TOHS Dance, Band and Choir perform for friends, family and peers leading up to the holiday season.
The Lancer takes a look at everything that makes the holiday season festive and fun.
12-13 • Basketball Preview
Boys and girls basketball squads have big goals for upcoming league season, which begins in January.
LOSSES I’ll always bleed green, and I hope to watch TOHS football continue to grow and win.
EVAN YABU MICAH RODRIGUEZ Sports EditorA month after the TOHS football season ended with a 10-1 season, including the first undefeated regular season in Lancers history, head coach Evan Yabu announced on Dec. 11 he was leaving the program to take the head coaching position at Notre Dame.
In just three years, the former Lancers player-turnedcoach revived the team from a 25-game losing streak before he got the position into a playoff squad during his final two years of his tenure.
“While I’m excited about the next step in the journey, my heart is torn to be leaving the amazing Thousand Oaks High School community,” Yabu said in a text message to The Lancer. “I love this place, and the people who make it the place it is. The administration, faculty and student body have been incredibly
supportive. The parents and alumni encouraged our spirit, day in and day out.”
Prior to returning to Thousand Oaks, Yabu had a brief run as wide receivers coach at Camarillo High following a three-year stint at Moorpark College, where he began as a special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2017.
He rejoined a Lancer program in 2020 that had fallen on tough times, and all eyes were on him to change the direction of the team. While principal Dr. Eric Bergmann initially took a risk in bringing in a young and inexperienced head coach into the program, the result was a high reward.
“I owe a massive thank you to Dr. Bergmann for taking a chance on a young, first-year head coach in the winter of 2020,” Yabu said. “He changed my life for the better that day and for that I’m forever grateful.”
Notre Dame reached out to Yabu in early December about their coaching vacancy, left open by the retirement of former head coach Joe McNab, who was an assistant with the Knights for nearly four decades before becoming head coach in 2020.
“I am extremely excited about being able to hire Evan Yabu as our next head football coach,” Notre Dame athletic director Alec Moss said in a statement announcing his hire. “Evan’s name continuously came up as a coach who has immense passion for the game of football, for his ability to develop talent and because he cares deeply for the well-being of his athletes.”
The allure of coaching at a private school with abundant resources was too much to pass up for Yabu.
“I will miss seeing the players and coaches everyday,” Yabu told The Lancer. “I’ll always bleed green, and I hope to watch TOHS football continue to grow. God bless and go TO.”
On December 7th, track and field team captain Jeremy Frank stood at a booth handing out team merch and talking to many of the hundreds of 8th graders that showed up to Future Lancer Night.
It was all with one goal in mind: To recruit as many people as possible to his team to preserve the integrity of the sport for the future of the program.
“Potential freshmen become actual seniors one day,” Frank said. “In four years, these potential freshmen are the people spearheading our programs, the ones winning the championships, the ones creating that team culture and environment that we want to create and maintain.”
The track team was just one of dozens of athletic, academic and recreational programs present at Future Lancer Night for the exact same purpose. Organizations such as the swim, soccer and volleyball teams, ASB, Academic Decathlon, The Center for Advanced Studies and Research and the Environmental Club, whose president, Ramon Moreno, espoused the same ideas as Frank.
“With Future Lancer Night, we hope to draw as many as possible to our booth and to sign them up for Environmental Club, because environmental awareness is important,” Moreno said. “Freshmen are the future, and without them, there will be no legacy to carry on for our club.”
How do they recruit future freshmen? For Moreno, it’s a simple process with a simple outcome.
“[We] kind of work as a team to lure people in,” Moreno said.
The gym was abuzz throughout the evening with club leaders and members approaching and persuading eighth graders to join their organizations. Every club offered goodies of some kind, ranging from candy from some clubs to sports like track and field giving away branded bags.
The free candy and inspiring recruitment speeches didn’t go unappreciated, as the future freshmen on the receiving end of these proposals generally left with a positive view of Thousand Oaks and its many clubs. Teran Stillwaggon, a potential freshman coming from Santa Rosa, spoke glowingly of Thousand Oaks after seeing Lancers in action.
“It’s been a very welcoming environment, and it just makes me excited for high school,” Stillwaggon said.
The gym full of clubs portrayed TO to 8th graders as an open community filled with chances to get involved with a variety of school leadership and activities.
“There are a lot of opportunities here, so it’s been very educating to learn about what the school has to offer,” Stillwaggon said.
The intent of the event for club leaders was not only to secure future members for their programs, but to demonstrate TO’s inclusive and supportive environment.
“The track program is an incredible program,” Frank said. “We offer an inclusive, encouraging environment for all sorts of athletes to better themselves and become part of a community working towards a common goal.”
The Thousand Oaks High School Marching Band took second place against a field of 12 competitors in Division 3A at the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association Championships on Nov. 19.
The band works from the summer through the beginning of November, and this year their practice and performance paid off with the silver medal performance.
At the state competition, they lived up to expectations under the leadership of drum major Chase Thomas.
“I’ve always had a kind of thing for conducting,” Thomas said. “I went to camp in Indiana and I went for the drum major track so I learned a lot about conducting and leadership.”
Future Lancer Night offers a chance for incoming 8th graders to learn about activities, athletics and academics on their soon-to-be campusWARM WELCOME — Kayleigh May and Ava Johnson place stickers on hot chocolate packets to pass out at The Center Table. PHOTO » REMINGTON BEAUDOIN » THE LANCER
The Career Mentorship Expo provides opportunity for students in the Majors program to meet and dine with professionals to discuss paths
RYAN WEBER News WriterAmerica’s next Boeing engineers, Michelin Star chefs and Hollywood directors are all starting to come of age, and it’s all beginning at TO.
A flood of students gathered in the MPR on Thursday, Dec. 1 for the Annual Kiwanis Majors Career Mentorship Expo to meet with local professionals in a variety of industries, hoping to build connections, learn about the inner workings of potential careers and construct the next generation of professionals in this country.
