inside the issue
opinion 5
feature 6
A LOOK INTO AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Alumni Spotlight: Choreographer Melissa Garcia
a&e 10
sports 15
the bull’s eye NEWS
Season Overview: Baseball
NOW SHOWING:
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OPINION
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F E AT U RE
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MARCH 25, 2015 Volume XXXIII, Issue VII ONLINE at dbbullseye.com
ART S & E N TE RTA I N ME N T
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S P O RT S
Battling Islamic stereotypes The Muslim Student Association is attempting to explain Islamis beliefs and dispel discrimination.
Photos by CALVIN RU
At the 300 Building, each of the foreign languages performed songs or dances, with everyone ending the night with a song from the popular movie, “Les Misérables.” Games, food, and activities were also offered.
A rousing Open House The school held events for different departments to show their skills. nadia lee staff writer katlyn lee editor-in-chief Large crowds of students filled the courtyard of the foreign language building, pairs of salsa and merengue dancers took their positions, and a drone floated above it all. This was the scene at Diamond Bar High School’s first Open House in five years. “We haven’t had Open House at DBHS for several years, so it was time to showcase our students’ work and talents so parents could have a better idea of what they have accomplished this year. We want to create a lively festival atmosphere celebrating all languages in the plaza,” Spanish
teacher Christine Buccola said. The event, held last Thursday evening, featured each of the school’s main departments providing activities for curious parents. The science classes displayed various exhibits of student projects and demonstrations, while in the math department,
students tested their knowledge in the Math Matrix, in which they tried to answer math questions at various levels. In another section of the school, the history teachers hosted a jeopardy game called the Brain Bowl where students were
˃˃ OPEN HOUSE on p.3
obviously have never understood,” Akbany said. Meanwhile, outside of club events, Muslim students attending DBHS are rebuking the movement and practices of ISIS, as the Islamic extremist group continues victoria ly to misrepresent Islamic values through their destructive behavasst. feature editor ior. “Everything they do is exactly In the wake of the ISIS’ incessant what Islam says not to do. Islam is brutality, the Muslim community a religion that promotes peace, rehas been faced with heightened spect, and tolerance,” club member misconceptions about its Islam reNuha Alomari said. ligion. As a result of these perpetuWith incidents ranging from beated negative stereotypes, Muslims heading executions, kidnappings, are under renewed scrutiny across and reports of sexual abuse and the nation. slavery within ISIS-controlled arAt Diamond Bar High School, eas, the group has inflicted much the Muslim Student Association conflict and disorder within the is actively trying to bring clarity Middle East. For example, ISIS to any false impressions students held a French journalist captive for may have toward Islam. 10 months, and most recently, on “A lot of people’s perceptions of March 19, the organization claimed the religion come from the media responsibility for a mass shooting or non-experts at a museum in on the matter, so Tunisia. Unformisinformation tunately, many “Everything they do is is propagated ofpeople are asexactly what Islam says ten,” club memsociating this not to do.” ber senior Saaextremist group NUHA ALOMARI kib Akbany said. with the Mus“For example, lim community. people keep ask“I think that ing me if I’m going to get an arit’s really easy for news and media ranged marriage because I’m Musto use ISIS as an excuse to hate all lim--that’s not going to happen.” Muslims but what they don’t menMSA’s first event, Misconception is that ISIS is killing Muslims tions About Muslims, was held on as well,” Senior Aman Shamim, Feb. 26 to address aspects of Islam the president of MSA, said. that students may not fully unMembers of MSA are emphaderstand. During the gathering, sizing that ISIS does not repreparticipants were able to ask quessent the true values of Islam and tions regarding Islam and gain is completely separate from the some understanding of the religion Muslim community. Yet because through the club members’ explaIslam is so closely associated with nations. ISIS, Muslim students at DBHS “As a Muslim, it pains me to see that these people claim to fight for ˃˃ MSA on p.3 and represent a religion that they
Shed the Gender casts light on war conflict Red Cross recently held an event to raise awareness about gender roles in war-torn countries. sasha rivera asst. opinion editor The harmful effects of war on people, specifically women, are topics not that well-known or often explored. However, at Diamond Bar High School, students sought to raise awareness about these issues at their Shed the Gender event on March 13. About 35 DBHS students attended Shed the Gender. Members of Red Cross told those at the event about the International Humanitarian Law and gender stereotypes during times of war and conflict. They explored how war enforces
harmful gender labels, such as the idea of women being weaker than men, leads to sexual violence and objectification. Through videos and an interactive Jeopardy game, the group shed light on this topic and its importance. “A lot of people have absolutely no idea what International Humanitarian Law is, let alone the effects of gender stereotypes during war… If people have no idea that these rules actually exist, it’s no surprise that no country enforces them, even though they’ve all pledged to enforce it,” stated senior Elmeera Nosrati, one of the DBHS students involved with organizing the event. “To end that we need to start educating the future law makers and politicians about it so maybe the result will be different in the next generation.” Shed the Gender was not arranged by the club, but rather by the larger organization outside of
school. Nosrati, as well as seniors Lorelle Sun, Amy Wong, Crystal Xiao and two girls from Mark Keppel High School, represented San Gabriel-Pomona Valley as a team. The event itself began with an introduction of the IHL, the law of war and armed conflicts, giving background information, such as its creation at the Geneva Convention, where it was adopted by all nations. The purpose of this law is to limit the effects of armed conflict for humanitarian reasons, as well as to protect innocent people and to restrict means and methods of warfare. It sets rules during times of war that must be followed in order to properly protect civilians and soldiers, such as prisoners of war. However, this law is somewhat difficult to enforce and not all countries follow its rules, which is why the International Committee of the Red Cross works to make sure that these rules are obeyed.
SASHA RIVERA
Attendees participate in an event held by Red Cross to discuss important points about gender equality. “International Services is a line of service under the American Red Cross. Besides responding to disasters and managing blood drives, the Red Cross is also responsible
for promoting IHL as well as making sure nations are respecting it,”
˃˃ GENDER on p.3
2
NEWS
MARCH 25, 2015
THE BULL'S EYE
Drumline, color guard dominate The two successful groups look to continue their winning streaks this season. sarah makiewicz staff writer The Diamond Bar High School Drumline and Color Guard teams move to their own distinctive beats, between the resonance of drums and the spinning of flags; however, they both zipped through the competition season at an impressive pace. World Line, the school’s Varsity Drumline, moved into a lofty position after beating Rowland High School in two different competitions. The competitions took place on Feb. 14 at Damien High School and on March 1 at Monrovia High School, with World Line
taking first in both. A Line, the Junior Varsity Line, also competed in both competitions, although it went to Monrovia on Feb. 28. Rather than compete solely against Rowland, the JV line competed against several other JV drumline groups. “Our A-line, [while] they’re pretty new and still had a successful season, placed eleventh and eighth out of many schools,” junior Nick Santos, a tenor drummer on World Line, said. A-line then improved at a competition on March 8 at Temescal Canyon High School, where it finished in second place. In each competition, drumline is judged based on how well they play the music, as well as the general effect and the movement of the drummers during the performance. “The only competition that counts towards our record is finals,” junior Kristie Leung, snare
section leader of World Line, said via Facebook. “The competitions before are for critiques and commentary so that we know how to improve.” World Line will compete in state finals on Apr. 4 at UC Santa Barbara along with other drum lines from California. Color Guard also had a great start to its competitive season, and the Varsity Color Guard members are continuing to unfold their plans to awe the judges. On Feb. 28, the Varsity, Junior Varsity and freshman Guard teams competed at Arcadia High School, and Varsity Guard came away with first place with a score of 74.82 points. “[Other teams] all did pretty well also. Second place was Downey High School, and they 70.69 so they were four points below us,” co-captain Hedy Yu said. In the other divisions, JV came in second place and freshmen placed
sixth.” Then, Varsity and JV soared in the desert heat at the WGASC Phoenix Regionals on March 14, where they competed against color guards from Arizona and California. There, both teams were able to achieve first place in both preliminaries and finals. This also marked the first time that JV attended regionals. The team has been working on choreography since December, to prepare for February and March, the main competition season. The national competitions for Color Guard will take place in April. Yu said that the team has been gradually improving throughout the season, and has performed more consistently than in the past year. “Last year we definitely started just as strong as we did this year, but somewhere in the middle we got too comfortable being the king of everything so we started to not pay attention to little things,” Yu
more on THE WEB RESTAURANT REVIEW: THE HIDE OUT By Emily Jacobsson With pleasing decorations, fast service, and delicious food, The Hide Out is definitely a place to check out. NOW SHOWING: CINDERELLA By Lilly Ball This modern adaptation of the classic fairy tale improves upon the original animated film. REVIEW: ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES By Frances Wu A sorrowful yet inspiring novel explains the mental process of suicidal teenagers and spins a melancholy love story. CHEER, DANCE SUCCEED AT COMPETITIONS By Calvin Ru Last weekend, Varsity Cheer took second place at Nationals, Song took first place, and All-Male Dance Crew claimed first place for the second year in a row.
VISIT
Photos by ANDREW CHOI
DBBULLSEYE.COM
The teams’ efforts have paid off, as both drumline and color guard have been successful in their competitions after practicing almost daily for the past few months.
the staff Editors-in-Chief News Editor Asst. News Editors Opinion Editor Asst. Opinion Editors
Katlyn Lee, Joseph Park Yusheng Xia Bernard Chen, Frances Wu Hanna Kang Eric Hong, Sasha Rivera
Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editor A&E Editor Asst. A&E Editor Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor
Emily Leung Michelle Ki, Victoria Ly Emily Wong Lilly Ball, Vrinda Chauhan Andrew Choi, Joseph Park James Kil
Photo Editor Business Manager Asst. Business Manager Web Editor Asst. Web Editors Staff Writers Advisor
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Brahmas’ Brahms Brings Top Prize in Big Apple Symphony Orchestra placed first at The Finals during a trip to New York yusheng xia news editor A trip to New York added a new feat to the Diamond Bar High School Symphony Orchestra’s long list of accomplishments, as the team placed first at The Finals: National School Orchestra Championships. This year marked the 13th championships, an event that features talented orchestra groups from all across the nation. Four high schools participated in the event, with DBHS edging out three other schools from Arizona, New Jersey, and Texas to claim first place. The actual competition took place on March 7 in the Lincoln Center near the heart of New York City. “The victory is a confirmation of what an amazing faculty we have and how lucky the students are to be in a public school with such an advanced music program,” orchestra treasurer Nicole Chen said. DBHS had performed Brahms Symphony No. 4 movements one, three, and four for the competition. To prepare, symphony orchestra had afterschool rehearsal sessions every Wednesday night in addition to a couple of weekend rehearsals. On stage, the practice translated to success as DBHS’s performance was enough to clinch the symphony orchestra first place.
“We were judged for playing, musicality, intonation and how well we stayed together as a group. We were also judged on how well we accompanied a person who had a solo, and how connected we were together as a group and to the con-
Photo courtesy of DBHS SYMPHONY
The DBHS Orchestra brought back the first place trophy for its performance of Brahms Symphony No. 4.
ductor,” orchestra president Grace Chin said. The first place accomplishment allowed the DBHS symphony orchestra to receive the title of Grand Champion and to be recognized as one of the top high school orchestras in the nation. In recognition for their achievements, the group received the prestigious Orchestra Cup, which they will keep for one year until the following year’s winner is announced. “I think the most important reason we won is the fact that we have so many adults and coaches guiding us all the time. We have adults who help us with logistics, and we have coaches we teach us music. Their dedication is amazing and I honestly don’t think we could have done it without their guidance,” Chen said. The group participated in the same competition two years ago against a bigger field of competitors, placing second. Many members this year credit the jump to first place and the improvement of the orchestra to increased practice times in preparation for the event. “Honestly, it was just hard work paid off. The last time we went to compete in this competition, we didn’t have as many rehearsals or sectionals [while] this time we had five rehearsals in the week before going to New York and we had many full day Saturday rehearsals leading up to the competition,” social chairman Eric Zhu said. “It was just a good feeling to know that all our hard work wasn’t to waste and winning all the extra awards was just the icing on the cake.”
