April 2016

inside the issue

feature 7

SERIOUSLY SATIRICAL:

SCHOOL SPIRIT opinion 5

A GUIDE TO AP PREP

a&e 11

the bull’s eye NEWS

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OPINION

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F E AT U RE

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SPORTS MEDICINE

GIRLS IMPACT THE WORLD

sports 15

april 13, 2016 Volume XXXIV, Issue VIiI ONLINE at dbbullseye.com

ART S & E N TE RTA I N ME N T

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S P O RT S

Student voting a cheerful finale goes digital A new process was put in place after misconduct during USB officer voting in October.

One significant reason for this change is the misconduct last October during the USB Executive Board elections, during which two students were able to alter the votes in favor of a candidate.

While this event was not the sole reason for change in the system, it emily jacobsson increased the need for change. asst. a&e editor “There was no way we were going to do it the same way. When you have problems with things, Technology has been replacthose are great opportunities to ing and improving the traditional look at something new, because in many aspects of student life at now you’re motivated and there’s Diamond Bar High School, from a good reason for it,” Roubian said. kiosks to new technology in classHaving students log into their rooms. Now, the school’s voting accounts to vote on a Google Form, system, which has caused controThomas’s idea, ensures one vote versy in past months, is receiving per student and eliminates the posits long-awaited remodel. sibility of submitting fake votes.

To prevent any According to mistakes or misThomas, students conduct throughshould already “It’s just a much cleaner out the procebe familiar with process and just allows dure, voting will how the Google for less chance of some now be done accounts work, shenanigans going on” online, through allowing for a the school-issued smooth transition GUY ROUBIAN Google accounts. from the old sysOnce voting betem to the new. gins, students will have a week to If students don’t know their log on and place their votes. After password for their school Google the voting window closes, Technolaccount, which is the same as that ogy Coordinator Randy Thomas of their Blackboard account, they and interim Activities Director can find information on resetting Hilary Vernon will confirm the rethe password on the DBHS websults, with interim Principal Guy page under the “Students” tab. AdRoubian overseeing the process. ditionally, they can contact either “There is less human contact their teachers or Thomas for help. in the process now, with only the Although prom court voting has USB advisors and Mr. Thomas and been occurring in rounds since I overseeing the whole thing. It’s March, the system will not be imjust a much cleaner process and plemented until class officer elecjust allows for less chance of some tions in May because the process shenanigans going on,” Roubian voting on p.2 said.

ERIC HONG

The cheer team members perform their routine on April 7 at the High School Musical-themed spring sports/Top 10 rally.

An inaugural visit to D.C. Teachers will lead a group of students to the presidential inauguration in Jan. 2017. michelle ki feature editor With the presidential election right around the corner, Diamond Bar High School history teacher Ty Watkins and French teacher Anthony Tietz have decided to organize a student trip to Washington, DC. They will be taking 15 to 25 DBHS students from Jan. 18 to 22 next year for the presidential

inauguration, giving students the chance to watch the swearing-in ceremony from the steps of the Capital on Jan. 20. The trip will be open to students of all grades.

Both Watkins and Tietz decided to host the trip due to the controversy surrounding the presidential candidates, which will make this election, in their opinion, a significant time in American history.

“Once every four years, [a] new President gets elected or the same President gets re-elected. Basically, one time in your four years in high school. This is an important phase of our political system.

As an American History teacher for the past two decades, I have tried to embrace the moment in

my classroom, but thought maybe we [would] take a small group and have them experience this great moment,” Watkins explained.

The company that will be hosting the trip is called Worldstrides Educational Student Travel. Although prone to change depending on the number of students attending, the cost would be somewhere around $1800 to $2400. Even though both Watkins and Tietz would prefer to have less than 25 students attending, many students are showing interest so that number is likely to increase. Currently, the teachers have not set an actual deadline date for the application in hopes of encouraging as many students to join them on this trip.

Veteran teachers to retire in six weeks Three familiar faces around campus are spending their last semester at Diamond Bar. brian chang asst. news editor All good things must come to an end, and for three Diamond Bar High School staff members, this age-old adage holds true. English teachers Susan Klinger and Deborah Clifford, as well as GLC Jack Galeener will be retiring at the end of this school year.

Klinger, who has taught as DBHS for 21 years, currently teaches English I Honors and English III. In addition, she has also taught sophomore English and worked with other freshman English and history teachers to host special events, like annual Renaissance fairs, for her students.

After her retirement, Klinger says she does not plan to continue

Yearbook advisor Deborah Clifford, GLC Jack Galeener, and English teacher Susan Klinger (left to right) are set to retire this school year after decade-long careers. in any teaching capacity and will not be returning as a substitute teacher. However, she is currently working on a guide for new teachers and says she will be actively looking for a publisher later in the year.

Fellow English teacher and Yearbook advisor Clifford has

been teaching for 29 years, having taught every English course available for freshmen, juniors, and seniors. She has also served as the Yearbook advisor for 10 years. She currently teaches AP/IB Literature and Composition, Yearbook, and English I Honors.

After being around such a vari-

ety of students, she says that teaching has given her a different perspective on life.

“When you spend 29 years around teenagers, you have a younger outlook on life and fashion, and I have a great deal more faith in teenagers, not less,” Clifford said. “[However], I always

promised myself that I would retire and I would know when, and it’s time.”

Senior Yearbook Editor-in-Chief Mika Pham has been in Yearbook since her sophomore year and has developed a close bond with Clifford.

“I am very happy for her, because it’s a very well-earned retirement and it’s a reward because she’s done so much for the past 30 years for the school and students.

I hope that her retirement is restful, and I’m happy for her for that,” Pham said.

Former educator-turned-GLC Galeener has been at DBHS since 1985 and has taught Life and Physical Science, coached varsity football and baseball, and served as a GLC since 1990.

He, along with Kevin Patterson, is currently a GLC for the junior class. Though he is leaving the school for now, Galeener says he may possibly return to DBHS in the future as a fill-in for another GLC because of his love for interacting with the students.

“I got into this because I love

2

NEWS

APRIL 13, 2016

THE BULL'S EYE

MORE ON

THE WEB: THE END OF ORCA ENTERTAINMENT

Seaworld’s response to animal activists regarding orca whale breeding has raised controversy.

BOOK REVIEW; NAUGHT BUT BOOKS

“Eleanor and Park” by Rainbow Rowell turns out to be one of her more disappointing novels.

CHOOSING COLLEGES

A staff member discusses factors to consider when committing to a college.

VISIT DBBULLSEYE.COM

New voting system to begin last week of April Voting from p.1 the administration had to undergo to create the new system was not begun in time for prom voting, according to Thomas. Should no issues arise, the administration is looking to implement the new system permanently. Regardless of additional changes to be made, the voting system will likely remain digital and in a fashion that allows

students to vote individually.

“I don’t believe in going to a classroom and forcing every kid to vote. I really think it needs to mirror our nation’s voting process, which is if you want to vote you register and you go to the voting place,” Roubian said. “That ensures that the people voting have a sincere interest in a candidate.”

School organizations shoot for success HOSA, Robotics, and Science Olympiad all competed over the last month. ingrid chan staff writer As standardized testing season approaches, students all over campus are hitting the books. However, for the members of Health Occupations Students of America, Robotics, and Science Olympiad, the coming of April doesn’t just mean cramming for Advanced Placement tests, it also marks the time for fierce competition.

Though spring break has just ended, members of HOSA recently took a break from going to class to attend the State Leadership Conference, which took place last week in the Merit Hotel in Anaheim.

The members were tested on a variety of occupational subjects of their choice, including behavioral health, nutrition, dental science, medical terminology, and medical reading, among others. There was also a HOSA bowl, in which students got together in groups of five and raced to answer questions.

“Students mostly participate in these highly competitive events in

order to build their own valuable experiences and connections that will help with their future career pathway in the medical field,” club treasurer Amanda Hsieh said.

Only people who took first, second, or third place in the categories will proceed from SLC to Nationals, which will be taking place June 22-25 in Nashville. Junior Elaine Yip placed 2nd in biomedical laboratory and senior Dawn Sul placed 3rd in dental science.

Additionally, this year’s Science Olympiad team participated in its own state competition over spring break. Advisor and DBHS chemistry teacher Teresa Hebert and 15 members of the Science Olympiad team traveled to Caltech to test their skills in a variety of topics, including astronomy, bridge building, electric vehicles, experimental design, and geologic mapping.

Out of the 30 participating high schools, the Brahmas were able to secure 10th place overall, placing second in anatomy and physiology, fifth in cell biology, and fourth in forensics. However, only the team who placed first overall, Troy High School, will be proceeding to the national competition.

“We actually did third best from our region and overall placed at least five places better than we have in the last three years, It’s nice to be able to end my high school scio-

ly career on a higher note,” senior Science Olympiad secretary Miriam Sun said.

Meanwhile, the DBHS robotics team went to Valencia High School for a competition in the Orange County Regionals. From March 29-31, the team members competed for the For Inspiration and Recognition for Science and Technology award in the First Robotics Competition.

The students signed up for a task-based competition in which they were given six weeks prior to the event to build a robot that could perform tasks a human would usually do, like shooting a ball into a specific range to score points.

“Our robot needed to be strong, robust, and able to traverse through multiple obstacles...” senior Engineering Captain Jonathan Ng said.

The team members began preparing for this event last summer by hosting workshops and simulating their own six-week building season. They also participated in off-season competitions earlier in the year.

Though they didn’t make it to Nationals, the team did last until the semifinals and are already moving on by recruiting new students and choosing officer positions in order to prepare for next year’s competition.

CORRECTIONS Last issue, in the Top Ten article, Frances Song and Ameer Alameddin’s names were misspelled. Also, in the APES projects article, Teresa Hebert’s name was misspelled.

the staff Editors-in-Chief News Editors Asst. News Editors

Lilly Ball, Yusheng Xia Frances Wu, Yusheng Xia Brian Chang, Hannah Lee

Opinion Editor Asst. Opinion Editor

Eric Hong Sarah Markiewicz

Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editors

Michelle Ki Vrinda Chauhan, Catherine Zhang

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

Lilly Ball Emily Jacobsson, Pauline Villegas Bernard Chen Ryan Chae, Emily Kim Eric Hong Calvin Ru Vrinda Chauhan Emily Jacobsson Gaby Dinh Tess Guan Ingrid Chan, Sophia Kim Doug List

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

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

Photo courtesy of AMANDA HSIEH

Members of HOSA competed at the State Leadership Conference at the Merit Hotel at Anaheim this past weekend.

School’s curtain call a triumph for drama The drama department participated in the annual California Thespian Festival on April 2. pauline villegas asst. a&e editor The Diamond Bar High School drama department stole the show at the annual California Thespian Festival. Junior Chloe Reyes and senior Riley Mawhorter placed first in their respective categories, and seven Brahmas earned superior rankings in the April 2 competition at Upland High School.

“I think the festival was a complete success. Our school was very new to this festival and despite that, five of our troupe members were called back to compete in the finals,” senior Julianna King said.

King competed in the monologue category and performed monologues from “Gingerbread” by Kellie Powell and “Titus Andronicus”

by William Shakespeare.

These five members include junior Riley Mawhorter, juniors

Jana Yamak, Matthew Lee, and Chloe Reyes and sophomore Amelia Anijelo. The event included competitions and workshops that included young actors from California, showcasing their talents for their peers.

The drama department also had many students score highly on testing done by the London Academy of Musical and Dramatic Arts, the British version of the Advanced Placement exam for the arts.

The exam included two monologues and a set of interview questions that incorporated knowledge of the dramatic arts. There is a gold, silver, and bronze level, and in each level a student can either pass, pass with merit, or pass with distinction.

Senior Jonah Martinez was awarded silver and passed with distinction, while senior Austin Mooney was awarded silver and passed with merit. Juniors Miranda Tejeda, Amanda Revilla, King, and Reyes all placed bronze and passed with either distinction or merit.

“The competition gave me what to expect and prepare for next year. It helped me love theater even

more and really enjoy the little moments with the rest of my group.

I’ve always loved to act and now these competitions, musicals, and plays make me love what I do even more,” Anijielo said.

Reyes placed first in the musical solo performance category, performing “Your Daddy’s Son” from Ragtime.

Reyes was awarded the title of “Best of Fest” by the judges. The group of participants who is given this award is as an example of the best contestants throughout the competition, and their pieces are performed in front of the entire festival.

“The competition really showed me the power of acting. Being on that stage, having the opportunity to present a story to a crowd of one thousand plus people, it’s like holding kryptonite,” Reyes said.

The Drama department will not be competing in anymore competitions this year due to lack of time.

