NOVEMBER 2021

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The Bull’s Eye

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NOVEMBER 03, 2021 @dbbullseye

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Exam allows for early graduation After passing the CHSPE, juniors are not required to graduate right away.

“I think whether it would be worth taking is dependent on the situation,” junior Ryan Golonka said. “I can get a good amount of college credit in one year here just taking AP Exams and I feel the experience here is still valuable for kyle hong me so I’d rather stay.” staff writer However, this isn’t to say that the opportunity is completely ignored Providing an alternative acaby brahmas. demic path, the California High Kathleen Suwoko, who would School Proficiency Exam was crehave been a junior this year, took ated for students who intend to the exam at the end of last school graduate high school early. year and graduated early. HowevThe test includes a reading and er, she only plans to attend college writing portion in addition to a for three years and will graduate math section from college in that covers top2024.

“Socially, I believe that ics from Pre-al“My main moevery student should be gebra, Geometry tivations were to in high school, but I think and Algebra 1. A stay ahead and the exam is a good fit for unique aspect of to be able to save some students.” the exam is that, time while giving once passed, stumyself enough SONJA BURNS dents don’t have time to explore to graduate right my options in away and can instead choose to terms of my career path,” Suwoko hold onto their credentials up unsaid via email. “I believe graduattil the graduation of their entire ing early allows one to have more class. After passing the exam, stufreedom in terms of their career dents need parent approval in orpaths without worrying about time der to receive the equivalent of a and other little things.” high school diploma.

Although the exam is typically Despite this opportunity, few Ditaken advantage of at DBHS due amond Bar High School students graduation ON P. 3 actually take the exam.

MARCUS HSIEH

Breaking cultural barriers The mandate has altered state-wide requirements for high schools. marcus hsieh news editor In an effort to expand cultural awareness among students, Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed Assembly Bill 101 into law.

The bill requires school districts to create a curriculum that focuses

on four historically overlooked minority groups: Indigenous, Asian, Latino and Black Americans. According to the bill, schools must announce plans to implement an ethnic studies course by 2025.

However, students will not actually have to fulfill the class requirement until the 2029-2030 school year.

In order to craft the ethnic studies curriculum, Diamond Bar High School teachers and deans will work with Walnut High School and the Los Angeles County of Education to ensure the necessary re-

quirements are met.

“A big part of that process often entails gathering models of curriculum that’s already in existence that would already meet the qualifications and from there explore any new additional offerings or potential insights to explore ethnic studies,” instructional dean Gabriel Aguilar said.

The WVUSD administration has created a roadmap to ensure that the necessary course content will be covered on schedule and offer a

curriculum ON P. 2

Rewarding students for acts of kindness An array of prizes will be available to Brahmas, such as fast food gift cards. mk palaris Asst. A&E Editor

Photo courtesy of MINGYU LIU Senator Josh Newman and Councilmember Andrew Chou speak to FBLA and HOSA students about their experiences in office.

Local politicians visit DBHS campus Senator Newman and Councilmember Chou met to speak to FBLA in the LINC on October 29. lyndon kaneko staff writer In hopes of getting its members more involved in their local government, Diamond Bar High School clubs Future Business Leaders of America and Health Occupations

Students of America invited Senator Josh Newman and Diamond Bar councilman Andrew Chou to a community forum.

The forum is a part of the FBLA chapter project.

These projects cover an array of topics, including financial literacy and staying in shape, as well as holding events like these. The event was held on Oct. 29 and lasted for about one hour. Much of the discussion pertained to the relationship between businesses and the government.

Tailored towards developing

high school students’ interest in pursuing a career in business, FBLA helps to prepare its members by having them participate in competitions, conferences and workshops.

Competitions can range from cell phone app designs to political science topics.

“Even though we’re called a business club, we’re not solely business focused. I think it’s more appropriate to think of FBLA as a club that examines a variety of career fields,

forum ON p. 2

Several Diamond Bar High School students have been caught in the act— of doing the right thing.

On Oct. 7, USB kicked off the campaign by distributing “Caught in the Act” (CIA) cards as a means to promote kindness on campus.

“USB started this because so

much has happened during quarantine, and we’ve had a lot of people struggle getting [used to] this new environment,” IOC chairperson junior Gabriela Li said. “I think promoting incentives for acting kind to the community and the students on campus encourages everybody to be more kind.”

CIA cards can be redeemed at the front office, where recognized students receive Chick-fil-A vouchers, and staff members who participate receive one as well. In addition to this, each selected student is entered into a raffle for a chance

usb on p. 3

Photo courtesy of JANNA VAN HORN Michael Pribadi was awarded for his professionalism towards parents in the office.

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November 3, 2021

The Bull’s Eye

News

Mock Trial team called back in session Although the team meets in-person to compete, this year’s season will continue to be held online.

awesome this year because the students who do Mock Trial are great, motivated and super fun,” coach Latitia Thomas said. “They love what they are doing.”

The now in-person environment is favored by many of the students who had to experience a whole RYAN KUNG year of online format for the 2020ASST. BUSINESS Manager 2021 season.

However, the competition is a fusion of both.

Taking a step forward into “Practices are my favorite part, the season, Diamond Bar High since you are basically stuck with School’s Mock Trial team competsome of your friends the entire ed in their first event of the year, time,” prosecuting attorney senior the Civil Rights Federation Mock Eileen Zu said. “Just being able to Trial competition, on November 1. see everybody in person again is The two month long competigreat.” tion, usually hostThis year’s ed at the Stanley case, the People Mosk Courthouse v. Cobey, follows “Practices are my in downtown Los Jamie Cobey who favorite part, since you Angeles, continhas been convictare basically stuck with ues to follow an ed for first degree some of your friends the online format murder of landentire time.” for the 2021-2022 lord Erik Smith EILEEN ZU season. Despite with the use of this, DBHS mema Mojave rattlebers will still snake. participate in-person— meeting The students had to prepare for on campus and moving between both the prosecuting and defendclassrooms to fulfill their roles ing side. throughout the event.

The prosecution argues that CoTo prepare for the season, the bey placed the snake there intenteam attends practices Monday tionally to kill Smith, while the through Thursday for one hour defense contends that the snake and 45 minutes after school. crawled in there on its own and During this time, the team goes that Cobey was an innocent byover strategies and procedures. stander.

“Coaching the team has been “Playing the defendant is acting

Editors-in-Chief

Reyna Wan, Niko Yatawara Marcus Hsieh, Steve Qu Lauren Cheng, Jeremiah Jung

Opinion Editor Asst. Opinion Editors

Reyna Wan Jianlan Busteed, Rachel Lee

Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editors

Sam Jajieh Natasha Chang, Maia Pak Niko Yatawara Taylor Joe, MK Palaris

A&E Editor Asst. A&E Editors Sports Editors Asst. Sports Editors

Deesha Pathak, Charles Tam Nathan Chu, Vera Wang

Photo Managers Asst. Photo Editors

Reyna Wan, Niko Yatawara Vash Chen, Claire Wu Edward Kim Ryan Kung

Business Manager Asst. Business Manager Web Editor Asst. Web Editors

in a sense,” witness sophomore Julian Medina said. “It is challenging with cross examinations as well as defending your own side and refuting the other side.”

The team ended last season in 12th place with the online environment particularly to blame.

“Online competitions aren’t the same as in person competitions

because the vibe is entirely different,” senior Victoria Wang, witness, said via Instagram.

Nevertheless, the Diamond Bar Mock Trial team was especially successful in the past when they were in an in-person environment.

With these in-person implementations going back into place, the team hopes to fulfill their prima-

ry goal, a victory in the county comeptition.

“We don’t know if we won yet but we feel good,” Wang said regarding their first competition on November 1. “The other team had some sound arguments, but overall we dominated because our attorneys were poised and had a professional demeanor.”

Introduction to the business world

the staff News Editors Asst. News Editors

CLAIRE WU From left, team members Elisa Lopez, Alexandra Chala, Reyna Wan, Eileen Zu and Julienne Uy rehearse arguments together.

Reyna Wan Natasha Chang, Lauren Cheng

Staff Writers

Kyle Hong, Lyndon Kaneko, Ashley Park, Ethan Ro

Adviser

FORUM ON P. 1 albeit through a business lens,” vice president of projects senior Mingyu Liu said via Messenger.

The organization is also making further progress in trying to integrate non-competitive members through social events, including the community forum with Senator Newman.

“We benefit from this meeting because by making our members more civically engaged. DBHS’ FBLA can help ensure that we spread the principles of good citizenship,” Liu said.

To provide better insight on such topics, the clubs invited Newman and Chou who expanded on their policies. They also discussed laws they have passed, their future plans and the importance of civic engagement.

“We chose to invite Chou because we’ve collaborated with him before and we find interacting with people that represent us very insightful,” FBLA

Diamond Bar High School, Room 717 21400 Pathfinder Road Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Phone: (909) 594- 1405x33459 Email: eye.editors@gmail.com Business Inquiries: thebullseyebusiness@gmail.com

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meeting included getting younger generations to the voting polls.

Students may recall FBLA members visiting classrooms in order to advertise voting registration.

“By giving members the opportunity to meet an elected official early, and be heard by them, we can combat the trend of the 60 percent of Americans feeling unheard by their representatives and leave our members with a more positive outlook on our democratic system,” Liu said.

Currently, youth turnout for elections hovers around 50 percent, while civic engagement rates are even lower. In order to raise these numbers and promote citizen participation, the forum helped to persuade its audience to participate in their local and federal government “It can feel minimal, your vote in a Senate election, you’re one in 400,000 people. But it’s part of a collective process that’s important and really necessary,” Senator Josh Newman said.

New class required for diploma

Connie Chen

contact us

co-president senior Vanessa Chen said via Instagram. “We managed to get the Senator because his agenda aligned with ours [FBLA and HOSA] and one of our officers also had connections to him.”

A major issue that was brought u p during t h e

Curriculum ON P. 1 holistic view of the subject.

“The first phase that we will go through is to take advantage of any offerings that the Department of Education provides,” Aguilar said.

“We will work with the Los Angeles County of Education for guidance.

Strategically, Los Angeles County will offer a variety of training sessions to inform teachers, administrators and department chairs.”

The school is also working to ensure that student academic schedules are not disrupted. “​​I think that it’s somewhat important for students to learn about ethnic groups and their culture, but it shouldn’t be a mandatory class,” junior Duncan Seshiki said via Discord. “Most high school students have a tight schedule and wouldn’t have time for this type of class. If it was an optional/elective

class, that would be better.”

To help prevent elective opportunities from being impacted by the new mandate, DBHS is considering integrating the curriculum into an existing course. Another potential option being explored is offering ethnic studies as a single-semester credit similar to Health and ICT, which many students take digitally over the summer.

“I think we understand the value behind the updated effort, which is to recognize the value of understanding different ethnicities and cultures,” Aguilar said. “That’s a big part of why we want students to be enrolled in schools and attending schools. We are trying to find meaningful ways to expose our students to what it means to be global citizens and contributing members of our society.”

While some students are concerned about disrupted schedules,

others see great benefit in the requirements set into law.

“I’m for it, because if a high school has a diploma, then they should know more about what they will teach about different ethnic backgrounds so that we, as students, aren’t misinformed about the culture of our peers,” sophomore Jimmy Chen said via Discord.

Meanwhile, other students recognized the law’s effort to increase mutual understanding between ethnic groups in the country.

“I believe that this will further deepen our understanding of different ethnicities and their stories.

With such studies, the American student would be able to appreciate these ethnicities and, furthermore, respect them,” sophomore Joyce Dimetry said. “Although this might seem tedious for some students, it’s important to bring awareness to such beautiful history.”

November 3, 2021

The Bull’s Eye

News

3

Advocating for empathy This year’s forum discussed the importance of students’ mental health.

