APRIL 2021

INSIDE THE ISSUE

opinion 4

feature 8

a&e 9

the bull's eye news

opinion

feature

sports 16

APRIL 28, 2021 VOLUME XXXIX ISSUE VIII ONLINE AT DBBULLSEYE.COM

arts&entertainment

sports

Campus return includes tutorial Since April 19, Brahmas have been allowed to visit classrooms for review sessions.

classroom environment instead of a completely silent Zoom call with only the teacher speaking,” sophomore John Han said via Instagram.

The tutorial period may act as a learning experience in preparation for the campus opening up this coming fall. Making sure the Lyndon Kaneko measures put in place are effective Staff Writer and capable of keeping students safe and assuring worried parents Since April 19, Diamond Bar about the safety of their children.

High School has allowed in-perThe sign-up process varies son tutorial sessions to provide teacher to teacher, but most stustudents with extra guidance from dents have been asked to fill out a their teachers.

Google form or email their teacher Previously, teachers could only in order to schedule an in-person host online meeting.

Zoom calls for “They [the the 80-minute district] sent us “I think it’s just what period, but stuGoogle Forms we need since we’ll dents now have so that students have more resources the option to can see what made available to us.“ make an aptimes are availJOHN HAN pointment and able for tutorial. visit their teachIt’s interesting ers on campus. because the othHowever, Zoom er day I had two calls will still re- main an option students in-person and for those who can’t or do not want three online so it was a little hardto go to campus. er to deal with but I just switched “I think it’s just what we need between the both and I try to help since we’ll have more resources both groups a little bit at a time,” made available to us. It also proTutorial ON P. 3 motes more effective learning in a

ANIKA YATAWARA

Uniting against Asian hate Students have attended protests supporting the AAPI community.

Rachel lee asst. opinion editor Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in Wuhan, China, hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have risen to new heights.

A recent study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism

at Cal State San Bernardino reported that from 2019 to 2020, hate crimes against Asian Americans rose by 149 percent nationwide.

According to the group Stop AAPI Hate, roughly 500 incidents across the U.S. took place in January and February of this year alone.

To show solidarity among residents and raise awareness on the topic, Diamond Bar resident Ronda Hampton organized a protest on Grand Avenue and Diamond Bar Boulevard. The event later made headlines upon being interrupted by a man who drove through the

crowd while yelling racist obscenities, almost hitting a few protestors.

“The hate is really concerning,” sophomore Kaitlin Chow said via Instagram. “That video of a man almost running over an anti-Asian [hate] protester [while] saying slurs shows that even our sheltered Diamond Bar isn’t really safe from racism anymore.”

Chow said that she initially thought living in a predominantly Asian community would protect

PROTESTS on P. 2

HOSA makes its mark at states

TEDx speeches featured virtually

Competitors attended seminars and participated in competitions over the course of multiple days.

This year’s speakers had their presentations shown on the school’s social media platforms.

Ryan CHan Business Editor After all participants in Diamond Bar High School’s Health Occupations Students of America organization qualified for the State Leadership Conference for the first time in seven years, one member of the group will go on to compete in the International Leadership Conference.

In the state event, sophomore Marcus Hsieh placed first in Cultural Diversity and Disparities in Healthcare, senior Breanna Yang placed fourth in Human Growth and Development and senior Nitin Murali placed fourth in Medical Spelling. Additionally, junior Purav Shah, freshmen Virginia Lee and Chloe Hsieh, along with Hsieh

HOSA ON P. 2

Photo courtesy of TOBY YEE Staffer junior Toby Yee works on his yearbook spread, which includes copies, captions and mods, using Adobe Indesign.

Taurus navigates school closure The group has struggled to obtain photos due to ongoing school closure limiting in-person events.

Marcus Hsieh Asst. News Editor Like many extracurricular programs at Diamond Bar High School, the yearbook team has been forced to quickly adapt to new conditions this year. As a publication heavily relying on photographs, the Taurus has come to count on sparse in-person events and self-submissions to fill pages.

The organization’s primary concern has been the lack of in-person campus activities such as clubs and athletics, which make up a large portion of the yearbook’s content.

“The hardest challenge we faced was definitely finding photos of people that…weren’t blurry and had good quality,” seniors and sports editor senior Ashlyn Woo said via Instagram.

To help facilitate photo opportunities, Woo helped plan in-person photoshoots for superlatives and senior profiles.

“I have been an editor for two years, seniors and sports. I also help run the yearbook Instagram,” Woo said. “This year we did have to compromise our coverage, which is

SOMIYA Jajieh Asst. Feature editor

how many people we can possibly fit into the yearbook without repeating anyone, since we were on a photo and people shortage.”

As an editor, Woo also mentors staffers, who are primarily responsible for holding interviews and obtaining photos, including junior Toby Yee. “I just joined this year, so I’m a staffer. Staffers are the ones who do the interviewing, acquire, curate and choose the photos, and write the copies, captions and mods,” Yee said via Instagram. “I had to make sure that the photos were as good as possible and to get follow-ups from them should their responses

Although the annual TEDxTalks were held virtually this year, Diamond Bar High School students still had the opportunity to give speeches on topics they are passionate about via YouTube.

To promote the event, which was hosted by the Wellness Center, presentations were posted on the DBHS Instagram account and administration posted the event on the Google Classrooms dedicated to each grade level.

In her speech, senior Mi Hyun Suh talked about the importance of truly enjoying one’s hobbies, which was a lesson she learned from her musical journey as a pianist. She said she participated in the event

Yearbook on p. 3

TED ON P. 3

2

NEWS

APRIL 28, 2021

THE BULL'S EYE

DB triumphs at SourceAmerica Participants were tasked with creating tools to assist those with disabilities.

EDWARD KIM STAFF WRITER A desire to build on both engineering and social skills alike brought Diamond Bar High School students together to participate in the SourceAmerica Design Challenge.

This year, the DBHS’ team was a national finalist, placing fifth overall.

SourceAmerica is a nonprofit organization seeking to create jobs and improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

Every year, they host a design challenge for college and high school students in which teams work with a non-profit agency and a person with a disability in their community in order to develop assistive technologies to help them in their workplace.

DBHS had several participants intrigued by this design competition, including sophomore Jeffrey Gong, freshman Priya George, senior Caitlin Lee and junior Brian Hsu. The leader of the team, Hsu, said that all the team members were in

engineering classes under teacher Johnny Hwang, which was crucial to their ability to compete.

“In our IED [Introduction to Engineering and Design] class, we all learned how to use the CAD (Computer Assisted Design) model,” Hsu said. “This was a vital skill since all of the models had to first be 3D modeled; we each had our own skill sets that came in handy during the building process.”

He explained more about the process of the competition in detail and how teams were placed on performance.

“Out of the 60+ teams from various schools across the nation, 5 teams are chosen to be in the finalists,” Hsu said. “This year. we had to present our designs to a panel of judges who would then ask us questions.”

Due to the pandemic, however, certain restrictions were set in place for this year’s design competition.

For example, Gong explained that students were not allowed to work with a nonprofit agency and had to deal with a set of prompts to satisfy through the engineering of devices.

“This year, students had to submit a project video and final paper to be judged,” Gong said. “We create prototypes of designs and test them in different situations, such

the staff

as for ones where people only have one hand or one eye, etc; we film the final submission video on our work and type up our project paper afterwards.”

The competition overall had positive effects on the team members, as they agreed that it helped them to socialize, build real-world engineering skills and, most importantly, have a positive impact on others around them.

“The competition allowed me to help out people and also progress my skills in technology,” Gong said. “Moreover, I was able to gain teamwork skills and certain engineering skills in the process.”

Hsu also said that the competition was very rewarding, as he explained that he was able to “meet new people, build on my engineering skills, and impact the world positively.”

George said that the competition especially helped her to see things from a new perspective, as it revolved around aiding people with disabilities.

“The competition is important because it allows young minds, including myself, to look at the world from a perspective much different from our own,” George said. “It was interesting to me to put myself in another person’s shoes, and figure out how to make day to day tasks easier for certain people.”

GLOBAL REPORT Biden unveils new climate change plan

boston university

chauvin receives guilty verdict Derek Chauvin has been convicted of unintentional second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter as well as third-degree murder for the death of George Flyod which sparked BLM protests last year. He will be sentenced on June 16.

abc news

virus threatens India’s healthcare system

business insider

Currently, India is undergoing the world’s fastest-growing surge of COVID cases due to a new variant. As a result, several hospitals have run out of oxygen and are being forced to turn away patients.

Jerusalem protests cause Brutal outBurst

Due to tensions sparked by Ramadan restrictions, police clashed with angered Palestinians and Jewish extremists who organized an anti-Arab march nearby on April 22. Israeli police said 44 were arrested while 20 officers were left injured.

cbs news

Reaping victories at state conference Hate crimes sparked myanmar activists target military culprits

Editors-in-Chief

Josh Chou, Camille McCurry

slate

News Editor Asst. News Editors

Anika Yatawara Marcus Hsieh, Steve Qu

Opinion Editors Asst. Opinion Editor

Camille McCurry, Reyna Wan Rachel Lee

Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editors A&E Editor Asst. A&E Editors

At a summit concerning the U.S. return to the Paris climate agreement, President Biden declared that the country would aim to cut its global emissions in half by the end of the decade. Experts say the U.S. must recondition society to achieve this goal.

Emily Koh Somiya Jajieh, Kelsey Wu Josh Chou Natasha Chang, Marykate Palaris

Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editors Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editors

Victoria Artale Deesha Pathak, Charles Tam Victoria Artale Tiffany Lee, Kelsey Wu Ryan Chan Connor Cho

Business Manager Asst. Business Manager Web Editor Asst. Web Editor Staff Writers

Reyna Wan Natasha Chang Kyle Hong, Lyndon Kaneko Edward Kim, Vera Wang

Adviser

Doug List

contact us Diamond Bar High School, Room 459 21400 Pathfinder Road Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Phone: (909) 594- 1405x33459 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 459 or submit them online at dbbullseye.com.

hosa from p.1 and Yang, all placed as finalists for the Healthcare Issues exam.

Yang, who is also the vice president of HOSA, said that the group attended weekly study sessions in order to prepare for the competition.

“Since everyone is participating in a different event, test, or competition with the exception of a few students doing the same event as one another, everyone has a different reason as to why they are studying,” HOSA president Murali said via Instagram.

Participants took exams on an online testing platform prior to the

“My least favorite part for this year would have to be that the conferences were held online..“ NITIN MURALI actual conference dates.

During the event itself, members had the option to participate in workshops or listen to guest speakers.

The workshops consisted of pre-recorded videos about a variety of topics ranging from mental health to anatomy.

“My least favorite part for this year would have to be that the conferences were held online,” Murali said. “But my favorite part would have to be actually competing since usually I compete with a group of friends.”

All of the attendees have already received the chance to take part in round two, although not all of them placed.

Due to his placement in the state competition, Hsieh will be moving on to the international event in June.

In response to the government crackdown following the coup on Myanmar on Feb. 1, protestors have developed new methods to fight back. Anonymous activists organized a database with the aim of releasing personal information of military offenders as a form of social punishment.

by ongoing pandemic protests from p.1 her from any racist incidents, but recent news events have made her and her family more cautious about safety.

“If we do need to go to public places, our main priority is to just stay in places we deem safest and hope we can get in and get out,” Chow said.

In response to the attacks against the AAPI community, protests like the one in Diamond Bar have surfaced to show support and raise awareness. Businesses and well-known public figures like rapper Megan Thee Stallion have also taken to social media to condemn recent events or promote fundraisers dedicated to assisting victims of the hate crimes.

