“Today is the first day of your high school journey,” said principal Dr. Eric Bergmann, delivering the opening speech to new Lancers.
Traditionally, Lancer Launch is known as the passing of the torch of stories, legends and words of wisdom from the upperclassmen down to the incoming class. Stories such as the seven fights on bullying awareness day or the double overtime bash against Newbury Park.
This year’s Lancer Launch, however, came with a twist. With Mr. Connor Smith, the Associated Student Body (ASB) advisor, on paternity leave for the first three months of school, the responsibility of planning the event fell to Assistant Principal of Activities Jennifer Modolo and senior ASB President Samuel Greenberg.
“It was a scramble to get Lancer Launch off the ground, initial planning began two weeks before the event,” Greenberg said. “Usually planning would start before the end of the school year.”
Lancer Launch leaders, typically drawn from upperclassmen, came from various grade levels this year, bringing a fresh perspective to the event. Leaders met one day before the tour to learn their roles, name their groups and make calls home to be their first welcome to Thousand Oaks High School.
One standout group named themselves the “Costco Guys” to connect with the freshmen. Sophomores Dany Shaloub and Jake Ange leveraged the popular TikTok trend to hopefully create memorable moments that would be remembered by freshmen students.
“The freshmen humor is around that area,” Ange said. “We wanted to make them start off on the right foot.”
The day began with students signing in and finding their groups, followed by speeches from Greenberg and Dr. Bergmann. Assistant principals and counselors were introduced, and there were performances by the Drum Line, Dance Team and Cheerleaders.
After the initial ceremonies, groups were sent off with their two Lancer Launch leaders to enjoy a variety of activities. These included ice cream from Mr. Softee, courtesy of the Parent Teacher Association, an informative talk by the school’s student resource officer, games in the gym, a round of Jeopardy and a comprehensive school tour.
Despite the quick turnaround in organizing this year’s Lancer Launch, the event was hailed as a success by both students and staff. It not only introduced the Class of 2028 to the campus but also set the tone for a year full of Lancer spirit.
And it provided some direction for the newest Lancers.
“My Lancer Lunch leader helped us find our classrooms so we weren’t lost,” freshman Bianca Dragoli said.