JOSEPH WU CONTRIBUTING WRITER The annual Walnut Valley Unified School District Parent Symposium, broadcast live on YouTube on Oct. 23, focused on educating parents about their childrens’ emotional well-being.

This year’s presentation featured Dr. Marc A. Brackett, a research psychologist and the Founding Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, as well as a Professor in the Child Study Center at Yale University. Brackett’s presentation, “Permission to Feel,” centered on the power of emotional intelligence and the importance of children learning to express their feelings through their words.

“It’s interesting, isn’t it? We have a vocabulary for things like science and math. I do a lot of work in the tech industry, and they have so many words to describe their programs. But yet, when I say, ‘How are you feeling?’

It’s like, ‘Uh, fine’,” Brackett said.

As an exercise, he displayed a mood meter that featured only colors, then asked the audience which color they were feeling.

“It may seem like a simple question,” he said. “But we find most people in our research have trouble finding the words.”

Brackett emphasized the idea that, in order for parents to help, children need to feel comfortable

Dr. Marc A. Brackett discusses well-being and emotional intelligence in students. talking to them. He described the ideal parent as one who possesses “Permission to Feel ‘’ characteristics, including compassion, empathy, as well as being non judgmental and supportive. He also discussed the difference between “emotion scientists’’ and “emotion judges,” with the former referring to individuals who are more open-minded, curious and reflective while the latter relates to those who are more critical and tend to ignore emotions; he concluded that children are more likely to talk about their feelings if their parents are “emotion scientists” rather than “emotion judges.”

“Your children are watching you,” Brackett said. “Your children are listening to you. So I ask all of you, are you role models for being an emotion scientist? Or are you role models for being an emotion judge?”

To expand on the importance of recognizing emotions in oneself and others, Brackett played a facial expression guessing game with the parents. The game demonstrated the parents’ need to build relationships.

“So what I’m here to tell you is that we overestimate our skill at reading our children [and] overestimate our skill at reading most people in the world around us,” Brackett said. “The only way to get to know how your child is feeling is to build a relationship with them and have those conversations about how they’re feeling.”

Additionally, he stressed the significance of maintaining balance when it comes to academic performance and mental health.

“There is another side of the report card,” Brackett said. “That other side is called emotional intelligence. We need these skills to achieve our dreams in life.”

RECOGNIZING BRAHMA ROYALTY School

recognizes acts of generosity USB ON P. 1

STEVE QU Sophomore Justin Kung is crowned Homecoming Prince on Oct. 23 at the House of Blues Anaheim. In addition to Kung, eight other Diamond Bar High School Students were deemed members of this year’s Homecoming court with seniors Akash George and Carissa Wu having received the title of King and Queen, respectively.

Upperclassmen attempt early graduation Graduation ON P. 1 to students’ preference for having a full high school experience, another reason for a lack of testers may be contributed to the school’s failure to advertise the exam to students.

“I had found out about the exam from my sister after she found out it was a better alternative to the General Education Exam,” Suwoko said. “I believe it is a good option if you have a clear idea of what you want to do.”

According to grade-level coordinator, Richard Gonzales, the main reason this option is not promoted is because of the school’s proclivity

for students to stay in school and While graduating early may graduate alongside their classsound appealing to some students, mates, following the traditional a potential drawback in doing so route. includes limited options for col“Staff probably doesn’t adverleges. tise the exam for “Most students the same reason after passing the I do, I’d love for exam will move “I believe it [the exam] is kids who start on to a communia good option if you have with us to end ty college like Mt. a clear idea of what you here with us as SAC,” GLC want to do.” well,” Gonzales Dave Desmond said. “When stusaid. “The exam KATHLEEN SUWOKO dents approach is not something me with the idea like the SAT that of taking the looks really good exam, I usually try to explain to on a college application so the bar them the great experiences they is not nearly as high as it would be would miss.” for higher level colleges.”

Considering that the exam does not force students to graduate immediately after passing, GLC Sonja Burns expressed the dual purpose of taking the exam as it serves as a backup option for students to utilize in the future. Burns expressed her support for those who feel like graduating early is the right option for their future.

“I would say that it isn’t for the majority of students; it should be used for students who may not be feeling high school or are struggling for one reason or another,” Burns said. “Socially, I believe that every student should be in high school, but I think the exam is a good fit for some students.”

to receive an even larger prize such as a Raising Cane’s gift card, mini projector, DoorDash from principal Reuben Jones, mini fridge, wireless keyboard, Taco Tuesday for a month or a Knott’s Scary Farm ticket.

“USB hopes to have a weekly winner for as long as we can provide prizes and as long as students turn in cards,” USB activities director Janna Van Horn said via email.

One of the first students to win the weekly raffle was senior Michael Pribadi, who was rewarded for his professionalism while speaking with students and parents in the attendance office. “[Talking to students and parents] benefits the office ladies the most because I’m taking some of the load off of them by doing some of their work,” Pribadi said via Instagram.

“When a student holds the door open for a staff member or someone picks up extra trash at the end of lunch, helping a friend—these are just a few examples of what might earn a student a CIA card,” Van Horn said.

DBHS staff members express positive feedback on the act, such as English teacher Amanda Avina, who sees value in the program.

“With me explaining [Caught in the Act] to students, it did help give a sense of authenticity behind their actions,” Avina said. “It will help students stop and think about the kind gestures that they do— something that they’ve never considered was good to do—and I think that benefits them ultimately.”

4

Opinion

November 3, 2021

The Bull’s Eye

-OPINIONThe school needs to take into account the student perspective when making decisions that will affect students’ school experience.

T

o counteract the challenges presented this school year, Diamond Bar High School’s administration has been quick to establish their own solutions. However, such corrections fail to truly represent the popular opinion among students as the school has continued to ignore Brahma feedback, which is frustrating.

One of the biggest areas of concern to students this year has been school lunches. The free lunches are very much appreciated, but DBHS is taking the wrong approach in ensuring every student can get these lunches before the period is up.

In a matter of weeks, DBHS students have gone from quickly giving out lunches to having students wait in line for the majority of their lunch break.

Students are often lectured about their poor time management skills, but, when it comes to distributing school lunches in a time-efficient manner, the school doesn’t seem to be doing much better.

Similarly, the college visits hosted by the Career Center often overlap with class times causing some seniors to decide between attending their course or learning more about college opportunities-- causing excess, and unnecessary,

stress.

While DBHS alone does not decide when the college visits can occur, it would alleviate a great deal of academic stress if students had more time slots to choose from, such as after school or during lunch. Considering that college visits go over important information regarding tuition, specific programs and living expenses, it only makes sense that the school provides more opportunities for students to attend college visits that fit within their academic schedule.

Whereas inefficient lunch distribution and clashing college fair visits are inconvenient at best, the most unfair part of the school’s lack of time management and communication is how severely it can affect students’ ROP credits.

For the 2021-2022 academic year, DBHS hired a teacher without the proper qualifications to teach ROP Chemistry and Forensics, which meant that students taking the course would not receive ROP credits. However, this was not communicated clearly to students until recently, not to mention the school did not alter the course title, leading students to think they were getting ROP credits, even though they

weren’t.

Many students had to scramble to make the transfer into an already-full Forensics period with an ROP-certified teacher for the next semester. This situation is not only unfair to students for the time and effort they already put into the class, but also puts the teacher in an uncomfortable situation as they had to break the news and face student complaints. The whole situation put an immense source of worry and stress on students and could have easily been avoided with better communication and time management skills.

While college visits primarily affect seniors, the long lunch lines are something a majority of students have to deal with. In addition, having a nonROP teacher instruct an ROP class forced a variety of grade levels to face the consequences.

Even if DBHS cannot find a way to get around the problems, they should be as transparent as possible with students in order to assure students that their opinions are valued in the decision-making process.

The alternative would be to let the issues persist the entire school year, with student feedback being undervalued or ignored altogether.

FROM THE BRAHMA PERSPECTIVE

“

Maybe they can hear our voices more [...] maybe doing, like surveys, or like sending out emails, like the newsletters.

KIRA AYALA (11)

“

...The school’s done a pretty good job of taking into account [student opinion], however, these [lunch] lines can be improved.

ROBERT NEABORS (10)

“

I think the school [could] either, one, provide more portions, or like take a survey on what kids want themselves.

ABIGAIL HONG (12)

” ” ”

Unsolicited critiques fuel social stigmas

REYNA WAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

T

he way clothing fits; the amount of skin that’s showing—these are some of the many concerns that people constantly have about their own bodies. Such worries are only amplified under society’s critical eye, looking to find the smallest discrepancies in someone’s appearance. Aside from well-meaning doctors and nutritionists, giving unsolicited comments about a person’s body is never appropriate.

Especially in high school, commenting on the appearance of your peers is common practice, and often the first thing mentioned the moment you meet someone new.

These comments may even be minor ones—talking about a piece of clothing or an accessory that the other person happens to have on that day. But, even then, it’s important to remember that it’s never your place to critique how someone looks.

I’ve seen my own classmates do it—make side comments, or, even, back-handed compliments about how that dress doesn’t quite seem to fit on that girl’s body or that those pants are a bit too short for their height. Some make even more blatant claims, talking about how someone looks too fat or plain ugly that day.

Granted, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and likely will make their judgments when meeting someone, but there’s no need to voice these opinions out loud, even if it’s about yourself.

Too often, you hear people making those exact claims about their own body, wishing they had a little less fat protruding on their arms or hips. Constantly projecting these comments around other people pushes the narrative that these are

shameful traits that should be kept hidden—reinforcing the harsh stigmas surrounding what a body should, or shouldn’t, look like.

Others even see having a close relationship with someone as a freepass to give feedback on whatever they want whenever they want.

Most evidently, at least for me, in familial relationships, especially that of mothers and daughters.

I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve walked past my mother just to have her instantly judge my appearance. It’s always something arbitrary—that tank is revealing

RACHEL LEE

Rejecting the perfect application

EDWARD KIM BUSINESS MANAGER

D

ear Harvard Admissions Committee, I would say I hope this email finds you well, but I don’t really care how it finds you, to be completely honest, and honesty is one of the many traits I have pride in.

I am writing to you now because last Friday, I received an email from someone claiming to be from the Harvard Admissions Committee. You would be absolutely bemused to find that I was falsely sent a ‘rejection letter’ from this

imposter. I know after reading that, you must have had a great laugh to yourself.

I mean, who would believe that I was rejected from any college in the world with my stellar 2.5 GPA and my exceptional extracurricular of recreational sports, let alone Harvard? Besides, after following a harrowing period of careful selection and elimination, I ended up applying to the only college that matched my caliber: Harvard. Why would I spend any extra money when I am guaranteed a spot in any college of my choice?

On the tiniest off chance that the email was, in fact, from the Harvard Admissions Committee, consider this email as my way of clearing up any confusion with my application. Clearly, something must have gone terribly wrong; perhaps the person reading my application mixed me up with another person? After all, no other student’s schedule compares to my

own, considering my strenuous extracurricular activity and impressive 12-hour sleep schedule (which I maintain through carefully selecting half my homework to not do), all while juggling school.

And don’t get me started on the outstanding essay I submitted that describes my greatest obstacle so far: learning how to tie my shoes.

I digress; if, in fact, Harvard has made no mistake in sending a letter of rejection, I regret to inform you that I cannot accept this verdict.

This decision was a difficult one to make, but you are welcome to try again next year, when I receive college rejections again. Although I know Harvard must not have an education that will be up to my standards, out of the kindness of my heart, I have very hesitantly decided to give you a chance.

After all, receiving my patronage should increase the reputation of your school dramatically, and that will finally give your school

SATIRICAL selectively

the opportunity to make its name a little more well-known.

Aside from the faulty rejection letter I received, I have not experienced failure ever in my life, and I would rather my first encounter with it not be with a low-level col-

just a bit too much skin, or, the more blunt ones, where she critiques a specific part of my body that she thinks needs changing.

