October 2015

inside the issue

EYE OF THE EDITORS:

opinion 4

feature 6

DIY: PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

DROUGHT AWARENESS

SCARY HALLOWEEN MOVIES

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OPINION

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F E AT U RE

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DIMAGGIO RICO

a&e 9

the bull’s eye NEWS

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH: sports 16

october 14, 2015 Volume XXXIV, Issue iI ONLINE at dbbullseye.com

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

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S P O RT S

District to vote on ballot measure Board members will be discussing a $203 million bond that will go toward renovation if approved.

Photo courtesy of REBECCA KIMN

Band members perform in a Los Angeles County Fair high school marching band competition on Sept. 25, where they eventually placed third out of 39 bands and received a prize of $2,500 to go toward new instruments and equipment.

Band places first in parade The DBHS Thundering Herd claims top titles at recent competitions. hannah lee asst. news editor Diamond Bar High School’s Thundering Herd marched their way to success after placing as one of the top three bands that competed on Sept. 25 at the Los Angeles County Fair, and then claimed the overall first place title at the

Duarte Route 66 Parade just a day later.

The four-week competition at the fair required two to three performances a day, measuring each band’s music, marching, and showmanship, and auxiliary’s performance on showmanship.

The Thundering Herd placed third overall, and was awarded a prize of $2,500.

“I think we preformed very well [at the fair] and have made great progress since band camp, however, there is always room for improvement. We have been practicing harder than ever to continue

our progress and hope to have another undefeated season this year,” band president Veda Patel said via Facebook.

Determined to emerge victorious, the team had been preparing for several competitions beginning as early as two weeks before the start of school.

In comparison to the previous years, the routine proved to be significantly more difficult, and both the band and color guard rigorously practiced individually as well as collectively to ensure their best

BAND on p.2

engineering, and mathematics.”

If 55 percent of voters from within the district boundaries are in favor of the bond on the day of the voting, which will take place November 3, then the district promises to use the tax money to sarah markiewicz upkeep the WVUSD campuses in asst. opinion editor areas such as technology, security systems, earthquake security, and the lighting and air conditioning Parents and others who live in systems of classrooms among oththe Walnut Valley Unified School er updates.

District will be voting on a $208 “I know that a lot of things would million bond on the November happen even in December, in the ballot; money that will be used for acquisition of technology,” Paul improvements on the Diamond Bar said. “I believe we would be one of High School campus as well as for the first groups to see construction, those at other schools in the disbut it does take a little bit of time.” trict.

Those who According to uphold the “We have world-class DBHS Interim bond say that teachers and we want Principal Denis it will not only Paul, about $40 in improve the to have a world-class million of the campus overall, facility for them...” bond money but also influDENIS R. PAUL would go to the ence the schools high school. to spend more “It doesn’t raise existing taxes time and resources in promoting and it allows for our renewal of the STEM fields through better lab technology,” Paul said. equipment and more training for In July, the district’s Board of teachers.

Trustees decided to place the bond, “We have world-class teachers also known as Measure O, on the and we want to have world-class faNovember ballot, and stated that cility for them, and make sure that its purpose to “ensure that stuthey have that ongoing,” Paul said. dents are skilled in the use of modSome of the main tools that teachern technologies and have a solid VOTING on p.3 background in science, technology,

Opening up on his cancer battle DB teacher Calero is back at school after a seven month struggle. brian chang asst. news editor Diamond Bar High School teacher Christian Calero went from facing death to instructing students on the finer points of public speaking—all in the span of seven months. Despite having gone through a rigorous treatment process to kill the cancer cells residing in his neck, the cancer survivor is back to his teaching ways, spending his days in class pushing his students toward success.

Calero first noticed a large lump on his neck in June 2014, but neglected to say anything about it to his wife until October, at which point he went to visit a doctor. He was then referred to multiple physicians until he had a biopsy performed in early January 2015, in which doctors took a tissue sample from his neck. A few days later, the bad news was delivered to his family.

He went through a rigorous treatment process as part of a clinical trial, which is a study done to help determine the validity of new treatments.

It consisted of one dose of superchemotherapy, double the dosage of a regular treatment, and five days of radiation per week. Due to side effects of the treatment, Calero was intermittently hospitalized and had trouble eating; he eventually lost 40 pounds and needed a stomach tube and IV drips to stay alive. He also lost the ability to speak for five weeks during his treatment and was confined to a wheelchair.

“The treatment is a thousand times worse than the cancer…

[But] I didn’t think I could look at my daughters or my wife and not complete the entire program, because there is no promise you will be cancer-free when you’re done,” he reflected.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cancer claims almost eight million lives annually worldwide. The disease has a death rate of 32%, according to the U.S. Department of

CALERO on p.3

Sophomore Thomas Lee (left) takes out his frustration in a lunchtime activity held by Peer Counseling.

ERIC HONG

Peer Counseling beats stress The group hosted a three-day lunchtime event for students to release tension. ryan chae asst. sports editor

Despite the sun blazing down heavily, students and teachers could be seen on the upper quads

holding intense hula hoop contests and emphatically beating punching bags during the Unravel Revolution, held by Peer Counseling from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1. The group hosted lunchtime activities to raise awareness about stress-related mental illnesses.

The event was filled with activities to educate students on stress reduction techniques and also allowed both students and counselors to address other critical issues on campus. Peer Counseling advisor Sandy Davis and several Peer

Counseling students ran the activities, ranging from building stress balls to throwing bean bags at books, during lunch in an effort to lessen the stress levels of students.

“Overall, our point that [peer counseling] is trying to get across is that everyone at school have issues every day, or things that they’ve dealt with, and we’re just trying to show that everyone should be kind to each other because we don’t know what they’re going through,”

STRESS on p.2

2

NEWS

OCTOBER 14, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

School status to be renewed

building a path to success

DBHS is preparing for a renewal of its accreditation status from WASC. emily jacobsson asst. a&e editor

Photo courtesy of TANYA YANG

Members of 3473: Team Sprocket (left to right) Forest Hu, Brian Song, and Jonathan Ng drive their robot during one of the qualification matches at their recent competition on Sept. 26-27. See dbbullseye.com for the full story.

Improving students’ mental health STRESS from p.1

Peer Counseling President Aliya Simjee said.

The main attraction of the event was the “Graffiti Wall,” a giant stand decorated as a brick wall. On the wall, students were given the ability to place anonymous confessions, with the goal of releasing pent up stress and burdens.

In addition, peer counselors tried to address many misconceptions about mental well-being by informing students about illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Tables were set up with pamphlets containing pertinent information on these illnesses

as well as on future events such as the DB Forum on Oct. 27, which offers students the opportunity to discuss and cope with challenging teen issues, and the opening of the

“...helping [students] manage [stress] better will help them be better off in the future,” SANDY DAVIS DBHS Wellness Center in January.

The Wellness Center will launch in January 2016. Peer Counseling hopes to create a place to relax and

FOR MORE ON WASC ACCREDITATION PROCESSES, SEE DBBULLSEYE.COM

The beginning of a good season

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

meditate during students’ free time at school. With DBHS’ reputation as a competitive, academic campus, students are bound to feel pressure and stress.

According to Davis, the main goal for peer counseling this year is to address that everyone’s whole wellness is important and not just academics.

“When you have family pressures, [academics], and everything else, it really exacerbates the situation. So giving [students] resources and helping them manage [stress] better will help them be better off in the future,” Davis said.

For students, the school year getting into full swing generally means large workloads and endless nights of cramming for tests. However, what many of them may not know is that their teachers are preparing for a test of their own.

This year, in order to be accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, teachers and Diamond Bar High School will be evaluated for effectiveness.

Over 4,600 schools, from kindergartens to high schools, worldwide participate in WASC accreditation. Through the accreditation, students are given assurance that their school programs are reviewed for quality, and schools learn how they can constantly continue improving.

“We can be getting great scores, we can be getting all kinds of recognition in national magazines, and high rankings, but nevertheless that doesn’t mean we can’t improve,” Interim Principal Denis R. Paul said.

The overall process repeats every six years for DBHS. For the first five years, schools focus on updating their profiles, monitoring their progress, and refining the school’s

mission.

This year, DBHS is in its sixth year of the cycle. This final year consists of an initial visit, a selfstudy visit, and a follow-up.

“When the visiting committee comes they’ll look at all our programs. That visiting committee will take a look at our action plan and review it with us and discuss the feasibility of it, [if] we will be able to achieve certain goals based on what we did in the past,” English teacher and WASC co-writer Denise Mesdjian said.

Mesdjian and Spanish teacher Marco Leal are leading the WASC team. To further help the accreditation process, DBHS has provided surveys for parents and students to complete.

This survey asks questions regarding the student’s general opinion of their teachers, the condition of the school, and the difficulty of the curriculum.

DBHS currently holds the highest accreditation status. This means that it has met all the criteria of the visiting committee. These standards usually include high achieving students, a staff that actively searches for new ways to improve the school, and compliance with expectations of governing authority.

To conclude the WASC process, a visiting committee will be on campus for three days starting March 7 next year.

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

BAND from p.1 performances.

Due to the recent extreme temperatures, practices have proved to have been a struggle, but members expressed that the hard work paid off.

“It’s a great accomplishment to be chosen as one of the top three marching bands out of the 39 bands that competed in the finals. Even though we didn’t win first place, we were still happy that our hard work took us far,” senior French horn player Pamela Tubillo said via Facebook.

The $2,500 prize will be going toward new instruments, as the department has struggled with the high demand of instruments and the lack of equipment. As of now, the band has developed a system of trading off instruments.

The following day, the team made an even more impressive showing at the Duarte Route 66 Parade.

Marching band, auxiliary, and drum major swept through the competition, competing against

nine other schools from Southern California and topping the charts across all divisions.

Despite their overall third place score at the fair, the team used their previous mistakes to their advantage.

They discussed their routine the morning of the Duarte parade, tweaking final details and going over any possible last minute improvements from the day before.

“We improved a lot in the music for this parade, after recognizing our mistakes from the LA County Fair Finals. We didn’t actually get a lot of time to improve in between because the LA County Fair Finals was yesterday,” Ashley Wong, a sophomore flute player, said via Facebook.

As for color guard, the parade was their first of the season. During practice, the members focused on correcting their timing and improving their synchronization with other members, particularly with the drum major taking their lead.

They scored a total of 88.9, an above average number for the first score of the season.

“I think the biggest difference between our parade team this year and last year is that fact that we are working smarter, not harder … I feel that although we weren’t perfect, our team is willing to learn and take constructive criticism well, which is the key to having a great season,” color guard Captain Harjas Dhillon said via text message.

Despite being crowned champions at Duarte, the Thundering Herd will still continue to put their full efforts in to prepare for future competitions.

“Similar to last year, we hope to keep improving and bettering those who are weaker in order to build a bigger and stronger block…

Our hope is to continue our sweepstakes streak and come out as champions at Arcadia, making us, once again, the best parade band in Southern California,” Patel said.

Doug List

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

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Photo courtesy of REBECCA KIMN

Color Guard members lead the Thundering Herd at the Duarte Route 66 Parade, where the band won sweepstakes.

NEWS

THE BULL'S EYE

OCTOBER 14, 2015

Around the world in a night

saving school spirit

This year’s travel-themed Homecoming will be in Riverside on Oct. 24. brian chang asst. news editor

ERIC HONG

USB members dress up for Superhero Thursday, one of five themed days in Spirit Week, which ran from Oct. 5-9.

Suspending the CAHSEE The test, normally given to sophomores in the spring, will not be administered again until 2019. emily kim asst. sports editor High schools across California will be suspending the California High School Exit Exam, or CAHSEE, after the Senate voted to stop administering the test until 2019 due to its lack of alignment with the newly implemented Common Core standards.

This means that students will not have to pass the CAHSEE, a previous requirement for graduating, until a new high school exit exam is in place.

“The main thing is it doesn’t show the proficiency [of high school skills] now in this era, in the Common Core era,” Assistant Principal John Terry said.

The CAHSEE is normally taken during a student’s sophomore year

of high school and is used to determine whether or not a student has basic skills in both English and math according to the California State Standards.

