December 2014

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INSIDE THE ISSUE

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Minors on Voting

Christmas Movie Suggestions

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the bull’s eye NEWS

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EDITORIAL

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F E AT U RE

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sports 15

DECEMBER 10, 2014 VOLUME XXXIII, ISSUE IV ONLINE AT DBBULLSEYE.COM

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

For the May 2015 AP tests, three subjects will have updated test questions.

The school now cannot require students to pay for extra credit and activities.

frances wu asst. news editor

gaby dinh asst. web editor Photos courtesy of DBHS MUSIC DEPARTMENT

˃˃ FEES on p.3

Marching band players performing at the 61st Annual Arcadia Festival Band. Their advisor, Steve Acciani recently was announced as one of the top ten finalists for the annual Grammy Music Educator Award.

Thundering Herd wins sweepstakes at Arcadia

Diamond Bar High defeats long-time rival Riverside King High at the Arcadia Festival of Bands. nadia lee staff writer Marching its way through the crowd, Diamond Bar High School’s Thundering Herd won sweepstakes with an overall score of 96.05 for the first time in the 61st Annual Arcadia Festival of Bands on Nov. 15.

The Thundering Herd, along with other participants from schools all over Southern California, gathered in Arcadia to compete in this grand event. There were four categories that each school was scored separately on: band, auxiliary (also known as color guard),

A marching band player and color guard member celebrate after DBHS’ Thundering Herd wins sweepstakes drum major, and music. The judges used the band with the best score, which was based on its marching and showmanship, to determine

the overall winner of the event.

Not wanting to let its longtime rival, Riverside King High School, take the lead again, DBHS’s marching band began at band camp practicing two weeks before school started.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s hard, but difficult to improve the tiny things. The practices the week before were very intense and we had to take apart every piece and perfect it,” senior oboe player Annie Chin said.

Meanwhile, the marching band wasn’t the only group that practiced hard to prepare for the event. After placing first in last year’s Festival of Bands, the DBHS color guard was determined to make history yet again.

“It was extremely vigorous.

Our coaches pushed us [color

nadia lee staff writer Held twice a year, the HarvardMIT Math tournament is known

as one of the largest and prestigious high school competitions all around the world. On Saturday, Nov. 15, more than 1000 students worldwide entered this popular event. Out of these numerous math prodigies, Diamond Bar High School sophomore Benjamin Chen rose up to the occasion and placed sixth in this competition.

Chen flew to Cambridge, Massachusetts for the weekend to

While many students know that the SAT is being redesigned and that the new version will be implemented starting the fall of 2016, many are unaware that certain Advanced Placement tests are also undergoing a change. For the 2015 AP exams, College Board has been hard at work, replacing old courses with new ones, updating outdated questions forms, and changing time constraints.

The three tests that will be altered for May 2015 are AP exams for U.S. History, Chemistry, and Computer Science A. For the new short answer section of U.S. History, which will ask students to respond to historical source material, students will have 50 minutes instead of the previous 45, and the DBQ section will be shortened by five minutes, meaning that the test will still be 3 hours and 15 minutes long. The new multiple-choice questions will focus on students’

“[The] different style of questions will no doubt help Diamond Bar students.”

TY WATKINS

compete in this competition held at Harvard University with his team—which he has been a part of for three to four years—from the Orange County Math Circle, an organization where high school students gather to learn mathematical concepts and teach it to underserved students in Orange County.

There are two parts to this event.

The first part is an individual test divided into two sections: gen-

eral and theme, both of which are scored individually. The general section is a ten question test that covers random mathematical concepts while theme focuses on specific topics like probability and parabolas. Chen did not place in theme, but placed sixth on the general and 17th overall in the individual test.

“I was pretty relaxed throughout the day. I was worried after the theme round though because I knew I made a few mistakes,” Chen said.

The second part was also divided into two parts: a team round where each team works on a test together, and a guts round in which a runner from each group turned in answers and received new questions on behalf of its team. Chen and the OCMC won fourth place in the team round and second in the guts round. Overall, they successfully won second place sweepstakes

ability to reason about historical evidence instead of having students memorize basic facts.

“Change is always good when it comes to standardized testing. It is making the teachers more accountable for the material and [the] different style of questions will no doubt help Diamond Bar students,” AP U.S. History teacher Ty Watkins said via e-mail.

In Chemistry, the free response section will be lengthened by 15 minutes, making the total test time 3 hours and 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in Computer Science A, the GridWorld case study will be replaced by the requirement that students receive at least 20 hours of hands-on lab experience before taking the exam.

However, College Board isn’t stopping with these changes. For the following school year, the AP tests for Art History and European History will be redesigned, and a new class, AP Research, will be launched as the second and final part of AP Capstone, a new diploma program that will supposedly equip students with analysis and evaluation of information skills that to prepare them for college.

Photo courtesy of HALL CHEN

˃˃ MATH on p.3

˃˃ EXAMS on p.2

˃˃ BAND on p.3

Multiple successes for math team Both the DBHS Math team and sophomore Benjamin Chen have excelled at recent competitions.

S P O RT S

AP tests undergo revision

State clamps down on fees

Once a common practice in Diamond Bar High School, students paying fees for extracurricular activities will now become a thing of the past. In order to comply with the California Department of Education’s rules and state regulations, the school has made sure that all students will be able to participate in all school activities without having to pay mandatory fees.

A complaint was filed with the CDE about the school’s compulsory fees for athletic uniforms and football summer camp. The CDE reviewed the case and responded to the Walnut Valley Unified School District in October with the order that the district should refund the fees charged to students.

According to a San Gabriel Valley Tribune story published in midNovember, WVUSD is currently in the process of providing a solution for the case. “[The district and the school] are seeking clarification from the CDE and are working closely with them to resolve this matter,” DBHS Principal Catherine Real said. “We are still within our required time frame to respond.”

The CDE’s ruling is based on the California assembly bill AB 1575

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Math Team members and advisor Howard Alcosser (top middle) pose at Pepperdine University after a competition.

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NEWS

DECEMBER 10, 2014

THE BULL'S EYE

Cowboy Cortez charms campus Isaac Cortez wins the title of Big Man on Campus over 12 other competitors. calvin ru staff writer Impressing judges with his performance, senior Isaac Cortez was selected as Diamond Bar High School’s “Big Man” last Friday.

Twelve other seniors competed in the annual Big Man on Campus event, showcasing their talents to woo the audience and win the title.

Judges Emily Clark, Shari DeCambra, and Matthew Brummett followed a three criteria section— introduction and formal wear, individual’s talent, and best pickup line—to determine the winner. The judges also rated the competitors by their confidence and self-portrayal, and quality of performance.

“I think everyone did a great job.

I’m pretty sure all of them put a lot of hard work into each one and I respect them all for that,” Big Man Champion Cortez said.

Beginning with the introduction, USB read off a short description of each contestant to the audience.

Several of the introductions included hashtags that the seniors used to represent themselves. Each individual competitor also gave shout outs to several groups or individuals in the audience.

The next part of the competition exhibited each competitor’s talent.

Some gave the crowd a big laugh such as Lukas Ozaeta’s bird calling talent while Cortez wooed the audience with his rendition of “Your Man.”

“[The performances] were pretty great. They did really well in that they already knew what was going on and they were totally prepared for everything,” Commissioner of Social Activities Ian Chang said.

After the main performances, each competitor said a pickup line.

Cortez ran off the stage to Clark and sat on her lap. He took out his cellphone, quickly took a selfie, and said “I just wanted to show Santa a picture of who I want for Christmas.” Everyone, including the other competitors, applauded him for his well-thought out pickup line.

To wrap it all up, the final performance was a collaboration of all the seniors dancing to “Shake it Off,” by Taylor Swift.

“I think all of the guys really put some effort into competing against each other and also getting a lot of fun out of the event, they all looked like they enjoyed themselves and the audience obviously enjoyed it as well,” Clark stated.

News Editor Asst. News Editors Editorial Editor Asst. Editorial Editors

ANDREW CHOI

The winner, Cortez, of the competition, tips his hat to the audience after displaying a variety of skills.

Katlyn Lee, Joseph Park Yusheng Xia Bernard Chen, Frances Wu Hanna Kang Eric Hong, Sasha Rivera

Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editor A&E Editor Asst. A&E Editor Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editor

USB Commissioners plan for an eventful year

Recently elected 2015 officers are settling into their new positions. calvin ru staff writer

the staff Editors-in-Chief

VRINDA CHAUHAN

The new team for 2015 comes together for their first meeting to kick off a new year of activities and events.

Emily Leung Michelle Ki, Victoria Ly Emily Wong Lilly Ball, Vrinda Chauhan Andrew Choi, Joseph Park James Kil

Photo Editor Business Manager Asst. Business Manager Web Editor Asst. Web Editors Staff Writers Advisor

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

As the saying goes, out with the old and in with the new, as the newly elected 2015 United Student Body commissioners prepare to take on their upcoming second semester.

The new commissioners have already come up with ideas to implement improvements for the upcoming year. For example, sophomore Commissioner of Advertising Jenny Son has made plans to expand USB’s range of influence and create new ways of spreading the word for future events.

“I want to make advertisement a bigger deal. Instead of just using

College Board will also be implementing two new classes EXAMS from p.1 The required course content for Art History will be lowered from over 500 works of art to 250, and European History will be outfitted with a new curriculum framework.

College Board claims that these changes will promote in-depth learning instead of pressuring students and teachers to cover a large amount of material at a superficial level, thereby incorporating Common Core standards.

Furthermore, three new AP courses, Physics 1, Physics 2, and Seminar, were launched this school year. The two new Physics classes are replacing Physics B, and Seminar is the first part of AP Capstone.

To help teachers prepare students for these updated tests, College Board has released new practice exams for 15 different subjects.

In addition to these subject changes, some basic regulations have also been altered. From now on, schools must complete seating charts for every exam that they administer, and the fee that each student must pay to take each test has been raised from $89 to $91.

College Board claims that AP is undergoing this redesign to ensure that its courses and exams are “aligned with best practices in college-level learning.” Each year, several subjects will be reformatted, and the new courses and exams will be designed to promote deeper understanding by providing a basic framework for each class so that students will have “ample opportunity during the school year to develop … understanding [of the subject] through sustained focus on key concepts.”

the usual flyers and posters for announcing an upcoming event, we can sell simple cheap items like wristbands or t-shirts that get students more excited and pumped up for the upcoming events,” Son said.

Not only is the advertising department planning to improve its skills, but new junior Commissioner of Spirit Rebecca Wang is also seeking to improve participation in school activities such as clubs and dances. She would also like to increase support for certain sports that do not receive as much attention as the ever-popular football or basketball.

“Spirit involves school unity and promoting Brahma pride and by getting students to participate in these school activities or school sport matches, it shows support for each other and overall more pride for the school,” Wang said via Facebook.

Not all of the commissioners are new, such as junior Sabrina May, who formerly was the Commissioner of Spirit. Now, as Commissioner of Special Projects, she has set goals to improve both USB and the school as a whole. One plan to change the student’s attitude involves creating a better atmosphere.

“I think that the previous commissioners of special projects did an absolutely phenomenal job, and I will be doing my best to compete with how amazing everything went for them,” May stated via Facebook. “Although some students may think our lunchtime activities [are] futile, I believe that the kids there that are watching have

a great time, like the car smash and homecoming activities.”

As the new commissioners prepare for their future roles, seniors such as Saakib Akbany, who was Commissioner of Academics, wrap up all of their work and prepare to retire from USB. “There’s a sense of relief of finally being past the long hours and huge workload, sure. But for the most part, I’m feeling proud that I’m part of this group of amazing people that was able to successfully execute so many huge events for the school. It feels good to know that you made an impact on the school,” Akbany said via Facebook.

Diamond Bar High School’s 2015 USB Commissioners are Doris Chang and Kylie Choi for Academics, Ian Chang for Technology, Linda He and Branden Parent for Audio, Rachel Jo as the Brahma Foundation representative, Isabelle Kwok and Matthew Lee for Visual Communications, Chantal Lee and Hailey Shi for Art, Joyce Lee for the student store, Sabrina May and Tatiana Perlaza for Special Projects, Nishat Nayem and David Song for Social Activities, Lauren Park and Muntaha Gadri for Assemblies and Rallies, Sejin Park and Nick Santos for Performing Arts, Veda Patel as Attorney General, Miko Rojas and Fiona Yan for Athletics, Jenny Yun as the Brahma Booster representative, Mckenna Acciani and Kitty Wang for Hospitality, Hyunseo Ahn and Jenny Sun for Advertising, and finally, Shefali Appali and Rebecca Wang as the Commissioners of Spirit.

more on THE WEB RYAN SEACREST VISITS DIAMOND BAR

By Sarah Markiewicz KIIS FM deejay and Ryan Seacrest visits to celebrate the DBHS Music Program’s various awards.

