November 2015

opinion 5

inside the issue

PRO/CON: CAHSEE TESTING

feature 6

Alumni Spotlight:

Max Boonthanakit

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OPINION

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F E AT U RE

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BILL FOLEY

a&e 10

the bull’s eye NEWS

IN HIS GLORY DAYS:

STUDENT YOUTUBERS

sports 15

November 18, 2015 Volume XXXIV, Issue iII ONLINE at dbbullseye.com

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

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S P O RT S

Bond rejected taking over fright night by district voters Measure O was only 66 votes away from being approved.

difficult to access, and the rain didn’t do us any favors. We had a very low voter turnout, and that didn’t help us.”

Included in the bond were promises of new technology, an update sarah markiewicz to classrooms and utilities, and asst. opinion editor even a new music building.

“I think the staff was counting on the upgraded facilities, especialTo the disappointment of the ly the teachers in the 500 and 400 staff and administration of Diabuildings, and certainly the staff in mond Bar High School and other the performing arts,” Paul said.

Walnut Valley Unified School DisThe 500 and 400 buildings, home trict schools, a bond that would to social science and science classhave given the school funds for new rooms respectively, were highlightclassrooms and technology did not ed in the bond due to its promises pass. of new equipment and its focus on On Nov. 3, enhancing the Measure O failed instruction of sci“[The superintendent] to reach the 55 ence, technology, shares my percent majority engineering, and disappointment, but needed for it to math subjects. he has a great deal of pull through.

The music prooptimism for the future.”

“This commugram could also nity has supporthave received a DENIS R. PAUL ed school bonds new music facilby and large in ity. the past, and that was part of my “Any time this community has disappointment and shock that been asked in the past to support it did not pass this time. We came education, they’ve been very genwithin sixty-six votes of it passerous,” Paul said. “I hope they will ing,” Interim Principal Denis Paul be in the future, because this school said. needs a huge revitalization.”

Although 53 percent of the votOnly voters from within the ers chose to support the bond over boundaries of the school district the 46 percent of voters who did were able to vote on the measure not, the bond needed to have 55 perand for a new Governing Board cent of votes in order to succeed. member, in which Phillip Chen re“There were certainly some conceived the most votes. cerns over the difficulty of voting,” BOND on p.2 Paul said. “Some voting polls were

CALVIN RU

Teachers (left to right) Jacob Kaitz, Shari De Cambra, and Stephanie Duenas dance in the winter sports rally on Oct. 30.

Career center finds new head Rachelle Romero has taken over as the new Career Center counselor. ingrid chan staff writer Located in the room directly next to the library, the College and Career Center aids students in preparing for the future by providing

information about jobs and colleges. This year, the center has seen the addition of a new counselor, Rachelle Romero.

Having had previous experience working as a counselor at a career path school, Romero, replacing former counselor Gyasmine Williams, has developed the necessary skills for helping students with their education.

As a goal for the future, Romero plans on increasing the number of student visitors the center receives.

The Career Center is currently in the process of remodeling its interior, which was Romero’s idea as part of a plan to attract more students, especially sophomore and freshmen who typically do not give their futures much thought.

“A lot of them have never even been in the Career Center before, but I’m hoping to remodel this into a more welcoming environment for the students so that they’ll feel

CAREER on p.3

New USB E-Board announced Alumnus awarded

Leo of the Year

Problems with the original election required a re-vote and caused a delay in the release of results.

Alex Lee, a 2015 graduate, was chosen as one of 31 students worldwide to receive the award.

austin hyun contributing writer frances wu news editor After two weeks of election activity that included larger than life posters, hundreds of flyers, speeches, and a revote, Diamond Bar High School Brahmas finalized their votes and elected the USB Executive Board members for the upcoming year.

David Song (President), Nicole Kim (Vice President), Nishat Nayem (Speaker of the House), Jenny Yun (IOC Chairperson), Fiona Yan (Finance Director), and Stephanie Pan (Secretary) were named as the next USB Board, and will take office next semester.

Making it a priority to create lasting impressions, Vice President Kim campaign materials all consisted of the same calligraphic font so that students were aware that she was running. President Song wore a suit everyday of elec-

emily jacobsson asst. a&e editor

CALVIN RU

The new USB executive board, posing with the current executive board members, will assume their duties starting second semester. tion week and made sure to greet as many students as possible.

“I made it a point to say hello to everyone, to ask how people’s days were going, and to tell them to have a great day. During lunch, I talked to random people and to let the students know I was running,” Song said.

Other campaigning methods include creating Facebook groups, giving out various items with candidates’ slogans stamped on, and

posting on various forms of social media to remind students to vote.

Now that the board members have been elected, they have begun to create goals and plans to bring about change for the next semester. Many candidates have also used previous experiences on campus to identify problems at school and create plans and methods to fix them.

usb on p.2

When searching for a new Leo of the Year, Lions Club International looks for an individual who both displays dedication to Leo Club and the qualities of a role model.

This year, the organization chose Alex Lee, a Diamond Bar High School graduate of the class of 2015 and the immediate past president of Leo Club.

The prestigious award was given to Lee on Oct. 20 at a Diamond Bar City Council meeting.

Lee was one of 31 students from all around the world to receive this award this year.

Under Lee’s leadership, DBHS’ Leo Club was one of the only 18 clubs in the U.S. to receive the Leo Club Excellence Award for its work last year.

“I’d say what made me stand out

from other contestants was the way I led the club. I led by example; I didn’t really tell people what to do, I showed them how to do it,” Lee said via email.

According to Lions Internation-

lee on p.3

Photo courtesy of DBHS LEO CLUB

Alex Lee stands with his mother and Diamond Bar Mayor Steve Tye.

2

NEWS

Elite colleges start own application A group of universities will try out a new version of the Common App. frances wu news editor For the past 25 years, a majority of college applicants have used the Common App to avoid answering redundant questions, as well as to have one website through which all college applications can be accessed. However, several elite colleges and universities have created their own application system in order to create an alternative to the current admissions process.

The group of over 80 schools, collectively called the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success, has divided its work into three parts. According to the Coalition’s website, this new system will allow high school students to begin their applications, called portfolios, in ninth grade, and is targeted toward low-income students.

The Coalition’s website allows students to create profiles using basic information such as test scores or extracurricular activities, and then allows colleges to create supplemental questions starting January 2016. The first section is the portfolio, in which students will be able to write brief descriptions of significant moments or activities starting from their freshman year.

The second section allows for a

new method of receiving feedback from other students. Applicants will be able to share all or parts of their portfolio with their peers or colleges to gain feedback even before they submit entire application during senior year.

The final part of the website will consist of a new writing supplement system, which aims to encourage students to write their essays and relate them to experiences that they have had throughout high school, rather than scrambling to remember important events during their senior year.

These developments are to be a partial solution to the attitude students have toward applications.

According to the website, the Coalition’s system is aimed at under-resourced students. By encouraging students to begin thinking about college earlier, these students will gain access to information about participating universities, since many students in low-income situations are actively dissuaded from attending college.

Schools that will utilize this new system include all of the Ivy Leagues and Stanford, among others. To become part of the group, the Coalition’s website states that schools must either provide financial aid for all demonstrated need if, private, or offer affordable tuition prices for in-state residents, if public.

While the Coalition has so far been able to provide a basic overview of the website and its’ main functions, further details will be released in early 2016.

the staff Editors-in-Chief News Editors Asst. News Editors

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

Lilly Ball, Yusheng Xia Frances Wu, Yusheng Xia Brian Chang, Hannah Lee

Opinion Editor Asst. Opinion Editor

Eric Hong Sarah Markiewicz

Feature Editor Asst. Feature Editors

Michelle Ki Vrinda Chauhan, Catherine Zhang

A&E Editor Asst. A&E Editors Sports Editor Asst. Sports Editors Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editor Business Manager Asst. Business Manager Web Editor Asst. Web Editor Staff Writers Advisor

Lilly Ball Emily Jacobsson, Pauline Villegas Bernard Chen Ryan Chae, Emily Kim Eric Hong Calvin Ru Vrinda Chauhan Emily Jacobsson Gaby Dinh Tess Guan Ingrid Chan, Sophia Kim

A TOKEN OF APPRECIATION

ERIC HONG

USB members (left to right) Brandon Parent, Joyce Lee, Shefali Appali, Morgan Pak, and Hailey Shi deliver donuts and coffee to staff members as part of Staff Appreciation Week, which ran from Nov. 2 to Nov. 6.

Alumnus assists in Measure O fails by highway rescue Alumus Jesse Hernandez, a Sheriff’s Department assistant, saved 42 adult lives from a burning bus. michelle ki feature editor Last month, Diamond Bar High School class of 2008 alumnus Jesse Hernandez accomplished what most would call an act of heroism.

Hernandez, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department custody assistant, helped save 42 people who were stuck in a burning bus in Hacienda Heights by running toward the fire and forcing open a jammed exit door.

Assigned to the North County Correctional Facility, Hernandez was driving on the 60 Freeway during Sunday night, Oct. 18, on his way to work when he noticed that a

a narrow margin

BOND from p.1 “There are some teachers who were still disappointed about the 2007/2008 bond not delivering all that it could, but in general the majority of the staff is disappointed that this bond did not pass,” Paul said.

The previous 2007/2008 bond is what paid for the new aquatic center. “ Hopefully he and the Board of Education will come up with a good plan to help us.”

As of now, there are no solid plans to raise funds to support the school’s causes, although there is a possibility that the measure will be resubmitted for another ballot in the future.

USB officers to take charge next year USB from p.1 “I was inspired by how much impact a student-run organization can have on an individual, and I really want others to see the passion in fervent leaders, taste the fulfillment of carrying out projects with a team, and experience what it is like to be a part of something huge,” Kim said via Facebook. “I hope to see a strengthened coordi-

Doug List

contact us

nation between the student government and clubs to ensure that projects run as smoothly as possible.”

The current USB board members will officially step down from their positions at the end of the semester. Current USB president Kevin Lee cites his previous positions of Commissioner of Athletics, IOC Chairperson, and President as one of the most impactful experiences he has ever had, and

“Life is full of ups and downs. You need to give everything your all.”

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

KEVIN LEE

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.

charter bus had stopped, blocking two lanes.

After seeing flames coming from the engine compartment of the bus, Hernandez stopped his car and ran to help, according to a statement from the sheriff’s department. Hernandez saw several passengers desperately kicking at the stuck exit door, attempting to exit the burning bus, according to various news sources.

He eventually wrested the door open, saving 42 adults on board, including the bus driver. Everyone made it out without sustaining severe injuries, according to a press release from the sheriff’s department.

Afterwards, Hernandez inspected the bus to make sure everyone had escaped.

“It was just a normal day for me, to be honest. I don’t feel different—no better than anyone else,” Hernandez told KTLA5. Repeated efforts by the Bull’s Eye to contact Hernandez were unsuccessful.

CALVIN RU

Junior Nicole Kim was selected as USB Vice President.

advises future USB members to “do their best.”

“As I look back now, I am proud to say that I gave it my all and truthfully I want to say I am happy, Life is full of ups and downs. You need give everything your all. At the end of day, you will feel proud of what you accomplished,” Lee reflected.

Unfortunately, this year’s election didn’t go as smoothly as it has in previous years. The original vote was held on a day during which officials from the district were visit-

ing to evaluate the school, resulting in several classes waiting until the next day to cast their votes. Additionally, voting for one of the positions was a near tie, and the ballot given to students made it difficult to identify who was running for which position. As a result, a re-vote was held the following Monday, during which teachers accompanied all of the USB representatives to ensure that everything would run smoothly, The current voting process, described as “antiquated” by Principal Denis R. Paul, will soon be revised. According to Paul, voting through scantrons is inefficient and extremely prone to error.

“The biggest thing is that we want an election that reflects the true will of the student body.

That’s the ultimate goal. … I think it takes a lot of courage, for people to set themselves before their fellow students and as for their vote, and when that happens, I want to make sure that the students have a process that is not flawed,” Paul said.

Paul’s goal is to make the elections electronic. The school administrators are currently looking at other schools’ voting methods in order to make improvements.

NEWS

THE BULL'S EYE

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Lee accepts service award

NEWSBITS

lee from p.1

al, the Leo of the Year should have a superior record in regards to implementing service projects, making observable contributions to the growth of the Leo Club Program, and demonstrating leadership, ethical standards and personal integrity.

In addition, he or she also needs to be distinguished in school activities outside of Leo Club.

Lee was the Leo director of local publicity his junior year and was promoted to club president his senior year.

