Issue 2, 2017-2018 by The Lancer

the

LANCER

Volume LVI, Issue 2 » October 26, 2017 » Thousand Oaks High School » 2323 N. Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 » www.tohsthelancer.org » thelancer.tohs@gmail.com » Circulation 2,216

ADMINISTRATION SMOKE OUT

After the discovery of students vaping in bathrooms and classrooms, administrations cracks down on individuals vaping by actively checking bathrooms, isolated parts of campus, and enforcing discplinary action. pg. 04

PHOTO » BLAKE SAARI » THE LANCER

BOOKS ON TRIAL

SPOOKY SCARY HALLOWEEN

PRE-FLIGHT CHECKLIST

District School Board President Mike Dunn sparks a fire over school books.

The history of classic Holloween characters explained in detail.

Junior Patrick Fogul aspires to get a jump start on his future flying planes.

pg. 11

pg. 12-15

pg. 16

EDITORIAL

STAFF EDITORIAL

An Expected Formality

Hits and Misses What’s Up and Down with The Lancer Hit: The social media presence of a made-up interest group, Students Against Sourins, from Dr. Swanson’s AP Gov class. Their Gov grades should go sky high.

Miss: The United States didn’t qualify for the World Cup. They really dropped the ball on that one.

Hit: Yesterday’s assembly! Nick Vujicic was able to captivate the audience with his energy and positivity. There’s no punchline here; that was awesome. GRAPHIC » GAVIN P. NORTON » THE LANCER

Should TOHS host a winter formal instead of Senior Ball? EDITORIAL BOARD

yes

abstain

With the end of homecoming still fresh in the minds of many underclassmen, many hope for another dance to let loose and give themselves to the music. It’s unfortunate that the next potentially available dance is prom, if they ﬁnd an upperclassmen to date. Sorry, freshmen and sophomores, there aren’t any other dances you’ll be able to participate in—except, potentially, one. A winter formal. The question of whether or not Thousand Oaks High School should host a winter formal is an interesting one. Thousand Oaks High School has not held a winter formal in its most recent years (and most likely in the majority of its history), which is a curious thing. Westlake High School and Newbury Park High School host winter formals, and it seems that most people wholeheartedly agree that we should, since it would offer an additional dance for underclassmen. “If you are an underclassmen, there is really only one dance you can go to the entire school year,” ASB Senior President Irene Li said. “A lot of people want another dance that is similar to homecoming, and if we were to put on a winter formal it would have a similar feel to homecoming.” Winter formal appeals to all high school students interested in a dance as they are all part of the market, so there’s a wider expected target audience. According to Li, this usually results in a much higher amount of participation, upwards of a thousand people attending. “If a thousand students are buying their tickets, then you would assume that you can remake your money,” Li said.

The counterargument to hosting a winter formal is that it would be logistically difficult. It would be harder to find chaperones for an unplanned dance, who are necessary to maintain order in the hectic chaos that results from one. Additionally, new events are always a risk because it is unclear whether or not they will succeed. A new event like winter formal creates varied expectations, which might lead some people away from the event because they are unsure of what to expect. A new event like winter formal would cause confused expectations, which might lead to some people being led away from the event because they are unsure what it will be like. Despite all that, however, we should take a chance with this event. Why? If nothing else, to provide fairness to underclassmen by giving them another opportunity. Most likely, attendance will be fine; underclassmen who wish to participate in a dance will go, and every student with an ASB card will want to get their money’s worth in discounts. Besides, if the event doesn’t pay for itself, that’s nothing new. Senior Ball used to be an event that would lose money, since it targeted seniors exclusively. Not only were ticket prices expensive, only approximately a hundred or so seniors would go, resulting in a large amount of revenue loss. Contrast that to the idea of a winter formal: more people can go, more people want to go, ticket prices can be cheaper, and more participation inevitably recuperates cost.

Miss: Football lost their Homecoming football game. I guess you could say we were Royally flushed.

Hit: Park and Recreation’s Nick Offerman made it acceptable for men to cry. He cries so often it is considered a recreational activity.

Miss: A-wall soilder Bowe Bergdahl, who the US traded four taliban members to get back safely went on trial yesterday. Missing in action, but we didn’t miss him.

Hit: The Dodgers made it to the World Series for the first time in 29 years. Things just got series-ous!

THE LANCER STAFF 2017-2018 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Sebastian Maya Paul Moon

NEWS

IN-FOCUS Ella Fortney Shannon Lin

FEATURES

Sophia Dockus Wynona Goddard

Natalie Dulansky Rebecca Tarbet

OPINION

SPORTS

Hannah Mercer Gavin P. Norton

Nate Swanson Emma Caudill

ENTERTAINMENT

SENIOR COLUMNIST

Abby Kawai Quinn Smithers

Gavin P. Norton

WEBSITE EDITOR

BUSINESS MANAGER

Blake Saari

Abbey Austin-Wood

PODCAST EDITORS

CHEIF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Nick Gougas Austin Gregory

STAFF WRITERS Nick Gougas Tanner Patterson

Cameron Neel

ARTIST Natalie Dulansky

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.

PHOTOGRAPHER Quinn Smithers

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.tohsthelancer.org

5 OFF-CAMPUS PASS

Current Events Every Lancer Should Know

This month there seems to be an increase of violence in the world against all manner of life including women, immigrants and soldiers.

1) Harvey Weinstein Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexually assaulting more than fifty women including Ashley Judd as well as Emily Nestor. He is currently stating that most of the allegations against him are false. After the allegations, the Weinstein company pushed him to resign.

2) Las Vegas Shooting On October 1, at ten in the evening, Stephen Paddock, a 64-year-old fired down on an open crowd at the country music festival in Las Vegas from the thirty-second floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. During his attack, he killed 59 people, and injured hundreds more before taking his own life. This tragedy is the deadliest mass shooting in American history.

3) ISIS & Niger In early October, four American special forces soldiers were killed in an ambush attack plotted by ISIS-affiliated militants in Niger. Led by Adan Abu Walid al-Sahraoui, they traveled by vehicle, carrying small weapons and rocket-propelled grenade launchers to carry out their attack.

October 2017

5) Iannucci’s The Death of Stalin Armando Iannucci, a Scottish satirist, created a satire on Stalin’s death, which disgruntled various groups in Russia as it reopens debates on the role of Stalin. Some Russians believe that it is a provocation to incite anger with the Communists that reside in their nation. Putin has kept his public opinions on Stalin neutral, refusing to praise him nor outright condemn him. Though some are calling for the movie not to be shown in Russia, it has not yet been banned by officials.