NO PROPS TO PROP 47

By Sarah Markiewicz A writer’s views on the recently passed Proposition 47.

THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE REVIEW

By Victoria Ly A reviewer expresses their thoughts on the annual performance put on by advanced Drama students.

NOW SHOWING: ‘INTERSTELLAR’

By Lilly Ball With stunning cinematography and imaginative plot, ‘Interstellar’ explores new concepts and meaningful themes.

GIRLS GOLF SWINGS TO STATE CHAMPS

By Andrew Choi The Diamond Bar girls golf team wins the 2014 CIF State Championship.

BOOK REVIEW: ENDGAME

By Frances Wu The first of a fast-paced trilogy, “Endgame: The Calling” appeals to all audiences.

Missed Big Man on Campus? See our website for videos of each candidate’s performance.

VISIT DBBULLSEYE.COM

NEWS

THE BULL'S EYE

DECEMBER 10, 2014

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NEWSBITS NEVADA Though there is still a while before Christmas, some have decided to get into the Christmas season early. In Reno, Nevada, Carlos Schmitt has been setting up around 46,000 lights in addition to lasers and strobes, all of which have been synchronized to the beat of 24 songs. Schmitt is highly experienced in the area of electrical engineering, calling himself the “Christmas Lighting Engineer,” and he takes requests from people to decorate their houses for Christmas.

NEW YORK It takes guts and gusto to take a leap of faith out of a moving plane for one’s 100th birthday. Eleanor Cunningham of Howes Cave, New York decided to skydive for her onehundredth birthday at Saratoga Skydiving. This was her third jump since she took up the sport at 90 years old. The jump went smoothly, and the entire Cunningham family was there to greet her when she touched down.

CHINA Typically when proposing to their significant other, most people keep it simple and use rings and flowers. However, Wang Han took it to another level and used 1,001 hot dogs, symbolizing the first time he met his girlfriend, Zhen Juan Kang, at a bakery, and the days after their meeting. He spelled out “love” with the hotdogs as many of their close family and friends watched. Zhen was shocked, but she happily accepted.

OAKLAND Just before Thanksgiving, a truck carrying around 25,000 pounds of turkey was overturned while en route to its destination, Costco. The turkey meat wasn’t allowed to be sold in stores because of the incident. However, the meat was safely contained in cardboard boxes and was later approved to be donated to the Alameda County Food Bank in Oakland for Thanksgiving meals. This miracle ensured that hundreds of grateful low-income families received a hearty Thanksgiving dinner to enjoy.

Benjamin Chen competed in two national math competitions

Pepperdine Math Day event on Nov. 15, where they placed sixth out of 14 schools. Teams of 15 students from schools all over Los Angeles County gathered to compete in this event. The overall score was determined by taking the average of the top five individual scores from each team after a 90 minute MATH from p.1 long individual test. which is higher than first place.

“Although despicably long and Later, on Saturday, Nov. 22, impossibly hard, the competiChen competed in the Caltechtion was nevertheless enjoyable Harvey Mudd Math Competition because in the end, no matter the at Harvey Mudd College. This huge outcome, we [math team] still had competition is split into two parts, fun,” senior president of the Math a team round and Team Hall an individual Chen said. round.

While Hall Chen “Your greatest asset Chen’s team—the believes that in math will be your OCMC—placed although math ability to see things from second in the may not aldifferent angles...” team round, he ways be everyplaced first out of one’s favorite BENJAMIN CHEN 300 students in the subject, they individual round. should take the Though most students rather chance to learn and understand it solve basic addition problems because math is used daily in evthan dealing with complex equaeryone’s lives. tions, Chen prefers it the other way “Math is hard and sucks rocks, around. but it does wonders to your mind.

“Well I enjoy doing challenging I mean, math is the one subject math, stuff that I’m not sure I can where [you’re] constantly, over and solve. I don’t really like easy math over again, rewarded for looking at that requires little thinking,” Chen things from different perspectives. said.

Your greatest asset in math will be In addition to Chen’s accomyour ability to see things from difplishment, DBHS’ Math Team, ferent angles and this is a skill that guided by math teacher Howard is valuable everywhere! In everyAlcosser, traveled to Pepperdine thing we do! It’s how people probUniversity to participate in the lem solve,” Hall Chen said.

Band finishes its season with one last win BAND from p.1 guard] and made us expect more of ourselves. We did parts of the routine until they were as perfect as we could make them and then we would do the entire piece once or twice with the band. That took up the two hour practice,” senior color guard captain Hedy Yu said via Facebook.

With a score of 94.20, the col-

or guard also won sweepstakes, beating its last year record.

“I nearly cried when I heard our [color guard] name being called for winning sweeps,” Yu said.

Last but not least, the school’s drum major sophomore Rebecca Kimn, who placed second in the military baton division in the Loara Band Review, won first place in the category with a personal best of 90.75.

“As Bubba Watson [professional golfer] so aptly said, ‘I’ve never had a dream go this far, so I can’t really say it’s a dream come true.’ But in all seriousness, it was a dream come true,” Kimn said.

CORRECTIONS Last issue, in the DB Forum article, Sydney Lopez’s first name was never stated. In addition, Debbie Holt, who passed away a couple months ago, was misidentified as a school nurse instead of the school health clerk. Also, the caption for the Loara Band Review photo incorrectly reported the results of the competition. The DBHS Thundering Herd won sweepstakes.

Photos courtesy of MATT WONG

Lu participates in one of the events with his partner, Josephine Wong, (left photo), and three members of team USA cheer for their country during the competition, which took place in early November.

DBHS Junior places first in international championships

Chris Lu won the 9th World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships. eric hong asst. editorial editor

Only a handful of people will ever have the opportunity to be recognized around the globe, regardless of the feat. Although for most, competing at such a level just never be a daydream, junior Chris Lu has turned this dream into a reality.

Last month, Lu brought home the gold after competing against some of the top Taekwondo poomsae practitioners in the world as a part of Team USA in the ninth WTF (World Taekwondo Federation) World Poomsae Championships. The tournament was held from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 in Aguascalientes, Mexico with 461 competitors from 46 different countries.

“It felt amazing to compete with world competitors and former world champions. Getting first place means that it was worth the effort; everything I put into Taekwondo was worth it, and I’m happy,” Lu

said in a Facebook message.

“After advancing from the state qualifier and placing first in nationals in July, Lu and nine other members from his studio qualified to represent the U.S. in the world championships. There, he placed fifth out of 16 countries in the junior pair division, which consists of one male and female pair, and first out of eight countries in team, which consists of groups of either three males or females. Team USA won four gold medals overall.

In the competing process, opposing participants of a certain division are usually assigned two forms, or poomsae, that they must perform.

They are judged on power, focus, flexibility, ki-hap (yell, confidence), and stance. Although in most tournaments there are five judges in each ring, there were seven in the world championships. After a unit completes its respective form, each score is taken from the judges, the highest and lowest scores are discarded, and the average is taken between the remaining scores.

Before being selected into the 2014 U.S. National Poomsae Team, Lu first competed in nationals after receiving silver medals in the individuals and pair divisions at the

Nevada State Championships in Las Vegas on March 1. At the 2014 USA Taekwondo National Championships, hosted in San Jose in July, he medaled gold in pair and team.

There were over 3,800 competitors in nationals and 600 in the state qualifier. All medalists in the state qualifier were advanced to nationals, but only gold medalists went from nationals to world.

“In nationals, we were definitely hoping for world, but in the back of my mind I knew that was a bestcase scenario. All we wanted was to medal, but we pulled through to world,” Lu said.

Currently a second degree black belt student at Just Taekwondo, Lu has been competing for nearly seven years. Lu devotes the majority of his time to Taekwondo and trains every other day with the aspiration of learning new techniques and becoming a top practitioner. Although he has been part of three different studios in his taekwondo career, his inspirations include the various instructors he has studied under.

“Taekwondo changed my life. I was taught discipline, respect, perseverance, and that’s basically how I carry out my life now,” Lu said.

A snapshot of Sadies

Sadies attendees Kelley Wu and date Thomas Liu play “Just Dance” on a gaming truck in the amphitheater.

Some extra credit options are eliminated FEES from p.1 that “prohibits a pupil enrolled in school from being required to pay a fee, deposit, or other charge not specifically authorized by law.” The law went into effect last year and strengthened regulations that prohibit charging fees for public education, thus ensuring that all students have equal access to all on-campus activities.

School activities will now be monitored to guarantee that state requirements are being followed.

For example, any extra credit that

teachers offer that involves students paying for something will no longer be allowed, and club dues that are not in compliance with the educational code have been eliminated.

Even if there is a free alternative in addition to the extra credit, it still will not be allowed.

“Ultimately what the school is required to do is to provide a free education. No educational activity can involve a mandatory cost,” Real said. “What I’d like for students and parents to know is that it’s important to [Diamond Bar High School] that the students have a free and appropriate education.”

DBHS is not the only school that a complaint has been filed against regarding pupil fees. According to the Sacramento Bee, in the past twelve months, parents and activists across the state have filed com-

LILLY BALL

plaints to multiple school districts on the grounds that students in public schools should not be “paying [for] items such as classroom supplies, workbooks, and uniforms.”

Real has been taking measures to ensure that further complaints will not be filed against the school. One of her first steps was to send a mass email to the staff that explained what the staff must do to ensure that they follow the state requirements.

“The number one goal right now is to provide guidance and training to coaches, teachers, and advisors to provide a free education to students,” Real stated. “The staff has been working very well. We have been collaborating as a staff and with the district in order to remain in compliance with California Ed Code.”

4 EDITORIAL

EYE OF THE EDITORS

EXTRA CREDIT:

EXTRA CREDIT CRISIS: The prohibition of providing extra credit opportunities for attending school events negatively affects both students and the performing arts department.

I

t’s a tragic thing to see the long-time practice of teachers offering extra credit at Diamond Bar High School getting altered. A seemingly normal circumstance where teachers offer students a little incentive to take part in campus wide activities such as school plays or sports games has been branded as unlawful in terms of breaching the right of students’ access to equal educational opportunities at a public high school.

A law is fair. Extra credit has come under fire because the law states that by offering students points for attending paid activities, teachers are denying students who cannot or will not spend money a fair chance at equal education. Alternative extra credit assignments are frowned upon because they limit a student’s options. Meanwhile, the law seems to deem it tolerable that select students spend thousands of dollars outside of school receiving educational classes meant to bolster their performance. These two cases show extreme differences in what is supposedly the stage set for “equal” ed-

DECEMBER 10, 2014

THE BULL'S EYE

ucational opportunities and begs the question of just how harmful can offering extra credit be to students.

A law is just. With the end of extra credit opportunities for students who attend certain paid school events, the choice of attending activities such as a basketball game or a drama production loses benefits, especially if events take place on school nights. Consequently, students would have less motivation to get involved with school activities taking place. This lowers the overall student participation and school spirit as well as reduces the chance of students finding new areas of interest, as they will no longer be inspired to try new activities. Programs would therefore lose a lot of popular support from the students, as the attendance to certain events will take a hit.

This effect is already being seen, as the Spanish music concert has already been canceled this school year.

A law supports the general public. With the altercation of extra credit offerings, students lose a lot of possible opportunities to give their grades a boost

while also being introduced to school activities off campus. Teachers meanwhile lose various methods of teaching students through their use of extra credit, as exemplified when an English teacher assigns students who attend a school play to right a critique essay on what occurred. However, the ones that will be hit the hardest by the change will be the students of afterschool programs that spend many hours perfecting an activity or event just see its audience severely reduced.

A law is supreme. Despite the fact that students are exposed to a wide variety of school events, despite the fact that teachers help bring about school spirit and participation, despite the fact that offering extra credit for paid school event has been going on for years so much that its become sort of a tradition, the law holds the final say.

No matter how much extra credit has benefited both the students grades or the school’s programs, it has to go and with its departure, the school loses an offering that brought the best of both worlds.

Give me good food or give me death

“How do you feel about teachers no longer giving extra credit for going to school performances and sporting events?”

JAMES ENGLISH (11)

JUSTIN HSU (9)

“I think it’s unfair because it restricts students to learning only in class when going to plays can broaden their perspectives.”

“I think you should be able to get extra credit because grades are really important right now.”

MANSI THACKERAY (10)

KRIS TRAM (12)

“I think it kind of sucks because most of the time people go to the events for the extra credit, but I can see it’s also fair for people who can’t afford it.”

“It’s unfortunate for people who depend on extra credit but I understand because it’s unfair for people who can’t afford it.”