Sophomores Jocelyn Wang and Olivia James both attended such protests in Diamond Bar. The students said they enjoyed the atmosphere of unity and felt encouraged by how various minority communities came together to support one another.

“I’ve attended two protests thus far,” James said via Instagram.

“The energy is so amazing [and] everyone is there in solidarity with a purpose and a voice.”

Freshman Justin Kung said that he appreciates how many people are standing up for those of Asian and Pacific Islander descent.

“I feel that most of the public have been relatively supportive of the fight against AAPI hate,” he said via Instagram. “The authorities are [also] doing a good job at handling the increase in anti-Asian hate crimes, although more can be done in preventing these attacks.”

Media attention regarding the movement and authority response to the hate crimes increased mas-

sively following a shooting in Atlanta where eight people were fatally wounded, six of whom were Asian women.

“The way the authorities have handled these hate crimes is sadly nothing new,” James said. “It’s disappointing how many double standards our police force hold and how many times they look away when minorities are being attacked.”

The ways news outlets have covered the hate crimes thus far has been the subject of controversy as well. Some publications do not explicitly refer to these incidents as hate crimes or acknowledge these attacks are racially motivated.

“I feel like it’s silencing us Asians when the attacks aren’t called hate crimes,” Wang said via Instagram.

“It’s like saying our people dying doesn’t matter.”

Other disputes have also been sparked by comparisons between the anti-Asian hate movement and the Black Lives Matter movement, usually about the amount of support each movement has received.

“The two movements aren’t comparable,” Wang said. “Both Black and Asian people are getting oppressed but saying one group matters more while people on both sides are being oppressed is not the step we have to take to tackle racism within these communities.”

New plans are being introduced to help combat the recent violence against the AAPI community. On March 30, the White House released a fact sheet detailing President Joe Biden’s goals to help aid the AAPI community, including the establishment of a COVID-19 Equity Task Force. This intiative is dedicated to reducing xenophobia against Asian Americans and providing grants for AAPI survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

APRIL 28, 2021

NEWS

THE BULL'S EYE

3

JOSHUA CHOU Seniors met together to watch a movie during Senior Sunset while USB members passed out free Chick-fil-A sandwiches.

Commemorating senior year After a year of distance learning, the class of 2021 gathered on the field.

Connor Cho asst. business editor To reunite seniors with their peers as an ode to the end of the school year, the Diamond Bar High School class of 2021 class committee organized the Senior Sunset event.

The event was held on March 27 on the DBHS football field, where seniors were provided with free catering from Chick-fil-A. To adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, students were required to fill out a COVID safety survey in line and were seated six feet apart on the bleachers.

“I was happy to meet lots of people I haven’t seen in years,” senior Alex Hong said.

Upon entering the school, students had the opportunity to take photos in front of backdrops and

the class of 2021 sign. Additionally, seniors could sign their names on a poster commemorating the graduating class and greet teachers that attended the event.

USB members helped pass out chicken sandwiches and water bottles before the seniors headed to the football bleachers to watch a movie. Students were directed by staff to stay seated at socially distanced markers placed on the bleachers. Some seniors expressed their dislike for the pre-assigned seating as they were separated from their friends throughout the event, despite previous statements that students would be able to sit with friends.

“I was a little disappointed that I got separated from my friends during the movie,” senior Asvin Pradhan said. “However, I’m glad that the event was still held.”

The beginning of the event featured a photo gallery of the class throughout their years of high school. Photos were gathered through the class of 2021 Google Classroom, where students submitted pictures of themselves

from different years of high school.

Following the recap, students watched a movie for the remainder of the event. The film, “Spirited Away,” was chosen via bracket-style voting between four different movies on the class of 2021 Instagram story. Though many students had left by the end of the event, most agree that the chance to meet up with friends was more iportant than the film itself.

“I noticed that many people left throughout the movie so [I] did too,” senior Philix Lin said. “But I think that being able to see all my friends at the event was a great experience.”

The class committee also took into consideration which aspects of the event they could work on later on, like senior replay and graduation, as the event ended.

“If there’s anything we can improve, it’d probably be something like including an incentive for people to stay,” class of 2021 treasurer Aileen Park said via Instagram.

Brahmas speak on personal challenges was excited when the event was announced. “[TEDxTalks] also gave me because she wanted to achieve her something to look forward to and goal of delivering a public speech prepare for while being at home at least once before graduating. during this unprecedented time,” “I think it was such a great exTordillo said. “I really enjoyed reperience for me to share my ideas, cording my message knowing it and all of the staff members on the had to have helped someone watchWellness Wednesday team were ing.” very helpful and supportive during Although she had to participate the entire process,” Suh said via in the event virtually, Tordillo said text. “It was amazing how I was presenting online had its benefits able to go to school and record it since she could record her audition there, and the way it was organized instead of doing it live, which almade it feel almost as if it was an lowed her to produce the best qualin-person event.” ity work.

To prepare, Suh worked on cre“The deadlines were able to be ating and revisextended since “[TEDxTalks] also gave ing many drafts we were online of her speech, for school anyme something to before setting up ways, it was easy look forward to and Zoom meetings to type out evprepare for while being with her friends erything I wantat home during this to rehearse her ed to say easily,” unprecedented time...“ presentation.

Tordillo said via MAIA TORDILLO “From my Instagram.

“I previous experiwas also able to ences as a pianist, I am very aware sit with my computer for long of the fact that the more I prepare hours in the writing process.” for a performance, the more I will According to Instructional Dean be able to control my nervousness Julie Galindo, the success of the and anxiety on the stage and really speeches exceeded her expectashare the beauty of the music with tions and she was content with the my audience,” Suh said. quality of every participant’s perSophomore Maia Tordillo also formance. participated in this year’s event.

“We were able to bring the In her speech, Tordillo talked speakers onto campus to film their about maintaining a balanced speech in the theater providing schedule, self-care and what it an authentic and professional exmeans to take care of others. Since perience,” Galindo said via email. she was unsure whether or not stu“We were so impressed with the dents would have the opportunity students; they were very well preto have TEDxTalks this year, she pared, polished and poised.”

Capturing a year of distance learning

TED from p.1

yearbook from p.1

TIFFANY LEE Brahmas went on campus for the first time in months for the in-person tutorial.

Students allowed on campus by appointment tutorial from p.1 AP science teacher Teresa Herbert said.

At the front gate of the school, students will be required to respond to a health screening Google form before proceeding to campus grounds. In the classroom, students will be socially distanced with desks kept six feet apart and surrounded by plexiglass screens.

Subjects for the in-person tutorial period will rotate based on day and time, being held from 1:101:50 pm and 1:50-2:30 pm from Monday to Thursday. English, ELD and science will take place during the first tutorial period on Mondays

and Wednesdays while world languages, applied arts and CTE will be held during the second period.

Math and history will take place Tuesdays and Thursdays during the first block and Technology, Performing Arts and PE will follow.

There is no tutorial period on Fridays, which are reserved for teacher prep, staff meetings and now, senior activities.

“It’s a little weird in how we’re transitioning back but I think it’s a good change nonetheless. It’s probably for those who are still struggling in distance learning or those in special situations where they can’t distance learn properly,” freshman Lucas O’Brien said via Discord.

or photos be inadequate.”

Another of their concerns was finding an effective way to communicate. The Taurus opted to communicate through Discord, as the platform allows them to separate sections into different channels and participate in voice chats under the supervision of their editors-in-chief.

“We had to work individually with no good way in Zoom to send files, contain long chats, hold photos, or to run meetings in a fast, private manner,” Yee said.

The staff is unsure of how distance learning may impact sales at the end of the year.

Woo hopes that distribution will be held in-person, but predicts that whatever system is used this year will be similar to last year’s parking lot drive-through pickup.

“I really do hope that even though it was a remote year, people still bought yearbooks to remember it because this year has been something truly special,” she said. “The yearbook is a special book that documents all the highs and lows of high school. It’s a physical memory that you can look through in future years and laugh about.”

4 OPINION

APRIL 28, 2021

THE BULL'S EYE

- OPINIONStudents should speak up when their peers use slurs or other disrespectful language as their words normalize toxic and harmful behavior.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” While this saying may be applicable to shallow, teasing remarks, in truth, language can be a powerfully harmful force, especially when used to target one’s identity or looks.

Often, our generation is judged for being overly sensitive in regard to traditional social stigmas and discrimination.

However, in this age of information, we are more educated than ever about the effects of slurs and the power they can have over an individual. Despite the resources available to us, though, many immature high school students continue to use such vocabulary on a day-to-day basis, spouting slurs and making rape jokes to either sound cool or based, or because they simply lack empathy. They

get away with such inexcusable behavior because those around them choose not to speak out, for fear of being cast out or called a white knight.

Many excuse this kind of behavior by labelling it satirical or just a joke. However, the issue of using slurs on a regular basis is a serious problem. Although one’s tone while using such language may not be malicious, it is important to know that they are terms and phrases loaded with their own histories; simply calling them a joke doesn’t eliminate the associated stigma or the harm they cause.

All this to say, slurs are more than just words. They are inextricably tied to a history of degradation and discrimination, attitudes and concepts that can never be disregarded. While in recent

years, certain communities have repurposed and reclaimed historically offensive slurs, this movement has led to prevalent, casual misuse of racial slurs.

This has been observed all over social media and in person, perhaps most infamously when people say they have the n-word pass. These individuals feel entitled to use slurs despite having no direct connection to the history or community behind them, using the pass as an excuse for their own ignorance. Regardless of whether one supposedly has permission to say a slur, the word does not lose its meaning just because it’s being used in a casual manner.

Some try to integrate slurs or other hurtful language into jokes, claiming to be using sardonic comedy as an excuse.

High schoolers often joke about raping

their female classmates to one another, or even to their faces, in what they see as a joking manner. This so-called edgy humor is nothing but an excuse for misogynists, racists, homophobes and other discriminatory individuals to spread hate speech in a more societally palatable format. Afterall, the sole purpose of slurs and threats is ultimately to harm. It should never be acceptable to use slurs or joke about raping someone, even in the presence of close friends.

So, how do we prevent the further misuse and spread of such language?

The answer lies in confrontation and education. It is our responsibility to inform not only ourselves, but also our peers, about the power of their words. Though some may feel hesitant to correct their peers or call them out if they witness

them using slurs or making inappropriate jokes, in the end the worst that could happen is refusal, or light teasing. While the fear of being ostracized by others may be intimidating, ask yourself this: Would you rather continue to associate with bigoted students wwho won’t take a friend’s concerns into consideration, or stand up for your own beliefs and the safety of your peers?

It is entirely hypocritical to claim to be progressive, yet refuse to acknowledge that the people you surround yourself with are impeding societal development. Ultimately, we must all work toward the denormalization of racism, homophobia, sexism and more through the discontinued use of slurs and by educating those around us on the damage such words can cause.

FROM THE BRAHMA PERSPECTIVE

“

Most people who view slurs as a “joke” don’t understand the history of the words that they use and how harmful they are.

ALEXANDRA CHALA (10)

“ ”

“

I’ve heard many racist comments and it didn’t really strike me... hearing it many times diminishes the impact of the insult.

JUSTIN CHANG (11)

”

VICTORIA WANG (11)

Worried sick about COVID josh chou editor-in-chief

T

he house is dead silent when I begin to feel that dreadful sensation, an itch at the base of my throat, clawing maliciously to be let out. I close my eyes and focus all my willpower on restraint, but to no avail; it gleefully reaches its destination and announces itself to the world—I cough.

An unintelligible stream of colorful language explodes as I quickly and unabashedly descend into a spiral. My hand slaps my forehead scanning for any trace of a fever while I methodically run through every single location I’ve passed through in the last 72 hours. And, as I scramble for my phone to

search up “covid symptoms” for the sixth time today, one thought races through my mind: “I’m way too young to die, right?”