Sources» -The New York Times -The Washington Post -The Guardian -Quartz.com

4) Catalonia Independence On October 1st, the region of Catalonia in Spain declared a desire for independence. The Spanish government, however refused to grant them their independence, which followed with violence, riots, the deployment of the Civil Guard, and forceful removal from voting stations. Protesters of all ages crowded the streets protesting the imprisonment of pro-independence leaders. Tensions continue to rise between the people of Catalonia and the government

ONS PHOTOS » CREATIVE COMM

GRAPHIC » PAUL MOON » THE LANCER

NEWS

A VAPEPIDEMIC students who are willing to provide names or information about students in possession of vapes. Assistant The drastic increase in the possession and use of Principal of Instruction Danielle Oliveri busted this vapes over the last four years has caught the school’s myth, however, and made it clear that students will not attention. The discovery of students vaping in bath- be given any sort of reward. The one exception is if rooms and various classrooms has prompted Thousand students talk to a deputy officer and an arrest is made, Oaks High School to place new rules and crack down then a $50 reward will given to the individual. on the use of vapes. Twelve students have already been While the school has begun to be more proactive in suspended this year alone. order to reduce vaping at school, students have begun “We’ve had some reports from students and par- to fight back. It is seen as a big part of school life and ents that there was vaping going on in not only the re- culture, and some students have become accustomed strooms but also potentially in classrooms,” Principal to smoking at school. Lou Lichtl said. “We started investigating and looking “I smoke a lot, but I mostly smoke with friends as out and we did end up with several students that were it’s more fun. It’s become a social thing for me,” jueither in possession or using vapes on campus and they nior Jonathan Bennett* said. “Some people still smoke were disciplined accordingly. We will continue to dis- at school, just more discreetly, and I try not to anymore cipline students in the same manner.” unless my friends are really pushing me to.” Some vapes have been found to contain 30 mg of Although the office sees the disciplinary actions as nicotine, 2.5 times more than a cigarette. Students reasonable, students are upset and are worried about have been caught with vapes with 45 mg of nicotine as future repercussions it could cause. well as waxes that allow them to put illegal substances “I think the office is taking it really far,” Bennett into their vape. While administration attempts to better said. “The people who get caught and suspended will enforce the rules out of necessity, they also do so out probably stop, but it’s screwing up their entire high of the concern over unknown risk factors. school and /college career.” “It’s really our job to enforce our rules, send a Vapes have continued to become more widespread message that this is a safe place where students don’t at not only Thousand Oaks High School, but also have to be exposed to [vaping or drugs],” Lichtl said. throughout the nation. The CDC published a report “The dangers are also part of our concern. We know in 2015 that found that 16 percent of students now that vape juice has different chemicals and we have possess vapes. This correlates to 3 million students no idea what those might be... We don’t know what with vapes. Less students smoke cigarettes, howevthose chemicals are and in some cases how they inter- er, with a 7 percent drop from 2014. act with other medications or the long term effects of With an increase in vape usage, there has been exthose chemicals going into your lungs.” tensive discussion about their health effects. While Administration adheres to the California Education all the facts aren’t yet known, harmful chemicals and Code For Student Discipline, which states that any correlation to nicotine addiction have been found. student possessing products that contain tobacco or The Jama Network released a study on October 23, nicotine will be punished by suspension and/or expul- 2017, which found that out of 181 adolescents, all sion from an extracurricular activity for up to a year. were more likely to use combustible cigarettes or Suspensions range from 3 to 5 days. Administration, higher concentrations of nicotine in the next 30 days. however, views the disciplinary actions not as a pun- E-cigarettes can contain 5 times more nicotine than ishment, but as an opportunity to help students return normal cigarettes; the chemicals Propylene glycol to the right path. and glycerol are also widely known to be present in “We believe that is really important for students to e-juices. More research needs to be done on these understand that when you break the rules or the law that chemicals and vapes in general before e-cig’s effects there’s consequences for that,” Lichtl said. “There’s can be properly determined. consequences but you also always have a chance to “Cigarettes are being regulated by the FDA so you redeem yourself. The students [should] know that the know what’s in the cigarette itself,” Lichtl said. “We consequences are not necessarily just punitive, they’re know that a lot of the vape juice that goes into vapes also because we’re worried about the direction they’re have different chemicals and we have no idea what going in.” those might be.” Rumors have recently The US has become more worried about the known spread that the office carcinogens, such as diacetyl. Scientific evidence has will pay found the chemical in flavored juices and is known to irritate the lungs. Furthermore, research has suggested that diacetyl can lead to chronic bronchitis. Students successfully buy e-cigs E-juice can contain metals, such as chroonline 94% of the time mium and manganese, that are known toxic effects when heated up. The 16% of eleventh In 2015, 4.7 million high school and middle school school is worried about student’s grade students in students reported current use of any tobacco product lack of knowledge about these California currently including e-cigarettes and normal cigarettes. harmful effects. use e-cigarettes. “Vapes are harmful and Teens who try electronic cigarettes E-juice contains may be more than twice as likely to diethylene glycol, an progress to traditional cigarettes ingredient used in antifreeze. It also has Approximately 14 hits of a vape is glycerin, a subsitute for equivalent to smoking a cigarette. alcohol in most common cosmetic products SOPHIA DOCKUS

THE

NUMBERS:

SOURCE » STILLBLOWINGSMOKE SOURCE » VAPINGDAILY.COM SOURCE » WIKIPEDIA SOURCE » BUSINESSINSIDER.COM

News Editor

Administration is cracking down on student use of e-cigarettes on campus.

detrimental to students safety and welfare,” Lichtl said. “From a safety standpoint, we want to send a message that this is a safe place where students don’t have to be exposed to that kind of thing.” Vaping on campus is a growing activi1 ty amongst students. The ofﬁce has been working to lower the number of incidents. 2 The rules have been met with opposition from students who feel the policy is unfair. The current discipline policy will continue to be enforced.

-Allergies -Headaches 1) Eyes -Irritation -Blurry vision -Dryness 3) Stomach -Vomiting -Nausea -Diarrhea

General Problems -Itchniness -Dizziness -Tiredness -Sleeplessness 2) Mouth -Dryness -Bleeding gums -Mouth sores

3) Lungs -Airway resistance -Cough -Breathing problems

3) Heart -Chest pains -Higher blood pressure -Higher heart rate

GRAPHIC » PAUL MOON » THE LANCER

NEWS

A Book for Reform The school board has been debating over a controversial book and possible new policies to deal with similar required reading novels. News Editor the Conejo district board president reviewed a book that was under consideration for ninth-graders to Almost every piece of literature we read has some read. The book presented is titled, “The Absolutely level of controversy. To some parents, pieces of True Diary of a Part-time Indian” by Sherman Alexie. literature students read in class step over the boundary “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian” is of what is appropriate to read. about a boy from a poor family named Junior who If a parent does not want their child to read a cer- was a victim of bullying from his tribe for his health tain novel or story, what are their alternatives? That is issues, and eventually decides to attend an all-white what the school board is trying to decide. As of now, school instead of learning on the reservation. His there is no regulated steps for teachers to take if one of Native American tribe reacted negatively to Junior’s their students, or their student’s parents, decides that decision, so Junior had to face their anger as well as one of the required reading books should not be read. other issues, such as death and guilt. Jon Fleming is a 12 AP English and 9CP EThOS Dunn found parts of the book were vulgar and teacher on our campus. He was selected to tell the profane, however he was willing to vote for the book school board about his views on controversial books, if there was a way for parents to opt their kids out of reading it. and the procedures to be taken. “All books being taught in schools are vetted by “There are these sort of informal things done at all the different high schools depending on who the trained professionals to ascertain their suitability for teacher was, who the department chair was, who the the school. If they are approved for the classroom principal was, and what they were working on that then they are appropriate for assigned reading. And could have happen in a lot of different ways,” said with media the way is is these days, arguments that Fleming. “There’s a committee now to try to ﬁgure violence, sex, and profanity is not appropriate for out if there is a systematic way to do that among all teens are laughable at best,” senior James Schonholz three high schools, and even the middle schools too if said. “You can not stop us from being informed, and it comes to that. To try to ﬁgure out if there’s a way the more you make something forbidden the more for- you know there’s a process that everyone could we will want to try it; such is the temptation of the go through if they wanted to have an alternative book forbidden fruit.” The books wouldn’t be banned, but there would title. That’s kind of what we’re working on.” The question on what to do about questionable be protocol for teachers to follow if a student’s titles started back in June of 2017, when Mike Dunn, parent wished for their child to not read the selection .

