issue 5, 2019-2020 by The Lancer

the

LANCER

Volume LVIIv, Issue 5 » March 4, 2020 » Thousand Oaks High School » 2323 N. Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 » www.tohsthelancer.org » thelancer.tohs@gmail.com » Circulation 2,100

DISPOSABLE INCOME The Lancer looks into how students earn, save and spend their money. pgs. 12-15

PHOTO » RYAN HONG » THE LANCER

POSTPONED BY PANDEMIC

BOOK VS. MOVIE

STANZIANO STANDS OUT

Chinese 2 postpones their China trip due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak. pg. 05

Students’ opinions on the “To All The Boys” sequel reveal mixed feelings.

A spotlight on senior Justin Stanziano’s record-breaking season. pg. 22

pg. 10

EDITORIAL

Hits and Misses

STAFF EDITORIAL

The Morning Practice Problem

What’s Up and Down with The Lancer Hit: The stars of “Friends” are coming together for a special reunion episode in May. I guess they always will be there for you.

Miss: Some students’ Google Learn accounts got hacked on Feb. 21. The only thing they’ll be studying is a new password.

Hit: Trevor Moore, a Thousand Oaks native, was traded to the LA Kings. We like it, we love it, we want some Moore of it.

GRAPHIC » CHLOE BUSCHOW » THE LANCER

Should sports teams have practice before 1st period? EDITORIAL BOARD

yes

abstain

Almost anyone could agree more practice equals a better team. And so, many coaches try to squeeze in as much practice time as possible so their teams will win. However, conflicts such as multiple teams needing to use one facility or students being unable to attend practice after school led to many coaches scheduling practices in the morning, before school even starts. At TOHS, 1st period starts at 7:23 a.m., so coaches have to start practice around 6 a.m. or 6:30 a.m., depending on how much time they need. For student athletes to get to early practices on time, they would need to wake up somewhere between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. to get to school. This is too early for most teenagers, and could be detrimental to their health. Many coaches have tried morning practices or even just morning workouts before school, and more recently, teams like swim and cross country have had to get up before the sun to go to practice. On paper, this may seem like a good idea: kids can start their day off with some healthy exercise, teams can bond through shared experience, and kids could have more time after school to do their homework. However, in effect this makes students more exhausted than ever, and makes them hate their sport. Doctors recommend 8-10 hours of sleep for teenagers to function normally. With these numbers, an athlete waking up at 5:30 a.m. to go to practice would need to be asleep by 9:30 p.m. to get the lowest recommended amount of sleep. While one could argue athletes should just plan ahead and go to bed earlier, this is all together unrealistic for most high schoolers. Between homework, other

extra curricular, and some leisure and relaxation, it is unlikely for any high schooler to go to bed early. The school administration realized this, and changed the school schedule to give students a little more time for sleeping, and 1 day per week to sleep in an hour later. Coaches undermine the purpose of this change by filling that essential extra time with more practice, and risk their player’s health in the process. Many teams, like the swim team, have practice both in the morning and in the afternoon some days, which could overwork them. With students already exhausted by their morning workout, they are more prone to injury later in the day, and sickness from lack of rest. Sore muscles need time to rest to grow stronger so the team could get worse, not better, by having more practice in the morning. By waking up early, students are less likely to eat a nutritious breakfast, which can also harm their health. And having morning practice can affect students outside of sports too. Not getting enough sleep leads to not being alert and sleeping during class, which can harm student’s grades. Also, getting up extra early to work out can give some students a negative attitude, which can affect personal relationships with friends and family. In the end, when going to practice becomes a dreaded chore and no longer fun, athletes start to hate their sport, even leading to them quitting the team. The idea of getting up at 5:30 a.m. or 6 a.m. to run around or swim before a full day of school and extracurriculars would make anyone groan. Coaches need to stop having early-morning practices before they lose all their players to quitting, bad grades, and injuries.

Miss: Leaf blowers interrupted Friday’s morning classes. That totally blows!

Hit: The baseball team is 7-0. Our team sure is a catch!

Miss: Penn State students held a candlelit vigil for a closed down Taco Bell. Taco’bout sad.

Hit: An 86-year-old woman sank a 94 foot putt to win herself a new car. We know she can putt, but can she drive?

THE LANCER STAFF 2019-2020 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

ENTERTAINMENT

Ryan Hong Anna Norton Sierra Smith

Sydney Hale Gabrielle Lopez Isabella Moreno Natalie Venable

NEWS Andrea Balcan Charlotte Fetch Ally Melton Molly Norton

OPINION Millie Alba-Sommers Sophie Crivier Taylor Olgin Grace Williams

IN-FOCUS Madeline Convoy Cooper Goyette Aiden Marchner Tanner Patterson Finn Swanson

FEATURES

COPY EDITOR

Grace Machell Nola Valdez Devyn Wagner Rose Wang Camille Weltman

Lucas Langford

SPORTS Darby Adema Kendall Fleming Kianna Porter Micah Rodriguez

WEBSITE EDITOR Ryan Schefferine

BUSINESS MANAGER Anna Norton

ARTISTS Chloe Buschow Finn Swanson Kendall Flemming Sierra Smith

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.

ADVISER Tasha Beaudoin VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.tohsthelancer.org

NEWS

People v. Matsumoto Exhibit A: Official Diagram of the Floor Plan of Bailey’s Mansion

Exhibit B: Master Bathroom Layout

MOCK TRIAL

MYSTERY Mock Trial competed in a county-wide competition, where students worked on a mock murder mystery case. They collected evidence and met with attorneys and judges. They performed People v. Matsumoto. MOLLY NORTON

Exhibit C: Bailey’s Roses and Robots Script

Exhibit D: Golf Club Found in Bailey’s Car

Exhibit E: Diagram of Taylor Matsumoto’s Head Injury

ALL GRAPHICS» SIERRA SMITH» THE LANCER

News Editor

Mock trial recently participated in a county-level competition at the Ventura County courthouse. The team trained and prepared for the prestigious competition during and after school hours. They competed against several other schools from the surrounding area. The competition lasted for two days with the team competing twice a day. Teams finishing in the top eight got to move on in the competition. Students are given the opportunity to meet real-life attorneys and judges when at competitions. This allows students to see what they are able to do if they continue with their legal interests. The typical preparation process for the mock trial team includes regular meetings as well as scrimmaging with themselves and other schools. The practice times do not only give the students experience, but it also allows the team to bond. “My favorite part of mock trial is the practices. We have a lot of fun” senior Anna Belle Sanders said. Another part of the preparation process was conducting legal research once they recieved the hypothetical case. Then the students received the case they began presenting at the courthouse prior to the start of the competition. The fictitious case that was used for this year’s mock trial competitions was the People v. Matsumoto, which is a murder trial case. The case includes a founder of a self-start up truck company who is on trial for murder. The students receive a packet in early fall that includes all the facts of the case as well as information that would help them when developing their argument. The fictitious case that was used for this year’s mock trial competitions was the People v. Matsumoto, which is a murder trial case. The case includes a founder of a self-start

up truck company who is on trial for murder. The students receive a packet in early fall that includes all the facts of the case as well as information that will help them when developing an argument. Students from all over the county in grades 9-12 competed in the competition. Volunteer legal professionals also attend and were able to give more information and help give guidance to the attending teams. Mock trial is motivated to help students develop analytical skills and a deeper understanding of our judicial system. The mock trial competitions are made possible by the Ventura County office of education partnering with the Constitutional Rights Foundation. Students who participated in mock trial team stressed how joining the program improved their public speaking skills and how to conduct themself in a professional setting. “Mock trial has taught me a lot about public speaking and the legal process,” Sanders said. Not only do students learn the fundamentals of being a team and how the country’s legal system operates, but it also gave them a feeling of accomplishment when they did well in a trail. “The adrenaline [of competition] and being able to put all your effort into action and see that it did pay off is so rewarding,” Senior Lizzy Luna said. Similar to other clubs, Mock Trial provides students an opportunity to form friendships with those who have a similar interest in legal matters. Students who participated in mock trial stressed how joining the program improved their public speaking skills, as well as manners when they are in a professional setting. “Mock trial has taught me a lot about public speaking and the legal process,” Sanders said. Mock Trial benefits participants as they develop presentation, analytical and collaborative skills. See adviser Sabrina Chase in Room D-5 to join the team next school year.