Let’s see: Despite not having left the house for three weeks except for a quick run to Target, there’s no way I could have come in contact with an infected person, unless…

Have I just been asymptomatic this whole time? Now my mind races back to every single instance I’ve had to leave my house for an errand, no matter how measly.

How long could have I been infected and not known about it?

I can’t stop pacing the room nor quell the anxiety that threatens to overtake me as I run through hard numbers. Even though I’ve double-masked every time I’ve gone out, isn’t there some slim possibility that the virus slipped between the layers of fabric and had the audacity to enter my body?

No, no, no. Things simply cannot end like this. I did not sit and watch as our national government ignored the spread of the virus, as millions of people childishly went

to raves and parties, as New York City dumped all its unclaimed corpses in a mass burial site on some creepy island. I did not watch an estimated 400,000 preventable COVID deaths had people learned to accept social responsibility or as Asian Americans across the nation were killed in hate crimes because government officials couldn’t admit their own failure, to simply end up a statistic--just one more addition to the growing death count.

But most of all, I cannot afford to have COVID because I visited my grandmother last week—both of us double-masked and socially distanced. Even the slightest risk is not an option when human lives are at stake.

Finally, two days later and my fourth drive-through COVID test of the month comes back negative, I breathe a sigh of relief before abruptly sneezing. Completely choosing to ignore the fact that allergy season has begun making its yearly round, I dive for my phone to check the list of COVID symptoms yet again.

I did hear a rape joke.

One of them said: “Oh right, I forgot you were a girl,” as if being a guy would make it okay to joke about that.

”

SATIRICAL sanitarily

Cartoon Courtesy of KATHERINE CHEN

Small business means more than just size

Camille McCurry editor-in-chief

O

ver the course of the past year, the pandemic has taken an immense financial toll on small businesses, which have had difficulty keeping up with ever-changing regulations while promoting themselves to customers.

As a result of this struggle, many have taken to patronizing these establishments, leading to the birth of the “support small businesses” movement.

Though this campaign has had great success, the definition of a

small business has grown vague over time, with many misconstruing the term for personal gain.

Though local shops are certainly worthy of people’s support, it’s important to distinguish between small businesses and mere hobbyists, the latter of whom are taking blatant advantage of this movement, and, in the process, robbing those truly deserving their support.

The movement first came about as a way for people to assist their communities, by protecting the businesses unique to their areas and reinvesting in the local economy. Especially during the lockdowns, it has been vital to support them through financial hardship.

At the same time as this economic downturn, many who have grown bored throughout the pandemic have taken up hobbies to pass the time, starting “small businesses” that sell things like soap

and confections. They are often active on social media, promoting themselves as “small businesses” when, in reality, they’re just hobbyists. These individuals need to stop misusing the small business label for personal gain, as it puts them in

“Though local shops are certainly worthy of people’s support, it’s important to distinguish between small businesses and mere hobbyists...” direct competition with legitimate stores.

Not to mention that there are a variety of young entrepreneurs selling wares in multi-level marketing schemes, whose profits will eventually land in the hands of large corporations. Businesses run

by individuals without storefronts nor employees simply aren’t worthy of sporting the “small business” title, because people looking to support a small business intend to support local landmarks and lower unemployment rates in their communities, not entertain bored young adults with a side-hustle.

This isn’t to say that none of these hobbyists are struggling— such endeavors can be a profitable way to help make ends meet during hard times. However, these creators are engaging in direct competition with local employers, regardless of whether they sell the same goods.

People only have a finite amount of money to spend, and when they choose to buy from one individual, an actual business with employees and a storefront is missing out on that support. The obstacles one must face in order to establish themselves as a physical store are

a barrier hobbyist creators unfairly bypass by labeling themselves “small businesses.” Not to mention that in the vast majority of cases, hobbyists aren’t using their ventures as their main source of income; they often already have a full-time or part-time job to support themselves while these side gigs are simply used to earn a little extra spending money.

While at the end of the day, people are free to call themselves whatever they’d like online, I urge those aren’t solely reliant on their venture to opt for a different label, one which doesn’t mislead buyers into thinking that they are supporting their community in a way that is only achievable with bona-fide small businesses. As for consumers, one can only hope that they will do their research before each purchase and ensure that they’re supporting a legitimate small business.

OPINION

THE BULL'S EYE

APRIL 28, 2021

as robbing their peers of the benrarily, without taking on unhealthy efit of a fair grading curve, which amounts of stress. is, while unfortunately skewed, not In addition, while it’s unclear a system that will likely disappear how much more common cheating in the near future. And those who has become this year, the general cheat because of the academic sentiment that it’s increased has pressure they’ve put on themselves created a self-perpetuating probshould consider that what they are lem. Because students think their doing causes their peers to face the peers are cheating, they’re more KYLE HONG RACHEL LEE very same fate they themselves are prone to cheat themselves, espeSTAFF WRITER ASST. OPINION Editor trying to avoid. cially on curved exams. The more Moral implications aside, one of students that do so, the more int Diamond Bar High School, centive there is for others to cheat, ver since the start of the the main reasons cheating is dislike many other schools, a problem that can’t be solved with pandemic, it has become couraged is because when students cheating has long been stig- one individual’s integrity. increasingly difficult for cheat, they don’t learn or are unmatized as a lazy and selfish way of Most importantly, many have school administrators to monitor able to apply material as effectively making yourself feel better about already accepted that this year’s cheating as a result of at-home test in tests, which are only meant to measure performance and depth of your grades. grades carry much less weight taking. But while the prospects of This school year, though, it ap- than previous years due to the disacademic dishonesty may seem knowledge for self-improvement.

As such, students who study and pears that more students than ever crepancies between each individupromising, especially during a time before are taking advantage of the al’s learning circumstances. when many students are notic- comprehend what they learn will online learning format to cheat on This year has been highly exing sharp declines in their grades be able to move forward in the field tests. While this may seem unjusti- perimental and many students feel and mental health, the liberties of their choice, while those who fiable at first glance, the extenuat- that they have learned much less entrusted to students by teachers chose the road of academic dishonesty will find the same ing circumstances at cannot be abused simthan they normally paths much thornier play this year mean ply due to the circumwould because of cir“If grades are less “...when students because they chose to that students may stances. cumstances outside of forgo studies early on. have more reason to As teachers are untheir control. This has important, then cheat, they don’t It is also not as if cheat than normal. able to see their stuled students to care it’s relatively minor learn or are the subjects students The switch to online dents in person and less about obtaining sacrifice if a few unable to apply learn at school are learning has greatly take good measure of grades through legitistudents cheat.” material as effeccompletely irrelevant affected the academic their characters, they mate means. If grades to daily life either. and mental wellbeing have had to give their are less important, Certain subjects have of many. The decline students the benefit then it’s a minor sacriin students’ grades makes it diffi- fice if a few students cheat. of the doubt due to unavoidable been implemented and taught in cult for students to resist the tempissues like technological malfunc- the curriculum for generations, While clearly there’s no legittation to cheat on exams, especially imate excuse to cheat, there are tions. Students who take advantage and for good reason, for example because it makes test taking easier, many situations in which the justiof these policies force teachers to history and science.

By learning about the past, stuas you can fact check as you go, and fication for cheating in this virtual institute excessive anti-cheating it takes much less time and effort school year outweigh the negatives. measures that inconvenience their dents can understand events in the than studying. peers and cause unneeded stress present, and will more easily be As such, cheating has become the able to make important decisions It also does not help that many new normal in this online school for teachers and students alike. students were already in bad men- year, especially for students who By participating in academic dis- that will greatly affect the course tal states because they have been may be facing tough situations outhonesty, students are also devalu- of their futures like voting for a stuck at home for over a year now. side of school this year. ing their classmate’s efforts as well president.

Learning the mechanics of how If a small grade boost is all it takes the world works scientifically is for people to feel better, at least unalso important, because everyday til we can be back in class, there’s actions require the use of knowllittle reason for students to not edge students learn in science. For take the easy route. example, students who are profiThere may also be pressure at cient in basic science would know home from parents to perform well the fastest way to put out a grease despite the new circumstances. fire is to smother the fire, because The anxiety this pressure creates fires are combustion reactions and can make academics much harder need oxygen to occur. for students who would otherwise It simply isn’t worth the tempoperform well. rary relief when cheating to forFor those whose parents have sake your peers and your future. heavy expectations, cheating alAs they say, the only person getting lows them to escape their parents’

Photo Courtesy of SCOTT GRAHAM/UNSPLASH cheated when you cheat is yourself. scrutiny, even if it’s only tempo-

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Feminism rebuttal misses the mark EMILY KOH FEATURE EDITOR

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uthor and feminist Margaret Atwood famously wrote about asking a male friend why men feel threatened by women, to which he responded that men are afraid to be laughed at. She then asked a group of women why they feel threatened by men and they all had one answer—the fear of being killed.

Feminist statements that reflect this fear, alongside warnings for women to be careful around men, have started receiving backlash for generalizing the male gender. As this controversy has spread across social media, the most prominent argument is that it’s “not all men” and women shouldn’t assume it is.

Now, it can’t be denied that the “not all men” claim holds some

merit. However, it’s enough to make women walk to their cars with keys between their fingers; it’s enough to make us buy pepper spray and tasers; it’s enough to make us cover our drinks and never let them out of sight in fear of being drugged.

We understand that it isn’t all men, and the main message of feminist statements has never been to target or blame all men. The point of these messages is to keep women safe and spread awareness of the unique dangers that we face.

When women talk about being scared or angry with men, it’s because the majority of us have endured some form of harassment or assault at the hands of men.

In a 2018 survey taken by non-profit Stop Street Harassment, 81 percent of women in the U.S. have experienced some form of sexual harassment or assault.

Likewise, the nonprofit anti-sexual assault organization Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network found that one out of every six American women have been victims of rape or attempted rape and 90 percent of rape victims are female.

It is these very statistics that

make women view the expression “not all men’’ as an infuriating sentiment. Realistically, it isn’t all men, but the phrase should never be used to invalidate the justified feelings women have toward men or to bash feminism as a whole.

Women don’t have the liberty to pick out which men are good or bad. Therefore, we err on the side of caution, which in turn means being wary around all men.

Another way of looking at the situation is to imagine being offered a bowl of fruit. You are told that a few of them will make you sick but you don’t know which ones. Now, some of the fruit may be

safe to eat, but without a clear way to tell which ones are, you treat all of them as if they were all unsafe.

This scenario can be applied to the way women feel toward men.

Feminist statements only serve to bring attention to the issues women are facing in today’s society. I understand that some men feel frustrated about being grouped with those who commit crimes against women, but that shouldn’t be the focus. Instead of fixating on the fact that men are being grouped as one, men should be thinking about why women harbor these feelings toward an entire gender and what they can do to help.

Graphic Courtesy of CAMILLE MCCURRY & FREEPIK STORYSET

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Lost in campus transition

JIANLAN BUSTEED CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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s the 2020-2021 school year comes to a close, students in the Walnut Valley Unified School District and their families have begun to weigh their options on continuing online learning at home or signing up for the new hybrid option, where students would divide their time between the online and in-person format.

For freshmen, who have never lived the in-person high school experience, and even sophomores, who had their first year of high school cut short by the pandemic, adjusting to on-campus learning will be worthwhile but difficult.

The transition from middle school to high school is chaotic enough during a normal school year, but distance learning has further limited choices and experiences, leading to a year not unlike middle school.

That is to say, next year’s sophomores will be in the same boat as the incoming freshmen, from adjusting to the campus atmosphere to figuring out locations of classes and the office and more.