WYNONA GODDARD

The protocols they are expecting to take have not yet been determined. “I expect an action item on the agenda by the end of November,” Dunn said, “The purpose of the item is to protect the innocence of our children.” However, not everyone agrees that the children’s innocence is as fragile as they make it out to be. “High schoolers are not stupid, we are intelligent beings capable of higher thought. We are smarter than you think, and we can handle more than you know. I have had the most amazing in depth discussions of why the school system is how it is, and how it isn’t up to par for the modern education requirements with my fellow classmates. Philosophy is our bread and butter, so much so that our jokes have become so removed from the previous generations that they are incomprehensible,” Schonholz said. The book is controversial because of its depiction of sexual content and violence and it has been both criticized and applauded. Dunn was concerned with some of the profanity found in Alexie’s book such as on page 102, there is a sentence that used both the nand the f-slur to state a clearly racist statement. “I was a ﬁreﬁghter for 30 years and saw everything twice. Yet I am offended by some of the obscenity in some of our books on the core literature list. Some of these books are very dark and perverse,”said Dunn. In the end, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian” was approved by the board to be taught in the school curriculum.

What constitutes Controversy? Into the Wild A true story about a young adult who is disillusioned with society, so he leaves material possessions behind to journey into the wild.

To Kill a Mockingbird Kite Runner

Romeo and Juliet A tragedy about two young lovers that teaches the students about the importance of acceptance and the tragedy of rejection.

Frankenstein A scientist played God by creating his “perfect being”. It teaches students that it’s important to take responsibility, and is an important piece of literature for it’s time period.

Kite Runner is about the childhood of an Afghanistan boy Amir and how he finds his way. It shows the differing cultures of Afghanistan and the United States. There are very controversial parts, such as when Amir watches a boy get raped by other boys in an alley and does nothing to help.

Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies is a story about high society school boys being stranded on an island to survive. It tells of the destruction of society, and includes the death of multiple characters in unpleasant ways.

To Kill a Mockingbird follows a young girl named Scout who lives in Alabama during the Great Depression. Her father, Atticus is a lawyer who decided to defend a black man accused of rape. It deals with acceptance and racism, and uses slurs like the n-word.

PHOTOS » QUINN SMITHERS » THE LANCER

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ENTERTAINMENT

ALL PHOTOS » OFFICIAL FACEBOOK

Rock into the hall of fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces the 2018 nominees and students respond to the nominations

Quinn Smithers

Entertainment Editor

Rock and Roll is a genre that has lasted throughout the ages. It is loved from the old to the young. No one can argue how it has shaped the current music genre. It is truly iconic. The doors ﬁrst opened in Cleveland Ohio on Sept 2, 1995. They strive to preserve the artists that helped shape the genre that has persevered through time. “ It’s a good thing” Junior Madison Young said, “[There is] other hall of fames and rock and roll is really big. I think that they need to be recognized for their work and hard effort” Being inducted into the hall of fame is complicated. The organization has a set of rules to be eligible to be a nomination. Bands are placed into a pool with other bands when they become eligible. The nominations committee will then pick, the artists, then turn it over to the fans for them to vote for the bands/artists that they want in the hall. “It sounds like a lot of diverse different types of rock and roll,” Senior Cole Supple said. “The groups that were inducted around the early 2000’s were just your seventies average rock and roll groups like Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. But the list sounds like a lot of punk and rock and roll, hard rock, and metal.” With any nominations there will be negative attitudes towards certain nominees. This year it’s rapper LL Cool J being nominated despite not being in the rock and roll genre. “I would not vote LL Cool J because I don’t feel that’s really his [genre]” Young said. “I don’t think rock and roll and rap are the same thing” Although the rap group NWA was inaugurated into the hall of fame in 2016, there have been other non-rock and roll groups that were inducted

including The Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson. To be inducted one of the guidelines is the artist must show influence in the genre. Both artists show it even if they are not in the genre of rock. “I don’t really like the Zombies Junior Sydney Snell said, “They have a sound that only specific people like. But I think to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you have to at least to be identified by most people.” The following categories artists can be nominated for Performers, the Ahmet Ertegun Award (Non-performers), Early Influences, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Award for Musical Excellence. Each category honors people in the music community from the performers to the non performers and to the artists who influenced the genre before it was born in the late 1940’s. There is some worry about the lack of Rock and Roll groups that can be nominated into the hall. “I think they are running out of people, [but] I think that the people they have are pretty good” Snell said. However there is still hope, many rock and roll groups that came out in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s will be eligible and will add more bands into the pool. If you want to see the bands nominated and want to see any of these bands in the hall of fame, you can vote on the official hall of fame website once a day. The winners will be announced on Apr. 14, 2018. For next time the Foo Fighters should be nominated. “I think the Foo Fighters should definitely be in there” Snell said. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is loved for what it stands for and keeping the spirit of rock and roll alive. The Hall of Fame acknowledges the evolution of rock and praises its members.

Favorite Nominations

1 nomination

2 nominations

ALL GRAPHICS » WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

ENTERTAINMENT

ooky spooky Halloween is almost upon us. No wonder it’s the winning theme for this issue’s monthly mixtape. With the exception of some of the Halloween classics, each song could be heard playing in the background of an intense horror movie montage. Ooky Spooky! With a mix of creepy melodies and timeless staples, this playlist is sure to spook you into the mood for some candy. So sit back, carve yourself a pumpkin, put on your Pennywise the Clown costume, and enjoy. ��NT��Y ��X��PE

GRAPHIC» EVELYN ROGERS

1. I’m Going Slightly Mad/Queen 2. Emperor’s New Clothes/Panic! At The Disco 3. Mad Hatter/Melanie Martinez 4. Spooky Scary Skeletons/Andrew Gold 5. I Put a Spell On You/Screamin’ Jay Hawkins 6. Thriller/Michael Jackson 7. Monster Mash/Bobby Pickett 8. Fall Away/Twenty One Pilots 9. Shia LaBeouf Live/Rob Cantor 10. Science Fiction/Double Feature/Richard O’Brien 11. Turn Around, Look at Me/ The Vogues

SCAN TO LISTEN

12. The Zombie Song/Stephanie Mabey 13. Ghostbusters/Ray Parker, Jr. 14. Creep/Postmodern Jukebox 15. Let Me Out/Gorillaz 16. This is Halloween/Danny Elfman 17. Leave Me Lonely/Ariana Grande 18. Hello, My Treacherous Friends/OK Go 19. Tip-Toe Thru’ The Tulips With Me/Tiny Tim 20. Bloody Mary/Lady Gaga

ALL GRAPHICS » ABBY KAWAI » THE LANCER

ENTERTAINMENT

PSYCHED FOR HORROR MOVIES While horror movies can be spooky fun, they also can provide insight into human experience. Whether it’s a cult classic or new and noteworthy, at every horror movie’s core is a statement about humanity that audience memebers should take to heart.