Over his four years of participation in Leo Club, Lee earned over 300 hours of service and the Leo Gold Award, which is awarded to students internationally who have

earned at least 100 hours each year of their service, twice.

As president, he was responsible for planning events and seeking out volunteering opportunities for students.

Of the events, Lee’s favorites were helping at the Heritage Park Haunted House, going to the library for reading parties, and making food for families in need in collaboration with the Ronald McDonald House.

He also enjoyed socials and the end of the year banquet because it strengthened their bond as a Leo Family.

As far as his success in leading the club, Lee believes that his board of student officers, Lions Club ad-

Photo courtesy of DBHS LEO CLUB

Lee (right) exchanges gifts with Jack Tanaka, the DBHS Leo Club advisor, at the club’s annual winter social in 2014.

visors Jack and Wanda Tanaka, and DBHS teacher Judy Karasawa played a big role.

However, Lee’s hard work did not end with his involvement in Leo Club. Over his four years at DBHS, Lee played on the varsity golf team, maintained a 3.9 GPA, took 11 AP classes, and actively participated in FBLA, Math Team, Make-A-Wish, Best Buddies, and Red Cross.

For Lee, being a part of Leo Club was not just about earning hours.

Through his service, he was able to develop various aspects of his personality and gain important skills, the most significant of which is communication.

Because of the impact the organization has made on his life, Lee plans on continuing his service as a Lion, the group that sponsors Leo Club.

“I represented Leo Club and wanted to show others how Leo Club had really impacted my life and the way I view the world,” Lee said.

Lee speaks highly of volunteering as a high school student, believing that it was one of the best decisions he made throughout his four years.

“Whether you join Key Club, Interact, Red Cross, or Leo, we all work towards a same goal: to improve the community we live in, and to get closer with our city and its people.”

3

ENGLAND

VIRGINIA

Tortoises are synonymous with the word “slow,” but with the help of some wheels, a tortoise with an injured leg is faster than ever. Veterinarian Kim Barrow was inspired to craft such a mechanism after Harry the tortoise had a swollen leg after overworking it to compensate for his injured one. By adding a pair of wheels to a stainless steel pin and gluing it to the bottom of Harry’s shell, Barrow created a new form of movement for the tortoise.

Schools must be aware that carrots are becoming weapons.

A girl was charged with assault and battery after she tossed a carrot at the forehead of her former teacher. The girl’s intention was to throw the carrot as a joke, but officials at Moody Middle School in Virginia claimed she used the carrot as a weapon. “If it’s a soft carrot, it may not be as offensive, but if it’s a raw carrot, you don’t have to have an injury...to prove a battery,” Tom Stone, a legal expert, said.

NEW YORK

MICHIGAN

Anyone interested in transforming into a vampire can start with a visit to New York dental technician Father Sebastiaan, who has crafted custom-made prosthetic fangs for more than 20 years. The dentist offers four styles: Classic, Lilith, Sabre, and Beast; however, fangs don’t come cheap, costing between $130 and $260. Although they aren’t meant to be permanent or worn for eating and sleeping, the fangs are a one of a kind opportunity that only a vampire specialist dentist can provide.

Deer come and go as they please, making up a great chunk of collision hazards. However, one particular deer decided to walk into an auto collision repair shop in Michigan. After roaming around on the sidewalk, the deer reportedly walked in through a delivery door and was unable to find an exit. The deer scrambled around the store before workers were able to corner it and call authorities.

After many amusing photos and videos, authorities were able to tranquilize the deer and safely release it.

Romero seeks to racing around the world improve Career Center career from p.1 more comfortable with coming in,” the Career Center. She will begin Romero said. sending emails to parents about At the College and Career Cenimportant upcoming events, and ter, students are free to explore the use Remind101 to send mass indifferent colleges they are interestformational text messages to stued in and ask questions regarding dents. information and applications perApart from remodeling the Cataining to universities. reer Center, Romero would like to There are also many online virencourage students to participate tual tours students can take on colin college campus visits in order lege websites, as well as informato introduce them to a college envition on available ronment. job opportunities She also hopes “I just want to help that Romero can for students to provide. realize what a students discover where On the Career good resource their natural talents lie...”

Center’s school they have in CaRACHELLE ROMERO website, there reer Center, and are links to many utilize it for all it scholarship opportunities, and stuis worth. dents have easy access to informa“I just want to help students distion on all sorts of tests, like the cover where their natural talents ACT, SAT, and their deadlines. lie, and assist them in finding what Additionally, students can learn career suits them best. That’s why how to create a resume and can obI am now a counselor,” Romero tain work permits at the center. said.

Romero plans on using the The College and Career Center school kiosks to encourage stuis available to students from 8 a.m. dents to take full advantage of to 2 p.m. every school day.

more on THE WEB NOW SHOWING: THE PEANUTS MOVIE A classic children’s cartoon is now playing in theatres as a stand-alone movie.

BOOK REVIEW: THE REST OF US JUST LIVE HERE Patrick Ness’ new novel leaves readers hungry for more of its genre, “magical realism”.

TUNE IN: WIPED OUT! The Neighbourhood’s new album, released on Oct. 30, has its ups and downs.

A VIEW FROM THE CORNER A crippling fear of confrontations leaves the writer with a multitude of unwanted possessions.

VISIT DBBULLSEYE.COM

EMILY KIM

Students participate in one of the many Homecoming activities that went on during the week of Oct. 19. Freshmen Chris Honda and Angela Zhang (center) take part in the three-legged race.

Math team sweeps competition The team has earned continuous victories in the Math Madness competition. brian chang asst. news editor Ranked 38th in the nation, Diamond Bar High School’s Math Team is a force to be reckoned with. Currently riding a wave of momentum through the annual Math Madness competition, the team is looking to solidify its spot as one of the best in America.

The Math Team is currently in Division IIE and received a bye into the second round after defeating Cherry Creek High School with a score of 37-31. They faced Archbishop Mitty High School from San Jose, who were then ranked 47, on Nov. 4, winning 56-54. They faced Jamestown High School on Nov.

12 and emerged victorious, 70-58.

They will be facing Odle Middle School today.

Math Madness is an annual competition hosted by the Mathematical Association of America on the Interstellar website, open to any high school team, provided they have a minimum of five players.

Matches consist of thirty-minute competitions during which students try to correctly answer a set number of questions, usually around six to eight.

Coaches can set match dates against other schools or be placed in a round robin tournament format based on each school’s academic level, in which each team takes turns playing other participants with the winners of each round advancing to the next. If the latter option is chosen, then two teams are randomly paired up and each coach is allowed to choose a specific match time anytime during the week. The final score is an average of the top five scores.

The team is advised by Calculus teacher Jeff Brose and is led by president Ava Wu. The team has placed higher in this year’s competition than in last year’s, a phenomena that Wu attributes to more members and increased publicity.

“We had about twenty [active members] last year, and this year there are more than forty. Part of it is because we’ve been doing more publicity to get the word out, and more freshmen seem to be interested,” Wu said.

Team member Armaan Kohli, who was the one who scored the final point in DBHS’s win against Lawton Chiles High School, says that despite not being the most important member, he still feels useful and proud to be on the team.

“It’s great to be a part of math team. I’m not the strongest member, but I feel like I can still contribute. I also find it very satisfying to get the support of the other members when I do well,” Kohli said.

4 OPINION

THE BULL'S EYE

EYE EDITORS

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

OF THE

EXTRACURRICULARS: What were once activities full of intrinistic value are now ingredients for college applications and have lost meaning to students who only see them for their value to colleges.

I

t is difficult to talk about Diamond Bar High School without mentioning the students’ competitive attitude and frenzy-like drive to be accepted into a good college. The results of this drive are embedded into almost every aspect of DBHS, from the variety of AP classes offered to the abundance of extracurricular.

Students have created a formula for getting into college: a good GPA, tons of extracurriculars, and great test scores. However, while grades and test scores can be obtained simply by a student’s dedication and hard work, extracurricular activities call for a degree of passion for the activity. In recent years, it has become evident that clubs have become part a system rather than a way to follow one’s passion.

When school clubs first began, they were created as ways for students to pursue interests. A club was initially a group of people who had similar interests and sought to share a common passion with others.

Officers of the group pro-

vided members with opportunities and events in which the students would pursue their interest, and the entire group benefited from this. Because extracurricular involvement had little to do with college admissions years ago, clubs focused more on personal enrichment.

Today’s definition of a club, however, is a distorted version of its original intent. Now, being a part of a club is all about the title earned and not the experience gained. It seems that officers benefit more from their position, as they get a chance to write their titles on their college apps.

Meanwhile, members often join clubs simply to indicate to colleges that they were a part of that activity in high school. As a result, students go through the motions of being a part of a club, and in an attempt to seem well-rounded, join many different ones. The experience is synthetic; many students no longer feel passion for their activities.

In an attempt to tackle the leadership section of

the college application, students create and become president of their own clubs. This not only results in many similar clubs, but it also allows students to cheat their way into a title.

The solution to this growing epidemic is quite simple. Students should simply stick to their own passions and use clubs to discover and further them.

It is time for students to learn and schools to preach that what is more important than grades and college acceptance is self-development, which is hindered when students spend their high school years in the context of college applications. High school should not be a four-year audition for college, but rather a time to learn about new things and receive experiences to help one grow as a person.

Being overly involved isn’t the problem, and neither is taking initiative. It is the idea that one has to fit a certain profile to impress colleges that feeds this growing issue. Clubs should be about pursuing interests and passions, not titles.

287 SOPHOMORES, JUNIORS, AND SENIORS were surveyed...

REGULAR ENGLISH VS HONORS/AP ENGLISH 5 4.7 4 3

2.6

2

1.7

2.1

1 0

Students signed up for an average of 4.7 clubs 2.6 clubs Of these clubs, students considered themselves active in 2.1 clubs 1.7 clubs

FROM THE BRAHMA PERSPECTIVE: LATIITIA THOMAS (MATH TEACHER)

JACK MANSOUR (11)

SHAWN CHAE (12)

“Sometimes students don’t have the most genuine experience with clubs when they’re in school, but from what I’ve seen, students tend to see the advantages of it in college and pursue the real experience.”

“If you’re just joining the club and not attending any meetings, you may be taking the spot of someone who actually wants to participate.”

“I think that people who do extracurriculars for college apps do eventually see how fun they are and how much they make a difference.”

Cops on campus: exposing police brutality to students Officers in schools should give students a positive perception of authority, and what seems to be a targeting of minorities cannot be ignored. emily kim asst. sports editor

R

ecently, a video was released of what seems to be a police officer violently handling a female student in a South Carolina high school classroom. However, it was not an officer on campus that day, but a school resource officer, “a hybrid educational, correctional, and law officer.” As violent situations involving students and school resource officers become more common, it has become unclear whether or not officers are actually correcting behavior or engaging in brutal behavior.

The role of a school resource officer, or SRO, is to decrease the amount of juvenile delinquency by building up better relationships between youths and officials. With an SRO on campus, students will have already been exposed to dealing with authority figures and better understand how to

interact with them. Having SROs that can abuse the power of arresting bestowed upon them by the school district does the exact opposite.

With almost 64 percent of high schools having SROs on campus according to the National Center for Education Statistics, students should feel more protected and secure from disturbances they may encounter during the school year, but this is not true for all students.

This is evident in how minorities especially have been targeted by these officials.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Latino and black students make up more than 95 percent of school based arrests. A federal report from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights showed that although black students only made up 16 percent of school populations, 31 percent of them were arrested due to school related incidents. Playing the race card may be a touchy subject but the numbers show that minorities are more exposed

Photo courtesy of NORMAL.COM to mistreatment at schools by SROs. No student of any race should be treated with violence simply for the sake of discipline.

SROs have the capability of being no different from actual officers--the same ones who have been known to use excessive force on the street. In fact, with the power to make arrests at will, the only difference between the two is that an SRO’s purpose is

to help educate students during school hours.

The brutality and danger that students may face is a major problem if they continue to be exposed to potentially dangerous situations like these. The female student was not the only one to have been violently handled by an SRO. In another incident during October in Oklahoma City, an officer attacked a

16-year-old male student after the student cursed at the officer and got into an aggressive stance. The unarmed student’s only misdemeanor was walking through the halls without a pass and he was still assaulted.

The situation also escalated very quickly. What seemed to be only a disciplinary problem quickly became a full-blown criminal issue in mere minutes.

SROs should be the ones to deescalate an issue rather than blow it further out of proportion.

They are not doing any good if they only create a bigger mess rather than fix the already existing one that could be solved in a number of other ways.