Aside from the social aspects of high school, underclassmen are also losing an integral period for academic development. During freshman year, they would have learned to gauge how much work they can handle given extracurricular commitments. However, shorter days, less club activities and varying load of homework have given them an inaccurate view of their future high school years. Poor time management skills and bad habits that may have formed as a result of so much free time will make for an even bigger change as next year’s sophomores find themselves overloaded with coursework and no time to complete it.

Students who are having trouble grasping the concepts taught during online lectures will also struggle in coming years, as they do not have as many opportunities to ask the teacher for help—teachers often require pre-scheduling appointments. Though these issues haven’t affected all underclassmen, the social aspect of interacting with new people in different classes and clubs has been a much more universal pitfall of distance learning.

The loss of an opportunity to make real, lasting connections with classmates and teachers is another reason some students lack motivation to learn, and will impact them in coming years. This is especially true for freshmen who have not had the opportunity to form new friendships with classmates during the casual interactions between classes or during lunchtime.

As plans to reopen schools progress, the administration should work with students to ease the transition with added leniency in the days to come. Teachers should work to bridge the gap in students’ learning by being willing to reteach fundamentals.

Though freshman year cannot be replaced, hopefully the in-person experience will naturally rekindle the social aspect that distance learning has lacked.

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FEATURE

camille's cookbook

Creating your own frog cake camille mccurry Editor-in-chief

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ith AP tests and finals approaching, nothing will ease your stress more quickly or easily than looking at adorable frog cakes, with a cuteness so pure that it seems unattainable in your home kitchen.

However, creating such a cake is actually easier than it looks—as long as you’re following this guide on how to make your own.

Ingredients and tools: Two round 8” or 9” cakes, chilled 2-3 cans any white frosting Large round piping tip, detail tip (optional, but recommended) Plastic sandwich and/or quartsized bags, or piping bags Gel food coloring in green, black, red, yellow and blue Offset spatula Instructions: Prepare your cakes according to their instructions. Once they’re warm to the touch, freeze them on dinner plates while you prepare your frosting.

Dye a can and a half of your white frosting light green. Transfer it to a quart-sized bag with the corner cut off, making a hole large enough to fit your index finger. If you have a round piping tip, make sure to put it in the bag before the frosting.

Remove your cakes from the freezer and use a long serrated knife to level each, reserving the tops for later.

Pipe frosting onto the first layer and spread it with an offset spatula. Place the other layer on top, cut-side down, and lightly frost the rest of the cake, making a rough pass to cover all exposed surfaces.

Move the finished product to the freezer while you proceed with the next step.

Crumble up the cake tops in a bowl and add a spoonful of frosting, forming a dough-like substance. This will be used to make your frogs. Form two equal-sized balls and shape them into domes.

Freeze on wax paper while you proceed.

Remove your cake from the freezer and add more frosting, smoothing to your liking. Once finished, move your cake back to the freezer.

Dye the rest of your light green frosting a touch darker. Move it back to your quart bag and pipe frosting over your frogs. Using a small offset spatula or a paring knife, smooth the frosting and put them back in the freezer.

Once the frosting is no longer malleable, about 10 minutes, remove your frogs from the freezer and place them next to each other atop the cake. Pipe two hemispheres the size of a nickel onto the top of each frog. These will be the eyes. Take some of your extra frosting and dye it black, transferring to a sandwich Ziploc bag, and using a detail piping tip if you have one, pipe eyes and a smile. Use the same method to pipe red blush.

Using another Ziploc bag, pipe the arms and legs, with larger dots at the end of each as hands and feet. With the frosting you have left, feel free to decorate the remainder of your cake with flowers and/or mushrooms or write well-wishes for a special occasion.

Enjoy the overwhelming cuteness. If you end up following this guide, feel free to tag us @dbbullseye on Instagram. We’d love to see your frog cake creations.

APRIL 28, 2021

THE BULL'S EYE

KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN SHOWDOWN

When craving fried chicken, there are many options to choose from, making it hard to pick the one with the best price and flavor. Here are some chicken options in the Diamond Bar area.

Story by Kyle Hong Photos courtesy of YELP

KOKIO CHICKEN

Kokio Chicken is located in the H Mart plaza in Diamond Bar. I ordered the Love Combo ($32), which came with chicken, cheesy corn and mozzarella sticks. I purchased a whole chicken, which amounted to 12 pieces. Given the chance to select two flavors, I chose half original and half spicy. The chicken was a bit dry but made up for it with its crispy texture and seasoning. The spicy chicken had a good amount of heat and a chili flavor, and the sauce also countered the dryness of the chicken. The mozzarella sticks had a softer exterior but the cheese inside had a very enjoyable flavor and texture. The cheesy corn was a satisfying blend of sweet and salty and had a good contrast of textures between the soft cheese and the crunchy corn. The cheese in both of these dishes went well with the chicken and helped to balance out its salt. Kokio was my favorite place of the three overall and I felt the Love Combo had the best value.

LOVE LETTER CHICKEN & PIZZA

At Love Letter Chicken & Pizza in Rowland Heights I ordered the original fried chicken ($20) and a large sweet-potato pizza ($16).

They also offered other options for chicken such as sweet garlic, extra crispy and chicken with cheese, each for an extra two dollars.The chicken had a very crispy texture on the outside and was juicy inside. It lacked much seasoning but came with extra salt which helped to remedy the chicken. In addition, the chicken tasted the least greasy compared to the other chickens I tried, which resulted in it feeling a bit healthier than most other options.

TWO.GATHER

At TWO.GATHER, which was located in Rowland Heights, I ordered the Chicken and Pizza Combo for $36. The chicken was disappointing as it lacked flavor. It tasted like it had no salt or seasoning, though the chicken meat was very juicy. In addition, it also did not come with any additional sauce. However, they offered flavors such as soy garlic, cheddar and honey garlic, which may have made up for these problems had I ordered them. TWO.GATHER was overall disappointing, as I felt the chicken did not compare to the other restaurants which had similar prices.

Sharing a world of fashion steve qu asst. news editor By fostering Brahmas’ passion for clothing design and outfit creation, the Diamond Bar High School Fashion club hopes to inspire more interest in the industry.

With a leadership of six officers and about 50 active members, Fashion Club is trying to expand. The president, senior Daisy Lu, created the club in 2019. Club officers’ responsibilities is to look for sponsors and events as well as coming up with new ideas to incorporate fashion and teamwork.

“I love fashion very much, and I know how people around me are also interested in fashion; however, no club in our school focused on fashion at the time, so I decided to establish one,” Lu said via Instagram.

Competitions along with workshops such as MasterClass lessons are provided for the members as opportunities to learn and collaborate with one another. The club also has plans to conduct runway

shows in the future.

“Last year, we had a Halloween DIY Mask Competition, where members created their own face masks with the theme of Halloween; 3 winners received gift cards and FIDM [Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising] merchandise,” Lu said.

The club’s cooperation with FIDM provided several scholarship opportunities are also provided, where members have the chance to win thousands of dollars toward attending the Los Angeles college.

“We hosted a lot of events and introduced many attractive fashion topics to members at general meetings,” secretary of the club senior Selina Wu said via Instagram. “We hope more people understand what fashion is and are encouraged by us to employ ideas related to fashion in their daily lives.”

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the club cancelled their in-person events such as sewing and embroidery activities. Despite the challenges, online meetings with presentations are still held regularly.

“These presentations include

Lolita and Gothic Fashion, which help members be more open-minded about fashion and eliminate stereotypes about fashion styles [that] they’re not familiar with,” Lu said.

Although all of the current officers are seniors, new leadership has already been established.

“Fashion should not be defined and it lives everywhere in our daily lives,” Wu said. “Through fashion, we hope to introduce all kinds of fashion designs to our members to expand their views and hopefully enlighten them to have their own style.”

Photo courtesy of DAISY LU Club member Isabelle Hurtado won first place in the DIY mask competition the club hosted.

FEATURE

THE BULL'S EYE

APRIL 28, 2021

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Alumna seeks better life for the homeless Reyna Wan Opinion editor Outside of Diamond Bar lies the reality of Los Angeles: streets covered with tents as the county struggles with its homeless crisis.

It’s this very reality that prompted Diamond Bar High School alumna Cassandra Martinez to create Searchlight Society, a nonprofit organization with the goal to rehabilitate and support the homeless.

After graduating from DBHS in 2011, Martinez pursued a career in social services, receiving a Master’s in Social Work from Cal State Long Beach. Yet, it wasn’t until visiting the homeless encampments of downtown LA, during the typhus outbreak of 2018, that Martinez felt inspired to start Searchlight Society.

“We went ahead and talked to [the homeless],” Martinez said.

“And, we were like, we could help them live a sanitary life, provide them all these health, basic needs and social services and case management.”

Over the next two years, Martinez and co-founder Daniel Herrera

would do exactly that, pro-bono as well. They invested their own money to travel around various regions and counties in Southern California, providing homeless individuals with case management— meaning to connect individuals to social services and healthcare organizations.

However, the duo struggled with various issues that accompany starting a nonprofit organization, from finances to community outreach and recognition.

“It is very hard to do a lot of things for free, especially when we were doing outreach in Long Beach and purchased an ambulance [for case management purposes],” Martinez said. “We purchased it all with our own money; we did everything [from] our pockets.”

Martinez eventually took the social media route to get help from the public, only to receive mediocre attention on all their platforms.

On top of that, Searchlight Society struggled with backlash from more established organizations—saying the organization’s youth made them undeserving of support.

“There are still so many people

who say: you guys don’t deserve this because you’re brand new,” Martinez said. “They’re like, ‘Who are you guys? Why are you guys getting contracted?,’ so there’s a lot of politics and competition.”

Despite every shortcoming Searchlight Society has faced, Martinez stated how she continues to be inspired by the resilience of the people she works with and helps every day.

“Meeting awll the individuals who come and meet with us, everyone bringing a different story— it’s just amazing,” Martinez said.

With this motivation, Searchlight Society has significantly grown since its founding, garnering connections with city council members, such as Diamond Bar City Councilman Andrew Chou, and signing contracts with colleges to further their case management programs.

Just recently, they collaborated with Victor Valley College for the “It Takes A Village” initiative—a program that provides homeless or impoverished students housing

Society on p 12

Photo courtesy of CASSANDRA MARTINEZ

Martinez began Searchlight Society in 2018 in order to mitigate the large homeless rates in LA and improve their livelihoods.

Photo courtesy of CARISSA JEON

Jeon often enjoys substuting plant-based ingredients for popular meat dishes.

A Feed For the foodies

Marykate Palaris Asst. A&E editor Cooking up a storm, Diamond Bar High School junior Carissa Jeon has created a social media account to showcase her culinary works.

Initially, Jeon didn’t intend to show off her meals online. However, with more time on her hands, Jeon said she needed a way to get rid of her boredom during quarantine. As a result, she made an Instagram account (@carsa.cooks) to share pictures of her meals along with their recipes. Since then, she has gained over 300 followers.

However, self-managing a social media account comes with its own obstacles as Jeon expresses her frustration at not being able to constantly post new content.

Along with not having the time to post as often, Jeon said that she has found herself cooking less and less in general due to school.

“During the summer, I used to stick to a posting schedule and would typically post every day, but nowadays I usually post whenever I have time,” Jeon said via Instagram. “A lot of my posts take the

whole afternoon to cook, plate and photograph.”

Jeon said that because of her hobby, she usually is the one to make dinner for her family. She said that she didn’t mind this change, however as cooking is enjoyable for her and she is able to practice her skills.

“I used to cook meals for my family pretty often since I’m in charge of making dinner for them almost every night,” Jeon said. “In fact, a lot of the recipes I’ve posted have been taken from meals I’ve made for them in the past.”