“I will work so much harder for Thespian Festival 2017 because now I know what the judges like and what I will be competing against. I will try my hardest to be so much better next year,” King said.

NEWS

THE BULL'S EYE

APRIL 13, 2016

a peek into the future

3

NEWSBITS

CALVIN RU

A member of the U.S. Navy explains her career to an interested student as part of the Career Fair, which took place on March 24 and featured a wide variety of professionals from different occupations.

ENGLAND

WASHINGTON

It is said that true love never dies, an adage that seems to have held true for World War II veteran Roy Vickerman and his soon-to-be-wife Nora Jackson. In 1946, Vickerman broke off his engagement to Jackson after traumatizing war experiences — 70 years later, the 90-year-old proposed once again, and the two are now happily engaged.

There is an inner child in everyone, as a United Airlines attendant recently proved.

The unnamed woman reportedly deployed Flight 1246’s emergency evacuation chute after the plane landed at Bush Intercontinental Airport and slid right out of her job, costing United thousands of dollars in repairs.

NEW ORLEANS

FLORIDA

We have all heard that taking candy from a baby is easy, though a New Orleans man recently found that dodging consequences may not be. Repeat shoplifter Jacobia Grimes was accused of stealing $31 in candy bars, an offense that would be considered a misdemeanor.

However, due to Grimes’ status as a habitual offender, he faces 20 years to life in prison for swiping a measly Snickers bar.

An anti-drug sign stolen from a Florida beach in the 1980s was recently returned to its rightful home. New Smyrna Beach police officers received an anonymous note begging for forgiveness for “a fit of youthful exuberance,” along with the sign and $50. The poster was accepted by police officials as a sign that “people can change,” according to Lt. Shane Riggle and WKMG-TV.

Girls’ football match continues despite rain The annual Powderpuff game, juniors vs. seniors, resulted in a tie, 12-12 on April 8. yusheng xia editor-in-chief Cold temperatures and light drizzle did not stop the Lady Brahmas from grabbing their gear and heading out for Diamond Bar High School’s sixth annual Powderpuff Game last Friday. After more than an hour of friendly flag football competition, neither team was able to come up on top, with the game ending in a tie, two touchdowns each.

“It was really competitive. We were kind of harsh toward each other but other than that, it was really fun. It was a new experience,” junior participant Gabrielle Niko said.

Most of the girls who signed up to participate in the game were from different athletic organizations on campus. The referees were all volunteer football coaches and many football players were assigned as coaches for their respective classes.

“We did a lot of different things, mostly just drills that would help them in the position that they played,” senior football player Kyle Yada said. “They were all coachable and super cool to be around.”

However, due to the weather conditions and its effect on the field, the game did not

Junior Kayla Pak (right) scores a touchdown in the annual junior vs. senior Powderpuff game on April 8, a game which ended in a tie. last as long as it has in prior years.

“Playing in the rain was really fun but it made it quite hard because it made the turf slippery. I was quite disappointed the game was shorter than it was supposed to be,” senior Jillian Aluning said.

Three staff members bid farewell to DB

The Powderpuff game was first played at DBHS in 2010 as a fundraiser for Pep. However, this year’s game was more about developing class bonds—with juniors facing the seniors—and having fun, according to senior Jasmine Thrower, who was in charge

CALVIN RU

of planning the event.

“The purpose of the game is so that each class can start bonding and play a fun game together that we aren’t familiar with,” Thrower said. “There [were] no fundraising motives.”

top-notch competition

competitions from p.1 working with kids. I became a meetings with the GLCs, and certeacher because I wanted to work tainly my partner [Kevin Patterwith kids, and I was again, coachson]. We’ve been together for 20 ing kids, and then evolved into years,” Galeener said. this next stage, Though the becoming a three have had GLC, which is different teach“Working with kids, all about working experiences, there’s never a dull ing with kids,” all agreed that moment. It’s been a great Galeener said. their favorite ascareer.”

“Working with pect of teaching kids, there’s throughout their JACK GALEENER never a dull mocareers was inment. It’s been a teracting with great career.” other staff members and students.

Galeener also says that he will “[Freshmen] come in scared and miss the administrators he has goofy and they make me laugh,” worked with over the past few Klinger said. “[Then] I see them years, especially those on the GLC as juniors and they’re not as goofy, team. more serious. Some of the staff “It’s really been a unique staff, members are my former students, and the GLC team has been fabuand it’s nice to see them all grown lous. I’ll certainly miss those daily up and as good people.”

CALVIN RU

Junior Monica Lin, sophomore Kaitlyn Lee, and freshman Jason Zhao (left to right) search through piles of flour to find pieces of gum in a minute, as part of a series of activities for the Top 10 from each grade on April 6.

4 OPINION

APRIL 13, 2016

THE BULL'S EYE

EYE EDITORS OF THE

FREE EDUCATION

ELIMINATE FLYERS: With electronic display outlets available on campus, DBHS should start cutting down on paper waste.

W

hen the electronic kiosks first came to Diamond Bar High School, it seemed that the school would be paving the way for glittering new technology that would do away with the archaic and eco-destructive practice of putting up flyers. However, given that hanging flyers is still a prevalent practice on campus, it is obvious that expectations did not meet reality. It’s time to put an end to it.

One can’t walk from one side of the school to the other without seeing the work of the school’s various clubs or hopeful candidates adorning nearly every pillar. As a result, the electronic kiosks have only a few advertisements to display, with nearly every other message being a promotion for some campus group’s achievements or something else that is not of immediate concern to the student body.

Now that the kiosks have been put in place, the clubs of the school should be utilizing it rather than putting members to the task of printing and placing flyers around the school.

Although the amount of

trash that was produced by the flyers is not as bad as it used to be, the flyers are still a sore sight and should be banned by the school. Administrators should make it part of the school rules that any club or organization that posts flyers should be fined.

Generally, the owners of the flyers are not entirely at fault for continuing to use them, despite having other information outlets. The kiosks, although rather big and flashy, are not exactly in the best locations, and could benefit from being placed in areas where students are more likely to stand around, such as in the lunch areas.

The students would also have more viewing access if there could be more kiosks.

Having only two in competition with scores of flyers does not give the kiosks much power.

If the school’s various organizations were to work with the kiosks that people put so much planning and work into last year, then they can feel better about themselves for doing their part in saving paper and keeping the school’s waste to a minimum.

“Administrators should make it part of the school rules that any club or organization that posts flyers should be fined.”

Who’s not a Democrat? eric hong opinion editor

T

he turnaround is here, and the growing momentum behind Bernie Sanders’ campaign should be concerning for front-runner Hillary Clinton’s hopes of clinching the Democratic nomination before the convention in July.

With her 250 delegate lead (not counting superdelegates) expected to diminish as the primaries continue westward, she decided against sitting still and took to the press to deliver some unflattering

and unwarranted remarks about her rival. Among the ugliest, her statement that Sanders is not a true Democrat.

Hypocrisy is at its finest in the newly escalated ‘war of words’ for former Secretary of State Clinton. She chose the wrong fight to wage against the self-proclaimed “democratic socialist” Senator of Vermont in suggesting that he be disqualified from the election for a lack of loyalty to the party.

If anyone has questionable commitment to the interests of Democrats, it’s going to be the spewer of these accusations herself—the flip-flopper.

Especially visible surrounding the primaries held in Wisconsin last week, international trade was a major issue that was used to reach out to working class voters, both Republican and now Democratic. Presidential candidates sympathized with Wis-

Cartoon courtesy of MEGAN LEE

Commercial feminism is skin deep

ith the recent presence of feminism in pop culture, it seems that the movement has been rapidly—almost militantly—gaining momentum.

However, this progress has affected how feminism is perceived and discussed, allowing for selfproclaimed feminists like Taylor Swift and Lena Dunham to ride this enthusiasm out as a “trend.”

This cosmopolitan way of looking at the feminist movement has been undermining and skewering its agenda, leaving it a hollow shell of all talk and no action. For a number of reasons, this negatively affects others’ perceptions of what the real movement is about.

First, commercial feminism capitalizes on empowerment. The colloquial term coined for this form of feminism is “corporate

feminism.” It is systematic, and takes advantage of the growing movement in order to make profit or promote image. The most obvious example of corporate feminism are artists such as Swift, who tout feminism and display such ideas the public, but fail to address and act on real issues.

With the feminist movement on the rise, surely she must have some idea that her new image would appeal to this new wave of young, empowered women. Many celebrities put up the facade of independence to cater to the younger generation. Using feminism for profit and self-image reduces it into a profit scheme rather than a fight for equality.

More than that, it influences a large part of the younger generation to believe that feminism is limited to the topics that Swift brings to light. In this way, thirdworld feminism is dwarfed, as fans turn their attention to the idea of feminism rather than recognizing real issues.

In reality, feminism is a movement that strives to create equality for all women, not just privileged American women. Sexism and female oppression are still issues across the globe. Females do not always have an access to

education or even a choice on who they marry in many countries.

Women face serious struggles all over the world: brutalities, harassment, unequal pay, trafficking, sexual oppression, and overall disrespectful treatment. These are all issues that are not as exacerbated in America, where women, in comparison, have it easier. These are all real issues that should be addressed by those who call themselves feminists.

In contrast, faux feminists fail to recognize that while that American women do not always enjoy the same rights that men do—there are larger global issues that many choose to ignore. Again, it seems that many ignore such issues because it is inconvenient to address them and actually take action toward a cause. It is much more convenient to pull publicity stunts under the guise of feminism and take little to no action.

As Jill Filipovic from the Washington Post wrote, feminism is “more than just supporting your girlfriends and churning out charming catchphrases about girl power.” Feminism is a never-ending battle against sexism and discrimination, and needs to be taken more seriously than it currently is in pop culture.

consin’s victims of outsourcing under free trade agreements like NAFTA (signed into law during the Clinton administration), and assured their adamant opposition to the currently contested TransPacific Partnership, which would allow companies pack up and ship American jobs over to Asian countries in the name of promoting a global economy for developing nations.

The Badger state alone reportedly lost over 100,000 jobs to corporate greed (over 682,000 were displaced nationwide, the Economic Policy Institute finds), and it would be the same sad story under the TPP with just as many jobs gone. Guess who came out in support of this agreement and stayed that way for five years until the start of her presidential campaign? Well, it wasn’t Sanders, our Democrat in question. He was too busy being against it.

If it weren’t for a contestant as progressive as Sanders, would Clinton ever have needed to change her position to appeal to more Democratic voters? Probably not. And, unfortunately, the inconsistency does not end there.

It’s the same thing with Clin-

ton’s stated inclination to approve the construction of the CanadaTexas Keystone XL pipeline, rejected by President Obama last November. We see the same hesitation to turn away from Republican rhetoric, which in this case was focused on creating temporary jobs at the expense of risking a disastrous oil spill. Again, it was not until about five years later that she finally voiced her opposition to the project, and only shortly after did Obama kill it.

In all fairness, Sanders is certainly not the perfect candidate in this respect. The Vermont Senator was put in a similar situation by coming out in favor of sheltering gun manufacturing companies from liability when their fire-

arms are used in crimes and later switching against it (he still was and is, however, in support of fundamental gun control legislation: stricter background checks and a banning of automatic weapons).

But it just wasn’t Clinton’s position to criticize the far more progressive Sanders for having weak Democratic ties (though he only joined the party in 2015), especially when he has been a major pressuring force to her, albeit reluctant, move to the left. Who knows what other conservative policies she’ll end up supporting next?

The Democratic Party cannot put its faith into a candidate who consistently fails to represent its progressive agenda. The Oval Office is not for Hillary.

vrinda chauhan business manager

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Photo courtesy of ABCNEWS.COM

OPINION

THE BULL'S EYE

APRIL 13, 2016

SERIOUSLY

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

T

he word ethos comes from the Greek meaning essentially the distinguishing character of a person or group. It is a crucial element of good writing since one must establish it as a writer in order to be credible, to be believed or to be taken seriously. A writer does this by establishing his or her expertise or by simply being honest. This was the one element, however, that was missing from the Bull’s Eye [March 2016] editorial on cheating.

The overall theme of the editorial was that teachers must “share the blame” for students cheating.

They mention situations of teachers not updating tests or actually “leaving the room” during tests. Maybe this happens…maybe it doesn’t. But it’s a tangential issue at best. Putting the onus on teachers for students cheating is like blaming someone whose house was robbed for not

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having an adequate security system. A thief is a thief, not the victim of circumstances.

