March 2017

INSIDE THE ISSUE

a&e 11

opinion 4

the bull’s eye NEWS

sports 16

feature 8

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OPINION

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FEATURE

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MARCH 22, 2017 VOLUME XXXV, ISSUE VII ONLINE AT DBBULLSEYE.COM

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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SPORTS

Low sales cancel Sadie Hawkins Students receive refunds after sales fail to cover costs of the annual gym dance.

HANNAH LEE NEWS EDITOR

2016 scores prompt change

HANNAH LEE

School plans to better prepare juniors for earlier SBAC. BRIAN CHANG NEWS EDITOR

As the end of the year looms and students begin preparing for Advanced Placement exams and finals, Diamond Bar High School administrators have been promoting a dif-

ferent test. Due to students having performed worse than expected on the SBAC last year, school officials have put new measures in place to improve student performance.

Administered by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, the computer-based assessment is composed of a math and an English section and is aligned with Common Core standards.

The test also helps collect data in thirteen states across the U.S. on the effectiveness of teaching

and the ability of students, and curricula at schools have changed in accordance with test results, such as the increased prevalence of nonfiction taught at DBHS. In past years, the test has been administered after spring break; this year it will be administered March 27-28 and April 3-4, before students go on break.

“We’ve [made the change] in order to create a gap for students who

SBAC ON P. 3

Though revived as an annual event just three years ago, the Sadie Hawkins dance has seemingly already lost its novelty at Diamond Bar High School.

After months of preparation and weeks of askings, this year’s Sadies has been cancelled.

To have gone through with the dance, 200 to 300 tickets needed to be sold to cover event expenses but only about 40 were sold to the dance scheduled for March 17, according to Activities Director Janna Van Horn.

The first year of its return, 500 to 600 tickets were sold, but sales began to decline with each following year, bringing in 200 sales last year and 40 this year, according to Van Horn.

“One of the major factors that contributed to the conflict was

Students AIME for the top

Team Sprocket rockets to success DBHS FRC Robotics team makes team history at the San Diego regional competition.

STUART KUSDONO ASST. OPINION EDITOR In one of its most successful tournaments in recent history, Diamond Bar High School’s 3473: Team Sprocket placed ninth out of 66 competing teams at the FIRST Robotics Regionals competition at San Diego, which took place early March.

In addition, Team Sprocket ranked second for Calculated Cumulative Win Margin, fifth for Offensive Power Rating and ninth for Defensive Power Rating—all record ranks in the team’s history.

“Being on the drive team as drive coach, the guy making the tactical

decisions, I was able to have a front row seat of my team's accomplishments, feeling all of the hype and emotion as I directed the other drive team members,” senior team captain Casey Chen said via Facebook.

Each team had to build a robot that could perform multiple tasks on a field, including putting gears on a peg and climbing a rope.

The event was held March 9-11 and was split into a qualification round and elimination round.

The qualification round consisted of 88 randomly assigned matches to determine the rankings of each team, the top eight of which moved on to the elimination round.

Each of the top eight selected two other teams to join them to form an alliance. Team Sprocket ended up losing in the quarterfinals to the overall winners of the tournament.

“Though we had been eliminated

SPROCKET ON P. 3

Photo courtesy of ANDREW GAO

From left to right, junior Nathan Tsai and seniors Casey Chen and Brian Song work on their robot at their San Diego Regional Competition.

probably the SAT on Saturday [March 18], and that’s a big impact for the juniors…also maybe students not knowing what a Sadies is, and USB could have promoted and advertised and promoted it more,” Van Horn said.

The vendors for the planned dance were able to provide USB with full refunds, leaving no net loss from the abrupt cancellation.

Students were also refunded for tickets they had already bought.

“I understand that students don’t necessarily see the benefit of spending money to go to dance in the gym, but at the end of the day it does cost extra money to have a DJ and extra lighting and those are all expenses,” Van Horn said.

As of now, there are no plans for rescheduling the dance, and whether Diamond Bar High School will continue holding Sadies is still in discussion by USB. Full refunds were given to students in the USB room.

“We want to provide activities that our students are excited about and that will create fun experiences, and it’s reflecting on what students want,” Van Horn said.

CALVIN RU

From left to right, junior Dora Varner and senior Martin Wang participate in the French language performance on campus for Open House on March 16.

Accomplishments of students on display

Students, teachers put on show for parents in classrooms and outside during Open House.

PAULINE VILLEGAS A&E EDITOR Last week, the Brahmas opened up their home to the families of past, current and future students to show off their hard work and accomplishments from the school year.

The night was filled with performances by foreign language classes, open rehearsals, competitions in STEM classes and concluded with a outdoor production protesting opponents of District of Choice.

Diamond Bar High School’s Open House began with a presentation

by Principal Reuben Jones in the gym, honoring the Magnificent

Thirteen Brahmas scored high enough on the AMC to move on to the national math exam.

CINDY LIU STAFF WRITER

Seven, the parent organizations that advocate for DBHS students and raise money for the school.

The Council of African American Parents was honored in particular for celebrating their 25th anniversary at DBHS. Ingrid Johnson, one of the original founders of the CAAP, was gifted with a plaque by Jones to thank her.

The night’s entertainment was courtesy of the various performances across campus. In the lower quad, drumline performed with stage design straight from competition season. Dance and drama both joined in on the action by holding open rehearsals for their upcoming events.

Dance was practicing for their National Competition and drama was preparing for the opening night of its spring musical “In The Heights,” written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Among a quarter million math students across the nation who took the American Mathematics Competition exam, thirteen Diamond Bar High School students scored among the top 10,000 students to move on to the American Invitational Mathematics Exam.

This second of a series of exams will ultimately determine six members to represent the U.S. in the International Mathematics Olympiad.

Seniors Benjamin Chen, Peyrin Kao, Sabrina Tseng, William He and Weiwen Hong; juniors Qinhong Chen, Rajvir Dua, Felix Su, Eric Peng, Matthew Ho and Darin Chang; and sophomores Daniel Huang and Timothy Yeh qualified for the AIME. High school students compete in either the AMC 10, which is for sophomores and below, or the AMC 12, which is for seniors and below.

The AMC is the first test students take to potentially qualify

OPEN HOUSE ON P. 3

AIME ON P. 3

2

NEWS

Journalists take home newspaper sweepstakes DBHS publication students win multiple awards at regional write-offs.

Photo courtesy of CATHERINE ZHANG

DBHS students from Journalism I and The Bull's Eye staff hold up their awards and trophies from the Eastern L.A. JEA write-offs on March 4. held with a presentation portion and a question-and-answer portion. News and editorial writers then wrote their stories.

Senior Stuart Kusdono placed fifth in editorial and sophomore Christina Liu placed 19th in novice news.

“I was especially proud that we won the Newspaper Sweepstakes..."

DOUG LIST Critical review was tasked with reviewing stand up comedian Johan Miranda’s performance.

Sophomore Amelie Lee and juniors Pauline Villegas and Hannah Lee placed fifth, third and sixth respectively. Feature wrote about a NBC Universal Page program member, Calvin Lam. The program helps members with

the staff Editors-in-Chief

Bernard Chen, Michelle Ki

News Editors Asst. News Editor

Brian Chang, Hannah Lee Angela Yang

Opinion Editor Asst. Opinion Editors

Eric Hong Stuart Kusdono, Noor Naji

Feature Editors Asst. Feature Editor

Taking students around the world A few DBHS teachers prepare to bring students on trips over spring break.

NOOR NAJI ASST. OPINION EDITOR

TED Yarmoski CONTRIBUTING WRITER Diamond Bar High School’s journalism students took home the first place trophy for Newspaper Sweepstakes from the Eastern Los Angeles County Journalism Education Association Regional write-offs, held at Schurr High School earlier this month.

The annual competition for student journalists, held on March 5, provided a number of different categories to compete in: critical review, news, novice news, feature, editorial, editorial cartoon, newspaper layout, photography and yearbook layout.

"I was especially proud that we won the Newspaper Sweepstakes for the second time in three years,” journalism adviser Doug List said. “It reflects the high quality of writing that can be found in every issue of The Bull's Eye.” Not only did the paper win third in Super Sweepstakes and fifth in Novice News Sweepstakes, but students also placed in many individual categories as well. Junior Brian Chang came in first place in news writing for the second year in a row, senior Bernard Chen placed first for newspaper layout and senior Michelle Ki won first in feature.

For news, novice news and editorial, a press conference was

MARCH 22, 2017

THE BULL'S EYE

Michelle Ki, Catherine Zhang Amelie Lee Emily Jacobsson, Pauline Villegas Amy Miyahara

A&E Editors Asst. A&E Editor

Ryan Chae, Emily Kim Sophia Kim

Sports Editors Asst. Sports Editor

Eric Hong, Calvin Ru

Photo Editors

Emily Jacobsson Tess Guan

Business Manager Asst. Business Manager Web Editors

Bernard Chen, Tess Guan

Staff Writers

Ingrid Chan, Cindy Liu

Advisor

Doug List

hands-on experience and a higher chance of being considered for a high-skill position at NBC. Sophomore Cindy Liu placed fifth and junior Catherine Zhang placed 10th.

Sports wrote about Danielle Lugo, a Schurr High School alumna who played Division I softball at Morgan State and now works for MLB. Junior Sophia Kim placed second, while junior Ryan Chae placed fourth and junior Emily Kim took sixth.

Yearbook was done in groups, rather than individually. Team one was made up of seniors Elena Deng and Claire Medina as well as juniors Jeremy Kim, and Shing Lin. They placed seventh for layout and eighth for copy. Team two consisted of seniors Joseline Chang and Jacolyn Yang in addition to juniors Tulasi Murthy and Sarah Lim. They placed 10th in layout and seventh in copy.

For photography, senior Eric Hong placed fifth, and senior Calvin Ru placed seventh.

While many Diamond Bar High school students have plans with family or friends over this spring break, others are planning to stay closer to their school classmates by going on school fieldtrips during the week-long break.

English teacher Julie Galindo and Spanish teacher Katie Swetnam plan to take nine students to London, Paris and Rome from April 8 to 16.

English teacher Shannon Kelly was originally scheduled to take the trip but because of an injury to her daughter, Swetnam will fill in.

This is the first time that either teacher will be taking students on a trip abroad.

According to Galindo, visiting Rome and London will help educate students, as much of the literature students study, such as many Shakespeare plays, take place in Italy and England.

They will be visiting multiple museums and places which are referenced in plays. Students also have free time every day, strictly in groups of three or four, so they can explore the city and go to areas not shown by the tour guide.

Although this is a DBHS-related trip, it is not associated with the Walnut Valley Unified School District.

The group will be using Educa-

tion First Tours, a traveling tour company specifically for high school students, which inspires the “learning by doing” type of education.

“I hope to introduce them to different cultures, customs, people and open up a world to them they haven’t experienced before. I think the more people travel, the more that they see the world, the more empathetic people become,” Galindo said.

History teacher Emily Clark and math teacher Latitia Thomas are also taking students to Europe this spring break.

They will be taking 36 Brahmas to Austria, Germany and Switzerland from April 7 to April 16.

Clark, also using EF Tours, is traveling with students for the sixth time. She has taken her students to various countries across Europe before such as Scotland, France, England and Italy.

“From a perspective of a European history teacher, this tour lines up really well with our curriculum. So, for the students who have taken my class in the past, or who are currently in it, it’s going to be much more meaningful for them,” Clark said.

For both trips, the tour company creates itineraries, including a walking tour of the inner part of the city that dates back to the medieval period as well as a bus tour of the modern city.

“I hope students gain a better international understanding and appreciation for different cultures and different ways of doing things.

Travel, more than anything else, is very eye-opening. And you not only learn about the world, but also about yourself,” Clark said.

Service clubs host charity gala to showcase student talent Interact and Unicef hosted a performance-filled event to raise money for people in Mali.