NEWS
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 25, 2015
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Brahma journalists sweep at Write-Offs The Bull’s Eye staff competed twice this past month, with success at each competition. sophia kim contributing writer Diamond Bar High School’s journalism students grabbed their pencils and papers on Feb. 28 and headed off to the Eastern Los Angeles Journalism Write-Offs. There, DBHS’ small group of competitors swept the competition and left Schurr High School with dozens of trophies and awards. The journalists that placed in the top three for their categories were seniors Emily Leung, Katlyn Lee, Joseph Park, and Emily Wong, juniors Frances Wu and Sarah Markiewicz, sophomore Michelle Ki. and freshman Catherine Zhang. A total of 17 Brahmas placed in various categories at the WriteOffs while the school placed first in Novice News and Newspaper Sweepstakes, and second overall in Super Sweepstakes. Many of the winners went on to compete at Rancho Dominguez Preparatory School in the Southern California Journalism Write-
Offs. Ki, Wong, and Lee went on to finish in the top three in this competition. In addition to those who placed in the top three previously, Lilly Ball, Victoria Ly, and Sasha Rivera also received awards. “I was surprised how well we did, which, some ways, was more enjoyable because I didn’t expect us to do that well,” advisor Doug List said. The competition for News and Editorial started off with a mock press conference, explaining a controversial situation that occurred at a middle school. Two representatives from the school acted out different sides of the issue and presented their statements to the writers, who were allowed to ask questions following the brief opening statements. After the interview, competitors in Editorial had to take a stance on the issue and provide their opinions, while News and Novice News writers wrote a factual story in an unbiased manner. The students then had an hour to write or draw. Meanwhile, the other sections had a different task to accomplish. Feature writers wrote about a woman with a heart condition who started her own candy shop. The woman was there in person to share her story, and the students were allowed to interview her for any
Photo courtesy of SHAHAR SYED
Competitors from Diamond Bar High School’s journalism I and II classes competed at Schurr High School in various categories of writing and other sections such as photography and editorial cartoon. further questions. With a similar set up, sports writers wrote about the inequality the principal at Schurr High school felt when playing basketball as a student. Critical Review competitors were shown a 20-minute video about Vietnamese Culture Night and wrote a review on it.
Planning for the future
Writing wasn’t the only option to choose at the Write-Offs. Photography students were assigned to take a news or feature photo that portrayed either the write-offs or an event in the surrounding area, and Layout competitors had to design a front cover of a newspaper page with the provided articles and pho-
tos. This has been Diamond Bar’s biggest win since 2009, making the achievement even more special for the Brahmas. “Our winning at the write offs just reflects how hardworking everyone is,” Editor-in-Chief Katlyn Lee said via Facebook.
The club has been combating negative misconceptions
of me when they don’t even know me.” In the past, MSA has conducted fundraisers and events such as Silence for Syria to raise money and spread awareness about the conflict in Syria within the country’s violent civil war. The club members will be continuing their events in hopes of spreading awareness of their religion and dispelling the negative attention that these undesirable misunderstandings have gained. Currently, the club is planning to host more “Ask a Muslim” events in the future, with the next topic being Feminism and Women’s rights in Islam as the main focus. These educational meetings will take place in teacher Lauren Osajima-Baird’s room.
MSA from p.1 find it difficult to distinguish their religion from the beliefs of the terrorist group. Islam, a religion that encourages peace, is the complete opposite of what the terrorist organization has shown. “Lately, the word ‘terrorist’, has been referred to be the equivalent of the word ‘Muslim,’” Alomari said. “Personally, it really sucks to know that people can be afraid
The event addressed gender roles in wartime ANDREW CHOI
Brahmas gathered in the Upper Quad recently on March 11 to meet with dozens of representatives from different fields of work, including people from a talent agency, a local dentistry, and even international organizations like the Red Cross.
Various groups showed off their talents at Open House. OPEN HOUSE from p.1 required to remember historical events and people. For those who wanted to observe and relax, the musical Regional Occupation Program Entertainment Academy hosted a David Bowie show, where they played rock music, including some of his songs like “Space Oddity,” “Changes,” and “Suffragette City.” Music departments also took part in the event, as dance held open rehearsals in the dance room for passing guests and Choir performed various songs next door. With the help of orchestra, The-
atre also held open rehearsals for those interested in drama. Students and parents also witnessed Moot Court in action, which took place in Diamond Bar’s library. The audience watched quietly as the students presented their arguments on a First Amendment issue. On the other side of campus, DBHS’ foreign language classes provided various entertainments through dances, singing, and games for attendees. With Buccola in charge, competitions based on vocabulary, grammar, and culture were conducted within each Spanish level class. The winners of each round were awarded with participation points for their class. A choir of Spanish students then performed a duet by Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull, along with other traditional songs and dances. Meanwhile, French teacher Tony Tietz had his classes reenact “Les Misèrables.” In order
to protest against the new Common Core testing, Tietz rewrote the lyrics of “Look Down, and prepared his students to reenact parts of the play. Toward the end of the event, the language students gathered for the Grand Finale and sang a verse from Les Misèrables’ “Do You Hear the People Sing?” in their respective language. To Tietz, Open House was a chance for DBHS’s languages classes to show what they’ve learned and done since the beginning of the school year. It was an opportunity for the students to appreciate the diversity and culture that originated from each language and share it with others. “To celebrate languages, being together, it is the only time all year that we get to see what the other languages are up to, for all of the French students to interact, and to banter with the community about studying world languages at DBHS,” Tietz said.
GENDER from p.1 Nosrati said. After the introduction, the event moved on to the game. Attendees were arranged into teams and had to answer in-depth questions about war, conflict, and the effect on people. This part of the event focused more on gender roles and stereotypes that are instated during war times, as well as the effect of conflict on women and families. The game explored controversial, yet powerful issues like sexual violence inflicted on women and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,
particularly in rape victims. After the game ended, a video played with testimonials from survivors of war. One survivor was Nosrati’s father, who lived through and witnessed the Iranian Revolution. He told his story of how war creates genders stereotypes and how difficult these stereotypes made it to survive, especially for women and families. Other commentators included Amy Wong’s parents, who recounted their experiences from the Vietnam War. “…A lot of the questions we asked were very deep and thought provoking—some very controversial, but ultimately those are the issues IHL deals with; so I think we very successfully taught sensitive subject matter in a fun and lighthearted way. A lot of our participants seemed to have fun, and it was obvious that they were learning things—which ultimately was our purpose,” Nosrati said.
4 OPINION
MARCH 25, 2015
THE BULL'S EYE
EYE OF THE EDITORS
THE BRAHMA PERSPECTIVE:
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION: The school has various technological resources such as Chromebooks and iPads, yet these devices are not utilized enough in classrooms.
W
ith carts full of Chromebooks and numerous iPads, it is no secret that Diamond Bar High School is highly equipped with state-of-theart tools necessary for a technology-centered learning experience. However, this brings up the question of whether or not we are fully utilizing this expensive equipment. Many teachers are actively seeking to promote technology in the classroom but the majority of instructors neglect the resources our school has purchased. Even in middle school, having a good understanding of technology is essential to do well. At Chaparral Middle School, some teachers assign work on Google Classroom, a suite filled with tools like Gmail, Docs and Drive. This allows teachers to create and collect assignments paper-free as well as enabling students to manage homework with the click of a button. The Google Drive feature is a powerful tool for aiding in collaboration on projects while allowing the teacher to monitor each student’s work. Though all students at DBHS have created schoolwide Google accounts last year, these Google accounts are not being fully utilized in the classroom. The iPads are another tool
that have not been fully utilized at DBHS. History classes see the use of iPads in collaboration with an app like Show Me, a recorded voice-over whiteboard tutorial in which students can present on a certain topic. Very few teachers are promoting the use of this very costly technology, leading some students to be completely unaware that our school even owns class sets of iPads for use. In a study conducted by KIPP Academy in Houston, TX, the percentage of students who rated either proficient or advanced was 49% higher in “flipped” classrooms that used iPads than in customary classrooms with no iPads. Utilizing technology is beneficial to students, but also for the environment. Online textbooks can eliminate the heavy paper textbooks that not only add physical weight to backpacks but also add environmental stress to the ever-increasing carbon footprint. It is too costly to consistently buy the most updated version of every textbook, yet transitioning to paperless textbooks will allow a new version, that is also a cheaper alternative, to be instantly downloaded at the click of a button. With the transition to a technology-centered classroom, students will need the
proper training to adapt to this. Though IC3 is a useful course covering the basics of technology, it should be extended to a full year-long class to equip students with as much information as possible in this technology-orientated world. It is not reasonable to assume that all students have equal knowledge in technology; a yearlong course will ensure that they are receiving the information they need to survive not only in school, but also in the workplace. According to the U.S. News & World Report, jobs in computer science and information technology are among the top 10 careers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also states that technology will add more than 785,000 new jobs by 2018. In an age where being tech savvy is not considered an asset but a necessary skill, it is only fitting to allow students to be fully immersed with technology in the classroom. DBHS excels at preparing students for college, but there are improvements that can be made in fully utilizing the technological resources we have been provided with. The faculty should better prepare students to meet the demands of an increasingly technological society and conform to the future.
AZAAN BARLAS (11)
DAWN SUL (11)
“The computers are going to make everything more difficult. I like doing it more on paper.”
“[Technology integration] is pretty efficient because in AP Euro we use it a lot for different projects so we get good exposure to technology.”
EUGENE YANG (11) “I believe that [technology] helps teachers teach their students because it helps them interact more in the classroom and learn more efficiently.”
KYLE NUESTRO (11) “I think the school doesn’t really integrate technology into our classrooms as well as some other schools.”
Teaching: the new crime
ACCEPTANCE ETIQUETTE
Senate Bill 56, which aims to criminally charge teachers for using “harmful materials” in classrooms, would censor education and limit class discussions. hanna kang opinion editor
I
KATLYN LEE
t is not much of overstatement to say that readers would assume, after reading several of my articles, that I wear a dog tag with the words “hardcore Christian conservative” around my neck. After all, my writing, in the very least, reflects my identification with the Republican Party, and the extensive influence my religious beliefs exert over my politics. Be that as it may, I am obliged to admit, quite reluctantly, that on this occasion, I cannot come to terms with the conservative right. Earlier this year, a Republican senator in Kansas, Mary PilcherCook, introduced Senate Bill 56 to the state house. According to The Courthouse News Service, the bill would “amend Kansas” public morals statute by deleting an exemption that protects K-12 public, private and parochial schoolteachers from being prosecuted for presenting material deemed harmful to minors.” It was introduced by Sen. Pilcher-Cook after complaints were raised about a poster in a middle school hallway titled, “How Do People Express Their Sexual Feelings?” Among
the listed answers were “hugging,” “grinding” and “anal sex.” Frankly, the poster was absolutely unfit for middle school students to encounter and it had to go, and the teacher who put it up needed to be severely disciplined, both of which took place. If I may throw in my two cents’ worth, sex is never a topic that students— especially if haven’t reached high school—should be so openly exposed to in a school setting. As a matter of fact, sex education should be something that is learned strictly in the home at the parent’s discretion. And that is exactly what SB 56, in a way, is advocating. However, I am on the fence on this one, more or less. While I believe students, especially those of the younger generation, should be reasonably shielded from disturbing, explicit material, it is also my firm belief that a classroom should be a vital forum for open discussion and debate, where students can partake in a lively, dynamic interplay of ideas. To encourage this engagement, students must learn to delve into work that may be of discomfort, be it history, gender or race. Speaking from my own experience with in-class discussions, I must acknowledge I gain deeper insight and grow stronger, as cliché as it sounds, from discussions that are
not watered down. Should SB 56 be signed into law, teachers could be charged with a Class B misdemeanor and face up to six months in jail if caught teaching materials that contain depictions that a “reasonable person” would presume to be short of “serious literary, scientific, educational, artistic or political value for minors.” The bill essentially knocks aside the shield labeled “affirmative defense,” which exempts teachers from prosecution under an existing morals statute. But who is to determine what is “harmful” or not? The bill would only open up the floodgates to relentless, unreasonable complaints that would impede effective learning. Fearful of spending many nights in jail, teachers would cram themselves into a tight box, self-censoring lesson plans to the point where nothing debatable will be put on the table. Students will never learn to challenge ideas, and will be wrongfully sheltered from pernicious materials that are prevalent in society, unable to develop the bulletproof vest to fight back. Sen. Pilcher-Cook should have thought twice before introducing SB 56. She is perpetrating a dire transgression, by seeking to deplore free expression.