ABBY KAWAI

Entertainment Editor

If you look at the concept of horror movies objectively, it seems bizarre that a group of people would all sit down in the dark to experience fear together. It’s a wonder why we enjoy this and why horror movies are part of the entertainment industry at all. But, when delving deeper into the experience of a horror film, there is a method behind the madness. A true horror film serves as a window into the human psyche, becoming a mirror for its audience to reflect on the reason behind their fears. There seems to be a misconception that horror movies are all about using cheap tricks just to give the audience a scare, but the reality is these tropes serve only to further the mental manipulation that real horror films utilize. “The characters are what really make a horror movie,” senior Elwood Walker said. “When the audience cares about a character, it forces them to be more vulnerable because they want to see that character succeed. In order for a movie to be scary, it has to make the audience feel vulnerable in not knowing what’s coming next.” The reason why films implement suspense, horrifying imagery, painful character development, and gore is because experiencing these feelings makes the

“In order for a movie to be scary, it has to make the audience feel vulnerable in not knowing what’s coming next.” - senior Elwood Walker audience vulnerable and forces them to accept the reality the director has presented. Horror ﬁlms want to

make people uncomfortable. They want to push limits because when we are beyond your comfort zone, then we can accept the message the film conveys. According to AP Psychology teacher Jordan Daigneault, the psychology behind suspense relates to our need to know information when we are in danger. When we are afraid, our minds race to find answers, giving us a unique opportunity to broaden our perspectives and see the world through a different lens. “[Suspense] relates a lot to not knowing,” Daigneault said. “Our brains really hate not knowing things, because the result could be catastrophic to our survival. It will lead to us filling in possible endings and teetering at the edge of our seat because, in a

“[Suspense] will lead to us filling in possible endings and teetering at the edge of our seat because, in a sense, we need to know what happens next.” - Jordan Daigneault sense, we need to know what happens next.” Films such as “Get Out,” directed by Jordan Peele, and “The Stepford Wives,” directed by Bryan Forbes, use horror to over exaggerate social topics, heightening audience experiences and making them sympathize with the victims. The reason why horror movies use horror is not to scare the audience just for fun, horror is used to show a darker side of humanity that exists within our minds. The horror genre is not a gore-loving death fest, but a celebration of acknowledging issues that are uncomfortable to think about.

PHOTO » FLICKR » CREATIVE COMMONS

Quinn’s Advice For the Masses Do you love pumkin spice lattes? Read This! Early September and throughout fall, a beverage keeps us prepared for the upcoming holiday season, The Pumpkin Spice Latte, or PSL. It gives us exactly what we need during the cold days of the Southern California fall. I love this drink so much. It’s exquisite flavor makes every sip feel like there is a pumpkin-patch in my mouth. Pumpkin Spice Lattes are everything I stand for and are a daily ritual for most white girls. When one thinks of white girls, there is always certain things associated with them. Think of a stereotypical white girl, or White Girl™, we see her dressed in leggings, probably from Lululemon because if they are seen wearing something other than that, then they are not an actual White Girl™, a sweater, extra points if it’s from Pink, paired with Ugg boots, and equipped with a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Long before PSL, white girls had to suffer through those cold fall days sipping their frappuccinos which never warmed them up. Don’t get me wrong, frappuccinos are the best thing ever, but when I’m cold, the last thing I want is something to make me even more cold. But with the introduction of the glorious PSL, the White Girls™ finally have a drink that could keep them warm as they snuggle with their pomeranians and watch Grey’s Anatomy. It was popular before the age of social media, but when 2012 came around, its popularity burst even more than before and it was then that it became part of the white girl culture. Us White Girls were finally blessed with a drink to kept us warm. Since 2012, it has evolved, especially after major controversy in 2014. I have to say the controversy is absolutely ridiculous and I will shoot down the accusation to protect the precious PSL. A controversial “scientist” blogger, Vani Hari, called out the company complaining about how it has no actual pumpkin puree and the drink is all artificial flavoring. Now to some, this must be a big deal, but I have news for everyone; there are drinks and food that are artificially flavored. Those delicious gummy bears? They are artificially flavored. The yummy fruit juice? Sorry to burst the bubble but those are also artificially flavored. We consume these foods that don’t actually have the real ingredient to create the flavor. But to please those who complained about this, in 2015 Starbucks change the formula to include pumpkin puree in the list of ingredients. So no longer can Hari complain about this amazing drink. I do hope they change their mind and convert to the love of PSL. Even for the haters, which shocks me, there is absolutely no way to escape it. When the fall season comes rolling in so do the ads for the PSL, the news starts to talk about it, and even the official twitter starts again. Other than it bringing culture to the white girl, the PSL influences the seasonal fall foods. So many coffee shops, candy’s, fragrances, even Trader Joe’s now offer the seasonal pumpkin goods. People can literally smell like a PSL if they wanted to by heading to Bath and Body works and buying their pumpkin spice perfume. No one ever loses on this, it’s a win for the companies and it’s a win for the consumers. Next time there is a craving for coffee, remember nothing can beat the PSL. Buy one and embrace the autumn goodness. - Quinn

Smithers

OPINION

... That’s Debatable Should adequate grades and consistent attendance be required to obtain a work permit? Now that the school year has begun again and all previously held work permits must be renewed with the stipulation of maintaining a 2.0 GPA and decent attendance, some are left without the opportunity to continue to work at their jobs. Should both GPA and attendance records be required?

YES

Good grades, attendance reinforce good working skills GAVIN P. NORTON

Opinion Editor

Working as a student is a privilege. Not all students can have the time, ability or — by nobody’s fault but their own — skills to be able to work in an actual business environment. That’s why it is required by law for any minor interested in taking up the opportunity of applying to work to have a work permit upon entering the workforce. However, these permits cannot simply be handed out with no serious account to either grades or attendance. Having a grade point average requirement for a work permit reinforces the concept that if a student cannot succeed in school, they cannot succeed in the real world, because the real world is exactly what the workforce is. By doing the absolute minimum and just following their teacher’s instructions and being attentive and engaged in class, any student can reasonably reach the minimum GPA requirements to obtain a work permit. If a student does not reach the minimum requirement of a 2.0 GPA, it is not unfair for them to be denied a permit. Having a minimum GPA proves one can put time and effort into a class. Time and effort put into a class, shows they can apply that same work ethic into working at a job. It’s not like the requirements for obtaining a work permit are incredibly strict, either. Besides grades, students need to attend school regularly and be on time at least 90 percent of the time and the confidence to fill out an application and turn it in to the College and Career Center. Once you’ve checked those boxes, you’re in the clear. Having a job is a step up from being a student; it’s the next level. Being a good student is the reason we are enrolled in school; that is why we are here. Having a job? Totally optional! That’s why the second requirement for obtaining a work permit is so crucial, and why both must exist together. Showing up to school or work is huge. If a company takes a risk and hires a minor to supplement their business, they want to be sure the help they signed up to receive is prompt and professional. Anything more than a 10% tardy rate is a massive uncertainty for the company. The absent or tardy worker affects co-workers and clients. Absenteeism creates more work for others or leaves important work undone, leaving a massive impact on the business. At school, students are — for the most part — responsible for themselves, so unless they are actively involved in a group or group project, the negative impact of an absence or tardy can only impact the student. The only excuse for not showing up should be sickness; this applies to both school and working life. However, if one is sick so much and so often they are ineligible for receiving a work permit, then their priorities should not be on getting a job or receiving a work permit, but instead time should be spent on their own health and getting to a point where they can attend as frequently as possible. This is not to dismay students from wanting to work or trying to earn some extra money, but rather to reinforce the benefits of placing restrictions on work permits.The integration of school and work is great, but only if you are proven to handle it.