This does not mean that all SROs are dictators that will use violence whenever they please. It is just impossible to ignore those that do use violence over excessively and could cause serious problems on campus. Students should not be afraid of what should be an authority figure they can easily communicate with and talk to if they ever have any problems.

OPINION

THE BULL'S EYE

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

5

SHOULD WE SEE THE CAHSEE AGAIN? sophia kim staff writer

PRO| The California High School Exit

Exam, a test that has often been considered a joke in the highly educated community of Diamond Bar, will be suspended until a replacement exam is created that fits Common Core standards. While this suspension won’t mean a lot for students at DBHS, it will have a detrimental impact on the future of many students in California.

As easy as the CAHSEE may be to some students, not every test taker passes the test. Last year, about 25 percent of the sophomores failed, meaning they would have had to retake the exam in their junior or senior years. By law, students failing this test are eligible to receive “intensive instruction and services designed to pass the CAHSEE.” However, now that the CAHSEE is suspended, the future of our “golden state” may be in jeopardy. The CAHSEE was implemented to ensure that high school graduates knew the basics of reading, writing, and math before living independently in the real world. Without the CAHSEE, we’d be allowing students who struggle at reading or solving a simple math equation to graduate—and we’d have no way to find out who these stu-

dents are.

Let’s be honest: Meeting graduation requirements doesn’t guarantee that a student has an understanding of basic academic skills, and not all teachers successfully prepare their students. Any student could have easily copied work from their classmates and received a passing grade in the class. With the CAHSEE, school administrators would be aware of students in need of help and provide them with remedial classes to help them catch up on the basics. Now that there is no test to verify the level of each student, those falling behind in school will graduate without having a basic standard of knowledge.

Some may say that it’s unfair for students to be unable to graduate because they failed to pass a test. However, the CAHSEE allows students to retake it every year until they can pass. In addition, the test is very straightforward. The test asks simple literacy and math questions to check that the student has enough knowledge to graduate high school.

Without any high school exit exam, there is no way to determine if a student can truly be considered a high school graduate. Education is the key to living a successful life and California should emphasize it more. As much as students at DBHS moan about having to take such a “useless test” as the CAHSEE, the exam is critical in determining who is ready to go out there and face the challenges of the real world.

When college political correctness goes too far

stuart kusdono contributing writer

CON| If a line passes through the points

(0,3) and (3,7), approximately where does the line cross the x-axis? The answer is: who cares? For years, such pointless questions have determined whether a high school student is ready to move on to college and the workplace. Fortunately, the California Department of Education has finally comprehended the absurdity of this logic with the recent suspension of the CAHSEE, or the California High School Exit Exam.

The CAHSEE, which started in 2002, primary served “to significantly improve student achievement in public high schools” according to the CDE. Over a decade has passed since its inception, and it has ultimately failed that purpose. According to a study by two professors from UC Davis and Stanford, the CAHSEE requirement “had no positive effects on students’ academic skills, and a large negative impact on graduation rates that fell disproportionately on minority students and on female students.”

This bold claim was corroborated by two studies from the University of Michigan.

One study concluded that the CAHSEE had “no measurable impact on 13 to 17-year-old students’ reading or math achievement levels” and the other found that students “who had earned diplomas in states that required

exit exams experienced the same chances of employment and the same wage rates as those who were not required to pass exit exams.”

A major problem with standardized testing is the disparity between every education system and to a more specific extent, the disparity in social class and race. When the Class of 2013 first took the CAHSEE, there was a conspicuous achievement gap based on race and economic status. Fifty-eight percent of African-Americans passed the exam, compared to the 85 percent of whites that passed. Sixty-three percent of the economically disadvantaged passed compared to the 88 percent of the non-disadvantaged.

Consequently, those who failed the first time were placed in state mandated “parallel and intervention” classes, and school became focused on getting the students to pass the exam, rather than on providing the proper education that qualified students were receiving.

On top of all this, the financial cost of implementing the CAHSEE, along with any other standardized test, is hefty. The CAHSEE itself costs $75 million and preparation for test costs around $50 million, amounting to a total of $125 million spent on a useless test every year.

The effectiveness of the CAHSEE is truly questionable, having failed its purpose while only bearing negative consequences in return. It was wise of the CDE to suspend the CAHSEE after its contract expired. With its removal, no longer will students face the discrimination of a meaningless test.

HOMECOMING:

A DANGEROUS WORLD

Those who try to enforce trigger warnings in the name of politicial sensitivity are inhibiting free speech. gaby dinh web editor

T

rigger warning; the following article may be considered offensive. It is recommended that you don’t read it at all. Or at least, this is the case with college education today.

College education is supposed to be seen as the avenue where students can be challenged to broaden their horizons and achieve intellectual discoveries.

However, this is being stifled with the rise of trigger warnings on sensitive topics in college classrooms today, limiting academic freedom.

Some college students are becoming sensitive to, even intolerant of, controversial topics, coercing their professors to use trigger warnings in the classroom, and this oversensitive environment has affected college education on a bigger scale. At the start of the 2014-2015 school year, administrators presented training sessions to the deans and department chairs of the University of California school system, informing them not to use certain statements that were deemed offensive. One of the statements they were advised against was “America is the land of opportunity,” because it assumes that everyone has an equal opportunity and ignores that race or gender can be a contributing factor to one’s life success. While it is commendable that colleges are being cognizant of students’ sensitivities and trying not to overstep boundaries, there is a point where shielding becomes excessive.

The purpose of trigger

warnings, used in the late 1990s by feminist websites, was to warn people with post traumatic stress disorders of potentially troubling content. The suggestion on college campuses today that literature should have warnings is not overindulging students. But when students want opportunities to forgo reading works like Chinua Achebe’s novel, “Things Fall Apart,” because it happens to include instances of racially charged violence, it becomes ridiculous.

Trigger warnings can be useful only if handled well, and supporters encourage their usage, saying those with past trauma have difficulty in reading assigned material with graphic content. However, this is not always the case. Many students defend the use of trigger warnings not because of PTSD or traumatic memories, but because they feel that a book having misogyny or depiction of racial violence discomforts them beyond tolerance, even if the book doesn’t necessarily condone it.

If anything, this attempt of shielding just hurts the people that it’s suppose to help. It creates an environment in college that is unlike the real world. Students will graduate and go into a world where unpleasant topics cannot be avoided and trigger warnings cannot be placed.

The college classroom should be seen as a place where all students feel welcome, but it should also be a place where freedom of speech should thrive.

Instead of avoiding or dropping sensitive topics altogether, college students should instead use these incidents to create an intellectual course of discussion in their classes, where they can challenge the topics they are so against.

Cartoon courtesy of DUSTIN PARK

6

FEATURE

ALUMNI

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

Cooking up success

michelle ki feature editor

and became friends.

The pair worked a couple of events together and did private dinners as well.

While many people enjoy makBecause they worked well toing food, the majority cannot say gether, Lin asked Boonthanakit if they are skilled at it. Diamond Bar he wanted to be her sous chef.

High School alumnus, Max Boon“It’s a little different from normal thanakit, fell into the minority sous chef jobs since we don’t have a when he pursued the art of cookrestaurant yet, but it still involves ing and became a professional chef. lots cooking. I travel with her to He serves as the sous chef for cook at events and dinners around Mei Lin, the season 12 winner on the country, and help develop new the culinary TV dishes,” Boonshow “Top Chef.” thanakit said.

“Stand your ground, A sous chef is They are curbut know when to be the position right rently working flexible.” below the exon plans to open MAX BOONTHANAKIT ecutive chef in a a restaurant earkitchen’s chain ly next year. Afof command. Despite falling in ter graduating DBHS in 2010, Boonlove with cooking at a very young thanakit attended the Culinary age, Boonthanakit did not know if Institute of America in New York. he necessarily wanted to become a However, halfway through his chef. time in culinary school, he was What he did know is that he offered a job at The Bazaar in Los wanted to do something that inAngeles. He decided to take the job volved food. He also strived for crein order to gain experience by actuative freedom. ally working in the field. He previBefore Mei Lin competed on ously was there on an externship, “Top Chef,” she and Boonthanawhich is a three-month stint with kit worked together at Ink, an acno pay, and was later offered a poclaimed restaurant in Los Angeles, sition during his enrollment at the

Photos courtesy of Max Boonthanakit

DBHS alumnus Max Boonthanakit works with Mei Lin (shown in middle of left image), TV show Top Chef’s season 12 winner, as her sous chef after falling in love with cooking at a young age. He hopes to open restaurants in the future.

Culinary Institute of America.

Boonthanakit admitted that he enjoys everything about being a chef, even the unglamorous parts of the job.

“I love all aspects of it, like the creativeness, the camaraderie, the rush of adrenaline you get during service, the feeling of satisfaction

after a long days of work, and wearing clogs!” he confessed.

Boonthanakit recalled Janet Lu, Daniel Roubian, and Barbara Shen as his favorite teachers at Diamond Bar. He said that DBHS introduced him to friends and teachers who fully supported his career decision.

Downtown Fuller ton

frances wu news editor

Diamond Bar, a relatively small town, has no area of busy shops and restaurants to call “downtown.” As a result, most Diamond Bar High School students head to other nearby cities for entertainment. Downtown Fullerton, a quiet but still intriguing, explorable area, is another option for students to visit on the weekend for great food and quaint shops.

While I have previously visited this area, it was to eat at one of my favorite Japanese ramen restaurants, Koppan Ramen, which has probably one of the simplest menus in existence and serves the best ramen in Los Angeles.

Of the times I ate there, I hardly took notice of the surrounding neighborhood. This time, a friend and I headed into Kentro, a Greek restaurant, and were immediately welcomed by friendly hostesses and modern decorations.

After seating ourselves, we walked up to the counter and ordered our food, probably mispronouncing every single Greek word along the way.The food, which was relatively inexpensive, was served quickly and we were immediately surprised by two things: the large portions, and the intoxicating flavor. We ordered Kentro fries, the Kotopoulo Sto Fourno, which consisted of chicken, potatoes, and potato wedges, and Makaronia, oven baked noodles with bolognese and

Boonthanakit advised high school students that versatility is the key to being successful.

“Stand your ground but know when to be flexible. Figure out what you want to do and commit to being the best or don’t do it at all.

You’re biggest obstacle is yourself.

Work to better yourself every day.”

Club Corner

Fencing Club calvin ru asst. photo editor

Photos by FRANCES WU

Greek restaurant Kentro, located at Downtown Fullerton, offers a variety of dishes such as herb-flavored fries, pasta, spreads, coffee, and pita bread. cheese. The fries, while slightly too oily, were perfectly crunchy and flavored with herbs. The main courses, the chicken and pasta, were just as delicious, if not better.

Of the two, we liked the chicken better, as the pasta seemed a little too simple in comparison to the other two dishes, but it was stellar nonetheless.

While the food was delicious, what I found even more appealing was the atmosphere. It was relatively quiet at 2 p.m., so we were able to talk freely without fear of eavesdropping or interruptions.

I could have easily spent the remaining few hours of my time at Kentro, drinking coffee and talking.Unfortunately, that was really where the excitement ended. After lunch, we wandered out to tour the area around the restaurant to see if we could find any interesting shops

or tucked away coffee shops. After about half an hour, it was clear that our expectations would be let down—although there were some stores, they were all clearly aimed at hipsters, smelling heavily of potpourri and attempting to sell $40 cardigans.

In addition to these stores, other places to eat include Cha 2 O, Rialto Cafe, and Heroes Bar and Grill.

We finally gave up around 4 p.m., and spent our remaining time at a nearby Starbucks, feeding off of tea and wifi.

Overall, while the area seems to have some promising restaurants, I definitely wouldn’t expect to make an entire afternoon out of it. However, if you’re just stopping by the area for some delicious food and then leaving to go somewhere else, Downtown Fullerton is the place for you.

Downtown Fullerton consists of tourist attractions, as well as trendy restaurants, such as Cha 2 O and Rialto Cafe.

Among the myriad new clubs at Diamond Bar High School since the beginning of this school year, Fencing Club has provided a different experience for students.

While straying from the standard club goals such as community service, the club allows students to explore their interests without having to apply or try-out.

“Fencing Club has a simple mission of bringing awareness and knowledge to the students of DBHS about the art and sport of fencing,” vice president junior Zachary Ding said.

“We want to inspire them to go out and compete in local tournaments or find a club in the area.”

After being approved on August 27, the club has started off its freshman year with a bang.

Fencing Club kicked off with attendance of over 60 members at its first general meeting, where the officers informed members of the basics of fencing, citing that fencing is a game of physical agility combined with adaptability and mental ability rather than a simple sword bout.