After the release of the nationwide Common Core standards however, students can no longer be tested on the obsolete California standards.

California is still in the process of figuring out how to create a new

“[The test] doesn’t show the proficiency [of high school skills] in the Common Core era.”

JOHN TERRY high school exit exam that incorporates all of the new standards.

The state hopes to use other subjects such as social science in order to help supplement the new requirements of Common Core and what will be on the new exit exam.

“The CAHSEE requires an older school of thought and it probably doesn’t ask similar questions to the new style of learning that is taking place in our classrooms,” Instruc-

tional Dean Matt Brummett said.

Due to the lengthy process that may come with creating a new test, the time frame is not set in stone.

Finding the right people for a committee, coming up with an exam that is applicable to the Common Core Standards, and publishing the test will take time.

There is no precise date as to whether or not there will be a new test made by the time the three year suspension is over.

“It could be as soon as next year or it could be a couple of years down the road. There is a protocol for that,” Terry said.

It is unclear if a different exit exam will be provided during the suspension of the CAHSEE to gauge high school competency.

Whether or not it will be attached to the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium test, administered in the spring, depends on what the governor of California will do concerning the topic.

“You want to make sure whatever assessment that you’re going to use to judge proficiency in high school is aligned to your current standards,” Terry said.

As the school’s annual homecoming dance draws nearer, USB members have traded in their bowling shoes for a comfortable sneakers, as they prepare to traverse the globe in a single night.

Centered on a theme of travelling across the plant in one night, the dance will have foods and decorations from different countries to go along with the mood. Featuring two dance floors, an underground refreshment stand, and karaoke rooms, the site, Riverside Municipal Auditorium, is the one that USB wanted to work with.

USB Commissioners Tatiana Perlaza and Sabrina May were the masterminds behind the planning for the event and chose the theme because of the many aspects it had to offer.

“We thought about what we could work with and it was cute.

We could bring a lot and do a lot, especially for activities,” Perlaza said. “We didn’t want [the venue] to be squeezed. It’s in a cute part of Riverside, it’s pretty, and the street feels like Hollywood.”

The unique setting will feature

Photo courtesy of RIVERSIDECVB.COM

more on THE WEB

CALERO from p.1 He has discovered what really matters to him and is now better at managing his life.

“I think what happens is you really get your priorities in order.

A lot of times the bottom of your priority list can seem like it’s the most important, and it’s just not really. My priorities are [now] set in stone,” he said.

The history, public speaking, and video development teacher is very open about his experience and wants everyone to know about his success.

However, he wasn’t always so willing to share, as it was once very difficult for him to deal with the look of pity he received every time he told someone.

Now, he encourages students to go talk to him in his room if they feel overwhelmed by anything going on in their lives.

“I’ll talk forever about it. I’ll talk about the ugly, bad parts, I’ll talk about the good, glorious parts, because there are a lot of kids out there who are dealing with this.”

two separate dance floors, one outside and one inside. After entering through the ticket booth, attendees will have a choice of going downstairs to take pictures in the picture booths, dancing, or heading to the karaoke booths, an activity that was not previously offered.

The venue was built as a World War I tribute to fallen soldiers and is commonly used as a concert hall; as such, it has state-of-the-art audio and lighting facilities. The building is also surrounded by gardens, fountains, and even a waterfall so students will have tranquil scenes if they feel the need for a break.

Participants can also walk outside the auditorium, where they will be greeted by two caricature artists and the second dance floor.

Additionally, there will be an archway where couples will be allowed to take pictures.

Tickets for the Oct. 24 event are $50 per person with an activity card and $55 without. If both students in a couple have an activities card, prices are $100; prices go down with each additional card.

To help advertise the dance, USB has put Golden Tickets inside select food items in the Student Store; anyone lucky enough to buy a snack with a ticket in it will win a free ticket. Another way to earn free tickets is to enter USB’s picture contest on Instagram; the couple judged to have the best asking will earn a pair of tickets to homecoming. Winners will be announced today.

The dance, which will be held at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium, will feature two dance floors, a refreshment stand, and karaoke rooms.

Calero has returned to teaching after recovery Health and Human Services.

The chemicals and particles that bombarded his neck and jaw have left Calero with various lasting side effects; he currently does not produce saliva and has trouble eating. Doctors have told him that it will be at least another year before he will be able to taste anything again.

Despite the changes, Calero, a devout Christian, sees only the bright side of life.

He is extremely grateful for his family and friends’ support during his fight and says that God and prayers from those around him got him through the ordeal.

“Prayer is a very powerful thing, and I had a lot of people praying for me. God does miracles. I’m a very blessed man to have so many people in my life who care about me,” he said.

The main thing Calero has learned from his battle against cancer has been how to organize his priorities.

3

NEWS BITS A summary of a few of the funniest and most interesting news stories from across the world.

ERIC HONG

Students walk by the 600 building, which was built along with the school pool as a result of the last bond that was passed.

Investing in a better school environment VOTING from p.1 ers would receive would be updates in computer technology.

For Diamond Bar High School in particular, the bond may mean more construction in coming years, which will eventually bring about new classrooms with updated features.

“We need the facility for science classrooms so that, every student can take four years of science,” Paul said. “We don’t have that facility and that’s a shame.”

The district also seeks potential

members for a Citizen’s Oversight Committee, which must be composed of at least seven volunteers, one of whom must be a district parent.

The Committee would monitor the progress of the bond and assure the community that the wants of the residents are met effectively.

If Measure O pulls through, it will be the next successful bond since the bond measures that helped pay for the math building and the aquatic center.

BERKELEY REC LETTERS UC Berkeley has started to ask for letters of recommendations, to the chagrin of some.

PSAT CHANGES College Board has decided to make major alterations to the PSAT to accompany the new SAT format.

VISIT

DBBULLSEYE. COM

4 OPINION

THE BULL'S EYE

EYE EDITORS

OCTOBER 14, 2015

OF THE

THE DROUGHT: It is important for Diamond Bar High School students to see the severity of the drought and the effect it has on the community.

“B

rown is the new green,” a statement all too familiar to citizens in California, is a campaign launched earlier this year by the city of San Francisco. Being in the fourth year of the drought, the idea of dead lawns and a driedup water supply looms large in many Californians’ minds.

But not to the youth in Diamond Bar. As students, we seem to push the imminent threat of the drought to the back of our thoughts, often neglecting our water usage.

At the start of this year, Governor Jerry Brown issued a drought State of Emergency, putting into regulation restrictions that would allow California to begin setting consequences for those who waste water. However, the majority of students in Diamond Bar have not made it a priority to conserve water, an immense setback in efforts to save what little of the commodity we still have.

The problem is that there are no adverse effects that residents of Diamond Bar are immediately experiencing. While some cities in Central California can only

receive water by pumping it from the local fire station, Diamond Bar remains oblivious to the devastating effects of the water shortage.

Most students are aware of the drought due to media coverage, but many do not actively work to conserve water. As long as water continually runs from the tap, students will not fully recognize the threat of the drought. This should not be the case, as pushing for citizens to become more aware of the situation allows for drought to be fought more effectively.

Diamond Bar High School has taken an active role in conserving water as well.

Around DBHS’ campus, signs have been placed, especially on brown grass, in an effort to increase student awareness of the drought and its effects. Irrigation has been cut down to two to three times after hours, and the school has begun replacing pressure washing with gas blowers to remove debris from tennis courts and concrete.

“There are signs that say ‘brown is the new green’ that

we’re going to start putting up,” Operations Manager Doug Mefford said, “I think that people are more and more embracing the discoloration of grass, because the stigma of California is the green grass and palm trees.”

The Walnut Valley Unified School District has also implemented artificial plants at two elementary schools, CJ Morris and Maple Hill Elementary, where it hopes to observe community reaction and how the landscape holds up. The district then hopes to implement similar projects at Diamond Bar High School and other schools, especially where lawns are largely ornamental.

In an effort to make students aware of the drought, the school is allowing the grass around school to brown out, by continuing to lessen irrigation times. In spite of the situation, students can still contribute to the state-wide effort to conserve water by becoming more aware and actively saving every drop. The school is doing its part, and so should the students.

DBHS STUDENTS AND THE

CALIFORNIA DROUGHT 161 STUDENTS were POLLED: 60% say they have made an effort to conserve water 38% say they have not 2% were unaware on a scale of 1 to 10 about how seriously they take the drought... students responded with an average of 6.3

Zero tolerance for young heroes A SoCal high schooler’s suspension exemplified the flaws of the zero-tolerance policy, since the school administrators undermined the defense of victims by suspending him.

brian chang asst. news editor

T

he act of bullying has become a practice so widespread in society that it’s almost impossible to find a movie or book about teenagers that doesn’t include some semblance of harassment and a resulting physical standoff between a character and his or her bullies. Films and novels encourage the hero or heroine to fight back against the bullies, invariably ending with a victory for the good side. Unfortunately, standing up seems to do no good in the real world and only leads to punishment for heroic deeds.

Protests have recently been circling on social media about a student at Huntington Beach High School who was kicked off the football team and suspended for protecting a blind classmate who was being punched by another student. Cody Pines hit a fellow classmate, knocking him to the ground, after witnessing him attack a blind teenager. Pines, however, was suspended due to the school’s zero tolerance policy. The policy, similar to those at many schools, including Diamond Bar High School, neglected to take into consideration the circumstances of the event and the reasons Pines acted out. Although he was eventually reinstated, Pines should have never been kicked off the team or even suspended; he only did what was right.

Pines should have been regarded as a hero by the school administrators; however, he was punished for doing an act of kindness. Had Pines done what

school policies called for and left to find a teacher, the blind student may have been seriously injured, having no way to defend himself.

The school’s reaction serves to highlight an important and controversial topic: Should students be disciplined for harming others in order to help a fellow classmate? The answer to that question is a definite and resounding no.

Students should be hailed as heroes and not punished like criminals for having the courage to act when another student is in trouble. Regardless of the means used, anyone who prevents bullying from occurring is someone who has done the right thing.

Results are the most important concern in class, so why are the means of accomplishing a task weighted more heavily outside the classroom? The primary outcomes of Pines’ actions were that a bully was stopped and a victim was saved from bodily harm. While the original aggressor was hurt, the pain pales in regard to the suffering he could have inflicted on his blind classmate; in this case, the ends justify the means.

As bullying continues to be a major problem affecting students all over the world, those who take measures to prevent it instead of silently watch the bullies menace their peers should be rewarded and praised, not punished.

Despite rigorous school policies against the practice and general hatred for it by society, bullying seems to have become a permanent evil. Students like Cody Pines who do what they can to prevent it are true heroes, and officials who punish such students do nothing but help encourage the continuation of physical bullying.

Courtesy of BARBWIRE.COM

The (un)truth about illegal immigrants In hopes of creating paranoia against illegal immigrants, some Republicans unfairly label them collectively as criminals, even though many only make the crime of entering illegally.

eric hong opinion editor

I

t’s no secret that it has always been an essence of the Republican Party to be hardset against illegal immigration and the unauthorized immigrants already living in the U.S. Admittedly, there is merit to this idea—after all, improper entry is a crime. However, since the start of the primary election campaigns, the anti-immigration rhetoric has been taken too far, and a toxic name has been created for the undocumented of this country.

Most notably, it’s the “teachings” of presidential candidate Donald Trump that have further blackened the image of undocumented immigrants.

As if being labeled illegal wasn’t bad enough, Trump claims that there are “hundreds of thousands of [illegal immigrants] going to state and federal penitentiaries” and seeks to blow the issue out of proportion with figures that were essentially created out of thin air.

With nothing but fallacious facts and the mention of a

single illegal immigrant who is accused of killing a woman in San Francisco four months ago, anti-immigrant politicians seem ready to unfairly label the 11.4 million undocumented people in the country as vicious criminals.

One of the biggest “factual” weapons used against illegal aliens is that for just 3.5 percent of the U.S. population, they have been known to make up disproportionately large percentages of federal sentences.

For example, 9.2 percent of federal murder sentences in 2013 were given to criminal aliens, and anti-immigrants are eager to use this information to say the undocumented are that much more likely to kill. However, because the federal court handles much less violent crime than local and state courts, the 9.2 percent translated only to eight murder cases out of the estimated total 14,196 from that year, according to a USA Today column.