The Career Expo introduced more than 80 students speaking to nearly a dozen professionals, ranging from 3-time Emmy Award-winning film employees to international aerospace technical salespeople.
The 21 mentors facilitated a varied range of interests for students including junior Roj Mayi, a potential pharmacist, web designer or roboticist.
“I explored engineering, chemical engineering, architecture, and computer science,” Mayi said after the event.
The night was organized within a one-hour time frame for students such as Mayi, as the rules sheet directed students to pick a career mentor within three minutes, talk to and question that mentor for 12 minutes, then repeat that process three more times until the hour elapsed.
Each mentor was seated at a table, and they each prepared an elevator pitch for their careers before students sat down with them.
The Expo was planned by David Harris and Ashley Cooper of the Majors Program in cooperation with members from the Kiwanis Club, the event’s sponsor, after a long lay-off.
“The expo was last conducted about four years ago, so it’s been some time,” Harris said.
The event was cancelled last year in late 2021 due to time and COVID-related complications.
“The last [expo] had been done in the spring, so we wanted to do something that would be akin to giving a gift during the holiday season to the students,” Harris said.
Harris was tasked with recruiting students for the event, and he did so across the school.
“I put together a flier, and we promoted it in a lot of different ways here on campus,” Harris said. “And for the ease of registration we created a QR code.”
Free sandwiches, chips, and water were even provided from Allegro’s Pizza to encourage students to attend and explore as much as possible.
The event exposed students to interesting ideas allowing them to do nearly anything with what they were passionate about, creating potential cancer researchers and international CIA programmers out of students interested in simple chemistry or math.
“I could apply myself in many different fields with
chemical engineering,” Mayi said. “And if I were to pursue computer programming, as the wonderful woman that met with us today said – she mentioned that the job can be applied to basically anything.”
Kiwanis, as sponsors of the event, was responsible for the mentorship aspect and funding. Mary Sepe, President of Kiwanis, also spoke to The Lancer recently about Kiwanis’ involvement.
“We all tried to find mentors for tonight,” Sepe said. “We support, of course, anything that has to do with children and leadership. Of our budget, we allocated money to pay for feeding the kids – everybody today.”
The overall goal of Kiwanis and Harris’ work was to give TO students, in the Majors Program or not, an opportunity to meet with mentors who have lived through dozens of careers to help them in their upcoming life decisions.
“We’re just trying to provide readily accessible opportunities for students to learn more about careers that may or may not be of interest to them,” Harris said.
Students were also encouraged to, if possible, make connections at the event.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to possibly get some business cards out of it and maybe land an interview, or perhaps an opportunity to look into a summer internship,” Harris said.
Ultimately, though, this event was for students to look at careers they liked and learn how they can improve the world.
SADIE KNAPP News Writer
Women in STEM provides an opportunity to rise above the stereotypes of women in science, tech and math fields. The club is working on getting guest speakers to come discuss certain careers such as engineering or computer science.
“(The club originated) from Dr. Malhotra’s AP Research class,” Balcan said. “There were a lot of the girls in the class, and we would joke, saying ‘Women in STEM, look at us,’ during lab experiments and we thought it was really fun. We realized that in our classes, especially calculus and physics, there aren’t many girls.”
Having a club for volunteering, highlights the kids who sign up on their own to help the community. Key Club also creates a small community inside of a large school environment and brings students together to bond with each other and meet new people. Key club is participating in the Macy’s Make-a-Wish Campaign, in which they write letters to Santa. This year, CVUSD wrote 6,147 letters, raising $12,294 for Make-a-Wish.
“The TOHS club is relatively new, for maybe less than five years,” Eich said. “We are an actual organization and not just a school club, so we have events outside of school.”
Meeting Day: Two Thursdays per month in the SOLE Advisor: Heather Farrell President: Ramon Moreno
Environmental club spreads awareness of issues plaguing the earth such as global warming, climate change, or deforestation. They are promoting recycling on campus, as well as restoring the school garden with beautification efforts.
“It’s something that reflects peoples’ concern over the environment and the planet, because obviously there’s a lot of issues like global warming,” Moreno said. “Just by being in the club, and not even being actively involved in it, but just showing up is enough proof that you care about the environment to some degree. That’s getting us somewhere.”
One thing that students and parents have in common are those forms that they have to fill out when school starts.
Those forms that ask you to get at the beginning of the year for basic information, and also include an invitation to be part of the Thousand Oaks High School Parent Teacher Student Assocation (PTSA). What is not included, is a full description of exactly what the PTSA is, and how it impacts students and teachers, as well as examples of how students get to indulge in more activities because of participation and donation.
The PTSA is a way to support teachers, students, and administration with additional funds that the district cannot provide. Sometimes teachers feel limited in how to perform their curriculum in an engaging way because they have limited materials. When teachers can use extra supplies, for demonstration purposes or hands-on experiences, students can then potentially benefit with more intention for the educational experience.
When TOHS Photography teacher Mrs. Ravitch wrote a proposal for a grant using the PTSA funds so she could “create physical games for her classes to allow all students access to the curriculum and help make a hands-on engaging way to teach photo technical skills.”
She received $500 and was able to buy materials
such as giant cards, spinning wheels, boards and game pieces. Ravitch’s idea was to implement an engaging way for her students to learn. Her goal was to provide an elevated teaching experience for her photography students.
Students may not realize how PTSA funds enrich their educational experience. In the younger grades, the PTSA seems more behind the scenes as it helps fund activities, provides extra support staff and put on the Book Fairs and annual school Festivals.
“The PTSA helps students who can’t afford some luxuries that everybody else can afford,” TOHS PTSA president Dan Luna said.
For example, the PTSA gives out over $3,000 in scholarships to senior student members.
Luna emphasizes the importance of all members who donate membership fees, and donations are some of their only sources of funding. Dan Luna also highlights membership as a way of “investing in yourself because you have the opportunity to receive $300 or more as a scholarship winner.”
The national PTSA was founded by a group of moms more than 125 years ago. It was started as a powerful voice for children and a relevant resource for the families and communities.
