Issue 1, 2016-2017 by The Lancer

the

LANCER

Volume LV, Issue 1 » Sept. 14, 2016 » Thousand Oaks High School » 2323 N. Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 » www.tohsthelancer.org » thelancer.tohs@gmail.com » Circulation 2,304

With growing power over the market, large pharmaceutical companies continue to charge unfair prices for life-saving medication. pg. 12

PHOTO » CLARISSA KANO » THE LANCER

A MARVELOUS NIGHT

SPICE IT UP: BRAZIL

ALUM SLAMS COMPETITION

ASB prepares a killer show for Homecoming on Sept. 23. pg. 05

New brazilian cuisine is in Thousand Oaks, offering authentic dishes.

TOHS alumni Sam Querrey beats Novak Djokovic in a tennis world upset.

pg. 08

pg. 20

EDITORIAL

STAFF EDITORIAL

Hits and Misses

The Case of Censorship

What’s Up and Down with The Lancer Miss: The Galaxy Note 7 blows up! No, really. It’s being recalled for spontaneously catching fire.

Hit: Chipotle teamed up with Google to deliver burritos via drone at Virginia Tech. Now you can enjoy E. Coli from the safety of your home.

Miss: Michigan Representive who opposed universal helmet laws dies in a motorcycle crash. GRAPHIC » REBECCA HEINZEL » THE LANCER

Do social media providers have the right to ban accounts on the basis of hate speech? EDITORIAL BOARD

yes

abstain

Unfortunately for the average social-media-user — or, moreover, the average person — the terms and conditions of use prove their relevance at the most uncanny of occasions. Although Twitter’s recent liberties have induced suspicion, the website includes a blatant list of rules upon first signing in to the site. In late July, comedian Leslie Jones was bombarded with hateful comments on Twitter stemming from accounts denouncing her for her performance in the new rendition of Ghostbusters. Twitter’s response, following their clear guidelines, was to ban and suspend accounts. Those on the other end of the suspension parade were less-than-pleased with the status of their accounts upon the forcefully induced epiphany that their status on the site was halted. So, in accordance with Twitter’s rules and community guidelines, social media providers absolutely have the right to ban vulgar accounts on the basis of hate speech. However, the opposing side still pleads to argue against the rules and policies of not only Twitter, but also Instagram and Tumblr. We, too, have difficulty understanding their case, yet they choose to argue on behalf of the First Amendment — taking the classic “freedom of speech” approach. Perhaps it’s best if we avoid mentioning the First Amendment has limitations written into it (we would not want to defuse their argument at risk of hurting their feelings). Upon further consideration, maybe we should exercise our first amendment rights against them. For example; it is prohibited by law in every state to

yell “fire” or the like in a crowded theater when there is obviously no threat. Along the same lines, fallaciously screaming “shark” at a beach will earn you a hefty fine in 13 states. Many video games have filtered text options to prevent offensive terms. School codes ban vulgarity and explicit phrases, as do most government buildings, amusement parks and other public places. So, what makes it okay on the internet? Nothing. The only reason we see it online so much is because the general population feels as if they’re under a never-ending blanket of anonymity when they post hate speech online. Surrounding the case of Leslie Jones, Twitter has taken their responsibilities seriously and banned at least twenty accounts and has suspended an estimated two hundred more. These accounts aren’t all just small internet trolls with nothing better to do with their time; also included are accounts with upwards of 50,000 followers — accounts known for their comedic tweets and mildly offensive satire. Yet, offensiveness is not the problem. Saying something offensive can still be done in good taste — granted such a feat is infinitely harder on the internet. But, reciting hate speech cannot be done with any degree of playfulness or satire, and is exclusively used to put down others. Hate speech is crass, literary emotional abuse and companies who are banning such petty, immature accounts are justified for standing up to the nonsense that plagues the internet today.

Hit: No mo’ No Shave Movember in the J building display case. It was finally starting to grow on us.

Miss: Woman in DC is arrested for stealing a police officer’s french fries. She’s probably not lovin it anymore.

Hit: The teachers sitting together in the quad on Fridays. They should start wearing pink on Wednesdays too.

Miss: Apple’s gun emoji was changed to a “water shooter.” At least we’re getting somewhere on gun control.

THE LANCER STAFF 2016-2017 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

OPINION

SPORTS

Quincey Smithers

Brian Lee Jessi Soporito

Andrew Chau Gavin P. Norton Sierra Waters

Cameron King Allison Medley Paul Moon

ARTIST

ENTERTAINMENT

STAFF WRITERS

Shraya Blaisdell Sebastian Maya

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

MANAGING EDITOR Sam Kallen

BUSINESS EDITOR Cameron Neel

NEWS Natalie Pagan Nate Swanson

IN-FOCUS Joyce Huchin Hannah Mercer

FEATURES Clarissa Kano Kylie Patterson

PHOTOGRAPHERS Carissa Lo

Rebecca Heinzel

WEBSITE EDITORS Blake Saari Cate Valinote

ADVISER Tasha Beaudoin

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

NEWS

Coffee is most effective when consumed between

The world consumes about 2.25 billion cups of coffee each day

New Yorkers drink 7x as much coffee as other Americans

9:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Coffee was brought to New Amsterdam (present day New York City) in the mid-1600s The cast of Gilmore Girls consumed 503 cups of coffee on screen during the show’s 154 episode run

NATIONAL COFFEE DAY Sept. 29 is National Coffee Day, a day for caffeine lovers everywhere to celebrate the beverage known for giving energy to so many. J.S. Bach wrote an opera in the 1730s about a girl who was addicted to coffee

Just the smell of coffee can wake you up

Coffee drinkers have a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease

$20 a week on coffee, or

$1,100 annually

In the United States,

The world’s most expensive coffee is

There have been five attempts to ban coffee throughout history in Europe and the Middle East

The average worker spends

80%

$600

of adults consume caffeine every day

per pound

Coffee beans were the first food to be freeze dried

In July 2014, South Korea brewed the largest cup of coffee ever at over

3,700 gallons

Different Types of Coffee Makers SOURCE » WWW.FACTSLIDES.COM

Espresso Machine

French Press

Percolator SOURCE » WWW.GOODHOUSEKEEPING.COM

SOURCE » WWW.REFINERY29.COM

Invented in 1901 PHOTO » CREATIVE COMMONS » WITH PERMISSION

Invented in 1929

Invented in 1810 GRAPHIC » NATALIE PAGAN » THE LANCER GRAPHICS » CREATIVE COMMONS » WITH PERMISSION

NEWS

Going Green on Campus The Green for Green club strives to promote environmental awareness through implementing the composting system on campus and helping to inform students and facutly about simple ways to live more eco friendly lives such as the composting system on campus.