CALVIN RU PHOTO EDITOR With an array of performances and an attendance of 258 people, the Interact and UNICEF organizations on campus collaborated to present “Starry Nights,” the third annual Intercef Charity Gala held last Friday at the Rowland Heights Community Center.

The goal of the gala was to attract sponsors and raise money for the Water for Mali charitable foundation, which supports providing

sustainable clean water for the West African nation. The sponsorship team, led by senior Claire Medina, aimed to promote organizations to donate funds towards the event.

“While researching the program, I read that UNICEF is a part of [Water for Mali] teaching force. So when the planning season for the gala came around, we thought it'd be a cool idea to direct all of the profit to this cause,” senior Nicole Kim said, who is also co-president of the Interact club.

The charity gala raised $9075 from sponsorships, admission tickets, and chocolate fundraisers. After subtracting the costs of the gala itself, the remaining profit totaled to $5004 and was donated to the Water for Mali foundation.

The event itself featured two photo booths, a calligraphy sta-

tion staffed by seniors Ashley Hong and Kirsty Choi, and a gallery featuring artworks from various high schools. The gala also provided a Japanese-style dinner.

The performances that spanned throughout the event ranged from choreographed routines by All Male Alumni and senior Brandy Baker to an impromptu comedy skit performed by Rowland High School’s Comedy Sportz League.

Among the performers were senior Eden Chen and junior Jade Chen playing the piano and singers Jodie Lu, Claire Medina (seniors), Stephanie Tang, Myra Mayr, and Kaitlyn Lee (juniors).

“We're always looking for ways to bring new content to our gala so that the annual event is something that everyone can look forward to,” Kim said.

contact us Diamond Bar High School, Room 563 21400 Pathfinder Road Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Phone: (909) 594-1405 x33563 Email: eye.editors@gmail.com Business Inquiries: thebullseyebusiness@gmail.com

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

CALVIN RU

From left to right, seniors Michael Xu, Claire Medina and Aaron He perform "Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake at the gala.

NEWS

THE BULL'S EYE

MARCH 22, 2017

Pushing for more participation in SBAC

NEWS IN THE

SBAC FROM P. 1

MAINE

A lawsuit potentially resulting in the loss of $10 million for the defendants was turned on something even smaller than a dime: a comma. Truck drivers in Maine sued Oakhurst Dairy, asking for millions of dollars in overtime pay.

The law states that for every hour worked over 40, workers must be paid at 1.5 times their normal rate; however, numerous exceptions are made. The law does not apply to “the canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of” certain foods, including perishables that the drivers transported.

The truck drivers argued that the law was uncertain as to whether it intended to exempt the shipment or simply the packing of certain foods. An appeals court sided with the drivers, overturning a ruling from a lower court made in 2014.

The case mirrors one from 2006, where two Canadian companies battled over $1 million as a result of an unclear clause in their contract.

3

FRANCE

A French student who reportedly was having trouble integrating into his new high school opened fire on his classmates, wounding the school principal and 13 others. Student Killian Barbey, armed with a rifle, several pistols and a small grenade, shot three students at the Alexis de Tocqueville school in Grasse on March 16. Several others discovered shrapnel in their bodies after.

As of now, French police have not discovered links to any terror groups, though president Francois Hollande said that the shooting “justifies the state of emergency,” which will remain in place until July 15.

UNITED STATES

In his first budget proposal as president, Donald Trump proposed eliminating both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Created by president Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, the combined endowments only equal $300 million, a small portion of the $1.1

trillion budget, and provide major grants and award honors to artists, musicians and writers.

While nothing will change immediately since Congress has yet to approve the plan, the Republicans, who have proposed closing the endowments in the past, are poised to close the agencies due to their control in both houses.

TURKEY

In the midst of a diplomatic conflict between Turkey and other European countries, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to end a deal with the European Union on readmitting illegal migrants.

The deal forces Turkey to readmit migrants who had entered traveled through it to Greece in return for allowing Turkish citizens to travel to many EU countries without a visa. The deal was renewed last year, when Turkey received funds to help deal the refugees.

Erdogan’s comments come on the back of Germany and the Netherlands barring Turkish ministers from attending campaign rallies held in their countries.

are concentrating on AP tests, and we were mindful of that because we wanted to make sure that the students could participate in this test, do their best on it and not have any anxiety or stress about time away from class,” said DBHS Instructional Dean Gabriel Aguilar.

In addition, school officials held an informational meeting for parents in the gym on March 6, where they discussed the structure and schedule of the test. Junior teachers have also been provided with test guides to prepare students for the exam, and classes will be taking practice exams in the weeks leading up to the test.

This new emphasis comes on the back of disappointing results earned by current seniors who took the exam last year.

Results from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress website show that 31 percent of DBHS juniors failed to meet state standards in English last year, up from 25 percent in 2015. In math, the number of students failing to meet state standards was 29 percent, up from 28 percent in 2015. In addition, about 100 students, of 729 enrolled in the class, decided to opt out.

“We’re being a more deliberate in making sure that all of our

juniors have an opportunity to take the practice tests in order to feel comfortable for what the testing is going to be like,” Aguilar said. “It’s really critical that all the students are performing because that gives an accurate picture of the type of performance and program that the school offers.”

Students have the option of declining to participate in the SBAC testing, though the school must have a 95 percent participation rate in order to comply with state standards. Aguilar says that students are often misinformed about the purpose of the test and that he school has tried to rectify this.

“We want to see the focus on the importance of the test, because we feel that there’s been misunderstandings about the assessment and people not really understanding why these tests are important,” Aguilar said. “We’ve really made an effort to make sure we’re informing students, parents and teachers of why these tests are important and how they impact students.”

The results of the test help determine the reputation of the school and thus have ramifications on all students applying for university.

Taking the exam can qualify students for class placements at their future schools as well; otherwise, students would need to take a separate exam to obtain placement scores.

Students qualify for top math exam AIME FROM P. 1

CALVIN RU

DBHS principal Reuben Jones welcomes parents to Open House in the gym.

Brahmas showcase foreign culture OPEN HOUSE FROM P. 1 Throughout the night, there was a range of activities in each classroom and for almost every elective.

Mock Trial held a Moot Court in the LINC to demonstrate the Brahmas’ courtroom skills.

In the math and chemistry classrooms, students competed against each other to win extra credit in various rounds of Kahoot.

Both the DBHS Yearbook and The Bull’s Eye had students working on upcoming publications, where parents could learn more about each class and even grab applications.

The foreign language classes all held performances of their

own. The Korean, Spanish and Chinese students all danced and sang to songs celebrating their respective cultures. Last to perform were the French students, who offered a “strange” twist to some American classics while simultaneously expressing their opinions on the District of Choice dilemma.

Prior to this performance, Tietz passed around flyers claiming that there was a “mandatory” district of choice meeting that would feature important information about the DOC decision.

Many parents and students came, expecting a meeting to take place. Instead, they were treated to a French student performance.

Robotics team breaks multiple records SPROCKET FROM P. 1 I was incredibly proud of everything we had accomplished,” Chen said.

“I could not have hoped for more.”

The team was given six weeks for planning and construction, a period known as the “build season.”

This year, the team more heavily utilized the resources at school such as woodshop and 3D-printers, a move that impacted decisions on manufacturing and preparation.

One such decision, according to Chen, was the team’s heavy reliance on computer aided design, which team mem-

bers could work on at home.

The team needed to plan ahead as to what parts of the robot they could use even before build season started by making all parts modular, flexible, simple and interchangeable.

“Another challenge that we faced was one of reputation, in our team, our school, and robotics community,” Chen said. “The performance and image of the team during my first two years on it could be described as ‘eh’ and ‘lackluster’ ... and I am proud to say that in these past two years we have improved in leaps and bounds.”

for the AIME and eventually the U.S.A. Mathematical Olympiad for AMC 12 qualifiers or U.S.A. Junior Mathematical Olympiad for AMC 10 qualifiers.

Around 30 top scorers from the USAMO are invited to the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program, where students take the Team Selection Test to be chosen as part of the US International Math Olympiad Team.

Chen has had six years of experience taking the exams, starting from when he was in sixth grade with the AMC 8, the category for students grade eight and lower.

In Chen’s freshman year, he scored high enough on the exam series to earn a spot at the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program.

Since then, Chen has scored two perfect scores on the AMC 12 in his junior and senior year. He scored a 14 out of 15 on the recent AIME, qualifying him for the upcoming USAMO with a combined AIME and AMC score of 290.

“It’s just business as usual,” Chen said, describing his extensive experience in taking math competitions. “It was nice that I managed to get another perfect score on the [AMC 12b], but it

was just like what I’ve been doing for around the past 10 years.”

Next to Chen, junior Matthew Ho is among the top AMC scorers at DBHS. Ho had been taking the AMC since seventh grade and qualified for the AIME in his freshman, sophomore and junior years.

To prepare, he and Chen held weekly study sessions for four weeks before the AMC 12A. According to Ho, helping other students prepare for the AMC helped him in his preparations.

“A lot of it is familiarity with

how the problems are structured,” Ho said. “Taking AIME really showed me what bigger math competitions are like.”

In the AIME, Ho scored a 7, which, combined with his AMC score, did not qualify for the USAMO. Although he said he felt disappointed that he did not qualify, he’s optimistic about his results so far.

“I remember the first time I took the AIME, I got a three out of seven,” Ho said. “[Since then], I’ve been consistently improving on scores [and] I think that this year, I’ve done the best so far.”

CALVIN RU

From left to right, Darin Chang, Qinhong Chen, William He, Matthew Ho and Benjamin Chen are five out of 13 qualifiers who took the national AIME test.

4 OPINION

MARCH 22, 2017

THE BULL'S EYE

EYE EDITORS OF THE

TARDY POLICIES: The lack of consistency in the tardy policies at DBHS is wrong.

There should be a strict and uniform policy across campus.

A

student arrives to class a few minutes early, but decides to get up and use a tissue to combat their sniffling nose-a bodily function that the student has no control over. However, the bell rings while the student is away from their desk, and is marked late by the teacher.

This illogical event isn’t a rare occurrence at Diamond Bar High School, as the enforcement of tardy policies vastly differs from class to class, since some teachers pardon students who stroll in five minutes late, while others mark students for rushing in a couple of seconds late. Such inconsistencies lead to students taking advantage of lenient teachers, thus establishing a need for all DBHS teachers to enforce a more uniform and overall stricter tardy policy.

Missing a few minutes of class may not seem crucial to a student, but when other students notice their classmates arriving late without being marked down, a domino effect occurs. Students begin coming to class increasingly late, abus-

ing the teacher’s lenient policy and distracting the rest of the class during a lesson or test.

Enforcing a stricter tardy policy will combat this problem of students increasingly arriving to class late. However, the stricter policy should also be realistic and reasonable. For example, it shouldn’t include marking a student late for not sitting in their seat when the bell rings. Some teachers mark students late for talking to a classmate, stapling papers or sharpening a pencil when class starts. This punishment is illogical, since the students are on time, if not early, to class.

In addition, a bias toward students who regularly arrive to class on time exists on campus. In some classrooms, a student who normally arrives on time won’t be marked tardy if they occasionally are late by a few minutes; however, a student who is normally late will be marked if they arrive right after the bell. This bias transmits a message of inequality, since both students should be held accountable

for their tardiness.

Although some students have classes from opposite sides of campus, the six minute passing period is sufficient for them to reach their next class--there should be no rational reason why some are regularly late. Lengthening passing period will only cause an increase in late students, as they will have a false measure of time and assume that they have more time to get to class.

However, the tardy policy for zero and first periods should account for bad road conditions, such as rain. Marking students late for a reason out of their control is unfair. Arriving late due to heavy rain doesn’t deserve the same punishment as arriving late for oversleeping. In special circumstances in which students are affected by external factors, the tardy policy must account for those cases and provide leeway.

To decrease student tardiness, the enforcement must be reasonably and uniformly renovated on the side of increasing strictness.

