more by scanning this code:

SUMMER IN THE CITY—(Top) RISE interns grow cell cultures as part of a project to create an adeno-associated virus. hek293t cells, typically used in transfusion, and cell growth medium are introduced into the wells in each plate. (Middle) Liu explores Newbury Street, a famous shopping street and attraction in downtown Boston. (Bottom) Transformed bacteria is held up against the Boston skyline. “We grew plates of chemically competent E. coli with ampicillin resistance with a plasmid that we constructed with certain genes and promoters in it,” Liu said.

PHOTO » SERENA LYOU » WITH PERMISSION

PHOTO » ELEANOR LIU » WITH PERMISSION

SPORTS

PRACTICE AND PATIENCE—(Center) Junior Conner Halvorsen practices shooting.

SHOOT AND SCORE—

WATER WIN—(Right)

(Left) Sophomore Reef Lippa takes a shot during a game.

Junior Greg Olsen takes a shot during the game against Bishop Alenay

ALL PHOTOS » RYAN HONG » THE LANCER

Boys varsity water polo gives insight into how they are going to score their way to the top this 2019-2020 season. KIANNA PORTER

“I think what we’ve done differently this year is we took the preseason very seriously [and] our young men have put in a lot of work this year.” —Head coach ZACH GRAPER

Sports Editor

After experiencing a 5-8 record in the 2018-2019 season, the boys varsity water polo has come back strong, starting with a 5-1 record this 2019-2020 season. They hope to keep this flame burning all year. This year, the boys have their eyes focused on two prizes: playoffs, then CIF. But, to achieve their goals they have some pretty tough competition to beat. “I would probably say Westlake or Newbury Park this year because we need to win league to get to playoffs which we want to do,” junior Greg Olsen said. “That’s probably our hardest competition for right now.” In order to rise above their competition and increase their chances of making the playoffs and CIF, the Varsity boys have been paying attention to details. “I think what we’ve done differently this year is we took the preseason very seriously, [and] our young men have put in a lot of work this year,” head coach Zach Graper said. “We’ve been working at this for nine months... so we trained a lot harder.” While in the pool, the boys are making sure they are training at their highest intensity to not only make themselves better, but to elevate the whole team’s

level of play. Even with having a very diverse team of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, the water polo team’s team depth is solid. “We can sub 6 to 7 guys deep and there’s no drop oﬀ. Everyone is ready to play like a starter and everyone’s ready to play for each other,” Graper said. Their secret to having such a strong and consistent team is pushing themselves and each other to the best of their abilities. “The team makes me a better player because they challenge me at practice. We deﬁnitely work on a lot of things during practice where we challenge each other to grow and succeed at the sport,” junior Dalton Lowe said. To ensure their hard work in practice is paying off, the varsity boys keep to a specific routine of pre-game rituals in hopes of getting them into the right mindset for game day. “We normally circle up, talk, listen to music, and try to get pumped up before the games. We’ll always have [a] cheer before the game,” Olsen said. Along with putting in the extra work in the pool, the boys are making sure they put in the extra work to get to know each other and be united together as not just a team, but a family.

“We have pretty good chemistry,” Lowe said. “ My favorite thing is definitely the fact that you get to be a part of a family because when you’re on a team you make sure that this is your brotherhood.” Also, to get the boys to establish good teamwork, the coaches make sure the boys are taking responsibility to cooperate with each other and work their problems out together as a group. They become closer and more responsible at the same time. “We really put a lot of pressure on the boys to play for themselves. This season is about them. We really feel if they want to be successful, they need to come together as a group. So they need to be doing that, not so much me and [Assistant Head Coach] Scarlet Lund-Sidi,” Graper said. Having much responsibility on their shoulders, the boys make sure they’re supportive of one another during good and tough times, and have a positive attitude when addressing each other. With the rest of the season ahead, the boys varsity water polo has a long way to go, but are very confident with the season turning out to be a successful one. Even though the competition is strong, they have high hopes for their team coming out on top and bringing the Lancers home many victories.

SPORTS

New Coaches Aim for Success As a new school year begins and mounds of fresh athletic talent flood the school, new coaches join the community to lead Thousand Oaks High School athletes to the top this upcoming 2019-2020 season. ISABELLA MORENO

