The Lancer

The Lancer

The Lancer

Celebrities catastrophic effect on the environment
Joseph Goodnight, Opinion Editor • March 27, 2024

With our current understanding of the climate crisis, it’s safe to say that everyone is trying to be more sustainable for the sake of the environment,...

Lancer-to-Los Robles volunteer system stays strong
Lancer-to-Los Robles volunteer system stays strong
Gemma Spraggins, Assistant News Editor • March 27, 2024

Los Robles Regional Medical Center benefits from the varied talents and experiences that volunteers offer, ranging from high school students...

Time T.O. Vote
Time T.O. Vote
Kailah Spencer, The Lancer Staff • March 27, 2024

Senior Maya Campo turns 18 in April, and she is ready to make her voice heard this November. As the presidential primary election nears, seniors...

Going Digital: The SAT’s New Normal
Going Digital: The SAT’s New Normal
Kailah Spencer, The Lancer Staff • March 27, 2024

Many Lancers students are familiar with the SAT; a paper test with over a hundred questions of varying difficulty. Now, CVUSD is introducing...

Around the Business Table
Around the Business Table
Julia Pineda-Dominguez, The Lancer Staff • March 27, 2024

The Majors program provides students with the opportunity to speak with mentors in many different careers. The program consists of monthly meetings...

Moreno heads to Washington
Moreno heads to Washington
Aandrea Pineda-Dominguez, News Editor • March 27, 2024

It was finally over. The bell gave its shrieking cry and off went hundreds of students to enjoy their freedom, at least for a moment. For...

TO Acorn With Permission
Lancers lose a forever friend
Jake Bradley, Sports Editor • March 27, 2024

Bill Gemberling has worn many hats at Thousand Oaks High: student, teacher, coach, sports announcer. But taxi driver? “I was one of (Brett...

Unexpected La Reina closure leads to transfers
Gemma Spraggins, Assistant News Editor • March 27, 2024

escribing how La Reina families felt upon receiving the news that their school, which opened its doors in 1964, will be closing at the end of...

New MegaMind TV and Movie Sequel Release
New MegaMind TV and Movie Sequel Release
Joseph Goodnight, Opinion Editor • February 20, 2024

In March of this year, Dreamworks is set to release a Peacock exclusive TV show and movie sequel to the beloved 2010 MegaMind movie. The trailer...

In Fastbreak Fashion
Jake Bradley, Sports Editor • February 14, 2024

Lancers lead the way in the second half. The Great Oak Wolfpack came into Thousand Oaks Tuesday night for the CIF quarterfinals and with them...

Perserving in Penalty’s
Jake Bradley, Sports Editor • February 14, 2024

The Lady Lancers traveled to a neutral site in Anaheim to take on the Katella Knights in the second round of the CIF-SS girls soccer playoffs....

Kanye - He's Back at it...or Maybe Not?
Elijah Brown, The Lancer Staff • February 14, 2024

Kanye West's new album “Vultures 1”, many nationwide were skeptical at first about Kanye's new album considering the controversies he has...

It’s Valentine’s, Baby
It’s Valentine’s, Baby
Momo Sonoda, Editor-In-Chief • February 14, 2024

St. Valentine’s Day commemorates the death of St. Valentine, but for others, the holiday marks a day of birth. Junior Chokee Weezer was born...

Health Science Majors Program hosts their senior showcase
Momo Sonoda, Editor-In-Chief • February 12, 2024

Last week, the seniors in Health Science Majors hosted a showcase, featuring various professions that they hope to pursue in the future. At the...

Advancing Again
Jake Bradley, Sports Editor • February 12, 2024

The Lancers left campus during lunch to travel to Temecula for their round two playoff game, and the ride wasn’t enough to stop the Lancers....

New Voices Pushing For Change

New+Voices+Pushing+For+Change
 The President of the Conejo Valley Unified School District Board, “Mike Dunn expressed disapproval of Baarstad’s decision to not censor the Panther Prowler.” Two years ago, neighboring high school, Newbury Park, published a magazine with condoms on bananas as the front cover. California, after the passing of the Leonard Law, decided that public high schools’, public colleges’, and private colleges’ administration could not legally censor information. While President Dunn
expressed clear desire to censor the paper, California’s Education Code 48907 overturned the Hazelwood court case and prevented Dunn from censoring.