Just because someone is a close friend or a family member, it doesn’t give them the right to comment on your appearance—especially if it’s something derogatory.

In fact, the only circumstance where it’s ever okay to provide such feedback is if the other person is asking for fashion advice.

Even then, it’s important to broach the topic with respect for the other person, keeping in mind that what you’re saying will affect them.

Even more so, you never know what a person may be going through, physically and mentally.

It’s entirely possible that the person you’re speaking to has a body dysmorphic disorder or a mental illness and those negative comments could cause their downward spiral.

At the end of the day, commenting on how someone looks comes down to respect and drawing boundaries. If it’s not your body, then it’s none of your concern.

lege like Harvard.

Thus, I wish you the best of luck in sending the actual rejection letters to the pleb students who actually deserve it.

Sincerely, Future Harvard Valedictorian

Cartoon Courtesy of CATHERINE HAN

November 3, 2021

Rachel lee Asst. opinon editor

PRO

After nearly two years of quarantines, impromptu shutdowns and social distancing, it’s safe to say that everyone is aware of how quickly a disease can spread without proper protective measures.

And yet, according to news sources like Reuters and npr.org, a little over half the country is fully protected against COVID-19, despite the fact that it has infected almost 45 million people in the United States alone.

Ryan kung Asst. Business manager

CON

On Dec. 11, the first vaccine treating COVID-19 was approved. Now, almost a year later, only 57 percent of people in the United States are vaccinated. Now, why exactly is a vaccine that was deemed critical to public health, that was rushed and begged for by citizens only being taken advantage of by a little over half of the country’s population?

There are two answers: the first one of which relates to a lack of in-

The Bull’s Eye It is due to these unfaltering infection rates that vaccine mandates have been passed at both the federal and state levels, as they are necessary measures to halt the spread of the virus and hasten a return to normalcy.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s vaccine mandate for educational staff and schoolchildren is especially important, as high school students have little regard for matters such as public sanitation. Masks and social distancing alone are not nearly enough to curb the spread of a virus in places as unclean and as large as public schools like DBHS, where it is not uncommon to find students spitting in the planters or leaving their trash untouched in the lunch areas.

It is for these reasons that , vaccines are a formation. Since the vaccine was fairly new, a popular excuse for those who did not want to be vaccinated was that they weren’t sure if it was ‘safe.’

The other answer, however, lies with the people who cannot receive the vaccine due to religious or medical reasons. Some religious groups, including the Dutch Reformed Church and Church of Christ, cannot receive the vaccine because it goes against their religious practices by intervening with divination. Not to mention, people with certain medical conditions, such as those who are immunocompromised, cannot get vaccinated without risking their health.

The main issue presented to this small group of individuals is the

necessary and effective line of defense to use, not to mention, one that has been proven time and time again to combat the negative effects of disease. In fact, schools across the country already require students to be vaccinated for diseases like polio. Mandated use of the COVID-19 vaccine will just be another shot to add to the list. Of course, those who are immunocompromised or otherwise incapable of being vaccinated should be exempt from such a mandate.

However, those who are eligible to be vaccinated should, especially since studies have shown that vaccination minimizes chances of

fact that schools and other workplaces are fining and punishing them for their failure to get vaccinated.

According to Politico, students at Quinnipiac University must pay a fine of over two hundred dollars per week for being unimmunized to COVID-19. Similarly, students at Ohio State University and the University of Virginia must provide proof of vaccination to enroll for the school year.

While these regulations may be written with good intentions, there

Opinion 5 contracting the virus and lessens the severity of the symptoms should a person actually become infected. This is all the more reason that those who can, should get the vaccine, so that they can create safer environments for those who cannot protect themselves.

Vaccinations would also aid in tracking the spread of the virus, as the virus can be incubated for up to fourteen days on average, it is difficult to tell when one is COVID-positive and thus may be at risk of unknowingly contaminating their surroundings.

At schools, up to hundreds of students use the same classrooms and facilities every day, making consistent sanitation virtually impossible, and thus drastically increasing possibilities of infection from contaminated

objects.

Mandated vaccinations would help ease parents’ worries about their child’s safety, and staff members’ concerns about endangering high-risk family members.

They would also eliminate practices responsible for the build-up of COVID-19 fatigue, like remote learning and working from home, in schools and workplaces, so long as everyone is vaccinated.

After all, unless members of the community are constantly being tested for COVID-19, there is no telling whether or not there are positive cases within the vicinity, putting more people at risk.

When students are not taking enough initiative to protect their own safety, it is up to the government to make decisions on behalf of their general welfare. Thus, vaccine mandates are reasonable measures of prevention and containment for the novel coronavirus.

should be better alternatives for these individuals, such as heightening preventative measures in the form of masks and sanitation which have proven to provide safety for the public throughout the pandemic. Whatsmore is everyone can benefit from the imposition of these sanitation measures.

In regards to the actions displayed by these schools, it is unfair to those who strictly abide by the scripture, or those who are severely allergic to the contents of the vaccine, to receive punishment for being unvaccinated. Rather, those who choose to be unvaccinated without legitimate reasons should be the ones receiving repercussions, as they are openly choos-

ing to risk the health of themselves and others, because of their close-minded beliefs.

However, a major conflict arises from excusing those who are unvaccinated under religious or medical conditions as it allows those unwilling to be vaccinated to lie about their religious status or health in order to avoid the requirements.Thus, schools and workplaces should not simply punish the unvaccinated but instead, work to determine the status of the individuals in an effective and legitimate manner.

Such measures to determine the motives behind unvaccinated people include looking at medical records or having them fill out a religious questionnaire, alongside any other thorough screening processes. But ultimately, all we can do at the moment is encourage people to get vaccinated and promote safety—the number one priority.

A bit too close for comfort Guilty until proven innocent

JIANLAN BUSTEED ASST. Opinion editor

I

n our current society, innocence is something that is presumed— a right that allows the accused a fair trial no matter the circumstance. However, high school students may not always be afforded this same luxury.

Oftentimes, after an accusation—either from staff or other students—students are generally assumed to be guilty without being asked their perspective. Although this does not encompass all staff, everyone should refrain from automatically judging accused students before evidence is presented.

While unintentional, teachers may hold some bias toward certain students, leading them to make unjust rulings. “Good students,” who teachers perceive as smart and honest, are less likely to be accused

by teachers than “bad students,” who lack the characteristics that teachers may admire.

And such occurrences come into fruition in even small disputes in the classroom. For example, I once witnessed a teacher accuse one of their students of neglecting to pick up books that the teacher assumed they had knocked down.

While this student did not actually knock down the books, the teacher still decided to punish the student, without any hard evidence of their guilt.

Though this is only one small example of such bias, it outlines how schools often look to past history instead of present situations when looking for suspects.

This stereotype that “bad students” are more likely to compromise academic integrity is hurtful and makes them feel untrusted in an environment that is meant to support them.

After all, it’s hard to see a point in trying to succeed and improve, when teachers are suspicious of any improvements, even when hard-earned.

Teachers and staff need to stop and consider whether there is any legitimacy behind it. GLCs are not exempt from this either. They also

need to have some trust in students, believing, rather blaming.

While it is important to validate students, students do not want to get in trouble, ultimately leading them to lie when confronted by their teachers and GLCs. However, there are ways to confront students without seeming to have already decided their guilt. By asking their story and being completely attentive and compassionate throughout, without interruptions, staff can create a safer environment for students.

If staff neglect to create a safe environment, innocent students may be forced to prove their innocence when they are not guilty in the first place. If schools are to prepare students for the real world, they should operate like the real world by giving students the opportunity to explain themselves before making any jurisdictional decisions.

As a teacher or GLC, decisions about a student’s academic integrity are often made too quickly, resulting in very little time to investigate a situation. However, there is a fine line between upholding academic integrity and accusing students without any legitimate evidence.

Cartoon Courtesy of KATHERINE CHEN

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The Bull’s Eye

Feature

HIJABS AND HAUTE COUTURE Sam Jajieh feature editor From white models strutting down their runways in turbans, to the sexualization of indigenous and traditional Chinese garments, the fashion industry is no stranger to appropriating and rebranding culturally significant clothing for its benefit. Now, the industry has found its newest target: the hijab.

Well-known labels including Gucci and Calvin Klein have been known to have models sporting clothing that bear a striking resemblance to a hijab.

Moreover, most of the models these companies picked to sport these garments were generally blonde, pale and most importantly, not Muslim. Why? To assist in rebranding the hijab as something trendy and new for mainstream consumerism.

As someone who grew up in a Muslim household, I was taught that the hijab is a way of life--not the fashion statement these brands make it out to be. Some Muslim women choose to wear the hijab for a multitude of reasons such as to mark a transition to adulthood or to identify themselves as Muslim--and the decision is often made through careful, extensive consideration. The fashion industry’s integration of such garments for runway shows twists the image of the hijab into something unrecognizable and insulting.

Even though brands rename these garments as “sculptural headpieces” or “hooded headscarves,” this doesn’t change the fact that their designs are a clear representation of the industry exploiting hijabs. Instead of profiting off of hijabs, the fashion industry could have easily focused on styling head accessories like fabric headbands or hair clips, which is a much better alternative to the industry stealing the hijab and attempting to pass it off as something they created.

But big name brands like Gucci cannot take all the blame for this issue. Media has also failed to recognize the severity of this situation, with publications like The Financial Times going as far as to refer to such pieces as a “feminist statement.”

Even though simply wearing clothing may seem harmless, the scope of the issues lies in its context. More often than not, Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab receive widely different treatment than those who do not. Hijabis are often gawked at, ridiculed and even threatened due to their religion. For Muslim women, the hijab is a representation of modesty, something they wear everyday, and a symbol of their venture into adulthood; it is far more than a simple accessory.

While runway trends fall in and out of style in an endless loop, it is the fashion industry’s responsibility to respect and show sensitivity to the cultural backgrounds of others.

November 3, 2021

Despite the increased popularity of dancing and comedy content, food Tiktok trends have yet to be removed from their pedestal of motivating people with DIY easy recipes. Here are the few that have been trending recently: salmon rice

mochi

Going from 100k to almost 5 million followers in one month on TikTok, Youtube vlogger Emily Mariko has recently garnered public attention from her viral video of making salmon rice. The dish itself includes smashed, cooked salmon, which you mix thoroughly with microwaved rice. In her video, Mariko presents a rice-cooking trick by putting an ice cube in the center before placing it in the microwave to get quick, easy steamed rice. The dish is then topped with soy sauce, Sriracha and Japanese mayo, which is complemented with a side of avocado and seaweed. Overall, the simplicity and tastiness of this dish is what makes it the ideal spotlight of food TikTok.

The delightful taste and texture of Japanese mochi is what makes it a fan favorite amongst many. This easy mochi-making trend only includes two ingredients: ice cream and glutinous rice flour. All you have to do is melt the ice cream then pour in glutinous rice flour, while kneading, to watch the mochi slowly solidify. Afterward, many put ice cream in the center of their mochi, but some enjoy eating it alone without filling.

homemade boba

dalogna candy Though recently popularized worldwide due to the hit Netflix series, “Squid Game,” dalgona candy has been a common street food in South Korea for decades. The TikTok “Dalgona Challenge” involves making this treat at home and attempting to cut out the imprinted shape perfectly, similar to the characters in “Squid Game.”

Traditionally, if the player succeeds in cutting out the candy without breaking the shape, the vendor will give them the candy for free. When making dalgona candy, granulated sugar is melted in a ladle until amber.