NEWS

Closed Curtains Moorpark College’s partnership with theater has stopped due to funding issues. The theater program was forced to find a new temporary director for the upcoming spring production, which is going to be “Legally Blonde”. ANDREA BALCAN News Editor Moorpark College has recently stopped running the theater program. Last semester, Moorpark College helped the theater program and it allowed the students to have college credit for it. However, this partnership has stopped. Theater students enjoyed the program last semester. In the theater class, students could partake in plays with peers while also earning college credit. “I feel like it gave us new opportunities to do things we’ve never done before,” senior Anna Belle Sanders said. Earlier this year, students and teachers from Moorpark College would come to TOHS and teach the classes and direct the plays. In the fall of this year, the theater performed “The Hope and Heartache Diner.” “The play that we put on in the fall was amazing. I loved being a part of it,” freshman Aran Denis said. Unfortunately, this beneﬁcial partnership has come to an abrupt stop. The program was left without any director as a result. “We tried everything we could to try to keep the Moorpark College people on site and have them continue teaching and do the spring musical, but we

just couldn’t afford it,” principal Eric Bergmann said. They were left with no one who could direct the upcoming spring production since teachers at Moorpark could no longer teach it. The production is going to be “Legally Blonde”, which is a musical. The spring production is scheduled to run near the beginning of May, so there are only eight weeks to prepare for it. Auditions begin on Feb. 27 and any student is welcome. The reason this partnership with Moorpark College stopped is due to the expense. The partnership was much more costly than expected, so it had to end in semester 2. “I’m pretty sure Moorpark refused to help out at all so we’ve got to rely on funding and supplies from only this school,” Denis said. Issues, communication, funding, and schedules brought the program to an abrupt stop, but luckily, some of the damage has been repaired. “We were able to find a little bit of money so we went out and started looking for a new director for the play. I’m happy to report we actually did find someone who is going step up and be the director of the spring play,” Bergmann said. The path for theater is exciting. “The Hope and Heartache Diner” was a success, and hopefully the spring production will work out as well with the help of the director that was hired.

Theater students enjoy theater classes in general. This is important for collaboration and the overall success of the program. “This sounds sappy, but we truly are a family. I’ve met some of my best friends through this program,” Sanders said. When recovers from this messy situation with Moorpark, the outlook is more hopeful for the classes next year. Last year, the drama teacher retired after over 35 years of teaching, so there was an opening in that department. A new teacher is necessary to maintain the high standards for the theater program. “This spring, TOHS will be hiring a full-time theater teacher. TOHS will have a theater teacher beginning next year,” Bergmann said. Many theater students loved the Moorpark partnership because of the college credit and participating in productions. The situation has caused problems that will be solved with the new director. Moorpark College backing out of their partnership caused issues for the program. Now, with new plans, the outlook for the future of the theater program is promising. It will most likely get back on track next year. The theater program has faced this setback but they are looking forward to being back for their spring performace.

PHOTO » ALLY MELTON » THE LANCER

GRAPHIC » SIERRA SMITH » THE LANCER

“I feel like it gave us opportunities to do things we’ve never done before.” —senior ANA BELLE SANDERS BETTER TIMES—(Left) Theater students were practicing during their fall production to hope to perfect thier show. They still had the Moorpark College program at the time, which has now been ended, causing problems for the theater classes.

NEWS

Corona Countdown The Chinese 2 students received some disappointing news regarding their class trip to China. Due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the trip is going to have to be postponed. ALLY MELTON CHARLOTTE FETCH

News Editors

The Coronavirus has taken a toll on the lives of people around the world. It has caused cities to be locked down, people to be quarantined, and for some, it has led to death. And now because of this dangerous virus, an educational trip to China has been postponed for the students at TOHS in Chinese 2 classes. They first went on a trip to China in 2016. The trips purpose was to help the students cultivate a love for the Chinese language and give them a way to practice and use their Chinese in real life. Mr. Loose, the Chinese 2 teacher who takes the students on the trips, noticed the importance the trip had on students in an educational way. “A lot of students who went on this trip in the past have kindled a real love for the language through it, and it’s pushed them to become more determined learners of it long-term,” Chinese teacher Loose said. Additionally, the trip offers a lot to students in a personal way. Students who go have the chance to immerse themselves in a new, unique culture. They are able to experience aspects of life they would not be able to see in the United States. The trip is an opportunity for students to participate in the culture they are studying in an interesting and up close way. “Students enjoy their time [in China] and [it is] beneficial...for them to practice their Chinese, and even just to experience a place that’s truly different from California, a place where a lot of our assumptions about culture and daily life don’t hold. All those cliches about new perspectives and personal growth are cliches because they’re true,” Loose said. The trip’s route included three cities, each of which offers unique attractions and opportunities for students going. The first city was China’s capital, Beijing. In Beijing, students would visit famous landmarks such as the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square. Next, the

group would travel to Xi’an. The city is the site of the Terracotta Army, a large collection of Terracotta sculptures that depict the armies of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. The group’s last stop would be Shanghai, the world’s largest city with a population of about 24 million people. However, due to the Coronavirus outbreak, this year’s trip has been delayed. After the United States State Department posted a Level Four travel warning for China, Education First, the travel company working with the group, has decided possibly postpone the trip. The decision will be final by the end of the month. However, the Coronavirus is spreading and the group will not take any chances when it comes to health concerns. At this point, it seems that the trip will be moved and students will have to wait to see China for a while longer. “The postponing of the trip could limit the students from practicing the language with native speakers, however, not attending the trip will not stunt the academic growth of the student. The trip is optional anyways, so there are plenty of students who don’t go and can still grow in the Chinese course,” freshman Abby Coleman said. Because the trip was optional and will most likely just be moved to a later date, students won’t have to miss out on all the benefits that come from going on the trip. A lot of students even understand the importance of postponing the trip and aren’t angered by the delay. “ I have no problem waiting another year and I think my parents are more comfortable with me going when I’m a bit older anyway...With everything happening in China and countries surrounding it, putting the trip on hold seems like the best option,” freshman Sirena Donate said. Even though this trip which would allow students to immerse themselves in Chinese culture is now most likely postponed, the trip will hopefully not be canceled. Students who wish to go will still be able to take advantage of the educational and personal benefits that the trip will bring, while not having to worry about their health and safety.

“A lot of students who went on this trip in the past have kindled a real love for the language.” —Chinese teacher JASON LOOSE

Bejing

China Xi’an Shanghai

GRAPHIC » RYAN HONG » THE LANCER

BIG ADVENTURES—(Bottom) The Shanghai skyline is seen in this photo at night, taken on a previous class trip to China. (Above) This map of China displays the classes’ planned route. The first city would be Beijing, then Xi’an and lastly Shanghai.

