INSIDE THE ISSUE
opinion 4
feature 8
opinion 4
the bull’s eye NEWS
•
OPINION
•
FEATURE
•
sports 16
a&e 10
MARCH 20, 2019 VOLUME XXXVII, ISSUE VII ONLINE AT DBBULLSEYE.COM
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
•
SPORTS
Making dreams come true College Board sponsored a conference to help African American students prepare for college. Victoria artale Asst. Photo Editor ANGELA YANG
Wishlist of new classes for DBHS A poll distributed to 268 Brahmas offers a look at courses students would like offered. Angela Yang News Editor In an increasingly high-pressure academic culture, finding the area between two curves has become common knowledge among Diamond Bar students, but not how to file taxes. In a poll of 268 Brahmas, The
Bull’s Eye asked students to identify which courses they would like to see added to their high school curriculum. Ranking highest among the choices listed was personal finance, a class to educate students on how best to manage their income and budget their money beyond the basics covered in a regular single-semester economics course. Senior Daniel Huang said he was inspired to learn more after watching fiscal discipline coach Dave Ramsey’s advice in class. “I think that senior year most of all is when I’ve learned about personal finance, and I think that it’s a
good time to be learning before you go into college because you should have a good background and foundation for this,” Huang said. Sophomore Frances Tong also believes personal money management is a skill best taught early. “In high school, we all spend a lot of money and we’re not really thinking about it because we’re not the ones making the money, so we don’t understand how hard it is,” Tong said. “But [then] we start to get jobs and we don’t know how to manage our money properly.” Many students also agreed on the importance of home economics: learning how to cook, clean and
properly maintain a home. “I think people would be surprised about the amount of people that can’t do some basic things that are necessary to know like sewing, cooking… and it would be really useful,” junior Heather Maiershofer said. Senior Megan Ly grew up under the care of a nanny for around 12 years. With her parents continually busy with work, Ly and her older sister took on most household tasks alone. But when their nanny left the
With college coming into focus for upperclassmen, 22 Diamond Bar High School juniors were given the opportunity to attend the “Own Your Own Future” event on March 12. Presented by College Board, the meeting focused on the college readiness of African American students. The students were selected by their GLC to be able to attend the event. “We are a minority and we need more help in our education, because it’s always been hard for us to get into college,” junior Jade Givhan said. Hosted by the Jackie Robinson Foundation, the conference took place at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles,
Classes ON P. 2
Dream ON P. 3
Students leading green initiatives DBHS AP Environmental Science students work on five projects in annual competition. Josh Kim Asst. A&E Editor In search of new and innovative ways to improve Diamond Bar High School, AP Environmental Science students have yet again started on their annual sustainability projects to be showcased at the end of the school year. Every year, APES students are given the opportunity to give back to DBHS through these projects. In previous years, approaches to these projects have varied from providing the school with fresh water to looking to provide renewable energy. Yet the goals of all the projects have remained the same: to create a more environmentally-friendly campus. Similar to past years, APES teachers Greg Valor and Kylance
Malveaux are overseeing five projects. Valor’s second period has dubbed its project The Butterfly Effect, and his fifth period class is calling its project The Magic Greenhouse. Meanwhile, Malveaux’s first, third and fourth classes have named their projects Hydro-Gen, Lightleaf and EcoBreeze, respectively. The students behind each project will have until May to research and gather the necessary resources. After completing their projects, students will present their work and findings to a panel of judges, who will determine a winner. The Butterfly Effect seeks to address the issue of the declining population of monarch butterflies by growing milkweed, the only plant caterpillars will consume. By spreading community awareness in local elementary schools, junior project leader Ryan Lou hopes to stress the importance of the monarch butterfly and its effect on the environment. “We chose this project because
APES ON P. 13
Photo courtesy of AAUW-CA
Class of 2020’s prom “When the Stars Align” will be on April 6 at the Old Ranch Country Club, a golf club in Seal Beach.
Shining lights at country club DBHS upperclassmen can spend the night under the stars at a scenic venue. Nia Mitchell Asst. business manager While students make plans to attend the Diamond Bar High School prom, selecting dresses and tuxedos and finding dinner reservations, the prom committee is setting the event up and working out the fine details. The Class of 2020 Spirit Com-
mittee has chosen the theme of “When the Stars Align.” To fit the theme, the venue will have decor resembling starry skies as well as silver and blue accessories and decorations to create the feeling of being underneath the stars. The event will be held at the Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach, Orange County. The private golf course is a popular venue for weddings and other social events. The country club has a modern elegant feel throughout and includes a few lakes around the property. A perfect place to take prom pictures if you are in
search for somewhere to take preprom photos. “We have a beautiful location this year near the beach and it has a lot of amazing picture taking places as well,” junior Summer Wang, a member of the Spirit Committee, said. The class of 2020 committee is working on getting a number of activities approved for this year’s prom. Some of the activities planned for the prom include air hockey tables, foosball tables, arcade
PROM ON P. 3
2
NEWS
MARCH 20, 2019
THE BULL'S EYE
City passes on the crown
Junior Bella Lam will serve as Miss Diamond Bar for the upcoming year.
DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS UNITE IN CONGRESS
Renee Elefante Asst. news editor In her first attempt at pageantry, Diamond Bar High School junior Bella Lam was crowned Miss Diamond Bar 2019 on March 10. Her court consists of runner-up DBHS junior Valerie Ov, senior Jennifer Quinones and juniors Aria Ting and Jennifer Nie along with Diamond Ranch High School junior Emma Ibarra, all of whom were chosen as the Miss Diamond Bar Princesses. For the past 55 years, the Miss Diamond Bar pageant has been a channel through which the city recognizes female high school students for their community service. The contestants began preparing for the pageant in January under the mentorship of DBHS senior Shereen Wu, who served as Miss Diamond Bar 2018. They learned how the pageant worked, how to participate in an activewear and evening gown competitions as well as how to answer the questions. For her finalist question, Lam was asked: “If you can be an apprentice of anyone for a day, past, present, or future, who would it be and why?” “I said Michelle Obama because she’s a woman of such confidence and grace,” Lam said. “She’s a moderate First Lady that a lot of
Breaking through division, Congress has stepped up to President Trump in a bipartisan rebuke on three fronts. Last week, both chambers accrued enough votes to cease American aid to Saudi Arabia’s military efforts in Yemen, as well as to block the execution of Trump’s emergency declaration. The House also voted Thursday calling for special counsel Robert Mueller to release the report of his Russian probe to the public.
Photo courtesy of BELLA LAM
DBHS junior Bella Lam, third from right, was chosen as Miss Diamond Bar 2019 at the annual Miss Diamond Bar pageant on March 10 in the school theater. people could relate to, and she started the ‘Let’s Move’ movement to help child obesity.” When Lam first moved to Diamond Bar when she was in elementary school, a neighbor approached
“I want to lead with confidence and show other people...that they can...also be confident." BELLA LAM her mother and suggested that Lam enter the pageant in high school. Although she initially didn’t feel confident enough to enter, Lam said she later decided to enter this year because she wanted to put herself out there. “[When I won,] I was really happy and I was super excited to begin my new year with my new friends,”
After two major summits between Presidents Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader is considering restarting nuclear missile testing, according to a Pyongyang foreign minister. This comes after Trump walked out of February’s Hanoi, Vietnam meeting at Un’s demands to lift all sanctions.
BLOW AFTER BLOW FOR MANAFORT
Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager, already facing seven and a half years of prison, has been indicted on 16 counts of state felonies after his second sentencing within two weeks. He now risks up to 25 years in New York prison.
O’ROURKE WADES INTO PRESIDENTIAL POOL
The most recent to join a rapidly-expanding list of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates is Beto O’Rourke, a former House representative from Texas who narrowly lost the Senate race in November to Ted Cruz. Known for his charisma, O’Rourke is running on a broad Democratic message but has not yet defined a specific political agenda.
Students vote on desired courses
the staff Editors-in-Chief
Amelie Lee, Amy Miyahara
News Editor Asst. News Editors
Angela Yang Renee Elefante, Elizabeth Peng
Opinion Editor Asst. Opinion Editors
Ted Yarmoski Grace Lee, Erin Li
Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editors
Cindy Liu Kristen Sanchez, Kate Zheng
A&E Editor Asst. A&E Editors
Amelie Lee Josh Kim, Maggie Liu
Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editors
Amy Miyahara Ryan Lam, Johnny Wang
Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editors
Amelie Lee Victoria Artale, Tiffany Lee, Samyuktha Vellaiyan
Business Managers Asst. Business Managers Web Editor Asst. Web Editors
Lam said. Aside from her academic classes, she is involved in several extracurricular activities, including serving as an officer for the American Red Cross Club and volunteering at the St. Jude Medical Center. She has also competed in the Fencing Junior Olympics National Championships. “I want to lead with confidence and show other people in our community that they can look up to me and also be confident,” Lam said. She aspires to become a doctor of psychology to assist young girls in combating mental illness and also start a nonprofit organization to boost girls’ confidence and self-esteem. “I just want girls to know that I went through what they went through and that they can get help,” Lam said. “Things always get better although it doesn’t always feel that way at first.”
N. KOREA THREATENS TO RESUME TESTING
Catherine Liu, Cindy Liu Maggie Liu, Nia Mitchell Ted Yarmoski Christina Liu, Samyuktha Vellaiyan
Staff Writers
Emily Koh, Camille McCurry
Adviser
Doug List
contact us
Classes FROM p. 1 family, the siblings were left without guidance. “My parents didn’t stop working,” Ly said. “So I would have to figure out how to cook and clean and my sister would help me and I could tell that she was confused, so I’m pretty sure that course could have helped a lot.” Following the trend of essential life skills, driver’s education was a choice many Brahmas feel should be reinstated as well. The course was previously offered as an elective at DBHS. Numerous student voices cited convenience as a major factor in their preference for taking the driver’s education course during school hours. “I chose driver’s ed as one of the classes I think we should have as an elective because personally I procrastinated on doing driver’s ed and I regretted it later,” senior Miranda Dypiangco said. “I just think it’s important because it’s
something everyone will have to do eventually.” Junior Lizet Fernandez bolstered her support for such a class after her cousin took driver’s ed at her high school. “She said it really helped her,” Fernandez said. “I think it’s a good class to take in high school because usually you have to go out of your way to do it.” Others also raised the point that offering the course as a public school elective would alleviate the stress of high driving school tuition costs that not every household can afford. Another popular selection among students polled was American Sign Language. Ly said that had the option been available upon selecting a foreign language to study in high school, perhaps she would have pursued it instead of Spanish. “Languages are very cultural, but sign language is a totally different thing where it’s still people communicating, but it’s probably
at the back of their mind when the topic of languages is brought up,” Ly said. “[Deaf people] can only communicate with such a small part of the world, and maybe if we had [sign language] in our schools then they would be more able to express themselves.” Dypiangco was first exposed to ASL through her neighbor, a former Ayala High School student who took the class there and now teaches the nonverbal language as a profession. “I just always thought it was pretty interesting, and I think it’s important to expose people to ASL because not everyone in the deaf community has the option to have a translator, so it makes things easier to the deaf community,” Dypiangco said. Sex education and anthropology received 49 and 34 votes each, respectively, and the most popular write-in suggestions for new classes included game design, AP Macroeconomics and AP World History.
in and out of the line
Diamond Bar High School, Room 563 21400 Pathfinder Road Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Phone: (909) 594-1405 x33563 Email: eye.editors@gmail.com Business Inquiries: thebullseyebusiness@gmail.com
editorial policy The Bull’s Eye is a public forum that welcomes the views of our readers. Letters to the Editor and Op-Ed pieces will be accepted only if they are signed. The author may, however, request anonymity. The staff reserves the right to edit letters without changing content. You may forward letters to Room 563 or submit them online at dbbullseye.com.
VICTORIA ARTALE
DBHS athletic equipment attendant Dave Hernandez received his In-N-Out lunch in the amphitheater on March 13.
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 20, 2019
NEWS
3
DB publications win awards
IRRATIONALLY FUN
Journalism and Yearbook students place in top ten at regional and state write-off competitions. ABIGAIL HONG CONTRIBUTING WRITER
VICTORIA ARTALE
Senior Albert Ren, left, and junior Angela Medina participated in a pie-eating competition held in the upper quad during lunch on March 14, which was Pi Day.
