November 2013

DIAMOND BAR HIGH SCHOOL

BRANDING IRON

FALL PLAY REVIEW

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER

sports 13

HISTORY OF THE

a&e 10

THE TRUE MEANING OF THANKSGIVING

RESTAURANT REVIEW

feature theme 8-9

SATIRE:

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editorial 4

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

FANTASY BASKETBALL TIPS

STUDENT NEWSPAPER

The Bull’s Eye WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013

Volume XXXII, Issue III | ONLINE at dbbullseye.com | Published Monthly

Brawl with Diamond Ranch calls for action In response to the fight, administrators look for ways to avoid future conflicts.

BY YUSHENG XIA ASST. EDITORIAL EDITOR

MORE ABOUT THE GAME ON PAGE 16 IN-SPIRIT-ATIONAL - Class presidents, Irene Na, Daniel Chai, Donald Douglas, and Morgan Pak (left to right), lead the school in a school cheer.

XING YEN QUEK

Students select new USB board After a re-vote for two positions, the election results were announced last week.

BY VRINDA CHAUHAN STAFF WRITER

It was that time of the year again, when Diamond Bar elects United Student Body Executive board.

With the newly elected board members, DBHS students look forward to another exciting school year.

Junior Daniel Shin was elected

as our president and junior Jackie Aluning as our vice president.

Other board members include junior Sharon Kim as Speaker of the House and sophomore Kevin Lee as IOC. Nadjla Shilleh, a junior, was appointed Finance Director and Joyce Kang, a sophomore, secretary.

Our new Executive Board aims to give the school more of a warm environment, beginning by making USB a more caring and less exclusive place.

“I’m looking to make Diamond Bar a more inclusive school and just have everyone help each other out. USB students can kindle this, and hopefully that will start

a chain reaction and make this school a more caring place,” Shin said.

A slight delay in announcing the final results ensued because of unprecedented ties– a tie for both President and Vice President positions, between Kali Decambra and Daniel Shin, and Jackie Aluning and Bryanna Lim. Students revoted for these positions on Nov. 2, and the winners were revealed on Nov. 5.

Election week, which began on Oct. 28, raised tough competition among the candidates. Students campaigned with advertising methods that ranged from trivial social media posts and witty face-

COMMON CORE: EVOLVING EDUCATION

in-hole posters to the distribution of promotional stress balls.

After a week of self-promotion and campaigning, the candidates finally gave their formal speeches on Oct. 30. While many speeches were short and concise, some candidates went out of their way to make theirs individualistic and memorably creative. For example, Kevin Lee, our current IOC representative, incorporated a small rap verse at the end of his speech.

“K to the L to the double E. K Lee for IOC,” was an excerpt of his catchy verse. Other creative

BY KATLYN LEE NEWS EDITOR

As the saying goes, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” With that maxim in mind, several Diamond Bar High School teachers have already begun to introduce their students to the Common Core standards, which will be officially implemented next school year.

The new standards, meant to prepare upcoming students for tasks in the real world, require more reading comprehension and conceptual thinking skills in all

subjects, not only in English.

Science teacher Carly Russo is one of the first DBHS teachers who has already altered her lesson plans for the onset of the new education system.

Because of the new standards, Russo explained that her lessons now included not only lecture and hands-on lab activities, but also reading assignments that require students to absorb textbook material and glean information pertinent to the topic.

“It does force the students to become active learners. They can no longer sit and listen to the lecture, and write notes. They have to delve into the material themselves and remember [the information],” Russo said.

The Chemistry teacher continued to share how the sharp change affected her students and their approach to learning. She recounted

ence class.

“I think that our students, as we

See EDUCATION| pg 3

See FOOTBALL| pg 2

See ELECTIONS| pg 3

Second in Series

KATLYN LEE

COMMON LEARNING - Students from Mr. Schaefer’s 5th period class work in groups to practice Common Core questions for the new standardized test. how her students were initially shocked when she instructed them to read an article, analyze it, and write a follow up essay, an assignment usually not expected in a sci-

MORE ON THE FOOTBALL FIGHT SEE EDITORIAL, PAGE 4 intensity and with toughness but there is a line they cannot cross,” Marquez commented.

Following the incident, the school has now implemented a plan that involves teaching the players different ways to handle themselves.

This plan incorporates activities that range from supervision on the field to handling the media. DBHS invited Jim Perry, member of the CIF state Sportsmanship Committee, to Diamond Bar to give a speech to the football players on the correct forms of conduct during a game. Many coaches believe that teaching the players the vital importance of representing the school will help prevent another incident like this from happening again.

“By addressing the bigger concern of who they’re playing for and not just themselves, we hope that something like this will never happen again,” Athletic Director Kurt Davies explained.

While the clash was unfortunate, DBHS is looking to rebound from the incident and learn to improve for next time, in case any future situations forebode a similar arousal. The teams will be spending a lot more time on team-building exercises to develop a more poised demeanor in approaching football disputes.

“Coach Maine has been working

Teachers begin “core” teaching Classroom implementations give students a taste of upcoming changes.

On Oct. 18, emotions raged as the Diamond Bar High School football team engaged in a physical brawl with players from Diamond Ranch during a home game. Even bench players had entered the field and joined the sudden fight, causing game officials to have to stop the conflict.

“It was a very good game, a competitive game, but it was just disappointing to see our players react that way and their players react that way,” assistant football coach Jose Marquez said.

As a result of the fight, CIF had suspended all but one of the DBHS players from the game against Rowland. Addressing this unexpected situation, DBHS has made it a priority to prevent another confrontation like this to happen again. “[The] guys need to understand that you need to play the game with

2 NEWS

THE BULL’S EYE

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Marching band sweeps the Chino Hills Band Review

Common app glitches arouse much worry

This is the first time the group was awarded Sweepstakes at an event.

The technical difficulties of the website cause schools to push back due dates.

BY FRANCES SONG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BY JOY CHOW NEWS EDITOR

Diamond Bar High School’s marching band made history on Nov. 2 when it competed in the Chino Band Review and won Sweepstakes, the award given to the highest-scoring competitor.

“What was for so long been an unreachable dream has finally become an amazing, concrete reality,” senior and band vice president Jasmine Hsu commented.

The band, which performed the musical selection “Solid Men to the Front” throughout the parade, received a score of 95.55. In addition, the Color Guard, and Drum Major were given the scores of 92.65 and 88.20 respectively.

The marching band, also known as the Thundering Herd, managed to beat big-name bands such as Arcadia and Riverside King, both of which had won accolades like Sweepstakes in previous years. Diamond Bar is only the eighth band to take home the Sweepstakes.

With the college application deadlines rapidly approaching, the series of glitches that seem to continually bombard the Common Application website has been a great concern for many students across the nation.

“I came across glitches multiple times while trying to access the Common App. My first attempt to signing onto the website led me to an error page. The next time I tried logging in, the site indicated that my username and password apparently didn’t exist,” senior Alex Jiang explained.

Students have reported various technical difficulties such as frozen web screens or being led to an additional link to pay multiple fees for one application. Other students even noted that they were blocked out of their accounts due to their user names and passwords supposedly “no longer existing.” Not only did students have trouble submitting their applications and essays, but teachers and counselors also had trouble uploading student recommendation and other documents online.

“Using Common App for the first time was kind of confusing. There were long and tedious sections to fill. Sometimes, I wasn’t really exactly sure about what or how I was supposed to fill certain things

FOOTBALL from pg 1

As a result of the brawl, various school activities were slightly suppressed. with his staff and with Mr. Davies to prepare our student athletes for future incidents. They have been participating in drills so that if

Photo courtesy of FELICIA LIN

SWEEPING THE FLOOR - Several of the marching band members, mostly seniors, pose with the Sweepstakes trophy after the event.

Unexpectedly, members of the Riverside King marching band, which had placed second behind Diamond Bar, demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship by congratulating the Thundering Herd at the end of the awards ceremony. Band members shook hands, as if they were football players.

“Watching the Riverside Kings congratulate us was definitely the cherry on top because I knew they hated us for it. It was the moment they realized Diamond Bar is finally competitive and we ruined their winning streak,” senior drum ma-

jor Jonn Alcantara said.

Steve Acciani, DBHS’ band director, knew they had made history.

“Winning Sweepstakes was really exciting, especially this year, because we have an incredible senior class that has done amazing things over the past four years. We also probably have the best color guard and the best drum major, so it’s all the elements coming together and having a tremendous amount of success. We’re heading into the Championships ranked number one in the state right now,” Acciani commented.

such an event were to occur again, our athletes could go into ‘automatic pilot’ and do exactly as they’ve practiced,” Principal Catherine Real responded via e-mail.

Real is one of many school officials who believes that the incident gives students a great learning opportunity to reflect upon themselves. Branding Iron activities during lunch had been toned down

to remove all violent activities, and the football players had also personally apologized to the school through a video that was shown during the Branding Iron Rally.

“This was an unfortunate situation, however it gives our school a chance to become an even a stronger, better, and more uniform program,” Vice President Terry said.

THE BULL’S EYE

in,” senior Stephanie Zacher commented.

Over 515 universities and colleges around the country use the Common Application as the main method for admitting prospective students. All of the Ivy League schools and many public universities utilize this admissions system, but since the release of the fourth online version of the Common App on Aug. 1, both students and teachers have reported multiple complaints.

“This year, Common App changed the format of the website so that my old login and password was no longer valid. I had to create a brand new login and password.

There were actually a couple other problems too. As a teacher user, I was directed to the applicant form multiple times instead of the teacher’s page. The new format was sometimes confusing to use.

Another thing I noticed was that Internet Explorer would lag quite often while on the Common App website. Google Chrome worked a lot better and faster,” science teacher Eric Sorensen commented.

However, students applying early for certain schools do not need to be too alarmed. Because of the numerous complaints about Common App malfunctions, many schools have extended their deadlines in order to appease the students applying for early action or early decision admission.

Well-known schools that receive the submissions of tens of thousands of applicants such as University of Chicago and Columbia, and Northwestern University pushed back their deadline from Nov. 1 to Nov. 8. Other schools are also planning to extend their due dates and notify early applicants soon.

Branding Iron Week

Diamond Bar High School Student Newspaper

STAFF Editors-in-Chief News Editors Editorial Editor Asst. Editorial Editors

Gloria Kim, Angie Zhang Joy Chow, Katlyn Lee Gloria Kim Hanna Kang, Yusheng Xia

Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editor

Angie Zhang Emily Leung

A&E Editor Asst. A&E Editor

Claire Huang Emily Wong

Feature Theme Editors Asst. Feature Theme Editor

Hanna Yi Emily Hwang

Sports Editors Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editor Business Manager Asst. Business Manager Web Editor Staff Writers Advisor

Andrew Choi, Joseph Park Xing Yen Quek Emily Hwang Katlyn Lee Emily Leung Hanna Yi Vrinda Chauhan, Gaby Dinh Doug List

CONTACT

Diamond Bar High School, Room 563 21400 Pathfinder Road Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Phone: (909) 594-1405 x33563 Email: eye.editors@gmail.com Business Inquiries: dbhs_business@yahoo.com

EDITORIAL POLICY The Bull’s Eye is a public forum that welcomes the views of our readers. Letters to the Editor and Op-Ed pieces will be accepted only if they are signed. The author, may, however, request anonymity. The staff reserves the right to edit letters without changing content. You may forward letters to Room 563, or submit them online at dbbullseye.com.