However, due to the liability issues that fencing may cause, the club is still waiting on the district’s approval to become an authorized club that will have a safe environment for students.

If denied, the club cannot be situated or hold any activity on DBHS campus, but if approved, the club will have some limitations and restraints to the actions they can perform.

“We want to show people what fencing truly is because it’s such an unrecognized sport, and it

definitely isn’t just stabbing people in their chests,” treasurer junior Leslie Sim stated. “We also want to teach people who are interested how to fence so that they can get involved with a unique sport too.”

In order to put these lessons into practice, the officers have reserved the gym on several occasions during lunch and held their first practice in September.

During this time, the three officers with the most knowledge about fencing guided the members to a level where they were able to bout with each other, allowing members a chance to try this new sport.

The club will provide the gear including the mask, suit, and rubber foil rather than the metal foil in order to decrease possible injuries. With a few officers currently in competitive fencing, the club was able to kick off their lunch practice by teaching members the basic footwork of the sport.

Outside of school, the club plans to offer opportunities to participate in small tournaments, showing them what the world of fencing is like. If the members remain interested in the sport, officers can also refer them to one of the many local competitive organizations in the area where they can learn from professional coaches.

“It’s another opportunity for students to make a connection at school and for them to enjoy the school experience and have it broaden their perspectives,” advisor Dena Lordi said. “We have a few students at school that are really interested in fencing and have been involved in it and want to bring [the sport] to other students in the school.”

vrinda chauhan business editor

FEATURE

THE BULL'S EYE

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

a vieW OFthe w rld

Over the years, I have yearned to go to Homecoming. Year after year, I watched as my peers went to dances of circuses and wonderlands, so when I was finally able to go in my senior year, I was ecstatic. I had heard many negative rumors about previous Homecoming dances, but my experience was splendid. With a picturesque venue, cute decorations, and an overall peppy atmosphere, this year’s event was a success.

My ideas and expectations of Homecoming were invariably painted by cinematic depictions of it that I had seen growing up, and my first experience matched up.

The venue was absolutely breathtaking, with an auditorium, balcony and a downstairs area. If nothing else, the venue choice was perfect. The music was the only aspect of the night that disappointed me. However, it was expected as my personal taste in music differs drastically from popular music.

I arrived at Riverside Municipal Auditorium a bit late, around 8:30 p.m. One thing I noticed right

tess guan asst. web editor

off the bat was that most people were not really dancing. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, but the music seemed to bring the mood down. There were seating tables as well as tables with food scattered next to the dance floor, decked up with themed decorations.

The food provided was limited to sweets and drinks, but this was not a problem. Surely no one expected to eat a full-course meal there.

Some exotic meatball-eqsue entree was also offered, likely to suit the

Homecoming on p.12

I noticed that it was nearly empty.

There were tables scattered on the sides of the dance floor and refreshment tables near the auditorium’s seating area. Not many people knew about the karaoke area and photo room since the rooms were secluded downstairs, so luckily, I was able to take pictures at the venue without much waiting involved.

There wasn’t much to do outside the auditorium either. There was only one photo booth, and the line was a mess, to say the least.

People would join in the side and cut others off, while others would form large groups and hoard the photobooth for unnecessary periods of time.

The photo booth also had a

With blasting music and hour long lines, the Homecoming dance had me wishing most of the night that I was home.

At the entrance, we were told to remove our jackets, empty our pockets, and open our purses, which was a bit vexing and unnecessary since it was so dark that, they could barely see what they were searching through. The security guards further checked our bodies for any “hazardous items.”

This was just the beginning of the uncomfortable night ahead of us.

When I entered the auditorium,

7

technical malfunction, making the color filter print out your photos in black and white. I’m not much of a music person, but it was clear that the DJ’s choice of music was evidently inappropriate. The playlist spitted out provocative terms and euphemisms, which resulted in equally immodest dancing.

Grinding and other forms of modern dancing, which were prohibited in the consent paper all students had to sign to attend the dance, were in every corner of the room.

The combination of wrong music choices and the staff’s nonchalance toward the dancing created an extremely uncomfortable mess, at least for me.

After escaping the raucous

dance floor, my date and I went out to the balcony to talk.

“I’m anti-Homecoming now” he said, and I nodded my head in agreement.

In the end, I went back to the dance floor to slow dance with my date, which finally concluded the hectic yet memorable night.

My first Homecoming dance was definitely eventful. However, I expected much more from the event. The dance lasted four hours, yet my date and I spent half our time waiting in the photobooth line. I enjoyed getting dressed up for the event and taking pictures, but despised the uncomfortable setting caused by the awful music and lack of activities to do at the venue.

Myspace brings l♥ve sophia kim staff writer Imagine yourself wandering around the same middle school and high school as your future spouse without knowing it.

For Diamond Bar High school alumni and now DBHS substitute teacher, Nathan Pope, it took Myspace for him to finally notice his future wife, despite attending South Pointe and DBHS with her for four years.

Ten years ago, when Pope was a junior and his future wife, Alyssa Anaya, was a sophomore, they first met at DBHS after introducing themselves on Myspace. United by their love of Bob Marley, Anaya took the first step by messaging Pope about his new profile picture that he had changed to a picture of Marley.

Starting off their relationship online as shy high school students, the two decided to set aside the technology and meet each other in person at school.

“The first time we saw each other at school was on a rainy day,” he

said. “We passed each other by the USB room. She had her letterman jacket on, jeans and shoes, and we both had the same umbrella.”

After dating for a while, Pope and his wife became more comfortable with each other and started attending all the school dances together.

In addition, Pope played football and Anaya played volleyball and basketball during high school, so they always supported one another on the bleachers, cheering each other on.

When Anaya achieved recognition for her sportsmanship by being named DBHS female athlete of the year in 2007, Pope proudly supported her.

“While we were first talking, I was watching one of her basketball games and I knew she looked up at me in the stands, but she played it off,” he said.

After graduating, Pope attended Citrus College to play football in 2006, while Anaya transferred to the same school during his second year. The couple both received further education at Cal Poly Pomona and soon enough, they knew they were ready to take the next step.

On the weekend of Anaya’s birthday, Pope proposed to her on the beach with the help of his friends. Before they left, he suggested they take a picture at the shore, and moments later, he presented her with the ring.

“I took that knee, busted out that ring, and said will you marry me,” he said.

On Feb. 6, 2015, the couple had their first child, Jacob William Pope. They had talked about having a family before they were married, so having that dream come true was a miracle for them.

Pope was working as a substitute teacher at DBHS for Mary Gaxiola teaching Civics and Economics, and was helping out with the school’s freshmen football team.

Being back at the same campus as a teacher made him feel welcome, but it also felt odd for him initially.

“At first it was weird, being not a student, but on the other side being a teacher and telling them what to do,” he said.

Pope has been a substitute since last year at DBHS and hopes to land a permanent job at the school as a full-time teacher.

Photos courtesy of Nathan Pope

DBHS substitute teacher and alumni, Nathan Pope, met his wife, DBHS alumni Alyssa Anaya, through Myspace during his junior year of high school. She gave birth to their first child earlier this year.

Photos courtesy of Brandon Kwong and Wynne Lee

DBHS former students Wynne Lee and Brandon Kwong made the decision to graduate high school prior to their senior year to attend community college.

A head start in college yusheng xia editor-in-chief Senior year is often the time when most students start filling out their student profiles and typing out their personal statements in preparation for their college applications. However, due to the advanced curriculum at Diamond Bar High School, there exists the opportunity to finish one’s high school career early and continue his or her education at community college.

By passing the California High School Proficiency Examination, former DBHS students Wynne Lee and Brandon Kwong have started taking classes at Mt. SAC and received a wide range of possibilities for their futures.

For Lee, the switch from high school to community college offered a change of environment and the opportunity to speed up her years of education. Lee started taking classes at Mt. SAC after her first semester as a junior at DBHS. She took four classes her first semester at Mt. SAC and had a fourday schedule that consisted of Advanced Drawing, English, Interior Design, and Interior Design Lab. Lee sees the difference between high school and college as the freedom for students in terms of the classes taken and the school envi-

ronment.

“I think I enjoy the freeness of college. It makes you feel like you’re working on your future. It’s not bad,” Lee said.

In addition to the difference in classroom settings, Lee feels a change in the interaction with college students as well.

“People in college are more mature, respectful, and friendly.

There’s not that much time for interaction though, but people still go out of their way to sometimes say ‘Hi,’” Lee said.

Lee is currently taking the semester off, as she works full-time to raise enough money in order to move out in a couple of months.

She plans on restarting class next semester with dreams of transferring to Cal State Long Beach, where she eyes majoring in a subject in the design field.

Meanwhile, the high cost of college pushed Brandon Kwong into finding his own creative way of saving money. For Kwong, attending community college early allows him to obtain college credits while slowly saving money to transfer to a different university. Kwong started taking courses at Mt. SAC during what would have been his senior year at DBHS. He is currently taking Spanish, Macroeconomics, Calculus, and Gothic Art history,

college on p.12

8 FEATURE

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

“I’m really scared of the ocean, because of the darkness and you don’t know what’s under you. I faced my fear at one point when I went snorkeling. I got to see what was under me, but the scenery made me realize how beautiful the things were.”

hannah lim, senior “I really believe in not letting anyone bring me down. During middle school, I was alone. I always thought I wouldn’t have any friends so I didn’t push myself to be myself. I pretended to be someone I’m not.

But it changed me into the person I am today.”

Alyssa Reyes, freshman

HUMANS

+STUDENTS

OF DBHS

Farid mendoza, freshman “I really like boxing and I’m good at it. I think I am the best at it because I was the national selective for Mexico and I won a couple of gold medals and I like that. I like to win.”

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

Aditya Garg, Junior “The only thing I like are my results.”

“I realized that everyone is mean to others just because of a false idea they think the person is, and I don’t want to be like that. I like to tease others, but I will never judge others.“

Michael Blazek and brian Miller, Juniors “One time we went to Knott’s Scary Farm and there was this clown who tried to mug me. He cornered me and asked me to give him stuff, so I gave him my shoe and some popcorn.”

Hailie Nash, freshman

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE BULL'S EYE

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

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Shining a light on stagecraft

9

Riley Mawhorter helps rearrange the set during an intermission of the play, “The Skin of Our Teeth.”

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calvin ru asst. photo editor

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and focus on a new background and scenery.

“I think it’s very interesting. Because you don’t really hear a lot about what these people do, and without them, there would be no show. As an actor, I can appreciate what they do, and now that I’m in stagecraft, I can help make the magic for

all

that is theater,” senior Austin Mooney said.

theatrical

As well as being the backstage crew

productions. pro-

a class that allows students to learn how

vides all the technical stuff

to handle the tools in stagecraft that are

for theatre productions. We build

used in the stage itself. The class focuses

the sets, hang the lights, run the sound sys-

on building the set and learning skills about

the

tem, and we are part of the backstage

various aspects of stagecraft so students

productions that the Diamond Bar High

crew that actively runs the show. Any-

will take an interest and pursue a specific

School drama department showcases,

body that is involved in the production

field in stagecraft. Even with all the build-

few thoughts are given to the students and

that isn’t on stage is part of stagecraft,”

ing, lectures and projects do take place in

teachers who work hard to make the sets

Rogers said.

order to encourage students to become

While

“Stagecraft

for theater productions, stagecraft is also

many

people

enjoy

of these plays possible. Behind the scenes,

Backstage, many students work franti-

more involved.

Diamond Bar’s stagecraft class, led by

cally to make sure nothing goes wrong.

So next time you watch a production,

instructor Dexter Rogers, focuses not only

The experience can be just as stressful

think about the people who work behind

on building props for theater productions,

backstage as it is on stage, as the crew

scenes, because, without them, theater

but also functions as the backstage crew

prepares to move sets when scenes shift

productions would be not be possible.

10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

Students CHANNEL YOUTUBE hannah lee asst. news editor With YouTube becoming a widely popular and accessible creative outlet, it is no surprise that many Diamond Bar students are catching on to the trend. Among the video content created by the students, they touch on a wide variety of genres, ranging from beauty to short films.

Sophomores Jiho Kwak and Jun Ahn create short films under their channel, Kwak Productions, with over two thousand views. Kwak’s longtime dream of becoming a director or an actor in the movie industry sparked his motivation to start creating video content, specifically short films.

He explained that YouTube is mainly a place for him to explore new things regarding film in preparation for his future goals.

“I just decided that I wanted to prepare myself early on so I have more experience. YouTube is just the start,” Kwak said.