Stacy Tenace (Teacher)

“Every teacher has the right to create a tardy policy they want for a system, but I follow the system that gives consequences for the fourth tardy.”

Jeffrey Chu (11)

“I’m for the lenient system because it encourages students to have a voice in themselves. It encourages students to govern themselves more.”

Connie Chen (Teacher)

“If your bus [is late], I’m totally OK with that. If students have established that they are not reliable on getting to class on time, then I do enforce tardy policies more strictly.”

Jeremy Kim (11)

“If you’re in a zero period class, there should be a really strict tardy policy. But it’s [also] unfair to discriminate against normally tardy people.”

Should surveillance be tolerated?

In light of WikiLeaks’ release of documents describing the CIA’s ability to break into devices, the public has questioned if privacy should be given up for national security.

PRO Stuart kusdono asst. opinion editor

T

he WikiLeaks release of several documents detailing CIA hacking has put the media and public into paranoia once again about the end of what is perceived as individual privacy.

How funny.

Given the pervasiveness of hacking in today’s technological age, the real surprise is the overblown reaction of the public itself.

Every system can be hacked into--including classified government files. Think Snowden, who ironically revealed the NSA’s hacking capabilities by leaking private information himself. The fact that the media portrays the situation as some kind of end-of-privacy apocalypse reveals purported exaggeration if not ignorance.

As Nicholas Weaver, senior researcher with the International Computer Science Institute at UC Berkeley succinctly puts it, “That the CIA hacks is like saying water is wet -- it’s them doing their job.” Blocking off the CIA from potentially valuable information in an investigation is placing unnecessary obstacles.

Indeed, it is an unsettling thought that your SmartTV might very well be a tool used by the CIA eavesdrop on you.

It is a thought, however, that is unsubstantiated and relies too heavily on pathos.

The CIA has the right to hack into certain devices under specific circumstances, contrary to popular belief. The Fourth Amendment, as proponents cite, grant the right to privacy--against unreasonable searches.

This implies that the CIA may hack into personal data given a worthy cause that is authorized by the government in a criminal investigation. It is the same as searching a house with a warrant.

The idea of surveillance isn’t new, either.

Prior to the explosion of the digital age, sus-

pected criminals were literally stalked or had their trash dug out for evidence. The privacy of the public is not compromised; only suspected criminals will, and should, be monitored.

Admittedly, the definition of these “suspected criminals” has become ambiguous due to the nature of CIA investigations, which are cloaked in secrecy. The only authority that grants warrants to the CIA is the Fisa court, which has granted 33,942 warrants over a 33-year period with only 12 denials according to the Wall Street Journal.

That is suspicious. The numbers suggest that the warrants given are not regulated very closely or strictly by the court. A solution to this problem is for the court, which secretly decides surveillance laws, to have some transparency as to what types of warrants they are granting.

In the end, however, the only people who should be concerned about the CIA’s hacking are those who have committed some crime atrocious enough to put them in the CIA watch list.

They are, after all, the ones affected--not the public. The debate ultimately shouldn’t even be about whether civilians should give up their privacy for the sake of national security, for there is no privacy to be given, but about whether the CIA should be allowed more regulated warrants for surveillance electronically, to which the obvious answer is: yes.

CON emily kim sports editor

P

hones, televisions, computers and even smart cars. These days, there is virtually nothing that cannot be hacked, tracked or followed. This may soon develop into a major problem with keeping our private lives what they are: private.

While the advent of the digital age has made it nearly impossible to keep our lives completely private, the information we choose to share online is our choice. However, personal photos saved on our phones or text messages with our parents are not meant to be shared with the world. To say that being surveilled by the government is for the sake of the welfare of the people is a stretch.

The 2013 Verizon court order is an example of the government’s complete breach of privacy. The court order revealed by Edward

There is no such thing as absolute privacy in America.

-FBI Director James Comey Photo courtesy of POLITICO

Snowden, which revealed that the NSA was collecting phone records of the millions of Americans who use Verizon. California Sen. Diane Feinstein, chair of the Senate intelligence committee, argued that what was being collected was just “the type of information found on a telephone bill: phone numbers of calls placed and received, the time of the of the calls and duration.”

While Feinstein may argue that it is just information found on a telephone bill, it is still information that is tied to our private lives. The duration of phone calls and the party called is information just for the owner of the phone, not anyone else. It is nothing more than some information being considered off-limits.

The American people should not accept that we no longer have any privacy in our lives. Although the Fourth Amendment does not directly state that we, as citizens of the United States, are guaranteed absolute privacy, it does protect us from being unlawfully searched, which is cause for some of the privacy breaches.

The recent WikiLeaks document release revealed that the CIA has found security holes in major softwares by Apple and Android, never telling the developers and leaving them open for hackers to exploit.

If we are to say that giving up privacy is worth the security, the CIA is denying us both privacy and security. They reap the benefits for themselves and do not consider that others may take advantage of these holes.

The problem is that if we leave these security holes unattended, foreign governments and outside hackers to do the exact same thing as the CIA did. Not telling these companies about how their customers information could be compromised leaves them vulnerable to stolen information and a hacked account.

Misuse of this information is not only a breach of privacy, but it could also lead to security issues considering that we keep certain aspects of our lives to ourselves for a reason.

The very definition of privacy is “freedom from being observed or disturbed by other people.” Giving up our privacy for the sake of security is in a sense giving up a part of our freedom. There are certain boundaries that others should not have the right to cross in our own lives. Private information is private information.

The real concern: The outside world

A letter of appreciation

amelie lee asst. feature editor

D Ingrid chan staff writer

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t’s about time to address the one concern that has been looming in the recesses of every student’s mind: stepping into the real world. The sheltered bubble so many Diamond Bar High School students seem to be indulging in won’t last forever.

In just a few years, or in a few months for some, every student on campus will need to know how to conduct job searches, write resumes, complete applications and recognize employee rights, benefits and responsibilities among many other important lifelong skills.

The future sounds intimidating enough, but here’s the kicker--many high school students are neither well-informed nor capable of carrying out these matters by graduation.

A surefire solution to this predicament would be to introduce a mandatory life-skills course to every high school in America. Students who would otherwise select another intensive academic course would then be forced to properly learn how to plan and manage their career.

Ideally, such classes would not only teach students how to prepare for their future, but they would also educate them on how to handle certain situations such as interviews and business meetings. The course should be similar to the segment on financial skills that some Economics classes already offer, but more in-depth, as student exposure to this subject is currently quite minimal.

The scope should also be expanded to include details on self employment, preparation for working environments, healthcare and insurance. After all, most students will hardly have enough time to learn all this on their own once they head off to college with even more responsibilities and harder classes.

Although it is certainly impressive that so many students are taking college level courses,other skills such as investment, time management and financial skills-among many others--are crucial abilities every person needs in order to successfully navigate their life and should have just as much importance placed on them.

Some might think such a course is unnecessary, as students should be able to learn life skills at home from their parents, but there are many students who simply do not receive exposure to this skill set.

Parents might not have enough spare time to properly teach their kids about financial skills and the like.

Given the exceptionally diverse range of topics these life skills cover, it’s not likely for students to be fully exposed to them even if their parents attempted to teach them.

Just as health class is a prerequisite to attending college, a lifeskills course should also be mandatory. Whether they decide to go to college or not, high schools need to better prepare young adults to adjust to life on their own.

OPINION

THE BULL'S EYE

MARCH 22, 2017

ear Shakespeare, This month, I received the unbelievable opportunity of witnessing the beautiful writing and intricate plot of one of your works. My fellow students and I were assigned the play “Romeo and Juliet” in our English class, and I have never been more emotionally moved than while reading the online Cliff’s Notes on your globally acclaimed work of literature.

As a child, I had heard of people referencing the play numerous times, and then had my first taste of your literary brilliance when I enjoyed watching the children’s movie about two garden gnomes in love, “Gnomeo and Juliet.” Little did I know that through reading online summaries and two paragraph character descriptions for an English assignment, I would one

important major characters in your day appreciate the exquisite origiplay, I immediately formed an emonal story you had written. tional connection to the “stubborn When first assigned your tragic personality of Juliet that played an tale of the famous star crossed lovimportant role in her relationship ers from the Capulet and Montague with Romeo, houses, I procrastiand evennated readtual death.” ing any part I put myself of your play in Juliet’s for weeks. shoes as I Upon ficontinued nally takskimming ing the time through the to Google plot sum“Romeo and m a r i e s , Juliet Cliff’s and when Notes,” I the website was greeted told me she with short stabbed heremotional self with a summaries dagger, I felt and a brief as if a part analysis of of me had each deeply died as well. poignant act Looking and scene. through the From the description Photo courtesy of PINTEREST of moment the Romeo website told me that your play took and Juliet’s romance, I was proplace in Verona and involved lovers foundly affected by the dramatic from two arguing families, I was twists and turns of the story. When hooked. the 150 word plot overview reReading the 70-word descriptions vealed to me that Friar Lawrence’s of the intricate personalities of the message did not reach Romeo in

Romeo and Juliet

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SUCCINTLY SATIRICAL time and that he poisons himself, I was both saddened and angry. I soon figured out this was “dramatic irony” from the list of 23 literary devices English students are forced to memorize at the beginning of the year.

The description was so touching that after glancing at the summary, I decided I would do all I could to learn more about your play. In one emotional sitting, I read through the “Symbols and Themes” category of the website, and searched up meaningful quotations in the play to put in my social media profile.

I believe the description I skimmed changed my life, and I wanted to thank you for writing a play that made the two-page online summary possible. Reading the summaries and descriptions affected my life on a deeper level than any novel I’ve read before.

The character analysis and major plot points explained has allowed my perspective in life to reflect more of “the play’s most dominant theme: love.” I can’t wait to use Cliff’s Notes again next semester when we are assigned to read your other equally emotional masterpiece, “Hamlet.”

Sincerely, Your Biggest Fan

The depth of our opinions (or lack thereof)

Eric hong opinion editor

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year ago I would have said a pregnant woman has every right to decide what to do with the collection of embryonic cells residing within her. Today I say anyone who touches that being threatens a mother’s child. A year ago I would have applauded the Supreme Court of the United States for granting homosexuals their right of marriage. Today I say same-sex marriage is a crime and this country has forgotten it. A year ago I would have said guns are a plague on the people. Today I say firearms in the home is a family’s

means of protection.

At some point in the past, the Internet had told me that the liberal agenda had it all right. “Freedom” demanded that a mother could deny her unborn child and “equality” manifested itself as allowing transgender men to walk into women’s restrooms. Anyone who dared to argue against these principles denied reality itself and received a big red “wacko” stamp on the forehead.

In the same breath, the Internet also warned me not to give heed to those filthy conservatives and their spiteful ideals. Compromise with religious right, with which I have come to share many values, was unthinkable. Anyone who trod their moral grounds would surely fall captive to their nonsensical reasoning.

It was simply in the blood of those beer-bellied, gun-toting folk to hate all sorts of people but the white ones (though admittedly, in more situations than is accept-

able this definitely seems to be the case—but that’s not the point).

Many younger members of the millennial generation are part of what seems to be a surge in political interest, oftentimes quick to condemn so adamantly the ideas and practices they deem wrong.

The problem is that there are some convictions to which one does not come by evidence or by “being informed” (whatever that means anymore). Especially for the youngest of us, it is worth acknowledging that most of us believe what we believe because we were told to— and we usually stick with it to the death.

For all the hours one spends on Facebook, being fed partisan material from organizations like NowThis and AJ+, would even half be spent on Sean Hannity? Would laughter at Colbert’s “Late Night Show” be followed by groaning at Bill O’Reilly? What worth do a person’s opinions have, then, if they are spoonfed from a singular

source by way of entertainment?

It is one thing to be avidly opinionated. It is another to be responsibly so.

I must confess that my newly claimed platform of beliefs is not founded on information from journal after journal, and neither was my former (forgive me—I am but a naive high school student), but that is the essence of this message: that there is really no higher determining factor in a person’s political disposition than his or her willful resolution to maintain it.