EMILY HWANG

THREE-PEAT SPIRIT - Diamond Bar High School’s cheer team performs at the Branding Iron rally, which occurred last Friday (top). During the Branding Iron week, USB held various lunch time activities to pump students up for the rivalry game. Junior Yong Choi participates in an activity in which students take turns hitting a strength tester (bottom).

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

NEWS

THE BULL’S EYE

3

Student grabs opportunity to attend global event At a conference, Ashley Xie worked with students to address agriculural issues.

BY VRINDA CHAUHAN STAFF WRITER

How many times this summer were you ever bored out of your mind, so you dreamed of food?

That was the case with senior Ashley Xie on a summer day, when she aimlessly googled “research on food for teens.” Little did she expect that, among only 149 others from all over the world, she would later be chosen to attend a threeday conference called the Global Youth Institute in Des Moines, Iowa.

From Oct. 15 to 18, Xie had the chance to collaborate with Nobel and World Food Prize Laureates like Dr. Philip Nelson and other international experts to discuss prevalent food security issues and agricultural issues around the world.

Photo courtesy of ASHLEY XIE

BRIGHT SMILES - Ashley Xie (center) poses with her group members during the Global Youth Institute Conference held at Iowa.

After finding out about the summer to submit her final essay Global Youth Institute, sponsored on Haiti. She received guidance

by The World Food Prize, Xie apfrom Joe Moran, an English teachplied to attend the conference. The er at DBHS, who mentored her by application consisted of writing a helping her “polish my paper and research paper on a specific coungive me advice on how to structure try’s problems regarding nutritionmy speech for my presentation.” al infrastructure. All submitted reXie decided to base her paper on search papers would be evaluated the malnutrition and obsolete agriby a committee of experts, and secultural methods rampant in Haiti, lected winners would receive invias well as other widespread issues, tations to attend the Global Youth such as the oppression of women.

Institute. Xie diligently worked all In addition, Xie proposed her own

resolution of constructing urban gardens to help alleviate malnutrition.

“Researching about [Haiti] made me learn more about what they go through, but in the future, I want to take part in solving the predominant issues with malnutrition,” Xie commented.

After being one of two students in California to be selected, Xie attended the conference, where she was able to meet people who shared the same interests, as well as work with many international experts and a few significant figures. For the first two days, Xie and her peers listened to speeches from these experts, including President of Iceland and Prime Minister of Nigeria who each gave a speech about problems about food security around the globe. The students were also able to interact with one another at the multiple dinner socials.

“I was inspired by President of Iceland for [his] current efforts [to promote] green energy and learned that solving problems that involve malnutrition and infrastructure are very complicated,” Xie said.

EDUCATION from pg 1

NEWSBITS

Teachers are also preparing students for the new free-response based testing. use these strategies, will be more prepared, or better prepared, for college when they’re not given so much direction on how to get the information,” she said.

The science department isn’t the only subject challenged by the new national education system.

The standards have also changed the mathematics curriculum; now, schools are instructed to include certain concepts such as Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2 material over the course of three years.

Because several schools, including DBHS, are far ahead of the delineated material, the Common Core system allows schools to determine how much of the curriculum they would like to follow.

The most difficult aspect of adopting the novel system would be the new standardized testing format, as most sections of the test will consist of free response questions.

To prepare his students for the upcoming challenge, math teacher Les Schaefer designated a portion of his class time on a regular basis to review Common Core standardized test questions. The math teacher explained further that he, along with other Trigonometry teachers, started reviewing to improve students’ STAR testing scores.

“I figured that I would take the plan we used last year and apply it

NEW YORK

KATLYN LEE

THE COMMON CHEM - Ms. Russo, a chemistry teacher, assigns to her students a Common Core based assignment to her IB Chemistry class. this year to the Common Core material,” Schaefer said.

Also beginning to prepare her students for the free-responsefocused standardized testing, English teacher Sonita Crane shared how a large portion of her assignments for her ninth grade class focuses on writing short paragraph answers rather than the usual story questions out of the textbook.

“The ninth graders are at a disadvantage because they only have

ELECTIONS from pg 1

The new E-board plans to create a more open and friendly environment at DBHS. speeches included Vice President Jackie Aluning and her sister Jil-

two years to prepare, whereas kids in elementary have longer time to prepare for the Common Core,” Crane said.

She also explained that for her Advanced Placement and Honors classes, the Common Core standards are already expected of her students, which gives students an easier transition. “It’s like what they call unchartered waters; we’re trying to figure out what exactly to do as we go,” she shared. lian Aluning covering “Don’t You Forget about Me” by Simple Minds and altering the lyrics to say “Don’t You Forget about Jackie.”

“My goal this year is to influence my peers and together create a movement that will make my term as IOC the best there is and will be,” Lee said via Facebook.

Diamond Bar elects leaders The City Council and WVUSD Board welcome new members on Nov. 11.

BY GABY DINH STAFF WRITER

During the month of October, the numerous campaign signs covering the peaceful suburbs of Diamond Bar was a clear indication that the elections were coming soon.

Three former city council members were up for re-election, Ron Everett, Ling-Ling Chang, and Steve Tye, facing challengers Joseph Kim, Nancy Lyons, and Martin Nakaishi.

Voters went to the polls on Nov.

During the conference, students participated in activities to better comprehend the situations third World countries have to endure, as opposed to the convenience of our everyday lives. For example, to demonstrate the injustice of different social classes, students were assigned at random to certain classes during the dinner on the third day. Students who were chosen for “high class” got a full course savory meal, while the “middle class” received an average meal. Those who were designated a “low class” received nothing but a handful of uncooked rice.

Other activities at the conference included touring a corn farm in Iowa, which displayed the exact process of food growth and distribution, and helping pack food aid packages for Tanzania.

On the last day, students presented their papers to a group of 10 students. Xie was able to work with Food Prize Laureate Nelson.

“The experience I gained from the program was surreal... it definitely helped me figure out that I want to do this in the future as a career,” she said.

5, resulting in council members Chang and Tye winning their reelection and Lyons becoming the newest addition to the city council.

According to the preliminary election data from the Los Angeles, Tye received the highest amount of votes with 24 percent. Chang finished with 22 percent and Lyons won 21 percent of the votes.

After winning the election, Lyons spoke about the goals she had when she was campaigning to be a member of the city council. They were to focus on filling vacant stores and bringing more restaurants to the city.

“I really love Diamond Bar. I have been here for over 30 years and I am really looking forward to serving the citizens,” Lyons said in an interview with Diamond Bar Patch. She currently serves on the Walnut Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees.

For councilman Tye, he looks forward to serving his third term.

“I am excited about the team we put together,” he commented.

Candidates for the Walnut Valley Unified School District Board were current board president Helen Hall, Board clerk Cindy Ruiz, Diamond Bar’s Planning Commission Chair Tony Torng, and Cal Poly Pomona professor Sean Monemi. The top three candidates with the most votes were admitted to the board.

After the elections, Hall received 28.08 percent of the votes, Ruiz earned 24.54, and Torng won the third seat with 24.43 percent.

Although the votes were announced, the election results won’t be completely official for another couple of weeks. The RegistrarRecorder is expected to certify the results on Nov. 25, and the Board of Supervisors results will be official the following day.

A wise man once said, “Never trust a duck.” In Saratoga Springs, New York, 50 ducks invaded a CVS drug store after leaving a nearby park, and made it through two sets of automated doors, while another couple dozen waited outside. An employee armed with a Swiffer attempted to guide them back through the doors, but another worker eventually coaxed the feathered friends out with a bag of popcorn.

WASHINGTON Who knew a man’s best friend could cause so much damage? In Washington, however, that was exactly what happened. While reaching for its treats, the dog was suspected of turning on the stove, which soon started a fire and wrecked through the apartment. Fortunately, the dog was saved and revived through mouth-to-snout resuscitation, and nobody was hurt during the incident.

However, the fire resulted with a whooping damage value of $10,000.

CANADA Canadian Vic Bryant recently spent $1500 on legal fees to void a $100 parking ticket. The point, he said, was not the money or the ticket, “but the fact that I was unable to exercise my right of defense.”

Bryant then requested the city to reimburse him for legal bills, but a judge stated that he didn’t have the grounds to file for such a demand.

WASHINGTON When in doubt, devour the evidence—literally. This is exactly what happened when an identity thief from Dallas reportedly ate stolen debit cards to conceal his guilt of tax fraud. According to the Dallas Morning News, the thief, Ogiesoba City Osula, was convicted of 16 charges for identity theft and involvement in an income fraud tax ring. Authorities say that Osula, while waiting for questioning, ate one of the debit cards. He was actually also arrested in 2011 when police discovered $300,000 in cash, money orders, and debit cards in his possession.

FLORIDA Cell phones are often used for communication, games, and browsing the internet, but now, they can even stop bullets. In Orlando, Florida, a clerk was saved by his cell phone when a robber tried to shoot him on Oct. 28.

The robber demanded access to a safe at Hess gas station in Winter Garden, Florida, which even the store clerks couldn’t open. As he left, he attempted to shoot one of the clerks with his revolver, but the bullet hit the worker’s HTC smartphone instead, saving the man’s life.

4 EDITORIAL

Eye of the Editors

THE BULL’S EYE

STUDENTS |What is your opinion on the fight that occurred between the Diamond Bar and Diamond Ranch football teams?

FOOTBALL FIGHT| The altercation was unfortunate for DB, but the Brahmas should have shown restraint.

The rivalry between the football teams of Diamond Ranch High School and Diamond Bar High School is one that has been going on for over a decade. The football game between the two is much anticipated and always dramatic.

Tensions started right at the beginning of the football game, when DR refused to do its run-through first, a custom expected of the visiting team; it was natural that our feelings of frustration were steadily pulled tauter as the game progressed—such is expected of high-profile football games.

A combination of factors started the brawl: an ingrained sense of enmity, a confusing start to the game, bad conduct on the field from both teams, the nature of football as a contact sport, and also sheer, circumstantial bad luck.

The first shove obviously came from the DR Panthers, directed to one of our players, but shoves are common in football and we were the ones who threw the first punch. The CIF Southern Section seemed to use the two events to negate each other, ignoring them and making its calls based on the events that happened after. The agreement was that suspensions would be handed out to those who left the sideline. Unfortunately for us, however, the dispute occurred on our sideline We were not the instigators of the fight and yet we received the heavier consequence, simply because the tackle occurred on the home side.