Process of Compost: Pick A location

Make the right mix of Browns and greens

Mix the composte to aerate it

ADD Water to make it damp

Let the Temperature increase

Use as Soil

reducing waste in the school. Fortney believes that once students begin composting in elementary school, it will help them create With the beginning of the school year comes many eco-friendly habits that they can carry into middle new things. New classes, new teachers, and sometimes school, high school, and eventually into college. “If they’ve been composting since they were in elenew brightly colored trash cans. Those new trash cans you see in the quad are not just a way to brighten up mentary school, they will [do it] here, and then it will campus, but rather they are a simple way students can be more impactful,” Fortney said. Her hope, along with the rest of the Green for Green help the environment. Those trash cans are specifically for fruit and vege- members, is to raise awareness in students of how simtable waste that will be used for composting. The idea ple it is to live eco-friendly. “I think the main thing is being aware because you for these was created by the members of the Green for don’t know how to approach problems if you’re not Green club on campus. Green for Green was started last year by junior Ella aware,” Fortney said. “I would say just doing research Fortney to raise awareness on campus about environ- because there are plenty of easy ways you can protect mental issues and how students and faculty can active- the environment just from your own home like being more conscious of what you’re throwing away and not ly help with the problem. “We are trying to promote environmental produc- buying products that aren’t eco friendly.” According to Fortney and junior treasurer Mahathi tion, like throughout the school,” Fortney said. “But right now we’re focusing on getting the composting Rao, helping the environment is not hard at all, but rather can be as simple as changing the system set up.” trash can students throw their uneaten Fortney began composting at home and in her elementary school and wanted to “If they’ve been food in. not saying become vegetarian, bring it to TOHS as a way to help students composting since they but“We’re we’re saying look at the different oplive more eco-friendly lives every day they stepped on campus. were in elementary tions,” Rao said. “Instead of putting your trash in into a trash can, you’re putting “Right now, not a ton of people are using the composting systems yet be- school, they will [do it] your food into the compost bin, and evcause no one knows about it or how to here, and then it will erything else you have into the trashcan or recycling bin.” use them,” Fortney said. “We’re thinking Fortney and Rao hope to get others to about getting a speaker to come talk about be more impactful.” it or putting it in the Lancer Lately so that —junior ELLA FORTNEY join Green for Green during Club Hello Day on October 7 to continue to help with people know how to use it on campus.” the composting system and to volunteer As scientists discover more about the harmful effects of organic waste, environmental clubs, with the current members to make sure the food that such as Green for Green, are becoming increasingly student’s and faculty throw away ends up in the garden to be used and not in landfills to be thrown away. necessary all over the world. “[Composting] couldn’t be simpler. You don’t realHere’s the bottom line: The landfills are filled with biodegradable trash. When animal and plant based ma- ly have to adjust anything. And we have our compost terial sits in a dumping ground, they produce methane, bins right next to the trash cans, so it’s not like another a potent greenhouse gas. Knowing this, it is more im- trip [away from] when you would normally be going, portant than ever to implement composting programs Fortney said, “and you’re helping the environment in [multiple] ways.” to reduce waste. With the new trash cans on campus, Thousand Oaks In April of this year, California established a new mandate aiming to reduce organic waste in landfills. High School will be a greener and more progressive The legislation requires companies to be smarter about school in terms of reducing and using waste from food. what they put in the trash by creating compost bins. The campus will become cleaner and more efficient Expanding this outlook to school campuses can help right before the student’s very eyes all because of a series of separate trash cans to be used now and help revolutionize the public waste system. As for TOHS, Green for Green has already begun reduce waste in landfills in years to come.

NATALIE PAGAN CATE VALINOTE

News Editor Website Editor

How much do we really WASTE? The USA produces 254.1

million tons of trash a year.

California produces 30.5

million tons of trash a year

37 percent of California’s trash is from compostable material If we composted California’s trash, we’d prevent the

12 milion metric tons of carbon

release of

dioxide a year

If we composted the USA’s organic trash, we’d save as much carbon dioxide as taking 39

million cars off the road. SOURCE » EPA.GOV SOURCE » CALRECYCLE.CA.GOV

IN MEMORIAM ZACH YOUNG 1999-2016

BRIAN LEE JESSI SOPORITO

Editors-in-Chief

On Friday, Sept. 9, Thousand Oaks High School suffered another Lancer loss. Junior Zach Young unexpectedly passed away. Young was an offensive lineman on the varsity football team, but was not yet eligible to play because he transferred from Newbury Park over the summer. “Zach always seemed to be smiling; he seemed to embrace his new teammates and they embraced him,” head varsity football coach Michael Leiben said. “He was trying to play catch up after arriving so late, but seemed to have a very positive attitude.” Outside of school, Young enjoyed going to the beach, hanging out with friends and he even wrestled on the side.With all of his activities, he was very com-

mitted and passionate about possible future endeavors. “He really wanted to go into the military,” junior Hailey Maddox said. “That’s one thing about Zach, he was always really, really determined.” Though Young was a Lancer for less than three weeks, he had a kind, cheerful presence on campus. “He’s the kind of kid to go out of his way to say hi to you in the hallway,” junior Jabari Jacobs said. “Even if it’s completely against his schedule or he’s gonna be late for class, he still made sure to say hi to me everyday.” Young will be most remembered from his football experience, friends and fun-loving attitude. “We met through football and he was always ride or die for his friends,” Jacobs said. Young’s absence will be felt throughout campus and on the football team.

NEWS

PAINTING TO PREPARE — Junior Irene Li paints a sign advertising homecoming in the ASB room.

Here Comes Homecoming As Homecoming week approaches, ASB members prepare by planning dress-up days, making floats for the Homecoming game, and prepping for the the dance on Sept. 23. KATIE DANG