Cheating is a choice, a choice one makes based on personal morals or sense of ethical fair play. The editorial claims that “the bottom line is teachers must change the way they handle all aspects of testing in the classroom.” No…the bottom line is that if you cheat it’s not on the teacher; it’s not on the system; it’s not on peer pressure; it’s on you.

Students, at times, like to portray themselves as victims, rationalizing their bad behavior, placing the blame on everyone but themselves. Maybe this is an ironic part of our modern society where economic success has just made things too easy for some.

But respect and integrity are the only real currency in this world despite one’s circumstances.

So my bottom line for the Bull’s Eye editorial writers (whoever they are; since there is no byline, I assume it represents the collective wisdom of the staff) is to take George Orwell’s advice. He says that a good writer has the ability to “face unpleasant facts.” If you want to be taken seriously, i.e. as an adult, then grow up.

Joe Moran DBHS English teacher

5

SATIRICAL

frances wu news editor

A

fter having been a part of the Brahma family for four years, I can, without a doubt, say that this has been the most spirited year of my life.

Walking around Diamond Bar High School’s campus, I can’t help but sigh proudly at the lack of participation that I see every day.

It’s a common stereotype that we Brahmas don’t care about anything but school, but I don’t see how anyone could find that true— it’s through our complete lack of participation that we truly show our school pride!

The basis for school spirit, according to every movie, is the school’s outstanding athletics department. Go to any DBHS football game in the fall, and one might be a tad confused at the absolute emptiness in the stands, but it’s just our special way of showing support. I mean, we wouldn’t want to all show up and overwhelm the opposing side or anything. Obviously we all care about the performance of our athletes, and the athletes know that, even if we don’t actually show up to cheer them on.

INGRID CHAN Of course, another large part of encouraging school spirit is USB: they are, after all, the leaders of our school. It’s always heartwarming to see the efforts of USB go to waste— though they work hard and plan at least a dozen dress-up days for the student body every year, we just continue to wear whatever we want, demonstrating the true fighting spirit of the Brahmas. Such spirit is only further encouraged by the USB representatives’ response of just automatically marking classes as having had 100% participation.

The lack of participation is truly an example for all other schools to follow. We Brahmas are just asserting our independence by refusing to conform to any set standard of spirited outfits.

Everyone looks forward to rallies because it means shorter classes and a whole 40 minutes of doing nothing, but attendance, or

lack of, is truly how we show our gratitude. By not coming to the rallies to see the performances that the various groups have worked so hard on, we’re making better use of the time allotted to us by instead going to other classrooms to sleep or do homework.

The students’ spirit even extends into national pride: every week during the Pledge of Allegiance, I can hear the resounding pride that my peers inject into their words.

Don’t be fooled by their flat affects, barely-there volume, or refusal to stand up and face the flag, for when we speak together, our voices really ring as “one nation, indivisible.”

After I graduate, I really will miss the unique way Brahmas have shown their pride—at college, I’ll be forced to actually wear school sweatshirts and cheer along at every football game, and who wants that?

New state law questions value of classes without educational content.

TA courses: SHOULD THEY BE DROPPED?

brian chang asst. news editor

B

ecoming a teacher’s aide is an option many choose in high school, whether it be to fill up class space or to help out a favorite teacher. However, the Alhambra Unified School District cut these classes from its curriculum, citing a lack of educational content as demanded by AB-1012, a new bill signed into law in California. Frankly, more schools should follow in its footsteps.

Proponents of keeping TA classes as an option claim that such assignments allow students to relax during the day. This may be true, as many teachers seem to forget that they have TAs, letting some sleep or play games on their phones while others complete homework assignments during the hour.

However, this is all essentially wasted time; students are not being productive and are instead doing activities they could be doing at home. If one wants a TA period simply to catch up on math homework, why not just take five periods a day and go home early to finish it up? Schools are not the place for relaxing, and the school administrators who allow students to waste their time as TAs are at fault.

Some teachers may give their TAs actual work to complete, but menial tasks such as passing out papers and stapling do not warrant using up an hour of a student’s time each day. 56 minutes is a lot of time,

and educators should promote broadening a student’s horizons instead of asking them to input grades or stamp homework assignments.

Government-run public schools should not be wasting student time with frivolous classes and instead should be encouraging students to reach for new academic heights.

The entire point of school is to learn, and by giving students the choice to enroll in a class with little to no educational value, school and district officials are directly, negatively impacting students and their futures.

Given the wide variety of courses on campus, ranging from APs to unique courses like Administration of Justice, TAs could spend their time exploring different career fields, such as policing or forensics.

Academic-wise, those who feel unable to take on the rigors of an AP or Honors course always have the option of taking regular classes or a Regional Occupational course, of which there will be four new ones next year. These will allow students to gain a head start in career fields they may be considering instead of twiddling their thumbs in a TA period.

While there may be a number of students who choose to become TAs in order to assist their favorite teachers, this is not a valid reason to become a TA. Just because a few students enjoy their teacher’s company does not justify allowing them to waste a period each day. To put it bluntly, administrators should value student education more than student-teacher bonds for the simple reason that learning is more important.

The choice of becoming a TA in high school is old-fashioned and no longer fills a role in the high school curriculum, and therefore should be eliminated because it accomplishes nothing except wasting students’ time and effort.

hannah lee asst. news editor

I

n the classroom, teachers are outnumbered. For a standard class, there can be anywhere between 20 to 40 students and a single teacher who is burdened with the duty of managing all papers and assignments.

Teachers must spend hours on mindlessly correcting questions, organizing assignments, and recording countless amounts of grades, taking away time for more valuable activities that might be more advantageous for students. However, a teacher’s aide easily solves this issue by providing a hand with tedious tasks that do not specifically require the teacher’s attention, enhancing both the students’ and teachers’ experiences in the classroom.

Students choose to enroll in teacher’s aide courses under a variety of different circumstances, whether it be to fill gaps in schedules, raise GPAs, or help a favorite teacher and be in their class for an extra year. Some students simply have yet to find their niche, while others have concluded that they do not mold into one of the school’s array of electives. But instead of regrettably enrolling in an extra class that captures none of the student’s interests, they can opt for being a teacher’s aide without having any particular skill.

Having a teacher’s aide period has a

reputation of being a relaxing, free class period where students are allowed to do as they please. What many fail to recognize is that it is an actual course, and a legitimate grade is given at the end of each semester.

Although it does not compare to the rigorous class work given in academic courses and many use it as a method to raise their GPAs, it is still possible to receive a low grade.

Even if it mostly involves running errands, work is still required, and despite what many think, slacking off is not a part of the class.

Though experiencing a year of being a teacher’s aide is not particularly academically beneficial, it can broaden students’ views on many aspects of the classroom. They have the opportunity to judge teachers as average people, rather than be under the bias of the workload and difficulty of the class. Students also have a chance to connect with teachers from a different point of view, after being exposed to the work that teachers put their energy into outside of their time in class. Despite the absence of academic work, teacher’s aide courses do hold educational value for students.

Students often see the classroom in a onesided manner, but being a teacher’s aide can expose them to different view of their peers and the classroom. They are able to see the grades and workload of the students through the teacher’s point of view, which the majority of students rarely get to do.

A teacher’s aide is by no means mandatory to have in a classroom, but they do have the possibility to improve upon a classroom as a whole. Giving students the option of taking a teacher’s aide period is in no way fruitless, and should be maintained for the benefit of both teachers and students in the classroom.

6

FEATURE

APRIL 13, 2016

THE BULL'S EYE

fishing for a meal tess guan asst. web editor Whether it’s served on a delicate plate with ginger and wasabi, or drenched with heavy Cajun sauce and served in a plastic bag, seafood has always satisfied my cravings for a mouthwatering meal.

However, my experience at the newly opened Cajun boiled-in-bag seafood spot, Mad Claw, wasn’t as memorable as I expected.

Despite visiting on a Saturday afternoon, the restaurant was rather empty, and only a few tables were occupied. The pirate-themed restaurant had a spacious interior, and provided tables outside.

Immediately after my family was seated, our server covered the wooden table with a thin sheet of wax paper, and handed us plastic bibs.

Most of the dishes on the menu ranged from $5-$10, excluding exquisite sea food choices like the king crab and lobster tail options, which were sold at their marketed price.

Mad Claw’s boiled-in-bag seafood meals follow the usual threestep procedure: choose a seafood option, select a sauce (Cajun, lemon pepper, garlic butter, or

ALUMNI

full house) and the level of spiciness. My parents decided to share a meal of king crab in a non-spicy full house sauce ($38.42), While my brother tried the clam chowder soup ($6.50), and the calamari with regular potato fries ($9.50). I chose the bang bang shrimp with regular French fries ($9.25).

Our orders came quickly, but we were instantly disappointed with the portions. The clam chowder was served in a simple paper bowl, similar to something one would expect at KFC, but cost nearly twice as much.

My brother also ended up finding a hair in his soup, but our server offered him a replacement. My meal of shrimp with French fries was mediocre.

Most of my shrimp was overly fried, and I was left with an excess amounts of batter. However, deepfried foods are one of my guilty pleasures, and I greatly enjoyed the popcorn-sized shrimp.

On the other hand, the calamari came perfectly deep fried. Despite not being a huge fan of squid, I greatly enjoyed the dish. However, the fries fell short, and my brother and I both poured cups of salt and pepper seasoning onto them.

With the extra kick, even my mother, who is not a fan of fried

Photo courtesy of YELP

TESS GUAN

Mad Claw specializes in boiled in a bag seafood meals, and offers side orders such as potato fries and clam chowder. foods, couldn’t stop eating them.

Portion wise, the bang bang shrimp and calamari with fries were more than enough, and we even ended up with leftovers.

The king crab came in the iconic plastic bag, and was heavily drenched in the full house sauce our server recommended, yet only included two crab legs.

To me, the sauce lacked even the slightest hint of a spicy flavor.

Instead, I thought it had too much pepper in it, which masked and overpowered the taste of other

flavors described in the sauce’s description, “the perfect combination of Cajun, lemon pepper and garlic butter all mixed in one.” Strangely enough, the crab meat and the full house sauce’s smoky barbeque flavor reminded me of the flavors of a hot pot dinner.

I would suggest visiting Mad Claw with just family, unless you don’t mind having a messy dinner in front of friends. If you choose to order an exquisite seafood boiledin-bag dinner, I recommend looking up the marketed price first,

and asking about the portion size to avoid possible confusions. Due to the costly meal and uneven proportion sizes, my first meal at Mad Claw will also be my last.

DETAILS

Address: 375 W Birch St #3, Brea, CA 92821 PHONE #: (714) 213-8265 PRICE RANGE: $5-$20 Yelp Rating:

hometown physician

sarah markiewicz asst. opinion editor Neighboring the H-Mart plaza near Diamond Bar High School, Dr. Jonathan Ou checks up on patients, taking note of their ailments and diagnosing their problems. It was only about 15 years ago that the DBHS alumnus was writing stories for the Bull’s Eye, where he was a feature editor.

While attending DBHS, Ou originally couldn’t decide between pursuing a career as a dentist or a lawyer. Since Ou’s father worked as a surgeon, he had an early exposure to the medical field. Still, Ou dabbled in journalism, mock trial, and Spanish club, having a variety of subject interests.

“I always knew that I wanted a position that would help the underserved population,” Ou said via email. After Ou graduated DBHS in 2001, he attended Pomona College for undergraduate school and USC for medical school. During college, Ou realized his passion was in science rather than in writing, and decided to pursue a career in the medical field.

Having been raised in Diamond Bar, Ou returned to the city where he grew up, and opened a family practice office only a few blocks away from the high school.

“I have always loved Diamond Bar, and it is great being able to give back to the community,” Ou said. “I have a few patients who were classmates, and some parents of classmates. It’s nice to be able to catch up with them, and see how our lives have changed since high school.”

Although Ou hasn’t had any DBHS alumni medical students working for him, he has had high school student interns working in his office. “The field of medicine is very different these days. I am one

CALVIN RU

Student teacher Jason La Meda helps enhance DBHS students’ musical skills.

Turning the tables around

emily jacobsson asst. a&e editor

Photos courtesy of JONATHAN OU

DBHS 2001 alumni Jonathan Ou opened a family practice office just a few blocks away from the very high school he once attended almost a decade ago. of a few younger doctors who have opened solo practice offices. Most doctors nowadays join large medical groups.”

When Ou was in high school, some of his favorite teachers include former calculus teacher Howard Alcosser and former AP Spanish teacher Christine Buccola.

“I use Spanish daily at my work, and I sometimes still sing a couple of lines from one of Mrs. Buccola’s songs to remember the right conjugation,” Ou recalled.