This has very little to do with politicians and their less-than-honest affairs on Capitol Hill, but much to do with the things for which they claim to stand. It’s the issues that divide those in Congress that ultimately have come to divide and classify the American people. Unfortunately, though, it seems it has become so easy to hold opinions nowadays that these things are so easily taken at no more than face value.

TRUMP REALITY

Cartoon courtesy of MEGAN LEE

6 FEATURE

MARCH 22, 2017

THE BULL'S EYE

Subs become familiar faces in classrooms Tess guan web EDITOR While not part of the staff, substitutes Anthony Poullard, David Buck and Alejandro Rodriguez have all made frequent appearances at Diamond Bar High School, becoming familiar with the campus and the students.

Poullard, a graduate of Walnut High School, will be teaching Lindsay Arnold’s IB and AP U.S. history class for the rest of the year while she remains on maternity leave.

Majoring in Political Science and Economics and minoring in Educational Studies, the substitute graduated from UCI with a Masters in

Teaching in Social Science credentials.

“I was motivated by a couple professors in particular who expressed to me the joy of teaching, how rewarding it can be to teach students,” Poullard said. “That was the point where I realized ‘wow, I can actually see myself doing this.’”

Before working at DBHS, Poullard served as a student-teacher for an eighth grade U.S. history class and as a long-term substitute at WHS, where he taught World History, U.S. History and Economics in the Academic Design Program.

Despite starting in February, Poullard is already familiar with the DBHS campus. He was an AP

CALVIN RU

ERIC HONG

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Hooked on fishing

cindy liu staff writer It had been almost nine hours already. Diamond Bar High School junior Andy Chou stood next to his fishing rod at the California Aqueduct as he waited for a sign of the striped bass the aqueduct was famed for producing.

After countless hours of inactivity, the nightcrawler worm he used as bait had been nibbled on.

Now, as Chou gazed into the aqueduct, his rod screeched and dipped toward the water. Amidst a flurry of nets and splashed water, Chou pulled up a wriggling five and a half pound striped bass.

Chou started fishing as a toddler when his parents — both of them longtime fishers— introduced him to it.

It started out as a family activity, and it wasn’t until his freshman year when his grandfather showed him the finer points of fishing, did Chou start to invest more time into it. “[My grandpa] was the one who really showed me that is more to fishing than just casting your line and waiting,” Chou said. “He was the one who introduced me to real fishing.”

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His grandfather, Dewei Chen, a fisherman with over 60 years of experience, taught Chou that “a great deal of patience comes a long way in fishing.” Chen had started out by fishing bare-handed and with a bamboo pole in China. With his experience, he showed Chou the advantages of using better equipment, techniques for casting, vital fishing knots and tips for fighting large fish.

Chou now goes fishing around once a week either by himself or accompanied by his grandfather, parents or friends. For Chou, fishing offers a chance for him to immerse himself in nature and bring home a fresh catch to put on the table.

Fishing is often seen as an activity that rarely strays from sitting around and waiting for fish. However, Chou says fishing can be tiring, especially when using a lure.

He describes it as “active,” since the fisher has to constantly move the lure to attract fish.

“When you feel the first bite, you’ll feel the anticipation and set the hook.” Chou said. “Once you set the hook, the fish usually starts pulling really hard and that’s the best feeling ever.”

FISHING ON P. 12

Photo courtesy of ANDY CHOU

Junior Andy Chou fishes with his family for fun on a regular basis.

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Regular substitutes such as Alejandro Rodriguez teach various classes on campus, ranging from electives from history and English. rooms and it is a good way for schools to get to know you,” Buck said.

Also a history major Cal Poly graduate, Rodriguez works part time as a substitute for the Walnut Valley Unified School District.

“I’ve always liked being in front of people, I’ve done stand up comedy before, so it’s just a feeling that I like,” he said.

Last year, Rodriguez spent nearly every week subbing at DBHS. He mostly fills in for Spanish teacher Irma Lujan and U.S. History teach-

er Christian Calero.

Growing up in Chino, Rodriguez had relatives who attended WVUSD schools. Furthermore, he was also familiar with Lujan prior to working as a substitute.

He spends most of his time at Suzanne Middle School, where he had a six week sub position, and at DBHS. “I know there are good teachers, but I also know that there are bad teachers. I want to be one of those people that make a real difference, even if it’s small.”

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Long term substitute Anthony Poullard (left) and regular substitute David Buck (right) both enjoy working with the high schoolers on campus.

Proctor last year and taught summer school for the Dedicated 2 Learning School program, teaching World History over the course of six weeks.

“I realized how much I enjoyed the subject, even while I was in high school, so I had a big of nostalgia. It made me enjoy it more by teaching the students,” Poullard said.

Likewise, Buck was a history major at Cal Poly Pomona, and received his teaching credentials also in Social Science. Buck is also familiar with DBHS’ campus, as he did his student teaching with Instructional Dean Matthew Brummett in 2014.

“My favorite thing about subbing, and teaching in general, is the interactions with the students,” Buck said.

This semester, Buck has been subbing for Johnny Hwang, Robotics, Engineering and AP Biology teacher. In addition, he is also a frequent substitute for world history teacher Kurt Davies and photography teacher Bill Foley.

Last year, he had two long-term positions, filling in for Jill Marquez and Mary Gaxiola, both of whom were on maternity leaves for about two months.

“There are several advantages to subbing. It is good experience for teaching, you can see how established teachers run their class-

Standing up for girls sophia kim asst. sports editor Among the seemingly endless number of community service clubs at Diamond Bar High School, Girl-up has a different purpose: To educate. Meeting every month, members of Girl-up gather to share their ideas on current events that affect women in society. “[Our goal] is bringing awareness to our student body because not everyone is aware of what is happening in these different countries to these girls,” junior president Charis Doi said. “We focus on girls, primarily on their education, health care, safety against violence and leadership opportunities.”

In lieu of offering structured activities, the club opts for open discussions, as it gives everyone the chance to share their beliefs.

“We all learn from each other about these specific things because those are the things we care about a little bit more because it affects us,” junior co-social activities director, Nisha Sandhu said. “It’s really interesting to see other people’s perspectives and grow together as we all learn more about it.”

Recently, Girl-up officers decided to take a step further in enacting change by encouraging members to write letters to their Congress members on issues that concerned them.

Last year, members wrote letters to congress about the importance of the Education-For-All Act and Girls-Count Act, which would allow girls in developing countries to receive any kind of education.

Shortly after the letters were sent, both acts were passed into a law.

In addition, through fundraisers

Photo courtesy of CHARIS DOI

Girl Up members pose in front of the Capitol Building during a trip to Washington D.C. to spread awareness of women’s rights. and sales, the club raised enough money to donate bikes for girls in Liberia, giving them easier access to schools. Every year, Girl-up offers members the opportunity to take part in a leadership summit in Washington D.C. or Southern California. At D.C., members can learn about the club’s mission, the process of advocating for various bills and how to become more politically involved.

In California, attendees can participate in different workshops and discussions, focusing on girls in modern society. Many significant figures such as former First Lady Michelle Obama, plus-size model Ashley Graham and “High School Musical” star Monique Coleman have spoken at the D.C. summit.

“Girl-up is about helping girls in third world countries who don’t have the resources or the chance to get an education,” junior co-social activities coordinator Iris Miao said. “At the summit, [the girls] learned more about what they can do with their knowledge.”

Last year, the club attended the screening of the movie, “He Named

Me Malala,” accompanied by the women’s U.S. national soccer team.

Girl-up chapters from across the district were invited to support the film about Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani teenager who has fought for the rights of women and their education.

As Girl-up is a fairly new club at DBHS, Doi stated that she hopes the club will reach a larger audience and make a great impact on campus. The club looks forward to pairing up with JSA or Brahma Tech to allow members to be more exposed to the STEM field and expand the number of women in STEM. Although Girl-up consists mainly of females, Doi aspires to involve boys in the future and lead the club into becoming one of the dominant clubs on campus.

“Everyone thinks that Girl-up is just for girls and I want to help people look past the girl in Girl-up, that it’s open to boys as well,” Doi said.

“We’re not only trying to advocate for women’s rights, but we’re also trying to bring awareness to different issues in our society.”

FEATURE

THE BULL'S EYE

MARCH 22, 2017

7

Lilian Yen, Senior “I quit my job because I hated it.

I was overworked and underpaid, but... I know how to manage my time better now. I had to learn how to adapt. I’m happy I did it in the long run.”

Alex Moon, Freshman “I’m the kind of guy who will jump into something without a plan. When the environment changes, I can change to that environment.”

Humans of

Diamond Bar High School Justin Perea, Junior Esha Sharma, Freshman “My favorite thing about myself is that I’m awesome. I am very confident.

Everyone else’s ideas aren’t as good as mine.”

ALUMNI

Emily Jacobson A&E Editor

“Conforming is dumb. I’ll stand up for what I believe in. If someone told me my pink sweater looks dumb, I’d argue with them because I don’t care. I think it looks great.”

f0rmer Brahma sets the beat

As a member of Marquis during his time at Diamond Bar High School, alumnus Niko Del Rey was accustomed to performing to recorded music. Now, as the beatboxer for a cappella group The Filharmonic, Del Rey has made a career for himself as the group’s own backing track.

After graduating from DBHS in 2008, Del Rey attended Mt. SAC, where he was involved in the jazz choir and a capella group. Del Rey then transferred to UC Riverside, where he earned his degree in political science. Even as a student at UCR, Del Rey continued to sing at Mt. SAC. Avi Kaplan, a fellow Mt. SAC alumni and friend of Del Rey, as well as bass vocalist of Pentatonix, suggested to Del Rey and two others who were singing at Mt. SAC that they should form an a capella group. The group was originally

Photo courtesy of NIKO DEL RAY

DBHS Alumnus Niko Del Ray poses with a friend for a dance.

created to compete in NBC’s “The Sing Off,” a singing competition show exclusively for a capella groups.

As Del Rey and Jules Cruz, the bass vocalist of The Filharmonic, were both passionate about promoting Filipino culture and bringing more attention to it into mainstream culture, they gladly took the chance to compete.

They contacted other Filipino singers in the Los Angeles area to help them audition and compete on the show.

Since making it to the semifinals on the show and finishing in fourth place, the group has enjoyed further success. In 2016, they performed in over 200 shows and were featured in “Pitch Perfect 2.”

Recently, the group has also been recurring guests on James Corden’s “Late Late Show,” acting as the soundtrack to his many riffoffs.

“It’s a dream come true really.

Taking a college passion and turning it into a career has been such a blessing,” Del Rey said via email.

“Moreover, being apart of ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ and the ‘Late Late Show’ further validates us and the Filipino community that we too have a spot amongst mainstream media.

Not the mention everyone we get to work with is the coolest.”

To go to the next level, the group is looking to soon create original music. However, it is no easy task, as Del Rey feels that as an artist making original music is one of the biggest struggles.

Music aside, Del Rey and the rest of the group have also had to deal with the physical exhaustion that comes with frequent traveling.

Photo courtesy of INQUIRER ENTERTAINMENT

DBHS 2008 alumnus Niko Del Ray (second from right) developed a career in the a cappella group The Filharmonic, and went on to be part of the movie “Pitch Perfect 2” as one of the competing singing groups.

“Getting used to all the red-eye travel [and] sleepless nights has taken a toll on all of us physically, but we’re very grateful to be pursuing our dreams day in and day out.”

At DBHS, Del Rey was in Marquis for three years and varsity golf for four years. Both activities helped prepare him to perform because they took hard work and dedication.

Del Rey fondly remembers all of the teachers he had at DBHS and feels as if they all held a significant role in his upbringing. He is especially thankful for the work ethic that teachers Tony McCabe, Ty Watkins and Patty Breitag instilled in him.

“I’ll never forget the life lessons

my coaches taught me on and off the course, and I’ll never forget the patience teachers showed me when

“Don’t start tomorrow. Instead, start today and just keep getting better than you were yesterday.”