Staff Writer

ASB is stepping up their game for the first event of the school year. A superhero themed homecoming along with a float parade that will incorporate ideas from all students. “We really wanted to make sure that the student body was involved this year” Senior ASB President Julia Wright said. “Instead of deciding all of the themes within ASB this year, we decided to make an umbrella theme of superheroes and then leave it up to the classes [to decide] if they wanted superheroes or villains,” The theme of homecoming will allow for all classes and groups to be able to feel comfortable with being involved in school activities. Student involvement will play a large role in the setup for this year’s homecoming week which will be filled with class games, and a competition between each grade level. “We decided a superhero theme would be a fun twist on a normal theme and that it would be a fun theme to let classes compete with one another. the setup will be really fun because we want to incorporate fun decorations that have a very comic book look” Junior ASB President Jake Clark said. As for the class divisions, seniors will be DC villains; the juniors DC heroes; the sophomores Marvel heroes and the freshman as Marvel Villains. The week following up to homecoming will start off with the rally and end with the homecoming game along with the float parade. “The floats will be a very original take this year which will be a lot of fun. all the classes were challenged to design a float where the superheroes are not only on the float but are involved in a scene” Clark said. The float parade will include the seniors having the DC villains watch a movie, the juniors with the DC heroes at a cafe, the sophomores with the Marvel heroes at a picnic and the freshman with the Marvel Villains at the beach. “We really want not just ASB building [the floats] because there are sophomore class floats, not just sophomore ASB floats” Wright said. The process in coming up with a homecoming

theme is anything but easy. The process includes ASB members having a brainstorming activity where they say whatever comes to their mind. A theme is decided and divisions, which are the class separations, are then developed. “We came up with this years theme by writing down all our ideas on the board.” Clark said, “We decided a superhero theme would be a fun twist on a normal theme and that it would be a fun theme to let classes compete with one another.” Float building will take place everyday during 7th period and all students are invited to join. The floats will represent each class as whole instead of having them just ASB orientated. Allowing each class to have a say in the design of the float will allow students to be comfortable with expressing their ideas to the ASB student body, which is the ultimate goal of ASB this year. As for supervision at homecoming, the superintendents will continue to chaperone the dance. Despite opposition from students, ASB will continue to stand behind any rules that will be set into place. “I don’t think it’s a worry that people aren’t going to come. We’re just going to leave it up to administration because it’s not our field to say anything” Wright said “We’re a group of students directing students, and we don’t have that much authority. Whatever they say, we will stand behind them but it’s not our decision to make all those rules.” The setup pre-homecoming will include the rally on Monday with class colors, pajama day on Tuesday, workout dress up will be Wednesday, superhero dress up on Thursday, and Friday will be class colors. The rally on Monday will be reflect on the theme of homecoming; superhero. The involvement from the entire student body will alleviate the stress and pressure ASB members when they are left with making school wide decisions concerning Homecoming. “From time to time it feels like it’s just us making the decisions but we want everybody to feel like they have a say in what we’re doing and that’s why we have class meetings and all those other places where people can input” Wright said ‘We don’t want to be left making this decision for the school because it is kind of scary.”

Homecoming Spirit Week Dress-Up Days Sept. 19-23: Monday Rally Day/Class Colors: Freshmen: Marvel Villains — Red Sophomores: Marvel Heroes — Green Juniors: DC Heroes — White Seniors: DC Villains — Black PHOTO » CAM KING » THE LANCER

Tuesday Pajama Day

Wednesday Workout Wednesday

Thursday Super Hero Day

Friday Class Colors

Z Z Z

GRAPHIC » NATALIE PAGAN » THE LANCER GRAPHICS » CREATIVE COMMONS » WITH PERMISSION

ADVERTISEMENTS

ACCESS

Ackerman College Counseling and Educational Support Services ACCESS Helps Students: •Create an Appropriate list of Schools at which to Apply •Compose and Edit Outstanding Admissions Essays

Since 2001, ACCESS students have also been 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

•Develop Extra Curricular Activities Resume •Navigate Financial Aid

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

Bill Ackerman’s students from the class of 2016 are now attending following colleges and universities: Chapman University Emory University Johns Hopkins* Northern Arizona Northwestern Michigan State UC Berkeley UC Santa Cruz UC Santa Barbara UC San Diego Williams College

WE CAN HELP YOU ACCESS THE COLLEGE OF YOUR CHOICE. CALL: 818-371-4956 *Johns Hopkins selected one of our student’s essays as one of its “Essays That Worked.”

ENTERTAINMENT

Casting

Entertainment The entertainment industry closes doors to many forms of media in pursuit of high selling entertainment. Other forms are simpy left behind.

Sebastian MAYA Entertainment Editor Entertainment is not being entertaining. It mass produces the same stories over and over again. The media drops many different outlets and sub categories in pursuit of big names and flashy headlines. No longer is the industry diverse and rich in content, but now is congested with the same articles, same reviews, same news. The majority of the industry has cast a blind eye to the bulk of the field, in favor of the few elite. Today, the business basically only includes movies, TV shows, music, celebrities; media has transformed into only four sections. Of course, there are some exceptions, but the major parts that make up the industry have fallen off the radar for big companies. For a business that stands for diversity, creativity, art and passion, not much of these are being used or experimented with. And other forms of entertainment, such as fine art or book reviews, are simply left behind in the pursuit of movies and gossip. The Huffington Post and Daily Mail basically feed off of celebrity gossip, clothes, and scandals. The industry can be so much more than that; it is so much more than that. And those individuals live in a forever shifting and progressing environment. The media should represent everything entertainment stands for, not only the ‘Hollywood industry.’ Add some games, some art, some books. The word entertainment is limitless. One example of a social platform that truly expresses entertainment is You-

ALL PHOTOS » OFFICAL FACEBOOK PAGE

Tube. Youtube overflows with creativity, from niche communities to popular subjects. The platform covers video-game analyses to daily life vlogs. Sundance involves all films, not just the million dollar box office. Buzzfeed expands past the TV reviews to quizzes that determine how much of a psychopath you are. Don’t make a wide variety of unique perspectives into a broken representation. Review a makeup tutorial on LA Times. Bring art photography into the New York Times pages. I want to see the industry branch away from the four major groups into a range of every subject in between. Walk away from the big bandwagon, drive your own car. You won’t believe how many people want to join your ride. T h i s is my review on entertainment. Be different. Be interesting, amusing, engaging, compelling. Be a performance, a presentation, a spectacle. Be entertainment.

WWM EME S MACK DOW N!