The PTSA serves as “a strong advocate for public education,” Luna said. By helping the students, the teachers, and the administrators the PTSA overall helps the whole school by getting equipment or anything they need to make their classrooms better.
While tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been ongoing for years, the conflict began to worsen in February 2022. Thousands of Ukrainians fled their homes to find safety in nearby countries such as Poland. The crisis continued late in the year as Russian missiles have been flying across Ukraine. In recent news, American basketball player Brittney Griner was released from a Russian jail in a prisoner swap for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout also known as the ‘Merchant of Death’.
Elon Musk has long been a notable person in the news, particularly after his recent purchase of Twitter. His changes to Twitter since purchase have been to implement his vision of Twitter 2.0, including laying off many employees, encouraging remaining workers to work long hours, sharing the idea of Twitter blue and restoring banned users such as Donald Trump to the platform.
Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is on its way to Thousand Oaks High School, Newbury Park High School, and Westlake High School. Over the course of January 5-7, the theater program will be performing Shakespeare’s acclaimed comedy in the form of a ‘puzzle play’; where the three acts of the play are divided among the three schools. Thousand Oaks has act 1, Newbury has act 2, and Westlake has act 3. Puzzle plays are a new way to bring the three Conejo Valley high schools together. It also gives the opportunity for the school to participate in and put on more productions.
Published in 1623, Much Ado About Nothing follows the scandalous emergence of two romantic pairings upon soldiers arriving in the town of Messina, Italy. The play has also notably been adapted into a movie by actor and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh.
The plot surrounds the wealthy Leonato who welcomes some soldier friends who are returning from a battle. These friends include Don Pedro and Claudio.
Leonato’s young daughter, Hero, and her cousin, Beatrice, accompany Leonato. Beatrice mocks and teases another soldier in Don Pedro’s army, a man named Benedick. Don Pedro arrives at Leonato’s house with his two friends, Claudio and Benedick. Also accompanying Don Pedro is his illegitimate brother, Don John. Claudio announces that he has fallen in love with Hero, and Don Pedro proposes a trick to secure Hero’s hand and her father’s blessing. However, Don John’s meddling plots to ruin Hero and Claudio’s relationship.
The story deals with multiple instances of love, hatred, and trickery as these characters interact with each other.
The destined lovers will be Catelin Flores as Hero, and Max Allen as Claudio; the accidental pairing is to be Noble Crandall as Beatrice and Aran Denis as Benedict; the malicious Don John will be played by Charles Bergholtz; gracious Leonato is to be Lu Thompson; Messenger will be Sam Avalos; Prince will be played by Delaney Cohen; and finally Conrade will be performed by Andrew Bergholtz.
PTSA provide grants to members to purchase supplemental materials to enrich classroom.
The Christmas season is finally here, and it should have been quite a while ago.
The prevailing narrative among my peers at the moment is that decorating trees and listening to Christmas music starts in December and that there should be no festivity during November. People should only engage with the Christmas spirit that enriches their souls after Thanksgiving.
This notion is illogical, and the miserly Ebenezer Scrooges and edgy freshmen of the world should not be allowed to dictate the beginning of Christmas.
Some may argue that Thanksgiving comes first. They’ll say that we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas and engage with the holiday while there is still another holiday to be celebrated. What they won’t tell you is why.
Why can’t the joy and aura of Christmas begin before Thanksgiving?
I can concede that the festivity should be limited to after Halloween. Halloween is spooky, scary, downright skeleton-y, and it sends shivers down your spine. Perhaps some of those shivers are from the scoliosis that impels unjolly teenagers to spread their misery. The aura of Halloween is the opposite of festive.
However, Christmas and Thanksgiving are two sides of the same coin. Family, joy, generosity, food, eating, consumption and even food are some of the many themes these holidays share. There is no reason that the slightly happier air of Christmas should not merge with November and the Thanksgiving season.
When does Christmas music start playing? When does Mariah Carey finally chew off her rusty shackles and return for her two months of annual fame? When does SiriusXM start torturing mall employees with the same three festive tunes? Are you really going to tell me that you don’t trust IHeartRadio’s judgment on when Christmas starts? It’s November 1st, obviously.
Christmas brings joy. Merriment. Felicity and ebullience, as someone kind of obnoxious might say. If we’re going to limit Christmas spirit to an arbitrary calendar date, why not make it the more sensible one in November that permits more joy for longer?
Next time November rolls around, you can still give your thanks, but maybe give some thanks for the Christmas Spirit.
Christmas is known as the most wonderful time of the year. But when is it really time to start celebrating the holiday cheer?
My esteemed colleague Ryan may say the holiday season starts November 1st, but that’s crazy!
What happened to the whole month of November? What happened to Thanksgiving?
The turkey, the gooey mashed potatoes, the green bean casserole? The cranberry sauce, the classic stuffing, the gravy? And who could forget about the delicious pumpkin pie!?
The Christmas season starts Black Friday, and not a day sooner. The excitement of Christmas is like no other, and those who celebrate the holiday are usually eager to get the show on the road. But, there’s no point in starting to celebrate Christmas while Thanksgiving hasn’t even begun.
One holiday at a time, that’s what I say.
There is still plenty of time to get ready for Christmas, 31 days to be exact.
Across America, it is said that the real Christmas Countdown starts the day after Thanksgiving. Black Friday is the kickoff to a bright holiday season, the most popular day for Christmas shopping. The malls and shopping centers are filled with outstanding deals and it is the best time of the year to get gifts for your friends, family and loved ones. Black Friday is also when I say it is legal to start listening to Christmas music.
If you play “Jingle Bell Rock,” even a day earlier than that special Friday, you deserve to go to jail.
And what about the reason we’re celebrating Thanksgiving in the first place?
It is to acknowledge the harvest the new English colonists shared with the Pilgrims, which was marked as the first official Thanksgiving. And it is a time to spend time with our families of course.
The conversations around the dinner table can be quite entertaining too. Every family has that one topic of the year that will probably result in some arguing, but thats the fun of it, right?