Meeting promotes college readiness to representatives from colleges like UC Santa Barbara and UC and presented the topic “Strategies Berkeley. One representative the for Successful Transition to Colstudents met was Youlonda Copelege.” This was the first time the land Morgan, the vice president of convention had ever been held. enrollment management at UCLA. “It really meant a lot to me to be Givhan said she had previously invited to something like this, bemet Morgan in a program outside cause I’m about to go to college and of school called the Council of Afthis event helped me out quit a bit rican American Parents. in figuring out how to do things,” “She really inspires people in the Givhan said. “It taught me ways program I’m a part of, and she reto pay for college, ally helps out in get into college showing me and and how to choose others how to get “...I know more than a college that you into the UniverI knew before and I want to go to.” sity of California know what to During the prosystem,” Givhan expect." vided breakfast said. “She talked CAMILLE JACKSON and lunch, stuabout how to be dents could listen focused in college to guest speakers, and know where including Michael Johnson, who you want to go at the convention. played college football at Georgia I’m glad she talked about that.” Tech and was drafted by Cincinnati After attending the convention, in the 2009 NFL Draft. Jackson and other students have “He talked about how he came gained a more positive and confiinto college and his steps he had to dent approach to college. take to be able to succeed,” junior “It was very inspiring and I now Camille Jackson said. “He said have a better understanding of he wasn’t prepared at first, but he how college works; I can go into eventually got the gist of it all.” applying more confident,” Jackson Toward the end of the day, said. “I now believe that I know Brahmas attended a college fair, more than I knew before and I where they had the chance to talk know what to expect.”
Dream FROM p. 1
RESTAURANT REVIEW: MR. G’S PIZZA
A contributing writer samples some food items at a Diamond Bar pizza place.
VIDEO: STUDENT GREEK DANCER
DBHS sophomore Vasili Magaziotis opens up about his hobby of Greek dancing.
VIDEO: PHOTOGRAPHY ENTHUSIASTS AT DBHS Students share about their passion for and experiences with capturing pictures.
Packing their pencils, shouldering their backpacks and grabbing some paper, 30 Diamond Bar High School students attended the regional write-offs, where the Bull’s Eye took home first place in newspaper sweepstakes. They also placed third in novice news sweepstakes and fourth in super sweepstakes. Hosted by the Eastern Los Angeles Journalism Education Association, this year’s write-offs took place at Schurr High School in Montebello on March 2 with eight schools competing. On March 16, a smaller group of students went to Long Beach Community College to continue competing in the state write-offs, where they placed second in newspaper sweepstakes and earned second place for its website. On March 2, Seniors Cindy Liu and Christina Liu placed first in feature and sports, respectively. Junior Grace Lee and senior Erin Li placed third and 10th in feature while junior Ryan Lam placed fifth in sports. Meanwhile, in critical
review, senior Amelie Lee placed second and senior Amy Miyahara placed fifth. In news, junior Elizabeth Peng placed third, and in editorial, Ted Yarmoski placed 10th. For photo feature, senior Samyuktha Vellaiyan placed fourth. In novice news, junior Kate Zheng placed sixth and sophomore Ryan Chan placed 12th. In addition to the journalism students, one yearbook team, with seniors Megan Ly and Priscilla Franchino and juniors Fiona Huang and Angela Medina, placed second in yearbook copy. The other team, which was comprised of seniors Sunny Yang and Karen Zheng and juniors Ethan Chavarin and Shiva Dang, finished fourth in
layout and fifth in copy. On March 16, competing against about 20 other schools, the Brahmas also managed to do well, but none managed to get the first place position. In news, Peng placed second, and Vellaiyan placed third in sports photography. Yarmoski placed fourth in editorial while Cindy Liu placed sixth in features and Lee earned a sixth in critical review. In the sports category, Christina Liu placed 10th. In novice news, Kate Zheng received an excellent. In the Yearbook competition, the two person team of Karen Zheng and Shiva Dang finished 6th in theme and 9th in copy while the team of Ly and Chavarin earned a sixth in layout.
The DBHS Bull’s Eye won first place newspaper sweepstakes at regionals.
Team triumphs in history contest Members of a new DBHS club participated in a regional history competition on March 9. Emily koh Staff Writer One of Diamond Bar High School’s newest clubs, National History Day, earned a spot at the state-level competition after scoring well at the Los Angeles County regionals of the National History Day. “[The project] is not [about] history, it’s about people and issues, it can really be about anything, you can construe the theme to make it whatever you want,” NHD president Zayn Siddique, a sophomore, said. During summer, the NHD organization announced the theme for the next year’s competition, which all of the projects will be related to. Groups or individuals then decide their topic and which of the five categories they will compete in: an exhibit, a documentary, a website, a performance or an indi-
vidual written paper. This year’s theme was triumph and tragedy. “We chose to do a website which takes a bit longer because we have to design everything on the website and write as well,” NHD vice president Junjae Shin, a sophomore, said. According to Siddique, NHD is mentally challenging and requires higher level thinking. It can be a grueling process but it pays off in the end. As one of the newest clubs on campus, it only had enough people to send two groups to regional competitions. One group consists of Siddique and Shin while sophomores Arielle Chang, Camille McCurry and Samantha Mitchell form the second group. During a 10-20 minute interview with the judges, they provided an analysis of their project and topic and explained its connection to the theme. After interviews ended, an awards ceremony was held to announce which teams would advance to state. This year, Siddique and Shin were the only group from DBHS to
make it to state. Their winning topic was about American politics and the two-party system; they focused on the pros and cons of having opinionated people eager to participate in the government. Their project concentrated on two time periods: the 1980s and the present. They will be competing again on May 10-12 at William Jessup University near Sacramento. “We wrote about how even though it’s a positive thing that we have people that are wanting to participate in government and make decisions for everyone else, it’s really detrimental,” Siddique said. “Most of the people are malinformed and they take a vehement stance even though they don’t really know what’s going on.” The other group, which did not advance, chose the topic of Al-Nakba, the creation of Israel, and also created a website. “It is a huge effort because we must find accurate information in more than 70 sources,” Chang said. “We also have to compile these sources into a bibliography and write about different aspects of the event.”
Flip books, boba to be at prom PROM FROM p. 1 games, karaoke, and a tarot card reader. The committee also plans to have photo booths, one of which will allow attendees to make their own picture flip books, an activity offered at previous school dances. Students can also look forward to the desserts and appetizers that will be served at prom. The committee hopes to have a boba station and is still deciding on other food options. “People should come to prom for the high school experience. You only have junior and senior year to really experience it so I feel like you may regret it if you don’t come,” Wang said. Tickets will be sold for $90 per person with an activity card and $95
without. While online ticket sales began on March 11, ticket sales in the USB room started on Monday, with all sales ending April 2.
“We have a beautiful location this year near the beach..." SUMMER WANG
Juniors and seniors planning on going to prom with a date from a different school cannot purchase prom tickets online. They must fill out the date pass forms that are available in the Guidance Office. The last day to purchase a ticket with a date pass will be March 29. To get updates on prom, students can follow @dbhsprom2019 on Instagram.
CORRECTIONS To purchase tickets in person, students must have their behavior forms filled out and signed by a parent. Online ticket purchases will also require students to fill out and turn in the behavior forms to the USB room no later than April 2.
Last issue, the article about former detective and current novelist David Putnam misstated that Putnam’s first book was “High Hunt.” “High Hunt” was written by David Eddings; Putnam’s first book with Oceanview Publishing was actually “The Disposables.”
4
OPINION
THE BULL'S EYE
EYE EDITORS OF THE
OPINION: Teachers should utilize technology in classrooms to minimize paper handouts.
F
or Diamond Bar High School students, what starts out as an empty binder at the beginning of the year will inevitably turn into a monstrosity stuffed with largely unused papers by the end of the year. The reason? Unnecessary printouts of material that can be accessed using technology. It’s the 21st Century: teachers should reduce their paper waste by incorporating more technology into classrooms. Paper waste at school stems from the relative convenience of printing papers and the assumption that hard copies of materials will be easier for students to access. This leads to teachers printing stacks of papers on a weekly basis—whether it be poems for English classes that are only read once before being kept in a binder for the rest of the year, or packets of photocopied pages from a workbook. While some materials—such as vocabulary sheets or other
frequently used information—are admittedly more convenient to access as printouts, nonessential materials only used a few times can be accessible online, and only contributes to the paper wasting problem. First and foremost, some teachers’ excessive reliance on paper places unnecessary environmental burdens. Students in classes, especially courses heavy in reading materials like English, often receive printed reading packets that are only read once. The amount of paper wasted quickly adds up when you consider the amount of students in a class—or even several class periods— who all receive their own copy of the handout. An alternative solution would be for teachers to project the reading assignment on the projector screens, check out class computers or let students use phones. Many teachers also shy away from
technology because letting students use phones or computers inevitably seems to lead students off task. However, teachers can keep students accountable for completing their work by assigning reading check questions or supervising computer screens with programs that allow them to monitor the screen activity of students. Additionally, excessive paper use becomes literal burdens that students have to shoulder every day. Although a packet or a worksheet may not seem like much when viewed individually, they start piling up in students’ binders or notebooks when teachers from multiple classes hand them out every week. Options like creating a class Google Drive folder for various classroom materials can also keep everything organized and help prevent students from losing important material. Teachers can lessen this burden on
students by cutting down on these packets and utilizing the technology available to them. Classes like AP European History taught by Emily Clark have succeeded in extensively incorporating technology into the classroom, whether it be regularly using computers for classroom assignments or digitizing assignments. The few students without access to technology at home can talk to the teacher for alternative options. It’s understandable that not every teacher can manage to check out computers for classroom use every day of the week, but even just replacing a few days worth of heavy paper printouts with technology can make a substantial impact. Instead of solely considering the negative possibilities of technology in the classroom, teachers should realize the positive environmental and quality of life impacts that replacing paper waste with technology can bring.
A lot of teachers don’t want to use technology and are old fashioned. They should be utilizing technology more.
Technology is better because computers allow more ways of learning, compared to paper and pen.
I like paper, even though there’s so much waste. I can adapt to online learning, but a lot of students can’t.
KT WIRTH (11)
NATHAN WIN (10)
DUA BARLAS (12)
From the Brahma Perspective
Giving electronics a chance is a good step. It’s more sustainable, and it encourages better learning. KEVIN KUO (12)
An unpromising night
Teens not lazy, simply misunderstood
I
Camille mccurry Staff writer
t is inevitable that older generations will find a reason to complain about “those darn kids.” However, the degradation of younger generations has peaked recently, especially on social media sites such as Facebook, with Baby Boomers and Generation X shallowly labeling current teens as technology-absorbed and lazy. One of the main critiques of teenagers is their constant obsession with and reliance on their phones, laptops and other smart devices. However, as the name implies, smart devices have a multitude of functions. People on their phones are not always playing games or on social media. Often times, students use their phones to check the time, read their emails or
study for tests. Even when they are using their phones to text, it should be an individual’s choice to decide how they want to spend their free time. Just because teens choose to utilize the tools available to them doesn’t mean adults have the right to dismiss the use of cell phones as time-wasting. Another gripe heard from older generations is that current teenagers are lazy. In fact, this does have some truth to it. Almost every student procrastinates to an extreme extent. The issue, then, lies within the hypocrisy of this accusation. Procrastination has been a widespread problem ever since the days of ancient Greece. In 500 BC, Greek poet Hesiod said “Do not put your work off till tomorrow and the day after.” To claim that teenagers are lazy because we procrastinate shows that members of older generations have forgotten their own youthful days. Procrastination has simply become a part of the current teenage identity and is openly discussed more than ever. In addition to procrastination, many older folks bring jobs into the discussion of teenage laziness.
In the mid-1970s to early ‘90s, teenage labor rates averaged 55 percent, according to Advisor Perspectives. Today, that percentage has dropped to less than 35 percent. However, the idea that because teenagers are not employed means that they are lazy is flawed. Instead of finding work, modern teens are focusing on their education. More jobs today require degrees than in the late 20th Century, which means that teeangers are unqualified to join the labor force if they do not first obtain college educations. To that end, they are forced to forgo employment to focus on their studies in high school. Teenagers who see these complaints constantly on social media and hear them from adults around them should keep their uninformed nature in mind and avoid taking these criticisms to heart. Although there will always be people ready to dismiss current youth as the worst of society, teenagers can try to always put their best foot forward and do the best they can, because in a few short decades, they will be the ones in charge and complaining about the younger generation.