Outside of class, Ou was involved in Junior States of America, the varsity tennis team and various community outreach programs. He also remembers some of the deadline nights while working on the Bull’s Eye. “The stress and fatigue-induced

delirium really contributed to our creativity,” he said.

Despite being able to care for patients by using the STEM knowledge that he acquired during school, Ou still uses his experiences and knowledge from extracurriculars, like journalism, in his work.

“We still have to do a lot of reading and writing. Almost every doctor will have written at least one medical paper, [in the] hopes [of being] published.” His experience as an editor gave Ou an upper hand in that regard.

“Being a well-rounded student is important in any career. The skills I gained from journalism helped me write papers that were engaging to the reader, especially regarding traditionally dry topics such as statistics,” he said.

Every year, a new group of young college students begin a journey that is crucial to their future careers: student teaching. This year, Diamond Bar High School has several student teachers in various subjects who are learning their own lessons, while teaching students theirs.

Brianna Woods has been teaching under the guidance of English teacher Denise Mesdjian. Woods received her Bachelor’s Degree in English last May, and is now looking to earn her teaching credential from Cal State Fullerton. She hopes to teach tenth or eleventh grade English, as she feels the two grade levels seem to be a happy medium in comparison to the energetic freshman and exhausted seniors.

While Woods is enjoying working with the students and is learning many valuable skills from Mesdjian, she is still trying to find a way to manage her busy schedule.

“I have to find that balance between being a teacher and being a student too. I usually attend my classes right after school until 7.

I have class two or three times a week,” Woods said.

As with every new experience, through student teaching Woods has learned things that have changed her preconceived notions about some aspects of teaching.

“I underestimated the amount of time it takes to actually make all your assignments from scratch and how much time lesson planning is. I thought it’d be easy, but at least for me, we have to write down every single detail, but it’s kind of fun to think of what you’re going to do every day,” Woods said.

Working with Mesdjian has offered Woods a unique opportunity to learn about the Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation system, as Mesdjian is a co-writer for WASC .

A love for speaking and working with others is what inspired Fiona Rizzo to pursue teaching as an occupation.

She is currently working toward receiving her teaching credential at Cal Poly Pomona, for single subject math, while teaching under Math teacher Maureen Baiz.

“I didn’t choose teaching at first, but I realized that I liked teaching when I started tutoring people. I found out that I like helping people,” Rizzo said.

student teachers on p.12

FEATURE

THE BULL'S EYE

APRIL 13, 2016

7

The ultimate high school survival guide

Photos courtesy of GABRIELLE NIKO

Diamond Bar High School club Ride 2 Feed members bike along the Santa Ana River trail to distribute donated items to the transient people residing there.

vrinda chauhan business editor

Club Corner: Ride 2 Feed

Fighting poverty one ride at a time catherine zhang asst. feature editor Bringing awareness to the poverty-stricken residing in nearby communities, Ride 2 Feed, a Diamond Bar High School club, aspires to change the way students view homeless citizens, and aims to provide those in need with comfort by donating necessities.

Initially, club president junior Gabrielle Niko visited the Santa Ana River trail multiple times as a method of bicycle training.

While riding, she noticed the large number of homeless people living under the freeway and street bridges.

Hoping to aid the homeless, Niko began distributing basic necessities, such as water bottles and granola bars and was rewarded with impactful responses.

“The happiness they expressed to me was life changing. It was real-

ly touching because they were just getting a few granola bars and water bottles, but they were so grateful and positive,” Niko said.

However, Niko realized that a larger group of volunteers could cover more area and benefit more of the homeless population. As a result, she started the club this school year with the help of her friends.

The club accepts donations of basic necessities—ranging from toothpaste to dog food to clothing and it can be dropped off in the rooms of DBHS club advisors Malinalli Cooke and Eric Sorenson, with a label of the club’s name on it.

The club members visit the Santa Ana River trail, where they distribute donations to the homeless.

Participants stuff their backpacks with as many donation items as possible, before setting off on the roughly seven-mile bike ride.

The members make frequent

stops in order to give the donations to any homeless person they encounter.

“It opened my eyes to [see] how hard life can be. You think that life is already so hard, but then you see people living in the cold without homes and salvaging for food.

You’re more grateful for your life,” Niko said.

Currently, the club has had three rides so far, and parents, students, and even siblings from various schools attend the ride. In addition, advisor Sorenson has also attended the ride before.

“I ride my bike everyday to school, and I like to make that work, not just for exercise [but also] for other purposes too. It’s nice to give them something out of what you have. It reaches out and helps people directly,” Sorenson said.

In comparison to other volunteer clubs or homeless shelters, Niko views Ride 2 Feed as a way

of having a closer connection to the homeless. While on these bike rides, the members get a chance to talk to the homeless, and listen to their stories.

“When you stop to give them food, they tell you about themselves and they love talking to you.

They don’t get to talk often because others are afraid of them or don’t talk to them. There’s more of a humanitarian connection compared to other volunteer clubs,” Niko said.

In addition to aiding the homeless living near the trail, Niko hopes the bike rides will benefit the participants as well. Instead of taking the things they have for granted, she wishes everyone will become compassionate towards those who are need of help.

“I hope that by going on these rides or even just going to a homeless shelter and feeding them, [people] spread more hope to the homeless,” Niko said.

Choosing the next step locatio n 27%

cost nk 15% ra % 16

It’s that time of the year when seniors are anxiously checking and rechecking their mailboxes in hopes of receiving the acceptance letter to their dream colleges. For some, college decisions are already made. For others, it is a struggle to make the “right” decision out of the various colleges.

Diamond Bar High School seniors Miriam Sun, Jonathan Sun, and Crystal Chang have all been accepted to various colleges and have their own set of requirements, but they all place a heavy emphasis on college reputation, environment, and financial aid.

Senior Miriam Sun plans on attending Caltech out of the offers she received from UCLA, UC Berkeley, UCSD, UCI, and UCR. One factor that made Caltech particularly stand out to her was the proximity to her home.

“I have a handicapped brother that I’ve helped my parents take care of my whole life so being able to stay close to home would be great convenience-wise. Its research is also incredibly strong and it’s a relatively smaller school, so it has a bit more of a close knit family type feel than a huge UC,” Miriam Sun said via Facebook.

Caltech’s reputation for being

Ma 42 jor %

cindy liu contributing writer

Infographic by CATHERINE ZHANG

The staff polled 100 Diamond Bar High School seniors regarding what factors determine their choice of college. one of the best colleges for her major, biology and bioengineering, also contributed to her decision. When looking at colleges, Sun looked for a comfortable environment where she would feel at home, in addition to the financial aid and tuition costs.

Another DBHS senior, Jonathan Sun, is deciding among three colleges for each of their unique programs.

At UC Berkeley, he plans on studying Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, one of the top programs for his field of study in the nation.

He is also considering UCLA to study Computational and Systems Biology, or to UCSD for the Com-

prepping for ap tests

puter Science program with a specialization in Bioinformatics.

“I make decisions towards one college over another based on the different academic programs the colleges offer, their environment and atmosphere they provide, and occasionally the financial aid packages offered by each college,” Sun said via email. “To me, what matters most in selecting colleges is whether the college’s academic program will adequately prepare me for whatever career I pursue in the future.”

Although he has received offers from several other colleges, he is not considering them because of their lower rankings in his desired field of study and his inability to

visit their campuses.

For DBHS senior Crystal Chang, college competitiveness, name visibility in a particular major, financial aid, and alumni network are important factors to consider. She advised seniors to choose colleges based on its teaching environment.

“If you really don’t like huge class sizes, or feel that you’re more of one to get lost in the crowd, you shouldn’t go to a huge UC,” Chang said.

“If you really love creating what you’re interested in, you might feel restricted by schools with a strong core. But honestly, it’s all up to what you want to get out of your experience.”

As May quickly approaches, many Diamond Bar students are dreading the much-feared AP tests. While no amount of advice can truly transform the testing experience into a smooth one, here are some study tips that will surely make you more confident going into it.

1 Get in touch with your learning style. In order to study in the most effective way, it is important that you distinguish your most effective method of learning. There are multiple selfassessments available online for one to determine this, but typically, it is not too difficult to figure it out on your own. For example, if you learn best by watching others, you are likely a visual learner, whereas if you learn effectively by taking notes, you may be a kinetic learner.

2 Distribute a certain amount of time every day to study. Even 30 minutes to an hour every day from today onwards can make a world of difference. Statistically, one learns better in the morning than later at night, so it may be a better idea to wake up and study an hour before school starts.

Avoid pushing off AP studying until after homework, as this can result in a lack of sleep, which can very negatively affect studying.

3 Allocate a certain number of days for every chapter of the course. About two to three days per chapter is usually enough, but be sure to check the amount of time you have and coordinate it with the number of chapters.

4 Maximize your time on the weekend. At least three hours of your weekend should be spent studying, per number of AP tests you are taking. The weekend offers, for most, a lot of free time, so be sure to use that wisely.

5 Invest in a good-quality AP book.

The best brand usually depends on each subject, but in general, Cliffs and Crash Course are the two that I have personally used most often. Study these with the notes that you took over the school year, and be sure to study one topic at a time.

6 Take many practice tests. This is especially important if you are studying for a STEM- related test, as practice is one of the most effective ways to prepare.

7 Take advantage of your resources.

Khan Academy, Quizlet, and teachers who are willing to help are useful, so be sure to turn to them if you do not understand a concept or just need to better your understanding.

8 Relax. Even if you do badly, you will have all summer to forget about it. Make an effort, but don’t stress too much.

8

FEATURE

APRIL 13, 2016

THE BULL'S EYE

“One of my happiest memories is the first time I got to see my grandfather.

The way he introduced himself stands out to me.

He wasn’t all shy when introducing himself since it was the first time I saw him but he instead just goes up and hugs all of us.”

Adam Escamilla Junior and Fiona Lee, Sophomore “We’re more like parent-child than a friendship. If I’m over at her house, I’ll be the one to do the dishes, make dinner, and make sure she goes to sleep at some point. I’m literally like a parent.”

Khalife Davis, Senior

HUMANS

+STUDENTS

OF DBHS

Alina Chen, Peggy hseih, seniors “Even though we don’t have classes together, we try to hang out.”

“I send her a lot of dog pictures.”

Dorothy lewes, Senior “I work at a hospital in Pomona Valley, so I’ve been able to help people who are giving birth, and see real life C-Sections. At the hospital, most people only speak Spanish or Chinese, and I like to hear about the different stories of the cultures and see how their life is.”

Krusha Patel, Senior

“I go to the gym everyday, and ever since I started that, I became more confident in myself.

Before I joined the gym, it was a struggle for me to have high self esteem. I was able to believe in myself more and keep a positive attitude for everything I do.”

Scan the QR code to view more portraits on the Students + Humans of DBHS Facebook page.

Zavien Quintero, Sophomore

“My fear is if someone were to ask me for help and I wasn’t there to help them out. I used to be on the opposite end. My brother and I used to get picked on a lot at our old school. So we have each others back and I felt like I could make him happy and he could make me happy, as cliche as that sounds.”

THE BULL'S EYE

APRIL 13, 2016

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Drama Starts Revolution ingrid chan staff writer After having performed a short sneak peak of the “Les Miserables” play during the performing arts rally earlier this year, DBHS drama students are now preparing for the real deal.

The DBHS Theatre Department will be presenting a production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg’s “Les Miserables,” based on Victor Hugo’s novel of the same title, on April 22-24 and 28-30 at 7:00 p.m. “Les Miserables” is set in 19th century France during a time of social and political revolution, when student uprisings were beginning to tear through the streets of Paris.

The musical follows the life of Jean Valjean, right after he is released from 19 years of imprisonment.

Inspired and encour-

aged by a kind act on the part of a stranger, Valjean decides to turn his life around, beginning with a fresh start. The play follows his struggles as he strives for re-

ERIC HONG

The drama department prepares for their take on the French Revolution during the spring play “Les Miserables.”

for the show were rented for the

sitions of stage manager and

most part, and the students in

head of concessions, as well as

stagecraft have created most of

others who are responsible for

the props and sets for the play.

props and publicity.

“It’s a very expensive show

The version of the drama they

this year. The costumes and ev-

will be performing this year is

erything else will cost close to

a school edition, which means

$30,000, which is why the ticket

they will only cut out a few re-

prices are a bit higher for this

petitive sections.

show,” Drama advisor and in-

mean they’ve softened the con-

structor Beatrice Casagran said.

tent at all. As far as changing

The drama department strives

things within the musical, the

to run like a theater company.

license for the piece dictates

Students apply to production

what they can do. Essentially,

jobs at the end of each year, re-

they’re not allowed to change

sulting in students with the po-

much about the play other than

It doesn’t

twisting the occasional swear word or redundant phrase.

demption and justice, all the while being pursued by the relentless Police Inspector Javert.