Letter to the Editor
S
hould high caliber athletes compete for the high school they attend? Some say no. The reason given claims that high school sports don’t offer the level of practice and competition necessary to maintain and improve at such a high level. (“Enjoying Sports Outside of School,” November issue) Although the needs of talented athletes should be catered to, I disagree with the athletes who make this claim. Playing high school sports has many advantages and rewards beyond just the level of competition. 1-HAVING FUN. Whether it’s sharing a major win, a loss or just practicing, experiencing the highs and lows of sports with fellow teammates creates powerful lifelong memories and friendships. 2–RECOGNITION. High school athletes are published in the media both locally and nationwide. Postseason League, CIF and State champions and qualifiers are more readily seen by major collegiate scouts and coaches. 3-DEVELOPING GREATER MENTAL TOUGHNESS. Team play develops courage and confidence. Team play requires the ability to positively respond to the pressures that come with knowing that teammates are depending on you. “Stepping up to the plate” for your team is a tremendous life lesson. 4– DEVELOPING DESIRABLE CHARACTER/SOCIAL TRAITS. Being a team player develops camaraderie, humility, patience, acceptance, self-control, loyalty, honesty and empathy, just to name a few. High school sports
pro
provide uniquely different athletic opportunities. 5-BE AN EXAMPLE AND A POSITIVE INFLUENCE. Giving back to one’s school is an admirable act of loyalty. While selfindulgence is admired in today’s social circles, younger athletes need positive role-models. Donovan Tennis Strategies polled a number of coaches from all 3 NCAA divisions, and as one might expect, their answers varied. The report stated: “We were surprised at the number of coaches from D1 teams that we would consider “top 100” programs along with highly ranked Division 2 and 3 programs who felt that a player’s participation on their HS team was important. Some expressed that...high school sports are good opportunities to learn and show such skills. Others mentioned that the creativity needed to maintain a high level of play in a less than ideal training environment is the type of skill that makes players more successful in the long run...Others alluded that most junior players are never in a team environment if they forgo their HS program and therefore are lacking the skills necessary to be a good teammate in college.” It’s significant that although some athletes claim high school sports aren’t ‘competitive’ enough, both past and current professional athletes, Olympians, “Blue Chip” and “Five Star” junior athletes and highly recruited sons and daughters of respected D1, D2 and D3 coaches have and continue to compete in high school athletics. Dave Hamel, Varsity Boys Tennis Coach
5
SERIOUSLY SATIRICAL gaby dinh web editor
T
he fire alarm at Diamond Bar High School is a brilliant innovation. For the past few weeks, it’s been going off constantly. The number of times the fire alarm has gone off accidentally has made me see what these mishaps actually are. They aren’t strange occurrences whose appearances are never explained. but rather they’re underutilized resources whose false presence makes us more accustomed to danger. The class time that whittles away? Instead of complaining, I rejoice! When I cover my ears, I’m merely appreciating the noise because I know that this is preparing me for an emergency. There has been some concern that if the fire alarm rings in the face of a real emergency, no one at school would take it seriously. However, I don’t think that is necessarily the case. When the alarm goes off, class is interrupted. Teachers go outside to ask other teachers about the situation. Students follow standard alarm protocol by covering their ears. Then, everybody waits for the official announcement that declares whether or not the alarm is real. Although there’s never an announcement at the start of an alarm to say that it’s just a mishap, when the announcement does
Cartoon courtesy of MEGAN LEE come, it is appreciated because now students know what to do. Once the announcement comes, the hysteria is over. We wait in anticipation. Because maybe, for the very first time, it’s an actual emergency. And then we hear the fateful words: “False alarm.” How the school waits on those words—never before had I realized how efficient the fire alarm system is at DBHS. So if an actual emergency occurs, our school will take it seriously. I can already imagine the situation. When a fire occurs at school,
and the fire alarm rings (once more), the usual will happen. Students will cover their ears and their teacher will check if the drill is real. If the fire is located at the foreign language building and this is the math building? No worries. Once the official announcement comes on to alert students and staff, we will all be called to action. It doesn’t matter if students and teachers don’t get out of the classrooms right away and follow standard fire drill procedures, because they’re actually prepared. After all, they’ve heard the fire alarm plenty.
Are the annual APES campaigns accomplishing enough?
yusheng xia news editor
I
OPINION
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 25, 2015
n life, the process of something is often more important than the results. This is based on the idea that, unlike results, a process is repeatable, measureable, and most importantly, improvable. For high school students in the midst of acquiring knowledge needed to obtain success into the real world, the annual AP Environmental Science projects are the perfect assignments for teaching students the process of running a campaign, influencing the public, and making change all while relating to the environmental conservation subject at hand. Critics of the project focus mainly on the seemingly low fruition rate of the APES projects that occur every year. They tend to view incomplete projects as a letdown to the school’s population and incorrectly assume that the main purpose of the assignment is to create an immediate impact beneficial towards our environment. The people with this perspective don’t understand what the APES project is about nor do they realize how environmental conservation truly works. First let us start with what it means to make an environmental impact. When dealing with conservation, the main objective is to spread awareness and educate people about a certain problem in order to achieve positive results. Small-scale projects carried out in small areas don’t necessarily help a conservation effort as effectively as promoting the cause of a project to the general population. The goal of an environmental project is to create a domino effect for more and more individuals to realize that the environ-
con
ment matters, not so that project undertakers can save a miniscule amount of natural resources that is practically negligible compared to the amount we lose everyday. In addition, those who believe that a failed project results in a failed learning experience don’t realize the extent of work done by the students for the assignment. The APES project itself isn’t so simple as just a proposal followed by a halfhearted attempt to complete the environmental undertaking. For every major project like SolarShade, students complete page after page of research ranging from in-depth descriptions of critical environmental problems to project benefits and the positive impact a conservation project can have on the future. Consequently, students are learning about environmental science in a way that is much more practical than listening to lectures on and on throughout the day. In the end, a project as complex as building solar panels in the school parking lot might not carry through to completion. However, the students will have learned a vast amount of information on the eco-friendliness of solar panels. This combined with the experienced they gained campaigning to promote a cause guarantees that they can try again as adults. While some APES projects ultimately might not succeed, the process will definitely stay permanent throughout a student’s life and guarantee the possibility of environmental conservation spreading past the boundaries of our school grounds and into our future.
eric hong asst. opinion editor
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he cycle begins with fervent campaigning in February that gradually begins to fade as the weeks crawl by. By the time May rolls around, the recurring disappearances of many of the once widely publicized AP Environmental Science projects leaves a sense of disappointment that’s all too familiar. Before I begin my griping, I must recognize that organizing projects takes a tremendous amount of effort, and I am certainly not accusing students of laziness. There is not much students themselves can do except come up with the concept of their respective projects, and a low rate of fruition over the years is hardly students’ fault when they are given a meager and often insufficient four months to meet their goals As it is, APES is not accomplishing much more than merely hosting a science fair that solely serves to showcase the various theories students come up with about improving the environment. I realize that implementation of APES’ project proposals is not necessarily the absolute focus of their campaigns and is rather one of many factors in the overall effort, but that is no reason to leave a project unfinished. These projects have been publicized under the claim that they will eventually be brought to full, palpable fruition, and by bringing the
entire student body into the campaign, these projects are no longer simply about earning a grade, but are about meeting the expectations of its supporters and fulfilling APES’ self-imposed obligations. The notion that students are arguably raising awareness of environmental issues on campus, one of the course’s major tenets, has an indirect effect on the Diamond Bar environment at most and is simply not enough. It is certainly understandable that there may be some unfortunate cases in which perfectly viable projects are halted in the process for reasons outside of students’ control—perhaps the result of a rejection from the district board. The fact that the majority of unfinished projects have never been presented to the district board strongly suggests that time is, in many cases, lacking. However, there is a solution; if more time is what students need, it is more time that they should be getting, whether it’s a few extra months or the entire school year. It doesn’t take an ecofreak to know that the environment is not something to be treated as a mere contest between classes—if any group on campus is to be aware of this, it should be the APES community. Although, granted, some current projects seem somewhat more viable than those of previous years, the fact that these ecofriendly campaigns have been going on for years with a notoriously low success rate remains unchanged. If APES teachers are okay with the idea of having the vast majority of their projects go without closure, I regret to inform this community that it is wasting the time of students, teachers, and administrators time. However, with more workable conditions for students, there is little doubt that APES will substantially be creating more change.
6
FEATURE
STAFF
SPOTLIGHT
handing out smiles
LILLY BALL
Student store advisor, Mrs. “Yo,” overlooks the daily disorder that takes place between hungry students during breaks and afterschool.
lilly ball asst. a&e editor Affectionately known as “Mrs. Yo,” Shannan Yothers, the DBHS student store manager, is popular among students not only because of her position, but also because of her upbeat personality. As the manager of one of the school’s hot spots, Yothers deals with the store’s inventory, ordering, and staff, and makes sure the store’s snacks and drinks are “SB12 compliant,” the reason the beloved Munchies snack mix has been taken away. Food guidelines for California schools limit that amounts of fat, salt, and sugar that can be in our snacks.
Restaurant Review
MARCH 25, 2015
THE BULL'S EYE
“I try to find the ‘healthy’ version of the snack that I know is popular,” Yothers said. Despite her many duties, Yothers makes sure to take time to focus on the social aspect of her job--talking to her staff and students. The store is a popular hangout and is often filled with students who have become friends with Yothrs, whose personality and smile is open and inviting. “We’re like a little family in here. People come and go and graduate, but I keep in touch with them,” Yothers said. After working as a paralegal for nine years, a high stress job that required her to work long hours away from home, Yothers decided she needed a change in her life so that she could spend more time with
her family. Though her position with the student store is very different from her previous job, Yothers feels as if she was meant to work at DBHS. “I love working with the kids and interacting with everyone. I love the atmosphere and the positive vibe, people come in here to hang out and socialize,” Yothers said. When she isn’t preparing the store for customers or ordering the schools supply of vegetable chips, Yothers loves to spend time with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. With her family, Yothers goes camping, snowboarding, and to Knott’s Berry Farm, where she has a season pass. Yothers’ husband is a musician and music producer. Together, the pair occasionally writes music in their home studio. “Our house is always full of music. We have a pretty active social life, we go out and listen to bands on the weekends,” Yothers shared. DBHS is one of the only high schools with a walk in snack store, and despite the student store’s popularity, Yothers hopes to expand the store online with a website that showcases the products. Many students have complained about the prices of the store’s products, but what most people don’t know is that all of the store’s profits fund their favorite campus events. “A hundred percent of the proceeds we earn here at the student store stay here on our campus. We don’t distribute the money throughout the district. Everything that the students spend here funds our site beautification, our proms, whatever you need on campus,” Yothers stated.
A poll of 94 students on what their ideal spring break consists of.