SERIOUSLY SATIRICAL

Michelle Obama’s healthier school lunch campaign has shown to be unpopular amongst students. sophia kim contributing writer

A

merica continues to struggle with a major issue: childhood obesity.

It’s not the deadly Ebola virus that Americans should be fighting against, it’s the troublesome choices between healthy salads and greasy burgers that’s killing America.

“Believe it or not, right now, nearly 27 percent of 17 to 24-yearolds are too overweight to serve in our military,” Michelle Obama said.

In 2010, the First Lady decided to take a big step in changing the daily eating habits of Americans. Her supposed solution was to change school lunches. Michelle Obama started the Let’s Move! campaign with the initiative to have children of our generation achieve a healthy weight as an adult. It would support healthier school lunches, more physical activity and an overall change in our sedentary lifestyle.

Changing school lunches may have seemed like a brilliant idea at first. A simple switch of having more whole grains and fruits and vegetables could have been the ultimate solution in achieving a healthy body. I too thought that the healthier options and limited calories would help people in shedding some of their extra fat.

Unfortunately, for Obama, students across the nation responded in disgust to the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, resulting in rebellion against the new school lunches. Protests and boycotts by children filled online media as they tried anything possible to abolish the new act. Photos of students

posing in front of “healthy” vending machines and pictures of tiny, bland school lunches covered most of social media’s posts, captioned “#ThanksMichelle.”

Limits on trans-fats, sodium, and even portion sizes led cafeterias to serve “taste-reduced foods” in order to meet the new standards. If I were to be in that position, I would definitely ask my mom to pack me a lunch every day, so I wouldn’t have to worry about my stomach grumbling in class.

I feel that Obama’s goals could have been achieved if the children were able to have a greater variety of food choices to choose from. As I saw tweets by students of tiny meals including watery chicken broth, pieces of crackers with ham, weird ground beef mashed potatoes and stale cheese sticks, it immediately occurred to me that these meals weren’t thought out. It seemed as though the foods were just measured in quantities by robots in order to meet the new “healthy” requirements.

Obama has gone too far in trying to keep our youth in good shape. Skimpy burgers filled with mystery meat are being served, while all the fruits and vegetables are being thrown away. Obama would probably want her country to be physically fit and robust, not malnourished from lack of food.

The restrictions set are too strict, and they aren’t satisfying the children at school.

Students cannot study to their fullest potential and athletes cannot perform their best on empty stomachs. Although I admire Obama’s concern and efforts to keep us healthy, the standards should be more flexible to keep both our bodies and minds satisfied.

KATLYN LEE

sasha rivera asst. editorial editor

I

t’s senior year, that one last push of high school before it comes time for college and adulthood. Senior year is my last year of carefree, teenage fun; I need to cherish it as much as possible before the time runs out. What better way to do that than to appreciate every test and piece of homework benevolently bestowed upon me?

Just yesterday, my teachers informed me that I have two essays to finish, a project to work on, several worksheets due, and a test to study for this weekend, even though the deadline for my college applications is approaching.

What a joy! This is just another experience as a senior; sleepless nights, broken pencils, and anxiety over the future. I absolutely love it.

After all, I have loads of time to complete each assignment alongside my college applications, and if I cut out sleeping, I will gain an ex-

tra eight hours. I mean, why sleep when I can be having so much fun writing a five page essay on Hamlet’s indecisiveness, along with a 650-word personal statement about a place where I am perfectly content –I’m writing about a studious, homework-filled classroom, of course.

So many of my peers seem to complain about all the stress and anxiety they feel as seniors, having to deal with the mundane duties of homework when they are busy trying to determine their future through Common App. They mutually agree that teachers should give less homework, especially during the main deadline months of November, December, and January.

It’s preposterous that they would suggest this. That extra essay and set of math problems are essential for preparing us for the future!

To be honest, the best part of whole year has got to be first semester.

Several colleges I am applying to required me to send my applications by December 1 so that I can qualify for scholarships. Better yet, the UC application deadline was on November 30,

although it had to be turned in earlier since the server often gets clogged.

The fun doesn’t end there, though.

I also have to read three novels, annotate an entire packet of poetry, study stock markets, solve 50 calculus problems, write articles, and even make a newspaper layout. This workload is really not a problem.

In fact, it has some major benefits; my multitasking skills are off the charts and I can proudly pull an all-nighter with only Lipton tea and some minty gum. These are definitely worthwhile talents for the future.

Homework and tests are the best part of senior year in my opinion; they exemplify the true spirit of Diamond Bar High and its academic rigor. It absolutely does not matter if my AP Literature essay deadline on turnitin.com conflicts with my university application deadline.

In several months I will be graduating soon; my time as a high school student is limited, so the only way I can truly appreciate my senior year is to smile and embrace the tasks at hand. Now, with finals approaching, I feel even happier.

EDITORIAL

THE BULL'S EYE

DECEMBER 10, 2014

5

SENIOR PARKING FEES

HANNA'S HARANGUES

Pulling the race card Too many Americans are wrongly perceiving cases like Ferguson as inherently racist.

hanna kang editorial editor

F

or the past few weeks, a majority of the country has been screaming racism and to be frank, it’s getting out of hand.

The recent happenings in Ferguson, Missouri, and Staten Island, New York grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo for the death of Eric Garner, revived the hotly debated issue of racism in America. Senseless displays of fighting against the supposed race case were witnessed through the television screen—cars were burned down, stores were looted and glass was shattered.

Many Americans, especially blacks, unjustly dub whites as racists, claiming they are responsible for the plight of black America. Poverty, broken families and poor education somehow all point to white racism.

I understand where the black protesters in Ferguson are coming from. It’s always tragic to see a young life pass away and even more devastating to realize that events like Ferguson are causing a more definite divide between both races, especially when America has come so far. However, no way am I in tolerance of the shortsighted outlook of the protesters and the so-called civil rights activists, Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani slammed New York mayor Bill de Blasio for not mentioning

pro

black on black crime during the press conference after the grand jury decided not to indict Officer Pantaleo. I cannot agree more.

Ninety-six percent of blacks are killed by other blacks. Instead of influencing black children in the way that will lead them to despise the police and distrust the criminal justice system, parents should invest a little more time in informing them about the real dangers that society poses.

The reason why so many American people are unaware of glaring truths such as those Giuliani stated is because politicians, media and selfproclaimed victims are intent on cherry-picking. They pick and choose things that will help their cause. What if former Officer Darren Wilson was black and Michael Brown was white? There would never have been such outrageous protests and we would have never heard a peep from people like Al Sharpton. Why is it okay for a group of black boys to jump a white boy, but inherently racist for a group of white boys to jump a black boy?

I really want to ask Ferguson protesters: How did you achieve justice by burning down your city?

How does looting and busting out guns provide justice in your case?

How will you show that black lives matter by shouting racism at every possible opportunity?

The situation won’t get any better unless the black community wises up and quits degrading itself.

I’ll continue being hopeful, but I won’t hold my breath.

Should 16-year-olds be given the right to vote in America?

bernard chen asst. news editor

PRO|

Cartoon courtesy of MEGAN LEE

We say that our universal, basic human rights are not barred by any category in which we belong; namely ethnicity, gender, or sexuality. Yet we, as students, are unable to vote just because we are minors?

In most countries, the minimum voting age is 18, if not higher. However, there is no reason why the age requirement should be so high; it should be lowered to 16.

Minors are affected by laws every day and pay taxes just as adults do. Likewise, they have rights that need to be protected just as adults do. It only makes sense that minors deserve the right to have a say in their own government. This concept goes back to the American Revolution, “no taxation without representation.” Minors are not able to be represented in legislation, yet they are affected by many of the same government policies which apply to non-minors.

In fact, voting at such a young age would benefit, rather than disrupt, the country’s voting system. Having the youth vote would bring a fresh new voice, new thoughts and a more established voting crowd.

In order to vote with a clear and conscious decision, one must first become aware of the political situation to develop one’s own ideas. To do this, minors will learn to step up to the challenge and thus

take the responsibility that comes with it.

With the serious task of voting, minors must fulfill the obligation of being informed in politics, just as adults should be, and cast ballots with their own opinion in mind. In time, these mere thoughts can grow into something greater and allow for the minors to formulate their stand on issues early on.

Enfranchising minors paves the way for a more educated society.

Children are the future of the human kind and what better way to ensure its success than educating and preparing the youth?

Eighteen-year-old Saira Blair won a seat on the West Virginia House of Delegates this past month in the midterm elections.

“When I made the decision to run for public office, I did so because I firmly believe that my generation’s voice, fresh perspective and innovative ideas can help solve some of our state’s most challenging issues,” Blair wrote in a Facebook post.

This bold take on politics is an opportunity that all minors should be given. Seeing that Blair, who has only recently received voting rights, is able to become an elected official, who is to say that minors don’t have the necessary experience to be knowledgeable about politics?

To become elected, Blair must have been educated and well-versed in legislation before election. Minors do have the ability to become productive citizens of the country and should be able to vote with informed decisions.

vrinda chauhan asst. a&e editor

CON|

As a 16 year old, I must admit that I spend most of my time thinking about boys, school, and food. With this mindset, it is frankly a bit frightening of allow teenagers, like myself, to make decisions that could potentially determine the future of our nation. Voting is a privilege that should be given to the developed, mature mind, not to the uninformed and unaware.

First and foremost, children are simply not informed enough to make such groundbreaking decisions. In fact, many adults aren’t even apt to make such decisions.

Voting is a serious process—it requires coherent logic and maturity. This is a state of mind that teenagers are often unable to achieve at their age.

Results from a study conducted by the McLean Hospital Brain Imaging Center suggest that adults are able to use rational decision making processes when faced with emotional decisions. The study further reveals that adolescent brains are simply not equipped to think in a logical fashion.

Therefore, teens would not be able to handle making a decision that requires as much rationality and logic as voting does.

Moreover, it would simply be unfair that teens, who have not been as actively involved with society as adults have, should

con

be able to vote. As a teenager, one is reliant on authority, such as their parents, schools, and government, at all times. It is not until the age of 18 that one becomes a true citizen of America, because that is the time when most teenagers shift their priorities. At this age, they take up responsibilities of adults and begin to reciprocate the investment made in them as children by changing and shaping society. Teens are generally not as involved in society as adults. It would be unfair if we allow them to vote to change aspects of the nation when they themselves are not heavily involved in it.

Teens would not be able to take many of the issues brought up in voting seriously.

Teens generally do not realize or have to deal with the responsibilities that come with being an adult, such as paying their own taxes, managing finances, etc. Important voting aspects, such as healthcare and unemployment, are a foreign language to most teens, as they have no experience with such problems.

That is not to say that all teens are ditzy and ignorant. But the truth of that matter is that informed and politically active teens make up only a small portion of the general teen population. Allowing the entire age group to vote by using these select teens as poster children would be counterproductive.

It is not that teens’ mindsets are different and thus less significant. It is that teens simply do not have the experience in society that is required to be an educated voter.

6

FEATURE

DECEMBER 10, 2014

THE BULL'S EYE

Club Corner

Anime Club

Photos courtesy of KITTY WANG and DANIELLE NARCISO

Officers in Anime Club recruite members during club rush (left) and Danielle Narsico and Nicole Li dress up as Chigusa Hanamura and Guo Matsuoka from Free! Iwatobi Swim Club (right).

victoria ly asst. feature editor Armed with their circle lenses and outrageously colored hair, members of Diamond Bar High School’s Anime Club have been expressing their passion for Japanese cartoons since the 1990s.

Every Friday afternoon a group of students flood towards room 507 during lunch and gather to watch and discuss their favorite Anime episodes.

“I love anime because it’s what I can turn to when I need to relax.

Even though it gives me so many feels. Anime can make me laugh to tears or literally sob over fictional characters,” junior Kitty Wang said.

Bringing students together with one common interest, Anime Club allows Brahmas to freely express their love for Japanese cartoons on and off campus.

“What I like about anime club is that nobody judges you there. It is

Restaurant Review

common for many people to think that anime are for kids and weirdo’s but because everyone in the club shares similar interests, we all respect each other,” senior Ryan Seo said.

Every week, Anime Club officers post a specific theme on their Facebook group page, allowing other members to respond with posts that relate to the theme. Members can post videos, gifs, and photos, and the member with the best post wins a small prize.

“Pretty much any form of media is okay. Of course, they have to be appropriate for school, and spamming isn’t allowed,” Wang said.

This year, Anime Club has around 60 members and is looking to expand their range of activities on campus. The club has recently done a collaboration with RED Club, showing an animated Japanese movie called “Spirited Away” to raise awareness about human trafficking. The money earned from that event goes towards anti-human trafficking organizations.

“Anime Club brings together so many people, it’s just filled with people that have this one common interest, and we can talk about it forever,” Wang said.