Members of the Theatre Department began rehearsals after school in early February, but the students have been studying their scripts even before that.

The elaborate costumes needed

Drama on p. 12

9

10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

APRIL 13, 2016

THE BULL'S EYE

Now Showing:

whiskey tango foxtrot

In a surprisingly serious role, comedian Tina Fey portrays a famed TV journalist, proving herself to be a skilled actress capable of moving audiences to tears. lilly ball editor-in-chief For the past 15 years, the war in Afghanistan has had an ever disappearing presence in the American media. This lack of screen time, however, has been masking horrific events that have ruined the lives of citizens, soldiers, and international journalists. In her most profound role yet, Tina Fey stars in the film “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” as real-life foreign journalist Kim Barker, delivering a performance as poignant as it is humorous. But, with its dark comic aside, the film still manages to deliver one, singular, emotionally devastating message: there is no way to make light of suffering.

The film begins with the rather banal issues of Kim, who is unsatisfied with her desk job, writing scripts for reporters who are actually awarded screen time.

In search of her big break, Kim agrees to travel to Afghanistan for a period of three months, to investigate the effectiveness of the American War on Terror. Though once she arrives, she realizes that

John Requa and based on a book the assignment is not the exotic stan for many years. Besides the chaos that occurs all around her,

by Barker, was marketed as a comadventure she had dreamed of. edy, as it is the only genre the filmForced to live in a complex Kim’s network refuses to feature makers have contributed to (they populated by other journalists on many of her pieces, as “war is no penned “Bad Santa”). But, similar similar missions, Kim quickly as- longer exciting.” With no way of showing the American public the to Fey, the duo utilized “Foxtrot” similates into their harsh cycle of as a way to break out of their partying, misconduct and investi- destruction of the Afghan culture, molds. While humor has a heavy gative reporting. It is here that she Kim and the other journalists bepresence in the film, it is used as meets Australian correspondent come frustrated, as they are the a coping mechanism by those who Tanya Vanderpeol, played by the only ones who know what pandehave deteriorated along with Afgorgeous Margo Robbie, and pho- monium is being created.

I am not surprised that the film, ghanistan. tographer Ian MacKelpie (Martin The funniness makes the film Freeman,) who have both become directed by Glenn Ficarra and more palextremely atable, wanton in (war ning, their atmuch of tempts to this hudeal with mor dethe harshrives from ness of foul lantheir enviguage, ) as ronment. the ruin of K i m cities and grows to of lives love the forced me exciteto become ment that aware of c o m e s a war that along with I scarcely her job, k n o w n and ends up staying Photo cxourtesy of PARAMOUNT PICTURES a b o u t .

H av i n g in Afghani- In the heat of action, Kim abandons the safety of her vehicle to get a better view.

Student Spotlight Chloe Reyes pauline villegas asst. a&e editor Finding the right path to take in life is difficult for most, but junior Chloe Reyes has known from a young age that acting is her passion. Now, Reyes is starring in Diamond Bar High School Drama department’s spring play, “Les Miserables,” and also has an opportunity for a role in the national traveling company of the musical “Miss Saigon.”

Reyes’ love for acting started when she was young, when she would mimic the characters she saw in movies and TV shows.

“I’ve always been acting. At a young age, I was fortunate enough to have parents who had little restrictions with the movies or content I watched, for the sake of its quality. I was able to respect movies and the characters in them,” Reyes said.

When Reyes was nine years old, a talent scout approached her and her parents at a mall. This encounter sparked her interest in the acting field. After this, Reyes auditioned for some commercials, but it wasn’t until she came to DBHS that her work as a performer truly began Five years prior coming to DBHS, Reyes wanted to pursue a career in martial arts. But that changed once she began to work with the DBHS theater staff, who inspired her to embrace her talent and take acting seriously.

Reyes, who has been a part of many DBHS productions in the past three years, will star as

Eponine in “Les Miserables.”

“Myself, four years ago, would only dream about performing ‘On My Own’ in its entirety. It is already incredible that we have the opportunity to do a production this big,” Reyes said.

Additionally, Reyes placed first in the musical solo performance category at the annual California Thespian Film Festival for her performance of “Your Daddy’s Son” on April 1. She also scored highly on the London Academy of Musical and Dramatic Arts exam, which is the British version of the AP exam for the arts. She earned bronze level and passed with merit.

Reyes had a role in the fall production of “The Skin of our Teeth,” as Sabina, which lead to her recognition by the California Educational Theater Association.

This association gave her many opportunities to further her career in other countries, such as the Philippines.

“With the permission of my parents and our fantastic school, I often make visits to the Philippines where I am building myself through the performing industry there,” Reyes said.

Reyes’ love of performing keeps her motivated throughout all of her tryouts and performances.

“There is this something about being on stage and putting yourself in a different reality. It takes me away from myself and puts me in a different perspective,” Reyes said.

She hopes to continue to pursue acting in college. Reyes believes her experiences at Diamond Bar will prepare her for her work ahead.

“Performing is what makes me happy, and with every new project I have the luxury to take, I learn more,” Reyes said.

She heard about the opportunity for a role in “Miss Saigon” from her mom one day after “Les Miserables” practice. Out of over a thousand people auditioning, Reyes and two other actresses received a call back. She is waiting to hear the results.

“Everyone was very talented and had just as good of a chance as I did. I guess the gods were in my favor because I was able to make it to callbacks and perform in front of the producer Cameron Mackintosh,” Reyes said, “It was an amazing experience.

One I could, and will never forget.”

grown up during the time that these events took place, I was embarrassed to realize that I was so oblivious to them, proving that, as in the film, the media had downplayed them. In their attempts to gain more viewers, stations have ignored heavily political stories, passed up for those with bigger explosions, and better footage.

In a film daring to display so many conflicting emotions, there is a heavy burden placed upon its cast to support the script. Though originally awkward and offbeat as she is in most of her work, Fey matured throughout the course of the film. As if she were a skilled dramatic actress, Fey reduced me to tears while she navigated through the snarl of emotions that accompany war and betrayal.

While it has all aspects that most modern war films boast (violence, comedy, and romance), “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” accomplishes the unimaginable, as it finds a balance between wit and sorrow. With this film under their belts, Fey, Ficarra, and Requa are now free, liberated from the comedic chains that had prevented them from producing any serious work.

Tune In

MIND OF MINE vrinda chauhan business editor Zayn Malik broke the hearts of millions of Directioners when he quit the charming boy band One Direction a year ago. Then, a year later, he picked the pieces up and put them back together, making hearts throb yet again over his new album, “Mind of Mine.”

I tried to hold a grudge and dislike his new work, but his voice, sound, and creativity took center stage in this album, and I found myself quite enjoying this mind of his.

From Justin Timberlake to George Michael, everyone loves a good boy band member turned solo artist; Zayn’s split was not too difficult to predict.

His style was always much edgier than One Direction allowed him to be, and he was certainly restrained in the group. “Mind of Mine” is far more mature than anything One Direction has produced, and this is evidenced his slightly vulgar and much more sexual lyrics.

The freshman album is a clear demonstration of his talent and style, and gives an intense and sultry vibe, that matches well with his bad boy image.

“Mind of Mine” tells the tale of the former boy band singer’s breakaway. From the first comprehensible lyrics in “Pillowtalk,” Zayn makes clear the distinction of who he was as a 1D member, and who he is now.

In short, you don’t want to go to a Zayn concert with your parents.

That is not to say, however, that Zayn neglects the younger Directioners who have since moved with him into his newly-acquired maturity. Sonically, the album resonates with remnants of the edgier One Direction songs.

However, the sound is most reminiscent of Frank Ocean’s R&B in “Channel Orange,” only a little more noir.

It’s hard to fault “Mind of Mine” for its similar- sounding songs, with its mood swinging from the swooping ballad “It’s You,” to the dark shuffle of “Befour”, and the woozy and sloppy “Drunk.”

But maintaining momentum over 18 tracks is a difficult task, one which Zayn ultimately fails at: the second half of “Mind of Mine” falls into a hazy lull, and becomes boring.

“Mind of Mine” succeeds as a catchy and contemporary R&B album, but listeners can hear Zayn’s true departure from 1D not in his stray profanities or cloudy beats, but in the quiet few moments of songs like “Intermission — Flower,” a warbling interlude sung in Urdu, the language of Zayn’s father.

Its guitar-picking and plainly sung melody would not find its way onto a One Direction tracklist, and yet, it’s presence is paramount in “Mind of Mine.” In the middle of his debauched, disco ball freedom party, it’s our truest introduction to a new, sudden realization of Zayn, sans Malik.

THE BULL'S EYE

APRIL 13, 2016 The Lilly Pad

lilly ball editor-in-chief When the burden of teenage life becomes too much to bear, I escape to a place that is entirely my own, a place where I am called “Mayor.”

In the world of “Animal Crossing,” I determine my own fate, and work hard to ensure the happiness of my fellow villagers...who just happen to all be animated animals.

If you are unfamiliar with the phenomenon that is “Animal Crossing: New Leaf,” allow me to introduce you to the most effective way to waste five hours while staring into the tiny screen of a Nintendo 3DS gaming system.

The game, though released in 2012, has remained popular throughout the years. It is structured as a life-simulation game, in which you adopt the role as mayor of a small town. As mayor, it is your duty to build relationships with your citizens, fuel the economy, beautify the landscape, and donate to your town’s museum. Or, if responsibility isn’t your thing, the gameplay is completely up to you. You could decide to dedicate your time to dancing, remodeling your home, or catching rare beetles and amassing virtual wealth in the form of “bells.”

As you enter into your new life, you will be introduced to a myriad of characters, many of whom differ game to game. Each “villager”

has a unique personality, and moves in and out of your town as they wish. If you ignore your village for a few months, you will return to find that a few of your favorite villagers have left you and have been replaced by strangers, which is an aspect of the game that has caused me to experience guilt multiple times.

Of course, the game has its limitations, but while I am playing I often feel as if I can do whatever I wish. I may have a mortgage attached to my virtual house, but I can spend my “bells” as I please, which unfortunately resulted in me filling every corner of my house with useless furniture that really serves no function.

I am aware of the fact that all of the hard work I put into “Animal Crossing” will result into nothing tangible, but I cannot express the satisfaction that comes along with running my own town.

While I make time for “Animal Crossing” during the school year, I go a bit crazy during the summer.

Pent up in my room, I have spent entire days playing the game, staying up until 3 a.m to catch the rarest beetles. There was even a point in time in which I began to have dreams animated in the game’s style, and would mindlessly hum the soundtrack.

As strange as it may seem to spend a disproportionate amount of time playing a video game, I am not ashamed of my village.

emily jacobsson asst. a&e editor After five long months of planning out their project, traveling to locations, and working long hours, sophomores Megan Hoang and Marisa Umeh finally finished their film submission for the global Girls Impact the World film festival.

One month later, the two girls were celebrating and booking plane tickets to accept their second runner up award at Harvard University in Massachusetts.

The Ian Somerhalder (IS) Foundation teamed up with the GITW film festival to create a category centered on environmental issues that impact women, called Green IS. Hoang and Umeh chose to participate in this category, as they were both passionate about different aspects of it. As Hoang was more science orientated, and Umeh had knowledge about cosmetic companies, the duo put their skills together to form the perfect team.

“I’ve always had a passion [to eliminate] hydrogenated oils. My middle school teacher taught me about it and I was interested because it is very detrimental to humans and everyone should know about it but not many people do.

sophia kim staff writer

Photo courtesy of MARISA UMEH

Marisa Umeh and Megan Hoang were awarded third for their short film.

Marisa wanted to talk about makeup and parabens so we combined it to form ‘In & On’,” Hoang said.

Through their submission, a video magazine titled “Frida Magazine: In & On,” Hoang and Umeh delivered educational and relatable content that encourages teenage girls to take better care of their bodies by being more mindful about what they eat and the makeup they use. They were also inspired by artist and feminist icon Frida Kahlo, hence the title of the magazine.

While creating the film, the girls found difficulties incorporating the ideas they had, as they conflicted with one another.

However, cooperation was key to putting aside any of their differences, and allowed them to tackle

Photo Courtesy of the CHOIR DPT.

Marquis members accept third in MIxed Division at the FAME choir competition.

cade.

“We were so excited to perform our set for the second time and it was just a lot of fun getting to sing on a national stage,” senior Nicolas Zhou said.