However, making consistent short films is not a simple task for a high school student. Kwak and Ahn both pitch in ideas and go through the long process of bringing their ideas onto the screen.

They also recruit their own actors, and Kwak stars in his own films as well.

“It takes a while to think of something, but when I do, I tell Jun and we make it work. Then we picture in our ideas what [the characters] look like, and we get friends that look like them,” Kwak said.

Besides entertaining viewers, sophomore Solitaire member

HANNAH LEE

YouTubers (from left) Stephanie Tang, Ji Ho Kwak, Amelia and Felicitas Anijelo create and upload original content.

Stephanie Tang finds ease in creating song covers for her YouTube channel. Currently, her channel has 120 subscribers and over 3,000 views. Tang originally made her first cover in 2013, and had no intentions of uploading them to YouTube. She had it up on Facebook, but was urged by her grandmother to spread the word about her talent.

After years of singing, Tang developed the skill to learn songs by ear and utilized this skill to create her covers. She manages her videos and channel entirely herself, from singing, to accompanying her voice on the piano.

“I’ll sit at the piano and start playing chords. I’ll make little spins on [the song], I’m not going to copy the whole entire song because

that’s just boring. I just do it by ear and whatever song I think suits my voice and sounds good on the piano.”

Although she finds creating these covers therapeutic, many singers experience harsh comments and criticism of their talent, and it was no different for Tang.

She was faced with teasing both online on video comments and at school, and took down some videos as a result of this. However, she soon realized that the comments were inevitable and was pushed by her peers to continue with her passion.

“I deleted all of it because I got teased for it and I really regret it. I stopped for a long time, then I just thought, ‘I’m going to do what I like to do.’ I realized that it wasn’t

DBHS Alumna Thrown I n t o S h a r k Ta n k brian chang asst. news editor Diamond Bar High School alumna Lavanya Jawaharlal fought through the shark tank that is high school, vying for the highest grades and the best SAT scores. Jawaharlal was able to rise above her peers, only to head back into the shark tank - this time on national television.

Jawaharlal and her sister Melissa appeared on the NBC show “Shark Tank” on Oct. 30 to pitch their idea, Stem Center USA, to six of the most acclaimed business investors in America. The sisters started off asking for a grant of $150,000 in return for a 15 percent share of the company but eventually walked away with $200,000 in return for a 20 percent stake.

They reached an agreement with Lori Greiner, a self-made investor and inventor who has created products ranging from gem boxes to sunglasses and everything in between, after being rejected by three sharks, Kevin O’Leary, Robert Herjavec, and Mark Cuban, and then rejecting Chris Sacca, who had offered $200,000 for a 25 percent share in the company.

Stem Center USA, the Jawaharlals’ company, seeks to inspire young children to pursue STEM careers by engaging them in a handson curriculum. This curriculum utilizes a form of learning called “guided discovery,” which allows students to learn by doing. Students are presented with a variety of situations and must make decisions on what to do in each case;

these choices in turn affect future scenarios, similar to a choose-yourown-adventure book.

O’Leary did not see success in the venture and pulled out early, claiming it is too early for an investment. Sacca then asked for more information about the company, to which Jawaharlal replied by explaining the goal of the company was to teach students and girls in particular to pursue their dreams, despite what others may tell them.

“We are huge nerds and we are nerds that want to share that passion with other students, specifically for girls, young girls that get told being nerdy isn’t cool. We want to change that, and that starts from the bottom,” Jawaharlal said on the show.

Afterwards, Herjavec pulled out, as did Cuban, who saw success in the company’s future but didn’t think was the right one for him.

Sacca then offered $150,000 for a 25 percent share, which was promptly rejected. Greiner then chimed in and offered $150,000 for 20 percent.

Melissa Jawaharlal then proposed that both Greiner and Sacca invest, an offer Greiner readily agreed to.

However, Sacca rejected and the girls proposed a deal for $200,000 in return for 20 percent equity, which Greiner accepted instantly.

“Our vision, in terms of the business itself, is to have a Stem Center in every city,” Melissa Jawaharlal said on the show. “We need assistance in expanding the Center through franchise and we need that capital investment to do the documentation, to take this to the next level Lori gave us an offer with absolutely no hesitation and 200 percent belief in what we do. To work with a female like Lori is a dream.”

alumna on p.12

Photo courtesy of LAVANYA JAWAHARLAL

Sisters Lavanya and Melissa Jawaharlal appeared on shark tank on Oct. 30.

worth it to stop,” Tang said.

As well as teasing, she received harsh criticism from strangers online. Despite the heavy words, Tang took them as constructive criticism rather than insults on her voice and uses it to further improve her skills. She learned to accept it as a part of putting her talent out there, and is no longer bothered by them.

“I used to listen to [insults] a lot, then I ended up ignoring them.

It’s to a point where you post and you know you’re going to get mean comments, so I expect it. Good comments really build me up,” Tang said.

While Kwak and Ahn focus on deeper, dramatic videos, sophomore Amelia Anijielo and senior Felicitas Anijielo film lighthearted beauty videos under the channel

name FelAmi1225. They started their channel in December 2014, and have since gained just over one hundred subscribers.

“I think it was seeing all the different YouTubers, do these weird, funny, creative challenges, and just seeing that, I wanted to be a part of that community,” Felicitas said.

As well as getting inspiration from other content creators, the sisters noticed that the majority of the beauty gurus have fair complexions. They decided that they wanted to bring variety into the beauty community of YouTube, and started making videos.

“We wanted to bring something different, being women of color, especially as teenagers, there aren’t a lot of beauty gurus who have darker skin who help other girls know just with makeup, advice, or just stupid challenges,” Amelia said.

As their channel grows, Felicitas and Amelia realize that it takes time to slowly build up and achieve their personal goals for the channel. They hope to reach 500 subscribers by December, and are considering creating YouTube content as a serious career in the future.

“YouTube is a very competitive place... it’s become a market, a business, and you have to become an entrepreneur. When your major doesn’t work in college, there’s always being a YouTuber, but it’s going to take time to build up,” Felicitas said.

As of now, their main goal is to continue enjoying what they do and slowly build their viewer base.

“We just want to make people smile, we just want to make our viewers days brighter and happier,” Amelia said.

Tune In:

5 Seconds of Summer

emily jacobsson asst. a&e editor Since making their debut two years ago by opening for One Direction, Australian band 5 Seconds of Summer has been trying to cross the thin line dividing the teen pop and pop-punk genres. With their second album, “Sounds Good Feels Good,” edging toward a pop sound, it’s unclear whether it’s appropriate to classify them under the same category as some of their biggest influences, Green Day and Good Charlotte.

As singles that lacked substance, aside from the angst of teenage rebellion, were being released weeks before the album debuted, I began lowering my expectations. However, I clung on to that last bit of hope I had as a long time fan that the unreleased songs would redeem the rest of the album. Yet, I am forced to put aside my loyalty and admit that their new album, albeit a few songs, lacks what 5SOS once did best: produce meaningful lyrics set to youthful tunes.

The first four songs in the album are inconsistent from the more serious mood of the other songs, but it’s a welcome change. With tracks exploding with guitar and an energy that makes you want to shout the lyrics at the top of your lungs, “She’s Kinda Hot,” “Money,” “Permanent Vacation,” and “Hey Everybody!” are the closest the album comes to having a remotely punk sound. “Permanent Vacation,” one of the only songs I added to my

playlist, just might be the best song of the album. However, returning to my original issue, the lyrics of these songs don’t get much deeper than “she maxed her credit card and don’t got a job.”

There is an exact point in the album, after these first four songs, when the remaining tracks lose steam and blend together in an indistinguishable attempt to create a darker sound. Sonically, this part of the album lacks any individuality or excitement, and was almost sleep inducing. The acoustic and subdued rumination of “Invisible,” which almost sounds like whining to a melody, and the synth heavy, lethargic “Vapor” are only two of the many songs that are best left to be skipped when they come up on shuffle.

While I can appreciate 5SOS’ attempt at broadening their horizons, it’s safe to say that they didn’t quite hit the mark with latter half of the album. However, that’s not to say that the songs were recorded in vain, as they attest to how talented each member is with their respective instruments.

5SOS is very clearly at their best when they’re shouting out support for the underdogs, as they do in the first few songs. However, it doesn’t make up for the rest of the monotonous album. I’m left putting the few songs that I like on repeat until their next album comes out, and hoping that “Sounds Good Feels Good,” perhaps more fittingly “Sounds Average Feels Boring,” is just the awkward teen phase for 5SOS.

The Lilly Pad

Nonstop Netflix lilly ball editor-in-chief Whenever I find myself with precious free time, I celebrate in a strange manner. I barricade myself in my room, and watch Netflix for an unhealthy amount of time, binge-watching my favorite shows.

Binge-watching, a relatively new phenomenon born from content streaming providers such as Netflix and Hulu, has taken over my life. No longer do I have to wait for a week, (an absolutely unreasonable and cruel amount of time) between episodes. I can watch entire seasons of a show in a matter of days, and face a strange emptiness when I finish a series. From my wild evenings of late night internet use, I have gathered some of my favorite shows, in hopes that you can also waste your time.

My absolute favorite show, “Friends,” follows the lives of six best friends as they navigate through the treacherous waters of being young adults in New York, in the most humorous way possible. Though I had already seen every episode by the time I was 13 through watching re-runs, I eagerly jumped at the chance to watch the entire series over again.

No matter how many times I watch this show, it still manages to make me laugh. I feel as if Chandler, Phoebe, Joey, Rachel, Ross, and Monica are personal friends of mine, and I often find myself quoting the show in my daily life.

The series is, overall, light hearted and hilarious, but it does have its moments of drama (who could forget Ross and Rachel’s on and off “breaks”) and heartbreak. I highly recommend this show as an introduction to the life of binge-watching, but don’t let the 10 seasons intimidate you, you’ll get hooked by the second episode.

While I can’t stand to sit through a sports game in real life, surprisingly I became a fan of a show that revolves completely around football, “Friday Night Lights.” The dramatic series follows the life of the Taylor family, led by Eric Taylor, the coach of a small town football team in Texas. The plot may sound boring, but the show is chock-full of raw emotion, and features characters facing trials that are so realistic, you can’t help but sympathize with them.

Eric and his wife, Tami, have the strongest marriage that I have ever seen depicted on TV, and the football team consists of some very cute guys (Tim Riggins is the love of my life.) With a wide range of characters and a total of five seasons, “Friday Night Lights” is the perfect candidate for some Friday night binge-watching.

When I first began watching “American Horror Story,” I was terrified, but found myself unable to stop. The show is certainly creepy, but has a strange way of reeling viewers in with its diverse cast of troubled characters and crazy plotlines that change with every season.

I must admit, I enjoyed some seasons more than others. While the third season, “Coven,” was an absolute masterpiece in my eyes, I could hardly sit through the second, “Asylum.”

Though the seasons are completely unconnected, I would recommend starting with the first, “Murder House,” which follows the dysfunctional Harmon family as they move into a famously haunted house in Los Angeles, as it eases viewers into the absolute insanity that is “AHS.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE BULL'S EYE

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

11

Now Showing:

James Bond returns in ‘Spectre,’ bringing back a classic villian with a twist. hannah lee asst. news editor Even after 25 films, seven different actors, and 53 long years, James Bond has still managed to hang on to the big screen. Although it was clear that Bond needed to retire from Hollywood several years ago, the newest film of the spy series,“Spectre,” just gave it all the more reason that the franchise was time to retire Bond from theaters.

The 2012 Bond film “Skyfall” gave me hope for its follow up.

However, “Spectre” proved to be just another cliche film that follows the guide on typical spy movies.

The film follows Bond as he attempts to crack down on a malicious organization called Spectre, behind the back of the MI6, his secret service organization. He works with the daughter of a deceased Spectre member, attempting to shut down their terrorist actions.

As in any Bond story, she becomes his new love interest and creates the usual complications between love and justice.

Most of my expectations came from the promising opening scene and credits, contributing to my disappointment when the end credits

rolled. The title sequence was one of the most artistic and expressive scenes I’ve seen; it packed years of 007 nostalgia in just under four minutes. The eerie visuals fit perfectly in portraying Bond’s life, and Sam Smith’s delivery of the background score pulled it all together.

Unfortunately, this beautiful sequence was one of the very few things that pulled on my emotions throughout the entire film.

Director Sam Mendes tried to capture the audience with plenty of action, practically abandoning the plot. This resulted in excessive gore and torture, plane crashes, explosions, train brawls, and any other cliche action sequence you can possibly think of. The plot was masked by extraneous action, and made every conversation a blurred mess of English accents and confusion. Despite my love for it, I lost interest in the chaotic fighting purely because I was trying to analyze the dialogue and gain a slight grasp at what was going on.