VS RAW -justbrianthings Don’t let your memes be dreams: our generation’s gift to the world. A common creed that unites us, a creed that is becoming evermore relevant. Let’s back it up. First, what is a meme? Everyone knows what they are, but if you tried to define what it was to someone, you’d probably just end up giving examples — which helps no one. Well, memes are an element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, especially imitation. In layman’s terms, memes are inside jokes getting passed around the country like Bubonic plague in Western Europe circa 1348. Memes are a living entity, constantly changing and evolving. The earliest documented memes took place in WWII, predating the digital age, but we’ve come a long way from spray painting memes on walls in commie territory. Even in the last decade, memes have changed drastically. It was just nine years ago that people were obsessing over the piano-playing cat, and the market was saturated with basic stock photos with text. Today, memes are created from basically anything. Now that I think about it, pretty much everything becomes a meme eventually. There are so many Obama memes and just memes of world leaders. What’s supposed to be funny about that? What’s supposed to be funny about Michael Jordan crying as he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, or the death of a gorilla? Yet somehow, it works. And with things like Twitter, Reddit and Instagram, jokes can spread quicker than butter on hot bread, which is a good and bad thing. Without social media, annoying things like the ‘damn Daniels,’ the Katy Perry shark and the blue/ black or white/gold dress never would have become popular, but at the same time, there would be no Harambe, no Arthur fist and no caveman Spongebob — and I love those. You may think I’m just talking about memes and that I’m a complete joke, but the reason I’m writing this is because memes are important to our culture. Think about it—what in this nation have people unanimously agreed on? What have people gone out of their way to produce for millions of others? Exactly, nothing. Because in this world of constant peril and troubles, we need to be connected and understanding of one another, but for some reason, the only thing we can seem to agree on are memes. No one can seem to compromise on important issues like healthcare or education, yet the second a beloved gorilla is killed, millions rally in remembrance. When it comes to things like energy conservation or protecting the environment, no one even bats an eye. We as the majority of the nation, have decided to seek refuge from conflict in memes. They give us an escape from the world’s terror and the controversial topics that no one wants to address. Think of how sad The Lion King would be if there weren’t any jokes? It would just be 99 minutes of lions killing each other, but in cartoon form. We, like the animals of the pridelands, need a break from all the fighting and crazy of the world. It’s kind of weird, how we, citizens of the free world, can only be united by a string of internet jokes. What does that say about our society? I’m not sure, but I think it’s brilliant. — Brian Lee

ENTERTAINMENT

MEAT ME IN BRAZIL — (Top) People enjoy lunch at Moqueca. (Bottom) Brazilian steak dish, Picanha Grelhada.

le.

b r ta

he t o et

recommended that we add the malagueta sauce that came with the bread, a spicy tomato-based sauce, to one of our appetizers. It worked in tandem with the lime in the dish to create a tangy zing, and I never would have thought to add it. For appetizers, my co-editor and I got the Tortinha de Palmito and Casquinha de Caranguejo. The Tortinha de Palmito was a hearts of palm and spinach dip mixed with parmesan cheese, with toasted baguette slices on the side. The dip wasn’t as flavorful as I had hoped it would be, but the combination of soft and hard textures was tasty. I was more impressed with the Casquinha de Caranguejo, a dish of oven baked crab meat mixed with cream cheese, crusted with parmesan and lime. The smoothness and slight chewiness of the crab paired well with the spice of the malagueta sauce and the tang of the lime. A word of caution, though— a few drops of the sauce go a long and spicy way. After the appetizers came with an entree of Brazilian steak, the Picanha Grelhada. The menu said it was cooked in rock salt, and they weren’t kidding. Even the beans on the side were too salty for my taste, yet the potato fries served with it weren’t seasoned at all. However, if it had been less salty and seasoned differently, I would get the dish again. The side condiments would definitely compliment a less salty steak. We finished off the meal with a dessert of Pave de Bombom which had crumbs of candy bars topped with layers of flan and a sweet, whipped Chantilly cream. This dessert was delicious. I was afraid that it would be too sweet, but it incorporated the flavors and textures of flan effortlessly with the other components. Be forewarned, the dish was very rich, so we got full after a couple bites. At the end of the day, though, the dessert is too delicious not to get. The pacing of the service was good, and we never felt rushed. The servers were neatly dressed, with colorful ties, and everyone seemed to know the menu. With all of the food options, I felt like the chefs were preparing Brazilian dishes, they were treating them like American ones and didn’t embrace their flavors. However, the portions were large, and I was full after I finished my entree. For a student budget, this isn’t a cheap restaurant. It’s great that Thousand Oaks has more diverse restuarants, and it will be interesting to see how Moqueca evolves in the future.

s ing

b nd

a t n ra

u se ta sR

a dO

sa ou

T ali n

ALL PHOTOS » SEBASTIAN MAYA » THE LANCER

A C E

w Ne

i rB az

SHRAYA BLAISDELL Entertainment Editor

Since the Olympic Games just finished in Brazil, it was a great chance to sample genuine Brazilian food right in Thousand Oaks. The new restaurant, Moqueca, is named after a famous Brazilian dish that simmers seafood or vegetables in a savory sauce and is served steaming hot with a wonderful smell preceding it out of the kitchen. When I first walked into Moqueca, I immediately noticed the eye-catching, bright blue and orange paint. Besides the decor perhaps my favorite part of the Moqueca experience was the knowledgeable wait staff, they were familiar with the dishes and knew what ingredients and spices to add to make them more flavorful. For example, they

n din

iu nq

s cui

ENTERTAINMENT

THE LANCER ORIGINAL

NETFLIX TV-PG

1 Season

1.1

Netﬂix is one of the leading TV providers in the United States, offering shows and movies on computers, phones, and TV screens. It is changing entertainment for the better as it includes all episodes and segments for TV shows and provides unique experiences that other cable channels have denied. With over 83 million subscribers, Netlﬁx is paving the way for online content-producers and providers.

Recently Watched

See All

14 grammys from 75 nominations

PHOTO » ANDREW CHAU » THE LANCER

42.5 billion streaming hours billion streaming hours so far

76% of Netflix users believe it will replace TV

600 hours

amount of original content Netlfix plans to make in 2016

83 million subscribers

78%

percentage of Netflix users that watch Netflix on their TVs

Top Picks for You

14 emmys from 75 nominations

2 Golden Globe Awards of 18 nominations

70% of Netflix users binge-watch shows

2 Teen Choice Awards of 3 nominations

34 million number of Netflix international subscribers

$5 billion

amount Netflix is likely to spend on original content in 2016 ALL STATISTICS » EXPANDEDRAMBLINGS.COM

OPINION

VOLUNTARY

Mandatory S PHOTO » SIERRA WATERS » THE LANCER

California Assembly Bill No. 1575 (a clarification and extension of Proposition 13) states that public education has to remain free, and that public schools cannot force nor exclude students from participating in school programs because of their financial status. This bill is being enforced now more than ever, and many programs on campus have to find new ways to raise money. Some think this bill is necessary to provide equal opportunities for all students, while others say it’s causing our programs to suffer. Is the AB 1575 justifiable in its policies?