Like most organizations on campus, Anime Club celebrates holidays with parties. particularly Halloween is that members participate in cosplay contests.

President of Anime Club junior Danielle Narciso enjoys how cosplay allows her to try out new styles and act out different characters.

“It’s a really nice feeling when you earn recognition from people who see your costumes and ask for photos, while complimenting you,” Narciso said.

Within the club, members find a close bond with each other.

“I love everything about Anime Club, but my favorite part is the members,” junior Adeline Lee said.

“Our club members are admittedly a little awkward, but I think it’s the mutual awkwardness that brings us together.

Waiting For Winter Break calvin ru staff writer catherine zhang contributing writer As winter break approaches, students have already decided to take a trip out of the state: traveling to Utah, going on a cruise, skiing down Big Bear, flying out of the country to experience cities such as Dubai and Seoul, or even visiting countries such as Australia.

For some people, taking a small road trip would suffice, but for sophomore Monica Lin, she and her family plan to visit Australia and New Zealand within the short span of two weeks. “[My family and I] are going because my mom really likes kangaroos,” Lin said. “I really like traveling and taking pretty photos; plus, I don’t like being in the same place for so long like Walnut and Diamond Bar. [It] gets so boring.”

Some students, such as junior Andy Shin, plan to go back to their hometown during winter break to go sightseeing at famous locations, hike mountains, and meet family members.

“I am going to travel around

What are students doing over winter break?

Studying for SAT/ACT 13%

Staying Home 50%

Traveling 25%

95 people were polled

Shopping 10%

mucho grande mexican fiesta cut cheese instantly melted in my mouth, bringing joy to my taste buds. The beans and cheese turned out to be one of the best parts of the meal because of its thick and creamy texture. Though the Mexican rice wasn’t the very best, it added a traditional familiar vibe to the meal.

One bite after another, my dish reduced to half the size it was earlier. I was about to begin eating the other half of my meal until I realized that my stomach had reached its limit. My visit to the Casa Alvarez was a pleasant one despite the aftermath of a bursting stomach.

nadia lee staff writer The Casa Alvarez—known for serving authentic Mexican food— is a restaurant where families and friends can gather to enjoy meals in a warm tranquil environment. Located on Colima Road in Rowland Heights, this restaurant guarantees satisfaction with a full stomach.

A polite waiter seated my family immediately as we entered the doors and promised us that our drinks would come to our table as soon as possible. I noticed that although the waiters seemed to be in a bit of a rush, they constantly had a smile on their faces and made sure we received the best service possible. As we were sipping our drinks, the waiter walked over with two bowls of warm tortilla chips accompanied with fresh salsa and started to take our order.

While we were waiting for our meals, I began to look at the interior of the restaurant. With only three colors—red, brown and white— the Casa Alvarez isn’t an aesthetically appealing restaurant.

But despite its lackluster décor, the

South Korea, visit a few cities, and eat some native food that originated from Seoul. I also plan to visit Namdaemun, an underground street market where you can buy good clothes for an agreeable price.”

Shin said. “Even though I was born and raised in Seoul for [a majority] of my life, I couldn’t go to Namsan and [its] Tower. I’m going to hike the Namsan Mountains with my dad and dine in the Tower.”

Big Bear Lake is another popular winter vacation spot that many students, such as freshman Kailyn Shih, choose to visit. Various activities at Big Bear Lake include: sledding, ice skating, snowboarding, and of course, building snowmen.

“I’m probably going to Big Bear [Lake] with my family for break.

I’m looking forward to the snow! It never snows here,” Shih said.

Although cruises may seem boring to some, many people enjoy cruises because of the buffets, fancy dinners, and free time—all while traveling to a new part of the world.

With break coming up soon, this is the perfect chance for students to go on a long-awaited cruise.

“I’m going on a Caribbean cruise.

I’m so excited! I’ve never been on a cruise before!” freshman Kathleen Hsu eagerly said.

DETAILS Pre-Columbian stew and a foot-long wet burrito served at Casa Alvarez bubbly atmosphere of the restaurant definitely makes up for it.

Skillfully weaving her way to our table, a waitress brought our meals within 10 minutes of our arrival.

The individual servings were way more than enough for one person, so it took some time for me to take this sight all in. Along with the two overflowing beef tacos I ordered, a huge scoop of beans and cheese was placed on one side of my dish with the Mexican rice on the other.

Before I started eating, I glanced at

my brother’s dish only to see him staring at the foot-long wet burrito—a burrito covered with some type of sauce—overloaded with beef and vegetables along with a side of guacamole and salsa. For my mother, her taco and wet chicken enchilada combo seemed to intimidate her. With melted cheese oozing out and a special red sauce covering it, the enchilada introduced a warm seasoned flavor. Its chicken instantly began to dissolve in my mouth while the cooked veg-

Photos by NADIA LEE

etables brought new bursting flavors afterwards. Even my father’s Pozoles, a traditional pre-Columbian stew, began to overflow so much that he had to pour half of it in another bowl. Sprinkled with cilantro, sliced lettuce and radish, the stew looked even more delicious as the variety of colors radiated in the bowl.

I decided to ignore the sudden shock and hesitantly bit into my overfilled taco. Its crispy shell, juicy shredded beef, and freshly

cuisine: mexican

Address: 19744 Colima rd rowland heights, CA 91748 PHONE #: (909) 594-6463 PRICE RANGE: $11-$30 Yelp Rating:

STAFF SPOTLIGHT frances wu asst. news editor While some may think that finance is a dreary subject, the three women in the Diamond Bar High School finance office, Shellie Spicer, Teresa Burton, and Gina Vita, are anything but boring.

Together, the three are in charge of regulating club accounts, taking care of various deposits, and distributing the money that the school receives from the state. When clubs need money to host a fundraiser or deposit money from food sales, students must go through the finance office.

The office also takes care of any late fees that students may have due to overdue or lost books from the library. These women are in the unique position of being able to work with both the staff and the

FEATURE

THE BULL'S EYE

DECEMBER 10, 2014

financing with finesse students.

Spicer is in charge of purchase orders and filing. Burton posts money from fundraisers, makes bank deposits, and deals with the district budget. And finally, Vita cuts checks for vendors, manages USB funds, and reconciles all of the money that goes through the office at the end of every month.

“This is probably one of the most enjoyable places to work. It’s not that you love what you do so much as you love the people that you do it with. It’s a good place to be, and [the students] make it even better for us. We’re lucky,” said Burton, who has been at DBHS since 1998.

In addition to working in the finance department, Spicer also contributes in the attendance office, spending four hours a day at each job. Before starting at DBHS in 1997, however, Spicer worked for General Electric, a corporation

that specializes in electrical distribution for several years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. In her opinion, one of the most challenging aspects of her job is multitasking. All three women must constantly keep various clubs and organizations on track and be able to help everyone who walks through the door.

“You have to kind of learn to be able to multitask and stop where you are and go back to it,” Spicer said.

Each of the three ladies has her own favorite pastime outside of work, but all three like to involve themselves with sports. Burton spends much of her time supporting her son, a senior here at DBHS, at baseball games on weekends. After work, Vita enjoys working out at the gym. And when she has the time, Spicer likes to read and go hiking.

Photo courtesy of DEEPA GORAYA

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Deepa Goraya

michelle ki asst. feature editor

Photos by FRANCES WU

Finance office ladies Shellie, Gina, and Teresa, from left to right, are in charge of managing DBHS’s money.

DIAMOND BAR ‘GREASE’ One student’s account of her first dance at Sadies

emily wong a&e editor In the midst of present-day Diamond Bar, Greasers and Pink Ladies gathered together for one special night. After a five year stint, DBHS students were more than excited to attend Sadie Hawkins Dance, which returned on Nov. 25.

Although the amount of effort it took to put together the dance was clear, some aspects made the overall affair fall a tad short.

The “Grease”-themed dance was intended to take on a more casual vibe that resembled a bash, similar to the Back to School Bash that has been held the past few years.

Knowing this, I went in looking forward to a dance that did not call for the uncomfortable formality associated with Prom and Homecoming.

After arriving an hour late, I could already hear the blaring music echoing from the gym. Despite the deafening bass that shook the gym floors, when I entered the gym, I could not help but feel that the ambiance was rather…quiet.

And by that, I mean there were less people in attendance than I would imagine. The entire gym was rather empty except for the small dance floor centered in front of the stage. Even so, a majority of the people were shuffled off to the side in a long line waiting to take photos. I expected there to be more photo stations to compensate for what always has the longest line at dances.

In addition, I was disappointed to find the lack of “Grease”themed décor inside the gym. My date and I decided to go outside to the amphitheater, which was a

much more aesthetically pleasing venue.

Though I was initially fearful that the dance would be a total dud, the outside decorations improved my thoughts. Strings of lights were set up on the amphitheater and hung over the entire grass area.

The whole spectacle reminded me of a romantic carnival scene from a movie.

There was also a gigantic projection screen that was showing the film “Grease,” which was a genius idea. Unfortunately, not many people were watching the film and taking in the breathtaking view because the sound of the movie was not working. It was not until the hour before the dance ended that the sound was fixed.

This technological mishap diminished what could have been the star of the dance. Nonetheless, more people gathered in the grass area near the end of the dance to watch the film and gorgeous scenery.There were also cute carnival-like food carts that dispensed French fries, cotton candy, and churros and a drink stand that had Capri Suns. While waiting in line

for cotton candy, my date and I realized we were not given food and drink tickets that other couples were given at the entrance. Though it was a slight annoyance, it was an honest human mistake and was quickly resolved when we were eventually given our tickets.

Other amenities included a video game station, where students could play games such as “Just Dance,” which was entertaining to watch and play, and a temporary tattoo station. Oldies music was also playing outside, which helped set the theme. However, I was slightly disappointed that there was no outdoor dancing area to the oldies music, especially with a “Grease” theme, and the lack of other activities.

Despite the victorious battle to bring it back and all the effortful planning, the execution of the dance was not as great as I had hoped. However, my first and last experience of Sadies was still a memorable event. Even with all its fallbacks, the inexpensive dance was still an entertaining night that will pave the way for all future Sadies.

LILLY BALL

Greasers and Pink Ladies mingle with each other at the Sadie Hawkins Dance.

7

Many students believe they have the hardest lives in the world, having to study religiously and still balance out a social life. However, this is minimal when compared to Deepa Goraya, a Diamond Bar High School alumni, who has been blind since birth. Goraya is a disability rights attorney at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs in Washington, D.C. Goraya’s condition is called Retinopathy of Prematurity, or ROP. She was born three months premature and had to stay in an incubator.

While in the incubator, the oxygen levels were too high, causing her blood vessels in the back of her eyes to burst. This resulted in a large amount of scar tissue, eventually detaching her retina in her left eye.

However, Goraya still has some light perception in her right eye.

Goraya graduated from DBHS in 2003— moving on to pursue an English major at UCLA and graduating in 2008. In high school, Goraya realized her passion for civil rights; she wanted to advocate equal treatment and opportunity on behalf of the people with disabilities. From 2009 to 2012, Goraya attended the University of Michigan Law School.

Goraya recalls that her favorite teacher was Mr. Kirkeby, who is now retired, because of his fun ways of teaching English, which ultimately inspired her to major in that subject— although she has always loved reading and writing.

While most students worried about fitting in at school, Goraya was struggling to fight her disability in all types of ways.

“I had to overcome people’s ignorance and stereotypes about blindness, as well as unequal treatment. I often would not get my braille books on time, which put me behind my sighted classmates,” she said.

Goraya expresses gratitude toward her aid, Dee Silva, who became her brailist and helped her learn braille. She is also grateful toward her mother who often read assignments and books to her.

“I had to [overcome] people’s stereotypes in order to attend my local school district as the only blind student, instead of going to another district where they had a visually impaired program. [My parents] knew I could succeed if I had all the resources and accommodations I needed,” she said.

Despite the struggles that Goraya had to overcome, and is still overcoming today, she stays optimistic and determined throughout it all.

“Throughout college and law

school, I had to fight for my accommodations on exams and in the classroom, on standardized tests such as the LSAT, and getting my materials in an accessible format. It took diligence, determination, and persistence to never let all this stop me. I also had to learn to become independent and self-sufficient,” Goraya said.

In 2005, Goraya attended a training center at the Louisiana Center for the blind. There, she learned how to do everyday essentials, such as cooking, cane travel, and computer and braille classes.

“After this five-month program, I was much more confident and was completely independent. I found an amazing new sense of freedom,” she said.

While it seems like her education story is a huge fulfillment as a whole, Goraya begs to differ. She explains that guarding herself from the stereotypes and helping others are her top accomplishments. “[Attending the Louisiana Center] was a tough program and taught me a lot about myself and how I can’t let society’s notions and low expectations about blindness influence me.