Brawls and raging testosterone levels do not go well together, and adding that to the already volatile atmosphere in close proximity to our team, it becomes easy to see how and why what happened happened.

It is entirely possible that the same could have ensued on the Panther’s side of the field, resulting in the suspension of more of their players instead of ours and enabling us to continue on in the league.

However, it should be noted that we need to make sure that we are able to maintain our reputation of excellence.

It would be detrimental to make such brawls a tradition; a sense of restraint should be established so that we do not develop a reputation that belongs in a fight club—DB, after all, is known for its mature and level-headed approach to things.

Sadly and strangely, though, the fact is that people go to football games to experience the conflict: to take pleasure in our opponents’ unhappiness when we score a touchdown, jeer at them when they commit fouls, and cheer our own team on during big hits.

It may be a bit much to ask for pure sportsmanship in such a sport, but something similar could be developed. A mindset that scorns provocations could take us a long way. Let’s put ourselves above those who put down others.

Eye of the Editors is an editorial piece of The Bull’s Eye. Statements and opinions expressed in the article herein are strictly those of the editors of The Bull’s Eye. The view of the editors does not necessarily reflect that of the entire staff.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

“We could have started the fight or they could have but it did tarnish our school’s reputation.”

Letter to the Editor —Landen Wang (10)

“Fighting is just bad in general and it’s not like we are adults so fighting, especially on school campus, is pretty bad.”

—Sejin Im (9)

“I thought the fight made both schools seem unprofessional...but it was laughable because [the fight] occurred during an important game. I find all fight funny, really.”

—John Kim (11)

“The football fight was bad in general and I heard it might have ruined our school’s chance of going to championships.”

—Betty Kim(10)

Bull’s Eye Editors: Please know that the disturbance at the end of the Diamond Bar versus Diamond Ranch football game was set in place well before the game started.

When the football coach and staff of Diamond Ranch did not have their team do their runthrough first, the coach set the tone for the game; in essence telling his players that they did not have to be good sports or display positive sportsmanship. He gave them the message that they were beyond the rules of the spirit of the game.

From high school to college to professional football, the visiting team does their run-through first before the home team. It is customary. It is good sportsmanship. It is displaying upright citizenship. By following this tradition, it shows young men that they need to go beyond the written rules and regulations of a game and do what is right. Sadly, the Diamond Ranch coach and his staff did a disservice to the young men on his team by allowing them to “wait out” Diamond Bar until Diamond Bar was forced to do their run-through first, thus telling them they are outside the bounds of good behavior and sportsmanship. This was not the first time Diamond Ranch pulled such a low-level stunt.

You see, this is no small incident because when the visiting team comes out first it enables the home team to get the last cheers from its fans before the game begins. Believe me, I am not a “homer” as I was the newspaper advisor for 12 years and at times at odds with the

football program. If Coach Maine allowed such a poor example to be set for our players I would be the first to be offended, yet thankfully he does not.

I am not a coach or connected with the football team other than to lead them onto the field with my motorcycle. So I waited and waited until our Athletic Director, Kurt Davies, signaled me to go ahead.

Our AD was essentially forced to go first because he was worried about delaying the game any longer or possibly being penalized by the referees.

Are not football coaches and staff responsible for teaching young men the spirit of sports and to do what is right beyond the rules? Is not good citizenship going beyond obeying laws and regulations and doing what is right in the spirit of being a positive force in society?

After the goading atmosphere was set by the coaches of Diamond Ranch, it trickled down to their players that it was okay to perform late hits that were just “early” enough for the referees not to call a penalty but players, coaches, and fans knew that these hits could have been avoided. In essence, they also let their players know that is was fine to “trash talk” beyond the boundaries of a high school football game.

I am not defending the actions of our players but it should be known how the coaches of Diamond Ranch created an environment of goading and poor sportsmanship and their players responded in kind.

Daniel Roubian, English Instructer

B L A Z I N G T R A I L S O F S AT I R E

BY CLAIRE HUANG A&E EDITOR

T

hanksgiving Day. The time of year when the family gathers together to share their appreciation and dive into a mouth-watering meal.

If you look around the house, you will get nothing short of a heart-warming holiday that would be perfect for the cover of a Hallmark card. Mother is stuffing the turkey, Grandma is baking the pumpkin pie, and little Jimmy is preparing his overnight bag for the Black Friday sale at Best Buy. After all, nothing embodies Thanksgiving better than going out and replacing the junk you already have at home with newer, more extravagant items to be more thankful for. Getting those 50 extra dollars off that iPad was surely what President Abraham Lincoln intended for the nation when he declared the official date of the holiday.

Did you hear that? Oh Jimmy, Mother wants your help setting the table for Grandpa and Grandma. But never mind that, there’s no time to waste! While you’re busy setting a fork and knife down for Grandpa, someone else might be getting their grubby hands on YOUR laptop that you’ve been eye-

ing. And off Jimmy goes, out the door to Best Buy to get his place in line and snatch up those doorbuster deals.

As the family sits down and gets ready to give thanks, daughter Sally jumps out of her seat to pick up her ringing iPhone 5. Her friends are here to pick her up for the Macy’s sale that now begins on Thanksgiving Day! Sorry Mom and Dad, but this is the most important day of the year. Think of how many new pairs of shoes Sally can get a day before Black Friday even begins.

And Macy’s is even showing its consideration for the national holiday and the anticipated turkey dinner because by deciding to open at 8 p.m. after “families across the country have finished their holiday meals and celebration.”

Besides, the traditionally celebrated holiday is worth cutting short for those coveted Steve Madden boots

being marked down 10 percent.

Thoughtful Sally will even remember to show her appreciation for family during Black Friday shopping. While she’s sprinting across the clothing section and knocking other girls down to get to Justin Bieber’s perfume display, she will be sure to grab a keychain for Mom and Dad on the way out of the store.

The family has two fewer mouths to feed, but that’s okay! Today is all about appreciation, and thanks to Black Friday, the eager children

will have more gadgets and clothes to be grateful for. And at school, when Sally beams with excitement in her designer shoes and the other children are green with envy, she will be sure to be thankful for her fabulous shopping spree and her parents’ wallets.

Have fun children; this is the event of your lives! Spend as you please, make the most of it, and stay out as long as you want—I’m sure Mother and Father won’t be worried at all.

CARTOON BY EMILY WONG

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

EDITORIAL

THE BULL’S EYE

5

Crossing the Line The transgender law which will go into effect next January is a violation of privacy.

BY HANNA KANG ASST. EDITORIAL EDITOR

S

chools all over California are in for a real shocker. In early August, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1266 into law, which will allow transgender students access to any sex-segregated facilities or organizations. The law goes into effect Jan. 1, and will affect some 6.2 million students from kindergarten to 12th grade. Starting next year, surprised boys and girls might flinch at the sight of the opposite gender standing in line to use the same restroom.

Although I believe the state passed the bill with the good intent of attempting to put a stop to the segregation of transgender students, this law will not benefit them nor anyone else. Out of concern for a minority group that constitutes less than two percent of the population, the state has chosen to trample on the rights of the remaining 98. Essentially, the law is an invasion of privacy for all.

AB 1266 clearly states that it will allow transgender students access to any gender divided facilities or organizations. This includes athletic teams, restrooms, locker rooms, and even showers. Supporters of this law argue that the common fear of allowing separate genders to change in the same area is absurd.

If schools allow females and males to change in the same locker room, students will be under constant jeopardy—especially girls. There is a high possibility that one might fake a transgender identity and enter facilities exclusive for the opposite gender just for a sneak peek, although students would have to go through a tedious process to do so.

Supporters contend that Los

Angeles and San Francisco schools have had transgender policies for ages and have not experienced any major problems. However, a major problem has already occurred.

Horrified at the prospect of having their children in sex-affiliated facilities with the opposite sex, many parents have pulled their kids out of school and enrolled them in homeschool. This is likely to negatively impact school funding.

In every angle you scrutinize AB 1266, I can only foresee disaster. The California-spearheaded law claims that it is a step against discrimination. Yet, by signing the bill, Brown forced a ridiculous mandate into the throats of the majority to accommodate to the needs of a minority. Simply put, AB 1266 invades the comfort zone of millions of Californians, parents and students alike, for a mere handful of their sexually disorganized pupils. I can only hope that the petition against this horrifying law pulls through.

And to my dear politicians, before you consider passing a law, should you not consider what you may be inflicting on the people you claim to support? The fact that this law was passed proves that even supporters of transgender students are unconsciously discriminating against them. How ironic.

Transgender students do not need special attention. I believe that they see themselves as any other kid on the block. Assuming that transgender students require such radical change of traditional social structure in order to be comfortable is unreasonable.

AB 1266 should have never been passed. I strongly advise that we Californians buckle our seatbelts tight as we anticipate the chaos, endless dispute, sexual offense and harassment this law may bring upon us.

Facebook Failure The popular SNS changed its privacy policy to appeal to the dwindling teenage demographic.

BY GLORIA KIM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I

n response to a steadily waning teenage demographic on Facebook, the popular social networking site has changed its privacy policy last month in hopes of bringing back the slowly diminishing crowd. The new modifications have made user information less private, assuming from teenagers’ obsession over other SNS like Instagram and Pinterest that teens want less privacy and wider publicity.

Unfortunately, Facebook’s efforts to revive its appeal to younger audiences like myself will not likely be met with success, as we have been turned off by factors that are more than just limited privacy settings.

In mid-October, Facebook introduced two major changes: first, it has made all users’ newsfeed searchable; and second, it has allowed people under the age of 18 to share photos and updates to all Facebook users, beyond just “friends” or “friends of friends.”

The prior, more restrictive setting was to protect minors from strangers, but as the site began losing coveted teenage users and thus declined in business from advertisers, it opted to eliminating any such regulations to regain its popularity among youngsters.

Facebook is still the dominant leader in the SNS world with its whopping 50 million active users per day, but the sign of diminishing teenage users, a highly desired demographic, has them worrying.

So why has the popular site suddenly lost appeal from the younger crowd? The answer would undoubtedly have to be the invasion of adult users. With parents and relatives able to see status updates, it has become anything but comfortable to post whatever we feel. When a funny picture meant to be seen by friends start to receive “likes” from mom and her friends, the site can no longer be an unrestricted forum, free to banter with friends, rather another place under the constant scrutiny of adults. It isn’t necessarily that teenagers want to hide everything from the parent generation, but surely, the “act/speak as if your grandmother were in front of you” rule shouldn’t have to apply even online when we simply want to have fun.

In addition, most teens use SNS on mobile apps, and Facebook’s features, compared to Instagram or Snapchat, can often be considered cumbersome.

On the other hand, clearly, if restrictions of privacy settings had been a great issue, teenagers could have easily slid past that policy lying about their age to say they were over 18.

