Thousand Oaks High School
LANCER The
Volume LIX, Issue 2 - October 31, 2024
2323 N. Moorpark Rd. Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
www.tohsthelancer.com
Kerns campaigns for Kamala, local candidates Lancer junior joins political efforts in hopes that upcoming election makes lasting impact on both country and community LAILAH SERNA Staff Writer
Finn Kerns - with permission
HONK FOR DEMOCRACY - Junior Finn Kerns stands with CVUSD Board Trustee Lauren Gill and her supporters to bring attention to local elections.
One election can have long-term consequences, whether it’s the presidential election or a simple school board election. For junior Finneas Kerns, no election is too small, and all should be recognized for the level of importance they hold. Kerns has noticed a few ways that California citizens and voters can improve in being more aware of what needs to be done when it comes to political issues. “Most of us can’t vote, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a say,” Kerns said. “There are plenty of organizations that provide opportunities to go out and campaign.” Kerns believes strongly in the ideas and policies proposed by Vice President Kamala Harris. So much so that her policies influenced Kerns to volunteer for her campaign in any way he could. Kerns has seen a rift in the
country’s political systems and government. He sees the potential for a great president in Harris, and he is not afraid to voice his opinions. “[Harris] has a lot of the right policy standpoints,” Kerns said. “I think she is just moderate enough to be able to get things done and be able to compromise, I think that she is one of the more ideal candidates for president.” Harris’ past as a District Attorney and what she did in that time is what sparked Kerns’ interest. While he is passionate about Harris’ campaign and what she stands for, Kerns recognizes the small and important factors that go into winning an election. He is contributing to the larger matter at hand, working to educate people about the small components of an election. “We need more help here in California for our local candidates,” Kerns said. “I understand that [people] are
passionate about Kamala Harris, but she needs governing partners, she needs the house.” Kerns could be seen on local corners, holding up signs for CVUSD school board incumbent Lauren Gill. He canvased neighborhoods with Gill, making sure Area 5 constituents in Newbury Park knew of her successes as board trustee. He also for canvassed for Conejo Recreation and Park District, District 5 (Newbury Park) candidate Ashley Orozco, who is running in the same area but for a new position that was created when the CRPD switched to districts. Once this election is over, there will be a dramatic change in our nation. Knowing this, Kerns put a significant amount of effort and skills into campaigning for the Democratic party. From phone banking to writing postcards to constituents, Kerns hopes his efforts will have positive longterm effects in finding common ground between parties.
vote or not to vote Student vandals caught on camera To Lancer students recognize Vandalism on campus leads to extra work, frustration for teachers and custodians
GABRIELLA MULLER Assistant Opinions Editor JULIA PINEDA-DOMINGUEZ News Editor What started as a normal morning for English teacher Brian Cummings quickly turned bitter as he helped sweep up glass from his classroom floor upon arrival. “I showed up, and the maintenance guys were out cleaning up the glass and fixing the windows,” Cummings said. On the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 8, around 1-2 AM, five individuals were caught on camera roaming the halls, climbing on roofs, and eventually breaking three additional windows. “My first reaction when I saw the maintenance guys was that I was upset for them,” Cummings said. “They have the most thankless job [and] it really sucked that they now have an extra thing they have to do.” For Cummings, it wasn’t the broken window that made him upset, but the actions themselves. “You’re gonna make mistakes but at least own it and don’t hide in the shadows,” Cummings said. As a teacher, Cummings is respected by students, however, he was not surprised something like this happened. “I don’t get any major disrespect,” Cummings said. Vandalism has always been on campus, whether it’s tagging or broken windows. Vice Principal of Attendance Michael Godfrey is
What’s Inside 4
still trying to understand why. “There are different people who have different reasons. Like what happened with the windows, I’m not really sure why someone would do that. The tagging…they
Alan Ko- The Lancer
BOARDED UP - Custodians cleaned up and covered four broken classroom windows before teachers got to campus. might want people to know that they’re there,” Godfrey said. Most vandalism on campus is just some teenager with a permanent marker choosing to write on bathroom walls. But the damage done to four classroom windows brings vandalism up to a whole new level. “One of [the vandals] threw a rock off
Clubs: A quinceañera formal fashion show
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of the hallway roof into a room. Two other classrooms seemed to be targeted and one seemed to be random.” However, Godfrey is certain of one thing, the vandalism of the four windows was not done by current Lancers. “It’s none of our current students,” Godfrey said. “Which really warms my heart because we have had such a good year overall.” Within the Lancer community, this year’s vandalism rates are quite low, the main issue being tagging within restrooms. Major vandalism is typically done by individuals who do not go to TOHS. “We had a big tagging incident not too long ago on a Friday night, but fortunately we had our custodians come in and they did such a great job…and covered it up before any students got to school, so the students I don’t think even knew about it at all,” Godfrey said. “Again, it was nobody within our school.” But, with this, Godfrey makes it clear they will take initiative to stop tagging done by students within the campus. “Several students were identified and we followed through with discipline with those,” Godfrey said. Working to improve the TOHS campus and has been a main goal this year. Even with incidents still occurring here and there, Godfrey and administration remain confident vandalism will come to an end.
Voting: A look at the 2024 ballot and issues
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gravity of an informed vote KAILAH SPENCER Assistant News Editor
Voting is a privilege and the duty of all American citizens, but some see voting as a laborious and meaningless hassle. For two Thousand Oaks High School Lancers, their views align with the former. Despite their differences in age and experience, senior Davis Hann and sophomore Arianna Perri both recognize the importance of voting for the future of the country. “I’m very excited,” Hann said. “I registered a couple of years ago.” Although she can’t vote yet, Perri recognizes the effect this election could have on her, her peers, and the country as a whole. “The country is in a vulnerable place right now,” Perri said. “Whoever gets elected as president is going to have a lot of responsibilities, so we should all, as a collective, elect someone who will better our nation.” Since President Joe Biden dropped out of the election in July and Vice President Kamala Harris became the new Democratic candidate, much controversy and discord has been stirred up. “The rhetoric is really high,” Hann said. “We’re all Americans, and so I think we should focus on moving our country forward instead of violence.” When making a decision about who to vote for, Perri believes in the importance of voters looking at the morals, beliefs, and values of each candidate. “But more importantly,” Perri said, “What they plan to do for the country, how their election will
Celebrities: Using power to persuade
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Sibling Revelry: Reers vs. Halvorsens