To put it bluntly, “Spectre” had no solid storyline and was incredibly bland in comparison to previous 007 films. Many of the scenes ended up leading to nowhere; the two-and-a-half hour running time, was loaded with excessive fillers.

Photo courtesy of COLUMBIA PICTURES

James Bond (Daniel Craig) on the hunt for more information about Spectre.

The characters were underdeveloped, and many of them had absolutely no significance to the plot.

Bond actor Daniel Craig said in a recent magazine interview that he would rather slash his wrists than play Bond again. Although it may be an agent’s nature to be stone cold and emotionless, his boredom toward his character shines through his acting. Whether it’s a life threatening combat scene, or seeing his lover being swept away and held hostage, his tone and face

reach no emotional variety. It’s apparent that he’s had enough, and though he embodies 007 perfectly in regards to appearance, it’s clear that this fourth time is the last for Craig.

Regardless of how disappointing the film was, it seems that any reboot of a classic like James Bond is bound to have longtime fans eating it up. “Spectre” is a major step back for the 007 series, and it’s about time for the agent to be left at peace in the novels.

dbhs STUDENTS have THE MOVES tess guan asst. web editor The annual Diamond Bar High School fall dance concert is back again, but this time, with a little twist.

“Students were asked to choreograph pieces that focused more on the artistry and freedom of movement rather than focus on a theme or story,” said Kari Simonson, dance teacher and Dance Company director.

The title of the upcoming show is “Movement,” and with the exception of a few numbers, all dances are original and choreographed by students.

“Choreographing a piece just feels natural and the right moves just flow through your head if you can feel the music,” said sophomore David Lee, a member of All Male.

To help out with the choreographing, Simonson invited two DBHS Dance Company alumni, John Kim and Mary Aguirre to help make the dances for the advanced and intermediate ensem-

ble students.

For some dancers, this was their first time making a routine by themselves.

“I didn’t really know I wanted to do, I just tried experimenting to find what worked out,” freshman Megan, a member of Dance Company said.

Despite the different experiences and viewpoints on making their own original dances, most students welcomed the challenge with open arms.

“It’s really fun. We learn rally pieces, but we don’t self choreograph it, so concerts and sometimes dance workshops are the only time when we get to showcase our ideas,” Shani Chen, Dance Company senior team captain said. “Anything can influence me.

I can be eating something and I’d be like ‘hey, this can be apart of a dance’!”

Members of Dance Company, All Male, intermediate dance, and advanced dance will be performing at the DBHS theatre on tomorrow and Friday at 7 p.m. Tickets are on presale for $10 and will be $12 at the door.

ERIC HONG

Justin Kang (center) prepares for the dance concert with his team members.

Photo courtesy of ESPN

A young Alex Morgan (center) shares a laugh with her fellow teammates.

Disney Highlights Alex Morgan pauline villegas asst. a&e editor A new Disney XD documentary series, “Becoming,” featuring inspiring well-known athletes talking about their journey to the top, focused on Diamond Bar High School’s alumni Alex Morgan in its Sept. 13 premiere.

The pilot, which aired last October, focused on the basketball career of Lebron James, who is also the producer of the series.

“I appreciate Disney for picking up the series, and we’re going to get some really, really good athletes, both male and female, and do our best to hit a lot of homes and TV’s for these kids,” James said during an interview with ESPN. The September show followed Morgan’s soccer career from her time at Diamond Bar AYSO, to her position on the U.S. Women’s National Team. Each episode is thirty minutes long and contains background information on the athlete, along with interviews with those closest to them.

Morgan’s sister, Jeri Morgan, was interviewed alongside her father and coaches from her past.

They each explained her love for soccer and the hardships she’s faced throughout the years. Morgan went from being rejected from

a club team she tried out for, to getting a spot on the most prestigious women’s team in the country.

The show also included neverbefore-seen footage of Morgan playing soccer as a teenager, and practicing with her friends on the Diamond Bar Ayso team.

The airing of the episode coincided with Morgan’s new book, “Breakaway,” which also touches on her journey in the soccer world and what it takes to be both an Olympic gold medalist and a Woman’s World Cup champion.

The show also revealed how Morgan found out she would begin training with the National team, and how hard it was at first for her to take soccer seriously. Morgan also had to adjust to playing on a club team because, for the first time, she wasn’t the best player on the field.

After making it on the national team, Morgan expressed her excitement in getting the chance to be a role model and inspire young girls to do their best.

In addition to Morgan, athletes such as Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers and Tim Howard of the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team will also be featured.

“I’m excited about ‘Becoming’ because it’s something every young kid can relate to,” James said.

12 BUSINESS

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

Homecoming Review

Alumna gets deal for STEM company

homecoming from p.7

The entrepreneur graduated from DBHS in 2012 and found a passion for STEM in the multitude of programs she was able to take part in on campus, which then inspired her to promote science and technology in younger generations of students.

“From middle to high school, I was able to take part in robotics teams and FBLA, and work as a tutor for younger students. These experiences allowed me to develop my passion for engineering, business, and education - something that I then combined to create STEM Center USA,” Lavanya Jawaharlal said via e-mail.

The company was born out of a hobby; Lavanya Jawaharlal and her sister had originally been of-

“Around the World” theme. There were also some off-theme Dia de Los Muertos decorations at this table, which confused me.

In fact, the venue sported few “Around the World” themed decorations or activities. The theme did not translate well into the dance.

After dancing for a while, I decided to go downstairs and explore the venue. The photo booths and caricature artists were set up at a patio-like area downstairs, which was breathtaking, to say the very least. Large fairy lights lit up the balcony and the first floor, and there was a beautiful, ornate fountain right in the middle of it all.

The activities also included karaoke, and many students seemed to be participating.

The lines for the photo booths and caricature artists were admit-

tedly long, but understandably so.

My friends and I took turns holding places in line, making it more bearable. The photobooth had cute but limited props, and it strangely printed in black and white instead of the color we selected. This was not a major problem, but I was annoyed nonetheless.

I expected that the event would be a little awkward without a date, but I was surprised that it wasn’t.

No part of the setup was exclusive to couples, so the experience was not discomforting for those like me, who chose to go with friends.

Overall, my Homecoming experience was everything I imagined it to be and more. USB did a wonderful job of setting up an event that welcomed couples and friends alike, and I was left wishing I had gone to the previous three.

alumnA from p.10 fering robotics classes in their living room to neighbors and friends in order to incite interest in engineering. Eventually, the classes grew so large that the family living room could no longer contain everyone who wanted to take part. The sisters then opened a space in Pasadena, where the business continued to grow, allowing them to move to Claremont.

Jawaharlal attributes her success to her parents and two sisters, who have supported her throughout her life, as well as her teachers she had while at DBHS. “I am who I am because of my parents and sisters. My parents have always pushed me to do better and try new things, while at the same time still giving me space to explore my

own creativity,” Jawaharlal said.

“When I started STEM Center USA, I was entering my senior year. My teachers were extremely supportive of the idea, and willing to accommodate my busy schedule.”

It has been a lifelong dream for Jawaharlal to be able to pitch her company to the producers of “Shark Tank.” When STEM Center USA began to grow, Jawaharlal knew that she had to be on the show.

“I have watched this show for the last five years and seen the vast array of entrepreneurs, business ideas, and pitches. It was always a dream to go on Shark Tank. With STEM Center USA, my sister and I knew we had to follow this dream and pitch our passion in the tank.”

Two former DBHS students attend college prior to their high school graduation College from p.7 and has spread out his class schedule so that he attends class every other day. While he doesn’t believe the class size and setup is any different from high school, Kwong said that students take on much more responsibility for their own learning in community college.

“Everything is much more independent. If you’re missing an assignment, teachers are most of the time not going to go up to you and ask you about it. And if you don’t understand a concept, a lot of times you either have to figure it out yourself or attempt to contact a professor to answer your questions,” Kwong said Kwong plans on becoming a

Business Accounting and Management major and transferring to either a UC College or to USC. In his time at community college, he believes that he has become a more mature individual compared to when he was at DBHS. Yet, despite the enjoyments of College life, there are still things Kwong misses about high school.

“I really like the diversity. The people you meet can be of all different ethnicities and backgrounds, and meeting diverse people allows you to see what’s it’s like in the adult world, Kwong said. “While I pretty much miss the teachers and my friends, I definitely don’t miss the school lunch [at DBHS].”

Visit dbbullseye.com for exclusive online articles.

THE BULL'S EYE

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Preparing for the next chapter WATER POLO Despite not having a single win in league, the Brahmas hope to learn from their experiences this season. catherine zhang asst. feature editor The off-season efforts of Diamond Bar High School varsity boys water polo paid off as the team improved its wins from last season’s 5 to this season’s 14.

“This year, we have a better

grasp on how to play water polo and how to think ahead. I’ve noticed that we have begun to rely on each other more and we have a clearer vision of how to work together.” sophomore goalie Jeremy Barajas said via Facebook.

Prior to their Palomares League games, the team was quite successful with a preseason record of 11-5 consisting of their non-league and tournament games. However, the Brahmas struggled with their league games and finished with a final record of 0-8, failing to obtain a single win.

Although the athletes were defeated in the league games against

Claremont, Bonita, Ayala, and Glendora by an average of eleven points, the team did comparatively well considering this is only its second year competing. Between their league games, the team participated in an additional five tournament games at the San Diego Open, and won three of them.

The Brahmas ended with an overall record of 14-15 in league, non-league, and tournament games, which is a great improvement over last season’s 5-22.

Participating in a newly introduced sport, the Brahmas had a couple of difficulties along the way, such as enforcing their offen-

Sophomore Tyler Parquette prepares to score a point during a league against the Claremont Wolfpack.

CALVIN RU

sive strategies. DBHS struggled to match their opponents in scoring for many of its games yet many players hope that this will change with experience.

“Our league was pretty tough, it was hard to implement the drills correctly against the tough teams, but when they were done correctly we would be successful in scoring,” junior set guard and driver Kristopher Chang said via Facebook.

The team hopes to improve next season by practicing various drills such as shooting in the correct area and setting players in certain formations to handle the ball depending on who they will face. In addition, the team will also focus more on expanding and developing the students’ knowledge of the game rather than the basic skills they focused on this year.

“This is just the beginning of building a strong successful program. We definitely improved from our inaugural season while also meeting the mental and physical challenges of a tougher practice and game schedule.” co-head coach Alexander Matal said via e-mail.

Despite the losses, the team has high hopes for next season. Many team members have seen improvement this season and believe that with more practice and experience, the Brahmas have a chance of becoming stronger in the future seasons to come.

“Our team is growing in terms of skill and energy must faster than I anticipated. Last year, we played, this year we competed, and next year I feel that we will be able to go head to head with top teams in our division.” Lee said.

Freshman shines in offbeat sport PING PONG Renny Gong has been competing for nine years at various tournaments across the nation. emily kim asst. sports editor Freshman Renny Gong practices for 15 hours a week with his personal coach in addition to practicing his sport alone every day. His dedication has paid off: he is now ranked 15th in the boy’s 15 and under category of ping pong players.

Ping pong has been a big part of Gong’s life since starting at the age of five when he lived in Nanjing, China.

“I was pretty successful with it my first few years so then I carried on with it even though I had lots of ups and downs,” Gong said.

With the U.S. Nationals coming up in December, Gong has been putting in even more effort, since

has also helped him prepare since Gong would play table tennis for seven to eight hours with no rest.

His entire time there would revolve finishing as one of the top four around table tennis. players would secure his spot on Gong believes that ping pong is the U.S. Cadet National Team for different from many sports in that under 15-year-old players. He will it is more about overcoming perbe taking all of his finals a week sonal experiences and emotions. earlier in order to attend the tourBecause he is a singles player, Gong nament. Since has learned to this is Gong’s depend on his last year to own skills and “People aim to be a part of a qualify for the abilities to national team and I was a part of team, he hopes achieve a win. the Mini Cadet National Team.” that the extra “It’s not so RENNY GONG effort he puts much about in will pay off teamwork during the as it is about tournament. overcoming yourself rather than “I’m training double, triple time overcoming cooperation with your to actually achieve that goal,” Gong team,” Gong said. said.

Gong believes his greatest acThe intense summer training complishment throughout his time camp he has been attending for in table tennis was earning a spot the past two summers in Qingdao on the Top 8 Mini Cadet National

Team two years ago. Unlike the Cadet National Team, the Mini Cadet is composed of four of the best under 12-year-old ping pong players who competed at the U.S. Nationals. Being a part of any national team, whether it be the Mini Cadet or Olympic, is considered a great honor for any ping pong player.