Work permit stipulations can hurt students’ family life HANNAH MERCER

Opinion Editor

Although work permits can give employers an indication of a student’s commitment to their responsibilities, holding down a job and performance in school are different. It is not uncommon for families to struggle with their finances. If buying groceries to make dinner is a financial concern, how could anyone expect a parent to pay for a tutor to come help their child keep their grades up? Lack of income leaves some parents with no choice but to send their children to work. But without the grades needed to obtain a work permit, that isn’t an option. What happens if a student does have the grades to provide their employer with a work permit? Well, there is another obstacle: limited work hours. Fourteen or 15 year old students are not permitted to work more than 18 hours a week, and students who are 16 or 17 cannot work more than 20 hours. Additionally, no student is allowed to work past a certain time of night. This presents yet another challenge: maintaining a minimum 2.0 GPA while working the maximum amount of hours possible. If a student works Monday through Friday, and they are at work for four hours each day, there is only so much time for them to complete their homework/class projects. Therefore, their GPA could decline. But what’s more important: your family or your math grade? Another requirement for obtaining a work permit is having regular school attendance. The idea behind this is obvious — if you don’t attend school on a regular basis, how could you possibly do that at work? Well, the value of education is different for everyone. Many students do not see the point in sitting in a desk for six hours every day because they aren’t getting anything out of it yet. When they are working, though, they are making money every time they show up, which is a clear incentive to be punctual and present at work. Minors need parental consent before making most of their decisions, such as getting piercings. Why is getting a job not the same way? Since the majority of high school students are minors, employers should require parental consent to get jobs, rather than obtaining their school’s permission. Parents and guardians should decide whether or not their child’s grades are sufficient enough to work because every family has different views on the values of education. While some families consider school to be the highest priority, many others believe that a high school diploma is not necessarily the most important thing. Lots of parents choose not to shove college and careers down their kids throats; instead, they simply encourage them to get any job that will provide a steady income with or without a diploma or degree. These differing values show that job applications for minors should require a parent’s signature or contact information. School administration has no right to dictate what a student can and cannot do in their personal life. When a minor decides to get a job and enter the workforce, the power to grant them permission to do so falls into the hands of their parent or guardian, not Mrs. Peters in the College and Career Center. GRAPHIC » NATALIE DULANKSY» THE LANCER

OPINION

Smart Plans?

Booked

The CVUSD school board introduced a subcommittee over the summer to develop a plan to address controversial books in the curriculum. However, the plan is a redundant political ploy instead of anything beneficial. For a news perspective, see pg. 5. policy, if a parent has a problem, they discuss that problem with the teacher and it is handled on an individual To do anything, people need a motive. basis. If this policy changes, it would be a nightmare for Why, then, has the district decided to change the teachers because for each book they teach, they would policy on what to do concerning “controversial” books need to supplement their lesson plans with an albeing taught in classrooms? ternative that garners the same amount of CVUSD’s board occasionally discusses the appropriintrigue, knowledge and theme analysis. It ateness of books teachers bring to them for approval. is worth mentioning that lesson plans asRecently, Sherman Alexie’s “The Absolutely True Diary sociated with works of literature do not necof a Part Time Indian” was brought up for discussion. essarily take a day. Lesson plans linked The book contains two specifically explicit scenes, to books take weeks to carry out, and yet both add to the theme of the book and make the having a mandatory alternative could read more engrossing. However, these specific scenes lead to some teachers not teaching books are crass when taken out of context. The first scene in as a part of their instruction. According to question describes the young protagonist masturbating Boone, teachers know the curriculum well while the second is a derogatory question and adequately use their — a question inappropriately referenced discretion when deciding by CVUSD Board of Education President just what to cover in their Mike Dunn. “Why has the district classes. “‘Indians are proof black people had sex “Teachers are expert, with buffaloes.’ Except the real quote uses decided to change the trained educators … the N-word and the F-word,” Dunn said. know how to hanpolicy on what to do they The board, headed by Dunn, should have dle this,” Boone said. then seen the book was on the California concerning controver- This isn’t the first time Department of Education’s List of RecDunn voted against sial book titles being a controversial piece ommended Literature. Yet, they decided to host a vote for the book not being taught in taught in classrooms?” of literature. In 2012, schools anyway. Dunn voted against Khaled Fortunately, the book was eventually Hosseini’s “The Kite approved, but much to the dismay of our Runner” being placed in Board of Education President. He voted the the 12th-grade curriculum. book should not be taught in schools and deemed it — It, like “The Absolutely True Diary of a without ever reading it — inappropriate. Part Time Indian” was approved by the “I am offended by the obscenity,” Dunn said. board majority. The board looked to prevent the these votes on specifDunn made the decision without admitic books from happening again. Perhaps that decision ting to having not read either book. was made because somebody did not see the results Like the most recent example, “The they wanted from having a book put up for removal Kite Runner” was almost disapproved because a majority of the board failed to realize how because of one scene that conveys the tone controversial it really was. Now, a subcommittee exists. of the entire book. “The purpose of the subcommittee is to reform the It is critical to realize certain types existing policy and make a clear procedure for what of knowledge can only be obtained to do next, ” Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment through specific examples. Teachers know Director Dr. Jennifer Boone said. how to find specific books that exemplify Their retaliation to a book vote was to set up a stanwhichever themes or rhetoric they dardized method to cover each possible parent comwant to convey, and restrictions plaint for what their child is reading in class. Although would, thus, restrict the student’s this may sound appealing because it makes the process intake of information. of dealing with controversial literature easy for the Dunn and the committee are not parents, that is precisely why it is unappealing: Nothing promoting healthy education. beneficial comes from making complaints and changes Instead, the change in policy is easier for parents. stifling our teachers and the possibility There was an established, yet informal, system for of growth in ourselves and our peers handling a situation when a parent is unhappy with the by limiting our access to new literature material their child reads in class. With the existing and new ideas. GAVIN P. NORTON