To be fair, the statistics game goes back and forth, and no real conclusion can be drawn from the hodgepodge of numbers that are often easily manipulated left and right by liberal and conservative media outlets.

But one truth remains.

In general, this group doesn’t even come close to being a hiding place for criminals, as anti-immigrant advocates say.

Although by definition every illegal alien has broken the law, they pay taxes (8 million paid income, Medicare, and Social Security taxes in 2006). They’re here solely to work hard and build better lives. Ultimately, they’re no different from authorized foreigners. But, unfortunately, these otherwise law-abiding people are the ones being targeted, using a small group of criminal aliens as an excuse to give the boot to an innocent majority.

Although there are undeniably a number of outliers, getting into trouble is the last thing on any deportable immigrant’s mind.

I am not defending immigrants for improperly entering the U.S., nor praising them for doing so. But, the current political debate on immigration has created an environment in which the undocumented are being demonized completely without warrant. This community has its own problems—suffering the unsubstantiated claims their loudmouth antagonists are spewing out should not be one of them.

OPINION

THE BULL'S EYE

OCTOBER 14, 2015

LINCing up to the modern age

5

big brother watches

Cell phones should not be frowned upon in the library as long as the students there are using them for productive purposes, rather than causing a distraction.

ingrid chan staff writer

Y

ou are peacefully checking your Android for school work while you spend your lunch in the Diamond Bar High School library. Or, better yet, you are actually doing your homework and are using your iPhone to research for an assignment. Then someone calls out across the library for you to put away your mobile device, shattering this picture of diligence.

The library isn’t a place to play or socialize. It is a working space supplied with functional computers and hundreds of books dedicated to students who need these resources to study.

However, when personal phones start factoring into the situation, students are normally told to put them away. School policy states that phones and electronics in general are not allowed during most school hours, and this is especially apparent in the DBHS library.

Yes, there are always one or two kids who are not there to work. They are loud and just plain unproductive as they talk, fool around, often on their electronic devices. But a few does not represent the whole, and the majority of students who actually bother going to the library are there for some serious studying.

The intolerance for phones is a bigger problem than most people believe it to be. Take, for example, the increasing amounts of online work many teachers dish out to their students. Assignments are not only posted online, but a lot of them also require kids to study and submit their work through the Internet as well. Video links and classroom sites are now as common as old-school paperwork

and handouts.

Thus, this naturally leads to the need for students to pull out their phones in order to prepare themselves for work.

There are indeed many unoccupied computers most of the time, but the library still requires for people to show their student ID’s before allowing them to be used. Only one person is permitted to use a computer at a time, not all students carry their student IDs with them every day, and there is limited table space where the computers are, adding

to the inconvenience of checking one out. It’s no surprise that most kids would rather avoid the hassle of borrowing a computer. In fact, many students would much rather prefer using their phones to meet their needs, especially if they only require the Internet for a short period of time or for something simple.

Even if students aren’t using their phones for educational purposes, is there really a problem as long as they’re not disturbing the others around them? Reading, texting, and even listening to music wouldn’t pose much of a distraction provided that people use earphones. If a student is blasting music or calling someone, it’s perfectly reasonable to kick them out, but the prohibition of phones in the library is not entirely justified if they are otherwise not making a disturbance.

Even with the regulation being clearly understood by most of the student body, many students still continue to use their phones while they work in the library in hopes of getting away with the act. The rule itself is inconsistently enforced due to the difficult task of keeping an eye on everyone, as the librarian and library assistants themselves normally have their hands full with other issues. The increasing use of technology won’t be slowing down--it’s about time for such regulations against mobile devices to be disposed of.

Cartoon courtesy of MEGAN LEE

GROUP PROJECTS: COOPERATION OR CONFLAGRATION? amelie lee contributing writer

PRO|

With the looming expectations of college and the real world, every student is taught that they have to acquire certain academic and intellectual skills in order to be successful. However, it is unclear to some people that every individual who hopes to achieve such success needs to learn the essential skills of working in a cooperative group environment.

They believe that it is preferable to let students work alone in every assignment and project. These students argue that they work better on their own, and that group projects are nothing but distracting. However, these arguments do not stand against the importance of collaboration and the fact that teamwork can take assignments and projects to a level far beyond that of an individual working alone, by using a variety of skills to accomplish the overall goal.

In any work environment, it is essential that each person knows how to work with others. Anyone who wishes to be successful must first develop his or her own social skills and sense of community. In the future, students will need to be able to show teamwork and other such social skills to survive in their home and workplace. Most jobs require the ability to discuss ideas with others, or to communicate with both superiors and coworkers in some way. Whether you are a business woman or a math teacher, you must

learn how to clearly convey your thoughts and ideas to others. High school should prepare a student for the real world, in which one is required to cooperate with others.

Group projects allow students to be exposed to an environment in which they must provide their own opinions and ideas in order for their peers to be successful. Students are left with no choice but to put aside their differences and work in a team to accomplish their goal of a good grade, and by doing so, they develop their sense of community and collaboration. It’s impossible to put together PowerPoint presentations, posters, or any type of group work, without properly assigning roles, sorting out contrasting opinions, and building on others’ ideas.

Furthermore, a classroom of students is incredibly diverse in personalities, ideas, individual strengths, and individual weaknesses. A group project allows students to bring all bring their diversity together and work toward a common cause. With a group of uniquely talented students, everyone can contribute parts to the project, forming a distinctive environment that allows the assignment to be a mixture of several intelligent and remarkable ideas, instead of just one.

In order for a student to be fully prepared to continue the rest of their life after high school, they must have developed skills that can only be uncovered in a group environment. The implementation of a group project will help students to form ideas together that will result in the best possible product.

It is a simple and undeniable fact that group assignments will nurture skills and produce ideas that cannot come from working alone.

gaby dinh web editor

CON|

The mere mention of the term “group project” can elicit groans from students, and for good reason. Rarely is there anything positive said about these collaborative assignments, because for students there is more to lose than there is to gain. While it can be argued that group projects are essential for a student’s development since they are crucial in developing teamwork in the real-world, the way group projects work in school does not make this scenario the case.

Time and time again, the same negative situations happen.

A common gripe concerning group work is that there is always at least one person who slacks off and doesn’t do any work. In a perfect group project, the work is evenly divided and every member does his or her own work on time, which ensures the project’s success. This, however, does not happen often.

Even in advanced courses, where students are generally held to higher standards, some students decide not to contribute or turn in late the part they were assigned to do. This is not a problem that can be solved through communication and learning to mutually cooperate through individual member differences. If a person decides not to do anything, he or she will not suddenly have a change of heart just because the other group members ask for the part to be done.

The idea of teamwork becomes moot then,

and students often complain that they have to share a good grade with somebody who did not earn it fairly, or that their grade were impacted because of the negligence of a team member.

While this problem can be mitigated if a teacher assigns individual accountability and allows students to rate their teammates based on how much they contributed, it doesn’t erase the problem of stress and tedious work that is brought along by group projects.

It’s understandable what teachers are trying to do with these projects. They are supposed to engage students and have them think beyond just test taking, but at some point they become busy work. If certain group projects were never assigned again, students would not miss out on much because they simply do not gain any new knowledge from that music video or written play.

When a group project is assigned, more work is piled on top of the normal assignments that students face in their other classes. Big group projects usually take more than a day to finish, creating unnecessary stress as students discuss when to meet up to work on the project. The work pile becomes worse, of course, when one student decides not to do anything and another decides to become akin to a future tyrant in the making.

The best kind of group work, healthy collaboration, occurs when it isn’t forced upon students. Group projects are not collaboration but rather added stress makers to student’s lives.

6

FEATURE

diy

ALUMNI

Ingredients

1 cup brewed coffee

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons 1/4 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla pumpkin puree of pumpkin pie spice extract

Directions 1

Shaping America’s Healthcare

vrinda chauhan business manager

Pumpkin Spice Latte

1 cup milk

OCTOBER 14, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

Combine the milk, pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla in a medium microwave safe bowl

2

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and vent with a small hole

3

Microwave until the milk is hot, 1 to 2 minutes

4

Whisk vigorously until the milk mixture is foamy, about 30 seconds

5

Pour the espresso or coffee into a large mug and add the foamed milk

6

Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice

Visit dbbullseye.com for a video of the recipe.

Mahatma Ghandi once said “be the change you want to see in the world,” and Diamond Bar High School alumnus Rajae Batniji did just that. Graduating in 1999, Batniji is now a co-founder of a health insurance company and seeks to reform our nation’s healthcare system.

Batniji is co-founder of Collective Health, an insurance company that strives to change the inefficient healthcare system in the United States by creating a high trust system between patients and providers and changing the way customers pay for such expenses.

Batniji cited the disparity between the amount of revenue invested in healthcare and the results as part of the inefficiency of the healthcare system he seeks to alleviate.

Collective Health seeks a way to cut out the middleman (health insurance firms) and instead offer employers a way to provide its own health care coverage for their workers.

Employers would be able to pick which components of the coverage they want to offer their employees.

The company combines a variety of fields in this process to create a futuristic, more transparent and effective healthcare experience for Americans.

Collective Health strives to make healthcare reliable again in America, and then move on to improving healthcare globally.

“A lot of it had to do with how I grew up with and what I saw growing up. My parents are from Gaza, and I saw dire poverty as a child, and as I grew up, I knew I wanted

Photo courtesy of BIZJOURNALS.COM

DBHS Alumni Rajae Batniji, a co-founder of the insurance company Collective Health, aspires to make an impact in America’s healthcare system. to change that,” he said.

The roots of his goal date back to his high school years. At DBHS, Batniji served as USB president.

Back then, he simply lived with the goal of improving the health of others around him.

“My goals were always pointed generally at making people healthier and happier. A lot of people know what they want to do and what kind of title they want to take up, but I always felt that we should

“Your greatest challenges are going to come from your own curiosity and needs...”

RAJAE BATNIJI look at what [kind of] change we want to make in this world,” Batniji said.

He went on to pursue his bachelors and masters degrees in History at Stanford University. W i t h this knowledge, he gained momentum to pursue global health. He continued to influence his peers, serving as a junior and senior class president for his class, and returned to Stanford later in his life

as a faculty member.

After graduating from Stanford, he applied to the medical school at UC San Francisco, where he worked to gain his Doctorate in Medicine.

He was supposed to graduate in 2007, but a year before, he decided to further his education in International Relations, and did so at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

There, he earned his Ph.D. in International Relations and International Economy.

“I used my Med degree as a sort of a lens into the field I was looking into,” he said.

Over the last few years, he has completed his education and is now focusing all of his energy on Collective Health, which he founded last year.

According to Batniji, the most effective way to fix the healthcare system is to create a new one.

“There were always obstacles [but] that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Your greatest challenges are going to come from your own curiosity and needs. You have to ask yourself: are you more motivated by the fear of failure or the prospect of success?”

bonding over daily walks ingrid chan staff writer Many teachers don’t have the opportunity of spending an extra hour or two of quality time with their children. This is especially worrisome for parents with younger kids who are still in their crucial stages of development. However, Diamond Bar High School teachers Ty Watkins, Peter Kottke, and Scott Usher have found a way to incorporate family bonding into the simple act of taking their kids to school.

All three teachers’ children attend Evergreen Elementary School, making it possible for them to walk to school since the primary school is relatively close to DBHS. “I plan to continue personally walking with my son, at least while he’s still in elementary school. It’s just because Evergreen is so close and I also get to spend time with him,” Usher said.

Everyday, the teachers and their children wake up at around 6 a.m. to get ready. Those parents with older children often drop them off at middle school first before coming to DBHS with their elementary school kids. From there, the three teachers meet up with each other at around 7:30 a.m. — gathering into a group of seven people by the 300 building before proceeding to walk down to Evergreen.

Most of the time, all three fathers will accompany their kids down to Evergreen. The advantage to this arrangement comes into play when one of the fathers happens to be busy or unable to take their own kid to school. When this

ERIC HONG

The trio of teachers meet up on a daily basis to walk their children to Evergreen. occurs, the other two parents can simply bring the remaining child along with them. Sometimes, just one teacher will walk all four kids to Evergreen. Another advantage is that the teachers won’t be late to work, as there is no hassle with the heavy traffic in the morning.