Furthermore, Jeon said that her style of cooking used to be whatever came to mind, but overtime there have been some dramatic changes. After Jeon became a vegetarian in August, she said that she started focusing on plant-based recipes to better suit her diet. “[Research] made me realize that the livestock industry has a much bigger impact on the planet than I would’ve ever initially thought,” Jeon said. “The most I could do as an individual would be to limit or eliminate animal products from my diet.”

Foodies on p 12

Eagles serve the community Ryan Chan buisness manager By making contributions to their community through volunteer work, Diamond Bar High School juniors Aaron Sun and Bobby Zhu from Troop 730 recently received the highest achievement in the Boy Scouts, the Eagle Scout rank.

In order to receive the title of Eagle Scout, they were required to have at least 21 merit badges, a leadership position and the completion of their own service project.

Sun was able to earn his rank by refining the exterior office of the St. Matthew’s Methodist Church. He repainted and polished the benches, trimmed the bushes and roses around the office, placed mulch in many areas of the garden and arranged drought resistant plants around places that were missing vegetation.

“I was able to find my project with the help of my scoutmaster who recommended a church to help renovate,” Sun said via Discord. “From there, I contacted the church representatives to discuss where I could help them improve the church with a project.”

Sun has been in the Boy Scouts since sixth grade, which he joined after four years as a Cub Scout.

Eagle scout Sun admits that the

project would have been easier to organize prior to COVID since there would have been more available workers from the troop to help on the project, as well as more accessibility to conduct fundraisers to aid the project.

“To socially distance during the project, I used a family staging approach which allowed for more workers to come since they were from the same family and didn’t need to socially distance,” Sun said. “I divided the project into three sections for each of the families to work on simultaneously and each family is given personal protective equipment in situations where the families have to get close to each other.”

Zhu, who has been a Boy Scout for about six years, earned his rank through a service project that refurbished the classrooms of the First Chinese Baptist Church of Walnut. The project involved redoing the walls of the church by filling in holes, removing clutter and repainting them in white.

“I came up with the idea by wanting to give back to my church and when they contacted me about this I thought it was the perfect opportunity,” Zhu said via iMessage.

Sharing the same issues with Sun, Zhu also found difficulties in putting together a project during COVID. Zhu had many precautions in place such as cleaning tools after

Photo courtesy of DBHS.ORG

Zhu completed his project this year.

Sun’s Eagle Project involved refinsihing and repainting infastructure at his church.

use, maintaining six-feet distance and wearing masks.

“I think the most difficult part was making sure that COVID safety guidelines were followed,” Zhu said. “Eagle projects are usually interactive but with the six feet distancing, guiding the volunteers was difficult.”

Despite facing such challenges, Zhu said he believes that the Eagle Project turned out well and was finished efficiently.

“It felt amazing after knowing that six years of hard work finally came to fruition,” Zhu said. “I’m thankful that I had this opportunity to try and finally become a distinguished member of Boy Scouts and I will always remember that moment.”

Both Zhu and Sun stated that they will now be working towards earning their Eagle Palms which are essentially awards that scouts can work towards after becoming an

eagle scout, alrwady looking ahead to the “Due to the new guideline change, Eagle palms are now awarded along with attaining the rank of eagle,” Sun said. “I will make some small efforts to attain more of the palms than I already have, but most of my scouting efforts will be toward helping the younger scouts in my troop who are also working hard to rank up and attain the rank of eagle.”

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FEATURE

APRIL 28, 2021

THE BULL'S EYE

Those who think that the era of making arts and crafts ends at the start of high school are mistaken.

Designing and fashioning material into your own creation is an activity that many high school students still partake in during their free time. If you’re looking to get started, or are simply searching for some inspiration, look no further. Here are three fun arts and crafts projects you can do right now at home.

Story by Kelsey Wu Design by Somiya Jajieh

clay rings

REST

Photo courtesy of PIN TE

This simple and inexpensive craft has gone viral on social media platforms such as Tik Tok due to how easy they are to make, as well as their ability to add a fun element to any outfit. All you need is polymer clay (which can be purchased on Amazon for $8.99), a thick marker, scissors and a ring that fits your finger. Start by taking a small piece size of clay (about the size of your fingernail) and knead it until it forms a straight line that should be about ⅓ of an inch thick and around 6 inches long. Next, use the marker to roll the line of clay out, but be sure to not roll the clay too thin.

Once you’ve rolled out your clay, fit the clay around your ring and adjust the clay strap based on your finger size and cut off any excess clay that is not needed. Popular designs include adding self-made clay flowers onto the rings or changing the color of the rings by using regular paint over the clay.

Photo courtesy of L’OFFICIEL

For a more time-consuming activity to fill in the hours of solitude stuck in a pandemic, try painting glass.

This activity is popular amongst K-pop and anime fans who love to make artwork depicting their favorite biases or characters. The supplies you need are various sized paint brushes ($4.97 at Walmart), a rectangular or square piece of glass (an old photo frame works or you can purchase the glass for $1 at Dollar Tree), acrylic paint ($16.99 on Amazon), a sharpie and a paint primer ($5.27 at Walmart).

The first step is choosing what to paint. Whatever picture you choose, one of the most important steps is to flip the image horizontally and then print the image out. You need to reverse the image so when you start tracing the image on your glass, the painting will be in the right direction. Starting off, clean your glass and then start outlining your image with a sharpie. Once you’re done, be sure to prime your glass with your primer and after that, you can start painting. The key to glass painting is to paint in layers, so the first layer of paint should be the layer of paint covering the small details. After the first layer of paint has dried, paint on the second layer and so on until the image is completely covered with paint. After all layers of paint have dried, flip the painting over and you should have a beautiful glass art piece.

Photo courtesy of GLORIA MILLER on Etsy

tie-dyeing There was once a time where tie-dyeing was so popular that people would tie-dye their towels (very bad idea). But the point is, it’s possible to tie-dye anything, as long as it’s made out of 100% natural fibers such as cotton, rayon or silk. To tie dye, all you need is your choice of fabric, easy-squeeze bottles with dye powder, disposable plastic gloves, rubber bands, a plastic ziploc bag and a plastic floor sheet/ painting tarpor. First, wash your choice of fabric and make sure that it is damp when you are dyeing it.

Organize your station by laying down a sheet of floor plastic or painting tarpor. Then, prep your dye, and easy-squeeze bottles already have the dye powder in it, all you have to do is fill the bottle up to the indicated line and gently shake the bottle to let the powder mix in. After that, lay out your damp material and then fold your t-shirt into a spiral by picking it up and twisting it in a general direction.

After the spiral is completed, bind the spiral with the rubber bands.

Once you’ve done that, dye the sections of the spiral any color you want. When you’re done, put the project in the ziploc bag and let it set overnight or 6-8 hours. Once it’s done setting, rinse and wash it to view the final product.

photo courtesy of NIKE

painting glass

Photo courtesy of ANTOINETTE on Mercari

Photo courtesy of actor ERIS BAKER

APRIL 28, 2021

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hough Asian American youth are diverse in many aspects, an ever-increasing number are no longer satisfied with being seen as an ethnic monolith by Western gaze. It’s no wonder, then, that descendents of Asian immigrants all across the U.S. have resonated so much with labels like 88rising. The reason? A successful formula for Asian artists has arisen, between representation that feels genuine and non-pandering, coupled with some really

THE BULL'S EYE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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banging, catchy songs. These two things together create music that speaks to the next generation of AAPI teens, as they navigate their relationship with their identities in the context of a white-dominated cultural landscape. Besides artists like Joji or NIKI from 88rising, or more well-known indie musicians like mxmtoon, here are some other young artists of Asian descent in Western countries who are changing the current soundscape, and definitely worth checking out:

Interested in hearing more? Scan the barcode below with the Spotify app to find more songs by our favorite Asian indie artists! photos courtesy of Island Records, RCA Records and Jonathan Matta; story and design by Josh Chou

APRIL 28, 2021

THE BULL'S EYE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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A p a s s io n fo r c a p t u r in g m o m e n t s A&E Commentary

Natasha chang asst. a&e editor

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istory was made at the 93rd Academy Awards on Sunday as Yuh-Jung Youn and Chloé Zhao, two women of color, took home Oscars, Youn for best supporting actress and Zhao for her direction of “Nomadland.”

Youn is the first Korean actress to be nominated, as well as the first Asian actress since 1957 to win the prestigious film award, while Zhao is the second woman ever to have received the Oscar for best director.

The members of the Academy selects its winners from five nominees for individual categories such as best actress and best actor. However, the racial diversity increase in this year’s winners compared to previous ones raises questions about the pandemic’s effect on the film industry and with it, the nominees chosen.

Because most viewers, including the Oscar voters, saw movies in 2020 via streaming rather than at theaters, this may have allowed more attention to be focused on niche film categories, or less mainstream motion pictures made by persons of color.

The Academy has quite a history of controversy regarding lack of diversity. Before this year, out of the 3,140 statuettes that have been given out since 1929, only 274 cinematic works created by and featuring women have received the award, and 32 people of ethnic minority have been awarded an Oscar. Two years ago, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite blew up on social media, targeting the voting board for their lack of representation in nominations and winners.

Whenever there is a diversity, however, race-baiting and classification become the main discussions rather than celebration of the winner’s achievement. This has been made an even bigger deal with the Academy’s diversity quota plan to ensure underrepresented groups are given inclusion in the prestigious award in the future.

Media outlets reporting on director Chloé Zhao’s win called it a “major win” and dubbed Zhao as the first “woman of color” to receive an Oscar for best director.

Last year, Korean film “Parasite’’ won multiple Oscars, including best picture, best director, international film, and original screenplay. Despite this, none of the film’s actors were nominated in any of the acting categories. Both of these events have become quite major controversies; “Parasite” for the continued lack of acknowledgement of Asian actors, and Zhao, for the selective way the media chooses to synonymize the term “person of color” with Asians.

Regardless, this year’s ceremony was a major victory for underrepresented groups. The novel faces of the Oscars shows the significance of fighting for equality and the positive changes it brings.

Many see this as a one-time success for minorities and women, but with the precedent this year’s ceremony has set, the depreciated communities still have a fighting chance even as 2021 films may once again be white-dominated.

tiffany lee asst. photo editor Ever since Diamond Bar High School senior Alicia Kuo was able to hold a camera, she has been capturing pictures as a hobby and, more recently, for the youth-led magazine “The Forerunner.”

She was first introduced to the magazine, which focuses on the arts and social commentary with a creative perspective, in November. Her friend, who was its editor-in-chief at the time, recommended her for a photographer position on the publication, which is released every three months.

“I wanted to join the magazine because I wanted the opportunity to showcase my work outside of my immediate family and friends and the team also seemed like a lot of fun,” Kuo said.

For each issue, Kuo is in charge of creating original content that corresponds with the theme, which could be anything from holiday events to social commentary, chosen for that issue. She attends art team meetings before the publication of every issue to finalize any details and plan for upcoming issues.

A hardship for Kuo is the time zone difference that she faces in communicating with other members of “The Forerunner,” who are in different parts of the world.

She meets with various teams, including those for both art and writing, working around everybody’s sched-

Photo courtesy of ALICIA KUO

A photo of the ARCTIC in Orange Country lit up at nighttime by Kuo, inspired by fellow photographer Matt Garcia. ules.

Her favorite photos she’s taken for the magazine are from a Valentine’s Day photoshoot. To capture the perfect shot, Kuo placed some dolls she had lying around in her home and staged shots of them on an “adventure” in her front yard to match the theme of love.

Kuo also has a photography Instagram account, @alicia_kuo_, where she posts her photos, which are mostly of nature and portraits.

One of her posts, a photo of the Corona Del Mar state beach parking lot at sunset, was featured on LA Magazine’s Instagram feed. For the specific photo she had in mind, she went to the location several times and waited for the perfect lighting for her shot.