Then, a small amount of baking soda is mixed in, causing the mixture to bubble and fizz. To finish it off, the sugar is poured onto parchment paper, pressed down with a flat surface and imprinted slightly with a metal cookie cutter. Players will then

Originating in Taiwan, boba drinks have quickly made their way to America, becoming more mainstream in American diets every year. Due to COVID-19, many TikTok users could no longer visit their favorite boba shops, so they took to TikTok to document their bobamaking journeys. In order to make the tapioca pearls, hot water is kneaded with tapioca starch to form a dough. After rolling the dough into small balls, the pearls are boiled, then drained. The boba pearls are mixed in a brown sugar syrup and ready to be added to any drink of choice, with common options being classic milk tea.

story by Taylor Joe and Maia Pak

Copping a place at DBHS natasha chang asst. feature editor Utilizing skills acquired over a decades-long career in law enforcement, Forensics Chemistry teacher and Pathways advisor Kenneth Carlson has made himself the resident jack-of-all-trades at Diamond Bar High School.

Despite having only joined DBHS as an official staff member for three years, DBHS is far from Carlson’s first experience with a new work environment. Having adapted quickly, he has taken on multiple roles at DBHS, ranging from teaching five periods of Forensics Chemistry to assisting Mock Trial

with his background as a former police detective.

Since joining the military at the early age of 18, Carlson has climbed the police ranks several times over, was part of a SWAT team and trained Iraqi police in the first part of the Afghan War—all in 33 years.

These experiences, however, paled in comparison to his time as a hostage negotiator.

“I was blessed enough to, on four occasions, talk people out of killing themselves,” Carlson said. “You never know how those things are going to turn out. I don’t know exactly what will happen to them, but some are doing better; that’s what I’m most blessed about.”

A passionate scholar, Carlson

took advantage of the educational funds provided by the military in exchange for his enlistment.

During his time in college, he dabbled in classes ranging from forensics to anthropology, graduating in 2009 with an AA in Liberal Studies and Social Science from Allan Hancock College, and 2012 from the University of La Verne with a Bachelor’s in Criminology.

“It really helped me as an investigator, and I was always a student, learning about what I needed to present and work on,” Carlson said.

Since college, Carlson has spent a good portion of his career teaching others, from officers in Afghanistan to law enforcement hopefuls,

NATASHA CHANG Kenneth Carlson spent 33 years in law enforcement, where he moved from location to location, before coming to DBHS as a staff member.

before returning to his roots in ROP programs, leading him to DBHS. “I was looking for ROP programs and I saw the quality of education with people that have come out of this school,” Carlson said. “I figured I always like to work for the best, so I was blessed that I actually made it.”

Thanks to the skill sets he acquired in college, Carlson helped to alleviate the burdens of those he worked with by simplifying complicated scientific terms and phrases for jurors to better understand cases. At DBHS, his skillset can be seen translated into his instruction, aiding his students to understand the world of chemistry through the world of forensics.

“Although I don’t have a PhD or a degree in Chemistry, I’ve had to teach myself that basic level of science in a wide variety,” Carlson said. “They needed a lay person to interpret what they’re [jury] about to hear from an expert, and as an investigator, I prepare the jury.”

Aside from providing a supportive learning environment, Carlson also implements real life cases to his curriculum. In his Forensics Chemistry class, there are a number of labs that mimic real crime scene investigations of the past— all of which Carlson himself has actively partook in or studied.

“You want to create a dynamic environment, one that’s realistic, interesting or entertaining, as much as you can write while still delivering content,” Carlson said.

“I go by my experience and research, but I read research articles

carlson ON P. 13

November 3, 2021

The Bull’s Eye

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A magical culinary INTRODUCTION jianlan busteed ASST. OPINION EDITOR With cameras watching their every move and the clock ticking down faster and faster, Isabella Santiago and her partner hurried to finish their cake in Disney’s new show, “Disney Magic Bake-off.”

In preparation for this moment, the Diamond Bar High School student had been sketching designs and baking cakes every week for the past three months with family friend and partner, Diana Dira.

They were chosen to participate in the show, hosted by Disney Channel stars Dara Reneé and Issac Ryan Brown, after partaking in a tryout process where they had to submit images of their previous baked creations. In the competition, the duo practiced baking and

designing a cake of the assigned theme “Big City Greens”-- a Disney Channel cartoon.

Pulled into the show by Dira, an avid baker whose dad scored them an audition, Santiago had no prior experience with baking. However, Santiago had always wanted to learn to bake, and, because of her extensive knowledge and interest in other Disney shows, she took the opportunity to join Dira on the show.

During the competition, the three teams had a few rules to follow throughout the episode.

Not only did the cake have to be square-shaped, but it had to have an iconic city landscape commonly shown in the cartoon adventure series. For their design, Santiago and Dira took inspiration from the episode, “Gridlock”, where the cartoon family’s road trip was inter-

rupted by deer.

“We kinda interpreted that as our own because when we were on a road trip, we kinda got gridlocked in the same place because of bison,” Santiago said.

Although Santiago and Dira did not win, they were later told by producers offscreen, that her team was extremely close

to victory. Their loss was due to a lack of time, leaving them to decorate the cake with only some of the characters that they planned on making.

“When you’re on set and have all these lights pointed at you, and all these cameras, it’s very stressful,” Santiago said. “You could just see the timer ticking down.”

Despite this, Santiago and Dira still created a presentable cake, relying on one another’s skill sets.

Good friends, Dira and Santiago worked well together and were familiar with each other’s skills and weaknesses, allowing them to produce a strong product. Santiago specialized in the designs, successfully creating a three-dimensional model of Cricket Green— the main character of “Big City Greens,” while Dira simultaneously focused on

making a delicious orange cake base with chocolate-orange frosting for their final product.

Although the competition was stressful for Santiago, she still looks back at the experience with a positive mindset. She not only had the opportunity to hang out with hosts, Reneé and Brown, whom she admired, but she can say that she starred in a Disney Channel show.

About four months after they participated in the June competition, their episode was released Oct. 15, on the Disney Now App; Disney Plus also plans to release the episode soon.

“So excited to say that me and my friend Diana are going to be on [Disney Channel’s] newest baking competition,” Santiago said on an Instagram post. “Keep a look out for us.”

An homage to her heritage MELLO MELLO hannah jang contributing writer Melo Melo Coconut Jelly Dessert, a newer addition to Diamond Plaza in Rowland Heights, specializes in their soft, tasty jellies, even serving them in the sustainable asset of reusable glass jars.

Upon entering the shop, I was pleased by the clean design that was refurbished by fresh fruits sitting atop the walls, which added to the lively environment.

Taking a seat in the fairly empty establishment, I started off my order with the Strawberry Coconut Jelly ($9) and the Oreo Coconut Jelly ($8), as well as their “limited edition” Taro Coconut Jelly ($12). In spite of the varying prices, which ranged from reasonably priced to mildly high, there was no option to choose between sizes upon ordering.

I started by digging into the Taro Coconut Jelly, scooping up the textured taro chunks from the bottom, which had a subtly sweet taste that I enjoyed. Unlike some artificially sweetened taro I have tried in the past, this dessert had a much more authentic taste.

To cleanse my palate

with something refreshing, I picked up the Strawberry Coconut Jelly next.

The coconut jelly chunks, which were mixed into every dessert, had a more prominent taste in this jelly, adding a nutty flavor that enhanced its sweetness.

I saved what I hoped to be best for last: the Oreo Coconut Jelly.

This flavor came in a much smaller jar compared to the other two jellies. Similar to the Taro Coconut Jelly, the Oreo Coconuvt Jelly was a chunky liquid at best, nothing like the thick texture of the strawberry jelly.

The rich chocolate only overpowered the flavor of the coconut, making it feel as if I was drinking an overly sweet Oreo milkshake.

All features considered, Melo Melo Coconut Jelly Dessert is a great place to grab the occasional treat to satiate your sweet tooth.

The dessert shop’s eco-friendly approach complemented by the jellies’ sweetened flavors definitely warrants a return soon in the future.

Spreading awareness about racial injustice ashley park staff writer Providing an opportunity for students to embrace their identity, Diamond Bar High School’s Black Student Union Club aims to recognize and spread awareness about crucial issues facing the Black community.

Seeing as racism is one of the largest challengves facing Black Americans, the club serves as an outlet for its members to further discuss this topic and find ways to address the issue on a grand scale.

“At our school, there’s not a big Black student population, so we felt that it could be a place where we could find people similar to us and connect with other Black students on campus,” co-president senior Gabriela Jones said.

To fuel conversations about these complex topics, the club hosts debates and open conversations led by club officers. A major point of discussion this year has been Critical Race Theory, a movement that aims to analyze the overlaps between American law and race. In the future, the club plans to further discuss the occurence of diversity issues in various environments like in America’s justice system and a breakdown of the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Aside from engaging discussions, the club recently worked with peer counseling to constructan anti-bullying speech.

“We enjoyed the event not only because it was fun but also since it spread a message to students,” co-president junior Joy Mitchell said via Instagram. “We plan to collaborate with other clubs and

organizations in the future.”

In addition, Black Student Union plans on hosting fundraisers later in the year to provide members with outside school activities to enhance their learning experience such as through visiting a museum of Black American history, as well as to support Black communities in need.

To increase member count, the club is striving to create more events, collaborations and fundraisers to spread awareness of the club.

“The club holds a special place in my heart because throughout the years of being part of this club and now being a leader I can see true growth from individuals that are eager to make their voice heard and make a change in the world,” IOC rep senior Mianni Proza said via Instagram.

maia pak ASST. feature EDITOR Embracing her Latin heritage, Diamond Bar High School senior Isabella Nava sews her family’s history into a stunning corset top as part of her portfolio for AP Studio Art. As one of five works required for her AP Studio Art portfolio, Nava was prompted to create a piece that connected to her personally. When looking at her family’s photos, she drew inspiration from her older sister’s baptism dress and decided to create a structured top.

“Through this top I hope to convey how beautiful and colorful my heritage is and the beautiful culture we have,” Nava said.

The fabric used in her project is solely secondhand, either passed down to her from her family members or purchased from various thrift stores. Nava is currently working with a silky blue fabric, the which incorporates the colors of the Ecuadorian and Colombian flags, representing her heritage. To piece the fabric together, Nava is using her late great grandmother’s sewing machine.

“Me and my great grandmother were both really into sewing,” Nava said. “She was actually a seamstress, so that’s where I got the passion from.”

In her research for this project, Nava has consulted three generations of her family— her grandmother, mother and older sister— to learn more about her family’s history and her own heritage.

“People think it is really unique

that I come from so many different Latin backgrounds,” Nava said.

“I’ve learned that my family has so much more history than I thought and that is fun to learn about.”

Nava has decided to dedicate this corset top to her older sister since she has been an influence on this project from the beginning.

“My Latin heritage is influencing me a lot, for the piece that I’m working on, I’m painting flowers that are supposed to be from the holiday, Dia de los Muertos,” Nava said. “I wanted to incorporate that, especially because it’s one of my sister’s favorite holidays.”

Currently halfway through the project, Nava has been working on the corset for about two weeks.

“I have finished making the lining of the top, but I still have to make the shell, sew the shell and lining together, as well as paint on top of it with this fabric paint I made from mixing acrylic paint and a fabric medium together,” Nava said via email.

In addition to painting marigold flowers, traditionally placed on the ofrenda, or ritual altar setting, during Dia de los Muertos, Nava also plans on painting flowers native to the Amazon rainforest— an homage to Colombia and Ecuador.

Through her art project, Nava hopes to display her Latin heritage to others and show them different aspects of her culture.

“I would not rule sewing out of my future, especially since my Ecuadorian great grandmother and Mexican grandmother were extremely talented seamstresses, and I enjoy sewing too, so anything is possible,” Nava said.

Photo courtesy of ISABELLA NAVA Senior Isabella Nava creating her Latino culture-inspired corset for her portfolio.