From April 5-10, DBHS’ varsity color guard team traveled to Ohio to compete at the WGI World Championships, for the first time in the school’s history. They competed for the open class preliminary rounds, against 51 different color guard teams from all around the world. They performed their piece, “Finding Color in the Dark,” which portrays a message about people with visual disabilities continuing their passion with the help of music.

Meanwhile, from April 8-10, DBHS’ symphony orchestra went to San Francisco for a recording session at George Lucas’ Skywalker Sounds studios, the same studio where the “Star Wars” soundtrack was recorded. They recorded a 20-minute piece, called “Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances,” from “West Side Story,” and the first movement of “Mahler Symphony 3.”

Besides recording music, the students also saw the San Francisco Symphony and visited DBHS’ alumni in UC Berkeley’s symphony orchestra.

the film as a strong team.

“We have so many ideas and we wanted to include so many ideas.

We didn’t really know if [the magazine] would work and we wanted to execute it without making it tacky.

We wanted to do it to the best of our abilities, but we didn’t have knowledge in some things, such as using editing software. Ultimately we were able to use the knowledge that we had and put it together,” Umeh said.

While Hoang and Umeh directed the film, many others were involved in the process. Hoang’s sister, Justa, played a teenage girl looking to learn more about the harmful effects of polluting her body.

FILM on p.12

Wizarding World hits west coast amy miyahara contributing writer

from New York, DBHS’ choir team had the opportunity to fly to Orlando to compete at FAME, a national show choir competition. Only one school per state was invited to compete at FAME, and DBHS’ choir team represented California. During their trip from March 30 to April 3, the Marquis and Solitare team each performed their own set of songs.

Marquis’ performance focused on elevators, while Solitaire’s show was themed around keys.

Marquis took third in the Mixed Division, while Solitaire won first runner up in the Unisex division.

This is the first time choir has competed at FAME in nearly a de-

11

DB Duo Dominate Harvard Film Festival

Great Performances in Big Cities During the past few weeks, you may have looked around and noticed some empty seats in your classrooms. Traveling out of state, Diamond Bar High School’s wind ensemble, choir, color guard, and symphony orchestra showcased their talents off campus during recent trips.

From March 23-27, DBHS’ Wind Ensemble traveled to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall. The students played a 30-minute piece titled “Symphony No. 4” composed

by David Maslanka, which they started practicing last December.

This performance was not for a competition, but rather for feedback from the judges, to help them improve through the experience.

“Honestly, I think for us, performing at Carnegie Hall was just for the experience,” Kashiwabara said. “We played one of the hardest band pieces ever written, in one of the best halls in the world.”

Aside from their performance, Wind Ensemble students were able to visit the Empire State building, watch “Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway and visit Times Square.

A few days after band returned

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Millions of fans worldwide have read J.K. Rowling’s series, watched the franchise’s eight motion pictures, and spent billions of dollars on merchandise, making Harry Potter one of the most wellknown fictional heroes of this generation. Now fans in Southern California can experience the magic of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts for themselves. After Universal Studios first created “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” in its Florida theme park in 2014, they have finally opened one at their Hollywood location.

I had been dying to visit “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” ever since it opened in Florida, so I was thrilled when I heard that one was coming to California. Everyone in my family is obsessed with Harry Potter, so we had high expectations for our visit. We walked through the entrance and into Hogsmeade, the town shopping center and hang out for student wizards, just outside the gates of Hogwarts. The stores were beautifully decorated with stonewalls, adorable window displays, and fake snow covering the roofs to

create the perfect ambiance.

I was impressed that the stores stayed loyal to the descriptions and characters in the books. The famous wizard candy shop, Honeyduke’s was not to be missed, boasting a display of candies such as chocolate frogs and Bernie Bott’s Every Flavored Beans. Zonko’s joke shop was also present, as well as a cauldron shop, a Quidditch shop, and even an owl post where guests can send letters and buy their own stuffed owls.

One complaint that I did have was that the stores were much too small. While they were all decorated nicely, and the coziness was certainly in character with the spirit of Hogsmeade, it was difficult to move around. The aisles were crowded with people, making it hard to browse through the merchandise or figure out where the lines started.

Of course, a trip to Hogsmeade would not be complete without trying some of the legendary Butterbeer. Vendors sell the drink from multiple red carts located throughout Hogsmeade. The carts sell two types of butterbeer: frozen and regular. I preferred the frozen drink, as it was refreshing and had

POTTER on p.12

Photo Courtesy of UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

12 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE BULL'S EYE

april 13, 2016

Universal welcomes Harry Potter POTTER from p.11 more of a butterscotch flavor. The regular drink was carbonated, and tasted like a lukewarm root beer float.

One of the things I had been looking forward to the most was visiting Ollivander’s, the wand shop. The store sells wands identical to those of the characters in the books, as well as more personalized wands that match certain character descriptions. I was really impressed with how authentic the wands looked, although they were on the pricy end, at $40.

For $50, the shop sells interactive wands, which have a sensor on them that allows owners to activate different spells throughout the park. If a person has an interactive wand, they would be able to go to the window of designated stores and cast a spell using the wand’s sensor, which activates a detector in the store window that causes the lights to go on and off in the window’s display. For

younger children, it’s worth the price to have them believe their wand gives them magical abilities.

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” features two attractions.

The major ride, “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey,” takes riders on an adventure alongside the cast of Harry Potter. Above the ride’s entrance is a replica of Hogwarts Castle, which was absolutely stunning. The high walls and coneshaped turrets looked like something directly out of the books. I was impressed that the ride’s line moved through rooms decorated as locations featured in the books.

The ride itself was enjoyable, with Harry Potter leading guests through the Forbidden Forest, flying through a Quidditch game, and fighting off a gang of dementors. The ride uses 3-dimensional holographic technology, which I thought made the scenes exciting and realistic. This feature might cause sensitive guests to get motion

sickness, as the ride is fast-paced, and the computer generated images might make a person nauseous.

The other ride, “Flight of the Hippogriff,” is a small, mild roller coaster. A cart takes riders through a series of twists, turns, and drops.

Although this ride was fun, it was nothing spectacular, and was similar to a ride that might be found at any other amusement park. I would recommend this ride for young children over “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey,” as it lacks the intensity and frightening images that of the other ride.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and was impressed with the detail that went into creating an atmosphere identical to what one would imagine the real Wizarding World to feel like.

Ultimately, I loved experiencing that nostalgic feeling, taking me back to when I was first introduced to the magic of Harry Potter as a little kid.

Student teachers take charge student teachers from p.6 Growing up, Rizzo always found that math came easy to her. As a 2009 DBHS alumnus, Rizzo remembers her math teacher, Michelle Hansen, as being dedicated to helping students understand each lesson. Now as a student teacher, Rizzo hopes to deliver lessons of the same quality.

“To be honest, my favorite part of teaching is when students get it.

I try to break a very difficult concept into very simple ones, they get the simple ones and I can build on it. When students get what you think is supposed to be difficult,

that’s my favorite part,” Rizzo said.

Also attending Cal Poly Pomona is band student teacher Jason La Meda. He is completing his teaching credential in single subject music, and hopes to teach music to high school students.

“On a personal level, I’ve always felt that through music I was the most useful for other people and that’s what it boils down to. For me, that means trying to create the most positive experience for students,” La Meda says.

Working under music directors Steve Acciani and Marie Sato, Le

‘Les Miserables’ arrives at DB theater drama from p..9 One change that they are making, because “Les Miserables” has so many male voices, is the casting of girls who have mezzo voices as several of the men in the rebellion.

“There’s a ‘Les Miserables’ revival on Broadway right now that closes this summer, and that is what partly inspired us to do ‘Les Miserables’ for our own play,” Casagran said.

But for this play, it’s not just the DBHS students that will be acting.

For the first time in a DBHS production, elementary and middle school students will also be making an appearance. Before drama began rehearsing, auditions were held for younger students in the district. The 10 who were awarded roles now rehearse alongside the drama students, every day.

“They add a whole new layer to the show. Now we actually have kids playing as kids in-

stead of just casting short people,” senior Juliana King said.

Junior Riley Mawhorter will be acting as the main character Jean Valjean, while junior Daniel Durkee was cast as the persistent Inspector Javert. Playing the role of Valjean’s adopted daughter Cosette is sophomore Mary Thomas, and her suitor Marius will be portrayed by senior Jaden Campbell. There are also more than thirty other actors, all of whom have worked together for over three months in order to bring their performance of “Les Miserables” together.

Now that the date of the play is drawing closer, the cast rehearses every day for up to four hours to polish up their skills.

This year, tickets will not be sold at the door because Casagran hopes to encourage people to buy tickets from the students. The prices are $18 for adults and $15 for students.

ERIC HONG

Riley Mawhorter and Amanda Revilla practice as Jean Valjean and Fantine.

Meda has been able to observe all the aspects that he finds valuable in a music program at DBHS. Since he began playing instruments in fifth grade, Le Meda is no stranger to performing in a band. However, as he now finds himself on the opposite side of the conductor’s stand, Le Meda continues to learn new things.

“I’ve always known that as a band director the amount of work behind the scenes is a lot,” La Meda said. “But actually seeing it and experiencing it first hand, I underestimated the amount of work.”

Photo courtesy of MARISA UMEH

Megan Hoang and Marisa Umeh (second and third from top left) along with other award winners, are photographed with festival sponsor Ian Somerhalder.

Film festival deals with environmental issues FILM from p.11 Girls from more than six countires were interviewed about their knowledge of the film subject. They also reached out a nutritionist, an internal medicine professional, a restaurant owner, Diamond Bar High School Science teacher Teresa Hebert, and Willa, a skincare line. “[Willa] doesn’t have parabens or sulfate and it’s great for the skin. We contacted them asking if they wanted to be featured and they said yes and we were shocked. They sent us products and we filmed with it,” Hoang said.

Hoang and Umeh were invited to the red carpet event at Harvard to accept their awards, so they decided to plan a trip around the event. They traveled to Washington D.C. and New York City before

arriving at their final stop, Boston.

Along the way, the two girls took footage that they plan to use in future issues of Frida Magazine.

They plan to publish a new video magazine for every season and create a website for Frida Magazine.

Ian Somerhalder and his wife Nikki Reed personally presented the award to Hoang and Umeh before the girls gave a speech.

They were also awarded a $750 scholarship, though the lessons they learned and the experience they received were just as valuable.

“Hardwork pays off, definitely, Megan and I were up till 3 a.m. trying to edit and we lost a lot of sleep,” Umeh said, “When we saw the effects and how people we were moved by our movie, it was all worth it.”

SPORTS

THE BULL'S EYE

APRIL 13, 2016

New league, no challenge Young golfer

ready for college

BADMINTON The Brahmas remain undefeated due to the strength and diversity of the team members.

In her first year of high school, nationally ranked player Kailie Vongsaga has already accepted a full-ride scholarship to play golf at UCLA.

emily kim asst. sports editor Dominating all of its matches, the Diamond Bar High School badminton team looks to continue their winning streak and then capture its fifth consecutive CIF title.

Out of the two preseason and three league matches that the team has competed in, the Brahmas have gone undefeated, with their closest match ending 16-5 against Arcadia High School. Although the matches have not proven to be difficult thus far, junior captain Justin Lam said the team continues to work hard to prepare for the rest of the season.

“Due to the fact that we are in a new league with new schools, there are many players that we have not faced before and facing the unknown is always a challenge,” Lam said Besides Diamond Bar, only three other schools, Glen A. Wilson, Chino Hills, and Webb, are a part of the San Joaquin League of the California Interscholastic Federation.

Head coach Kemp Wells believes that the league has not reached its full potential as the other badminton teams are not as strong as they have been in previous years, making the Brahmas favorites in the league matches.

Diamond Bar will be watching out for Long Beach Polytechnic High School, the team the Brahmas faced off against last year in the championship round of the CIF. However, Mira Costa High School, with a pair of strong freshmen and a solid group of returning players, along with Cerritos High School, will also be a challenge for DB, according to Wells.