We need the chaos of Thanksgiving to set the stage for the joy and harmony of Christmas.
November is turkey time and December is gingerbread time. It is as simple as that.
91% of students reported getting most information on sex from the internet A 29-page instructor’s handbook is free online 95% of eating disorders occur in adolescents
FINLEY SWANSON Opinion EditorThe California Healthy Youth Act (AB 329), which took effect in 2016, requires that “both comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education are taught once in middle school and once in high school,” according to the California Department of Education.
After careful consideration of multiple potential curriculums, Teen Talk was chosen by our school board in 2020. For many teachers and parents, it wasn’t their first choice, but it was what fit best within the state’s guidelines. Board members were simply following their oath to uphold state laws.
At the time, school board meetings were fierce, with claims ranging from child sexualization to “ritualistic sex with God,” as said during public comments at the June 15, 2021, board meeting. More than one year later, however, CVUSD’s health education is back in the focus of the public, with a recent lawsuit alleging the new curriculum promotes sexual behavior, gender transition and withholding information from parents.
To begin, studies show that sex-ed does not increase the occurrence of sex. What it does do is increase the likelihood of sex being safe.
In a survey of more than 50 students, The Lancer found that only one respondent reported feeling that
either curriculum promoted sexual activity, and that was the old curriculum. None reported feeling either curriculum was too sexually graphic, far from claims of “pornographic” material.
“[The health curriculum] teaches facts. It teaches science,” school board trustee Bill Gorback said, “This information gives the kids [what] they need to make a wise, smart decision without preaching.”
The 429-page instructor’s activity book is freely available online. Sex is discussed as one of many topics. In fact, students from both the old and new curriculums indicate that they mainly learned about drugs and exercise.
“My teacher never promoted any type of sexual activity…My class focused much more on drugs and exercise,” senior Christian Pisa said.
The curriculum also covers the importance of consent, birth control options, abuse, recognizing mental health struggles, risks of substance use, gender roles, LGBT+ identities and eating disorders. These topics are just as important as sex education, and they can be life-saving.
For example, students who were taught the old curriculum are quick to point out the damaging information that used to be taught about weight and diets.
“[They were] way more concerned with having fat on our bodies over having safe sex,” former student
A.J. Jordan said.
The old curriculum didn’t just fail to show the signs of disordered eating, it actively encouraged them. With one of the highest death rates of all psychiatric disorders — and approximately 95% of eating disorders occurring in adolescents — we should be celebrating the updated information future students will be learning.
For example, no LGBT+ identities were taught in the old curriculum. Research shows LGBT+ inclusive education in no way ‘turns’ kids LGBT+, but it does promote a healthier and safer school environment for all students, which can benefit not just their mental health but their academic performance.
From sexual education to mental health and relationships, the new curriculum adequately addresses both state requirements and students’ needs. Overall, the claims made about curriculum have no basis in the curriculum’s content nor student experiences and reflect a disagreement with the state rather than with the school board.
“[The health curriculum] is factual, in no way, shape or form a how-to, and that it still places the responsibility on families to have these discussions,” school board trustee Cindy Goldberg said, “If people still have concerns, talk to somebody who actually knows what’s being taught.”
The controversy of the start of Christmas season has been strongly debated all over school, but when should it really start?Black Friday marks Christmas PHOTO» REMINGTON BEAUDOIN » THE LANCER SOURCE » PIONEERWOMAN.COM
85% of kids believe in Santa Claus
85% of Americans have artificial Christmas trees
New Zealand starts celebrating Christmas first
9,274 songs have the subject of Christmas
1 in 3 men wait until Christmas eve to do holiday shopping
All the instruments in Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” are computer generated. Most people listen to Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving
I’m not usually one for music with no lyrics, but the Thousand Oaks High School Band put on an extraordinary performance in its Winter Concert.
Everyone should visit one of their concerts because it was amazing — they played so many songs, and had a feature of five people who had started a band.
They have been putting a lot of work into this performance the past few weeks, and the talent really shines through. It takes a lot to learn an instrument and to read music, and a lot of people play multiple instruments.
“Basically we just rehearse everyday in band, you just keep rehashing and Mr. (Marty) Martone helps you with anything,” senior Owen Farkas said. “Practice makes perfect.”
At this year’s Winter Concert, Jazz band played, as well as the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble. They had two different performances, the first one
Choir’s celebration of the holiday season kicks off
BROOKELYN BONILLA Staff WriterEvery year, the Thousand Oaks High school choir has a winter show featuring holiday songs. There are slow beautiful melodies and fun jazz jams. The show will be premiering on Dec 15 and 16 at night in the PAC. The choir students have been preparing for this delightful show since the start of October and are very excited to share their holiday sound with the school.
The show features an all-tenor and bass piece and a piece with only the sopranos and altos. This year they will be performing Santa Claus is Coming to Town with a very fun choreography. While the Soprano and Alto piece will be showing the song ‘Gettin in the Mood’ also with a choreography.
The choir program always has this tradition every year. Along with the stage filling up for one song where alumni sing along with all the choir students.
The room fills with nostalgia from alumni of the TOHS Choir program.
At the end of the concert, the alumni are welcomed back onto the stage to sing Carol of the Bells as a finale.
There are multiple choir classes performing and all the students have been working hard to give a great performance.
Some of the songs in the showcase are very meaningful and have beautiful lyrics. While others bring a great jolly spirit.
“I love the song ‘Stormy Winter’ because it is about the emotions felt throughout the seasons. How you can be sad through winter but start feeling better as spring gets closer,” junior Annika Ekenstem said. “My favorite part of this show is ‘Carol of the Bells’, because it is very fun.”
The showcase is this Thursday and Friday in the PAC at 7pm. The concert is a very joyful way to start off the Winter break.
was for Jazz Band only, and the second one was for Symphonic and Wind Ensemble. They played a series of Christmas songs, and the stage was beautifully decorated.