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November 3, 2021

ROYALLY REBELLIOUS STYLE

Though briefly holding the title Princess of Wales, few can question Lady Diana’s position as the quintessential queen of casual chic. Dominating fashion trends of the 90’s, the rebellious royal’s fashion staples have since made a comeback, with A-list celebrities and fashion trends paying homage to the late princess’ iconic style. story by Natasha Chang | design by Maia Pak

A reflection of her youthfulness, Princess Diana frequently managed to pull off clashing pastel with floral patterned jeans, which was by no means an easy feat during the 80’s.

Modern takes include a variety of patterned bottoms and low-rise jeans that have been making a comeback as part of the resurgence of Y2K fashion trends.

The nostalgic style has been receiving ample attention amongst Millenials and Gen Z through social media apps like TikTok and Pinterest, glamorizing the modern era of 80’s fashion.

With biker shorts being all the rage these past few years, many of Diana’s classic gym looks have made a comeback.

A fan of the Chelsea Harbour Club, the late royal was frequently spotted at the gym with a pair of chunky dad shoes and a college crewneck. Nowadays, this sporty look is imitated by students at Diamond Bar High School. Though many favor finishing off the look with a trendy pair of Air Force 1’s, the rest of the outfit is left mostly unchanged, usually consisting of an oversized, vintage-inspired sweater and a pair of classic crew-length Nike socks.

sweaters

prints

blazers

biker shorts

A keystone figure in fusing traditionally masculine attire with everyday womenswear, some of Lady Diana’s most iconic looks consisted of an oversized blazer. Today, models like Hailey Bieber can often be seen emulating the style of the late streetwear icon, flaunting the late royal’s unprecedented styling choices on urban streets, often layering blazer dresses on top of loungewear for a new form of business casual. With thrifting and repurposed garments popularized through clothing resale sites like Depop and ThredUp, different variations of the topcoat have made their way into the fashion circle.

The former Princess of Wales was an avid fan of sweaters; a fondness which was clear even before receiving her royal title. Princess Diana has been seen in a plethora of other trendy winter apparel, including the famous ‘black sheep’ sweater. The former Princess of Wales’ preference for the knitted tops are now all the rage amongst those who covet the boarding school aesthetic, coupled with her bold approach to gender non-conforming outfits.

Similar takes on the chic style can be seen on students and influencers alike, with affordable options for such fashion demands available on websites like Shein and Amazon.

Arts and Entertainment

November 3, 2021 9

The Bull’s Eye

Redefining transgender representation

W

hile Hollywood is notorious for its poor representation of the LGBTQ+ community, the group that has received the most harmful backlash from their portrayal in films is the trangender community.

Serving as the catalyst for future perversions of transgender people is the first film to feature a member of this community: “A Woman”, directed by Charlie Chaplin in 1915, which shows Chaplin transforming himself into a woman to trick two men into kissing each other.

Aside from using transness for comedic means, Chaplin twisted transgender identity into something that is optional and used as a method of deceit.

Such stereotypes only fuel the transphobia rooted in our culture today. For instance, conservative politicians often argue that transgender people shouldn’t be allowed in the bathrooms that align with their gender expressions and, instead, should use the ones that are of their as-

signed sex at birth, discrediting the orientation of transgender people altogether.

Aside from this invalidation of transgender identity, Hollywood has a long history of enforcing villainous archetypes onto its transgender characters.

This can be seen in wellknown films, namely “Silence of The Lambs” (1991).

While the antagonist of this story, Jame “Buffalo Bill” Gumb, is not canonically transgender, the fact that cross-dressing is associated with murder does enough harm in itself.

The filmmakers’ failure to

create pragmatic characters that ref l e c t reality— opting instead to use m a l i c i o u s tropes—is one of the reasons why it’s difficult to stop the harmful preconceptions

about trans people.

The one upside of recent years is that the portrayal of transgender characters has become, not only more common but more accurate as well.

Shows like “Euphoria” (2019) have a diverse cast of queer characters, including Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer) who is a transgender woman that struggles with depression, self-harm and drug abuse.

While this may be a harsh reality, it’s what makes Jules a more empathetic character in eyes of both cisgender and trans people. In addition, Brian Micheal Smith’s

character in the TV show “Queen Sugar” (2016), Toine Wilkins, is a transgender police officer who helps the protagonists reunite with their estranged father.

Unlike the antagonistic nature of many transgender characters, Wilkins is a warm, helpful character and displays a strong sense of duty and justice in the show.

These films highlight intricate actors and characters as something more than their sexualities, counteracting the harmful stereotypes previously inflicted on the transgender community.

While recent depictions of transgender people have improved greatly, there is still much work to be done regarding the social, political and interpersonal consequences that have stemmed from extreme transphobia. story by Vash Chen

design by Niko Yatawara

10 Arts and Entertainment

November 3, 2021

The Bull’s Eye

APUSH explores new mediums sam jajieh feature editor Taking inspiration from the Magic School Bus and the Marvel Avengers series, AP United States History students were influenced by a plethora of topics to spin into creative narratives for the annual Diamond Bar High School APUSH plays.

Going on its ninth year, the plays feature a broad array of themes covered in the Manifest Destiny unit of the APUSH class, which makes up the largest portion of the AP exam. History teacher Lindsay Arnold created the plays as a way to transform the unit from a jumble of events into a more cohesive storyline, hoping to improve her students’ understanding and recollection of the material.

“Nine years ago, I got this crazy idea to create this really big project that I thought would be really fun for the kids to do,” Arnold said via email. “When I was a student here at Diamond Bar a long time ago, I was a performing arts student, and so I decided [to] make a play.”

APUSH students get three weeks to prepare group plays, with their teams consisting of script writers, props and costume makers, video editors and actors. Due to the ongoing construction at the Golden Horseshoe and COVID-19 concerns, the plays are being filmed

this year and being shown to different history classes throughout the first week of November.

Although Arnold created the plays to help students retain the information for their AP tests, her favorite part of the APUSH plays is seeing the different personalities of her students shine through. Arnold said she was impressed by the creativity of her students the first year these plays were conducted, and this sense of amazement only grew over time as the plays became more elaborate.

“This unit has gone from one of my lowest scoring units on the AP exam to one of my higher scoring units on the AP exam but in all honesty, it’s not why I do the projects anymore,” she said. “I do it because I think it is just such a great experience for my classes to go through; it has such great lessons for leadership.”

Junior Sarai Garcia, who is in APUSH teacher Anthony Poullard’s class, said the plays gave her an opportunity to get to know herself better and improve her leadership skills.

“I’ve always thought myself to be too stern with people, but when managing a larger group of people, I was surprised that I actually had to teach myself to amp up the incharge energy,” Garcia said. “But once we got going, everyone started getting in the mood and we had a lot more fun!”

Photo courtesy of BRANDON KIM

AP US History students are filming their annual plays due to COVID-19 concerns.

lyndon kaneko staff writer Dust, spice and fire congest both the sky and ground. Mysteriously draped warriors emerge from the sands as the sound from their rifles are muffled by a mixture of explosions and towering metal monstrosities. Within the span of just a little over two minutes of eye-catching visuals, the verdict is clear: Dune is worth the watch.

Though once considered unadaptable, director Denis Villeneuve did author Frank Herbert’s magnum opus, “Dune,” justice in his rendition of the science fiction cult classic.

In 1984, an adaptation of “Dune,” directed

by David Lynch, was released and went down as one of the most disappointing sci-fi adaptations in film history. In contrast to its predecessor, Villeneuve’s take on the “Dune” franchise provides enough context for those unfamiliar with the series to still enjoy it, while simultaneously meeting the expectations of die-hard fans.

“Dune” takes place in the year 10191, with its protagonist, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), being the heir to the only known planet that can provide an addictive and highly valuable narcotic known

as “the spice.” The story follows Atreides through his journey of navigating the deserted planet of Arrakis, dealing with internal conflicts of his family and his assimilation into the planet’s indigenous tribe—the Fremen. More details on the Fremen will most likely be revealed in the coming sequel, and the movie ending, without a proper conclusion, has been a problem for many.

A particular gripe some have expressed with the film is its lack of a proper climax and its overall narrative direction. Typically storylines follow three acts: the setup, the confrontation of the issue and the resolution. But, with “Dune,” the entirety of its two and a half hour span essentially serves as context to the main plot; its abrupt ending doesn’t help either, as the film rolls to credits as soon as the storyline begins heating up.

Understandably, the contents of the 900 page book can’t all be covered in a single movie and requires substantial world building for its actual climax to be effective.

But, the lack of proper advertising for the film— labelling it as “Dune” rather than “Dune: Part 1”—misconstrued its contents so that viewers

Transitioning from stages to screens rachel lee asst. opinion ediitor Picture this: it’s the 1960s on the east coast, with bright costumes and catchy tunes. Her experience acting in the musical ‘Hairspray’ was what convinced Diamond Bar High School senior Gabriela Jones to continue her passion for musical theater.

Jones, who started musical theater at the age of six, was twelve when she secured a role in the Youth Academy of the Dramatic Arts’ 2016 production of Hairspray.

“My parents always promoted exposure to the arts and musicals [were] the one that always captivated me,” Jones said via Instagram.

Jones has always tried to participate in various productions with her local theater groups and at school, performing once every few months or over the summer growing up.

A t DBHS,

Jones played the lead role of James for the purple cast in the theater department’s 2019 production of ‘James and the Giant Peach’, and the lead role of Astrid in the 2020 production of ‘Get a Clue’.

“I [try] to do at least one musical a year whether it [is] outside of school or in it,” Jones said. “Participating in musical theater at DBHS reminded me of the camaraderie that exists within the theater community.”

Recently though, she has begun to distance herself from her career in musical theater to hone in on other forms of acting, namely in film and TV. “I want to focus more on trying to get into acting, like, film, TV [gigs],” Jones said. “I haven’t been doing musicals recently, but I still take acting classes that are more theater and onscreen acting based more often.”

Just recently, she has begun taking advantage of living in the LA area to jumpstart

Photo courtesy of DBHS THEATRE

Gabriela Jones stopped partaking in musicals as she wants to focus on acting. her acting career by auditioning for roles in commercials and making connections with potential employers.

“I started just this past summer and it’s been a pretty slow process, but I’m hoping starting relatively young will help me,” Jones said.

“It’s actually really difficult for a seventeen-year-old, because it’s difficult for them to work with minors.”

Some of Jones’ past projects include a public service announcement for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation on social me-

dia safety, and a short film titled ‘Amor Eternal’ that will be entered into a film festival.

“For now, it [Amor Eternal] is still not finished, so it’s not sure when it’s going to be entered into the film festivals,” Jones said.

Currently, Jones is planning on participating in a release party at the El Portal Theatre for a book written by one of her old acting teachers.

“He’s having some of his old students perform pieces of the book,” she said. “I hope that means I’m making an impact.”

may have left the screening feeling that they did not get everything they were promised.

Villenueve somewhat circumvents the lack of climax by utilizing composer Hans Zimmer’s atmospheric score and director of photography Greig Fraiser’s beautifully shot scenery. The overwhelming visuals and moving soundtrack work in tandem with one another to create a sense of euphoria in whoever’s watching.

The visuals even manage to walk the thin line between grandeur and pomp, knowing when to buy into thrill-inducing sequences while also toning down its intensity in the more subdued scenes.

The overwhelming amount of thought put into each scene is expressed through how well the details of the book were translated from paper to screen. An example would be how Arrakis’ deserted, barren landscape penned out exactly as one would have imagined and the daunting sense of scale when seeing massive spaceships being dwarfed by even larger Guild transport ships, leaving audiences in complete awe.

One of the most interesting and playful expansions on the novel’s descriptions were the way Thopters, a kind of ship, were designed. Initially described as common-class, small ships that could fit up to six people, they were translated on-screen into helicopters that resembled dragonflies with retractable wings. Those small details truly breathe life into “Dune” and help to make the whole thing feel that much closer to reality.