PHOTO »JASON LOOSE » WITH PERMISSION

OPINION

... That’s Debatable Should Disneyland continue to raise ticket prices?

Disneyland recently increased their ticket costs by 3.4%. This could change the park for the better or the worse.

YES

Disneyland prices are too high and should remain the same.

Disneyland is expanding and its price should reflect the change.

GRACE WILLIAMS

MILLIE ALBA-SOMMERS

Opinion Editor

Disneyland tickets are already expensive and if they continue to raise their ticket prices, it will be nearly impossible for many families to spend time at the park. With one-day single park tickets now costing up to $154, Disney’s pricing is stretching families budgets to the limit. That price does not include the money they will spend on food, souvenirs, parking and transportation. The ticket prices are rising at a faster rate than most people’s incomes. The average person’s yearly revenue increase is around 3% while Disney is increasing ticket prices at an average of 6.5% each year. They are focusing too much on trying to attract wealthier customers. A one night stay at one of the Disneyland hotels is typically about $350-$900 depending on the hotel. In addition, Disney promotes expensive add-on items that children are anxious to have while at the park such as the “Bibbity Bobbity Boutique”. The cost to visit to this experience in Fantasyland ranges from $75.00 - $450.00. The exorbitant ticket pricing favors wealthy people and severely limits middle and lower-class families from experiencing Disneyland which is not what Walt Disney had envisioned in his idea of what the park should be. The Walt Disney Company claims the main reason why they keep raising ticket prices is to attempt to control attendance. They sell cheaper tickets on slower days to try to get guests to visit the park on those days. While this seems like a great idea, it has not worked yet. The park is still just as crowded as ever. Loyal Disney fans who can afford the overpriced tickets are still flooding the park. These past few weekends after the most recent ticket price increase, the park still reached capacity. Another reason the Walt Disney Company claimed they needed to increase revenue was to pay for park expansion and employee salaries. These things do cost money, but it is fairly well-known that Disney is nowhere close to struggling financially. For example, in 2018 Walt Disney Parks and Resorts alone had a profit of 4.5 billion dollars. Disneyland was built as a place for families to have fun, but now it is getting too hard for families to gain this experience because of the high-priced tickets.

Today, it costs $154 for a single park ticket for one day

Cast members at Disneyland get paid from $8 to $15 per hour

As of the new price increase, season pass prices range from $419 to $1449

In 1955, park admission was only $2.50

Disneyland employs over 32,000 cast members

On average, Disneyland’s ticket prices increase by 6.5% every year

Around 3.6 million people visited Disneyland in 1955

SOURCE » RD.COM GRAPHICS » KENDALL FLEMMING » THE LANCER

Over 750 million people have visited Disneyland

Opinion Editor

As Disneyland continues to expand, they need their prices to increase as a reflection. With the $1 billion costs that are Galaxy’s Edge and the salaries of all the employees they had to hire, it’s not hard to believe that Walt Disney Company decided to raise their ticket prices. This increase was only 3.4%, which doesn’t even compare to the average ticket price increase which is 6.5%. While most ticket prices have increased, the Walt Disney Company has decided to keep the base ticket price at $104. When the grand experience that is Disneyland is crowded, the magic is diminished and makes it harder to do everything that a trip to Disneyland should entail. If the price increase is such a big deal, one can simply purchase the cheapest option, which has stayed the same. According to Disney Tourist, Disneyland has been looking for ways to manage their crowds and to make their resorts more accessible. Disneyland has been raising ticket sales since it opened, and it’s not very surprising. On its opening day in 1955, there were only five lands and eighteen rides. Today, there are eight lands and twenty-eight rides. With the manufacturing costs and inflation, Walt Disney Company wouldn’t survive without increasing their prices. According to Statista, the fiscal year of 2019 generated a 69.57 billion dollar revenue. While this does seem like a lot of money, and it is, the Walt Disney Company is always expanding its parks, purchasing other companies, and trying to make magical moments for all people. What Walt Disney said he’d do for parents and kids alike, he did. According to Walt Disney Quotes, Walt Disney wanted Disneyland to be the first theme park where both adults and children could have fun. With all that Walt Disney Company has done, making people unhappy isn’t one of them. They take what they earn and use it for the better. Walt Disney wanted Disneyland to be a place to make people happy, and in that, he succeeded. With the price increase, they’re gaining money to build more rides or make more movies. The price increase is giving Walt Disney Company the chance to make things better, and if ticket price increasing is the cost, it’s worth it.

Stereotypical Superlatives

OPINION

Gabriella Montez, from “High School Musical,” got into Stanford, but was never seen doing any work.

Worst Scholar in the School

Danny Zuko was 23 years old during the making of “Grease.” Believe it or not, he was one of the youngest actors.

Oldest Looking High Schooler

Regina George, from “Mean Girls,” had a near perfect body and wore designer clothing and heels on a daily.

Most Unrealistic Body GRAPHIC» SIERRA SMITH » THE LANCER

Hollywood movies create a false picture of the average high school experience. The lack of reality and influx of drama within the movies cause real high school students to view school in a negative way. TAYLOR OLGIN

Opinion Editor

Growing up watching “High School Musical,” “Grease” and “Mean Girls,” my idea of the high school experience was far from reality. Now a junior, if I were to walk into a scene from a Hollywood high school movie, I would experience a diﬀerent world. For starters, walking through the halls, I would look like a middle schooler compared to the actors. Hollywood rarely hires actors younger than 20 years old because of working regulations actual teenagers bring to the table. This immediately creates a false picture of the average high schooler. In movies, the boys have jacked up bodies, only obtainable to people who practically live at the gym and the girls have model bodies, with perfect hair and makeup. At the average high school, many teens are still in ‘the awkward stage,’ and struggle with self-image issues. These actors are in the top percentage of the best looking people which diminishes the average teen’s conﬁdence if they do not resemble their favorite movie character. Hollywood has created the notion that the popular girls strut through the halls in slow motion, while everyone lower in the hierarchy watch in awe (and slight fear). The jocks sport letterman jackets while tossing around balls in the hallways, and fail all of their classes. The nerds wear suspenders and glasses and constantly have their heads drowning in a book.

“Mean Girls” hit this to the T. Although Hollywood does nail some stereotypes pretty spot on, the majority are exaggerations created for drama. For example, in “High School Musical,” there is an entire song focused on how the students feel like they can’t belong to more than one group. However, we have some cheerleaders in Aca Deca, football players in theatre and basketball players in The Center. A huge aspect of many high school movies is the party life. The parties consist of hundreds of people at house parties, with teens jumping off roofs into pools and music blasting loud enough to be heard from a mile away. In the city of Thousand Oaks, parties are shut down by cops if they do not take place in a secluded house. They are as large as 80 people, and occur once in a blue moon, but are shut down by cops almost immediately. In movies, it is almost like parents do not exist, along with neighbors who enjoy peace and quiet. In reality, the average student has about two-three hours of workload per night. Opposingly, in movies teens are never shown doing any homework. I mean a movie where students are just seen doing homework would probably score pretty low on Rotten Tomatoes, so it is understandable why homework is exempt from films. However, the literal definition of a student is who one studies. Therefore leaving out the one aspect which makes a student a student, creates an extremely unrealistic movie. I would love to have no homework

like the teens in “Grease,” but then again I can not sing like Sandy, so it looks like I should keep studying logarithms. Gabriella Montez from High School Musical got into Stanford University, yet we never saw her studying once. If that is what it takes to get into Stanford, then I have been working way too hard. There are little things that movies change about high school to make it seem more desirable. In “High School Musical,” the lockers are five times the size of our lockers. All students really need is room for their books, but movies give enough space to fit a person. As a matter of fact, it is quite common for nerds to be shoved into lockers by jocks in the movies. Luckily at our school, we do not have a big bullying issue. Although weird looks may be given and mean words exchanged, we lack the physical abuse that movies highlight. With bullying comes drama, which real high schools have plenty of. However, shows such as Riverdale display drama as fighting crime and saving the town from a cult. At our school, drama consists of relationship issues and bickering friends. The reality of high school is that most nights are spent studying for tests and going to extracurricular activities. Of course Hollywood profits off of views, and drama keeps viewers engaged, but high school is not as entertaining as the movies. Overall, Hollywood producers and writers need to take a field trip to a real high school and take notes on the actuality of high school because they have it all wrong.