Opinion Editor

GRAPHIC » PAUL MOON » THE LANCER

GOOD ADIDEAS B

#2: OFFER FREE APPLE JUICE AT YOUR HOTEL

This past summer I had the pleasure of taking a nine day road trip around nine fantastic states, plus Indiana. Because I was in a car and traveling constantly, the hotels I blessed with my patronage were less-thanperfect. Please join me on an example morning during this road trip. It’s probably not morning, is it? Irrelevant. Get some imagination and pretend it’s morning. Boom, you and I are there. It’s morning. It’s morning and you’re thirsty, so — if you are like the majority of Americans — you will either go and drink coffee or orange juice … and you will be sorry you didn’t take my advice. The only beverage I chose to compliment my breakfasts was apple juice. Without fail, though, each time I finished sipping my drink, I started to evacuate the hotel. To illustrate my reasons for leaving the vicinity, I shall make a comparison. Coffee at these breakfasts tastes bad because it is mostly water, so little fibery substance is present. For reasons still unknown, hotel apple juice is not mostly water. Cheap apple juice is mostly fiber in that cheap apple juice may as well be labeled a quick laxative (or at least labeled as lowlight of my road trip). In reality, however, cheap apple juice provided me with myriad new opportunities. Never before would I even think to explore the wonders of downtown Baltimore or the quaint village of Intercourse, Pennsylvania if I had not toured their rest stops in great detail. Saying I took the road less traveled would be a gross understatement; I took the sewage drain underused. Besides Baltimore and Intercourse, I took turns down roads that accidentally led me to Thomas Lincoln’s childhood home and Fort Knox visitor’s center. The hotels I stayed at didn’t plan for this. They didn’t plan for me to go out from their property and explore the new wonders in public waste disposal units. If anything, these hotels were thinking providing complimentary breakfast would entice me to return and spend another night with them, but how wrong they were. Take note, hotel owners. Take note. So it makes one ponder: What is permissible to offer complimentary at a hotel? Should a hotel offer complimentary WiFi? Yeah, that’s fair. Free parking? Wouldn’t that be lovely? Extra deodorant? Heaven knows we need it. An extra dozen pillows to build a fortified line between you and the person you were forced to share a queen-sized bed with because the nice lady at the front desk didn’t realize that their hotel no longer has a room with a pull-out couch or a futon? Yes, please. Orange juice? Yummy. Coffee? Of course! Apple juice? No. Never. When your hotel offers apple juice free of cost — because the CEO of Best Western is likely to not read this — take it, but know what comes next. Taking the juice on a road trip isn’t even a bad idea, really. How else would one explore the world in such a fashion as I did? These hotels unconsciously provided me with a better view of the Unites States than any tour book could have. Taking the hotel apple juice may have destroyed the purpose of a hotel chain, but it only heightened my awareness of new parts of the country. Taking the hotel apple juice was not just a bad idea, it was a good bad idea. The bad idea was combining an 8a.m. continental breakfast apple juice with a 10a.m. flight across the country cooped up and sitting window-side next to two strangers.

» Gavin P Norton

IN-FOCUS

PHOTO » BLAKE SAARI » THE LANCER

THE MONSTER MASH

Popular halloween characters in the United states have rich and Diverse ORIGINs from all over the world

IN-FOCUS

Spooky Origins ELLA FORTNEY SHANNON LIN In-Focus Editor

ZOMBIE

VAMPIRES During human decomposition, it’s common for bloody fluid to leak from the mouth and nose. Misunderstandings surrounding this postmortem fun fact is what inspired many of the first vampire tales. People in Medieval Europe observed this phenomenon and speculated that the blood came from living victims the corpses fed on during the night. These blood sucking beings were given the name “vampyre.” Vampires were often blamed for misfortunes like diseases, natural disasters, or poor growing seasons. Because of this, villagers would pin suspected vampires to their graves by stabbing wood stakes into their chests. During the time of the first vampire scares, garlic was a common remedy to diseases that had similar causes of symptoms, like rabies. It was also frequently used to ward off blood sucking insects like mosquitos, making it an even stronger candidate for vampire deterrence. Like strong odors from garlic, intense visual stimuli from bright sunlight or mirrors can trigger painful spasms in individuals infected with rabies. People in medieval Europe likely connected this with vampires.

Zombie myths emerged from the dark history of Haitian slavery and voodoo culture. During the 1600s and 1700s, the French enslaved millions of Haitians and made them work under brutal conditions. It was a common belief among these slaves that those who committed suicide would be condemned to slavery forever, working in the Hispaniolan fields as zombies. Over time, this idea was transferred to all slaves who died. The slave zombie archetype evolved over time to become part of Haitian voodoo culture, where zombies were thought to be corpses that had been reanimated by voodoo shamans, called bokors, to do labor for them. Zombies were introduced to Western culture as the slave zombies from Haitian voodoo culture. The “original” zombie movie, “White Zombie” drew directly from Haitian voodoo culture to present zombies as slaves under control a master with the use of magic powder. After the Vietnam war, the modern zombie emerged. “Night of the Living Dead” redefined our definition of zombies to represent the nihilist view of death and violence that our culture held as a result of the Vietnam War. This version of the zombie is the zombie that we know today. My Favorite Spooky Figure Is Zombies Because... “I like brains” - Senior Ally Malilay https://www.theatlantic.com , http://umich.edu, http://www.atlasobscura.com

Third Place

My Favorite Spooky Figure Is Vampires Because... “Because they drink your blood and that’s savage” Sophomore Najiyah Majlaba https://voices.nationalgeographic.org, http://www.bbc.com, https://garlicshaker.com

Second Place

https://www.smithsonianmag.com, http://www.bbc.com

WEREWOLVES

SKELETONS Skeletons have historically been used to personify death in cultures all around the world. In the Middle Ages, a woodcarving called “Dance of Death” by a German artist Hans Holbein the Younger, Death is depicted as a hooded skeleton carrying a scythe. Historians refer to this as the original connection of personified death with skeletons. In Japanese mythology, a giant skeleton creature called the Gashadokuro is said to form in battlefields from the bones of those who have starved to death. In Haitian voodoo culture, Baron Samedi, the head of the gods of death, is often depicted as a skeleton. The Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead, is known for its positive depictions of skeletons to represent death. Dia de los Muertos skeletons, can be seen decorating Mexican towns on the Day of the Dead. These positive depictions of skeletons come from the Mexican philosophy that dead people don’t want to be remembered sadly, values which have been a part of Mexican culture since pre Columbian times.

Myths about werewolves can be traced back farther than any myths about human monster hybrids. One of the oldesst myths can be traced back to 2000 BC Ancient Greece about King Lycaon (the origin of the word Lycanthrope, another name for werewolves) that was transformed into a human wolf hybrid for punishment from Zeus. Belief in werewolves was widespread during the Middle Ages. They were often blamed for wild animal attacks and random deaths. Many people believed that werewolves were created by witches so both suspected werewolves and witches were burned and hanged. These accusations were most common in areas with prominent Christian activity. In Ancient Greece, it was believed that a person would turn into a werewolf from consuming a mix of human and wolf meat. Later, other methods of becoming a werewolf emerged from the mixing of different myths. Examples include, being conceived during a full moon, being cursed, or even drinking water that had been touched by a wolf. The belief that werewolves can only be killed by silver and that they turn only during the full moon did not emerge until much later. Werewolves were originally believed to be able to be killed like any other living creature and could transform from human to werewolf whenever they wanted to or only at night.

My Favorite Spooky Figure Is Skeletons Because... “Spooky Scary Skeletons”-10+ Survey Responses

My Favorite Spooky Figure Is Werewolves Because... “Remus Lupin is a werewolf in Harry Potter” - Sophomore Ava H.

http://www.toptenreviews.com, http://arcana.wikidot.com

https://www.livescience.com , https://www.historicmysteries.com

Although mummies from Egypt are as ancient as 5,000 years old, they didn’t emerge as major characters of horror in western culture until the 19th century. Egyptomania, or the European obsession with ancient Egypt, emerged after the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799. The first major work involving a mummy rising from the dead was Jane Loudon’s “The Mummy!”. However, the mummy in this story is not portrayed as evil, and it wasn’t until 1892 in Sir Conan Doyle’s “Lot No. 249” that the classic malicious mummy made it to the main stage in Europe. In 1932, following their release of “Dracula” and “Frankenstein,” Universal Pictures produced the first major mummy movie, “The Mummy.” From this point on, mummies became associated with classic halloween figures like vampires and zombies. The idea of the “Pharaoh’s Curse,” that is often explored in mummy movies and books, became popular after the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. Within the decade following this historic expedition, six of the of the people present during the opening of the tomb died.