“My goal for my photography is to be able to make people feel happy when they

look at my work,” Kuo said. “I go on my own little adventures, I post about them, and hopefully, people like it and start to support me.”

Kuo has only recently gotten back into her photography hobby during the pandemic. While she is self-taught, she explained that the art classes she took when she was younger helped influence her photography. She uses a Nikon camera

and Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop to edit her photos.

“I’ve always been mesmerized by the idea of being able to save a moment forever and I started because I wanted to make sure I could keep these memories for a long time,” Kuo said.

In the future, Kuo said she would like to continue photography and start her own business.

Kuo’s latest work as photographer for the youth magazine, The Forerunner.

in-person rehearsals recommence tiffany lee asst. photo editor As Los Angeles County transitions into the orange tier and COVID restrictions loosen, Diamond Bar High School students from Performing Arts Academy, marching band and drumline are back on campus for rehearsals.

Students who play string instruments in the Performing Arts Academy are allowed to rehearse every Thursday from 2 to 6 p.m. by the foreign language building, given that they follow the school health guidelines and wear masks the whole time. Woodwind players are still awaiting permission to attend in person rehearsals. In

addition, rooms and equipment are sanitized between events.

During regular online rehearsals, band directors Marie Santos and Steve Acciani allow only one person to play unmuted, while everyone else follows their lead, to avoid any lagging or audio issues.

“This gives the feel of playing together even though they are playing at different times,” Santos said via email. “We also spend more time in small groups, which allows more autonomy, more chance to connect with each other and better opportunity for everyone to play.”

While marching band students held all of their rehearsals online during the first semester, there was an in-person rehearsal held the day before Branding Iron to refresh the

music. The rehearsal was offered to the senior majority with several underclassmen attending and the students played Pep Tunes during the game on April 16.

“Since [Branding Iron] was also my last high school football game, it was a really bittersweet feeling knowing that I’ll never be able to experience games like that again,” senior Lawrence Wu said. “I was reminded to look around and really appreciate the friends and teachers around me, and the remaining time I have left of school to spend with them.”

Drumline has been rehearsing after school once a week to stay prepared for next school year.

These practices have taken place every Thursday since February on

the track or in the amphitheatre, to accommodate social distancing for the large group.

Drumline students recently added an extra hour and a half to rehearsal and are considering filming or live streaming their performances on Youtube.

“We were definitely rusty, but I think our coach was just happy that he could actually hear us as opposed to Zoom,” junior Hannah Geere said.

As of now, the Performing Arts Academy is preparing for their next virtual concerto and marching band and drumline are getting ready for the end-of-the-year performance and events to bring the members together before summer begins.

Photo courtesy of CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ

Performing Arts students on the bleachers for overlooking Diamond Bar High School’s football field during a brief rehearsal intermission.

APRIL 28, 2021

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Classes for creativity As a means to make profit and spend time with kids, junior Elisa Lopez hosts weekly art lessons.

MARYKATE PALARIS asst. a&e Editor With a stroke of a brush, Diamond Bar High School junior Elisa Lopez transformed her hobby of painting into a business--not by means of selling her work, but by teaching her craft to others.

Ever since October 2020, Lopez has been giving art classes to children ages 4-12 years old for $60 per month, while providing any needed materials such as easels or paint.

She generally teaches youngsters the fundamentals of art, like painting simple objects, but they can

also draw other things they’re interested in.

“I started giving little kids art lessons in my house patio, but I recently moved my workspace to the public area of the residence I live in [which is in Mexico],” Lopez said via Instagram.

Lopez said that all of her classes are hosted in person, while maintaining COVID safety guidelines. Currently, she said that she has eight students who she gives lessons to on either Saturdays or Wednesdays. In all, students have four classes each month.

Lopez said that she was inspired to start her business because her father had initially suggested it as a way to use extra art supplies.

“Starting quarantine, my dad brought to the house a bunch of easels he got from a museum that no longer needed [the supplies],” Lo-

pez said. “The idea of teaching just popped off from my dad’s head, and as soon as I heard it, I was committed to do something innovating.”

What further encouraged her to start was her affinity for working with children, along with her passion for painting in general.

“I’ve been painting since elementary school, and it is one of my favorite things to do,” Lopez said.

She started advertising her classes with posters, but at the moment, she advertises via her Instagram, @artclassesbyelisa.

Aside from giving paid classes, Lopez also hosts free art lessons at an orphanage on Tuesdays. As it’s volunteer work, these classes are free and she provides any needed supplies as well. Because of their larger class size she requires a teaching assistant.

“I make sure to bring with me

Photo courtesy of ELISA LOPEZ

After creating art as a hobby for years, Lopez started hosting art classes for kids. one of my sisters to help me out as an assistant due to the large amount of students I work with that day,” she said.

In the end, Lopez said that she finds her business enjoyable not

only because she’s able to make a profit off it, but she also gets to spend time helping kids.

“I love children, which is why I hardly find it as a job and more as a hobby,” Lopez said.

Drama wins big at Fullerton festival

A handful of DBHS students won awards for their hard work in design and performances.

Photo courtesy of RHODA DIZON

Dizon’s classroom, where she also teaches fundamentals of art and art history.

Animating new interests Lyndon Kaneko Staff writer With the interest in animation among students steadily growing, Diamond Bar High School will be offering a class in the filmmaking art next school year.

English and art teacher Rhoda Dizon will be teaching the new addition to the school’s variety of applied art classes during the 20212022 school term.

Though she is already teaching Intro to 3-D Art, AP Art History, Fundamentals of Art and English 1, Dizon said she wanted to create an animation class that brought those concepts together.

“I have always dreamed of teaching an animation class as it combines what I teach in fundamentals of art and 3-D design,” Dizon said via email.

Current technology has made animation much more prevalent and accessible, and is a growing industry that combines STEM and design into one career. Dizon explained that she’s already begun to develop possible animation units to teach in her new class.

The first semester of the class will be geared toward strengthening individuals’ technical skills in animation, based on what’s become known as Disney’s 12 fundamental principles of developing animation.

These principles were derived from the work of animators and were boiled down to 12 basic concepts, which includes squash and stretch, anticipation, staging, straight ahead action and pose to pose, overlapping action, slow in

and out, arc, secondary action, timing, exaggeration, solid drawing and appeal.

In the second semester, students will work together on both traditional and stop motion animation.

The curriculum will also include information on animation careers and individual project development.

Students in the class will learn how to use industry-standard animation programs, like Toon Boom Harmony and Adobe Animate, while also learning the history of animation, creative writing and visual storytelling.

“I anticipate having at least one section of the pilot animation class,” said Dizon. “But I will definitely welcome more classes if there’s high enrollment.”

The class will also serve as an opportunity to add depth to students’ portfolios, which are an important component of any art school or college art program application.

“I hope students can participate in national animation contests as well as the Doppelganger Film Festival at DBHS,” Dizon said. “I’m enthusiastic about planning for the new animation class and can’t wait for Fall 2021.”

Those that have signed up for the class can use the class to gain experience in different forms of art or because they simply find enjoyment in it. Sophomore Jenny Luo plans on taking the class in her senior year and using it as an introduction into animation.

“I wanted to take the class because animation is a hobby of mine and I want to pursue it as a career in the future,” Luo said via Instagram.

somiya Jajieh asst. feature editor Diamond Bar High School theater students had the opportunity to showcase their talents in the arts at the Fullerton College High School Theatre Festival, with three students earning mentions when a YouTube awards ceremony was held March 27.

This year’s competition required that students turn in their submission, whether it be a design or performance, to teachers at Fullerton College, who judged the hundreds of entries. Freshman Eden Wright placed in the top 18 out of more than 200 musical theater submissions for her performance of “Astonishing” from the “Little Women” musical. She said she chose to compete in musical theater be-

cause singing is her strong suit.

Before recording the performance, she’d been practicing for nearly a year.

“I’ve done musical theatre since I was in 7th grade and I’ve been singing for my whole life, so musical theatre was the most obvious choice,” Wright said.

To prepare for her submission, Wright said she focused on polish-

“I felt like I was going to burst [because] I was so happy and proud of myself.”

KAYLA LAM

ing and reviewing her song in order to make it as best as she possibly could for the final submission.

Additionally, senior Kayla Lam received second place for graphic design. Despite not having prior experience in graphic design in particular, Lam decided to give it a try since she wanted to put her

Photo courtesy of KAYLA LAM

Kayla Lam placed second in the Fullerton Festival graphic design with her work.

digital art skills to use. For her submission, she had to create a poster for a show of her choice and an essay explaining the design. She selected “The Wedding Singer” since she was already a part of the DBHS crew for its own production of the show.

“To prepare, other than picking the show I had to design for, I had to look up simple tutorials on graphic design since I had never actually done it before,” Lam said via Instagram. “Other things I did to prepare were just finding references, making drafts, and figuring out how I would actually execute the design.”

Lam’s experience with digital art helped her in graphic design since she was already familiar with the programs needed to create her designs as well as knowing how to utilize shadows, lighting and colors appropriately. In addition, she said she got tips from a friend with more experience in graphic design. After creating her poster for the competition, she submitted it to Google Drive with her essay explanation.

“I actually do digital art as a hobby, so I figured I might as well put all of those hours of drawing to use,” Lam said. “I was also curious how/if my different art skills would help me with graphic design since they’re similar yet very different.”

More schools participated in the competition this year than normal because they didn’t have to worry about traveling expenses. But as Lam was facing a larger number of competitors, she said she didn’t expect to place. Thus, she recalled being extremely excited at her achievement upon hearing the news that she secured second place.

“I remember I had to stop what I was doing when I got the message and I immediately texted my friends the good news,” Lam said.

“I felt like I was going to burst [because] I was so happy and proud of myself.”

Besides Lam and Wright, senior Amanda Esparza also placed in the finals, receiving third place in makeup design with her submission of three makeup looks for characters in “The Wedding Singer.” For each design, she included both a sketch and a photo of the final applied look, alongside a typed explanation of the style and products chosen.

12 BUSINESS

THE BULL'S EYE

Searchlight helping the homeless society FROM P.7 support and case management.

While the program was only developed in late 2020, Martinez hopes it will set a precedent for the future of Searchlight Society.

“There are so many homeless students going to college right now,” Martinez said. “So, we really hope this program highlights what we’re doing and what we’re

succeeding in.”

One other initiative Searchlight Society is working on is attaining more contracted work in the los Angeles Area to help the growing homeless populations in downtown.

“San Berandino, especially Victorville is very far, and driving down here is not fun,” said Martinez. “[We] definitely want to bring our home team, which is

our case management and mobile team, out to Long Beach and Los Angeles.”

Nevertheless, no matter where the program goes, the mission statement of the organization, “one individual at a time,” will always remain at the core of Martinez’s own goals.

“Everyone has their own story, everyone’s working at their own pace,” Martinez said.

Sharing the culinary works online foodies FROM P.7 Jeon said that her research, which included several documentaries on Netflix, coerced her into going vegan at first, but after talking about her decision with her parents, they’ve decided to compromise with Jeon going vegetarian instead.

“Last year, I had to write a

research paper as one of my final assignments (about the impact the livestock industry has on the planet), so I decided to watch a few documentaries on Netflix as research,” she said.

When it comes to sharing pictures of her own meals, Jeon said that she takes inspiration from other outside sources such as food accounts on social media,

which include sites like Instagram and Pinterest.

Not only does she try to emulate their style of cooking, but the layout of their photos as well.

Among a few of her many favorite creators online are the accounts @pickuplimes, @ schoolnightvegan, @chez.jorge and @the.korean.vegan on the site of Instagram.