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ENTERTAINMENT

FEEL THE RHYTHM—(Left) Jeth Logrono reaches out to

Digest the Music

Hailey Savage at the end of their performance of “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin”. (Right) Jack Harrington moves to the music during his song “Mutual” by Shawn Mendes. (Middle) Abagail Coleman puts deep emotion into her song “What Baking Can Do” from “Waitress the Musical”. (Bottom) Christina Serrano-Long gets in the groove while singing “All of Me” by Billie Holiday.

The annual Singing Waiter Dinner hosted by choir showcased students’ voices as they sang the night away to songs they chose. GABRIELLE LOPEZ SYDNEY HALE

ALL PHOTOS » OLIVER HTWAY » WITH PERMISSION

Entertainment Editors

What’s in a song? Some would say lyrics and a melody. Or a beat and harmonies. Freshman Abagail Coleman would say a connection to a deceased friend. Sophomore Jack Harrington would say a tried-and-true artist. Both these views and others were represented on Feb. 21 at the choir’s annual Singing Waiter Dinner. This annual one-night event shows oﬀ choir students’ voices and brings a range of genres to the stage. This year, on Feb. 21, choir students once again came together to perform songs of their choice for friends and family. Italian food from a buﬀet on the side of the MPR fed audience members while they listened to the music. The tables around the room were set with classic Italian-restaurant-style red and white plaid tablecloths. Students performed solos and duets of songs including “What Baking Can Do” from “Waitress the Musical” and “Mutal” by Shawn Mendes. A pianist accompanied some of the singers, while others played acoustic guitars, or sang along to a track. Colored lights set the mood for each song. Coleman spent a month in advance practicing for this performance. She chose her song “What Baking Can Do” in honor of her friend who died. Her friend enjoyed baking, so a song related to something she liked seemed like an appropriate choice. “We’d always baked together,” Coleman said. “She also adored the musical Waitress, so it felt like the perfect song.” The singers were given the liberty to chose what songs they performed. The event brought a duet of “A Whole New World” from Disney’s “Aladdin” sung by juniors Jeth Logrono and Hailey Savage and an “All Of Me” by Billie Holiday solo from senior Christina Serrano-Long. The choir students picked a range of songs from current hits to songs from musicals. While some students like Coleman picked songs that heald a personal meaning, others picked songs from artists they enjoy.

Harrington chose the song “Mutual” by Shawn Mendes. Mendes is one of his favorite artists, so Harrington decided to go with what he knew. He continued his trend from the year before by signing a song by the same artist. He had sung “Lost in Japan” the year before. “My least favorite part of the show was that Mrs. Santangelo couldn’t be there because she was a huge part in auditioning everyone for the performance,” Harrington said Even without her presence, the show still went on. The 50 hand-picked students sang while their families and friends cheered them on. Although she is a freshman, Coleman has been in other choir performances before with the director, Janna Santangelo. “I’ve been doing these showcases with Mrs. Santangelo since I was in sixth grade so it’s pretty normal to me, but I always get nervous right before the show,” Coleman said. Auditions were only open to choir students, and not everyone who auditioned made it in. Students in the choir could also audition for the following years. Harrington’s audition was for this year and next. He got in the performance both years. “I’ll probably do it again next year, just because it’s fun to get your name out there,” Harrington said. The auditions were a bit diﬀerent this year. Although Santangelo would be on maternity leave by the show, she wanted to be there to chose who would be performing. This meant that they were sooner than they were in past years. “It was kind of stressful and I was kind of unprepared, but I knew the song well so I think I did good,” Savage said. “My favorite part was actually performing even though I was really nervous I think I still had fun. I think it’s a good opportunity for you to get out of your comfort zone and perform for your family and your friends.” By the end of the night, the 50 choir students had performed songs that were more than just lyrics to them but also carried an personal meaning and emotoinal connection.

ENTERTAINMENT

P.S.: Read the Book First

LANCERS SAY...

Netflix’s new movie, “To All the Boys 2: P.S. I Still Love You,” shadowed in comparison to its literary counter-part. Spoilers Below. NATALIE VENABLE

Entertainment Editor

Like every book lover, a little part of me panics when I see a favorite of mine has been turned into a movie. When the movie, “To All the Boys I loved Before,” came out last year, I was thrilled to see that one of my Young Adult favorites hadn’t been robbed of its appeal as so many books are when they are adapted to be on screen. I wish I could say the same about “To All the Boys 2: P.S. I Still Love You.” As most high school movies do, the first in the “To All the Boys…” series had its cringe-worthy moments that begged it’s teenage viewers to find it to be relatable, but overall the movie was still fresh, fun and relatable, in a real way. Between playing upon everyone’s favorite ‘80s classics and the electric chemistry between Lara Jean and Peter, the film had an effortless magic to it. However, it seemed the entire sequel took on the air of struggling to be relatable. The portrayal of the average American teenager’s life was more of a sugarcoated, candied version of high school. When was the last time there was a wish-making-lantern-lighting event conveniently on the night of your first date? Not to mention the money these two are spending on classy Italian food and chocolate croissants in coffee shops that are straight off of a Pinterest board. Still, I have to hand it to Netflix on the set design. Lara Jean’s room was adorable despite the endless clutter, and their perfectly decorated school campus puts most high schools and

even some colleges to shame. Where is our cherry blossom tree to exchange valentines under? The movie managed to set the tone for each scene with the colors of the background alone. Every place that is home to Lara Jean takes on a shade of blue whether it be the walls of her bedroom, her favorite diner or even Stormie’s dress at the end of the film. Unlike its color palette, the film’s characters fell flat. The movie seemed to lean on the books for character development. I can’t say I would’ve fallen in love with Lara Jean if I hadn’t already done so while reading the books. Particularly in the sequel, her character seemed watered down. What happened to the girl sneaking down to meet Peter in the hot tub on their school trip? That being said, Lana Condor is as endearing as ever dancing around her room with “And Then I Kissed Her” playing in the background. Then there’s Peter; between Noah Centineo’s choppy performance and the severe dumbing down of his character, it seemed like every time he did something for Lara Jean he was reading notes from “Boyfriend-ing for Dummies” off the back of his hand. Probably due to the first movie cutting several chapters into book two, when the credits rolled I found myself thinking “That’s it?! We just got started!” There was so much build-up just to see Lara Jean and Peter make up like we all knew they would. Plus, by that point I was already rooting for piano playing, able-to-form-a-sentence John Ambrose, while I was also a little annoyed with Lara Jean for hiding her affection for John Ambrose while simultaneously being jealous of Peter’s ex. As pleasing to the eyes as the movie was, the rest of the elements missed the mark. If you’re looking for a story with some more substance, I highly recommend diving into author Jenny Han’s trilogy.

PHOTO » NATALIE VENABLE » THE LANCER

“It seemed the entire sequel took on the air of struggling to be relatable. The portrayal of the average American teenager’s life was more of a sugar-coated, candied version of high school.”