Want to contribute to the Bull’s Eye? The student paper provides a forum for DBHS students’ perspectives. EmailBULLSEYEEDITORIAL@GMAIL.COM your cartoon or submit your opinion about issues discussed in the Bull’s Eye for a chance to have your content published in the paper.
Out-of-touch decision defunds crucial services
A Cartoon courtesy of NICOLAS KIM
MARCH 20, 2019
Angela Yang News editor
key objective on the pro-life agenda has long been to undermine Planned Parenthood, and it seems such an endeavor will at last come to fruition. The Trump administration passed a rule last month defunding health centers that provide abortion, effective May 3. It’s an act that not only limits a woman’s choice to bodily autonomy (a hackneyed argument in itself), but erodes access to one of the only sources of adequate healthcare for women who cannot otherwise afford it. Title X, enacted in 1970 with broad bipartisan support, directs federal funds toward providing reproductive health care for a base that consists mostly of low-income individuals who lack insurance. The provision currently covers $60 million of Planned Parenthood’s annual costs. In less than two months, that number will go to zero. Yet official statistics show that most of the clinic’s funding come through Medicaid reimbursements, so why does this relatively insubstantial loss of Title X matter? The answer is not in any forfeiture of profit for the provider, but in deprivation of proper care for the populus. Not everybody is covered by Medicaid; nor are all services. That’s where Title X makes a difference. When I walked into Planned Parenthood two years ago to obtain an IUD, I would have been taking advantage of this program in an effort to prevent the very necessity of what pro-lifers fear most: abortion. In fact, none of Title X’s money
is allocated to abortion in the first place—it’s illegal under the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funds from being used for the service except in cases of rape, incest or severe risk to a pregnant woman’s life. To refuse this funding to women’s health clinics that simply happen to provide abortion connects so poorly with logic that it’s reasonable to assume it just another partisan game in which the football being punted is the health of the disadvantaged. However, it is appropriate here to concede that federal contributions to the bulk of its services do allow Planned Parenthood to more easily free up its own resources for the purpose of abortion. Statistics on the frequency of actual pregnancy terminations performed are unclear: Planned Parenthood’s figure that abortions account for only three percent of its services fail to express some nuances. The clinic weighs all services equally, despite the factor that a pap smear or pregnancy test is significantly less costly and intrusive than an abortion. However, it cannot be misstated that abortion is not the clinic’s primary function. One major vindication those in favor of the new Title X rule like to raise is that this change won’t reduce Title X funding overall, but merely redirect it. Surely all those women in need can simply turn to non-abortion providing health centers. This idealistic supposition overlooks the reality that many rural residents are geographically isolated from other options. In Ohio, for example, Planned Parenthood is the only provider of Title X across nine counties. In Wisconsin, seven counties. To strip away millions of women’s access to a vast array of reproductive care—in the name of pro-life values—is nothing more than an act of neglectful cruelty from the gloved hands of those who need not worry about how to pay for their next pap smear.
THE BULL'S EYE
OPINION
Should colleges remove sat and act from the admissions process? focus on more notable achievements and award scholarships to recipients accordingly. These tests determine how well you know grammar and math topics, namely how much a student has been exposed to this style of testing. Even so, these tests are not always a reliable means of predicting a student’s success in college. Furthermore, the ability to take Josh Kim advantage of these tests has been Asst. A&E editor shown through a recent case where Standardized it was found that parents were paytests: an obstacle ing large amounts of money to course every stuhave wrong answers corrected on dent seeking to go to college must their children’s tests in order to get past. Because of the immense ensure higher scores. This goes to stress they place on students, their show how corrupt the system can inability to truly measure a stube at times, administering unfair dent’s ability and how results are tests so that people can have highdependant on one’s economic staer scores than those that take these tus, standardized tests should be tests under regular conditions. removed as a college requirement. Since January 2018, over 1,000 Statistics from College Board colleges have dropped the requireshow that SAT scores are strongly ment to take these assessments, correlated with a student’s finanand the number is growing. Accial situation, as families with cording to a study done in the same higher incomes year by the Nahave the ability to tional Public Ra“These tests are not pay for test prep dio, standardized always a reliable courses or have tests have shown means of predicting one-on-one seslittle insight as a student’s success in sions with tutors. to how students college.” With college’s will perform in reliance on SAT college. For exscores to represent a stuample, in George Washingdent’s knowledge, that lack of opton University’s case, there was no portunity enforces a vicious cycle correlation to the suggestion that of a less-educated lower class. students with higher test scores Even though test-takers have the performed better than those who ability to take these assessments had not submitted any scores at all. multiple times, some students Another study done by the Naare just naturally bad test takers. tional Association for College AdWhile these students may not excel mission Counseling showed that in test taking, they can still shine in when compared to their submitother areas, whether it be through ting counterparts, those who had internships, grades or projects that not submitted any tests had graduinfluence the community. Colleges ation rates that were equivalent or should focus more on long term higher. Other colleges need to folachievements, such a healthy GPA low in the footsteps of schools who have removed that requirement, over all four years of high school instead looking at aspects of a stuor long-lasting involvement within dent’s education that will truly rea club, as these things show dedicaflect their ability to succeed. tion and perseverance, important By no means are standardized characteristics for college. tests the only way to determine The idea that a single test can competency, as there are other not only “define” how good of a stupaths to take; removing standarddent you are is not fair in addition ized tests altogether is the first step to how scholarships are awarded to creating better futures for stubased on a student’s scores. As dents and their college journeys. mentioned before, colleges should
PRO
correlate with future income and success in the workforce. Another study by College Board showed that college success was better predicted by using both SAT scores and high school GPA, rather than high school GPA alone. I admit, I took an SAT prep class, an advantage that was made possible to me because of my socioeconomic status. This practice is amy miyahara unfair to those who can’t afford editor-in-chief such classes, and it is true that No one likes to be students who come from wealthier defined by numbackgrounds disproportionately bers, especially receive higher scores. in the context of standardized testHowever, variables in standarding scores. However, these scores ized testing are easier to control provide an impartial rationality to than in other areas of admission. what is a largely unpredictable colResources such as Khan Academy lege admissions process. help level the playing field, and Accomplishments and extracurthere are other ways to offer free riculars are extremely subjective. test prep classes in schools for An activity that a student puts those who can’t afford them. If a their heart and soul into might student is able to get an internship amaze one admissions officer but because their parents have connecleave another unfazed. A student’s tions, or has the money to pay for ability to win competitions or excel coaching that propels them to bein a musical income a nationally strument is conranked debater, it “Having such tests trolled by many is harder to progives admissions variables: the vide equal opporofficers a way to environment in tunity to lower inevaluate students which the student come students. objectively.” grew up in, the Though some school they atpeople criticize tend, or the teachers and mentors standardized tests for their unreathey have had access to. sonable cost, both the SAT and the Essays are also subjective. EvACT have fee waiver programs for ery reader will have a different students who fall within a certain response to an essay, cultivated by income bracket to ensure that both personal bias. tests are accessible to all students. Even grades are variable. Every Obviously, standardized testteacher across the country has a ing should not be the end-all be-all distinct teaching style and varies qualifying factor to college admisin the difficulty of their classwork. sions—and it’s not. Plenty of stuAn AP U.S. History class at Diadents have been accepted into top mond Bar High School is completeuniversities (even without resortly different than that same course ing to bribes) with less-than-perin a different school. fect test scores. Parkland shooting Standardized testing does have survivor and activist David Hogg variability, but the variables are made headlines for being accepted not as reliant on external factors. into Harvard despite having a relaHaving such tests gives admissions tively low SAT score, and his adofficers a way to evaluate students mission was still well-deserved. objectively and consistently. Still, standardized testing should Standardized tests serve as inremain as a means of objectively dicators of a student’s potential, demonstrating a students’ abilboth in college and beyond. A ity. Though there are issues with study done by Vanderbilt researchthe way these tests reflect income ers David Lubinski and Camilla disparity, getting rid of these tests Benbow showed that SAT scores completely is not the solution.
CON
Unawareness weeks
I
emily koh staff writer
’m proud to be a Diamond Bar High School Brahma, a school whose effort to inform students on important topics has produced a more educated and aware student body. This is all thanks to the important and well-organized awareness weeks held throughout the school year. Whenever a USB representative announces that we have an awareness week, I immediately mark it down in my planner so I make sure to remember the topic and when this influential week will be held. I can’t wait to learn more about the topic and do what I can to create awareness about whatever the chosen topic is. For this particular upcoming awareness week, USB is offering a hydro flask as a prize for winning a
competition they’re holding. Even though this has been the prize for the past few awareness and spirit weeks, the connection to the topic is always crystal clear and makes complete sense in the context. However, most students don’t bother participating since their number one priority is to become more aware, not win a $40 water bottle. There are also the aesthetically pleasing backgrounds set up in the upper quad for pictures. This, however, is not as important to me as I’m more focused on educating myself on the week’s topic than taking cute pictures with my friends and posting them on my social media accounts. Although many could argue that most people only go to the upper quad to take pictures while disregarding the week’s topic, this could not be further from the truth. Obviously these photoshoots and subsequent Instagram posts are to help spread awareness for the cause. What I’m most excited for though, are the fun lunchtime activities planned for the upper quad. They are by far the highlight of these awareness weeks, and the entire student body never fails to
SENSIBLY SATIRICAL get excited to partake in games and competitions. These games are always extremely relevant to the topic, although at times it can be hard to see the connection between an obstacle course and cancer awareness. The downside of awareness weeks is that they eventually must come to an end, lasting merely a
week. However, after the weekend, people are still buzzing about the topic and it remains part of the conversation for weeks. I hope that the school continues to highlight important issues to become aware of so that we as a school can learn more through social media posts and lunch-time activities.
Cartoon courtesy of COLLIN CHIU
Ted
Standardized Testing
y
MARCH 20, 2019
J
5
Informing over destroying
ted yarmoski opinion editor
umping at the first possible solution to a problem never ends well, be it a math test, a dispute with your friend or even pressing, multifaceted issues that affect billions of people on a daily basis. As it turns out, social media’s approach to solving fake news falls under that third category. It is no mystery why fake news articles are bad. They have inspired false beliefs, unjustified mistrust and even acts of violence. People are being raised to believe in a multitude of lies, from photoshopped models being the norm to falsified political scandals. It is easier than ever to doctor a photo, edit a video, or publish a “news” article that while excessive, is not absurd to the point of unbelievability. Determining what is real and what is fake is not as simple when fake content is created and distributed onto the internet faster than legitimate content is. However, spending time, money and man-power on getting rid of fake news is close to useless. Falsified articles will always make their way onto social media feeds, no matter what complex algorithms are designed to check for them. Platforms such as YouTube and Twitter have spent massive amounts of resources trying to delete fake news accounts, but solutions like these are temporary and prone to mistakes. Many users are often caught in the crossfire and lose their accounts after being falsely flagged by newly implemented algorithms and policies. The effort put toward this brute-force solution should instead be placed into awareness that the internet is not a trustworthy place. Simply trying to block fake information out as much as possible is ineffective and breeds a false sense of trust within the billions of people who use the internet. Instead of striving for impossible goals like ridding the internet of all fake news, media platforms should be making major efforts to educate the public on the commonality of fabricated or misleading online information. The only realistic way to combat the effectiveness of fake news is to generate an air of skepticality around the internet. Those who have been exposed to the internet their whole lives may already be well aware of the dangers that come with it, but many groups, especially the elderly or young children, are susceptible to believing everything they see online. Everyone can do their part to spread awareness, but social media services should continually remind users to remain skeptical of all content, not just those caught by the limited and often erroneous algorithms developed to combat false stories. While Facebook has come under fire and has conducted limited campaigns to raise awareness of fake news, the issue seems to have died down quickly and there are now very little attempts at generating skepticism. Attacking fake news head-on is a temporary and ineffective means of dealing with such a major problem. We need to use deeper-reaching and more permanent solutions to counter the negative effects of this widespread phenomenon.
6
FEATURE
catherine liu business Manager
Photo courtesy of JASMINE ANTUNA
Police trainee Antuna, left, wears her Class A uniform during a ceremony.