“People aim to be a part of a national team and I was a part of the Mini Cadet National Team,” Gong said.

Gong credits his development in the sport to his coach, Yuan Xiao Jie. Gong said they bond well and believes that the cooperation they share allows him to improve on his skills. With the added support of his family members, Gong has been able to develop further than he would have on his own.

“All of them believe in me so much and that motivates me to meet their achievements and make my own achievements,” Gong said.

SPORTS

13

SPORTS COLUMN

Fatal flaws of football emily kim asst. sports editor In September, New Jersey high school football player Evan Murray passed away from internal injuries after being hit in the backfield. A month later, another high school player, Andre Smith, died from head injuries during a football game in Illinois. In the past year, Murray and Smith were just two of seven boys who have suffered fatal injuries playing high school football. It’s clear that change is needed.

The main cause of deaths in high school football seems to be the lack of physical maturity. NFL players have gone through four years of high school and four years of college. Their bodies are considerably more developed, which means less chance for major injuries. It would make sense that players wait until they are fully grown before they are thrown out on the field.

Most NFL players are around 6-foot-1 and weigh about 220 pounds according to SportChart.

The shortest players on average are the running backs and they are 5-foot-11. NFL players are taller and wider than the average high school player.

In addition, NFL players work their bodies daily for hours on end in order to maintain their size and condition. Meanwhile, high school students typically practice only at school and have to manage schoolwork with any other extracurricular activities they may have. This is in addition to the hours spent in a classroom with little exercise and long nights filled with little sleep.

When high school athletes take the field, they are not in the same physical condition as profession or even college players.

The difference is clear when you note what the causes of death among the high school players were this year. Only one person died from cardiac arrest rather than from an injury on the field.

Most died from severe injuries inflicted during a game. Almost every time, it was reported that they could get up on their own and walk, but showed symptoms of serious problems later on.

Perhaps if injuries were taken more seriously it would lower the death rate of high school football players. However, it is difficult to diagnose whether certain injuries will develop into major problems out on the field. That is why waiting until a player’s body is fully developed will help in lowering death rates.

Waiting until college will definitely mean less injuries since a player’s body will be more developed, therefore more prepared to take the hits that cause so many of these deaths. But that’s an unrealistic idea. I don’t think getting rid of high school football will ever happen.

However, there should be a change in the way high school football is played.

Whether it be more medical attention out on the field or stronger helmets, something should be done to separate the intensity of high school football from college and the pros. High school players are not the 250 pound linebackers we see in college and the pros.

CORRECTIONS Photo courtesy of RENNY GONG

Concentrating, Gong readies himself to send the high-speed ball back to the opponent during a game at the LA Open in September 2014.

Last issue, the water polo caption misidentified junior Diego Hammond as junior Dario Mariani. Also, the girls tennis head coach was misidentified.. Her name is Tisa Shavers.

14 SPORTS

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

Losing season ends on a high note VOLLEYBALL After not qualifying for the CIF playoffs, the Lady Brahmas have a long offseason to make improvements in the program. pauline villegas asst. a&e editor The Lady Brahmas volleyball team finished the season with their heads held high after facing tough losses and capturing a momentous win. Although the team’s league record was 1-7, the players expressed their belief that they had matured as a team.

“I’ve grown so much since the beginning of the season, mentally and physically. I’ve learned not to be so hard on myself,” sophomore Melissa Khodr said.

With Rebecca Bevans’ return as head coach and new players coming in from the junior varsity team, preseason started out rough and the team needed much adjusting.

“Preseason was hard because we had just formed the team and got new coaches, but we worked hard and remained competitive,” senior Kiana Malbas said.

However, consecutive losses began to bring the girls’ confidence levels down, according to Bevans.

“There were times where we played really well, we just had a hard time being consistent.

We were making errors that we couldn’t afford making,” Bevans said.

The team entered the league knowing the competition they were going to face. Though preseason was challenging and it was tough for the team to get comfortable playing together, the team’s playing style improved tremendously after players began to get to know each other.

“My favorite part of season was bonding with all of the girls on the team,” Malbas said.

Even though team bonding proved helpful off the court, the girls still weren’t seeing the results they wanted. After tournament victories and successful practices, the Lady Brahmas were seeing their skill payoff everywhere except the scoreboard during league.

“We had so many close losses throughout preseason and league.

We were losing by only one or two points,” Bevans said.

Their time to shine came at their final home game, where the team won its first league victory of the season against South Hills. The team worked together well and each player shined.

CALVIN RU

The girls volleyball team secures their first win against South Hills as sophomore Ana Figueroa spikes the ball over the net.

Even though the team didn’t achieve the outcomes they had wished for, most of the senior players hope to play in college and will take many lessons from their time spent here at Diamond Bar. Their final home game on Oct. 27 was a

McCabe: A Brahma coach for every season

Long time teacher and veteran coach is currently the head of three sports. bernard chen sports editor

After growing up in Diamond Bar and finding a passion for sports, Diamond Bar High School math teacher Tony McCabe has coached two to three sports every year at various schools for the past 36 years. Currently the head varsity coach for girls golf, girls basketball and boys golf, McCabe manages to lead the three teams every day, as well maintain his algebra classes during school hours.

Since beginning his coaching career in 1983, McCabe has coached 102 seasons of sports in total, taking charge of different sports on and off throughout the years. In previous years, McCabe has also coached cross country, softball, tennis. He doesn’t find it difficult to manage all the sports because of his outstanding assistants.

“They really do everything, so if you don’t have anything to do, it’s not hard at all,” McCabe said.

“My golf coaches really do a good job of doing everything there, and my basketball coaches, especially coach [Erica] Younge, are running basketball right now.”

In fact, McCabe has been a part of many first-year teams at Diamond Bar. He served as the assistant varsity coach for the first girls basketball team during the year the school opened. However, the teacher coaches the sport intermittently, only returning to replace coach Chris Holmes six years ago.

In 2004, McCabe started the girls golf program as well, as girls previously played on the boys team, and continues to be the sole coach for the team. That same year, McCabe was named Brahma of the Year for

coaching four sports in total, freshmen football, girls and boys golf, and basketball, on top of teaching six classes.

McCabe grew interested in sports during his childhood years, when he played sports with friends after school nearly every day. He was a 1978 graduate of Walnut High School, where he played baseball and was the varsity captain of the basketball team. Then, he earned his bachelor of science in Physical Education from Cal State Fullerton. At Fullerton, McCabe unofficially played basketball as a “walk-on” player, often competing against athletes at the collegiate level. Because of his interest in and dedication to coaching, McCabe pursued the study, switching from mathematics. He received his Masters in Education from Azusa Pacific and has taught mathematics at DBHS for 29 years.

“Everybody asks you, ‘you must coach for the kids.’ Yes, I like kids; I’m a teacher. But I do like sports and competition. I’m almost addicted to it. The reason I do three sports is because I can’t stand to wait for the next season.”

When Diamond Bar High first

opened in 1982, McCabe was already coaching freshman football, alongside Denis Paul, past, and current interim, principal. The team won its first 25 games, and was undefeated for two and a half years. Despite his success in football, the coach turned to tennis, where he oversaw the girls junior varsity team go undefeated for over 250 games, the longest of all sports in DBHS history.

Later, McCabe coached junior varsity boys tennis for several years with retired coach David Hamel and also coached varsity and junior varsity softball.

“The most basic is the ABC’s. I coach it to every team….always be on time, always bring your stuff, and care about your team.”

To develop his coaching skills, McCabe attended thousands of hours of clinics, watching and listening to well-known basketball coaches. He also talked to his idol, legendary UCLA coach John Wooden, and now models his coaching technique after Wooden’s.

“I’m a student of coaching. Still am. I surround myself with expert.

If I’m not good at it, I get someone who is to be right next to me.”

BERNARD CHEN

Tony McCabe started coaching in 1983 and has coached 102 seasons since then.

celebration of the seniors. There were 7 seniors playing this season, Kiana Malbas, Morgan Dempsey, Himani Shah, Jenna Canova, Meanna Gray, Tricia Byerrum, and Alyssa Ingalla. Each senior got the chance to thank those that

have supported them throughout the season.

“Overall, we remained competitive and next year I think we just need to return to the fundamentals and remind the girls what it’s like to win,” Bevans said.

Injuries plague hopeful runners CROSS COUNTRY Although the Diamond Bar team greatly improved this season, the coaches believe they still have room for progress. brian chang asst. news editor Diamond Bar High School’s cross country team is nearing the finish line to its long season. Despite being unable to claim top ranks at meets, the team has improved and is performing far better than they had at the start of the year.

Unfortunately for the Brahmas, a series of injuries spelled disappointment in their final league game of the season where both varsity teams placed fifth. Junior Paul Abdo advanced to CIF individually.

“We’re not really sure if we’re going to have a strong team for league, which is next week [Oct. 28]. We’re praying that [our injured runners] are able to get back in before then; otherwise it’s probably not going to be a very good end of the season,” assistant coach Malinalli Cooke said before the meet.

The season started off slowly, with many members unprepared for the first meet of the season, just a month after school started, due to a lack of summer training.. The cross country team picked up the pace near the middle of the season and was able to perform on a higher level, but was unable to sustain its momentum, as injuries took their toll. At the final league meet of the season, the Brahmas placed fourth out of six schools.

Despite the underwhelming season, the team has had some bright moments, one of which was at the Mount San Antonio College Invitational. Abdo broke the Mt. SAC record by running the three-mile course in 15:49.

Head coach Sally Jarvis is proud of the team for its steady improvement and sees potential in the varsity boys team, which she says

will become strong enough to beat Bonita High School, the third place team, in coming years.

“Overall each individual athlete has improved tremendously throughout the season; their times just keep dropping and we haven’t even really plateaued yet,” Jarvis said. “The top three schools are some of the best in the state, so we’re doing our best.”

As a team, cross country has consistently placed fourth or fifth out of six teams in league meets, an improvement from the last place finishes from years prior. In addition, the team has been able to place in the top 40 percent of competitors at invitationals this year.

In order to prepare for next year, Cooke hopes to improve the team by having members participate in a six-week summer training, which had been neglected this year. She points to multiple injuries as a major factor in the team’s lackluster performance, especially for the varsity girls team, which had a large number of its members out for the second half of the season.

“We weren’t able to do summer training this past year, so we want to implement is summer training and we also want to implement strength training,” Cooke said. “A lot of the kids get injured because their muscles are kind of weak because when you run, only certain muscle groups tend to get strong.”

Cook believes a rigorous summer program will set the stage for the team to be able to place higher in meets in following years. Also, trail runs will also be a major factor in lowering overall times.

“I hope that we do more outof-school trail runs because they provide better training for competition courses,” co-captain Jessica Au said.

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Lady Brahmas’ reign as CIF champs ended

With a dominant 14-0 record, the Diamond Bar High School girls golf team repeated as Palomares League champions, winning its eleventh straight league title. However, the team was eliminated in the postseason, The Lady Brahmas final regualr season game was a match against the Ayala Bulldogs. The girls won won the finale, 196-216.

Previous to the league finals, the girls knocked off rival Mira Costa, 298-299, at the Knabe Cup, winning the tournament for the second year in a row.

Senior Josephine Chang earned second place in the individual portion of the tournament, as she finished one stroke behind number one ranked senior Andrea Lee of Mira Costa.

During the Palomares League finals, freshman Kailie Vongsaga, Chang, sophomore Crystal Wang, and junior Jane Park were selected for the Palomares All-League first team. Senior Kathryn Hung was selected for All-League second team and sophomore Jasmine Zhang was an honorable mention.

With a two-game lead ahead of second place Glendora, the girls had already won the league title.

At the league finals, the girls continued to add more accolades to an already successful season.

Vongsaga finished in first place, winning league MVP honors by ten strokes. Chang, Wang, and Park finished third, fourth, and sixth, respectively. With a placement at the league finals, the four girls qualified for CIF southern individuals.

“Winning league is tough, especially in our league. The Palomares

is the toughest league around here in most sports,” head coach Tony McCabe said.

The southern sectional individuals took place on Oct. 26, and DB continued to thrive as each of the four girls made the cut for state finals. Vongsaga continued her run of success, placing first out of 70, scoring three under. Wang finished at par while both Park and Chang scored 75.

The girls also placed second at the CIF sectionals on Nov. 2 at the Los Serranos North Course.

The Lady Brahmas once again met Mira Costa and tied for first with the Lady Mustangs, but lost the card off. With a spot at second place, the team was able to move on to the regional qualifier.