“I was kind of disappointed by it because it wasn’t as good as the first one, but I still laughed a lot during the movie because I watched it with my friends.” —senior MAYA JOHNSON

PHOTO » NATALIE VENABLE » THE LANCER

“As a movie it was well made... The only qualm I have with the movie is that it was in a realistic setting... but some of the things were unrealistic. Over all.. a really entertaining movie that would be amazing to watch with friends. ” —freshman SAMI OJHA

PHOTO » NATALIE VENABLE » THE LANCER

COSTARS—Lana Condor (Lara Jean

PHOTO » CRIS E PANDA ON YOUTUBE » CREATIVE COMMONS » WITH PERSMISSION

Covey) and Noah Centineo (Peter Kavinksy) interview about the movie on Feb. 12.

“I think the movie was cheesy but also had a realistic high school element. It definitely made me cry but that is nothing new” —junior LILLY WOLDMAN

ENTERTAINMENT

The Sound of Our School The Lancer Newspaper collected data from a variety of students ranging from freshmen to seniors in order to narrow down each grades’ top favorite and most popular songs of the year. By organizing the survey responses, The Lancer Staff made four playlists consisting of the top fifteen chosen songs from each grade.

“Heartache Tonight”-Eagles “Dior”- Pop Smoke “Amazinggg”-Trippie Redd “Blinding Lights”-The Weekend “Circles”-Post Malone

“Televised”-HUNNY “505”-Arctic Monkeys “My Life”-Billy Joel “Breezeblocks”-alt-J “Demons”- Joji

GRAPHICS » RYAN HONG » THE LANCER ALL PHOTOS » SIERRA SMITH » THE LANCER

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera to view the whole Class of 2020 playlist!

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera to view the whole Class of 2022 playlist!

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera to view the whole Class of 2021 playlist!

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera to view the whole Class of 2023 playlist!

“Hot Rod”-Dayglow “Iris”-The Goo Goo Dolls “Reminiscing”-Little River Band “Prom”-SZA ”Loving Is Easy”-Rex Orange County

“Moral of the Story”-Ashe “See You Again”-Tyler, The Creator “Don’t Wanna Fall In Love”-KYLE “Drug Ballad”-Eminem “Role Model”-Eminem

IN-FOCUS

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“I usually spend my money on food after school when my parents are working” - FRESHMAN COLE CAUDILL

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“I get most of my money from birthdays and holidays or helping other friends and neighbors out.” - SOPHOMORE EVELYN SHIN

AN IN-DEPTH BREAKD LIVING AS A HIGH SCHOOL

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IN-FOCUS

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Ticket - $5.00 AMC Theater Movie Ticket - $13.69

“I spend all my money of coffee and clothes. I get like 4 coffees a week usually” - JUNIOR MEGAN GATES

DOWN OF THE COST OF STUDENT AT ALL 4 LEVELS

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GRAPHICS » SOPHIE CRIVIER» THE LANCER GRAPHICS » FINN SWANSON» THE LANCER GRAPHICS » TANNER PATTERSON » THE LANCER

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IN-FOCUS

Campus Cashflow

TANNER PATTERSON

In-Focus Editor

Once you reach high school, the harsh yet exciting reality of money tends to start becoming apparent for most students. In the already difficult transition from middle school to high school, many have the responsibilities of managing some sort of budget handed to them by their parents. Freshman year is almost always the easiest year financially for students. Gas costs and car maintenance is nearly non-existent for freshman, as the vast majority of the class haven’t even been behind the wheel of a car, let alone drive consistently. This doesn’t mean that your entire first year of high school is free from the cost of teenage life of course. Most social events, small or large, often end in money being spent, whether at a restaurant or as an entry fee to something like a football game or a movie.

For many, freshman year is also the time where they start to develop their own sense of fashion, straying away from the clothes their parents bought them throughout middle school and becoming customers of trendy brands and buying expensive shoes in the name of perception among their peers. The deciding factor in any freshman’s money situation is their source of income, and considering that the age range for the majority is 14 to 15 years old, the idea of a consistently paying job is unrealistic for most. This leaves the schoolwide average $20 a week coming out of the parent’s wallets for most freshmen. It’s hard to leave your house and not end up spending money on something, and the freshman class is no exception from this despite not having a consistent income. The life of an average teenager can be expensive, even for the youngest students in high school.

Average weekly spending: $30

Sophomore year is an interesting time for high school students. From many getting their license to seeing others in your grade getting jobs, the idea of needing a source of income outside of allowance is one that people start to take more seriously. By this time, the majority of your peers now drive in some form, whether that be just with their permits or a full license. The reality of the cost of gas hits hard and can easily eat up the majority of a student’s income over time. As students reach the age of 16, the concept of getting a part-time job becomes a realistic possibility for some. Only 27% of TOHS students say they receive a consistent allowance from their parents, and as the costs of an active social life and the responsibilities of near-adulthood add up, it becomes impractical to rely on it past this point.

While it may be hard to get a job at this age, most chain food and retail businesses allow people to apply at the age of 16. Sophomores tend to spend their money on similar things to their freshmen peers. Food and entertainment costs still dominate in terms of their average spending, and clothing/shoes take up their fair share in a sophomore’s budget. The second year of high school tends to bring a lot of changes to students’ lives. The age of 16 is a milestone that brings with it more freedom as well as more spending. The freedom of driving tends to bring with it more social events, which in turn brings with it increased spending on food. It’s this snowballing of costs that can turn sophomore year into one of the most expensive years of high school for a student.

IN-FOCUS

Junior year. You now have the prestigious title of upperclassmen. This title gives you the opportunity to purchase an off-campus pass and turn what used to be 40 minutes of confined eating and social activity into an exciting period of time where you have total freedom to go wherever you want (given that you make it back by the bell of course). The temptation of getting as far away as possible from the campus during lunch increases both gas costs and food spending. Eating out frequently is expensive and getting there can be just as costly. McDonald’s and Chick Fil A are both within 2 miles and prove very popular for those looking for a cheap bite to eat. The thing is that 3 or 4 cheap bites a week turn into a collection of not so cheap meals that can eat into any junior’s income. Most now drive at this point in high school, and

the true cost of gas can hit some juniors like a semi-truck. California frequently holds the title for the most expensive gas costs, and it can cost some upwards of $70 to fully fill up. With the cost of living increasing substantially at this point, many juniors look to jobs for a steady income of money. A third of the entire school is employed, which shows where many students get the money they spend on things like food and gas. Some students also do tasks like babysitting for a less consistent but still useful income. Junior year is when things really start to get costly for most students. Driving is the norm and that leads to increased opportunities for social activities, which can also prove quite expensive over time for high schoolers.