Cadet in training tiffany lee Asst. photo editor After learning police codes and how to apprehend a suspect, DBHS senior Jasmine Antuna has found her calling. At a young age, she was surrounded by family members who were police officers. After talking to her father about following his career path, she learned about a police academy sponsored by the Chino Police Department. “I want to become a police officer because I want to help the community and also the job is something I have always wanted ever since I was little,” Antuna said, “My father is my main reason of why I am doing this, to make him happy and proud.” During the summer, she spent her days learning how to detain a suspect along with learning over 175 codes and many self-defense techniques. “To be an explorer, you have to be honest, have integrity, accountability, dedication, professionalism, teamwork, and respect,” Antuna said. “I try my best to live by them.” A typical day at her academy at the Chino facility would involve waking up at 4 in the morning and arriving at the deck by 5:30 a.m. to start the day’s activities. Beginning
MARCH 20, 2019
THE BULL'S EYE
her morning with a two-mile run, she would have classes or physical training until noon. One memorable experience that Antuna said brought her team, which included other 14 to 18 year olds, closer was the time they were pepper sprayed. The advisers wanted to teach the students how to handle a situation when the suspect or policeman is pepper sprayed. She and her team had to work together to solve the problem, which involved flushing your eyes with water and letting it pass. “I love working with my partner and creating good memories working together to achieve good things,” Antuna said. While ompleting physical training and activities, her academy required for her to wear three different uniforms for certain occasions. She would wear her professional attire, Class A, during ceremonies and memorials, and Class B, a polo shirt, for daily activities. She also has a workout uniform for her physical training activities. Following the academy, she found out about the Explorers Program through her father offered by the same academy. She is currently enrolled in the program and attends every Tuesday year round. “I would love to become a deputy of Los Angeles Police Department,” Antuna said.
Replying to emails, meeting parents and advising students about failing grades--these are just a few of the numerous tasks that guidance counselors need to juggle around the clock to help students achieve a brighter future. “I do different things throughout the day, every day, but I always have to be ready to have everything thrown out the window,” Desmond said. As a counselor for the class of 2022, Desmond’s work varies on a day-to-day and year-to-year basis. Whether it is helping students prepare career paths in their freshman year or for college admissions in their junior year, GLCs focus on different aspects every year. In his daily schedule, however, Desmond’s plans for the day could change with responsibilities like
investigating problems on campus or dealing with students acting against school policy. “I really struggle trying to help kids improve their grades because ultimately, they have to flip a switch and care about things more,” Desmond said. “I can give them things to think about and strategies, I can point them towards tutoring—but some kids, it’s just not important to them at that point.”
Desmond often deals with students struggling to maintain their grade during the six week period, and he calls them to his office n hopes of guiding them in the right direction. “There are sad things in people lives and difficult situations, and hopefully talking to me at some point will make it a little better,” Desmond said. “But I can’t fix many things, so there is a lot of sadness, and we all bring home a lot of frustration that we can’t make everything better for everybody.” Now in his 19th year as a counselor, Desmond said that his most rewarding accomplishment is graduating five classes. “I really like our team of the GLCS and working with that group, and I really like working with the kids,” Desmond said. “It’s really an honor and very humbling that I get to do this and get to have this very positive relationship with the students.”
A DAY IN DESMOND’S SCHEDULE
MUNCH MADNESS Acai Bowl
The Bull’s Eye staff took a survey on their favorite types of ice cream, inspired by the annual March Madness bracket showdowns.
Dole Whip
Mochi
Nitrogen Ice Cream
Dole Whip Ice Cream Sandwich
Mochi
Mochi
Ice Cream Sandwich Milky Buns
Ice Cream Sandwich
Nitrogen Ice Cream
Rolled Ice Cream
Mochi Macaron Sandwich
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 20, 2019
FEATURE
7
Breaking news from the screen
From the classrooms of Diamond Bar High School to the screens of famous news broadcast stations, these two alumni have paved their own pathways to success as television journalists.
Francisco State University. Soon after graduating, she met a reporter who worked in broadcasting and encouraged her to go into the field. Soon after this chance encounter, Donchey reaking news! Sara Donchey is coming was hired as a production assistant. This exto you live from KCBS Los Angeles to perience helped her to learn more about the bring you the latest stories from across industry and get a feel for whether or not she the country. wanted to advance in this career. In 2013, she The Diamond Bar High School class of 2007 landed a job as a reporter and news anchor for alumna has taken her love of journalism to KRIS and KZVT in Corpus Christi, Texas. television as a reporter and anchor. Donchey “Being on TV is fun, [but] it can be challengcan be seen reporting stories such as the reing [since] all kinds of people see you and your cent announcement that “Jeopardy” host mistakes,” Donchey said. “Sometimes that’s Alex Trebek has been diagnosed with pancredifficult, but I think it’s important to make misatic cancer. takes and embrace them. It’s hard to do that on While Donchey has only been working at television, but I still really enjoy it.” KCBS for around a month, she previousDonchey’s interest in meeting peoly served as an anchor for KPRC in ple and forming connections with Houston for three years starting them also motivated her to take in 2015. She was first introduced on the career. She did not want to the idea of becoming a news a typical job with a monotoanchor when she worked as a nous daily routine. As an anproduction assistant for KPIX chor and reporter, she could in San Francisco right after she experience something differgraduated from college. ent everyday. Donchey’s responsibilities “I really took interest in Sara Donchey differ from reporting in the field meeting all kinds of people from to anchoring at the studio. She all kinds of places and listening starts her work day at 3 p.m. and ofto the stories that they have to tell. ten doesn’t end until around midnight. You get to experience life through someDonchey serves as the weekend anchor for body else’s eyes and I find that to be really inthe 5 to 6 p.m. KCBS news. teresting,” Donchey said. “I have to pitch stories, meaning I have to Among her many responsibilities as an anbe plugged in to the community around me, chor, Donchey is proudest of her role in coversee what might be going on and present those ing disasters and crises. When disasters strike, ideas to the producers,” Donchey said. “I have people often turn to the news for vital informato write my own stories, conduct interviews tion updates. [and] I have to proofread a lot of scripts, it’s a “When I covered Hurricane Harvey in lot of different things.” Houston, I think that experience was extremeDonchey did not always plan on becoming ly humbling because people really needed that an anchor but she had always shown an ininformation to survive, and we were able to terest for writing, which she developed during help them with that,” Donchey said. her time at DBHS. As a Brahma who has achieved success in “I remember taking an English class with her career, Donchey has some advice to pass Mr. Wells. I really enjoyed his class and I loved down to current high school students. to read and I loved to write,” Donchey said. “I “Approach school not only looking to get a think that helped me to eventually study jourgood grade but to actually absorb and take evnalism.” erything in. All of the stuff that you learn when Through her positive experience at DBHS you’re younger, you will use as a platform for and interest in journalism, Donchey went on when you go to college and eventually in your to study print and online journalism at San career and life,” Donchey said.
Emily koh staff writer
B
cindy liu feature editor
A
s a snow blizzard covered the sea of attendees at Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s presidential candidacy announcement in Minnesota, Rachel Scott stood bundled behind her camera equipment, bringing the latest news of the 2020 presidential election to the viewers of ABC News. From interviewing Oprah Winfrey to covering the Munich Security Conference with Vice President Mike Pence, the Emmy Award-winning journalist has stepped into the national spotlight reporting on top news across the world. Scott, a Diamond Bar High School class of 2011 alumna, has been working with ABC News for three years as a reporter and producer, covering everything from the 2020 presidential election to the devastation after the recent Alabama tornadoes. Her job involves not only reporting on camera, but also shooting, editing and writing for ABC’s broadcast, digital and radio platforms. “Covering the White House and the 2020 election, I have the privilege of having a front row seat to history,” Scott said via email. “I also have the incredible opportunity of sharing others’ stories with the world. Whether it’s interviewing a Holocaust survivor, a family trying to rebuild after a deadly tornado or a veteran who lost both of his legs in war–it’s a privilege to be able to share their stories. Their stories stick with you, long after you leave.” Even as a child, Scott always saw herself as someone who “had a very inquisitive personality” and “was skeptical of every story.” Years after interrogating her mother about Santa Claus’s legitimacy when she was eight years old, Scott continued developing her journalistic skills at DBHS. There, she developed a love for public speaking with her responsibilities as the vice president of the USB. “I didn’t realize it then, but that high school experience began building a foundation for
the career I now have,” Scott said. “It taught me how to connect with people, how to write scripts in a conversational tone and how to be comfortable speaking in front of large groups of people.” Scott planned to continue her journey at her dream school, USC, after graduating from DBHS. Yet, her dreams were cut short when she received a rejection letter in the mail. “I was completely devastated – I spent many days crying to my counselor Mrs. Burns and to Mrs. Norys,” Scott said. “But what I thought was my biggest failure turned out to be my biggest blessing.” Filled with newfound motivation, Scott attended UC Irvine for a year until she successfully transferred to USC as a Broadcast and Digital Journalism major in her sophomore year where she worked as a reporter, anchor and executive producer in the USC student newsroom. During this time, Scott also landed a three-year-fellowship with CBS News—and an eventual job as a freelance writer there—through the Emma Bowen Foundation and interned with CNN in New York City. Scott was hired at ABC after graduating from USC. “I’m so grateful to have a lot of ‘pinch me’ moments where I’m doing things I’ve always dreamed of like interviewing my role model Oprah Winfrey, reporting live on national television for ABC’s special coverage of the eclipse and covering presidential candidates,” Scott said. Last year, Scott received a Daytime Emmy Award as part of the “Good Morning America” team and an Emmy nomination for her work reporting on the “Great American Eclipse.” Scott has also traveled to Europe with the vice president to cover the Munich Security Conference—an annual conference on international security policy—in Germany and the Warsaw Summit—a meeting with global government leaders—in Poland.
Rachel Scott
SCOTT ON P. 12
Falling short of the bar Kate Zheng Asst. feature editor While the modern, minimalistic interior design of XLB Dumpling Bar is enough to attract high school students, the quality of the food will not have many students returning. Located in Walnut, the newly opened restaurant boasts authentic Chinese dishes, such as xiao long bao or dumplings, with a fast food twist. I arrived at the restaurant for dinner, and was surprised to find only one couple eating there. As soon as I walked in, I felt welcomed by the aroma of Chinese food and the simplistic interior design. The walls were a light shade of white and showed off various geometric wooden shapes. The simple designs on the wall, combined with the tiny houseplants on each dining table, gave the restaurant a comfortable and homey feeling. The cleanliness was beyond excellent as there was not a speck of leftover food or trash on the floor or tables. After my expectations were heightened by the visual appeal of XLB, I decided to order the signature Pork XLB Soup Dumplings for $7, the Spicy Dan Dan Noodles for $5, the Shrimp and Pork Dumplings for $8 and the Taro Ube Milk Tea for $4. Since there were few customers, I wasn’t surprised when my milk tea arrived two minutes later. The
“I used to be afraid of heights, but when I went to the beach with my brother and his friends, they forced me to jump off this 20 ft. rock.” Photos By KATE ZHENG
- Marie Odabashian 12th
XLB Dumpling Bar has a large glass window that shows dumplings and steamed buns being handmade in the kitchen. drink was a pretty pastel purple and had traces of taro syrup drizzled around the cup. I enjoyed the rich and creamy taste of the tea and loved its thick consistency. However, it tasted more like a milkshake than a milk tea beverage. My order was called within the next five minutes and I went up to the pick-up counter to receive my food. The soup dumplings included seven pieces, while the shrimp dumplings had eight. I began with the noodles, which were drowned in a spicy and creamy Chinese peanut butter sauce that was topped with pickled red onions. As soon as I took a bite of my noodles, I was overwhelmed by a wave of spice. The excessive sauce gave an unpleasantly overpowering flavor. The red onions did not help balance the flavor and were too tangy to compliment the noo-
dles. The texture of the noodles was also too soft for my liking and could have been a result of overboiling. Disappointed, I moved onto the next dish, the pork and shrimp dumplings. I bit in and was met with a rather fishy taste. As someone who grew up eating homemade dumplings of all flavors, I was not impressed by the dumpling filling. The shrimp’s texture was chewy and the meat very flimsy, which made an odd combo. The flavoring was also rather bland, so I had to rely on dipping my dumplings into the chili oil and soy vinegar sauce to somewhat enjoy the dish. The final dish was the only one that did not disappoint. The miniature soup dumplings were a perfect bite-sized shape, which was convenient since the soup would not spill out once you bit into the piece.