APRIL 28, 2021

[1] Prosciutto, salami and other cured meats are the lifeblood of your charcuterie board. As such, you’ll want to find some of good quality. A local Italian deli should have a solid variety of meats that are cut to order.

photo and story by Camille McCurry, design by Josh Chou

5 6 2

4

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[6] To round out your board, you’ll want to add some of each. In terms of fruit, any berry or thinly-sliced apple or pear work great for eating solo or placing atop a cracker with some cheese. As for nuts, any roasted, salted nut will do the trick. You may also want to top it off with some thyme or rosemary sprigs--these are optional, but they provide excellent visual contrast on a board of warm tones.

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[5] A tasteful selection of spreads can round out the flavor of any board, which is what makes them so vital. I recommend Dalmatia spreads because they are easy to find and pair well with many cheeses. Spreads can be pricey, but they last through several charcuterie boards, so they’re a worthwhile investment.

THE BULL'S EYE

[3] For hard cheeses, a few ounces each of high-quality cheddars or goudas are great for most purposes. My personal favorites from this category are Midnight Moon, a gouda-adjacent goat cheese, and Prairie Breeze, a sharp cheddar with plenty of crystals, both of which are available at the Cheese Cave.

[4] Crackers are an essential part of the charcuterie experience. For this reason, it’s good to pick both flavorful and ‘bland’ crackers. Trader Joe’s has an excellent variety of the former, but you’ll also want to pick up some sturdier ones like croccantini.

1

[2] You’ll want at least one soft, spreadable cheese on your board. Brie is the classic pick for this position, as it pairs well with just about anything. In the same vein is Fromager d’Affinois, a brie-like cheese that’s creamier and more buttery. Brie can be found at supermarkets, but quality varies noticeably between brands. You can find higher-quality cheese at a specialty shop like The Cheese Cave in Claremont, though if you’d rather stay close to home, Trader Joe’s and Sprouts are also good options.

APRIL 28, 2021

Charcuterie 101:

Whether you’re looking for a way to spend some quality time with others or treat yourself after a difficult week, there’s no better way to go about it than creating a charcuterie board, a gourmet spread of meats, cheeses, crackers, and more that’s sure to both look and taste exquisite. When preparing one of these, you may want to work with several friends or family members to split the cost, which should range between $20-30 per person depending on how many people and how much food you have.

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SPORTS

APRIL 28, 2021

THE BULL'S EYE

Students find passion in swordplay duels Juniors Daniel Zoubtsov and Cassie Nam are among the few fencing competitors at DBHS. marcus hsieh asst. news editor Students at Diamond Bar High School already participate in a staggering variety of extracurriculars and athletics. However, DBHS juniors Daniel Zoubtsov and Cassie Nam have pushed athletics further outside the box by participating in the combat sport of fencing.

Fencing is divided into three disciplines: the traditional “foil” with flexible blades, the strategic “epee” with full-body exchanges and the modern “saber” with aggressive scoring. Zoubtsov and Nam have practiced the sport and honed their skills for years, with Zoubtsov fencing for over three years in foil and Nam fencing for over four years in foil.

“Fencing has always been a pure interest of mine,” Zoubtsov said via Messenger. “It wasn’t until I took an Archery merit badge with the Boy Scouts that I was introduced to the club that I currently attend.”

Photo courtesy of DANIEL ZOUBTSOV

Junior Daniel Zoubtsov, right, is in his fencing stance looking for the perfect opportunity to strike at his opponent.

Zoubtsov practices with his club for two hours every week and at home occasionally, in addition to private lessons to focus on technique and efficiency.

“We wear very protective gear, which reduces the amount of

damage we take,” Zoubtsov said.

“However, our lower half is not protected, so usually whenever I’m fencing, depending on the skill level of the person I’m fencing, I change my defense to a more upper-body approach, which comes

naturally with my height and stature.”

The junior has competed in small tournaments against other clubs and was scheduled to participate in a large fencing event last year, but was unable to due to

COVID-19.

“I enjoy the mental appeal of the sport, as it makes me have to think outside of just being physical,” Zoubtsov said. “It is, in a sense, a chess game with blades; a mental and physical standoff against your opponent, each to their own strength.”

Meanwhile, Nam was encouraged to begin fencing by her parents, who thought that her existing athletic skills would be beneficial in the sport. She usually practices two to three hours daily with her club and up to 25 hours per week, ramping up as competition season approaches.

“It is a pretty good time commitment, with fencing clubs being so scarce in amount compared to a lot of sports because it’s fairly unique,” Nam said via text. “I’ve driven about 2-3 hours to merely get to practice.”

She said that she enjoys fencing for its element of physical strength coupled with strategy and mental concentration.

“I qualified for Nationals in 20182020 and competed; I will be competing this summer again,” Nam said. “I qualified for Junior Olympics in the same time frame as well and have also competed in several North American Cups.”

Sports allowed to compete indoors COVID-19 guidelines have eased up recently, enabling the reopening of the school gym. vera wang staff writer While outdoor competitors have been on the field since fall, indoor sport athletes across Los Angeles County have been unable to experience the same—until recently.

Initially, many officials decided against reopening school gyms, due to concerns about the ventilation systems utilized in many facilities; however, changes such as loosening COVID restrictions and the growing number of high-quality air filters have signaled a greenlight for indoor sports.

Since March, the Diamond Bar High School boys and girls basketball and co-ed badminton teams have started indoor practices. Although players are adapting to the transitions quickly, regulations are proving to be a struggle.

“Masks are required and impact our performance a lot, as it makes us tired much faster,” junior badminton player Kodi Lee said. “Masks make it harder to breathe while training but this is something that I’ve come to peace with because it just builds my endurance.”

In a game where players are constantly sprinting up and down the court, masks make it harder to breathe and easier to overheat.

Numerous players reported feeling light-headed and nauseous during the first weeks of training. Practices are also now cut short due to the amount of time it takes to sanitize all equipment after using it.

Though masks and social distancing were a challenge at first, the major inconvenience lies in COVID testing, players reported.

Twice a week, basketball players are required to endure a painful swab up their right nostril in order to participate in games, where

such measures are still prone to false results. In the boys’ most recent game against San Dimas High School, two players on the opposite team tested positive for the virus, resulting in urgent contact tracing and a several day quarantine for all team members.

Despite the minor nuisance, testing has also provided many benefits, such as enabling players to disregard social distancing and choose whether or not to wear a mask during games.

Meanwhile, this year’s DBHS girls volleyball season was canceled because head coach Lauren Adnoff and junior varsity coach Megan Chung both quit the team.

Practices halted altogether in February, leaving many seniors and returning players disappointed.

Despite the challenges that accompany the transition, many are just grateful to be back on the court. Basketball holds practices nearly every day from late afternoon to early evenings, and badminton occupies the gyms on Saturday mornings.

“Overall, it’s extremely refreshing to actually have practice and watch things slowly go back to normal,” Lee said. “Although things aren’t 100 percent normal yet, just being able to train and get back into the groove is something I’m so thankful for.”

Looking forward to what the current and future holds for them, all teams hope to finish this abbreviated and unprecedented season triumphantly.

“Even though certain aspects of our season are not what we were accustomed to due to the small amount of time we had together, we’re lucky to have a great team skill wise and personality wise,” Ho said. “I can’t wait to start winning games with all of them.”

Both DBHS girls and boys basketball are scheduled to play Walnut today, where boys basketball is set to assume league schedule after a false-positive testing scare.

The badminton team is also set to compete in their first league game against Wilson this Saturday.

Photo courtesy of DBHS.ORG

Sophomore Alex Kim drives into the lane looking to score in a matchup against Ontario High School last season.

Boys find success in return, faced with challenges The Brahmas began the season off to a hot start, but were disrupted by obstacles involving COVID. steve qu asst. news editor After months of delayed schedules, Diamond Bar boys basketball is back on the court with 16 players, achieving three consecutive wins that put the team 3-0 before a COVID scare put the season on hold.

On April 10, the team narrowly defeated Ruben High School, 5048, when junior Dylan Stout hit a game-winning layup, bringing home the team’s first victory this season.

“We got a lot of good players... another junior named Jaden Ponce who’s a good shooter, a few sophomores like Dior [Brown], Malcolm [Bell], and Alex Kim who are all good players and keys to the team,” Stout said via email.

The second game was on April 13 against Don Lugo High School.

The Brahmas came out victorious in this home game, 86-70. Later, the third consecutive win came from a matchup with San Dimas High School where the Brahmas won by a hair with a score of 55-53.

“The games are going good overall. We are currently 3-0, and even though we are winning the games, there’s still a lot of room for improvement,” sophomore Alex Kim said via email.

Their success was put on pause on April 19, though, when the coach informed players that two players on the San Dimas team tested positive for COVID-19 right before the Brahmas’ upcoming game against Charter Oak High School. Though the team was informed a week later that it was actually a false positive, team members were in isolation for several days. Because of the hold,

the Brahmas missed out on two games--one with Charter Oak, and the other with South Hills High School. Their practice schedule returned to normal on April 23.

“We got news from their coaches saying two players tested positive on the Varsity and JV teams,” sophomore Malcolm Bell said via Instagram. “So both of our teams had to get tested again and quarantine for 10 days and then on our last day we found out that their tests were both false positive tests.”

The varsity team will play their delayed fourth game of the season against Walnut High School today.

Photo courtesy of DBHS.ORG

Junior Dylan Stout throws up a mid-range floater against the Ontario Jaguars.

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APRIL 28, 2021

SPORTS

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Lady Brahmas overcome issues Despite not having a varsity team, the girls waterpolo team was exceptional in their return. lyndon kaneko staff writer The girls water polo season ended on a high note, despite being cut short and not involving league competition. The Diamond Bar High School team finished the season with a 2-1 record, highlighted by a victory over Walnut High School, 19-8.

Due to the pandemic, there was no varsity team this year and practice was split into pods of twelve players each. The team’s head coach Devin Hunter confirmed that there will be a varsity team next school year.

The team’s standout players mostly consisted of seniors due to their amount of experience in the water, but the team’s five sophomores also played well given their lack of experience, according to senior Sara Jew. Jew also mentioned that some notable players include seniors Ariana Moran and Danielle Lopez and their impact in the water helping the team win a majority of their games. Jew said that Moran is highly proficient in swimming and capable of stealing the ball frequently, giving the team more

chances to score. She was selfless with her plays and always passed the ball to the best positioned player in her vicinity, Jew said.

Lopez served as the team’s goalie despite only training for the position for one year. Her strong throwing arm, Jew said, allowed the team to advance faster and could quickly spot who had the best opportunities to gain ground or score.

“This was her first year training as a goalie which was pretty impressive seeing as she was able to block multiple shots and gave us possession of the ball,” Jew said.

At the beginning of the season, practice was geared toward developing strong fundamentals due to the extended period of time away from the pool. More time was put into letting the players readjust into the in-person environment with the majority of practices consisting of swimming and passing drills.

“I think we lost the first game against Los Altos because a lot of us were nervous and didn’t get enough practice to be comfortable in certain situations. We had a lot of little mistakes that we managed to address after the game,” senior Samantha Rivera said.

According to Rivera, after the loss, the team discussed the small errors that were made during the game and went over which strategies and plays to drill and practice. The extra emphasis on those strategies allowed them to win the games over Walnut and Ayala.

Photo courtesy of DBHS.ORG

John Samaan looks to move the ball with a pass to his teammate on the offensive end against Ayala High School.

Boys come back with difficulties Waterpolo team made a return to the water with a lack of preparedness and a cancelled league schedule. vera wang staff writer Grappling with inexperienced players and lack of motivation, the Diamond Bar High School boys water polo team has struggled, finishing with a .500 record.