NIKO DEL REY I was being difficult or if I had trouble learning the material, Ms. Auten, Mr. Kuo and Sra. Sorensen just to name a few,” Del Rey said.

While currently serving as a member of The Filharmonic is Del Rey’s full time job, he still entertains the idea of a few personal side projects.

He also hopes to begin acting this year. Del Rey’s tweets daily about his life and current projects at @Niko_Del_Rey. To the students who are now in the position he was in nine years ago and share the dream of performing music, Del Rey recommends getting started immediately in pursuing their dreams.

“Don’t start tomorrow. Instead, start today and just keep getting better than you were yesterday, you’ll get to where you want to be, I promise.”

8 FEATURE

MARCH 22, 2017

THE BULL'S EYE

Ice Dessert Showdown Written by Ingrid Chan Design by Amelie Lee

Shaved ice covered with fresh fruit and toppings such as red bean, mochi, dried dates and sesame have made a comeback as the weather heats up. The sweetness can be adjusted with condensed milk, and most of the shaved ice choices are surprisingly light.

Shaved Ice This Filipino treat is a custom-ordered item with shaved ice, purple yam ice cream and evaporated milk. Customers can add various toppings such as sweet beans, coconut, sago, gulaman, tubers, fruits, custard and a choice of jellies.

halo-Halo Instead of eating gelato out of a cup, why not eat it on a stick, popsicle-style? Popbar offers an alternative to the typical popsicle with a creamier texture and taste. Customers choose a gelato flavor dipped into a large variety of fondues. Toppings like nuts and coconut shavings can be added as well.

gelato on a stick Sorbet Cream, a dessert that consists of a vanilla or chocolate frozen custard base topped with Italian shaved ice, is a trending dessert this year. The ice comes in a variety of unique flavors like passion fruit, mango, taro, coconut and peanut butter as well as the many other more common fruit flavors.

Italian ice

Read Reviews of the desserts online at www.dbbullseye.com/category/Feature

MARCH 22, 2017

THE BULL'S EYE

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

9

In the midst of ‘Hamilton’s’ success, the DBHS Drama Department will perform Lin-Maunel Miranda’s lesserknown production, ‘In the Heights,’ which tells the story of the everyday struggles faced by immigrants.

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ERIC HONG

The cast of “In the Heights” has been rehearsing since February. The musical has elements of rap and hip hop, as well as songs in Spanish.

Tess guan Web editor In addition to the All Male dance team, Diamond Bar High School now has another hip-hop group on campus— drama. This year’s musical, “In The Heights,” has a rush of Latin influence, ranging from beat boxing and rapping to salsa dancing.

The musical, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda of “Hamilton” fame, is set in Washington Heights, a predominantly Dominican-American neighborhood in New York City, where Miranda was born.

“I chose the musical because it celebrates immigrants in the U.S. and underscores their dreams, desires, and challenges,” DBHS drama teacher Beatrice Casagran said. “I thought it was topical and likely to resonate with our student audience.”

The story revolves around the lives of the neighborhood residents. Usnavi (played by senior Jaden Campbell), owner of a small grocery store, narrates the play’s exposition.

“It’s contemporary, it has a lot of hip hop and rap elements, which makes it different from other musicals,” Campbell said.

Usnavi was raised by Abuela Claudia (senior Charlotte Revilla), as his parents died young, and aspires to win the lottery and return back to the Dominican Republic. He is in love with Vanessa (senior Chloe Reyes), who works with Carla (junior Mary Thomas) at a beauty salon owned

by Daniela (junior Amelia Anijielo); she also hopes to leave the neighborhood. Trouble starts as Nina (senior Ariana Gonzalez) returns home from Stanford University after dropping out. Her parents (Daniel Durkee and Pilar Alcazar) have spent their life savings giving her a better life and disapprove of her academic leave.

“This play shows struggle, realistic struggle that everyone goes through, especially when it comes to immigrants,” Anijielo said. “It shows how immigrants cope within America and how their daily life is.

There is struggle, and there is sacrifice, but they still thank God that they are still able to be in America.”

The musical has been in the works since last summer, while preparations and rehearsals began in February. The group has been practicing every Monday through Thursday for about three hours a day. Due to the musical’s Latin influence, some songs will be sung in Spanish and salsa steps have been incorporated into the choreography. The performers have been practicing their Spanish and Latin dancing, as these are the two major highlights of the play.

“A lot of songs have Spanish hints here and there, one song that we’ve learned so far requires us to speak Spanish but it’s the same phrase over and over again,” said junior Ellie Desmond, with Thomas jumping in. “Since they’re both romance languages, they have a lot of words in common, so it’s easier to figure out what you’re saying.” Both students are currently taking French at DBHS and were unfamiliar with Spanish prior to the musical.

The musical will be accompanied by students in DBHS’s wind ensemble, which Desmond is a part of. In addition, the stagecraft class will also help make the props and sets.

The musical will open Thursday, April 20, and run through two weekends, April 20-22, and April 27-30. All shows will start at 7 p.m., with exception of the April 30 Sunday show, which will start at 4 p.m. Tickets are $15 for students and $18 for adults.

ERIC HONG

ERIC HONG

Top: The cast of “In the Heights” rehearses with a vocal coach.

Middle: Senior Chloe Reyes will play the role of Vanessa.

Bottom: “In the Heights” will be accompanied by live music from the DBHS Wind Ensemble.

Photo courtesy of NEDERLANDER PRODUCTIONS

“In the Heights” debuted on Broadway in March of 2008. Set in Miranda’s birthplace, Washington Heights, the production won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2008.

10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TAKE TWO Bring Back the Book Club Emily Jacobsson & Pauline villegas A&E Editors “What’s your favorite book?”

This simple question, usually sparks a larger conversation on reading as a whole. As high school students, we hardly have the time to read books for our own enjoyment and instead scan Sparknotes to pass the tests on the literary classics we are taught in school.

Not having been able to truly enjoy a book in years, the question becomes much harder to answer.

With homework, extra curricular activities and social lives taking up most of teenagers lives, books are left to be forgotten at the end of a long list of priorities. The repercussions of not reading will be faced in college, when English classes will demand that you not only know how to read, but also analyze what the books mean.

There’s an easy solution to this madness: book clubs. While these clubs are often negatively associated with middle-aged stayat-home moms with nothing but time, they offer so much more than a reason to gossip with your friends over wine and cheese. In an era of technology, book clubs can be a fun way to motivate yourself to put the phone down and pick a book up.

Having scheduled book club meetings forces you to take the initiative and make reading a part of your schedule. No longer will reading be something you resort to only when you’ve exhausted every other option. However, as reading should above all be an activity you enjoy, you should be careful to not let the book club become just like another school reading assignment that you only glance over. Instead, you should take advantage of the time to read while simultaneously hanging out with friends at a cafe of your choice.

Beyond that, it also involves discussion, which sometimes can be essential to understanding books.

By hearing all the different opinions others may have on the same passages, you can learn a lot and further develop your opinion.

There’s just something added to the experience of reading a book when you are able to share and discuss it with others.

It may be hard to believe, especially when there is a plethora of other past times to chose from, but reading can be fun. Gather a group of friends, find a cute spot to meet, choose a book from a list of “100 life changing novels” or “best vampire romances” (really anything that will get you excited to read) and get started. It’s as simple as judging a book by its cover.

A&E Favorites *Looking For Alaska

John Green

*It's Kind of a Funny Story

Ned Vizzini

*Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore Robin Sloan

*Something Real

Heather Demetrios

*Fangirl

Rainbow Rowell

THE BULL'S EYE

MARCH` 22, 2017

Disney’s live-action rendition of the classic love story, ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ is a visual masterpiece, but fails to live up to the music of the original film. enchanted household items, such as Cogsworth, Lumiere and Mrs. Potts, allowed them to keep their original charm without looking After the success of “Maleficartoonish. cent,” “Cinderella” and “The The music is decent but paled Jungle Book,” Disney decided to in comparison to the original film. continue its trend of live-action Watson’s voice, while charming, remakes of animated films with didn’t display the finesse of Paige their latest installment, “Beauty O’hara’s voice in the original film. and the Beast.” The movie is viThe film remade all of the songs sually stunning and entertaining, that the animated movie incorpobut, overall, underwhelming comrated, but none are as memorable pared to its animated counterpart. than the originals.

While “Maleficent” told the The film also includes three tale of “Sleeping Beauty” from a original songs. The best of these unique perspective, “Beauis “Days in the Sun,” ty and the Beast” rewhich beautifully exmains almost entirely presses the desires loyal to the plot of the of the characters to 1991 film. After an return to youthful, enchantress turns a happier times. “Evyoung prince into a ermore” showcased beast (Dan Stevens), Stevens’s vocal skills he faces a limited and gave insight on amount of time to the Beast’s emotional break the curse, lest struggle when letting he want to remain a Belle leave the castle. beast forever.

“How Does a Moment Meanwhile, Belle Last Forever?” beau(Emma Watson), tifully expresses the wants to escape her cliche theme of love provincial village life being immortal, but and the affections of possesses forgettable self-absorbed Gaston lyrics and music.

(Luke Evans). When “Beauty and the her father (Kevin Beast” is definitely a Klein) is taken prisonpleasant movie. Hower in the Beast’s casever, it attempted to tle, Belle volunteers emulate the classic to take his place. As charm of the 1991 film, Belle gradually warms sometimes successfully, Photo courtesy of WALT DISNEY PICTURES to the Beast, an unlikely sometimes less so.

Beauty and the Beast is Disney’s most recent remake of one of its classic animated films.

Amy Miyahara Asst. A&E Editor

romance grows, one based not on looks but on character and intellect.

The film adds a few story elements not present in the original film, including backstories on Belle’s mother and on the Beast’s family. These elements are sentimental and add emotional depth to the characters, but they are not crucial to plot.

The actors casted in the film are all convincing in their respective roles. Watson, best known for playing bookworm Hermione in the “Harry Potter” films, easily

Tune In

Making a comeback to the charts after a year-long hiatus, Ed Sheeran releases his third studio album, ‘Divide.’

Hannah Lee News Editor After over a year of lying low and disappearing from social media, Ed Sheeran gave fans a New Year’s gift with a post announcing new music. He released two tracks, “Castle on the Hill” and “Shape of You” from his new album, taking the charts by storm. Consistent to the math symbol theme present in his past two albums, Sheeran released “Divide” on March 3.

Though “Shape of You” climbed the charts, it was far from his signature style. Fortunately, the electro-pop song was a largely misleading to the what album would be; “Divide” is filled with the same old Sheeran, with his sweet ballads and soft guitar.

Sheeran has described the album as schizophrenic, and for good reason. He demonstrates his incredible talent, reaching a vast range of genres and styles; he sticks to his soft, romantic ballads and the occasional rap, but also branches out with mainstream pop and even touches on his Irish roots with folk tunes, such as “Galway Girl” and “Nancy Mulligan.”

More in his territory, “Hearts Don’t Break Around Here,” “Perfect,” “Dive” and “How Would You Feel ?” show his well-loved style,

with soft melodies and lyrics buzzing with romance.

“Perfect” is the new “Thinking Out Loud,” mimicking the soft waltz with the same beats and romantic lyrics that was not only a favorite in the charts, but at weddings as well. Though the song bears a strong resemblance to the previous hit, Sheeran still managed to give it a unique touch.

Despite Sheeran’s claim that “Perfect” being his career-defining love song, “How Would You Feel?” has an equal, if not more, amount of potential. Sheeran’s vocal talent is clear throughout the album, but “Dive” is one of the few tracks that truly does Sheeran’s voice justice, full of emotion and range.

“Divide” might be his most personal album yet. Touching on personal struggles in “Eraser” and “Save Myself,” serving as a love letter to his girlfriend and providing a moving tribute to his recently passed grandmother in “Supermarket Flowers,” the album shows fans a new side of Sheeran.