With numerous reliable players in all five events, boys singles and doubles, girls singles and doubles, and mixed doubles, the Brahmas go into the rest of the season with confidence. Many players train outside

13

said. “Above all, I’ve coached and played with PGA, LPGA and high level college players for more than 20 years and Kailie has that ‘it’ facPlaying in the No. 1 spot for girls tor that so many strive to attain.” varsity golf is but one achievement During non-tournament weeks, for freshman Kailie Vongsaga, a Vongsaga dedicates one to two nationally ranked player who has hours on putting and chipping evalready been offered a full-ride ery other day and practices at the scholarship by her dream college, driving range two to three times UCLA. per week. A week before tournaAfter being introduced to golf ments, Vongsaga spends three to when she was two, Vongsaga first four hours every day practicing all played competitively at age seven aspects of the game. after participating in the Junior Yet despite the amount of time World Championships, where she Vongsaga dedicates to golf, she faced some of the best junior playmanages to prioritize her academers from over 30 countries. Vongics. saga regards the tournaments as “My dad always told me to make great experience and motivation to sure that academic always comes develop her golf first,” Vongsaga game. said. “I would “Her character is that of Vo n g s a g a skip practice hard work, humbleness and is currently on days that my gratitude to do her very best ranked 21st in homework load is whether that’s winning or the American very high.” finishing at the bottom and Junior Golf AsVo n g s a g a ’ s that is why she is the amazing proudest moment sociation—an player that she is.” organization was when she considered by came back from DAVID HEINEN many to be the being seven shots best junior assobehind to win the ciation of the world—and has won AJGA tournament at Wood Ranch four AJGA titles, three of which in Simi Valley. According to Vongwere earned in 2015. saga, the tournament has motivatIn addition, Vongsaga has not ed her to never give up, no matter only received the AJGA Junior how far off the lead she is.

All-Star Team honor but was also Her goal is to eventually reach named Player of the Year by the the No. 1 spot in the APGA Polo juInland Empire Daily Bulletin. As nior ranking and to qualify for the for school achievements, Vongsaga US American Open. Furthermore, swept the CIF Regional-Southern Vongsaga has hopes of joining the Section and was named the DiaLPGA tour after her tenure in high mond Bar High Palomares League school and college golf.

MVP. “Her character is that of hard “Her strengths on the course work, humbleness and gratitude are her steely calm focus, precito do her very best whether that’s sion play with the driver and irons, winning or finishing at the bottom and her ability to raise her level of and that is why she is the amazing focus with her short game when player that she is,” Heinen said. the pressure is on,” David Heinen, “I’m very proud to call her my stuVongsaga’s personal swing coach, dent.”

stuart kusdono contributing writer

Freshman Joshua Lee competes in the Azuza tournament on April 8 and 9.

Photos by BRIAN CHANG

Junior Andrew Gao and sophomore Lucy Zhang play in a doubles match. of school practices in clubs such as the Global Badminton Academy making the team even stronger.

“We hope that we can add at least one if not two more teams next year into the league so we can have a really nice strength in the league and have six teams like other sports get to have,” Wells said.

Joining a league has given the team more opportunities to play matches compared to last year when it played only four games before competing in playoffs. Even

though the Brahmas were not a part of a league at the time, they managed to clinch their fourth consecutive CIF title.

“It’s nice so the players feel as though the sport matters to more than just them.” Wells said. “When we just played six matches before we got to playoffs and we had no league finals, it’s almost like it’s not as important as it should be compared to how hard most of these players work and how strong they end up being as a team.”

Predicting the nba postseason ryan chae asst. sports editor Playoffs? We talking about playoffs? Yes, as an answer to former Colts coach Jim Mora. I am talking about the postseason, but not the NFL. We’re delving into the NBA. This season has been filled with many storylines, from the final season of Kobe to the Golden State Warriors’ quest of topping the 1996 Chicago Bulls’ 72-10 regular season record. However, once the date hits April 16, none of it will matter as 16 teams fight for the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the playoffs.

In the postseason this year, there seems to be only five teams that have the true potential to make it to the NBA Finals: The Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder,

the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Toronto Raptors .

Obviously, the Warriors are the favorite this year, as they are the defending champs along with posting one of the greatest singleseason records in NBA history.

Led by the trio of all-stars Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Stephen Curry, Golden State is in shape to protect its title. Backed up by a consistent supporting cast, the Warriors should have no problem until the West Conference Finals.

Golden State would be my favorite to win it all if it weren’t for this next team.

The San Antonio Spurs have created a culture of teamwork and unselfishness that has brought them success for the last 20 years. This year’s team may be the best that legendary coach Gregg Popovich has built. With reigning Defensive

Player of the Year and MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard, all-star Lamarcus Aldridge, and the greatest power forward of all time Tim Duncan, the Spurs have already proven themselves to be the best defensive unit in the NBA. Add on six-time All-Star Tony Parker and former Sixth Man of the Year Manu Ginobili, and that may be the best lineup in the NBA. With their given track record in the playoffs, the Spurs are the biggest threat to the Warriors’ bid for a repeat.

The Thunder should easily be recognized as one of the biggest threats to the Warriors with the best scorer in the league Kevin Durant and Mr. Triple Double Russell Westbrook, but it’s not offense the team should be worried about, it’s defense. The team has choked in more than ten games where the Thunder held the lead going into

the fourth quarter, a few of those games against the Warriors, Spurs, and Cavaliers. As of late, however, the team has found its groove with its terribly weak bench coming alive and finishing off games. OKC has the ability to take down every team in the postseason, but it all depends on if the team chooses to.

The Cavaliers have a self-explanatory reason why they’re the top contenders in the East: LeBron James. King James has returned to his dominant self, once again, collecting a few triple doubles along the way. While he’s been able to carry his team through the regular season, he can’t do it alone in the playoffs. The Cavs have been hindered from its true potential due to inconsistent play from everyone else on his team. It doesn’t help that the Cavs switched coaches in the middle of the season. If the

team can pick up the chemistry and mesh as a unit, it may have a chance at finally taking down the Warriors.

In their last two playoff experiences, the Raptors faced disappointing defeats with the seven game series against Brooklyn in 2014 and the sweep by the Wizards in 2015. This year, the Raptors have learned through their mistakes and improved as they’ve claimed the second seed in the East. The addition of big Bismack Biyombo and development of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan has given the city of Toronto a chance at hosting a NBA Finals this year.

With just three days left before it starts, the first round will be filled with excitement and unpredictably. However, you can easily bet that these five teams will be in the next round.

14 SPORTS

APRIL 13, 2016

THE BULL'S EYE

Revolving captains boost leadership SWIM The Brahmas faced preseason challenges, as they attempted to integrate a new system of leadership at every meet. tess guan asst. web editor The Diamond Bar High School varsity swim team faces new challenges as it deals with leadership changes made this year. Instead of

having the traditional role of one team captain, who is in charge for the season, the swim team has established weekly team and meet captains.

Since the captain position hasn’t been removed completely, the role has been made available for different swimmers throughout the season. With the new adjustment, multiple Brahmas are given the opportunity and responsibility of managing their team. However, it is still possible for one swimmer to hold the captain position more than once.

“It’s been working better, in my

Sophomore Brian Li participates in the 100 meter breaststroke.

opinion, they actually get the kids in for their warm up and everything, and we have a good cheer at each meet because we do the brahma spell out at each meet, and they’ve been doing that,” assistant coach Melissa Gabriel said.

Furthermore, at each swim meet, there is an assigned meet captain placed in charge of managing the team. Due to having more experience, club swimmers are usually assigned as meet captains.

Despite facing the change in the leadership system, the team still faces many challenges among its swimmers.

“It’s the lack of team identity and team pride; people who join just put it on their college apps, they don’t care,” sophomore Michael Lee said, regarding his biggest challenge as a previous meet captain, “I just try to stay positive and get everyone hyped and included.”

Although Walnut High School’s swim team and Diamond Bar’s swim team are not competing within the same league, the Brahmas struggled to secure a win at the home meet last month.

Additionally, the boys swim team’s toughest opponent this season was defeating Santiago High School, while the girls’ biggest challenge is facing Ayala High School and Glendora High School.

“Our team is pretty strong this year, but we had some pretty good senior swimmers move out last

Photos by CALVIN RU

Freshman Kevin Vargas competes in a meet against the Santiago Sharks. year,” sophomore Brian Li said.

“The numbers are pretty balanced and we still need to work hard, but it’s not like we gained more than we lost.”

Currently, the team holds a 1-0 record in its league, defeating South Hills High School in its first league meet. However, at the Brah-

mas’ most recent meet against Santiago, the boys team managed to secure a win, but the girls team lost.

“We’re hoping to improve on girls as far as their record,” coach Gabriel said. “We lost to Ayala and Glendora last year and were hoping to at least be with them, and if not, beat them.”

Looking toward CHRISTIAN CALERO championships IN HIS GLORY DAYS

catherine zhang asst. feature editor Playing basketball ever since he was in the sixth grade, Diamond Bar High School social studies teacher Christian Calero has developed a lifelong passion for the sport and continued participating in the sport up until three years ago.

Calero began playing basketball on a competitive level when he joined the junior varsity team during his sophomore year at Alta Loma High School in Rancho Cucamonga. As a member of the varsity team in his junior and senior years, he was the starting power forward and served as captain during his senior year.

“We weren’t that good as a team.

But I realized early on that I wanted to be good and worked hard towards it,” Calero said.

During his sophomore and junior year, Calero devoted himself

to the sport, spending all his time on practicing to get better.

“I knew there was a guy that was better than me out there, and I wanted to beat him. I wanted to beat those athletes by working hard,” Calero said.

However, his motivation and devotion to the sport plummeted after sustaining a broken ankle injury during the summer of his junior year. Calero attended an All-Star basketball camp held in Las Vegas and sustained a slight injury to his leg. Instead of waiting the recommended week for the injury to heal, the high school athlete waited just two days before playing again and broke his ankle.

“I wasn’t able to play anymore and it was hard to keep the motivation and keep making good decisions because you don’t get [better].

When my foot healed in my senior year, my heart wasn’t all the way in it. Other things became interesting to me,” Calero said.

After graduating high school in 1989, Calero attended Cal State San Bernardino, where he played daily intramural matches. Despite occasionally scoring over 40 points in the matches and having the coach recommend Calero to join the college team multiple times, Calero didn’t try out.

“Honestly, I lost the love and feeling. The motivation was gone. I got into some other thing and that’s life, that’s what the Lord has for us,” Calero said.

However, Calero has dabbled in coaching basketball. When he was 18, he coached a team of seven to eight year olds. After college, he served as the assistant coach at Rancho Cucamonga High School and Cathedral High School.

It was after graduating that Calero spent more time playing basket-

GOLF Despite the loss of several seniors, the Brahmas remain strong on the green, averaging 200 per competition through balance and teamwork. gaby dinh web editor

Photo courtesy of CHRISTIAN CALERO

Christian Calero started at forward in his last two years of high school. ball in pick-up games at the beach, parks, and gyms.

“As a basketball player, I got the ball and I see the hoop and I see the guy in front of me and I think about what I have to do to get the ball in the hoop. To me, that was always very exciting because as soon as you did it, you have to do it again and again. To me, it was the love of the game,” Calero said.

Although the DBHS teacher has stopped playing, basketball has changed his perspective on the importance of wanting to improve-and win--a lesson that resonates with him even now.

“There’s nothing wrong with looking at someone and wanting to beat them, although there’s definitely a wrong and right way to do it. Even though I don’t play anymore and I won’t ever play again because I’m too old, basketball will always be a part of me. Ball is life.

It’s part of who I am.”

The Diamond Bar High School boys varsity golf team remains undefeated in its attempt to once again become Palomares League champions and Knabe Cup winners.

Currently, the top three teams in the league are Diamond Bar, Bonita, and Glendora. The Brahmas won both crucial home and away games against Bonita.

“On the road, golf is really hard to win in someone’s house because the greens are so fussy. You go in there kind of blind,” head coach Tony McCabe said. “We expected to lose because Bonita is maybe even better than us, but it was a close game.”

They first beat Bonita with a win of 201-212 on March 22 at home and then again away on March 24 at Marshall Canyon, which was the team’s best match of the year, according to McCabe.

The team often averages around 200, but at Marshall Canyon the team shot a 192 against a 195.

“It was kind of an upset but we took control and now we’ve stayed undefeated,” McCabe said. “[It’s] not that the other teams are bad but their golf is pretty mathematical. We average 200. That’s just too much mathematics for [the other teams] to overcome unless we play bad.”

The most consistent player on the team has been senior captain Joshua Song, who typically leads the team with sophomore Thomas Lee. Senior Dylan Stone, who re-

cently returned from a wrist injury, is also a standout player, averaging 38 for 9 holes, and finishing with a score of 37 against Bonita. Freshmen Sam Cho and Brian Chiu have also showed much promise, according to McCabe.

“This season was better than I expected due to our loss of four seniors last year, but we are just as good as them,” Song said. “We have a younger team, with high potential to play against everyone and play well.”

Compared to last year, McCabe says that this year’s team plays together. In addition to this change, he also rearranged partners by putting his best two players out at front.