What do you spend your money on? Food Clothing Video Games/Entertainment Gas *195 Students Surveyed

It’s the final year of your high school journey. Many reach the milestone of 18 years old and are handed both the immense freedoms and pressures that come along with adulthood. Driving costs continue to add up, as well as the cost of maintaining their cars for some. Nearly 70% of the entire school drives in some capacity, including everyone from freshman to senior, which shows how driving is a necessity for many students when trying to get to school or work. On the topic of work, a job also becomes both increasingly realistic and imperative. Consistent income is essential when frequently eating out and buying food with friends. 77.6% of students have an off campus pass, proving just how many students prefer to get out of the confines of the campus for lunch and have their own choice on food, not the mention the many seniors who simply end their day after 5th period and need some-

where to get a quick after school snack or somewhere to study. Starbucks is one of the schools most popular study destinations (just like most other places in America), but it’s hard for some to walk into their espresso-scented study session and not want to pick up a drink of some kind. Starbucks and it’s competitors’ drinks can prove expensive over a long period of time. If you drank Starbucks’ most popular drink daily, their Cafe Latte, it would total up to a whopping $25 a week. While this extravagant spending on coffee might seem insane for some, it’s simply reality for others. Coffee was the item that students reported as their 4th biggest consistent expense. The bottom line is, while the average spending of a high school student varies heavily, things like gas, food and clothes are the biggest contributors to empty wallets around TOHS. GRAPHICS» FINN SWANSON » THE LANCER

FEATURES

March Masterpieces ASB has started announcing artists of the month to showcase creative students. This month highlighted a dancer and a potter. DEVYN WAGNER

Features Editor

Senior Kira Guzman is a varsity dancer and takes her passion for dancing very seriously. Varsity dance can be a challenging path to follow since most lunches and nights are spent learning and choreographing new dances to perform. Aside from all of the dancing the team does every day, dancers have the pressures of school and other activities keeping them busy at all times. However, doing the work usually ends up being very rewarding. “I dance every day, and being the artist of the month is very exciting,” senior Guzman said. Dancing is not just a sport but a lifestyle, so having it be involved in everything that you do is very important. It can be hard for school to be a priority when you dance so much and the artists who make it work show dedication to the sport and art that they really love. Having a support system can be very important for the dancers, and inspirations can help them with choreographing and the ability to keep dancing. “My mom and my coaches are the people that inspire me,” senior Guzman said. Dancing is a very interactive and intense form of art, so dancers like Kira Guzman are the ones who really make dance what it is all about.

Another form of art that is being recognized this month is pottery. Pottery is an art that can be relaxing and a fun thing to do, especially as a class. “It feels rewarding to know my work is appreciated by my teachers,” senior Jake Delaney said. There are many things you can make in pottery like vases, bowls and cups. It can be a helpful way to make things that you use everyday and can enjoy being your own piece of art. Artists focus on what kind of creation they want to make that can benefit and be of use to them. “I do ceramics but primarily focus on potting like mugs and vases,” Delaney said. Having something that you like to do with your art can really make a difference in what you make and how you see it, and in ceramics, there is a lot of room to create what you want and how you want it. Connecting your art to your everyday life can also be simple when you are making something that you will use a lot. “I like to make coffee mugs because I like to make coffee, I enjoy making things in my class and it’s fun to create things with my hands,” Delaney said. Participating in ceramics is a great way to express yourself through art, and Jake Delaney is one of the people who practices his artistry skills everyday. These artists bring a great talent to the campus.

DANCE FEVER— (Left) Senior Kira Guzman poses at the end of her performance. MAKING MUGS- (Above) Senior Jake Delaney shows off mugs, cups and bowls that he made in ceramics class. ALL PHOTOS » PAIGE WITHAM » WITH PERMISSION

FEATURES

¡PERFECTA PROFESORA! LA CLASE—(All Pictures) Teacher Sandra Martinez talks to Latino Connection Club while her students eat tamales during lunch.

Sandra Martinez was recognized this month with a special award, for her impactful work with our students and for our community. CAMILLE WELTMAN

ALL PHOTOS » NOLA VALDEZ » THE LANCER

Features Editor

This month one of our teachers, Spanish teacher Sandra Martinez, is being recognized not only by the faculty and students here at our school but through all of CVUSD. She is being awarded the CVUSD Teacher of the Month Award. Mrs. Martinez has done an exemplary amount of work to help out not only around the school but to also change numerous amounts of student’s lives. To say the least, she has earned the award Teacher of the Month Award. “Mrs. Martinez has gone above what a normal teacher does for her students, and she has helped me get involved with other programs at the school,” sophomore Gabriel Lara said. Along with teaching Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1 and 2, and Spanish classes, Mrs. Martinez has started the Latino connection club about 3-4 years ago, connected students with volunteer jobs at places including the Westminster Free Clinic, and started her own leadership program also about 4 years ago. Mrs. Martinez also works with a non-proﬁt organization to help Latino families in the community called “ Adelante”. The leaders in this group help parents of students use common programs such as Zangle, to check their kid’s grades, or Google Docs for other basic concepts they may need to be more involved in their child’s education. “She brought a spokesperson to us about the Westminster Free Clinic, which I then became part of and I am happy I joined,” junior Camila Quispe said. The Westminister clinic reached out to Mrs. Martinez, in need of bilingual students to help assist their patients in translating, and she, of course, was quick to encourage her students to volunteer there. Now around a dozen students volunteer at the clinic. “I started volunteer work in college and I think it’s a

great way to connect with the community, get to know people, and also feel good,” Martinez said. Mrs. Martinez is always open to having students recruited for the clinic. She helps her students see the amazing impact volunteer work has on not only their own community but also themselves. As a Spanish teacher, having her Spanish teachings be reciprocated by her students and then put into the community, in a beneﬁting way, is rewarding for her. The leadership program Mrs. Martinez started had the main goal of increasing a sense of leadership in the Latino community and students at our school. The Latino Connection club, was started after she sensed this sense of leadership was something that had been previously lacking. “I am currently in Latino Youth Leadership Group, and it’s helped me get my voice out as a leader and my leadership skills,” Lara said. Lara is a student of Mrs. Martinez, he is active in her programs and he felt being part of them has helped him have a voice. The program brought him that sense of leadership. The programs Mrs. Martinez has incorporated into our school since her arrival are, The Latino Connection Club, the leadership program “Adelante”, and introducing the Westminister Free Clinic. They have helped furthered and bettered our student body. She brought a new push and drive to a diﬀerent part of our community Mrs. Martinez is more than a teacher to our school. She pushes her students to achieve more, to have better opportunities for themselves and be the best they can be. She is an exploratory example of a teacher who cares about students beyond the classroom and wants the best for them. Mrs. Martinez, through her achievement is very deserving of the award, she has earned this past month, for going above and beyond for not only her students, but the whole community.

FEATURES

Back at Outdoor School

Junior Julia Tushla went in sixth grade and wanted to go back and experience it through the perspective of a counselor. She enjoyed going both years but perfected going in middle school over high school. Her favorite pat was hanging out with the kids and being around them.

Senior Aden Goldberg has always wanted to be a counselor at outdoor school. The new place outdoor school is held as is somewhere Aden has been going for nine years at summer camp. He thinks all students should apply to volunteer to go because it’s a nice break from school and an overall good way to connect with other CVUSD students and give back.

Senior Maya Johnson had gone to outdoor school last year as well as this year to go with her friends. She went to middle school as well and had a great experience, but enjoyed going in highschool over middle school. When she had gone as a sixth grader it was in Malibu, but the new location had more hiking which she especially enjoyed.