“All three of us work in different departments, so it’s kind of nice to collaborate and talk about the school while we walk,” Watkins said.

Generally, the parents make sure their children go to bed on time to ensure it is possible for them to wake up earlier as well as achieve the necessary amount of sleep for a growing child. Most of the children have become accustomed to this schedule, and also get along very well with each other despite their age differences, as their grade levels range from kindergarten to fourth. On average, it’s normally

a 30 minute round trip for the fathers, taking 15 minutes going to Evergreen and 15 minutes coming back to DBHS. Kottke has already been walking his older daughter to school everyday in the morning for the past six to seven years. Even though she is now in middle school, he still chaperones his two younger sons, Adam and Luke, to school.

Watkins began joining these morning strolls two years ago with his daughter Shayden, while Usher only recently decided to follow the trend this year, since his son Lincoln just started elementary school. All three teachers plan to continue walking their children to school as long as they’re still attending Evergreen.

As to why he began these everyday morning excursions, Kottke gave one simple reason — “family bonding.”

FEATURE

THE BULL'S EYE

OCTOBER 14, 2015

7

Club Corner: Habitat 4 Humanity calvin ru asst. photo editor While community service takes on many forms, the club Habitat for Humanity reshapes the term.

Focused mainly on providing housing for the less fortunate, the club reaches out to the community to help support families, build houses, and understand the struggles that homeless people face on a daily basis.

“Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that helps provide housing for people who are financially incapable,” co-president senior Peggy Hsieh said via Facebook. “It’s also a great opportunity to experience how construction works.”

DBHS’s Habitat for Humanity allows volunteers and workers to build projects in areas located around Walnut, Brea, and La Verne in order to benefit the communities.

With proper adult supervi-

sion, the organization allows high schoolers to restore, refurbish, and even build shelters.

“My goal for the club is to see it become more major and [allow] more members to bring awareness.

[Homeless] people are struggling for basic necessities right next door and if people realize this, it can change a lot of people’s views on life and make them appreciate basic things more,” secretary junior Joshua Pei said.

Aside from the building and refurbishing of houses, the club also participates in a wider spectrum of activities.

One of the more popular events includes Shanty Town, a day where high school students experience the lifestyle of a homeless person.

The volunteers spend the night sleeping in cardboard boxes outside the University of La Verne and are limited to a few number of necessities, realizing the hardships and difficulties that homeless people live with.

“Our goal is not only to build

Photos courtesy of CLARISSA ANTOINE

DBHS volunteer club Habitat for Humanity meets up at nearby cities to construct shelters for the needy, as well as participating in a wide array of acitivites including Shanty Town in which the members experience a day as a homeless person. houses but also to raise awareness for the severity of improper housing and homelessness,” Hsieh said.

“Hopefully our club will encourage people to be more sympathetic and active towards helping society.”

PIZZA SHOWDOWN tess guan asst. web editor I’m not very picky when it comes to pizza. Usually, I am satisfied with a slice from Costco or school lunch.

However, due to the rising popularity of the “build your own” pizzas, my standards of the traditional baked dish have been set higher.

Pieology offers an 11.5 inch pizza for $7.95. My brother and I shared a pizza, which consisted of an olive oil and pesto base, mozzarella cheese, bacon, smoked ham, sausage, basil, and jalapeno toppings.

My mom and her friend shared one, which had herb butter, mozzarella cheese, bacon, buffalo chicken, smoked ham, mushroom,

The Pizza Press offers a smaller pizza for about $8.64 with tax.

Unlike Pieology, the pizza goes through an oven before you pay so by the time you receive your receipt, your pizza is ready. This restaurant used pesto and other sauces as a “finisher” on top of your baked pizza rather than as a base. There were also more vegetable and red sauce options, which didn’t really impress me since I am not fond of red sauce. I ordered a pizza with an olive oil base, moz-

Address: 103 West Imperial Highway, Brea, CA 92821

onion, and spinach.

The line was relatively short so we finished ordering rather quickly and took a seat at a nearby table.

Our pizzas were out in about five minutes. While the pizza I ordered came out fine, my mom’s pizza came out a little burnt.

The mozzarella cheese was extremely stretchy and stringy, making each slice not only hard to pull, but also difficult to eat.

In addition, the pizza’s toppings were unevenly laid upon each slice, making it hard to not eat a slice that wasn’t just plain cheese, while my mom’s pizza was loaded with too many toppings, making it difficult for her to keep her pizza together. Also, Both pizzas were very thin so there wasn’t much of a crust.

Address: 1534 South Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim, CA 92802

Unlike the other two stores, which were nearly vacant, Blaze was packed with people. The restaurant was crowded and loud so I often had to correct my order. Similar to The Pizza Press, there were additional sauces, or finishers, for your baked pizza.

Blaze claims to have your 11 inch pizza ready in 180 seconds, which wasn’t very impressive since it also seemed possible at the other two restaurants. They did not have olive oil as a base so I had to choose a white cream sauce, and I was surprised to find that my pizza was actually greasier than the other two pizzas I had tried prior. The cheese was stretchier than the cheese on my Pieology pizza. However, since the toppings were evenly laid on each slice, it was easier to eat. In

Along with the organization’s hands-on experiences, it also fundraises on and off campus in order to donate money to either the Pomona Valley Branch or the main organization.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Familiar Face Returns to Campus

michelle ki feature editor

Address: 505 North Grand Avenue, Walnut, CA 91789

zarella cheese, bacon, smoked ham, sausage, basil, and jalapenos, spinach, corn, and pesto as a finisher. The cheese on my pizza was not stringy at all, and the pizza was thick enough to have a crust.

All the toppings were evenly distributed on each slice, making it very enjoyable to eat. However, the new addition of the corn, which I chose to sweeten the impact of the jalapenos, was a downfall for me, each piece was overcooked and too chewy.

“I hope to inspire other high school students to give back to the community and help other people that don’t receive the same luxuries and opportunities as us,” copresident senior Alina Chen said.

Former principal of Diamond Bar High School, Denis R. Paul has returned as interim principal, to temporarily fill in while the district searches for a permanent replacement for former principal Catherine Real.

Prior to his retirement in 2010, Paul worked in many positions here at DBHS. He first served as part of the Planning Committee in 1981, a year before the school officially opened.

After DBHS opened, he took on various roles including athletics director, instructional dean, an AP History teacher, varsity baseball coach, GLC, and assistant principal. He was finally named principal in 1998.

After returning as interim principal this school year, Paul was surprised to see so many new faces on the DBHS staff--over a third of the staff has changed since he was principal.

He also admits that the evolution of technology used on campus sometimes leaves him in awe.

Nonetheless, Paul has the people around him to thank.

“I honestly feel so out of it, in some respects, but I have good people around me that help me

navigate what I need to navigate,” Paul said.

Now, five years into retirement, Paul appreciates the opportunity to play golf and doing things that he wasn’t able to do while he was working.

He has also been working part time at a charter school for the last year and a half, just to try something different.

“I’ve never had a loss of things to do. There’s always a thousands things to do, [and] not enough time to do it. However, one thing you lack are day-to-day intellectual challenges,” he said.

Although many aspects of DBHS has changed, Paul believes that the overall commitment of the staff has remained the same.

Paul reveals that the only reason he came back as Interim Principal is because he loves DBHS and still cares a lot about the well-being of the school.

After over more than 30 years of starting his journey here at DBHS, Paul has witnessed many students and faculty members walk through these halls.

“If DBHS students learn nothing else, we learn to compete. Witnessing students spread their wings is my favorite part of being at DBHS. I believe that if you don’t get involved with things, it’s your fault,” Paul said.

addition, the crust was uneven, so some slices had a thick crust while others lacked one altogether. I was disappointed to find that the jalapenos didn’t stand out at all. On the other pizzas, there was a hit of spiciness from slices that didn’t even have a jalapeno, but this pizza lacked a hint of spiciness in general.

Overall, I enjoyed my pizza adventure. I would recommend Pieology to friends looking for cheap and quiet “get together” place and Blaze for an easy to-go option. The Pizza Press would be perfect for a lunch or dinner dine in or a graband-go dinner. The service was quick and friendly, making it an ideal place to go with friends or family.

MICHELLE KI

DBHS’s Interim Principal Dennis R. Paul, the former principal before Real, serves temporarily as the search for the next prinicipal continues.

8 FEATURE

OCTOBER 14, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

“I got kicked out for one day because I dyed my hair without my dad knowing. My dad thinks the things I do reflect on him mostly.

He’s not okay with it now, but I’m just going to keep it.”

paula williams, freshman ““I didn’t see my dad for a couple of years. He is the only person who really understood how I felt, and with him gone, I just didn’t have anyone to confide in. When he came back, I felt this sort of happiness that I haven’t felt before.”

Ari Muramoto, junior

jessy lau, Sophomore “I like my friends because they offer me food. I feel more like a dog than a human.

Without [them], I’d die of hunger.”

HUMANS OF DBHS

Adam Gibson, freshman

“When I play video games, my friends and I will talk and make jokes, but if something serious happens, the joking will stop and we’ll become serious. There’s no bad mouthing or being mean to others, or else you get kicked out because we don’t need that kind of negativity.”

Winston Martinez,Junior “Losing my mom two years ago to cancer was hard because she was always there for me. As time went by, it helped me and motivated me.

I know she still wants me to do well, so I won’t let her down. We were like best friends so losing her was like losing my best friend.”

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

jiahao ni,Junior ““I’m interesting, boring, smart, and stupid. I describe myself that way because everyone wants to be superior, so sometimes there’s a right moment to think we are stupid. I did really stupid stuff in the past, so I describe myself that way so I can improve in the future.”

OCTOBER 14, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE BULL'S EYE

9

Frightening films

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SCREAM

THE ADAMS FAMILY

HALLOWEEN TOWN

DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIE

WOODS ENTERTAINMENT

THE CONJURING

HOCUS POCUS

ONION PICTURES

THE PURGE

WALT DISNEY PICTURES

NEW LINE ENTERTAINMENT

pauline villegas asst. a&e editor

PLATINUM DUNES

Costumes, candy, and scary movies immediately come to mind as soon as September ends. Whether you’re a scary movie fanatic, or you’re scared of your own shadow, you can still join in on the fun by watching Halloween movies. Some movies will make your spine tingle, and some will bring out your inner child, but as long as they get you into the Halloween spirit, tune in and beware.

To read more about these spooky movies, scan the qr code with your smartphone.

10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

OCTOBER 14, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

The Lilly Pad

Now Showing:

THE BEST OF YOUTUBE lilly ball editor-in-chief

“Pan,” a prequel to J.M. Barrie’s original story, reveals the true story of a young boy, who became the hero we all know as Peter Pan. lilly ball editor-in-chief As a child, I often left my window unlocked at night, in hopes that I would receive a visit from a magical boy named Peter. Disney’s 1953 animated film, “Peter Pan,” first introduced me to J.M. Barrie’s otherworldly tale, but it didn’t reveal much about the title character. For years I wondered just how Peter came to be a lost boy, stuck in the timeless limbo of Neverland.

Director Joe Wright’s latest film, “Pan,” attempts to give a backstory to Barrie’s creative masterpiece, but distracts audiences from the story by sensory overload. Overly excessive action sequences and blaring sound effects overwhelm any effort made to develop the plot.

But the film is saved from being a complete shipwreck by its gorgeous cinematography and charming characters.

Peter’s story begins in an orphanage in World War 2 era London, after his mother leaves him on the front steps with a note, promising to see him again, “in this world or another.” Years later, after multiple boys in the orphanage go missing, Peter (Levi Miller) takes it upon himself to solve the mystery, only to discover that they are being taken in the middle of the night by pirates, and is kidnapped himself.

Peter is transported on a flying ship to Neverland, where he is to be

Photo courtesy of DUNE ENTERTAINMENT

Peter Pan, played by Levi Miller, attempts to fend off the dreaded Blackbeard. one of thousands of boys forced by the evil pirate Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman) to work in mines. After getting into a fight with other miners, Peter is forced to jump off a plank as punishment, but before he can reach the ground, he begins to fly. This shocks Blackbeard, who reveals an ancient prophecy, predicting that a boy who can fly will one day overthrow the pirates, and liberate the natives of Neverland.