YES

School programs cannot require mandatory donations

School programs are not possible without funds

GAVIN P. NORTON

Opinion Editor

Promoting positive behavior does not excuse acting in an immoral manner. Public schooling is a tough path to maneuver, especially from an administrative perspective, so when programs break the old rules, new regulations must be put in place. The incident I am alluding to is the predicament our band found themselves in last year when they realized their funding procedure for privileges like new uniforms was less-than-adequate. Now, after 38 active years, Prop 13 stands reinforced by AB1 575 that no program on campus can require any sort of monetary donations. All funding must be optional, and the rule is being emphasized and strengthened, as it should. Skeptics of this new method, including my columnist on the right, are under the misinterpretation that shutting down mandated donations will halt funding. They believe the word “voluntary” itself turns all possible patrons away. In many cases, however, the opposite is true. If a donation for an extracurricular — be it a sport, band, dance or otherwise — is advertised as a requisite, many parents will either simply sigh and sign their paycheck away or let the policy infuriate them in all of its unjustness and unholiness; making a scene and denying such a beneficial service. However, if funding becomes optional, parents (or whoever is providing the monetary favor) will see their contribution as goodwill — issued freely and fairly out of the kindness of their own hearts. That and the fact parents are more likely to bring out the checkbooks because in their ears “voluntary” and “public school” equate to “501c3” and “tax write-off.” Even so, the law protecting parents from requirements for programs acts on the moral high ground. The code protecting free public schooling (which also applies to field trips and athletic outings) was signed four years ago to ensure residents of low income neighborhoods or those with a natural financial burden can reap all the benefits public schools have to offer. The law in question is only in place to make amends for those who cannot pay. The government is trying to help, because removing AB 1575 means allowing poorer families to be discriminated against inside and outside the classroom. Ethically, I am appalled knowing several are in agreement that we — as one of the most enriching public schools in southern California — would be better off forcing families with little to no monetary means into payment just to take advantage of what should be their right to a free and public education. Public schooling is one of the many privileges we have as citizens of the United States, and the idea that many wish to require funding for everyone is frankly shameful, especially after how much California tries to include all people.

SIERRA WATERS

Opinion Editor

Thousand Oaks High School is blessed to have so many award-winning programs like band, lacrosse, dance, journalism, Ethos, and wrestling, and that doesn’t even begin to cover all the activities we offer here. And one phrase that we’ve all heard several times is that it’s so crucial to get involved in these activities, and honestly, who wouldn’t want to? I wholeheartedly support everybody participating in sports, the arts, and other extracurricular activities regardless of financial status. However, in order for us to have all these programs, we must pay. Every uniform, every away game, every instrument — they all cost money. With AB 1575, these critical funds are not being met since people aren’t required to pay to participate. According to the band booster quota, the band program is almost $79,170 under budget, and that’s one of the programs that requires the most money since they are constantly traveling and needing new instruments. All these programs that make our school so great will have to shut down. Now, I’m not ignorant to the fact that there are a lot of people who have a hard time paying for extra curricular activities, and that’s what AB 1575 is for. But if the majority of people can pay for these activities, then why is every program struggling to keep up? The people who can’t pay aren’t the problem. Rather, the problem is that the people who can pay aren’t doing so. Now that there’s an option not to pay, too many parents take advantage of the fact without realizing how detrimental it is to both the program and their child. They fail to understand that no one else will to pay on their behalf. When they don’t pay, our programs don’t receive any money. Now, many programs are forced to turn to fundraising to compensate for their financial crisis. However, that’s easier said than done. Because of the drought, none of the organizations on campus are allowed to do car washes, an important source of revenue. Even bake sales are out of the question (thanks, Michelle Obama). Food nights and ads are great and all, but they can only help so much because that money isn’t direct or isn’t reoccurring. We should not abolish the act, but instead replace it with a waiver because, I believe, everyone should have the opportunity to partake in extracurriculars. When you register for the SAT, ACT, or AP Test, you can get the fee waived if you qualify, but you have to meet a certain criteria. It’s the same thing here. If one needs to opt-out paying for an activity, there should be some sort of supplement to make sure the program doesn’t suffer either. AB 1575 is a nice thought, but the fact of the matter is that nothing is free. It needs major adjustment if there is any hope of keeping these organizations afloat. The truth hurts, but the truth is without outside funds we don’t have the programs that make this school such an amazing place.

OPINION

Esports shouldn’t work

Seas The Day “Adventure is out there!” — Russel, Up

DRAWING A CROWD — An image of the 2013 League of Legends World Championships at the Staples Center. Tickets to attend the event sold out within an hour.

ANDREW CHAU

Opinion Editor

I feel bad for esports — I pity them, to be more specific. It’s not that people tend to frown upon video games or don’t consider them sports or think that they’re for nerds: if you think about it, the mere concept of esports is self-defeating. By all means, they shouldn’t work. I’ll use League of Legends (LoL), which had over 14 million concurrent viewers during its 2015 World Championship finals, as an example. Professional players are payed $12,500 for participating in the LoL Championship Series (LCS), provided by Riot Games, the owner of LoL, which adds up to $25,000 a year. Add in the extra $50,000 for coaches and teams are supplemented with $175,000 for an entire year — not a lot, since it’s split up between at least seven people. Winning the LCS tournaments earns a maximum of $50,000 for the team, but most teams don’t win and they struggle with sustaining themselves. Even though LoL is currently the worlds most popular esport, it’s extremely difficult for teams to just stay afloat. Andy ‘Reginald’ Dinh, the owner of Team SoloMid, stated in an interview that most LoL teams actually lose money; covering the salaries and living costs of an entire team, its subs and its coaching staff costs way more than the stipend covers. Naturally, as a team that consistently plays in front of hundreds of thousands of people, sponsorships help to subsidize costs. It’s not always that simple, though, especially for teams that don’t regularly win, aka most teams. Not only that, but teams that underperform are relegated from the LCS, meaning they can’t play LoL competitively anymore, anywhere. As a sponsor, the idea of your entire investment suddenly being relegated and disappearing is frightening, but teams desperately need them to sustain themselves. Something even more terrifying, though, is the fact that a team’s performance can drastically change in a single day. I’m referring to patches, or updates.

If you’re unfamiliar with these, pretty much all online multiplayer video games have consistent updates to remove bugs, add more content and generally balance and smoothen the gameplay — think of how phone apps are updated. These patches can completely change the flow and direction of the game. Suddenly, strategies and tactics that worked well before become null and void. Sometimes, the very mechanics of a game change. Patches are necessary for a game to expand and remain relevant. However, they are also targeted at the majority, i.e., not professionals. When major patches come out, casual players have to relearn the game. Professionals have to remaster the game, often in a short time span. And even though video games are generally considered to be fun, playing and concentrating for 10+ hours a day inevitably leads to player burn out. Don’t get me wrong — all careers change over time. Tennis in 1950 is completely different from tennis now, from the clothes they wore, to the rackets they used, to the form they hit the ball with. Here’s where they diverge though: in tennis, the way the game is played changes and advances, whereas in esports the game itself changes. Not only that, but esports change much more rapidly and more drastically — LoL has had 17 patches in 2016 alone. As a result, even a consistent team’s performance can fluctuate greatly, meaning that for sponsors, investing in a team isn’t ever completely safe. No matter how you look at it, that’s bad news for esports teams. The odds are stacked overwhelmingly against esports, but they nonetheless exist and are even flourishing. Each year they grow bigger and bigger, and there’s no end in sight to their growth. The oxymoron of esports is mind boggling, but inspiring. It’s proof that even in our modern, capitalistic world, anything is possible. And it also shows how hopelessly obsessed we are with video games.