“Divide” is nearly impossible to categorize. Sheeran’s flexibility as a musician is clear, providing a piece of art that is overwhelming in the best way possible. Sheeran’s talent beams throughout the entire album, perfecting a beautiful successor that tops his already stunning previous works.

transforms into the bookworm Belle. As the Prince, Stevens is hidden beneath the Beast for the majority of the film, although he voices the character with conviction. However, while Evans looks the part of Gaston, he doesn’t seem arrogant enough to match the vibe that Gaston gives in the original film.

The film is gorgeously photographed.

Breathtaking shots of the castle, beautiful ballroom scenes and exquisite costume design made every frame a masterpiece. The animation on the

Brahma’s Bollywood success Catherine zhang feature Editor Although the term “Bollywood” commonly evokes images of traditional flashy costumes embellished with sparkling gems, Diamond Bar High School’s Indian Culture Club has enticed the hearts of hundreds of voters through its dance number, without having to rely on showy props or colorful apparel.

Despite having no prior experience competing in Bollywood dance contests, the club entered a Facebook cultural competition held by UCLA’s Hindi Film Dance team Nashaa, pitting the team against one from Northern California’s Irvington High School.

Dancing to a medley of Bollywood songs with an American hip-

hop twist, the club garnered about a thousand likes and 600 shares during the voting period, ultimately losing to Irvington by about 100 votes, placing second overall in the competition.

“I am so grateful for everyone who shared and liked the post. It was a reminder that we have so much to be grateful for with such an accepting community that’s there to support us and see us succeed no matter the size of the feat we’re attempting to accomplish,” senior co-president Shefali Appali said via Facebook.

To enter the competition, titled the “Best of the West Showdown,” various high school teams in California submitted a three to eight minute long dance video to the

BOLLYWOOD ON P. 12

Photo courtesy of SHEFALI APPALI

Co-presidents Shefali Appali and Sabir Rupal pose during one of club’s practices.

MARCH 22, 2017

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE BULL'S EYE

11

The story of movie adaptations

For bookworms, learning that a beloved novel is being adapted into a movie is both the single most thrilling and terrifying moment of our lives.

Characters and storylines that spoke to us on pages are either brought to life with beautiful set design and soundtracks, or permanently damaged by mediocre acting and complete deviations from the original plot.

Amelie Lee Asst. Feature Editor

Success Stories

Photo courtesy of WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

Failed Films

The Help

The Giver

Among those movies that lived up to the brilliance of the book they were based upon is “The Help”

by Kathryn Stockett. Taking place in the 1960’s in Mississippi, the novel tells the story of two black maids, and a young white lady's efforts to write and publish a book about their difficulties.

Adapted into a movie starring Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis and Emma Stone, the 2011 film was able to perfectly portray the contempt of those the “help” worked for. With impeccable acting from all the main characters, the movie maintained all the twists and turns of the book’s original plot, and brought to life the important messages found in between the pages of the novel.

As a child, “The Giver” was the first dystopian novel I got my hands on. I was immediately enraptured by the eerie and somehow peaceful world Lois Lowry described in her novel. When the movie adaptation was announced in 2014, my heart was filled with genuine terror that it would ruin one of my favorite books. Despite Meryl Streep’s involvement, the film, while entertaining, did not live up to the book. Changing the age of the characters, what their role was in the society and the fundamental parts of the plot, the movie disappointed viewers who were hoping to get a glimpse of the famous book brought to life.

Paper towns

The Book Thief

Photo courtesy of 20TH CENTURY FOX

Poignant and tear inducing, the World War II novel

by Marcus Zusak made it hard for the movie adaptation to live up to its paper counterpart.

However, the 2013 movie starring Sophie Nelisse as the young Liese was able to make every scene as touching as the book did. The book burning and the closing scene were particularly painful to watch on the big screen, and Liesel’s dramatic escapes and emotional responses are made more realistic through the set and atmosphere of the movie.

The author of many heartstring tugging romance novels, John Green helped develop his book “Paper Towns” into a movie in 2015. Filled with pretentious teenage characters trying to find love, the novel is known for its meaningful quotes and romantic perspective of life. The film attempted to recapture the feelings of nostalgia and idealistic hope in the novel, but only painted a picture of a cheesy search for romance and was unable to develop its characters and plot as smoothly as the novel.

With descriptions of giant tigers, man eating islands and tragic shipwrecks, the “Life of Pi” made for an extremely exciting read. Every chapter of Yann Martel’s book painted pictures in my head as I read, and the 2012 film created a world of exotic sea creatures, terrifying animals and a deep blue ocean that lived up to my expectations. Winning Oscars for best director (Ang Lee) and best visual effects,, the movie was beautiful enough to match every artistic image in my head.

Before “Fault in Our Stars” and “Divergent,” Shailene Woodley starred in another mediocre book to movie adaptation. About an apathetic party animal who attempts to change the life of a quiet introspective girl, the Tim Tharp novel “The Spectacular Now” developed the characters into realistic three-dimensional people. With less than two hours to explore the characteristics of the main characters, the movie turned into a cliche romance that did little to expand upon the emotional connections that the book provided.

Saturday Night Live: Comedy from controversy

Cindy Liu Staff writer In the eyes of most teenagers, “Saturday Night Live” was seen as nothing more than a late-night comedy for adults. At least until last year’s presidential election heated up.

Now, with a viewership of 10.6 million in its 42nd season--the show’s most watched season in over 20 years--younger audiences are a big part of its return to popularity. And it’s all thanks to the recent presidential election parody skits featuring Alec Baldwin as President Donald Trump, Kate McKinnon as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Melissa McCarthy as Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

With Baldwin dressed in an expensive suit and orange wig making caricatures out of Trump’s iconic hand gestures and speech, “SNL” grabbed the attention of a younger generation that looked to find comedic relief in Trump’s ac-

tions throughout the election. For the legendary NBC show, it’s a return to its roots; when it started in the 1970s it was a favorite among high school and college students.

Diamond Bar High School sophomore Hailie Nash started watching “SNL” a year ago and enjoyed the new changes to the show.

“I think what made this show succeed is how they pulled in more comedians, bigger actresses and actors to come in and interview,” Nash said. “And I think it’s how everything’s going crazy from 2016 because people needed comic relief; they needed something to see that’s funny.”

With celebrity hosts like Emma Stone and Lin-Manuel Miranda and popular musical guests like Ed Sheeran and Twenty One Pilots, the show’s ratings have reflected the popularity of those starring in the show.

Junior Pilar Alcazar watched “SNL” starting when she was little. Although she isn’t an avid follower of the show, she noticed clips of the show’s political paro-

Photo courtesy of 20TH CENTURY FOX

The Spectacular Now

Life of Pi

Photo courtesy of 20TH CENTURY FOX

Photo courtesy of THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

dies and character sketches that gained attention on social media.

“Politics are such a hot topic right now,” Alcazar said. “There’s a lot of debate about different politicians so it’s really popular to talk about.”

While some of the parodied politicians like Spicer responded to “SNL’s” character sketches favorably, the show’s satires are not lost on Trump. On Twitter, the president tweeted back his thoughts; his comment “[SNL is] totally biased, not funny and the Baldwin impersonation just can’t get any worse” has received 27,913 retweets and 115,181 likes.

Despite Trump’s negative comments, millions of viewers have shown their approval of SNL’s comedic takes on the political situation as its popularity grows. “[‘SNL’] shows that you can enjoy yourself and you can be serious but have some fun and see the light in it,” Nash said. “That’s what seems to be with all their skits: they take something serious and they make it light.”

Photo courtesy of A24

UPCOMING EVENTS March 22 Symphonic band festival Santiago High School

March 24-25 Dance team CADTD State competition Valencia High School

March 28-29 Spring Dance Workshops Dance room

April 1 Choir Competition Arcadia High School

April 20-22, 27-30 “In the Heights” 7:00 pm (4:00 Pm on April 30) DBHS Theater

April 22 Dance Company Auditions Dance Room Informational Meeting: March 30 at Lunch

April 22 Choir Vista Festival Vista High School

April 24-25 “Hamlet” Fall play auditions 3:00-5:30 PM Drama Room 907 Photo courtesy of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

The Donald Trump parody, played by Alec Baldwin, had helped to increase popularity among younger audiences.

12 BUSINESS

THE BULL'S EYE

MARCH 22, 2017

DBHS student finds his passion by the shore FISHING FROM P. 6 One of Chou’s favorite fishing spots is West Jetty View Park in Newport Beach, where the abundance of diverse fish available makes it easy to fish— sometimes taking only roughly 15 seconds to catch a fish.

For fishing at the Jetty, Chou brings a light action rod for small fish like bait fish and perch, a larger rod for bigger fish like sea-

bass and bat rays. In addition, Ugly Stik GX2 is used to fish for octopus and eels between the rocks of the Jetty. Chou also brings shrimp and squid— some of the best baits for ocean fishing because of their universal attractiveness for nearly all types of fish.

Newport Beach is one of the locations where he fishes. Chou managed to catch his largest fish, a roughly 30 pound bat ray off the side of a charter boat. Although it

was considered unofficial because he never properly weighed it and estimated its weight based on the 30 pound line it broke, he made his largest official catch, a 20 pound carp, at Lake Perris.

While the excitement of landing a fish is exhilarating, Chou says that it’s always disappointing to lose a fish.

“Losing a fish is always heartbreaking, especially when you’ve had a long day and you just want

to get that one bite and you miss it.” Chou said. “It’s frustration and regret of what you could’ve done better.”

Although Chou started looking at fishing seriously two years ago, he says he plans on developing his passion even after he graduates high school.

“I was searching for a way to get out more and seek freedom,” Chou said. “[Fishing has] become part of me, in a way.”

Photo courtesy of ANDY CHOU

Indian Culture Club showcases talent BOLLYWOOD FROM P. 10 Nashaa judges, who then selected team finalists from a Northern and a Southern California high school.

Finally, the official Facebook page linked the videos for the two teams, and the team with the most likes and shares within two days won the competition.

The winner of the high school competition, “Best of the West Showdown,” is granted the opportunity to perform at the bigger scale collegiate competition Nashaa offers, Jhoomti Sham.

At the Jhoomti Sham, competing teams win the opportunity to perform in front of esteemed Bollywood dancers serving as the collegiate competition’s judges, such as Joya Kazi, Evan Burgess, Kavita Rao and Amit Patel.

“The judges are such famous dancers, so for you to dance on that stage and for them to see you--people say, ‘This is where Bollywood stars are born,’” junior Ashvini Bhupatiraju said.

The team’s video involved a

Photo courtesy of INDIAN CULTURE CLUB

Indian Culture Club members perform a dance number to Bollywood songs. wide range of Bollywood songs, from upbeat, peppy songs to more ballad-like songs. In addition, group performances and a duet between Bhupatiraju and Appali were also included. Starting from October, the team gathered weekly to practice with Bhupatiraju, Appali, copresident Sabir Rupal and treasurer Manshaan Dhir as the main chore-

ographers for the dance.

“This was the first time we were so dedicated. We learned teamwork since we worked together to fit in all our ideas and saw what other people wanted incorporated into the dance. As a dancer, you want to entertain the audience, but you also want all the dancers to feel content,” Bhupatiraju said.

Outside of the competition, the Indian Culture Club performs annually at various Indian cultural showcases held at local high schools and colleges. In addition, the club is performing at the Evening of Colors on Mar. 31 for South Asian Parent Association night.

Despite not winning first place, members of the club still view the competition experience as rewarding and enjoyable. “ It really brought me closer to people I really would never talk to outside the club, and we learned how to teach people who aren’t so experienced in dancing to dance.

We entered to have a good time, and we definitely had a good time,” Appali said.

13

THE BULL'S EYE

MARCH 22, 2017

The finalCOLLEGE COUNTDOWN DECISIONS tuition MAJOR

weather

COLLEGE FACTORS

food

culture

location

rankings

CALVIN RU PHOTO EDITOR What’s the first thing that comes to mind when choosing your future residence of four years? Is it the name and how well society knows of its groundbreaking legacy? Or are there other factors that contribute to the college selection process.