I have to educate people about blindness and about the capabilities of blind people, and do things despite what they may think,” Goraya said.

Another one of her accomplishments is what she was able to do in school, despite her physical disadvantage.

“Graduating from law school, passing the California bar [exam], and getting a job as a disability rights attorney is also one of my major accomplishments. Every step, from getting through the LSAT, to going through law school, passing the bar, and finding a job despite the subtle discrimination that still exists today against people with disabilities, was a major obstacle,” Goraya explains.

While there were those who constantly input negative feedback in Goraya’s life, she never let them stop her from doing what she aspired to do.

“Hard work and determination got me to where I am. I didn’t listen to those who were negative and doubted me or told me I couldn’t do something. I only listened to those who encouraged me and followed those who I saw as positive role models. It doesn’t matter how smart you are— you have to work hard and not be lazy,” Goraya said.

CORRECTIONS In the previous Alumni Spotlight, Ling Ling Chang attended but did not graduate from the University of California, Riverside.

8 FEATURE

THE BULL'S EYE

DECEMBER 10, 2014

What is the happiest moment of your life?

“When the food comes to the table.”

APRIL SONG, Junior

“The one word that would really define who I am is ‘based.’ I follow the teachings of Little B the Based God to the fullest extent and I do all I can to spread positivity and based.”

Adam Thai, Junior

Students + Humans of DBHS

What do you guys plan to do after high school?

“FBI Agent” “Engineer” “Undecided”

Dylan crowell, victoria merrill, katie buker, juniors

What’s your biggest fear?

“Holes. I don’t like holes. Like, I’m always afraid that I’m going to fall into one. And then I saw a documentary about holes and now, it’s like a real fear for me.

Yeah, I don’t like holes.”

Kimirah Scurlock, Senior

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

“If I could change one decision in my life, I wouldn’t have dropped out of high school in 10th grade. But, I made up for it now because I got my masters degree in English.

Though, had I not dropped out of high school I would have saved so many years of struggle.”

Lisa Pacheco, English Teacher

DECEMBER 10, 2014

THE BULL'S EYE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

9

Must-Sees for the Holidays lilly ball, asst. a&e editor catherine zhang contributing writer

Christmas season begins the minute Halloween ends. Stores stock their shelves with colorful toys and candy canes, and “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is put on repeat on almost every radio station. Starbucks brings out their famous red cups and holiday drinks, and shopping malls everywhere display giant Christmas trees. With all these jolly distractions, it’s hard to resist the holiday spirit, but if a Peppermint Mocha isn’t enough to put you into a festive mood, these classic Christmas movies will surely make you merry. (See more festive films at dbbullseye.com.)

A romantic comedy alternative to your classic Christmas film, “Love Actually” is set a month before Christmas in London. The film follows ten separate stories with characters that are all connected in some form of relationship, romantic and platonic. The cast features many of your favorite British actors, such as Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Keira Knightly, and Alan Rickman. Meant for an older audience, the film has “Titanic” references, an “All I Want for Christmas is You” performance, and even a Hugh Grant dance montage to the song “Jump” by the Pointer Sisters.

This 1964 stop-motion animation movie titled “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” tells the story of everyone’s favorite misfit reindeer. Through the voice of Sam the snowman, viewers learn of Rudolph’s adventures, long before he gained his spot on Santa’s reindeer team.

Accompanied by an aspiring elf dentist, Hermey, Rudolph runs away from home and the other reindeers. The two outcasts make friends on their journey, including Yukon Cornelius, a miner, and even an abominable snowman.

The pair also discovers the island of misfit toys, which makes them realize that they aren’t the only ones who are different. This classic Christmas favorite features elf musical numbers and a positive message about individuality.

A fun Christmas comedy/drama, “Four Christmases” follows couple Brad and Kate, who blissfully spent the last three holiday seasons in Fiji, far away from their demanding families. When their vacation plans go awry, they are stuck with visiting both sets of their divorced parents, forcing them to celebrate Christmas four times, each occasion ending with disastrous results. The pair’s bond is tested throughout the celebrations, leading them to wonder if they really are perfect for one another.

Starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, this PG-13 film is perfect for any Christmas party.

“A Muppet Family Christmas,” a 1980s Christmas TV special, follows Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and the rest of Jim Henson’s Muppet gang on a very special Christmas spent at Fozzie Bear’s childhood home. Fozzie plans on surprising his mother, Emily Bear, by arriving for a peaceful Christmas Eve with a few of his friends, but chaos ensues when more Muppets arrive at the Bear’s doorstep. The special features multiple musical numbers, shameless Christmas puns, Sesame Street characters, and even a cameo by Jim Henson, the Muppet creator. The special runs just under an hour, but if you’re looking for something to satisfy your childish side, it is a unique alternative to all of the sugary sweet classic Christmas films.

“The Dog Who Saved Christmas” is the perfect choice if you are looking for a funny family movie.

After ruining an arrest, Zeus, a former police dog, gets dropped off at a pound. Reluctantly, a family adopts him just in time for the holiday season but doesn’t think he is a good enough guard dog.

While the family is out on Christmas Eve, Zeus witnesses a pair of burglars breaking into the house and sets up traps to catch the thieves. In a comedic frenzy, Zeus manages to save the day and warm up to his new family.

If you are looking for an entertaining animated movie, then “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is the right choice for you. Jack Skellington, also known as the Pumpkin King, always organizes the yearly Halloween celebration, but eventually grows tired of it. He ventures into Christmas Town and brings a Halloween-style Christmas to Halloween Town.

Jack’s plans end up failing and bringing hardships to others. It’s up to him to save everyone from his poorly-planned actions. The film’s unique animation and sense of humor is sure to catch your attention.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

O p e r a C o mp a ny Pe r fo r m s ‘ O r p h e u s ’ fo r D B S t u d e nt s

WORDS WITH WONG:

A Season of Songs emily wong a&e editor We know Christmas is near when malls begin to bust out their Christmas decorations everywhere, commercializing this holiday once more.

Though these decorations may get buyers into the holiday spirit (or Christmas shopping spirit), it is Christmas jingles that really get me into the festive mood. Playing a never-ending stream of holiday music, the radio station KOST (103.5) becomes my best friend as soon as Thanksgiving is over. In spite of California’s enduring heat, these Christmas songs always put me in the holiday spirit.

As the most iconic contemporary Christmas classic, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” by Mariah Carey tops my list of favorite holiday music. Once this song begins to play on the radio, you know Christmas has commenced. There is something about the beat and lyrics that makes me wish I lived in a colder environment so I can run outside my house and dance in the snow. With an upbeat tempo and fun lyrics, it is nearly impossible to not want to sing along to Mariah Carey’s voice.

“Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is a romantic deviation from the typical festive jingle. The entire song is like a conversation between a man and a woman in a catchy melody.

There have been many renditions of this song, but my favorite cover is by Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer; however, Michael Buble’s recent version comes in a close

second. There is something harmonious in the pair’s voices, as if they truly are a bickering couple, that other covers seem to lack.

As I said in my last corner, I am a huge fan of Nat King Cole. So it is no surprise that “The Christmas Song” is one of my favorite holiday tunes. Like all of his other songs, Cole’s velvety voice just melts me.

Hearing this slower song takes me back to the 1940s and makes me want to snuggle near a fireplace with a hot chocolate in hand—and of course, chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

Originally recorded by Wham!, “Last Christmas” is one of those songs you would karaoke with your family on Christmas Eve. The singer is reminiscing about a past love that left them last Christmas. The lyrics don’t move me in any way but the catchy tune always makes me want to sing along. Although I do enjoy Taylor Swift’s rendition of “Last Christmas,” my favorite version is still the original. After listening to this song, you definitely won’t be able to get “Last Christmas, I gave you my heart and the very next day you gave it away” out of your head for a long time.

“Santa Baby” appears as a sweetly innocent song from a woman asking Santa for lavish gifts, such as Tiffany’s decorations. The original singer, Eartha Kitt, manages to sing the cute and playful lyrics while exuding a rather seductive tone.

I love listening to this Christmas song mainly because it is easy to sing along to. Notable festive renditions include Michael Buble’s and Taylor Swift’s, which has a slight country twang.

ANDREW CHOI

L.A City Opera singer performs with Brahmas in a modern adaption of Orpheus.

sarah markiewicz staff writer “Orpheus. Orpheus. ORPHEUS. ORPHEUS.” If your fourth period teachers gave your class the opportunity to watch the Diamond Bar High School drama program and Los Angeles City Opera perform, then the same chant may have resonated in your head for quite some time.

The opera, held on November 19 during fourth period, was a modern version of the Greek tragedy “Orpheus,” the story of an unbelievably talented musician. In this version, instead of wooing the gods with his amazing voice, he attracts the attention of countless young fans and music agency representatives. Then, Orpheus loses hope when he learns that his girlfriend Eurydice is hospitalized after a car accident.

In the Greek tale, Orpheus trav-

Student Spotlight

Kaitlyn Lee

vrinda chauhan asst. a&e editor While most freshmen enter high school choir as one of their first chances to display and hone their singing abilities, freshman Kaitlyn Lee has already been doing so—for the past four years.

Lee, a member of Diamond Bar’s Solitaire, has been a member of Southern California Vocal Association Honor Choir since sixth grade.

SCVA Honor Choir, a prestigious state-wide association that selects up to 50 students yearly in their choir program after a rigorous application process, rehearses with members and puts on a show during the fall season. The choir has selected quite a few upperclassmen

DECEMBER 10, 2014

THE BULL'S EYE

from Diamond Bar this year. Lee, however, is the only freshman from Diamond Bar to make it into the program this year.

“I was very motivated to sing after being a part of my middle school choir. I was trained by a really great teacher there. She was pretty strict, but she really taught us what we needed to know. I always saw her as my mentor,” Lee said.

Her singing career began in sixth grade, when she made it onto South Pointe’s intermediate choir.

She attended various workshops conducted by the school’s choir teacher, and after discovering here that she enjoyed singing, she auditioned for SCVA’s middle school choir.

“I remember being so nervous about the whole thing. I was con-

vrinda CHAUHAN

Freshman Kaitlyn Lee balances her time between both sports and music.

fident, but I still felt scared. I was very proud when I found out I got in because it was so selective,” Lee said.

Her audition, judged by two different judges, tested her tonal memory, as well as ability to sight read and sing the major and chromatic scales. After clearing her auditions, she began singing with the choir program. She also began taking private singing lessons by two different teachers over the course of a year on the weekends to enhance her singing abilities.

She continued with SCVA Honor Choir as a Brahma, when choir teacher and SCVA Show Choir Director Patty Breitag encouraged her to audition again.

“She has a great singing voice and she’s a great leader. She’s the leader for her section and I really appreciate her contribution to the choir program. It really helps because she has a backgroud in music,” Breitag commented.

Though she has no set plans about her singing career after college, Lee hopes to further her passion in singing by joining an acapella group after high school.

“I really enjoy choir because we’re all like a family. It definitely changed me. It helped me be more outgoing and friendly because in choir you really have to exaggerate everything,” Lee said.

In addition to being involved with singing, Lee also plays for Diamond Bar’s junior varsity basketball team, which practices six days a week. With the right time management, however, Lee manages to balance a life with pitch perfect notes and three-pointers.

eled to the Underworld to save her, though here he ventures into the hospital basement to confront the mysterious and macabre Dr. Hades in order to find a cure for his love.

Then, in the most memorable part of the legend, Orpheus foolishly disobeys the orders of the god Hades and looks to Eurydice before they reach the surface. In the modernized rendition, Orpheus fails at reviving her with special medicine precisely a minute after the antidote was given.

Although some may have thought that an opera is supposed to be impossible to understand in terms of storyline, LA City Opera’s production made it clear for high school students to follow and captivated the audience with tactful references to modern culture. At the same time, it mirrored the legend of the classical Greek tale, and gave the participating advanced drama students a taste of the opera. While professional opera sing-

ers supplied the main roles, the students were playing the parts of the chorus.

“Part of what I’m doing in the drama program is to open up theater and give more experiences to the kids,” drama teacher Beatrice Casagran said. “So I wanted to open up to more theaters that are not just traditional American theaters, so one of the things I’d like to do is opera.”

After she had heard about LA City opera’s secondary school program, Casagran applied to participate in the event. Although she expected that they would be declined due to a late application, the school that had been accepted dropped out, giving DBHS drama students the chance to work with the professional opera singers. This particular opera was specifically created for the organization’s work with students.

For the eight weeks prior to the performance, advanced drama students like sophomore Julianna King were able to work with the instructors for one day a week.

“They come and they give [us] blocking and minor vocal training,” King said about the program’s instructors.