The auditory aspect to “Dune” is just as impressive as its visual design. Hans Zimmer’s mix of swelling strings and intense choral interludes build an exceptionally ominous atmosphere, making the soundtrack sound just as dark as

cinematic ON P. 12

November 3, 2021

Arts and Entertainment

The Bull’s Eye

11

Enchanting audiences with “Puffs” lauren cheng asst. News editor Conjuring up their magical talents and trusty wands, Diamond Bar High School’s fall production, “Puffs,” rose above and beyond the expectations.

Complete with activities from their pre-show Wizarding 101 Experience, the apparent effort of the entire crew to make a comeback definitely showed throughout not only the performance itself, but also its preparation.

“In the Sorting, the guests would spin a wheel and be placed in a house, whether that be as a “Brave,” a “Smart,” a “Snake” or a “Puff.”

After the Sorting, the guest would choose their wand from an array of hand-crafted and painted wands,” Cal Pacis, who played the role of Sally Perks in the production, said.

“Later on, when the young wizards have completed their puzzles, they would be given the ingredients to create a potion of their choice.”

“Puffs” tells the story of Wayne Hopkins (sophomore Eden Wright), his two best friends, Oliver Rivers (sophomore Atlas Teso-

ro) and Megan Jones (junior Aeron McCoy), and their adventures as Hufflepuffs in the magical world of Harry Potter.

From humorous scenes to budding teenage romance, this year’s production was definitely one to remember.

Right f r o m

t h e start of the performance, I knew the cast had been tailored specifically to fit the warm and friendly nature that defines the Hufflepuffs’ house.

One character that I found particularly interesting was Jones, given her initial arrogance towards her fellow Puffs.

However, as the story line progresses, with the help of her new friends and roommates, her loyal and kind personality shines through.

Jones’ journey of finding herself encapsulates the underlying theme and overarching message of the play: the importance of friendship and self-appreciation.

It is through her character that there’s a contrast to the generic traits associated with Hufflepuffs, overall enhancing the storyline, which is a part I deeply enjoyed.

The production as a whole was cohesive; this was especially so in scenes one and two, which were performed with outstanding executions in lighting and dialogue.

Several times throughout the two scenes, what a character said and most importantly, how they said it was mirrored by not only the color of the lighting, but also the ways in which they appeared.

For instance, if a character was mad, a bright flash of red lighting flickered, but, if a character was

CLAIRE WU

“Puffs” character Cedric talking to the people in the Hufflepuff house on Oct 28. sad, a muted blue would gradually become more saturated.

Lighting aside, whether it be the fully functional doors and the rolling sets or the perfectly timed special effects, the transition from setting to setting was practically flawless.

Created and produced by DBHS’ Stagecraft crew, the sets were painted to look as realistic as possible, and each painting on the back-

drop of the entire performance was unique to specific aspects of the story line.

Taking into consideration the fact that this performance was the first in-person show since the 20192020 school year, the Drama Department performed exceptionally well.

Reconnecting its audience with one of DBHS’ most reputable skills: student-led productions.

Fine tuning her piano talents Deesha pathak sports editor niko yatawara editor-in-chief

F

rom depictions of wide age gaps between love interests in films to celebrities engaging in relationships with underage partners; if the entertainment industry has taught us anything, it’s that age may very well be “just a number.”

In truth, pedophilia has been, and continues to be, deeply rooted in American society. And, while we as a nation preach about change and overcoming our flaws, such predation is repeatedly excused through its romanticization in media.

Take Elvis Presley for example.

Despite being one of America’s most loved musicians, Presley was known to have an affinity for underage girls,with his first wife, Pricilla Wagner, having met Presley, who was 24 at the time, at the ripe age of 14. Not to mention, historian and author of “Elvis Presley: A Southern LIfe”, Joel Williamson, recounted Presley’s entourage of 14 year-old girls who followed him on tour and would often engage in intimate relations with the singer.

With more salacious trends, such as the rise of groupies in the 1970s, long behind us, some may argue that such occurrences are just that—things of the past. While it’s true that we are no longer a society that accepts adolescent fans chasing after and assuming sexual relationships with their idols, this pattern of predatory behavior has manifested into new forms.

Rather than dating teens as candidly as they did back then, today’s stars have found a loophole: holding off on publicizing their relationship until their partner reaches the legal age of consent.

Fans of the infamous Kardashian-Jenner family recall Kylie Jenner’s relationship with rapper Tyga (Micheal Ray Nguyen-Ste-

venson); the on-again, off-again couple owned tabloid headlines for years, but what’s more concerning than the public’s obsession with the two was the timeline of their relationship. The couple had first been seen going out together when Jenner was just 16 years-old, only to start officially dating just a year later when Jenner was still underage.

Such incidents aren’t rare phenomena; rather, just a glimpse into a much larger web of inappropriate relationships in the industry. But, how do they get away with this? In Jenner’s case, her family argued on behalf of the relationship, stating that Jenner was mature for her age and could handle dating some-

“A lot of our favorite films and shows encapsulate these obscene relationships through rose colored glasses.” one seven years older than her.

Such vindication, alongside the blaming of the younger partner for “coming on to” the older first, is quite common in these situations.

The best counter to such statements comes from a scientific perspective: neuroscientists have found that our brains do not fully develop until the age of 25. Unless a minor’s brain is a medical anomaly, being ‘mature” for their age is an invalid argument.

Besides this, what influences public opinion most is the depictions of pedophilic relations on screen. A lot of our favorite films and shows encapsulate these obscene relationships through rose colored glasses. Teen drama “Pretty Little Liars” (2011) idealizes the relationship between a teacher and student, excusing it through a “right person, wrong time” trope.

What’s worse is that such patterns found themselves behind the scenes as well. Actress Sasha Pieterse was just 14 years-old when her character, Alison Dilaurentis, was captured in intimate scenes with Emily Fields, who’s actress, Shay Mitchell, was over 20 at the time of shooting.

Movies like “Call Me by Your Name” (2017) normalize the romantic relationship between 17 year-old Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet) and 24 year-old Oliver (Armie Hammer). Not to mention, the two actors share an even wider age gap of 10 years in real life, with Chalamet being 20 years-old at the time of shooting and Hammer, 29.

Although the film takes place in Italy in 1938, when the age of consent was only 14 years-old, this does not justify the couple’s age gap.

What’s worse is the hesitancy displayed when criticizing this relationship, simply due to the fact that the couple is gay, rather than heterosexual. While young girls are most commonly depicted as the victims of predation from adult males, queer youth face this issue just as well-- if not more.

Most LGBTQ+ juveniles miss out on the high school romances that so many teens fantasize about, leaving them more vulnerable and desperate for a first love. Rather than seize this opportunity to give gay teens a coming of age film to relate to, “Call Me by Your Name” chooses to pursue a storyline following an inappropriate relationship, all through the eyes of a teen convinced he is in love with a grown man--further promotiong the predation of minors.

Through our reactions toward these films, shows and stars, we teach today’s youth that these kinds of relationships are okay-romantic, even. We cannot continue to excuse this predatory behavior through the use of aesthetics ; instead, we must call it out for what it is: glamorized pedophilia.

Through her unwavering dedication to playing piano, Diamond Bar High School junior Isabella Rossi has amassed several first place titles in various prestigious music competitions.

The pianist has won first place in notable events, including the John Child Walker Competition, Southwestern Youth Music Festival and at sublevels within the Music Teacher Association of California.

“I mainly placed first, but even with the few that I received third or fourth, I was really content because I got to learn something different,” Rossi said.

So far, one of Rossi’s greatest achievements in piano was earning the state honor from the Certificate of Merit Music Teachers Association of California in March of 2020 after passing the qualification test.

Considered a high honor, this test involves a written section on music theory, in addition to playing a piece on the instrument.

Students of her caliber then move onto the Panel and Young Artist Guild Auditions, which provides even more performance and scholarship opportunities for young pianists.

Prior to reaching this level, Rossi has been involved in a plethora of competitions, partaking in three to five events per year since she was six years old.

To prepare, Rossi dedicates a little over two hours to practicing her pieces each night, until they are competition-ready, in addition to weekly lessons.

“I usually prepare for about two three months, the first month being when I receive the piece and the rest for polishing,” she said.

“At this point, it just feels pretty natural, in which I go to lessons and they give me something to work on, I work on it and go back to find something else to work on.”

To manage this hefty time commitment, Rossi says that she tries to finish her homework beforehand, so she can practice without worrying about it.

“I may end up super tired, but no, piano has never clashed with school,” Rossi said.

Although she is mainly dedicated to piano, Rossi also plays the cello and has previously dabbled with the clarinet and the flute.

However, Rossi expressed her preference for piano, because it provides her with relaxation and helps to fuel her competitive streak.

“I like playing the piano because it gives a sense of comfort throughout the harder times within my life,” she said. “It is something I always go to when I feel upset or frustrated.”

Since teaching her younger brother to play the piano—something Rossi believes to be one of her greatest achievements—the pianist hopes to pursue music instruction in the future. While she does not plan to be a piano teacher full-time, Rossi anticipates having a teaching job as a part-time hustle.

“When I started helping my brother, the satisfaction of his happiness of winning something made me want to do that with other people,” Rossi said. “I want to teach piano because of that reason.”

The Bull’s Eye

12 Business

Dune: A cinematic redemption Cinematic from p.10 the film itself.

In fact, the artistic appeal of the entire film nearly detracts from the star-studded roster of A-listers that make up the film’s cast. In spite of having great performances, namely Duke Leto (Oscar Issac) and Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), the sheer marathon of narrative material that Villenueve had to cover made it seem like some actors were underutilized and only there to bridge a sense of continuity in the sequel.

However, this lack of screentime

is largely due to their role and the story’s unique pacing. Many of the characters who are associated with the Fremen are either briefly alluded to in Paul’s visions or only make an appearance in the concluding duel as they will play larger roles in the sequel of the film, which is set to premier in Oct. 2023.

There are hardly any complaints with the casting of the movie. Chalamet, despite not being as young as Paul in the books, was the perfect choice to portray him on-screen; his confused and brooding attitude was perfect for the role of a sheltered heir turned a noble family justice. Momoa’s performance as

Duncan Idaho was also one that grabbed my attention; his outstanding charisma and camaraderie with Chalamet’s character offered a different side to his character and enhanced his overall characterization.

If the sequel manages to match the high standards set by this first film, then “Dune” may very well go down as one of the best science fiction adaptations of all time. In the meantime, “Dune: Part One” can serve as a gateway to those interested in reading the books, or just be a meaningful watch for anyone who might not have read or even heard of the series.

November 3, 2021

November 3, 2021

The Bull’s Eye

From law enforcement to forensics Carlson from p.6 dynamic environment, one that’s realistic, interesting or entertaining as much as you can write while still delivering content,” Carlson said. “I go by my experience and research, but I read research articles and things of that nature and trade websites.”

Having always been an empath, the Forensics Chemistry teacher found it an invaluable asset during his time in law enforcement and at DBHS. His encounters with people of varying backgrounds has greatly influenced his ability to communicate with students, as well as help them through the occasionally difficult times of adolescence.

“In getting to know people’s

minds, getting them to their worst moments or reaching out to them and having them understand that I don’t agree with what they did, but I’m going to treat them with respect and empathy,” Carlson said.“I’ve made a lot of connections with people of all walks of life, I think I left a positive mark in most people’s experiences even if I did arrest them.”

Business

13

14 Sports

The Bull’s Eye

November 3, 2021

Tennis finishes season with impressive record Although team is not expected to continue to CIF, individual athletes and double teams make cutoff.

VASH CHEN

Sophomore Nazareth Longoria prepares to score a goal against Etiwanda High School in a non-conference home game.

Water polo surges past competition Boys water polo looks to dominate in playoff games after placing second in Mt. Baldy League.