On Nov. 5, both the team and individuals competed at the regional qualifier and the CIF-SS Individual Finals at the Western Hills Club. The girls placed eighth out of twelve teams. Only Chang and Wang made it through the individuals, and DB’s perfect season came to an end after the girls failed to make the cut.

The Lady Brahmas were edged out by Walnut, Santa Marino, Palm Desert, and Mira Costa.

Chang and Wang played at the CIF State semifinals on Nov.12 at Goose Creek, where the cut was 73. However, the two were unable to move onto the state finals as Wang shot an 81 and Chang shot a 78. With this loss, the season for the Lady Brahmas was over.

Even though the team was eliminated, the girls still recognize their own hard work and success.

“The girls have all put in a lot of time to practice and get better.

Honestly, I just [wanted] the girls to enjoy the rest of our season,” Chang said.

15

IN His GLORY DAYS

BILL FOLEY

GOLF The girls’ perfect season was spoiled in the postseason after a loss in the CIF Southern State Regional qualifier. ryan chae asst. sports editor

SPORTS

THE BULL'S EYE

catherine zhang asst. feature editor Although photography currently means the world to Diamond Bar High School teacher Bill Foley, he had a vastly different interest as a teenager: running.

Despite being fascinated with running since first grade, Foley didn’t become involved competitively until his middle school gym teacher made him and his friends run fifteen laps around the gym as a punishment. His teacher noticed how well Foley was running compared to the other students and advised him to try out for his school’s cross country team.

“That changed my life because I had success immediately and it was the first time in my life I felt confident in something. My whole experience was like a dream,” Foley said.

The athlete continued to run track and cross country throughout his middle school and high school years in Indiana.

Foley eventually served as the captain of both sports his senior year and set multiple school records, including the 880 yard run, one mile run, and two mile run in 1973 at New Albany High School in Indiana.

In addition, being a part of his many running teams created fond memories for Foley, such as his four by 400 meter relay in the sectional championships in Indiana during his junior year of high school. In order to win the sectionals, Foley’s team had to win the relay. He served as the anchor and was able to bypass the two runners in the lead at the last second, causing his team to win the sectionals.

“I remember the athletic director picked me up and carried me around the football field, congratulating me and my team. It was a team effort and my teammates all ran very well, but I just happened to be the person that was last,” Foley said.

After high school, Foley attended Indiana University where he ran track and cross country with a scholarship and traveled to various universities to compete.

“That was the beginning of me moving away from home, I had not done much before that and [traveling] just opened up a whole new world for me.” Foley said.

However during his college career, Foley suffered injuries to his legs and knees due to his persistent running. Although it hindered him physically, he claims it affected him more mentally and emotionally because he was “addicted” to the continuous aerobic exercise, and taking a break from the running was difficult.

After graduating from Indiana University, he attended Louisiana Tech University to earn a master’s

Photos courtesy of INDIANAPOLIS STAR

Bill Foley running the 4x400 during his high school years in Indiana. degree. During that time, he served as the assistant coach for track at the school for two years. “[Running] gave me more confidence in myself, that I could do something well. It exposed me to so many different cultures and styles of life. It made me see that there was a whole new world out there that I wanted to be a part of,” Foley said.

Although Foley isn’t able to participate in running anymore due to the injuries from his running career, he enjoys taking pictures of athletic events such as the track and cross country competitions.

“I get excited like I used to back in those days when I was a runner.

It makes me feel good to see people participating in and enjoying my favorite sport. Running isn’t for everyone, but I think it’s great for those who love it as it’s a good way to get rid of frustrations.” Foley said.

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Josephine Chang

calvin ru staff writer One of the most successful sports programs at Diamond Bar High School has been girls golf, having won 11 straight league titles, and producing many fine golfers. This year, senior Josephine Chang has stepped into the spotlight, rising in the ranks of top girl golfers in the country.

“Josephine has a great mind for the long haul in golf. She is well balanced in her activities outside of golf, and maintains a very humble spirit. She very much enjoys the social aspect of golf while possessing a fierce competitive attitude,” Will Neel, Chang’s personal coach, said.

Starting at age seven, Chang took an interest in golf after putting with her father. A few years later, Chang and her family

moved to Northern California and met coach Jim Collins, who saw Chang’s potential.

According to Chang, Collins helped the rising athlete realize her talent by shaping her swing and constantly providing encouragement for four years until Chang returned to Diamond Bar. The aspiring golfer then went on to play competitively as an 11 year old, but several years would pass before Chang would sharpen her skills.

Photo courtesy of AJGA

Senior Josephine Chang competed at the ClubCorp Tournament at the Mission Hills Country Club this past summer.

This year, Chang has participated and placed in various national competitions, finishing sixth out of 36 competitors in the National Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior at Ashland, Kentucky, fifth out of 26 in the AJGA Junior at Talbot, Maryland, and fourth out of 26 in the AJGA Junior at Yolo Fliers, Sacramento. One of her greatest achievement is being recognized as one of the 12 members of the AJGA Scholastic Junior AllAmerica Team. In the past year, the senior has averaged three under par.

Because of Chang’s love for golf, she has sacrificed social life and sleep in order to practice a minimum of two hours every day at the local course.

Right after the fourth period bell rings, Chang grabs a quick bite before heading to the golf course, and after practice, returns home to fulfill her responsibilities as an AP student.

“I

have my priorities set straight,” Chang said.

“When I started competing, my coach up in Northern California told me that down the line, this choice that I’ve made is going to take a lot of sacrifices, but I have to remember the three most important things in life: family, school, and then golf.”

Chang has verbally committed to the University of Kentucky for a full-ride s c h o l a r s h i p.

She said that her goals are to earn the No. 1 spot on the Kentucky team and, eventually, pass qualifying school for the LPGA tour, and obtain her pro card. “[Josephine is] one of the best leaders I’ve ever had in any I’ve ever coached. She’s been tremendous. She takes on a lot of the pressure,” coach Tony McCabe said.

16 SPORTS

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

Season coOldown football 17-10 L @ South Hills 42-13 L vs Claremont 26-7 L vs Bonita 25-10 L @ Glendora

girls volleyball 3-0 L vs Claremont 3-0 L @ Bonita 3-0 L vs Glendora 3-1 L @ Ayala 3-2 W vs South Hills

girls tennis 11-7 L vs Claremont 12-6 W vs Wilson 9-9 L @ Bonita 11-7 L vs Glendora

girls golf 196-216 W @ Ayala

cross country Loss @ Bonelli Park

boys waterpolo 12-5 L vs Bonita 18-10 L @Glendora 20-9 L vs Ayala 20-1 L vs Claremont 18-9 L @ Bonita

SPORTS DB swimmer competes in national event Sophomore Michael Lee was selected to participate in the Arena Series Pro swimming events in Minnesota, finishing 24th in the 1500 freestyle. tess guan asst. web editor Hours of morning and after school practice have paid off for Diamond Bar High School sophomore Michael Lee. Last week, the varsity swimmer participated in this year’s Arena Pro Series swimming competition in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Lee, a long distance swimmer, competed in the 200, 400, and 1500 meter freestyle races. He set a personal record in the 200 race with the time of 1:59, which placed him in the Top 100 for the preliminary round.

Meanwhile, he finished his 400 preliminary race in 4:10 and his 1500 finals race in 16:16. Despite being the youngest swimmer in the 1500 race, Lee placed 24th out of 36 other swimmers.

“I feel pretty excited about the meet because of the tough compe-

tition that’s going to be there,” Lee said, before heading off to the competition.

The annual event attracts top swimmers from all across the nation. This year, Olympic gold medalists Michael Phelps and Missy Franklin participated in the three day event, which started last week on Nov. 12.

“It motivates me because I know I have to work harder in order to beat all the people faster than I am,” Lee said, referring to competing with the top athletes.

Over the summer, Lee was able to meet the specific time standard, which made him eligible to compete in the Arena Pro Series in Minneapolis.

He has already participated in other high level swim competitions, including the North American Challenge Cup in Southern California, where he placed first in a team relay event, and the NASA competition in Florida, where he

won second place in an 1500 meter event. “[The competition] really opened my eyes to the swimmers of the nation and that they were so fast,” Lee said. “My teammates help me directly and I help them.

We support each other when times get tough and losing helps because it keeps you fired up when you’re about to die in a set.”

Because of his asthma, Lee began swimming five years ago to help warm up his lungs, and has been swimming ever since.

He spent three years on the Brea Aquatics team and is now swimming his second year for the La Mirada Armada team.

Lee wakes up early in the morning every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to practice. In addition, he participates in after school practices with his team.

Due to his achievements in swimming, Lee has been nominated and ranked twice as one of the top ten distance swimmers of his age group in the nation, and with the addition of his new record for the 200 race, he is currently the third fastest 200 meter swimmer in

Photo courtesy of MICHAEL LEE

Sophomore Michael Lee places second in the 1500 meter event for freestyle at the NASA Junior National Championship cup in Florida. the U.S. in his age group.

Lee also holds the DBHS school’s record for fastest freestyle in the 500 yard swimming event, recording a time of 4:34.

“I like the fact that it’s both a team sport and an individual one and while you swim, you have all your thoughts and emotions to yourself,” Lee said.

Looking for improvements after a disappointing year FOOTBALL Head coach Marcus Hughes tries to focus on the positives of the season and move on after failing to win in the Palomares League. ryan chae asst. sports editor Just a month ago, the Diamond Bar High School football team began its season in league with a close loss against the Ayala Bulldogs, 28-21. But that was a s close as the Brahmas got, finishing the year with a league record of 0-5.

“This season, although our record may not show it, was a huge improvement for the team and myself, having a whole offseason with

Senior David Omana led the team in sacks with six and had 41 total tackles.

the guys. I’m just really proud with 3-yard rushing touchdown. DB the way they played,” head coach then opened the fourth quarter by Marcus Hughes said. forcing Bonita to punt. The BrahAfter their tough defeat against mas could not score on the drive Ayala, the Brahmas took on the and were forced to punt to Bonita.

South Hills Huskies on Oct. 16, With the ball, Bonita halted any and lost in a tight game, 17-10. The hopes of a comeback by scoring a Brahmas had tied up the game with touchdown with eight minutes left. a 20-yard rushing touchdown by seA week later, the Brahmas lost nior running back Dimaggio Rico, their last game of the season to this but the Huskies took the lead with year’s Palomares League champia touchdown with two minutes reon, the Glendora Tartans, 25-10. DB maining. was held scoreless until a 1-yard In its next match, the team re- touchdown in the end of the third ceived a crushing home defeat from quarter by senior Blake Goodthe Claremont man. The Brahmas Wolfpack, 42-13. would successfully “We need to get bigger, At halftime, the prevent Glendora faster, and stronger. We Wolfpack had from scoring more need to develop into better points for the rest taken a 28-7 lead, playmakers.” but the Brahmas of the game, but the built up momenTartans’ lead was COACH MARCUS HUGHES tum at the start too large. The final of the third quarpoints of the game ter with a 100-yard kickoff return were scored with a field goal from touchdown, bringing the score DB senior Anthony Vasquez. As to 28-13 after a missed PAT. Howtheir final game ended, the Brahever, those were the last points DB mas finished the year with an overscored in the game. With this loss, all record of 4-6. the Brahmas had been officially On defense, junior Jaime House eliminated from CIF contention. had the most interceptions with The team’s next game was the three and senior captain David final home game of the season, Omana led the team with six sacks. against the Bonita Bearcats, which “This was my first year playing resulted in a 26-7 loss. After a 20-0 defense. I was just thrown in there, deficit in the third quarter, the but our defensive line coach was reBrahmas were able to score on a ally good,” Omana said.

ERIC HONG

Senior Blake Goodman attempts to stay on his feet in a game against Glendora.

On the offensive side, the team averaged 126 rushing yards and 136 passing yards per contest while scoring 30 touchdowns. Defensively, the team picked off the opposing quarterbacks six times while racking in 13 total sacks. The team averaged about 48 tackles per game.

Junior Grant Mestas was the leader in passing yards and touchdown with 1198 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 133 yard per game. Leading in rushing yards this season, Rico ran 1000

yards and scored 17 touchdowns.

Rico also hauled in the special team’s only touchdown of the year.

Senior Kyle Yada led the team in receiving with 41 receptions, 715 yards, and 6 touchdowns.

After a disappointing season, the Brahmas know that there’ll be changes made to the team.

“We need to get bigger, faster, and stronger. We need to develop into better playmakers, catch the ball, and overall execution of the little things,” Hughes said.