Casagran says that her class will most likely work with the program again in the next year, so returning students and prospective drama members may have another chance to experience the show in the future.

“I think that as students get to work with professional theater people, it will help build support for students wanting to be in the program and looking into drama as a career,” Casagran said.

Choir Sings Cozy Christmas Carols Marquis members sing, bringing holiday spirit to Diamond Bar High School. gaby dinh asst. web editor Although finals are just around the corner, the Marquis Winter Winds last Friday performed a warm, homey choir concert to uplift the holiday spirits.

The Diamond Bar High School choir department holds two annual Christmas concerts, one of which is Winter Winds, consisting of only Marquis, the school’s advanced coed show choir. The entire choir concert performs in the winter choir this Friday and Saturday.

Soft yellow lights twinkled in the background as the concert opened up to singing and dancing that gave off a mellow, holiday feeling.

The first part of the concert had recognizable Christmas songs like

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” performed by sophomore Allyson Cantimbuhan, senior Rosemarie Grady, and junior Kady Lee. The solo for “Santa Baby” was sung by senior Angela Huang.

In the second part of the concert, the singers became livelier as they danced with large candy canes, and cheerfully sang a wintertime medley.

At the end, the choir sang numerous Christian hymns like “Joy to the World” and “Away in a Manger.” The singers joined together to do a quick recap by singing one of the lines of each song performed.

“Friday was the first night so there are kinks that the students had to fix for Saturday, but they came alive,” choir teacher Patty Breitag said. “They always come alive when there’s an audience because it really helps.”

The next winter concerts are the orchestra concert tonight and the second winter choir concert.

ANDREW CHOI

Senior Joren Francisco and junior Jillian Aluning sing and dance to the traditional Christmas favorite, “Frosty the Snowman.”

THE BULL'S EYE

DECEMBER 10, 2014 Now Showing:

Mockingjay The third film of ‘The Hunger Games’ series, based on the popular novel of the same name, exceeds expectations set by previous installments. hanna kang editorial editor There is an exceedingly chilling scene in the latest “Hunger Games” installment in which a lanky, white dog traipses about in the shattered remains of District 12, picking at the bones of the dead residents. The camera then pans to display a pair of black boots coming to a swift halt after one boot stumbles upon a slight object—the yellowed skull of a child. A pair of white hands starts to tremble and seconds later, we are met with the shaken visage of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) as her hatred for the Capitol catches fire.

Scenes akin to the one described above are the reason why “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” is the best of the series thus far. While the first two films are wrapped up in presenting Panem’s

elite circle finding amusement in death contests between young tributes and an overly glammed up Katniss, the latest adaption of part of the third novel by Suzanne Collins gives a surprising amount of depth to the characters and delves deeper into the concept of revolution.

The film follows Katniss and the Panem rebels (with a focus on District 13) as they actively engage in the rebellion Katniss launched in “Catching Fire.” Unwarranted law enforcement, concealed torture and the manipulation of public sentiment coalesce to provide viewers with a taste of bona fide geopolitics sans the prequels’ cinematic jazz—hot pink coiffures, showy costumes, creepy mutated animals—you get the idea.

But because the vivid cinematography has been one of the biggest elements of the series from square one, I was a little concerned

Photo courtesy of BLACKFILM.COM

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) fights off capital forces during an attack.

A Swift Change Taylor Swift is back, this time casting aside old country habits, revamping her image with a glamorous independence, and buzzing with high energy, confidence and girl-power. For the fifth time, she’s ready to make another stance in the industry—circa 1989.

Throwing her music style back to the 80s (the decade when she was born), Swift released “1989,” her fifth studio album, with all intentions of making a statement.

Unlike her previous works, this record is dramatically stronger in personality and in tune with this millennium’s current pop culture.

Swift has traded her young, vulnerable spirit seen in “Teardrops on My Guitar,” down-to-earth lyrics, and raw acoustic performances for a mature, glitzy, synch-pop appeal.

In short, Swift has taken a 180 from her usual genre and landed herself right in the realm of pop and synthesizers—her album is that different.

Although Swift has the reputation of releasing songs that play up her independence, “1989” amps it up to a new level. Her hit singles as well as the song “Welcome to New York” effectively declare that she’s grown into a self-assured, empowered woman who won’t be affected by trivial criticism. What really struck me were her non-extreme

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A&E asked:

What was your opinion on the film?

“I liked the movie a bit better because it had more drama and emphasis on Peeta.” -Elena Deng (10) “I liked the book a little better [because] the thing with movies is that they lack symbolic depth and confine your imagination to a certain point.”-Bryan Dong (10) “Overall it was good, it was better than the rest of the Hunger Games series…they changed it.” -Kenneth Choi (12) “It was much more emotional than the other two films, but I liked it.”

–Jenna Llyod (11)

“It wasn’t what I expected, it wasn’t as fun or actionpacked as the other two movies.”-Christian Park (9)

Audience ‘Falls’ for Dancers

Tune In:

evon hung asst. web editor

whether director Francis Lawrence could make the film, the bulk of it set in a dismal underground bunker, as exhilarating as the last two. As a matter of fact, the Nazi-esque speeches delivered by President Coin (Julianne Moore), propaganda relays between Katniss and President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and big government represented by the Capitol tuned in with my inner political junkie and kept me on my toes throughout the duration of the film.

The cast does a fine job of conveying the desolation in the film, notably Willow Shields and Sam Claflin, who play Primrose Everdeen and Finnick Odair, respectively. Their acting has matured immensely from the prequel, both taking on a more serious role after having endured the difficulty of separation from their loved ones.

Nothing new is to be said about J-Law whose acting simply shines despite the fact that Katniss is squirreled away in the depths of District 13 and hardly ever has the chance to demonstrate her forte.

Lawrence beefs up the fiery revolutionary in every dimension—she delivers compelling authenticity, invincible grit and an unspotted sense of humanity through Capitol TV and the big screen to rally the Panem rebels and leave viewers speechless.

The film has minor shortcomings, such as the unclear and at times unnecessary scenes with Katniss and Gale (Liam Hemsworth), but overall, the latest “Hunger Games” film will have you hungering for more long after the movie ends and the screen has blacked out.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

songs, the few that showed a peek of vulnerability and rawness such as “This Love” and “I Know Places,” rather than showcasing electronic overlays utilized as if only to fill silence.

In essence, “1989” is a record that takes some getting used to.

The distinct genre difference is interesting when first listened to, but I began to truly appreciate it in the latter half of the album when it wasn’t so blaring and in my face.

Swift succeeded in diversifying her messages, relayed throughout the songs, but not so much in production content. Pop progressions and lyrics are prone to mundane repetition, especially during the chorus of “Out of the Woods” when Swift asks “Are we out of the woods, yet?” for what seems like the 50th time. No, not yet. The album is, however, a risky leap and ultimate success.

While Swift’s experimental transformation from a typical, heart-on-her-sleeve country girl to a mature, confident adult may be drastic and a hit-or-miss factor for her loyal fan base, I was thoroughly delighted by this breath of fresh air. The new genre that “1989” explores is a “good different” and I am impressed by Swift’s continuous ability to produce bubbly, artful pieces that resonate long after a single listen.

To read the full review, visit dbbullseye.com

Intermediate dance classes, Advanced Performance Ensemble, All-Male Dance Crew, and Taurian Co. Dance Team showed off their moves at the Fall Dance concert . michelle ki asst. feature editor

Performance Ensemble. The most exciting piece of the first half of the show would have to be “As You Were” with sophomores GiFrom heartwarming solos to ro- zelle Adams and Noelle Murphy. mantic-comedy inspired skits, the The performance included DBHS’s annual Diamond Bar High School award-winning drumline team, Fall Dance Concert was filled with which electrified the piece with viskilled dancers and choreograbrant and ear-catching beats. phers from the Intermediate dance All-Male dancers Peter Kang, classes, Advanced Performance Austin Kim, John Kim, Jason Lin, Ensemble, All-Male Dance Crew, John Oh, and Kelvin Pang were and Taurian Co. Dance Team. featured in “Rocket,” in which the The November 21 show opened dancers were wearing white dress with an upbeat hip-hop routine as shirts giving the overall perforthe performers danced to “Prob- mance a charming feel. lem” by Ariana Grande. It was “I liked ‘Rocket’ the best because choreographed by Class of 2013 my friends and I were the ones alumnus Derrick Sy and featured who choreographed it. The songs, the Advanced and Intermediate ‘Cabaret’ and ‘Rocket,’ are rather inappropriate for a school setting, but through censorship and the opportunity of a dance concert, my friends and I were given the privilege of expressing our playfulness,” senior John Kim said.

Another dance was “Skin and Bones,” which was possibly the most memorable piece of the whole concert.

The piece featured sophomore Jonathan Estrada and several female ANDREW CHOI dancers.

Being Senior Danny Lee shows off his moves during the concert. the only male in

the piece, Estrada stole the limelight with his strong techniques and powerful facial expressions, making the dance that much more captivating.

Soloists of the show included seniors Rochelle Sun, Rowena Apo, Kimi Taira, and sophomore Jonathan Estrada dancing to “Adieu”

by Coeur De Pirate, “Lay Me Down”

by Sam Smith, “I See Fire” by Ed Sheeran, and “Raw and Awake” by Chris Garneau, respectively. Apo’s emotional performance was specifically dedicated to her late father, Redel Apo, making the piece to be incredibly touching.

After soloist Jonathan Estrada performed “Raw and Awake,” the DBHS Dance Company concluded the dance concert with an impressive hip-hop routine, titled “Up in Here.”

“My favorite part about [the] concert is being able to perform on a stage for an audience that is so encouraging and enthusiastic.

I am very proud to say I’m part of the Diamond Bar Dance Company.

It allows me to showcase my talents and interact with other people who share the same interest as me,” senior Dance Team Captain Rachel Mao said.

This dance concert was also the first under the new dance instructor, Kari Simonson.

“The dancers did amazingly well! A vast majority of the show was student choreographed and they have been preparing since September. I’m happy and proud they were able to share their artistry and talent with so many [people],” Simonson said.

12 NEWS

DECEMBER 10, 2014

THE BULL'S EYE

voices on Ferguson

Riots, looting, and arson struck Ferguson after the St. Louis County grand jury’s decision to not indict police officer Darren Wilson in the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

Presented with conflicting witness statements and three autopsy reports, the jury determined that there was no probable cause to file a charge against Wilson. The 12 jurors could have indicted the officer of five charges: from first degree murder to involuntary manslaughter.

Following the decision on Nov. 24, the city erupted with looted stores, gunfire and burning buildings; police officers responded with smoke bombs, pepper spray and tear gas. More than 30 local businesses suffered extensive damage, causing some to even close down, and the city experienced a sharp increase in gun sales. The protests were not limited to Ferguson, however, as supporters across the nation responded with peaceful protests, including the symbolic “hands-up” gesture.

The African American teenager was fatally shot on Aug. 9, after being stopped by Wilson, who was notified that two people had stolen cigars from a local convenience store earlier that morning. A surveillance video shows Brown stealing with his friend Dorian Johnson. When Wilson stopped Brown, the two had a brief altercation, with the officer staying in the car and Brown remaining outside. During the struggle, two shots were fired and Brown ran away from the car, prompting Wilson to chase after him.

According to Wilson’s testimony, when Brown turned around and began to charge toward him, the officer shot several times, fatally wounding the teenager. According to the autopsy report, Brown was shot six times, including a shot to the head.

The unresolved dispute is whether Brown raised his hands to surrender when approaching Wilson, or simply charged at the officer to harm him. Some witnesses asserted that Brown did raise his hands, while others maintained that the teenager did not raise his hands, or raised them momentarily.

After the trial, Wilson resigned on Nov. 29, after he was notified that the police determined threats of violence if he remained an officer.

Days after the resignation, the violent unrest in Ferguson has quieted down, and night arrests have ceased since the beginning of December.

Police officers and the National Guard have also returned to their original patrols.

gabby maloney

gloria leE

“I think the riots are accomplishing a lot. For one thing the people who are against the riots say ‘Oh what would Martin Luther King Jr. say’ but the thing is that MLKJ also said riots are the language of the voiceless. So in my opinion riots are accomplishing much more than just sitting and writing petition speeches. There is violence but there’s violence with all civil action.”

Marisa Umeh

“I feel like their anger could be channeled in a more productive way. To be honest, I feel like [Wilson] is guilty, but he says he feels as though he’s being attacked.

And with Mike Brown, people don’t want to admit it, but he could have been more cooperative. Not saying that he deserved to die, but it could have been handled in a better way.”

saakib akbany

“The idea is you have normal people who think that black people are more likely to commit crimes, even though statistics prove that white people are statistically more likely to commit those same crimes.

