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A compilation of my written reporting in my ever-growing portfolio of journalistic work.

Mustang News •

Cal Poly swears in new police chief - Mustang News

Cal Poly officially welcomed its new chief of police, Robert Plastino, during a swearing-in ceremony on July 25.


Plastino brings over 27 years of experience with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, where he previously served as chief deputy of law enforcement operations. He covered a wide jurisdiction from Carpinteria to Cuyama and included oversight of both patrol and detective divisions. He also worked closely with the University of California, Santa Barbara and the Isla Vista commun...
Mustang News •

Gifford Fire Grows to 40,000 Acres in California Forest - Mustang News

Update August 4, 10:48 a.m.: The Gifford Fire has grown to 65,062 acres. It has lost containment overnight, 3%, according to the U.S. Forest Service.


The Gifford Fire, fueled by warm and dry conditions, has grown to almost 40,000 acres in Los Padres National Forest after igniting on Friday afternoon near the border of San Luis Obispo County, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It’s 5% contained as of Sunday evening.


Overnight, the blaze surpassed January’s Palisades fire in size, making...
Mustang News •

Cal Poly earns five-star rating from Money in 'Best Colleges' list - Mustang News

Cal Poly received a five-star rating from Money, a personal finance outlet, in its ‘Best Colleges in America’ list, marking the third consecutive year the university has earned the publication’s top distinction. 

The rating system evaluated 732 four-year colleges nationwide, using 25 data points across affordability, graduation rates, student debt and postgraduate earnings. Schools are scored on a scale from two to five stars. 40 institutions, or about 5% of those evaluated, earned a five-sta...
Mustang News •

Student arrested after pro-Palestine protest

A Cal Poly student was arrested for his involvement in a pro-Palestine protest that left the Financial Aid and Student Accounts Office vandalized, according to SLO police logs. He could be expelled, according to the campus Social Justice Coalition.


On June 4, five pro-Palestinian protestors entered Cal Poly’s Financial Aid and Student Accounts office and spray-painted graffiti on walls, furniture and computers.


Two suspects were identified and arrested after the protest. One is Theodore Le...
Mustang News •

Madre Fire: California's largest blaze in 2025 burns 52,000 acres in San Luis Obispo County

In a year of historic wildfires, the Madre Fire is now the largest in California, burning over 52,000 acres in San Luis Obispo County.

The fire broke out Wednesday afternoon in a remote, brush-heavy area near the border of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Fueled by dry grass and wind, it spread quickly overnight, swelling from a few hundred acres to over 52,600 acres by Thursday afternoon.

As of Thursday night, the blaze was only 10% contained, according to Cal Fire, with 50 str...
The Lancer •

Trump Administration Cuts Reach CVUSD

The Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) was informed Tuesday, April 29, that a federal grant worth $11.3 million will be canceled, according to student board member Aidan Light.
The grant, which was approved in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, came after the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 elementary schoolers and two teachers. Despite gun control being a widely divisive topic, lawmakers from both parties agreed to allocate $1 billion n...
The Lancer •

The Weight I Carry Being a First-Generation American

On July 3, 2013, my parents and I left Taiwan for the United States, carrying just a few suitcases and the weight of my parents’ sacrifices. I was six years old, too young to understand what we were leaving behind.
Hope. That’s what drives so many first-generation families. They hope their children will have more opportunities, and their struggles and sacrifices will amount to something and will not be in vain. But hope is a heavy thing to carry when it comes wrapped in expectations. For as long...
The Lancer •

McEnroe leaves TO after questions arise

It was a quiet Monday morning before school on Feb. 10, deep in the football offseason. It was unusual, then, when Thousand Oaks High School head coach Ben McEnroe summoned his players for a mandatory meeting.
The team gathered in silence, expecting an announcement about the 2025 team schedule or maybe a guest speaker. Instead, they found themselves at the center of a shift no one had anticipated.
Despite the graduation of his son, Cory McEnroe—who is committed to playing football at the Univers...
The Lancer •