Along with a Winter Concert, the band will also have a spring concert as its last major performance of the year. During the fall, they also had a fall concert that was Halloween- themed.
Each performance takes weeks of preparation, and that was obvious when the ensembles were on stage.
But even with all of the rehearsals and practice time, there are still nerves.
“I do get nervous sometimes especially when I have a solo,” Farkas said. “But the band community is so comforting and if you’re scared they will always help you, and say nice things to help you feel better.”
The Lancer band has had a successful year thus far combined with their Winter concert and recent competition wins.
With many more performances in the future, their performances will get even better and are sure to wow anyone who attends.
The dance winter concert is put on every year by the school, and this year from Dec. 1-3, the dancers took to the stage after extensive preparation.
“We work on these dances every week, and every Friday we run them during what we call ‘around the robin,” senior Kealani Kirby said.
The ‘around the robin’ allows the team to go through all the dance routines for a perfect rehearsal.
“Preparing for the concert is always chaotic and enjoyable,” sophomore Mia Lavvone said. “Learning choreography and moving it onto the stage is one of the biggest steps in the concert that creates the realization that you’ll be up there with hundreds of people watching, it’s nerve racking and a little terrifying, but always ends up going great.”
The suspense builds more and more when the time gets closer to the curtain opening.
“When I was preparing for the show I was really nervous but also really excited to be dancing with the team,” sophomore Olivia Charley said.
This Winter show had a magnificent red, white and blue ring to it. The “Dancing Across America” theme was a hit and the seats were full.
The second night, the show sold out, with students
and families still waiting to purchase seats. Every song encompassed a different place with a great costume to go with it.
“My favorite dance was the NASA dance,” Charley said. “The dance included a ‘trip to space’ and it really was uplifting. This song was interactive and very powerful. Every song really made everyone in the audience proud to be an American.”
Many audience members also enjoyed the performance, with many whistles and cheers heard through the performance.
The dance team atmosphere and their fans at TOHS is a sight to see, particularly when individual students are given a chance to be showcased by themselves. Many students even get the opportunity to choreograph their own duets and solos and they were very well-received.
“My favorite dance was Indigo (Jacobs) and Charlotte (Fetch’s) duet, it was such a beautiful dance and seeing the dance from the start of making it to the ending outcome was amazing,” Lavonne sad. “The dance had such a soft feel to it and they put so much emotion into it to the point where it was impossible not to make it my favorite.”
The feelings behind a dance can really make it even more beautiful. The show had many fun energized dances and many down to earth lyrical dances.
-MIA LAVVONE...they put so much emotion into it to the point where it was impossible not to make it my favorite.
...the band community is so comforting and if you’re scared they will always help you...
-OWEN FARKAS
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Snow N Glow Holiday Festival
Where: Ventura County Fairgrounds When: Dec. 16-26 What: Watch fireworks and sip on hot chocolate while you walk through a million lights
Winter Wonderland
Where: Hollywood Storage Center of Thousand Oaks
When: Dec. 17-18 What: Take free photos and drop off toys at this Holiday extravaganza
Hanukkah Family Festival
Where: Janss Marketplace Food Court When: Dec. 19 What: Watch the the lighting of a giant Menorah enjoy traditional Jewish music and refreshments.
Ventura Harbor parade of lights
Where: Ventura harbor Village
When: Dec. 16-17 What: Enjoy rides and snacks at a carnival and watch a water parade filled with decked out boats
Wild Lights & Jungle Nights
Where: Moorpark America's Teaching Zoo When: Dec. 23-30 What: Take a walk through the zoo and see all of the fun and creative lights displayed
Christmas movies are almost a holiday tradition in itself. The Lancer asked students their favorite movies and reviewed them.
A Christmas classic starring Will Ferrel, about a human elf who leaves the north pole to seek out his true father and brings some Christmas spirit to the cold city of New York, making $225 million at the box office.
This Christmas movie is mainly recognized for its comedic lead and charming reminder to have a little Christmas spirit. Most people seem to find what Will Ferrel brings to Buddy the elf the most memorable part of this classic. This movie is always a favorite and many believe Elf is the best.
The Polar Express is one of the first movies to fully use Motion Capture technology. The story of the Polar Express is about a boy finding his belief in Christmas again on the magical train the Polar Express that’s en route to the North Pole. Tom Hanks plays the narrator, The Conductor, The Hobo, Santa Claus, and the boy’s father. The Polar Express managed to make $314 million, becoming a nostalgic classic reminding many of their days before winter break, drinking hot chocolate in our classrooms, wearing pajamas.
The Story of a boy named Ralphie Parker, and all he wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. You probably first viewed this movie during the “24 hours of Christmas Story” on TBS where the movie would play 12 consecutive times from the evening of Christmas Eve to the end of Christmas Day. Recently this year a sequel to was released, “A Christmas Story Christmas” on HBOmax featuring all the original cast members, delivering a tribute to the original and the Late and Great Darren McGavin.
million at the box office the classic starring Tim Allen in the lead role, as Scott Calvin accidentally becomes the next Santa Claus which he struggles to keep secret from his family. This Movie explores a backstory for Old Saint Nick that we haven’t seen before, other Santa Clause lore is explored in The Santa Clause 2 And Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. We see Scott Calvin turn from a sarcastic business executive to an understanding person by the end, proudly taking on the role of Santa.
Santa Clause,”
— Senior Brianna Hill glazes her pottery made during ceramics class.
FAITH YOON Staff WriterKayenne Grecian loves to get her hands dirty. The TOHS senior says her favorite part of ceramics class is working hands-on with clay.
“It is an elective art class, so being able to do another form of art that’s more tangible and at least more hands-on than traditional pencil drawing on paper and painting, is fun,” Grecian said. “It’s nice to be able to work with it.”
With various electives ranging from sociology to metalwork, many students take the elective they think would be easiest to complete the required credits. Others pursue their interests or try new things. In Mr. Thomas’ Ceramics 1-2 class, seniors John Tseng-Burrows, Moray McBride, and Grecian have the opportunity to use their elective as a creative outlet.
