ALUMNI: JENNY TING
opinion 4
Past Athletic
feature 6
a&e 10
the bull’s eye •
OPINION
•
F E AT U RE
•
PRINCIPAL
STUDENT POLL
Vaccination
NEWS
OF VICE
OSCARS
TERRY
A View on
LIFE
inside the issue
sports 15
FEBRUARY 25, 2015 Volume XXXIII, Issue VI ONLINE at dbbullseye.com
ART S & E N TE RTA I N ME N T
•
S P O RT S
Creating change around campus Four APES classes will be implementing projects focused on DBHS environmental issues. bernard chen asst. news editor This year, the four AP Environmental Science classes at Diamond Bar High School will be xeriscaping, building solar carports, holding a T-shirt recycling drive, and reducing paper usage, as part of projects APES classes plan each year. The project, which is part of each students’ grade, is planned and completed by classes themselves. Every class elects a president who then assigns various other positions and leaders. Xeriscaping is the focus of teacher David Hong’s third period class. Nicknamed Xeri, the project promotes replacing nonnative plants, such as grass and turf, with indigenous species native to our area. The class will be attempting to convert grassy areas on the DBHS campus to areas with succulents and other more drought-resistant plants. The inspiration for the project came from a brief mention of it in the APES textbook. The Metropolitan Water District is also giving a rebate on removing grass to promote water conservation, so it was the most financially realistic idea for the class. “[Other ideas] just seemed like they would be way too expensive or impractical, and this definitely seemed like one of the most practical ones, while also covering the issue of water conversation, which is so important, especially because we’re in a drought,” senior Ruben Reyes Jr., the project’s president, said. The project team has spoken with Principal Catherine Real and is waiting to hear back from the school district to see whether the project is approved. Xeri also has a website, on which the class plans to release educational materials. For example, the team might upload a story book which can be brought to elementary schools in an effort to educate the youth on water conservation. Reyes hopes to have some of the project’s xeriscaping done on campus by May, when he and other students of the class graduate. Meanwhile, Greg Valor’s period four APES class plans on implementing stations in DBHS’
˃˃ APES on p.2
A look into the growing popularity of e-cigarettes with Diamond Bar students. See pages 8 and 9.
Scholastic stars shine in art, writing Seven Brahmas receive awards in a national art and writing competition. frances wu asst. news editor
ANDREW CHOI
The members showed their skills at the recent Performing Arts Rally after taking first place at two competitions within the last month.
Color Guard holds dominance
Just a few weeks into its competition season, Color Guard already has several successes under its belt. calvin ru staff writer Spinning flags and tossing rifles and sabers up in the air, members of Diamond Bar High School’s color guard put up a spectacular show at the Bakersfield Regional Competition on February 2 held by Winter Guard International. The team
outshined their opponents and earned top marks from the judges, placing first with a score of 67.560. The scoring rubric was based on four categories: vocabulary, design, general effect, and execution. Vocabulary is the choreography of the performance and is tied in with the design; the coaches helped the performers create the theme and routines that would accompany it. General effect judges how hyped the audience was during the performance, and execution is based on how well the choreography was
˃˃ FLAGS on p.2
It’s no secret that many students at Diamond Bar High School have talent, and recently, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards proved this once again by recognizing seven Brahmas for their submissions in the annual contest. Writers Brian Chang, Irene Chang, Gaby Dinh, and Frances Song and artists Joseph Chang, Eunice Chung, and Connie Mach received various awards for their entries in several different categories. There are three levels of regional recognition: Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention. With her personal essay, titled “9 Words Irrational, 1 Word Sane,” Gaby Dinh was awarded a Gold Key while Frances Song, Brian Chang, and Irene Chang all received honorable mention: Song for her personal essay, “Home, as Told through the Five Senses,” Chang for both his short story, titled “Snapshot,” and his critical essay, “Internet Aff,” and Chang for her short story, “Clair de Lune.” Meanwhile in the art category, three students received Silver Keys for their submitted works. Joseph
Chang received a Silver Key in the category, “Drawing and Illustration,” for his art entry, titled “Building Blocks of Life,” Eunice Chung was awarded for her paintings, “Largo” and “Vivace,” and Connie Mach for her paintings, “Track,” and “After the Rain.” Brian Chang, who entered in the contest and received honorable mention last year as well, was encouraged to submit his works by a summer school teacher. “Think about what you want to write in small chunks. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, thinking you have to finish your entire story in one sitting; spread it out so it’s easier to write,” he said via Facebook. The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards have been held annually since 1923, making it the longest running competition for teenagers in the United States. Today, over 90,000 students around the country in grades seven through 12 submit a total of over 185,000 works in 28 different art and writing categories each year. While regional awards have already been designated, works are still being considered for national awards. All works that receive Gold Keys are sent to New York City, where the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers hosts a panel of judges that selects entries that
˃˃ SCHOLASTIC on p.3