It’s a mentality issue. And by going and looting and destroying property and homes in your own community it’s not helping their cause.“

“[The riots] are more of a race issue than anything else. I think the riots are a way of the people showing that this is a real, ongoing issue. It’s not about this case specifically. African Americans have been discriminated against for a very long time and these people are just taking action against that.”

sabrina may jun park

“The Ferguson riots perpetuate ignorance, hatred and hate crime. I think it’s the worst way to deal with an atrocity. You can’t fight fire with fire, it doesn’t get anything done.

Before launching outside attacks they should start looking at themselves instead of looking to others to put there hatred or anger against.”

“I think that there was a lot of stuff that people aren’t listening to, like the fact that he actually did rob... [Brown] knew that he was in trouble and he kept trying to fight the cop. And the cop was in fear for his life. People aren’t paying enough attention to the actual facts.”

SPORTS

THE BULL'S EYE

DECEMBER 10, 2014

Advantage in the paint GIRLS BASKETBALL The Lady Brahmas finish in third place at the Wilson Tournament. eric hong asst. editorial editor This year’s girls varsity basketball team may be younger than ever, but the Lady Brahmas have high expectations for the new season. With some championship JV players and returning multipleyear varsity players, the team is aiming for a league title in the Palomares League, which will definitely be a greater challenge than what it has faced in the previous league.

League play will start on Jan. 9, and the opposing teams include Glendora, Claremont, Bonita, South Hills, and Ayala High School.

Despite having a less experi-

enced team, the Lady Brahmas have been improving under captains junior Destinee Garr, senior Molly McCabe, senior Marissa Quon, and assistant varsity coach Erica Younge.

Under Younge, who has been dealing with the conditioning drill and the individual players’ skills, the team’s average points per game increased to about 50, compared to last year’s score of 33. With junior Kayla Rice, Garr, and freshman Jessica Barrera standing in the paint, rebounding has also increased, according to Head Coach Tony McCabe. The team currently has an overall record of 2-4.

The Lady Brahmas placed third out of 16 teams in the Wilson tournament, which took place Nov. 2529. They beat El Monte and Walnut 51-25 and 50-40, respectively, and lost to Colony and Ayala 54-52 and 54-48 respectively. On their great performance, sophomore Juliana Gamboa and Garr were selected into the All-Tournament team.

“I think the Palomares League is

SPORTS COLUMN

Don’t blame it on the NFL james kil asst. sports editor

M

ANDREW CHOI

Junior Destinee Garr was selected to the All-Tournament team for DB. pretty solid; all of the teams seem to be pretty evenly matched up.

Ladies conquer State

ANDREW CHOI

The Diamond Bar girls golf team, which consists of freshman Crystal Wang, junior Kaitleen Shee, seniors Joan Park and Bethany Wu, sophomore Josephine Chang, and senior Rachel Chung, defeated Torrey Pines for the State Championship.

Every game is going to be difficult, but I think we have what it takes to win. It’s tougher than it has ever been but I think the results during league will be worth it. Our goal is to be league champs. To achieve this, we have really tightened up our practices and have played in some really big time tournaments,” Molly McCabe said in a Facebook message.

However, being a young team composed mainly of sophomores and juniors also means more mistakes are to be expected, and the turnovers have increased about a third.

Granted, the Lady Brahmas have been going against some of the toughest opposed in the state.

Their chances at being on top in the league is going to be a challenge, but they look forward to proving people wrong.

“We are going to keep moving ahead; win-lose, doesn’t matter.

We are young, but we are ready for this. We have great leadership in our three captains and Coach Younge, and they’re keeping everyone’s head up,” Coach McCabe said.

Experienced core to lead DB GIRLS SOCCER The Lady Brahmas are still undefeated for the season after winning the San Dimas Tournament. bernard chen asst. news editor Despite entering a new league this year, the Diamond Bar High School girls soccer team has high hopes for the new look season and is already practicing rigorously for the tough competition ahead.

“They moved us into a new league, [the Palomares league], which is going to be a little tougher for us, and then also a higher division in CIF as well. But we’re expecting to still do well, but it should be more challenging for us,” head coach Matt Brummett said.

In fact, Brummett believes that this year’s team has the capability to do well enough to qualify for the CIF playoffs because of many experienced players on the team.

Last week, the Lady Brahmas finished in first place at the San Dimas Tournament. So far this season, they have a undefeated record of 5-0.

This year, Brummett expects several of the players on the team to stand out, specifically the four captains, seniors Marissa Favela, Mia Truggerro, Helena Kisor, and junior Sabrina May. He also

expects the goalkeepers, freshman Samantha Blazek, sophomore Victoria Krantz, and junior Stevie Eide, to do well. Specifically, Favela is a skilled attacking player while Truggerro is a solid all-around player.

“I’m really excited for this season. We have a lot of returning starters and some good new players, so it should be a very successful season for us,” Kisor, said over Facebook.

Last year, the team had an overall record of 18-5-3 and a league record of 9-2-1. Although they made CIF, they were eliminated during the quarter finals.

“If you can find the consistency in your players, you can meet your expectations. And all of them are very competitive and all of them want to win and play well, and I just expect that to remain consistent… [as well as for the players] to do their absolute best,” Brummett said.

To do this, the team needs to create chemistry between the new players and the veterans. Although the girls soccer team does have many experienced players, incoming players will have to get used to the level.

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ANDREW CHOI

Senior Angie Puerta and her teammates are excited for the upcoming season.

“We might be at a disadvantage because we aren’t familiar with the competition like we’ve been in the past, but after a few games, I’m confident we can adjust accordingly,” May said via Facebook.

Preparing for the upcoming

season, the team trains every day, strengthening its offense, defense, counterattacking strategy and more. Furthermore, the team trains with Albert Lim, the strength training coach, at least once a week to prevent injuries.

ore than a year has passed since the concussion lawsuit was filed against the NFL, but a recent hearing restarted the controversy of whether the league is responsible for compensating former athletes that developed head injuries.

The NFL should not be spending money on players who blame the league for their illness, especially when football is one of the most dangerous sports in America.

Former players have accused the league of improper handling of concussions and demanded money for concussion-related injuries. In July 2014, Judge Anita B. Brody granted preliminary approval to the deal that compensates the players for concussion related damages. This was only approved because NFL agreed to remove the $675 million cap on damages.

“A class action settlement that offers prompt relief is superior to the likely alternative-years of expensive, difficult, and uncertain

litigation, with no assurance of recovery, while retired players’ physical and mental conditions continue to deteriorate,” Brody wrote.

On Nov.19, Brody held a fairness hearing and will likely be announcing her final decision on the settlement next year. Because the final decision will be close, no matter which side she chooses to side with, the other will file an appeal. The biggest argument that the plaintiffs are making is that the settlement would only allow players who were diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy before July 2014 would receive the money.

All football athletes should have known the dangers of playing in such a rough sport. It does not take a doctor to determine that running into someone at full speed is detrimental to the brain. According to the Associated Press, the NFL is being sued for rushing injured players back on the field after serious blows and collisions. These players fail to realize that they are responsible for what they do with their own body and could have resisted coming back onto the field. Also, the NFL cannot make it two-hand touch football because part of the reason why fans watch is so that they can watch tackles.

Since it was more dangerous playing in the past because of the lack of rules on concussions, some may argue that it is the responsibility of the league to take care of those players that have developed Alzheimer’s, Dementia, CTE, or other illnesses. It was not until 1994 that the NFL decided to create the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee in order to analyze the effects of concussions and to help set rules and regulations to avoid them. Because the committee did not have any knowledge that these concussions would lead to these illnesses, the NFL should not be held responsible.

Although it is unfortunate that afflicted athletes have suffered with these illnesses, it is not the responsibility of the NFL to help them. It makes no sense to demand for more money after already receiving millions from the league.

14 SPORTS

Guarding the league crown

the

Reigning champions of the Hacienda League for three consecutive years, the Diamond Bar High School varsity boys soccer team, led by Coach Kemp Wells, is determined to reclaim its title in the Palomares League.

“We had a strong team last year and we returned a huge chunk of the core of our team including most of the offense,” Wells said.

The Brahmas have already started their season with one loss against La Serna High and two wins against Wilson High and Rancho Alamitos High.

“I actually think our league last year was stronger than the league we’ll be in this year, but we still can’t take it for granted. Before we go into a game assuming that we’re going to win easily, that’s when we’re going to lose,” Wells said.

Parking Spot

sports talk with joseph park

Gamers are now considered professional athletes?

BOYS SOCCER The Brahmas are determined to finish better this year after reaching the quarterfinals of CIF last year. nadia lee staff writer

DECEMBER 10, 2014

THE BULL'S EYE

With the season rapidly approaching, the team will face opponents they have easily beaten last year. Its only concern is Claremont High, who has won CIF a few years ago.

“I don’t know what to expect in the new league, but we’ve beaten teams where we were considered the underdogs, so I’m sure we can handle whatever obstacles come our way,” senior varsity captain Guy Horcasitas said.

Despite the 2-1 loss in the quarter finals in the 2013 CIF against Baldwin Park High. Wells is determined that the Brahmas will do better in CIF playoffs this year.

“One goal can completely decide a game whereas it’s the lowest scoring sport in all of high school.

So one game where we just aren’t completely on and lose by a single goal can knock us out,” Wells said.

The team’s next match is on Dec. 11 against Ontario on the Brahma’s home field at 3:15 p.m.

ANDREW CHOI

Senior Nico Di Donato dribbles past the Rancho Alamitos defenders.

Photo courtesy of GAMESOFTASTE.BLOGSPOT.COM

joseph park editor-in-chief

C

omputer games are getting big. Their growing popularity and ubiquitous nature is causing a strange problem in the sports world: electronic gaming is becoming a professional sport and video gamers are becoming professional athletes. Stop it.

The U.S. government made “League of Legends” a legitimate sport, “League of Legends” is bound to be a sport in the next Olympics and Illinois College made “League of Legends” a varsity sport. That’s ridiculous America.

Because of the everlasting, unanswered controversy over what exactly makes a sport a sport, I’d like to offer my opinions on the parameters that should be set for an activity to be established as a sport.

It’s highly understandable from a business aspect why America and the world are supporting making electronic games a professional sport. The U.S government recognized “League of Legends” players as professional athletes as a way to grant international play-

ers visas. The recent 2014 “League of Legends” World Championship attracted 27 million views, topping the 23.5 million who viewed Game 7 World Series match between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals and 18 million who watched the NBA Finals match between the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat. Those are big numbers. But big numbers don’t define a sport.

A sport needs physical activity, nothing more, nothing less. Since when has it become so pathetic that popularity and money establishes an activity that requires sitting down and moving fingers as a sport? If knitting ever did become as popular as “League of Legends,” then would that be a sport too? Having an e in front of sports (e-sports, electronic sports) doesn’t suffice in making video games a sport. If so, you can make the argument that Taylor Swift is an athlete, a musical athlete.

You need to move your body to be considered an athlete, not your fingers and brain particles.

There’s a difference between a competitive activity and a sport.

There’s nothing wrong with call-

Ashley Bell

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

evon hung asst. web editor Extracurricular activities and good grades aren’t all that senior Ashley Bell excels in. She’s also a stellar year-round athlete of four sports: cross country in the fall, varsity soccer in the winter, varsity track and field in the spring, and softball in her free time. And that’s not all.

The quad-athlete is also heavily involved with playing piano. Having studied the instrument for ten years, she recently co-founded her church’s Christian Center’s Youth Worship team, Surge, in which she plays as the lead pianist. Moreover, Bell’s other talents include composing music, playing the guitar, and being the scorekeeper at the pony fields for the Diamond Bar Pony Baseball League during the Spring. Though she is very active in her extracurricular activities, Bell stresses her priorities and emphasizes the importance of timemanagement in her life. “[Managing my schedule] is very hard. Obviously, academics comes first. Making sure I’m up to date with everything and having an organized system of what times I have to be [places] has really helped me keep everything together and stay

sound,” the senior said.

Her love of the multiple sports she plays stemmed from her father’s encouragement. At the age of nine, Bell’s initial favorite sport was softball. For five years, she committed to the sport, but later got bored and began to focus on soccer. The athlete is currently in her fourth year of varsity for both soccer and track and field, in her third year of cross country and has been the captain of track and field since 10th grade.

“I like soccer for a team sport, and cross country and track and field as individual sports. So if I don’t do well, it only falls on me. I feel like I have more responsibility in track and field and cross country.” Bell said.

In her high school career, Bell has gone to the Hacienda League Championships her freshman and sophomore years, been a CIF quarter finalist, and received the titles “All-Academic First Team” and “First Team Honorable Mention” in her junior year. For track, she was also a CIF 4x100 finalist, breaking the school’s record for the girls varsity team in 4x100 relays during her 9th and 10th grade, and placed third in the Hacienda League 100m.