To prevent this, Peter is put in jail, but then escapes to the jungle of Neverland with the help of fellow orphan James Hook (Garrett Hedlund.) Once in the jungle, Peter is joined by Hook and the princess of the natives, Tiger Lily (Rooney Mara,) as he struggles to discover his true identity.

Though the plot of “Pan” can be confusing, certain cast members miraculously managed to shine through. Hedlund creates an entirely new version of Captain Hook, who has always been portrayed as a crazed, paranoid pirate.

Though a bit gruff, Hedlund is boy-

the music of America CALVIN RU

The Marquis Choir sings “The Roof” by Andrea Ramsey at their fall concert.

hannah lee asst. news editor After a city-wide blackout forced DBHS’s choir department to cancel their first concert of the year last Friday, they quickly adapted by rescheduling to the following day.

All four choirs, Marquis, Solitaire, Chamber, and Diamond Tones, put on their first show on Saturday, titled “America Sings!,” with a wide range of genres from different musical periods.

Following the opening song was a warm welcome speech from choir president Nicolas Zhou.

Then, Gabby Thornock and Kassie Craft kicked off the night with the first solo, a duet of “Caravan of Love,” a popular 1980s song.

The Solitaire ladies were the first to perform, singing many lighthearted pieces such as “And This Shall be For Music.” Following their performance, Marquis president Crystal Ng and Zhou covered the popular Taylor Swift song, “Everything Has Changed,” and Marquis member Allyson Cantimbuhan performed the 1970s hit, “Neither One of Us.” Chamber’s performance was followed by two Adele songs, “Don’t You Remember” sung by Marquis members Lina Jung and Jillian Aluning, and “Make You Feel My Love,” by Soli-

taire singers Jodie Lu, Myra Mayr, and Kaitlyn Lee. The last duet, by Larry Chen and Jacob Loor, turned out to be an audience favorite. The first time soloists took it back to the Jonas Brothers era with a duet of “Lovebug,” bringing back nostalgia from 2008.

Being one of the comedic acts, the two sophomore Marquis members broke out into a couple’s dance in the middle of the song.

“I think Jacob did a great job and I hope we pleased everyone, we tried our best,” Chen said.

The advanced choir, Marquis, performed songs that featured musicians. Derek Su accompanied the group on the violin for “The Roof,” while percussionists Ashley Peng, Jeremy Davids, Cash Langi and bassist Aaron Kerestes joined in for “Let the River Run.” To wrap up, all choirs gathered on stage for the finale, “God Bless the USA.” “Even though we ran out of electricity yesterday...we made sure everyone stayed positive, and still had the spirit that we had yesterday to make a successful concert. I’m really proud of the department,” Zhou said.

“Ms. Breitag is an amazing director... it would be a mess without her. She gives a whole bunch of kids some direction. It’s all because of her,” sophomore soloist Myra Mayr said.

ishly charming, and reminded me of a young Harrison Ford.

Miller, though only 13, managed to portray an emotional depth that many of his older cast mates failed to. He’s mischievous, brave, and silly, everything that Peter Pan is expected to be.

“Pan” is presented to audiences with a colorful, candy coated exterior. The film is incredibly beautiful, as Wright is known for his aesthetically pleasing films such as “Atonement” and “Pride and Prejudice,” but unlike his previous films, “Pan” has nothing more to offer. The film runs at almost two hours, but would require at least three more to fully explain all of the unnecessary subplots.

Though Wright created a Neverland that’s a spectacle all by itself, it’s not enough to support the weight of the massive, overly complicated storyline. “Pan” may have answered some of the questions that Barrie fans have mulled over for years, but such a classic story deserved more of an effort.

This may sound ridiculous, but I must find the perfect YouTube video to watch before I can even begin to eat lunch. This is a difficult task that sometimes takes up more of my time than I am proud of, but once I find that ideal video, those 20 minutes of searching are worth it.

Luckily, I have some favorites that I can always rely on for my lunchtime entertainment.

If you don’t know him for his sunglasses, you know Casey Neistat for his social media app. Innocently enough, my obsession with Neistat started when I followed him on Snapchat. From there, I got sneak peaks of the crazy life that he leads, travelling around the world, and bugging his wife, Candice. As an entrepreneur, producer, director, popular vlogger, and overall creative genius, Neistat is one of the most interesting people on the web. His vlogs allow you to follow him during his day to day life, working in his New York City office, then travelling to some exotic place to create his next advertising campaign. Though I must warn you, Neistat’s videos will awaken

your inner wanderlust.

My first YouTube crush, KickThePj is that quirky, British boy with piercing blue eyes that we all wish we could marry. PJ’s videos consist of an eclectic mix of strange skits, crazy doodles, and ukulele music. I have been watching PJ’s videos since 2010, and I still get excited every time I get a notification indicating that he has posted a new video. One of the most unique features of YouTube is that you can actually see your favorite artists change over the years, and get to know them on what feels like a personal level. PJ may have shed his Justin Bieber haircut from so many years ago, but he still has that magical creativity that makes him so special.

If Pinterest were to take a human form, it would be Meredith Foster. Foster, aka StilaBabe09, is the ultimate YouTube beauty guru.

Her videos range from DIY instructions, to back to school organization tips. Though a student herself, Foster manages to post weekly videos, motivating her followers to take care of themselves and be confident. Her bubbly personality always manages to brighten my day. If you ever need to know how to properly wash your hair or decorate your room for the holidays, Foster is your girl.

Photo courtesy of YOUTUBE.COM

KickThe Pj sings his original song, ‘Tree Hugger” in one of his many videos.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Pianist Eden Chen catherine zhang asst. feature editor For Diamond Bar High School junior Eden Chen, his beloved piano is much more than just a musical instrument he practices daily, as it has changed his perspective of the world.

“Piano is a change in the kind of daily way of thinking. It gave me confidence in the creativity that I bring to school or anything, since it makes me more confident in any ideas I have and I can present them well,” Chen said.

Chen has entered numerous piano competitions starting in 2007, and has done well in competitions such as the American Fine Arts Festival ,13th International Russian Music Piano Competition, and California International Young Artists MusicFest Competition.

Chen was also invited to play at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

In addition to competitions, Chen applied for a scholarship opportunity from “From the Top,” a national program used to feature the talents and skills of young musicians, in 2013. He sent in a recording and was one of the 20 applicants selected annually for the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award, which comes with a $10,000 scholarship for studying music as well as being broadcasted on “From The Top’s” nationwide radio station.

His road to success hasn’t been so smooth. Since beginning piano

lessons at age six, Chen has been deeply ingrained with his first coach’s teachings, as she taught him to view piano from a emotional standpoint.

Although Chen thrived under his coach of seven years, they eventually stopped meeting and Chen switched to a prominent music school based in Los Angeles.

Chen wasn’t used to the professional setting of the school and found it demeaning. In addition, the teachers didn’t offer any form of guidance, as Chen said that they didn’t teach him efficiently and demanded too much from him.

Chen left the school in 2014 and has been instructed by teacher Rufus Choi ever since. Choi has been a huge influence on Chen as he shares a lot of his experiences with

him.

“A key thing he teaches is that you have to experience things in life because if you want to put it into your music, you have to hear it in your head before it goes into the piano,” Chen said.

In addition, Chen’s natural born talent has made a positive impact in the mind of DBHS’ Grammy winning music director Steve Acciani.

“He’s one of the best musicians I’ve ever seen in my 28 years of teaching. He has done a great job mastering the technical abilities of playing the piano and he’s matched that with an innate understanding of music and the ability to communicate the music expressive quality beyond just the technical aspects,” Acciani said.

Photo courtesy of EDEN CHEN

Eden Chen performs one of his long practiced songs at a recent competition.

Drama Preps for Fall Play ingrid chan staff writer In just four weeks, Diamond Bar High School’s drama students will be performing a wildly imaginative play – one that includes pet mammoths and dinosaurs. The Pulitzer Prize winning play “The Skin of Our Teeth” was first performed in 1942, and was written by Thornton Wilder near the start of World War II, highlighting darker themes such as survival and war while still remaining humorous.

The play is set in a variety of different places and frequently skips around to other time periods. Consisting of three acts, it’s centered on a single family and their hardships over many decades. The allegory emphasizes how mankind is always on the verge of extinction and yet is still able to find a way to continue moving forward.

By struggling to survive the many catastrophes that the world throws

their way, the family manages to hold on to life by “the skin of their teeth”.

“I think the audience will really like the interaction in this play, especially since it has lots of humour while still remaining serious about real world problems like war and other human problems,” Drama teacher Beatrice Casagran said.

“The Skin of Our Teeth” stars Jonah Martinez as father George Antrobus, Julianna King as mother Maggie Antrobus, Luke Teerling and Ellie Desmond as their children Henry and Gladys, as well as Chloe Reyes as their maid, Sabina.

The cast has been rehearsing since they received their scripts in May, amounting up to several months of dedicated preparation.

With archetypal characters not placed in a chronological timeframe, the settings in which the story takes place are a mix of modern, historical, and fictional situations. For example, the opening scene starts with the family living

in a track home in New Jersey, in the midst of an Ice Age. The second act occurs in the 1990s with the impending danger of a massive flood, a reference to Noah’s Ark, while the third act is also set in the future in an undisclosed time.

Since it was written in the early forties, the play still contains some dated concepts that differ from the ones we have today, such as the relationships between men and women. The drama students have adjusted a few of these ideas accordingly.

“The Skin of Our Teeth,” as portrayed by the DBHS drama students, will also include some acapella singing, but not enough to make it a musical. This play also features some audience involvement.

Pre-sale tickets are $9 for students and $11 at the door; for adults, $12 for the pre-sale and $14 at the door. “The Skin of Our Teeth” will be performed at 7 p.m. on Nov. 6-7 and 13-14.

CALVIN RU

Juniors Nicholas Azurin and Riley Mawhorter rehearse their roles for the fall play, “The Skin of Our Teeth.”

A&E Calendar Oct. 21

Solitaire will sing for The Salute to Teachers @ DBHS

Oct. 23

Dance will perform at the Halftime Show @ HC game 7 pm.

Nov. 12

Marquis will be attending the Fullerton College Invitational Chamber Choir Festival

Nov. 17

Solitaire will be attending Troy High School Fall Woman’s Choir Festival

Oct. 24

Homecoming @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium 7pm. - 11 pm.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE BULL'S EYE

OCTOBER 14, 2015

11

Tech Review:

emily jacobsson asst. a&e editor The fact of the matter is, whether or not there are actually any significant improvements in the new iPhone 6s, Apple enthusiasts will purchase the phone. Luckily, for fans of Apple, this year’s release brings, a r g u a b l y, more changes than the iPhone 6 did.

While the 6s brings little change to the exterior, save for the addition of a new rose gold color and the use of 7000 Series aluminum in the making of the phone, it offers a surplus of new features beneath the hood.

The most exciting addition is the 3D touch technology, something that no other smartphone on the market currently has. Tapping a little harder on the screen gives you access to a menu with more options; a feature Apple is calling “Peek and Pop.” Capacitive sensors integrated into the display are designed to measure even the smallest changes in pressure. This third dimension makes using the iPhone more con-

venient than ever.

Apple has stuck with an 8 megapixel back camera for years, making the new update to 12 megapixels all the more impressive. This not only makes pictures unbelievably detailed, but also allows videos to be shot in 4K. The front camera can finally rival that of the Samsung Galaxy S6, with a big update from 1.2 me g apixels to 5 megapixels. The one downside to all the new features for the camera is the lack of storage to acc o m m o d at e it.

Apple also takes a tip from Snapchat with its new front flash: a quick flash of white on the bright retina display.

Photo courtesy of APPLE “S” phones from Apple have always been criticized for their lack of innovation.

However, this year that most definitely won’t be an issue. As Apple likes to say while advertising their new phone, the only thing that’s changed is everything.

To read the full review, visit dbbullseye.com

The Golden TV Age pauline villegas asst. a&e editor These days, the shows that play on Disney Channel and Nickelodeon are mostly quite mediocre.

Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, the shows that were on children’s networks had a purpose. These classic kid shows made you laugh while they were airing, and cry when they were cancelled.

Almost everyone who was able to experience this era of television would do anything to get it back.

Luckily, Nickelodeon and Disney are considering bringing these shows back on a bigger scale than just reruns.

Nickelodeon When you woke up early on a Sunday morning, it was so you could catch your favorite cartoons.

The timing made it seem like the cartoons were funnier and the cereal tasted just a little sweeter.

“Doug” would play and then after that your favorite “Rugrats” episode would be on. Having to change out of your pajamas to actually start you day seemed like the worst possible scenario, as you kept begging for an extra five minutes or until the episode was done.

The dream that you can experience this again has now become a reality.

Nickelodeon has just launched a new network block titled “The Splat” on TeenNick. Every night from 10 pm to 6am your favorite 90’s shows will be back on the air, such as favorites like “Kenan & Kel,” “CatDog,” and “Hey Arnold!” This sense of nostalgia has many thanking Nickelodeon for being the first to do this, and allowing other networks to follow in their footsteps.

Disney In the early 2000s, almost every child from 5-13 was watching Disney Channel. With shows like

“That’s So Raven” and “Lizzie Mcguire,” no one wanted to miss out on these classics. Shows like “That’s So Raven” talked about body positivity and being comfortable in your own skin. “Phil of the Future” talked about fitting in and how it was okay to be different.

Shows like “Even Stevens” and “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” would always stress the importance of family and close friends.

These shows focused on not only making kids laugh, but also on teaching them important lessons, unlike the shows on the network today. These classic shows showed a diverse group of people and family types which showed kids that not every family looks the same.

Unlike Nickelodeon, Disney has not talked about making a new network or block for these shows.

To read more about the best 90’s shows, visit dbbullseye.com,

Nov. 21

Solitarie is traveling to Westview High School Woman’s Choral Festival

Photos courtesy of DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS

Hilary Duff stars in Lizzie Mcguire and Raven Symone stars in That’s So Raven, which both aired on Disney Channel.

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october 14, 2015

Now Showing: ‘The Martian’ lilly ball editor-in-chief “Gravity” may have won many Oscars, and “Interstellar” may have featured some amazing cinematography, but famed director Ridley Scott has finally blessed audiences with an accessible space film.

In his latest (and possibly greatest) film, “The Martian,” Scott manages to evade the mistakes of previous space-epic directors. He didn’t waste any time meddling with over excessive special effects, but instead manages to transform the barren surface of Mars into the perfect setting for a heartwarming and dramatic tale of human survival. With an eclectic cast of prominent actors who bring an emotional reality to their characters, “The Martian” is charming, suspenseful and, most importantly, honest.

We are first introduced to the crew of the Ares 3 manned mission to Mars as they face a potentially catastrophic storm on the planet.

In order to protect her crew members, mission commander Melissa Lewis, (Jessica Chastain) is forced to prematurely end the mission.

As the crew is leaving, one of the members, Mark Watney (Matt Damon), is struck by debris and separated from the crew. Assuming that he did not survive the incident, the crew regrettably leaves him behind on Mars, as they begin their long journey home.

Unbeknownst to his crew members, Watney survives (although impaled by an antenna) and awakes in the dust after the storm ends. After making it back to habitat and removing the antenna, Watney quickly begins to formulate a survival plan. He has no contact with Earth, and assumes that his next ticket home is the Ares 4 mission, which will land in three years. After realizing how limited his food supply is, Watney utilizes his skills as a botanist to grow potato plants out of Martian soil, while documenting his entire struggle through an intimate series of video diaries.

Back on Earth, NASA scrambles to please the public, holding a funeral service for Watney and conducting multiple press conferences. Once they realize that Watney is alive, head of NASA Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) and mission director Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) immediately start planning a mission to resupply Watney, as all of the world watches. Watney eventually

gains contact with NASA, through a series of instant messages. The interactions between Watney and Earth are particularly hilarious, and chock full of explicit language. When various complications arise both on Mars and Earth, astrodynamicist Rich Purnell (Donald Glover) comes up with a plan that just might work.

Space may be a vast and empty frontier, but the format of the story allows intimacy between the main character and viewer. Being alone on the deserted planet, Watney has no companions other than the audience. The video diaries show us Watney’s charm and wit, while also revealing his true feelings about his situation. Damon faced the particularly difficult challenge of having to act on his own for the majority of the film, but never before have I felt more sympathy for a character. And it’s not just Damon—all the actors are perfectly cast. The film features many stars within its racially diverse cast, but from Sean Bean to Benedict Wong, they all perform magnificently.

Screenwriter Drew Goddard, known for “Lost,” faced the formidable task of adapting Andy Weir’s best-selling novel for the big screen, but didn’t allow any of the substance to be lost in translation.

(Though he did change the journal format of the novel by switching it out for video diaries.) The script and plot of the film are straightforward. There is no demeaning overflow of scientific information that confuses audience members; everything is explained, and for the most part, is realistic.

Though the situation that Watney finds himself in is incredibly tragic, Goddard refused to let the film’s overall tone become somber.

Watney motivates himself through appropriately timed humor, and “awful” disco music, but the film still manages to have its moments of extreme suspense.

Science geeks and space fanatics alike may both enjoy the science fiction aspects of the film, but in the end, the strongest point that “The Martian” makes is about being human. Watney may be physically alone on Mars, but back on Earth, he has the support of the entire NASA team, the American public, and an unlikely foreign government. The world is rooting him on, and every character focuses all of their energy on helping him the best they can. “The Martian” will almost certainly make you laugh, but it will also cause you to cheer on a fictional character like never before.

Visit dbbullseye.com for exclusive online articles.

SPORTS

THE BULL'S EYE

OCTOBER 14, 2015

13

Kicking off league with a close one FOOTBALL DB starts off league games with an overall 4-2 record after losing its first league match, 28-21. eric hong opinion editor With their first loss of the preseason against the Brea Olinda Wildcats, a rebound win against the Cypress Centurion, and another loss in their first league game, the Diamond Bar Brahmas have cooled off from their hot start and now have an overall record of 4-2.

“Every day through our preseason, [we’ve been] working out some different things here and there and we’ll continue to work hard,” head coach Marcus Hughes said. “The teams in our league are very good. It’s going to take our Agame every week.”

After earning a 3-0 record with a victory against San Dimas, the Brahmas were defeated 17-14 by the Brea Olinda Wildcats. The Wildcats took the lead several times as the Brahmas followed close behind, and by halftime, they were tied 14-14. Of Diamond Bar’s two touchdowns, senior running back Dimaggio Rico ran a 42-yard rushing touchdown, and senior wide receiver Connor Donahue completed a 12-yard touch-

down pass from junior quarterback Grant Mestas. The Wildcats scored the last three points with a field goal during the third quarter and stopped the Brahmas in the middle of their final drive up the field with an interception in the fourth.

However, the Brahmas stepped up for the next week’s match against the Cypress Centurion, which ended in a sound 27-13 win.

For the entire first half, the Centurion were unable to put any points on the scoreboard, as Diamond Bar scored the first three touchdowns: a 3-yard rushing touchdown by Rico, a 30-yard rushing touchdown

by Yada, then a 68-yard passing touchdown from Mestas to Yada.

Two consecutive touchdowns by Cypress were countered by another 30-yard touchdown made by Rico in the final quarter, cementing Diamond Bar’s victory.

“I’m real proud of the guys.

We came together well as a team, they’re working hard, and I’m excited to see what they’re going to do in the league,” Hughes said after the win against the Centurion.

Two weeks later, a close game resulted in the Brahmas leaving the

Soccer star tells life story in book Current USA National Women player and former Diamond Bar star Alex Morgan shares personal experiences through new autobiography. frances wu news editor Alex Morgan is widely known as a world-famous soccer player, but what people might not be aware of is the fact that she is also a published author. “Breakaway: Beyond the Goal,” published June 2015, is an autobiography that describes Morgan’s life and soccer career.

Once a student at Diamond Bar High School, Morgan has overcome multiple obstacles, including a torn ACL in her junior year of high school, during her journey to become the soccer star she is today. “ B re a k away, ” strays from traditional writing to keep things interesting. The novel adds several different methods of conveying information, including handwritten notes from age eight, full-color photos of important moments in Morgan’s life, and sections at the end of every chapter solely dedicated to the reader.

After a stellar career at DBHS, she went on to star on the soccer team at UC Berkeley, found a place on the U.S. under-20 women’s soccer team, and became a finalist for the Hermann trophy, awarded to the top college soccer players.

Following her college graduation, Morgan played in the 2011 (and 2015) FIFA Women’s World Cup, won a gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics, and has played for Portland Thorns FC since 2013.

Aside from her soccer career,

Morgan also writes about her teammates, her family, and even her effort to be an excellent role model for young girls everywhere.

“Being in this position, it’s a little weird to take a step back and think of myself in that way, but at the same time, we have such a big responsibility because so many young girls have such a big opportunity that 20 years ago they didn’t have in sports,” Morgan said to CBS. “So I think that’s important for me to show them that and help them spark that dream that I had because of these other players.”

The lessons in each chapter of Morgan’s book have been adapted so that while the content of each section is mostly about soccer, the life lessons can be extended to apply to anyone.

“Losing or failing is the most difficult thing in the whole world.

When you work so hard for something, not making your goal feels like death. ...

It’s easy to blame yourself for the mistakes you made ... but kicking yourself isn’t worth it,” Morgan advises.

In previous years, the gold-medal Olympian has also authored a fictional middle-grade series of chapter books, collectively called “The Kicks.”

Filled with advice on how to stay focused on one’s career and achieve one’s goals, “Breakaway” is the perfect book for novice athletes and soccer fans alike.

Sophomore Koby Duru attempts to rush for extra yards after catching a pass in a game against Cypress. field with a 28-21 loss for their first league game against Ayala. With Diamond Bar down 14 points in the first quarter, the Bulldogs seemed ready to overwhelm the Brahmas.

However, Mestas managed a 1-yard rushing touchdown during the second quarter, and the game began to take on a new face. Rico soon tied the score with a 4-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter, and Mestas and Yada brought the Brahmas ahead with a 94-yard passing touchdown and a score of

21-14. But Diamond Bar did not stay in the lead for long; Ayala scored the final two touchdowns, running out the clock so the Brahmas could not catch up.

“We didn’t get to win today, but we’ll come together,” senior captain Blake Goodman said on Friday.

With the most touchdowns on the team, Rico has scored a total of 13 rushing touchdowns and rushed 727 yards so far in the season, while Yada has scored five touchdowns

ERIC HONG

(four receiving, one rushing) and gained 506 yards. “[We need to] keep in mind that we haven’t even come close to reaching our potential,” Hughes said. “It’s a process and it’s going to get tougher, but we just have to improve.”

In the following weeks, the Brahmas will take on the South Hills Huskies, the Claremont Wolfpack in the Homecoming game, the Bonita Bearcats, and the Glendora Tartans.

IN HER GLORY DAYS

KATIE SWETNAM sophia kim staff writer In 2005, Katie Swetnam stepped onto Diamond Bar High School as a 5-foot-3 freshman, hoping to land a spot on the volleyball team. Ten years later, she returned to the same campus as a 6-foot tall Spanish teacher and assistant volleyball coach, ready to make her mark.

During her middle school years, Swetnam, then known as Katie Kelly, had a hard time finding a position on the volleyball team due to her small frame. She was cut from the team in the sixth grade at Chaparral Middle School due to her height, but was able to rejoin the team the following year.

In addition to playing volleyball, Swetnam played basketball for 11 years and soccer for six years, along with an attempt at softball.

However, she soon found her passion for volleyball and decided to give up on all her other sports during her freshman year in high school.

“I love volleyball, it’s been a big part of my life, shaping who I am,” Swetnam said.

Landing a spot on the junior varsity team in high school her freshman year, Swetnam joined the varsity team in her junior year and became the offensive MVP. As Swetnam grew in skill and stature during her junior and senior years, she started grabbing the attention of college coaches.