This year’s league games have been reduced to scrimmages, and practice routines have remained inconsistent due to the constant changes made in COVID regulations. Across the four non-league games, the Brahmas held an overall record of 2-2.

With only two weeks to train, the team’s practices were riddled with difficulties going into the short season.

“The COVID regulations were

extremely tough when we first started,” junior Nicholas Murray said. “We weren’t allowed to touch the equipment and had to stay socially distanced from each other.”

Retorting to mostly conditioning during this time, the Brahmas also encountered many challenges with a roster lineup that has little experience.

“Another problem was that all our seniors quit and we had to train brand new varsity players,” Murray said.

The lack of time and unpredictable circumstances were simply inadequate to prepare these new athletes, compounding their problems.

This year’s competition pool only included four other participating teams, where the Brahmas won two out of the four scrimmages that took place. Due to both the strict regulations placed on the sport initially as well as scarce competitors, the league has been suspended for the school year.

Though kicking off the season with a 17-14 loss at their first game

against Walnut High School, they quickly rebounded with wins at Los Altos and Ayala. In both games, the Brahmas won by a margin of five points, with juniors Nicholas Murray and Jude Solis leading the scoreboard in points as well as assists.

However, the final scrimmage against Don Lugo resulted in a 1917 loss; to the disappointment of many players, the Brahmas and Conquistadors had been neck-andneck up until the last quarter, when the other team pulled through with a slim victory.

“Overall, it was a very difficult season,” Murray said. “Even though we only had two weeks of preparation and all our seniors quit, we did good for having the majority of our team be new players and all the adjustments made because of COVID.” Looking forward to resume practice once the swim season ends, Murray and the rest of the team anticipate a strong comeback next season.

Girls return to basketball court, with restrictions The Lady Brahmas are back hooping after over a year and plan to make the most out of the season. steve qu asst. news editor Despite many athletes’ decisions to not play girl’s basketball this season due to COVID-19 concerns, head coach Kylance Malveaux has assembled a full team that is 2-2, with nine more games to play.

The Diamond Bar High School team started outdoor workouts in November. Just a few weeks ago, the Lady Brahmas were able to go back into the gym, with certain restrictions.

“I allow the girls to take more frequent water breaks due to the masks restricting their breathing when running. We understand the necessity to wear masks to prevent

the risk of exposure to the virus,” Malveaux said via email.

In addition, each player and staff must take a weekly Covid test that yields a negative result in order to practice or play for that week. The players are required to be seated six feet apart with masks on while on the sideline; once they enter the game they have the option to remove their masks. However, it is not unusual for few players to still wear their masks while competing.

The team practices every weekday for two hours. Because the team now consists of just 12 girls, some players who were previously on JV were moved to varsity to fill an empty position.

“We started practicing about three weeks ago and we are all just very thankful to be back. As of now we are just using games as a learning resource to prepare us for league,” sophomore Avril Ho said via Instagram.

On April 6, the girls had their first game in over a year against

Valencia High School and lost 5448. Senior Shanise Ho scored an impressive 16 points in the game.

“I thought team chemistry was definitely there, and I was impressed with the communication we had on defense and offense,” senior Chelsea Wu said.

She said that the team is still figuring out their “identity,” but overall, she is proud of the energy and intensity that they brought to Valencia.

The Lady Brahmas brought home their first victory on April 14 against Fullerton with a dominating 43-17 win. Ho, the highest scorer that day, got 13 points and junior Gizelle Lien brought down 12 rebounds.

“We have only been practicing for a few weeks, and the league begins soon. I am excited and optimistic to bring home many wins this season, which will encourage our younger players and give us seniors a memorable final season,” Wu said.

Photo courtesy of DBHS.ORG

The girls basketball team has returned to action after county officials allowed for the reopening of school gyms.

Photo courtesy of WILLIAM FOLEY

The boys baseball team has been preparing for their upcoming league games.

Resilience on pitch Baseball has been thriving in their season thus far and look to continue their success into league. edward kim staff writer Diamond Bar High School’s boy’s baseball team has been powering through the season with a strong 6-1 record.

“We are working to control what we can and living by the mantra of ‘Be Resilient,’ ” assistant coach David Lopez said. “We have tirelessly worked at getting better every single day; each day the players and coaching staff are disciplined in our approach of working on the fundamentals of baseball and sharpening our mental approach.”

The team finished last week with two wins against Calvary Chapel from Santa Ana, 6-1, and St. Paul from Whittier, 9-4.

“Currently, Maddox Bernardino, Nick Fiallo, and Aidan Nelson have been catalysts for us offensively,” head coach Jonathan Hurst said.

“Ethan King, Max Buchanan, Aidan Nelson, and Ryan Lewis have all been strong pitchers for us thus far.”

Lopez added that, “every single

player has played a large role in our performance thus far.”

The coaches said that the athletes practiced individually at home during their extra time in quarantine.

“Our athletes did a great job of staying in shape during the COVID pandemic; when we were given clearance to begin practicing again, our focus was on conditioning,” Lopez said. “We were able to accelerate past the conditioning phase rather quickly due to the players showing up in good physical shape.”

They also explained that the players practiced within teams outside of DBHS even when they couldn’t practice on campus.

“Many of our players compete on travel ball teams, so they continued to work outside of school during the shutdown,” Hurst said.

“Teams do their best to follow safety protocols, and practice physical distancing; many of our athletes worked a great deal on their own and with family members while under quarantine.”

Tomorrow, the team will face off against Wilson/Hacienda Heights in a conference game. Baseball games are also scheduled against South Hills on both May 4 and May 6. On May 11, the team faces off against Walnut.

16

SPORTS

Softball wins three before league begins

Senior Athlete of the Month plays a key role on football field. kelsey wu Asst. feature editor

For Diamond Bar High School senior Daniel Solis, football began simply as a fun game when he was five. Now, Solis is on the DBHS varsity football team as an outside linebacker and running back, as well as last year’s All-League football champion.

Solis said that due to his family’s strong association and love for football, choosing to play the sport was a decision that came naturally.

With nearly over 14 years of training and experience, Solis dedicates most of his talents to the sport.

“Everything about him as a football player is a coach’s dream…he has always shown how special he is,” football head coach Jeff Reitz said.

There are two major figures in Solis’s life that he says have inspired him greatly in the field of football. The first is Ray Lewis who played linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL, and the second is his father who passed away when he was 14.

“My dad motivates me [and] knowing that he is watching me upstairs gives me strength and the power to keep going,” Solis said via Instagram.

Solis accredits much of his skills and talents as a player to his father, who was his first coach and motivator in the sport.

“I look up to my dad because he molded me into the football player I’m today and taught me very much when I was younger,” Solis said.

With football, Solis said that there is almost nothing comparable to the feeling he gets when he plays. He described the field as a sort of homeland, a place that he associates with the extreme excitement of games and frenzied cheering from crowds, as well as the deep bonds and friendships he’s created with his teammates over

APRIL 28, 2021

THE BULL'S EYE

Brahmas work toward league title, while focusing on developing team bond. deesha pathak Asst. sports editor

April AOTM: Daniel Solis

FOOTBALL Photo courtesy of DANIEL SOLIS

the years. “[Football] has been a good experience from freshmen year to senior year...it has been nothing but fun times on the field [with] making memories with my friends,” Solis said.

Last year, Solis was named as an All-League Football Champion.

This year he was also awarded the title of “Defensive Player of The Game” by Maxpreps during the March 20 game against Rowland High School.

“Daniel has a great work ethic, he practices hard all the time… and as a person he has such a humble attitude, a great team attitude,” Reitz said.

Though Solis said he has had a great time over the past years with football, he admits he does not seek to play at the collegiate level.

“I hope to use the lessons I gained through my coaches, the tough skin I developed because of them, and apply them for myself in the future,” Solis said.

Diamond Bar High School softball players were back at bat as of March 1, making their first appearance in a game just one week later.

Thus far, the team has procured three wins and seven losses, which head coach Kurt Davies attributes to the lack of bonding opportunities and team synergy this year.

“I think part of our slow start is that we didn’t get an opportunity to get together as early as we would have liked in the year,” Davies said.

“It takes a few weeks of us getting together, practicing together, for us to gel as a team.”

Regardless, Davies said that he believes the level of competition that the girls are facing this early in the season will benefit them in Mt. Baldy League games, which began this week. In addition to experience, he also said that the team is working on improving its hitting and defense.

As the weeks progress, Davies said that the girls have already improved. In its later games, after a few weeks of practice, the team has shown much better teamwork than

they did initially. They won their third game 13-7 against Don Lugo, their fifth game 10-1 against West Covina and their eleventh game 22-6 against Garey High School.

CIF recently announced that there will be playoffs for softball; the Brahmas are part of CIF-SS Division 2.

“That’s exciting, it gives all our girls something to shoot for,” Davies said.

Davies lamented last year’s shortened season, and expressed his appreciation that sports were able to occur this year.

“This year more than any other year, it’s just being together,” Davies said. “In years past you might be able to say wins and losses but, I think our team this year is just enjoying every single moment that we have together because we learned how quickly that can be taken away from us.”

Some of the team’s notable players are seniors Alexis Martinez, Sierra Griego and Kailee Skidgel.

Davies praised them for standing out by displaying their high skillset and teamwork in the first few games of the season.

“Alexis is our pitcher and we’re only as good as our pitching, Kailee has done a great job as our leadoff hitter, really setting our team up for success, and Sierra is one of the better centerfield defenders,” Davies said.

Photo courtesy of KATLYNN DOMINGUEZ

Brahma softball works past trials and tribulations to prevail in League games.

Athlete achieves peace by surfing Track and field athlete junior Tatiana Sprock enjoys waves during her free time with her father.

Photo courtesy of TATIANA SPROCK

Tatiana Sprock used to practice her surfing skills at Bolsa Chica State Beach before COVID-19 guidelines forbade it.

tively, however, she said that she enjoys surfing because of how it allows her to spend more time with her dad. Even though she and her dad are very busy with their own schedules, Sprock has always found time to surf with him.

“Spending time with my dad has Connor Cho really made me enjoy surfing,” Asst. Business manager Sprock said. “The ocean is just so calming but exhilarating at the

While surfing remains the sigsame time for me.” nature leisure activity in Southern

Besides surfing, Sprock is also California, Tatiana Sprock took involved in other sports such as up the sport for a different reason the Diamond Bar High School’s than most: To spend more time track and field team. Sprock addwith her father. ed that while she With inspiprefers track and “I’m an overthinker and ration from her field over surfget stuck in my head a dad who has ing because of lot but surfing and its been surfing for the team aspect, 45 years, the Dishe has found environment pulled me amond Bar High surfing to inout of that state.”

School junior spire her in more TATIANA SPROCK first learned how than any other to stand up and sport because ride on a surfof her admiraboard when she was just eight tion for pro surfer Courtney Conyears old. After having many logue. “She’s so genuine, hardwaves under her belt, Sprock preworking, talented, and never gives fers riding a shortboard. up,” Sprock said. “So I really ad “Initially my dad inspired me to mire her.” surf,” Sprock said via Instagram.

Although she once practiced “When I was little I copied him a at the beach, Sprock hasn’t been lot so surfing was just something to able to surf as much because of copy.”

COVID precautions. However, she Since Sprock isn’t able to go to still finds time by waking up early the beach everyday, the surfer usuin the morning for secluded areas ally skateboards to practice her away from crowds. balance when she has time.

“I love the environment and “Before COVID, usually I would feeling I get while surfing,” Sprock go once a week to Bolsa Chica State said “I’m an overthinker and get Beach and surf by the South Jetty,” stuck in my head a lot but surfing Sprock said. and its environment pulled me out

Sprock does not surf competiof that state.”