COUNSELOR CAPTURE—(Above) The volunteers happily gather for a picture together at outdoor school. PHOTO » MILLER STURGES » WITH PERMISSION

Every year students volunteer to go back to outdoor school to be a counselor. Their goal is to watch over the sixth graders and make their experience memorable. NOLA VALDEZ

Features Editor

Outdoor school has been something sixth-graders look forward to, but it wouldn’t be possible without the high school students who volunteer to help. Seniors, Aden Goldberg, Maya Johnson, Lydia Shepard, and Miller Sturges along with Junior Julia Tushla volunteered this year to be camp counselors. They went for four days and stayed at camp Ramah in Ojai, California. They stay in cabins with sixth graders and do new activities to do every day. Helping the kids with whatever they may need, as well as keeping an eye out for them. Volunteering to supervise middle schoolers is a big responsibility. Staying in a cabin with multiple elevenyear-olds can be a lot of work and quite exhausting. There is also a responsibility factor that comes into play when supervising the kids. They need patience with the kid’s exhilarating energy and charisma. “I had a group of twelve boys and myself in a cabin and they were really respectful to me and I liked hanging out with them”, said Miller Sturges. Along with the challenges of having to keep track of them, it may be diﬃcult to have discipline and an upper hand while remaining laid back and easy going. Although, volunteers do have an abundance of fun with the kids throughout the week and form close relationships with them. Although, it can also be gratifying knowing that they’re making an impact on the kid’s lives and giving them a fun time. “ I went to outdoor school as a sixth-grader and I just had such a lovely experience, I felt the need to

give back to the students who were there and I knew I would do a good job as a counselor so that’s what I wanted to do”, said Lydia Shepard. Knowing how exciting outdoor school was in middle school can make the volunteers want to make their time there special, by giving them the best experience possible to remember forever. Being a volunteer can give students the opportunity to meet new people and have a great time with them. Even if some plan on going with friends meeting new people is a big part of what volunteers get out of going. It can also be an escape away from school life and work despite what they miss. Being outside for most of the day can be much better and enjoyable than sitting in a desk for multiple hours a day. Most volunteers who had gone to outdoor school as sixth graders enjoyed going in high school over middle school. Considering they are two completely diﬀerent experiences but also somewhat alike, the kids who go have fewer responsibilities while at the camp than the kids do. It could be the fact that they go already somewhat knowing what goes on, or already knowing how fun the experience is. Both experiences have their perks but have diﬀerent aspects to them. The experience is something more students should take part in, because of the memories that are made and the impact that can be made on sixth graders every year. All of the students who have volunteered have recommended it to other students who are considering going because of the experience they had. It can be rewarding to the volunteers knowing they contributed to something all middle schoolers look

Senior Lydia Shepard wanted to go this year because she likes kids and loved going to outdoor school in middle school so she wanted to go again. She enjoyed going to middle school because it was a whole new way to learn away from being in a classroom, and it helped her meet more people at school.

Senior Miller Sturges applied as a junior and got to go his senior year. He had a group of twelve boys in a cabin which he enjoyed because they were respectful to him and he liked hanging out with them. He would recommend volunteering if someone has the patience, discipline and be able to talk with the kids. PHOTO » NOLA VALDEZ » THE LANCER

FEATURES

The Future of Politics With political division on the rise, this group of students strive to put an end to bickering with a safe place to discuss personal views. ROSE WANG GRACE MACHELL

Features Editors

Political tension is rising as the next presidential election approaches. Instead of yelling at students of opposing views in the hallways, Political Debate Club is taking a more civilized and eﬀective approach to getting opinions across. Political Debate Club meets every other Wednesday to decide the topic for their debates the following Mondays. The club has gone over multiple relevant topics so far, such as the impeachment, protestors in Hong Kong, the Israelian-Palestinian conﬂict over land in the Middle East and NBA protestors. “There isn’t really a debate club that has to do with politics around campus and I think that it’s really important for students to have that freedom of expression, and also doing it in a way that is more logical,” senior club president Vallerie Aguilar said. “I think it’s a nice tool to be able to debate with people without it being an argument. Which, you know, most times on social media such as Twitter, you’re going to see that a lot. So this is kind of a safe space where we’re able to talk about our opinions, but then also hear others.” One thing the club members have stressed in their meetings is initiating civil debates, where arguments are supported by facts and logic, to give all sides of an issue the chance to be considered. “This year we’ve tried a more collegial discussion kind of thing, where we bring up a topic and discuss some pros and cons and some reasons why some people feel this way and some people feel this way,”

club advisor Dr. Swanson said. “I think our members appreciate instead the chance to have a reasonable discussion and consider the different information and points of view that are on both sides, instead of like, Yeah, let’s just get mad and yell at each other.” Through debate, the members have come to learn to compromise and bond despite their differences, something they hope real-world politics at the national level would accomplish. “There’s so much political polarization at this point that there’s no real discussion- which is why I think it’s important to have this club, because a lot of people- especially our generation- have a lot of disillusions about how the political process works. We see all these grown-ups saying things over and over and over and nothing really gets done. We want to create a space where there’s that kind of open discussion,” said senior Ryan Bernard. Political Debate Club has also resolved some of the members’ misconceptions about political parties, as the members joked, not all Democrats have blue hair and are feminists, while not all Republicans are racist or xenophobic. “There’s a whole spectrum to political parties. It’s not just like you’re a Democrat, so you’re automatically liberal or a snowflake, or socialist, or stuff like that. There’s people in the middle, and there’s people in between,” Aguilar said. This club has had a positive impact on students, some of which will be the voices in politics tomorrow. By teaching them how to listen to one another and keep an open mind during debate, the future of politics looks brighter.

INTERESTED IN THE POLITICAL DEBATE CLUB? • To join the club Remind text @ tohspo to 81010 • The meetings are every other Monday in D1 • Contact Dr. Swanson in room D1 with questions ALL PHOTOS » GRACE MACHELL » THE LANCER

SPORTS

Sun, Sand, Spike The girls varsity beach volleyball team took on their first tournament of the season after going to play-offs last year.

GO FOR THE BALL— Presley Knie leaps toward

TRIUMPH ON THE SAND—Reagan Coger prepares to swing down against Oaks Christian.

ALL PHOTO » DARBY ADEMA » THE LANCER

the ball set by her partner Kayleigh May.

Sports Editor year of playing volleyball and first year playing DARBY ADEMA beach volleyball. Last season, girls varsity beach volleyball went to playoffs for the first time in league history. This “It’s less stressful and less structured [than indoor volleyball],” May said. year the team prepares for a new season and hopes to Though the teammates play a variety of positions excel once again after their success while playing at on the indoor court, when the game moves to their first tournament. the sand, the players have to be flexible to move The first tournament of the season was hosted at wherever the ball is to pass it to their partner and Ventura Harbor beach on Saturday Feb. 29. At the perform nearly all of the skills required of any tournament, the players took on the Oaks Christian, position at a moments notice. A pass maybe required Westlake and Calabasas teams. Altogether, the final score for the beach team was 21-10 and 2-1 overall at of either player on the sand court, not just the libero, as it customarily is on the indoor volleyball courts. the end of the tournament. Additionally, this is junior Zowie Beach volleyball was introduced as a Green’s first season and first time sport to Thousand Oaks High School in overall playing beach volleyball. This 2014. Coach Macaya has been the girls “Last year we did past year was also her first year playing varsity beach coach for 6 years and has played beach himself for upwards of really well, we made on varsity volleyball. Nevertheless, Greene has adapted to the varying thirty years. After last season’s success in making it to the playoffs and going to it to quarter finals, so differences of playing beach. the quarter finals, the new team prepares we’re hoping we can “I think playing beach teaches us to be a lot more aggressive and be more to take on the season and their strengths make some moves into tentative because there’s only two of us were tested by the tournament. “I’m just hoping that this season each the playoffs this year.” playing on the court,” Greene said. The nine girls on the beach team all girl will improve because we have a —junior REAGAN COGER played together on the varsity team pretty wide range of players. I’m hoping during the past indoor season and that each girl will improve on maybe continue to practice indoor during some of the areas that they need some their offseason. The extra opportunity help, whatever it is, passing, setting, to play volleyball during what would hitting, serving,” Coach Macaya said. normally be an offseason training period, allows At the end of the tournament, the girls’ varsity players to work on skills in an outside environment beach team scored . The beginning of the season where the elements are more variable than the started off with a win, and while there are many consistency of the indoor environment. more games to come, the players are hopeful for a Wind, sun and sand all influence the plays and the successful season. players often have to adapt to the quickly changing “Last year we did really well, we made it to quarter finals, so we’re hoping that we can make some moves surroundings outside in order to win their point. “You move faster in indoor because moving in the into the playoffs this year,” said junior Reagan Coger. sand is already hard enough so when you get to the Coger has played varsity beach volleyball for three court you’re literally flying,” Greene said. years as well as playing indoor volleyball. Though last years’ success has set the bar high in “I’ve been playing beach volleyball since freshman terms of expectations for this year’s team, the team year. Fun fact: I looked up a Wikihow to play has proved a steady start to the season. The players volleyball ten minutes before tryouts of freshman have committed to their beach volleyball season, year and made varsity,” Coger said. which is evident in their tournament’s ultimate score. Many of the players gravitated to the sport for While many more games and tournaments different reasons, rather than just to play volleyball await, getting through the first set of matches and in the sand. The players also have the opportunity to performing well has given the team some relief and participate in a similar sport with a lot of the familiar the competition crucial in prepping the players for elements of the indoor counterpart. what is to come in other upcoming games. For freshman Kayleigh May, this is her seventh