Ceramics as an art form that dates back thousands of years. Early humans found clay and formed it into objects by first mixing it with water and then firing as early as 28,000 BCE during the late Paleolithic period. Examples of pottery began appearing in Eastern Asia several thousand years later. Research has shown the use of pottery spread from China to Japan and the Russian Far East region. With the invention of the wheel around 3,500 BCE, the process of creating pottery was drastically sped up and eventually became a medium for art and culture.
Fast forward to TOHS today, and students enjoy the ability to express themselves artistically.
“It’s the ability and the freedom we’re given to bring ideas to life, to create what we want [that I appreci-
BROOKELYN BONILLA Staff Writer
A day of joy accompanied by chaos and great deals is given to America one day a year: Black Friday.
This holiday, which started at a Philadelphia store in the 1950s, encompasses a wave of madness through all departments of the shopping world. In 2021, more than 150 million people shopped and another 88 million made online purchases on this one wonderful day.
Some say that black Friday is useless and corrupt, and, true, bargain shopping isn’t for everyone. Only the best of the best can sprint to that $5 Minecraft blanket before some 8-year-old gets to it. Many can not properly understand how exhilarating a $20 blender is.
Besides, this is the one day when it is socially acceptable to shove a grandma out of the way for a Target apple cider candle. Nothing better than a good deal.
Some people think this holiday is problematic for taking time away from loving Thanksgiving. Yet, there is nothing more family-oriented than camping out of a Walmart with your loved ones at the crack of dawn. The spirit of holiday shopping has never shined brighter on such a beautiful day. A pair of reindeer socks is no longer just a pair of socks, but a trophy won from a battle with an angry woman. Competing with hundreds of other Americans is part of the fun.
Luckily, online shopping has never been easier. If there are individuals in fear of chaos, they can stay in and get their deals while eating their leftover turkey. Just make your Amazon purchase for that body pillow (with the side “boyfriend arm”) while watching Cupcake Wars from the comfort of the couch.
Whether online or in person, the day offers bargains.
After all, “Buy one, get one free,” is one of the sexiest phrases ever uttered.
ate the most],” Tseng-Burrows said. “I know a lot of people don’t really care, they just are there to take the class, but I enjoy the opportunities it gives me to express my creativity.”
Originally, Tseng-Burrows said, “I actually didn’t even want to be in the class,” but it’s become one of his favorites.
McBride also likes the freedom the class provides.
“Mr. Thomas has really flexible guidelines for our projects, so he’ll show us a lot of basic techniques and he’ll say just show me, and he’ll probably approve it, and we can go ahead and do what we want,” McBride said, “We’ve done bowls before and he was like, ‘This is how you make a bowl, now do whatever you want as long as you do that,’ so it’s really open-ended and the class encourages a lot of creativity.”
Sometimes students use ceramics for pieces that they would utilize in life, like the phone speakers McBride said he created recently. Other times, it’s purely an artistic endeavor.
“Some people are weirdly gifted at ceramics, it’s so scary,” McBride said, “Someone in my class is making a horse sculpture right now that looks so good. I don’t think I’ve taken any inspiration from others but people are really creative in that class so it’s cool to see.”
Just a few months into this new interest of hers, Grecian has seen improvement in her pieces which keeps her motivated.
For now, she’s working on a slab box with, she said, a “semi-detailed leaf pattern on the side.”
“It’s taking a long time but I think it looks nice,” she said. “And also, every new piece you make you get better and better at, whatever it is you’re doing.”
What did you learn from your two years being a Varsity assistant for former head coach Rich Endres?
“A lot of stuff, stuff that I liked and stuff that I would want to do differently. As an assistant you get to be closer to the players, so seeing what resonated with the kids as far as them enjoying their experience or not. Those were the things I was taking notes on. Those were things I was keeping track of.”
What was the first step for coming in and building the program?
“My first thing when I got the job was how can I make it all more cohesive. The players are all learning the same ideas and concepts so that they’re all prepared to play for me. I also head coach the youngest team and assist with the other two, so it feels like I am coaching all the teams right now.”
Are you looking to hire other coaches or do you enjoy being able to coach at all three levels?
“We have five other coaches, but we have four teams. I really like the coaches we have. They’re really good guys. They’re all friends of mine outside of Thousand Oaks even. That’s just my personality. I want my hands all over. So I let them coach as best I can, but then I also just like being a part of all those teams, and I don’t think that’s gonna change.”
What is your coaching philosophy? Do you like to be guard-oriented? Go to the post?
“I’d say it’s less about a specific positional thing. We like to be really aggressive, play really fast, and score a lot of points. Whether that’s inside, outside, that depends on the groove you have. But the toughness and the speed of the game is what I like.”
How far do you think you guys can go this season?
“We’ve got a lot of good players. They’re bringing energy and commitment, so if I do my job properly then we should be a league-champion team and be able to make a run at the CIF championship. I’m not thinking anything less than that.”
MICAH RODRIGUEZ Sports EditorFunniest team moment?
In Morro Bay, our coach made a bet with Garrett, if he could completely eat a giant carnival lollipops to the stick, he would buy him a squirrel hat that we had seen. Garrett finished it on the last day and wore the hat into the gym before our game.
senior LOGAN WAGENERWho is the biggest hype-man?
Definitely Cy. He’s always coming to practice and games with positive energy and such an awesome vibe.
senior JACOB KJARVAL
What tradition does your team have?
We always have to listen to NBA Youngboy and eat dinner exactly 3 hours before every game and a snack an hour before to get us ready.
junior ELIAS CHIN
Funniest team moment?
At Toppers, where we go after we win home games. We make TikTok’s and are just non-stop laughing. On the court, our funniest moments are falls. During our games someone always eats it.
sophomore CLAIRE KIRBYWho is the biggest hype-man?
Tessa, easily. She’s just always screaming on the bench when she’s not playing or handing out high-fives.
junior TAYLOR EICH
What habit drives your coaches crazy?