https://thewire.in, http://ew.com, http://www.nationalgeographic.com

Clowns, as pranksters, entertainers, harlequins, jesters, and mythological tricksters have been around for centuries and can be found in many cultures. In 2500 BC Ancient Egypt, pygmy clowns entertained pharaohs and the royal family. Court clowns in Ancient China were the only ones that could make fun of the king without punishment. Hopi Native Americans had clown like characters that interrupted serious rituals with crazy antics. The Ancient Romans had fools called stupidae who performed and messed up acts on purpose. Clowns were mainly theater performers in Europe during the 1800s. As the clown figure became connected with circuses, their image became more standardized. This led to the distinctive colorful hair, painted face, big shoes and red nose we associate with clowns. The emergence of Bozo and Ronald MacDonald in the 1800 furthered the popularity of clowns in America . The idea of the killer clown also emerged from this era because of the many instances of assaults, kidnappings, and murders conducted by people who dressed up as clowns to lure children. My Favorite Spooky Figure Is Clowns Because... “They are meant to make you laugh which is exactly why it’s scary when you see them killing people “ -Sophomore Kate Elam

MUMMIES

My Favorite Spooky Figure Is Mummies Because... “Their history is neat” Sophomore Sydnee Meler

First Place

CLOWNS

First Place

GHOSTS Animism, one of the oldest belief systems in the world, is based on the idea that everything, rocks to complex living beings, has a spiritual essence that is separate from its physical form. Early believers of animism proposed that human spirits of this kind could return without the body after one died. This gave birth to the idea of ghosts. Many cultures, like those found in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece, believed the afterlife to be the permanent resting place for the dead and that they would only return to the world of the living if something was wrong. For example, if the family of the deceased neglected to supply ceremonial offerings, or if the dead were buried without the proper techniques, ghosts would come back to haunt the living until they corrected these misdeeds. They also believed that ghosts would return if they died cruel or unusual deaths. We can see these themes reflected in literature, like “Macbeth”, modern horror stories, like “The Shining” and “The Sixth Sense.” Like the word “here” in modern English, “boo” was originally a way of asserting one’s presence (think Peek-a-boo). With their translucent appearances, and mental and physical separation from the living, the dead are desperate to be acknowledged by those who are still alive. Because of this “boo” became a symbol of ghosts and their isolation from the living.

WITCHES Witches are one of the oldest of the classic Halloween characters and have been around for as long as humans have been speculating about magic and the supernatural. The negative western image of witches is heavily influenced by the church and its early views on paganism and healing. During the first century, many Christians believed that spirits from other religions were demonic. This began the association of witchcraft and paganism with evil. The church also often portrayed individuals who practiced healing as wicked, seeing their attempts to cure people outside of the will of God as sinful. This evolved into the conviction that witches were followers of the devil who were granted special powers in return for their loyalty. It is this image of witches that we see in “The Crucible”, and other stories of witch trials. The connection between healing anwwd witchcraft is responsible for the classic image of a witches creating spells using cauldrons filled with obscure objects. Similarly, because brooms were used for various Pagan crop fertility rites, they became associated with witches and magic. My Favorite Spooky Figure Is Witches Because... “They are a prominent figure in my favorite pieces of literature and in history they were usually feminist icons” -Senior Lavender Ruffman http://www.bbc.com, http://www.history.com

My Favorite Spooky Figure Is Ghosts Because... “They’re boneless” Sophomore Anonymous https://www.ancient.eu, https://www.nytimes.com, http://www.slate.com

Second Place

Third Place

Quotes and data collected from a survey administed to 336 students Voted spookiest Halloween character

Voted spookiest Halloween character

PHOTOS » BLAKE SAARI » THE LANCER

FEATURES

ABOVE THE CLOUDS Junior Patrick Fogel soars to new hights as he works towards acheiving his pilots license and volunteers at the Camarillo Commemorative Air Force. NATALIE DULANSKY

Features Editor

What was once a childhood dream has turned into something bigger for junior Patrick Fogel. With a pilot as a dad, he has always been surrounded by aviation and lately has started working towards getting his pilot’s licence. In an effort to further his knowledge and experience with planes, Fogel started volunteering at the Commemorative Air Force Museum in Camarillo three years ago. He spends countless hours in the museum surrounded by old planes. While there, his main task is to help maintain the planes and host events at the facility to raise money. “One of the good things is that we fly World War II aircraft. I want to fly those aircraft because it’s [a mix of] history and flying. Since we keep the planes in flying condition I’ll do work to maintain the aircraft. Because that is expensive we have events, like parties, so I usually help run those,” Fogel said. His long journey towards getting his pilot’s licence started this past summer when he started lessons with a flying instructor. The Camarillo airport is Fogel’s main training center where he works with his trainer. Each weekend is an opportunity for him to improve his skills and work towards getting his license. “I’m currently doing my flight training with Camarillo Flight Instruction.They give you an instructor and do a lot of the flying with them,” Fogel said. The only obstacle in the way of getting his license is his age, since it is mandatory to be at least 17 to get a private pilot certificate. In the meantime Fogel is doing basic training around the airport and flying to local places like Santa Barbara.

“The minimum amount of flight time you need is forty hours and then there’s a written test you need to do for basic knowledge. Then you need a certain medical [report] and there are different things you need to do, like go on a cross country flight. Once you’ve got everything done you take a check ride where you go up with an instructor and the will have you do maneuvers, see how well you can [fly].” Fogel describes it as a “rollercoaster but you have control of where you’re going.” It isn’t hard to imagine why he continues to strive to be the best pilot he can be, as he describes the feeling of flying as the main reason for his love for the pastime. Although the act of flying may look simple from an outward perspective, Fogel reveals the truth about the practice and focus needed to keep the plane up. “Flying is a lot more user intensive than driving. Because there is so much more to manage. You manage your fuel air mixture, a lot of different instruments, your airspeed indicator and you talk on the radios. The hardest part is having all these little things to manage and you have to do it all at once.” For the future, Fogel hopes to use his flight knowledge to be a pilot for the Navy. He currently flies a Cessna 172 but wishes to fly a F/A-18 later on in his piloting career. “You request where you want to go, at which point they will send you to basic flight, training, which is for the Navy where I want to go,” Fogel said. Once you’re done with basic flight you put in a request for what you want to fly and then you will get sent on to actual flight training for the specific aircraft.”

TAKE FLIGHT FLIGHT— —(Above) Patrick Fogel stands on the wing of a F/A-18E Super Hornet. (Below) Fogel looks over the shoulder of his father, Roland Fogel, on a PT-19.

ABOVE THE CLOUDS—(Above) Patrick Fogel stand on the wing of a F/A-18E Super Hornet. (Below) Fogel looks over the shoulder of his father, Roland Fogel, on a PT-19. ALL PHOTOS » PATRICK FOGEL» WITH PERMISSION

FEATURES

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT PERFECT— (Above) Members of Mock Trial go over their scripts at an after school practice. (Below) Elise Morgan and Kassy Aguilar stand on campus.

ON THE DEFENSE The Lancer interviews senior Mock Trial captains Kassy Aguilar and Elise Morgan, who have taken on the responsibility to lead the teams this season.