Facebook’s new, unrestrictive policy is hardly novel in today’s world, however, as other popular SNS such as Twitter, have little to no privacy settings. The new Facebook changes only further indicate the obvious and inevitable trend of a steady corrosion of privacy online. As we slowly move into a society in which confidentiality has lost its value, our generation must not forget how potentially dangerous it is to freely divulge personal information.

INFOGRAPHIC BY HANNA KANG

6 FEATURE

THE BULL’S EYE

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

RELIEVE YOUR TASTE BUDS AT THE MAGIC RESTROOM CAFE

by Emily Wong, Asst. A&E Editior

If the thought of eating on and from toilets repulses you, then you are part of the majority. However, my eccentric self could not help but feel attracted to the newly opened Magic Restroom Café in City of Industry that replaces both chairs and dishes for miniature toilets. After going to the café, however, I concluded that it was simply another Taiwanese restaurant with typical Taiwanese food, just served on toilet-shaped platters.

AMBIANCE

APPETIZER

When we walked in, my family and I were confused—there was no host table or employee at the front of the restaurant to welcome us. We later realized patrons must write their name and the number of people in their group on a yellow notepad laid on a ledge at the far corner of the entrance.

We didn’t even notice it until we had to ask the unfriendly waiter to mark us down for our table.

Since the café had just recently opened, I was dreading a huge crowd of people and a long wait. Luckily, my family and I came after rush hour. Although this did decrease the waiting period, we still had to wait 10 to 15 minutes.

The décor of the restaurant is somewhat vibrant with color-blocked walls of blue and orange. The waiting area has little toilets for people to sit on with plungers next to each one that children can play around with. One wall also has urinals stuck on them with menus placed in each one, giving away the bizarre theme to any interested passersby. The chairs are authentic toilets that you can open (although I wouldn’t recommend it since it would be very uncomfortable to sit on) and one wall is aligned with tiles and shower heads. I must admit that these strange furnishings definitely uphold the restaurant’s even stranger theme.

DESSERT

ENTREE I wanted to deviate from the standard TaiwaneseAsian dishes (ground pork rice, fried rice, etc.) so I decided to pick a dish that stood out: the Mango Fish Katsu. Mango…with fish? No matter how strange it sounded, I had to try it, and I’m so glad I did because this was by far the softest fish I have ever tasted in my entire life.

Though the dish was $10, the platter came with a generous amount of the typical panko-covered fried fish with mango-flavored dipping sauce on the side. When I took a bite of the fish dipped in the yellow sauce, I could hear the crunch of the crispy coating and my palate was immediately hit by a mango taste that gave the fish an extra oomph.

The fish was a star on its own because it was so soft and flaky that it almost seemed to melt in my mouth. The Mango Fish Katsu was by far the best dish of the night.

THE

Joy OF LIVING

Lifestyle column

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, cranberries are sure to be in sight. From cranberries in the supermarket to served with the meal on your dinner table, what better way to make use of the beneficial aspects of cranberries when they’re easily available to you!

The Benefits of

Cranberries - Exfoliates clogged pores, removes dead skin cells, and prevents sebum formation (combats oily skin!)

- Strengthens bones and teeth - Aids in weight loss as cranberries have high fiber content - Filled with antiseptic properties that help treat acne and blotches of discoloration on the skin.

- Promotes faster hair growth

Brightening Facial Materials: cranberry juice, orange peels (save them after you eat your oranges), and honey 1. Compound or grind 2 orange peels into fine powder (a few chunks or pieces are a-ok!)

2. Mix the orange peel powder with 3 teaspoons of cranberry juice 3. Add 1 teaspoon of honey to the mixture and mix, mix, mix! (get to a thick, paste-y consistency) 4. Apply it all over the face and leave it on for 20 minutes.

5. Wash off the facial mask with lukewarm water

Mixed berry smoothie Materials: 8 ounces of cranberry juice, ½ cup of frozen raspberries, 1 cup of cut strawberries, ½ cup of crushed ice. (makes 2 servings) 1. Blend all the ingredients together and drink up!

Though my adventurous taste buds wanted to delve into the Stinky Tofu on the “Appetizers” section in the menu, I had to resist since I already had to control my gag reflex from eating out of the toilet-shaped dishes—I didn’t want to have to hold it down for the smell, too.

Instead, we opted to stay safe with the $5 Fried Tofu, which was served with a sweet chili sauce. I really enjoyed this appetizer since the outside was crunchy and flavorful even without the sauce—each one was dusted with a nice salt and pepper coating. The chili sauce added a nice flavor that paired well with the smooth texture of the bean curd.

The image of the Marshmallow Brick Toast on the menu drew me the instant I laid my eyes on it. The $6 dessert looked like the typical Asian inch-thick toast usually topped with some confectionery condiment and fruit.

The Marshmallow Brick Toast, however, had tiny puffs of what looked like browned pillows (they were actually torched marshmallows) drizzled with chocolate and caramel and sprinkled with almonds. When I cut through the thick bread, the marshmallow oozed like a s’more. The dessert was an explosion of sweet goodness in my mouth, but it was quite rich so I downed a lot of water and ended up splitting it with my sister.

Interestingly enough, this dish was the only one that was not served on a toilet plate.

Nevertheless, it was a delectable way to end my meal.

TIPS FOR YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT ADVICE TO CONSIDER BEFORE TURNING IN YOUR COLLEGE APPS

BY ANGIE ZHANG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

There are 17 days left before the UC application deadline—just enough time to reread and revise your personal statement. Such is my current predicament, and without a college counselor to draw advice from, I went in search of an ideal book I could consult with.

What I found was “100 Successful College Application Essays,” compiled and edited by members of the staff of the Harvard Independent, which was referred to me by a friend. Firstly, former Dean of Admission of Princeton University Fred A. Hargadon shares, “write your essays…for yourselves, or for a favorite avuncular relative, or roommate…consider simply telling a story…and invest some time in reading some good writing.”

In almost all of the essays I’ve read in the book, I have almost always seen some kind of revelation or character-revealing aspect at the end of them. It’s a conclusion that shows that the writer have learned something from the experience he or she has written about. Nothing big or life changing, but something thoughtful and interesting that makes me feel as if I had just really gotten to know the person behind the words.

One comment reads, “When given a choice, write about that which is known or familiar. This is written about a childhood experience that obviously left a deep impres-

sion on the writer.”

Since the best way of learning how to write is to read, here’s an example: “Finally, much beauty arises from ‘imperfect vision.’ It has been speculated that Vincent van Gogh’s fondness of yellow was due to a physical condition that caused the world to look yellow to him. Everyone sees differently.

Who is to say what is perfect and what is imperfect?…In the final

analysis, ‘seeing’ is a mental rather than physical act. To see through another’s eyes is to truly get into his mind.”

In general, the professional admissions officers and counselors seem to dislike it when essays seem “self-conscious” or use generalities. One such comment includes the words “cliché-ridden” and an-

other warns us from “using godawful expressions such as ‘meaningful experience’ and ‘from this…I learned’” to attempt to “sanctify the trivial.” All I can suggest is that if it sounds like something you would find in a leadership pamphlet, inspirational slideshow, chic-flick, or rom-com, scrap it.

Yet another comment states, “It bothers me that the only expression expressed is anger.” I personally believe that this could be applied to any emotion, so if your essay sounds like a rant or sobstory, inject some other feelings into it.

Language also plays a large part in the reception of essays, as many of the commenters often look favorably on those with “impressive” word usage. However, on the other hand, there were also some essays that received criticism for improper usage. Try to get your essay checked by your English teacher or a friend knowledgeable in grammar. Sometimes, the smallest things can be detrimental to your essay—things like “quietly whispering” (how else can you whisper?) and referring to a woman as a “waiter” (she’s a waitress!)

Then again, all these comments are subjective ones—there’s no real rubric for assessing a personal statement. What sounds tacky to one person may not to another, so if you feel as if your essay is perfect but contradicts all points mentioned here, there’s no need to change anything. Except the last point; never refer to a team as “they” (its!) and an individual as “them” (he or she!).

FEATURE

THE BULL’S EYE

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Black Friday

Deals and Steals

by Michelle Ki

Best Buy is a favorite for many on this seasonal occasion. One of their best deals this year is for their 15” ASUS Touchscreen Laptop. The ASUS laptop will be sold for $249, the lowest price that Best Buy has ever sold for a touchscreen laptop. If you’re looking to invest in a new TV, try the 39” Insignia HDTV, for less than half of its original price.

Or, if you are searching for something on the higher end of the spectrum, take a look at the 55” LG HDTV, which is being sold for an eye-popping price of just $499. Don’t miss out on your chance to spend the post-Thanksgiving era buying a new TV.

TARGET

Target has now revealed that its stores will start the kick-off of Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving night. Dedicated online shoppers now have an option of in-store pickup on Target’s online website. Numerous amounts of items ordered online can be picked up from the shopper’s nearest Target location. Shoppers can anticipate as much as 30-50 percent off select items. Some noteworthy deals include Beats headphones for $119 (retail $179), a Cannon 3 DSLR bundle will run for $499.99, or the Samsung 40” HDTV for $397.99 (retail $499.99). Maybe you want to treat yourself with a bit of an educational gift? Why not buy the NOOK HD Smoke 8GB for $129?

Macy’s will open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving night and will include a $10 off a $25 purchase coupon in its upcoming ads. This coupon can be used on “all sale and clearance apparel and selected home items.”

Brand names like Coach, Juicy Couture, and Michael Kors will also be included in this year’s deals. School can be extremely stressful at times, so relax with the Homedics MCS-370H Cushion Massager w/ Dual Shiatsu. This relaxing device is going to be sold for $99.99, marked down 50 percent from its original price of $199.99.

Next up is Sam’s Club—technology! If a member of the popular warehouse, you can benefit on deals on a variety of items from Oct. 30 through Nov. 27 including more than $4,100 in savings. Some of the highlight items include the $100 off HP Envy 15.6” notebook, and a $100 off Hisense 55” D-LED TV. For all those papers that us students have to print, Black Friday is the perfect time to purchase a new printer. The HP OfficeJet 6700 Premium e-All-in-One Printer is being sold for only $119.87 on this special day.

7

No One Likes Leftover Turkey

BY EMILY LEUNG ASST. FEATURE EDITOR

When Thanksgiving rolls around, everyone thinks about the settlers, the Native Americans, and the turkey, but don’t forget family.

Enjoying the presence of family and being thankful for them is one of the best parts of this national holiday. One teacher in particular, Michelle Hansen, has the company of her family, and one extra addition to this year’s annual Thanksgiving feast.

Michelle Hansen, a Calculus teacher here at DBHS, for the most part, celebrates Thanksgiving like any typical American. She shops the weekend before for all the necessary ingredients for the big day and makes some dishes the night be-

fore. Cooking is a family event that consists of her husband making the turkey and two of her daughters helping out with the pumpkin pies. A full meal of turkey (even though her children hate it) homemade cranberry sauce, cream corn, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet po-

tatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, pumpkin pie, anything you can you think of, they make it. However, for the Hansens, they just don’t feel complete without extending out

Overheard in DB “My talents: speed texting, procrastinating, sarcasm, and eating.”