A Break away from California
brian chang catherine zhang contributing writers Spring break is right around the corner and with it comes the difficult choice between traveling afar and staying close to home. A few Diamond Bar High School students are already looking ahead towards the imminent vacation, which begins April 6. For those with friends in faraway lands, a week away from school is a golden opportunity to tour foreign countries, go sight viewing and catch up on old times. Freshman Annie Yen plans on doing that. “My sister’s friend moved to Paris maybe two years ago, and we’ve been wanting to visit her,” Yen said. “I’m really excited to see the Eiffel Tower, especially at night because you can see all of the lights.” The usual two day weekend typically isn’t enough to spend quality time with such family members, so senior Amy Zhu has decided to make the most of the upcoming vacation and pay a visit to her mom and grandparents up in Seattle. Some students, such as fresh-
A Little SLICE OF ITALY
sasha rivera asst. opinion editor Pizza. Whether gourmet or cheap, a majority of people, including myself, can easily call it their favorite food. There are so many different types as well: New Yorkstyle thin crust, Chicago deep dish, Trenton tomato pie, and even barstyle pizza. However, none of these radiate with the authenticity of the true Napoli pizza found at Fuoco Pizzeria Napoletana. Above all else I crave good flavor and authenticity in a restaurant. Fuoco Pizzeria Napoletana goes above and beyond in meeting these requirements with its pizza, genuine in a way that makes it different from any pizza I’ve eaten before. Located on North Harbor Boulevard in Fullerton, the restaurant brings to SoCal the succulent flavors of Naples. The owners of the pizzeria, Franco Ceccarelli and his son Tullio, are third generation pizzaiolos, or pizza makers, from Italy. They opened the first Fuoco Pizzeria Napoletana in San Diego. Now, they have several locations, with the newest being in Downtown Fullerton. They use traditional methods and specifications over 200 years old when making their pizzas. From their handmade oven imported from Italy, they burn fire fueled by wood. The pizzas are made from soft dough using little yeast, making the pizza very light and digestible. The pizza then bakes for
man Amanda Hsieh, plan on traveling to the sunny beaches of the Hawaiian Islands. “We plan to visit museums to learn about Hawaii’s history. I’m also really looking forward to swimming with dolphins because it’s my first time seeing them up close,” Hsieh said. Regardless of the fleeting span of one week, sophomore Aaron He plans on returning to his hometown, Canton, in China. “I’m going to see my family since it’s been two years,” He said. Similarly, freshman Angeline Cheng plans on visiting Taiwan to enjoy the various shopping areas, native delicacies, and see relatives during her week off school. “We’re visiting Taipei and Gao Xiong. I’m going to see my grandparents but I’m really excited to eat good food. I’m also probably going to go shopping at places like the night market,” Cheng said. Meanwhile, sophomore Kevin Zhang is planning to go on a cruise ship headed to Mexico to enjoy the local foods as well as hospitality. “I’m looking forward to trying the local cuisine and meeting new people. I’m also hoping to get a tan while I’m there!” Zhang said.
Photos by SASHA RIVERA
The Capricciosa (left) and Limoncello flute (right) are served at Fuoco Pizzeria Napoletana, an Italian restaurant. 90 degrees in the hot oven. Their main ingredients, Caputo flour and San Marzano tomatoes, are imported from Italy to ensure authentic flavor. The pizzeria is also certified by the Naples-based Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, requiring that the pizza be made with certain ingredients, equipment, and be cooked in only the traditional methods of true Napoli pizza. The inside of the restaurant is nicely decorated with wood furnishings, warm colors, and dim lighting. The pizza oven is visible from the seating area, giving customers a nice view of how the pizzas are made, as well as sending the delicious scents wafting throughout the restaurant. Overall, it had a very clean, warm, and friendly ambiance. The servers are also Italian and are part of the owner’s family; my waiter was very charismatic,
quick to emphasize the legitimacy of the Italian pizza. Now, on to the most important part: the food. I cannot even begin to express how delicious the pizza is at this restaurant. They have an extensive list of antipasto options; I tried the Involtini Ai Sapori, which is prosciutto wrapped around fresh mozzarella and arugula, served with extra virgin olive oil and pesto. The creaminess of the mozzarella paired with the succulent prosciutto and crisp arugula were already a charming medley of flavors, only to be enhanced by the sweetness of the olive oil and salty tang from the pesto. This dish was instantly recommended by our server. From the multiple times that I’ve eaten there, I’ve tasted a variety of their pizzas: affumicata, capricciosa, and black truffle, which is a special not on the menu. What makes
these pizzas particularly unique is that they have a very thin crust and the sauce is completely different from the usual American concoction. It is very light, with a sweet, almost sour and tangy flavor, not as thick and overly savory. The affumicata contains tomato sauce, smoked mozzarella, roasted mushrooms, basil, extra virgin olive oil and the capricciosa has tomato sauce, mozzarella, prosciutto, olives, roasted mushrooms, artichokes, basil, and extra virgin olive oil. The black truffle, though, was my favorite by far with its unique, luscious flavors from ricotta cheese, garlic, black truffles, mozzarella, and prosciutto. This pizza, however, was the most expensive due to the pricey ingredients. If ordering from the specials menu, I suggest asking for the price right away. Nonetheless, I found this dish to be worth the money and I
can easily say it’s one of the most delicious pizzas I have ever eaten. I also sampled one of the beautiful desserts available and the restaurant definitely excels in sweet flavors just as much as savory ones. Although their specialty is their Nutella pizza, which has Nutella, crushed hazelnuts, sliced strawberries and bananas, dusted with powdered sugar, I opted for a lighter option. The Limoncello flute is cool and refreshing with lemon gelato swirled with sour-sweet limoncello. It was the perfect balance of fresh sweetness after the flavorful dinner. The overall experience made for a fantastic night of wonderful food and conversation. I highly recommend a visit to this Fullerton gem for anyone in search of a good meal.
DETAILS cuisine: pizza
Address: 101 n harbor blvd, fullerton, ca. 92832 PHONE #: (714) 626-0727 PRICE RANGE: $11-$30 Yelp Rating:
FEATURE
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 25, 2015
7
Lyu makes most of her non-stop schedule frances wu asst. news editor It is a well-known fact that colleges don’t just look for good grades: applicants need to set themselves apart from the rest of the crowd through unique personal experiences. Senior Michelle Lyu has done exactly that, and after four years of dedication, Lyu is now enjoying the fruits of her labor and relishing the last few months of high school. As President of Paint Club and French Club, the Vice President of the California Scholarship Federation, and an Editor-in-Chief of Yearbook, Lyu has led a busy life and immersed herself in a wide variety of extracurricular activities at school. “They just taught me so much. It taught me what commitment is, and what hard work really is. With organizations like those, being able to step up… You had to genuinely be dedicated and committed; it’s stuff that I started in high school and rose up through the ranks in,” Lyu said. She has recently been accepted to USC and the UC Berkeley and has received a “likely” letter to the
Photos courtesy of MICHELLE LYU
Participating in the Aid Summer 2014 program, senior Michelle Lyu taught English to impoverished children in Taiwan. University of Pennsylvania, which is an unofficial acceptance sent to a small pool of a school’s most coveted applicants. The senior was flown out to Penn for a brief invitation-only program, which piqued her interest in the school. Lyu plans to major in biology. “I love biology so much. I actually like biology a lot more for the analysis and the interpretation side of it, which most people don’t get a sense of,” Lyu said. While her school year is packed with extracurricular activities and schoolwork, Lyu also filled her summers with internships. Being a part of Brahma Tech, Lyu was re-
quired to complete an internship, for which she worked closely with a local doctor. Additionally, she was a part of the Aid Summer 2014 program, which is an annual summer program that recruits around 400 students to teach English to impoverished children in Taiwan. “I actually considered another program where I would be conducting research for 10 weeks, and I thought that would align a lot better with my major, but being able to teach English to children is so much more eye-opening. It’s so unique. It sounds cheesy, but it really was a once-in-a-lifetime expe-
Club Corner
rience,” Lyu said. Lyu thinks that out of all of her high school experiences, extracurriculars were the most memorable. She has spent three years in Yearbook and is now standing triumphantly at the top of the food chain as the co-Editor-in-Chief, spending her fifth periods in the familiar world of page design and copy editing. “Yearbook taught me how to grow out of my comfort zone. As a staffer in Yearbook, I was interviewing people from all different groups. My favorite thing about Yearbook is how much correlation there is between hard work and
ALUMNI
paws
MELISSA GARCIA
DANCING WITH THE STARS yusheng xia news editor
Photo courtesy of Priscilla Suen
Officers (left to right) Rachel Jo, Priscilla Suen, and Yong Choi, attend a football game to promote animal welfare.
sarah markiewicz staff writer Almost everyone, pet owner or not, is accustomed to seeing animal shelter commercials with the starry-eyed orphaned dogs and cats. Influenced by these ads or by their own good-natured hearts, members of the second Diamond Bar High School pet club, PAWS, are volunteering their help at local area shelters. Nearby animal shelters have been helped by a number of DBHS organizations in the past, such as Leash and even clubs that are not affiliated with pets. PAWS club president Priscilla Suen, who is now a senior, took the initiative to begin another pet club last year so that more people at DBHS could participate in caring for strays and gaining community hours. PAWS’ beginnings also came about because Suen felt that the school’s other pet club Leash did not offer enough volunteering opportunities for its members. “I wanted to start the club because I knew that Leash club was inactive. I wanted something for myself and for other people to vol-
unteer in the community,” Suen said. After being disillusioned with Leash, she organized PAWS in the first semester of her junior year and it became an official club in February. Since then, the club has attracted about 300 members, who volunteer every weekend. “This year, we got a lot of new members, most of them freshmen actually, who are really interested in the club,” Rachel Jo, co-treasurer of PAWS, said. Jo, an owner of two dogs, also expressed her happiness with the club. “I get to work towards making it better out there for animals and at the same time enjoying it with some of my friends.” This year the club is working with two shelters, Cats in Need in Puente Hills and Priceless Pets in Chino Hills, which is also known as the Orphanage. “The club helps to educate [students] in a way, so if they find a stray they won’t bring it to a kill shelter because we try to encourage no-kill shelters like the places where we volunteer at,” Suen said. “Sometimes we get requests to do big activities, like when they have a 5k dog walk and we pass out water
rewards. Yearbook is one of those special organization where if you really put in the time, it’ll show and you’ll be able to step up and take charge,” Lyu said. The senior credits her supportive parents as one of the most essential elements of her success and thanks them for not putting any pressure on her. “Something that I really appreciate personally is the fact that my parents put no pressure on me whatsoever. They just want me to live a happy life, and I think it’s really sweet. Because of that, I think it motivates me in the way because I know that whatever I’m doing, it’s for me and not anyone else. The benefit of that is that everything that I do, it’s of my own free will and it’s what I genuinely enjoy,” Lyu said. There are ups and downs in any high school life, but now that there are only a few months left until it’s over, Lyu looks back on some of her fondest memories. “One of the things that I’m going to miss the most about high school is being in close contact with my closest friends. We’re so lucky as high school students to be able to see the people that we love the most on a daily basis in our classes or through our organizations,” Lyu reflected.
and walk the dogs.” These extra activities are offered in addition to other events like a fundraiser for blankets that occurs in the winter. “The Orphanage, a shelter for dogs, seems to always have more dogs than they are able to handle,” Renata Bienieck, the club’s event coordinator, said over Facebook. “This is why PAWS does not fundraise money, but supplies which can support animal shelters in providing for the inhabiting animals.” From there, Suen also hopes that PAWS can undertake even greater projects in the future by interacting within the community. In addition, Suen hopes that PAWS will differ from Leash in that it will collaborate with other clubs in the area as a way of branching out. “We started coordinating with Rowland High School because they have an animal club there too, and we were going to coordinate with them to host an adoption.” While the club is journeying into its second year, Suen hopes that these possibilities for PAWS to expand will bring more members to participate and to bond with fellow human members and their furry friends.
Behind the brilliance of every dance performance lies a mastermind that plans out every synchronized move and arranges them in the fluid routine that leaves spectators in awe. This is the life of Diamond Bar High School alumni Melissa Garcia, who is currently an artistic director working with top hit artists, such as Taylor Swift, in the entertainment industry. Garcia started learning the art of dance around the age of six, participating in dance competitions
since the age of eight. As a student at DBHS, Garcia was a part of the school’s dance team her freshman and sophomore year. There, Garcia found her love for performing and represented the school with the rest of the team at the World Championships for dance in Japan. “I think that your entire experience in high school, and everything you do in life kind of prepares you for what you do,” Garcia said. Following her years at DBHS, Garcia graduated from Chapman University with a degree in Public Relations. However, after two
˃˃ ALUMNI on p.12
Photo courtesy of MELISSA GARCIA
Dancer Melissa Garcia graduated from DBHS in 1994 and is now an artisitc director, working with celebrities, like Taylor Swift, in the entertainment industry.