Not talking. When we don’t talk, all the coaches get mad because that is the main thing they want us doing.
junior ALLIE ANELLO
What tradition does your team have?
It is still early in the season, we have a lot of time to make traditons. The only thing that comes to mind is playing 2000’s throwback music on the bus rides to away games.
senior BELLA MORENO
WITH HEAD COACH ASHLEY ONTIVEROS
The team’s energy and morale this year is different. Everyone is on the same page with everything they want and believe we can accomplish this year. Everyone’s positivity and attitude this year compared to last year. More of an exciting year.
How has the infusion of younger talent changed the vibe?
We are getting a bunch of new fresh faces in the program, especially varsity. We almost started fresh. Our two senior captains, Bella Moreno and Soleil Nerdin have played a major role as well. Their energy and willingness to coach these girls. I know a lot of these girls are looking up to our seniors.
We did not win a single league game last season. We have a small goal of trying to get over that hump this season. We believe we have a shot to make the playoffs this year. We are not expecting a championship this season. We just want to be competitive; whether we win or lose, the girls just want to put up a fight the best they can in any of the games we have.
How does your team keep up their energy?
We have a really personable group of girls that are so much fun and truly love to play basketball. Our bench is just incredible, the energy they bring keeps us going. Everyone plays a role, no matter who you are, on the court or on the bench. They are having fun and I think that is going to keep the energy going.
Where does energy come from?
Some girls aren’t used to sitting on the bench, they are used to getting playing time. It was about trying to get them to understand what it takes to be at a varsity level and the sacrifices they need to make. A few games in, it was very enjoyable to watch. We go over stats after games and the girls get excited for each other. That’s all I can ask for, I don’t have to force anything. It’s a great group of girls we have this year and it makes my job easy.
MICAH RODRIGUEZ Sports EditorThe end does not often feel like the beginning of something great. However, that is the case for the Americans after a 3-1 defeat to the Netherlands in the 2022 World Cup Round of 16.
Four years after failing to qualify for the World Cup, for the first time in a long time, there is hope for USMNT.
In 2018, a loss to Trinidad and Tobago in qualifiers meant the USA would miss the event for the first time since 1986. It was an embarrassing loss for the Americans
Seven players on this year’s roster are in the Premier League, which is home of the best soccer players worldwide. Led by midfielders Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams, who are 24 and 23, respectively. America has the youngest team in the World Cup, with an average age of 25.
The Americans did enough to advance past the group stage after a 1-1 tie to Wales followed by a 0-0 tie to England, which meant America needed to win its last game versus Iran to advance to the knockout stage.
Pulisic scored the only goal of the game in what ended up being America’s only win in the tournament.
The loss to the Dutch showed us America is not quite ready to be taken seriously as contenders. With the 2026 World Cup coming to North America, that gives the youngest team in this year’s tournament four years to gain experience, develop and learn from their past mistakes.
In 2026, USMNT will be under more pressure to perform. We will have to see if they can rise to the challenge and take home the first World Cup in American history.
After four matches, pinning her opponents in less than a minute and dominating the Monroe JV Tournament, Bella Wojciechowski was named Outstanding Middleweight Wrestler. Despite her individual success kicking off her freshman season, Wojciechowski shares a common goal with the rest of her team; to obtain their third consecutive year as Marmonte League Champions.
After beating Newbury Park in a Correction Dual during the 2021-22 season and ending their season with a 3-0 conference record, the team is determined to add another trophy to the case.
“As a team, I think we can win the league and make it to the semifinals in CIF this year,” senior Tanner Cardenas said.
Cardenas has wrestled for ten years, participating all throughout high school. Even though the squad doesn’t officially choose team captains until the end of the season, he is one of the main seniors who leads the team through duals and practices.
Alongside him, senior Robert Svitek continues the leadership. After five years of active wrestling, Svitek has high hopes for this season.
“My personal goal is to make it to Masters,” Svitek said. “The team goal is getting us a third consecutive league championship.”
There is a full roster of 30 wrestlers with a dozen upperclassmen. With many of the squad’s most experienced wrestlers graduating this year, improvement and commitment to the program is crucial for the underclassmen to grow into future team leaders.
But dedication and stats from the athletes aren’t the only things that are going to make the team stand out.
“I think an advantage we have is our coaching staff,” Cardenas said. “I believe we have one of, if not the best, coaching staffs in the area.”
Head coach Dennis Ritterbush has spent an impressive amount of time on the mats both as an athlete
and a coach; after wrestling for California Lutheran University, he has devoted 45 years to coaching high school wrestling, 10 of which he has spent at TOHS.
Next to Ritterbush are assistant coaches Kerry Lyne, Manuel Valdez and Ray Caldwell, who have helped lead the team during their ongoing accomplishments in the Marmonte League and championships.
According to Lyne, the recipe for success has been simple and consistent.
“Kids pay attention to the coaches and learn the techniques well,” Lyne said. “They support and compete with each other at the same time which is the great duality of the sport. This has been our formula for years.”
The hopes for the upcoming season are rising for the TOHS wrestling squad and the pressure to dominate the mats for the third consecutive year is high.
As Lyne said, “We want to ‘three-peat’ being league champs.”
For the last two years, wrestling has stayed Marmonte
champions and hopes to continue their streak
Coach: Clay Cameron
2021-22 Record: 11-8-1
2022-23 Record: 0-3
ALLIE ANNELLO Staff WriterTop Players: Junior center midfielder Ivy Williams, senior center midfielder Kianna Porter, junior center midfielder Samantha Forde, freshman defender Morgan Humphrey, freshman Malia Turley
Notable: Only three players return this year from a squad that earned its first playoff win in more than a decade.
Quotable: “Morgan Humphrey has got a ton of grit and character and talent, and she’s also someone that we’re looking to be a huge part of our program for the next four years.”
Coach Clay Cameron
Inside Story: The team got off to a rough start, losing their first three games of the season, but coach Cameron still thinks that they can be a very good team with some time. “I think it’s possible, we have many very talented players, so it will take a bit of polishing to get us there,” Cameron said.