SPORTS

Senior Standout: All Eyes on Justin

STRIKE A POSE— (Left) Senior Justin Stanziano poses for his varsity basketball individual poster.

Senior basketball player Justin Stanziano had a breakout senior season. He averaged 21.1 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game and was named the Varsity team captain. The Lancer: What does being a Lancer mean to you? Justin Stanziano: It means a lot. I don’t think there are many schools like Thousand Oaks. I think the support from the student body is extremely different; you go to any other school and some schools don’t really know everyone on campus, but when you step on campus here you feel like you know everyone. And I think that’s what it means to be a Lancer, it feels like a family.

TL: What do you believe you are best at on the basketball court? JS: I think probably getting my teammates shots or being able to create my own shot. I think I attract a lot of different kinds of defenses and a lot of defenders so that allows me to kick out when my teammates are open or I can go and get a bucket if I need to.

TL: What is your greatest memory in your four years on varsity? JS: Probably the first time we played Newbury [Park] this season and I kind of just took the game over. That was super exciting and especially for our first League home game and beating our rival Newbury; that’s something I won’t forget for a while.

TL: At the end of your junior year, would you have ever thought that you would increase your PPG (points per game) by ten points and drop a school-record 56 points? JS: No, I did not at all. I expected myself to be the teams leading scorer but I didn’t think I’d increase it by more than ten points and score 56 points. I mean, it’s kind of crazy, I took 30 shots so it’s pretty insane.

TL: How many points did you score? JS: 31. TL: What does it feel like to be a 1,000 point scorer? JS: I’m extremely proud of myself. I didn’t come in here thinking that I’d be one of those 1,000 point scorer guys and I actually ended up being the number two leading scorer. I really wanted to be number one but our season ended a little short, but I mean its really cool, the coaches gave me the green light all year and they told me that I needed to lead this team and I was excited that I was able to do that.

TL: What do you think your best leadership quality is? JS: I think definitely keeping guys in check. I think sometimes we would start goofing off in practice and I’d tell the guys “Hey, we need to get this going and we’re trying to achieve a goal and we want to do something with this team.

TL: How did you feel when you dropped 56? What did you feel like on the court? JS: I was really excited. At halftime, I think I had 36, so I told Coach Endres, “I’m going to beat this record.” and he said, “Ok, but I’m taking you out once you do it.” TL: Were your teammates helping you in any way? Were they finding you shots? JS: Yeah yeah. Actually, I’ll shout out Hayden Sellers. He hit me with the last pass I got that broke the record. But yeah, they were looking for me. TL: To all of the underclassmen, what advice would you give them after you had a great four-year varsity career? JS: Definitely just stay in the gym. Just keeping working. I know sometimes it feels like you might not be THAT guy on the team but if you prove yourself to the coaches and just work hard then they’ll notice it. TL: Do you have any college offers? JS: I have a couple, but it’s mainly DIII.

ON THE COURT—(above) Justin Stanziano fights his way to the basket and fires up his team during the TOHS vs NPHS home game.

PHOTO » COOPER GOYETTE » THE LANCER

TL: What did it mean to you to be the varsity team captain? JS: It meant a lot, I was last year as well and just to be a captain two years in a row is something I’m grateful for. I’m grateful that the coaches think of me as a leader and I’m glad that I kind of grew into that role the past two years.

TL: I saw that you shot 25-30. That’s crazy. JS: It was pretty insane.

SPORTS

IN FORMATION—

THREE CHEERS FOR STUNT After a successful cheer season, STUNT looks to take their talents into the competitive arena. KENDALL FLEMMING

Sports Editor

Competitive cheer ends the season with a national title win at the USA Spirit Nationals as Medium Varsity Non-Tumbling Novice Division Champions. This is the first national win in the history of the program. The success at nationals has boosted their confidence as they head into their stunt season. The team is excited to compete in the upcoming stunt season. Thousand Oaks High School is the only school in the Conejo Valley district that participates in Co-Ed Varsity Competitive Cheer, but STUNT competitions are between every school in the district. “If we are doing STUNT, we are competing against Westlake and Newbury Park, so I think it’s more competitive since we are in the same area and we have past rivalries.” junior Shoy Chen said. Chen is an experienced gymnast who transitioned to competitive cheer during her freshman year of high school. She was unfamiliar with the competitive aspect of cheer, but her skills from gymnastics have helped her succeed. STUNT has ties with both gymnastics and cheer, helping The team was thrilled to win their nationals division, however, it didn’t come easy. The teams’ coach, Kelly Abrams, has led the competitive cheer team for 14 years and this year was her first divisional win as head coach. “Our win was very unexpected.

(Left) The STUNT team holds senior Kylie Cardenas braced at the top of a pyramid during practice. (Right) Sophomore Payton Stayrook, Junior Chauncey Walker and Senior Maya Casanova hold flyer Junior Marissa Sylvester

We had to deal with a lot of illnesses, but thankfully, everything came together, and we were able to win our division.” Abrams said. They focused on their competition routine, practicing almost two hours a day Monday-Thursday. “We hit our routine to the best of our ability, and it eventually got us to the ﬁnals,” sophomore, Payton Stayrook said. Stayrook has competed in cheer competitions for 5 years. Her numerous years of experience have aided her team to succeed during cheer and she hopes to continue their success in the STUNT season. She is excited for STUNT because of the more competitive nature and she is hoping they come out victorious against fellow schools. STUNT is a competition between high schools in the Conejo Valley District. Unlike cheer, the routines aren’t focused around crowd appeal. They are judged on skill and the number of faults in their routine and the teams aren’t performing for a team or a crowd. The competitive cheer practice has forced the members of the team to rely on each other to perform up to their coaches and teammates’ expectations. This competitive spirit is now transitioning into the STUNT team. “We all have to be really close since physically we are working closely and there needs to be a lot of trust when catching a girl,” Chen said. Some of the routine tricks are similar to the ones they do in cheer routines, so the athletes hope their experience with that will lead them to success in the upcoming STUNT season. The team is excited to compete in this year’s STUNT season. With their newfound conﬁdence and skill, the STUNT team is ready to dominate against other schools, by channeling their past accomplishments in cheer this year and STUNT last season.

IN THE AIR— (Bottom ) Junior Gillian Lofciulescu executes a back hand spring in a tumbling routine

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