I enjoyed this dish since the flavorful soup combined with the melt-in-your mouth pork fillings to create the perfect splash of flavors and textures. These dumplings did not need to be dipped in any sauce since the soup provided a nice aromatic taste. Even though the service and sanitation of XLB Dumpling Bar are outstanding, the food did not meet my standards. Considering the quality, a dollar for a dumpling is overpriced.
Humans of DBHS
XLB Dumpling Bar 18732 Amar Rd, Walnut, CA 91789 YELP REVIEWS:
“My own self esteem gives me the most pressure in high school.” - Kayla Teng 11th
8
FEATURE
MARCH 20, 2019
THE BULL'S EYE
Prom Styles through the
Decades
In the constantly changing world of fashion, prom trends have been no exception.
1940s
Here’s a look into the evolution of prom fashion over the decades. Written by: NIA MITCHELL Design by: KRISTEN SANCHEZ
1990s
1950s 1970s
2000s
1960s
2019
The style breakdown 1940s: At the start of
World War II, fashion took on a new role. When it came to prom fashion, elegance was key. A popular style included long gowns with full sleeves. Covered shoulders represented a girl’s modesty, and ladies wore the most iconic look of soft curls that framed the neck.
1980s
1950s: Hipsters among the youth became more popular, and tea-length dresses were all the rage. These dresses ended mid-calf, included ruffles on the skirt and had a classic sweetheart neckline plus a slightly cinched waist. They gave the illusion of a curvy figure which many girls wanted.
1960s: As television grew in influence, the styles that characters wore on small screen was what
everyone wanted to dress like. Showing bare shoulders became more popular, and many girls wore gloves. The biggest fashion trend change during this period could be seen in men’s outfits. Suits and tuxedos strayed away from the traditional black-and-white color scheme in favor of pastel colors.
1970s: In the disco era, long flowy gowns with sleeves resembling a prairie style dress (which were
flowy with long sleeves and also had many patterns) became the desired look by many girls while boys continued the popular fashion trend of colored suits. Instead of pastels, burgundy suits with ruffled shirts became the most popular men’s style.
1980s: This decade
can be defined in two words: big and bold.This time period had one of the most outlandish prom trends: metallic and shiny dresses. Satin Mini Mouse pumps which were low heels became the new trendy shoes. Girls also continued to wear strapless and low-sleeve dresses.
1990s: The flamboyant
trends of the 80s continued into 90s, but one thing that changed was the rise in popularity of tighter dresses, which showed off a thin, boyish figure. Off-the-shoulder dresses became increasingly popular, thanks to “90210” actress Brenda Walsh. A deep side part with crimped or permed hair completed the fashionable look.
2000s: The subtle minimalist style became the new fashion. Girls often wore plain spaghetti strap dresses paired with shawls. Boys also began
adopting a more simplistic look by bringing back the classic monochrome tuxedos. By the end of that decade, girls were covered in bling. Bedazzled dresses with rhinestones are very common, and corsets helped girls flaunt a curvy figure. The color range of dresses increased greatly with brighter colors rather than soft pastels became more common.
2019: Though the commonality of high slitted dresses and guys pairing their outfits with brand name belts such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton has
grown, something our generation has been owning is individuality. When comes to prom looks, gender roles have been switched and its common to see girls wearing tuxedos or guys getting glammed.
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 20, 2019
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
9
Instagram Museum Traps
With virtually every young adult on social media, there has been a resurrection of the lost pastime of going to museums—even if those attending aren’t going for the art. These museums showcase aesthetically pleasing installations that are a coveted addition to any Instagram feed.
Design and Story By Maggie Liu
The Broad
Museum Of Neon Art
MONA
Located in Glendale, this museum features retro looking neon signs that light up any Instagram feed. MONA is the first museum that centers around the art of neon lighting. It features historic lights from the Brown Derby and the TCL Chinese Theatre. Aside from restored signs, MONA also has new inventive works. She Bends: Women In Neon is a exhibit that showcases women artists. General admission to MONA is $10. In addition to being a museum, MONA holds different workshops for the public on making neon lights. Details on these workshops can be found on their official website, neonmona.org.
This museum, situated in downtown Los Angeles, has many internet famous exhibits, but its most esteemed is the Infinity Mirrored Room-The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away. The Yayoi Kusama creation mimics the galaxy and stars within it. Visitors are allowed 30 seconds in the room to bask in the vast world Kusama fashioned, or to quickly snap a few pictures. Even though this exhibit has been open since 2013, there is always a long line to get a chance at traveling to this pseudo universe. General admission to The Broad is free, so make sure to arrive close to opening time to get tickets. THE BROAD
petersen automotive museum The first museum of its kind in Los Angeles, this autofocused gallery works to honor the history and future of cars. Opened in 1994, this museum has curated over 100 vehicles in its 25 galleries. The museum has cars ranging from a 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen replica to 2018 Maserati Levante. The flashy cars and motorbikes from Petersen Automotive Museum make for interesting photos that are hard to come by. General admission tickets for children are $11 and adults are $16. PETERSEN
LA ILLUSIONS
museum of illusions This Los Angeles-based museum is tailor made for snapping the picture-perfect frame. The Museum of Illusion is filled with three-dimensional optical illusions that distort space. There are rooms that look completely upside down, hallways that seem to shrink or floor-to-ceiling sized coloring books. These pieces are typically painted and are often changed. Located beside the Hollywood/Highland Metro station, Museum of Illusions is $25 for general admission.
10
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
MARCH 20, 2019
THE BULL'S EYE
Marvelling at progress A
arts & Eics Amelie’s book club Amelie Lee editor-in-chief
W
hether they want to be Batman or CEO of Apple, most kids have an unachievable fantasy dream job. For me, my imaginary future takes place in an old, dusty, nostalgic book shop. As the magical, impossibly well read bookkeeper, I innately know each person’s book preferences and interests. As someone walks in, I hand them a book, magically knowing that it’ll inspire them, change their lives with the momentous themes and meticulously chosen words. Unfortunately, the low salary of a bookstore owner makes it unlikely I’ll ever get to live out my fictional fantasy. As it is, the second best thing I can realistically do is recommend three of my personal favorites books, hoping that they’ll affect you as much as they did me when I read them. The Night Circus: Much like protagonists Celia and Marco, I completely fell in love with the night circus at a young age. The “Cirque des Rêves” is only open at night, and among its tents includes the story of two magicians and their elaborate, emotional competition. The novel paints a world of elusive and subtle magic, with an intense storyline and beautifully written imagery. With Erin Morgenstern’s idyllic and breathtaking descriptions of conjured cloud mazes and compelling cast of three-dimensional characters, the intricate worldbuilding makes “The Night Circus” my all-time favorite way to escape from reality. Little Fires Everywhere: Following the story of the seemingly normal suburban Richardson family, Celeste Ng’s novel deals with realistic and complex moral problems through the lens of each member of the family. Taking place in a small Ohio town in the 1990’s, the book discusses the nuances in social class, adoption, race and judgement between family members as each of them learn more about the confusing world around them. Despite hating several characters at the start of the novel, I soon grew to emphasize with every perspective as the book continued, and the book remains one of my all-time favorites with its ability to spark conversation. Flowers for Algernon: While you might have been forced to read a chapter or two in your eighth grade English class, the novella is still one that I believe everyone should read. A series of diary entries, Daniel Keyes’ novella tells the story of Charlie, who has been mentally disabled, who decides to undergo surgery to increase his intelligence. His rapidly increasing IQ and subsequent emotional journey is one that examines the value of intelligence and correlating cynicism toward the world, with Charlie’s first person perspective bringing me to tears with almost every reread.
Amelie Lee and Amy Miyahara write the Arts & Entertainment column on alternating issues.
NOW SHOWING
Amelie lee editor-in-chief
1968 2017
2008
2019
much-needed addition to the Marvel universe, the company’s recent release delivers a thrilling, nostalgic storyline for its first female protagonist. Despite a lackluster trailer and preemptive criticism, “Captain Marvel” effectively builds up anticipation for April’s “Infinity War: Endgame,” while standing on its own as an engaging origin story. Set in the 1990s, “Captain Marvel” tells the story of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) as she struggles with violent intergalactic warfare and her confusing past on Earth. With help from S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Carol Danvers steps into her role as the most powerful being in the universe, dealing with betrayal along the way. Following the history of the Avengers with a young Nick Fury, the film connected dots strung along movies over the past decade. From hints about the Infinity Stones and cameos of younger versions of Marvel characters, the details and context in the movie distinguish it from other cliche origin stories. Viewers not only feel nostalgic with references to past movies but also with the film’s setting, featuring Blockbusters, arcades and a stellar 90s soundtrack. While there have been comparisons drawn between “Captain Marvel” and DC’s 2017 female-centered “Wonder Woman,” the feel of the movie was more comparable to Marvel’s 2018 “Black Panther,” with important expansions into the world of Marvel and overdue representation. Unlike the overtly girl-power focused theme of “Wonder Woman,” Captain Marvel is unique for not just being Marvel’s first female protagonist, but also one of the most powerful heroes Marvel has ever featured. While the theme of the movie had feminist undertones, the main focus never faltered from Carol Danver’s growth and Captain Marvel’s story in saving the universe. Although the movie has a rocky start, the plot picks up momentum quickly, engaging Marvel fans with intense action scenes and interesting characters. From the surprising plot twists and strong on-screen friendship between Larson and the digitally de-aged Jackson, each scene of the story is captivating. However, while the agile and rebellious character of Captain Marvel was incredible to watch, Marvel seemed to play it safe by avoiding giving her any major character flaws— seemingly saving much of her true growth for “Endgame.” With neither too-perfect Mary Sue characteristics nor an overtly memorable personality, the Carol Danvers portrayed in “Captain Marvel” lacks the depth that make Marvel heroes Steve Rogers and Tony Stark riveting. On the other hand, from pilot Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) to mentor Yon-Rogg, (Jude Law) almost every character in the film is thoroughly relatable and three-dimensional, with even the villain’s imperialistic motives being fleshed out. With its nuanced characters and plot development, “Captain Marvel” leaves fans excited for Carol Danver’s future growth and essential role in leading the Avengers in fighting Thanos to save the universe next month.
Inspired by family to photograph Grace Lee ASST. Opinion Editor With the click of a shutter, a whole world is captured in one small frame of a camera. Junior Saarth Trivedi and seniors Jason Xie and Aishwarya Rane venture out to snap up many of these worlds on film. Trivedi was introduced to photography after his father taught him how to take photos. Photography is an important familial aspect of Trivedi’s life, as his father had learned photography from Trivedi’s grandfather. Among the numerous types of photography, the junior enjoys astrophotography and photographing landscapes and nature. Trivedi often travels on weekends specifically to take photos, which he posts on Instagram at @saartht and sells on Ebay. “What motivates me is knowing when I go take photos, I’m by myself. It’s a way to escape the stress from school and I always think of it as an outlet to relax,” Trivedi said. Xie is a landscape photographer who enjoys going up to hills to photograph the scenery without obstruction. His passion for photography stemmed from his late father, who was also a landscape photographer.
Photos from students Aishwarya Rane, Jason Xie and Saarth Trivedi (left to right) are featured on their Instagram accounts, @arane.photography, @penguinospics and @saartht, respectively. All of the students were inspired by their parents.