Personally, food is a major deal. If the college falls short in the food department, then I would seriously reconsider the chances of attending such a horrid environment.

The world outside of the dry meats and stale bread include on campus restaurants, where the food may be equally lackluster, and off campus restaurants,

MICHELLE KI editor-in-chief Sorry. The word every DBHS student fears to see on their college decision portal. The word we all tried so hard to avoid at all costs.

Yet, the sleepless nights memorizing environmental laws, 200 hours of volunteer service and 10 different leadership positions could not allow most of us seniors to avoid college rejection.

The hardest part of rejec-

where chains such as Chipotle or local joints greet students with a smile.

Other determinants include location and major.

With my desire for discovering a new environment and the accessibility of the coast through the use of trains, the options are seemingly endless as opposed to the west.

Major, I believe, is paired with location, as specific majors aim to be near possible internships, special programs and job opportunities.

Similarly, culture, which is largely affected by location, can be very important.

Schools like UC Berkeley, which are rife with protests and gatherings can be an exciting environment, while at the same time, a nuisance. Having a moderately active student base

that has community activities would be ideal for me.

On the contrary, a factor that may have minimal effect is the tuition. No matter what private or public school I get accepted to, the total cost will be more digits than I can count on my hand. Since the part-time jobs and college savings will have a small dent in the massive debt that is yet to be accumulated, I have cast aside this factor as miniscule in affecting my decision.

The last thing on my list of things to care about is a university’s ranking. While name and status of Ivy League schools may seem important, the end result is where I am willing to consider home for the next four years. Nonetheless, I aim to make the best decision that hopefully will benefit my education and taste buds.

tion, though, is not knowing why exactly the college deemed you unworthy of being a part of their freshman class. Could it have been the 35 on the ACT instead of the 36? Or was it being involved in 15 clubs instead of 20? One may never know, and it’s frustrating, painful even.

However, in all seriousness, the rejections I’ve received thus far have allowed me to truly think about where I stand in life. They served as just another reminder that even if you give something your all, things won’t go your way.

Sure, it’s horrible to re-

alize that you won’t be attending your dream university. But now is not the time be depressed for months.

In fact, I see it as an opportunity for a new challenge. Think of it this way: every university has many opportunities available and its own distinct history, personality and advantages.

Obviously, that one wasn’t the one for you. Who says you won’t love the schools that wanted you back? Chances are you’ll fall in love with whatever school you end up at, and make the most of the experience you have there.

14 SPORTS

MARCH 22, 2017

THE BULL'S EYE

Young talents takeover

IN HIS GLORY DAYS JEFFREY BROSE Coming from a long line of tennis players, Jeffrey Brose was an MVP in high school and competed nationally for Claremont McKenna.

INGRID CHAN STAFF WRITER Calculus teacher Jeff Brose possesses just as much skill in tennis as he does in math. From being raised in a family filled with tennis players to competing nationally in college, Brose’s entire life has been heavily influenced by the sport.

Given his family background, it was no surprise when Brose decided to pick up tennis at the age of ten. He dabbled in a handful of other sports including baseball, basketball and football, before deciding to focus on tennis during his middle school years. Brose’s father taught him the most about the sport while he honed his skills through practicing with his older brother.

“Because my brother and his friends practiced with me regularly, and because they were older, better and faster in every which way, my improvement really sped up,” Brose said. “When I had no one to practice with, I often practiced against the wall.”

By the time Brose reached high school, he was talented enough to make it onto the La Quinta High School varsity team.

After his freshman year, he became a captain and was awarded MVP for three consecutive years.

Because he most enjoys the camaraderie of tennis, he prefers playing doubles to singles.

He also competed outside of school, but Brose’s fondest memories come from his high school experience.

“When I was a junior, we had a really big CIF semifinal match.

There were more than four hundred people spectating and we were

playing against one of the best players in the nation,” Brose recalled.

“We lost the match, but it was an exciting game nonetheless.”

Brose was determined to play tennis competitively even after he graduated high school, attending Claremont McKenna College, a Division III school. During his time at Claremont McKenna, the team ranked among the top eight in the nation, qualifying the school for NCAA tournaments. He was also a finalist for the national Rookie of the Year.

But his tennis career did not end

at Claremont McKenna. Here at Diamond Bar High School, Brose coached boys varsity tennis for ten years. However, he quit coaching and focused on calculus after his second child was born.

“Just the experience of being able to guide the boys and watch them grow as young men really stuck with me,” Brose said.

Brose still plays tennis with his brother several times a week and, despite a severe knee injury 15 years ago, stays as active as possible by playing a variety of other sports as well.

Jeffrey Brose was involved with not only competing in high school and college tennis but also coaching.

CALVIN RU

A monumental season WATERPOLO Three years in the making, both boys and girls waterpolo made it to the CIF. SOPHIA KIM ASST. sports editor For Diamond Bar High School’s water polo program, this school year has been historic as both the boys and girls were a step away from being CIF champions. It only took three years for the program to succeed, with the girls making it to CIF finals and the boys reaching semifinals.

With stricter practice routines and better teamwork, both teams were able to compete more aggressively this season. Head coach Alexander Matal focused on having the teams sharpen their fundamental skills throughout the season.

“Our coach sat us down during the first practice in the summer and told us how intense our practices would be because we were planning to win CIF,” junior Mark Parent said.

The boys water polo team finished 21-12 overall, a huge leap from last year’s record of 14-15 and its first year record of 5-22. Entering CIF as a wild card, the Brahmas won three playoff games against Estancia, Garden Grove and Ar-

cadia until they lost against Roosevelt by just one goal in the semifinals. Winning their playoff games by an average of ten points, the boys showed much improvement from their losing streak in league at the start of the program.

Senior Diego Hammond made 136 goals this season while juniors Aaron Velarde and Cameron Belden made 83 and 51 goals respectively. Also, Hammond was named the Water Polo Player of the Year by the San Gabriel Tribune.

Following the boys’ success, the Lady Brahmas took it a step further and swam all the way to CIF finals. After defeating Claremont, 11-10, the Lady Brahmas competed for the Southern Section CIF title

where they lost by two against Santa Ynez High School.

“I’m not saying they’re a bad team, but we definitely could have beat them,” junior captain Phoebe Tsui said. “Even though we lost, it’s just going to motivate us to work harder and get back to playoffs next year.”

With a league record of 4-4 and an overall record of 26-8, the girls placed third in league. They improved by 19 games compared to last season. From placing last in league for two years in a row, the Lady Brahmas showed significant progress.

Juniors Ashley Yoo and Phoebe Tsui led the team in scoring with 125 and 99 goals, respectively.

SOFTBALL The Lady Brahmas prepare for the new season with new players to help lead.

BERNARD CHEN Editor-in-chief With the graduation of pitcher Andrea Gonzalez last year, Diamond Bar High School’s varsity softball team is looking to its younger talent for success this season.

Though opening the season with a dominating 21-2 win against Rowland High School, the Lady Brahmas fell short in their next games against the Diamond Ranch Panthers and Glendora Tartans. In the Diamond Ranch game, the girls lost junior shortstop Lizzie Wilson to a concussion, subbing in freshman Allie Tejeda. Wilson led the team last season with 26 hits, a.325 batting average and 15 RBI. “We didn’t play the way we are capable of playing. We gave up runs early in the game, they kept building the lead bigger and bigger.” head coach Roberta Garcia said.

The Lady Brahmas won against Ayala, 2-1, last Friday and faced Claremont this Monday. Despite having had only two games before entering league play, senior captains Ruth Munoz and Rebecca Winder are counting on many of the freshman to carry the team.

Freshman Anna Lasko and Winder are among the pitchers this season, each with a different style.

According to Munoz, Winder’s strengths include her change-up pitch and experience playing on varsity. Last year, Winder led the team with 45 strikeouts in 118 innings pitched. “[Winder is] more of a finesse type of pitcher and the defense has to really be able to make the plays.

[Lasko] throws a little bit harder but she might not be as consistent as Becky,” Garcia said. “They are good because they are opposites.

One throws faster than the other.

One’s more experienced than the other. We’re hoping with that combination, we’ll be able to throw off these teams that we’re gonna be playing against.”

Garcia also said that they have a better hitting team than previous years.

The team will be facing off against the South Hills Huskies today looking to take home another league win.

MORE ON THE WEB: Track and Field With new head coach Malinalli Cooke, the Brahmas took sixth in the Brea Olinda Invitational.

Baseball On a five game losing streak, the Diamond Bar baseball team hit a rough patch early in the season.

VISIT Junior Ashley Yoo (left) and junior Aaron Velarde (right) have been a part of the water polo program since its creation in 2014.

Photos by ERIC HONG

DBBULLSEYE.COM

SPORTS

THE BULL'S EYE

MARCH 22, 2017

Youthful generation BOYS GOLF With not a single senior on the team this year, the Brahmas remain a top team. eric hong opinion editor The number of seniors on the Diamond Bar boys golf team has been dwindling in the past few years, leaving this year’s team without a single 12th grader. But despite being younger than ever, the team has not missed a beat.

The Brahmas opened league against the South Hills Huskies, earning wins both at home and away, 208-268 and 206-241, respectively. Sophomore captain Sam Cho led both matches, sharing the top score with freshman Leo Lu at 39 at home and alone at the top with 38 at South Hills.

The team continued its winning streak against league rival Glendora High School, but by a narrower margin of 204-209 at home. Two days later at the Tartans’ home court, the boys left with a win they had not earned in 14 years.

Sophomore Bryan Chiu, accompanied by freshman Ethan Thomas at home and Lu away, led as the top scorer both rounds. Chiu and Thomas shot 39 at the Diamond Bar Golf Course; at the Glendora Country Club, Chiu shot 34 and Lu 37.

“We don’t have any seniors-we have freshmen out there, and freshmen are just starting to figure things out,” head coach Tony McCabe said. “Ethan Thomas and Leo Lu are really good freshmen, but they’re still freshmen.”

With graduates Christian Kim and former captains Joshua Song and Dylan Stone gone, the Brahmas enter this season three seniors short of the last. The year before that, they lost four. This year’s

young lineup comes with its advanin the Ontario Christian Tournatages and disadvantages, according ment, Lu, Chiu and Cho led the to McCabe. team to second place with scores of “It’s really exciting as a coach to 79, 81 and 83. have great young players, because “Our top five are pretty balthat means you’re going to be really anced. Somebody’s going to have good for a long time,” he said. “But a good day, somebody’s going to we’ve also shown the youth: the have a bad day, and they cover each mistakes that other,” McCabe young players said. “How you “It’s really exciting as a can make, the win league in golf coach to have great inconsistenisn’t with a great young players.” cies of just beplayer. It’s with ing new and a balance.”

TONY MCCABE freshman or The Bonita sophomore.

Bearcats, like But as they Glendora, are anget through the end of the season, other challenge the boys will have those things will smooth out.” to face next week. Though both During the preseason, Cho, juteams are fairly even in skill, acnior captain Thomas Lee, and Lu cording to McCabe, and the hardwere the leading players in the est course in the league belongs Ayala Tournament with respective to the Bearcats, which could be a scores of 80, 81 and 81, bringing the significant threat to the Brahmas’ team to a fifth place finish. Later, undefeated record.

Top team work for CIF streak BADMINTON Returning to the San Joaquin League, the Brahmas are ready to claim a sixth title.

For most sports, winning one CIF title is a major accomplishment, but that would not satisfy Diamond Bar High School badminton team. As one of the most consistently successful sports teams on campus, the badminton team looks to earn its sixth consecutive CIF title. “[It] definitely feels exciting going for a sixth consecutive CIF title because we would be tying for the most consecutive wins in CIF history,” senior captain Justin Lam said via Facebook. “It definitely adds a little more pressure on the team having to do as well or even better than past teams, but I believe if we stick what we are doing, we can bring the team another championship.”