8 FEATURE
MARCH 25, 2015
THE BULL'S EYE
What’s your biggest insecurity? “My math grade.”
joshua pei, sophomore
What is something people don’t necesarrily know about you? “I have a lot of cats...but aside from my cats. I think people don’t know that I’m pretty awkward, but I guess people do know that about me.. but I don’t know. I don’t know what people know.”
“I feel confident when a customer or client hits me up for a hair cut, because that just goes to show that they appreciate my existence— they appreciate my artwork.”
samantha samoylenko, senior
HUMANS + StUDENTS of DBHS
Andrew Ngo, sENIOR
“Oh yeah, I’m a grandfather of nine. They call me ‘Pops’.”
jack galeener, glc
“I want to be a pilot in the Air Force, but it’s not possible right now because I’m not an American citizen. I don’t know how long it’ll take but it’s my greatest goal.”
chanho lee, senior
Scan the QR code to view more portraits on Students + Humans of DBHS Tumblr.
“It was 2 a.m. and past our curfew, we were at a FBLA conference and our roommates were sleeping and I was just eating peanuts in the bathtub and she was sitting on top of the toliet.”
Kaitlyn Chao, Nicole Kim, sophomores
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 25, 2015
9
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his week during lunch, rock bands and musical ensembles are vigorously battling it out for the chance to place as a Battle of the Bands finalist, ultimately competing for the paramount prize: the Championship Trophy. The winning group will receive campus-wide recognition and the chance to perform in the last rally of the year. Before the battle heats up and the judges’ adjudications decree the finale, the musicians shared their intentions for the event last week. Read Evon Hung’s full article at dbbullseye.com
The Phorbiden Phunguyz
Guapamole With My Woes
Members: Yasi Hekmat, Jacqueline Aluning, Noah Skidgel, Aaron Kerestes, and Anthony Vasquez “I hope to have fun performing with my band mates. It’s not every day that I get to perform and rock out in front of an audience,” -Jacqueline Aluning
Members: Ryan Low, Ariana Infante, Jennifer King, Marcus Phung, and Phillip Lee (not pictured) “Last year, we were just having fun [but] I decided to take it a little more serious. We’re working as best as we can to win the competition,” -Phillip Lee
The Laundry Basket Escape Plan
Members: Aaron Kerestes, Evan Landi, Kevin Schmitt, Noah Skidgel, and Alex Silva “Im really looking forward to performing live and helping my friends forget they’re at school for a couple of minutes,” -Alex Silva
B AT T L E OF THE
BANDS
The Symptom
Members: Richard Martinez, Jesse Medrano, Howard Chu, Heywood Chu, and Austin Anderson (not pictured) “I just hope for everyone to get together, play music, and have fun and enjoy each other because that’s what it’s really about: to showcase the talent of DBHS and what we have to offer,” -Heywood Chu
The Outro
Matsunaenae
Members: Andrew Kusmohadi, Ben Yoo, Ulf Wong, and Kristie Leung “We’re just trying to make it work. We’re also all Christian and decided to form this band not only to do what we love but also for the glory of God. For Battle of the Bands, [we would] like to get our name out there and just have a good time,” -Kristie Leung
Members: Aaron Kerestes, Anthony Vasquez, Madison Landi, Noah Skidgel, and Darryl Matsune (not pictured) “We want to pick something that’s catchy but shows technicality in the music—something that’s not really [a song] you can pick up and learn in a couple hours: something that takes time,” -Aaron Kerestes
10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
MARCH 25, 2015
THE BULL'S EYE
Now Showing:
INSURGENT Incoming director Robert Schwentke takes little time to stop for fluff and humor on Tris and Tobias’s whirlwind mission through the dystopian world of factions in the ‘Divergent’ series’s second installment ‘Insurgent.’ sarah markiewicz staff writer There’s much to criticize about Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” world and its stereotypical factions, so the filmmakers had every right to tweak “Insurgent,” the second installment of the “Divergent” series as much as he could. While the film took on a more straightforward plot, the post-apocalyptic world was not cured of its lack of sense; the interesting twists, conflicts and resolutions of the book are sacrificed in favor of uninspiring action scenes. Stealing away from the ensuing takeover of the city by the ruthless Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet) of the Erudite, Tris (Shailene Woodley), who is carrying the guilt from the last installment with the deaths of her parents and friend, must also tolerate their temporary stay in the Amity faction, which is full of peace-loving farmers. Of course, “Insurgent” will not keep the non-violent scenes up for long, as Tris and her boyfriend Tobias (Theo James) divert their attentions to recovering an emblematic box, which is said to hold secrets about what lies outside the walls of their society, from Erudite headquarters. As the characters and audience
A&E
feel the anxiety of learning what the leaders of the city are trying to hide about the outside world, Tris and Tobias also venture to the never-before-seen Factionless and Candor sectors, where they fight through the sectors’ chilling customs and reunite with characters from the former installment such as Tris’s friend Christina (Zoe Kravitz) and the unforgiveable and unforgettable Eric (Jai Courtney), the vindictive Dauntless trainer. With such enemies, Tris doubts her ability to keep the people around her safe. First of all, those who read the book can take note that not a scene goes by that mimics the events of the book. Especially near the end of the book, I was waiting for things to carry out as I had expected, but director Robert Schwentke, who has replaced the director of the first movie, knows how to take points from the book and manipulate them to serve the characters’ new purpose in the film— to find out about where their society originated from. These changes did not add any depth or even interest to the story. If anything, some of the changes limited the conflicts and character twists from the book. And with a rather disappointing ending to the film, I did not feel any interest in seeing the next installments. By
CALENDAR
Last month in A&E... March 14: DBHS Cheer team, Varsity Song Pom, and Advanced Song Jazz all won first place at Best of the West competition, hosted at Beckman High School. March 20: DBHS Varsity Cheer saw an improvement from fifth place at Nationals last year by placing second this year. March 20: DB All-Male won first place at nationals for the fifth consecutive year. (For details, visit dbbullseye. com) March 21: Our Drama department competed
at Fullerton Festival this weekend and freshman Amelia Anijielo, who plays the Witch in this year's Sping musical, Into the Woods, placed 3rd for Dramatic Contemporary Monologue.
Look forward to... March 23-27: Battle of the Bands at upper quad during lunch March 29: Miss Diamond Bar Pageant at DB Theater 2 p.m. April 2: Thursday Night Live at DB April 23-25: DBHS drama presents “Into the Woods”
CORRECTIONS In last month’s dance competition article, it was reported that Large Lyrical won first place, but it actually won fourth place.
the time it looked like the film was nearing its end, it wasn’t and the ensuing action almost had me falling asleep until the end credits. Supporting cast members Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts, who play sector leaders introduced in the “Insurgent” novel, had a lot of capability in the film but again, there wasn’t much character development for either of them since the plot was so fast-paced. While the movie’s frequent action and rushed plot were detracting, most fast-paced scenes were done well. Still, those who have read the book might be bored, as the film leaves out many of the book’s interesting subplots. The special effects stood out in the various simulation scenes, similar to those in the first film, but other than that they were unremarkable as the film’s music score, though the sound effects could be bracing and energizing. Like “Divergent,” the sequel “Insurgent” was somewhat memorable and I’m glad that this director is trigger-happy in making many diversions from the book. If he is an “Allegiant” to the final installments, let’s hope he can keep the changes, even the pace, and strengthen the storyline, since the award-winning book’s been divided into two (most likely unnecessary) parts.
Photo courtesy of HDWALLPAPER.IN
Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) fight off evil together in the film.
B r a h m a S i n g s i n L. A. O p e r a Pr o d u c t i o n michelle ki asst. feature editor Although sophomore Madison Landi has already surpassed expectations as an aspiring musician, she has now taken her music career a step further. She was cast in the Los Angeles Opera’s production of “Noah’s Flood,” performed earlier this month. Landi initially started singing when she was in fifth grade with her brother’s band in her backyard. However, when the band ultimately broke up, Landi took the initiative to look for a new band herself, as a lead singer. She came across a band that had lost their lead singer at Chaparral Middle School; so during brunch time in seventh grade, Landi asked to be a part of the band and they accepted. So far, Landi’s rising singing career includes performances with her current band, Matsunaenae, at the House of Blues in Anaheim, The Grove of Anaheim, and Disneyland. Her band consists of DBHS students, sophomore Darryl Matsune, juniors Aaron Kerestes, Anthony Vasquez, and senior Noah Skidgel. However, Landi’s talent doesn’t stop with just singing. After doing musicals in middle school, Landi started to take interest in the field of acting. This led her to try out in January for “Noah’s Flood,” put on by the LA Opera. Landi initially auditioned at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles for the part as “Gossip 2.” She received a call back and eventually secured the role. Although
Landi faced a tight schedule full of ever, she was lucky enough to have rehearsals Monday through Friday someone to guide her along the from 4 to 8 p.m. and occasional Satway. urday practices, she doesn’t regret Although Landi wants to pursue joining the production at all. a career in the music field, she is “It was very time consuming not sure which branch specifically. and nerve wrecking working with “I’m leaning more towards the people such as James Conlon, but business side of the music industry the end product was definitely rather than trying to be an actual worth it. I was more excited than artist. I’m looking to major in einervous,” Landi said. ther music management or recordThe production of “Noah’s ing technology,” she said. Flood” took place on March 6 and Through it all, Landi treasures 7, focusing on the story of Noah’s the importance of good people in Ark. Landi’s character taunts her life over any amount of money Noah into thinking he is dumb for and materialistic items. thinking there will be a flood. In the end, the Gossips die and everyone else continues with their lives. “Noah’s Flood” sold out both nights of the production, with over 2000 people attended each night. “Even though the role was small, I felt proud because I’ve never sung opera before, so [the] fact that I even got casted made me happy,” Landi said. Being a newcomer in the field of opera, Landi didn’t Photo courtesy of MADISON LANDI know what to expect. How- Landi poses with a cast member from the L.A. production.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 25, 2015
11
Student Spotlight
Tech Preview:
GARRETT MASUDA
calvin ru staff writer
siz e
al
ctu
Photo courtesey ofgottabemoble.
While iPhone users received their updated phones five months ago, fans of Samsung are finally in for a treat. The completely redesigned Galaxy S6, which is being called the company’s game changer, will be released April 10. The phone’s previous model, the Galaxy S5, was not the company’s most successful product. The Galaxy S6 hopes to bring the company back to the top through a better design and new features. While the size of the screen remains at 5.1 inches, Samsung made sure to impress with a new 2,560 x 1,440-pixel display, supplying an extremely high resolution display. However, there are concerns with how much battery this new feature will drain because the battery has been lowered from previous years. Samsung hopes to make up for the low capacity, non-removable battery with a new Ultra Power Saving Mode. Of all the updates, one of the most anticipated is Samsung’s transition from a plastic exterior to one of a fusion of Corning’s go-
rilla glass and aluminum. The new material gives the phone a sleek and attractive look. Samsung described the finish on the phones as “jewel-like” and they come in the colors white pearl, black sapphire, gold platinum, and blue topaz to match the theme. Samsung has always strived for a common ground between image quality and user-friendly cameras, and the new Galaxy S6 is no exception. The 16-megapixel camera has quality that will please users. The front-facing camera has also been upgraded to 5 megapixels and a wide 120-degree angle so users can fit more into their selfies. Samsung is also advertising a 0.6 second camera startup time. While there was a fingerprint reader on the Galaxy S5, it was poorly installed and seemed to be thrown in to compete with Apple. The new fingerprint sensor corrects all the previous mistakes, making it much more like Apple’s Touch ID. Additionally, the sensor can be set up to memorize certain tapping patterns, a feature that Apple lacks. The Galaxy S6 looks to be a drastic improvement from the S5. With top-ofthe-line hardware hidden beneath an attractive exterior, the Galaxy S6 is expected to sell considerably better than its predecessor. *a
emily jacobsson contributing writer
While most people dream of meeting celebrities, junior Garrett Masuda has already worked with them. A former actor in various national commercials such as McDonald’s and Yoplait, and the face of the Japanese ghost boy in “Scary Movie 4,” Masuda has had a different childhood than most. “Every job you work, it’s kind of different. Not only are you being someone different, you also get to meet different people,” Masuda said. When Masuda was five years old, he took karate with a friend who worked as an actress. She piqued his interest and referred him to her agent. After a successful interview with CESD talent agency, young Masuda began his career as an actor. Before he began to take roles in front of the camera, Masuda started off with a “print job” at Disney.