“Unfortunately, [my father] passed away before he could pass on any [photography] knowledge to me. When I developed the interest from looking at his old stuff, I picked up his equipment and started doing it on my own,” Xie said. Recently, Xie’s New Year’s resolution was to venture out once a week to take unique photos, which he posts on Instagram under the username @penguinospics. Although the senior finds joy in photography, he plans on pursuing it only as a side career. “My motivation is mostly to improve. Every time I look at one of my old pictures, you know when you’re looking at your old work. It’s really cringy, so that motivates
me to keep being better to the point where I can show off my own work and say that it’s my own,” Xie said. Rane was exposed to photography as her mother constantly took photos throughout Rane’s childhood. Although her mother was less experienced in the technicalities of photography such as adjusting controls and lenses, the senior was inspired to explore the inner workings of the camera on her own. “When I was younger, my mom used to be really into photography, so I wanted to use her camera but she said I couldn’t use it until I was 10. Most of my life, she took pictures,” Rane said. “Because she had a camera, I wanted to use
a camera, so that’s how I learned how to take photos.” Rane’s favorite place to take photos is any place with unique architecture, such as New York and Los Angeles. Besides architecture, Rane also offers to take homecoming or prom photos, which she posts on Instagram at @arane.photography. “I think I like editing the photos. Because it’s kind of like an artistic approach to it—it’s not just clicking a button, but instead, spending… 20 minutes to edit one photo, [and] seeing the end products of photography,” Rane said. “For me, it’s like the way that you would paint something with a brush is equivalent to how you edit a photo.”
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 20, 2019
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
11
Taking a bow in Vasili Magaziotis New York Brahma embraces his Greek roots and celebrates his culture through dance.
GRACE LEE ASST. Opinion Editor Twirling in unison with a closely knit group of performers, sophomore Vasili Magaziotis practices a type of dance that not many Diamond Bar High School students know about: traditional Greek dancing. This form of traditional folk dancing dates back to the beginning of the Greek civilization in around 800 B.C. and involves dancers wearing traditional clothing while dancing in a circle. Magaziotis dances on Spitha, a team that focuses on a dancing style specific to the Asvestades region, which involves fast and complex dance motions. “It’s basically a big group of people dancing in a circle, and everyone’s either doing the same steps or they’re doing different steps, but they’re all in a certain manner,” Magaziotis said. When in season, Magaziotis dances with others his age at Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church in Pasadena once a week from August to February. Throughout the season, the dancers work toward the annual regional event called “Faith, Dance and Fellowship.” In FDF, several Greek Orthodox churches from the West Coast send dance groups to compete against each other. In these performances, audiences range from 100 to 1,000 people, according to Magaziotis. In 2016, Magaziotis’ team received first place. Magaziotis said that Greek dancing allows him to connect with oth-
Photo courtesy of VASILI MAGAZIOTIS
Sophomore Vasili Magaziotis does Greek dancing with his church. ers of the same heritage. His father emigrated from Greece when he was a teen, while his mother was born in America. “I’m pretty sure there’s no other Diamond Bar High School kid that Greek dances as well. It’s so much fun being able to be with people that are like you, because in DBHS, you can’t really meet any other Greek people,” Magaziotis said. “That’s not really common here, so dancing or talking with other Greek people is really fun.” Magaziotis was first introduced to Greek dancing when he was four by his mother, who also danced as a teenager. “She started when she was 16. She loved it ever since then, so she wanted [me and my sister] to start earlier and basically she just kind of gave that to us,” Magaziotis said. “It’s just so much fun to do, so I just never really want to stop.” His sister, 2018 graduate Aphroditi, also dances at the Saint An-
thony Greek Orthodox Church, although she is not on the same team as he. One memorable moment in a competition for Magaziotis was during a competitive dance, when his group accidentally fell off-step. However, the group went along with the flow, focusing more on having fun, rather than the competition aspect of it, and eventually fell back into step. “To me, that was really enjoyable because it showed how much of a connection that we all have with each other,” Magaziotis said. Although Magaziotis sometimes struggles balancing schoolwork and dancing, he has no plans to stop dancing. “We have these parties or festivals, what we call glendi, where everyone comes together; they eat, and then they dance. It ranges from two year olds to 80 and 90 year olds, so it’s just something you do for the rest of your life,” Magaziotis said.
Tiffany Lee asst. Photo EDITOR Orchestrating a musical victory in the city that doesn’t sleep, 138 students from Diamond Bar High School competed in the National Orchestra Cup competition in New York City earlier this month. Placing first in the competition, the orchestra added yet another trophy to their collection, winning the Grand Champion award. “I felt overwhelmed with joy because we didn’t think we had a chance at winning at all,” sophomore Frankie Ye said. In preparation for the competition, students practiced long hours for the past several months. According to music director Steve Acciani, the piece they performed, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, was an incredibly challenging piece. Leading up to the trip, orchestra held sectionals twice a week, weekend practices and brought in coaches to help prepare the students for success at the. “There is always going to be a struggle because we try to play music that is beyond what any high schools can do, so we are pushing them to really high level,” Acciani said. Not only did the orchestra compete, a saxophone quartet consisting of sophomore Albert Guo, juniors Jonathan Tan and Kyle Kato and senior Ryan Li was invited to open up the competition with two pieces: “Mountain Roads” by David Maslanka and “Tango Virtuoso” by Thierry Escaich. “I was very nervous yet excited because it’s a very rare opportunity for high school chamber groups to be performing in this recital hall,” Tan said. The performances were held in the Alice Tully Hall at
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on March 9. The orchestra competed against some of the top high school orchestras across the nation, including those from Texas, Florida, Indiana, Arkansas and Pennsylvania. “I recall getting chills while playing and hearing things that I’d never heard before from rehearsals because of the acoustics of the hall was so good,” senior concertmaster Shirley Dong said. They played the first of the four of the movements of the piece for the panel of judges and the rest for the audience. The award ceremony immediately followed after their performance. On top of winning the National Orchestra cup, the orchestra brought home more awards including participation, best woodwind soloist for Andrew Chang, best brass section and a tie with the orchestra from Santa Monica for the best string section award. “There were two runner-ups, Santa Monica and us, and then there was a suspenseful announcement for the winner,” Dong said, “Super loud cheering, especially from our orchestra could be heard since we have so many members.” The trip was not solely focused on the competition. Students had the chance to see the Broadway musical “Wicked,” take a college tour of Columbia University, attend a dinner cruise on the Spirit of New York and watch the New York Philharmonic perform Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, featuring famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma. “The trip will definitely be one of my most memorable experiences of high school,” Dong said. “I feel so thankful for everyone who made it all possible; other orchestra members, chaperones, teacher, and coaches.”
More than pictures amelie lee, editor-in-chief From existentialist dinosaurs to politically active snakes, a variety of creative styles have found a home in popular online comics. Among the numerous webcomics around the internet, here are some of my favorites.
webcomic name
With simplistic shapes and blobs, artist Alex Norris is both relatable and hilarious with his aptly named online comic. Portraying frustrations in life from procrastination to artistic failure, Norris’ catchphrase of “oh no” strikes a chord with readers struggling with their schoolwork or social lives.
Strange planet
Starring aliens surreptitiously trying to adapt to Earth, artists Nathan Pyle’s depiction of the ins-and-outs of human life reveal just how confusing humanity and our habits are. The perplexed aliens and their planetary puzzlement make an entertaining read for earthly fans.
poorly drawn lines
Updating the comic three times a week, cartoonist Reza Farazmand has produced a complex world of talking bears struggling with technology and blue fish questioning their existence. Now published in two comic books, the stories of Ernesto the space bear and the Ghost Detective are an absurdist favorite.
tiny snek comics
Random possums and pointed politics are all within this bizarre world starring a cute green snake. With terrible grammar and questionable spelling, cartoonist Alex Cohen is both nonsensical and entertaining with the lovable animals in his daily comic.
shen comix Published thrice weekly, the cute yet troubled characters in cartoonist Shen’s universe reflect his real life problems with gaming, mental health and socializing. Relatable and charming, the comic has gained traction with its colorful style and straightforward humor.
12
BUSINESS
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 20, 2019
Reporting live from ABC SCOTT FROM P. 7 Additionally, she has traveled around the country to cover presidential candidates Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Kamala Harris and Sen. Amy Klobuchar as the ABC White House reporter. Outside of politics, Scott has been on the red
carpet reporting on famous Hollywood award shows like the Grammys and Oscars. Scott credits the foundational skills behind her success to her time at DBHS. “DBHS taught me leadership and perseverance – skills that carried me throughout college and
my career thus far,” Scott said. “At DBHS, you are lucky enough to be surrounded by the most well rounded students who inspire you to give your best – and the most encouraging faculty who remind you to dream bigger. Have faith that as long as you continue to do your best, it will all work out.”
Photo courtesy of RACHEL SCOTT
Rachel Scott interviews Oprah Winfery about her book, “Wisdom of Sunday’s.”
THE BULL'S EYE
NEWS
MARCH 20, 2019
13
Photos by VICTORIA ARTALE
OPEN HOUSE TUNES
Junior Dominic Correa, left, and DBHS drama production showcased their talents for visiting families on March 7, a night that featured activities and competitions from every class on campus.
Robotics blasts into season with new competition The 'deep space' theme of this year's competition season challenges builders to propel objects.
Photo courtesy of RYAN LOU
CAMILLE MCCURRY STAFF WRITER
One APES project, The Butterfly Effect, seeks to increase monarch populations.
Environmental project competition underway APES FROM P. 1 we wanted to have a tangible environmental impact upon the community and we learned about the decrease of the monarch butterfly population,” Lou said. Not having been used for 18 years, The Magic Greenhouse is seeking to renovate the school’s greenhouse connected to chemistry teacher Malinalli Cooke’s classroom. There, they will grow plants to increase biodiversity as well as introduce aromatherapy to DBHS, which is the use of plants for relaxing aromas. “It hits on a lot of major elements of environmental science,” project leader junior Rebecca Leung said when asked about why her class chose to do the project. “You’re reusing old things, educating people on how to be better about the environment, and it's something you can sustain, so you can do this for years and years.” Led by junior Tricia Parker, Hydro-Gen will attempt to implement a hydrogen fuel cell, an energy source that is a cleaner alternative to gasoline that can also provide electricity. Even though the cells are mainly used in cars, Parker hopes to use them to generate electricity for multiple products across campus. However, hydrogen fuel cells are not cheap, as prices can range from $500 for a lower end model to $2000 for a high end model. Even so, Parker hopes to be able to provide one through raising community awareness and fundraising. “If we can raise awareness in Diamond Bar, then we can encourage others and most importantly, the adults here to use this product,” Parker said. “Lack of knowledge about hydrogen fuel cells is why they’re so expensive, so we’d like to change that.” Looking to provide consistent
and sustainable energy through plants, Lightleaf will use plant microbial fuel cells. When plants photosynthesize, most of the energy produced is released into the plants’ roots. Microbial fuel cells can use that energy to create a consistent and reliable source of energy for simple electronics such as light bulbs and clocks, but junior project leader Michael Cheng hopes in the long run it will be able to power larger appliances. “We identified a core problem in our current society: the overuse of non-renewable resources, such as fossil fuels, coal, natural gas and oil,” Cheng said. “This is why we are more in need than ever to pursue alternative green energy sources.” Through the implementation of a geothermal pump in either South Pointe or Evergreen, EcoBreeze hopes to decrease their energy use, thus reducing carbon footprints. Geothermal pumps source their energy from the ground, then redistributing heat or cool throughout a room. In the schools’ case, air conditioning units will be replaced by the pump. “We chose it [geothermal pump] because we wanted to do something different than other projects in the past,” project leader senior Phillip Lopez said. “We wanted to make sure it had a great impact. This is probably going to be a long process that will extend after this year.” A commonality among all the projects, besides raising awareness in the community, is the need to raise funds for necessary supplies and materials as many of these projects require expensive products. The groups’ projects will be financed in multiple ways but are not restricted to: fundraisers through popular outlets such as Chipotle or Chick-Fil-A, donations and leftover funds from previous APES projects.
The 2019 FIRST Robotics Competition season has been full of firsts for Diamond Bar High School’s robotics team, from new members to a new regional competition in Ventura. Team Sprocket placed 24th out of 49 teams at the Orange County Regionals on March 1-2, the first week after the six-week build season ended in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology competition. “It was really surprising to see that a lot of the teams are still struggling and a lot of the strategies and cycle times are still being done to find the most efficient way to do it so it’s very different from a week two competition, where a lot of that’s already planned out,” said sophomore Kevin Tan, Team Sprocket’s Computer Aided Drafting and Design lead. This year’s competition, sponsored by The Boeing Company, features the theme “Destination: Deep Space” and requires teams
to create two four-robot alliances that shoot balls into receptacles of varying heights. There are other ways to earn points in the match as well, all of which require different mechanisms on the robot, such as a special intake to grab certain game pieces or an elevator system to lift the robot onto platforms. The team redesigned their bot midway through the build season. Although this set the team’s schedule back, senior co-captain Kenneth Song said that the change was necessary for strategic reasons.