VASH CHEN ASST. PHOTO EDITOR Closing off the season strong, Diamond Bar High School boys water polo is currently in the top five of the CIF League Champions.

“A highlight to me is that we lost to Bonita [High School] earlier this season and then a few weeks later, we were able to bounce back and win,” head coach Gary Cheever said.

The boys water polo team did indeed suffer a loss against Bonita on August 18, but the team was able to have a rematch in September, resulting in a close yet successful game, 13-12.

The team’s success was in part

contributed by diligent practices and new drills introduced by Cheever.

“Drills we focused on included six-on-five, which is a power play and our defense,” Cheever said.

S ix-on-fives are used when teams want to make offensive plays, utilizing the sixth player after a 20-second timer to score points.

Despite having a strong offense, a recurring problem for the boys water polo team is defense.

The team hopes to strengthen its defensive side by practicing ball passes and guarding to counter the stronger teams in the league playoffs.

As the fall season comes to an end, Cheever and the team are preparing to remain at the top position for next year’s schedule as well as for their future League Championship title.

“Next year’s team is probably going to be a smaller line-up; we’re going to play [in] a smaller block,” Cheever said. “It’s going to be a faster pace so we’re going to need

to be a little faster to play the style that I want… Our skill set matches a fast-paced game.”

Among the starting line-up of new varsity team members, three underclassmen have been highlighted by Cheever for their outstanding performances both in practice and in game: sophomore Naz Longoria and freshmen Diego Solis and Matthew Arauz.

“Looking ahead, [being on the varsity team] is really going to prepare [the underclassmen] for leadership roles,” said Cheever. “That’s the biggest highlight for me as a coach, seeing the underclassmen being able to step up and being able to impact big, important games.”

The boys water polo team had a successful season despite the large influx of underclassmen and busy game schedule.

In fact, the team defeated Rowland Heights High School 23-12 on October 20, Rowland Heights’s senior night, and takes second place in the Mt. Baldy League Championship.

“Outside of Diamond Bar, I play lots of doubles and to be able to play for our school, made me really excited,” Cadelina said.

Among the other strong players at the competition were the doubles team of senior Julienne Nguyen and sophomore Jasmine Buenafe, CLAIRE WU who lost in an intense tiebreaker asst. photo editor against the number one seed at a close score of 10-8. Junior Emily Tsao and freshman Grace Lu also Wrapping up their 2021 season, the competed at League Finals, facing Diamond Bar High School girls each opponent with fierce Brahma tennis team confidently serves be- spirit. tween their triumphs and losses in “It was a very spring match bethis year’s league. cause we adjusted our strategy Senior Laura Gao and junior Chloe and played both at the back rather Cadelina won first place this sea- than one forward and one back,” son in individual league finals, Buenafe said. “Next season, I hope both finishing with a score of 6-1 to improve my double plays.” that qualified them for the CIF In- Buenafe describes that head coach dividual competition in first place.

Feix had changed double teams “I feel that I worked very hard this lineups in the middle of the seaseason, espeson. However, she cially towards thinks that the “Outside of Diamond the end when I sudden change Bar, I play lots of really worked soon proved to doubles and to be able hard to figure have a greater posout how to keep itive outcome than to play for our school, up with Chloe they expected it to made me really excited,” when playing have.

CHLOE CADELINA doubles,” Gao These new double said. teams cancelled Gao and Cadeliout each other’s na ended the season with an over- weaknesses,” Buenafe said. “And all record of 18-0 as a doubles team the points became longer because with an overall record of 19-3 and we were able to return every ball 23-2, respectively. back.

“I’m pretty content with the way I This year, most of the girls tennis performed this season,” Cadelina team will be unable to continue said. “I still have lots of things to onto CIF competitions due to their improve on but I’m still happy with overall record. Only Gao and Cadethe way I played this year.” lina will continue to CIF as a com This season has been slightly un- petitive doubles CIF individuals orthodox for Cadelina as she is team. usually a singles player for the “Until CIF, I will be working on team. However, playing this year as doubles strategies and volleys as a doubles team with Gao has still well as practicing with Chloe so we been an interesting experience for can be more connected in our playher. ing,” Gao said.

Cheever takes on both DBHS water polo teams With years of experience, the current boys water polo coach looks to take on the girls water polo team as well. jeremiah JUNG asst. NEWS editor Building upon four years of developing strong relationships with Diamond Bar High School athletes, boys’ water polo head coach Gary Cheever is now wading into new but familiar territory.

He plans to lead the girls’ water polo team as their new head coach, which is looking to overcome the difficulties that the past year presented, on top of his current position.

“My high school water polo coach introduced it [coaching] to me when I graduated,” Cheever said. “I tried it, and I’ve been at it ever since.”

Since then, Cheever has attained 13 years of coaching experience at three different schools—Claremont High School, Chino Hills High School, and Don Lugo High School—as well as club water polo to the playing field, besides teaching at DBHS for the past four years.

“My first head coaching job as a varsity coach was

actually the girls’ coach at Chino Hills High School,” Cheever said.

At DBHS, Cheever has already led the boys’ water polo team to several dominant seasons in the pool.

In 2018, the team held an overall record of 20-8 and a league record of 6-0 in the Mt. Baldy League, even being named League Champions and advancing to the CIF quarterfinals. In 2019, they had a 6-5 overall record and 6-0 yet again in the Mt. Baldy League.

During the shortened season in 2020 because of COVID, they maintained a 2-1 overall record even with the hardships presented by social distancing.

In the current season, boys’ water polo is second in the Hacienda League, competing in Division IV, with a 12-17 overall record and 3-1 league record. This is set to change, as they still have a game ahead of them.

With his previous experience, Cheever plans for the girls’ upcoming season, looking to make up for the graduation of so many seniors during the COVID season.

“Right now, the goal is to get their experience up with a lot of playing time,” Cheever said. “One thing I’ve been really impressed with is how hard they work, so that’s a great start.”

Photo Courtesy of HARRY KIM

Junior Harry Kim does a mid-air split on suspended rings during his daily practice at the Eric Will Gymnastic Center.

Tumbling their way to success Two Brahmas showcase their athleticism in several national competitions.

KYLE HONG staff writer Choosing to partake in competitive sports of a more unorthodox fashion, some athletes at Diamond Bar High School are flipping and jumping to the unique styles of competitive gymnastics.

There are three levels of competitive gymnastics: compulsory, optional and elite level gymnastics.

Compulsory ranges from levels one to five where athletes will be prepared for competitive events and perform set routines, whereas optional ranges from six to ten and requires athletes to perform routines that are curated to show off their strengths. The highest level, elite gymnastics, is similar to competing at the professional level.

Juniors Audrey Huang and Har-

ry Kim have been involved with competitive gymnastics, both at optional and compulsory levels, for a large portion of their lives.

“When I started it was recreational, on smaller teams, and I began to build up my skills from there,” Huang said. “From there, I moved onto the compulsory level, which ranges from level one to five; I started at level four and now am competing at level nine and ten of optionals.”

Huang was introduced to gymnastics by her mom at the age of two and was put into competition shortly after her coaches saw potential. Since then, she has performed well and moved through the levels quickly, mostly due to her four to five hour daily practices.

“Back in 2018, there was a Region 1 Regional Meet where I won all five golds with a 38.575 AllAround,” Huang said. “It was also a personal best, this has been my greatest achievement so far.”

At this regional, Huang competed in Vault, Bars, Beam and

Floor events as well as All-Around, which is scored based on the average of the performance across all four events.

In terms of her ranking, before the pandemic hit in 2020, Huang was ranked in the top 100 of America at the optional level. As of now, her future goals in gymnastics are to get a scholarship from a university and compete at the collegiate level. On the other hand, Kim has been competitive since he started out in the sport, inspired to join after watching the 2012 Olympics.

While any sort of competitive pressure may arise for athletes, especially when competing at a high level so early in their lives.

“I tend to set my expectations a bit too high for myself,” Kim said.

“Due to this, it’s frustrating and brings me down whenever I barely miss them.”

Kim is aiming high, hoping to go to nationals so that he can get used to a more competitive state. These high level competitions are all in preparation of achieving his goal of competing at the Olympics.

November 3, 2021

The Bull’s Eye

Sports 15

Shooting for the Olympic gold The competitive shooter has represented the U.S. in various contests in several countries.

NBA teams to watch this season

T

he start of the 2021-22 NBA season tipped off two weeks ago with several teams adjusting to playing with new faces.

Through the first couple of games, there have been must-watch teams to look out for with their entertaining play styles and new lineups.

1. Chicago Bulls Following the departure of Jimmy Butler in 2017, the Chicago Bulls went several years in rebuild mode with no success, frustrating their star player Zach LaVine. However, the Bulls’ management have finally added key pieces to their roster to provide Zach LaVine the help he needs. At last season’s trade deadline, the Bulls made a trade for allstar center Nikola Vucevic to have a shot at making a last-minute run to the playoffs. Although they came up short in qualifying for a spot in the play-in tournament, the Bulls had one of the biggest offseasons in the league, signing all-star guard-forward DeMar DeRozan, guards Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso as well as forward Derrick Jones Jr. Their new roster has already found success in this season, going 6-1 through the first seven games.

Look for them to make a deep playoff run in the postseason.

2. Charlotte Hornets Known for being one of the least successful franchises in NBA history, the Charlotte Hornets are changing their ways and look to make a statement this season. The drafting of LaMelo Ball from the 2020 draft has changed the culture in Charlotte, adding life to the team. With the reigning Rookie of the Year in Ball running the floor with his flashy playstyle alongside high-flyer Miles Bridges, Hornets games have been entertaining to watch. The pair is one of the league’s best lobbing duos in today’s game, putting on a highlight showcase every game. Not to mention, guard Terry Rozier and former all-star Gordon Hayward are coming off an impressive season, along with the offseason addition of fan-favorite Kelly Oubre. Rookie James Bouknight, picked 11th in the draft over the summer, seems promising as well. The Hornets look to be in the playoff mix this season and are definitely a mustwatch team.

3. Los Angeles Lakers Coming off a disappointing season plagued with injuries, the Los Angeles Lakers look to have a redemption season with a brand-new roster. The Lakers were among the teams that made the biggest moves over the offseason, most notably trading for star player Russell Westbrook. It will be interesting to watch Westbrook share the court with superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Although Los Angeles has plenty of talent in their lineup, it will certainly take time to develop a championship chemistry as most of their players have not played alongside each other in past years. In fact, the star-studded Los Angeles team has been off to a sluggish start since the preseason games. It will be exciting to watch the experienced team prove doubters wrong this season.

Jeremiah Jung ASST. News EDITOR A shot rings out as sophomore Annabell Yi, proudly wearing the flag of the United States, sends a bullet flying straight into the target. For Yi, what others can only dream about is her reality, representing her country in multiple international competitions.

Yi’s shooting career began at the age of nine with the influence of her brother, simply following his lead without knowing exactly what she was getting into.

“I gradually fell in love with the sport because it brought me and my siblings closer together; not only that, I really liked the environment being with my teammates,” Yi said.

Since the start of her shooting career, Yi has gone out to train almost every day at the Bridge Jr. Shooting Club in La Puente. While indoor at the club, she uses pellets to shoot, only using live bullets when she’s practicing outside at the Prado Olympic Shooting Park in Chino.

“We warm up and stretch out, of course, and I like to keep a daily journal on my training regimen,” Yi said. “We also do endurance training where we have to hold our guns up for a minute or so at a time.”

Yi says that such drills help both physically and mentally during her hour-and-fifteen-minute matches, helping her with the endurance of aiming the pistol and with managing emotions when competing.

Overall, her training has been a challenge that has paid off through Yi’s international achievements.

After placing in the top 3 at the Junior Olympic Championships in June of this year, Yi’s name was put onto the National Junior Olympic Team.