“The best part about being a procrastinator is that you always have something to do tomorrow.”

“I never choose a book without Sparknotes.”

this lovely feast to those who may not have any one to share the festivities of this time of year with.

Whether it’s family or friends, the Hansens always “open [their] house up to anyone who doesn’t have a place to go.” Thanksgiving, Christmas, you name it. The Hansens have a family friend who doesn’t really have a place to go during the holidays, so they have always welcomed her with open arms to their house so she can feel like a part of the family.

No one should have to sit in a room by themselves during the happiest days of the year.

Extending that warm welcome can really make all the difference.

Whether it’s visiting senior citizens at the nursing home or inviting a lonely neighbor for a holiday meal, utilize this time to show genuine kindness and hospitality.

Every month, we will bring you some of the most ridiculous, hilarious, flatout idiotic, and sometimes insightful things we hear around campus. So beware—we’ll be listening.

“If there’s a watermelon, why isn’t there airmelon, earthmelon, or firemelon? They’d all be called elemelons.

“I tried to catch some fog the other day, I mist.”

“You could give me 45 years to do homework, and I still wouldn’t do it until the night before.”

“My career plan is so bright: I can’t even see it.”

“You must be a banana because I find you appealing.”

America’s New Gloria-fied Citizen

BY GLORIA KIM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

On October 24, 2013, I officially became a citizen of the United States of America. I am certain most native-born Americans don’t think twice about their legal status, but after going through the naturalization process, I have to confess it is quite a grand feeling to belong to the greatest country in the world.

On a rather grey and chilly Thursday morning, I arrived at 7:45 a.m. at the Los Angeles Convention Center, an eminent structure with walls of green glass located in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles.

Because I had only recently turned 18 and the rest of my family had already been naturalized earlier in the year, I was to go through the Naturalization Oath Ceremony on my own.

Uncertain of what exactly I was supposed to be doing, I simply followed the crowd up a flight of stairs and took my place in line behind hundreds of people of various ethnicities to submit my documents.

Then, I received a small American flag and a large envelope filled with brochures detailing how to vote and other citizen-related material.

Among all the adults and the gravi-

Photo courtesy of blogs.cfr.org

PAMPHLET OF PRIDE - One of the many documents given to all new citizens. ty of the procession, I found myself feeling more mature than usual.

Throughout the process, vigorous patriotic music resonated throughout the large hall, and I felt like I was at the largest Fourth of July celebration.

Once everyone had filed into the hall, the U.S. District Court’s official swearing of oath was finally in session; those present were asked not to take any pictures, remove our hats (unless it was a religious headwear), and to turn off all cell phones. Led by Judge Patrick Walsh, we repeated the oath verbatim. After uttering the final word of the oath, Judge Walsh proudly pronounced, “Congratulations, you are now American citizens!” and the auditorium exploded with the celebratory cheers, whistles and screams of a thousand newly minted American citizens burst.

I found myself joining everyone in the permeating surge of excitement by also waving my small flag in the air. I was now an American citizen!

As the presiding judge shared his personal story of his grandparents’ immigration from Ireland– their immense struggle, yet infinite happiness adjusting to America, I joined the others in the crowd who were probably recollecting stories of joys and trials that followed their own immigration.

Memorable scenes throughout the eleven years since my emigration from South Korea rapidly passed before my eyes in a long, familiar filmstrip.

The ceremony closed with a clip of President Barack Obama personally congratulating the new citizens, challenging us not to remain idle, but to take active part in our civil duties and in making America great. A music video of Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” was played, and I felt my heart melt as I was flooded with memories of a childhood growing up in the foreign, yet all-too-familiar America.

I had heard this song every year in elementary school, and recalled, even at such a young age, feeling strangely patriotic for a country I wasn’t even legally recognized as being a part of. I still remember loved the sensation of being a part of this marvelous nation and

EMILY LEUNG

A NEW CHAPTER - Senior Gloria Kim begins a new period of her life as an American citizen. wholeheartedly professing, “I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free.”

Interestingly enough, after all that, nothing too significant happened. We waited some more in our seats, submitted our voting applications, and exited the building.

On the other side, Republican and Democratic Party members asked new voters to join their respective parties, and various stands took photos or sold $10 frames for our Naturalization certificates. I found my mom, took several pictures on my phone, got in the car and headed home.

In the weeks that followed, I began to see in myself a stark shift in mindset and attitude. What I had considered a privilege in this country was now—every bit—my right.

I began to realize that my newfound ideals are shared more by other immigrants who have gone through the entire naturalization process, than by those who were born American citizens. There is something to be said about receiving something you did not once have before, something others around the world envy. Being an American citizen means more than just having the rights written in our Constitution–those rights which are taken for granted every day by our citizens.

With rights come responsibilities. As a legal American citizen, I cannot wait to take part in shaping its history, alongside our courageous forefathers who fought to make this land the proud and free nation it is today.

8 FEATURE THEME

1990

THE BULL’S EYE

DBHS: 15 WHS: 13

TOTAL

9

DESIGNED BY EMILY HWANG & HANNA YI

DBHS: 60 WHS: 28

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

THE BULL’S EYE

Theater Review

Drama Impresses in Fall Play

BY HANNA KANG ASST. EDITORIAL EDITOR

An over domineering, cranky old man rolling around in a wheelchair, a sassy and fashionable actress, a rowdy young fellow and many more characters made for an amazing night of side-splitting laughter. The Diamond Bar High School play succeeded to change my merely appreciative view of high school productions to a highly admirable one.

I knew I was up for a surprise the instant I walked into the theatre.

There was not as much people as I had expected, which is always a good thing, and pleasant music was playing in the background. The opening scene, I must admit, was a tad bit drawn-out, but after the entrance of Sheridan Whiteside, played by junior Matthew Aquino, the production had my full and undivided attention.

Before the big night, a friend had informed me that Aquino was a very fine actor, but I did not expect such a magnitude of talent. His English accent is near perfect and his facial expressions are priceless.

From yelling at Miss Preen, played by senior Diana Power to flattering Sarah, played by junior Sara Phillips, Aquino is in full command of the stage.

“The Man Who Came to Dinner” is a comical performance revolving around the notorious radio per-

HANNA KANG

LONG-AWAITED REUNION - Sheridan Whiteside (Aquino) confides in his dear friend Banjo (Wilson). sonality Sheridan Whiteside. After slipping on a piece of ice in front of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley’s home, Whiteside is forced to stay at the house until fully recuperated. However, instead of expressing gratitude toward his gracious hosts, Whiteside essentially confines the couple to their bedroom and domineers over the household. What ensues is a knee-slapping mélange of scenes all led by Aquino himself.

The production has the just right blend of comical and emotional components, although the

former complements the bulk of the plot. Senior Emily Chang, who impersonates the chic actress Lorraine Sheldon, gives a marvelous, and I must add, simply hilarious performance. The rest of the audience must have agreed with me, for I heard many people bursting out with laughter at the shrill, feminine voice that characterizes her dialogues and phone calls. Senior Brandon Wilson, who portrays Whiteside’s friend Banjo and makes his first entrance a while after Chang, delivers an equally com-

mendable performance. Wilson’s carefree and flirty attitude toward everything plays a huge role in the comical factor of the play.

The appearance of senior Rachel McCown, who plays Whiteside’s spinster assistant Maggie Cutler, is when the emotional factor of the play kicks in. A seasoned veteran in drama, McCown captures all the appropriate feelings of the rather cheerless assistant who longs for some liberty from her overbearing employer. Her honest and severe outburst at Whiteside near the clo-

sure of the play is, I think, one of the best dialogues ever delivered throughout the course of the play.

Everything is done impeccably, from the slight trembling of her voice to the explosion of her pentup anger as she stalks offstage.

Apart from the acting, what really caught my eye was the set and the scenery. The set is one of the best I have seen so far at DBHS. The Christmas scenery is especially beautiful. Complete with a glowing orange fireplace and a sparkling Christmas tree, and at one point the soft singing of “Silent Night” by five lovely choir girls, the scenery had me wishing for the tinsel-filled holiday.

From the first-time freshman to the seasoned seniors, everyone truly deserves the thunderous applause that was presented to them during the curtain call. Of course, there were some obvious and some ambiguous mistakes made—it is a high school production after all— but those very mistakes enable the production to shine brighter, reason being that everyone is so well prepared. Inarticulate lines are repeated for what seems like intended emphasis and props out of order are skillfully kicked into place.

All in all, “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” which continues on Friday and Saturday, is a huge success. Never have I thought that I would come to love and appreciate a DBHS production to this extent.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Stanley, it was an honor to be a special guest at your place tonight.

Junior’s Dreams Turn Into Reality

BY VRINDA CHAUHAN STAFF WRITER

‘Ender’s Game’ creates a captivating realm of alien life with its riveting plot.

When I first heard about save the human race.

I felt that I was only watching his “Ender’s Game,” I assumed it One of my favorite aspects of vibrant blue eyes throughout the would be your average geeky, scithis film was its lack of emphasis movie, because everything else fi movie. From the looks of the on romance. Unlike most teen sciabout his performance failed to trailer and the summary, my exfi movies, the plot merely grazes catch my attention. pectations fell somewhere between the subject of romance and instead On the other hand, the effects in the ludicrous “Tron: Legacy” and focuses on character development. the movie seemed impressive. I’m Scott Derrickson’s attempt at a It was refreshing to see excitement no expert on CGI, but even I could remake of “The Day the Earth spur from something other than tell that the effects in this movie Stood Still.” However, were—what’s I was surprised to the word? Refind the movie just a alistic? Lavish? few notches below “XNo, wait, luxuMen: First Class.” rious. From the The plot, I found, zooming spacewas more complex ships to the inand intriguing than I sect-like aliens, expected. The movie everything was is set in the future, finely detailed during a war between to perfection. It Earthlings and a hoswas definitely tile alien race called a fascinating the Formics. The digsight to see all nified Colonel Hyrum the aliens come Graff (Harrison Ford) to life. and the International My main Military are training problem with the finest children the movie, howPhoto courtesy of MovieHDwallpapers.com ever, was that in search of a hero to lead the military MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICE - Ender (Butterfield) is being punished by it didn’t make to victory in the next Graff (Ford) for challenging the status quo. me sit on the battle. Ender Wiggin edge of my seat.