Of these achievements, Bell finds the Hacienda League most memorable.

“For Hacienda League, we’d gotten League Champion [my] freshman year and then sophomore year, we came back with an undefeated record, which was awesome!

Going to CIF all three years and making it past finals was definitely a fun experience,” Bell said.

The multiple titles aren’t the only accomplishments that Bell has achieved. Through sports, the soccer standout has also learned to grow as a player as well as a person. “[Soccer] definitely helped my people skills. Before, I would never really like to work in groups of other people. Then through soccer, I’ve learned to communicate better and it really helped my character,” Bell said.

Being on the field is a stressreliever and fun experience for Bell, but it also comes with hardships. Since she was young, Bell has struggled with bad asthma and was born with smaller lungs than the average person. Any exercise is difficult for the hard-working athlete, but she continues to strive to improve.

In the future, Bell’s dream job is to play for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team, but she also wants to work as a researcher in the field of environmental science.

ing someone a professional chess player and professional gamer but naming them professional athletes is stretching it too far and rather insulting to professional athletes themselves.

Even as a high school student, I find it quite offensive to categorize true professional athletes with outof-shape boys who sit down and play computer games. The label of a professional sport or athlete isn’t a title to be freely handed out to any activity that generates large amount of revenue. It’s a title for the few who were involved in physical exertion and made it to the top percent in their respective sport.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of “League of Legends” and the whole LCS playoffs competition.

It’s fantastic but it doesn’t meet the criteria to be a part of the sports world. These “League of Legends” pro players are undoubtedly talented individuals with their crafty hands and intelligent minds. But the problem here is that it’s not enough, or rather preposterous, to label them professional athletes.

It’s blasphemous and insulting to the sports world and all its inhabitants.

SPORTS

THE BULL'S EYE

DECEMBER 10, 2014

Playing in their dreams courtesy of NAUATHLETICS.COM BRIAN DRULIAS

15

courtesy of USCTROJANS.COM GEORGE KATRIB

Diamond Bar’s Class of 2012 graduates and football players Brian Drulias and George Katrib had the opportunity to play their favorite sport at the next level. andrew choi sports editor Many high school athletes dream of playing in college, but only a small percentage of players, though, are able to achieve that goal. In 2012, the Diamond Bar football team sent kicker Brian Drulias and wide receiver George Katrib to Northern Arizona University and USC, respectively, as walk-ons.

When Drulias was in high school, he was one of the best kickers of the area. The kicker was named All-Hacienda League in 2010 and 2011 and All-San Gabriel Valley at punter in 2011. He averaged 52 yards per punt and scored 97 points in his senior year. His longest field goal at DBHS was 48 yards. In 2010, Drulias experienced a moment he would never forget. He kicked the game winning field goal against Chino High School as a sophomore.

However, as his high school career neared its end, Drulias knew he had to work even harder just to get playing time.

“The main difference between the competition level between high school and college is that every person who plays college football was once the best player on his high school team. One challenge that I

had to overcome at NAU was that I had to come to the realization that I wasn’t the number one kicker anymore like in high school. I had to work my way up and pay my dues in order to be able to play for this team,” Drulias said via email.

In the beginning of the 2014 season, Drulias, who is currently a redshirt sophomore, was given the opportunity to kick the opening kickoff of the season against San Diego State in Qualcomm Stadium.

“It was one of my greatest moments on the field while playing for NAU,” Drulias commented via email.

Katrib had a high school career filled with achievements. In 2011, the former Brahma made the AllCIF Southeast Division First team, All-San Gabriel Valley First team and All-Hacienda League first team as a wide receiver and defensive back. In 2010, the wide receiver had 63 receptions for 984 yards and eleven touchdowns and 67 tackles and five interceptions on defense.

In his senior year, Katrib had 58 receptions for 931 yards and 11 touchdowns while also having 93 tackles and three sacks on defense.

“I love it here at USC. It was the best decision I have made. I made a lot of new friends and this is such a great opportunity,” Katrib replied

courtesy of ESPN.COM

George Katrib received a football scholarship prior to his junior year because of his stellar play in Spring football. when he was asked on his experience of being a Trojan.

When Katrib walked-on at USC, he knew it was going to be tough since the Trojans were known for receiving many talented recruits from all over the nation.

“Going in as walk-on was a challenge. The players were bigger and stronger. I had a chip on my shoulder just to prove that I was good enough to be on the team. It was challenging at first competing with them, but it helped me get a lot better as a player,” Katrib said.

In 2013, Katrib mainly contributed to the special teams, but had 11 tackles by the end of the season.

Prior to the season, the Trojan received news that many high school athletes dream of. He was offered a football scholarship by USC

Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, head coach of USC. Katrib is no longer a walk-on and is now a collegiate athlete playing on a scholarship.

“After Spring football ended, Coach Sark called me in his office and told me personally that I received a scholarship. I was excited and speechless because I knew my hard work finally paid off. It was such a great moment when Coach Sark announced the news to the whole team,” Katrib stated.

Unlike many other collegiate athletes, Katrib had to deal with a lot of coaching changes. Last year, the USC Trojans had four head coaches.

“We were a good experienced team that went through a lot of adversity. The team definitely got closer as a unit and it helped us in

the future. All the guys that were on the team were really close,” Katrib said.

Both Drulias and Katrib are the epitomes of high school athletes achieving their dream of playing in college. When both were asked if they had any advice for future Brahmas trying to play on the collegiate level, both offered the same motif of never giving up.

“Work hard and keep your options open. Just because one window closes, it doesn’t mean another one can’t open for you,” Drulias commented.

“It’s the best never to give up.

Always believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else would. Opportunities will come and seize the chance,” Katrib said.

Picking up from last year

WRESTLING Six returning CIF-SS wrestlers plans to lead the Brahmas into the new Palomares League. james kil asst. sports editor After going 4-1 in the Hacienda league last year, with just a loss to Rowland High School, the Diamond Bar’s varsity boys wrestling team is motivated to claim the league title in the Palomares League this season. Last week, DB competed in the Carter Tournament where they finished in 11th place.

“Overall good year but did not finish as strong in CIF. They have a lot more potential than what they showed, but we [finished] fourth in CIF, which is the best in the area,” coach Donny Palmer Sr. said.

With six returning CIF-SS players who have placed higher in the CIF playoff last year, seniors Donny Palmer Jr., Jesse Dicken, Derrick Moss, Jeffrey Lin, and juniors Leighlan Corpus, and Ian Campbell, the team will have an advantage against the other teams in the league in experience.

Moss and Palmer Jr. will be essential to the team, considering the fact that they have both gained the 30-win club title, a title giving to wrestlers who win 30 matches in one season. Palmer Jr., who wrestled at the Junior Nationals

last year, will be going for his third consecutive 30-win club this season.

“I think it is going pretty good. I broke a lot of records and the team broke a lot of recrods the past two years. We placed top five in CIF for the past three years and got somebody to state every year,” Palmer Jr. said.

Although DB has many returning players, the varsity team has some empty spots in a couple weight classes it needs to fill.

These empty spots will need to be covered before the league starts to prevent forfeits.

To succeed last year, coach Palmer will be pushing his wrestlers to their limit on the weekdays and sometimes even on the weekends. Typically, the team practices drills for an hour to 90 minutes at the beginning of each practice. After, they will wrestle with a partner for 90 minutes and finish practice with conditioning workouts for a 30 minutes. “[I want to get them] mentally and physically ready and also help them learn the techniques and strategies. We will also train them as hard as we can,” Palmer said.

Last year, for the first time ever, DB sent former senior KeAndre

ANDREW CHOI

SENIOR CALEB LIM practices his wrestling move on his teammate before competing in the Carter Tournament.

Johnson to the National High School Coaches Association Senior Nationals after he placed within the top 12 in State.

In the Carter Tournament that took place last week, the Brah-

mas took 11th place out of over 60 teams. Dickens, Moss, Campbell, and junior Ryan Melendez were the only four that placed in the tournament from DB. Dickens finished in seventh, Moss and Campbell sixth,

and Melendez in fourth.

Today, the Brahmas will be having their first league game against Walnut at home. This weekend, DB will also be competing in the Mater Dei Tournament.

16 SPORTS

DECEMBER 10, 2014

THE BULL'S EYE

SPORTS Transfers bring experience

BOYS BASKETBALL The four incoming basketball players bring added depth and talent to this year’s new-look Diamond Bar basketball team. andrew choi sports editor The Diamond Bar basketball team appears stronger, faster, and more athletic compared to DB teams in recent history due to the additions of four transfers. After a third place showing in the Bosco Tech tournament, the Brahmas have an overall record of 3-1

Since the start of the preseason, the Brahmas have shown areas of weaknesses they will have to improve upon before the Palomeres League play starts.

“There are a lot of things that need to be cleaned up. It’s early in the season so we got some room and time to clean up. We have some lapses on the defensive end. Also, our guys need to be more comfort-

ANDREW CHOI

Junior Evon Shubin reaches over the Matadors for an offensive rebound.

able with the ball,” head coach Henry Frierson said.

The team, which consists of eight players from last year’s, is deep with dynamic players capable of bringing an offensive spark off the bench.

“We are a deep team. It’s a coach’s best nightmare because it’s tough to get the guys in and a lot of these guys deserve playing time,” Frierson commented.

During the offseason, the Brahmas received four transfers who bring new styles to the program.

Senior co-captain Tyler Ginyard, a transfer from Damien High School and known for his craftiness with the ball, will be the in charge of handling the point guard’s duties and leading the offense and defense. Another transfer is senior Brandon Rice from Servite. The 6’5 center, with a wide array of flashy post moves, gives the Brahmas an intimidating presence in the paint. Junior guard Lamar Johnson brings his lights-out shooting ability from Upland High School.

The youngest of all the transfers is sophomore Malik Corey. Corey, a transfer from Diamond Ranch, brings his quickness and youth to the program.

“All the transfers bring something different and all of them have played a lot basketball. The biggest credit to them is how they were able to gel with the rest of the team. Building chemistry is usually tough for transfers and their new teammates. However, in addition, their ball skill is definitely

ANDREW CHOI

Senior Collins Yeboah-Afari makes a tough and-one against the Matadors. something they bring to the team,” Frierson stated.

Last year, the Brahmas finished in the second place in the Hacienda League. However, this year will be a lot tougher to reach that mark because the team has to face pow-

erhouse teams like Glendora and Claremont twice this season.

“The goal, every year, is to win league and it’s nothing different this year. We are going to be working towards that this year,” Frierson said.

A new challenge ahead ANDREW CHOI

Freshman Hannah Murray and the rest of the Lady Brahmas practiced in the pouring rain for the upcoming season.

GIRLS WATER POLO The Lady Brahmas are ready to take on the challenge of playing the new sport at DB after spending the whole summer training. sasha rivera asst. editorial editor The girls water polo team has improved in technique and endurance since its first practices in June, as evident in its preparation for the start of its inaugural season. With upcoming games and tournaments in December, the novice team has much work ahead of it.

Currently, the team is focused on improving its fundamental skills and gaining more experience with

the sport. According to Alexander Matal, the head coach for the girls and boys water polo teams, the girls played in over 30 games over the summer to help the team familiarize itself with the sport.

The team practices Monday through Friday for three hours each day during the school year.

The practice routine focuses on building endurance, treading and passing abilities, and fundamental defense skills, along with strength and weight training three times a

week.

“The team’s definition of success is that each student-athlete unselfishly works hard every day for the benefit of the team,” Matal said.

To further its success, the team is participating in competitions that will take place in December, the Los Altos Novice and Varsity tournaments. On Dec. 19 and 20, it will also be hosting and participating in its first annual Lady Brahmas Frosh-Soph Tournament.

“For this upcoming season, we

will focus on becoming better from the previous day and playing at a higher level from the previous game,” Matal stated.

Overall, there is a positive outlook toward the upcoming season, with the coaching staff aiming toward laying the foundation for a solid girls water polo program in the future. Although the team captains have not yet been named, Matal pointed out several studentathletes to watch this season, including freshman Sophia Ramos, who has the most experience out of all the members due to her previous participation in the Seadevils Water Polo Club, as well as senior

Lina Soloman.

“I am looking forward to a good season, even though we just started. We’re going to try hard,” Soloman said.

The team’s first official game will take place next Monday against Pomona Catholic. The Lady Brahmas previously played against PC during the Nogales Summer League and lost, but Matal commented that the girls have improved since then and expect to be more competitive this time around. An approaching game will be against Alhambra on Dec. 15 at 3:15 p.m., with another upcoming game at home against Bolsa Grande on Dec. 18 at 3:30 p.m.