She never thought she would get the chance to play collegiate volleyball until they started showing interest in her.

“College coaches started talking to me, and it started to become more of a reality because I didn’t think it was possible at first.” Swetnam said.

Swetnam decided to attend the University of Baltimore, where she received a full athletic scholarship and played Division 1 volleyball.

Despite the excitement of colle-

giate volleyball, she underwent two shoulder surgeries in college due to the strenuous effort that volleyball required. After fighting through the hardships, Swetnam became the team captain for her volleyball team and helped her team make it to college conferences every year.

“Volleyball is really hard on your body when you’re a collegiate athlete,” she said. “I just have to play for fun now [like] on the beach with my friends.”

After graduating college, Swetnam started off her career at DBHS as a Spanish student teacher and an assistant volleyball coach. She was able to land her job as a fulltime teacher and a coach on the same campus as her mother, DBHS English teacher Shannon Kelly.

“My goal for myself and the team is to just grow this year as a team both on and off the court.”

KATIE SWETNAM Although Swetnam is not a collegiate level volleyball player anymore, she is still passionate about helping the volleyball players she coaches reach their individual dreams. After reflecting upon her past coaches, Swetnam realized that it was her time to help the students and give back the knowledge she received from the sport.

“It’s more than just coaching,” she said. “It’s helping these girls build character, learn discipline, and learn to work hard, so it’s really fulfilling.”

Dedicating countless hours every week to volleyball, Swetnam doesn’t have time to take a break.

As soon as she dismisses her last Spanish class, she runs to the gym to get her team ready for any upcoming tournaments. However, the feeling she gets when she helps a student improve is something she feels proud of and motivates her to

manage her team well.

“If I see a girl not using the best techniques, I want to give her feedback,” she said. “I want to see her make the change with my feedback the next time she touches the ball.”

Swetnam says she sees herself as a head volleyball coach someday. For now, she is just hoping to see improvement in her team and herself.

“My goal for myself and the team is to just grow this year as a team both on and off the court,” she said.

CORRECTIONS Last issue, a photo accompanying the article featuring Jon Hurst inaccurately identified him playing with the Tampa Yankees. However, the photo actually depicts Hurst playing collegiate baseball at the University of California Irvine. Also, in the water polo story, the quote in the box was said by senior Dylan Lee, not head coach Alexander Matal.

14 SPORTS

OCTOBER 14, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

Looking for a repeat of team’s perfection GIRLS GOLF The Lady Brahmas look to repeat their CIF title run and finish undefeated in their league games. ryan chae asst. sports editor

Senior Kaitlyn Asawesna completes a gymnastic routine and works on a floor routine.

Photo courtesy of KAITLYN ASAWESNA

Gymnastics integral to senior’s life since age 11 Kaitlyn Asawesna has racked up multiple accolades including first place in the West Coast Championship, along with learning to overcome many hardships. sophia kim staff writer For Diamond Bar High School senior Kaitlyn Asawesna, flipping on beams and jumping across bars has become a normal daily activity.

After quitting dance at the age of 8, she was encouraged by her parents to try gymnastics due to her flexibility. Little did she know that the sport she started as a hobby would lead her to achieve a collection of trophies and allow her to become part of a gymnastics team in Chino called Diamond Elite.

“I tried other sports and dance but I didn’t really like it,” she said.

“So I just decided to try gymnastics for recreation and then I started to really like it.”

Since she was eleven, Asawesna has competed in various international competitions. In 2013, she finished first in the West Coast Championships and second in the USAIGC World championships.

Last year, Asawesna placed third at state but wasn’t able to compete at the USA IGC World Championships because her whole team

couldn’t fly to Florida to compete.

“I just love the feeling of competing, I love to win, I love to get medals, so just knowing that I’ll be able to hold titles makes me motivated to keep going.”

Through gymnastics, Asawesna has learned more than just balancing on beams and dancing. She learned to overcome hardships, both mentally and physically.

“I love to win, I love to get medals, so just knowing that I’ll be able to hold titles makes me motivated to keep going.”

KAITLYN ASAWESNA Asawesna is placed at a disadvantage due to her height of 5-foot-6 as the majority of gymnasts are shorter, but she continues to practice strenuously to keep up her reputation as a gymnast.

“Gymnastics is a sport catered to those who are shorter,” she said.

“It’s always been difficult for me, but I never let that give me an excuse to quit.”

Practicing 9 to 12 hours a week at the gym, Asawesna has learned

to manage her time wisely in order to keep up with her rigorous school work. With all the AP classes she takes, she found ways to keep a balance between both her academics and gymnastics without falling behind in either one of them.

Aside from gymnastics, Asawesna enjoys volunteering and serving the needy when she has time. She has taken part in multiple beach cleanups and homeless food drives.

She also brings her dog to elderly care centers to provide therapy for the grandparents. With a student volunteer organization called Global Leadership Adventures, she went to Costa Rica for two weeks to help remodel a local school and now volunteers at the Ronald McDonald house in Orange County to provide care for sick children.

“It feels rewarding and satisfying that I’m able to contribute to the community and impact someone’s life in a positive way,” she said.

As for now, Asawesna has no thoughts of continuing gymnastics during her college career, but will continue to try her best until she graduates DBHS.

Picking up from last year’s success as CIF State champions and inaugural league champions of the Palomares League, the Lady Brahmas look to win their eleventh consecutive league title and repeat their title run. With expectations high, the girls seem to be handling the pressure, building a 12-0 record, prior to Tuesday’s game.

However, the team’s biggest challenge is dealing with unfamiliar courses against the other teams.

“Home field advantage is the biggest in golf because you’re used to your greens, ” head coach Tony McCabe said.

The girls’ biggest contest of the year was their first match against Glendora, at the Lady Tartans’ own course. The team was able to steal the win, 200-205, after being down until the last two holes. The Lady Brahmas were led by senior captain Josephine Chang and freshman Kailie Vongsaga, scoring two under par and one under through the round, respectively Three weeks later, the girls took a commanding league lead to handing Glendora its second league loss,

190-246.

While the team has had to deal with the losses of former captains Bethany Wu and Joan Park, Diamond Bar has been able to find success in some familiar faces and others as well.

Chang has been a leader for the team, according to McCabe, scoring multiple rounds under par.

Along with Chang, Vongsaga has made an impact in her first year at DBHS. She has scored under par in most matches, nearly breaking the school’s scoring record. At the San Clemente Tournament, where the girls finished third overall, Vongsaga finished the individuals in second place.

With the season’s end nearing, the team looks to be in shape for the playoffs.

“It’s gonna be tough to repeat last year. That was a tremendous team, but the girls have been able to pick it up this year,” McCabe said, “We’ve got a good base of golfers.”

The Lady Brahmas have already secured a spot in the postseason, giving them the opportunity to continue their hopes of repeating. The team has a match against Ayala and Rueben on Oct. 15 and League Individual Finals on Oct. 22.

Junior Jane Park finishes a swing in a match against Chino Hills.

ERIC HONG

Sophomore aims high, and hits bullseye ARCHERY Despite Diamond Bar High School’s lack of a team, Jorrin Song has gone out of his way to pursue the sport independently. catherine zhang asst. feature editor Despite having only five years of experience in archery, Diamond Bar High School sophomore Jorrin Song has already attracted the

attention of the national Olympic archery coach and tried out for the 2016 Olympic team.

After having a childhood fascination with archery, Song signed up in 2010 for Seo Hyan Soon, an archery club located at El Dorado Park in Long Beach. He improved

Photo courtesy of JORRIN SONG

Sophomore Jorrin Song posing at the 2014 Vegas Shot for archery.

quickly and began shooting independently at the Roadrunner Archery Club, which is located at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.

While training at the center, Song was noticed by Jacob Wukie, a silver medalist of the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Wukie offered to coach Song and taught him the National Training System shooting method created by Kisik Lee, the National Head Coach of the United States Olympic Archery Training Program.

“His coaching worked with my body type. A problem with some of the [other] coaches is that they will force you to do things your body isn’t used to so that messed up my shooting for a while,” Song said.

However, the pair stopped meeting after Wukie left to pursue his own path in archery. Song then switched to training at El Dorado Park again, where his talent caught Lee’s eye. Lee commented on how Song’s body type was more suited for NTS and offered Song a spot at his archery academy, Joy Lee. In addition to the Joy Lee academy, Song is also a part of the Recurve Junior Dream Team, also coached by Lee and a few other instructors. Consisting of “the most promising junior and cadet Olympic style archers in the country,” according to sports website teamusa, the team travels to the Olympic

Training Center occasionally for a thorough, week long training camp. Outside of the camps, the coaches and members work together via the internet to train.

“When you see him compete, even in a national level competition next to Olympians and professional archers, he remains calm and focused. This is not easy as it is easy to doubt yourself or to let your emotions get out of hand.

With his passion for archery and continued hard work, Jorrin is well positioned to continue his success in the sport,” Keaton Chia, a coach from his Recurve Dream Team,

said via Facebook.

Song, who regularly competes in tournaments ranging from the state-level to the internationallevel, also competed in the Olympic trials held at the beginning of September in Texas.

After competing with other Olympic-hopeful archers, Song did not make the Top 16 cut. An injury had forced Song to take the week before the trials off, which greatly reduced his chances.

However, with the scores Song achieved prior to the injury, he would have made the cut into the next round of the trials. The athlete isn’t giving up his dream though, as he plans on competing in the next trials held in 2019.

In fact, the injury helped change Song for the better as the he learned to just enjoy the journey as well as the experiences that come with participating in a tournament.

“My injury changed my mindset of thinking that I actually made it to the Olympic trials, not in the mindset before of thinking I can actually win. But after the injury I got, I have a mindset of thinking it’s just for experience, which [has] helped me because I would have times where I would shoot really well before a tournament but after I get into the tournament, and I would try too hard [on winning] which messes with my mental state and shooting,” Song said.

SPORTS

THE BULL'S EYE

OCTOBER 14, 2015

Starting off the season with a splash WATER POLO Even with a few losses, the Brahmas have already improved their win margin from last school year

CALVIN RU

Junior Dario Mariani attempts to pass the ball in a match against the Ayala Bulldogs. The Brahmas lost their sixth game. ing the goal and blocking multiple shots, the boys were unable to counter their opponents and could not match in the amount of goals scored. As the game progressed, Lee scored two goals and junior Arman Shah followed up with the team’s final point, bringing the final score to 14-3.

“The Ayala game shows promise for the future as we came a lot closer than last year,” sophomore Logan Knight said via Facebook.

Leading up to its first league tournament were the team’s 16 pre-

season games. Improving greatly from its first year, the team continues to train on its individual position skills and improve upon team strategies after finishing with a preseason record of 11-5.

The team had a good start, winning against Los Amigos 18-9, but was defeated in the following games against Poly, Webb, and Westview each with a 10 point difference. However, the Brahmas later won three out of the next four tournaments, with two close games against San Dieguito and

Whittier, a win against Polytechnic, and one loss against Chadwick.

The Brahmas would continue to dominate the preseason pool, beating El Rancho, Montclair, and West Covina, continuing their five-win streak with a significant point gap.

They were shut down by Chino, losing by one point on Sept. 26.

The loss did not faze them as the Brahmas went on to win the two tournaments after Chino game, as well as the two final non-league games against Charter Oak and Wilson.

Preparing for the road ahead CROSS COUNTRY After finally securing a safe jogging loop, the cross country team is practicing even harder in order to improve personal their times. hannah lee asst. news editor

SPORTS COLUMN

Big bucks spent on little results ryan chae asst. sports editor

calvin ru asst. photo editor Despite its strong preseaon start, the Diamond Bar High School boys water polo team lost against Ayala in the team’s first league match, 14-3, on Oct. 6. Even with major improvements from last year’s 5-22 overall record, the team’s effort was not enough to beat the Bulldogs, leaving the Brahmas with a 0-1 league record prior to Tuesday’s match against Ayala.

“We played one of the toughest teams in our league and we played a lot stronger than before,” senior Dylan Lee said. “Our team has greatly improved against top seeded CIF teams like Ayala and looks to a season to improve skills.”