A print job is any work done on paper such as magazines or flyers. The young actor modeled for companies such as Disney and later for Target, or JCPenny. In 2006, at age seven, Masuda began his film career, playing the Japanese ghost boy in “Scary Movie 4,” a film series that parodied many horror films. He played as a spoof of Toshio Saeki from “The Grudge,” a boy who was murdered by his father and haunted his father’s house and future residents for the rest of his life. “I was excited because I had got to film in Canada and I had a lot of really cool experiences,” Masuda said. A year later, Masuda also depicted young Hiro Nakamura, a man with the ability to manipulate space and time, in flashbacks for two episodes in “Heroes,” a fictional TV series about people with supernatural powers. Masuda continued to audition for various roles and soon found himself in the commercial indus-
try. He advertised for various products such as McDonald’s, Go-gurt, Verizon, and Trix. The young actor also did a voice over for one of the characters in Disney’s Kinect Disneyland Adventure video game. “Everyone on set is generally always really friendly and nice. After a while in the business, you see a lot of the same faces over and over again at auditions and once in a while you may get to work with a person more than once and get to know them,” Masuda said via Facebook. Due to many demanding school classes and multiple extracurricular activities, Masuda has discontinued his career in the film industry. Currently, the junior is taking four AP classes, is captain of varsity tennis, president for Easter Seals Disability Services, and the founder of Stomp out Hunger. He is also the chairman for DB4Youth and a tech board member for CSF. “It was a hobby. After high school I want to go on to college and pursue other fields,” Masuda said.
Photo courtesy of JUONTHEGRUDGE.WIKIA.COM
CALVIN RU
Masuda scares fellow cast memeber Anna Faris in a scene from “Scary Movie 4” (left). Masuda (right) has matured since his acting days, and is now involved in various on-campus activities such as Easter Seals Disability services and tennis.
WORDS WITH WONG:
Wo n g ’s A & E W i n n e r s emily wong a&e editor For the longest time, I never had a favorite book, show, film, and musician because I wasn’t decisive enough to pick out “the one.” Despite the struggle to filter my giant field of entertainment picks to the cream of the crop, I have narrowed my decisions in hopes that you, too, may enjoy them as much as I have. Favorite Book: East of Eden As sad as it is, I don’t consider myself an avid reader, something I hope to improve over the summer. Even so, I knew there was something special when I read “East of Eden.” A novel by John Steinbeck, “East of Eden” is intimidating in size—with over 600 pages—but is well worth the time. The story is an allegory of the Biblical stories of Cain and Abel and Adam and Eve. Although I tend to stray from pieces with religious allusions, Steinbeck’s straightforward writing style and profound message about the innate conflict between good and evil within humanity and the individual’s decision to choose spoke to me more than any other book I have ever read. Steinbeck’s piece is an insightful look inside humanity’s inborn traits and has opened my eyes to a person’s true character. Frankly, this was one of the few famous literature pieces I didn’t want to Sparknotes. I loved every word of it.
Favorite TV Show: “Friends” (1994-2004) Anybody who knows me understands I have an unhealthy addiction with television shows. In fact, I start and finish at least three different TV shows each year. Even though I have watched countless television shows, there has only been one that has stood out in my mind. I have watched “Friends” over and over from the beginning to the end several times, including the blooper reels. The sitcom chronicles the lives of six different friends living in New York City and their character development throughout the years. I have never watched a show that has as funny lines and likeable character as “Friends” does. Chandler Bing will go down as my all-time favorite fictional character. Anytime I have a bad day, I just put on an episode and my bad mood is immediately alleviated. My giant “Friends” poster hanging in my room is definitely something I will be taking to college. Favorite Film: “The Parent Trap” (1998) Directed by Nancy Meyers, “The Parent Trap” is the tale of two twins (Lindsay Lohan) separated by their divorced parents and raised on two different continents without knowledge of each other’s existence. They eventually reunite at a summer camp and attempt to bring their parents (Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson) back together again. In addition to its catchy soundtrack, the movie has its moments of knee-slapping laughter to heartwarming tears.
“The Parent Trap” may be an music. Even so, I am glad to have tency of Sinatra’s songs, an eclecadorable film that encompasses been exposed to the crooner’s eftic range of powerful tunes (“My Lindsay Lohan’s best years before fervescent music that epitomizes Way”) and soft melodies (“I’ve her string of bad publicity events, the swing era. Though it was a Got a Crush on You”), swayed me but it also holds a special place tough call between Nat King Cole’s toward Ol’ Blue Eyes. Listening to in my heart. Since my parents smooth-as-velvet voice and Sinaany of his songs is enough to pull worked a lot when I was younger, tra’s seductive one, the consisme from reality and into the 1940s. my TV was pretty much all I had. I remember watching “The Parent Trap” on consecutive days when it aired on Disney Channel (throwback to those 8 p.m. Disney Movie weekends). Watching the movie is a nostalgic taste of my elementary school days full of carefree attitudes and blissful ignorance. Favo r i t e Musician: Frank Sinatra I wish I had listened to Frank Sinatra’s jazzy, swingy tunes earlier to shorten the time I had to put up with Photos courtesy of POPSUGAR.COM, MASHABLE.COM, TUNINGPP.COM this generation’s lackA young Lindsay Lohan (top left) plays twins Annie and Hallie in the film“The Parent Trap.” A youthful luster taste in Frank Sinatra (top right) sings and bottom is the “Friends” TV show cast sipping milkshakes.
12 FEATURE
MARCH 25, 2015
THE BULL'S EYE
Shining backstage Garcia became a choreographer following her dancing career. ALUMNI from p.7 and a half years in the field, Garcia realized how much she missed performing and obtained an agent in order to become a professional dancer. Dancing on stage, Garcia participated in many world tours and performed with famous stars like artist Katy Perry and the rock band No Doubt. “As a dancer, your life is like living in fantasy land. Being on the world tour, you’re staying in the nicest hotels, and you’re getting treated amazing. The fans are giving you tons of attention because you are the closest thing they could get to before they get to the artist. It’s an easy, amazing life,” Garcia said. For a couple of years, Garcia
worked as a choreographer before becoming the Associate Creative Director of the production and design company Silent House in Los Angeles. As the Creative Director, Garcia conceptualizes tours, live show performances, and television performances for famous artists. “We travel with [the artists] and work with them on what is on the video screens and what the choreographers will do and what costumes they wear and how they move around the stage. We basically are the element that puts it all together,” Garcia said. Garcia was offered the job of being the creative director after meeting Silent House CEO Baz Halpin. After initially attempting to continue dancing, the rigor of the schedule forced Garcia to stop dancing in 2012. While Garcia doesn’t believe she was ready to stop dancing, she knew that it was the best decision for her future and that it was where she wanted to be. “As a creative and artistic director, the pressure and the demand of the job are huge, and it’s working 17 to 20 hour days for months at a time because nothing really
talk to ALUMS FROM U PENN UC BERKELEY UC DAVIS RICE UNIV
“As a dancer, your life is like living in a fantasy land... It’s an easy, amazing life.” MELISSA GARCIA happens without your hand being a part of it. I don’t think people really understand that there is a person or a small army of people that are basically the ones that make anything you guys view as an audience member happen,” Garcia said. Garcia believes that her perseverance and her ability to chase after her passion are what allowed her to succeed and have a job in a career she loves. Her advice to high school students who haven’t decided on a career is to go after what they love and never give up. “I think you need to definitely find your passion and don’t be afraid to fall and go after your passion even if it’s a little bit out of the norm and out of the box because if it’s something you really want, you can make it happen.”
Photo courtesy of MELISSA GARCIA
The alumnus (far right) was a part of the Dance Team at DBHS.
college talk
with bull’s eye alumni
MORE INFO ON DBBULLS EYE.COM
SPORTS
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 25, 2015
Positive end to the preseason BOYS TENNIS The Brahmas started off this year with a disappointing loss but quickly bounced back with three consecutive wins. calvin ru staff writer As the boys’ tennis team smashed its way through the Palomares League, the Brahmas dominated teams in Division II and challenged others in Division I. Off to a strong 3-1 start, with the one loss to the Division I Beckman Patriots, nothing seems to be able to stop the
Brahmas from victories. Even though boys varsity was obliterated on Feb. 24 by the Beckman Patriots 18-0, the game was a good challenge for the boys. The Brahmas quickly recuperated and continued to push themselves, and their efforts proved fruitful after they conquered Sunny Hills 11-7 on Feb. 27. “Like the coach always says, ‘iron sharpens iron’,” captain junior Garrett Masuda stated. “He just put us into the fire for that [match].” To prepare themselves mentally, the team runs specific drills while coach Dave Hamel also adds in penalties and consequences during each practice, which apply pressure on each individual. “Our drilling is mainly training
for situations that may come up during a match. It helps me to play smarter and recognize those situations,” senior Joey Wang said. A few days later on March 3, DB competed against Villa Park and tied 9-9. The winner was decided by the team that won the greater amount of games played in the match. The Brahmas ended up victorious at 83 games to Villa Park’s 79 games. “Tennis is a lot of mental strategy so it’s more than just going out and hitting a ball,” coach Hamel stated. “I expect from [them] their best effort, and hopefully that will result in a successful feat.” On March 17, the Brahmas defeated Crean Lutheran 11-7. Number one singles player sophomore Neil Tengbumroong shut out his
Seniors Roger Yang (left) and Daniel Chai (right) rallies against each other to prepare for the Valencia match.
opponents in both his matches, achieved a double bagel, or two perfect sets. Both No. 2 Masuda and No.3 senior Mayur Upparapalli also achieved bagels against their respective singles opponents. Usually, the singles win more sets than the doubles, but against Crean Lutheran, the doubles team won seven out of nine sets, three more than the singles team. “We are doing very well. We beat some of the top schools like Crean Lutheran,” coach Hamel said. “We beat Villa Park, and we beat Sunny Hills. We’re off to a good start.” The Brahmas prepare to finish the preseason off with a win against Valencia High School today.
Photos by JAMES KIL
On the alley to its fourth CIF BADMINTON Although they expect to win another title this season, the Brahmas are putting more effort into creating better team chemistry. bernard chen asst. news editor
on how much talent we return, and we return a ton of great players,” coach Kemp Wells said. Though all the captains and With its history of three con- coach Wells are expecting to win secutive CIF Championships, the CIF again this year, they are also Diamond Bar High School varsity hoping to participate in more badminton team expects to achieve games throughout the regular yet another title this season. Aside season. Like last year, DB may from competition, the captains compete in the Azusa tournahope to improve team commitment again, and plans to send two ment, increase bonding time, and groups to play. earn greater acknowledgement for “One of the things that’s pretty the sport. fortunate is that most of our play“We really think we have an exers come, I would say 80 to 85 percellent chance to win our fourth cent, prepared because they do so straight CIF championship. We did much work in the off-season. Skilllose a lot of talent, but I rank teams wise, they are in great shape. We don’t have to do as much conditioning as we used to,” coach Wells said. Off the court, the team is working to create better chemistry among the teammates. Each game, the team has a food exchange called Brahma Buddies, where players exchange snacks. “I believe that bonding is important because as team, supporting each other is a very important role. If we are closer to each other, we will support each other Junior Miriam Sun contributes a win for DB. during the game re-
Photos by ANDREW CHOI
Junior Samantha Yang reaches to hit the shuttlecock against Mayfield. sulting in a better performance and more wins,” sophomore Justin Lam said. While the team’s skill is not a concern for junior Jonah Perea, he believes the team’s commitment level can be improved. Perea plans to deliver more motivational speeches to his teammates when the team deals with adversity. “Some people in this team need to bring more commitment into this sport. But other than that, we have a really solid team,” Perea
said. In addition to competitions, senior Ivorine Do hopes for the team to gain more acknowledgment for their efforts. While many fans’ interests goes toward other sport teams, the badminton team has been one of the few DB teams to bring in titles and victories on a consistent basis. “People aren’t aware of how difficult badminton can be and often undermine it. Some people say it’s not even a sport,” Do said.