Finding my way: Using sports to continue my career

I may not be an athlete, but I’ve found my way into the world of sports. Growing up, I used to imagine myself playing football. I lived it when I got into high school.
By my sophomore year, I realized I had no chance of playing at the next level. But that didn’t mean I had to leave it behind. I picked up a camera and started to take photos of my friends. It quickly turned into something bigger. By junior year, I found myself at an offseason training facility with Alex Singleton, a linebacker for...
The Lancer •

Lancer named Regeneron science scholar

Wind gushing outside E3 in November, leaving the science lab without power, senior Benjamin Chung poured a substrate into an enzyme, hoping it would change color.
It turned pink. He screamed.
Chung had just finished his research to submit for the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science research competition for high school students.
In early January, the Society for Science — which serves as the managing body of the Regeneron competition — announced that...
The Lancer •

Thousand Oaks girls’ soccer advances to CIF-SS Finals

Thousand Oaks girls’ soccer secured a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory against Alta Loma in the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 semifinals on Saturday night, earning a spot in the championship game for the first time since 2008.
The Lancers defeated Moorpark 2-1 in 2008 to win the school’s first CIF-SS girls’ soccer title. Similarly, the 2008 team competed in Division 2.
Sophomore Maddie Linville played a pivotal role, scoring in regulation and assisting on the game-winning goal in overtime. Senior...
The Lancer •

Thousand Oaks hires Branden Anderson as the programs next football head coach

A familiar face is returning to lead the Lancers after their historic two-season run under Ben McEnroe.
Branden Anderson has been named the next football head coach at Thousand Oaks, principal Eric Bergmann announced in a press release to the school.
Anderson, a Thousand Oaks alumni and former Lancers quarterback, returns to the program after serving as Newbury Park’s offensive coordinator for the past three seasons. He succeeds Ben McEnroe, who resigned in early February after a historic two-ye...
The Lancer •

Ben McEnroe resigns as Thousand Oaks High School head coach

Thousand Oaks High School head coach Ben McEnroe resigned from his position effective immediately on Monday morning.
McEnroe led the Lancer football program for two seasons, during that time he held a 17-9 record and brought the Lancers to back-to-back semi-finals for the first time since 1987-88.
In a meeting Monday morning with players, McEnroe announced his resignation.
Previous to taking the job at Thousand Oaks, McEnroe coached California Lutheran University from 2007 to 2021.
McEnroe’s sta...
The Lancer •

LEAP students start an entrepreneurial endeavor

Thousand Oaks High School’s Learning Essentials Academic Program (LEAP) launched a coffee cart to teach life skills while raising funds for the program.
The coffee cart was established by Assistant Principal of Student Support Services Michelle Kerrigan, whose vision is for a micro-business in the special education program.
The cart allows special education students to practice real-world skills and build on their social skills/cues. Teachers submit paper forms to order, and students take charge...
The Lancer •

The Pressure of Leadership

Senior Morgan Castillas is in a unique position that hardly few dawning Lancer Green get to achieve. She plays softball, flag football and basketball and serves as a captain for all three teams. 
When the TO flag football team made it to the playoffs for the first time this year, she stepped up to help her teammates manage their nerves.
That’s not always easy.
“One of my teammates was having a mental breakdown before the game, and we had to work together as a team to help calm her down,” Casilla...
The Lancer •

Ready, Set, Dash

On Thursday morning, Nov. 28, 2024, more than 2,000 runners gathered at Cal Lutheran University for the second annual Turkey Day Dash.
For 15 years, the YMCA led the Turkey Day Dash, inviting thousands annually to the CLU campus before the big Thanksgiving feast. The Dash was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic and remained on hiatus in 2021 and 2022, leaving a void in the Thanksgiving morning tradition.
Five07 stepped in to reignite the tradition and restart the annual counter, rallying suppor...
The Lancer •