“Instead of being a do-it-all team, we aimed to do one thing really, really well..." KENNETH SONG “Instead of trying to be a captain that picks, we aimed to be the first team that got picked,” Song said. “So instead of being a do-it-all team, we aimed to do one thing really, really well so that the alliance can rely on us to do that.” There are several ways for a team to advance to the championship round. Teams typically need to place in the Top 12 of a regional competition to then become alliance captains, or to be chosen by
an alliance captain to compete alongside them. A team may also advance to the championships by winning the Chairman’s Award, which requires the team to make a video about their community service. During the Orange County regional, however, the team was not selected to join an alliance. Song recalled that in the last few matches, a portion of their robot broke down—an unfavorable spectacle to alliance captains. Because the Orange County regionals took place in the first week after build season, the drive team also had less time to practice with their robot before competing. “We didn’t do as well as we could’ve, essentially. At the practice field in the event, we were [making shots] super, super quick,” Song said. “But on the field, I guess it was a combination of the robot being down occasionally, the driver not having enough practice and the pressure mounted on. So, all of that combined contributed to a less consistent performance than we would’ve liked.” In future competitions this season, such as the Ventura regionals on March 17-20, the team plans to have a new intake system, the part of the robot that picks up game pieces, in order to join an alliance and advance to the championships on April 17-20.
Photo courtesy of THEBLUEALLIANCE.COM
DBHS's Team Sprocket attended Orange County Regionals on Mar. 1-2 with a robot constructed by its members.
14
SPORTS
MARCH 20, 2019
THE BULL'S EYE
Upcoming Games Rowland 3/21 Wilson 3/26 @Walnut 4/2 @Chino Hills 4/3 @Rowland 4/9
Chino 3/21
Chino 3/21
@Chino 3/22
@Ontario 4/3
Walnut 3/25
Wilson 3/23
Ontario 4/5
Fountain Valley 3/27
@Walnut 4/6
@Fountain Valley 3/28
@Chaffey 4/10
@Walnut 4/3
Sunset 3/26 Ayala 3/28 @Ontario 4/3
Ontario 3/21
@Chino 3/21
Chaffey 4/2
@Yorba Linda 3/30
@Don Lugo 4/4
Ontario 4/2
Montclair 4/9 Chino 4/11
Chaffey 4/9 @Montclair 4/22
Sacrificing early wins for fundamentals TENNIS Head coach Troy Wong implements a new competitive system to kindle the team’s spirits. ERIN LI ASST. OPINION Editor After making CIF playoffs last year, the Diamond Bar High School boys tennis team is aiming not just to win, but to master new skills and become better players in the process. The team is currently 3-6 in the season, in mostly non-league matches. Although the Brahmas lost all but one—winning 16-2 against Glendora—of their nonleague games, the team has won both league games so far, defeating Don Lugo 13-0, and Montclair 15-3 . “I’m not going to lie, winning is always nice, but honestly, that’s not my goal for the guys,” head coach Troy Wong said. “My goal is they would learn solid tactics and how to perform well under stress. If they can continually grow in mastery of these areas, winning and losing will take care of itself.” With different skills brought by every player on the team, awareness during games and practices have elevated the players’ perfor-
Photos by TIFFANY LEE
Senior Ethan Chen, left, and junior Akilan Arunachalam played singles for the team against Orange Lutheran, where the Brahmas lost in the close match, 11-7. mance during their matches, Wong said. Continuing the tradition set by previous varsity boys tennis coaches Carl Flint and Dave Hamel, Wong gives a lecture on tactics of the game almost every week. He also assigns a match report after every game to increase the players’ awareness of their own games. To keep practices interesting, the boys have a “challenge system” every Friday, where players challenge someone a rank higher to take their spot.
“We love to do drills that improve our volleys, overheads, serves, cross court ground strokes and serve returns,” senior captain Victor Chai said. “The challenge system helps keep everyone on their toes because you can be a starter one week and a benchwarmer the next.” Wong said he believes the seniors this year have all stepped up to fill the shoes of last year’s seniors. Chai said that the team is good at adapting to different game styles, but can use improvement in
adjusting to playing doubles. “They’ve done a good job learning the doubles gameplay, but there is still a lot of practice, whether it be volleys, overheads, poaching and communication,” Chai said. With returning players guiding the team, senior captains Chai and Royce Park contribute leadership to the team. Due to the strength of the team, even some of the best tennis players are the team’s backups. “Our captains are certainly an asset, they’re trustworthy leaders for the team,” Wong said. “Our
varsity reserves Andy Tsai, Kyle Li and Evan Wu would make the team at practically any other school. Having them in reserves brings a lot of security to our team.” Even though the team has lost almost all of their non-league games, they purposefully scheduled higher-ranked schools to gain experience. “Ever since our league has been shifted down, we needed to find a new way to challenge our players and improve their skill sets,” Chai said.
Win streak after rainy preseason SOFTBALL Unpredictable weather and lineup issues cause inconsistent performances on the field for the ladies. NIA MITCHELL ASST. BUSINESS MANAGER So far, the Diamond Bar High School varsity softball team has encountered more problems with the weather than opposing teams. One of the biggest challenges that the Lady Brahmas has faced early on in their season has been the rain, according to head coach Kurt Davies. “The biggest challenge thus far has been the rain and trying to reschedule games and get games in. Right now we are trying to figure out the best lineup that we can but together and with the inconsistency of play it’s hard to do that,” Davies said. Other than that, the team has a record of 7-2 and a league record of 4-1. In the first game of their season, the girls won against Villa Park, 6-2. In their next game they had a blowout win 11-0 against Bellflower. After that, things took a quick turn and the team’s win streak ended when the ladies played rival Walnut. The girls played a close game, but ended up losing 4-3 to the Mustangs. “After our loss against Walnut, we were more motivated to get back out on the field and work even harder. We didn’t let one game define who we were as a team. We
knew we still had league to show Davies said that the coaching everyone what we are capable of staff is still trying to figure out the doing,” one of the varsity captains, best lineup for the team. Because Emily Rhul said of the young talent on the team, To bounce back from the loss to Davies is testing out what lineup Walnut, the girls works best. defeated West “We have a Covina, 4-3. fairly young "As a whole we are On Friday, the team, with only very optimistic about Brahmas shut two seniors, the year and we think out Montclair, but as a whole this season is going to 8-0. we are very opbe exciting." In its game timistic about against Chino the year and we KURT DAVIES Hills, the Bahathink this seamas suffered a son is going to tough loss 12-4, be exciting,” Dabut the girls quickly bounced back vies said. and they have recently been on a In a crucial game for the team, winning streak, defeating Ontario, the Brahmas face Chino, the top Chaffey and Don Lugo. team in the Mt. Baldy League, this “Softball is a game where each week. player makes an impact. Trusting “This is going to be a big season each other and having the same for us. We’ve been working hard goal in mind has helped us execute since fall and we have a very good in certain situations leading us to chance at taking league,” Rhul wins,” Ruhl said. said.
SAMYUKTHA VELLAIYAN
Sophomores Miranda Montes pitches while Carina Sanchez scans the outfield.
with RYAN LAM and JOHNNY WANG
Prediction: Favorite Duke to lose to Gonzaga
E
ver since 1939, the NCAA Basketball Tournament has drawn fans from all walks of life. Although 68 teams begin the competition known as March Madness, the single elimination tournament reduces the field to the Elite Eight very quickly. With last year’s champions, Villanova University, dropping 23 spots in the Top 25 rankings due to the huge gaps in their starting lineup, opportunities have arisen for Gonzaga University, Duke University and University of Virginia to take it all. The Duke Blue Devils are blowing up in popularity right now, with a heavy freshman lineup of R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish, Tre Jones and Zion Williamson. As the favorites of the tournament, Duke will be shouldering a large burden because of the high expectations to perform well, and even more so with Syracuse University and potentially University of North Carolina blocking their path to the title. The team has a strong core lineup but lacks depth in the roster; most of the bench doesn’t contribute much to the high-scoring. This will be troublesome for the Blue Devils when facing potential powerhouse UNC and other top tier teams, since Duke’s coaches will
have trouble resting the freshmen if their bench cannot keep up with its opponent. Gonzaga, on the other hand, has a second-unit to lean on, allowing rest for the team’s best performers when they are out of gas. Such a simple thing will give them an edge when potentially facing off against the Duke powerhouse. Gonzaga’s lineup also rivals that of Duke, with multiple foreign national players including forwards Rui Hachimura and Filip Petrusev, who have the interchangeability that is less present on Duke’s roster with the potential absence of Marques Bolden. Also, Gonzaga’s backcourt of Josh Perkins and Zach Norvell can shoot the three ball, spacing the floor for Hachimura to go to work on the inside. Not only do they have an excellent offensive game, but Gonzaga is also a good defensive team. With defensive Player of the Year finalist Brandon Clarke holding down the paint, it will be very difficult for most teams to score down low. Although the gap between the two teams is almost nonexistent, we are predicting Gonzaga as the NCAA champions this year, with Duke being the runner-up in the tournament.
THE BULL'S EYE
MARCH 20, 2019
SPORTS
15
Brahmas look for consistency BASEBALL Though wins were prominent for the boy’s preseason, they have been struggling recently. MAGGIE liu ASST. A&E EDITOR Diamond Bar High School baseball is ready to hit the sweet spot for the remaining season, with the team’s eye on CIF. The team has an overall record of 7-4, and is currently fifth in the Mt. Baldy League. They defeated Chaffey on March 8 after two consecutive losses against Ontario, 6-5 and Chino, 9-6 and then suffered a loss, 11-8, against Don Lugo on March 13. “Don Lugo is one of the top two teams in the league, so it was a very competitive game,” Hurst said. “They are our biggest challenge for sure.” Both teams are strong offensively, so the game came down to the pitching. “The pitchers were not able to throw strikes consistently and what happened was all the people that were walked ended up scoring,” junior pitcher Ryan Wang said. “If those walks were taken out, we most likely would have won.” Hurst said that although pitching, overall, has been a weakness for the team, individuals have stepped up. Senior Sean Martin has been a stand out player for the season, with an ERA of 2.69 in the six games he has pitched. “Pitching has been a struggle for us, but pitchers like Martin have been fantastic,” Hurst said. “Whenever he is in the game, it’s tough to
beat us with our offense and him pitching, so we are trying to figure how to be as competitive when he can’t pitch,” Hurst said. On the offensive side, leading contributors include senior second baseman Aaron Duran, senior John Chao and junior shortstop Alonzo Fuller. “Performance wise, Aaron Duran has had a very good year offensively so far,” Hurst said. In the eight games that Duran has played this year, he has accumulated 14 hits, eight RBI and scored seven runs. In the same number of games, Fuller has connected with 11 hits, ten RBI and scored seven runs, and Chao has seven hits, seven RBI and six runs. “It’s [Fuller’s] third year on varsity now and he is one of our best players for three years now,” Hurst said. “He’s having a good year offensively, also.” Hurst said the team is eager to qualify for CIF. “We have the opportunity to do very well and go to CIF,” Hurst said. “The league is not a bad league, every team is very competitive, but we are superior to the majority of them.”
VICTORIA ARTALE
Senior John Chao bats in the 6-5 loss against Ontario.
SAMYUKTHA VELLAIYAN
Senior Thomas Ear, left, and junior Lukas Amare ran 5:02 and 4:30 in the mile, respectively, against Montclair.