13
SPORTS COLUMN
Dodger moves will pay off andrew choi sports editor
T
he combination of the baseball masterminds Andrew Friedman and Farlan Zaidi is something special. Friedman, the president of Baseball Operations for the Dodgers, and Zaidi, the general manager of the Dodgers, has completely reformed the franchise by making numerous transactions that made the Dodgers a better team in just a 12-hour span. After adding more depth and upgrading at positions of need, the Blue and White are in the driver’s seat for the National League Championship. Last year, the drama in the crowded outfield was hectic and unnecessary. Players like Andre Either and former All-Star Matt Kemp complained multiple times to the media about not having enough playing time. This just added more stress to manager Don Mattingly as he was reported to be on the hot seat in the last couple of months of the 2014 season. However, the Dodgers’ new management soothed out this Hollywood drama by trading Kemp and his $100 million contract to the far below-average San Diego Padres. The underrated aspect of the Matt Kemp trade was the acquisition of catcher Yasmani Grandal. “Yasmani who” were the words many Dodger fans said as they were baffled by the franchise for giving up a former All-Star who was on a hot streak toward the last end of the season. However, Grandal is a major upgrade over Dodgers’ catcher A.J. Ellis. Last year, Grandal was a better defensive catcher as he was ranked 13th in pitching frame compared to Ellis’ ranking of 99th. The infield of the Blue and White has been completely transformed and has a more veteran look to last year’s team. The Dodgers chose not to re-sign overrated shortstop Hanley Ramirez and traded away second baseman Dee Gordon, which was the most confusing move of the entire offseason. Gordon was an rising infielder who led the league in steals with 64. Instead, Friedman and Zaidi acquired veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins and second baseman Howie Kendrick. Both infielders give the team consistent bats that have the potential driving in runs. Gordon only gave the team speed while the acquisition of Rollins gives the team a consistent lead-off hitter and a great defensive glove. The Dodger’s finally got rid of starting pitcher Dan Haren. I have always thought the franchise made a bad investment in Haren as he was on the downhill of his career. The Dodgers were too late in the season to realize that Haren, who posted a 4.02 earned runs average, was a liability more than an asset. In the offseason, the Blue and White took the risk of signing starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy to take his spot in the rotation. Although McCarthy’s track record is not phenomenal compared to Clayton Kershaw and Zack Grienke, Dodgers fans have to believe in the new management. This transaction is a big-reward, low-risk deal since the former New York Yankee had a sub 3.00 era until he got injured mid-season last year. Opening Day is just around the corner. With these acquisitions, fans of the Blue and White better get their popcorn ready to the new Dodgers. As Vin Scully would say “It’s time for Dodger baseball.”
14 SPORTS
THE BULL'S EYE
Pitching prowess SOFTBALL The Lady Brahmas’ young team heads into the Palomares League with a stingy defense but lacks a consistent offense. andrew choi sports editor A challenge awaits in the Palomares League for the Diamond Bar softball team. After having a 5-4 overall record in the preseason, the experienced Lady Brahmas know they are going to face many bumps along the way during league play. “We are very optimistic that we are going to do well overall. We got a lot of new talent. Some key freshmen are now starting for us. The kids that have come in are a lot more skilled this year. The kids that
are returning have played at least 40 to 50 games of travel ball. We are going to be playing in a tough Palomares League. We are very pleased with the outcome of how hard our kids are playing,” coach Roberta Garcia-Uyemura said One concern the team has is its inconsistency with the bat. In the first game against Redondo Union, the Lady Brahmas were held scoreless, losing 9-0. In the preseason, the team has been averaging 4.2 runs a game, far below last year’s average of 5.8 runs. “Hitting is always a challenge. Sometimes our kids have difficul-
ANDREW CHOI
Junior Casey Tamanaha practices her stroke during practice in the batting cages.
ties with certain pitches and so we try to work on that during practice. That is probably our main thing,” coach Garcia-Uyemura said. Throughout the preseason, the Lady Brahmas have consistently relied on their junior captain Casey Tamanaha. The catcher currently has a .550 batting average with five
“We are very optimistic that we are going to do well overall. We got a lot of new talent. Some key freshmen are now starting for us. The kids that have come in are a lot more skilled this year.” COACH ROBERTA GARCIAUYEMURA runs batted in throughout the season. Tamanaha best game of the season so far was against Western when she had three hits with one being a two-run home run. “She has been batting third and had been hitting the ball really well. She is the one we are looking forward to in driving in the key runs,” coach Garcia-Uyemura commented. However, even though the team lacks a consistent bat, the Lady Brahmas’ pitching has been spectacular through the first eight games of the season. DB currently has a 1.58 earned runs average per game and has held three of their opponents to one run or less. With league play just around the corner, there is a positive atmosphere floating around the softball program as the teammates are creating a firm bond to hold for the season. “One of our strengths is that we’re all really close to each other and get along really well. Our strategies are to just go out on the field and have fun and not to worry about messing up because we all have each other’s back,” senior first baseman Jackie Zuniga said. The Lady Brahmas will face Madera tomorrow and then participate in the Diamond Bar Springfest tournament on Friday and Saturday.
MARCH 25, 2015
Readying a large track team TRACK & FIELD With a new coaching staff and over 200 athletes, DB shows sign of performing well. gaby dinh asst. web editor
As the team begins to face off in its new league, Diamond Bar track and field has undergone many changes prior to the start of the season. The majority of the track and field coaches are new to the team, including head coaches Sally Jarvis and Joseph Beaudion. Track and field has also doubled in size, with over 200 participants. This is a contrast to last year’s season, where the size of the track and field team significantly smaller, reducing the usual number of players that were on the team. “Last year the track and field team was cut in half, so it was harder to do well because people were scrambling since they had to do more events than they usually did,” varsity junior Anabelle Cheng said. “I had to do both the 800 and the 400 and they were really close to each other. I was tired by the time I had to do the 400.” H oweve r, with the abundance of new coaches and a bigger team, Jarvis believes that track and field can do well in the Palomares League even though it will be very competitive. “We have had a few invitaANDREW CHOI tionals and the Sophomore Xavier Johnson sprints against his teammates.
Jeffrey Lin
ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
Grapples and Tackles frances wu asst. news editor Senior Jeffrey Lin is the perfect example of a successful high school athlete; while many students find it difficult to manage both school and a sport, Lin, a year-round athlete, has excelled in three sports while also maintaining his grades. On the football team, he was a defensive end and offensive guard; for track, he throws shot and discus; and he was also on the wrestling team. He has been a part of these teams since his freshman year and made varsity for each team in his junior year, fulfilling one of his most significant high school goals. “Before freshman year started, I’ve wanted to be involved with the school’s athletics and I always wanted to participate in multiple sports. After I started playing football, I just pushed myself to join other sports,” Lin said. Recently, Lin, as the captain of the wrestling team, competed in the CIF Masters for wrestling, winning three matches in the CIF Individuals and finishing in sixth place. In his junior year, Lin made a different impact on Diamond Bar High’s athletic program as he was named the athletics commissioner of the USB. The senior organized
events like the Branding Iron Week and was in charge of creating school spirit for different sport teams. While Lin balances both his athletic career and school, he believes that the most important thing he does outside of school is relaxing. On weekends, Lin can be found alleviating the pressure by hanging
“Before freshman year started, I’ve wanted to be involved with the school’s athletics and I always wanted to participate in multiple sports.” SENIOR JEFFREY LIN out with his friends. He believes that it was helpful when he just “pushed through” and maintained an upbeat attitude. Some of his favorite memories of high school involve his closest friends. “Just whenever all my friends came to support me at my games or matches. It was even better when I won,” Lin said. To the senior, the most important people in his life are his family members, his group of close friends, which he has affectionately nicknamed “The Mob Squad,” and his girlfriend, Jade Chen, a DBHS class of 2014 alum.
team did pretty well,” junior Eric Chen said via facebook message. “The coaches are making everyone work hard.” The team had their first mock track meet at the beginning of the month, where they raced against each other. It participated in the Bishop Amat relays on March 7 and an invitational at Walnut High School on March 14. Some of the notable scorers at the Bishop Amat relays included senior Austin Warrington who placed 4th in the 100 meters at 11.14 seconds, senior Isaiah Austin who placed 1st in the 110 meters hurdles at 14.88 seconds, and the Diamond Bar relay team placed 4th in the 4x100 meters relay at 52.46 seconds. “The times were fantastic as a starting point,” Jarvis commented. “The kids are where they should be.” Their first league meet will be on Friday at South Hills High School, where the Brahmas will compete against Claremont, Bonita, Ayala, Glendora, and South Hills. “Now that we have some great event coaches and a lot of students, I think this season is going to go very well in regards to personal bests. It’ll go very smoothly because we have such a strong coaching staff and some very involved athletes,” Jarvis said.
Even though Lin is dedicated to three sports, he believes that his greatest moments are yet to come. “I wish I could’ve done better in my sports, but looking back, I realized I did everything I could and worked as hard as I could. Knowing that, I don’t have many regrets,” Lin explained. And while Lin has conquered high school and can now look back, he has set his sights on his next challenge: college. Lin aspires to be a doctor, and plans to major in premed, although he is still undecided on what college he will attend. Many high school athletes come from an athletic background and already have experience from being on different sports teams as a child, but Lin actually only started playing sports in high school. “I never played on any teams [when I was younger] but I had always been curious and wanted to start,” Lin said. The athlete feels as though he has gained a lot from sports, including life lessons, and he has a lot of advice for aspiring athletes. “Don’t give up on anything, always have fun with whatever you’re doing, and always give it your best effort because looking back and having regrets isn’t something you want to live with,” Lin said.
SPORTS
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 25, 2015
15
On course to RICHARD GONZALES compete at Pebble Beach
IN His GLORY DAYS
emily wong a&e editor
Though Richard Gonzales is now on the sidelines supervising sports games, many do not know the Grade Level Coordinator was also a star player on the field. Gonzales, a DBHS alumnus who was part of the second graduating class in 1985, made a name for himself in two of the biggest American sports: football and baseball. On the football team, Gonzales played quarterback and was on varsity for three years at DBHS. He attended his freshman year at Walnut High School, where he also participated in football and even basketball, which was coached by retired GLC Jon Goode, who Gonzales replaced as the Class of 2015 GLC this year. One special memory from his high school football career was winning the CIF Championship undefeated his senior year. A spe-
cific standout game was the CIF Finals, where the team beat Baldwin Park High School, who was also undefeated. Yet, Gonzales’s talent didn’t stop at football. He also had an impressive record in baseball, which he had been playing since he was eight years old. In high school, he was varsity for three years, playing shortstop and pitcher. He perpetuated his baseball career playing as an outfielder in college, even making it to the College World Series, and was subsequently drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for the Cardinal’s minor league system for two years. “[Baseball’s] such a pure and true game. It’s not like any other sport,” Gonzales said. His successful athletics career has not been without its obstacles. During his freshman year at Walnut High School, he injured his knee playing basketball and had to get surgery. “It was a little bit of an obstacle for me in the sense that it took a long time to recover from the Photo courtesy of RICHARD GONZALES injury,” Gonzales said. His efforts on both Gonzales received a scholarship to Oregon State.
the
fields paid off as he was awarded the school’s Athlete of the Year his senior year. “It was an honor. To be recognized was a great honor for myself and my family,” the GLC said. In addition, he was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship from Oregon State University, where he played football his first year before transferring to Santa Ana College. He eventually received his Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology at Cal State Fullerton, where he played baseball his junior and senior year. Although Gonzales was a P.E. teacher and football and baseball coach at DBHS for many years, he eventually went back to college to become a Grade Level Coordinator. In 2011, he received his Pupil Personnel Services Credential for counseling at Azusa Pacific University. After subbing for his now colleague Sonja Burns during her pregnancies, he permanently became a GLC in 2013. “I’ve always been fond of GLCs. When I was a teacher, I always leaned on GLCs,” Gonzales said. Watching high school sports games years after his successful sports career, Gonzales has noticed a few differences between the players now and the players when he was in high school. “We didn’t know what we were putting in our bodies. We were eating Big Macs after football practice,” Gonzales said. “But now with our athletic trainers and our coaches that work with the kids in, they teach them how to eat correctly and fuel their body.” Although Gonzales misses the companionship and high school as a whole, he has filled that void as a GLC. “Sitting out there throwing passes on a Friday night is a great experience. Now, I get the joy of finding out that kids that get into Stanford or West Point and those types of things, which gives me the same kind of excitement,” Gonzales commented.