Lancers gain home-field advantage in CIF Football Semi-Finals

The Thousand Oaks High School Lancers are set to host the Pacifica High School Tritons in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 football semifinals on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, at 7:00 PM.
For the second year, the Thousand Oaks High School Lancer Football team has advanced to the quarter-finals.
In the CIF format, home teams for playoff rounds are determined weeks in advance through a predetermined bracket system, allowing the Lancers to gain another week in front of the Green Hole.
The Lancers hold...
The Lancer •

Lancers get tricked in Newbury Park

The Thousand Oaks Lancers were defeated by unrelenting Newbury Park Defense, 38-0.
With one last opportunity to put up points in the fourth quarter, less than 7 minutes remaining. The Lancers went into full pass protection, seven blockers and Newbury Park blitzed six. Junior quarterback Jackson Taylor drops back and gets sacked to turn it over on downs.
Junior quarterback Brady Smigel, who committed to Florida State before the season, broke the record for most career passing yards in Ventura Cou...
The Lancer •

Lancers routed at Homecoming game

The Thousand Oaks Lancer football team was defeated by Simi Valley Pioneers 42-28 in the Lancers Homecoming game on Sept. 20.
The loss routed the Lancers to a record of 3-2, heading into their bye week.
Junior quarterback Jackson Taylor recently received the Champion of Character award from CIF. He went 24-42 for 278 yards with three touchdowns. Two touchdowns were from connections with junior wide receiver Hayden Vercher.
“It’s a tough thing, we got a good team for Homecoming, but that’s what m...
The Lancer •

Local High School Publications Grill School Board Candidates

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – On Monday, Sept. 9, The Lancer Newspaper joined the Panther Prowler and the Westlake Wire at Newbury Park High School in a panel to question Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) board candidates for the upcoming 2024 election.
With the desire to share student voices and understand how candidates plan to address key issues within the school community, the Panther Prowler staff provided nearby cohesive high school journalism programs with an opportunity to question...
The Lancer •

Heat Check: Heat Wave Tests New CIF Southern Section Regulations

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Extreme heat in Southern California is disrupting sports, causing delays and schedule changes for schools across Ventura County.
With temperatures throughout the week set to increase to highs over 90 degrees, the Friday night lights will be shining 30 minutes later than expected.
To ensure that players remain safe from the heat, the Lancers preemptively rescheduled their game Tuesday night. The Lancers adjusted their match against Agoura on Friday from the traditional 7:0...
The Lancer •

League Breakdown: Lancers Begin Representing Conejo Coast League

The Lancers, previously in the Canyon League, are now in the Conejo Coast League after the Ventura County football coaches approved league realignments after meeting in March 2023.
A total of 29 Ventura and Santa Barbara county teams have been separated into five competitive leagues based on CalPreps.com rankings in 2021 and 2022. The realignment aimed to improve competition and increase the available playoff spots in the area. CalPreps is the way CIF-SS creates divisions and playoff matchups fo...
The Lancer •

Phones Should Remain On Campus, At Least For Now

Last school year, Thousand Oaks High School facility decided to step up the no phones policy. This comes after mass discussions nationwide about the usage of phones and its impact on student’s learning and well-being.
The removal of phones is not the correct step forward to move schools and students forward. Technology is the epiphany of the future. If we censor students of the right to technology, how can we effectively prepare the future civilians of the world?
In an interview with the America...
The Lancer •

‘Who doesn’t like donuts’ | Student Resource Officer Welcomes Students Back To School

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – School Resource Officer Nicholas Palomino made a sweet first impression on the Thousand Oaks High School campus, arriving armed with donuts on Tuesday morning.
Palomino, an eight-year veteran of the Ventura County Police Department, arrived on campus with over 360 donuts. This was only his fifth day as the new SRO, and he wanted to start building relationships right from the get-go.
“We wanted to give back to the students for being so welcoming,” said Palomino. “Who doesn...
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