PHOTO » QUINN SMITHERS » THE LANCER

REBECCA TARBET NATALIE DULANSKY

Features Editors

THE LANCER: What is mock trial? Kassy Aguilar: Mock trial is kind of like a mix between theatre and law, I guess is the best way to put it. You learn about being an attorney or a witness and you learn both sides of the story. Elise Morgan: It’s basically like a full on trial, you prepare and the attorneys do direct and cross examinations. Witnesses have to know their testimony and we get scored by actual attorneys at the courthouse.

PHOTO » NATALIE DULANSKY » THE LANCER

TL: What are your positions in mock trial? KA: We’re captains and we help a lot with the other team members figuring out the case, getting on details, help mentor because I’m more on the witness side and she [Elise] is more on the attorney side. So I help alot with the witnesses [for] what they need to do and how to memorize and how to go through with questions. EM: So this year I’m a prosecution attorney [and I’m] organizing what we’re doing for the day and helping them with their questions and their characters. TL: When do you compete? EM: We compete in February at a competition in Ventura so we go against people in our district and then if we win we then go to state.

PHOTO AGUILAR» WITH PERMISSION PHOTO »» KASSY GAVGIN P. NORTON » THE LANCER

TL: How are you scored? EM: We have actual attorneys scoring us so it’s not based on if we win or lose the case it’s based on how many points we get. Each attorney and each witness is scored on a scale to 10 and whichever team has the most points wins. For witnesses, they look for character they make sure you know your witness statement and if you’re doing good while you’re being questioned. For attorneys if you have good directing cross examination questions and if you’re able to object. KA: Even if the judge says that we didn’t

win the case, the attorneys could give us a better score so in that competition we won against them. Since it’s not really what the judge says, it’s what the attorneys say. TL: When did you start mock trial and what influenced you to join? KA: It’s both of our second years. I got into it because i was in Ethos and mrs. chase told me about it and I got really interested and then I auditioned and I got the lead witness, which is cool. EM: I had a friend who did it and suggested it to me because I was in the legal and government services for Majors. TL: What have you gained from being in Mock Trial? KA: We’ve learned a lot more legal terminology and how we’re supposed to act in a courtroom. We go to scrimmage other teams and then we go to actual courtrooms. We just get like a lot of good information and it’s cool to expand on that and a knowledge of witnesses. EM: [We learn] courtroom decorum and how to form an argument and persuade the jury towards your side and public speaking skills also. TL: Do you recieve the mock trial script for each case? EM: There’s witness statements in our case packet there’s eight witnesses and each of them have what they’re allowed to say The attorneys come up with questions to direct examine them and then cross examine them which is the other side. We come up with the questions ourself but the witness statements are given to us. You have to stick to the fact pattern but you can add your own character. KA: With the witness statements we can deviate a little bit but with facts that are stuck to the case we have to stay with that but we can add some things like “oh we were actually lovers” or something because that’s what one did a couple years ago, which is fun.

FEATURES

A LOVE FOR VOLUNTEERING Thousand Oaks resident Angie Simpson finds her calling to help others as she shares her time and talents freely to support people and organizations throughout her local community, Conejo Valley. REBECCA TARBET

Features Editor

Mother, room mom, Amgen marketer, president of Homeowners Association, Traffic Commissioner, sponsorship lead of For The Troops — Angie Simpson does it all. During the day, Simpson works full time at Amgen and despite her busy schedule, still makes time to serve the community of Thousand Oaks. “On the side I’ve gotten super involved in the community. I’m the president of our Homeowners Association,” Simpson said. It makes such a big difference, preserving our quality of life and making sure our infrastructure is what it should be. There’s a lot of projects that really impact the children and our home values.” Simpson has a special talent for fundraising, and is currently involved in a charity called For The Troops. “[When I am asked to help with a fundraiser] I have a hard time saying no. I know a little bit of my time can go a long way,” Simpson said. “I may not have the deepest financial pockets personally, but I feel like I can donate my talent to help others raise the money that they need to serve their community and their organizations. I am always just involved in local fundraisers I have time for.” PHOTO » QUINN SMITHERS » THE LANCER Simpson is the current sponsorship lead of For The Troops. “For The Troops is a non-profit organization that sends care packCOMMUNITY SERVICE— (Above) Angie ages to our soldiers. It is a naSimpson displays a For The Troops Flier tional organization even though on campus. (Above) Angie and her son it is locally based. Anyone from Colby, serve dinner and make lunches for a anywhere in the country can local homeless shelter and meal program. send a care package to someone that’s serving,” Simpson said. For The Troops’ next big event is annual gala in February that will honor soldiers who served in Afghanistan. “I’m trying to help raise sponsorship awareness and get money for that. [The gala is] our key fundraiser for the year and it’s going to be held at the Reagan Library, so [it is] a very big deal,” Simpson said. “We’re honoring soldiers that have served in Afghanistan--it’s our feature of the event.” Social media helps Simpson to raise awareness for her various projects and fundraisers, and encourages others to use social media to benefit their community. PHOTO » ANGIE SIMPSON » WITH PERMISSION “I use social

media to my advantage with these endeavors as well. Whether it’s communicating something to the community or trying to gain awareness or financial support, it’s really important to have a strong social media platform these days. Along with participating in HOA and For The Troops, Simpson is also active in Traffic Commission. “I’m appointed as a traffic commissioner by our councilwoman Claudia Bill-de la Peña. I’m getting experience learning about the process of creating policy and maintaining our infrastructure,” Simpson said. One of Simpson’s recent projects that came before Simpson was a case involving the intersection of Arboles and Skyline where three years in a row there was a collision caused by a drunk driver. “[I] was working with the public, understanding the safety concerns,” Simpson said, “and trying to come up with a plan to keep everyone safe, and then listening to community needs.” Simpson graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism, and has used her writing skills throughout her life. She taught English at TOHS and wrote for her high school paper and for The Daily Collegiate at Penn State. She has also written for The Acorn, the Ventura County Star, and 805 magazine. For me, the pen has always been my sword. It sets me apart in work,” Simpson said. “I feel like a big part of who I am is being a writer, It’s one of the things that defines me.” Simpson has served on many other boards and committees in Thousand Oaks including the Site Council and the chair for Every Fifteen Minutes while she was a teacher at Thousand Oaks. Simpson’s first experience serving on a board was at the Conejo Free Clinic. “When I was first a pharmaceutical sales rep I was working with a doctor’s office here in town and the doctor invited me to join the board of the Conejo Free Clinic, which is a local clinic that serves the working poor,” Simpson said. “He was really the first person to ask me to join in and that was my first experience serving on a board. It seems wherever I go there is always something extra that gets thrown on my plate but it’s what usually brings me the most fulfillment, just doing those extra things and being involved.” Simpson encourages Thousand Oaks High School students to participate and become more involved in community service. “It’s time to volunteer and get involved. Once you put yourself out there I promise you won’t regret it. I understand it can be tough to take that leap and get out there, but it’s worth overcoming any nerves you might have.” Simpson said. “It’s important to spend your volunteer time supporting a cause you are genuinely passionate about, and doing things that you like to do or want to learn. Volunteering is a great way for high school students to gain valuable work experience that is at the same time very fulfilling.” Each person who takes the time to volunteer can make a difference in the community. Young or old can help raise awarness to a cause. “Every person stepping up to volunteer no matter how young or old makes an impact the first minute they commit to an organization. I think people underestimate the spark they could bring to important causes with just an hour a month,” Simpson said. “Communities are only as strong as their weakest links, and one of the many reasons my family and I love living here is because of the tight knit T.O. community that is so responsive and committed to local service.”