GRAPHIC » ANDREW CHAU » THE LANCER

BAGO GAMES » FLICKR

In my seventeen years of now infinite wisdom, I can confidently say that a life without adventure is not a life worth living (now go put that on your Twitter). High school is an adventure in itself, but I’m sure we can all agree that there’s something more outside the comfort of our campus. It’s called the rest of planet Earth, and it’s waiting to be explored. Many people take gap years and time off work to travel, to see what this place has to offer, and they have come back with a better understanding of other people and themselves. Let’s reflect for a second. For my birthday early in the summer, my family went to the Santa Barbara Zoo. Afterwards we went to lunch at a beachfront restaurant, and during our meal we were confronted by some tourists who, judging by their thrilled expressions, had never laid eyes on a beach before. They saw us eating and didn’t bother waiting for the right time to rush inside the restaurant, taking pictures of my family and our food as if we were celebrities. Now, I can feel half of you rolling your eyes and thinking “silly tourists.” That idea isn’t uncalled for, it’s usual tourist behavior, but it made me realize how diverse the world is, and the joy we get exploring it. There’s nothing wrong with being a tourist, and more to the point, there’s nothing wrong with acting like one. I feel like many people are so afraid of coming across as a tourist that when they travel they often miss major cultural points. Well guess what? When you’re visiting somewhere that you’ve never been, you’re a tourist. People travel to learn and get new experiences, it would be a shame if you missed them because you were concerned about how you looked. And if you’re worried about that “stupid American” stigma? That your accent is too So-Cal or that you’ll get rejected when asking for directions? Just be polite! You might be surprised about how nice people can be when you, you know, treat them like people. I think it’s awesome to visit somewhere and want to understand local life, but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid gift shops at all cost and not take a picture in front of the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben. Those monuments are all a part of the culture. Whether it be the atmosphere of the city or the whole country, you can experience it with large historical attractions alongside the culture. Like I said before, local life is great. One way to really get to know the people in the area is to go to the small shops and marketplaces and just talk with the people there. I traveled to South America this summer, and while we were walking around the town, we decided to check out a fruit market. My dad and I probably looked like idiots marveling about all the new types of fruits we saw (you would’ve too if you had seen the size of those avocados), but I couldn’t care less about how we looked, because we were learning. I mean, that’s the point of traveling, right? We travel and explore new places because we want to learn; I think we’re all naturally curious that way. So go ahead and wear the Hawaiian shirts and fanny packs! Take pictures with strangers! See all the monuments! I think you all need to embrace your tacky touristy spirits. — Sierra Waters

IN-FOCUS

n o i t a n c i o i d t e a M N

PHOTO » CARISSA LO » THE LANCER

Medication distributors continue to increase the costs of commonly used, lifesaving products.

IN-FOCUS

Americans Joyce Huchin Hannah Mercer

In-Focus Editors

Distributors of prescription medications continue to raise their prices and seem to be prioritizing ﬁnancial proﬁt over their consumers’ lives. The most recent outrage over unfair prices is about the cost of EpiPens. EpiPens are easy to use and provide a quick and effective counter to allergic reactions, making them a basic health necessity for people with serious vulnerability to certain foods, insect stings, and other allergens. Epinephrine is a life-saving hormone used to treat anaphylactic shock, a severe and sometimes fatal allergic reaction. Mylan, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, is the only legal distributor of epinephrine. They sell the hormone to consumers in the form of Epipens, which are auto-injectors that carry about a dollar’s worth of epinephrine. Since this product is the only medication accessible to most of the clientele, Mylan can continuously raise its price. In 2004, EpiPens cost about $50 each, but today they average at $300. Since they have to be replaced every year or after each use, the cost can add up to thousands. Schools in California are required by law to have at least one available on campus at all times as a preventative measure. This is a helpful initiative, but in order to maintain it, school districts are obligated to pay huge expenses down the line. In recent years, there have been growing numbers of children diagnosed with life threatening allergies. In 2013, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that food allergies among young people in the United States increased by about 50% between 1997 and 2011. According to the Orange County Register, local school districts reported that nearly 5,000 out of 500,000 students were written prescriptions for anaphylactic reactions in the 2013-2014 school year. Along with the growing demand for products that combat allergic reactions, there is a lack of

TO PHO

R NCE E LA » TH O L SSA RIIS » CA

IN-FOCUS

prescribed to a price competition among the medication’s distributors. Mylan controls 85% of the market, giving it an increasing hold on consumers. According to drugs.com, a website dedicated to providing information about prescription medications, it takes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) around two and a half years to approve new drugs. This process doesn’t even begin until extensive lab research is finished, which can last up to three years. Henceforth, the company has the ability to charge whatever amount it desries. Those who benefit from the price jumps are the individuals in charge of large companies. NBC news reports that the CEO of Mylan, Heather Bresch, ended 2015 with a salary of almost $19 million, which is a 671% pay increase from her compensation in 2007. In response to consumer concerns regarding prices, Mylan offers a savings plan, called the “$0 Co-Pay Card,” that lessens out-of-pocket expenses by $100. While this is helpful for those with favorable insurance plans, it isn’t as beneficial for those with inadequate health care plans. Officials at major companies even pay lobbyists to persuade government officials into voting against laws aimed at lowering medication prices. Meanwhile, consumers advocate for progressive bills that would help decrease the financial burden caused by commonly used medications. On Nov. 8 of this year, citizens will vote on Proposition 61, or the Drug Price Standards Initiative, which was written to prohibit state agencies from buying prescription drugs at a price above what the United States Department of Veterans Affairs pays for the same medication. The bill is meant to help those who are a part of government funded programs, such as The California Medical Assistance Program (Medi-Cal), California’s welfare program. Ballotpedia, an online encyclopedia about American Politics, reports that those in favor of the proposition have raised over $9 million with the support of individuals such as former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. However, those opposed have raised more than $70 million. Amgen, the world’s largest independent biotechnology firm headquartered in Thousand Oaks, donated over $5 million alone to fight against the bill. Despite the protests of large companies, efforts to pass legislation to make medication more affordable