Parking Spot
sports talk with joseph park
The greatests of all time joseph park editor-in-chief Superstars come and go, but the G.O.A.T.S remain forever. A contentious topic that should be handled with caution among sports fans, the debate over who are the greatests of all time is, has been, and will always be the most disputed, unresolved sports discussion, forever. With that said, here’s my attempt at unraveling the truth. MLB- The Great Bambino Babe Ruth changed the sport; the Jesus of baseball. No one influenced and impacted baseball as dominatingly Ruth did, not Barry Bonds and not Willie Mays. Arriving when the game started to shift towards the home run era, Ruth established himself as the home run machine. With the third most career home runs at 714 (and first when he retired) and seven World
Series titles, Ruth proved himself to be one of the greats, but the individual impact he had in baseball makes him the best ever. Bringing life to the “Live-Ball Era,” the Bambino transformed baseball into a more offensivelygeared sport. Baseball became more exciting to watch, and his fashionable play attracted international audiences to the sport. A true pioneer of baseball, the Sultan of Swat has the stats, the legacy, and the unmatchable impact he had on baseball and the entirety of sports as a whole, making him greatest of all time in not just the MLB, but also among all other sports leagues too. NFL- World There wasn’t a ball in the “world” Jerry Rice couldn’t catch. His stats can speak for itself: most touchdowns at 208, most receiving yards at 22,895, and most receptions of all time at 1,549. Not really
much of an argument to be made about Rice, he’s just the best football player ever born, the greatest of all time in the NFL hands down. NBA- Air Jordan I wish it was Kobe Bryant, but in the depressing state the Lakers are in right now, 24’s not getting his sixth ring. On the other hand, this means that Michael Jordan is the undisputed greatest basketball player of all time, to my dismay. The dunks, the tongue, the clutchness, the style, the success, the 72-10 of 1995-1996, the shoes, 23 has it all. Just like Ruth, Jordan brought an element of dominance to the NBA in such an exciting and riveting fashion that attracted fans all over the world. Now with sixth championships, an international flourishing business under Nike, and an unparalleled level of fame and prominence, I have to respect and bow down to his “airness” with surrender.
BOYS GOLF The Brahmas suffered a dissapointing loss against Glendora, shooting their worst score of the year. james kil asst. sports editor Swinging towards the 2015 season with a new golf coach, Diamond Bar’s boys varsity golf has high hopes to reach the state playoffs. This feat is something DB has not been able to achieve since 2003. Boys golf started the Palomares League with a tri-match against Claremont and Wilson and won by a big margin. DB shot a 192, Claremont 225, and Wilson 257. Junior Dylan Stone stepped up and as the medalist of the match, shooting a par round of 36. In an Ayala tournament with 25 teams, the Brahmas came in second. Last week, DB went against the top teams of the league, South Hills and Glendora High School. After beating South Hills on Tuesday, DB lost against Glendora by seven strokes. The Tartans scored a 203 and DB shot a 211. “We just lost one of our biggest matches this year. However, It is still the beginning of the season. I don’t think we are playing as good as we should, however, we should be able to reach our reach our full potential,” Senior co-captain William Yang said. With senior captains Sahith Theegala, Jefferson Kao, and Yang, the Brahmas are in good hands. Senior Sean Xu and the captains are all four year returning varsity players with CIF experience. Thee-
gala, who is ranked nationally, and Kao, who has a two over par handicap, are the team’s best golfers and are expected to play a big part in helping DB pass the CIF Finals. According to coach Tony McCabe, Yang also plays an important role in the team off the course by making sure everyone on the team is showing up on time and reminding his teammates about upcoming events because if one player is late, he is disqualified from the match. “It’s showing up on time and bringing all your stuff and just caring about your team. It seems the more I focus on that, the more we win. It’s just been happening more and more,” McCabe said. Last year, the Brahmas were
“As a team, we’re progressing each and every year and we hope to make this one the best year yet. We’ve gotten off to a pretty good start and we hope to make it throught CIF as a team.” SENIOR JEFFERSON KAO league champions and CIF runner up and wish to continue this winning tradition. “As a team, we’re progressing each and every year and we hope to make this one the best year yet. We’ve gotten off to a pretty good start and we hope to make it through CIF as a team,” Kao said. Three senior captains golfers have received scholarships this year to play for colleges. Theegala committed to Pepperdine University and Kao signed with the University of California, Irvine. Yang is headed to Cal State Dominguez Hill.
Wu to play in LPGA tournament GIRLS GOLF Senior Bethany Wu is participating in the ANA Inspiration Golf Tournament, one of the five major championships on women’s tour. andrew choi sports editor Senior Bethany Wu is making one last impression to her remarkable high school career. Before she heads off to UCLA for golf, Wu was invited to compete in the All Nippon Airways Inspiration Golf Tournament from March 30 to April 5 at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. “I was so shocked at the invite that I had to read the email twice just to make sure it was real. For a few weeks before [the invite], my family and I were wondering who would get the invites, and we were just hoping that maybe I would get one,” Wu commented The ANA Inspiration is one of the five major championships on the LPGA tour. “My advice was just to have fun and learn from this experience because these sponsor exemptions (the invites) are really rare, especially for an LPGA ‘major’,” Wu said.
Wu, the 4th ranked high school player in the nation according to Golfsweek, has a high school golf resume that is incomparable to others. The senior became the league MVP for the fourth consecutive year and helped the team win the 2014 CIF State Championship. Wu also led the Lady Brahmas to its first Knabe Cup Tournament win and helped DB capture the CIF Central Division Championship for the third straight year. The UCLA commit became the first player to win the ANNIKA Invitational Tournament in consecutive years. Wu has not competed since the State Championship and is starting to change up her practice routine for the LPGA event. “Yeah, I’m practicing a bit differently now. I was not going to have another tournament until the end of May so I am not as focused as I should be for prepping for a tournament. I’m trying not to think how I’ll finish. I just want to do the best I can and if I make the cut after two days, then it’ll be a great way to start spring break,” Wu said.
16 SPORTS
MARCH 25, 2015
THE BULL'S EYE
warming up ... baseball 3/25 South Hills 3/27 Glendora 3/30 Ayala 4/3@Claremont 4/7 Hesperia
badminton 4/14 Wilson 4/21@ Wilson
boys golf 4/02 @ Ayala 4/14 @ Claremont 4/15 @ Knabe Cup 4/16 Wilson 4/20 Glendora
softball 4/07 Rowland 4/09 @ Wilson 4/15 South Hills 4/17 Claremont
boys tennis 3/25 @ Valencia 3/31 @ South Hills 4/02 Claremont 4/07 Bonita 4/09 @ Glendora
track & field 3/26 South Hills 4/02 @ Claremont 4/04 @ Covina 4/16 @ Bonita
swim 3/25 South Hills 4/01 @ Claremont 4/15 @ Bonita 4/21 Glendora
SPORTS
Palomares League on deck BASEBALL The Brahmas look forward to the Palomares League with the help of the senior trio of Gerardo Ramirez, Brett Tweedie, and Jacob Cooke. james kil asst. sports editor Starting the season off with a 5-3 record, the Diamond Bar’s varsity boys baseball faces a challenging season ahead in the Palomares League that include teams with highly respected baseball programs. Just from a sample of preseason games, DB have shown great flashes of offensive and defensive production. The Brahmas started off with a win against El Rancho 4-1. In a game against Oak Hills High School, DB won 8-0, bringing in four runs in the third and sixth inning. Few days later, DB demolished Flintridge Prep 14-3, getting 10 runs in the second inning. After the big win against Flintridge Prep, DB continued their momentum and shut out Northview High School, 11-0. Although DB seems to mesh well, it is in the process of filling in two vital positions to the team.
Two first time varsity players, junior Jarret Hsieh and sophomore Eric Winchester are competing for the starter position at catcher. The other position is on the pitching staff. Having two games a week,
“Every day looks little different trying to do your best as the caoch and staff to keep those on the field sharp and trying to retain information both in the physical standpoint and mental standpoint.” COACH ERIC SHIBLEY coach Eric Shibley is looking for a player besides senior captain Gerardo Ramirez to step up in order to be the second starting pitcher for the Brahmas. Seniors captains Ramirez, Brett Tweedie, and Jacob Cooke are the star players of this year’s team with loads of varsity experience. Ramirez and Tweedie have been on varsity since their sophomore year
and Cooke, who is expected to lead the team, has been on varsity since his freshman year. “Last year we made it to the second round of playoffs, so hopefully we play well and make it further into the playoffs this year,” Cooke said. DB’s main competition this year includes teams like Glendora, Ayala, South Hills, and Claremont. Besides the usual infield and batting practices, each practice differs because, according to Shibley, there are too many things that he wants to teach them, but not enough time during practice. Last year, DB came in second in league with a 9-3 record just behind Bonita’s 10-2. In the first round of CIF, DB went against West High School, winning 4-3 and moving onto the second round against Warren High School. Unfortunately, the Warriors won in the last inning, 4-1. “Every day looks a little different trying to do our best as the coach and staff to keep those on the field sharp and trying to retain information both in the physical standpoint and mental standpoint,” Shibley said.
Senior Gerardo Ramirez shuts out Northview High School 11-0.
ANDREW CHOI
History made in victory against Walnut
Photos by ANDREW CHOI
The DB girls relay team and senior captain Greg Lee (right) snatched the win against the Mustangs after winning first place in the last round.
SWIM With a team filled with underclassmen who are setting new records, DB hopes to reach CIF this year. evon hung asst. web editor With dominating wins at the Norco and Rowland High School swim meets, the Diamond Bar swim team launches into the season equipped with a myriad of new swimmers, recently instated leadership, and a determined mindset. Senior swim captains, Vanessa Cheng and Isabelle Cheng, and seniors Aaron Schubel, Greg Lee, and junior Ryan Tse are leading a
squad composed mostly of freshman and sophomores. The abundance of inexperienced, newcomer swimmers poses a challenge for the team. However, under the guidance of the captains and coach Daryls Ankeny, the underclassmen swimmers have strengthened the team with their fast times and character. Currently, the team has prevailed in relays and have had two individual records fall early in the season. At the Mt. Sac Winterfest Meet on March 13, freshman Michael Lee set the meet record with a
time of 4:34 and junior Jenna Lloyd set the 100 breaststroke record at 1:05. Well-rounded swimmers such as seniors Kevin Wang, Greg Lee, and freshman William Wang are strong assets for the team. “We have started out the season really strong and we plan to use this momentum to propel us through the rest of the season. We are in a new league this year and are looking forward to rising to the challenge,” coach Ankeny said via email. Alongside new swimmers, the addition of new expectations from Ankeny creates a different atmosphere for the team compared to years prior. Stricter regulations
are set in stone to encourage the swimmers to work harder. The swim team practices with numerous sets to hone various areas of specialization such as distance and speed. This year, the team hopes to improve on its camaraderie and communication skills in order to facilitate the team’s chemistry. “[Swim] is almost like track-andfield in that everyone has his/her own events, but it just comes together in such a way for the team to win or lose. Each person has to work hard – it really comes down to that,” senior captain Schubel said. At its latest swim meet against Walnut on March 17, the swim team
won all six levels and triumphed for the first time in 16 years. The competition was tied down to the last relay. Senior Greg Lee, freshman Michael Lee and David Wang won first place in relays at the last round by 88-82, securing the overall win against Walnut. With these victories in tow, the team expects to improve its times and future meets. “I am looking forward to a lot of ‘belief barriers’ being broken this year. Whether it be not thinking they could break the 5 min. mark for the 500 free or whether they do not believe they can make it to CIF. You have to get past the belief barrier and believe it is possible,” Ankeny said.