Coach: Mark Tietjen
2021-22 Record: 8-8-4
2022-23 Record: 2-3-1
AUDREY MARTINEZ, Staff WriterTop Players: Junior center-defensive midfielder Preston Shin, junior center-midfielder Uziel Diaz, senior center-midfielder Gavin Arce, junior defender Ben Yesionek
Notable: Coach Tietjen talks about his time as a soccer player and shares these amazing memories with the team to inspire the team.“What inspires me are the stories of his CIF championship,” Uziel Diaz said. “It is a goal we have set.”
Quotable: “My teammates and coaches push me to be better everyday. They always demand more and help me improve my game.” Junior Uziel Diaz
Inside Story: Jonah Bergmann Petersen has had to watch from the sidelines this season after tearing his ACL. Even though he hasn’t played with the team this season, he still feels a part of the team. Assistant coach Lucas Bertini has made him feel included by enlisting him to help in drills.
ABIGAIL TRIPP-BULLOUGH, Features Editor
Coach: Craig Rond
2021-22 Record: 17-9
2022-23 Record: 6-4
Top Players: Sophomore center Kennedy Greene, freshman center-defense Aspen Abernathy
Notable: The Lancers got off to a great start this season, opening the season 5-0 with big wins over Foothill Tech and El Camino Real.
Quotable: “The only pressure I have is that since I’m only a freshman on the team, I have to take care of taking the water bottles home or taking the ball back. Other than that, no, it’s just a matter of winning the sprint.” Freshman Aspen Abernathy
Inside Story: There wasn’t a doubt in Craig Rond’s mind when he chose freshman Aspen Abernathy to be a starter on the Thousand Oaks High School girls water polo team. Abernathy adjusted quickly and the player mindset snapped into place almost immediately.
“When I made my first goal, it was during a tournament and it was just such a perfect catch and throw to the next teammate and I made it and just felt like I belonged,” Abernathy said.
Abernathy has set goals for herself for the next few years as a high school water polo player. While the goals may seem simple, they’ve set a stable structure for Abernathy to build upon.
“Well, it’s kind of just to keep improving,” Abernathy said, “and to keep my grades up, and then to be able to work on my shots.”
Our recurring column in which members of The Lancer revisit their first, worst — or most hilarious — work encounters.
GRACE WILLIAMS Editor-in-Chief
Usually, I would say I like kids. But after babysitting seven children at once, I’m not so sure. I’m no stranger to dealing with difficult children; I’ve been babysitting, working summer camps and tutoring for years.
But my limits were put to the test one day, when I somehow agreed to cover childcare for a luncheon. I was told it would be me and one other person taking care of a few kids for a couple hours, and that sounded like an easy enough job for me.
I soon realized this seemingly simple source of cash would not be even close to worth the reward.
When I arrived I was informed that the other babysitter didn’t show up so it was just me and seven kids, ranging in age from 7-12.
Seven-on-one is simply not a fair fight. They immediately started screaming what they each wanted to do, and of course, not one of them agreed with another.
We started off with a basic game of foosball. Seems like a safe bet right?
Nope. While the kids were playing, one of the metal handles broke. One kid slid the whole metal post out and started chasing her brother with it. I had to try and get it away from her while simultaneously calming down her brother and watching the other children.
And if foosball couldn’t be even more of a disaster, one of the legs on the table came loose leaving it at a broken, awkward tilt, which I would have to explain when their parents returned.
After the foosball fiasco quickly came the chalk catastrophe. Again, one would think drawing with chalk on the sidewalk would be a safe way to keep children entertained. But no. Instead, they found spray chalk which is designed to come off with water. Keyword: designed.
Once they had made their chalk creations, I took a hose to wash it off and all it did was get a little faded. Giant neon blobs were left on the sidewalk for an unknown period of time.
At the end of this nightmare experience, I dreaded facing their parents and, especially, whoever was supposed to pay me for my services.
I explained everything that happened expecting to be in huge trouble, but all the adults seemed unfazed. They were completely indifferent to the terror their kids caused. I was promptly paid my $60 and sent on my way. Not a bad deal for them.
While everyone mostly came out OK, and I got my money, this is still an experience I would never want to relive. It seriously makes me contemplate my tolerance for children.
The next time I am offered a seemingly basic babysitting job I will have to seriously contemplate the pros and cons before making my decision. If there’s a foosball table, I’m just going to say no.
Throughout the year, the Lancer selects students at random to answer whatever is on their minds.
‘Twilight’ is my guilty pleasure. It is just too good. They have vampires and werewolves, you can’t go wrong with that, come on. The fight scenes are cool and I love the storyline. Also, anyone who is not Team Edward is weird.
What’s
When she doesn’t write her notes perfect Cheer Gilmore Girls
#cuffingseason
Miss:
An Arizona driver was cited for trying to pass off an inflatable Grinch as a passanger in the carpool lane. Nothing Seuss-picious to see here.
One day in December a long time ago, me and my dad were watching “Kung Fu Panda.” The song “Kung Fu Fighting” started playing, and we were dancing along together. The fake kicking took a step further, when my dad accidentally kicked me.
The Grinch because Buddy the Elf would get on my nerves after a while. I would get annoyed by his immaturity. I feel that the Grinch would have deep conversations with me, and “tea time.” I can tell the Grinch is an introvert and we would both be able to have our own space.
SZA dropped her new album, “SOS.” Sadly, one of the most popular songs happens to be from an SNL skit and not on the actual album.
After six years apart, a California woman was reunited with her cat, who was brought to a shelter and scanned for a microchip. Chip, Chip, Hurray!
GRAPHIC » KELLIE PEARCE » THE LANCER
The LA Rams acquired quarterback Baker Mayfield. His debut gave the team its first win in six weeks. Guess he can call SoFi home now.
Singersongwriter Harry Styles is back on the market after he and Olivia Wilde broke up. Now’s the time to make your move.