(Asa Butterfield), a shy, but stratelove. The only romantic aspect Since all battles and fights were set gic genius is pulled out of school to of the movie was the undeniable in the same place, nothing thrilling join the elite Battle School. Ender’s (and adorable!) chemistry between or new really seems to happen. Evability to quickly master advanced Ender and Petra (Hailee Steinfeld), erything seems redundant after a war games distinguishes him. Colwho smiles at Ender for a second while, even at its climax. onel Graff designates Ender as the too long.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the movmilitary’s next hero, resulting in Butterfield’s acting skills are not ie, despite its satisfactory actors. his promotion to Command School. up to par in this film. His expresIt wasn’t exceptional, but much, There, he is trained to lead his felsions seem bland and his lips never much better than I had anticipated. low soldiers into a battle that will curve into a smile, even when the I’m sure it will be enjoyable to anydetermine the future of Earth and character was meant to be joyful. one who had read the book.

BY EMILY WONG ASST. A&E EDITOR

With his first novel under his belt, junior Norbert Tsi is certainly a precocious high schooler.

Printed in the beginning of summer this year in Taiwan, “On the Aaria” is Tsi’s first novel and was shipped from Taiwan and distributed here on the first of September.

The plot, which includes plenty of twists, focuses on a group of comrades traveling the fantasy world of Aaria while performing valiant miracles and upholding justice.

Tsi had several sources of inspiration that led to the creation of his book. Inspired by a comic he wrote in the fourth grade with his friend Thomas Lee, to whom he dedicates this book, Tsi compiled “On the Aaria” based on the comic along with other life occurrences and dreams.

Although he has distributed approximately 120 copies already, the project did not go without a hitch.

Finding a publisher was rather difficult, and time and motivation were major obstacles that he had to overcome.

“Most of [the printers] don’t even look at emails or messages from anyone without an agent but my uncle is friends with this guy who owns a printing shop in Taiwan,” Tsi explained.

President of DBHS’s Chamber Choir, Tsi found that this project also tested his determination and patience since the process took seven and a half years. However, desiring to improve the way people think through story-telling, Tsi became extremely motivated to finish his work this past summer.

“I would write 30-50 pages a night. I’d get home, I’d write. I’d do my homework, and I’d write again

EMILY WONG

YOUNG AUTHOR - Tsi holding his novel, “On the Aaria”. until 3 to 5 in the morning,” Tsi stated about the last few months of writing.

Though friends and family were supportive of the project, Tsi’s parents were initially ambivalent.

However, after receiving the final product in their hands, they admired his hard work. Even his friends who had frequently seen the posted updates on Facebook, were shocked to learn that he had actually produced a novel.

The fledgling writer aspires to write more books. In fact, he is currently in the process of writing another one.

“The interest does not lie in writing, more so in telling the story. In the future, I would like to dream for a living, as Steven Spielberg says. I wouldn’t mind if I write, I wouldn’t mind if I direct, I wouldn’t mind if I draw, just conveying the story to the audience,” the amateur author explained.

Tsi has yet to find a publisher in the United States, but those interested in obtaining “On the Aaria” can contact him through Facebook and e-mail.

“I would love to be an author or [have] any job that tells a story. If that would happen, it would be a dream come true.”

And he is certainly on the right path.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE BULL’S EYE

11

Singing Me to Sleep

BY CLAIRE HUANG A&E EDITOR

I am a bit of an Instagram addict. I can’t explain why, but I feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction when I double tap a picture and see that little heart pop up on the screen. To get away from the usual “selfies” on my homepage, I always resort to these three Instagrammers, who have quickly become favorites because of their evident passions and unique perspective. @humansofny has become my number one go-to account.

Unlike the normal “outfit of the day” or food posts, this account observes the diversity and eccentric personalities of various people in bustling New York City. The owner of this Instagram is Brandon Stanton, who approaches random people to interview and photograph them. The posts range from silly to thought provoking and every time I glance at my phone, I can be sure to be greeted with a new, fascinating story. HONY is one of the reason that I enjoy Instagram—the people photographed are just so real.

My favorite ones are the simplest, such as a man with crutches who admits that he broke a bone because he just randomly fell on the sidewalk. Or a man with a bright orange shirt and tie with the caption, “You’re either a good person or a bad person. It doesn’t matter what color or religion you are. You’re good. Or you’re bad.”

There is no limit to the range of

#InstapicksOfTheMonth #IOTM cue.com, which features pet owners and their adopted animals. I don’t know about you, but a picture of a dog in a child-sized pedal car will always make me smile.

And yes, the countless food posts of cupcakes and pizza on Instagram that I drool over always make me feel guilty.

However, my favorite solution is to turn to a health guru’s pictures and (sometimes) be inspired to exercise and eat healthy. @myhealthydish_ is the account of well-known health and fitness Instagrammer My Nguyen, who has almost 800,000 followers. After scrolling through her pictures, eating healthier does seem easier with her simple recipes and photos of delicious snacks. The best part is that Nguyen does not forget to remind her followers that she’s human too. She gives in to Nutella and late-night snack cravings, which is perfectly fine, but also makes sure to get back on track with healthy eating.

Now, don’t be mistaken.

Photo courtesy of Theron Humphrey These are not my only favorite Instagrammers. I often find myself whipping out my phone to senior, HONY further excites me to show people a video of cute bunmeet new, intriguing people. nies, named Rambo and Eddie, A new favorite is @thiswildidea, eating kale from @bunnymama which is an account run by Theron and I cannot help but be envious Humphrey, the recent recipient of of the fashion sense of Wendy National Geographic’s Traveler Nguyen from @wendyslookbook. of the Year Award. This account Although Instagram is widely focuses on a beautiful dog named acclaimed as a hipster social netMaddie and the travel destinations working app that destroys picof the pair. In addition to taking tures with filters, if you look hard fun, yet artistically composed picenough, you can find some truly tures of Maddie, Humphrey also inspiring advocates a site called whywerestopics on this account; there are posts with a woman supporting a mentally disabled child, a man that has just been released from prison, and a child with big dreams to be an actor. And as a college-bound

BY EMILY LEUNG ASST. FEATURE EDITOR

Black and white. The monochrome nature of the first prehistoric television. Boring, dull, and lifeless.

Reality television singing competitions are all the same: the public auditions, the celebrity judges, the interaction from the fans. The same monotonous programs again, again, and again.

“American Idol,” one of the first popular reality television singing shows, garnered great popularity since its second season. However, despite the few gems that have been formed from this show, there are only two things that could bring enjoyment to its viewers. The first entertaining part of the show would be the comical first set of auditions.

From a girl in a bikini to slightly deranged, tone deaf individuals, producers have allowed the wierd, wierder, and wierdest onto the televised show. The second humorous part of American Idol would be Simon Cowell, the hilariously caustic British judge (remember Dolly Parton on helium?). Simon’s exit off the show after Season 9 sent the show on a downward spiral because aside from his entertaining comments, the performances were so lackluster and distressing.

One man’s loss is truly another man’s gain because after Simon left “American Idol,” he became a judge on his own reality competition show that he started back in 2004, “The X Factor.” The “The X Factor” differs every so slight from “American Idol” contenders not only compete against everybody as a whole but also against

their individual group. Groups include Girls, Boys, Groups, and Over 25’s. Groups offer a greater performance and entertainment factor, but the Over 25’s are boring, old, and need to go. “The X Factor” shows no originality in this overplayed genre and has just added to the overwhelming amount of reality singing shows.

“The Voice,” one of the newer singing competition shows has proven a great success. Unique elements of “The Voice” like “blind auditions” and “battle rounds” make the show different from any others out there. “Blind auditions” are when the four judges face toward the audience instead of toward the contestant. If the judges like what they hear and want that contestant to be part of their team, they can push a button to turn their chair around. Singers who otherwise might not have been given a chance due to their appearance are now allowed to showcase their talent. “Battle rounds” are when two contestants compete in a boxing ring to outshine each other in this fierce battle. But in all seriousness, how melodramatic and extremely entertaining can a singing competitino get? However, we’re talking about television, so I’m not the least bit surpised. Slightly better than the previous two, “The Voice” uses innovative twists to shed a greater light on such an overdone genre.

Once in a while, everyone falls into alluring traps that twist them to see worth in something so worthless. Reality television singing shows proved to be my trap as I have watched them for the last few years of my life. If you want to see true “reality singing,” swing to the Discovery Channel for the latest episode of “Man Cheetah Wild.”

Beethoven in the Making

BY ANGIE ZHANG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“Achievement is talent plus preparation.” In a book regarding success, Malcolm Gladwell emphasizes that those wishing to become professionals in an area of study must first reach the 10,000 rule. Whether you start early or late, 10,000 hours of dedication are needed to succeed in “cognitively demanding fields.”

Such can be related to Diamond Bar High School senior David Yu’s experiences with music. He started early on his passion, and is now continually working to meet this rule that will set him apart as a high school pianist. “My parents said that when I was three years old, I would walk from wherever I was in the house to the piano every time my mom played it. They said I was drawn to the sound of the instrument,” he shared.

Yu’s mother was a large part of his childhood experiences with the piano—as the head of a piano academy and also a church pianist, she was his first music teacher and guided him through his early years. “Dedication, determination, and passion have kept me motivated to grow as a sincere and honest musician,” Yu stated.

Tradition is a large part of Yu’s family—his first piano was made in Germany, one that his grandfather brought for his dad in the 1960s that was then passed on to David. However, due to extremely intricate and physically demanding repertoires, Yu shared that his piano slowly started to wear down.

Once-sturdy strings began to break, leading to the damage of the piano’s hammers and pedals; his piano gradually became unplayable. Not to be deterred by this obstacle, however, Yu went to school every day during that summer to practice so that his skills wouldn’t get rusty. He was eventually able to get a replacement for it and continue practicing at home.

Now going through his last year at DBHS, Yu proves that a combination of talent and hard work is required to succeed. Just this past Sunday, Yu finished recording a show for National Public Radio’s program “From the Top” at Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall.

“From the Top shines a light on diverse young people ages 8 to 18 by sharing their stories and performances, providing scholarships, and engaging them as leaders in national broadcasts. I went through a long and complicated application process [for the program],” Yu stated. His performance will be broadcasted on Dec. 8 on radio station KUSC (FM 91.5).

He also was just recently selected as one of the 180 finalists amongst nearly 11,000 applicants by the National YoungArts Foundation and was awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to Miami to attend the YoungArts Finals week.

The foundation is a scholarship program that gives aspiring young musicians the chance to gain monetary awards, participate in classes with prominent artists in their chosen discipline, and attend different exhibitions. During this week, adjudicators will determine which finalists will be eligible for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Commission

to compete for the title of U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts Besides taking part in national recognition programs, Yu is an active member in his community. He is a violinist in his church orchestra and also enjoys holding various performances for the community.

“Whether it’s playing for the elderly at a retirement home or even special performances at American Cancer Society events, there is always a sense of satisfaction that I [get from using] the talent that God has given me to bring joy and a sense of security to others.”

In regards to the future, Yu is currently looking at five music schools and conservatories for his undergraduate study. His top choices are Juilliard School of Music, Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, Peabody Conservatory of Music and Manhattan School of Music.