While on this national team, she was able to qualify for the International Championship in Lima, Peru, where Team USA placed fourth out of 25 countries.

“It’s a learning experience, really,” Yi said. “With every single match that you go to, you learn new things, and with the things that you learn, you become a better athlete.”

Yi has bright hopes for her future with the sport, looking to qualify into military academies like the Coast Guard Academy and even higher than that.

“If I continue going with this sport, possibly even the Olympics,” Yi said.

Photo courtesy of ANNABELL YI Sophomore Annabell Yi competes in the individual 60 shot match at the 2021 Junior World Champions in Lima, Peru.

Golf finishes on par with previous seasons As the league season ends, Lady Brahmas look forward to their final tournament.

qualify for the CIF team tournaments and specific players to the individual CIF event.

“We would have liked to go undefeated in League, and will continue to strive for that,” Tuck said.

Nathan Chu “But, an 8-2 record in league would be thrilling for most teams in the ASST. Sports EDITOR State.”

During the off-season, the team After a promising season, memwill continue practicing in compebers of the Diamond Bar High titions like SCPGA, AJGA and ToySchool girls golf team have swung ota Tour Cup events, which happen their way to the CIF playoff matchsporadically throughout the year. es, hoping to end their season as “These events help players gain strong as their predecessors have experience and give them a comdone. petitive edge which cannot be The team officially finished the gained without tournament expeleague season with a record of 8-2, rience,” Tuck said. with their two losses being against Furthermore, the team will use Walnut High School. According to the off-season to prepare for the assistant head transition to next coach Jason year. As seniors “[The Lady Brahmas] will Tuck, the team leave, it’s importrepresent DBHS well in has significantly ant to fill in their the CIF Individuals at improved from positions with risprevious months. ing leadership.

Los Robles Greens in “Our varsity is “It will be diffiThousand Oaks.” made up of senior cult to replace the JASON TUCK players with sigtalent and experinificant skill and ence we are losexperience, and ing through the younger players with great skill graduation of our seniors, but we but who gain experience through are preparing our underclassmen the league competition and league for additional leadership responindividual finals,” Tuck said via sibilities that will be required of email. them next year,” Tuck said.

For the CIF Individuals, the team has qualified senior athletes Bella Yang, Ella Chiu and Irene Park, who all placed in the top 9 of League Finals, as well as their first alternate, freshman Audrey Im. “This was an outstanding achievement and we are extremely proud of them,” Tuck said. “They will represent DBHS well in the CIF Individuals at Los Robles Greens in Thousand Oaks.”

Besides the CIF–qualifying athletes, seniors Helena Bermejo, Trinity Tang and Amy Gao also made their marks by providing their leadership to help younger players become more comfortable in competition.

The team also met their most Photo courtesy of EMAGINEPIXEL important goal for the season: to Senior Ella Chiu prepares to swing.

Photo Courtesy of DBHS SPORTS

Girls volleyball faces defeat in their first CIF round with Beaumont High School.

Setting up new goals following early loss Despite defeat, the team remains optimistic for their future performance.

ASHLey Park Staff Writer

Months of practicing and competing have passed in a flash and Diamond Bar High School’s volleyball season has come to an official end. In the past month, the Lady Brahmas finished fourth in the Hacienda League, with a league record of 4-6 and an overall record of 10-10.

The team’s final league match was against Rowland High School, which was a close match that went to four sets. Although they were down in the fourth set 15-10, they rallied back to win 25-22 and managed to seal a fourth place finish.

The team qualified for CIF as an at-large team, because they had a .500 record and beat teams, like Don Lugo and California at the Whittier Tournament, who are in Division VI with Diamond Bar. Their preseason win against Don Lugo this year was different from past years, as DBHS had lost twice to Don Lugo during the 2019 season.

On Thursday, October 21st, the team competed in their first round of CIF against Beaumont High School.

“They were a solid team with strong serving, serve-receive, and excellent defense,” Bevans said.

“Their setter was also a huge part of their offense, sending the ball over on the second contact to get kills.”

Unfortunately, the Brahmas had a slow start after several hitting and defensive errors that caused an early deficit in the first set and were immediately down 1-6 in the first set. The team rallied back in the middle of the first set, finally finding their offense, but it was too late to come back. Beaumont ended up defeating Diamond Bar in straight sets: 25-16, 25-11 and 25-16.

“Our athletes are very positive and have worked well together throughout the season,” Bevans said. “They have had a lot of fun and improved their volleyball skills.”

Bevans said that overall, the team was a little inconsistent throughout the season and will have to work on maintaining their best offense, defense and serve reception throughout their matches.

“Many of the underclassmen have been an integral part of the team’s lineup this year and have gained a lot of experience at the varsity level,” Coach Bevans said, “Hopefully this will make us a stronger team next year.”

The volleyball team is graduating seven seniors from their team, leaving eight potential returning varsity players for next year.

The Bull’s Eye

SPORTS

Breaking a two year streak Following several consistent victories, Diamond Bar’s success comes to a halt.

Ethan Ro STAFF WRITER Unable to carry on the momentum from their four-game winning streak, the Brahmas lost their annual Branding Iron game against the Walnut High School Mustangs, 27-17.

Junior quarterback Ryan Lewis led the offensive charge for the Brahmas, throwing for 177 yards and two touchdowns—both of which connected to sophomore wide receiver Kai Jenkins.

On the defensive end, senior Victor Flores led the team with 13 tackles, followed closely by senior Cole Watson with 12. Lewis fired up the Brahma crowd early in the first quarter after completing a 33yard touchdown pass to Jenkins.

A successful one-point conversion followed, giving the Brahmas an early 7-0 lead. In quick response, the Mustangs scored their own touchdown but missed their onepoint conversion attempt, setting

up the Brahmas for a 7-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter commenced in dismay for the Brahmas after a touchdown reception was negated by a phantom-holding penalty. Undeterred by this call, the Brahmas scored a successful field goal attempt, increasing their lead to 10-6.

However, this lead did not last long, as the Mustangs scored their own touchdown and succeeded in their one-point conversion attempt, flipping the tables for a Walnut lead at halftime, 10-13.

The Mustangs continued their offensive drive into the second half with another touchdown and successful one-point conversion attempt. Trying to respond with a pass to set up a quick first-down, Lewis misthrew, resulting in an interception and an immediate turnover to the Mustangs. With no additional points from either team, the third quarter would end with a score of 20-10 with Walnut in the lead.

With the clock counting down in the final quarter, the Brahmas erased their 10-point deficit to three as Lewis completed a 36yard touchdown pass to Jenkins.

A field-goal behind with little time left on the clock, the Brahmas had

to come up with a strategy to bring themselves into the lead, even a tie to force overtime.

Diamond Bar made valiant efforts to score, but it was just not enough, as the Mustangs scored yet another touchdown late in the game to seal their victory, setting the final score at 27-17.

Head Coach Jeff Reitz credited Walnut’s success to their sheer dominance in size and speed. Despite this heartbreaking loss, however, Reitz is optimistic for the team’s performance going into the CIF playoffs.

“It was just one of those games where one or two mistakes go here, one call goes there, and you lose it,” Reitz said. “But we won four games in a row [before Branding Iron] and now it’s time to get excited to win four games in a row [during the playoffs].”

Reitz also mentioned that if both Diamond Bar and Walnut win their first two playoff games, the two teams will face off against each other once more, something he is looking forward to seeing.

With a 2-1 league record and a 5-5 overall record, the Brahmas will go into their first playoff game on Nov. 5 against Victor Valley High School.

VASH CHEN The Diamond Bar High School football team stands defensively against Walnut High School at the 2021 Branding Iron.

IF YOU EVER FEEL USELESS

REMEMBER THAT BEN SIMMONS WEARS A SHOOTING SLEEVE

Individual runners look to continue their season The team’s upcoming meet will determine whether they continue on to the CIF. Steve Qu News EDITOR As the Diamond Bar High School cross country team approaches the end of their season, the athletes await their third League Meet that will determine if they have secured a spot in this year’s CIF. During their second league meet on Oct 14, junior Simon Worku finished third for the varsity boys division, while senior Carissa Jeon also finished third for the varsity girls division.

Besides the two top-finishers, 20 athletes also managed to surpass their personal records. In terms of the team results, varsity boys took fourth place, while varsity girls took fifth place.

“This season I think the freshman sophomore boys division will

be able to make it to CIF as a team.

They have consistently placed first in our league, so it’s very likely they’ll move on to CIF,” sophomore L’Mio Edwards said via Instagram.

“As for individuals, Simon and I have a good chance at advancing to CIF.” Recently, on Oct 23, the varsity cross country team raced at one of their most important competitions —the Mt. SAC invitational. For all the athletes, except Jeon, this was a course that the team was unfamiliar with.

Jeon, who ran the course before the pandemic as a freshman and sophomore, improved her time by around three and a half minutes, with a time of 20:13 and placed 17th out of 84 runners. Overall, the boys team placed 13th out of 21 teams while the girls team placed 9th out of 17 teams.

The third and final League Meet is today. If cross country does not make it to the CIF, the season will be over for the team as a whole, but individuals can still make it to the CIF Individual competition.

Murray takes athletic talents to collegiate level The senior has received recruitment offers since his competitive success.

Vera Wang ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Large splashes ring through the stadium as two players grapple underneath turbulent waters for the upper hand. Suddenly, one surges up, rears an arm back, and slams the ball straight into the net. While unfathomable for many, this is routine for three-time offensive water polo player of the year, senior Nicholas Murray. With over 60 goals in this season alone, his dominance in the pool has attracted a flood of offers from numerous Division I schools.

First introduced to the sport in seventh grade when his sister joined the team her freshman year of high school, an encounter with her coach prompted his interest in water polo. “[It was her] coach that made me want to play,” Murray said.

“He was nice, he always explained things to me and he made me enjoy the game.”

Steadily developing his skills in the following years through hard work and dedication, Murray began to play for a competitive club team, Chino Hills Aquatics Water Polo, as a freshman. From Junior Olympics to U.S. Club Championships, playing with such an elite team gave him invaluable experience; Murray’s involvement in such distinguished tournaments led to his break-through as one of the best players on the school team.

Named first team all-league sophomore year as well as offensive player of the year for three consecutive seasons, Murray has previously qualified for the Olympic Development Program. Despite his diligence both in and out of the pool, as he practices with his club team three times a week along with the two-hour sessions for school, Murray attributes part of his success to his peers.

“I’ve made some of my closest friends in water polo,” Murray said. “Whether it was in the club or

BOYS WATERPOLO

NOVEMBER AOTM: AOTM : NICHOLAS MURRAY Photo courtesy of ADAM KIM Senior Nicholas Murray avoids an opponent and prepares to score in a scrimmage against Temescal Canyon High School. the high school team, I have always been surrounded by good teammates who make me want to work harder.”

Although cumulative stat cards are currently not available, Murray is estimated to have garnered hundreds of goals throughout his high school career.

Averaging eight goals, seven steals and six kick-outs per game, his success in the sport has attracted recruitment from Division 1 schools, including California Baptist University and Biola Universi-

ty.

“I have offers, but I haven’t committed anywhere yet since it’s still really early,” Murray said. “[Some other schools] I am in contact with are UCI, Pepperdine, UC San Diego, and other D1 UCs and Cal States.”

Planning to continue to compete at a collegiate level, Murray aspires to major in political science and business, with the end goal of attending law school.

“My message to anyone that wants to play water polo would be just to not give up,” Murray said.

“It is very physically demanding and mentally challenging, but it will all pay off if you put in the hard work; it is worth it.”

Unfortunately, Murray’s initial coach had passed before he began high school. Although his inspiration is no longer physically present, Murray continues to play to honor his legacy.

“My sister’s water polo coach was the reason I began playing,” Murray said. “But now, I play to pay tribute to him, and honor him in a way.”