“In California, your president would not be able to prevent anything from being published” SPLC attorney Robert Heinson said. “They have freedom of speech and can critique the paper, but have no power over regulation unless it is harmful.”Heinson claimed, however, that the District does have the power to impose certain regulations. Recently, journalism students have been required to wear their journalism shirt during publication to ensure that journalism students can be recognized and approached if necessary.

“Small requirements that aren’t along the lines of censorship is legal” Heinson said. “The district does have a little bit of wiggle room and can pass certain laws.”

Outside of the Conejo Valley, the practice of student-run papers and 1st Amendment protection is widely practiced. One clear example is at Harvard-Westlake.

“I believe that not being censored is paramount so that students know the freedoms that they have. In California we do enjoy a lot of rights.” Harvard-Westlake advisor Steve Chae said. “It’s important that students know they can say what they want to say.”

To put this in practice, Chae has made it clear that anyone 

working with the student publication can’t require “sign offs” or force students to remove parts of stories before publishing.

A grassroots movement has begun in the hopes of preventing censorship in not only California, but also the rest of the nation: New Voices. Currently, 8 states are guaranteed freedom of press by law: California, Oregon, North Dakota, Illinois, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Nevada. Over 20 states are fighting for their own legislation. The entire movement began in North Dakota.

“I was an advisor in a small town[in North Dakota] when a bill was proposed that ensured college and high schools free speech.” New Voices representative Steven Lindburg said. “North Dakota is the second most red state, but the bill still passed unanimously. It showed that this wasn’t a political issue, but a bipartisan bill that both Republicans and Democrats agreed upon.”

Even among the states that aren’t guaranteed freedom of press, many papers enjoy the rights of the 1st Amendment.

“We’ve never been censored and are free to write what we want” said website writer for a Missouri paper Fabian Gubuchow said. “We went to St. Louis during the Charlottesville riots and got to write about our own political stance without any censorship.”

Paper censorship is still present throughout the nation. Further decision ruled that Hazelwood was applicable to collegiate papers. And states such as Texas are fighting for rights.

“Our administration always looks at our paper before we publish and corrects anything they don’t like.” a senior writer in a Houston paper Ashwyn Gershaw* said. “We wanted to talk about a club called period power, but they wouldn’t even let us write about it because it had the word period in it.”

The issue of censorship is more widespread than many believe. Lindburg explains that censorship isn’t actually known until it happens to students and they are caught off guards. Furthermore Heinson says that the majority of requests and calls he receives are about censorship and a need of representation.

With the ultimate goal of providing colleges and and high schools with freedom of press, Heinson believes that this goal is possible. WIth enough influence from certain states and the realization that this is a bipartisan bill and a fight for freedom, the bill can become a national law.

“By getting the support of California, Texas, Florida, and New York, all which are in the process of trying to pass legislation, it is a possibility that freedom of press for high schoolers and college students could become a national law.” Heinson said. “Those states represent a majority of the nation and if laws pass in those states, it would become more clear that the nation as a whole believes in free press.”

Lindburg agrees with Heinson beliefs and method of action. The Lancer inquired about the possibility of an additional court ruling to overturn Hazelwood, but Lindburg explained the difficulty.

“It would be extremely difficult to have another court case go through especially with the justices right now. There would have to be a whole new set before that would become a 

possibility.” lawyer said. “It’s more realistic to push for individual state legislation because laws can override Supreme Court rulings.”


With numerous states trying to pass laws that guarantee students freedom of press, papers must remain ethical and within a realistic scope. The NSPA code of ethics lays out that journalists must be responsible, fair, honest, accurate, independent, accountable, and minimize harm.

“If journalists remain ethical and don’t harm indirectly or directly create violence or harm, newspapers, regardless if it’s a high school, collegiate, or professional paper, should be granted freedom of press under the 1st amendment.” past journalism teacher Judy Zimmerman said. “As long as The Lancer, Arrow, and Panther Prowler follow the basic code of ethics, they should be free to report anything of interest.

*indicates anonymous name

Unlike California, numerous states have some sort of censorship. Further decision ruled that Hazelwood was applicable to collegiate papers.

MAP REPRESENTING STATES WITH FREEDOM OF STUDENT PRESS

 

 

 

PHOTO BY » BLAKE SAARI » THE LANCER
VIDEO BY » RYAN HONG » THE LANCER
GRAPHIC » NEW VOICES US » WITH PERMISSION

 

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