“In 10 years’ time, I hope [to be] working on my doctorate degree in music performance and as the assistant conductor of a major orchestra, as well as continuing to perform as a pianist,” Yu states.

He has been inspired by Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan, who was most famously known for his 35 years as the principle conductor of the Berlin Symphony.

“My goal as a musician is to touch people’s hearts and lives; after all, music is a universal language and a powerful tool that can bring peace and happiness to this world. My usual concerts and routine performances show me how much I have done musically; it’s the special performances in the Photo courtesy of DAVID YU community that make me realize how influential music is to a group PIANO PRODIGY- Senior David Yu recently performed for National Public Radio’s program “From the Top” at Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall. of listeners.”

12 FEATURE

THE BULL’S EYE

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

A GLIMPSE OF THE

Brahma Life ==clubs=on=campus==

leo club & Best Buddies

key club

photo courtesy of JANE WU

Key Club president Jane Wu and other club members spent time over the week making hearts with special messages for various teachers and staff members on campus in light of Staff Appreciation Week.

Model united Nations

In honor of Veteran’s Day, Leo Club, with the help of Best Buddies,, wrote and decorated cards to show their gratitude for veterans who o have fought to protect our country. After f accumulating l i a number of cards, Leo Club members visited Long Beach and Loma Linda VA hospitals over the weekend to hand deliver their letters to the residing veterans.

Mock trial

JOY CHOW

On Nov. 9 to 10, DBHS members of MUN attended the Bruin MUN Conference, held at UCLA, to discuss and debate prevalent global issues with students from other schools.

KATLYN LEE

Mock Trial members practice for their second round of competition, which was held yesterday at the Los Angeles County Courthouse, during the Veteran’s Day weekend.

==halloween=spirit==

EMILY HWANG

To celebrate the “dreadful” holiday, Diamond Bar High School students dressed up for Halloween were featured in a lunch time activity held at the lower quad.

Senior Nathan Wong, shown on the left, and a group of students dressed up as various zoo animals were few of the best costumes across campus.

THE BULL’S EYE

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

SPORTS

Youthful girls tennis and cross country completes their season

13

SPORTS COLUMN

NBA Fantasy tips and tricks

GIRLS TENNIS & CROSS COUNTRY | The inexperienced and young girls tennis and cross country teams’ season came to an end, both finishing with a successful and productive season.

BY KATLYN LEE & AANYA ISMAIL NEWS EDITOR & CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Diamond Bar cross country team put its strength to the ultimate test last Wednesday at the Hacienda League Championships held at Mt. SAC. Staying consistent with its past league events, DB placed fourth overall for girls and sixth overall for boys to end the season.

“For Wednesday’s performance, the team really got together to finish its last race. Mt. SAC is one of the toughest cross country courses, and I really saw a lot of effort coming from the athletes,” coach Christine Cortez said.

Placing fourth out of seven teams, the Lady Brahmas completed the three-mile course with a total of 96 points. Sophomore Anabelle Cheng was the first Brahma to finish the race, finishing 9th with a time of 20:12. Following Cheng was junior Jeannie Huang, who placed 17th with a time of 21:06. Junior Ariana Infante, freshman Emily Slater, and senior Annaliz Loera were close behind and received times of 21:51, 21:53, and 21:59, respectively. The team, with its top five runners, was able to beat Rowland, which had 137 points.

Only eight points away from finishing fifth, the boys varsity team finished sixth overall with 149 total points and improved its score from the previous league meet.

Finishing first for the team was sophomore Walter Chang, who placed 25th out 46 runners with a time of 17:30. Soon after was junior Hamilton Lin, finishing with a time of 17:38. Junior Ryan Alvarado and freshman Paul Abdo followed, with respective times of

The team really got together to finish its race.

Coach Christine Cortez 18:06 and 18:10.

“I know we have room for improvement—the goal for the team is to continue working on their strength and endurance—but it was a good race in which they toughed it out,” Cortez said.

The seven cross country teams competing in the Hacienda League were high schools from Bonita, Diamond Bar, Diamond Ranch, Los Altos, Rowland, Walnut, and West Covina. In the league finals at Mt.

SAC, Bonita High School placed first for the girls, while Walnut took first place for the boys varsity event.

In its first two league meets, the Brahmas consistently placed fourth for girls and sixth for boys.

Cortez shared that the team performed its best at the Mt. SAC invitational event, during which all the athletes gave their full effort and some even ran their best times.

With a young team consisting mostly of sophomores, juniors, and only two seniors, Coach Cortez expects to start training her athletes early for the next year’s season.

“This season is a marker to see where we stand, but we’re working to be stronger. We will now be focusing on preparing athletes for track and continue practicing skills for the next cross country season for those juniors, sophomores, and freshmen,” Cortez said.

The Diamond Bar girls’ tennis team has started out this season swinging. The Lady Brahmas played exceptionally well all season by obtaining a 16-4 overall record with a 10-2 league record.

“We went far and are going to CIF again [the team is] pretty balanced and in a good position, 2nd in league,” senior and number two doubles player Iris Hsieh said.

Hsieh stated that the match against the Rowland Raiders was the most

challenging since both teams were equally talented. “We have two very strong doubles teams,” Coach Tisa Shavers said on the performance of the team.

Success in tennis depends as much on mental conditioning as it does physical training. “The girls have grown stronger mentally as well as physically and have gained more confidence in our games.

[They] have just gotten stronger all around,” Shavers said.

Like the coach, the girls are equally proud of their progress. “I am really proud of my partner, of playing together and [getting] into semifinals,” junior and number three doubles player Rosanne Chen said.

Prior to the season, DB was expected to become the league champion for its eighth straight season.

The Lady Brahmas have always been a mainstay of Diamond Bar High School athletics, setting high expectations since they exceptionally well.

“We are hoping to just play our best, I think we have an average chance at winning”, Shavers said.

Though some players are very nervous about the postseason, Shavers stays confident. “We have a lot of young talent that are willing to learn and we just need to get adjusted to the pressure moments,” Shavers said.

Another CIF victory to add to DB’s golfing legacy GIRLS GOLF |Diamond Bar’s girls golf team’s legacy continues as it adds another CIF win into its already great collection of achievements and victories.

BY JAMES KIL CONTRIBUTING STAFF WRITER

As the golf season comes to an end, Diamond Bar’s golf team became the Hacienda League champions for the eighth consecutive time. But it did not stop there. The Lady Brahmas showed why they were league champs many times as they became the CIF champs of the Northern Divisional Section after winning at sectionals in Ojai.

Junior co-captain Bethany Wu led the team as she shot a 67, the best score of the day. Sophomores Kaitleen Shee and Josephine Chang also showed outstanding performances, scoring 69 and 72, respectively.

With the entire teams’ effort and dedication to win, the Lady Brahmas came out on top, albeit with some difficulty. “We need to be more prepared before a game and really concentrate,” co-captain Joan Park said. They ended the match with a score of 360, beating the previous DB record for 18 holes.

“We were awesome, the girls were tremendous,” coach Tony McCabe said.

The Lady Brahmas have achieved so much during this year’s season for golf. Shee, Chang, and junior Esther Yin earned to be on the First Team All-Hacienda League team. Park and the athlete of the month of October, Brooke Miller earned honors for the second team of All-Hacienda League.

Wu became the MVP for the third

time in a row in the league.

“I feel that the reason we do so well is [that] we are so close as a team and bring out the best in each other” Park said.

After former co-captains Kristie Yang and Isabelle Shee received scholarships to Southern Illinois University and UC Riverside respectively, the inexperienced team is now playing to qualify for the State finals. Last Thursday, the Lady Brahmas played at the Talega Golf Course. During the qualifications, DB was against the Wal-

We were awesome, the girls were tremendous.

Coach Tony McCabe

nut Mustangs. However, the Lady Brahmas could not defeat the Mustangs and lost in a card-off, which is when two teams have the same score at the end. The winner is decided by taking the lowest score card of the sixth member of each team.

Practicing to work hard to maintain their reign as the League champions, the Lady Brahmashave ended their regular season with another league and CIF title.

Now after winning back to back CIF championships, the team hopes to continue winning. The team’s next match is Thursday November 14.

EMILY HWANG

SWING TO VICTORY - Senior Lynn Lee and the Lady Brahmas win another CIF.

BY JOSEPH PARK SPORTS EDITOR

It’s that time of the year again, when sports fans around the world rave over the NBA. After countless hours of research, fantasy draft night begins what leads to countless hours of smack talk. For those of you who do not know what fantasy basketball is, it is when a group of people draft NBA players for make-believe rosters. The better the players they choose, the better the team is. To find out if you drafted value picks, sleepers, or busts, let’s take an in depth look at the best and worst players.

The most controversial topic this season is who the best fantasy player in the NBA is, and the answer is surprising from my point of view. Four-time MVP, two-time champion, and with the most complete and elite all-around game in the universe, LeBron James— not Kevin Durant— reigns as the best NBA fantasy player of the 2013-2014 season. James brings an all-around game to your team, not only points, but a game that features an eight assist, six rebounds, three steals per night. While Durant is a phenomenal player, he primarily brings points only and rebounds to the table. James is also one of the best defenders in the league. Other value picks in the first round would be Paul George of the Indiana Pacers and Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Next we have the sleepers, the picks that all NBA fantasy players hope they can get a steal. If you can get Eric Bledsoe, point guard of the Phoenix Suns, in the seventh round, you just got one of the steals of the night. Mini-LeBron, that is all I can say about Bledsoe. Derrick Favors, power forward for the Utah Jazz, is also another sleeper. 18 points and 11 rebounds can be expected. Jeff Green, the lone ranger on the Boston Celtics, is another great pick. Being the only viable offensive option on the team, you can expect Green for many 20 point nights.

Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers is another sleeper who can probably be obtained in the last round. The sleeper of the year goes to Michael Carter Williams. Point guard and rookie of the Philadelphia 76ers, MCW almost had a quadruple-triple in the opening night. Being one of the best guards on the team and projected to have about 35 minutes a night, MCW will get you points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Williams will come down as the Damian Lillard of last season and he can probably be picked in the later rounds of the draft and if you are lucky, off the waiver wire.

Then there are the busts. Serge Ibaka, Dwyane Wade, and Andre Iguodala are just to name a few.

Anyways, NBA fantasy is all about the value picks. Having a solid team means having consistent players and to win games in fantasy, your players must be contributing consistent stats.

Ultimately, you should not be worried about the busts or the sleepers you get, but how well you choose your first five or six picks.

They will be the determining factor for your fantasy ranking.

14 SPORTS

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

THE BULL’S EYE

TYLER BROWN ATHLETE OF THE MONTH Rushing his way to football success

BY GABY DINH STAFF WRITER

Captain of the football team, senior running back Tyler Brown is no average football player. Brown has been on the varsity football team since his sophomore year and has continually led the Brahmas to success.