can be successful. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed on March 23, 2010 by President Barack Obama, was one of the largest expansions of healthcare coverage for mental health and substance abuse disorders. However, even with these reforms, Americans still face immense hardships when it comes to paying for services essential to their health. With all the big name companies involved, it is easy to overlook the millions of individuals that are personally affected by the decisions made by insurance companies and government officials. “For people in general, [health care] is their support, the way they can survive,” sophomore Quinn Carson said. “If they don’t have it, something terrible could happen to them. If they have it, they can maintain a normal life.” When he was nine, Carson began using insulin shots to manage his diabetes. He must give himself a shot every morning in order to live a comfortable life. The same applies for mental health, which is also becoming increasingly expensive. According to the New York Times, the top child psychiatrists charge $2,000 for consultations alone. “The first time I went to see a psychiatrist, I was in a really bad place,” sophomore Maddy Lafayette said. “[The office] said they accepted my insurance, but when we got there, they said they didn’t. I ran out balling. Another door had been slammed in my face, and it was really hard to know that I was turned away from something I really needed because of money.” Her experience is not uncommon, but luckily there are alternative options for obtaining psychiatric help. “My mom found a nurse practitioner, who is like a psychiatrist, just with a different title,” Lafayette said. “She took our insurance and everything ended up okay, but I had to wait even longer for help I needed long before then.” Nevertheless, even if families find a way to pay for a visit with a psychiatrist, the medications prescribed are another huge financial expense. Informed Choices About Depression, a website that educates people about their medical options, reported that medications used to treat depression can cost from as low as $30 to above $200. “Expensive health care definitely a growing problem,” Lafayette said. “If something isn’t done about it, it’s going to continue to grow and affect more people.”

EpiPen®

(Epinephrine) Auto-Injector

EpiPen®

(Epinephrine) Auto-Injector

EpiPen®

Mylan raised the price of EpiPens from $100 each to each

$300

(Epinephrine) Auto-Injector

HUMIRA® Pen adalimumab

AbbVie Inc, owner of Humira, raised the price by over

HUMIRA® Pen adalimumab

Enbrel etanercept

126%

Amgen Inc. raised the price for arthritis treatment, Enbrel, by

118%

FEATURES

COASTAL VIEW— Seniors Erica Hicks and Lauren Bracken overlook the waters in San Sebastian, a city on the northeast coast of Spain.

Acquired knowledge Seniors Lauren Bracken and Erica Hicks get a taste of studying abroad in Spain. CLARISSA KANO KYLIE PATTERSON

Features Editors

In a quiet fishing town on the coast of Spain, seniors Erica Hicks and Lauren Bracken spent a month of their summer immersed in a foreign exchange student program. They traveled to San Sebastian located in Spain’s Basque Country. During their trip, students stay with a host family to get a feel for the country and improve their Spanish-speaking. Hicks came across the opportunity while researching exchange programs, looking for somewhere she could go to fully experience the Spanish language. “It seemed like a preview for what it would be like to study abroad for a semester in college, which is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Hicks said. “San Sebastian really intrigued me, because it was more affordable to go to, and it’s a lot smaller and a lot easier to go from place to place.” Both girls had four years of Spanish under their belts, so they were ready to challenge themselves. “I have always loved Spanish as a subject itself,” Hicks said. “It wasn’t the kind of academic class where I felt forced to learn. I always wanted to see how speaking with people who natively speak the language would go, and it was amazing.” Although the girls went during different weeks and stayed in different homes, their time in Spain overlapped and they were able to bond over being so far from the familiar. “It was definitely intimidating before we went, but when we got there it didn’t actually feel like you were three thousand miles away from home,” Hicks said. They attended school from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m; which included Spanish classes, and after school they would take part in the recreational activities the surrounding areas had to offer. “Going to neighboring cities on excursions really helped develop our Spanish,” Bracken said. “It was difficult for some things but we generally got the gist.”. The program wasn’t limited to Americans, high

schoolers from all around the world would visit San Sebastian for the rich experience. Hick’s roommate was from France, and communication between them involved a mix of both English and the Spanish that they were learning. Other locations that students traveled from include Sweden, Norway, and Ireland, making the program extremely diverse. “I feel like my biggest fear beforehand was the language barrier,” Hicks said. “I was worried about suddenly having a problem and not being able to communicate it, but in the end it was actually a lot less difﬁcult than I expected.” The amount of language and culture of Spain that the girls learned about was immense, and every day they would come in contact with different people who had the same passion for learning as they did. “I was meeting new people every single day and socializing with people I had never even talked to before,” Bracken said. “That really helped with my social skills and getting to know the different culture and community there.” While staying with their host families, Hicks and Bracken had to learn how to get along with mothers from a different culture. “At ﬁrst I made sure to be super respectful and was very careful of what I did, but towards the end I was super comfortable,” said Bracken. During her time there, Hicks and her host sister developed a close relationship and would discuss cultural differences between their home countries. Hicks was even able to accompany her to vote in the election for San Sebastian in Basque Country, where the six political political parties run differently than America’s and had different priorities. “She was told about how tourism was taking over their city,” Hicks said. “Their government cares more about the money that the tourism brings in versus the comfort of the people that actually live there.” When they weren’t in school, the girls explored everything the town had to offer with the freedom the program had gifted them.

PHOTO » ERICA HICKS » WITH PERMISSION

“The independence that we were able to have with the program was really nice,” Hicks said. “Sometimes we would go to the beach. I did a surﬁng program, which was really cool.” This year, Hicks and Bracken are taking their ﬁfth year of Spanish, and they both agreed that they would want to do an exchange program again. “I saw what it was like to live on your own and be by yourself in a different country,” Bracken said. “I would want to visit other cities in Spain, or eventually go back to San Sebastian with my family and show them around.”