Sports Editor

Once Coach Natalie Kim steps onto the court, she has one goal; to lead her freshman girls volleyball team to victory. A former student and current Junior attending CLU, Kim has been playing volleyball for seven years. Now, she is reaching back to her roots and passing on her knowledge to incoming freshmen. As the 2019-20 season begins, Kim’s team starts with a well deserved sixfive lead in league and being a new coach, she brings a refreshing piece of enthusiasm to her team. “They’re fresh and they’re ready to learn at all times. So it’s really easy to teach them something and for them to pick it up because they want to learn,” Kim said. The team has been hustling daily in the gym, working hard to learn the game. Along with building skills and practicing basics, Kim instructs her players on good ethics and sportsmanship. “My girls have really good sportsmanship,” she said. “In our program we like to teach them that we should always have good sportsmanship with each other, with PHOTO» ISABELLA MORENO» THE LANCER other players, other teams, other coaches, with the refs...so I’ve never seen anyone really have bad sportsmanship in our program overall.” PREPARING TO TAKE THE WIN-(Top) Kim enters the gym Even though Kim’s team consists of only freshmen, happy and ready to train her team for their upcoming they have already proven their capabilities and extournaments. (Bottom) Goosen celebrates winning secpressed their motivation through their early wins. And ond place at West Coast AAU National Championship U-8 some players say that it has to do with Kim’s unique division in Las Vegas with his youth club team, Venom. way of coaching and way of approaching her players. “She’s really sweet and understanding. She will give Goosen has had years of experience, coaching a Sports Editor ISABELLA MORENO variety of teams from many different places. He has Even though basketball season is yet to begin, coached both boys and girls basketball at five different Coach Dave Goosen is already preparing, strengthenhighschools before settling here and sees a great ing and growing his girls basketball team. amount of potential in his players already. A man with twenty-two years of experience coach“This team, more so than most other teams that ing highschool basketball, Goosen has joined the I have coached in the past, really fits my system. In sports force to show what girls basketball is all about. terms of how hard they play on defense, how hard He has taken on the challenge of coaching freshmen, they compete, how much they believed in me and my sophomore, junior and senior players and give them new systems, and how they were able to come togeththe guidance they need to bring success to their city er so quickly,” Goosen said. and student body. Goosen has contributed to many victories using his “I’m really excited about the group of girls we own personal plays and training drills. Trusting his have, I think it’s a really good fit for the system that I own techniques, he seems confident that his players have,” Goosen said. “And I am ready to see them get are adapting well. confidence in each other and really come together as Not only does Goosen have high hopes for his playa team.” ers, but his players appear to have high hopes for him Just because basketball season has not started, does as well. Their ability to build skills and prepare for the not mean there is no work to be done. Everyday, all upcoming season with ease, shows that all the girls teams come together as one to improve each other’s seem to have taken a great liking towards him and his skill, motivation and sportsmanship. Whether that’s by coaching methods. lifting heavy weights or improving stamina through “I like how Coach Goosen strives for us to work agility, Goosen is always finding new ways to improve hard and we are able to have fun and play well togethhis players’ skill and IQ. er because of him,” freshman, Marcie Walton, said. “Coach Goosen has a unique way of coaching that With a fresh crew of players to work with, Goosen is different than a lot of other coaches. He is really is hoping to claim the CIF Championship this season. good at training his players safely and in a fun way,” “A short term goal for us would be to win the freshman Jordan Schwartz said. league championship. A bigger goal for us would be to Sportsmanship is a large part of sports at TOHS, win the CIF championship,” Goosen said. and Goosen hopes to make it one of his top priorities. As the winter season nears and new players are “We have some really great girls and they have slowly joining, Goosen has no doubt that the Lady great attitudes, they are very coach-able,” Goosen Lancers will be able to represent TOHS with pride said. “We have a group that exemplifies good sportsthrough their well scoring games alongside their outmanship as well.” standing sportsmanship.

you tips on how to ﬁx things and she is a really good coach,” freshman player, Stella Dinkel said. When Kim attended Thousand Oaks High School, she spent two years playing for the girls varsity volleyball team. Being one of the top players, she is now using the experience she gained from high school to teach her team about the game. “I’m a Thousand Oaks alumni, so I graduated in 2017, played all four years and two years varsity. I am good friends with girls varsity volleyball coach, Coach Park, which is why he wanted to take me on as a freshman coach because I was one of his players. All the knowledge I have is from him. I probably have the same outlook on the game as him, so that’s why I’m excited to come coach,” Kim said. Not only does Kim have conﬁdence in her team’s ability to represent their school well, but her players feel the same way towards her. Her players seem excited to get to know her and her methods when it comes to coaching volleyball. “She goes through everything you need to do to be a better player and she goes through it multiple times,” freshman Sophia Reichenberger said. “It teaches you discipline and she is not harsh or too stern” Only two months into the season Kim has already proven to be a coach worthy of recognition and is showing that her girls can beat any team coming their way. Additionally, the team hopes to make it to CIF championships this year. Kim feels the ability of her team is growing and hopes are high for the success that awaits them.

PHOTO» THE ACORN» WITH PERMISSION

SPORTS

‘This is our house’

‘I BELIEVE...’ —(Top Left) Junior Levi Hammond takes on Newbury Park’s defense at the away game on Aug. 30. (Top Right) Junior Brando Harrah during in between plays. (Bottom Left) Senior Ben Rendon runs alongside Hammond during the week 2 game at NPHS. (Middle Right) Thousand Oaks Lancer defense lines up for a play against Simi Valley on Sept. 6. (Bottom Right) Lancers football finds themselves in a dog pile with Saugus High School on Sep. 7.

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