The Brahmas had a positive outlook on their first league match against Ayala, as they held off the Bulldogs well during the first quarter until the opposing team scored its first point. However, even with junior Christian Galelli defend-

15

13 girls and five out of 13 boys all set personal records. Overall, boys placed 44 out of 76 teams and girls were 30 out of 63 teams despite Although the Diamond Bar High missing several players that day.

School cross country team has only Although there were complicompeted in three meets, in the cations with the recent heat, the coach’s eyes, both the team and inBrahmas have managed to estabdividual athletes developed signifilish a permanent and safe warm-up cantly since the start of the season. route, named “the Jarvis Loop,” for “So far we’ve had three cross all players. This seven mile course country meets, and the times keep stretches around the perimeter of dropping. Seeing improvements Diamond Bar. With safety as the gets them more excited and pushes main concern, the course was dethemselves even more at practice,” signed so that students would alhead coach Sally Jarvis said. ways be in the open and visible.

To further enhance the team’s In addition, the team is also exoverall performance, Jarvis makes periencing transition issues, as JV weekly adjustments to cater for upand varsity combine. As of now, coming meets. She modifies trainthe coaches are still trying to staing routines, taking into account bilize the team and establish a core both its strengths and weaknesses. group of runners.

As a result of practices, Jarvis “The league meet went better states that over than expected, 50 percent of the varsity boys the team have came in fourth “Seeing their improvements set personal reout of sixth, so gets them more excited and cords it’s better than pushes themselves even more” Despite the last year. But HEAD COACH SALLY JARVIS lack of sumas a team, we mer training, still need to get the team continues to build its there,” assistant coach Malinalli way to improvement as the season Cooke said. nears its end. At the recent league Along with their improved permeet in Woodbridge, eight girls formance, the Brahmas have also and 14 boys set personal records. evolved their mentalities and atThe Brahmas used this meet as a titudes toward the sport. The stubaseline for improvement, and are dents lacked discipline in the past, striving towards their personal and with more of a “running club mencollective goals. tality” according Jarvis, rather Although many key players than an official, established team. are returning upperclassmen, the They now take themselves and the freshmen girls on varsity have sport more seriously, and have deproved to stand out. According to veloped a stronger team bond.

Jarvis, although their times are “I foresee the girls placing fourth already impressive for freshmen, overall for this entire season. Boys, they continue to improve. Among I feel like if they push themselves the returning players, Paul Abdo, really hard, they have a chance at a junior, and Annabelle Chang, a beating Bonita third out of sixth. senior , have been dropping their Which overall is a good improvetimes significantly as well. ment because from what I was told, During their invitational meet the prior years, they were coming at Dana Hills in Irvine, nine out of in 6th out of 6th,” Jarvis said.

ERIC HONG

Sophomore Ashvini Bhupatiraju plays doubles with senior Carrie Wang.

New strategies for improvement TENNIS The rocky start to the girls tennis team’s season will not stop them from aiming for championships. emily kim asst. sports editor The sound of encouraging yells and reminders overlap with the thud of tennis balls throughout the Diamond Bar High School tennis courts as the players of the DBHS girls varsity tennis team practice for their next match.

The team is currently 1-3, having lost its league games against Ayala, South Hills, and Claremont, but winning the match against Bonita. Head coach Tina Shavers believes the team can still turn things around.

“The team as a whole is growing and making a lot of improvements,” Shavers said.

Senior captain Emily Zhang said that having better teamwork will play a large role in improving the team’s overall strength. With the doubles and singles players switching out constantly, it is difficult to forge strong teamwork between partners she said.

However, absence of solid teamwork is not stopping the girls from becoming accustomed to the new positions and getting to know their partners in order to play better.

Developing new chemistry between doubles partners has ben-

efitted the team by allowing the Lady Brahmas to try something different than the strategies they had last year according to Zhang.

“We’re in it to win, and we definitely see more wins in our future,” Zhang said.

Improving their serves, volleys, and strokes is a priority that the team has been working on to secure more wins later in the year according to sophomore Angeline Cheng. The girls primarily want to work on staying consistent and winning both their doubles and singles.

“We definitely planned out strategies so we’ll be using more moves in future games because that seems to be the area that seems to be the one thing we are lacking in,” Zhang said.

The team has had several good strokes during games as well as strong efforts from players seniors Samantha Cho and Emily Dang, who the team relies on for solid points.

However, the Lady Brahmas must continue developing and growing as a whole in order to score more and win.

“We are improving our weak shots and we are doing our best to enjoy the season and have more fun,” Shavers said.

Remember when NBA players used to play the sport for the glory, for the loyalty of their teams, and for championships? Today, players only seem to be in it for the money.

With a new national TV contract, the NBA has been able to raise the salary cap, allowing players to be undeservingly overpaid.

This past summer alone, the 32 NBA teams have combined to spend a whopping $2.5 billion on signing free agents. Over the summer, players were given contracts with ludicrous amounts of money.

Many of these players did not even deserve their contracts offered.

Most recently, Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes rejected a four-year, $64 million deal, believing that he deserved more.

Barnes is looking for more money than players like teammates Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, as well as reigning Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard and superstar point guard Russell Westbrook.

This has to be a mistake. A player who has yet to average 15 points in a season does not deserve this outrageous contract.

The absurdity doesn’t stop there.

The Cleveland Cavaliers gave forward Iman Shumpert a deal for four years worth $40 million. Even though it is less than Barnes’ given contract, this deal is even stranger.

While Barnes is at least a competent two-way player, Shumpert cannot play on the offensive end at all. Also, he injured his wrist two weeks ago, leaving him out for the first four months of the season.

The Cavs essentially paid a backup small forward who, at best averages seven points a game, $10 million this year to sit on the bench.

Additionally, the Cavs have yet to re-sign power forward Tristan Thompson, the back-up for threetime all-star Kevin Love. Thompson delayed his decision due to a foolish belief that he was worth more than the ridiculous $80 million deal that the team offered him. Thompson has had career averages of ten points, eight rebounds, and half a block, which are nowhere near the averages of a big man deserving over $16 million. Since he was offered it, Thompson has rejected all possible contracts, looking for a $94 million deal. Thompson has even been willing to leave the best team in the Eastern Conference just to gain a few more million. So much for loyalty.

With all these numbers and contracts being tossed around, it is clear that there is a huge difference between NBA players and other professionals. The income of star athletes in other sports pales in comparison to basketball players.

It’s no surprise that Kobe Bryant is the NBA’s highest paid player at $25 million a year, but when you compare Aaron Rodgers, the NFL’s highest paid player, to the NBA’s next top earner, Joe Johnson, who is paid $24.5 million a year and didn’t even average 15 points a game last season, the difference is about $2.5 million. That difference is the combined average income of 50 American citizens, and that number is going to continue to grow with the new salary cap.

Truly, players have become businessmen compared to the glory days of the league when the athletes played for the opportunities for titles and their teams. These men have now become players of the owners and not players of the sport.

16 SPORTS

OCTOBER 14, 2015

THE BULL'S EYE

warming up ... football 10/16 @ South Hills 10/23 vs Claremont 10/30 vs Bonita 11/06 @ Glendora

girls volleyball 10/15 vs Claremont 10/20 @ Bonita 10/22 vs Glendra 10/27 @ Ayala 10/29 vs South Hills 11/03 @ Claremont

girls tennis 10/15 vs Claremont 10/19 vs Wilson 10/20 @ Bonita 10/22 vs Glendora

girls golf

cross country 10/17 @ Cerritos 10/24 @ Mt. SAC 10/29 @ Bonelli Park

10/15 @ Ayala

boys waterpolo 10/15 Bonita 10/20 @ Glendora 10/22 Ayala 10/29 Claremont

SPORTS

Looking for bright spots after consecutive losses VOLLEYBALL Despite the team’s slow start with a 0-3 league record, volleyball still considers going to CIF as one of their main goals for this season. emily jacobsson asst. a&e editor With a win from the Diamond Ranch tournament and practice from its preseason games under its belt, the Diamond Bar High School’s varsity volleyball team is going into its season with more confidence than ever.

Though winning the Diamond Ranch tournament helped boost the moral of the team, its preseason losses proved even more valuable in helping the team grow prior to the start of the season. The tough preseason prepped the Lady Brahmas for the challenging road.

“That fact that we had a tough preseason is good because we have a really tough league as well when it comes to volleyball,” said head

coach Becky Bevans. “The preseason is helping us establish a starting line up that we can move forward within league and it helps us identify the things that we’re doing well and the areas of the game that we need to work on and practice.”

With an already strong defense, the team is mostly working on staying consistent with its serve receive and minimizing the amount of mistakes made during its attack. Another area of focus that is beginning to receive more attention is developing a stronger offense.

“We have been running many drills that focus directly on our offense at practice like the drill offense versus defense,” senior team captain, setter, and opposite Morgan Dempsey said via Facebook.

Senior Morgan Dempsey serves the ball back over the net.

The mental aspect of the game is another focus for the team. They have worked on not only sustaining their strength, but also staying confident even when facing a tough team.

“One of our biggest challenges is

ERIC HONG

being intimidated by other teams that are bigger and stronger than us, but we are working hard to become one of those teams that can work really well as a unit,” sophomore middle blocker Ana Figueroa said.

To qualify for CIF, the team needs to be either in top three of their league or have won at least half of their games. Most years the Lady Brahmas have qualified, and they feel that this year will be no exception as long as they can continue to put forth their best effort.

“I know we can qualify if we keep pushing each other to the best of our abilities because we all made the team for a reason. Consistence and confidence is key,” senior libero and defensive specialist Kiana Malbas said via Facebook.

Going into the season, which started on Oct. 1, the Lady Brahmas have high hopes so long as they find the perfect balance between mental resilience and physical toughness.

“I feel like we’re as prepared as we can be. We’ve made improvements in every area of the game.

Our big thing now is just if we be consistent and play our best game every time we get out there. That’ll be our challenge,” Bevans said.

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Dimaggio Rico

emily kim asst. sports editor With half of the season left in his final year playing football for Diamond Bar High School, Dimaggio Rico has already run 727 yards and scored 13 touchdowns in six games.

Rico’s current accomplishments this season, like his average 8.2 per carry, has put him first in the league for scoring and second for rushing.

Rico developed an interest in

football after watching games on television and being encouraged by his father to try the sport. He started as a seven-year-old playing running back and corner for the Chino Hills Bulldogs.

Hearing about his father’s experiences playing football in high school inspired Rico to continue playing.

“I wanted to experience [football] for my own and make my own name,” Rico said.

Rico played as both corner and running back during his sopho-

more and junior year and he was the starting cornerback in his junior year.

This year, Rico is no longer corner and has instead took on the role of featured running back of the team. To him, the change was not drastic because he lined up as running back for a few snaps last season. However, this year he has become a key part of the varsity team, rushing for over 100 yards per game in his new position.

Rico gives credit to senior offensive lineman Blake Goodman for

Senior Dimaggio Rico runs ball to the endzone during preseason game against San Dimas Saints.

ERIC HONG

opening up holes and clearing the way to allow him to run through the defense. Reading what the offensive line does is another key aspect of scoring touchdowns.

“I just have to thank my line for that because they really help out a lot and give me big holes so I can make touchdowns and we can win the game,” Rico said.

Despite Rico’s many achievements, one of greatest accomplishments would be earning the Coach’s Award last year. He received the award for always supporting the team and doing what he needed, whether it was practicing or playing his best in a game, re gardless of the circumstances. “ H e started the [last] year off as a starter and then he ended up losing his starting position. but he still practiced hard,” head coach Mar-

cus Hughes said. “He exemplified what we want in all of our athletes to just work hard every day.”

For Rico, one of his greatest in-game accomplishments was scoring the fifth touchdown of the Branding Iron game.

“I tied for most scores in a game with Tyler Brown [the Brahma running back who graduated in May] and it was against Walnut so that was a plus too,” Rico said.

Rico’s main goal for the future is to join the Los Angeles Police Department and land a spot on the SWAT unit.

He plans on continuing to play football by being a part of the LAPD team.

The LAPD has its own football team similar to a NFL semi-pro league, traveling around the United States and playing other departments.

“Football is a second family and I know a lot of kids that don’t have that strong connection with their own family,” Rico said.