Returning to the San Joaquin league, the team has 24 players, enough to fill two lineups of the

minimum requirement of 12 players.

The team lost seven seniors from last season, but only one of them was a consistent starter. Head coach Kemp Wells said that most of the key players returned from last season, so the team is still at full strength.

Among the key players cited by the coach were seniors Lam and Vincent Chu, juniors Jasmine Huang, Ambrose So and Gwyneth Wang, and sophomores Daniel Huang, Mirabelle Huang and Angela Zhang.

The Brahmas are currently undefeated. They defeated Mira Costa 18-3, Redlands East Valley High School 21-0, Citrus Valley High School 21-0, Carnegie High School 21-0, and Arcadia High School 201. League competition started this week with matches against Wilson High School and Webb High School.

Wells said that being the top team adds an element of pressure.

“There’s always going to be added pressure any time someone is considered the best team, someone’s always going to be that one to knock them off to some capacity.”

The Brahmas will play against Webb High School on Mar. 30 and Chino Hills High School on Apr. 4.

ERIC HONG

Chee, and No.2 Austin Chang, but the Brahmas feel what they lack in skill is covered by manpower.

“This year has a little less overall skill, but more depth. Our subs this year are pretty strong,” Wong said.

Coming into this year, the team made sure to address the problem of chemistry as double players have to partner up. According to Wong, head coach Carl Flint has done a good job in fixing the problem, which led to a strong 3-2 start.

“Last season, we had just as much skill or even more skill, but we were just trying to find the right

combinations like where we should play and who they should be playing with. But this year, everything came together more quickly and has led to more success.”

The Brahmas started the preseason with a tough 14-4 loss against D1 team Beckman. Since then, the boys have dominated three straight games: 13-5 against Walnut, 17-1 versus Villa Park, and 12-6 against Orange Lutheran. The team finished the preseason with a 11-7 loss against Valencia.

The boys began the season with a 14-4 win over Glendora on Thursday.

Line-up ready for season

Snooze of the century G et ready for the Fight of the Century. Mayweather. Pacquiao. No wait, that was just the last time another fight was labeled “The Fight of the Century.”

My mistake, I meant to say: “The Disappointment of the Century,” starring Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather, coming to a television near you.

The news surrounding this fight has been a battle in itself. From dates and locations confirmed to denied the next day, the back and forth between news outlets have been fuel to the fire. It doesn’t help that the two have been constantly throwing verbal jabs at each other over the last two years. The two have dissed each other on all areas: fights, money and even race.

When you pit two of the biggest sports egos of all time against each other, you’re bound to witness one of the hottest feuds online.

But that’s it. It’s only been about words this whole time.

As more and more new stories, rumors and denials are coming out about the potential battle between the “Notorious” and “Money,” fans can’t help but dream for a summer blockbuster. But first we should ask ourselves if this fight should really go down.

This duel, without a doubt, would be one of the biggest box office draws in the history of sports.

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Senior Justin Lam and sophomore Mirabelle Huang compete in mixed doubles.

amy miyahara asst. A&E editor

Freshman Ethan Thomas was one of the top scorers against Glendora.

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McGregor has changed the sports landscape, pushing UFC as one of the top sports brands and entertainment with his fiery personality and equally damaging strikes.

With a nickname like “Money,” Mayweather is a certified magnet when it comes to the big bucks.

Over his 19-year boxing career, Mayweather has generated over $1 billion in revenue and built a perfect career at 49-0. But first we should ask ourselves if this fight should really go down.

Let’s say that all the rumors come true and they finally agree to a match. How would they fight?

If they take it to the boxing ring, McGregor would be destroyed. The mixed martial artist wouldn’t be able to use his kicks and submissions, and while his strikes may be the baddest in the UFC, they can’t match up to the three-time BWAA Fighter of the Year.

If the two take it to the octagon, then the roles would be reversed.

McGregor would be able to use his entire skill set while Mayweather would not be able to keep up at 40.

If this battle does go down, it’ll probably be one of biggest, if not the biggest, financial successes in sports history. However, it could also be marked as another event where fans are disappointed and robbed.

BOYS TENNIS With a strong 3-2 start in preseason, the boys are looking to top last year’s league record of 8-2.

RYAN CHAE SPORTS editor Locked and reloaded, the Diamond Bar High School boys tennis team is ready to take on the 2017 season with a balanced starting line-up featuring two seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen.

After a strong 2016 campaign that saw the team reach the third round of the CIF Playoffs, the boys are hungry for more success.

Even with the loss of multiple seniors, the Brahmas are confident in this season’s team. With an 8-2 league record from last year, the players believe they can take home a Palomares title. Only one team stands as a threat to the team’s bid.

“It’ll come down to how we play against Claremont. They didn’t lose a lot of guys and we lost to them twice last year. It’s going to be tight,” junior captain Nicholas Wong said.

The Brahmas’ were both against the Claremont Wolfpack, 11-7 and 10-8, last season. The Wolfpack took last year’s league title while the Brahmas placed second.

Compared to last year’s team, the 2017 boys lost a bit of skill to graduation with the departures No.1 singles captain Garrett Masuda, No.1 doubles player David

Senior Neil Tengbumroong slices the ball in a match against Glendora.

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Senior Becky Winder has been a vital part of the DB softball team since she was a freshman.

EMILY JACOBSON A&E EDITOR Motivated to continue playing softball in memory of her father, Diamond Bar High School senior Becky Winder has been a mainstay on the varsity softball team for four years.

Winder began playing softball at the age of six after her father, who has since passed away, saw a sign for tryouts for a younger division softball team. She found that she had an instant affinity for the sport. Because her father was the one that first got her involved with

softball, he serves as her motivation to continue playing, despite any difficulties she may face.

“My dad just makes me think of why I first started playing and why I should keep going,” Winder said.

Winder was an experienced player by the age of 12, winning the Premier Girls Fastpitch Tournament, which she regards as one of her greatest achievement in softball.

As the shortstop and pitcher for DBHS, Winder has been recognized for her skills each year. As a freshman, she was chosen as rookie of the year and the next year, she was named MVP. She’s also won the team’s defensive player of the year

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three years running.

For her career at DBHS, Winder has a pitching record of 21-15, ERA of 3.45, and a batting average of .336.

She credits her positive attitude for her success on the field.

“I’ve struggled with my confidence when hitting sometimes,” Winder said. “I’ve been working on it and I try to think of happy thoughts when I go up to bat and just try to do my best.”

Aside from the mental aspect, Winder practices eight hours a week to improve her skills. Over her 12 years of playing, Winder said she has improved most on her swing and ability to field the ball during games.

Regardless of any difficulties, softball has been Winder’s greatest love ever since she began playing and while Winder is extremely appreciative of the friendships she has created through playing, her favorite aspect of the sport is the level of competition.

“I’m really competitive and some people don’t like me for it but it just keeps me going, it’s fun.”

Outside of school, Winder has been playing with the California

45 26 12 Panthers, a team based in West Covina, for three years. She plays second base and occasionally pitches for the team. With practices structured to provide repetition, the team has helped Winder hone her skills.

“Being on that team has helped me learn that practice is where you get the skill to play at a high level and makes it so I never give up.”

Winder said she hopes to continue to play at the college level.

She has already spoke with York College, Dakota State, Whittier College, Citrus College, and Mt. SAC about playing for them.

For now, Winder is focused on doing well in the team’s upcoming season, after last season’s record of 10-14-2, and is personally determined to beat South Hills.

Senior Becky Winder pitches in a game against Diamond Ranch.

ERIC HONG

Former Diamond Bar golfer shines at PGA event CALVIN RU

Senior Kathleen Gani competes in a butterfly event in a match against Walnut.

Brahmas start off as champions

SWIM With the boys undefeated last year, the girls aim to follow in their footsteps this season.

MICHELLE KI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF After a successful season last year, Diamond Bar High School’s swim team is back in the pool with hopes of breaking more records.

The team’s first preseason meet was on March 5 in which all the schools in the Palomares League competed with league relays. Afterward, the Brahmas had one of their first dual meets on March 7-8 against Walnut High School and Chino Hills High School, respectively. Both girls and boys won against Chino Hills, but only the boys won Walnut.

The team also brought home the Championship Title of the High School Winterfest Championships hosted by Mt. SAC on March 1011. This two-day championship meet featured 34 high schools and over 1,100 swimmers from all over California and Nevada. At the end of the meet, DB varsity boys were crowned champions of the meet

while varsity boys and girls also won the overall combined team championship. Coach Darlys Ankeny said he is aiming for both girls and boys to be undefeated this season, since only boys were undefeated last year.

Though swim is optimistic about going far this season, co-captain Prestin Li believes that there is still much to improve in the time being.

“The areas we need to work on most are organization and communication. It’s really hard with a team of over 100 students, so we try our best to communicate updates and announcements as efficiently as possible, but even then it can get a bit chaotic. A lot of seniors graduated last year so our JV [team] is a lot weaker than it used to be and varsity boys needs a solid backstroker and butterflier,” Li said.

Senior captain Kathleen Gani, who has committed to swim at University of Pacific this fall, said that the team will have no problem carrying on the team next year as there are many talented underclassmen, including juniors Kelsey Loyd, Kelly Chang, David Wang, Kevin Vargas and Michael Lee. “They come up to me and ask if I need help with anything all the time, and are always open to suggestions,” Gani said.

At age 19, alumnus Sahith Theegala is now setting records at Pepperdine University.

HANNAH LEE NEWS editor After making his mark as a golfer at Diamond Bar High School, Sahith Theegala has not only established himself on Pepperdine University’s golf team, but last month he made his PGA tournament debut.

During his time as at DBHS, Theegala was a vital member of the golf team, according to his former coach Ty Watkins. Theegala chose to continue his golfing career at Pepperdine with a full scholarship, after graduating in 2015. Theegala credits his decision to attend Pepperdine to the players and coaches as well as the overall environment and academics. “[The coaching staff] made me feel as if this was a place that I could really take my game to the next level and possibly win a national championship as a team.”

Theegala said via Facebook. “They are also very genuine people, and have heard from many other people that the coaches at Pepperdine don’t get any better.”

Though he has had a relatively smooth transition from playing in high school to the collegiate level, he noted that the competition is more challenging and the courses are tuned more toward pro-level playing. He was named the 2016 West Coast Conference freshman of the year and is ranked by Golfweek magazine as 38th top college golfer.

Pepperdine’s website called Theegala’s season “arguably

Photo courtesy of GOLF WEEK

Alumnus Sahith Theegala competed with Phil Mickelson at the Genesis Open. the best freshman season of any player in Pepperdine history.” His scoring average for the 2015-2016 season was 71.06, the fourth best out of any Pepperdine golfer single-season history. Theegala also set the freshman record for most below-par rounds with 17. He also had two top 10 finishes during that same season.

“The competition is much stronger because everyone who is playing DI college golf has a tremendous amount of skill,” Theegala said.

Theegala was the only amateur player to qualify for the Genesis Open, held in February at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, allowing the 19 year old to compete with the best professional golfers in the world. But he did more than just compete.

Going into the third round of the tournament, Theegala was tied for 20th in the field of 144, shooting 3 under par. At one point during the

first two days of the tournament, he was tied for seventh.

Theegala shot 71 both Saturday and Sunday, finishing the tournament two under par and 49th. It was the highest finish by an amateur golfer at the Los Angeles event in 57 years. Both days, he was paired up with five-time majors champion Phil Mickelson, a highlight for the DBHS alumnus. “[Mickelson] has so much wisdom golf-wise and I was able to pick up some things here and there from him,” Theegala said.

This year, Theegala will participate in the U.S. Amateur at Riviera in August after placing in last year’s quarterfinals. He plans to play in qualifying pro events, but will stay amateur until he graduates from Pepperdine.

“Having someone like Sahith, who’s a very humble guy, he’s such a great individual and great person, get to that level is pretty excit ing,” Watkins said.