Daily Itinerary

“It was definitely intimidating before we went, but when we got there it didn’t actually feel like you were three thousand miles away from home.” —senior ERICA HICKS

8:15 am wake up, eat breakfast 9 am pack lunch and walk to class 9:30 am - 2 pm attend classes 2 pm - 7 pm explore San Sebastian 7 pm ride train home 8 pm eat dinner with host family 9 pm - 11 pm go out with friends

FEATURES

THE LANCER LEGEND After 22 publications of The Lancer Legend Yearbook, adviser Mr. Robert Haar moves on with his teaching career. KYLIE PATTERSON

Features Editor

Robert Haar arrived at Thousand Oaks High School 22 years ago. The school board informed him that to teach, he would have to run the Yearbook program. Haar jumped in full force, not having an inkling about the kind of knowledge and tools needed to do so. Since then, his presence has also included teaching English, being an AP US History teacher and doing sports announcing. He has helped produce a book every year, and has embraced everything that comes along with that challenge. From day one, Haar found that he had a passion for Yearbook and wanted to pass that on to his students. “I enjoyed Yearbook because of the opportunity to get to know the kids a lot better, and also to watch them create and develop,” Haar said. Having no previous journalism background, he was able to cultivate his own yearbook experience and develop skills on the spot. Since he already possessed knowledge in leadership and organization, he helped build upon the foundation of a successful and quality Yearbook program. “It was the on-the-job training that I enjoyed and it gave me another opportunity to get to know kids on a different level and field than how we usually get to know each other,” Haar said. “I really wanted to get the kids to take ownership of the book.” Haar made sure that the students kept their own voice while he guided them along, expressing that he wanted the book to best represent the student’s high school experiences. “Although I influenced decisions, I was still making sure that in the end it was the kids’ choices about what they were doing and the reasons they were doing it,” Haar said. Because most seniors take five classes, they leave at lunch. Yearbook is during sixth period, so Haar found a challenge in creating the right balance of lower and upperclassmen. While freshman bring a new energy and perspective, seniors can add upon the maturity of the book. “I would’ve liked to have more seniors over the years,” Haar said. “They would have brought a much different book at times and given a voice that would more accurately reflect their senior year.” The biggest obstacle that Haar faced was grasping the concepts that are unique to the Yearbook world. Although it was a valuable experience, learning the in-

TOWERING LEGACY— In the newly refurbished Yearbook room, Robert Haar leans against a collection of all the yearbooks he helped create during his time as Yearbook adviser.

tricacies that come with producing a successful book, including learning layout, photography, and the journalistic style, is a big responsibility to take on. “The biggest thing was learning journalism and developing an understanding of what journalism was, what the design was, what good writing was, and how that writing was different than an academic setting,” Haar said. Although he thoroughly enjoyed his Yearbook experience, Haar knew that it was time to move on to new things. After 22 years, Haar stepped down from the Yearbook adviser position. “I wasn’t bringing the same energy, and the energy coming back wasn’t the same. I felt it wasn’t going to the positive place I wanted it to, and so I decided it was time for a new challenge,” Haar said. The impact that Haar made on the Yearbook program is evident. While the students were learning from him, he was also learning from his students. Together they created a book that carries a voice unique to Thousand Oaks. “We kinda developed a jack-of-all-trades in the sense of the students which I think was really positive and really good in most instances,” Haar said. “I think for our environment it worked really well and helped create a better comradery.” In leaving his role, Haar has passed the yearbook baton onto Joanna Burns, a current Thousand Oaks High School teacher, who has years of experience from Westlake and Camarillo High Schools. “A great thing is that she really wants to make this a good book and a valuable experience for high school kids and help them get the same experience she did as a student,” Haar said. Haar is confident in Burn’s abilities to take his place and is excited to see what kind of yearbook they create this year. “I think they’re going to do some very cool things,” Haar said. “The kind of tradition of excellence and quality that we put into the book, I think that will continue under her leadership as well.” Now that he doesn’t have the responsibility of managing the time-consuming world that is Yearbook, Haar is moving onto new challenges within the school. He is now an AP Seminar teacher for the Center. “I’m not sure what other opportunities will open up,” Haar said. “But I enjoy the opportunities that are here and I’m excited about the challenges that I do have.”

“I enjoyed yearbook because of the opportunity to get to know the kids a lot better, but also to watch them create and develop.” — ROBERT HAAR

PHOTO » CARISSA LO » THE LANCER

FEATURES

A selfless sweet

SIXTEEN ABBY KAWAI

Staff Writer

For many, a birthday is a special event, celebrated by receiving gifts. Sophomore Danielle Huchingson, however, wanted to spend her birthday giving to others, so her mom found an opportunity for her to go to Thailand doing humanitarian work with a teen volunteer program called Global Leadership Adventures. “It was almost my sixteenth birthday, and we were looking for me to do something and I wanted to volunteer. It’s basically like Peace Corps for teenagers,” Huchingson said. After she found the perfect program, Huchingson waved goodbye to her hometown and took off for Changmai, Thailand. The ﬁrst week, Huchingson and her fellow volunteers painted an orphanage. After they ﬁnished for the day, they would get time to play with the children. “There was a big language barrier, and they were all pretty young, but they understood games quickly and it was really fun,” Huchingson said. After that, her group helped teach English at a local school. According to Huchingson, there were surprising similarities between the native children and visiting volunteers. They spoke English, watched American television, listened to American music, and were fascinated by Donald Trump. “Everyone was always asking us about Donald Trump. Even the children.” Huchingson said. “If they spoke English they would come up to us and be like, ‘So, Donald Trump, right?’ They thought he was so funny. They were so confused about what was going on in America.” During the weekends, Huchingson and the other volunteer teens explored Thailand. They had the opportunity to meet

Sophomore Danielle Hutchingson teaches across the continent.

monks and go ziplining. They even got to play in a river with elephants, giving them a mud spa treatment and splashing around. While touring Thailand, Huchingson was able to immerse herself in the culture. She tried new foods, interacted with the locals, and saw the differences in the cultures as well. “When we would drive by, we’d see people living in shacks and places that were barely even homes,” Huchingson said, “Then you’d drive by, and there’d be beautiful temples covered in gold right next to them. To us it was really sad, but we talked to them [the residents] and their religion is such a big part of their culture and who they are. That’s how they want it to be,” Huchingson met many people while she was there. The participating volunteers came from not just the United States, but from all around the world. “We all kind of automatically became friends because we were stuck together for hours and weeks,” Huchingson said. She also had two mentors in the program who impacted her. One of them helped people in Afghanistan deal with trauma, and the other was a middle school teacher who traveled during the summer. Huchingson got to learn about jobs and opportunities that she didn’t even know existed. Seeing these people doing what they loved inspired her, and for Danielle Huchingson helping others was not one sided. “When you go in, you think you’re going to make this big impact, but at the end of the day when you’re leaving, you just painted a building and taught English,” said Huchingson. “I think they make a bigger impact on you than you do on them.”

“When you go in, you think you’re going to make this big impact, but at the end of the day, you just painted a building and taught English. I think they make a bigger impact on you than you do on them.” —sophomore DANIELLE HUCHINGSON

TEACHING IN THAILAND—(Top) Sophomore Danielle Huchingson smiles with four students she helped teach English to in Thailand. (Bottom) One of the elephants indulges in a plant snack. PHOTOS » DANIELLE HUTCHINGSON » WITH PERMISSION