“People sometimes split up their best guys. My strategy that seems to work for both boys and girls is that I want my first group to have the lead when they’re done with their 9 holes,” McCabe said. “I always like to have seniors in the last group. At least one senior, because when you come in at the match, the whole match is on the line.”

They will be competing against Glendora on April 27 and 28.

“Our team’s pretty balanced.

They’re all averaging around the same so we’re not taking anything for granted. We won a big match when we beat Bonita at Bonita’s golf course.”

The team will compete today in the Knabe Cup and play another match against Wilson tomorrow, after their first match yesterday.

“The Knabe Cup is one of our biggest tournaments this season and we hope to win it again,” Song said.

15

SPORTS

THE BULL'S EYE

APRIL 13, 2016

Aiding athletes on the sidelines Teaching about the body and how to care for injured players, Chase Paulson teaches a young group of students about sports medicine. emily kim asst. sports editor Sport games are a battle of physicality, with teams competing on the field and courts to come out on top. With so much emphasis placed on health for athletes, Diamond Bar High School Sports Physical Therapy class exists to educate students on the body and how it relates to those battling competitors.

DBHS teacher Chase Paulson

started teaching sports medicine classes in 2012 since it aligned with his current job as an athletic trainer. He currently teaches Intro to Health/Intro to EMS and Sports Physical Therapy.

“During the course of the year, students are taught pieces of the puzzle, and the big reward if when students get the big picture and can take the information they’ve learned and understand the entire injury process,” Paulson said via email.

Senior Shannon Wong practices taping the ankle of a fellow student.

Junior Jasmin Eid decided to take the course because of her interest in the medical field and because she wanted to take a course that would be closely related to medicinal sciences.

During Sports Physical Therapy, students learn about the role of the athletic trainer on the sports medicine team, emergency action planning and sports nutrition.

They also perform several hands-on activities such as orthopedic evaluations, life saving skills, and handling injuries.

The hands-on activities were an aspect of the class that junior Timothy Huang was interested in.

Working outside of a classroom setting was another reason Huang wanted to join the class. Students work with student-athletes during both practices and games under the supervision of college interns or a certified athletic trainer.

Huang also said that taking the class would help him determine if he wanted to pursue a career a medical field in the future.

“I think my favorite part of the class is how I am able to apply things that I learn in class into the real world when I work with the athletes,” Huang said.

Students who participate in the training program work during the

Photos by CALVIN RU

Sports Physical Therapy is a period four class that aid athletes in matches. games to aid the athletes. Before games, students’ responsibilities include prepping water and first aid kits and observing the college interns and the certified athletic trainer while they perform different taping techniques. During the game, they help with minor injuries and keep the athletes hydrated.

Afterwards, these students clean the water jug, bottles, and treatment tables and assist the college interns and athletic trainer with after-care for the athletes including cryotherapy and electrical stimula-

tion.

Senior Jarrett Hsieh thought that taking the course would help him since he is a catcher on the varsity baseball team. Hsieh believed that learning more about the body would help him better understand what was wrong whenever he was injured.

“Since the class is only eight students and the teacher, we are like a family,” Huang said. “We all have different personalities that make us unique and our conversations interesting.”

Spring break offers room for adjustment BASEBALL The Brahmas opened up their season 1-3, but wins at the Don Lugo Tournament allowed the team to get back on track for league. ryan chae asst. sports editor Opening up its first three league games with a close 3-2 win over Claremont and losses against Bonita and Glendora, the Diamond Bar High School varsity baseball team stepped away from its sophomore season in the Palomares League with the Don Lugo Tournament during the spring break.

In the tourney, the team went 3-1 overall with two 8-3 wins over Schurr and Nogales, a 7-6 victory against Sultana, and a 7-1 loss against Woodcrest Christian.

While the team had a solid record in the tournament, the Brahmas used it as a way to prepare for the rest of their league matches. “[The tournament] allowed us to work on a lot of things that we

don’t really get to work on during league. It was a good opportunity for everyone to play and for us to figure out what we have other than the typical starters that we usually play,” head coach Jon Hurst said.

Senior Keola Viloria made his return after being injured in the team’s match against Walnut.

In his first tournament back, the Brahma had six hits and six runs.

According to Hurst, the return of Viloria opened up more options for the team on both offense and defense.

“The most important part about Keola is that he’s our spark plug and is very energetic and very fast. He gives us a lot of energy.

It’s great to have him back because he makes us a far more dangerous team,” Hurst said.

During Viloria’s injury, senior Joseph Kim was one of the play-

ers stepped up for the team as he became the leadoff hitter rather than his usual spot as third in the lineup. Since then, Kim has become the leader in hits, RBIs, and batting averages.

Despite Kim’s personal accomplishment, his main focus is the team’s league games.

“So far, the league games are the ones that count. We have an important week, and pretty much the next two weeks are going to decide our season, so we need to keep on winning [league] games,” Kim said.

Returning from their break, the Brahmas took on Ayala on April 6. The game was tied at 0 until the bottom of the sixth inning when Ayala scored. The Brahmas lose the game, 1-0.

With ten games left in the season, the team has more than enough time to earn a spot in the postseason; in the two weeks, the team has multiple rematches against Glendora and Ayala.

The team’s next match is against Ayala today.

ERIC HONG

Sophomore Christian Killian prepares to bring a runner in from third base against the Claremont Wolfpack.

CALVIN RU

Sophomore Terrence Ting (right) hands off a baton to freshman Dylan An.

Early meets test runners readiness TRACK AND FIELD With an increase in roster size, the Brahmas are struggling to stay organized. bernard chen sports editor Still testing the waters early in the season, Diamond Bar High School varsity track and field is working to improve runners’ form, especially targeting its weaker events, while also handling an increase in roster size.

The boys won their first match on default while the girls are tied for second in the league after losing their first match.

The Jim Polite Invitation held at Walnut High School allowed the team to gauge its runners’ skill at the start of the season. The team suffered several injuries going into its first league meet against Ayala on March 15. The girls were defeated and the boys won by default after an Ayala athlete competed without an approved physical.

“Since then, we’ve had two or three weeks until our next meet, and I think we got healthier. I think some kids have improved their times, gotten in better shape,” head coach Joseph Beaudion said. Yesterday, they faced Claremont However, this year’s team is much larger than previous years.

According to Beaudion, it’s a burden to have so many Brahmas on

the team and the coaches plan to cut the roster size for next season.

With such a large group of participants, the team is working to improve its organization at practices, and have added new coaches to the staff this year.

Key sprinters include senior Sophia Arnold and sophomore Brita Liggins and seniors Papa Midley, Ryan Gan, and junior Dylan Kinney. In distance events, juniors Kinney and Paul Abdo as well as senior Armaan Kohli for the boys and senior Anabelle Cheng and freshmen Brianna Valdez and Olivia Valdivia for the girls are top runners. Juniors Ashley Ng and Alison Kim and sophomore Samantha Blazek for girls and juniors Marcus Castro and Bryan Kwon as well as senior Nick Navarrete for boys stand out as throwers. Additionally, freshman Malik Scurlock shows promise in throwing as well, according to Beaudion. Seniors David Ripley and Chris Geere also represent the team well in jumps and pole vaults, respectively.

The Brahmas’ strongest event is the girls 100, 200, and 400, while the team finds weakness in the triple jump, due to a lack of experienced competitors in the event.

The team will compete against Bonita on March 21.

16 SPORTS

APRIL 13, 2016

THE BULL'S EYE

warming up ... baseball 4/15 @ Ayala 4/20 vs South Hills 4/22 @ South Hills 4/27 @ Claremont 4/29 vs Claremont

badminton 4/19 @ Wilson 4/21 vs Chino Hills 4/26-4/28 League Finals

boys golf 4/14 vs Wilson 4/19 vs Ayala 4/21 @ Ayala 4/27 vs Glendora 4/28 @ Glendora

softball 4/15 @ South Hills 4/20 vs Claremont 4/22 vs Bonita 4/27 @ Glendora 4/29 @ Ayala

boys tennis 4/14 vs Ayala 4/18 vs Claremont 4/19 @ South Hills 4/20-4/23 Ojai Tournament 4/26 vs Bonita

track & field

swim 4/15 @ Mt. SAC Meet 4/20 vs Bonita 4/22 @ Ayala 4/27 @ Glendora

4/21 vs Bonita 4/26 vs Glendora

SPORTS

Slow start leads to takeoff

BOYS TENNIS The team has not met its own standards, but is picking up speed as the season progresses. calvin ru asst. photo editor While Diamond Bar High School’s boys varsity tennis team hasn’t lived up to its expectations, they still maintain a 6-4 record prior to Monday’s game against Bonita. Adjusting to changes in the roster and the coaching staff, the boys are working to get back on track and win the remaining matches.

With the new coaching staff, the team needed to experiment with different players in the singles and doubles positions. With the roster finalized, the boys dominated opponents El Dorado, 13-5, but also sustained close losses too, including a game against Claremont 11-7.

“With tennis, a lot of people think it’s an individual sport. Every single person is instrumental to [the team’s] success,” senior captain Garrett Masuda said.

Games won by team members

result in a greater accumulation of points that contribute to winning each meet. Junior Neil Tengbumroong, a singles player and nationally ranked tennis player, often wins all three of his sets, which greatly helps the team secure wins.

Senior David Chee and sophomore Michael Tran, a doubles pair, have

“If you’re giving it your all at practice, putting in all your energy and all your work, then [the team] tends to follow. I try to stay positive and keep the energy high.”

GARRETT MASUDA also steadily improved and begun “clicking,” as Masuda stated, while stepping up their performance to win more sets.

“We have learned from our mistakes. We are getting off to better starts which have been rewarding in the end,” junior Vinay Bhu-

pathiraju said via Facebook. “At practice, we focus more on perfecting our strokes and improving our game play. The new coaches are showing us different tactics and views on how to approach different scenarios.”

Practices alternate between conditioning and honing their basics in footwork and swings. Doubles members work on strategies and movement around the court while focusing on ball placements. In contrast, singles players work more on pinpointing the ball and not being bullied around the court and controlling their opponents instead.

“If you’re giving it your all at practice, putting in all your energy and all your work, then [the team] tends to follow. I try to stay positive and keep the energy high,” Masuda said.

The boys will play Ayala High School tomorrow and a second round against Claremont on Monday; by winning those two matches, the team would be tied for the league title.

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

hannah lee asst. news editor When Joseph Kim was 10-yearsold, he won a home run derby, sealing his commitment to baseball.

Now the Diamond Bar High School senior is a vital part of the school’s varsity baseball team.

From an early age, he found that hitting a baseball came naturally to him and he has built on his skills since then.

Prior to joining the DBHS team in his junior year, Kim played for SGV Arsenal in West Covina during summers.

“Honestly it was just fun, I guess it was just kind of wanting to be around a game. Everyone wants to get a scholarship and everything, but, ultimately I just want to play baseball to have fun,” Kim said.

Last October, Kim was accepted into one of the country’s largest baseball tournaments, the WWVA World Championships, held in Florida. “‘I made an all tournament team for the biggest tournament in October, which was WWVA World Championships…I think that was one of the things I was really proud of,” Kim said.

Photo courtesy of JOSEPH KIM

Senior Joseph Kim leads the Brahmas in hits, average, and RBIs. Throughout his years as a player, Kim has faced the difficulty of balancing academic work and base-

ball, and struggled especially in his sophomore year. On the field, Kim found his weak spot in throwing.

CALVIN RU

Junior Neil Tengbumroong hits a serve against El Dorado High School.

Joseph Kim “I don’t allow myself to really do baseball stuff unless I finish all my work and make sure that I’m caught up…it’s OK to fail, you learn from it and don’t make the same mistake again,” Kim said.

Along with daily team practices, he works on his hitting two to three times a week on his own. Recently, he faced the challenge of taking on the lead-off spot in the Brahma lineup.

After senior hitter Keola Viloria suffered an injury, Kim, who previously batted third, was shifted to the position of leadoff hitter.

Since then, the first baseman has been a crucial part of the team’s past few successes.

He leads the team with hits, RBI and batting average.

Kim attributes part of his recent success to the team’s chemistry and growing bond. “[Joseph] has been incredibly important this year. He’s been probably, if not one of the most important bats in our lineup, the most important bats in our lineup… he’s done a good job stepping up. Without him, we’d be doing far worse than what we really are,” head coach Jonathan Hurst said.

Kim has recently made the decision to commit to Azusa Pacific University as a business major and to continue his journey with baseball.

“As of right now, I’m gonna go to APU to play baseball there.

There’s a good baseball program and their strength in the major for me at least is business, so that’s why I chose to go there, and it’s also staying close to home,” Kim said.