Brown’s father was also a football player. Ron Brown was a former Los Angeles Rams and Raiders wide receiver. Introduced to football by his father at the age of eight, Brown has been playing ever since.

Although the height of most football players is around 5’11, Brown is an impressive player on his own right despite being 5-8. His feats as the starting corner back and running back have made many consider him as one of the best players of the Hacienda League. He’s won many awards, which include last

year’s Offensive MVP and a spot on the Hacienda All-League’s First Team Offense. He ranks fourth in rushing yards in the league before the Branding Iron game.

“I liked football and my dad introduced me to it. It’s my type of sport,” Brown said.

Brown’s favorite aspects of the sport is the team dynamic of football. He, starting off in freshman football, quickly moved up the ranks. Skipping junior varsity and heading straight to varsity in his sophomore year, Brown eventually became captain.

Being in football also has many perks for him, as he has received a scholarship to play for the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks. Brown plans to continue playing football in the college level.

He hopes to get into the NFL, but has not made exact and specific decisions in regards to his future.

When the 5’8 running back plays on the field, three motivations help him get going. These motivations established him as an example for

COACH PROFILE Name: Chris Chi Currently Coaching: Assistant Varsity Basketball Coach Coaching Since: 2011

others, showing his opponents that he is a player to watch out for on the field. When football is in season, he practices two hours a day. During the summer, he practices all the time, in his free time and spending many hours on the football field.

When he practices, Brown strives to work his hardest and become an even better player.

Balancing school and sports together is no simple task. Brown admits that time management is difficult with his schedule. Maintaining good grades while competing in a sport is no easy task. However, he had been able to manage his schedule. His determination to succeed helps balance his schoolwork and athletics together.

In addition, during his free time, he plays basketball for fun. He states that being naturally fast is one of the things that help him in sports.

Despite the setbacks the varsity football team has endured, Brown hopes to reach the CIF playoffs with the hard work he put in.

Sports Memes

Chris Chi, the boys varsity assistant basketball coach, started coaching at Diamond Bar three years ago. Aside from coaching for the Brahmas, he also currently coaches at a basketball camp in Rowland Heights. He graduated from Diamond Bar High School in 2009 and started coaching shortly after. As the starting point guard for the varsity basketball team for two years at DBHS himself, Chi enjoys passing on his knowledge of basketball to students and helping his school win. “It’s not as much about basketball as it is about watching these guys improve and win their games,” Chi said.

NBA

NFl

Derrick Rose makes his long-awaited return to the NBA.

New York Giants fans get too excited over one win.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

SPORTS

THE BULL’S EYE

15

Rivalry match ends with a win for the Lady Brahmas VOLLEYBALL| On senior night, the seniors came out to play with a great passion and effort that ultimately led to a 3-2 victory over the cross-town rivals, the Walnut Mustangs. The Lady Brahmas will now advance to CIF.

BY JOSEPH PARK SPORTS EDITOR

It was senior night for the volleyball team and it was a classic way to end a rivalry match against the Walnut Mustangs. The Lady Brahmas dominated most of last Wednesday’s match, finishing off Walnut 3-2. The story of the night was not only the win, but also the way DB smashed Walnut to advance itself into the CIF playoffs.

The Lady Brahmas came out with a killer’s mentality right from the start. With a fluid offense and an impeccable defense, DB went on to finish the match 25-19. “The game went well and we killed the first set,” coach Erica Hansen said.

Tia Hernandez led the Lady Brahmas with 134 attack kills.

The second set was more of the same except better. The flowing offense remained the same while DB’s defense strengthened even more. Anna Vorkink played excellently to improve the Lady Brahmas lead to 2-0. At this point of the match, DB seemed invincible and Walnut looked hopeless for the rest of it. The crowd died down for a bit and Walnut seemed lifeless. The second set ended with a final score of 25-14.

“Seniors Tia Hernandez and Hayley Everhart both played well,” Hansen said. Overall, the seniors seemed to play better on senior night. Putting in more effort and trying harder on defense, the Lady Brahmas dedicated this game to the seniors. However, consistency

remained a problem.

The fans started to cheer and the Mustangs started to get back in the game. Building up momentum and motivation, the Mustangs were a different team coming out of the second set. Although DB put up a good fight, it was not enough to match the Mustang’s attacking offense. DB ended the set losing 2521. The main key to this comeback seemed to be the fans, who cheered on their losing team with an excellent spirit and eventually brought back life to Walnut.

“We started making errors and I think the Walnut girls were getting to the [DB] girls,” Hansen said.

The Lady Brahmas were now in a slump after a scare in the third set. Unable to get its offense flowing, DB looked as if it had given up the match. The lackadaisical effort on defense with a dead offense ultimately led to a blow-out victory for Walnut. The Lady Brahmas uncharacteristically gave up the fourth set 25-14. “The third and fourth game we went down a little bit,” Hansen said.

Although the match was tied at 2-2, the Lady Brahmas were not done yet. With the very last bit of strength it had, DB came back to upset Walnut. The first and second set were looking familiar again as the Lady Brahmas poured out everything they had to win the set 15-6.

The Lady Brahmas finished the league in second place and their first CIF game is last Tuesday. DB plans to pursue a successful CIF run. With their practice and effort they put in all season, the Lady Brahmas are headed into CIF.

GOING FOR THE KILL - Senior Anna Vorkink leaps with great technique to go for the kill and win the set.

ANDREW CHOI

The rise, fall and future of Jeremy Lin JEREMY LIN| After a historical period labeled Linsanity, Jeremy Lin is currenty in his downfall as his future awaits.

BY YUSHENG XIA ASST. EDITORIAL EDITOR It was more than a year ago when it all started. With the shot clock winding down and the score tied at 87, Jeremy Lin pulled up and nailed the game winning three for the New York Knicks against the Toronto Raptors. Even in Toronto, the crowd cheered as the Knicks pulled off a win over the Raptors with 0.5 seconds remaining on the clock after the final shot. “Linsanity” was at the height of its magic and Lin became the first NBA player to average over 25 points and 7 assists in his first 5 starts, leading

the Knicks back to playoff contention in the East. His population soured up to the point where the first Taiwanese-American player got named by Sports Illustrated as “The Second Most Famous Knick of All-Time.” Some called him the next breakout star while others labeled him a fluke but one thing was clear, Lin had grabbed the attention of the basketball world.

It would never last. On February 20, 2012, Carmelo Anthony returned to the Knick’s starting lineup and Linsanity started its downward descent. The Knicks wobbled along with a 2-6 record after going 8-1 in the previous nine games. The resignation of Mike D’ Antoni left Lin without the of-

fensive system he was used to. The Harvard product struggled in his last nine games before ultimately tearing his meniscus on his left knee. With the start of April, it looked as if Lin would not see another game that season. The future for Linsanity was looking grim.

The playoffs flew by as the Miami Heat slaughtered the Knicks in five games during the first round.

Lin’s days in New York were over as the Knicks would ultimately lose him to the Houston Rocket’s three year poison pill offer, which had his salary jump up from $5 million the first two years to $15 million in the third year. The Knicks ended up signing point guard Raymond Felton instead. Linsanity was moving

to Houston, supposedly.

The Rockets were supposed to be in rebuilding mode and Lin was supposed to be the one to lead it.

That all changed when Houston swung a deal that allowed them to obtain James Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunders. O n c e again, Lin had to play behind a superstar; one who had a breakout year. Lin struggled the entire 2012-13 season, leading up to many trade rumors throughout the year.

He was frequently benched during fourth quarters and was called on for his below-average defense.

During his first playoff series, he averaged 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. Throughout the world, Linsanity had become a distant

memory.

Going into the new season, Lin is one of the biggest questions on a revamped Rockets team that is bound to compete for a championship. Should Lin be traded? Should he start? Is he the right point guard on the champion-bound team? The new season will be Lin’s chance to prove himself worthy of his contract. With pressures residing solely on Howard and Harden, Lin is free to concentrate on his play alone. With a year of experience, chemistry, and improved team, Lin is bound to make huge strides and show the world that Linsanity isn’t dead. At the age of 25, his career has just begun. Sooner or later, he will average 18 and eight.

16 SPORTS

THE BULL’S EYE

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

SPORTS

Three-Peat

Branding Iron stays at home FOOTBALL | The Brahmas not only win the Branding Iron for their third consecutive time, but also earn a spot in the CIF playoffs.

DB vs W 60 - 28

BY ANDREW CHOI SPORTS EDITOR

What a perfect ending for the Diamond Bar football team’s 2013 season.

Not only did the team keep the Branding Iron for a third consecutive year by beating rival Walnut Mustangs 60-28, but the Brahmas also made it to the CIF playoffs for the first time in ten years. The Brahmas, with all the momentum behind their backs, finished the regular season with a 6-4 overall record and will face the Downey Vikings in the first round of the CIF Southeast division.

Before this week, the Brahmas football program hit a pothole. Due to an incident in the Diamond Ranch match on October 18, DB was forced to forfeit their next match against the Rowland Raiders. “We learned a lot of lessons and we had to look ourselves in the mirror. We had to understand that we play for the fans and the community,” head coach Ryan Maine said.

Right from the start, DB had a full head of steam as the team scored on its second play of the game. Junior co-captain and quarterback Tyler Peterson threw a 62-yard touchdown completion to junior wide receiver Cameron Hayes.

“We worked so hard to get to this point. We have been waiting all year for a three peat,” Hayes said.

After giving up a rushing touchdown to the Mustangs, the Brahmas once again drove the ball across the field with great passes and runs. Senior co-captain Brown ended the drive with a three-yard touchdown run as he was left untouched while running across the

plain. Instead of kicking the extra point, the DB special team caught the Mustangs off guard as the team scored a two point conversion on a fake kick. Heading into halftime, the Brahmas were leading 29-14.

Leading 29-21, the Brahmas were on the 13-yard line when Peterson connected with Hayes once more.

Heading into the game, DB had to rely on different receivers as the team did not have junior wide receivers Cordell Broadus and Kanya Bell. Broadus leads the Hacienda League with 51 receptions and 560 yards did not suit up due to a suspension.

On their next possession, the Brahmas started on their 29-yard line with a long way to go to the end zone. On the first play of the possession, Brown found an open gap and ran for a 71-yard touchdown run, increasing the lead to 45-21.

The star running back of DB is third in the League with 846 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.

With a couple of minutes left in the fourth quarter, Brown scored another touchdown. However, it did not come from a rushing play. It instead came from an 80-yard kickoff return.

The November Athlete of the Month ended the game with 149 rushing yards, 29 receiving yards, five tackles , and a game high four touchdowns. “He is a beast.

He plays so great against Walnut that he takes it to another level,” Maine said.

It has been ten years since the Brahmas made it to CIF. With a new sense of enlightenment in the program, the high powered DB offense will now take on Downey, another offensive powerhouse in the region on November 15 at Downey High School.

XING YEN QUEK