Competition left in the dust TRACK & FIELD Moving down a league allows runners to dominate the Montclair meet. ANGELA YANG NEWS EDITOR
Sprinting into the new season at top speed, Diamond Bar High School track and field raced past Montclair in its first league meet of the year. At the home meet last Wednesday, The Brahmas dominated the track as the boys team claimed all of the top three scores in the 100, 200 and 400 meter races. Sophomore Jadyn Sanchez scored first in both 100 and 200, and sophomore Daniel Marquez took the 400. The girls, meanwhile, took all three top spots in the mile race, with sophomore Cameron Tsao coming out on top, as well as two of the top three in the 200, 400, 800 and 3,200. Hurdles took another clean sweep with Diamond Bar in the top
three, with seniors Abigail Nakaishi taking first place in girls 100 meter and Matthew Uballe in boys 110. On the field, girls took all top three discus spots, with sophomore Kyra Ruiz coming in first, and two of the top spots in both long jump and shot put. One Brahma on the boys team, senior Braulio Michel, made third place in high jump. By moving down one league from Palomares to Mt. Baldy, the team will face new schools at a level different from past years, in which the Brahmas competed against Ayala, Claremont and Bonita. According to Cooke, Diamond Bar usually performs strongest in its running events while field events have traditionally been a weakness. Though some high performers manage to stand out in every event, most points lost during preseason were on the field. Currently, the sprinters have been prioritizing strength training along with the throwers, who have been in the weight room almost every day. Distance runners have fo-
cused on increasing speed and endurance. The sprint team has also been looking at their handoffs and practicing starting off of blocks. The loss of a few high-scoring senior hurdlers last year leaves Diamond Bar with a young team. According to hurdles coach Terry Ford, however, the runners’ will to learn has been a major strength. “They frequently ask questions to try and get an understanding of what I am trying to get them to do,” Ford said. “The biggest challenge we have is that the hurdling team are seeking immediate results. So, I am trying to get them to trust the process and understand that it is a long season, and that they will continue to get better and be able to reach their goals this season.” Saturday in the Covina Invitational, three seniors qualified for the Arcadia Invitational in April: senior Kai Smith for high jump, Sanchez for the 400 meter and Uballe for 110 meter hurdles. The Brahmas’ next league meet will take place tomorrow against Chino High School.
Looking for an ace in this year’s league GOLF With a solid start, the boys set the par for the remainder of their regular season.
Sophomore Claire Wang, left, and senior Daniel Huang play in a doubles match during the Pasedena win.
AMELIE LEE
A drive for lucky number 8 BADMINTON Maintaining their success from past seasons, the Brahmas start the season 2-0. KATE ZHENG ASST. FEATURE EDITOR With seven consecutive CIF titles under its belt, the Diamond Bar High School badminton team has started off this year’s season as strong as ever. This season’s opening match was unique in that the varsity team was divided into two groups. After the main team was split, each separate group played a match, one team against Redlands and the other team against Redlands East Valley. DB defeated Redlands 14-4 and Redlands East 20-1. “We’re putting our winning streak on the line by doing something that could be foolish, but we’ll find out soon,” coach Kemp
Wells anticipated before the game. Leading DB to the victory were freshman Ashley Wan, who scored 2-0 in women’s singles, and sophomore Claire Wang and freshman Reyna Wan, who scored 2-0 in women’s doubles. The boys’ team also accomplished a feat by sweeping their men’s doubles match with a clean 4-0. The DB badminton team also won another recent game on March 14, scoring a victory against Chino Hills High School with a final tally of 18-3. Even though the spring season did not start until recently, the team has been training diligently in the offseason to make sure that they are prepared for this year’s competitions. With other strong players like senior Mirabelle Huang leading the team with her 4-0 singles win, Wells is confident that the team will have another great season. The badminton team has not started intense training yet since
the spring season only began. Wells is also more lenient on training since he knows that the players are hardworking and train daily outside of school in their own free time. “If they had to do four hours of practice everyday, it will be difficult to enjoy their time here,” he said. Despite the bright future ahead of badminton, there are still various areas where the team can improve. “Even though the players are good, our boys singles aren’t as strong as they have been in the past,” Wells said. The coach is also considering moving some of the boys doubles players back to single, since they have also been successful in that category. Wells wants to work more with these players and the junior varsity players to assure another year’s success. The team had matches yesterday and will play again tomorrow.
behind some of best golf teams in the state, such as Palm Desert and Mater Dei. “We are much improved over a really good team last year,” McCabe said. “We are moving forward pretty fast and are starting to come KRISTEN SANCHEZ together and we need to. In order asst. FEATURE EDITOR to do well in CIF, we need to start solid like we have, I’m excited.” After its first week of preseason, McCabe expects to win another the DBHS boys league title and golf team has has set a goal set the tone for for this year’s "In order to do well in a successful year team to win CIF, we need to start and performing CIF. League solid like we have, I’m well in its most play continues excited." recent matches. this week as Mt Baldy the boys JV and TONY MCCABE League play Varsity are set started the week to play a match of March 4 with against Chino a tournament in Glendora against on Tuesday and Friday. 34 teams. and the team has won all four league matches since against Don lugo, Chaffey and Ontario. The boys played well at the Ontario Christian tournament on March 7, winning the match with a team score of 9 over par against 24 other teams. Head coach Tony McCabe said that the team earned one of the best scores in four years. Senior captain Sam Cho earned a silver medal in this tournament with a score of 200. “The team chemistry is amazing, this year we have four captains and they each played very well with great scores in both tournaments,” McCabe said. In the team’s first competition on Feb. 29, the team placed fifth in the Ayala tournament after shootJunior Leo Lu shot a 81 in the Glendora tournament, DB placed first. ing a team score of 391. They fell
16
SPORTS
MARCH 20, 2019
THE BULL'S EYE
Powderpuff planned to reappear in April After finding many partcipants for the flag football event, junior Angela Medina looks to bring it back. CHRISTINA LIU asst. WEB EDITOR
VICTORIA ARTALE
The girls team have had trouble this season, with less swimmers per event and low placements in recent meets.
Brahmas rebound from slow start SWIM At the annual Meet of Champions held at Mt. SAC, the boys placed second and the girls ninth. CAMILLE MCCURRY staff writer
E
success at their next meet at Chino High School last Wednesday, where both boys and girls won, 131-35 and 140-18, respectively. In a break from league meets, Diamond Bar also went to the annual Mt. SAC Winterfest Championship Events, an event which spans three days. There, the team took third place overall, losing only to Clovis High School and Walnut High School with 749 points. The team placed ninth for girls with 250 points and second for boys, with 499 points—24 short of the first place team, Clovis West. The boys placed first in the 400 yard freestyle relay, one of the two events in which Diamond Bar succeeded in taking first. The other was the 200 yard individual medley, where senior Nathan Chow won first by more than two seconds. Sophomore Vincent Chang also did well, placing second for the 100 yard butterfly stroke. Aside from individual performance, the team has also faced problems with the overall balance. While last year, the number of boys and girls was evenly split, Ankeny said that the team has less girls than usual, which means that the team often has to reduce the number of swimmers per event. Diamond Bar has its next meet on-campus today against Ontario High School.
The last Powderpuff game at DBHS was held in April of 2016. said. “I’m getting kind of nervous because I have to start spreading the word out now, and get people cleared now if they want to be apart of Powderpuff.” Although she has never participated in Powderpuff, Medina heard about it her freshman year, and from her brother who attended Troy High School. The Powderpuff event was priorly organized by retired pep coach Whitney Prenger as a fundraiser for the team. “I just want everyone to have fun and like to make Powderpuff a tradition. Like it used to be a tradition here until a girl got hurt, and I understand that’s really bad and terrible, but there’s no guarantee that you will always be safe if you’re playing a sport,” Medina said. “My goal is just for everyone to have fun because that’s what sports should be.”
T F H O E E M T
ON TH
S
EA
N MARTI
N
ATHL
The Diamond Bar High School swim team dove into the season with high hopes of continuing its pool dominance of recent years, and has had success thus far with a 3-1 league record. In the first event of the season, on Feb. 23, DBHS took second place out of 18 schools at the Riverside Poly Pentathlon, an invitational event. The boys tied for first place with Murrieta Mesa while the girls took third. Home team Riverside Poly won the meet over DB, 177-143. Freshman Kaimin Tseui placed first for the girls 50 yard backstroke, the only Diamond Bar athlete to place first. Sophomore Timothy Jia placed second four times for the boys in the 25, 50, 75 and 100 yard freestyle and third in the 200 yard freestyle. “The Pentathlon may not have been a league meet, but it was very important because it gave us a very good idea of where we are at right now and how much we can improve by the end of the season,”
sophomore Hanna Alrez, the swim team’s manager, said. The team’s success did not carry into their first official meet, however. They swam against Chino Hills High School on Feb. 27, but lost. The boys went 87-83, and girls, 9773. Head coach Darlys Ankeny attributes this to low athlete turnout. “[We’ve been working on] getting the team to swim for Diamond Bar High School versus all their different clubs,” Ankeny said. According to Ankeny, the fact that athletes are so dedicated to the sport that they practice outside of school is good for individual performance, but can be detrimental to the team overall when athletes miss school practice for club events. Not only does this lower the amount of team bonding, but it can also result in some of the team’s best athletes being away during important meets, the coach explained. At their next meet against Walnut High School on March 4, however, athlete turnout increased, resulting in an overall Diamond Bar win 171-169. The girls lost with a score of 98-72, but boys won, 99-71. From then on, Diamond Bar continued their winning streak. At their home game against Montclair High School on March 6, boys won 137-32 and girls, 130-40. The Brahmas enjoyed the same
Though Powderpuff was discontinued at Diamond Bar High School in 2016 due to a player injury, Medina hopes to bring back the event this year. “I’m not an active person, but the idea of flag football is really fun to me. Also my friends are athletes and I want to play a sport with them at school,” Medina said. “I had a feeling no one was going to take the initiative to plan PowderPuff, so I was like—might as well be me.” Medina said that she has spoken with athletics director Albert Lim, but has to speak with the school principal first to receive approval for the event to take place. Also, for Lim to consider Powderpuff to be an event, there has to be enough interest from students. “By just posting for one day, I got 50 signups, and I feel like that is enough people to actually show there’s a large interest in the sport—and that’s not even through a week of posting flyers and saying it in the intercom, so I think we can get a lot more people,” Medina said. Medina said that if the event does get approved by the school, she plans to hold an informational meeting to introduce what Powderpuff is. Then, she will start having students complete clearances and liability waivers. She has already spoken with a few male students from varsity sports, and intends to speak with the football team to act as coaches. She is aiming for Powderpuff to take place at the football field during April. “The school has been very slow to approve this idea, and it’s getting kind of frustrating,” Medina
The senior is the star pitcher for Brahma baseball after an outstanding football season. RYAN LAM ASST. SPORTS Editor With a baseball bat and glove in hand since the age of four, Diamond Bar High School senior Sean Martin always knew that he would find success in baseball. Not only has he led the DBHS baseball team as their starting pitcher, he has also played an important role on the football team, where he was one of the captains this season. “I still continue to play because I have many memories that I have
made playing baseball and I want to keep making more. It makes me happy and it’s always fun to compete,” Martin said. Currently in his last season of baseball, Martin has led the team with his consistent pitching. He records a 2.69 ERA with thirteen innings pitched for the season, while making six appearances. While fielding, Martin has an 83 percent fielding average. “I think I am able to excel at both
VICTORIA ARTALE
Sean Martin won the team captain award in his senior football season and leads the baseball team as the No. 1 pitcher. sports because I put in hard work during the season and offseason. I thank God for my athleticism and my dad coaching me since I was five,” Martin said. According to head baseball coach Jon Hurst, Martin has exhibited his competitive spirit and leadership skills for the four years that he has coached him. “He is a relentless competitor who lets his actions speak for themselves, and he is a silent leader who sets a great example for his peers,” Hurst said. “On the field, Sean has grown to be extremely confident in his abilities over the past four years. Off the field, Sean has matured into a fantastic young man, and he exemplifies the values of DBHS baseball.”
Hurst also said that it is difficult for other teams to defeat the Brahmas with the team’s strong offense and Martin on the mound. When Martin is not starting for the team, the competitiveness of the game lowers. “I just think about the job that I have to do for my team, and try to get done what needs to get done,” Martin said. I have gained a good reputation as a pitcher and I plan to continue that.” Although the pitcher always desired to play sports with physical contact, he never expected to find the same passion in football with baseball, seeing as to how different his primary sport is to the heavy contact sport, but that changed when he decided to join the football
team his freshman year. “I got into football my freshman year because I always liked to compete and be physical,” Martin said. “I think the difference is that football is more physically challenging [than baseball] since the practices are very rough and difficult. It brings the team together like a family because it feels like you are going into war with one another during games.” Since then, he has gone on to achieve offensive playmaker of the year in his freshman year as a wide receiver, and the team captain award his senior year. He played as an outside linebacker in his last season and ended with 78 tackles, three interceptions, and one touchdown.